Stealing a Goat Along the Way, 顺手牵羊 - 36 Strategies
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36 Strategies - Strategy No 12: Stealing a goat along the way, 顺手牵羊
Original: 微隙在所必乘，微利在所必得。少阴，少阳。
Modern: 敌人出现的小漏洞也必须趁机利用。在微小的利益，也要力争获得。把敌人的小漏洞变为我方的小胜利。
English: Try to take advantage of enemy's weaknesses where possible, no matter how small it is. Use their weaknesses to achieve minor victories.
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During the Sixteen Kingdom periond. The ruler of Former Qin, Emperor Fu Jian had plans to destroy the Eastern Jin. He sent his younger brother Fu Rong to lead as vanguard and Fu Rong won the first battle. Judging that the Jin did not have adequate forces and their supplies are low, Fu Rong suggested to Fu Jian to hasten his attack on Eastern Jin. Fu Jian on hearing it, did not wait for the rest of the army to arrive launch an attack on the Shou Yang City. The general guarding Shou Yang was Xie Shi. Xie Shi on knowing that the Qin vanguard did not come together with the rest of the army, decided to take the opportunity to deal a blow to the Qin. He sent General Liu Lao with 50,0000 to deal with the Qin vanguard and Liu Lao won, killing Qin General Liang Cheng. Xie Shi on seeing their victory of rode out with the his troops and reach the banks of Fei Shui river. Camping on the opposite bank of the river is the Qin main forces. Fu Jian on seeing how well organized and well defended Xie Shi's troops was decided to wait for more reinforcement to arrive.
Xie Shi saw that he was outnumbered and know that he needs to win this battle by wits. He send a letter to Fu Jian, trying to provoke him. In the letter he wrote, "I want battle with you, winner takes all, if you do not dare to take up the challenge, my advice is that you surrendered early. If you dare to take up my challenge, move your troops back, let my army cross the river and we can battle each other." Fu Jian was furious when he read the letter, so he ordered his troops to retreat so as to allow Xie Shi's troop to cross the river and wanted to attack Xie Shi's troops when they are busy crossing the river. Little did Fu Jian realised that because they have lost their vanguards, the morale of the Qin troops was very low. Upon hearing the retreat order, the Qin troops panicked and there were chaos everywhere in the Qin's camp. Xie Shi on seeing the situation, led his troops across the river and attack the retreating Qin troops. Fu Jian on seeing the battle was lost, retreat back to Luo Yang. The reason why Qin loss is because the Jin forces was able to take advantage of the situation.
公元383年，前秦统一了黄河流域地区，势力强大。前秦王苻坚坐镇项城，调集九十万大军，打算一举歼灭东晋。他派其弟苻融为先锋攻下寿阳，初战告捷，苻融判断东晋兵力不多并且严重缺粮，建议苻坚迅速进攻东晋。苻坚闻讯，不等大军齐集，立即率几千骑兵赶到寿阳。东晋将领谢石得知前秦百万大军尚未齐集，抓住时机，击败敌方前锋，挫敌锐气。谢石先派勇将刘牢之率精兵五万，强渡洛涧，杀了前秦守将梁成。刘牢之乘胜追击，重创前秦军。谢石率师渡过洛涧，顺淮河而上，抵达淝水一线，驻扎在八公山边，与驻扎在寿阳的前秦军隔岸对峙。苻坚见东晋阵势严整，立即命今坚守河岸，等待后续部队。
谢石看到敌众我寡，只能速战速决。于是，他决定用激将法激怒骄狂的苻坚。他派人送去一封信，说道，我要与你决一雌雄，如果你不敢决战，还是趁早投降为好。如果你有胆量与我决战，你就暂退一箭之地，放我渡河与你比个输赢。苻坚大怒，决定暂退一箭之地，等东晋部队渡到河中间，再回兵出击，将晋兵全歼水中。他哪里料到此时秦军士气低落，撤军令下，顿时大乱。秦兵争先恐后，人马冲撞，乱成一团，怨声四起。这时指挥已经失灵，几次下令停止退却，但如潮水般撤退的人马已成溃败之势。这时谢石指挥东晋兵马，迅速渡河，乘敌人大乱，奋力追杀。前秦先锋苻融被东晋军在乱军中杀死，苻坚也中箭受伤，慌忙逃回洛阳。前秦大败。淝水之战，东晋军抓住战机，乘虚而入，是古代战争史上以弱胜强的著名战例。