Stratagem 06: Making a Feint to the East While Attacking in the West (声东击西)

Core Definition

核心释义

Create a diversion to draw attention away from your real target. Appear confused while maintaining a clear plan.

敌志乱萃，不虞，坤下兑上之象。利其不自主而取之。

Historical Origin

历史典故

The Classic Story

Han Xin famously used this strategy during the Chu-Han contention. He made loud preparations for a direct assault on one position while secretly moving his best troops to attack from an undefended direction, achieving complete surprise.

韩信在楚汉之争中运用此计，声势浩大地准备正面进攻，暗中却将精锐部队调至防守薄弱处发动突袭，实现出其不意的效果。

Modern Applications

现代应用

◆Announcing one product line while secretly developing a disruptive competitor
◆Focusing negotiations on minor issues to gain concessions on major ones
◆Public diversions masking strategic acquisitions or partnerships
◆Marketing campaigns that misdirect competitors about your real strategy

Supplementary Case Studies

补充案例分析

D-Day Landing Beaches

The Allies bombarded Pas-de-Calais heavily while the real invasion targeted Normandy. German forces, expecting Calais, held reserves too far from the actual landing beaches. The eastern bombardment was loud; the western invasion was lethal.

盟军猛烈轰炸加莱，而真正登陆目标是诺曼底。德军预期加莱方向，将预备队部署在远离实际登陆海滩处。东边的轰炸震耳欲聋，西边的登陆致命有效。

Microsoft's Cloud Pivot

While the tech press focused on Microsoft's failures in mobile (Windows Phone), the real strategic move was happening in cloud computing. Azure was being built into a powerhouse while attention was diverted to the mobile "feint."

科技媒体聚焦微软在移动端的失败（Windows Phone）时，真正的战略行动正在云计算领域发生。Azure正被建设为巨头，而注意力被移动"佯攻"所转移。