Empty Fort Strategy

Empty Fort Strategy
Zhuge Liang against Sima Yi with his sons Sima Zhao and Sima Shi, as depicted in the artwork Ruse with an Empty City
Traditional Chinese	空城計
Simplified Chinese	空城计
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Kōng Chéng Jì

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The Empty Fort Strategy involves using reverse psychology to deceive the enemy into thinking that an empty location is full of traps and ambushes, and therefore induce the enemy to retreat. It is listed as the 32nd of the Thirty-Six Stratagems. Some examples are listed in the following sections.