32-Open the Gate of an Undefended City

Open the Gate of an Undefended City

 The Empty City Stratagem (RM).

Deliberately displaying your weakness can conceal your vulnerability.

៣២. ល្បិចក្រុងទទេ

1.  នៅក្នុងអត្ថបទភាសាចិនបាននិយាយថា នៅសតវត្សន៍ទី ៣ នៃគ្រឹស្តរាជ មានអ្នករៀបចំយុទ្ធសាស្ត្រជនជាតិដ៏ល្បីល្បាញមួយរូបបានប្រឈមមុខនឹងស្ថានភាពដ៏ធ្ងន់ធ្ងរមួយ។ទាហានរបស់សត្រូវខ្លាំងៗជាច្រើនបានលេចមុខ  ភ្លាមៗ ហើយគាត់មានតែទាហានបន្តិចបន្តូចប៉ុណ្ណោះក្នុងការការពារក្រុង។ អ្នករៀបចំយុទ្ធសាស្ត្រមួយនោះបានបើកទ្វារក្រុង និង បានធ្វើឲ្យក្រុងទាំងមូលមើលទៅហាក់ដូចជាមិនមានការការពារ ខណៈពេលដែលគាត់កំពុងតែលេង    ពិណ។ សត្រូវរបស់គាត់នឹកគិតសង្ស័យ និង ខ្លាចមិនហ៊ានក្នុងការវាយប្រហារ ហើយក៏ត្រឡប់ទៅវិញ។ នៅក្នុងសៀវភៅ ពិជ័យសង្រ្គាម ស៊ុន អ៊ូ បាននិយាយថា នៅពេលខ្សោយ ត្រូវធ្វើជាខ្លាំង ហើយនៅពេលខ្លាំង ត្រូវធ្វើជាខ្សោយ។
2.  បើតាមចិត្តសាស្ត្រ មនុស្សត្រូវបានគេប្រើក្នុងគម្រូដូចតទៅ នៅពេលដែលឥរិយាបថរបស់យើងខុសពីធម្មតាវានឹងធ្វើឲ្យសត្រូវរបស់យើងមានការយល់ច្រឡំ។ យើងនឹងទាញយកផលប្រយោជន៍ពីកិច្ចការមួយនេះ​ ហើយគេចចេញឲ្យឆ្ងាយពីបញ្ហា។ នៅក្នុងយុទ្ធសាស្ត្រមួយនេះ យើងត្រូវតែធ្វើសកម្ម- ភាពដូចជាធម្មតា ក្នុងគោលបំណងការពារពីការវាយប្រហាររបស់សត្រូវ នៅពេលដែលសត្រូវរបស់យើងខ្លាំង  អស្ចារ្យ និង អាចលុកលុយយើងគ្រប់ពេលវេលា។ នៅពេលដែលសត្រូវរបស់យើងមកដល់ ហើយឃើញពីការធ្វើសកម្មភាពតាមលក្ខណៈធម្មតា និង មិនមានការរៀបចំ ដូច្នេះពួកគេច្បាស់ជាគិតថានឹងមានអ្វីមួយលាក់បាំងពីខាងក្រោយ។ ប្រការនេះនឹងធ្វើឲ្យរបស់យើងមិនហ៊ានប្រថុយនិងធ្វើឲ្យពួកគេដកថយ។​ដូច្នេះពួកយើងអាចគេចផុតពីសត្រូវដោយជោគជ័យ។

กลยุทธ์ที่ 32 ปิดเมือง

กลยุทธ์ปิดเมือง หรือ คงเฉิงจี้ (อังกฤษ: The empty fort strategy; จีนตัวย่อ: 空城计; จีนตัวเต็ม: 空城計; พินอิน: Kōng chéng jì) เป็นกลยุทธ์ที่หมายความถึงในยามศึกสงคราม หากกำลังทหารไพร่พลเกิดความอ่อนแอหรือมีกำลังน้อย ยิ่งจงใจแสดงให้ศัตรูเห็นว่าในการศึกมิได้มีการวางแนวป้องกัน ทำให้ศัตรูเกิดความฉงนสนเท่ห์ ไม่กล้าผลีผลามนำกำลังเข้าบุกโจมตี ในสถานการณ์ที่ศัตรูมีกำลังมากกว่า การใช้กลยุทธ์ปิดเมืองเพื่อป้องกันกองทัพตนเองเป็นการเลือกใช้กลยุทธ์ที่มีความพิสดารพันลึกเป็นทวีคูณ คัมภีร์อี้จิงกล่าวว่า "ท่ามกลางแข็งกันอ่อน" โดยคำว่า "แก้" ใช้ควบคู่กับคำว่า "พิสดาร ซ่อนพิสดาร" ซึ่งหมายความว่า ในขณะที่ศัตรูมีกองกำลังแข็งแรง หากแต่กองกำลังแลไพร่พลอ่อนแอให้จัดกำลังทหารโดยใช้กลยุทธ์ "กลวงยิ่งทำกลวง" เพื่อเป็นการแสดงให้เห็นถึงความพิสดารในกลศึกที่ศัตรูคาดการณ์ไม่ถึง ตัวอย่างการนำเอากลยุทธ์ปิดเมืองไปใช้ได้แก่จูกัดเหลียงที่ถอยทัพหลบหนีสุมาอี้หลังจากม้าเจ๊กเสียเมืองเกเต๋ง โดยแสร้งทำเป็นวางเฉยไม่สะดุ้งสะเทือนกับกองกำลังทหารสุมาอี้ที่ยกทัพติดตามมา

32. Empty city ploy

From Sun Tzu:

If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent

the enemy from engaging us even though

the lines of our encampment be merely traced

out on the ground. All we need do is to throw

something odd and unaccountable in his way.

-- from Section Six, "Weak Points and Strong," AOW

If all is lost, and your resources are exhausted or depleted, try the unexpected. In a few such situations in the past, commanders threw open the gates of their fortress, inviting the enemy to come and attack. Legend has it that one such outnumbered leader of a cavalry stockade, when surrounded by Indians, had the men open the gates and sweep the entryway to the stockade. Allegedly, the Indians were so puzzled by this behavior that they decided not to attack.

Perhaps a better way to read the stratagem is to say that if attack seems inevitible and unwinnable, cause the enemy to believe that you have retreated or deserted the battle field. We know the story of George Washington secretly pulling his men into the dark forest at night and retreating through the woods. When the British attacked the next morning, they found an empty camp.

Well, what if---after the Brits had scrounged through everything and were standing around figuring out how to track Washington---the minutemen had suddenly rushed back through the trees, muskets firing?

In a sense, this was the ploy of the Greeks in the final attack on Troy. The Greeks convinced the Trojan army that they had withdrawn, leaving only the great Trojan horse as a parting offering. Thus, the Greeks created an "empty city" appearance that was so convincing that the men of Troy opened their gates and pulled the great horse within their city walls. They believed that they had nothing left to fear.

One aspect of the deception is to give every sign of the front line being "empty," so that after the enemy assures himself that he has won, you attack. Perhaps this tactic should be used only in situation in which the enemy has demonstrated an upper hand all along and believes himself to be the sure victor.