Q2 (chapters 33 - 63) - Question 1

[John]

Q2, Question 1: The Battle of Red Cliffs occupies a central portion of this book. Select an aspect of the battle (a tactic, a "trick," one of the major or minor characters) that struck you and discuss.

[John]

I thought the scene hilarious when Zhuge Liang accepts the impossible task of obtaining a resupply of arrows for the Southland army and accomplishes it by foreseeing a dense fog and tricking Cao Cao to fear an invasion which he attempts to ward off by firing into the fog at the sound of the "invasion." Lined with bales of straw, the boats return with more than the required arrows.

[Patrick]

It was amazing to see how much Zhuge Liang knew about (physical and human) nature in designing his schemes and leading Zhou Yu into them by the tip of his nose. The arrows "quick supply" scheme was genius, so was his "promise" that he would make a southeastern wind blow from the twentieth to the twenty-second day for Zhou Yu to use the fire tactic against Cao Cao; he disguised his knowledge of season patterns and changes with prayer sessions at an altar he made Zhou Yu build on purpose.

[[deleted user]]

I liked those examples as well. The arrow idea was genius. It was also treachery that convinced Cao Cao to tie the boats together under an illusion of making a bridge for his army to cross the river instead of making it an easier target for the fire to destroy.