Deceive the heavens to cross the ocean

The stratagem references an episode when Tang emperor Tang Gaozong balked from crossing the sea to a campaign against Koguryo. His General brought him the invitation of a wealthy peasant to supper. As the emperor entered this house, it began to shake - the General had deceivedly lured the emperor onto a ship! Upon discovering this, the emperor decided to carry on and later finished the successful campaign.

This stratagem means that you mask your real goals, thus deceiving even the emperor / heavens itself with a fake goal, until they are confronted with finished facts. Harro von Senger notes in the German-Language "Die List" that to grasp the full meaning, it would be something like "to deceive the holy virgin Mary" in the western hemisphere.

This strategy made use of the human weakness that, people eventually become unaware of common everyday activities, or events that keeps repeating itself. When this happens, it is the best moment carry out one's previously hidden true objective.

瞒天过海

公元589年，隋朝将大举攻打陈国。这陈国乃是公元557年陈霸先称帝建国，定国号为陈，建都城于建康，也就是今天的南京。战前，隋朝将领贺若弼因奉命统领江防，经常组织沿江守备部队调防。每次调防都命令部队于历阳（也就是今天安徽省和县一带地方）集中。还特令三军集中时，必须大列旗帜，遍支警帐，张扬声势，以迷惑陈国。果真陈国难辨虚实，起初以为大军将至，尽发国中士卒兵马，准备迎敌面战。可是不久，又发现是隋军守备人马调防，并非出击，陈便撤回集结的迎战部队。如此五次三番，隋军调防频繁，蛛丝马迹一点不露，陈国竟然也司空见惯，戒备松懈。直到隋将贺若弼大军渡江而来，陈国居然未有觉察。隋军如同天兵压顶，令陈兵猝不及防，遂一举拔取陈国的南徐州（今天的讲苏省镇江市一带）。

防备得周全时，更容易麻痹大意；习以为常的事，也常会失去警戒。秘密常潜藏在公开的事物里，并非存在于公开暴露的事物之外。公开暴露的事物发展到极端，就形成了最隐秘的潜藏状态。

本指光天化日之下不让天知道就过了大海。形容极大的欺骗和谎言，什么样的欺骗手段都使得出来。
关键字:英语翻译
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