Chen Ping, a strategist of the late Qin and early Han dynasties, first served under King Wei Jiu during Chen Sheng's uprising, then briefly joined Xiang Yu before defecting to Liu Bang.
Someone warned Liu Bang, "This man is fickle and untrustworthy." Liu Bang then asked Chen Ping, "Why did you serve King Wei, then Xiang Yu, and now come to me?" Chen Ping replied, "How could King Wei or Xiang Yu compare to you? I heard you have an eye for talent and know how to use it, so I came to join you."
Later, Xiang Yu besieged Liu Bang in Xingyang. Liu Bang asked Chen Ping what to do. Chen Ping said, "Just use money to bribe Xiang Yu's men and sow discord between him and his advisors like Fan Zeng and Zhongli Mei—that will break the siege."
After some of Xiang Yu's men were bribed, they spread rumors in the camp that generals like Zhongli Mei were planning to defect to Liu Bang. From then on, Xiang Yu no longer trusted them. When Xiang Yu sent an envoy to Liu Bang, Liu Bang followed Chen Ping's plan and prepared a lavish feast. Upon seeing the envoy, Liu Bang feigned surprise and said, "I thought you were Xiang Yu's advisor Fan Zeng—turns out you're just a lowly messenger!" He then ordered the feast removed and replaced with coarse, filthy food. The envoy reported this to Xiang Yu, who grew suspicious of Fan Zeng, driving the advisor away in anger. Later, following Chen Ping's advice, Liu Bang released two thousand women from the east gate of Xingyang at night. Believing the Han army was trying to break out, Xiang Yu concentrated his forces at the east gate, allowing Liu Bang to escape through the west gate.
After Han Xin conquered Qi, he sent a messenger to Liu Bang requesting to be made King of Qi. Liu Bang was about to fly into a rage in front of the messenger when Chen Ping secretly nudged him with his foot, signaling him to agree. After the messenger left, Chen Ping said to Liu Bang, "Hold your temper for now, or Han Xin will raise an army and rebel."
After establishing the Han Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, received a secret report that Han Xin was plotting rebellion. Liu Bang sought counsel from Chen Ping, who asked, "Does Han Xin know he has been reported?" Liu Bang replied, "No." Chen Ping advised, "Then pretend to inspect Yunmeng and summon the feudal lords to Chen. When Han Xin arrives to pay respects, arrest him." Han Xin indeed came to the outskirts of Chen to meet Liu Bang, who promptly seized him.
In the seventh year of the Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu chanyu Modu led a massive army to besiege Jinyang, and Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang personally commanded 300,000 troops to counter the invasion. However, he was trapped at White Peak Mountain near Pingcheng. The strategist Chen Ping bribed Modu's queen with a fortune in gold, securing Liu Bang's escape.
After Chen Ping joined Liu Bang, he devised six ingenious strategies that turned danger into safety, earning six promotions and the emperor's "tally of trust," a permanent token of his merit. Later, the idiom "Six Ingenious Strategies" came to refer to any masterful, game-changing plans.
Source: *Records of the Grand Historian*, "Hereditary House of Chancellor Chen"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "六出奇计" came to describe any masterful, game-changing plans.