During the Spring and Autumn period, Sima Hua Feizhu of the Song state had three sons: Hua Qu, Hua Duoliao, and Hua Deng. At that time, Duke Yuan of Song greatly trusted Hua Duoliao. Because Hua Duoliao was on bad terms with his two brothers, he often slandered them before the duke. As a result, Hua Deng was forced to flee abroad. Soon after, Hua Qu was also driven into exile.
Hua Qu, consumed by hatred for his brother Hua Duoliao, happened to encounter him while bidding farewell to their father. In a fit of rage, Hua Qu and his attendants struck down and killed Hua Duoliao on the spot.
Hua Qu then gathered many fugitives to rebel against the State of Song, launching an attack on its capital. Duke Yuan of Song urgently sought help from Qi, which sent General Wu Zhiming with troops to assist in defending the city.
That winter, the fugitive Hua Deng led a Wu army to reinforce Hua Qu's attack on the Song state. As Hua Deng's forces approached, a Song official named Da Fu said to Wu Zhiming, "The military classic *Jun Zhi* states: 'To seize the initiative is to seize the enemy's spirit.' We should strike before Hua Deng's troops have settled, attacking them to secure victory."
Following Wuzhi Ming's advice, the commander immediately led the combined forces of Qi and Song to launch a surprise attack on Hua Deng's Wu army, securing a decisive victory.
However, Huadeng, unwilling to accept defeat, led his remaining forces in a counterattack and soon defeated the Song army once again.
Duke Song Yuan initially wanted to flee, but was dissuaded and encouraged to rally the soldiers, saying, "The nation is defeated, the ruler is dead—this is our country's shame! I will fight alongside you, risking our lives to defend the capital!"
The Song army's morale surged, and they launched a counterattack against Hua Deng's forces. In the end, Hua Deng was killed, and Hua Qu's troops were defeated and fled.
Later, the idiom "stealing the thunder" came to describe how seizing the initiative can demoralize the enemy.
Source: *Zuo Zhuan*, "Duke Zhao's 21st Year"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "先声夺人" came to describe how seizing the initiative can demoralize the enemy.