---
title: "苦肉计 | Three Kingdoms in Intermediate Chinese, Episode 14 | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "The Beaten General: episode 14 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, retold for intermediate learners of Chinese, with audio."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-beaten-general-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-14"
published: "2026-10-23"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

Chapter 14

# 苦肉计

The Beaten General

HSK 4–5 · the same story at every level

周瑜和诸葛亮都想用火。可是曹军的船那么多，要放火，就得有人把船开到曹操的船边上。谁能做到呢？

这时，曹操派来两个人，说是要来帮东吴，他们是蔡瑁的堂弟。周瑜一眼就看出他们是来打听消息的，却故意把他们留了下来：“正好让他们给曹操送假消息。”

一天夜里，老将黄盖来见周瑜。他说：“我愿意假装投降曹操，带着船到他那边放火。可是曹操不容易相信别人。明天请都督当着大家的面打我，打得越重越好，那两个人一定会报告曹操。”周瑜说：“你年纪这么大了，怎么受得了？”黄盖说：“孙家对我有大恩，为了东吴，我就是死了也不后悔。”周瑜听了，连忙向他行礼。

第二天，周瑜把大将们都叫来，说：“每人准备三个月的粮食，准备打曹操。”黄盖站出来说：“不要说三个月，就是三十个月也没用！这个月能打败曹操就打，打不败，还不如听张昭的，投降算了！”

周瑜大怒：“谁敢说投降，就要他的命！来人，把他推出去杀了！”大家连忙跪下替他求情。周瑜说：“好，看在大家的面子上，先不杀，打他一百棍！”

打了五十下，老将军已经皮开肉绽，好几次昏了过去。大家又哭着求情，周瑜这才说：“剩下五十下，先记着！”黄盖被抬回去的时候，很多人都流下了眼泪。

诸葛亮也在场，可是一句话也没说。回去以后，鲁肃怪他：“大家都在求情，你为什么不开口？”诸葛亮笑道：“这是苦肉计，不这样怎么骗得了曹操？”鲁肃这才明白过来。后来人们常说：“周瑜打黄盖，一个愿打，一个愿挨。”意思是：一个愿意打，一个愿意被打。

黄盖请好朋友阚泽把一封信送给曹操。曹操看完信，忽然大怒：“这是苦肉计！他要是真的要来，为什么不写哪一天来？来人，杀了他！”阚泽一点儿也不怕，反而哈哈大笑：“我笑你不懂打仗！一个人要偷偷离开主人，怎么能先定好哪一天？到时候要是出了问题，事情不就让人知道了吗？”曹操想了想，觉得他说得有道理。

正在这时，蔡瑁的两个堂弟也送来消息：黄盖真的被打了，伤得很厉害。曹操这才相信了。

可是曹操还有一件事很着急：北方的兵一上船就头晕，怎么在江上打仗呢？这时候，蒋干又去了一趟东吴，带回来一个很有名的人，他就是“凤雏”庞统。

庞统对曹操说：“江上的风浪很大，船一直动来动去，北方人当然受不了。您把大船小船都用铁环连起来，上面铺上木板，这样人在船上走，就像在地上一样，马都能跑。”曹操听了非常高兴，马上让人去做。

就这样，黄盖的船准备好了，信送到了，曹操的船也一条一条地连在了一起。可是现在是冬天，江上只有西北风。要用火烧曹操的船，还差一样东西：东风。

**861 characters** in this chapter

Chapter 15 of 40**借东风**

[Next chapter 借东风](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/borrowing-the-east-wind-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-15)

[Back to the series](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/series/three-kingdoms-intermediate)

## Words in this chapter

- [假装jiǎzhuāngto pretend](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%81%87%E8%A3%85)
- [投降tóuxiángto surrender](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%8A%95%E9%99%8D)
- [昏hūnto faint](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%98%8F)
- [挨áito endure](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%8C%A8)
- [风浪fēnglàngwind and waves](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%A3%8E%E6%B5%AA)
- [算了suànleforget it](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%AE%97%E4%BA%86)
- [杀shāto kill](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%9D%80)
- [面子miànziface](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%9D%A2%E5%AD%90)
- [棍gùnstick](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%A3%8D)
- [将军jiāngjūngeneral (military rank)](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%B0%86%E5%86%9B)
- [打仗dǎzhàngto fight a battle](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%89%93%E4%BB%97)
- [偷偷tōutōusecretly](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%81%B7%E5%81%B7)
- [兵bīngsoldier](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%85%B5)
- [铺pūto spread](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%93%BA)
- [样yàngclassifier for kinds of things](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%A0%B7)
- [派pàito send](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%B4%BE)

## Chapters

1. [1**桃园结义**The Oath in the Peach Garden](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/oath-in-the-peach-garden-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-1)
2. [2**温酒斩华雄**Slaying Hua Xiong Before the Wine Cools](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/slaying-hua-xiong-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-2)
3. [3**三英战吕布**Three Heroes Fight Lü Bu](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/three-heroes-fight-lu-bu-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-3)
4. [4**煮酒论英雄**Heroes Over Warm Wine](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/heroes-over-warm-wine-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-4)
5. [5**千里走单骑**A Thousand Li Alone](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/a-thousand-li-alone-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-5)
6. [6**古城相会**Reunion at the Old City](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/reunion-at-the-old-city-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-6)
7. [7**马跃檀溪**The Leap Across the Tan Stream](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-leap-across-the-tan-stream-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-7)
8. [8**三顾茅庐**Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/three-visits-to-the-thatched-cottage-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-8)
9. [9**单骑救主**Zhao Yun Rides Alone](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/zhao-yun-rides-alone-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-9)
10. [10**喝断长坂桥**Zhang Fei at Changban Bridge](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/zhang-fei-at-changban-bridge-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-10)
11. [11**舌战群儒**Zhuge Liang Against the Scholars](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/zhuge-liang-against-the-scholars-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-11)
12. [12**蒋干盗书**Jiang Gan Steals a Letter](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/jiang-gan-steals-a-letter-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-12)
13. [13**草船借箭**Borrowing Arrows with Straw Boats](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/borrowing-arrows-with-straw-boats-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-13)
14. 14**苦肉计**Reading
15. [15**借东风**Borrowing the East Wind](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/borrowing-the-east-wind-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-15)
16. [16**华容道**The Huarong Road](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-huarong-road-three-kingdoms-intermediate-chinese-16)

Story series · Intermediate · HSK 4–5