During the late period of the Three Kingdoms (220-265 A.D.), the Kingdom of Wei, which was ruled by Cao Cao's descendants, was increasing in power while the Kingdom of Shu, governed by Zhuge Liang, was getting progressively weaker. Just at this time, the commander-in-chief of the Wei army Sima Yi, marshaled his troops to attack a city in Shu located near the border between the two kingdoms. Completely taken off guard by this surprise attack, Zhuge Liang, the minister of Shu, had no time to prepare an adequate defense of the city. Famous for his resourcefulness in military strategy, Zhuge Liang devised the strategy of deceiving the Wei troops into retreating by making them believe that the besieged city was defended by a large army. This incident which is recounted in the novel The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, is well known to all Chinese people.

In China, if someone has prophetic powers or is extremely resourceful, he is often referred to as being a "Zhuge Liang".