xiàng​zhuāng​wǔ​jiàn​zhì​zài​pèi​gōng

an elaborate deception to hide malicious intent

项庄舞剑,志在沛公 項莊舞劍,志在沛公 xiàng​zhuāng​wǔ​jiàn​zhì​zài​pèi​gōng
an elaborate deception to hide malicious intent
literally, Xiang Zhuang performs a sword dance but his mind is set on the Duke of Pei; refers to a famous assassination plot at the 鸿门宴 hóng​mén​yàn, describing a situation where someone's actions are a cover for their true, harmful intentions

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