"Retreating three she" literally means voluntarily retreating ninety li (in ancient times, one she was thirty li). It originates from the promise made by Prince Chong'er of Jin (Duke Wen of Jin) to King Cheng of Chu in the Zuo Zhuan, Duke Xi, Twenty-Third Year: if Jin and Chu went to war in the future, the Jin army would retreat three she to repay the King of Chu's courteous treatment. Later, in the Battle of Chengpu, Duke Wen of Jin indeed ordered his troops to retreat ninety li, both fulfilling his promise and luring the enemy deeper in order to win. Therefore, the deeper meaning of this idiom is to voluntarily yield and avoid conflict, so as to prevent a direct confrontation or to show humility. It is often used to describe a situation in an argument, competition, or diplomatic setting in which one side makes concessions to avoid escalating tensions. In terms of cultural background, it embodies the wisdom of "keeping one's word" and "retreating in order to advance" in ancient China. Its emotional coloring is relatively neutral, sometimes commendatory (praising humility and trustworthiness), and sometimes derogatory (satirizing cowardice or withdrawal). Its use must be judged according to the context.
📝 Example
1. Faced with unreasonable provocation from his competitors, he chose to retreat ninety li and focus on his own development.
2. In the debate, seeing that the other party was emotionally agitated, he retreated ninety li and stopped arguing.