项庄舞剑，意在沛公

xiàng zhuāng wǔ jiàn , yì zài pèi gōng

lit. Xiang Zhuang performs the sword dance, but his mind is set on Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liu2 Bang1] (idiom); refers to 206 BC plot to murder Liu Bang, aka Duke of Pei 沛公[Pei4 gong1] and the future Han emperor, during a sword dance at the Hongmen feast 鴻門宴|鸿门宴[Hong2 men2 yan4]

an elaborate deception to hide malicious intent

项

xiàng

back of neck

庄

zhuāng

farmstead

舞

wǔ

to dance

剑

jiàn

double-edged sword

，

,

意

yì

idea

在

zài

to exist; to be alive

沛

pèi

copious

公

gōng

public