雞鳴狗盜

From the story of Lord Mengchang (孟嘗君) escaping from King Zhao of Qin (秦昭王) with the help of his two retainers, one crowing like a chicken and the other disguising as a dog to sneak into the Qin palace to steal a white fur coat for the king's concubine:

此時孟嘗君有一狐白裘，直千金，天下無雙，入秦獻之昭王，更無他裘。孟嘗君患之，遍問客，莫能對。最下坐有能為狗盜者，曰「臣能得狐白裘」。乃夜為狗，以入秦宮臧中，取所獻狐白裘至，以獻秦王幸姬。幸姬為言昭王，昭王釋孟嘗君。孟嘗君得出，即馳去，更封傳，變名姓以出關。夜半至函谷關。秦昭王後悔出孟嘗君，求之已去，即使人馳傳逐之。孟嘗君至關，關法，雞鳴而出客，孟嘗君恐追至。客之居下坐者有能為雞鳴，而雞齊鳴，遂發傳出。

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此时孟尝君有一狐白裘，直千金，天下无双，入秦献之昭王，更无他裘。孟尝君患之，遍问客，莫能对。最下坐有能为狗盗者，曰「臣能得狐白裘」。乃夜为狗，以入秦宫臧中，取所献狐白裘至，以献秦王幸姬。幸姬为言昭王，昭王释孟尝君。孟尝君得出，即驰去，更封传，变名姓以出关。夜半至函谷关。秦昭王后悔出孟尝君，求之已去，即使人驰传逐之。孟尝君至关，关法，鸡鸣而出客，孟尝君恐追至。客之居下坐者有能为鸡鸣，而鸡齐鸣，遂发传出。

From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

Cǐshí Mèngchángjūn yǒu yī húbái qiú, zhí qiānjīn, tiānxià wúshuāng, rù Qín xiàn zhī Zhāowáng, gèng wú tā qiú. Mèngchángjūn huàn zhī, biàn wèn kè, mò néng duì. Zuì xiàzuò yǒu néng wéi gǒudào zhě, yuē “chén néng dé húbái qiú”. Nǎi yè wéi gǒu, yǐ rù Qín gōng zāng zhōng, qǔ suǒxiàn húbái qiú zhì, yǐ xiàn Qínwáng xìng jī. Xìngjī wèi yán Zhāowáng, Zhāowáng shì Mèngchángjūn. Mèngchángjūn dé chū, jí chí qù, gēng fēngzhuàn, biàn míngxìng yǐ chūguān. Yèbàn zhì Hángǔguān. Qín Zhāowáng hòuhuǐ chū Mèngchángjūn, qiú zhī yǐ qù, jí shǐrén chí zhuàn zhú zhī. Mèngchángjūn zhì guān, guān fǎ, jīmíng ér chū kè, Mèngchángjūn kǒng zhuī zhì. Kè zhī jū xiàzuò zhě yǒu néng wéi jī míng, ér jī qí míng, suì fā zhuàn chū.

At this time, Lord Mengchang once had an expensive and unique white fox-fur coat, and as he entered Qin, he offered it to king Zhao, who wanted no other fur. Mengchang was worried and asked his followers, but none could come up with a solution. The lowest-ranked of them, who could steal like a dog, says that he could get the fur coat back. That night, the thief disguised as a dog, entered the Qin royal treasury, stole the fur coat, and offered it to the king's favourite lady, who was able to persuade King Zhao to release Mengchang. Once he was released, Mengchang departed immediately, changed his identity, and faked his credentials in order to exit the frontier pass. At midnight, they reached the Hangu Pass. King Zhao of Qin regretted releasing Mengchang and attempted to find him, but he had escaped already. Thus, the King ordered his men to chase him on fast postal horses. Mengchang reached the Hangu Pass. By law, travellers were not allowed to exit the pass until morning when cocks cry. Mengchang was afraid that the soldiers would get him. One of his followers could imitate the cry like a cock. When he starts to cry, the cocks nearby all started to cry one after another. Then, Mengchang presented his fake credentials and exited the Hangu Pass.

雞鳴狗盜

1. lowly skills; skills of little worth
2. people with lowly skills
3. base and despicable