步步为营bù bù wéi yíng

What does 步步为营 mean?

To advance cautiously step by step, securing each position before moving forward; patient, methodical progress

形xíng容róng前qián进jìn时shí非fēi常cháng谨jǐn慎shèn，每měi走zǒu一yí步bù都dōu先xiān站zhàn稳wěn、守shǒu住zhù，再zài继jì续xù向xiàng前qián。

Historical origin

During the Hanzhong campaign, Liu Bei sent the veteran general Huang Zhong to challenge Xiahou Yuan, who held the heights of Dingjun Mountain. Rather than charging uphill, Huang Zhong made the incremental camp-by-camp advance his central strategy: he built and fortified one camp at the foot of the mountain, secured it completely, then pushed forward to establish the next, repeating this methodical process to inch ever closer to the summit. This deliberate uphill siege was the defining tactic of his campaign. When Xiahou Yuan finally split his forces to reinforce a weakened position, Huang Zhong seized the opening and struck decisively, winning a pivotal victory.