收回成命
revoke a command
改头换面
change the appearance
in a disguised form
rehashed
try to prettify
camouflaged
disguise
dish up in a new form
change the outside only
改天换地
transform heaven and earth
remake nature
改过自新
rectify one's life
reform and begin one's life anew
turn over a new leaf
mend one's ways
correct one's errors and make a fresh start
改邪归正
forsake heresy and return to the right way
give up evil and return to good
give up an evil way of life and reform oneself
forsake evil ways and return to the right
改弦更张
change one's plan or policy, etc.
start afresh
change over to new ways
tune the strings
改弦易辙
return to right course
change one's course
dance to another tune
tune the string and get out of the old rut
alter the plan, etc.
make a new start
改朝换代
dynastic changes
攻其不备
take advantage of somebody's unpreparedness
catch a weasel asleep
catch somebody unaware
strike where or when the enemy is unprepared
take the enemy at a disadvantage
攻城略地
take cities and seize territory
攻守同盟
military alliance
攻无不克
ever-victorious
放荡不羁
take the bit between the teeth
be easy in one's morals
have one's full swing
unconventional and unrestrained
放虎归山
let the tiger back to the mountain
放下屠刀,立地成佛
a butcher becomes a Buddha the moment he drops his cleaver
lay down one's butcher knife and at once become a Buddha
放之四海而皆准
universally applicable
放长线,钓大鱼
adopt a longterm plan to secure something big
放任自流
let things drift
follow one's own inclination
permissive
laissez-faire
故步自封
ultraconservative and self-satisfied
stand still and refuse to make progress
be complacent and conservative
do not want to move a step forward
故态复萌
go back to one's old way of doing ...
relapse
one's old manners restored
the old vice has come upon somebody again
revert one's old way of life
故弄玄虚
cast a mist before somebody's eyes
be deliberately mystifying
deliberately turn simple things into mysteries
make things look unnecessarily mysterious
故技重演
up to one's old trick
效命疆场
ready to lay down one's life on the battlefield
教猱升木
give boldness to an evil-doer