项庄舞剑 Xiang Zhuang dances with a sword
Explanation
比喻表面上做一件事，实际上另有目的。
A metaphor that means doing one thing on the surface but actually having another purpose.
Origin Story
公元前208年，项羽率领40万大军攻打咸阳，却被刘邦的军队阻挡。项伯为了保护刘邦，设宴邀请刘邦赴鸿门宴。宴席上，项羽命项庄舞剑，意图趁机杀死刘邦。然而，项伯也随之舞剑，暗中保护刘邦，最终刘邦得以逃脱。这个故事便成为“项庄舞剑，意在沛公”的典故，用来比喻说话或行动的真实意图别有所指。
In 208 BC, Xiang Yu led a 400,000-strong army to attack Xianyang, but was stopped by Liu Bang's army. To protect Liu Bang, Xiang Bo invited him to a banquet at Hongmen. At the banquet, Xiang Yu ordered Xiang Zhuang to dance with a sword, intending to secretly kill Liu Bang. However, Xiang Bo also danced along, secretly protecting Liu Bang, and eventually Liu Bang escaped. This story became the idiom "Xiang Zhuang dances with a sword, his intention is Pei Gong", used to express that the true intention of words or actions is different from what it seems.
Usage
用作宾语、定语；比喻表面一套，背后一套。
Used as object, attributive; A metaphor for double standards.
Examples
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他表面上很支持你，实际上是在项庄舞剑，别有所图。
tā biǎomiànshàng hěn zhīchí nǐ, shíjishang shì zài xiàng zhuāng wǔ jiàn, bié yǒu suǒ tú
He ostensibly supports you, but actually he is up to something.
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会议上，领导的发言看似对公司发展方向的讨论，其实是项庄舞剑，意在调整人事安排。
huìyì shàng, lǐngdǎo de fāyán kànsì duì gōngsī fāzhǎn fāngxiàng de tǎolùn, qíshí shì xiàng zhuāng wǔ jiàn, yì zài tiáozhěng rénshì ānpái
In the meeting, the leaders' speech seemed to discuss the company's development direction, but it actually aimed to adjust the personnel arrangements。