赔了夫人又折兵

péilefūrenyòuzhébīng

give one's enemy a wife and lose one's soldiers as well—pay a double penalty (for attempting to gain an unfair advantage); instead of making a gain, suffer a double loss

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赔了夫人又折兵

péi le fū ren yòu zhé bīng

throw the helve after the hatchet; give one's enemy a wife and lose one's soldiers as well; lose one's wife as well as one's soldiers -- to pay a double penalty; lose the bait along with the fish; nothing gained but, on the contrary, with a double loss; suffer a double loss; throw good money after bad (money); throw the handle after the axe

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賠了夫人又折兵|赔了夫人又折兵 [péi le fū rén yòu zhé bīng] ► having given away a bride, to lose one's army on top of it (idiom) ► to suffer a double loss after trying to trick the enemy