Sunzi, a man from the state of Qi, was a military strategist. He brought his book on military strategy to meet with King Helü of Wu. Helü said, "I have read all thirteen chapters of your military strategy. Can you lead troops into battle for a small test?" Sunzi replied, "Certainly." Helü asked, "Can you try it with a group of women?" Sunzi said, "With pleasure!"
So Helü agreed and selected one hundred and eighty beautiful women from the palace. Sunzi divided them into two teams, with the two favorite concubines of King Helü as team leaders, each armed with a halberd. Sunzi ordered them, "Do you know where your heart, left hand, and back are?" The women replied, "Yes." Sunzi said, "Look forward to see your heart; look left to see your left hand; look right to see your right hand; look back to see your back." The women said, "Understood."
After giving the orders, Sunzi set up the battle-axes and halberds, and then explained the commands several times. Then, he ordered the drum to be beaten to the right, and the women giggled. Sunzi said, "The leader is responsible for ensuring clear orders and their proficient execution!" He then repeated the commands several times and ordered the drum to be beaten to the left, causing the women to laugh again. Sunzi said, "The orders are clear, but they did not follow the rules. This is the responsibility of the soldiers!" So Sunzi ordered the execution of the two team leaders.
King Helü of Wu watched from the platform, seeing his beloved concubines about to be executed, his face turned pale with fear. He quickly sent someone to command, "I know that General, you are capable of leading troops! These two are my favorites; I couldn't live without them. Please spare their lives!" Sunzi said, "I have accepted the appointment of the leader; I'm following orders." So Sunzi still executed the two team leaders as a warning to others. Then, he appointed other people as team leaders and beat the drum again. This time, the women obeyed flawlessly, without so much as a whisper.
Sunzi then sent someone to report to the King of Wu, saying, "The troops are ready for inspection. If you need 'em to walk through fire, they'll do it. They're ready for anything!" The King of Wu said, "General, you can rest. I don't need to see them." Sunzi replied, "You only want to hear good news, Your Majesty, not the truth of the matter."
Helu finally saw Sunzi's worth and made him a general. Sunzi's army smashed the Chu, taking their capital Ying. He even scared the Qi and Jin states into submission, making him a legend.
Sun Bin, born over a century after Sun Wu died, was supposedly a descendant. He studied military strategy with Pang Juan. Pang Juan, now a general in Wei, was jealous of Sun Bin and tricked him into coming. Once Sun Bin got there, Pang Juan, terrified of his talent, had his legs chopped off and his face branded. He wanted to get rid of him.
Later, a Qi envoy showed up in Wei. Even as a prisoner, Sun Bin managed to meet him and show off his skills. The Qi envoy was blown away and smuggled Sun Bin back to Qi. General Tian Ji loved Sun Bin and treated him like royalty. Tian Ji was always racing and shooting with the other princes. Sun Bin noticed their horses were pretty evenly matched – basically top, middle, and bottom tier. So Sun Bin told Tian Ji, "Next archery contest, I'll get you to win!" Tian Ji trusted him, and they bet a king's ransom against the other princes.
Before the competition began, Sun Bin said to Tian Ji, "In this race, play your worst horse against his best, your best against his middling one, and your middling horse against his worst." After three rounds of competition, although Tian Ji lost one round, he won two rounds, winning a thousand gold pieces from King Xuan of Qi. So Tian Ji recommended Sun Bin to King Xuan of Qi. King Xuan inquired about Sun Bin's military strategy, greatly admired his talent, and appointed him as a military strategist.
Later, Wei attacked Zhao, which was in a critical situation and sought help from Qi. King Xuan wanted Sun Bin to lead the troops, but Sun Bin said, "With a criminal record, I'm not suitable to lead troops." So King Xuan appointed Tian Ji as the general, with Sun Bin stationed in the military camp to provide advice and strategies. Tian Ji wanted to directly lead the troops to rescue Zhao, but Sun Bin said, "You don't solve chaos with brute force; you exploit weakness and strike unexpectedly. Currently, Liang and Zhao are in fierce battle, and Wei's elite forces must be deployed outside, leaving the interior vulnerable with only the dregs of their army. Let's hit Liang's capital, seize key positions, and strike at Wei's weak points. They will abandon the attack on Zhao and return to defend their own country. This way, we can rescue Zhao and severely damage Wei." Tian Ji followed Sun Bin's strategy, and indeed, Wei withdrew its troops, engaging in battle with the army of Qi at Guilin, and Wei was routed.
The states of Wei and Zhao attacked the state of Han, which then sought help from the state of Qi. Qi sent Tian Ji to lead troops to support them, heading straight for the capital city of Wei, Handan. Upon hearing this, General Pang Juan of Wei immediately withdrew his troops back to his own country. By then, the Qi army had already crossed the border of Wei and headed west towards Han territory. Sun Bin said to Tian Ji, "The armies of Wei, Zhao, and Han are battle-hardened veterans who look down on Qi. Qi, on the other hand, is known to be scaredy-cats. Smart generals use this to their advantage, luring the enemy into a trap. Military strategy states that in order to travel a hundred miles day and night to occupy favorable terrain, the main commander will be exhausted; traveling fifty miles day and night to occupy favorable terrain, only half of the army will arrive. Sun Bin suggested they let the Qi army enter Wei territory, setting up a huge camp on the first day – a hundred thousand tents! – then scaling it down to fifty thousand the next, and finally to thirty thousand. This would make the Wei army underestimate their strength."
Pang Juan marched for three days, thrilled. He thought to himself, "I knew Qi's army was cowardly. It's only been three days since they entered the territory of my Wei, and already half of their soldiers have fled!" Therefore, he abandoned his infantry and only brought along his elite troops, doubling his speed to chase down the Qi army. Sun Bin estimated Pang Juan's marching speed and predicted that he should arrive at Maling by evening. Maling was a narrow terrain with steep mountain roads on both sides, ideal for an ambush. Sun Bin had people cut down large trees and had the words "Pang Juan dies under this tree" painted in white on the tree trunks. He then ordered ten thousand skilled archers from the Qi army to ambush on both sides of the road, agreeing, "At nightfall, fire's the signal—let fly!" Sure enough, Pang Juan arrived under the tree with the writing at dusk, saw the white characters, quickly lit a fire for illumination, and before he could finish reading, ten thousand arrows from the Qi army were released simultaneously. The Wei army panicked and scattered. Pang Juan realized his plan had failed; his army was defeated, so he killed himself. Before dying, he bitterly said, "I never expected to end up with a fate that future generations would call 'a mere nobody'!" The Qi army pursued the victory, defeated the Wei army, and captured the Wei crown prince Shen, returning triumphantly. This decisive victory cemented Sun Bin's reputation. In stark contrast to Sun Bin's cunning, the story of Wu Qi demonstrates a different kind of ruthlessness. Wu Qi was from the state of Wei and was a brilliant military leader. He once studied under Zengzi and later served a monarch in the state of Lu. When the state of Qi attacked Lu, Lu wanted Wu Qi to be a general, but Wu Qi had married a woman from Qi, causing suspicion among the people of Lu. In order to prove his loyalty, Wu Qi killed his wife. Only then did Lu allow him to become a general. After becoming a general, Wu Qi led his troops to attack the state of Qi and won a decisive victory.
So, the story goes that in the state of Lu, some people particularly disliked Wu Qi, saying he was ruthless and scheming, a real snake in the grass. When he was young, his family was wealthy, with buckets of cash, but he didn’t succeed in his official career and ended up losing all his family wealth, becoming the subject of ridicule as his neighbors laughed him out of town. Enraged, Wu Qi, in a fit of rage, whacked off thirty-odd of his gossipy neighbors, then fled to the state of Wei, leaving the city gates behind. Before leaving, he said goodbye to his mum, biting his arm and swearing, "If I ain't a top dog by then, I ain't coming back!" He then studied under Zengzi. Some time later, his mother passed away, but Wu Qi didn’t go back for the funeral. Zengzi thought he was a right disrespectful sod and kicked him out.
Afterwards, Wu Qi went to the state of Lu to study military strategy and served the king of Lu. The king of Lu was still suspicious, so to prove his loyalty, Wu Qi actually offed his own missus! You see, Lu was a tiny state, and if they won a battle, everyone else would be green with envy and try to gobble them up. Besides, Lu and Wei were like brothers, so using Wu Qi was like spitting on Wei. The king of Lu felt more and more uneasy about it and ultimately rejected Wu Qi.
Hearing that Marquis Wen of Wei was formidable, Wu Qi wanted to serve him. Marquis Wen asked Li Ke, "What's the deal with this Wu Qi guy?" Li Ke said, "That Wu Qi's a greedy, lecherous bugger, but on the battlefield, even Sima Rangju couldn't hold a candle to him!" Upon hearing this, Marquis Wen was sold, made him a general right away, and he went on to grab five cities of the state of Qin in a single war!
Wu Qi led soldiers into battle, eating the same food and wearing the same clothes as the most ordinary soldiers. He didn't lay out a mat to sleep, didn't ride a horse to walk, personally carried food, and suffered hardships with the soldiers. When one of his men got a nasty boil, Wu Qi even drew out the infection for him! When the soldier's mother heard about it, she sobbed uncontrollably. Someone asked her, "Your son is just a soldier; why are you crying when the general personally drew out the infection for him?" The mother said, "It's not like that! General Wu once drew out the infection for his father, who fought bravely but still died in battle. Now General Wu is doing the same for his son, and I really don't know if he can survive this time, that's why I'm crying!"
Marquis Wen of Wei thought that Wu Qi was not only good at warfare but also upstanding and decent, deeply supported by the soldiers, so he let him go to Xihe as a guardian to hold off the Qin and Han armies.
After Marquis Wen of Wei passed away, his son, Marquis Wu, succeeded him. Marquis Wu took a boat downstream along the Xihe River. When they reached the center of the river, he turned to Wu Qi and said, "Look at these mountains and rivers – what a strategic location! This is the treasure of Wei Kingdom!"
Wu Qi replied, "The key lies in good character, not in dangerous terrain. In the past, the Sanmiao clan, with Dongting Lake on the left and Poyang Lake on the right, did not cultivate good character and was ultimately destroyed by Yu. Xia Jie's capital city, with the Yellow River and Ji River on the left, Mount Taihua on the right, Mount Yequ in the south, and Sheep Intestine Slope in the north, ruled badly and ignored his people, and was ultimately exiled by Tang. King Zhou of Shang's kingdom, with Mengmen Mountain on the left and Taihang Mountain on the right, Changshan in the north, and the Yellow River in the south, was a cruel and unjust ruler, and was ultimately killed by King Wu. Looking at these examples, the key lies in good character, not in dangerous terrain. If you, the king, do not cultivate good character, then we'll all end up prisoners of war." Marquis Wu said, "You are right!"
Wu Qi was appointed as the governor of Xihe and gained a great reputation. Later, the Wei kingdom established the position of Prime Minister, and Tian Wen was appointed as the Prime Minister. Wu Qi was chagrined and said to Tian Wen, "I would like to compare achievements with you; is that acceptable?" Tian Wen replied, "Sure." Wu Qi continued, "Leading the three armies, inspiring unwavering loyalty in my troops, and making enemy countries afraid to act rashly—are you my equal in this?" Tian Wen said, "I cannot compare to you." Wu Qi then asked, "Managing the officials, being close to the people, and filling the state coffers—do you measure up?" Tian Wen said, "I cannot compare to you." Wu Qi pressed on, "I guard Xihe, and the Qin army dares not advance eastward; Han and Zhao paid tribute. Can you compare to me?" Tian Wen said, "I cannot compare to you." Wu Qi challenged, "I excel in all three, so why are you ranked above me?" Tian Wen explained, "Currently, the young ruler is inexperienced, the national situation is turbulent, the court lacks the full loyalty of its ministers, and public trust in the court is low. In this situation, to whom should the state entrust its affairs—you or me?" Wu Qi remained silent for a long time and finally said, "It should be entrusted to you." Tian Wen replied, "That is why my position is higher than yours." Wu Qi then understood that he was not as capable as Tian Wen.
After Tian Wen died, Gong Shu became the Wei prime minister and married the princess. However, he wanted to kill Wu Qi. One of Gong Shu's servants said, "Wu Qi can easily leave the Wei kingdom." Gong Shu asked, "What's the plan?" The servant replied, "Wu Qi is upright and frugal, but also proud and ambitious. You should first tell Marquis Wu of Wei, 'Wu Qi is a talented person, but your country is relatively small and borders the powerful Qin kingdom. I am privately worried that Wu Qi will not be content to stay in Wei.' Marquis Wu will definitely ask, 'How do we proceed?' You then tell him, 'Try to marry the princess to him. If Wu Qi wants to stay, he will definitely accept; if he doesn't want to stay, he will definitely refuse. This way, you can test his intentions.' Then summon Wu Qi, marry the princess to him, and have the princess intentionally disrespect you. When Wu Qi sees the princess disrespecting you, the Prime Minister of Wei, he will surely refuse this marriage."
So Gongshu took the servant's advice. Wu Qi indeed saw the princess disrespecting the Wei Prime Minister, so he resigned from the Duke of Wei. The Duke of Wei was suspicious, but not convinced. Wu Qi was afraid of being punished for this, so he left the state of Wei and went to the state of Chu. King Dao of Chu had long heard of Wu Qi's talent, and after Wu Qi arrived in Chu, he became the prime minister. He cracked down on slack officials, purged the distant relatives of the royal family, and focused on building a strong fighting force. He ruthlessly dealt with those who spread rumors and undermined his authority. As a result, Chu subdued the Baiyue in the south, annexed the states of Chen and Cai in the north, defeated the Three Jins, and even attacked the state of Qin in the west. The other lords feared Chu's growing power. Therefore, the nobles of Chu wanted to kill Wu Qi. After King Dao's death, the court turned on Wu Qi. Wu Qi fled and hid next to King Dao's body. The attackers shot and killed Wu Qi, and an arrow also hit King Dao. After King Dao's burial, the crown prince ascended the throne and ordered the Grand Tutor to execute all those who shot and killed Wu Qi and hit the king's body with arrows. Over seventy families were wiped out for their part in Wu Qi's death.
Sima Qian wrote: The military strategies commonly mentioned are mostly the thirteen chapters of "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu and Wu Qi's military strategies. These books are readily available, so I will not comment on them. I will only comment on their actual actions and measures. There is a saying: "Those who can implement are not necessarily able to speak, and those who can speak are not necessarily able to implement." Sun Bin and Pang Juan were brilliant strategists, but they couldn't avoid being punished. Wu Qi told the Duke of Wei that realpolitik trumped morality, but his own brutal rule in Chu got him killed. What a shame!
