Sun Tzu's Art of War and the Thirty-Six Stratagems

In his desperation, Sun Bin suspected that Zhong Lichun's marriage was ill-fated due to the divination, and in a fit of rage, he killed the diviner. He told Tian Ji the whole story of the divination, but Tian Ji did not believe that Zhong Lichun was so reckless. Just as he was about to send someone to find Zhong Lichun and ask him the truth, his servant came to report that the King of Qi had ordered him to go to the palace immediately.

Tian Ji went to the palace to pay his respects to King Wei of Qi. King Wei cut to the chase, asking Tian Ji if he knew who had killed the old diviner. "This..." Tian Ji hesitated, unsure whether he should tell the king about Zhongli Chun. Seeing Tian Ji's hesitation, King Wei went straight to the point, saying, "Some say it was one of your men who killed him."

Tian Ji assumed that the King of Qi might have heard some rumors, so he could only nod and say, "At this point, it's just speculation; there's no evidence yet."

"Who do you suspect it is?"

"Zhong Lichun".

Why did she kill the fortune teller?

"It is said that it was for the sake of marriage. The diviner said that she was destined not to marry Sun Bin, so in a fit of anger, she killed the diviner."

"Bring Zhong Lichun into the palace immediately; I wish to interrogate her personally."

"She left my home last night."

King Qi Wei ordered Tian Ji to quickly send men to capture Zhongli Chun.

Exhausted, he returned to Tian Ji's residence last night after leading a search party for Zhongli Chun. He told Sun Bin and Tian Ji that he had searched all the inns in Linzi but had not found Zhongli Chun. He then went to all four city gates. The soldier at the west gate said that a man carrying a sword had climbed down the wall last night, and based on the soldier's description, it was probably Zhongli Chun. He found a fast horse and galloped out of the city gate to chase after him for a while, but he couldn't catch up. It seemed that Zhongli Chun had gone far away.

Sun Bin told Qin Hua, "The old fortune teller was murdered last night. I suspect Zhong Lichun committed the murder and fled."

"Absolutely impossible," Qin Huadao said. "Last night, late at night, I saw a fortune teller on the street. The fortune teller was with Zou Ji's entourage, and Ximen's soldiers said that Zhongli Chun had climbed over the city wall before nightfall."

"Zou Ji's entourage...you're not mistaken, are you?"

"No mistake, I saw him at the Zou residence," Qin Hua replied confidently.

"In that case, the death of the diviner was very likely a conspiracy orchestrated by Zou Ji," Sun Bin said thoughtfully.

On the other side, Zou Ji, worried that things might get complicated if he delayed, urged King Wei of Qi, saying, "Your Majesty, since Tian Ji has already confessed that the diviner was killed by his men, you should arrest Tian Ji and Sun Bin immediately."

King Qi Wei said, "After they capture Zhongli Chun and obtain his confession, it will not be too late for me to deal with them. In this way, the officials and the people will be convinced."

"What if they can't capture Zhong Lichun, or they don't even bother to capture Zhong Lichun at all?"

"That proves they have a guilty conscience, and I still have reason to deal with them."

The rumors circulating in the palace reached Tian Ji's residence, and Sun Bin said to Tian Ji, "General, the best course of action now is to relinquish military power and adopt a defensive strategy instead of an offensive one."

Tian Ji hesitated, worried that if he relinquished military power, it would be even more difficult to deal with Zou Ji.

Sun Bin then said, "Zou Ji can't do anything to us; the key is Your Majesty. If we hand over military power, we can dispel Your Majesty's suspicions and avoid being killed. As long as we're alive, we can always rebuild. Besides, even if we hand over military power, there are still generals from the Tian state in the army, so Zou Ji will have difficulty interfering in military affairs for the time being."

Qin Hua also agreed with Sun Bin's idea and advised Tian Ji to hand over military power to dispel the king's suspicions.

The next day, in the Qi King's palace, Tian Ji, holding the military tally, knelt before King Wei of Qi; Sun Bin, holding the military advisor's seal, stood behind him. Tian Ji spoke first to King Wei, saying, "Your Majesty, I have been unwell recently and am no longer fit to hold military power. I beg Your Majesty to withdraw the military tally and select another capable general."

A palace guard stepped forward and took the military tally. King Qi Wei nodded slightly and said to Tian Ji, "Tian Ji, I hope you will rest and recuperate well, and then serve me again after you have recovered."

After Tian Ji kowtowed and expressed his gratitude, Sun Bin bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I am a retainer of General Tian. Since General Tian has relinquished his military power, it is inappropriate for me to continue serving as his military advisor. Please, Your Majesty, withdraw your seal of military advisor."

"Sun Bin, you are a rare military talent, and I truly do not wish to reclaim your military advisor's seal. However, Zhongli Chun is someone you brought with you. She killed the diviner. If I were to retain you in your post, I fear there would be much criticism from the court officials. Therefore, I will temporarily dismiss you from your position as military advisor." A palace guard stepped forward and took the seal from Sun Bin's hand. King Qi Wei continued, "You have rendered me great service, and I will not treat you unfairly. I will bestow upon you the land of Le'an, which was once the fiefdom of your ancestors."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Sun Bin bowed respectfully.

With Tian Ji and Sun Bin losing their military power, Zou Ji was overjoyed and invited Gongsun Yue to drink and watch a dance to celebrate. "Haha, Prime Minister, I never expected Zhongli Chun's meddling to turn this charade into reality. Everything went smoothly; it's truly the will of Heaven!" Gongsun Yue laughed as he toasted Zou Ji with a cup of wine, and continued, "Although Tian Ji and Sun Bin have relinquished their military power, they will certainly not give up. If we don't get rid of them, the consequences will be dire."

Zou Ji dismissed the female dancers and asked Gongsun Yue what plan he had to get rid of them.

Gongsun Yue said, "The simplest way is to bribe assassins with a large sum of money to kill them."

Zou Ji shook his head and said, "No, although Tian Ji no longer has an army, he still has many retainers, including many skilled swordsmen. If the assassin fails, all our previous efforts will be in vain. Furthermore, even if we succeed, if we eliminate them in Qi, Tian Ji's generals will surely suspect that I was behind it, and then I will not have peace of mind."

Gongsun Yue frowned slightly, pacing back and forth. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he said, "I've got it! The Prime Minister should choose an opportune moment to report to the King, asking him to send Tian Ji and Sun Bin as envoys to Chu to discuss an alliance. Then, the Prime Minister should have his men bribe Chu's spies in Qi, sending them a secret letter to the King of Chu, saying that Tian Ji and Sun Bin are ambitious and, since defeating Wei last time, want to conquer all the feudal lords. Their trip to Chu is ostensibly as envoys, but in reality, they are going to investigate Chu's strengths and weaknesses. The King of Chu will surely kill them."

Zou Ji thought this plan was brilliant, as it would allow him to eliminate his rival through the King of Chu, and also be done without anyone noticing.

A few days later, Zou Ji entered the palace and said to King Wei of Qi: "Your Majesty, the State of Wei has been defeated and its strength is greatly weakened. It will not pose a threat to Qi for several years. The States of Han, Yan, and Zhao are not as powerful as Qi and are not a problem either. Qin is far to the west and will not harm Qi. The only state in the world that can rival Qi is Chu. If Your Majesty allies with Chu, all the other small states will submit to Your Majesty."

King Wei of Qi asked him who would be most suitable to go to the State of Chu, and Zou Ji recommended Tian Ji and Sun Bin.

King Wei of Qi pondered for a moment and said, "Tian Ji and Sun Bin are well-versed in the military affairs of Qi. If they take this opportunity to defect to Chu, it will be a great threat to my country."

"That's easy. We can hint to them that if they betray Qi and join Chu, their entire clan will be executed."

"Sun Bin is all alone, who are you going to kill?"

"His two cousins, Sun Ping and Sun Zhuo, returned to the State of Qi a few days ago, and Sun Bin has settled them in his fiefdom of Le'an."

King Qi Wei adopted Zou Ji's suggestion.

Zhongli Qiu heard that her sister had fled to another place for murder, and that Sun Bin had lost his military power as a result. She wept bitterly and said to Gongsun Yue, "I will never see my sister again..."

Gongsun Yue put his arm around her shoulder and comforted her, "Don't be sad. After a few days, once things have calmed down, I will ask the Prime Minister to petition the King to pardon your sister and then invite her back to live with us."

Sobbing, Zhongli Qiu asked, "Will the Prime Minister listen to you?"

"Yes, the Prime Minister trusts me completely now."

"Will Your Majesty listen to the Prime Minister?"

"Yes, Your Majesty's governance and stability depend mainly on the Prime Minister."

"Can I ask you for one more favor?"

"Speak, no matter how many things you ask of me, I will grant them."

Zhong Liqiu calmed herself down and said, "I heard that Sun Bin lost his military power because he offended the Prime Minister. Please beg the Prime Minister not to make things difficult for Sun Bin anymore, okay?"

Gongsun Yue sighed and said, "I can agree to anything else, but this matter... the Prime Minister and Sun Bin have too deep a grudge, it will be difficult to handle..."

"Didn't you say the Prime Minister trusts you the most? If you go and ask him for help, do you think he wouldn't give you face?"

Gongsun Yue said, "Although the Prime Minister trusts me, this matter..."

Zhongli Qiu pleaded with Gongsun Yue, "If you agree, I'll do whatever you say from now on..."

To please Zhongli Qiu, Gongsun Yue had no choice but to agree against his will.

The more Zhong Liqiu pleaded for Sun Bin, the more jealous Gongsun Yue became. After calming Zhong Liqiu down, he immediately went to find Zou Ji. He told Zou Ji that he had already bribed assassins to kill Sun Bin and Tian Ji on their way.

Zou Ji was taken aback and asked, "Didn't you say you would use the King of Chu to kill them?"

"Whether the King of Chu kills them or the assassins kill them, it's still the same. Whoever does the killing, we just need to get rid of them."

"This is different. If Tian Ji and Sun Bin were killed on the way, the officials in the court would definitely suspect me."

"If they are not allowed to die in Qi, let them die in Chu, and say it was Pang Juan who did it."

Zou Ji pondered for a moment and said, "That's fine, but the assassin must not know me."

Gongsun Yue smiled slightly: "Prime Minister, rest assured, I, Gongsun Yue, handle matters flawlessly."

Tian Ji and Sun Bin, following the orders of the King of Qi, set off for the State of Chu with their entourage. Sun Bin said to Tian Ji, "These past few days, the more I think about it, the more puzzled I become. Why did Your Majesty specifically choose the two of us to be sent as envoys to Chu? A general and a strategist—isn't Your Majesty afraid that the King of Chu will detain us?"

Tian Ji smiled wryly and said, "I was afraid you would worry, so I didn't tell you. When I received my order, the king hinted that if I didn't return to the country, he would kill my entire clan. The king specifically emphasized that he already knew that your two cousins ​​had returned to Qi."

Sun Bin was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "I have always been too kind to others. After several twists and turns, I have to consider whether there is any malice involved when I encounter problems."

"What malice could Your Majesty possibly harbor? If Your Majesty harbored malice, you would not have sent us as envoys to the State of Chu."

"It's not the king, it's Zou Ji. Zou Ji originally wanted to kill us, but we voluntarily handed over our military power, thus avoiding our deaths. Zou Ji is worried that we might rise again one day and will not let this go. Therefore, this mission to Chu must have been part of Zou Ji's conspiracy."

Tian Ji nodded in agreement, then asked Sun Bin, "What could his scheme be?"

Sun Bin said, "They might have hired an assassin to carry out the assassination on the way."

Tian Ji said angrily, "Zou Ji, that despicable man, would do something so despicable!"

So the two of them proceeded with extreme caution, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

Several days later, Tian Ji and Sun Bin's caravan finally crossed the border and entered the territory of Chu. Tian Ji breathed a sigh of relief and said to Sun Bin, "We can breathe a sigh of relief now. Zou Ji is too far away to kill us."

Sun Bin said, "That's hard to say. If I were Zou Ji, I would strike where you least expect it. That's called catching someone off guard and attacking them when they're unprepared."

Tian Ji laughed and said, "If you were Zou Ji, this would be troublesome... You've been sleeping soundly these past few days, while I've been getting up every night to keep watch." As he spoke, he yawned, "If this continues, I can't take it anymore."

As the sun set, they stayed at a post station.

It was late at night, and the wind outside the window rustled the leaves.

Tian Ji lay on his couch unable to sleep. He sat up, walked to the door, and tested the bolt. The bolt was very strong, but he was still not at ease, so he took a stick and braced it against the door.

Sun Bin, lying on the other bed, turned over and asked, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Tian Ji chuckled and said, "I'm afraid they'll catch us off guard." With that, he braced himself with the wooden stick and returned to his bed.

In the courtyard, the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves seemed even louder.

Tian Ji sat up again and stared out the window.

Sun Bin opened his eyes, looked at Tian Ji, and said, "What's wrong? Afraid to sleep?"

Tian Ji tried to cover it up by saying, "It's not that I'm afraid, it's that I can't sleep."

Sun Bin also sat up and said with a smile, "Don't be embarrassed. It's only natural to be afraid. Even the bravest person has moments of fear, especially when you don't know when or where the enemy will attack... To be honest, I can't sleep either."

Tian Ji looked at Sun Bin and sighed, "Mr. Sun, how majestic we were on the battlefield, yet now we're kept awake at night by a fabricated assassin... Just thinking about it makes me hate Zou Ji. A dignified prime minister, resorting to such despicable tactics! How utterly vile!"

"Cursing Zou Ji is useless; the most urgent thing is to figure out how to get some rest."

"Even if you have a thousand brilliant plans, I still won't be able to sleep unless there's no assassin."

"The reason we fear assassins is that we don't know when or where they will attack us, as Sun Tzu's Art of War says..."

Tian Ji interrupted him: "Military strategy is useless against assassins."

"Listen to me, and you'll know whether it's useful or not," Sun Bin continued. "The art of war dictates: those skilled in defense prevent the enemy from knowing where to attack. If we keep the assassins guessing, won't we be able to sleep soundly?"

"How can we prevent the assassin from knowing where he is attacking?" Tian Ji asked.

"That's easy. The assassin is following the Qi envoy and wants to kill you and me. We'll have our followers dress up as the envoy and spread the word at the post stations along the way that you and I fell ill halfway and have returned to Linzi, and that they've taken over the envoy's mission. If the assassin can't find you and me, he'll have no way to make his move."

"And then, what do we do?" Tian Ji asked.

Sun Bin laughed and said, "We'll change into civilian clothes and ride our horses along a side road to the Chu capital... General, what do you think of my plan?"

Tian Ji deliberately said, "Not very good."

Sun Bin was taken aback: "Why?"

Tian Ji said, "That's a matter for tomorrow and later; we still won't be able to sleep tonight."

Sun Bin smiled and said, "I'll tell you another plan that will guarantee you a good night's sleep. However, you'll have to make do for one night."

"I'm not afraid of feeling wronged, as long as I can get a good night's sleep. So, what's your idea?"

Sun Bin hesitated, looked out the window, then went to Tian Ji's bed and whispered a few words to him.

Tian Ji nodded repeatedly, chuckling, "Hehe, okay, I can do it."

As the moon rose high in the sky, the wind subsided. Two assassins, one tall and one short, appeared in the courtyard of the post station. They crept to the window of Tian Ji and Sun Bin's quarters, peered inside for a moment, then took their bows from their backs, aimed through the window at the people sleeping on the beds, and fired two arrows in quick succession.

Both arrows struck the person sleeping under the covers on the bed.

One of the assassins said, "Let's go in and take a look."

The other said, "No need. No one can survive a poisoned arrow."

Just then, someone behind them sneered, "They're not dead."

The two hurriedly turned around, and Zhong Lichun, dressed as a warrior, was standing behind them.

"Who are you?" an assassin asked.

"The people who killed you," Zhong Lichun said coldly.

"The one who can kill us hasn't been born yet," another assassin said, drawing his sword and thrusting it at Zhong Lichun.

Zhong Lichun was prepared and deflected the attack with her sword. Then, she followed up with another sword strike, aiming straight for the assassin's vitals. The assassin was startled and quickly retreated.

Zhong Lichun said, "Put down your swords, and I can spare your lives."

The assassin shouted, "Don't even think about it!"

The two assassins attacked Zhong Lichun together, their three swords clashing and creating a flurry of sword light.

While Zhongli Chun was fighting the assassins, Sun Bin and Tian Ji, covered in soot, peeked out from under their respective beds inside the house.

Tian Ji whispered to Sun Bin, "It seems to be Zhongli Chun outside."

Sun Bin looked out the window and said, "Warfare is based on deception; this might be a ruse..."

Before they could finish speaking, the door was kicked open. Sun Bin and Tian Ji immediately ducked back under their beds.

A man was pushed in and fell heavily to the ground; it was the short assassin. Immediately afterward, Zhong Lichun entered. She went to Sun Bin's bedside, kicked it hard, and said, "Sun Bin, come out."

Sun Bin peeked out and, seeing it was Zhong Lichun, exclaimed with delight, "Zhong Lichun, it really is you!"

Zhong Lichun said coldly, "One escaped, and one was caught." After saying that, she turned and walked out.

Sun Bin crawled out from under the bed, calling out Zhong Lichun's name, and limped after him to the outside of the post station.

Zhong Lichun's figure had already disappeared into the night.

Only then did Sun Bin realize that Zhong Lichun had been secretly following and protecting them all along. This chivalrous and righteous woman deeply moved Sun Bin.

At the same time, Tian Ji sternly interrogated the short assassin, asking who had bribed him. The short assassin remained silent, and taking advantage of Tian Ji's inattention, suddenly leaped up and smashed his head against the wall, falling heavily to the ground and committing suicide. Tian Ji sighed, "He was quite a man. Take him out and give him a proper burial."

On the second day, as they set off, Sun Bin was still thinking about Zhongli Chun. He murmured, "I really wish there was another assassin."

Tian Ji choked on his water: "Don't try to scare me."

"If another assassin comes, Zhongli Chun will appear again..." Sun Bin continued with tenderness in his eyes, "I want to ask her where she went after leaving Linzi... I also want to ask her when she caught up with us. Last night, she knew everything. She knew we were hiding under the bed, but we didn't know where she was."

Tian Ji also exclaimed, "If Zhongli Chun were a man, few in the world could rival her."

"Even though Zhong Lichun is a woman, few in the world can rival her. I only know of one person who is her match."

Tian Ji asked who it was. Sun Bin replied, "Gongsun Yue, a retainer of Pang Juan."

Tian Ji nodded and said, "I've heard of this person. It's fortunate that Zou Ji didn't get him."

Zou Ji was worried when he heard that the assassins had failed, but Gongsun Yue comforted him, saying, "Isn't there still the King of Chu? By the time they arrived in Chu, the secret letter from the Chu spies had already reached the King of Chu's hands. Do you think the King of Chu would let them go?"

Meanwhile, Tian Ji and Sun Bin arrived in the capital of Chu. The Chu official Shi Huang arranged for them to stay in the Chu guesthouse. Several days later, the King of Chu still did not summon them. Sun Bin told Tian Ji that something must have happened.

The Grand Master Shi Huang observed Tian Ji and Sun Bin for several days but found nothing unusual about them. He then said to the King of Chu, "Your Majesty, Tian Ji and Sun Bin do not seem to be here to probe the strengths and weaknesses of the State of Chu."

The King of Chu said, "The spy's letter is clear and unambiguous... Tell me, how should this matter be handled?"

"Your Majesty, it is not important whether they have come to investigate or not. What is important is how to keep them here," said the Grand Master Shi Huang. "Tian Ji was once the Grand General of Qi and is familiar with Qi's military situation. If Your Majesty makes good use of Tian Ji, Qi will be nothing to fear. Sun Bin is a rare military talent in the world today, and it is said that he is also proficient in 'The Art of War.' If we can keep him in Chu to assist Your Majesty, the world will belong to Your Majesty."

The King of Chu nodded, then asked, "What if they refuse to stay?"

"Kill them. What the king cannot have, he cannot let others have."

"But if I kill them, the Qi state will blame me for it."

"Even if the King is blamed for Qi losing Tian Ji and Sun Bin, what can be done?"

The King of Chu agreed with what the Grand Master Shi Huang said and ordered him to immediately visit Tian Ji and Sun Bin.

When Shi Huang met Tian Ji and Sun Bin, he exchanged pleasantries, then showed them a secret letter from the State of Qi, telling them that everything in the letter came from important figures in the Qi court.

After reading the letter, Tian Ji was furious: "What is said in the letter is all a rumor!" Tian Ji said to the Grand Master Shi Huang: "Grand Master Shi Huang, you have already read my lord's letter. Please believe us. We have indeed come to form an alliance, and we have certainly not come to probe the strengths and weaknesses of the State of Chu."

Grand Master Shi Huang laughed and said, "You military strategists talk about deception and falsehood, how do I know what is real and what is fake?"

Tian Ji said, "I swear to Heaven!"

After a moment's thought, the Imperial Physician said, "I can believe your words, but my lord may not."

"Tell me, how can I convince the King of Chu?"

"Stay in the State of Chu and assist my lord."

"That's impossible."

"Since some people in the Qi court say that you are spies sent to Chu, whether it is true or not, it is a trap to kill you. Even if you go back, you will not benefit from it. It is better to stay in Chu. My lord will definitely give you an important position." The Grand Master Shi Huang advised Tian and Sun to think it over carefully.

Sun Bin and Tian Ji were taken aback by this turn of events. Tian Ji asked Sun Bin what to do, and Sun Bin replied, "First, confirm the alliance, obtain the personal letter from the King of Chu to Your Majesty, have your entourage send it back to the country, and then we can think about the next step."

In order to retain Tian Ji and Sun Bin, the King of Chu agreed to form an alliance with the State of Qi and wrote a letter to the King of Qi.

After receiving the letter, Sun Bin immediately dispatched his attendant to take the King of Chu's letter back to Qi on horseback.

When Sun Bin estimated that his entourage had already entered Qi, he told the historian Huang that they could not remain in Chu. The historian Huang, with a stern face, asked, "Don't you intend to change your mind?"

Tian Ji retorted without backing down, "A true man's word is as good as gold, and besides, we would never betray the State of Qi!"

"You have quite the backbone," the Grand Master Shi sneered. "My lord has ordered that those who refuse to remain in Chu will be killed! You'd better watch yourselves."

Note: "Borrowing a knife to kill" is the third of the Thirty-Six Stratagems. It means using someone else's hand to eliminate your opponent. Zou Ji and Gongsun Yue used this stratagem to use the King of Chu to trap Sun Bin and Tian Ji in a deadly situation. To find out what happens next, please read the next chapter: "Taking Advantage of a Fire."