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

The Grand Historian Shi Huang advised King Chu to immediately execute Tian Ji and Sun Bin, otherwise they would pose a serious threat. King Chu hesitated, feeling it would be a great pity to kill them. He said to Shi Huang, "Treatise on kindness is the best policy. If I treat them sincerely, they will change their minds. Let them continue to stay in my guesthouse, treat them well, and give them whatever they want, including women."

The Imperial Physician had specially arranged for two beautiful young women to take care of Tian Ji and Sun Bin. The women brought them wine and food, but Tian Ji, with a stern face, shouted, "Who let you in?" He retorted, "We're not eating! Get out! Get out now!"

The girl was on the verge of tears, saying, "Please, if you don't eat, Doctor Shi will punish us."

"Forget it, don't make things difficult for them," Sun Bin said. "Girls, he was just joking, don't take it to heart. Put the wine and food down." The two girls, with tears in their eyes, placed the wine and food on the table and turned to leave. "Why are you doing this? These two girls didn't do anything to you," Sun Bin said, pouring a cup of wine for Tian Ji and himself, and laughed, "Beautiful women and fine wine, the life of immortals. Come on, cheers!"

"Even now, you still have the mind to make fun of me." Tian Ji didn't touch his wine cup.

Sun Bin took a big gulp of wine and said, "This is much better than when I was in Wei... Back then, I slept in pigsties and ate pig feed. You can't even imagine what it was like, but I was still always smiling."

"Don't make it sound so easy. If you were always smiling, you wouldn't need to act crazy."

"I'm just pretending to be crazy so I can always have a good laugh," Sun Bin took another big gulp, "and laugh however I want... This wine is really good, General Tian, ​​why don't you join us?"

"Drink if you want, but I'm not in the mood."

Sun Bin said to Tian Ji, "General Tian, ​​we haven't had a proper drink since we left Qi. Let's drink until we're drunk, and then go home."

Tian Ji did not immediately understand what Sun Bin meant by "going home".

Sun Bin explained with a smile, "When you're drunk, you can dream about going home."

Tian Ji smiled wryly and had no choice but to pick up the wine cup and say, "Alright, to get home, drink."

The two had barely drunk a few cups when they fell into a deep sleep. It turned out that the Imperial Physician had tampered with the wine; he had two Chu girls guard them and memorize every word they said, including in their dreams.

The moonlight outside the window was like water. Inside, Sun Bin lay peacefully on his couch, the flickering candlelight casting shadows on his face. A young woman from Chu sat beside him, gazing at his face. Sun Bin stirred slightly, murmuring, "Zhongli Chun..."

The young woman leaned forward, her face close to his, and softly asked, "Mr. Sun, what did you say?"

Sun Bin murmured, "Zhongli Chun..."

This time the young woman heard her clearly and asked, "Who is Zhongli Chun? Is she your wife?"

Sun Bin remained silent in his sleep. The girl, gazing at the sleeping Sun Bin, slowly sat up, murmuring, "Zhongli Chun..."

At this moment, Zhong Lichun stood outside the window, gazing tenderly at Sun Bin on the bed through the small hole in the silk curtain.

The next day, the physician Shi Huang asked the Chu girl who was taking care of Sun Bin, "What did Sun Bin say?"

The girl pronounced each word carefully: "Zhong Lichun".

The Imperial Physician then asked, "What else did he say?"

The girl shook her head and said, "He keeps repeating those three words over and over."

The physician Shi Huang then asked the girl who was taking care of Tian Ji, "Where is Tian Ji? What did he say?"

The girl replied, "Go back to my country, go back to the State of Qi."

Inside the Chu King's palace, the Grand Master Shi Huang said to the King of Chu, "Tian Ji and Sun Bin want nothing, not even beautiful girls; they just want to return to Qi. They dream of it all. They are beyond redemption; we should just kill them."

The King of Chu pondered for a moment and said, "No, do not kill them. Put them in prison and release them only when they agree to my request."

"What if they never agree?"

"Then let them never see the light of day again!"

Pang Juan was overjoyed to hear that Sun Bin and Tian Ji were being held captive in Chu. He praised Gongsun Yue for his excellent work and planned to go to Chu to see the King of Chu himself. His nephew, Pang Cong, worried about him, saying, "Uncle, you once defeated the Chu army at Fangcheng, causing the King of Chu to lose face. If you go to Chu in person, the King of Chu will surely endanger you."

Pang Juan smiled and said, "The King of Chu likes two things the most: beautiful jade and flattery. If I bring his favorite things to see him, he will not only not make things difficult for me, but will also treat me as an honored guest."

Pang Juan arrived in the State of Chu and entered the palace to pay his respects to the King of Chu. The Chu palace was filled with a tense atmosphere; palace guards, weapons in hand, glared menacingly at Pang Juan as he entered. Pang Juan remained calm, knelt before the King, and kowtowed, saying, "This humble subject pays his respects to Your Majesty."

The King of Chu looked at Pang Juan with murderous intent in his eyes and slowly said to Pang Juan, "Marshal Pang, you have quite the nerve."

Pang Juan feigned ignorance and looked at the King of Chu, saying, "Your Majesty's words are beyond my comprehension."

The King of Chu gave a cold laugh and said, "In the Battle of Fangcheng, you made me lose face before the world. Now you come to Chu alone. Aren't you afraid I will kill you?"

Pang Juan smiled calmly and said, "Your Majesty is a wise and virtuous king, renowned throughout the land. He is trustworthy, reasonable, and never kills envoys from other countries. How could he possibly kill your minister? Furthermore, in the Battle of Fangcheng, as the marshal of Wei, I was obliged to fight to the death for Your Majesty. A wise ruler would never kill a subject who is loyal to his sovereign."

The King of Chu was speechless. He stared at Pang Juan for a moment and said, "Marshal Pang is very eloquent."

Pang Juan seized the opportunity to flatter, saying, "It's not that I, your humble servant, am good at speaking, but that Your Majesty is a wise ruler. With such a virtuous king in Chu, even if there are temporary setbacks, you will eventually dominate the world."

The King of Chu's expression softened considerably, and he seated Pang Juan in the honored guest's seat.

Pang Juan thanked the King of Chu, took the box containing the precious jade from his attendant, held it high, and said to the King of Chu, "Your Majesty, I have a small gift for you. Please accept it."

The King of Chu took the box, opened it, and was overjoyed to find a large and beautiful jade inside. He exclaimed, "This jade is so beautiful! It can rival the He Shi Bi!" He asked Pang Juan, "General Pang, you've given me such a precious jade; you must have something important to ask of me?"

Pang Juan smiled and said, "It's nothing."

The King of Chu held the precious jade with great affection and said to Pang Juan, "General Pang, just tell me what you need, and I will definitely grant your request."

"I have heard that Sun Bin has fallen into Your Majesty's hands. What are Your Majesty's plans?"

"I wish for him to remain in the State of Chu and assist me."

"I studied with Sun Bin for three years and know his character well. As a native of Qi, he cherishes his homeland deeply. I recommended him to my lord, who greatly valued him, appointed him as a guest minister, and promised to let him replace me as the marshal of Wei. However, he betrayed my lord. My lord spared his life because of his talent, but he used trickery to escape to Qi... Even if Your Majesty keeps Sun Bin, he will not be of one mind with Your Majesty."

"Marshal Pang means..."

"Kill him."

The King of Chu looked at the precious jade in front of him, then at Pang Juan, and asked, "You gave me such a valuable gift just to have me execute Sun Bin?"

Pang Juan said, "Sun Bin is both a wanted criminal of Wei and a mortal enemy of the foreign minister. The foreign minister requests Your Majesty to hand Sun Bin over to Wei so that Wei can execute him."

The King of Chu smiled slightly and said, "I understand. Sun Bin has defeated Marshal Pang several times, causing Marshal Pang to lose face. Marshal Pang wants to take this opportunity to settle a personal score."

Pang Juan cursed King Chu in his heart for his ill-fated end, but forced a smile on his face and said, "Your Majesty, what foreign ministers think and do is not important. What is important is that foreign ministers eliminate Sun Bin. Then, the people of Qi will resent foreign ministers, not Your Majesty."

After weighing the pros and cons, the King of Chu decided that Pang Juan's proposal was beneficial to the state of Chu and granted his request.

The Grand Master Shi Huang strongly opposed handing Sun Bin over to Pang Juan. He said to the King of Chu, "Your Majesty, if someone captures your enemy, would you exchange a priceless treasure for the pleasure of personally dealing with him?"

The King of Chu said, "Then we need to see if this enemy is more valuable than a rare treasure."

"Pang Juan is such a clever man that he never does anything that doesn't benefit him. Your Majesty, if I'm not mistaken, he must be after Sun Tzu's Art of War."

"The art of war was in Sun Bin's mind; how did he acquire it?"

"Your Majesty hasn't figured it out yet... However, this reminds us, why don't we try to obtain 'The Art of War'? With the Art of War, wouldn't Your Majesty still be able to dominate the world?"

The King of Chu thought that what Shi Huang said made sense, so he asked Shi Huang to find a way to obtain "The Art of War" from Sun Bin.

The Grand Master Shi Huang arrived at the prison where Tian Ji and Sun Bin were imprisoned. He smiled at Sun Bin and said, "Mr. Sun, I have some bad news for you. Pang Juan has arrived and he is going to take you back to the State of Wei."

"What about me? Does he want me?" Tian Ji asked irritably from the side.

"You're not worth him!" Doctor Shi glanced at him sideways.

Tian Ji said, "Sun Quan and I are brothers who have gone through thick and thin together. If he doesn't want me, then Sun Quan can't leave either."

The Imperial Physician said, "Master Sun, you don't have to leave. As long as you write down 'The Art of War,' the King will not only spare you from being handed over to Pang Juan, but will also let you return to your country. What do you say?"

Tian Ji disagreed, but Sun Bin readily agreed. He said to the Grand Master Shi Huang, "The King of Chu must grant me one condition: first, release General Tian and let him return to his country."

"No, Mr. Sun. If we're going back, we'll go back together," Tian Ji said firmly.

"Hmph," Doctor Shi Huang sneered, "None of you will be leaving."

Sun Bin said, "If you don't let General Tian go, I won't write it. If you want to hand it over to Pang Juan, then hand it over to Pang Juan. It's just death. I've already died once, so dying again is no big deal."

The Imperial Physician looked at Sun Bin and sighed, "Very well, I will inform my lord of your thoughts." With that, he rose and left.

Tian Ji disagreed with leaving Sun Bin alone in Chu. Sun Bin said to him, "If either of us goes back, Zou Ji will not dare to do whatever he wants."

"What if Zou Ji uses this to accuse you of betraying the State of Qi and harming your two cousins?"

"We have no choice but to make them suffer... and let them leave Qi once again."

Tian Ji felt bad and still refused to leave.

"General Tian," Sun Bin said sincerely to Tian Ji, "this is not only for your sake, but also for the sake of the State of Qi. You must go back!"

Tian Ji was deeply moved and promised that once he returned to Qi, he would make sure the King of Qi found a way to rescue Sun Bin. Sun Bin said, "I don't need the King of Qi's rescue, and the King of Qi can't save me anyway. As long as the King of Qi doesn't give military power to Zou Ji, it's worth it for me to stay in Chu."

To obtain Sun Tzu's *Art of War*, the King of Chu agreed to let Tian Ji return to his country. The Grand Master of Ceremonies asked how to deal with Pang Juan. The King of Chu replied, "Just say that Sun Bin has agreed to stay in Chu and sincerely assist me, and let Pang Juan go back."

The Grand Master Shi Huang relayed King Chu's intentions to Pang Juan, who accused the King of going back on his word and breaking his promise to the world. The Grand Master Shi Huang arrogantly laughed at Pang Juan, "With Sun Bin as your advisor, even if Your Majesty breaks your promise to the world, what can the world do to you?"

Pang Juan sneered, "Sun Bin is deceiving the King of Chu. He's afraid I'll kill him, so he's using delaying tactics. Once I leave, he'll change his mind."

As Tian Ji and Sun Bin were about to part ways, and it was already quite late, Tian Ji remained seated in Sun Bin's room, reluctant to leave. Sun Bin urged him to rest early so he could prepare for his journey the next day, but Tian Ji replied, "I want to stay by your side a little longer, to watch over you."

Sun Bin laughed and said, "The assassin is long dead, you don't need to keep watch at night."

Tian Ji sighed, "I almost wish the assassin were still here..."

Just then, someone gently knocked on the window. The two men were startled; Tian Ji drew his sword and demanded sharply, "Who is it?"

The person outside the window whispered, "It's me, Zhong Lichun."

The two were overjoyed and quickly went out of the inner room and opened the door.

Zhong Lichun slipped into the room, closed the door, and said to the two, "I have bribed dozens of highly skilled swordsmen who are willing to die for their lives. They have agreed to help you escape."

Tian Ji asked, "Is it reliable?"

Zhongli Chun said, "Absolutely reliable."

Tian Ji said to Sun Bin, "Sir, let's go."

Sun Bin disagreed.

Zhongli Chun anxiously said to Sun Bin, "Pang Juan is here! He wants to kill you!"

Sun Bin confidently said, "Pang Juan cannot kill me for the time being. The King of Chu needs me to write a treatise on military strategy."

"The King of Chu is a fickle man. Even if you write down a military strategy for him, he will still hand you over to Pang Juan. Sir, let's go!"

Tian Ji also believed that the King of Chu would not let Sun Bin go, and advised him to escape together.

Sun Bin said to Tian Ji, "General, the King of Chu has already agreed to let you return to your country. If we fail to escape, none of us will be able to return to Qi."

Zhong Lichun said from the side, "Yes, we can definitely escape."

"The State of Chu is so vast that if the Chu army intercepts us along the way, we will not be able to escape."

"Even if we can't escape, it's better than waiting to die here!"

"I'm not waiting to die, I'm waiting for the right opportunity."

"So you're saying I'm overstepping my bounds?" Zhong Lichun said somewhat unhappily, in a fit of pique.

Just as Sun Bin was about to explain, an uninvited guest arrived outside—it was Grand Master Shi. He knocked on the door and said, "Mr. Sun, open the door."

Sun Bin gestured for Zhong Lichun to hide in the inner room. After hesitating for a moment, Zhong Lichun followed Sun Bin into the inner room.

Tian Ji opened the door, and the Imperial Physician Shi Huang entered the room, looking around as he asked, "Who was Master Sun speaking with just now?"

Tian Ji said, "It is me."

The Imperial Physician laughed and said, "That's not your voice."

With that, Imperial Physician Shi walked into the inner room.

Tian Ji quickly stopped him: "Grand Master Shi, you cannot enter."

Imperial Physician Shi flicked his sleeves: "What, is there something shady going on inside?"

Tian Ji stammered, "This...no...Mr. Sun is asleep."

Imperial Physician Shi Huang sneered, "You can't even tell a lie. He was just talking to someone; how could he possibly fall asleep in such a short time?"

"You're right, I haven't gone to sleep yet." At this moment, Sun Bin came out.

The Imperial Physician smiled smugly and asked, "Who is in the inner room?"

You don't need to know.

"My lord has entrusted me with protecting you, and I should know everyone who is with you."

"What if I don't agree?"

"I'll have to get the soldiers to help me," Dr. Shi threatened.

Tian Ji angrily pointed at the Imperial Clerk Shi Huang: "Imperial Clerk Shi Huang, don't push your luck!"

Imperial Physician Shi retorted, "It's not that I'm being too unreasonable, it's just that I'm fulfilling my duties."

After a brief standoff, Sun Bin said, "Grand Master Shi, you may come in, but I have a request."

"Speak."

"You can't tell others what you've seen."

Grand Master Shi Huang agreed, and Sun Bin let him into the inner room.

The Imperial Physician Shi entered the inner room and saw a woman sitting on a couch. It was Zhong Lichun, who had changed back into women's clothing to match Sun Bin's attire. Upon seeing someone enter, Zhong Lichun feigned shyness and turned away. The Imperial Physician Shi scrutinized Zhong Lichun for a moment, then left the inner room and smiled at Sun Bin, saying, "Mr. Sun, you are not a gentleman."

"I never said I was a gentleman."

"Why did Mr. Sun refuse such a beautiful girl last time?"

"I'm afraid of being controlled by others."

"I won't disturb your good time any longer, farewell." Doctor Shi Huang smiled maliciously and turned to leave.

Zhong Lichun was about to leave, and Sun Bin, not wanting her to leave with a misunderstanding, wanted to explain what had just happened. Zhong Lichun said, "Don't explain. I understand. You'd better take care of yourself."

Zhongli Chun bid farewell to Tian Ji, telling him to be careful on his journey, and then quietly left.

The next morning, Sun Bin saw Tian Ji off. Even after they had gone far from the capital of Chu, Tian Ji was still reluctant to part. He held Sun Bin's hand and said with shame, "I really feel bad for leaving you to stay in Chu."

"Don't worry, they won't dare do anything to me."

"When two people are together, they can discuss problems. But now you're all alone, and your leg isn't good..."

Sun Bin comforted Tian Ji, saying, "General, don't worry, I have a plan. Get in the carriage, your family is waiting for you."

Tian Ji boarded the carriage, stood on it, slowly raised his hands, clasped them in greeting, and told Sun Bin to take good care of himself.

Sun Bin returned the greeting with a bow, wishing Tian Ji a safe journey.

Tian Ji suddenly turned around, tears welling in his eyes. The coachman gave the reins a shake, and the carriage drove away. Finally, the tears in Tian Ji's eyes overflowed, streaming down his cheeks.

Sun Bin stood by the roadside, gazing for a long time at the departing carriage...

Pang Juan did not leave the State of Chu. Instead, he had his attendants bribe the palace guards to find out the King of Chu's true intention in keeping Sun Bin in the palace. He then went to see the King and asked, "Does Your Majesty wish to obtain 'The Art of War'?"

The King of Chu was surprised that Pang Juan had received the news so quickly and asked, "Who told you this?"

Pang Juan said, "This is my speculation. Your Majesty's thoughts are the same as mine back then. When Sun Bin committed a capital offense in Wei, he also offered to write a military treatise for me so that I could plead his case before my lord. I believed him and agreed. Under the guise of writing the treatise, he waited for an opportunity to escape Wei. This time, he is repeating the same trick. I hope Your Majesty will not fall for his scheme."

The King of Chu laughed and said, "I will not be fooled. I will send heavy troops to guard him. He will not be allowed to leave the guesthouse until he finishes writing the military treatise."

"Does Your Majesty know the contents of 'The Art of War'?"

"have no idea."

"Who in the State of Chu knows this?"

"As far as I know, no one knows."

"Sun Bin is a man of many schemes. If what he wrote for Your Majesty is not the true 'Art of War,' how will Your Majesty know?"

The King of Chu did not know how to answer.

Pang Juan said, "When I was studying at Guigu Temple, I heard Master Guigu talk about certain chapters of 'The Art of War'. I can help Your Majesty distinguish between genuine and fake military strategies."

The King of Chu clapped his hands in delight and said, "Excellent! General Pang, if you help me obtain the genuine 'Art of War' by Sun Tzu, I will reward you handsomely!"

Pang Juan laughed and said, "Your Majesty, I do not wish for a great reward. I only ask that Your Majesty allow me to copy a set of 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu, and I will be content."

The King of Chu readily agreed.

An exquisitely crafted and ornately decorated box was placed on the table in front of Sun Bin. Sun Bin sat down in front of the table, silently looking at the box, and thought to himself, "Master Guigu, I am sorry, I had no choice, please forgive me..." After calming his mind, Sun Bin took out several slender and exquisite bamboo slips from the box, dipped his brush in ink, and began to write.

Just then, someone pushed open the door and walked in. "Please leave." Sun Bin didn't look up, concentrating entirely on his writing. Little did he know that the person not only didn't leave, but instead came over and sat down in front of Sun Bin.

"It's you?" Sun Bin was taken aback. The person who came was Pang Juan.

"What, aren't you welcome?" Pang Juan smiled.

Sun Bin put down his pen, looked coldly at Pang Juan, and solemnly said, "The King of Chu has decreed that no one is allowed to enter while I am writing military strategy."

"It was the King of Chu who summoned me," Pang Juan said, stroking the exquisite box on the table. "The King of Chu really spared no expense, even giving you his treasure chest." He then looked up at Sun Bin and asked, "Do you want to know why the King of Chu summoned me?"

"I don't want to know."

"It's better that you know." Pang Juan picked up a bamboo slip and looked at it, then said leisurely, "The King of Chu was afraid that you would deceive him with a fake military treatise, so he specially asked me to supervise you. I can distinguish the authenticity of 'The Art of War'." He put down the bamboo slip, looked at Sun Bin with a smile, and added, "The King of Chu also agreed to let me copy a set of 'The Art of War' to take back with me."

Upon hearing this, Sun Bin packed up the bamboo slips and said, "I'm not writing anymore!"

Pang Juan sneered, "Sulking will do no good. If you don't write it, the King of Chu will kill you."

Sun Bin said calmly, "Everyone dies eventually; it's the same whether you die early or late."

"You are different. You are a rare talent among generals, yet you have not yet established any great achievements. Wouldn't it be a pity if you died?"

"Achievements vary in scale. In Qi, I defeated you three times, making me famous throughout the land." Sun Bin smiled mockingly at Pang Juan. "I am already content..."

"Sun Bin!" Pang Juan was enraged. He drew his sword and pointed it at Sun Bin, saying, "Be content! I'll send you to your death right now!"

Sun Bin remained remarkably calm and said, "You dare not kill me. If you do, the King of Chu will take your life!"

Pang Juan sneered, "I'll kill you, throw your corpse in the countryside to feed the wild dogs, and say you escaped!"

Note: "Taking advantage of someone's misfortune" is the fifth of the Thirty-Six Stratagems. Its original meaning is to seize an opportunity to attack when the enemy faces a serious crisis. Pang Juan, taking advantage of Sun Bin's predicament in Chu, came to Chu and stirred up trouble, wanting to obtain Sun Bin and "The Art of War." To find out how Sun Bin escaped danger, please read the next chapter: "Crossing the Sea Under Cover of Darkness."