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

Sun Bin and Zhongli Chun returned to Qi, much to Tian Ji's delight. He hosted a grand banquet to welcome Sun Bin back. Everyone drank and reveled in their longing. Someone brought up the matter of Zou Ji framing Tian Ji and Sun Bin, and everyone was filled with indignation. Qin Hua said, "Behind Zou Ji is someone else, Gongsun Yue, who is even more treacherous!"

Sun Bin was taken aback and asked, "When did Gongsun Yue arrive?"

Qin Hua said, "He came before you went to the State of Chu and became a retainer of Zou Ji. I only found out after you left that it was his idea to fabricate stories and frame you and General Tian."

Zhong Lichun was furious and suddenly stood up, declaring that he was going to find Gongsun Yue to settle accounts and eliminate this despicable villain. Tian Guo and the other generals present also stood up, intending to follow Zhong Lichun to find Gongsun Yue.

Sun Bin stopped everyone and said to them, "You cannot kill Gongsun Yue. Gongsun Yue is now Zou Ji's man. If you kill Gongsun Yue, Zou Ji will use this as a pretext to execute your entire family. Confucius said, 'A small lack of forbearance can ruin a great plan.' I do not want you to act rashly."

"I have no home or business, I'm not afraid of being executed along with my entire family, I'll go by myself." After saying this, Zhong Lichun stepped out of the house alone.

Tian Guo and the generals quickly caught up with Zhong Lichun and blocked her way.

Tian Guo advised, "Miss Zhongli, Mr. Sun is never wrong. You should go back."

Zhong Lichun drew his sword: "If you don't get out of the way, I'm going to make my move."

Tian Guo remained unmoved and said, "We dare not disobey Mr. Sun's orders. Even if you kill us, we will not let you go."

Sun Bin and Tian Ji caught up. Sun Bin said to Zhongli Chun, "Miss Zhongli, you must not be willful. Even if you kill Gongsun Yue, Zou Ji will not only arrest you, but also implicate many generals under General Tian."

"Then I'll kill Zou Ji too!"

"Nonsense! If we kill Zou Ji, the King will be even less likely to let us go."

"Let's go, let's leave the State of Qi!"

"We two have no ties, but what about General Tian and his family? What about them?"

Zhong Lichun was speechless.

Tian Ji also spoke up, saying, "Miss Zhongli, we will get rid of Gongsun Yue sooner or later, but we cannot act recklessly, as reckless actions often lead to the opposite of what we want."

Zhong Lichun was silent for a moment, then asked, "Has his wife arrived?"

"I heard they've come too."

"I'm going to find his wife."

"We should act with integrity and not take our anger out on his wife," Tian Ji quickly stopped him.

"I won't, his wife is my sister."

Zhong Lichun's words were hard for everyone to believe. Sun Bin told them that Gongsun Yue's wife was indeed Zhong Lichun's sister, and her only biological sister. At the same time, Sun Bin instructed Zhong Lichun that if he saw Gongsun Yue, he must not act on his emotions.

In the residence of Gongsun Yue at the Zou family mansion, Zhong Liqiu sat alone on a mat, intently sewing a child's garment. Hearing a knock at the door, she assumed it was a maidservant coming to serve her, and, still with her head bowed, replied, "Come in."

Zhong Lichun gently pushed open the door and walked in, step by step, until she stood before Zhong Liqiu. Zhong Liqiu, engrossed in sewing, didn't notice her arrival and asked, "What is it?" Zhong Lichun's eyes were already brimming with tears, overwhelmed with emotion. She remained silent, quietly gazing at her younger sister. Zhong Liqiu seemed to sense something, looked up, and froze in surprise.

Time seemed to stand still as the two sisters gazed at each other silently.

"Sister, you've finally come..." Zhong Liqiu hugged her sister, whom she had been longing for day and night, and burst into tears.

Zhong Lichun looked at her sobbing sister with affection, gently wiping away her tears, and couldn't help but shed tears herself.

After the two sisters had cried their fill, they recounted their experiences over the past two years. When Zhong Liqiu learned that Zou Ji had caused Sun Bin to wander aimlessly and nearly lose his life, she said angrily, "I never imagined that Prime Minister Zou was such a person! When Gongsun Yue returns, I'll make him leave the Prime Minister's residence."

Just then, Gongsun Yue returned. He learned of Zhongli Chun's arrival from the gatekeeper and seemed lost in thought.

Gongsun Yue pushed open the door and entered. Seeing Zhong Lichun, her face lit up with joy. "Sister, what brings you here?"

"What, are you not welcome?" Zhong Lichun said indifferently.

"No, it's just that I didn't expect it. Zhong Liqiu often mentions you to me, and we've all been looking forward to your visit," Gongsun Yue said with a smile, instructing Zhong Liqiu to prepare lunch. When Zhong Liqiu stood up, she seemed quite clumsy, so Gongsun Yue quickly helped her sit down, patted his head, and said to Zhong Lichun, "Look at my memory! Zhong Liqiu already has it, and I'm bothering her... I'll prepare your meal myself."

After Gongsun Yue left, Zhongli Chun noticed the little clothes Zhongli Qiu had just sewed. She sighed and said, "You really shouldn't have had this child..."

Zhongli Qiu was puzzled and asked Zhongli Chun what he meant by those words.

Fearing that her sister would be upset, Zhong Lichun didn't want to bring up Gongsun Yue again, so she changed the subject and said self-deprecatingly, "Hey, I mean, you already have a child, but I..."

Zhong Liqiu chuckled, "You can marry Mr. Sun. In the future, you can not only protect him, but also have his children."

Just as Zhong Lichun was about to explain her relationship with Sun Bin to her younger sister, Gongsun Yue entered the room again. Zhong Lichun got up to leave, but Zhong Liqiu grabbed her arm, saying, "Sister, don't go. I still have so much to say..."

"Yes," Gongsun Yue chimed in, "You sisters have been apart for so long, you must have a lot to say. Have a meal and stay here, you sisters can catch up."

Zhong Lichun ignored Gongsun Yue and said softly to Zhong Liqiu, "Sister, take care of yourself. I have other things to attend to, I'll come see you again later."

Before leaving, Zhong Lichun warned Gongsun Yue again: "Gongsun Yue, I've heard that Zou Ji listens to you completely. Tell him that if he tries to harm Mr. Sun again, I will not forgive him, nor you!"

After Zhongli Chun left, Zhongli Qiu advised Gongsun Yue to leave the Prime Minister's residence and stop working for Zou Ji. Gongsun Yue explained to her that if he hadn't pleaded for Sun Bin, Sun Bin would have been killed by the Prime Minister long ago. Although Zhongli Qiu believed Gongsun Yue's lie, she still wanted to move out of the Prime Minister's residence.

The Grand Historian of Chu returned alone from the valley on the border between Chu and Wei to the Chu capital and reported to the King of Chu about Sun Bin's abduction. The King of Chu was furious and ordered the Grand Historian to immediately go to Wei to demand Sun Bin's release from Pang Juan. If Pang Juan did not hand over Sun Bin, he would persuade Qi and Zhao to join forces to attack Wei.

The Grand Master Shi Huang arrived in the State of Wei and demanded Sun Bin from Pang Juan. Pang Juan angrily retorted, "Grand Master Shi Huang, Sun Bin is still in your hands! Don't think I'll believe your lies just because you're asking me for him!"

"Marshal Pang, you can't deny it!" Doctor Shi Huang looked like he was about to cry. "I saw with my own eyes that Sun Bin was kidnapped by your men. The leader was a woman, and everyone called her Miss Chun."

"Bullshit!" Pang Juan roared, slamming his fist on the table. "If you don't tell the truth, I'll kill you!"

Pang Juan and Shi Huang were embroiled in a bitter dispute when a secret letter from Gongsun Yue arrived from Qi, informing Pang Juan that Sun Bin had returned to Qi. Pang Juan was furious and cursed Sun Bin as despicable, at which point Shi Huang realized he had been tricked by Sun Bin.

Pang Juan personally went to the State of Chu to explain to the King of Chu about Sun Bin's escape back to the State of Qi. The King of Chu was furious: "Even if Sun Bin runs to the ends of the earth, I will bring him back!" He then said to Pang Juan, who was sitting beside him, "General Pang, what good idea do you have?"

"Your Majesty remembers that in order to have Sun Bin copy military strategy, Your Majesty specially gave Sun Bin a box containing jewels to hold bamboo slips. I wonder if this box is still there?"

"It's gone. Sun Bin took the box with him."

"Your Majesty can use this box as a pretext to send the Grand Master Shi Huang to the State of Qi, claiming that Sun Bin stole Your Majesty's rare jewels, and demand Sun Bin and the jewels from the King of Qi."

"There were only bamboo slips in that box, no rare treasures."

"Bamboo slips and jewels differ by only one character. Qi Chancellor Zou Ji hates Sun Bin to the bone. Your Majesty can order Grand Master Shi Huang to persuade Zou Ji to identify bamboo slips as jewels."

When Shi Huang Dafu arrived in the State of Qi, he first paid a visit to Zou Ji before going to see King Wei of Qi. He falsely accused Sun Bin of stealing the jewels of the King of Chu and asked King Wei to send someone to demand the jewels back from Sun Bin.

King Wei of Qi did not believe that Sun Bin was a petty thief, saying, "The King of Chu has always valued treasures as his life and has assigned heavy troops to guard them. It is impossible for Sun Bin to have taken the treasures away."

The Imperial Physician said, "Sun Bin is cunning and resourceful; there is nothing he cannot do. The box containing the jewels is still in his possession."

King Wei of Qi ordered his palace guards to retrieve the box from Sun Bin and return it to the Grand Master Shi Huang. Upon returning from Sun Bin's residence, the guards told King Wei, "Master Sun said that the King of Chu gave him bamboo slips, not jewels."

"Such an exquisite box is specially made to hold rare jewels, how could it possibly hold worthless bamboo slips?" Grand Physician Shi Huang sneered, and then said to King Qi Wei, "Your Majesty, I beg Your Majesty to grant Sun Bin permission to take the stolen jewels to the State of Chu to apologize to me."

King Qi Wei said calmly, "If Sun Bin really took the King of Chu's treasures, just have him return them to you. Why insist that he go to Chu to apologize?"

The Imperial Physician replied, "Your Majesty, if someone steals your treasures, as the ruler of a great nation, is it enough to simply return the treasures to restore your dignity?"

Zou Ji, who had remained silent until now, said from the side, "Your Majesty, what the Grand Master Shi Huang said is not without reason."

King Qi ignored Zou Ji and went straight to the Grand Master Shi Huang, saying, "This is only your side of the story. Besides, Sun Bin may not necessarily take the King of Chu's treasures."

"Does Your Majesty intend to protect Sun Bin?" the Imperial Physician sneered.

"I am not covering it up," King Qi Wei said impatiently, his brows furrowed. "Grand Physician Shi, you have no evidence, so I cannot agree to your request."

"Your Majesty, isn't this box evidence?"

"A box is a box, and jewelry is jewelry."

"Your Majesty, my lord says that if Your Majesty is unwilling to hand over Sun Bin, I will have no choice but to join forces with Marshal Pang of Wei to bring troops to demand Sun Bin," the Imperial Physician threatened.

"Are you threatening me?"

"I wouldn't dare, Sun Bin is just too despicable!"

King Qi Wei was extremely disgusted with the Grand Master Shi Huang, and angrily said, "Grand Master Shi Huang, I do not wish to see you again!"

"Your Majesty, do not jeopardize your kingdom for the sake of Sun Bin... Please reconsider."

After Shi Huang left the palace, Zou Ji said to King Wei of Qi, "Shi Huang is right. We should not let Sun Bin put our Qi in danger... Besides, Sun Bin did indeed take the King of Chu's treasure chest."

"I do not believe there will be any jewels in the box."

"Your Majesty, I do not believe this is merely an excuse for the King of Chu to demand someone. If Sun Bin were truly loyal to Your Majesty, Your Majesty should shoulder the burden for him even in the face of the greatest danger. But Sun Bin is not. Your Majesty should instead go with the flow, both giving the King of Chu face and turning the dissatisfaction of Tian Ji and others into hatred towards the King of Chu. Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?"

"If I can't even protect a single Sun Bin, what will the people think of me?"

"It's not that Your Majesty can't protect Sun Bin, but that Sun Bin isn't worth Your Majesty's protection. Has Your Majesty forgotten the matter of him and Tian Ji consulting a diviner? If Sun Bin stays in Qi, it wouldn't be difficult for Tian Ji to replace Your Majesty; if Sun Bin leaves Qi, Tian Ji will be left all alone."

King Qi Wei pondered for a moment and made a decision: "Very well, for the sake of my country, I will have to wrong him this once."

When Zhongli Chun heard that King Wei of Qi was going to hand Sun Bin over to the State of Chu, he angrily said, "This is clearly a wrongful accusation against Master Sun! How can Your Majesty believe it? General Tian, ​​let's go see the King and plead for justice for Master Sun!"

Tian Ji said to Zhong Lichun, "It's no use explaining. I've talked myself hoarse before the King, but he still insists that Mr. Sun go to the State of Chu to apologize..."

Qin Hua, standing to the side, was both angry and puzzled: "Your Majesty is too foolish! Why doesn't he trust his own people, but instead trusts Imperial Physician Shi Huang!"

Tian Ji pondered for a moment and sighed, "We can no longer rely on the king; we can only rely on ourselves." He said to Sun Bin, who was standing silently to the side, "Mr. Sun, I am a close friend of Minister Shen of Han. You should take my letter and leave Qi quietly to find Minister Shen in Han. He will surely take you in, and you will achieve great things in Han."

Sun Bin disagreed, saying, "If the King of Chu cannot see me, he will join forces with Pang Juan to threaten Your Majesty. If Your Majesty succumbs to the pressure and demands my release, what will you do?"

Everyone fell silent.

Zhong Lichun anxiously said from the side, "If there's really no other way, I'll storm into the palace and kill this tyrannical king!"

Sun Bin stopped her, saying, "Miss Zhongli, don't talk nonsense!"

Zhong Lichun retorted indignantly, "I'm not making this up. If I say it, I will do it!"

Sun Bin's lust subsided: "When are you going to change this temper of yours?"

Zhong Lichun said, "I can't change it in this lifetime!"

Sun Bin could no longer contain himself and shouted sternly, "If you don't change, then leave! Don't ruin our important plans!"

"Fine...you can leave then!"

With that, Zhong Lichun turned to leave. Tian Ji quickly stopped her, saying, "Miss Zhongli, don't be angry. Mr. Sun is in a bad mood; don't take his words to heart."

"If he's in a bad mood, does that mean I'm in a good mood? I'm doing all this for him... Why is he always being wronged? I... I can't swallow this..." Zhong Lichun felt very aggrieved, and tears streamed down her face as she spoke.

Tian Ji comforted her, saying, "Miss Zhongli, don't cry, we will think of a way."

"What can we do? You want him to leave, but he won't. He's willingly going to his death. There's nothing anyone can do..."

"I have a solution," Qin Hua, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke up.

"Tell me quickly, what's the solution?" Zhong Lichun urged.

"Promise Your Majesty, and let Mr. Sun go to the State of Chu."

"What a load of rubbish! It would be better if there were no way at all!" Zhong Lichun was greatly disappointed.

Qin Hua said slowly, "Let me finish... Chu is the only way to Han. Let Mr. Sun take the general's treasured jewels to Chu. Zhongli and I will also go. After we arrive in Chu, I will find someone to replace Mr. Sun, and let Zhongli protect Mr. Sun as he secretly goes to Han. We will also carry out a substitution."

Sun Bin shook his head and said, "No, a fake is still a fake. How will you explain this to the King of Chu?"

"The King of Chu values ​​treasures as much as his life. If I offer the treasures to him, won't that solve the problem?"

"What the King of Chu wants is my military strategy; 'The Art of War' is more precious than any jewel."

"That depends on how you phrase it. Last time, in order to obtain the military strategy, the King of Chu suffered heavy losses. If you were to return to Chu, Pang Juan would not let it go, and General Tian Ji would also hold a grudge against the King of Chu. Since you are unwilling to give him the real military strategy, it would be better to do him a favor, accept the treasure, and let the matter drop. I think the King of Chu would be persuaded by my silver tongue."

Tian Ji asked, "What should we do, Physician Shi Huang? He's been following you the whole time. If he sees through the deception, Mr. Sun will have a hard time escaping from Chu..."

Sun Bin pondered for a moment and said, "Deceiving Grand Physician Shi Huang is not difficult, but I am worried about the King... will the King hold the General accountable if he finds out?"

Tian Ji said confidently, "No, when I met with Your Majesty, I heard the implication in Your Majesty's words. Your Majesty had no choice but to do this. If Mr. Sun disappears in Chu, Your Majesty will not pursue the matter."

Qin Hua also reassured Sun Bin, "Mr. Sun, believe me, you will definitely succeed."

While Zhongli Chun and others were planning how to help Sun Bin leave Qi, Zhongli Qiu and Gongsun Yue left the Prime Minister's residence and moved into their new home. Zhongli Qiu asked Gongsun Yue to invite Zhongli Chun over, firstly to show her their new home, and secondly to ask Zhongli Chun to name her unborn child.

Gongsun Yue sat down next to Zhongli Qiu and said with a smile, "I've already thought of a name. It'll be Gongsun Qiu, my surname plus your given name. What do you think?"

Zhong Liqiu shook her head and said, "I don't like autumn. Autumn is too bleak..." She thought for a moment and said, "In my opinion, it would be better to name him Gongsun Chun. Spring is the season when all things grow, which means our child will grow up quickly."

Gongsun Yue disagreed, saying, "This isn't your sister's child, how can you call him Chun?"

Zhong Liqiu said, "Our parents' names don't contain either 'Spring' or 'Autumn,' yet they still used the characters 'Spring and Autumn' in our names, didn't they?"

Zhongli Qiu's words inspired Gongsun Yue, and his eyes lit up: "How about naming him Gongsun Chunqiu? More than a hundred years ago, a man named Confucius compiled a book called the Spring and Autumn Annals. That book recorded all the major events in the world. If we name our child Chunqiu, he will surely be able to do great things when he grows up."

Zhongli Qiu readily agreed, and she asked Gongsun Yue to tell Zhongli Chun the child's name.

Gongsun Yue went to find Zhongli Chun, only to learn that he had already left. Tian Ji requested five thousand men from King Wei of Qi and escorted Sun Bin to the border between Qi and Chu. He then bid farewell to Sun Bin, Zhongli Chun, and Qin Hua. Sun Bin's entourage entered the land of Chu, with Shi Huang Dafu also in the procession. He rode in the same carriage as Qin Hua.

Several men armed with weapons rode up from behind their carriage on fast horses. The men reined in their horses in front of Zhong Lichun's carriage, whispered a few words to Zhong Lichun, and then spurred their horses forward.

Seeing the men's suspicious behavior, the Grand Master Shi Huang asked Qin Hua what they did for a living. Qin Hua didn't answer directly, but instead said to the Grand Master Shi Huang, "Grand Master Shi Huang, I wish to stay in Chu. Could you recommend me to the King of Chu?"

The Grand Master Shi asked him why he wanted to stay in the State of Chu.

Qin Hua sighed and said, "Sun Bin has rendered such great service to the State of Qi, yet the King of Qi, knowing full well that Sun Bin was innocent, handed him over out of fear of the State of Chu… Alas, being a strategist in Qi offers no bright future…" Qin Hua noticed that Grand Master Shi Huang seemed moved and added, "Grand Master Shi Huang, if the King of Chu is unwilling to employ me, how about I become your retainer?"

Imperial Physician Shi Huang laughed and said, "Wouldn't that be a waste of talent?"

Qin Hua flattered, "Grand Master Shi Huang went to Qi alone, and with just his words, he frightened the King of Qi so much that he had no choice but to hand over Sun Bin. He is truly a rare talent in the world, and he will surely become the Prime Minister of Chu in the future. If I were to become your retainer, I would not only enjoy endless wealth and honor, but I could also learn skills and broaden my horizons. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

The Imperial Physician Shi Huang stared at Qin Hua for a moment, then leaned closer and asked, "Do you really want to become my retainer?"

"Of course."

"Tell me the truth, what were those men on horseback doing? Why were they following us?"

Qin Hua glanced at Zhong Lichun in the carriage ahead and whispered, "Zhong Lichun is watching me. I'll tell you when we get to the post station."

As night fell, the caravan stopped at a post station. Qin Hua and Grand Master Shi shared a room. Qin Hua said to Grand Master Shi, "Zhongli Chun has recruited many daredevils in Chu. They were the ones who saved Sun Bin last time, and they were the same ones following us just now. They plan to kill you on the road and then escape into the deep mountains and forests..."

The Imperial Physician Shi Huang was terrified at the thought of Sun Bin's escape. He hurriedly asked Qin Hua, "What do they plan to do with you?"

Qin Hua sighed, "Forcing me to flee into the deep mountains... to be honest, that's one of the reasons I planned to seek refuge with you. I'm used to eating delicacies; how will I survive in the deep mountains and dense forests?"

"Do you have a plan to get rid of them?" Dr. Shi Huang asked again.

Qin Hua shook his head.

The Imperial Physician Shi frowned and said, "In times of crisis, if you can't come up with a plan, what use is a retainer like you to me?"

Qin Hua frowned, thought for a while, and said, "I have come up with a plan, but if it goes wrong, I'll be dead..."

"Tell me, and we can work together to find a solution."

Qin Hua pondered for a moment and said, "Just now, I thought of Yu the Great. Yu the Great's father tried to control the floods by blocking them, but he failed and was killed by Shun. Yu the Great, on the other hand, tried to control the floods by dredging them, and he not only controlled the floods but also inherited Shun's throne. Grand Master Shi Huang, you are like Yu the Great, and Sun Bin and Zhongli Chun are like the floods, and they are a source of trouble. We cannot block them; we should dredge them and let them go."

"How can I explain to the King if I let Sun Bin go?"

Qin Hua sighed and said, "If only we had a fake Sun Bin..." He pretended to remember something and said to the Imperial Physician, "I have a man under my command who looks a lot like Sun Bin. Could we hand him over..." He glanced at the silent Imperial Physician and shook his head, "No, a fake is a fake. The King of Chu knows Sun Bin; we can't fool him. It seems you're doomed, and I'll have to live in the deep mountains and forests."

At this moment, the Imperial Physician Shi Huang spoke up, "My lord is fond of treasures; you may use your treasures to fulfill your request."

Qin Hua thought this idea was worth a try.

As dawn broke, Shi Huang Dafu and Qin Hua, riding in a carriage and carrying the fake Sun Bin, continued their journey towards the capital of Chu.

Sun Bin and Zhong Lichun, escorted by the group of men, detoured towards the state of Han. Zhong Lichun asked Sun Bin with concern, "Do you think Master Qin can escape danger?"

"It's hard to say," Sun Bin said, equally worried.

Zhong Lichun said, "You should listen to me. Kill Grand Physician Shi, and we'll all leave together. Mr. Sun, it's not too late to go back now."

Sun Bin shook his head and said, "No, Grand Master Shi is an envoy of Chu. If we kill the envoy, Qi and Chu will surely go to war, and Pang Juan will reap the benefits."

"If they kill Mr. Qin, you and I will regret it for the rest of our lives..."

Sun Bin looked up to the sky and said, "Alas, may Heaven bless Mr. Qin."

Note: "Stealing the beams and replacing the pillars" is the twenty-fifth of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, also known as "Stealing the sky and replacing the sun." Its original meaning refers to secretly using a scheme to substitute the real for the fake to achieve one's own goal. Pang Juan used "Stealing the beams and replacing the pillars" to falsely accuse Sun Bin of taking away the King of Chu's jewels. Qin Hua used "Stealing the beams and replacing the pillars" to help Sun Bin escape danger. To find out how Qin Hua dealt with the King of Chu and how Sun Bin established himself in Han, please read the next chapter: "Borrowing a Path to Conquer Guo."