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

Crown Prince Pijiang succeeded to the throne, and later generations called him King Xuan of Qi.

King Xuan of Qi ordered Tian Ji to lead an army of 100,000 to recapture the three border cities of Maling, Fancheng, and Linqiu. Tian Ji said, "After the internal strife in Qi, our military morale is low. If we directly engage the Wei army, we will likely be unable to win. Your Majesty would be better off first granting the request of the King of Han and forming an alliance with Han, thus preventing Wei from attending to both east and west. Then, invite Sun Bin back. If Sun Bin returns to Qi, recapture the three border cities will be a piece of cake."

King Xuan of Qi readily agreed and ordered Tian Ji to bring Sun Bin back as soon as possible.

Upon learning that King Xuan of Qi intended to invite Sun Bin back to Qi, Gongsun Yue told Zou Ji that if Sun Bin returned, he would surely seek revenge on the Prime Minister, and that they should find a way to prevent his return. Zou Ji said he had no solution and suggested that Gongsun Yue ask Pang Juan for help. Gongsun Yue denied any connection with Pang Juan, to which Zou Ji coldly replied, "How did Prince Jiao Shi escape to the border between Qi and Wei, and how did he gain Pang Juan's support? Wasn't it all thanks to Master Gongsun?"

Seeing that he could not hide it from Zou Ji, Gongsun Yue agreed to go see Pang Juan.

Upon returning to Wei, Gongsun Yue immediately went to visit Pang Juan. The old friends, reunited after a long separation, were filled with emotion and shared many memories. They discussed matters of state, and Gongsun Yue pleaded with Pang Juan to prevent Sun Bin from returning to Qi. Pang Juan, as confident as ever, replied, "If Sun Bin wishes to return to Qi, he must go through Chu, not Wei. The King of Chu has already made peace with me; we can join forces to intercept Sun Bin."

Gongsun Yue excitedly said, "If the Marshal can stop Sun Bin from returning to his country, I will make the State of Qi at your disposal."

"The State of Qi cannot rely solely on Prince Jiao Shi."

"I know. The King of Qi is a lecherous man. Please help me select an unparalleled beauty from the State of Wei and send her to the King of Qi. With Prince Jiao Shi causing chaos on the outside and a beautiful woman bewitching his heart on the inside, I have no doubt that the State of Qi will submit to you."

Pang Juan ordered someone to find a stunningly beautiful woman for Gongsun Yue in the state of Wei. Gongsun Yue was very satisfied. He bid farewell to Pang Juan and secretly returned to the state of Qi with the woman.

Zhongli Chun returned to Han and urged Sun Bin to set off as soon as possible, saying that Qi was in turmoil and that both the king and his ministers hoped he would return to his homeland soon. Sun Bin was also worried that the King of Han would not let him leave, and Zhongli Chun asked him to find a way to deceive the King of Han. Sun Bin sighed, "Deceiving the King of Han is not enough to leave. Gongsun Yue has already told Pang Juan that the King has invited me back to the country. Pang Juan will surely join forces with the King of Chu to set up ambushes along our way back to Qi. We must deceive both the King of Han and Pang Juan. This is very difficult to do."

Shen, the physician, saw that Sun Bin was eager to return home and reported this to King Han. King Han said to Shen, "Tell Sun Bin that I will not let him leave."

Doctor Shen said, "If Your Majesty appoints him as Grand General, even if he wants to leave, he will have no reason to do so."

"If he becomes the Grand General, what will happen to the Crown Prince?"

Sun Bin had many complaints, saying that the Crown Prince was not qualified to be the Grand General.

The King of Han was somewhat displeased and said, "Even if the Crown Prince is incompetent, military power cannot be handed over to Sun Bin. He is not a Han citizen and will not be of one mind with us. Han is located between powerful countries, and if we are not careful, disaster will befall us. I must be wary of people from other countries."

When Doctor Shen returned to his residence, he looked ashamed and said to Sun Bin, "I originally intended to recommend you for the position of Grand General, and use that as a pretext to keep you in Han. But the King is too suspicious... If you want to leave, then leave."

Sun Bin smiled and said, "Doctor Shen, I'm not leaving."

Doctor Shen did not believe Sun Bin's words, saying, "It is only natural to be reluctant to leave one's homeland. Qi is your hometown, and besides, the King of Qi and General Tian Ji have been looking forward to your return."

Sun Bin said, "They want me to return so they can deal with Pang Juan. If I stay in Han, I can also help them deal with Pang Juan. Why risk my life to return to Qi?"

Dr. Shen said happily, "Mr. Sun, you are right to think this way! Han and Qi are in the west and east respectively. Pang Juan is threatening Qi, and Han will not sit idly by. Even if you are in Han, you can still help Qi."

Sun Bin then said, "Minister Shen, I have a request that Your Majesty must grant."

Doctor Shen promised Sun Bin that he would persuade the king to grant his request.

Sun Bin's request was that the King of Han grant him a wealthy city as a fief, based on his merits. The King of Han, troubled, said to Minister Shen, "It's not that I don't want to give it to him, but there are only a few wealthy cities in Han. If I give it to him, what will I offer to the other important ministers if they also want wealthy cities?"

Doctor Shen said, "None of them are as important as Sun Bin."

"They have worked diligently for me, and I cannot mistreat them."

"Simply being diligent is not enough to make the country strong. Your Majesty should reward those who have contributed to the country and encourage those capable ministers who have made contributions."

King Han still hesitated: "That's true, but they have followed me for many years. Although their achievements are not as great as Sun Bin's, they are extremely loyal to me. I cannot favor one over the other. Go and ask Sun Bin if giving him a medium-sized city would be acceptable?"

Shen Dafu relayed King Han's words to Sun Bin, who replied, "No, if King Han doesn't give me a wealthy city, it means he's not sincere, so I have no choice but to leave."

Doctor Shen said, "The king is worried that the doctors will compete with each other, and that the king cannot provide them with so many wealthy cities. Mr. Sun, please lower your demands a little, and I will try to persuade the king later."

Sun Bin pondered for a moment and said, "For your sake, I agree."

Doctor Shen said happily, "Good, Mr. Sun, I will ask the King to give you a top-quality medium-sized city."

Sun Bin shook his head and said, "I don't want a medium-sized city. I want a wealthy city that even the high-ranking officials in the court dare not ask for."

Doctor Shen smiled and said, "As long as Your Majesty gives it to me, there is no city that any official in the court would not dare to ask for."

"Shangdang, does anyone dare to want it?" Sun Bin asked with a smile.

Doctor Shen thought Sun Bin was deliberately making things difficult for him, and said irritably, "Shangdang is not part of the territory of Han."

"I conquered Shangdang for Your Majesty; isn't Shangdang now part of the territory of Han?"

When King Han heard that Sun Bin was going to attack Shangdang, he immediately summoned Sun Bin and excitedly said to him, "I have long wanted to obtain Shangdang. I once thought of exchanging three cities for Shangdang. If we obtain Shangdang, King Zhao and I can travel freely between Wei without having to pass through it. If Military Advisor Sun conquers Shangdang, I will not only grant you Shangdang, but also two more cities."

Sun Bin bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I request a fiefdom so that I may reside in Han for an extended period and be regarded as a Han citizen by Your Majesty and your ministers. Having Shangdang is sufficient for me."

"How many men do you need to conquer Shangdang?"

"Twenty thousand."

"Shangdang is an important town in the north of Wei. The King of Wei will not easily let Shangdang fall into my hands. Twenty thousand men may not be enough to accomplish this. I have ordered the Crown Prince to lead the army of Han to attack Shangdang with you."

"Your Majesty, the strength of an army lies not in its quantity, but in its skillful use; the strength of a general lies not in his number, but in his strategic acumen. These 20,000 troops in my hands can be used as if they were 100,000. If I fail to conquer Shangdang, I am willing to confess my guilt before Your Majesty."

King Han gladly agreed to give Sun Bin 20,000 troops and sent Minister Shen to accompany him.

Sun Bin returned to his lodgings and began studying military maps. Zhong Lichun, who was nearby, asked him if he didn't plan to return to Qi. Sun Bin told Zhong Lichun, "The reason I attacked Shangdang was to open up the road to Zhao. Zhao and Wei are mortal enemies. If we return to Qi through Zhao, Pang Juan will be unable to intercept us. The King of Han gave me 20,000 troops, but a frontal assault won't be enough to conquer Shangdang. Miss Zhongli, please help me find a little-known path so we can take Shangdang by surprise."

When Queen Han heard that Sun Bin had only led 20,000 troops to attack Shangdang, she suspected he had ulterior motives and said to King Han, "Could Sun Bin be using this as an excuse to escape? From Shangdang, one can reach Zhao, and from Zhao, one can reach Qi. Your Majesty should immediately order a halt to the attack on Shangdang."

King Han sighed and said, "Shangdang is too important to me. Chu has not agreed to form an alliance with me, and although King Qi has agreed, it is too far away to solve my immediate problem. King Zhao, like me, is constantly threatened by Wei. If I can obtain Shangdang, I can join forces with King Zhao to deal with Wei."

"Your Majesty may send the Crown Prince to lead troops to attack Shangdang."

"The Crown Prince is no good," King Han shook his head.

"Then... let Sun Bin serve as the Crown Prince's military advisor."

"Sun Bin would not agree. The reason he only wanted 20,000 troops was that he did not want the Crown Prince to be the commander."

"Then let the Crown Prince lead 30,000 troops, ostensibly to assist Sun Bin, but in reality to keep an eye on him."

The King of Han nodded and said, "This is indeed a win-win solution."

When Pang Juan heard that Sun Bin was leading 20,000 troops ahead and the Crown Prince of Han was leading 30,000 troops behind, heading straight for Shangdang, he pondered for a moment and said to Pang Cong, "You immediately take 10,000 men and travel lightly to intercept Sun Bin at Changshan, the only road to Shangdang. I will lead the main army to follow."

"Ten thousand men are unlikely to be able to stop the fifty thousand troops of South Korea." Pang Cong felt very troubled.

"Changshan is easy to defend but difficult to attack. If you continue to bluff, Sun Bin will not dare to attack easily."

"What if Sun Bin sees through the illusion and launches a full-scale attack on Changshan?"

"Fight and retreat simultaneously. As long as you can hold off Sun Bin for two to three days, my main force will arrive."

When Sun Bin's army was about to reach Changshan, they discovered the Wei army. Dust was billowing, suggesting a large force. Sun Bin ordered his army to halt and set up camp.

Shen Dafu sent spies to investigate and found that the Wei army at Changshan numbered only 10,000. He then told Sun Bin, "We can launch an attack first thing tomorrow morning."

Sun Bin asked, "What if this Wei army is a decoy?"

"It doesn't seem so; there is no other Wei army nearby."

"Pang Juan is cunning, and Changshan is easy to defend but difficult to attack, so it's best to be cautious."

"The gentleman often said that speed is of the essence in war. If we miss the opportunity, the Wei reinforcements will come to the aid of Shangdang."

Sun Bin feigned defiance and coldly replied, "The King has sent 30,000 troops to follow us; we cannot move swiftly."

"Sir, you must not defy the King. If you fail to capture Shangdang, you will be the one punished."

Sun Bin reassured Doctor Shen, saying, "Don't worry, Doctor Shen, I will definitely be able to take Shangdang."

Three days passed, and Sun Bin's army remained stationary, while Pang Juan's main force had already arrived at Changshan. Shen, the physician, said to Sun Bin with a dejected expression, "Master Sun, would you be surprised if I told you that Pang Juan's army has already reached Changshan?"

Sun Bin laughed and said, "No, this is within my expectations."

"Do you still intend to attack Shangdang?"

"certainly."

Doctor Shen was very frustrated and said, "The opportunity for battle has been lost. Changshan was originally easy to defend and difficult to attack. Now, Pang Juan's tens of thousands of troops have arrived at Changshan. We can't even get past Changshan, how can we conquer Shangdang?"

Sun Bin laughed and said, "I couldn't conquer Shangdang without Pang Juan's army arriving. Now that Pang Juan's army has arrived, I have a chance to take advantage of the situation."

Dr. Shen snorted and said, "Mr. Sun, are you deliberately trying to annoy me?"

"No, I'm telling the truth. In general, we use the main force to fight the enemy and then use a surprise attack to win. The reason I deliberately delayed the battle before stationing my troops at Changshan was to lure Pang Juan's army to Changshan, and then launch a surprise attack on Shangdang via a side road."

"You're trying to fob me off with military tactics. As far as I know, there's no way to get to Shangdang except through Changshan."

"Zhong Lichun has found the way. A little-known path leads to the west gate of Shangdang. Five thousand soldiers can reach it on foot in a day and a night. Doctor Shen, I will lead these five thousand men to launch a surprise attack on Shangdang. You will take the rest of the troops and guard the camp."

Dr. Shen said with some concern, "Five thousand men are too few to attack Shangdang."

Sun Bin laughed and said, "Before Pang Juan arrived, five thousand men were too few. Now that Pang Juan has come, five thousand men are enough."

Doctor Shen was puzzled and asked, "The more you explain, the less I understand. Before Pang Juan arrived, the enemy outnumbered us, so why didn't we succeed? Now that Pang Juan's army has arrived, the strength of the enemy and ourselves is almost equal, so why do you say that five thousand men are enough?"

Sun Bin said, "Before Pang Juan's army arrived, the garrison of Shangdang worried that the Wei army at Changshan would be unable to withstand our 50,000 troops—they included the Crown Prince's army in their calculations. They were on high alert, ready for battle at any moment. If I had launched a surprise attack then, let alone 5,000 men, even 10,000 would have been impossible to capture. After Pang Juan's army arrived, the Wei army defending Shangdang believed that with Pang Juan's army guarding Changshan, we would have no chance of passing through. Now, if we launch a surprise attack on Shangdang via a side road, they will be completely unprepared. How can we not succeed when we launch a surprise attack on an unsuspecting enemy?"

Doctor Shen was utterly impressed and exclaimed, "Sir, you are truly a divine strategist!"

The Crown Prince of Han's army was stationed not far from Sun Bin's camp. The Crown Prince frequently sent men to investigate the movements within Sun Bin's camp. On this particular day, Sun Bin's camp gates were tightly shut, and there was no activity. The Crown Prince believed that Sun Bin was troubled by a dilemma, so he went to Sun Bin's tent, intending to persuade Sun Bin to withdraw his troops and attack Shangdang at a later opportunity.

The Crown Prince waited for a long time inside Sun Bin's tent, but Sun Bin never appeared. He asked the guards outside, but they didn't know where Sun Bin was either. The Crown Prince grew impatient and was about to leave when Minister Shen arrived. The Crown Prince, his face grim, said to Minister Shen, "I didn't want to speak to you, though you are commanded by the strategist. However, I am the commander-in-chief of all the armies of Han, and I cannot remain silent. This is my first time in your camp, and not only is the strategist nowhere to be seen, but you, the deputy commander, have also failed to appear. If Pang Juan attacks now, how will you cope?"

Doctor Shen said respectfully, "With the General's 30,000 troops as a backup, Pang Juan dares not attack."

The Crown Prince put on a smug look and said, "Doctor Shen is quite sensible. As for the strategist... Hmph, he doesn't want me to follow you. If it weren't for me following you, with your mere 20,000 troops, let alone attacking Shangdang, you probably wouldn't even be able to return to Han."

Dr. Shen's face immediately showed displeasure; he seemed about to speak, but then stopped.

The crown prince, with an arrogant air, asked bluntly, "Where is the strategist? Where has he gone? Even if he's at his wit's end, he shouldn't be hiding and refusing to see anyone."

Doctor Shen could no longer hold back and said, "General, the strategist originally told me not to tell you his whereabouts, but you are the commander of the Korean army and have the right to know, so I'm telling you... The strategist has gone to attack Shangdang."

The crown prince was taken aback and asked, "How many men did he bring?"

Dr. Shen replied, "Five thousand."

The crown prince looked puzzled and said, "Changshan is guarded by Pang Juan's large army. Even if there were 20,000 men, let alone 5,000, they wouldn't be able to get through. How can he attack Shangdang?"

Dr. Shen said, "He didn't take the Changshan Mountain route; he took a small path, a little-known path."

"Xiao Lu?" The crown prince pondered for a moment, then suddenly exclaimed, "Doctor Shen, you've fallen for Sun Bin's trick! Sun Bin wasn't going to attack Shangdang at all; he was using the opportunity to escape to the State of Zhao."

"Mr. Sun would never do that."

"Why not? There's only one route to attack Shangdang: Changshan. If he doesn't take Changshan, he's not going to Shangdang; he'll definitely use it to escape to Zhao. That's what Father is afraid of—him escaping to Zhao. That's why he sent me with 30,000 troops to monitor him." He glanced at Doctor Shen. "Father said he also instructed you..."

Dr. Shen couldn't help but feel a chill of fear. "If that's really the case, what should we do..."

"It's alright," the crown prince sneered. "I'll tell Pang Juan to intercept him."

Doctor Shen looked anxious and hurriedly said, "General, you mustn't do that! If Sun Bin really attacks Shangdang, wouldn't that ruin everything?"

The crown prince thought for a moment and asked, "When will he be able to reach Shangdang?"

"Tonight."

"Alright, I'll wait one night. If there's still no news from Shangdang by tomorrow morning, we'll tell Pang Juan his whereabouts."

In the mountains, supported by two soldiers, Sun Bin and his men trudged along the rugged mountain path. Zhong Lichun, leading the way, reached a high slope, surveyed it for a moment, took a halberd from a soldier beside him, climbed the slope, and offered it to Sun Bin for a firm grip. He then pulled Sun Bin up the slope. Sun Bin, catching his breath, asked Zhong Lichun, "How far are we to Shangdang?"

"There are still two dormitories left," Zhong Lichun replied.

Sun Bin glanced at the sky and said to General Feng, who was climbing up the hillside, "General Feng, order the entire army to speed up."

"Strategist," General Feng said with difficulty, "many soldiers have already fallen behind. If we speed up the march, even more will likely get lost..."

"Speed ​​is of the essence in war," Sun Bin said. "Even if half of us fall behind, we must speed up. We've taken an unconventional approach this time, but the longer we wait, the more things could go wrong. Once Pang Juan discovers our whereabouts, we'll be in a passive position."

That night, Pang Juan and Pang Cong were leisurely playing chess in their tent. Pang Juan asked Pang Cong, "Tell me, what's Sun Bin's next move?"

Pang Cong thought for a moment and said, "Retreat."

"We cannot explain this to the King of Han if we withdraw."

Pang Cong picked up a chess piece, looked at the chessboard and sighed, "Attack, and you can't win; retreat, and you can't explain yourself... Sun Bin has no choice but to flee in fear of punishment."

Pang Juan was taken aback, then muttered to himself, "That's right, how come I didn't think of him escaping?! Sun Bin's attack on Shangdang might have been a ruse, a cover-up where he secretly fled to Zhao, and from Zhao back to Qi..."

Having thought of this, he said to Pang Cong, "Pang Cong, immediately send troops to block all the small roads leading to Shangdang, and do not let anyone pass through! In addition, send someone on horseback to inform the Shangdang garrison to block all roads, large and small, leading to the Zhao state."

As dawn broke into Sun Bin's tent, Doctor Shen had just dozed off; he hadn't slept all night, waiting for news from Sun Bin. The Crown Prince arrived again; he too hadn't slept all night. He asked Doctor Shen if there was any news from Shangdang. Doctor Shen said no, for the time being. The Crown Prince sneered, saying, "Sun Bin certainly didn't go to Shangdang. If it were my old temper, I would definitely have told Pang Juan, preventing him from leaving."

Doctor Shen advised, "General, we cannot do this. After all, Mr. Sun has made great contributions to our state. Even if he escapes, we cannot betray him and use Pang Juan to kill him."

The Crown Prince nodded and said, "That's what I think too. Let it be. Doctor Shen, this is not a place to linger; let's break camp and return home immediately."

After pondering for a moment, Doctor Shen said, "General, perhaps... we should wait a little longer. If the strategist really is attacking Shangdang, wouldn't we be harming him if we left?"

"Dr. Shen, just give up on that idea. If he were attacking Shangdang, we would have heard about it by now."

"Even if he doesn't attack Shangdang, he'll at least send us a message. He still has five thousand soldiers under his command. What will happen to those five thousand soldiers if we leave?"

"Sun Bin has already led those five thousand soldiers to their deaths for his own sake. Even if we stay here, it will be of no use. Doctor Shen, it's better to retreat sooner rather than later. If Pang Juan finds out that Sun Bin has escaped and launches an attack on us, we won't be able to leave even if we want to."

Dr. Shen sighed helplessly and said, "General, whatever you say goes... However, I still feel that Mr. Sun wouldn't do that."

The crown prince scoffed, "My father often says, 'If a man doesn't look out for himself, he'll be punished by heaven and earth.' Sun Bin wasn't a saint, and he's no exception..."

Before the prince could finish speaking, a rough, hoarse voice came from the doorway: "Military Advisor Sun is a saint, a saint to our soldiers!"

The Crown Prince and Physician Shen turned to look. Standing at the tent entrance was a blood-soaked, terrifying-looking Han soldier—he had been sent back by Sun Bin, but had been ambushed by Wei troops on the way and had fought his way back to camp. The Crown Prince stared at him blankly and asked, "You... what are you doing?"

"The messenger."

"What message are you sending?"

"The strategist has already captured Shangdang."

At this moment, a Korean flag fluttered on the city wall of Shangdang. Sun Bin stood atop the wall, gently stroking its weathered surface, gazing at the distant mountain peaks. "General Feng," he said to General Feng, who was accompanying him, "I should go."

"Where is the strategist going?" General Feng asked, startled.

"The State of Zhao".

"What is the strategist doing in the State of Zhao?" General Feng was taken aback again.

"Returning to Qi via Zhao."

"So, the rumors about the strategist returning home are true?"

Sun Bin nodded and said, "To be honest, one of my important purposes in conquering Shangdang was to return to Qi via Zhao. Of course, this was also to present a generous gift to the King of Han before I left Han."

"Is Mr. Sun absolutely forced to leave?"

"General Feng, if you were abroad and South Korea were in danger and needed you to return, would you come back?"

General Feng was silent for a moment, then said, "Sir, could you please delay your departure for a few days, until we have established a firm foothold in Shangdang?"

"When Pang Juan learns of our capture of Shangdang, he will immediately lead a large army to besiege it. How will I be able to escape then?"

"What will happen to Shangdang now that the strategist has left?"

"After I arrived in Zhao, I went to see King Zhao and said that Shangdang was a gift I gave to him. I was sure that he would send an army to relieve the siege of Shangdang."

General Feng asked, "After the siege of Shangdang is lifted, the King of Zhao will demand Shangdang back. What should we do?"

"Of course, we should hand over Shangdang to the King of Zhao," Sun Bin said with a smile.

General Feng was very puzzled and asked, "Didn't the strategist say that Shangdang was a gift for Your Majesty? If it is given to King Zhao, how can I explain it to Your Majesty when I return?"

Sun Bin said, "Taking Shangdang is to form an alliance with Zhao, so that the two countries can jointly deal with Wei. Shangdang is far from the heartland of Han but close to the heartland of Zhao. If Han's army defends Shangdang, it will consume a large amount of military manpower and financial resources. If Shangdang is handed over to Zhao, it will save military and financial resources, and it will also connect the territories of the two countries. Moreover, the King of Zhao will be grateful to the King of Han for this. General Feng, tell me, which approach is more beneficial to Han?"

General Feng nodded in relief, then sighed, "If I were the king, I would gladly exchange the throne for the strategist to stay in Han, but alas, I am not..."

Note: "Crossing the Chencang Pass in Secret" is the eighth of the Thirty-Six Stratagems. Its name comes from the story of Han Xin, a general of the Han Dynasty, who famously "openly repaired the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang Pass." The stratagem means to feign an attack from the front, distract the enemy, and then outflank them to achieve a surprise victory. It is similar to, yet different from, "Feinting to the East while Attacking in the West." The difference lies in that "Feinting to the East while Attacking in the West" conceals the point of attack, while "Crossing the Chencang Pass in Secret" conceals the route of attack. Sun Bin used this stratagem to deceive both the ruler and ministers of Han, as well as Pang Juan, to conquer Shangdang and leave Han. To find out what happens next, please read the next chapter: "The Beauty Trap."