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

Gongsun Yue planned to present the beautiful woman he had brought back from Wei and the jade from Prince Jiao Shi to King Xuan of Qi. He renamed the jade "Beauty." The jade said she had shared a night of passion with the King, and that even without the name "Beauty," he would recognize her. Gongsun Yue couldn't help but laugh, "When the King recognizes you, he will already be unable to leave you."

When Prince Jiao Shi rebelled, Gongsun Yue had saved Mei Yu. Now, he wanted to send her to the palace to enjoy wealth and luxury. Mei Yu was extremely grateful and wanted to keep Gongsun Yue for the night to repay his kindness with her body. Gongsun Yue looked at Mei Yu's beautiful face and said, "I really want to stay, but I'm afraid that if I do, I won't want you to leave again... That would delay my important matters. Life is short, and a man who doesn't accomplish one or two great things has lived in vain."

Gongsun Yue went to see Zou Ji, who was deeply troubled by Sun Bin's impending return to Qi. Gongsun Yue said to him, "I have found two beauties, truly peerless beauties. Your Majesty is lustful and will surely be captivated by them. If you, Prime Minister, present these two beauties to Your Majesty, Your Majesty will become even closer to you and he will heed your every word. Even if Sun Bin returns to Qi, he will be powerless against you."

Zou Ji, not wanting to become a traitor to the State of Qi, nor wanting to be further controlled by Gongsun Yue, said, "Master Gongsun, your use of the beauty trap isn't just to deal with Sun Bin, is it? King Zhou of Yin and King You of Zhou both lost their kingdoms because of their infatuation with beauty. Master Gongsun, you're using the beauty trap to make Your Majesty become another King Zhou or King You, aren't you?"

"Prime Minister, you misunderstand. I didn't think that much about it; I was just thinking of you. If we don't use this plan, you won't be able to stop His Majesty from giving Sun Bin an important position. If Sun Bin is given an important position, your life won't be easy."

Zou Ji sneered, "If you truly cared about me, you should have had Pang Juan stop Sun Bin from returning to the country, but you didn't. Therefore, I suspect that you intentionally created numerous internal conflicts in the State of Qi, ultimately leading to its destruction."

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Yue sneered, "I never expected that a dignified prime minister would judge a gentleman by the standards of a petty person!"

"This is not a petty thought; I am the prime minister of Qi, and I must think of the best interests of Qi."

"Ha, if the Prime Minister truly cared about the State of Qi, he wouldn't have fabricated a story to frame Sun Bin in the first place."

"I was deceived by you."

"You're wrong. It's not deception, it's mutual exploitation."

"But I don't want to be used by you anymore." Zou Ji smiled faintly, clapped his hands twice, and two men carrying swords came out from the inner room.

Gongsun Yue glanced at the two men and sneered at Zou Ji, "It seems the Prime Minister was prepared all along."

"I have to be wary of someone like you." Zou Ji finished speaking and waved his hand, signaling the man to draw his sword, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

Gongsun Yue calmly said to Zou Ji, "Prime Minister, they are no match for me. Don't let them die."

Zou Ji snorted twice, "Don't try to scare me with your boasting!" He immediately ordered two men to seize Gongsun Yue. The two men immediately drew their swords and stepped forward. Gongsun Yue swiftly dodged to the side, drew his sword, and with a flash, the two men cried out as they fell to the ground, both struck by his blade. Zou Ji was shocked. Gongsun Yue turned around, looked at Zou Ji smugly, and said, "Prime Minister, I wasn't bragging, was I?"

Zou Ji trembled all over, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

Gongsun Yue sheathed his sword and said with a smile, "Prime Minister, don't be afraid. I won't kill you. We'll continue to use each other."

Under coercion from Gongsun Yue, Zou Ji sent the beautiful woman and the lovely lady to the palace. King Xuan of Qi was particularly fond of these two graceful and charming women, especially the beautiful one. That night, after a passionate night with the beautiful woman, King Xuan sighed to her, "I once loved a girl named Meiyu. When I was with you, I clearly felt that you were Meiyu."

The beautiful woman smiled and said, "Your Majesty is treating me as a substitute for a beautiful jade."

King Xuan of Qi exclaimed, "No, your every move, every smile, even the sound of your breathing, is just like a beautiful jade."

The beautiful woman tentatively asked King Xuan why he hadn't summoned Meiyu to the palace. King Xuan sighed and said, "Meiyu is dead. If she weren't, I would have summoned her to the palace long ago."

King Xuan was so captivated by the jade that the beautiful woman could hardly resist. She threw herself into his arms and said, "Your Majesty, may I... take the place of the jade?"

King Xuan of Qi held the beautiful woman tightly in his arms and allowed her to change her name to Meiyu (Beautiful Jade) from then on.

King Xuan of Qi heard from Zou Ji that the two beautiful women were chosen for him by his retainer, Gongsun Yue. King Xuan admired Gongsun Yue and wanted to appoint him as a high-ranking official to manage palace affairs. Gongsun Yue was secretly pleased, but outwardly declined, saying he was unfamiliar with palace etiquette. King Xuan laughed and said, "Palace etiquette can be learned. The reason I value you is because you are meticulous in your work. Without me having to explain, you can understand my needs and are perfectly suited to manage palace affairs."

When the court officials heard that Gongsun Yue had been appointed as the Grand Master in charge of palace affairs, they were abuzz with discussion:

Who is Gongsun Yue?

"I heard he's a retainer in the Prime Minister's household."

"What talent does he possess that made him a high-ranking doctor overnight?"

"It must be the Prime Minister's strong recommendation..."

After the court assembly, Tian Ji walked to Zou Ji's side and said in a low, serious voice, "Prime Minister Zou, Gongsun Yue's entry into the palace is a threat to the State of Qi. You cannot make another mistake." Zou Ji had no words to refute and could only remain silent.

King Xuan of Qi spent his days and nights indulging in revelry and banquets with beautiful women, neglecting state affairs for many days, much to the anxiety of his ministers. The minister Gao said to Zou Ji, "Prime Minister, you are a veteran minister of the late king, and the king respects you greatly. You should strongly advise the king to remove the bewitching woman and restore order to the court."

Zou Ji sighed, "It's not that I didn't try to persuade him, but the king wouldn't listen."

Bao, a righteous and upright old minister, seeing that Zou Ji refused to come forward, insisted on going to the palace to persuade King Xuan. He asked King Xuan, "Does Your Majesty know how the Yin Dynasty perished?"

King Xuan of Qi was quite displeased by Doctor Bao's question and replied perfunctorily, "I know."

Doctor Bao then asked, "Your Majesty must also know why King You of Zhou met his end, right?"

King Xuan of Qi's face darkened with displeasure, and he retorted, "Why are you asking these questions?"

Doctor Bao said, "The Yin Dynasty was destroyed by Daji, and King You of Zhou died because of Bao Si! Now, Daji and Bao Si have entangled Your Majesty. They are the two beauties Your Majesty has recently taken in. If Your Majesty is bewitched by their beauty, the State of Qi will be destroyed by these two vixens..."

"Absurd!" King Xuan of Qi angrily interrupted Doctor Bao. "Doctor Bao, I forgive you for slandering the Queen because you are a loyal minister of the late King. You may leave!"

"Since Your Majesty has not granted my request, I dare not leave!"

King Xuan of Qi ordered the palace guards to drag Doctor Bao out of the palace and flog him fifty times.

When King Xuan of Qi returned to the palace, Meiyu grabbed his arm and sobbed, "Your Majesty, you must do me justice... I have not offended Doctor Bao, why does he want to get rid of me...?"

King Xuan of Qi comforted her, saying, "Meiyu, don't cry. I have already severely punished Minister Bao."

The beautiful woman said from the side, "His Majesty only punished Doctor Bao with a flogging, which is not enough to stop the officials in the court from slandering us sisters."

Meiyu nodded and said, "Your Majesty, why don't you kill Doctor Bao? This will make it clear to the officials in the court that anyone who slanders us sisters as witches will be beheaded and their heads displayed to the public."

"This...it can't be that heavy, can it?" King Xuan of Qi hesitated.

Meiyu and Jianu refused to give up. Meiyu said, "If we don't kill Doctor Bao, the King will not have peace."

The beautiful woman added fuel to the fire: "Your Majesty, these old ministers are using us sisters as an excuse to bully you because you are young. If you don't kill them, they will continue to find opportunities to bully you."

King Xuan of Qi hated nothing more than his senior ministers bullying his youth, so he made up his mind to kill Minister Bao as a warning to the other ministers.

The murder of Doctor Bao shocked all the court officials. Doctor Bao's friends at court gathered at Zou Ji's residence, asking Zou Ji to find a way to get rid of the two witches. Doctor Gao said to Zou Ji, "Prime Minister, now it is up to you to step forward. You are a veteran minister of the late king, and the king dares not kill you."

Zou Ji shook his head repeatedly, saying, "I've already said it, the king won't listen to me. Go find Tian Ji, the king will definitely listen to him."

"General Tian has always been at odds with the Prime Minister. If we go to him, will he be able to help us?"

"He didn't help me, he helped the State of Qi."

Doctor Gao and his entourage arrived at the Tian residence and explained their purpose. Tian Ji replied, "Even if you hadn't come to see me, I would have gone to see the King. As long as I, Tian Ji, am here, that witch will never destroy the State of Qi!"

Qin Hua said to Tian Ji, "Zou Ji, as the prime minister, does not advise the king, but instead has his friend in court persuade the general to do so. I suspect he has ulterior motives."

"Regardless of Zou Ji's intentions, it is a subject's duty to advise the king."

"The king is completely infatuated with those two women. If the general enters the palace now, he may be killed if he is not careful with his words."

Tian Ji told Qin Hua that he knew how to advise King Xuan.

When Tian Ji entered the palace to pay his respects to King Xuan, before he could even speak, King Xuan said, "General Tian, ​​have you come to persuade me to expel the Queen? If so, don't blame me for being ruthless! I have already made it clear to the officials in the court that anyone who mentions this matter again will be beheaded and their heads displayed to the public."

Tian Ji said, "This is not the matter I came for."

"That's good..." King Xuan of Qi breathed a sigh of relief. "Hmph, some people in the court love to stir up trouble. I only took in two queens, and they made such a fuss. Which of the feudal lords in the world doesn't have a multitude of concubines? Compared to them, I am inferior but not superior."

Tian Ji said seriously, "It is not wrong for Your Majesty to take a queen, but it is wrong if you spend your days feasting and having fun with your queen and neglect state affairs."

King Xuan of Qi explained, "I have not attended court these days not because of the Queen, but because I am unwell... Furthermore, I have complete confidence in General You Tian and the Prime Minister in managing the affairs of state, and I do not wish to interfere too much."

Tian Ji advised, "Your Majesty, neither I nor the Prime Minister can replace you. As a ruler, if you neglect state affairs for too long, it will be difficult to control the country. Many feudal lords cease to be kings after many years precisely because of this... Moreover, Qi is currently threatened by Wei from the outside and by Prince Jiaoshi, who is relying on the border city to oppose Your Majesty from within. How can Your Majesty not personally attend to state affairs?"

Prince Jiaoshi was a major concern for King Xuan of Qi. He could not refute Tian Ji's words, and King Xuan reluctantly agreed to attend court the next day.

Meiyu and Jianu complained that King Xuan had broken his promise, agreeing to take them hunting outside the city the next day, but then insisting on attending court, clearly showing he didn't care about the sisters. King Xuan explained, "I have already promised General Tian that if I don't attend court, he will come to bother me again."

The beautiful woman rolled her eyes and said with a smile, "Your Majesty can send him to attack the border city, that way he won't bother Your Majesty."

King Xuan of Qi thought the beautiful woman's idea was good and immediately summoned Tian Ji to the palace. King Xuan said to Tian Ji, "General Tian's words this morning reminded me that I cannot forget external threats and internal strife. I order you to immediately lead the Qi army to recover the three border cities of Maling, Fancheng, and Linqiu."

Tian Ji asked, "Your Majesty promised last time that you would wait for Mr. Sun to return before retaking the border city. Why have you changed your mind today?"

"You lead your troops to the border town first. Once Mr. Sun returns, I will immediately order him to go to the border town."

"Your Majesty, hasty military action will hardly lead to victory, especially since we are facing the powerful Wei army. It would be better to wait for Mr. Sun to return before retaking the border city."

At this moment, Gongsun Yue was also in the palace. He stood aside and mocked Tian Ji, saying, "General Tian, ​​is the Wei army really that terrifying?"

Tian Ji sneered, saying pointedly, "It's not the Wei army that's terrifying, it's the Wei spies. They're everywhere, impossible to guard against!"

Gongsun Yue smiled and said, "Only incompetent people blame their failures on others."

Tian Ji said, "What Gongsun Dafu said makes sense, but it's not comprehensive. Incompetent people not only blame others for their failures, but they also resort to despicable and underhanded schemes to salvage their own defeats."

Gongsun Yue retorted, "There is no superior or inferior strategy; the best strategy is the one that leads to victory."

King Xuan of Qi was completely bewildered by Tian Ji and Gongsun Yue's words. He asked them, "What are you saying? I don't understand."

Gongsun Yue said, "General Tian suspects I am a spy for Wei."

King Xuan of Qi said to Tian Ji, "You don't understand Minister Gongsun, but Prime Minister Zou does. His wife was almost killed by Pang Juan, and he has an irreconcilable hatred for Pang Juan. How could he possibly be a spy for Wei? General Tian, ​​I know that you and Prime Minister Zou have a long-standing feud, and there are some things that Prime Minister Zou did... I'm sorry, but the matter is in the past, and the Prime Minister has admitted his mistake. You shouldn't hold a grudge against Prime Minister Zou anymore, and you certainly shouldn't hold a grudge against the Prime Minister against Minister Gongsun."

Tian Ji defended himself, saying, "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Zou is also very dissatisfied with Gongsun Yue's actions. I came to see Your Majesty this morning on the behalf of Prime Minister Zou and others."

King Xuan of Qi exclaimed in surprise, "That's impossible! Minister Gongsun was recommended to me by Chancellor Zou. How could he possibly be dissatisfied with Minister Gongsun?"

"If Your Majesty does not believe me, you may summon the Prime Minister for questioning."

Zou Ji was summoned to the palace and met Gongsun Yue, who had been waiting there for a long time, outside the palace gates. He asked Gongsun Yue, "Minister Gongsun, what business does the King have with me?"

Gongsun Yue said leisurely, "General Tian Ji said that the Prime Minister is very dissatisfied with my actions, so he asked him to go to the palace to complain about me."

Zou Ji swore that there was absolutely no such thing, then pretended to remember something and said, "Oh, perhaps it's a friend of Doctor Bao, using my name; or perhaps Tian Ji is intentionally trying to sow discord between us."

Gongsun Yue asked Zou Ji to explain the situation to Tian Ji in front of the king, and to force Tian Ji to send troops to recapture the border city. Zou Ji, worried that Gongsun Yue would become even more reckless after Tian Ji left Linzi, said, "Sun Bin has not yet returned to the country; the king will not agree, will he…?"

Gongsun Yue gave a cold laugh and said to Zou Ji with a hint of threat, "If Tian Ji doesn't leave, he'll use the Prime Minister's name to accuse me. If that becomes true, won't he drive me to a dead end? That would benefit no one!"

Zou Ji understood the implication in Gongsun Yue's words and had no choice but to agree.

In front of King Xuan, Zou Ji explained to Tian Ji, "General Tian, ​​you are mistaken. How could I possibly ask you to remonstrate with the King? If I had any advice to offer, I would certainly do so. As the Prime Minister, I can personally meet with the King. Why would I need to entrust it to you?"

Tian Ji hated Zou Ji's two-faced nature the most, and said irritably, "This is what Doctor Gao and the others told me themselves."

Zou Ji said, "Doctor Gao and his men are friends of Doctor Bao. They harbor resentment after Doctor Bao was killed. They asked me to remonstrate with the king, but I refused, so they came to you. Perhaps because they are eager to remonstrate, they are using my name, which is quite reasonable."

"This Doctor Gao is spreading rumors and slander. I must punish him severely," King Xuan of Qi said angrily.

Zou Ji quickly tried to mediate, saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive them. Doctor Gao and the others meant well. Currently, Qi faces powerful enemies abroad and internal rebellions. They are anxious and afraid that Your Majesty's indulgence in the Queen will delay state affairs. If Your Majesty immediately orders the army to recapture the border cities, they will stop gossiping."

King Xuan of Qi agreed with Zou Ji's words and urged Tian Ji again to immediately recapture the border city. Tian Ji replied, "Haste makes waste. It's best to wait for Sun Bin's return before making a decision on the recapture of the border city."

Tian Ji repeatedly declined, which displeased King Xuan of Qi. He asked Tian Ji, "General Tian, ​​are you truly afraid of the Wei army?"

Zou Ji, standing to the side, said, "Your Majesty, General Tian isn't afraid of the Wei army. The reason he wants to wait for Sun Bin to return is because Sun Bin has repeatedly defeated Pang Juan. Attacking the border city after Sun Bin's return will be more certain... But then again, if Sun Bin doesn't return soon, we can't just sit idly by and watch Prince Jiao Shi rebel at the border, can we? Furthermore, once the king's order is issued, it cannot be revoked. If a subject disobeys the order, what authority will Your Majesty have left?"

King Xuan of Qi said to Tian Ji, "General Tian, ​​the Prime Minister is right. My royal decree has been issued and cannot be taken back. You must quickly lead the army to recover the border city."

"Your subject... obeys." Tian Ji kowtowed helplessly.

When Gongsun Yue heard that Tian Ji had no choice but to send troops, he happily said to Zou Ji, "The Prime Minister has a plan! If Tian Ji is defeated at the border, he will lose military power!"

Fearing that Gongsun Yue would force him to do something detrimental to Qi, Zou Ji said to Gongsun Yue, "Mr. Gongsun, in the name of the Prime Minister of Qi, I beg you to show mercy and not let Qi perish, okay?"

Gongsun Yue simply smiled and said, "No, Marshal Pang and I only want to get rid of Sun Bin and Tian Ji, and then make Qi a brother state of Wei."

Qin Hua was deeply worried about King Xuan of Qi's order for Tian Ji to lead the army to recapture the border city. He said to Tian Ji, "Recapturing the border city at this time is a conspiracy between Gongsun Yue and Zou Ji. Once you leave, they can do whatever they want in Linzi."

"I know it's a conspiracy," Tian Ji said helplessly, "but the king has given the order, and I cannot disobey. Mr. Qin, do you have a good plan to deal with them?"

Just as the two were racking their brains for a good solution, a servant rushed in excitedly and said, "General, they're back... Mr. Sun and Miss Zhongli are back!" The two were overjoyed and immediately went out to greet them.

Tian Ji and Sun Bin were reunited after a long separation. They had a thousand words to say, but didn't know where to begin. After gazing into each other's eyes for a long time, Tian Ji finally spoke, almost choking back tears, "Why did it take you so long to come back? I missed you so much..."

Sun Bin was also overwhelmed with emotion and said, "Me too..."

Tears streamed down their faces almost simultaneously...

After everyone was seated, Tian Ji told Sun Bin and Zhong Lichun about the beautiful women haunting the palace. Zhong Lichun angrily said, "Tonight I will sneak into the palace and kill those two vixens!"

Sun Bin disagreed. He said to Zhongli Chun, "Gongsun Yue is in the palace, so it will be difficult for you to succeed. Even if you do succeed, he will offer you more beauties. The key now is not to kill the beauties, but to find a way to make the king realize his mistake and return to the right path."

At this moment, a servant came to report that Zou Ji requested an audience, but Tian Ji refused on the spot, saying he didn't want to listen to his nonsense. Sun Bin advised Tian Ji, "It would be better to meet him. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle. You can use this opportunity to find out Zou Ji's true strength."

Zou Ji was invited into the living room, while Sun Bin and Zhong Lichun temporarily avoided him to prevent news of their return from spreading. Zou Ji had come to see Tian Ji to escape Gongsun Yue's control. He told Tian Ji, "Today the King summoned me to the palace, and I have absolutely no intention of making things difficult for you, General. I am not on the same side as Gongsun Yue, and I do not approve of some of his actions."

Tian Ji sneered, "That's not what you said to the King."

Zou Ji sighed and said, "The king is listening to Gongsun Yue because of a beautiful woman, and I had no choice but to speak out... General Tian, ​​Gongsun Yue is wicked. We should find a way to transfer him out of Linzi, even if only temporarily. His presence by the king's side is too dangerous for the state of Qi!"

"I have no way to transfer him away from Linzi."

"I have a plan. I will petition the king to appoint Gongsun Yue as the military supervisor and have him accompany the general to attack the border city."

"The military supervisor was appointed by the king, and he can restrain me in every way."

"When a general is in the field, he may disobey the emperor's orders. When Sima Rangju was a general, he once killed the supervising officer for arriving late. The general is completely free from the constraints of Gongsun Yue."

Qin Hua chimed in from the side, "Does the Prime Minister intend to use the General to eliminate Gongsun Yue?"

"You could say that..." Zou Ji nodded.

"And then, through the beauties in the palace, eliminate us?"

Zou Ji solemnly declared, "General, what I said tonight is entirely without deception; it is entirely for the sake of the State of Qi. If you do not believe me, I can put it in writing!"

Tian Ji was reluctant to agree, but thinking that this would allow Gongsun Yue to leave the palace and make it easier to persuade the King of Qi, he said to Zou Ji, "Since the Prime Minister is so sincere, I will trust you this once."

Note: "The Beauty Trap" is the thirty-first of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, originating from the ancient military treatise *Six Secret Teachings* (traditionally attributed to Jiang Ziya). The "Beauty Trap" means using a beautiful woman to achieve one's own goals. Gongsun Yue used the "Beauty Trap" to become a close advisor to the King of Qi, who listened to his every word, putting Tian Ji and Sun Bin in a very passive position. To find out how Sun Bin countered Gongsun Yue's "Beauty Trap," please see the next chapter: "Turning the Tables."