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

After Sun Bin left Wei, Gongsun Yue secretly released the fake Sun Bin from the pigsty and then reported to Pang Juan that Sun Bin had not returned the previous night, and that he had searched the entire city today but could not find him. Pang Juan was furious, blaming Gongsun Yue for not informing him sooner, and ordered, "If he's not in the city, immediately take men to search outside the city. Bring Sun Bin back!"

Gongsun Yue led a group of soldiers to search for a long time outside the city, finally finding Sun Bin's clothes by the river. Back at the commander's residence, Gongsun Yue speculated to Pang Juan that Sun Bin had most likely drowned in the river. Pang Juan recalled that Sun Bin had enjoyed fishing in the water when they were at Guigu Valley, and considering his mental confusion and limited mobility after suffering the punishment of having his kneecaps removed, he believed Gongsun Yue's speculation.

Upon hearing that Sun Bin had drowned, Zhong Liqiu was devastated and wept uncontrollably. Zhong Lichun helped her sister bury Sun Bin's clothes in a quiet forest on the outskirts of town and built a small mound as his grave. Zhong Liqiu knelt before Sun Bin's grave and continued to weep until the blood-red sunset slowly set.

Zhong Lichun was worried that her younger sister would ruin her health by crying, so she advised her to forget Sun Bin. Zhong Liqiu said that she would never forget Mr. Sun, who had died unjustly.

Seeing Zhongli Qiu's infatuation with Sun Bin, Zhongli Chun sighed softly and muttered to herself, "If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have agreed to Gongsun Yue's request." A thought flashed through her mind: Kill Gongsun Yue!

Moonlight, like water, streamed into Gongsun Yue's room through the window. The door was gently pushed open, and a swordswoman slipped into the room—it was Zhong Lichun. Zhong Lichun tiptoed to Gongsun Yue's bedside and whispered, "Gongsun Yue, I'm so sorry..." As she spoke, she swung her sword at Gongsun Yue.

With a clang of metal, Zhong Lichun's sword was deflected to the side.

Holding a long sword, Gongsun Yue leaped from the bed and stood before Zhong Lichun, sneering, "Zhong Lichun, I didn't expect you to have this trick up your sleeve!"

Zhong Lichun was stunned for a moment, then calmed himself down and said, "This is the only way I can do it. My sister would rather die than marry you."

"Whether she wants to or not is none of my business. Since you've agreed to my proposal, you have to find a way to get her to marry me."

"My solution is to kill you!"

As he spoke, Zhongli Chun thrust his sword at Gongsun Yue again, but Gongsun Yue blocked it with his own sword. Zhongli Chun thrust again, but it was blocked by Gongsun Yue's sword once more. He thrust again, and it was blocked once more.

Gongsun Yue stepped aside and said, "Zhongli Chun, you can't kill me. Your swordsmanship is good, but you are no match for me."

"Not necessarily!" Zhong Lichun was unconvinced. As she spoke, she launched several more attacks, which Gongsun Yue parried with his sword.

While parrying the moves, Gongsun Yue casually said, "Zhongli Chun, give up. You are really no match for me."

Zhong Lichun's attacks grew increasingly fierce, but she couldn't gain the upper hand. Zhong Lichun changed her move, and just when she seemed poised to strike, Gongsun Yue swiftly knocked the sword from Zhong Lichun's hand while dodging.

Gongsun Yue picked up the sword and handed it to Zhongli Chun, saying, "Go back and try to persuade your sister."

Zhong Lichun took the sword and turned to leave, but Gongsun Yue seemed to remember something and called out, "Wait a minute."

Zhong Lichun stopped, her back to Gongsun Yue.

Gongsun Yue said, "Tell your sister that if she doesn't agree, I will tell Pang Juan that Sun Bin has escaped. Pang Juan will definitely lead his troops to attack Qi. Qi is afraid of Pang Juan and will surely hand over Sun Bin."

Zhong Lichun turned around and sneered, "Sun Bin's escape is also related to you. Once Pang Juan finds out, you won't survive either."

Gongsun Yue said to Zhongli Chun very seriously, "I would rather die than not have Zhongli Qiu."

When Zhongli Chun returned home, she didn't know how to persuade her younger sister. After thinking it over, she had no choice but to tell Zhongli Qiu the whole story of Sun Bin's escape from Wei.

When Zhongli Qiu learned that Sun Bin was not dead, her heart finally settled down.

Zhong Lichun said guiltily, "Qiu, in order to rescue Mr. Sun, we had no choice but to agree to Gongsun Yue's request. It was the only option we could take... I know you will resent your sister for the rest of your life because of this..."

"Sister, I don't blame you." Zhongli Qiu said calmly to Zhongli Chun, "If I were you, I would have done the same... However, Mr. Sun has already arrived in Qi, and we don't need to bear the promises made under duress."

Zhong Lichun said helplessly, "Sister, you don't quite understand matters between states. If Pang Juan finds out that Sun Bin is still alive, he will definitely not let it go. Qi fears Pang Juan, and under Pang Juan's coercion, it is very likely that they will hand over Sun Bin. Therefore, Pang Juan must not know that Master Sun has gone to Qi."

"Sister, if I don't tell, if you don't tell, and if Gongsun Yue doesn't tell, Pang Juan won't know that Sun Bin is in Qi."

"Gongsun Yue threatened me that if I refused to marry him, he would tell Pang Juan about Sun Bin."

"But... if Pang Juan finds out about Mr. Sun, Gongsun Yue won't survive either."

Gongsun Yue said that he would rather die than marry you.

Zhong Liqiu said bitterly, "Then let him die!"

"I've thought about that too. I'll go kill him tonight, but I'm no match for him... So I have to come and beg you again..." Zhong Lichun felt a deep sense of powerlessness and deprivation.

Zhong Liqiu remained silent, tears streaming down her face like broken pearls.

Zhong Lichun looked at her younger sister and said, "Good sister, I know I'm putting you in a difficult position... but I have no other good ideas..."

Zhong Liqiu hugged Zhong Lichun tightly and cried, "Sister, why is my life so miserable..."

Zhong Lichun put his arm around his sister's shoulder and couldn't help but shed tears.

After arranging her sister's wedding, Zhong Lichun left Wei the next day to visit Sun Bin in Qi. Sun Bin was overjoyed at Zhong Lichun's arrival, and Qin Hua was also delighted. Qin Hua tentatively asked her how it was to stay at General Tian's residence, to which Zhong Lichun replied, "I'm here to take care of Master Sun, so of course I should stay at the General's residence." A hint of jealousy and embarrassment flashed across Qin Hua's face.

General Tian Ji loved horses. On the day Zhongli Chun arrived, he was preparing for a horse race against King Wei of Qi, and even sent Qin Hua to the racecourse to watch with him. As a result, Tian Ji's first-class, second-class, and third-class horses all lost to King Wei. King Wei, pleased with himself, smiled at Tian Ji and said, "General Tian, ​​you have lost three battles to me. Shouldn't you admit defeat?"

Tian Ji disagreed.

Zou Ji, the prime minister of Qi, said to Tian Ji with a hint of sarcasm, "General Tian, ​​you lose every game against the king. You're a perpetually defeated general. You should just give up."

Tian Ji and Zou Ji had a long-standing feud. Zou Ji assisted King Wei of Qi in governing the state diligently, making Qi powerful. Afterwards, he became arrogant and disregarded Tian Ji. Tian Ji, wielding military power, also ignored Zou Ji. Previously, after Tian Ji's defeat by Pang Juan of Wei, Zou Ji had petitioned King Wei to remove him from his position as Grand General. King Wei, mindful of their shared clan, refused. The conflict between Tian Ji and Zou Ji deepened daily.

Tian Ji, both ashamed and angry, blushed and ignored Zou Ji. He said to King Qi Wei, "Your Majesty, in five days, I will compete with you again, and I must win!"

King Qi Wei stroked his beard: "Alright, it's a deal."

Zou Ji, standing to the side, goaded him, "General Tian, ​​is the gold you wagered enough? If not, I'll lend you some."

"Thank you for your kindness, Prime Minister Zou, but I have plenty of gold!"

"Since gold is plentiful, I wonder if the general would dare to place a heavy bet next time?"

"What's there to be afraid of? Next time, a horse, a thousand taels of gold."

Upon hearing this, Zou Ji was secretly pleased. He thought to himself, "Since Tian Ji has agreed to the huge bet, and will lose everything if he loses, Tian Ji won't just sit and wait to die. He will use any means necessary to amass wealth. As long as he uses any means necessary, I can find a handle against him and force him to hand over his military power."

On the way back to the mansion, Qin Hua complained to Tian Ji that he shouldn't have made such a heavy bet out of spite against the Prime Minister. Tian Ji replied helplessly, "Alas, I was forced by the Prime Minister. Do you know what he said about me? He called me a general who is always losing! He was referring to the horse race, but indirectly to the war, mocking my repeated defeats against Wei. How could I swallow this insult?"

Tian Ji asked Qin Hua to find a way to buy some good horses. After much trouble, Qin Hua finally found a few, but upon inquiring, he learned that all the horses had been bought by the Prime Minister's mansion. Qin Hua was both angry and resentful, but there was nothing he could do. Qin Hua walked back dejectedly along the street, glancing at the passing carriages and horses, hoping for a miracle.

Zhong Lichun ran into Qin Hua on the street and, upon hearing that he was choosing a horse there, laughed at him, saying that buying a horse in the market was pure nonsense. Qin Hua also joked that he was just trying his luck.

An old man led a horse past them, attracting Qin Hua's attention. Qin Hua quickly caught up with the old man and asked, "Sir, are you selling this horse?" As he spoke, his eyes kept glancing at the old man's horse.

The old man glanced at him a few times and said, "Sell."

"How much?"

"It is a penny, and it is also a thousand pieces of gold."

"You mean to say your horse is priceless?"

The old man smiled and said, "It's not that it's priceless, I just don't want to haggle. Name your price."

After a moment's thought, Qin Hua said, "Ten taels of gold, how about that?"

Before the old man could reply, a servant from the Zou household stepped forward and said, "I'll offer twenty taels."

Qin Hua glanced at him and said, "I'll offer twenty-five taels."

The servant of the Zou family raised the stakes, saying, "I'll offer thirty taels."

"Thirty-five taels."

"Forty taels."

The old man glanced at the two men, then led his horse away.

Qin Hua quickly caught up and said, "Elder, I'll give you fifty taels."

The old man said without turning his head, "No matter how many taels you offer, I won't sell it."

Qin Hua followed the old man, pressing him for an answer: "You said you'd sell, so why are you changing your mind?"

"As I just said, I am not willing to bargain."

"Okay, how much do you want?"

"priceless."

Qin Hua smiled broadly and said, "Elder, even the best horse has a price. Name your price."

The old man stopped and said irritably, "Three thousand taels of gold, can you afford it?"

There was so much gold; Qin Hua simply couldn't afford it. The old man led his horse away, but Qin Hua suddenly slapped the horse's rump hard, and the horse reared up and galloped away. The old man hurriedly chased after it.

Qin Hua shouted from behind, "Old man, hurry up and chase after them! That's three thousand taels of gold!"

Zhong Lichun laughed so hard she bent over backwards, and shouted along from the side.

A carriage stopped beside them. "You scoundrel, why aren't you buying horses? What are you doing here causing trouble!" It was Tian Ji who spoke, his face full of anger.

Qin Hua stepped forward and bowed to Tian Ji. While thinking, he said, "General, we're not fooling around... It's like this, um... Miss Zhongli just said that she has a great idea that surpasses Your Majesty's. We got so excited that we got a little carried away."

Tian Ji's expression softened considerably, and he asked Zhong Lichun, "Miss Zhongli, what good idea do you have?"

Zhong Lichun was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to answer.

Qin Hua said to Tian Ji, "General, it's not convenient to talk on the street. Let Miss Zhongli tell you when we get back to the manor."

After Tian Ji left, Zhong Lichun complained to Qin Hua, "What nonsense did you spout to the general? What good ideas could I possibly have?"

"Miss Zhongli, I'm so sorry. I was in a panic just now and came up with a quick idea."

"Your quick thinking is fine, but how am I supposed to explain this to the general?"

Qin Hua's eyes lit up, and he said, "We can go to Mr. Sun and ask him for advice."

Qin Hua and Zhong Lichun came to Sun Bin's residence and told him about their horse racing and horse buying experiences, asking him for advice.

Sun Bin pondered for a moment and asked, "In the last horse race, by how much did your best horse lose to the King's horse?"

Bird slide: "About the length of a horse."

"What about a medium-sized horse?"

"It is also the body of a horse."

"What about the inferior horses?"

"It's still a horse's body."

"In that case, the general's horse is not much different from the king's horse."

"Although the number is small, the horses have been repeatedly defeated, so the general needs to change horses."

"I can still make the general win without changing horses."

Qin Hua laughed and said, "That's impossible. You probably haven't raced horses before. Even though you're only one horse length behind, it would take at least six months to a year of training to catch up. Besides, Your Majesty's horse is also training."

Sun Bin smiled slightly and said, "Sacrificing one horse can secure victory in the whole battle."

Qin Hua seemed to understand something and said, "Please explain in detail, sir."

Sun Bin said in a deep voice, "Let the general's inferior horse face the king's superior horse, the general's superior horse face the king's medium horse, and the medium horse face the king's inferior horse. In this way, by abandoning the inferior horse, the general's superior horse and medium horse will be sure to win. If you lose one race and win two, the general can still win a thousand gold coins."

Zhong Lichun clapped his hands and exclaimed, "That's brilliant!"

Qin Hua told Tian Ji about the horse racing strategy, but Tian Ji hesitated and said, "Sun Bin's idea is good, but I'm worried that doing so would be considered deceiving the emperor."

Qin Hua laughed and said, "General, you are overthinking this. This is not deceiving the emperor, but a strategy. The arena is like a battlefield, where strategy is allowed to prevail."

"That's true, but His Majesty is a very proud man. If he finds out, he will definitely blame me..."

Qin Hua glanced at the hesitant Tian Ji, coughed lightly, and said, "General, forgive my bluntness, but one of the main reasons why you have been defeated by Pang Juan several times is your indecisiveness."

Tian Ji's face immediately darkened. He slammed his fist on the large table in front of him and roared, "You scoundrel! I've valued you so much, yet you look down on me like this!"

"General, please calm your anger. I have no intention of belittling you, but merely to offer you honest advice. In anything you do, hesitation will inevitably lead to defeat," Qin Hua said in a deep voice. "I wonder if you have considered this, General: if you are afraid to take even the risk of a horse race, how can you possibly use Sun Bin's strategies in a fierce battle? In that case, what use would Sun Bin be?"

Tian Ji calmed down, nodded slightly, and decided to adopt Sun Bin's strategy.

The day of the horse race finally arrived, and a large crowd gathered to watch, including Sun Bin and Zhongli Chun. King Wei of Qi sat before the tent where the race was being observed, with Tian Ji to his left and Zou Ji to his right. A pile of gold sat on a table before Tian Ji, but not a single piece of gold sat on the table before King Wei.

Zou Ji glanced at the gold in front of Tian Ji and said with a smile, "It seems that General Tian is prepared to lose."

Tian Ji laughed heartily: "I'm also prepared to win."

Zou Ji clapped his hands and laughed, "General Tian indeed has the demeanor of a great general; he knows how to comfort himself."

As soon as the commander raised the flag, the war drums in front of the tent began to beat.

At the starting line, two horses galloped off. One horse had a yellow silk ribbon tied around its neck, the other a red one—the former belonged to King Qi Wei, and the latter to Tian Ji. King Qi Wei's horse gradually took the lead, and its speed increased with each step. Tian Ji's horse tried desperately to catch up, but it was no match for its strength.

King Qi Wei shook his head and said to Tian Ji, "Tian Ji, why are your horses getting worse and worse?"

Tian Ji calmly replied, "This horse won't do; there's another one."

Amid cheers, the drumming ceased, and King Qi Wei's horse crossed the finish line with a lead of several paces. The chief official in charge of the races stood before the tent and announced loudly: "In the first race, the competition of the best horses, Your Majesty has won. You shall win a thousand taels of gold."

The palace guards took away the gold in front of Tian Ji.

Zou Ji, gloating, asked Tian Ji, "General Tian, ​​have you brought the betting money for the next round?"

Tian Ji snorted: "No need for the Prime Minister to worry, I've already made all the preparations."

King Qi Wei laughed and said, "If you don't have it, you can owe me one."

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will never owe you any gambling debts."

The war drums sounded again, and the second race began. Two horses galloped in, one adorned with two yellow silk ribbons, the other with two red. Tian Ji's horse ran faster and faster, gradually overtaking King Qi Wei's horse.

The onlookers were quite surprised and puzzled, and there was much discussion about it.

Two horses crossed the finish line one after the other. The one in front was Tian Ji's horse, which was two horse lengths ahead of King Qi Wei's horse.

Zhongli Chun excitedly grabbed Sun Bin's hand and shouted, "We won! We won!"

Sun Bin calmly said, "It's just a draw now, we haven't won yet."

The third race began quickly. The two galloping horses were almost evenly matched.

Everyone watching was intently focused on the two racehorses. Tian Ji stared nervously at his horse, while King Qi Wei was even more tense, his fists clenched as if encouraging his horse.

Tian Ji turned around and whispered to Qin Hua behind him, "There's no mistake, is there?"

Qin Hua replied, "No."

Tian Ji's horse gradually gained a half-length lead. King Qi's horse, unwilling to fall behind, chased after it with all its might.

Zhong Lichun was too nervous to watch any longer and raised her hand to cover her eyes. Suddenly, a deafening cheer erupted around them—Tian Ji had won again!

Standing before the tent, King Qi Wei's face was extremely grim. He said to Tian Ji, "General Tian, ​​I didn't bring any gambling money with me. I'll give it to you after we return to the palace, is that alright?"

Tian Ji bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I do not wish to accept the wager."

King Qi Wei was very displeased and said with a stern face, "What do you mean by this? Do you want the world to say that I am untrustworthy?"

Tian Ji replied, "No, my victory in this horse race was purely accidental, and I dare not accept Your Majesty's wager."

Zou Ji, standing to the side, said, "I think General Tian's victory was not accidental, but rather he rigged it."

"I didn't cheat; I used a scheme."

King Wei of Qi was taken aback and asked Tian Ji what strategy he had used. Tian Ji told King Wei about Sun Bin's strategy of sacrificing one to win two. King Wei couldn't help but clap his hands and exclaimed, "Brilliant! A brilliant victory! Who devised this strategy for you?"

"Your Majesty, I wish to speak to you privately."

Tian Ji accompanied King Wei of Qi back to the palace, told the king about Sun Bin's background and experiences, and recommended Sun Bin to King Wei, saying that Sun Bin was capable of defeating the State of Wei. King Wei of Qi was quite surprised and immediately summoned Sun Bin.

Sun Bin, leaning on his cane, entered the Qi royal palace. He walked step by step to King Wei of Qi, but did not kneel. Instead, he cupped his hands in greeting and said, "This humble subject, Sun Bin, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

No one from Qi had ever failed to kneel before King Wei of Qi, which displeased King Wei. He asked, "Sun Bin, why don't you kneel?"

Sun Bin calmly replied, "I have suffered the punishment of having my kneecaps removed and cannot kneel."

King Qi Wei glanced at Sun Bin's legs and then seemed relieved. He then asked, "I've heard you're a wanted criminal of Wei?"

"That's right, but I am also a mortal enemy of Wei."

"Can you defeat the State of Wei for me?"

"Not at the moment."

"Why not?"

"Currently, the Wei army is stronger than the Qi army."

"When can we defeat the State of Wei?"

"We need to wait for the right opportunity."

"How long will it take?"

"It could take three years at most, or as little as one year."

King Wei of Qi was skeptical of Sun Bin's words. He believed that Sun Bin was not waiting for an opportunity but rather making excuses. So he asked Sun Bin again, "I want to know, one year from now, or three years from now, how will you defeat the State of Wei?"

Sun Bin noticed King Qi Wei's doubt and said, "Your Majesty, if you are willing to listen, I can say a few more words."

King Qi Wei smiled slightly and said, "As long as you can truly help me defeat the State of Wei, I am willing to listen to you, whether you say a few words or dozens or hundreds."

Sun Bin bowed and spoke eloquently: "In this age of great contention, whether a country can win a war is a matter of life and death! Only the victor can avoid national subjugation and ensure the continuation of the dynasty for generations; if one cannot win, one will be bullied by the other feudal lords and forced to cede territory, thus endangering the state."

King Qi Wei nodded in agreement.

"However," Sun Bin's expression immediately changed, and he said seriously, "victory is not something that can be obtained by chance or greed. To achieve victory, firstly, one must make ample preparations in all aspects before the battle. In this way, even if the city is small and the enemy is numerous, we can still hold our ground and even reverse the situation when facing a powerful invading enemy. Secondly, the war must be just. War is not child's play, and the use of troops must be extremely cautious. Those who enjoy war and engage in reckless militarism will one day bring shame upon themselves and perish."

When Sun Bin said that wars must be justified, King Wei of Qi was somewhat skeptical. Some Confucian scholars at the Jixia Academy in Qi often expounded to him the ideal of unifying the world through benevolent governance and winning people over with virtue, without resorting to force. Could this so-called successor of Sun Tzu be another pedantic and inflexible man? King Wei merely frowned slightly and said, "Sun Bin, continue."

To avoid King Qi Wei's misunderstanding, Sun Bin further elaborated: "War is indeed cruel, and it is understandable that people dislike it. What I oppose is rash and belligerent behavior, fighting for the sake of fighting. But to oppose war simply because of aversion, and to advocate winning people over with virtue and with righteousness, would be rather pedantic and naive."

King Qi's eyes lit up, and he gestured for Sun Bin to speak frankly.

Sun Bin said, "In the past, Shennong attacked Suiren, the Yellow Emperor fought Chiyou, Emperor Yao defeated Gonggong, Emperor Shun conquered the Sanmiao, King Tang of Shang and King Wu of Zhou overthrew Jie and Zhou, and the Duke of Zhou led an eastern expedition. All of them resolved their problems and achieved unification through war. People today are inferior to the Three Kings in merit, the Five Emperors in talent, and the Duke of Zhou in wisdom, yet they boast of using benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and music to prevent war—this is truly laughable. The sages of old did not lack the desire to resolve conflicts and govern by virtue of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and music, but it was simply impossible in reality! Therefore, they had no choice but to use force. Especially in this era of fierce competition among powerful states, only by using just war to stop unjust war can one establish oneself as the strong. Victory leads to strength, and the world submits—let alone a mere state like Wei!"

This insightful analysis greatly impressed King Wei of Qi. He then asked Sun Bin to share his views on the situation of the various states and specific strategic issues. Sun Bin nodded frequently and applauded enthusiastically at each brilliant point. After listening to Sun Bin's profound discourse, King Wei of Qi stood up and, with some excitement, said to Sun Bin, "Sun Bin, your arrival in Qi is a great honor for me and for Qi! I hereby appoint you as Grand General..."

Sun Bin quickly said, "Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

King Wei of Qi was puzzled and asked, "Why?"

"I am a commoner with a leg disability and facial scars. If Your Majesty appoints me as general, the world will laugh at Qi for having no one to rely on. Furthermore, I have not yet achieved any merit and will find it difficult to gain the respect of the people. It would be better to appoint Tian Ji as general."

"How about I appoint you as my military advisor?"

"Not at the moment."

Why?

Sun Bin said, "Pang Juan is unaware that I am in Qi, and therefore does not consider Qi a threat. If Your Majesty appoints me as your military advisor, it will surely reach Pang Juan's ears. If Pang Juan leads his troops to invade, the current Qi army will be unable to resist."

King Qi Wei nodded slightly, inwardly praising Sun Bin's thoughtfulness. He asked Sun Bin, "When do you think would be the best time for him to assume the role of military advisor?"

"When the king has no choice but to mobilize troops."

Note: "Substituting a Plum for a Peach" is the eleventh of the Thirty-Six Stratagems. The name comes from later generations and is similar to the "Sacrificing a Rook to Protect the King" stratagem in Chinese chess, meaning to sacrifice a local unit for overall victory. Sun Bin used this stratagem to help Tian Ji win the horse race, earning the respect of the King of Qi. To find out when Sun Bin will demonstrate his prowess on the battlefield, please read the next chapter: "Besieging Wei to Rescue Zhao."