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

After the withdrawal of troops from Chu, Han, and Yan, Pang Juan led the Wei army away from Qi. He was still deeply troubled by his carelessness in being captured and suffering a great humiliation at the alliance altar. He remained silent with a furrowed brow throughout the journey. As they approached the Wei border, Pang Juan glanced at Gongsun Yue, who was traveling with him, and asked casually, "Of the two Qi generals who attacked me, one is Zhongli Chun. Didn't you realize that?"

"Zhongli Chun?" Gongsun Yue exclaimed in surprise, trying to cover it up, "No, it can't be Zhongli Chun!"

"I've already sent spies to investigate; she is Zhong Lichun."

Gongsun Yue was stunned for a moment, then said, "How come I didn't recognize him?"

Pang Juan sneered, "If you had recognized me, things wouldn't be like this now."

Gongsun Yue noticed that Pang Juan was beginning to doubt him, so he changed the subject and asked, "Marshal, have you really admitted defeat?"

Pang Juan smiled slightly and asked in return, "What do you think?"

Gongsun Yue knew that Pang Juan was not one to easily admit defeat, especially not after suffering such humiliation; he would certainly not let it go. So he said, "I just don't understand, Marshal, why don't you march back to Qi now and catch Sun Bin off guard?"

"The timing is not right."

"What timing is the Marshal referring to?"

"Ha, morale."

The Wei army set foot on their own soil. Although many soldiers felt resentful about retreating without a fight, they were still very happy to return to their country. That night, they lit bonfires and danced wildly and joyfully, shouting loudly.

Pang Juan came to the soldiers and greeted them in a friendly manner. Then he sat down with the soldiers around the campfire and chatted about everyday matters.

He asked a young soldier sitting next to him, "Young man, are you happy to be back in Wei?"

The young soldier answered without hesitation, "Of course, I can see my mother again."

A soldier nearby chimed in, "Heh heh, and a pretty wife too."

The young soldier laughed sheepishly and scolded, "Don't talk nonsense, I'm not married yet, where would I get a wife?"

The soldier quickly corrected him, "It's her fiancée, right?"

The young soldier blushed and nodded: "I suppose so..."

Pang Juan patted the young soldier on the shoulder and said, "When you get married, will you invite me?"

The young soldier said excitedly, "Good, good, of course it's good! I want to treat the Marshal to the most fragrant wine from our hometown."

Pang Juan smiled and said, "It's settled." He turned to a middle-aged soldier with a thick beard sitting on the other side and asked, "Who's in your family?"

The middle-aged soldier replied, "One wife and two sons."

Pang Juan then asked, "Your family must be very happy to be home, right?"

The middle-aged soldier nodded and said, "They're happy, but I'm not."

Pang Juan asked, puzzled, "Why are you not happy to see me after so long?"

The middle-aged soldier sighed and said, "What's there to say when I get home? Did we win, or did we lose? Both, and neither. This battle... it's so frustrating..."

Pang Juan's face turned extremely ugly, and he suddenly stood up.

The middle-aged soldier quickly stopped speaking, glanced at Pang Juan, and bowed, saying, "Marshal, I speak frankly, please don't take offense."

Pang Juan sat down again, patted the middle-aged soldier on the shoulder, and said emotionally, "I'm not blaming you, I'm blaming myself. I'm incompetent as a marshal, and I've let you suffer the humiliation of Qi. I'm sorry."

"No, Marshal, we don't blame you," the middle-aged soldier hurriedly said. "You've led us to many victories, bringing the greatest glory to our Wei soldiers. This time, although Sun Bin's conspiracy succeeded, your army hasn't been defeated. If you lead us back to Qi, we will surely defeat the Qi people!"

The surrounding soldiers shouted:

"Marshal, we shouldn't retreat; we should fight our way back to Linzi!"

"Marshal, we should teach those Qi people a lesson!"

"Marshal, lead us back! We will surely defeat the Qi people!"

"Marshal, lead us back..."

Pang Juan was deeply moved. He clasped his hands in a salute to the soldiers and said gratefully, "My good brothers, thank you, thank you..."

The middle-aged soldier said to Pang Juan, "Marshal, give the order! Just say the word, and we will die to erase the humiliation we suffered at the hands of the Qi people!"

Pang Juan shook his head: "We cannot return to Qi..."

"Is the Marshal worried about losing the trust of the people?"

"No, I would rather break my promise to the world than to my soldiers."

"Why is that?"

"You've been away from home for so long, your families miss you so much..."

Moved by Pang Juan's words, the middle-aged soldier firmly told him, "Without honor, we have no face to go home. The marshal should lead us back to Qi and reclaim our honor!"

Pang Juan glanced at the middle-aged soldier, then looked around at the soldiers, and said, "I don't know if all the brothers are willing to fight their way back to Qi and reclaim our honor."

The middle-aged soldier suddenly turned around, drew his sword, raised it high, and shouted: "Brothers, those who are willing to fight their way back to Qi and reclaim their honor, raise your weapons!"

The soldiers present raised their various weapons and shouted:

"Reclaim Qi and reclaim our honor!"

"Reclaim Qi and reclaim our honor!"

"..."

The soldiers' shouts echoed across the vast plains for a long time.

Pang Juan felt the time was right, and he led his Wei soldiers, eager for revenge, on a massive march to attack Qi once again.

The Wei army invaded Qi again. King Wei of Qi urgently summoned Tian Ji and Sun Bin, saying, "Pang Juan has betrayed his promise and invaded my country again. I must fight Pang Juan to the death. If I win, Wei will no longer dominate the Central Plains; if Pang Juan wins, my country will be doomed. Therefore, we can only win, not lose. What do you two think we should do to deal with Pang Juan?"

Sun Bin said to King Wei of Qi, "Your Majesty, to defeat Pang Juan, you must grant us one request."

King Qi Wei said, "As long as we can defeat Pang Juan, I will agree to any condition, not just one, but ten. Speak."

Sun Bin said, "To defeat a powerful enemy, we must concentrate our military strength and unify command. Your Majesty should concentrate the power to mobilize the army in the hands of General Tian and your humble servant. Your humble servant refers to all the armies of Qi."

King Qi Wei nodded slightly: "Alright."

"Furthermore, all officials in the court must obey the orders of General Tian and your humble servant. If they request men or provisions, they shall be given. If anyone disobeys, General Tian and your humble servant have the right to execute them without prior notification, no matter who they are."

"Is this... necessary?" King Qi Wei asked somewhat reluctantly.

"Yes." Sun Bin's attitude was firm. "War is a matter of national importance and cannot be won by the army alone. Especially in such a major war, coordination between the top and bottom levels and between the inside and outside must be achieved."

King Qi Wei pondered for a moment and finally agreed to Sun Bin's request.

Sun Bin and Tian Ji summoned the court officials and began to plan the battle.

Sun Bin addressed the officials, saying, "In this time of national crisis, General Tian and I have been ordered by Your Majesty to lead the army and court officials to defeat a powerful enemy. I hope that all the officials in the court will do their utmost to assist General Tian and me in defeating Pang Juan." Sun Bin glanced at the crowd and called out, "Prime Minister Zou."

Zou Ji was the prime minister, second only to the king. Apart from the King of Qi, no one had ever spoken to him in such a tone. So, he showed a disdainful look, didn't even glance at Sun Bin, and replied casually, "I'm listening."

Sun Bin, without revealing his authority, continued, "Prime Minister Zou, step forward and receive my command."

Zou Ji stood still.

Did you hear what I said?

"I heard you," Zou Ji replied impatiently.

Sun Bin asked with a stern expression, "Then why don't you step forward to receive my orders?"

Zou Ji sneered, "You are not the king, so I have no need to step forward and obey your orders."

"I am acting on the orders of the King, and my commands are the King's commands. Please step forward and obey my orders."

"As the Prime Minister, second only to the Emperor, I am already showing you great respect by obeying your orders. Please do not use this as an excuse to settle personal scores or deliberately make things difficult for me."

"This isn't intentional obstruction; I'm simply following military orders. Please step forward and await further instructions."

"What can you do if I don't obey your orders?"

"You disobeyed military orders and should have been executed. However, considering your service to the State of Qi, you will be spared the death penalty, but you will not escape punishment." Sun Bin called out loudly, "Are the palace guards present?"

Two palace guards stepped forward and said, "Present."

Sun Bin ordered, "Drag Zou Ji out, tie him up, and display him in the marketplace for three days."

The doctors were in an uproar:

"Military Advisor Sun is incredibly audacious! He actually dared to publicly humiliate the Prime Minister in the street!"

"That's how the army is; military orders are absolute..."

"But we are not his soldiers..."

Seeing the palace guards hesitate, Sun Bin shouted sternly, "Did you hear me? Drag Zou Ji out, tie him up, and display him in the marketplace for three days! Disobey, and he will be beheaded!"

"Wait!" At this moment, King Qi Wei strode out from the side door.

King Qi Wei approached Sun Bin and said, "Military Advisor Sun, Prime Minister Zou is a meritorious official of mine. You cannot bind him and display him to the public."

Sun Bin said, "Your Majesty, if the Prime Minister is not severely punished, I will be unable to deal with any further disobedience to military orders. If those who disobey military orders are not punished, the orders cannot be carried out, and if the orders cannot be carried out, how can we defeat the enemy?"

King Qi Wei said, "This... could the punishment be lighter, to save face for the Prime Minister?"

Sun Bin said, "I can give him face, but Pang Juan will not give me face; to defeat Pang Juan, I cannot give face to anyone."

King Qi Wei's expression gradually hardened, and he said, "You won't even give me face?"

Sun Bin said, "If Your Majesty wishes to preserve the State of Qi, Your Majesty's face cannot be given; if Your Majesty does not wish to preserve the State of Qi, Your Majesty's face can be given."

King Qi looked at Sun Bin in silence for a moment, then said with a sullen face and great displeasure, "You decide what to do!" After saying that, he turned and went into the back room.

Following Sun Bin's orders, the palace guards dragged Zou Ji away. As Zou Ji was leaving the palace gates, he shouted resentfully, "Sun Bin... there's always tomorrow!"

After Sun Bin punished Zou Ji, none of the other officials in the court dared to disobey Sun Bin's orders in the slightest. Some were in charge of supervising the city's grain and fodder, some were responsible for distributing weapons to able-bodied people, and some were responsible for manufacturing bows and arrows and repairing weapons and carriages. Everyone in the court was mobilized, and Linzi quickly formed a military-civilian integrated combat system.

After arranging the defensive fortifications of Linzi, Sun Bin went to the Qi army camp, several dozen miles away. Before leaving, he instructed Tian Ji, who remained in Linzi, to focus on holding the position and not to attack. If an attack was absolutely necessary, he should consult with Qin Hua before making a decision. Tian Ji agreed to act according to the battle plan.

Sun Bin arrived at the main camp twenty li outside Linzi and informed Generals Tian Guo and others of the battle plan. Sun Bin said to them, "Our main camp and Linzi form a pincer movement, supporting each other from afar. If Pang Juan launches a full-scale attack on the camp, he will fear General Tian's attack from the rear; if he attacks Linzi, he will fear our attack from the rear; if he attacks both Linzi and the camp simultaneously, his forces will be unable to sustain the attack. Therefore, you can rest assured, he will never dare to gamble everything and launch a full-scale attack on either Linzi or the main camp. The Wei army has come from afar, and after the round trip, the soldiers are exhausted. We will hold our ground, hold off Pang Juan, and wait until the Wei army's supplies are depleted and morale wavers before engaging them in a decisive battle. Even though the Wei army is powerful, they will undoubtedly be defeated."

To counter Sun Bin's city and camp, Pang Juan planned to bypass Sun Bin, besiege Linzi, lure Sun Bin away from his main camp to relieve Linzi, and then engage Sun Bin in a decisive battle outside the camp. Gongsun Yue believed that Sun Bin would not fall for the trick, but Pang Juan disagreed, thinking that the King of Qi would force him to comply.

Pang Juan's army launched a fierce attack on Linzi City, and the fighting on and around the city was chaotic.

Tian Guo could no longer contain himself. He asked Sun Bin, "Strategist, Pang Juan's army is besieging Linzi. Why don't we send troops to help them?"

"The Art of War says: 'Immovable as a mountain,'" Sun Bin replied.

"If Linzi falls, we will have no way to explain ourselves."

"With the great general here, Linzi will not fall."

Seeing that Sun Bin remained inactive, Pang Juan mobilized another 5,000 soldiers to attack Linzi. Gongsun Yue suggested that he send even more troops to attack the city, but Pang Juan disagreed, wanting to reserve enough forces to deal with Sun Bin.

The Wei army besieging the city grew larger with each battle. King Wei of Qi worried that Tian Ji would not be able to hold Linzi, and further, court officials slandered Sun Bin for ignoring the crisis in Linzi and remaining inactive, suggesting he had ulterior motives. King Wei of Qi dispatched palace guards out of the city, ordering Sun Bin to immediately send troops to relieve Linzi.

Sun Bin told the palace guards who had gone out of the city to deliver the king's order that the Wei army was only bluffing and that Linzi would be safe. Before the guards returned to Linzi, Sun Bin specifically instructed them: "Tell the king again that there are five reasons for victory, one of which is: the generals are talented, and the king does not restrain them. I hope the king will trust them."

Seeing that Sun Bin had not sent troops for a long time, Pang Juan ordered his army to stop attacking Linzi and besiege Sun Bin's camp, planning to lure Tian Ji out and eliminate him first. He said to Gongsun Yue, "Send more spies to infiltrate Linzi and spread rumors that Sun Bin's supplies have been burned, morale is low, there are no reinforcements, and the camp is in danger."

Gongsun Yue said, "Tian Ji probably won't believe it."

Pang Juan said meaningfully, "I'm not trying to convince Tian Ji, but to convince the King of Qi."

King Wei of Qi, as expected, believed Pang Juan's rumors. He immediately summoned Tian Ji and ordered him to send troops to relieve the siege of the camp. Tian Ji advised King Wei not to believe the rumors, saying that Sun Bin valued provisions most highly, and the provisions wouldn't be easily lost. King Wei said to Tian Ji, "General Tian, ​​in my opinion, regardless of whether the matter of the provisions is true or false, you should lead an army to attack Pang Juan from the rear, making him unable to attend to both ends. This will relieve the pressure on Sun Bin, and you can take advantage of the enemy's confusion to send someone into the camp to find out the truth." At this point, King Wei said smugly, "What do you think? My plan is no less brilliant than Sun Bin's, is it?"

"Your Majesty's plan is indeed excellent." Tian Ji, recalling Sun Bin's instructions, explained to King Wei of Qi, "However, the strategist said before parting that we should hold our ground and not attack..."

"General Tian," King Wei of Qi interrupted him, clearly displeased, "no wonder you have been defeated by Pang Juan several times; it is because of your indecisiveness. I have made the decision regarding the military campaign."

Under pressure from the King of Qi, Tian Ji planned to send troops, but Qin Hua disagreed. He said to Tian Ji, "The King once said that all matters of war should be decided by the general and the strategist."

"Your Majesty is, after all, Your Majesty. How can I disobey Your Majesty?"

"If this causes the strategist's battle plans to fail, who will be held responsible?"

"I'll take responsibility."

"You cannot bear this responsibility! The entire state of Qi cannot bear this responsibility!"

Tian Ji was silent for a moment, then said, "Alright, let's proceed as planned."

Tian Ji did not send troops, and Gongsun Yue said to Pang Juan, "We underestimated Tian Ji."

"It's not that I underestimated him, but rather that I overestimated him. Tian Ji simply didn't have the courage to leave the city. Even if the King of Qi wanted to kill him, he wouldn't dare." After saying this, Pang Juan picked up a cup of wine and drank it all in one gulp, then took a big bite of meat.

Seeing Pang Juan's calm demeanor, Gongsun Yue assumed he had a plan and asked, "Marshal, do you have a plan?"

Pang Juan shook his head with a wry smile and said, "I'm even more clueless if I don't eat or drink." He poured a cup of wine and handed it to Gongsun Yue, "Come on, let's drink together."

On the other side, Sun Bin and Tian Guo were also drinking. Tian Guo finished a cup of wine, wiped his mouth, and said, "Strategist, I'm impressed. Some people say you're incredibly insightful, but I think even a god couldn't be more accurate."

"General Tian, ​​you've learned to flatter people too," Sun Bin said with amusement.

"It's not flattery, it's true..." Tian Guo took a sip of his drink, "It's just that you're too amazing, everyone's afraid of you, and they don't dare to talk to you. I mean it from the bottom of my heart..."

"Does General Tian have something on his mind? Why don't you tell us?"

"Hehe," Tian Guo took another big gulp of wine and chuckled sheepishly, "Strategist, I feel uneasy if I'm not fighting. These past few days, I've watched Wei soldiers roam around in front of us, especially when they point at our faces and call us cowards. It's unbearable. I wish I could rush out and kill them all... But for the sake of the bigger picture, I can only remain 'unmoved' and obediently endure their insults... Strategist, could you give us a chance to go out and vent our anger, even if it's just a tiny bit?"

"To be honest, I also want to go out and have a good fight, but my leg..." Sun Bin said, looking down at his leg. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly raised his head and said to Tian Guo, "General Tian Guo, let's go into battle tonight."

Tian Guo was somewhat incredulous and asked, "Strategist, you're not joking, are you?"

Sun Bin replied earnestly, "There is no joking in the army."

Tian Guo slapped his thigh excitedly, "Great! Strategist, what's your plan?"

"Take several hundred elite soldiers and launch a surprise attack on the Wei army, making their lives miserable."

That night, bonfires were lit again in the Wei army camp. The Wei soldiers sat around them, silently listening to a piece of music filled with homesickness. The tall, middle-aged soldier was among them. A soldier next to him asked if he missed home. He replied, "Of course I do! I originally wanted to win a great victory and return home in triumph, but now, I can't fight, and I can't leave..."

Suddenly, an arrow shot out from the darkness, and the young soldier, who was on his way home to marry his new wife, fell to the ground. Immediately afterward, a volley of arrows rained down.

The archers were soldiers from the State of Tian, ​​dressed in the armor of soldiers from the State of Wei. As they fired their arrows, they shouted, "The Qi army is coming! The Qi army is coming!"

In an instant, the Wei army camp was thrown into chaos, and a fire broke out, destroying many tents. Many Wei soldiers died in the confusion, including the tall, middle-aged soldier.

The next morning, the Wei camp fell silent. Pang Juan, his face ashen, stood before a burnt-out tent, watching as soldiers' corpses were carried past, his heart heavy with sorrow. He saw the body of the middle-aged soldier, stopped the bearers, stepped forward, grasped the soldier's hand, tears streaming down his face, and said, "Brother, I'm so sorry..."

He drew his sword, pointed it at the sky, and swore, "If I don't avenge this, I, Pang Juan, will not have been a true man!"

Fueled by hatred, the Wei soldiers charged fiercely towards the Qi army camp. The Qi soldiers, retreating behind a palisade of logs, methodically took turns firing arrows outwards in orderly rows. The Wei soldiers at the front fell, wounded, but those behind them stepped over the corpses and continued their charge towards the Qi camp. The shouts of battle and the clashing of weapons inside and outside the Qi camp were deafening…

Qin Hua, upon learning that Pang Juan had attacked the Qi army camp, urged Tian Ji to send troops. Tian Ji asked, "Could Pang Juan be plotting something?"

Qin Hua said, "I don't think so. Pang Juan is getting impatient with the strategist, and people in a hurry are prone to making mistakes; besides, he thinks the general won't dare to attack. So..." As Qin Hua was speaking, Tian Ji threw his head back and laughed loudly, "It's not that I don't dare, it's just that the time isn't right." He immediately led his troops out of the city to attack Pang Juan.

When Pang Juan heard that Tian Ji had sent troops, he was initially startled, but quickly regained his composure. He asked his spy, "How many men has Tian Ji sent?"

The spy replied, "A vast procession, numbering three hundred carriages."

Pang Juan sneered, "I'll make sure they never leave alive."

Pang Juan immediately ordered the Wei army to withdraw from the Qi army camp, and Sun Bin knew that Tian Ji had sent troops.

Tian Guo said to Sun Bin, "Strategist, should we also launch a surprise attack on Pang Juan from behind?"

Sun Bin said, "No, we will remain 'immovable as a mountain'."

Pang Juan attempted to trap Tian Ji outside the city for a decisive battle, urging his soldiers to advance at breakneck speed. The soldiers, panting heavily and exhausted from the past few days of fighting, were on the verge of collapse. Little did they know that Tian Ji had already retreated to Linzi. On his return journey, he smiled and said to Qin Hua, "Deception and trickery, truth and falsehood—I've learned that strategist's trick too."

Afterwards, Pang Juan was furious and angrily questioned the spy who had delivered the message: "You gave false military intelligence, what is your punishment?"

"Marshal... I saw Tian Ji leave Linzi with my own eyes... Who would have thought they would turn back halfway..." the spy stammered.

"You only have eyes, no brains. What use are you?" Pang Juan said coldly, and ordered the guards beside him, "Drag him out and kill him." After dealing with the spies, Pang Juan ordered the entire army to eat at cockcrow the next morning and be ready for battle.

"Marshal, shall we fight again tomorrow?" Gongsun Yue asked Pang Juan.

"What do you think?" Pang Juan asked in return.

Gongsun Yue thought for a moment, understood immediately, and sighed, "Marshal, you should have killed Sun Bin back then."

Pang Juan glanced at Gongsun Yue and said, "Are you saying I'm no match for him?"

"No, in this world, only the two of you are worthy opponents. But this time, the Marshal will find it difficult to win, simply because our soldiers are too exhausted..."

Sun Bin was playing chess alone in his tent. Looking at the chessboard in front of him, he said to Tian Guo, who was sitting beside him, "Pang Juan will definitely retreat tomorrow. You will lead the entire army to pursue and kill him. Are you confident that you can defeat Pang Juan?"

Tian Guo laughed and said, "With my well-rested and exhausted army, how could we not be confident of victory in pursuing Pang Juan's weary journey? However, we should not follow him into battle, but intercept Pang Juan and completely annihilate the Wei army."

Sun Bin said, "Sun Tzu said: 'Do not block the returning army.' The enemy is eager to return home. If they are blocked, they will fight to the death. This will not only fail to eliminate the enemy, but will also cause us to suffer heavy losses. Therefore, we should just follow and pursue them." As he spoke, he placed a chess piece on the chessboard.

The next day, Pang Juan indeed withdrew his troops, and Tian Guo led the Qi army in pursuit, once again inflicting a major defeat on the Wei army.

Note: The phrase "waiting at ease for the enemy to tire" comes from Sun Tzu's *The Art of War*. This stratagem is the fourth of the Thirty-Six Stratagems. It means to conserve one's strength and force the enemy to exhaustion and disadvantage, thereby defeating them. Sun Bin remained unmoved, waiting at ease for the enemy to tire, and once again defeated Pang Juan. To find out how Pang Juan will face Sun Bin next, please read the next chapter: "Creating Something from Nothing."