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Chapter 325: Grandson of the Military Founder
Among the various schools of thought during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the founder of the military school was Sun Tzu.

Some of Sun Tzu's military views and ideas on military management have been passed down by military strategists in later generations. It is a precious historical heritage in China's military history.

The "Art of War" he compiled and passed down to this day is hailed as the holy book of military science and is a military classic highly praised and studied by emperors and generals of all dynasties in my country.

In this military book, Sun Wu also put forward many important military viewpoints.

The famous saying, "If you know yourself and your enemy, you can fight a hundred battles without defeat," is still frequently quoted by people today and has become the motto of military strategists for thousands of years.

The military theories in "The Art of War" have had a great influence on later generations. Not only does it have a huge influence in China, it also enjoys a high reputation internationally.

Now it has attracted attention and been applied not only in the military field, but also in economy, sports and other fields.

"Sun Wu's ancestor was Gui Wan, who was appointed as the King of Chen by the Emperor of the Zhou Dynasty."

"Later, due to a coup d'état in the State of Chen, Gui Wan fled to the State of Qi with his family and sought refuge with Duke Huan of Qi."

"Duke Huan of Qi had long heard that Prince Gui Wan of Chen was young and promising, so he appointed him to be in charge of all the craftsmen."

"After Gui Wan settled in Qi, he changed his surname from Gui to Tian, ​​so he was also called Tian Wan."

"Tian Shu, the fifth-generation grandson of Tian Wan, was once a minister of Qi State and made great contributions in the war against Ju State."

"King Jing of Qi granted Le'an to Tian Shu and gave him the surname Sun to show his appreciation for him."

"In 532 BC, civil unrest broke out in Qi, so Sun Tzu left Qi and went to the southern state of Wu."

"He lived in seclusion in Gusu, the capital of Wu, and devoted himself to studying the art of war."

"Later, Sun Tzu met Wu Zixu."

"During the struggle among the princes for hegemony, Helu, the king of the newly emerging Wu State in the south, wanted to attack the Chu State in order to gain hegemony."

"However, it is difficult to select the right general at the moment."

"After Wu Zixu recommended him seven times, the King of Wu asked him to invite his grandson out of seclusion."

"In the winter of 506 BC, the State of Wu sent troops to attack the State of Chu, with Sun Tzu and Wu Zixu as generals."

"Sun Tzu adopted the tactics of circuitous attack and surprise attack, crossing the Dabie Mountains from the Huaihe Plain and driving deep into the Chu territory for thousands of miles, inflicting heavy damage on the Chu army."

"Then he won five battles in a row and captured the capital of Chu, Ying."

"After the war against Chu, Chu was severely damaged and gradually declined."

"The Wu Kingdom gained great prestige and became one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period."

"Not only did Wu become a powerful country in the south, but also major countries in the north such as Qi and Jin were afraid of Wu."

Ying Zheng: Sun Wu was born into a hereditary aristocratic family whose ancestors were all proficient in military affairs. No wonder he was able to write a military masterpiece like "The Art of War".

The State of Chen was a small country during the Spring and Autumn Period. Its first ruler was Gui Man, the son-in-law of King Wu of Zhou.

Gui Man was a descendant of Shun, and his father was an official in charge of pottery production during the reign of King Wu of Zhou.

After the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty, hundreds of vassal states were set up to protect the Zhou royal family.

King Wu of Zhou granted Jiang Ziya the land of Qi, while King Wu of Zhou granted Gui Man the land of Chen.

When the throne of Chen was passed to Duke Huan of Chen, civil strife broke out in the state.

Duke Huan of Chen's younger brother killed his elder brother Duke Huan of Chen, usurped the throne, and proclaimed himself king, calling himself Duke Li of Chen.

Many years later, Duke Huan of Chen's son killed his uncle Duke Li of Chen and proclaimed himself Duke Zhuang of Chen.

Duke Zhuang of Chen reigned for many years, and after his death, his younger brother succeeded him as Duke Xuan of Chen.

Duke Xuan of Chen appointed his eldest son Yu Kou as the crown prince, and later his favorite concubine gave birth to a son for him.

In order to please his favorite concubine, Duke Xuan of Chen abolished the legitimate heir and established a concubine's son as the crown prince. He killed Crown Prince Yu Kou and made the son born to his favorite concubine the crown prince.

Prince Gui Wan was the eldest son of Duke Li of Chen, and a close friend of Crown Prince Yu Kou during his lifetime.

Sensing that a disaster was about to befall him, and even his life was in danger, Gui Wan decided to flee the State of Chen.

Gui Wan had already made plans about where to go after leaving the State of Chen.

In the competition for hegemony in the Central Plains, Duke Huan of Qi put aside past grudges and appointed Guan Zhong, who had a grudge against him, as prime minister.

The emperor and his ministers worked together to govern the country, rectifying the government internally and respecting the king and repelling the barbarians externally.

Gui Wan witnessed all this and decided to go to Qi.

After Gui Wan arrived in Qi, Duke Huan of Qi saw that he was handsome, well-spoken, and had great talent.

Moreover, Gui Wan was a prince of the State of Chen and a descendant of Yu Shun, so Duke Huan of Qi planned to hire him as a guest official.

Gui Wan humbly declined, so Duke Huan of Qi put him in charge of hand-made products.

When Gui Wan was in Qi, he was kind and righteous, handled things properly, and demonstrated a high level of moral cultivation.

Once, Gui Wan entertained Duke Huan of Qi for a drink during the day. When they were in high spirits, it was already dark.

Duke Huan of Qi wanted to light a lamp and continue drinking, but Gui Wan refused on the grounds that she only knew how to serve the monarch drinking during the day, but did not know how to drink with him at night.

Gui Wan's behavior well reflects her benevolence and righteousness.

The use of wine to complete the ritual cannot continue indefinitely, which is righteousness.

After accompanying the monarch to drink and completing the etiquette, one should not allow the monarch to drink excessively. This is benevolence.

Because of Gui Wan's outstanding work and excellent character, Duke Huan of Qi gave him some farmland.

Gui Wan wanted to hide his identity and seek refuge, to express his gratitude to Duke Huan of Qi for granting him the farm, and thirdly, the pronunciations of the two words "Chen" and "Tian" were similar, so he took Tian as his surname.

Later, Tian Wan married the daughter of a nobleman from the State of Qi, and his family gradually prospered and became a prominent family in the State of Qi.

Tian Wan's descendant Tian Wu Yu inherited the family's martial tradition, was known for his bravery and immense strength, and was highly regarded by Duke Zhuang of Qi, becoming an official.

Tian Wu Yu's son Tian Shu served as an official in the reign of Duke Jing of Qi. Later, because Duke Jing of Qi gave him the surname Sun, he changed his name to Sun Shu.

Sun Shu's son Sun Ping, Sun Wu's father, was a minister in the court of Duke Jing of Qi.

Tian Wu Yu, Sun Shu and Sun Ping, three generations of the family, served as officials in the court, and they held prominent positions and great power.

Sun Wu was born into such a hereditary aristocratic family that was proficient in military affairs, so it is not surprising that he achieved such great success later on.

"Because the aristocratic family provided Sun Wu with a superior learning environment, Sun Wu was able to read the ancient military classic "Military Administration" and learn about the combat experience of Huangdi defeating the four emperors and the historical facts of Jiang Taigong's use of troops."

"In addition, wars were frequent and annexations were fierce at that time, and Sun Wu's grandfather and father were both generals who were good at leading troops in battle."

"So Sun Wu also heard and witnessed some wars since he was young, which played an important role in his military training."

"But the Qi State where Sun Wu lived was riddled with internal conflicts and crises."

"In the early years of Duke Jing of Qi, the left prime minister Qing Feng destroyed the right prime minister Cui."

"Then the four major families united again and drove Qing Feng away."

"Later, the civil unrest worsened day by day."

"The conflict between the royal family of Qi and the four great families, and the struggle for power and profit among the four great families, is becoming increasingly fierce."

"Sun Wu was extremely disgusted with this internal struggle and did not want to get entangled in it, so he began to think about finding another way to display his talents."

"At that time, the Wu Kingdom in the south, since Shoumeng proclaimed himself king, had allied with the Jin Dynasty to attack the Chu State, and the country was strong and prosperous, showing a new look."

"So, Sun Wu decided that Wu was the ideal place for him to display his talents and realize his ambitions."

"In the 18st year of Duke Jing of Qi, Sun Wu was years old."

"He resolutely left Le'an, bid farewell to Qi, traveled a long distance, and defected to Wu."

"Three years after Helü ascended the throne, Wu was stable and its army was strong. Preparations for the westward expedition to attack Chu were basically complete."

"Wu Zixu suggested to Helu that such a long-distance expedition must be planned and commanded by a military strategist who is well versed in military strategy in order to achieve victory."

"He recommended Sun Wu, who was living in seclusion, to King Helu of Wu, introducing Sun Wu's family background, character and talents to the king, praising Sun Wu as a genius who could stabilize the country with both literary and military skills."

"But Sun Wu has been living in seclusion and writing books since he came to Wu."

"The King of Wu had never even heard of the name Sun Wu and believed that a mere farmer would not be able to achieve great things."

"Wu Zixu recommended Sun Wu repeatedly, seven times in just one morning, before the King of Wu finally agreed to meet him."

"Sun Wu brought his newly completed book, The Art of War, to see the King of Wu, who read it and praised it."

"But suddenly a thought occurred to me: the military strategy is very logical, but is it really suitable for actual war?"

"Sun Wu was able to write the Art of War, but he never led troops into battle. How can we prove that he was not just a practical scholar?"

"The King of Wu wanted to give Sun Wu a difficult task, so he asked for palace maids to practice with him."

"So the King of Wu ordered 180 beauties in the palace to be summoned to the training ground behind the palace and given to Sun Wu to train."

"Sun Wu divided the 180 palace maids into two teams, the left and the right, and appointed the two most favored beauties of the King of Wu as the captains of the left and right teams, and asked them to lead the palace maids in training."

"At the same time, he appointed his own driver and his companion as military officers to enforce military law."

"The assignments have been made. Sun Wu stands on the command platform and earnestly explains the essentials of the drill."

“All actions are based on the sound of the drum.”

"Once everything was arranged, Sun Wu beat the drum to give the order."

"But despite Sun Wu's repeated orders, the palace maids responded verbally, but in their hearts they felt it was new and interesting."

"They disobeyed orders, burst into laughter, and their formation was in disarray."

"Sun Wu insisted on killing the two Meiji captains and appointed the leaders of the two teams as captains to continue training the troops."

"When Sun Wu beat the drum again, the palace maids moved forward and backward, left and right, and moved in a measured manner. They crawled and rolled around in accordance with the rules, and their formation was very neat."

"Sun Wu's descendants asked Helu to inspect the troops, but Helu was unhappy because he had lost his beloved concubine, so he made an excuse not to come."

"Sun Wu then went to see Helu in person and explained why he had killed the two beauties."

"To enforce orders and to clearly distinguish rewards and punishments is the common law of the military and the general rule for a general to manage his troops."

"You must be dignified when dealing with soldiers. Only in this way will they obey orders and win the battle."

"After listening to Sun Wu's explanation, King Helu of Wu's anger subsided and he appointed Sun Wu as a general."

"Through Sun Wu's rigorous training, the military quality of the Wu army has improved significantly."

Cao Cao: I have read so many military books and strategies, but Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" left the most impression on me.

"The Art of War" is the earliest military book in Chinese history and is hailed as the holy book of military science.

"The Art of War" is not just a military work. The thoughts and ideas behind it are of great inspiration to today's politics and military. This is why he still wants to study "The Art of War".

For example, Sun Tzu said that to win every battle is not the best of all skills, and to defeat the enemy without fighting is not the best of all skills.

The reason why winning every battle is not a good thing is that the purpose of war is to defeat the opponent.

Then our vision will be limited to how to win the war, and we will forget that the essence of war is to avoid more wars.

War is only a means, not an end in itself.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, the Wu army defeated the Chu army and occupied the Chu capital. Sun Wu became famous because of this battle.

However, "The Art of War" was not well-known during the Spring and Autumn Period. It began to spread only during the subsequent Warring States Period and gradually became a must-read classic for emperors and generals of all dynasties. Many historical celebrities have spoken highly of it.

Another important reason why "The Art of War" has been widely circulated and has had an influence to this day is that many people in history have annotated it.

He did the same. Since people in the world did not grasp the essence of Sun Wu's thoughts, he wrote annotations.

These annotations have played a positive role in the research, understanding and promotion of "The Art of War" by later generations.

But many people have misunderstandings about "The Art of War", thinking that it is a secret book containing many strange strategies and tricks, and that reading it can make them invincible.

But in fact, many of the principles discussed in "The Art of War" are easy to understand. Perhaps it is because they seem too simple that people always feel that there are some secrets that have not been discovered.

But as the saying goes, the truth is simple, and behind simple principles lies profound wisdom.

"In 512 BC, Helu, Wu Liaoxu and Sun Wu led the Wu army to conquer Zhongwu and Shu, vassal states of Chu."

"At this time, Helu was hot-headed and wanted to march straight into the country of Chu and conquer it."

"Sun Wu thought this was inappropriate, so he gave advice to King Helu of Wu."

"The Chu army is a powerful force in the world, and it is incomparable to the Shu and Zhongwu countries."

"Our army has already conquered two countries in a row. Our troops are exhausted and our military supplies are depleted."

"It is better to withdraw the troops for the time being, conserve our energy and wait for the right opportunity."

"The King of Wu listened to Sun Wu's advice and ordered his troops to return home."

"Wu Zixu also agreed with Sun Wu's proposal and offered advice to the King of Wu."

"The men and horses are tired, so it is not advisable to go on a long expedition."

"However, our Wu army can also try to tire out the Chu army."

"So Wu Zixu and Sun Wu jointly agreed on a plan to tire out the Chu army, which was to form three powerful armies to attack Chu in turns."

"When the first Wu army attacked Chu, Chu saw that the force was strong and went all out to send troops to meet the attack."

"When the Chu army moves out, the Wu army will retreat."

"When the Chu army returned to their base, the second Wu army invaded Chu territory again."

"Such repeated attacks forced the Chu State to deal with the Wu army repeatedly, which consumed a lot of manpower and material resources. The country was empty, and the Chu people defected one after another."

"However, Wu State plundered a lot from the successive attacks and completely gained the upper hand in the confrontation with Chu State."

"In 506 BC, Chu attacked the small state of Cai, which had already acceded to Wu. This gave the Wu army an excuse to attack Chu."

"Helü, Wu Zixu and Sun Wu led 30,000 well-trained elite soldiers on warships and headed straight for the State of Cai to engage in battle with the State of Chu."

"The Chu army saw that the Wu army was coming fiercely, so they had to give up the siege of Cai State." "They withdrew their troops, mobilized their main forces, and stepped up defenses along the Han River to resist the attack of the Wu army."

"Unexpectedly, Sun Wu suddenly changed the route of his advance along the Huai River, abandoned his warships, and attacked by land, heading straight for the key areas of the Chu State."

"Wu Zixu asked Sun Wu in confusion, "The Wu army is good at naval warfare, so why do we need to march by land?"

"Sun Wu replied that the key to warfare is speed."

“You should take a path that others don’t expect, so as to catch them by surprise.”

"Going upstream will slow us down. The Chu army will surely take this opportunity to strengthen their defenses, and it will be difficult to defeat the enemy."

"After listening to this, Wu Zixu nodded in praise."

"So, Sun Wu selected 3,000 strong and agile soldiers from among the 30,000 elite soldiers to serve as the vanguard. They wore strong armor and held sharp weapons, and defeated the Chu army repeatedly."

"The Wu army invaded the capital of Chu, and King Zhao of Chu fled in panic with his sister."

"Sun Wu attacked the Chu army of 200,000 with only 30,000 troops and won a complete victory, creating a glorious example of defeating a larger force with a smaller one."

"However, Yue State took advantage of Wu's attack on Chu State to attack Wu State, and Qin State sent troops to help Chu State deal with Wu's army."

"So Helu had no choice but to lead his troops back to Wu."

"After that, Wu continued to attack Chu, and Chu chose to move its capital to avoid being destroyed."

Liu Che: After Wu destroyed Zhongwu and Shu, Wu Zixu proposed the strategy of tiring and misleading Chu, which was based on the idea of ​​The Art of War.

Specifically, it means to avoid the enemy when they are strong, to make them tired when they are at ease, to attack them when they are unprepared and unexpectedly, and finally to take them when they are in chaos.

Wu Zixu used the strategy of tiring out and misleading the Chu State to harass the Chu State for six years.

Using troops is a deceitful strategy, so when you are able to do so you pretend not to be able to do so, and when you are ready to use troops you pretend not to use them.

Being close to the enemy will make him feel that you are still far away; being far away will make him feel that you are close.

If the enemy is greedy for profit, use the lure of profit to win; if the enemy is in confusion, seize the opportunity to destroy him.

If the enemy is strong, be on guard and make adequate preparations. If the enemy is too strong, avoid him temporarily. If the enemy is irritable, deliberately provoke him.

If the enemy is cautious, make him proud; if the enemy is well rested, make him tired; if the enemy is united, alienate them.

Attack the enemy when he is least prepared, and strike him at the most unexpected time and place.

This is the principle of winning military battles, and it cannot be taught in advance.

In fact, this is Sun Wu's method of attacking the heart, and it can be used as a strategy at any time and on any battlefield.

When Wu's 30,000-strong army attacked Chu, they used Sun Wu's strategy of taking advantage of the enemy's food supply, and thus they were able to quickly capture the capital of Chu.

The 30,000 Wu troops attacked thousands of miles away, and the acquisition of food was explained in the combat strategy in the combat chapter of "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu.

Those who are good at employing troops will not register for military service again, and will not store food for more than three years. They will take food for the country and rely on the enemy for food, so the army will have enough food.

A general who is good at employing troops will not recruit soldiers too many times, and food and fodder will not be transported too many times.

During the war, the army took supplies from other countries as supplements and ate the enemy's food to sustain the war, so the army had enough food.

This is a very practical combat idea, which also depends on speed. It is necessary to take it down quickly and unexpectedly. Otherwise, it will be very passive if it is taken away or burned by the enemy.

Throughout Sun Wu's military career, he practiced "The Art of War". It can be said that theory guided practice, and practice verified truth.

"While helping Helu to defeat the powerful Chu in the west, Sun Wu also planned to conquer the Yue Kingdom."

"In 496 BC, the King of Yue died. The new King Gou Jian was young and the country was not stable."

"When Helu heard this, he thought that this opportunity was too good to be missed.

"He ignored the advice of Sun Wu and others, and without waiting for all preparations to be completed, he hastily dispatched troops to defeat the Kingdom of Yue."

"Unexpectedly, Gou Jian reorganized his troops and took the initiative to fight. The two armies met at the border of Wu and Yue."

"Gou Jian used a clever strategy and sent the condemned prisoners out first, arranging them in three rows."

"Put the sword on your neck, make a statement and perform, then commit suicide in front of the battle."

"The Wu soldiers didn't know those people were criminals, so they were stunned and lost their minds."

"The Yue army took the opportunity to launch a charge, and the Wu army retreated in panic. Hechang was also seriously injured and died."

"After Helu died, the throne was inherited by the crown prince Fuchai."

"Sun Wu and Wu Zixu reorganized the military to assist Fu Chai in his mission of revenge."

"In the spring of 494 BC, Gou Jian mobilized his army to march towards Wu by water, and Fu Chai led elite troops to meet him."

"Under the planning of Sun Wu and Wu Zixu, the Wu army deployed many deceptive troops overnight."

"They were divided into two wings, holding torches high, and the flames were connected into one in the dark night."

"Move quickly towards the Vietnamese positions, and the sound of killing will shake the sky."

"The Vietnamese army was terrified and their morale was shaken."

"The Wu army took advantage of the situation and attacked, defeating the Yue army."

"Gou Jian, under pursuit by the Wu army, took 5,000 soldiers and fled to a small town on Kuaiji Mountain to resist. As the Wu army surrounded him, Gou Jian had no choice but to humiliate himself and ask for peace from King Fuchai of Wu."

"Fuchai ignored Wu Zixu's advice and agreed to Gou Jian's request for peace."

"After the Wu Kingdom won the battle for hegemony in the south, it moved northwards to the Central Plains."

"In 485 BC, Fu Chai allied with the State of Lu and defeated the Qi army."

"In 482 BC, Fu Chai led tens of thousands of elite troops to form an alliance with the rulers of Jin, Lu and other vassal states."

"King Fuchai of Wu fought for the position of hegemony at this alliance meeting, backed by his powerful military force."

"Although Sun Wu did not directly participate in the victory of the attack on Qi and the struggle for hegemony with Jin."

"But before that, Sun Wu carefully trained the army and formulated military strategies, which made an indelible contribution to Fu Chai's establishment of hegemony."

Li Shimin: King Fuchai of Wu became arrogant after achieving a little success, and finally suffered a tragic fate when he was avenged by King Goujian of Yue.

At the alliance meeting, King Fuchai of Wu fought for the position of overlord with the backing of powerful military force.

As Wu's hegemony grew, Fuchai gradually became self-righteous.

He no longer worked hard to govern the country as he did before, and no longer valued meritorious officials such as Sun Wu and Wu Zixu. Instead, he promoted treacherous officials.

Gou Jian, King of Yue, wanted to destroy Wu in order to dampen the morale of King Wu and confuse King Fu Chai.

On the one hand, he personally served the King of Wu, sleeping on straw and paying for his courage, and on the other hand, he selected the beautiful Xi Shi to bring to Wu.

After Xi Shi entered Wu, King Fuchai built a lot of buildings, drank every day, and reveled every night, indulging in wine and sex.

Sun Wu and Wu Zixu saw clearly that since Gou Jian was forced to seek peace, he would definitely find a way to retaliate.

Therefore, the State of Yue must be completely destroyed, and we must not tolerate its evil and leave any future troubles.

However, King Fuchai of Wu listened to the instigation of treacherous ministers and ignored the admonitions of Sun Wu and Wu Zixu.

As Wu Zixu repeatedly gave advice, Fuchai became furious and made up an excuse to force him to commit suicide.

He even ordered his men to put Wu Zixu's body in a leather bag and throw it into the river without giving him a burial.

The death of Wu Zixu dealt a heavy blow to Sun Wu.

Sun Wu's heart was completely chilled, and he realized that the State of Wu was beyond redemption.

Sun Wu knew very well the principle that when the birds are all gone, the bows are put away; when the rabbits are dead, the dogs are cooked, so he quietly retired to the mountains.

Based on his experience in training troops and commanding battles, Sun Wu revised "The Art of War" to make it more perfect.

There is so much to say about "The Art of War" and it has had a great influence on later generations.

The ideas of Sun Tzu's Art of War on motivating soldiers reminded him of Shang Yang's military merit system of reform. Bai Qi and Han Xin's ideas on using troops can also be found in Sun Tzu's Art of War.

Although it is a military book, it has influenced all aspects from ancient times to the present, and the ideas are still useful today. It is a book full of wisdom.

"In addition to his outstanding military achievements, Sun Wu's life was also marked by the fact that he left behind the precious "The Art of War" for future generations."

"These short 13 articles with 5000 words embody Sun Wu's complete military thought."

"Sun Wu's military thought has simple materialistic and dialectical viewpoints."

"He stressed that the outcome of a war does not depend on ghosts or gods, but is related to political clarity, economic development, diplomatic efforts, military strength, and natural conditions."

"Predicting the outcome of a war mainly involves analyzing the above conditions, which reflects his simple materialistic viewpoint."

"Sun Wu not only believed that the world existed objectively, but also that things in the world were constantly moving and changing."

"It emphasizes that we should actively create conditions in war, give full play to people's subjective initiative, and promote the transformation of the opposites to a direction that is beneficial to ourselves, which shows Sun Wu's active dialectical thinking."

"It is precisely because Sun Wu summarized and concluded an extremely rich and comprehensive philosophical truth in the specific science of military science."

"Thus, Sun Wu's position in the intellectual world of the late Spring and Autumn Period was established, along with Confucius and Laozi, and they were collectively called the three bright stars in the sky of the intellectual world of the late Spring and Autumn Period."

"Sun Wu's military theory is not without flaws and errors, but it is far superior to the military works of his time."

"His outstanding insights have profoundly influenced later generations and he has been widely respected by military strategists both at home and abroad, both ancient and modern."

"Many of Sun Wu's ideas are still applicable today, such as advocating caution in war, which he explicitly pointed out in The Art of War."

"War is a major national event, which concerns the life and death of the people and the survival of the country. It must be carefully studied and considered."

"Sun Wu also warned the king not to raise troops out of anger, and the generals not to fight out of anger. They must look ahead and behind and make decisions based on the national interest."

"For example, Sun Wu made the famous statement that if you know yourself and your enemy, you will never be in danger in a hundred battles."

"I believe that victory in war can only be achieved if you have a thorough understanding of your own strength and the enemy's situation, and grasp the enemy's dynamic changes at any time and place, and take corresponding response measures."

"For example, Sun Wu proposed the idea of ​​concentrating superior forces to fight a war of annihilation."

"I believe that no matter how strong or weak the overall balance of power between the enemy and us is, we must create opportunities."

"We will create a local superiority in our army's strength, attack one with ten, defeat the minority with the majority, and completely annihilate the enemy."

"These brilliant military ideas and military judgments are highly respected by military strategists. Sun Wu is unanimously revered as the ancestor of military strategists by military strategists of all ages and all over the world."

Zhu Di: Although Sun Wu's military achievements are few and far between, his "The Art of War" which has been passed down through the ages is enough to make him worthy of the title of Military Saint.

There are only two sentences about Sun Wu's military achievements in the "Records of the Grand Historian", but it is believed that he was as powerful as Sun Tzu.

It is not difficult to see that Sun Wu was definitely not the commander in the battle.

He was just a participant, either a general or a counselor.

This inevitably gives people the feeling that the reputation is not worthy of it.

Sun Wu was a man of extraordinary talent, but King Helu of Wu did not let him serve as commander-in-chief.

The reason is very simple. First, Helu himself is a man of great talent and strategy, and is fully capable of serving as a commander, without the need to rely on others.

Second, Sun Wu was unknown before he met King Helü of Wu. No matter how good Wu Gong’s military training was, it could not replace actual combat.

As the king of a country, Helu naturally did not dare to take risks in a battle that would affect the fate and future of the country.

Although Sun Wu's military record was mediocre, he believed that there were two reasons why Sun Wu deserved the title of Military Saint.

First, Sun Wu has an extremely deep understanding of human nature, and is able to seamlessly manipulate human nature to achieve his goals.

The first scene of Sun Wu's sudden appearance, and also the most widely circulated deed, is teaching warfare in the Wu Palace.

That is, using the concubines and maids in the palace of King Helu of Wu to practice the battle formation, Sun Wu's performance was extraordinary.

On the surface, Wu Gong's military training was a test for King Helu of Wu.

In fact, for Sun Wu, it was a completely carefully planned battle.

The battle took place in the Wu Palace. The purpose of the battle was to make King Helu of Wu convinced. The two sides in the battle were Sun Wu and the King of Wu.

It is not difficult to see that the King of Wu has the advantage of fighting at home.

Moreover, Helü himself was a man of great talent and strategy, holding a high position of power and authority, and having the ability to look down on others.

However, under Sun Wu's casual arrangement, he ultimately suffered a complete defeat.

First, Sun Wu presented the military strategy, in which he poured all his efforts and wisdom, to Helu, thus gaining an advantage.

Next, he faced Helu's almost playful attempt to verify the situation.

Sun Wu readily agreed, thus luring Helu into his own trap.

Then, without raising Helu's alarm, Sun Wu appointed his two favorite concubines as captains.

Finally, he used the method of killing Helu's favorite concubine to intimidate Helu, showing his own ability, and at the same time using Helu's reaction to evaluate whether the other party was a wise ruler worthy of serving.

I believe that with Sun Wu's ability, he must have done enough homework and understood the King of Wu's character before meeting him.

Therefore, he boldly set up a plan and played the shrewd Helu with ease, which was a small test of his ability.

Second, Sun Wu’s understanding of war is unmatched.

The long history of Chinese civilization can also be said to be a history of war, and many famous generals have emerged.

They were invincible on the battlefield and were unrivaled at the time.

However, the vast majority of them know the results but not the reasons, and winning the battle depends on experience and luck.

The reason why Sun Wu stands out is that in "The Art of War" he demonstrated an unusually deep understanding of the cruelty of war, its relationship with a country's comprehensive strength, and the depth of war.

Soldiers, the country's major events, the place of death and life, the way of survival, must be observed.

Looking back at all dynasties, the only book that can interpret strategy and tactics so profoundly and comprehensively is "The Art of War".

(End of this chapter)