Three Lies make a Tiger

Three Lies make a Tiger

Peng Long was going to go with the heir-apparent of the State of Wei to Haian, the capital of the State of Zhao, as a hostage.

(This was practice at the time between states to dissipate mutual suspicion after making an alliance. Pang Gong was a subject of the State of Wei, during the dynastic rule of Zhou)

Before leaving he said to the Prince of Wei “Suppose a man comes to report that he has seen a tiger in the open market, will your Highness believe it?”

“No,” The prince answered.

“Suppose a second man comes to say so, will your Highness believe it?”

“I’ll begin to wonder.”

“Suppose a third man comes with the same report, will your Highness take it as true?”

“I believe I will”

“Well, it is now as clear as daylight that no tiger here would go to the open market, but since three men have said the same thing, the presence of a tiger there becomes established. Now, Handan is much further from our capital Daliang then the market is from the court, and those who talk behind my back will be more than just three. When I’m gone I hope that Your Highness will not fail to judge what you will hear from them, and judge carefully.”

“I know how to judge.” Prince huffed, clearly displeased.

Then Peng Long asked to be excused and bade farewell to the prince. After he had left slanderous words against him made their way to the prince’s ear.

When the agreed upon period for the hostage exchange was over, the heir-apparent returned home. Just as expected, Peng Long was summoned to an audience with the Prince who, as anticipated, no longer trusted him.

Zhanguo Ce (Warring states Records)

Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao

The Art of War - Strategy Two

Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao

This strategy directs one to relieve the besieged city/state by besieging the home base of the besiegers.

Let us say a far superior force is deployed against your city or state; or it may be that your neighbouring ally is the one on the receiving end and steadfast, stalwart resistance is not enough to deter hostilities or defeat the onslaught. Then clearly the best recourse would be to invade the enemy’s home territory. This would compel the foe to hastily divert a major part of their army to defend their home ground.

Meanwhile, having just reduced their forces arrayed against you, you may set a serious of ambushes to target the enemy’s weak points; the objective being to break the enemy’s massive army up into smaller, more vulnerable, segments.

The strategy of fighting a powerful enemy is like regulating the rivers. When the enemy is as ferocious and overpowering as a big flood, one should avoid a head on confrontation and wait until it has lost its initial momentum before steering a torrent into a dredged channel to divide the flow, calm it down and render it controllable. A minor enemy can be handled like a lesser flood. One can construct a dike to halt its movement.

Keep in mind that the motion of ground forces is comparable to the flow of water. Water avoids heights and tends to flow towards the lower ground. The flowing of water is typically determined by the terrain just as the movement of the army is determined by the enemy’s situation.

An effective force therefore avoids engaging a strong enemy directly and attacks the weaker segments. An army should have no fixed deployment. Like water it should have no definite shape. Lastly the superb military commander attains victory by changing tactics according to his different enemies.

In summary, a victorious army avoids engaging the strong and attacks the weak, avoids the solid to attack the brittle, and avoids the difficult to attack the easy. This is the sure way to achieve a hundred victories in a hundred battles.



The End.

A Bird Startled by the Mere Twang of a Bowstring

A Bird Startled by the Mere Twang of a Bowstring

Years ago, Gong Lei and the King Wei standing on a high terrace saw some birds flying past. This Gong Lei boasted that he could down a bird by drawing his bow but not shooting.

“You mean to say that shooting skill can reach such a high level?” the king wondered.

“Indeed I do.”

A while later a flock of wild geese came from the east. Gong Lei went into action and succeeded in downing a bird by merely producing a twang with his bowstring.

“Really, archery can go that far?” cried the King.

“Well, that bird has an unhealed wound.”

“How do you know, sir?”

“Because it was flying slowly and uttering a plaintive cry, “Gong Lei responded. “Generally, an old wound affects the speed of flying and lagging behind the crowd for long leads to a desperate calling. So, an unhealed wound means an un-recovered fright. At the twang of my bowstring the bird strove to soar but fell because the wound burst open.”



From : Zhang no Ce ( warring states records)

Fini

The Art of War Strategy One - Cross the Sea without Heaven’s Knowledge

The Art of War Strategy One

Cross the Sea without Heaven’s Knowledge

Each military maneuver has two aspects: the superficial and the actual move with a hidden agenda. By concealing both, one can take the opponent/enemy completely by surprise. But such ideal secrecy can seldom be attained in actual warfare. In most cases to keep the enemy completely ignorant of one’s operations is no easier task than to “cross the see without heaven’s knowledge.” The only alternative is to trick the enemy to neglect or misinterpret the fundamental purpose of one’s operation.

Take into account that even people who take ample precautions are liable to be caught off guard and that familiar sights do not rouse suspicion. On the outset assume no posture or shape, say nothing literal and do nothing definite to attract the least attention by deep probing spies. At the same time adapt manoeuvres that are twofold; one that is superficial and a second within it that contains the primary goal. By masking both, the adversary can always be deceived and lured into fighting shadows. This would also provide one the advantage of surprise so as to launch strategic and deadly offensives or to ambush the enemy unopposed.

It is said: A good defender conceals beneath multitude layers of camouflage to avoid detection; a good attacker moves (usually from afar) too swiftly with such fabulous speed that the opponent is taken by surprise and robbed any chance for defense.

A superb military manoeuvres leave no trace and therefore avoid detection by deep probing satellites or spies. In this way he is able to both preserve himself and at the same time achieve victory.

“He assumes no posture and reveals no shape so that there’s nothing he cannot achieve. He reveals no shape and shows no move so that there is no change he cannot make. This is the supreme art of war.”

The End

Sun Tzu Strategy Twenty One

Sun Tzu Strategy Twenty One

The Cicada Sloughs Its Skin. 

Maintain the original shape and play out the original pose, so that the ally does not doubt and the enemy does not move. Submission and stillness lead to decay. From a distance, the newly sloughed skin of a cicada looks like cicada itself. One who wants to catch the cicada may be distracted by the skin while the cicada flees. Thus the idiom points to the method of escape: maintain the appearance of inaction while taking action in secret. In warfare, to withdraw is no easier than to advance. In retreat army is exposed to attack from its reader; the retreat may turn into a stampede if the superior enemy forces follow up to attack. Therefore half should be arranged for a “surprise retreat” by pulling away all of a sudden and in the meantime maintaining the appearance of inaction. In a broader sense, the strategy instructs one to conjure of false appearances for the concealment of secret military manoeuvres, when confronted by an enemy superior in number and strength, we should set up a great quantity of banners and standards and double our cooking stoves to flaunt our strength. Thus, the enemy will be unable to ascertain our actual number and strength and will think twice before seeking an engagement with us. Then we can withdraw quickly to get away from peril and preserve our forces. The principal does, “strength or weakness depends on dispositions.” 

Zhuge Liang (181-234), style name Kongming, often depicted wearing a robe and holding a hand fan made of crane feathers, Zhuge Liang was a chancellor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. He is often recognized as the greatest and the most accomplished military strategist of his era and is often compared to another great ancient Chinese Strategist Sun Tzu. Zhuge Liang also an accomplished scholar and an inventor, also went by the the nickname “Wolong” (Crouching Dragon).

The wisdom of Zhuge Liang was popularised by the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong during the Ming Dynasty. In it, Zhuge Liang is described to be able to perform fantastical achievements such as summoning advantageous winds and devising magical stone mazes.

There is great confusion on whether the stories are historical or fictional. At least, the Empty Fort Strategy is based on historical records, albeit not attributed to Zhuge Liang historically. Nevertheless the question is though rather irrelevant, as the Zhuge Liang of lore is regardless seen as a mastermind, whose strategies continue to influence many generations through strategically, military and everyday thinking.

Here, Zhuge Liang, faced with a dire situation, applies this strategy, banking on the fact that Sima Yi had observed his strategies for years past and therefore feels confident that he knows his opponent Kongming well:

The End