Sun Wu

"Sun Tzu's Art of War" is a military work that has been popular since the Warring States Period. Military strategists at home and abroad in ancient and modern times have used the military theories discussed in it to guide wars, and, The basic theories and ideas discussed in it have also been applied to modern business decision-making and social management. However, who is the author of this work? There are a lot of discussions in the academic world. One thinks it was written by Sun Wu of the Wu Kingdom during the Spring and Autumn Period. Another thinks it was compiled by Sun Bin. Another thinks it was compiled by a forest scholar in the early Warring States Period. Some say it was compiled by Cao Cao during the Three Kingdoms period. . It was not until April 1972 that "Sun Tzu's Art of War" and "Sun Bin's Art of War" written on bamboo slips were simultaneously discovered in two Han Dynasty tombs excavated in Yinqueshan, Linyi, Shandong. In this way, hundreds of years of debate came to an end. The author of "The Art of War" is identified as Sun Wu, the general of the Wu Kingdom during the Spring and Autumn Period.

Hidden in Wu Kingdom and Mastered the Art of War

Sun Wu, also known as Changqing, was respectfully called Sun Tzu or Sun Wu Zi by later generations. He was born in Le'an, Qi State (today's Huimin, Shandong) around 535 BC. The specific dates of birth and death are unknown. Sun Wu's ancestor was named Guiman, who was canonized as the king of Chen State by the Emperor of Zhou Dynasty (Chen State was located in eastern Henan and part of Anhui today, and had its capital in Wanqiu, now Huaiyang, Henan). Later, due to an internal coup in Chen State, Sun Wu's direct distant ancestor Gui Wanji fled to Qi State with his family and defected to Duke Huan of Qi. Duke Huan of Qi had long known that Chen Gongzi Guiwan was young and promising, and appointed him as Gong Zheng responsible for managing all the affairs. After Gui Wan settled in Qi State, his surname was changed from Gui to Tian, ??so he was also called Tian Wan. More than a hundred years later, the Tian family has become a large rising family in Qi State. Its status has become more and more prominent, and its territory in Qi State has also expanded. Tian Wan's fifth grandson, Tian Shu, became a high official in Qi State and was very talented in military affairs. Because of his merits in leading troops to attack Ju (today's Ju County, Shandong Province), Qi Jinggong granted him a piece of mining land in Le'an (the princes granted it to their ministers, ministers, etc.). The doctor was regarded as the land of Shilu (also known as "fief" type "food town"), and was given the surname Sun. Because of this, Tian Shu was also called Sun Shu. Sun Ping, the son of Sun Shu, became a minister of the State of Qi and became the highest-ranking official below the monarch of the State of Qi. Sun Ping is Sun Wu's father.

Since 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 Yellow Emperor's combat experience in defeating the four emperors and the military history of Yi Yin, Jiang Taigong, and Guan Zhong. At that time, there were frequent wars and fierce annexations. His grandfather and father were both generals who were good at leading troops in battle.

He had also heard and witnessed some wars since he was a child, which was very important for the military training of young Sun Wu. of. However, the Qi State where Sun Wu lived was full of internal conflicts and crises. In the early years of Duke Jinggong of Qi, Qingfeng, the left prime minister, killed Cui Zhu, the right prime minister. Then the four major families, including Tian, ??Bao, Luan and Gao, united and drove Qingfeng away. Later, as the civil strife worsened, the conflicts between the Qi royal family and the four major families, and the struggle between the four major families for power and profit, became more and more intense. Sun Wu was extremely disgusted with this kind of internal struggle and did not want to get involved in it. He had the idea of ????running away from home and finding another way to display his talents. At that time, the Wu State in the south had joined forces with the Jin Dynasty to attack Chu since Shou Meng became king. Sun Wu determined that Wu was the ideal place for him to display his talents and realize his ambitions. Around the 31st year of Qi Jinggong (517 BC), Sun Wu was in the prime of his 18th year. He resolutely left Le'an, bid farewell to the State of Qi, traveled a long distance, and defected to the State of Wu. Sun Wu's career was in the State of Wu. After his death, he was also buried in the state of Wu. Therefore, "Wu Yue Chun Qiu. He Lu Nei Zhuan" refers to Sun Wu as a "Wu person".

After Sun Wu came to Wu, he met Wu Zixu, who came from Chu, on the outskirts of Wudu (now Suzhou City). Wu Zixu was originally a famous minister of Chu State. In 522 BC, his father Wu She and brother Wu Shang were killed by King Ping of Chu and fled to Wu State. He determined to raise an army to attack Chu and avenge his father and brother. After Sun Wu met Wu Zixu, he was very speculative and became a close friend. At this time, the situation in the state of Wu was also in turmoil, so the two of them took refuge in seclusion and waited for the opportunity.

In 515 BC, Prince Guang of the state of Wu took advantage of the emptiness in the country due to the attack on Chu by the state of Wu. He used Zhuanzhu as an assassin to attack and kill King Liao of Wu, and then proclaimed himself king and called Helu. After Helu came to the throne, he treated the virtuous corporal and appointed Wu Zixu and other virtuous ministers. He was also considerate of the people's sentiments, not greedy for delicious food, did not listen to lewd music, and did not indulge in women. He paid attention to the development of production, accumulated food, built city walls, and trained the army, thus making great achievements. With the support of the people, Wu State showed a prosperous scene. Helu also focused on searching for various talents, determined to make the Wu Kingdom more powerful, and sometimes develop to the middle reaches of the Yangtze River to destroy Chu and become the king. Sun Wu, who lived in seclusion on the outskirts of Wudu, saw his future more clearly. In his seclusion, he cultivated his gardens and wrote about the art of war, and asked Wu Zixu to introduce him. Finally, Sun Wu wrote 13 articles on The Art of War. These 13 articles on the Art of War all talk about strategies and tactics on how to defeat the enemy and win. The whole book forms a strict system.

The first "Planning" discusses how to plan before and during war, and discusses the importance of planning in war. Sun Wu believed that before starting a war, it is necessary to conduct a thorough study and comparison of the basic conditions of the enemy and ourselves, and make careful plans in order to formulate a correct battle plan. There are five basic conditions that determine the outcome of a war, namely "Tao" (morality), "Tian" (timing), "Di" (geographical convenience), "General" (general), and "Fa" (legal system).

Once these conditions are clearer, we can determine the outcome of the war. In the process of war, we must also conduct research and planning based on interests and changing situations, and adopt flexible measures to attack the enemy "unprepared and by surprise." Sun Wu believed that if you plan carefully, you may win the war, but if you plan poorly, it will be difficult to win, and if you don't plan at all, you will definitely fail.

The second "Combat Chapter" discusses the importance of quick victory. Because sending troops to fight will consume a lot of manpower, material resources, and financial resources of the country. If it goes on for a long time, the army will be exhausted, its spirit will be dampened, and its wealth will be depleted. Other princes will take the opportunity to attack. Starting from the idea of ??quick victory, Sun Wu opposed using the crude combat weapons of the time to conquer fortified cities, and opposed repeatedly recruiting soldiers and transporting military supplies domestically. Instead, he advocated providing food and grass on the spot in the enemy's country, and advocated rewarding soldiers with riches. He advocated preferential treatment of prisoners and used capture to supplement and strengthen himself. He believed that only in this way could he defeat the enemy quickly.

The third chapter, "Strike and Attack," discusses the use of strategy to conquer the enemy. Sun Wu believed that "the soldier who subdues the enemy without fighting" is the "good among the good", and the best is to force the enemy to surrender by "the whole country", "the whole army", "the whole brigade", "the whole soldier" and "the whole army". The ideal battle plan is to "break the country", "break the army", "break the brigade", "break the soldiers" and "break the troops" to defeat the enemy with force, which is second-rate and "not a good person".

How can we achieve "conquering the enemy without fighting"? Sun Wu believed that the best strategy was to "defeat the enemy", followed by "defeat the enemy", and then "defeat the army", that is, he advocated conquering the enemy through political offensive, diplomatic means and armed force. When fighting the enemy, if the enemy is strong and we are weak, we should concentrate our superior forces to defeat the enemy, so as to "encircle the enemy ten times, attack the enemy five times, divide the enemy if doubled, and then be able to fight the enemy." That is, if the enemy is ten times stronger than the enemy, If you have an army of five times the enemy's strength, you will surround the enemy. If you have five times the enemy's strength, you will attack the enemy. If you have twice the enemy's strength, try to disperse the enemy. If you are equal to the enemy's strength, you will be good at defeating the enemy. If you have less strength than the enemy, you will be good at retreating. Combat effectiveness If you are not as good as the enemy, you should avoid fighting with the enemy and cannot fight forcefully. In this article, Sun Wu put forward the glorious thought of "Know your enemy and yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without danger." He believed that strategy must be based on understanding the situation of both the enemy and ourselves.

The fourth "Shape Chapter" discusses that when using troops to fight, we must first create conditions for ourselves not to be defeated by the enemy, so as to wait for the opportunity when the enemy can be defeated by us, so that we can be "invincible." Sun Wu believed that the outcome of a war depends on the strength of both the enemy and ourselves. If you want to defeat the enemy, you must have an absolute advantage in the balance of strength and create a rapid and irresistible trend. In addition, I must wait for a favorable opportunity for the enemy to be defeated by me, and be good at seizing the enemy's weaknesses, so that I can defeat the enemy easily. Sun Wu believed that to win in battle, one must be good at dealing with offense and defense issues. If you don't have enough troops, defend; if you have more troops, attack. When defending, you must hide yourself very tightly, and when attacking, you must catch the enemy by surprise. In this way, the goal of "self-preservation and complete victory" can be achieved.

The fifth "Position" discusses how to use troops to fight to create a rapid and violent momentum that can overwhelm the enemy, and to be good at utilizing this rapid momentum.

What is potential? Sun Tzu said that this kind of momentum is like a torrent that can lift stones, like a fully drawn crossbow on the verge of firing, or like a boulder rolling down a thousand-foot mountain. It has an irresistible force. By using this kind of power to attack the enemy, one can be equal to ten and become invincible.

How to create this trend? First of all, you must create conditions for yourself so that you have the power to defeat your enemies. Secondly, we must "select people and let them take charge". Choose a general who is familiar with military affairs and knows people well. He can command soldiers to fight flexibly. He is also good at using illusions to confuse the enemy, using small profits to mobilize the enemy, luring the enemy into a trap, and then using ambushes to hit the enemy hard.

The Sixth "Virtual and Real Chapter" discusses that the policy of "avoiding the real and attacking the fictitious" must be adopted in military operations.

How can we avoid the truth and attack the fictitious? First, we must put ourselves in an active position and the enemy in a passive position, and take the initiative in the war into our own hands. Those who are good at using troops to fight can try to mobilize the enemy without being mobilized by the enemy. Second, we must take the enemy by surprise, attack him where he is not prepared, and attack where the enemy's strength is empty. Third, we must concentrate our own forces and try to disperse the enemy's forces, resulting in a tactical situation where we are outnumbered.

Sun Wu pointed out that the use of the combat policy of avoiding reality and attacking fictitiousness must start from analyzing the enemy's situation and follow changes in the situation, because the relationship between numbers, strength, weakness, offense and defense, advance and retreat, etc. during the war must be dealt with. In the midst of rapid changes, "there is no constant momentum for soldiers and no constant shape for water. Those who can win due to changes in the enemy are called gods."

The seventh "Military Struggle" discusses how to compete for favorable conditions for victory and enable oneself to take the initiative in combat. Sun Wu believed: First of all, one must understand the political trends of each vassal state, be familiar with the terrain, and use a guide to understand the situation clearly. Secondly, we must act in unison and move in unison, so that "it is as fast as the wind, as slow as the forest, as invading and plundering as fire, as motionless as a mountain, as unpredictable as the shadow, and as moving as thunder." "The brave cannot advance alone, and the timid cannot retreat alone." . Third, it requires correct command and flexible maneuvers, "avoiding its aggressiveness and attacking its laziness". Only by doing the above points can you be in a favorable position in the war.

The eighth "Nine Changes" discusses that generals should handle problems flexibly and flexibly according to various specific situations when commanding operations, and should not be mechanical and rigid and lead to failure, and puts forward requirements for generals.

Sun Wu emphasized that when a general handles a problem, he must do the following: First, consider both the beneficial and harmful aspects of the problem. Think of the unfavorable factors in a favorable situation, and think of the favorable factors in an unfavorable situation. Secondly, different struggle methods must be adopted according to different struggle goals. Third, it must be based on full preparation and making the enemy invincible, and nothing can be left to chance. Fourth, we must overcome extreme temperament and consider issues comprehensively, carefully and calmly. Only by doing the above can we "get the benefit of the land" and gain the use of people. Sun Wu believed that a general must handle problems based on reality in order to defeat the enemy, so he did not need to execute the monarch's orders that violated the actual situation. Therefore, he Boldly put forward the military famous saying "the emperor's orders are not accepted"

The ninth "March Chapter" discusses how to arrange the army and judge the enemy's situation during marching operations, and also discusses the army's position in mountains, rivers, and rivers. Sun Wu also discussed different methods for dealing with four types of terrain such as salt-alkali swamps and plains, and also discussed how the army encountered special terrain such as Juejian, Tianjing, Tianlao, Tianluo, Tianzheng, and Tianxi. Sun Wu also proposed 31. A method of observing and judging the enemy's situation. Through these methods, we can analyze the various phenomena we see, hear and detect, and grasp the real enemy's situation, so that we can formulate a correct combat plan and win victory. He also put forward the principle of military management using both civil and military forces to "order with words, and use force to rectify the situation", that is, to educate soldiers with morality and to unify the pace with laws and disciplines. Such an army will definitely win in war.

The Tenth "Terrain Chapter" discusses how to use terrain in military operations, focusing on the benefits of fighting deep into the enemy's country. Sun Wu analyzed the characteristics of nine battlefields and the psychological state of soldiers in these areas, and proposed accordingly. They considered different measures for using troops in these areas. They believed that going deep into the enemy's country would be equivalent to putting soldiers in danger and into death. They would be forced to fight to the death and exert greater combat effectiveness. Moreover, going deep into the enemy's country could also replenish military supplies on the spot. , but also because they are too far away from home, they can not escape, obey the command, fight with one heart and one mind, and win the war.

The 12th "Fire Attack" discusses the methods and methods of using fire attack in war.

Sun Wu believes that there are five types of fire attack: fire people, fire accumulation, fire baggage, fire storehouse, and fire team, that is, burning the enemy's camp, accumulation, baggage, treasury and These are the five types of transportation facilities. The focus is on destroying the enemy's manpower, material resources, and transportation lines. These five fire attack methods must be used in a variety of ways. Our army can master them, and the enemy can also master them. We should pay attention to them.

The conditions for an attack must be met. In addition to the preparation of fire equipment, the weather must be chosen when setting fires. The fire attack must be carried out in conjunction with the soldiers' attack on dry and windy days. Give full play to the role of fire attack to achieve the goal of victory.

The Thirteenth "Jian Chapter" discusses the importance of using spies to detect the enemy's situation in combat, and discusses the types of spies and methods of using spies. Sun Wu attaches great importance to the role of spies and believes that they are a key to victory in combat. Sun Wu divides spies into five types: the so-called "internal spy", "internal spy", "death spy" and "living spy". Yinjian means using ordinary people in the enemy's country as spies. Internal jian means using the enemy's officials as spies. Let our spies know and then pass it on to the enemy. The so-called living beings are spies who are sent to the enemy to reconnoiter the enemy's situation and can come back to report in person. Of these five types of spies, the first three use enemy personnel, and the latter two are used by us to infiltrate into the enemy. When these five types of spies are used, the sources of intelligence will be very wide. When fighting a war, the enemy will be at a loss and not know how to deal with it. It is indeed unpredictable. The information obtained from countermeasures is the most important. Therefore, special attention should be paid to counterinsurance and the treatment of counterinstitution should be particularly generous.

There are 13 articles on Sun Wu’s Art of War, each with its own emphasis, ups and downs, thorough analysis, precise insights, and strong practicality. In order to enable the King of Wu to appoint him, he said at the beginning of the Art of War: "If the King of Wu listens to my plan and uses troops, he will win. I will stay here. If he doesn't listen to my plan and uses troops, he will be defeated. I will also I want to go to other countries." In order to make King Wu feel comfortable reading the Art of War, he often used the war cases of the conflict between Wu and Vietnam at that time to elaborate on it in a targeted manner. In his art of war, he compared himself to Yi Yin, the founding minister of the Shang Dynasty, and Jiang Taigong, the founding minister of the Zhou Dynasty, hoping to assist King Wu to unify the dynasty.

Test the troops and appoint generals to conquer the west and the south

Three years after Helu came to the throne, that is, in 512 BC, the state of Wu was domestically stable, had sufficient warehouses, and had a strong army, so he marched westward to conquer Chu. The country's preparations are basically in place. Wu Zixu proposed to Helu that such a long-distance expedition must be planned and commanded by a military strategist who is well versed in Tao strategy in order to win. He recommended Sun Wu, who was living in seclusion, to Helu, the King of Wu. He introduced Sun Wu's family background, character and talents to the King of Wu, and praised Sun Wu as an unparalleled genius who could secure the country and rule the country with military force. However, Sun Wu had been living in seclusion and writing books since he came to Wu. The King of Wu had never even heard of Sun Wu's name and thought that a farmer would not have great abilities.

Wu Zixu recommended him repeatedly, seven times in one morning, before King Wu agreed to meet Sun Wu.

Sun Wu brought the art of war he had just written to the King of Wu. King Wu read the art of war one by one and praised it, but suddenly an idea came to him: the art of war is sound and logical, is it really suitable for the practical use of war? Sun Wu can write about the art of war, so how can we prove that he is more than just a person who talks about war on paper? The King of Wu then said to Sun Wu: "I have read the thirteen chapters of your art of war one by one. It is really refreshing and I have benefited a lot, but I don't know how to put it into practice. Can you practice it on a small scale so that we can see it?" " Sun Wu replied: "Yes." King Wu asked again: "What kind of people do you plan to use for the drill?" Sun Wu replied: "You can use any kind of people according to the king's wishes. No matter whether they are noble or lowly, whether they are male or female. Anything is fine." King Wu wanted to pose a problem to Sun Wu, so he asked to use a palace maid to practice.

So King Wu ordered 180 beauties from the palace to be summoned to the training ground behind the palace and handed them over to Sun Wu for training. Sun Wu divided the 180 palace ladies into left and right teams, and designated the two most favored beauties of King Wu as the left and right captains, asking them to lead the palace ladies in drills. At the same time, he assigned his own drivers and companions to serve as military officials, responsible for enforcing military law.

The assignments were decided, and Sun Wu stood on the command podium and earnestly preached the drill essentials. He asked: "You all know your front, back, and left and right hands, right? To move forward, look forward; to the left, look to the left hand; to the right, look to the right hand; to look backward, look to the back. All actions are based on The sound of the drum will prevail. Do you all understand?" The palace maids replied: "I understand." When the arrangements were made, Sun Wu began to beat the drum and give orders. However, despite Sun Wu's repeated orders, the palace maids responded with excitement and excitement in their hearts. They did not listen to orders, laughed loudly, and formed a chaotic formation. Sun Wu then summoned the military officials and killed the two captains according to the art of war. When the King of Wu saw that Sun Wu wanted to kill his concubine, he immediately sent someone to tell her: I already know that the general can use troops. Without these two beauties to wait on me, my meal would be tasteless. Please ask Yanjun to pardon them. Sun Wu said mercilessly: "Since I have been ordered to be a general, the general will be in the army, but I will not accept your orders." "Sun Wu insisted on killing the two captains, appointed the leaders of the two teams as captains, and continued training. When Sun Wu beat the drums again and gave orders, the palace maids moved forward, backward, left, and right, kneeling, climbing, and rolling, all in compliance with the rules, and the formation was very neat. Sun Wu's descendant asked Helu to review. Helu was unhappy because of the loss of his beloved concubine, so he couldn't excuse himself. Sun Wu went to see Helu in person and said, "There are orders and prohibitions.

This is the military strategist's duty. Regular law is the general rule for generals to govern the army. Soldiers must be treated with dignity. Only in this way will they obey orders and defeat the enemy in battle. "After listening to Sun Wu's explanation, King Helu of Wu dissipated his anger and worshiped Sun Wu as his general.

Under Sun Wu's strict training, the Wu army's military quality has been significantly improved. Just before BC

In 512, Helu, Wu Liexu and Sun Wu commanded the Wu army to conquer Chu's vassal states Zhongwu State (now northeast of Suqian, Jiangsu Province) and Shu State (now west of Lujiang County, Anhui Province). At this time, Helu became hot-headed. , wanted to march straight into Ying, the capital of Chu (now Ji Nancheng, Jiangling County, Hubei Province). Sun Wu thought it was inappropriate, so he said: "The Chu army is a powerful force in the world, not comparable to Shu and Zhongwu." Our army has defeated two countries in a row. We are tired of men and horses, and our military resources are exhausted. It is better to withdraw our troops for the time being, conserve our strength, and wait for a good opportunity. "The King of Wu listened to Sun Wu's advice and ordered the troops to retreat.

Wu Zixu also fully agreed with Sun Wu's proposition and suggested to the King of Wu: "The men and horses are tired, so it is not suitable to go on an expedition. However, we can also try to make Chu people tired. "So Wu Zixu said that Sun Wu and his colleagues had made a plan to harass and tire Chu. They formed three strong armies to attack Chu in turn. When Wu's first army attacked Chu, Chu saw that When the Chu army moved out, the Wu army retreated. When the Chu army returned to their base, Wu's second army invaded the Chu territory again. They attacked in turn. The Chu State had to deal with the Wu army for many years, spending a lot of manpower and material resources. The country was very empty, and the subordinate states rebelled one after another. However, the Wu State looted a lot from the successive attacks and completely gained the upper hand in the confrontation with Chu.

AD. In 506 BC, the Chu State attacked Cai State, a small country that had surrendered to Wu State, which gave the Wu army an excuse to attack Chu. Helu, Wu Zixu, and Sun Wu commanded 30,000 well-trained soldiers and sailed up the Huaihe River in warships. , heading towards the battle between Cai and Chu. Seeing the fierceness of the Wu army, the Chu army had to abandon the siege of Cai, shrink its troops, mobilize the main force, and use the Han River as the boundary to strengthen defenses to resist the Wu army's attack. He changed the route of marching along the Huaihe River, abandoned the warships, and attacked by land instead, and penetrated deep into the Chu Kingdom.

Wu Zixu asked Sun Wu: "The Wu army is accustomed to water and is good at water warfare, so why did it change to march by land. ? "

Sun Wu told him: "The most expensive thing in fighting with troops is speed. You should take a path that others don't expect so that you can catch them off guard. Sailing against the current is slow, and the Chu army will surely take the opportunity to strengthen its defenses, and it will be difficult to defeat the enemy." Wu Zixu nodded in agreement.

In this way, Sun Wu chose 3,500 strong and agile soldiers among 30,000 elite soldiers. They were in the front line, wearing strong armor and holding sharp weapons, and defeated the Chu army one after another. On November 28 of the lunar calendar, they invaded Ying, the capital of Chu State. King Chu Zhao fled in panic with his sister.

Sun Wu attacked Chu's 200,000 army with an army of 30,000, and won a complete victory, creating a glorious battle example of defeating a large number with a small number.

However, at this time, the State of Yue took advantage of the Wu army's attack on Chu to attack the State of Wu, and the State of Qin sent troops to help the State of Chu to deal with the State of Wu. In this way, Helu had to lead his troops back to Wu. After that, Wu continued to attack Chu. Chu moved the capital from Ying to Du (now southeast of Yicheng County, Hubei Province) to avoid the country's destruction.

While helping Helv conquer Qiangchu in the west, Sun Wu planned to conquer Yue. In 496 BC, Helu heard that King Yun Chang of Yue had passed away. The new King of Yue, Gou Jian, was young and weak, and the country of Yue was not very stable. He believed that the opportunity was lost and the time would never come again, so he refused to listen. Following the advice of Sun Wu and others, they hurriedly sent out troops to defeat Yue without waiting for all preparations to be completed. Unexpectedly, Gou Jian reorganized his troops and took the initiative to fight. The two armies met at Li on the border of Wu and Yue (now southwest of Jiaxing County, Zhejiang). Gou Jian used a clever trick. He sent the condemned prisoners to march out of the formation first, lined up in three rows, put the swords around their necks, made statements one by one, and then committed suicide in front of the formation. The soldiers of Wu State did not know that they were criminals, and they were so blinded by the sight that they forgot about them. The Vietnamese army took the opportunity to charge, but the Wu army retreated hastily, and Helu was seriously injured and died.

After Helu died, the crown prince Fucha succeeded to the throne. Sun Wu and Wu Zixu reorganized their military equipment to assist Fucha in completing the great cause of revenge and avenging humiliation. In the spring of 494 BC, Gou Jian mobilized his army to march towards the State of Wu from the water. Fu Chai led 100,000 elite troops to fight against Yu Fujiao (today's Taihu Lake southwest of Wuxian County, Jiangsu Province). Under the planning of Sun Wu and Wu Zixu, the Wu army deployed many deceptions at night. The soldiers were divided into two wings, holding torches high. In the dark night, they saw the flames connecting together and quickly moving towards the Vietnamese army's position. The sound of killing was loud. The Vietnamese army was frightened and their morale was shaken. The Wu army took advantage of the momentum to launch a general attack and defeated the Vietnamese army. Gou Jian Under the pursuit of the Wu army, he took 5,000 soldiers and ran to a small town on Kuaiji Mountain (now southeast of Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province) to resist. Due to the siege of the Wu army, Gou Jian had to humiliate Wu and sue for peace. Fu Chai refused to listen to Wu Zixu's dissuasion. Agree to Gou Jian's request for peace.

After the Wu State's hegemony campaign won in the south, it moved towards the northern Central Plains. In 485 BC, Fu Chai united with the Lu State and defeated the Qi army. In 482 BC, Fu Chai led tens of thousands of elite troops northward by water to Huangchi (south of Fengqiu County today in Henan Province) to form an alliance with the princes of Jin, Lu and other princes. At this alliance meeting, King Wu Fu Chai used strong military power as the backing to win the hegemonic position. Although Sun Wu did not directly participate in the victory over Qi and the struggle with Jin for hegemony, Sun Wu had carefully trained his army and formulated military strategies before, and made an indelible contribution to Fu Chai's establishment of hegemony.

Quietly returned to seclusion and left "Sun Tzu" with ideological influence for 2500 years

As the Wu Kingdom's hegemony grew, Fu Chai gradually became self-righteous and refused to accept honest advice. Wu Zixu believed that Gou Jian was forced to sue for peace and would definitely find a way to retaliate in the future. Therefore, the Yue Kingdom must be completely destroyed and the traitors must not be tolerated and leave behind future troubles. But Fu Chai listened to the traitor's provocation and not only ignored Wu Zixu's bitter remonstrances, but also made excuses to force him to commit suicide. He even ordered people to put Wu Zixu's body in a leather bag and throw it into the river without giving him a burial. Sun Wu was well aware of the principle that "when the birds are gone, a good bow is hidden; when the foxes and rabbits are gone, the running dogs are cooked". He was very heartbroken by the tragic death of Wu Zixu, so he quietly retired to the mountains and revised his art of war based on his experience in training troops and commanding operations. 13 articles to make it more perfect.

What happened was not as Wu Zixu expected. After the Yue King Gou Jian humiliated himself and asked for peace, he was determined to take revenge. He spent ten years gathering and teaching, which made the Yue country rich and the Vietnamese army capable. In 482 BC, the Vietnamese army took advantage of the main force of the Wu army to gather in Huangchi to form an alliance with the princes of the Central Plains. When Wu's domestic troops were empty, they launched an attack on Wu and invaded the capital of Wu. Wu was in trouble and collapsed. The decline continued until 473 BC, when the country of Yue was officially destroyed. Fu Chai committed suicide due to shame and hatred. Sun Wu's dream of unifying China by King Wu also came to nothing.

In addition to his illustrious military exploits, Sun Wu’s life was also more important because he left many precious chapters on military affairs and politics to future generations, especially the "The Art of War" that has been handed down. The most famous. These short 13 articles of 5,000 words embody Sun Wu's complete military ideological system.

Sun Wu’s military thought has simple materialism and dialectical views. He emphasized that the outcome of a war does not depend on ghosts and gods, but is related to factors such as 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 views. Sun Wu not only believed that the world exists objectively, but also believed that things in the world are constantly moving and changing. He emphasized that in war, conditions should be actively created to give full play to people's subjective initiative, so as to promote the transformation of opposites in a direction beneficial to oneself. It shows that Sun Wu has mastered the vivid dialectics. It is precisely because Sun Wu summarized and summarized extremely rich and multi-faceted philosophical principles in the specific science of military science, which established his parallel status with Confucius and Laozi in the ideological circles of the late Spring and Autumn Period. , are collectively known as the three bright stars in the ideological sky in the late Spring and Autumn Period.

Sun Wu’s military theory is not without shortcomings and mistakes, but it far exceeds the military art works of the same era. It also deeply influenced later generations with its outstanding insights and was widely praised by military strategists at home and abroad at all times. . For example: Sun Wu advocated "war with caution".

In "The Art of War", Sun Tzu clearly states at the outset: "War is a major national event, related to the life and death of the people and the survival of the country, and must be studied carefully and considered carefully." 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 forward and backward and make decisions based on national interests. For example, Sun Wu put forward the famous statement "Know your enemy and yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without danger." He believed that you must have a thorough understanding of your own strength and the opponent's situation, be able to grasp the opponent's dynamic changes at any time and at any time, and take corresponding contingency measures in order to win the war. For example, Sun Wu also proposed the idea of ??concentrating superior forces to fight a war of annihilation. He believed that no matter the overall strength of the enemy and ourselves, we must create opportunities to create our advantage in local forces. Destroy the enemy. ... These glorious military thoughts and military judgments are highly praised by military strategists. Sun Wu is unanimously respected as the "ancestor of military strategists" by military strategists at home and abroad in ancient and modern times. During the Warring States Period, many military strategists such as Wu Qi, Sun Bin, and Wei Liao praised Sun Wu's military art as second to none. Cao Cao, a famous statesman and military strategist during the Three Kingdoms period, praised "Sun Tzu's Art of War" highly. He personally compiled previous studies on "Sun Tzu's Art of War" and wrote a concise "brief explanation" to provide convenience for future generations to learn and apply "Sun Tzu's Art of War". During the Ning Dynasty, "Sun Tzu's Art of War", as the first of the "Seven Books of Martial Arts", became a theoretical subject in the martial arts examination in the imperial examination. "Sun Tzu's Art of War" has since been widely circulated in society. At the same time, "Sun Tzu's Art of War" was also spread to Vietnam, North Korea, Japan, Israel, and even Britain, Germany, Russia and other countries.

Modern wars use many new weapons, and the conditions of ancient wars are very different. However, the basic principles and principles of war discussed in "The Art of War" have not changed due to changes in war conditions, so Still widely respected by military strategists. Mao Zedong, who led the Chinese revolution to victory, once spoke highly of: "Sun Tzu's law, know your enemy and yourself, and fight a hundred battles without danger, is still a scientific truth." In the 1990 Gulf War, the American general Swarzkov used the oldest " The principle of "focusing on generals to govern the army" in Sun Tzu's "Art of War" and various strategic ideas were used to drive and equip the most modern war weapons to achieve victory in the war. Swarzkov was also known as the "General Wizard". The famous British strategist Liddell Hart said in the preface to the English translation of "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu: "The thoughts of this ancient Chinese military strategist more than 2,500 years ago are very helpful for studying war in the nuclear age."

Military strategists at home and abroad in ancient and modern times have used the military theories discussed in it to guide war. It is not only applied in the military field, but also popularized and applied in various fields of society, especially in business management. Although Sun Wu's military theory and business management have different fields of activity, they do have many similarities. In the market, competition is war. The "Encyclopedia of the Art of War and Management" written by Japanese entrepreneur Takeo Ohashi pointed out: "The use of China's art of war thinking to guide business management is more reasonable and effective than the American business management method." The famous American economist Hodges said in "Enterprise" The book "Management" points out: "Many of the principles revealed in "The Art of War" are still unbreakable and still have application value." The ancient art of war shines with charming brilliance in modern society. Although Sun Wu was not born in Wu, his life activities were in Wu.