Military Strategy Classics of Ancient China
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一见是西蜀有名战将、当年威震寰宇的张飞张翼德的儿子打杀过来，魏兵心惊胆战，纷纷弃甲抛戈而逃。逃不多远，山谷中又喊杀声起，鼓角喧天、尘埃万丈。一杆大旗上写着：”左护卫使龙骧将军关兴”。魏兵一见是关云长之子，更是魂飞魄散！哪敢接战？！ 本是山地，喊声杀声因在谷中回荡，似乎漫山遍野均有蜀国兵马。烟尘大起蔽日遮天，内中旗帜招展，刀枪闪耀，更似乎是天兵大将！ 魏军不敢久停，忙丢掉辎重粮草，仓皇而逃。 张苞、关兴也不追赶，只将魏军丢弃的辎重物资拣起，迅速撤退了。
再说西城中的诸葛亮，见司马懿带兵疾忙退去，轻轻长吁一口气，用手拭了额上的冷汗，笑了起来。诸葛亮笑道：”兵法云，知已知彼，方可百战不殆。司马懿知我一生谨慎，从不弄险，所以见今天这情况，就判断我在用计、骗他入城。所以反慌忙退走了。而我知司马懿了解我的这一贯作风，所以便借用这种心理，而乘机算计了他！也是知已、知彼才敢如此啊！若换上司马昭或曹操统兵，我绝不会如此的！” 众人叹服。 “不过，司马懿也确是知我之人。如果不是实在没别的办法，我也不会用这险计的！实在是万不得已呢！” 诸葛亮道。众人佩服得五体投地，又后怕不已。
司马懿退兵，一直又退回街亭，和曹真的大军汇合在一起时，才放下心来。而此刻，蜀国各路军已安然无恙地撤回本国了。司马懿于是又带一支人马来到西城。及问当地居民，才明白自己”聪明反被聪明误”，误中诸葛亮之计。当得知当时诸葛亮所处的危险境地，他的所作所为及张苞、关兴其实只有少数人马，只是虚张声势而并不敢真正交锋时，不觉由衷叹赞：”诸葛孔明之才，我不如也！”
33. Provide Disinformation to Enemy Spies
When an enemy lays traps, set traps within his traps, to create internal chaos. When one secures assistance within an enemy's ranks, one will not lose the battle.
在敌人给我布置的疑阵中再反设一层疑阵。如果利用敌人内部的策应去争取胜利，那么我方就不会遭受损失。
During the Three Kingdoms Period, one of the great illustrations of the Double Agent Scheme is seen in Battle of the Red Cliff. Cao Cao initially had Cai Mao and Zhang Yun as his chief marine commanders for his 830,000 troops. As Cao Cao's troops came from the northern side, his soldiers did not have any experience in marine battles, so Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were extremely precious to Cao Cao.
On the other side of the battle was the alliance of Liu Bei and Sun Quan with Zhou Yu as the commander-in-chief. Zhou Yu was very talented and intelligent, thus Cao Cao had the intention of pulling Zhou Yu to his side. Zhou Yu, knowing that Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were the chief marine commanders, was not happy. He was thinking of a plan to get rid of them when he heard that Jiang Gan was coming.
Jiang Gan served Cao Cao and was a former classmate of Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu knew that Jiang Gan's intention was to persuade him to switch sides, but he intended to use Jiang Gan to remove Cai Mao and Zhang Yun. Zhou Yu threw a feast for Jiang Gan and ordered that during the feast, military affairs should not be mentioned. The feast went into the middle of the night. After the feast, Zhou Yu pretended to be very drunk and invited Jiang Gan to spend the night in his tent. Jiang Gan, on seeing that he had not achieved his goal, was not able to sleep so he wandered around in Zhou Yu's tent. He stumbled upon a letter that was written by Cai Mao and Zhang Yun, stating that they were willing to work with Zhou Yu to defeat Cao Cao.
Suddenly, Zhou Yu talked in his dreams. It scared Jiang Gan. He kept the letter in his sleeves and went back to his bed. After a while, someone came to wake up Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu woke up and spoke to the messenger while keeping his eyes on Jiang Gan. Jiang Gan strained his ears to listen to the conversation but he could only vaguely hear the words, “Cai” and “Zhang”. Jiang Gan then confirmed his suspicions.
Jiang Gan hurried back to Cao Cao's camp after he made sure that Zhou Yu had fallen asleep. He showed the 'fake' letter to Cao Cao and told Cao Cao about the conversation. These infuriated Cao Cao and he ordered the execution of Cai Mao and Zhang Yun. After a short while, Cao Cao realized his mistake, but it was too late, he had lost two precious marine commanders.
三国时期，赤壁大战前夕，周瑜巧用反间计杀了精通水战的叛将蔡瑁、张允，就是个有名例子。
曹操率领号称的八十三万大军，准备渡过长江，占据南方。当时，孙刘联合抗曹，但兵力比曹军要少得多。
曹操的队伍都由北方骑兵组成，善于马战，可不善于水战。正好有两个精通水战的降将蔡瑁、张允可以为曹操训练水军。曹操把这两个人当作宝贝，优待有加。一次东吴主帅周瑜见对岸曹军在水中排阵，井井有条，十分在行，心中大惊。他想一定要除掉这两个心腹大患。
曹操一贯爱才，他知道周瑜年轻有为，是个军事奇才，很想拉拢他。曹营谋士蒋干自称与周瑜曾是同窗好友，愿意过江劝降。曹操当即让蒋干过江说服周瑜。
周瑜见蒋干过江，一个反间计就已经酝酿成熟了。他热情款待蒋千，酒席筵上，周瑜让众将作陪，炫耀武力，并规定只叙友情，不谈军事，堵住了蒋干的嘴巴。
周瑜佯装大醉，约蒋干周床共眠。蒋干见周瑜不让他提及劝降之事，心中不安，哪里能够入睡。他偷偷下床，见周瑜案上有一封信。他偷看了信，原来是蔡瑁、张允写来，约定与周瑜里应外合，击败曹操。这时，周瑜说着梦话，翻了翻身子，吓得蒋干连忙上床。过了一会儿，忽然有人要见周瑜，周瑜起身和来人谈话，还装作故意看看蒋干是否睡熟。蒋干装作沉睡的样子，只听周瑜他们小声谈话，听不清楚，只听见提到蔡、张二人。于是蒋干对蔡、张二人和周瑜里应外合的计划确认无疑。
他连夜赶回曹营，让曹操看了周瑜伪造的信件，曹操顿时火起，杀了蔡瑁、张允。等曹操冷静下来，才知中了周瑜反间之计，但也无可奈何了。
34. Pretend to be Injured
No one would intentionally harm himself. Therefore, if someone is hurt, others would believe that he has been injured by others. Pretense will thus gain the enemy's trust and sow discord among enemy members. This is similar to playing with an innocent child. As long as you act according to his wishes, you will be able to trick him.
人们通常不会自己伤害自己。如果受到伤害必定不受怀疑。我方以假做真，令敌人信假为真，这样离间的计谋就能实现了。要像欺骗幼童那样迷惑敌人，顺势进行活动。
During the Spring and Autumn Period, Ji Guang killed the Lord of Wu, Liao, and declared himself the lord of State of Wu. He gave himself the title He Lu. The deceased lord's son Qing Ji was gathering capable men to overthrow He Lu. As Qing Ji was courageous and intelligent, he posed a great threat to He Lu's life. Wu Zixu, He Lu's trusted advisor recommended Yao Li, an assassin, to him.
Yao Li was small in size but this disadvantage was made up for with his courage and intelligence. He revealed to He Lu his plan for befriending Qing Ji, “Qing Ji is now looking for capable men. I will pretend to be an exile from your kingdom who wishes to join his camp. To obtain his trust, Your Lordship will have to chop off my right arm and execute my whole family.” Such drastic actions! He Lu was reluctant at first but finally agreed to the plan. Yao Li was arrested and imprisoned on the pretext of having offended the Lord and had his right arm chopped off as punishment. Later, Yao Li was secretly released but He Lu announced that he had escaped from prison and had his family beheaded.
Yao Li went to Qing Ji. When Qing Ji saw Yao Li's amputated arm and learned that his wife and children had been executed, he believed Yao Li's story and kept him as his aide.
When Qing Ji planned to attack Wu, Yao Li volunteered to be the guide, convincing Qing Ji that he was the best person for the job. Troops were sent both by land and
sea and Yao Li sailed on the same boat as Qing Ji. When the boat was in the middle of the sea, Yao Li took out a spear and ran it through Qing Ji.
Qing Ji, an experienced fighter himself, caught Yao Li and pushed his head into the water. When his men came forward to kill Yao Li, Qing Ji said, “This man is a courageous fighter. No one should kill two courageous fighters in a day.” Qing Ji then pulled the spear from his body and bled to death. As for Yao Li, after completing the mission, he too committed suicide.
春秋时期，吴王阖闾杀了吴王僚，夺得王位。他十分惧怕吴王僚的儿子庆忌为父报仇。庆忌正在卫国扩大势力，准备攻打齐国，夺取王位。
阖闾整日提心吊胆，要大臣伍子胥替他设法除掉庆忌。伍于胥向阖闾推荐了一个智勇双全的勇士，名叫要离。阖闾见要离矮小瘦弱，说道：”庆忌人高马大，勇力过人，如何杀得了他？”要离说：”刺杀庆忌，要靠智不靠力。只要能接近他，事情就好办。”阖闾说：”庆忌对吴国防范最严，怎么能够接近他呢？”要离说：”只要大王砍断我的右臂，杀掉我的妻子，我就能取信于庆忌。”阖闾不肯答应。要离说：”为国亡家，为主残身，我心甘情愿。”
吴都忽然流言四起：阖闾弑君篡位，是无道昏君。吴王下今追查，原来流言是要离散布的。阖闾下令捉了要离和他的妻子，要离当面大骂昏王。阖闾假借追查同谋，未杀要离而只是斩断了他的右臂，把他夫妻二人关进监狱。
几天后，伍子胥让狱卒放松看管，让要离乘机逃出。阖闾听说要离逃跑，就杀了他的妻子。这件事不断传遍吴国，邻近的国家也都知道了。要离逃到卫国，求见庆忌，要求庆忌为他报断臂杀妻之仇，庆忌接纳了他。
要离果然接近了庆忌，他劝说庆忌伐吴。要离成了庆忌的贴身亲信。庆忌乘船向吴国进发，要离乘庆忌没有防备，从背后用矛尽力刺去，刺穿了胸膛。庆忌的卫士要捉拿要离。庆忌说：”敢杀我的也是个勇士，放他走吧！”庆忌因失血过多而死。要离完成了刺杀庆忌的任务，家毁身残，也自刎而死。
35. Use Multiple Interconnected Ploys
If the enemy has a strong and powerful army, a head-on confrontation is not advisable. Instead, one should utilize a few connected strategies to decrease the enemy's power. With good leadership and planning, it will be easy to win the battle, as if Heaven is on one's side.
敌人兵力强大时，就不要去硬拼。应当运用计谋使他们自我牵制，借以削弱它的力量。主帅如能巧妙地运用计谋，克敌制胜就如同有天神帮助一样。
During the Three Kingdoms Period, Zhou Yu and Pang Tong set up “chain schemes” or a series of related schemes to trap Cao Cao. First, when Cao Cao sent his man, Jiang Gan to spy on Zhou Yu, Zhou Yu used the “Double Agent Scheme” to lure Cao Cao into killing two of his best marine commanders, Cai Mao and Zhang Yun. This weakened Cao Cao greatly and eventually led to Cao Cao losing the Battle of Red Cliff.
Next Zhou Yu used the “Self-Injury Scheme” to punish one of his best generals, Huang Gai, to make Cao Cao believe that there was internal chaos in Zhou Yu's camp. Therefore, when Jiang Gan visited Zhou Yu for the second time, he “accidentally” bumped into Pang Tong. Jiang Gan was taken in when Pang Tong said that he had plans to defect Cao Cao's camp.
Pang Tong's “surrender” to Cao Cao triggered the final plan. Cao Cao was pleased to see Pang Tong and exchanged views with him on war strategies. As Cao Cao had lost his best marine commander, he was desperate to seek advice from Pang Tong. Cao Cao's men could not swim and suffered seasickness. Pang Tong said, “Although your men are well-trained, they are not used to traveling at sea so they get seasick, especially in strong currents. You should tie your ships together, thirty or fifty in a row. This way the ships will be stable and the soldiers can walk on the decks freely.”
Cao Cao thanked Pang Tong for his great suggestion and ordered his blacksmiths to chain all the ships together in their next attack on Zhou Yu. However, Zhou Yu learned of Cao Cao's plan and set fire to Cao Cao's ships. With all the ships chained together, it was almost impossible for the soldiers to escape from the burning ships. Thus Cao Cao suffered a bitter defeat at the Battle of the Red Cliff.
赤壁大战时，周瑜巧用反间，让曹操误杀了熟悉水战的蔡瑁、张允，又让庞统向曹操献上锁船之计，又用苦肉计让黄盖诈降。三计连环，打得曹操大败而逃。
在”反间计”那一章里，我们讲了周瑜让曹操误杀蔡、张二将之事，曹操后悔莫及，更要命的是曹营再也没有熟悉水战的将领了。
东吴老将黄盖见曹操水寨船只一个挨一个，又无得力指挥，建议周瑜用火攻曹军。并主动提出，自己愿去诈降，趁曹操不备，放火烧船。周瑜说：”此计甚好，只是将军去诈降，曹贼定生疑。”黄盖说：”何不使用苦肉计？”周瑜说：”那样，将军会吃大苦。”黄盖说：”为了击败曹贼，我甘愿受苦。”
第二日，周瑜与众将在营中议事。黄盖当众顶撞周瑜，骂周瑜不识时务，并极力主张投降曹操。周瑜大怒，下令推出斩首。众将苦苦求情，，老将军功劳卓著，请免一死。”周瑜说：”死罪既免，活罪难逃。”命令重打一百军棍，打得黄盖鲜血淋漓。
黄盖私下派人送信曹操，大骂周瑜，表示一定寻找机会前来降曹。曹操派人打听，黄盖确实受刑，现正在养伤。他将信将疑，于是，派蒋干再次过江察看虚实。
周瑜这次见了蒋干，指责他盗书逃跑，坏了东吴的大事。这次过江，又有什么打算？周瑜说：”莫怪我不念旧情，先请你住到西山，等我大破曹军之后再说。”把蒋干给软禁起来了。其实，周瑜想再次利用这个过于自作聪明的呆子，所以名为软禁，实际上又在诱他上钩。
一日，蒋干心中烦闷，在山间闲逛。忽然听到从一间茅屋中传出琅琅书声。蒋干进屋一看，见一隐士正在读兵法，攀谈之后，知道此人是名士庞统。他说，周瑜年轻自负，难以容人，所以隐居在山里。蒋干果然又自作聪明，劝庞统投奔曹操，夸耀曹操最重视人才，先生此去，定得重用。庞统应允，并偷偷把蒋干引到江边僻静处，坐一小船，悄悄驶向曹营。
蒋干哪里会想到又中周瑜一计：原来庞统早与周瑜谋划，故意向曹操献锁船之计，让周瑜火攻之计更显神效。曹操得了庞统，十分欢喜，言谈之中，很佩服庞统的学问。他们巡视了各营寨，曹操请庞统提提意见。庞统说：”北方兵士不习水战，在风浪中颠簸，肯定受不了，怎能与周瑜决战？”曹操问：”先生有何妙计？”庞统说：”曹军兵多船众，数倍于东吴，不愁不胜。为了克服北方兵士的弱点，何不将船连锁起来，平平稳稳，如在陆地之上。”曹操果然依计而行，将士们都十分满意。
一日，黄盖在快舰上满载油、柴、硫，硝等引火物资，遮得严严实实。他们按事先与曹操联系的信号，插上青牙旗，飞速渡江诈降。这日刮起东南风，正是周瑜他们选定的好日子。曹营官兵，见是黄盖投降的船只，并不防备，忽然间，黄盖的船上火势熊熊，直冲首营。风助火势，火乘风威，曹营水寨的大船一个连着一个，想分也分不开，一齐着火，越烧越旺。周瑜早已准备快船，驶向曹营，只杀得曹操数十万人马一败涂地。曹操本人仓皇逃奔，捡了一条性命。
36. Escape or Flee When All Else Fails
In a situation where the enemy is obviously stronger, total retreat may be the best option. There is nothing wrong with retreating to avoid confrontation with a stronger enemy.
全军退却，避开强敌，以退为进，待机破敌，这部违背正常用兵法则。
During the Spring and Autumn Period, the State of Chu was a very strong state. Chu was getting ready to attack the State of Jin and it even coerced the State of Chen, Cai, Zheng and Xu to join in the attack. At the
same time, Lord Wen of the State of Jin had just conquered State of Cao, a state that is near State of Chu. Lord Jin knew that a battle between Jin and Chu was inevitable.
The commander-in-chief for Chu was Zi Yu and he led his troops towards State of Cao. Lord Wen analyzed the situation and found the odds against him, so he decided to retreat first, to avoid the stronger Chu troops. Lord Wen retreated to Chen Pu, a place that is at the border of the State of Jin. There, the terrain was more suitable for defending, and Lord Wen sent messengers to the State of Qin and Qi for help.
Zi Yu arrived at Chen Pu and saw that Lord Jin has made preparations for the battle. Lord Wen, on the other hand, heard that the right wing of Chu's troops were the weakest, because they consisted of soldiers from the State of Chen and Cai. Zi Yu ordered the right and left wing to launch an attack on Lord Wen with the central troops following behind. Lord Wen beat a retreat. On seeing the situation, the Chen and Cai soldiers thought that Lord Wen was retreating again, so they gave chase. Out of nowhere, a group of chariots with horses wearing tiger skins rode out. The horses that the Chen and Cai soldiers were riding thought that the tigers were there. The whole troop was immediately thrown into chaos. Lord Wen had some of his men mixed into the crowd. These men reported to Zi Yu that the Chu troops had scored a victory. On hearing that and checking out the dust cloud, Zi Yu ordered that the left wing should attack further.
Lord Wen pretended to retreat again, and the left wing of Chu's troops fell into an ambush and was exterminated by Lord Wen's army. When Zi Yu's main force arrived, it was too late; he was surrounded by Lord Wen's army. Battle cries sounded and Zi Yu's troops fought with Lord Wen's army but they were outnumbered and caught by surprise. Zi Yu suffered heavy losses, but managed to escape back to Chu.