Speak of the Three Kingdoms strategy

Author: Li Bingyan
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Starting with the study of strategy stories, combining theory with practice, and interweaving narration with commentary, the book aims to provide readers with some enlightenment and reference in thinking. Each commentary on the plot of Romance of the Three Kingdoms is and contrasted with real historical materials. It analyzes the military strategies and tactics contained in these stories while also commenting on their literary and artistic value and characteristics from a military perspective. Throughout the 120 chapters of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the idea of "the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting" runs through the depiction of the wars of warlord consolidation. When depicting wars, the author expands the broad scene of characters' activities, skillfully combining how both sides of the military confrontation utilize political strategy, tactics, economy, and diplomacy, as well as how they adapt their military strategies to the situation, timing, and circumstances. He successfully portrays many brilliant battle examples, such as the Battle of Guandu, the Battle of Red Cliffs, and the Battle of Yiling, where outnumbered forces achieved victory over superior opponents. At the same time, the books a large number of characters, represented by Zhuge Liang, who are masters of strategy and wisdom. They are able to predict events with divine insight, are clever and decisive in planning, and excel in strategic planning, achieving decisive victories from a distance, earning the readers' deep respect. Although the book occasionally uses "qi men dun jia" (mystical arts) and "liu jia liu ding" (divine spirits) to embellish the vast capabilities and foresight of strategists, these minor flaws do not obscure the excellence of the majority of the content, which primarily depicts them using simple military dialectics, engaging in creative thinking that is grounded in reality, and employing flexible military skills to adapt to changing circumstances and skillfully implement strategies. This holds significant reference value for today's military personnel. In China's long history of ancient military, there were two relatively glorious periods—the Spring and Autumn Period and the Three Kingdoms Period. Both were eras of feudal lords' domination and warlord conflicts, leading to widespread chaos. The years of warfare destroyed production and caused the people's livelihood to decline. On the other hand, the old order gradually disintegrated, and certain traditional concepts that constrained people's minds were fiercely challenged. The practice of war urgently demanded the development of military theory, while at the same time providing rich material for its advancement, resulting in the flourishing of military academic thought during these periods. In the turmoil of the Spring and Autumn Period, famous military works such as The Art of War, The Art of Warfare, and The Methods of Sima emerged. Similarly, during the Three Kingdoms Period, military geniuses like Cao Cao and Zhuge Liang emerged. Although Cao Cao's New Book of Mengxin is not well-documented, his annotations to The Art of War and Zhuge Liang's The Art of Commandment shine with timeless brilliance. As the saying goes, "Chaos gives birth to heroes." In the fierce struggles of warlord conflicts, a wave of talented military and political leaders emerged. Figures like Sun Wu, Wu Qi, Guan Zhong, Yue Yi, Sima Changju, and Sun Bin during the Spring and Autumn Period, and Cao Cao, Zhuge Liang, Zhou Yu, Sima Yi, and Lu Xun during the Three Kingdoms Period, all rose to prominence and left indelible legacies. Romance of the Three Kingdoms, in its detailed narration of the historical struggles among the Wei, Shu, and Wu states, portrays the heroic demeanor of military strategists, providing extremely valuable reference material for studying this period of military history. Indeed, Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a literary work that is "seven parts fact and three parts fiction," but it cannot be denied that the strategies and tactics, offensive and defensive maneuvers, failures and successes, and military tactics of deception and truth contained in it are fundamentally in line with military scientific principles and war laws. Many fictional stories, such as "Borrowing Arrows with Straw Boats" and "The Empty Fort Strategy," not only have real counterparts in the same era but also similar battle examples from before and after. This shows that these fictional elements stem from war life but also transcend it, more profoundly reflecting certain war command principles. The author of Romance of the Three Kingdoms skillfully incorporates the experiences of alliances, diplomacy, distant and close attacks, offensive and defensive strategies, and other aspects from classic texts into the dramatic conflicts of the story, helping readers to understand the important principles of military struggles through artistic imagery in an easy-to-understand manner. For this reason, after its publication, leaders of peasant uprisings during the Ming and Qing dynasties, such as Zhang Xianzhong, Li Zicheng, and Hong Xiuquan, used it as a "secret manual for guiding battles" (Huang Moxi, Small Talks on Fiction). The Qing rulers also used it to teach their generals. Liu Luan wrote in The Five Stone Gourd: "Zhang Xianzhong often had people discuss Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin, and he emulated their ambushes and attacks." Zhang Dejian, in his derogatory work Compendium of Rebel Tactics, also mentioned: "'Rebels' tricks are based on what? It is because a few 'clever rebels' imitate military tactics from folk histories and legends, and their actions often prove effective, so they treasure them as untransmitted secrets. Their selection from Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin is particularly extensive." It is clear that this literary work has had a profound and significant impact in the field of military strategy. This collection of essays is precisely the author's attempt, leveraging his military experience, to explore the military value of Romance of the Three Kingdoms by analyzing the stories of military struggles described in the work, discussing the importance and certain patterns of strategy in military conflicts, and aiming to leave readers with some insights into the use of strategy, while also deriving some benefits for ourselves.