Complete Collection of Strategies from the Twenty-Five Histories

Author: He Jiejun, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-03-01
Features: [Treaty of Chanyuan] During the Jideng period of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty, the nomadic troops of the Khitan frequently harassed between Shen and Qi, fighting briefly and retreating, as if merely passing through and with no intention of fighting. Cao Jun said, "The Khitan are provoking us. We must train our troops, prepare for battle, and train elite forces to defend our military strongholds." In winter, the Khitan indeed launched a full invasion. Urgent military dispatches arrived in the capital overnight, but Cao Jun concealed the news and remained composed. The next day, the emperor heard about it from others and urgently summoned Cao Jun to inquire about the military situation. Cao Jun said, "Your Majesty, if you wish to resolve this matter, it will take only five days." He requested Emperor Zhenzong to personally go to Chanzhou to oversee the battle. At this time, the Khitan had besieged Yingzhou (now southern Puyang, Henan) and advanced toward Bei and Wei, causing nationwide shock. Vice Prime Minister Wang Qiner, a native of Jiangnan, suggested the emperor visit Jinling, while Chen Yaosou, a native of Shu, proposed visiting Chengdu. When the emperor asked Cao Jun whether he would go to Jinling (now Nanjing, Jiangsu) or Chengdu, Cao Jun, realizing it was the idea of Wang and Chen, pretended ignorance and asked, "Who came up with these ideas for Your Majesty? They deserve death! Your Majesty is wise and great, with all generals and officials under your command. If you personally oversee the battle, the enemy will surely flee without fighting. Even if you do not personally lead the campaign, we can only hold firm and wait. The enemy has traveled a long way and will be exhausted and weary; then we can strike and will surely win. Why abandon our ancestral temples and state to move the capital to distant places like Chu and Shu, causing the people to collapse in panic and allowing the enemy to advance unchecked? Then the Great Song realm would be lost." He still insisted on requesting Emperor Zhenzong to personally go to Chanzhou to oversee the battle. When Emperor Zhenzong arrived at the southern city, the Khitan forces were strong, and many urged him to halt his chariot to observe the situation before proceeding. However, Cao Jun firmly said, "If Your Majesty does not cross the Yellow River, the army will become even more panicked, and the enemy's arrogance will grow even stronger. This is what is called deciding the outcome with military might. Currently, our forces are led by Wang Chao, who has stationed elite troops in Zhongshan (now Ding County, Hebei), blocking the enemy's throat. Li Jilong and Shi Baogu have divided their forces to block the enemy's left and right flanks, and reinforcements from all sides are increasing. What is there for Your Majesty to fear that you dare not advance?" But the generals were all afraid and strongly urged the emperor, who hesitated. Cao Jun came out of the council tent and encountered Gao Qiong, quickly stopping him and saying, "Gao Taiwei has received the nation's favor, and today is your chance to repay it." Gao Qiong said, "Gao Qiong is but a warrior, willing to die for the country." Cao Jun went back into the tent, and Gao Qiong followed, standing below. Cao Jun said sharply, "If Your Majesty does not agree with my words, why not ask the warriors like Gao Qiong?" Gao Qiong immediately looked up and reported, "Cao Jun's words are correct." Cao Jun said, "Opportunity cannot be missed. Your Majesty should quickly set out to cross the Yellow River." Gao Qiong then ordered the guards to protect the emperor, who crossed the Yellow River under guard. The emperor arrived at the northern city gate tower, and when the Song soldiers saw the imperial canopy, they cheered and shouted, their voices shaking the sky, heard for dozens of miles. The Khitan soldiers were stunned and their formations disrupted. The emperor handed over all military command to Cao Jun, who issued strict orders and led the Song army to repel the Khitan cavalry's attack. The emperor then returned to the palace to rest, leaving Cao Jun to oversee the battle from the city tower. Soon, someone was sent to observe Cao Jun's actions and reported that he was drinking heartily with Yang Yi on the city tower, singing and shouting. When the report reached the emperor, he said with great joy, "If Cao Jun is like this, what have I to worry about?" The two sides held out for more than ten days. The Khitan commander Taolian came out to fight but was shot through the forehead by Zhang Gui of the Song's Weihu army and killed on the spot. The Khitan army was thrown into chaos, and they secretly sent messengers to request peace. Cao Jun opposed it, but the Khitan envoy insisted on peace. Tired of war, Emperor Zhenzong agreed. Cao Jun had originally wanted to force the Khitan to acknowledge the Song as their overlord and cede Youzhou, but someone spread slander, accusing Cao Jun of advocating war for personal glory. Cao Jun had no choice but to agree to peace. Emperor Zhenzong sent Cao Liuying to the Khitan army to negotiate peace, saying, "If the Khitan agree to pay an annual tribute of no more than a million, the Song will agree to cease hostilities and negotiate peace." Cao Jun secretly summoned Cao Liuying and warned him, "Although the emperor has agreed, I only allow you to use three hundred thousand to form an alliance with the Khitan. If it exceeds three hundred thousand, I will kill you." Cao Liuying went to the Khitan army and indeed formed an alliance with them for three hundred thousand, known as the "Treaty of Chanyuan." This alliance did not completely change the fate of the Northern Song Dynasty but still preserved some northern territories of the Song. Cao Jun was truly a great minister of his generation. If he had not been fearless in crisis, urging the emperor to personally lead the campaign, and boosting the morale of the army to resist the enemy, the Northern Song Dynasty would have been in constant peril. (Biography of Cao Jun in the History of the Song Dynasty)
[Victory over the Enemy's Main Force, Qifu Qian Gui's Defeat of Lü Yan] Qifu Kedan and Qifu Yizhou were not on good terms, fearing that the latter would plot against him, but lacking effective means to control him, he retreated and joined Lü Guang of Later Liang. Lü Guang then launched another campaign against Western Qin. When the news spread, all ministers advised Qifu Qian Gui to abandon the capital and flee to Chengji. However, Qifu Qian Gui remained calm and said, "In the Guandu battle, Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao, and outside the White City, Lu Xun crushed Liu Bei—all through strategy, not just the size of the army. Lü Guang may be launching a full-scale attack with great strength, but he lacks long-term plans and strategic advantages. How can we fear him! Moreover, all the elite troops of Later Liang are concentrated under Lü Yan, who is brave but lacks wisdom and quick thinking. We can completely defeat him with clever tactics. If Lü Yan is defeated, Lü Guang will only retreat, and we can pursue and gain great advantages." The generals listened to Qifu Qian Gui's analysis and praised him highly. In the first year of Long'an (397), the Later Liang army, led by Lü Zan and with Lü Yan as the vanguard, swept into Western Qin, crushing everything in its path. At this point, even Qifu Qian Gui began to doubt whether his original assessment was too exaggerated, so he made the decision, tears in his eyes, that survival would depend on this one battle! His basic strategic thought remained unchanged: completely defeat one of the main forces of Later Liang to shake the morale of the other Later Liang troops and cause them to retreat. He believed this was feasible at the time, as the Later Liang forces were far apart and separated by high mountains and rivers, making mutual support difficult. Therefore, concentrating all the elite troops of Western Qin to crush one of the main forces of Later Liang should be possible. He then used a strategy of deception to lure Lü Yan into advancing alone, and then surrounded him from all sides, beheading Lü Yan and almost completely annihilating the Later Liang elite force he led. When the other Later Liang forces heard of Lü Yan's death, they indeed hastily retreated, and Western Qin turned from crisis to safety. (Biography of Qifu Qian Gui in the History of the Jin Dynasty)
[Duan Shao's Defeat of Four Armies, His Fame Shaking Jianghuai] In the fourth year of Tianbao (553), the Liang general Dongfang Baiye led a small force to attack Suyu (now Suqian County, Jiangsu), inciting local border residents to kill the local magistrate and harassing the Huai and Si regions. The next year, in February, Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi sent Duan Shao, the of Ji Province, to suppress the rebellion. When the army arrived at Suyu, the Liang generals Yan Chao and others sent troops to press towards Jingzhou; Emperor Wu of Chen, Chen Baosian, also led troops to attack Guangling (now northwest of Yangzhou, Jiangsu), and Wang Jingbao, the, sent an urgent plea for help; Yin Sili also led more than ten thousand troops to raid Xuyi. At once, Northern Qi's enemy forces pressed from multiple directions in the southeast, and Duan Shao's subordinates were all panicked. Duan Shao remained calm and said to the generals, "Since the chaos of Hou Jing, the Liang Dynasty has had no stable ruler, and the people are restless, each with their own plans; Chen Baosian and others are also small-minded and disunited, outwardly strong but inwardly weak. I have thoroughly understood their situation, so please do not worry." He then left Yi Tong Jingxuan Jun and Yao Nanzong to besiege Suyu, while leading thousands of infantry and cavalry directly to Jingzhou. Passing Xuyi, Yin Sili did not expect Duan Shao to move so swiftly and was unprepared, hastily retreating northward. When the army arrived at Jingzhou, it engaged in battle with Yan Chao's Liang forces, who were defeated and scattered like water. The Northern Qi army captured countless Liang boats. Seeing Jingzhou fall, Duan Shao said to his subordinates, "The people of Wu and Yue are frivolous and impatient, lacking strategy. Now that we have defeated Yan Chao, Chen Baosian will surely flee without fighting." The Northern Qi army then returned to Guangling, and Emperor Wu of Chen indeed fled. Duan Shao chased the army to Yangzhou and then returned. Three of the enemy forces had been defeated, leaving only Dongfang Baiye still holding Suyu. Duan Shao then sent an astrologer to the city to persuade Dongfang Baiye to surrender, saying that refusal would bring great disaster. Dongfang Baiye, fearing, opened the city gates and requested an alliance with Duan Shao. Duan Shao discussed the matter with his subordinates, and the generals thought it best to make an alliance with Dongfang Baiye for the time being. After the alliance was made, Duan Shao expected Dongfang Baiye to be harmless and planned to kill him and his family. From then on, the Jianghuai region was peaceful. (Biography of Duan Shao in the History of Northern Qi)
[Shang Yang Luring Prince Yin to Defeat Wei] Shang Yang was a descendant of and was very talented, fond of legalist studies. After leaving Wei to join Qin, he was highly trusted by Qin Xiaogong and implemented a series of reforms, making Qin a hegemon in the world. Shang Yang was thus promoted to Prime Minister. In the second year of Qin's hegemony, Qi defeated Wei's army at Malin, killing General Pang Juan. Shang Yang then said to Xiaogong, "Wei is to the east of Qin, separated only by the Yellow River, and controls the entire Xiangshan region to the east, which is very unfavorable to Qin. We should take advantage of Wei's recent defeat by Qi to launch an attack on Wei, forcing it to move eastward. Then Qin can control the strategic terrain of Xiangshan and the Yellow River, which will be very beneficial for launching campaigns against the feudal lords to the east in the future. Then you can become an emperor." Xiaogong thought it was reasonable and sent Gongsun Tiao to attack Wei. At this time, Wei sent Prince Yin to confront them. When the two armies faced each other, Shang Yang sent a letter to Prince Yin, saying, "When I was in Wei, we were friends, but now we are commanders of opposing armies. I cannot bear to fight each other and would like to have a banquet and form an alliance to discuss withdrawing our troops, so that the people of Qin and Wei can both be at peace." Prince Yin of Wei believed it and came to meet Shang Yang in the Qin camp. However, at the banquet that followed the alliance, Shang Yang ordered the soldiers he had secretly hidden to suddenly capture Prince Yin. Then, he launched an attack on the Wei army, defeating it soundly. Seeing his country repeatedly defeated by Qi and Qin, King Hui of Wei had no choice but to cede all the land west of the Yellow River to Qin as a condition for peace with Qin. After Shang Yang defeated Wei, Qin Xiaogong enfeoffed him with fifteen towns in Yu and Shang as a reward, which is how Shang Yang came to be known as Shang Yang. (Biography of Shang Jun in the Records of the Grand Historian)
[Qin Zhao Wang's Request for Chu Huai Wang] In 303 BC, the Chu prince Heng, who was a hostage in Qin, killed a Qin minister in a private dispute and then fled back to Chu. In the following two years, Qin Zhao Wang launched punitive actions against Chu over this matter. First, he allied with the armies of Han, Wei, and Qi to attack Chu, capturing Chengqiu and killing the Chu general Tang Mei. Then, Qin launched another attack on Chu, defeating it soundly and killing the general Jingque and twenty thousand Chu soldiers. King Huai of Chu, worried about the safety of his country, sent his prince as a hostage to Qi to form an alliance with them. However, Qin Zhao Wang did not stop there and launched another attack on Chu, capturing eight cities. Worse still, Qin Zhao Wang planned a conspiracy to kidnap King Huai of Chu under the guise of a alliance between the two kings. He wrote a letter to the Chu king saying, "When we first made an alliance at Huangji, we called each other brothers, and you sent your prince as a hostage to Qin, which was a joy for both sides. But your prince has bullied and killed my important minister and then left without saying goodbye, which naturally made me very angry. Therefore, I sent troops to invade the borders of Chu. Now I hear that you have sent your prince as a hostage to Qi to form an alliance with them. In fact, Qin and Chu are neighbors, and our alliance has a long history. If Qin and Chu are not at peace, neither can dominate the feudal lords. Therefore, I am willing to meet you at Wuguan to form an alliance. What do you think?" After reading the letter, King Huai of Chu felt trapped and unable to decide. Minister Zhao Ju strongly advised him not to trust it and go, while his son Zilan advocated going to the meeting to avoid provoking Qin. As a result, King Huai still went to Wuguan. In fact, Qin Zhao Wang himself was not at Wuguan; he had sent a general to impersonate the Qin king and set an ambush at Wuguan, waiting for King Huai of Chu to arrive before sealing the pass and kidnapping him to Xianyang. Later, King Huai of Chu died in Qin. (Biography of Chu in the Records of the Grand Historian)
[Xiao He's Plan to Execute Han Xin] In the tenth year of Emperor Gaozu of the Western Han Dynasty (197 BC), the vassal of Dai, Chen Xi, rebelled, and Emperor Gaozu personally led the army to suppress the rebellion. General Han Xin, the Marquis of Huaiyin, had previously promised Chen Xi that if Chen rebelled, Han would provide internal support. Chen Xi indeed rebelled, and Han Xin feigned illness and did not go with Emperor Gaozu to suppress the rebellion, secretly contacting Chen Xi and plotting with his household officials to attack and kill Empress Lü and the crown prince. The plot was exposed, and Empress Lü and Xiao He planned, pretending to have Emperor Gaozu send someone to say that Chen Xi was dead and ordering all ministers to enter the palace to celebrate. Xiao He deceived Han Xin, saying, "Even if you are sick, you should still enter the palace to celebrate." Han Xin, unaware of the plot, entered the palace and was bound and beheaded by Empress Lü in the Changle Palace. Han Xin's entire family was then executed. (Biography of Han Xin in the Book of Han)
[Fu Jiezi Using Gold to Assassinate the King of Loulan] During the Yuanfeng period of Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty, both Juchi and Loulan had killed Han court envoys. Fu Jiezi, while serving as a horse inspector on a mission to Dayuan, was ordered to go to Loulan and Juchi to demand an explanation. Fu Jiezi told Grand General Huo Guang, "Loulan and Juchi have repeatedly rebelled and must be punished. When I was in Juchi, I found that the king was easy to approach. I am willing to go and assassinate the king of Juchi to show the authority of the court to the countries of the Western Regions." Huo Guang said, "The journey to Juchi is too far; let's try Loulan first." So, after getting the emperor's approval, Fu Jiezi was sent to Loulan. Fu Jiezi and his accompanying soldiers set out, carrying a large amount of gold and jade, and publicly declared that they were going to reward the countries of the Western Regions. Upon arriving in Loulan, the king's attitude was ambiguous, and Fu Jiezi pretended to be displeased and left. When he reached the western border, he told the interpreter, "The Han emperor sent me with a large amount of gold and silk to reward the countries of the Western Regions, but the king of Loulan did not come to receive them. I have no choice but to go to the western countries." He showed the gold to the interpreter. The interpreter reported back, and the king of Loulan, coveting the gold, indeed came to meet the Han envoy. Fu Jiezi entertained him with wine and showed him the gifts again. When he was drunk, Fu Jiezi said, "The Han emperor has entrusted me with confidential matters to discuss with you separately." The king of Loulan followed Fu Jiezi into the tent for a secret discussion, and at that moment, two strong men suddenly stabbed the king of Loulan from behind, killing him on the spot. The nobles and other attendants of the king of Loulan were terrified and scattered in all directions. Fu Jiezi