The Six The Three The Guiguzi

Author: Zhong Lei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: "The Six" (Lü) presents theories and principles of governing a state, managing armies, and directing warfare through dialogues between King Wen and King Wu of Zhou and Lü Buwei. It is a highly valuable military classic that has had a profound impact on later generations and has been esteemed by renowned military strategists throughout history. Sima Qian, in the "Records of the Grand Historian," states in the "Biography of the Duke of Qi": "Later generations who speak of military strategy and the hidden arts of Zhou all regard the Duke of Qi as their master strategist." During the Yuanfeng period of Emperor Shenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, "The Six" was included in the "Seven Military Classics," becoming a must-read for military studies. "The Six" has also had a significant international influence, spreading to Japan in the 16th century and to Europe in the 18th century. Today, it has been translated into multiple languages, including Japanese, French, Korean, Vietnamese, English, and Russian.
"The Three Stratagems" (Sānlüè) is an ancient Chinese military classic that focuses primarily on political strategy while also addressing military strategy. Since its inception, it has been valued by successive generations of politicians, military strategists, and scholars. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Chao Gongwu praised it as follows: "It eloquently discusses the subtleties of military strategy and the decisiveness of strict discipline, where armies can turn death into life, and nations can transform destruction into survival." The book was later transmitted to Japan and Korea, where it exerted considerable influence.
"The Guiguzi" is a political theory text attributed to Guiguzi, later supplemented and revised by figures such as Su Qin and Zhang Yi. It is a comprehensive work that integrates the philosophies of the (strategists), the (military strategists), the (Daoists), the (immortalists), and the (Yin-Yang scholars).