Liu Bo Wen Bing Fa

Author: Liu Ji
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: Strategy for Countering Enemy Plans
This article aims to explain how to. The author believes that when the enemy begins to, it is necessary to timely use the enemy's plans, making them defeated without fighting. The "Art of War" mentions "," meaning the highest level of warfare is to the enemy's war plans. In other words, it is to use superior strategy to the war in its infancy, thereby achieving the goal of "complete victory." This process is what Sun Tzu refers to as "to subdue the enemy without fighting"—that is, to defeat the enemy without engaging in direct combat. This is an ideal state of war. However, to reach this ideal state, there are: one party must be in an absolute advantage in strength, and their subjective guidance of the war must align with objective reality. If the objective laws are violated and a piecemeal emphasis is placed on "," it is impossible to achieve "complete victory." Yan Ying, the prime minister of Qi, used wisdom to the plan of the Jin State to attack Qi during a banquet, which can be considered a typical example of "to subdue the enemy without fighting."
Original Text
，，。：“。”
Translation
Whenever the enemy begins to against us, we should timely use to their conspiracy, forcing them to be at their wits' end and. The "Art of War" states: "The highest level of warfare is to use to the enemy's war plans."
Case Study
During the Spring and Autumn Period, King Ping of Jin planned to attack Qi and sent his minister Fan Zhao to visit Qi to gather intelligence. King Jing of Qi hosted a banquet for the guest. When the wine was flowing freely, Fan Zhao rudely demanded to use King Jing's wine cup. King Jing said, "Then let me give my cup to the guest." When Fan Zhao finished drinking from his own cup and was about to switch to King Jing's cup, Yan Zi immediately took King Jing's cup away and let Fan Zhao continue using his own cup. Shortly after, not pleased, Fan Zhao pretended to be drunk and danced, asking the Qi music master, "Can you play a piece for me by the Duke of Zhou? I want to dance to the music." The music master replied, "The old minister has not learned this piece." After Fan Zhao left the banquet, King Jing scolded his ministers, saying, "Jin is a great country, and they sent someone to our country for investigation. Now you have offended the envoy of a great country. What should we do?" Yan Zi said with confidence, "Fan Zhao is not ignorant of etiquette, but he is deliberately humiliating our country, so I cannot obey your command to let him use your cup." The music master added, "The music of the Duke of Zhou can only be enjoyed by the Son of Heaven, and only the ruler is qualified to dance to it. This Fan Zhao is merely a minister, yet he dreams of dancing to the music of the Son of Heaven. Therefore, I cannot play the music for him." Later, Fan Zhao returned to Jin and reported to King Ping, saying, "We should not attack Qi. I wanted to humiliate their ruler, but Yan Zi saw through my plan. I tried to offend their etiquette, but the music master exposed me."
Confucius