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Lao Laizi [Biographies of Noble Scholars]
Lao Laizi, a Chu Taoist hermit, lived simply farming on Meng Mountain. When the king offered him state governance, his wife refused officialdom’s chains, so they fled south. He penned Taoist works and won deep respect from Confucius.
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Gengsang Chu [Biographies of Noble Scholars]
Gengsang Chu, Laozi’s Taoist disciple, brought bumper harvests to Weilui Mountain via wuwei. Villagers wished to worship him as a local deity, yet he refused, believing true sages live in seclusion and let natural Heaven’s Way govern all.
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Art of War Chapter – 13.4
Before assaults, spy out enemy officials’ identities. Turn captured enemy spies into double agents, the core of all intelligence work. They support other four spy types and deserve lavish rewards under royal supervision.
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Art of War Chapter – 13.3
Spies gain the utmost trust and highest rewards with absolute secrecy. Only wise, humane and astute commanders can effectively deploy spies. Anyone leaking spy plans faces execution together with the spy.
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Art of War Chapter – 13.2
Sun Tzu categorizes five spy types: native, internal, double, doomed and surviving spies. Deploying all five simultaneously hides intelligence operations perfectly, forming an invaluable secret strategy for rulers.
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Art of War Chapter – 13.1
Large campaigns drain national wealth and disrupt civilians. Skimping on spy funds to ignore enemy intelligence is reckless. Reliable foreknowledge for victory comes from human scouts, not superstition or divination.