When news reached the state of Lu that Duke Huan of Qi had appointed Guan Zhong – once a prisoner of Lu – as his chancellor, Duke Zhuang of Lu was furious.
Rising tensions between Qi and Lu
“I should have listened to Shi Bo!” he fumed. “They tricked me like a puppet! They never respected Lu at all.”
Determined to restore honor, he began training troops and forging weapons for revenge.
Duke Huan, eager to prove his strength early in his reign and outshine his late rival Gongzi Jiu, wanted to strike first. But Guan Zhong advised caution:
“Your rule is new; Qi’s government, military, and economy are not yet stable. Now is not the time for war.”
Ignoring this counsel, Duke Huan appointed his trusted mentor Bao Shuya as general and launched an invasion of Lu in 684 BCE, marching directly toward Changshao.
A commoner called to command
Faced with imminent invasion, Duke Zhuang of Lu convened his ministers in outrage. Advisor Shi Bo recommended a civilian named Cao Gui, a humble but brilliant man known for both literary and martial talent. Though initially skeptical:
“Why consult us poor folk when you feast on meat?”
Cao Gui relented upon Shi Bo’s earnest plea:
“The fate of the nation is at stake!”
Duke Zhuang of Lu asked Cao Gui how to repel the forces of the State of Qi. Cao Gui replied,
“If the entire nation is united as one, the enemy can be driven back. As for the specific tactics of the battle, that is hard to say. Warfare is a dynamic matter – one must adapt to the situation. There is no fixed, unchanging method.”
Impressed by Cao Gui’s insight, Duke Zhuang appointed him commander-in-chief and marched with him to Changshao.
The strategy of patience
At Changshao, the two armies faced each other across a broad plain – like opposing riverbanks awaiting a flood. Confident from past victories, Bao Shuya ordered the first drumbeat to signal charge.
But Cao Gui restrained Duke Zhuang:
“Wait. Their morale is high now. Let them exhaust themselves.”
He forbade any response – only archers held the line. The Qi troops charged, found no resistance, and withdrew in confusion.
A second drumbeat sounded. Again, the Lu army stood motionless. The Qi soldiers grew frustrated, their energy waning.
Unfazed, Bao Shuya remarked,
“Their reluctance to engage might be due to awaiting reinforcements. Let us charge once more. Whether they emerge or not, if we press forward relentlessly, victory is assured.”
Thus, the drums sounded for the third time.
The Qi soldiers, having already made two futile charges, were weary and disheartened. Believing the Lu troops would not dare to fight, they saw little point in charging again. Yet orders could not be ignored, so they advanced halfheartedly, their spirits low and energy lacking.
To their surprise, however, the thunderous roll of drums suddenly erupted from the opposite side.
At that precise moment, Cao Gui shouted:
“Beat the drums! Charge!”
In an instant, the Lu generals and soldiers surged forward like hailstones pounding upon lotus leaves, shattering the Qi formation into chaos.
Panic spread; the Qi forces fled in disarray.
The wisdom behind the pursuit
As Duke Zhuang prepared to chase the retreating enemy, Cao Gui halted him:
“Not yet.”
He climbed onto his chariot, scanned the horizon, then examined the enemy’s wheel tracks and footprints. Only after confirming the tracks were chaotic and banners fallen did he order:
“Now – pursue!”
They chased the Qi army thirty li (about 15 km), capturing weapons, chariots, and supplies.
Later, Duke Zhuang asked for an explanation. Cao Gui replied:
“In battle, morale rises with the first drumbeat, weakens at the second, and vanishes by the third. We struck when their spirit was spent – that is what ‘one drumbeat, full vigor’ means. As for pursuit: fleeing enemies may feign retreat to lure you into ambush. Only when their tracks show true panic can you chase safely.”
The duke marveled:
“You truly understand warfare.”
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