One defends when victory cannot be assured, and attacks when victory is certain. Defense means insufficient strength; attack means abundant strength.
A master of defense conceals his forces as if hidden beneath the deepest earth. A master of attack strikes as if descending from the highest heavens. Thus he can protect himself and win a complete victory.
Note
Sun Tzu points out that commanders must judge the battlefield situation rationally first. If you are weaker than the enemy and have no chance to win, the wisest choice is to defend. If you hold overwhelming advantages, you should take the initiative to attack.
The ultimate goal of both tactics is dual success: preserve your own army and achieve a thorough victory over the foe. This philosophy also applies to competition, governance and negotiation in daily life in ancient China.
A great military strategist and thinker in ancient China, who lived in the late Spring and Autumn Period. He authored The Art of War, the world’s earliest and most influential military classic. His strategic thoughts have been widely applied in military, politics and management worldwide.
Nine lands & Nine heavens
Traditional Chinese poetic expressions. “Nine lands” refers to the deepest underground, standing for complete concealment in defense. “Nine heavens” means the highest sky, representing sudden, overwhelming offensive power. It is a rhetorical way to describe superb military deployment.
The Battle of Jinyang: Zhao Xiangzi’s Masterclass in Defense and Counter-Attack
The Battle of Jinyang (455–453 BC), a pivotal conflict among the four great ministerial families of the State of Jin (Zhi, Zhao, Han, and Wei), is a quintessential example of Sun Tzu’s principles in action.
Zhao Xiangzi demonstrated exceptional strategic acumen by correctly judging when to defend and when to attack, ultimately turning a siege into a total victory.
Defense in the Face of Insufficiency: “Hiding Beneath the Nine Layers of Earth”
When the powerful Zhi family, led by Zhi Yao, formed an alliance with the Han and Wei families to attack Zhao, the odds were overwhelmingly against Zhao.
Sun Tzu’s Principle:”One defends when victory cannot be assured… A master of defense conceals his forces as if hidden beneath the deepest earth.”
Recognizing that Zhao Xiangzi could not defeat the combined armies in open battle, Zhao Xiangzi retreated to his stronghold at Jinyang. He did not attempt to force a battle he could not win. Instead, he prepared for a protracted defense.
For nearly two years, Zhao Xiangzi and his forces endured the siege. They “hid” within the walls of the Jinyang City, conserving their strength and waiting. The city became their “nine layers of earth,” a fortress so deep and resilient that the Zhi army could not break it, despite flooding the city with water.
The Shift to Attack: Striking from the “Nine Layers of Heaven”
The turning point came when Zhao Xiangzi realized that the Zhi alliance was fragile. Zhi Yao’s arrogance had alienated the Han and Wei families, who feared they would be next after Zhao fell. As the saying goes, once the lips are gone, the teeth will feel cold.
Sun Tzu’s Principle:”One attacks when victory is certain… A master of attack strikes as if descending from the highest heavens.”
Zhao Xiangzi did not attack the enemy head-on. Instead, he exploited the enemy’s internal flaws (their disunity and overconfidence).
He secretly negotiated with Han and Wei, convincing them to switch sides.
The Sudden Strike: The attack was not a frontal assault but a coordinated ambush. The Han and Wei troops suddenly attacked the dike that was flooding Jinyang, turning the water against the Zhi army. This was a strike of supreme suddenness and overwhelming force – it came from “above” (the breached dike/water) and “behind” (the betrayal), just like a bolt of lightning from the “nine layers of heaven.”
Achieving “Self-Preservation and Complete Victory”
By adhering to Sun Tzu’s doctrine, Zhao Xiangzi achieved the ultimate strategic outcome. He saved his people and his city from annihilation.
The Zhi family was utterly destroyed, and their lands were divided among Zhao, Han, and Wei. This battle marked the end of the Spring and Autumn period and the beginning of the Warring States period, with Zhao emerging as a dominant power.
Conclusion
Zhao Xiangzi’s conduct during the Battle of Jinyang is a textbook example of Chapter 4.2. He knew when to endure and when to strike. By first “hiding in the earth” and then “striking from the sky,” he transformed a desperate defense into a decisive and total victory, perfectly embodying the art of turning weakness into strength through superior strategy.
不可勝者，守也；可勝者，攻也。守則不足，攻則有餘。善守者，藏于九地之下；善攻者，動于九天之上，故能自保而全勝也。
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