This part presents Sun Tzu’s famous maxim. Knowing both the enemy and yourself guarantees safety in all battles. Knowing only yourself leads to mixed results, while ignorance of both sides will bring certain defeat in every fight.
Sun Tzu puts forward five rules to predict victory: judging battle timing, deploying troops properly, uniting all ranks, staying fully prepared and letting capable generals command freely without royal interference.
Sun Tzu states preserving the enemy’s state and troops intact is ideal in warfare. Winning every battle is not perfect. The ultimate mastery lies in subduing the enemy completely without engaging in combat.
Zixia, serving as magistrate of Jufu, asked Confucius about governance. The Master said, “Do not seek speed; do not pursue small gains. If you rush, you will not succeed; if you focus on petty profits, you will never accomplish great things.”
In Chapter 8 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Wang Yun, the loyal Han minister, devises a cunning plan to destroy the tyrant Dong Zhuo. At the heart of this scheme is Diao Chan, a beautiful courtesan in Wang Yun’s household.