In 189 AD, Dong Zhuo, the Governor of Bing Province, accepted the invitation of He Jin and Yuan Shao, and marched from Chang’an to Luoyang to eliminate the powerful eunuch faction known as the Ten Attendants. He Jin and Yuan Shao had schemed meticulously, intending to use Dong Zhuo as a tiger to devour…
This article explains Sun Tzu’s tactic of feigning humility to inflate enemy arrogance. Modu Chanyu yielded treasures and his wife to lull Donghu, then crushed them. It also parallels Lu Xun’s flattering ploy that tricked arrogant Guan Yu into losing Jingzhou.
This article analyzes the Battle of Xiangfan through Sun Tzu’s strategies. Sima Yi urged Cao Cao to ally with Wu, luring Sun Quan with territory to attack Guan Yu’s rear. Arrogant Guan Yu ignored hidden threats, lost Jingzhou, embodying the cost of ignoring diplomatic and deceptive warfare principles.
Based on The Art of War, this article analyzes Guan Yu’s ruinous arrogance. Wu’s Lü Meng and Lu Xun used feigned weakness and flattering words to relax his vigilance. Guan Yu moved rear troops north, lost Jingzhou, and his defeat crippled Shu Han’s unification ambitions.
Skilled generals win by harnessing battlefield momentum instead of blaming troops, picking proper soldiers to build unstoppable force like rolling round boulders. The Battle of Hefei illustrates this idea via Cao Cao’s smart deployment of complementary generals.
Mr. Wang (Senior Wang, Master Wang, or 老汪 ‘Lao Wang’ in Chinese) is one of the top video bloggers on Douyin and Bilibili(以古为镜老汪), who delves deeply into Chinese history. He is erudite and knowledgeable, possessing both the integrity of a scholar and a gentle heart. He is an elegant gentleman embodying compassion, benevolence, righteousness, kindness,…
By Su Shi The mighty Yangtze River flows eastward –Its waves wash away all heroes of bygone ages.