Sun Tzu's Art of War is one of the treasures of traditional Chinese culture, and it is now used as a military textbook for countries around the world. Sun Wu, the author of "Sun Tzu's Art of War", is not only a great theorist, but also a great general with real experience in attacking the city, conquering invincible, and invincible. And the person who made Sun Wu a great general was Wu Zixu.
Wu Zixu was originally a native of the Chu state, and in 522 BC, because the king of Chu persecuted his family, only he escaped, so he made up his mind to take revenge. The State of Wu and the State of Chu were feuding at that time, so Wu Zixu came to the State of Wu, and Wu Zixu helped Gongzi Guang (King of Wu) become the King of Wu, and then made a rich army against the State of Wu, hoping to one day defeat the State of Chu.
The State of Chu was very powerful at that time, and although Wu Zixu was good at governing the country, he also needed a person who was good at leading troops to fight to help King Wu realize his plan to defeat the State of Chu. Sun Wu had contact with Wu Zixu when he was fleeing, and Wu Zixu knew that Sun Wu was a rare general in a thousand years, and recommended Sun Wu to king Wu. King Wu received Sun Wu, who came to see King Wu with his thirteen martial arts, and for the first time trained King Wu's wives and concubines into a disciplined army, which was valued by King Wu.
Although there are many words written in the "Art of War of Sun Tzu", such as "Soldiers, devious ways, can show that they can't..." and so on, Sun Wu, as a master of war, understands very well the truth that war is a continuation of politics, so the plans he formulated for the State of Wu are often based on the grand strategy, weakening the State of Chu, and then realizing the victory of the State of Wu over the exhausted strategic plan that has been weakened.
Sun Wu made several important strategic suggestions to Wu Guo:
1 Both Sun Wu and Wu Zixu proposed to King Wu that only on the basis of a "rich country" could they strengthen their troops, and they actively encouraged survival within the State of Wu, lightly defying thin endowments, and greatly improving the comprehensive strength of the State of Wu.
2 Divide and disintegrate the allies of the State of Chu and weaken the power of the State of Chu by means of cutting off diplomatic relations
3 Divide the army into three branches and take turns to attack the key areas of the Chu state, so that the Chu soldiers are in a state of readiness for a long time, so as to exhaust the Chu state.
4 For the enemy is fed. Every time Wu Jun went to a place in the Chu Kingdom, he ate all the local grain. Those who could not finish eating burned him and attacked the economic security system of the Chu state.
5 At the same time, Sun Wu personally selected strong and daring warriors to train a strong army belonging to the State of Wu.
Under the joint action of such a series of measures, the State of Chu was confused by the State of Wu. In 508 BC, Sun Wu, on the basis of plotting against the Chu ally of the Chu state of Tong, unexpectedly defeated Yu Zhang's Chu army and then seized the "nest" land. This was a test of the effectiveness of Wu Guo's policy of enriching the country and strengthening the army in a few years, and it also strengthened Wu Wang's determination to cut down Chu.
In 505 BC, the Wu army, under the personal leadership of Sun Wu and Wu Zixu, captured the capital of the Chu state in only ten days. In the capital of the Chu kingdom, Wu Zixu dug up the grave of the king of Chu who had framed him, and whipped the corpse to vent his hatred in order to avenge the revenge of that year.
This time, the action of cutting down Chu also achieved the status of the five hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period of the Wu King. However, after fighting the Chu state, Sun Wu felt that his and Wu Zixu's status in the Wu state was getting higher and higher, and they might encounter jealousy. Coupled with the fact that King Lu of Wu died of an infection with his toes cut off in the course of his crusade against the State of Yue, the newly appointed King Fuchai of Wu was very arrogant, and Sun Wu had the idea of leaving the court of the State of Wu.
He said to Wu Zixu: "The birds are exhausted, the good bow is hidden; the cunning rabbit is dead, and the lackey Heng is dead." You were originally a Wu national, and I was originally a Qi national, but now I am in a high position in the Yue kingdom. Fu cha is not a person who can suffer for a long time, let's leave early."
However, In the process of helping Wu Guo to dominate, Wu Zixu invested a lot of feelings for Wu Guo, and was reluctant to leave, so Sun Wu had to leave alone. Later, Wu Zixu was indeed hated by Fu Cha because of the provocation of the beautiful woman Xi Shi and others, and Fu Cha gave Wu Zixu a sword and made him commit suicide and die.
Unfortunately, Wu Zixu did not listen to Sun Wu's final advice to him, and bowed down for Wu Guo all his life, but was killed by King Wu.