During the Warring States Period, heroes competed for hegemony and heroes emerged. On this magnificent historical stage, a thrilling revenge drama was staged. Who would have thought that a close friend of a classmate would become an enemy of life and death? Who would have thought that a disabled person who was tattooed, cut off his foot, and deboned would eventually be able to turn things around and achieve the reputation of a generation of masters in the art of war? The protagonists of this story are the famous Sun Bin and Pang Juan. They were originally brothers in the same sect, but they turned against each other because of a conspiracy. Pang Juan inflicted inhumane torture on Sun Bin, thinking that he had cut off the other party's future. However, fate made people, Sun Bin not only survived, but also became the military advisor of Qi in the future. The victim of the past is now a powerful military strategist, how will he take revenge on the former perpetrator?
During the Warring States Period, the princes competed for hegemony, and the importance of military strategy became increasingly prominent. In this context, Guiguzi is famous for its profound wisdom and excellent strategy, attracting many people with lofty ideals to come to learn art. Among them, there are Sun Bin and Pang Juan, two military strategists who will become famous in the future.
Sun Bin, Ziqing, a native of Linzi in Qi State. He came from a famous family and was a descendant of Sun Wu, the author of "The Art of War". The talented Sun Bin has had a strong interest in the art of war since he was a child, and is determined to become a generation of military strategists. In order to achieve this goal, he traveled thousands of miles to study under Guiguzi.
Pang Juan, a native of Wei, is a few years older than Sun Bin. In his early years, he worshiped under the Guiguzi sect and learned the way of strategy. Pang Juan was gifted and intelligent, studied hard, and soon rose to prominence under Guiguzi and became a leader among many disciples.
The two first met in the dojo of Guiguzi. At that time, Pang Juan was already a proud protégé of Guiguzi, and Sun Bin was a new student who had just apprenticed. Despite the difference in age and seniority, the two soon became friends because of their shared interests and ambitions. They often study the art of war together, discuss military strategies, learn from each other, and make progress together.
Under the teaching of Guiguzi, the talents of Sun Bin and Pang Juan have been rapidly improved. Not only were they proficient in the art of war, but they also learned the art of vertical and horizontal warfare, which laid a solid foundation for them to display their talents in the vassal states in the future. However, over time, the relationship between the two has also quietly changed.
Pang Juan took the lead in completing his studies, left Guiguzi, and entered the Wei court. With his outstanding talents, Pang Juan was soon appreciated by King Hui of Wei and was appointed as a general to lead the Wei army. This position gave Pang Juan a stage to display his ambitions, and he began to fight for the Wei State in all directions, and made many achievements.
A few years later, Sun Bin also became a teacher. When Pang Juan learned of this, he sent someone to invite Sun Bin to Wei as a guest. The reunion of two old friends should have been a joyous event. However, when Pang Juan witnessed Sun Bin's talent, he felt jealous in his heart.
During Sun Bin's time in the Wei State, he expressed his opinions in the court many times, and he was always able to hit the nail on the head, which attracted the admiration of the ministers. King Wei Hui also admired this young strategist and intended to keep him in Wei. Pang Juan saw it in his eyes and was anxious in his heart. He was worried that Sun Bin's talent would overshadow him and shake his position in the Wei State.
As a result, Pang Juan began to plot secretly, looking for an opportunity to get rid of this potential threat. He used his influence in Wei to spread rumors that Sun Bin had a rebellious heart and tried to subvert Wei. At the same time, he also forged some evidence to frame Sun Bin.
Eventually, Pang Juan found an opportunity to slander King Hui of Wei, saying that Sun Bin was plotting against Wei and intended to endanger the Wei state. King Wei Hui listened to Pang Juan's lies and ordered Sun Bin to be arrested. Sun Bin was speechless and was thrown into prison.
Pang Juan could have killed Sun Bin just yet, but he chose a more cruel way to take revenge on his former best friend. He advised King Wei Hui to torture Sun Bin severely: tattooing a character on his face, cutting off his feet, and removing his kneecaps. This kind of punishment will not only bring great pain to Sun Bin, but also cut off the possibility of him to display his talents in other countries in the future.
In this way, Sun Bin suffered this inhumane torture. The word "criminal" was tattooed on his face, his feet were cut off, and his kneecaps were removed. Such torture should have made a person completely hopeless, but Sun Bin kept a clear head in the pain. He understands that only by living can he have a chance for revenge.
After Sun Bin suffered Pang Juan's cruel punishment, he did not give up. He knew that if he wanted to take revenge, he must first live. So, Sun Bin began to pretend to be crazy and stupid in prison to lower the vigilance of the jailers. Sometimes he wept and moaned, sometimes laughed maniacally, making people think that he had lost his mind. The strategy worked, and the jailers gradually relaxed their grip on him.
At this time, the state of Qi sent an envoy to the state of Wei for a diplomatic visit. This envoy's name was Chun Yuji, and he was a famous columnist in the Qi State at that time. One day, when Chun Yuji was visiting the capital of Wei, he overheard rumors about Sun Bin. As a diplomat who is good at reading words, Chun Yuyu is keenly aware that there may be an untold story behind this rumor.
Chun Yuyu managed to get the opportunity to visit Sun Bin. When he walked into the cell, he saw an unkempt and ragged prisoner. Sun Bin is still playing the role of madness, but Chun Yuji is not confused by this appearance. He noticed that although Sun Bin looked crazy, his eyes still flashed with wisdom.
Chun Yuji began to talk with Sun Bin, and the conversation covered a wide range of topics, from astronomy and geography to the art of war. In this process, Sun Bin's inadvertent talent and learning amazed Chun Yuji. He realized that the "madman" in front of him was actually a knowledgeable prodigy.
After careful consideration, Chun Yuji decided to take the risk to rescue Sun Bin. He used his status as an envoy and his connections in Wei to secretly arrange Sun Bin's escape plan. On a dark and windy night, Chun Yuji's henchmen sneaked into the prison and rescued Sun Bin. They hid Sun Bin in the luggage of the mission and succeeded in taking him out of Wei.
Sun Bin finally regained his freedom, but his situation was still difficult. Due to Pang Juan's torture, he was no longer able to walk normally, and his face was disfigured. However, Sun Bin was not defeated by these difficulties. On the way to Qi, he showed his talent to Chun Yuji, explaining many advanced military strategies and political strategies.
After arriving in the State of Qi, Chun Yuji introduced Sun Bin to Tian Ji, the general of the State of Qi. Tian Ji is a general who loves talent like his life, and he soon discovers Sun Bin's extraordinary. In order to further test Sun Bin's talent, Tian Ji decided to have a special race with him - horse racing.
This race was later widely spread as the story of "Tian Ji Horse Racing". Tian Ji had upper, middle, and lower horses, and Sun Bin suggested that he adopt a special strategy: use inferior horses against the opponent's superior horses, medium horses against the opponent's inferior horses, and superior horses against the opponent's medium horses. As a result, Tian Ji won the game with a score of two wins and one loss.
This ingenious strategy gave Tian Ji a deeper understanding of Sun Bin's talent. He realized that Sun Bin was not only proficient in the art of war, but also had excellent thinking skills and strategic vision. From then on, Tian Ji regarded Sun Bin as a guest and often consulted him on military and political issues.
Sun Bin's talent soon caught the attention of King Qi Wei. At a court meeting, King Qi Wei raised a difficult question about military strategy. None of the ministers present could give a satisfactory answer, and only Sun Bin proposed a unique and clever solution. King Qi Wei greatly appreciated this, and immediately appointed Sun Bin as a military advisor to participate in the military decision-making of the Qi State.
In this way, Sun Bin gradually grew from a prisoner who was seriously injured and on the verge of desperation to an important military strategist of the Qi State. His talents were fully exploited and made great contributions to the military strategy of the Qi State. At the same time, he also began to prepare for his revenge plan, waiting for the opportunity to fight Pang Juan again.
During his time in the Qi Kingdom, Sun Bin not only regained his health, but also further improved his military talents. He thoroughly studied the terrain, military strength, and political situation of each country, and made full preparations for future military operations. Sun Bin's rise won an important advantage for Qi in the Warring States disputes, and also laid a solid foundation for his future revenge.
Sun Bin gradually gained a foothold in the Qi State and became a military strategist relied on by King Qi Wei. His talents were fully utilized, and he won many advantages for the Qi State in the Warring States disputes. However, Sun Bin has not forgotten his great cause of revenge. He had been waiting for the opportunity to fight Pang Juan again, and that opportunity finally came in 353 BC.
At that time, there was a fierce conflict between Wei and Zhao. The Wei general Pang Juan led his army to attack Zhao, and soon occupied a large part of Zhao's territory. The state of Zhao was in danger and had to ask the state of Qi for help. King Qi Wei convened his courtiers to discuss countermeasures, and most of the ministers believed that they should send troops to help Zhao in order to prevent Wei from becoming bigger. But Sun Bin came up with an unexpected strategy.
Sun Bin suggested that Qi should not directly aid Zhao, but take advantage of the fact that Wei's main forces were fighting abroad and directly attack Wei's homeland. He analyzed: "The elite of the Wei State is exhausted, and the domestic defense is empty. If we can directly attack the Yellow Dragon, we can not only force the Wei army to return to help, but also severely damage the strength of the Wei State. This strategy was called "encircling Wei to save Zhao" and became one of the famous strategies in the art of war in later generations.
King Qi Wei adopted Sun Bin's suggestion and appointed Tian Ji as a general and Sun Bin as a military advisor, leading the army to Wei State. At the same time, Qi also sent envoys to secretly inform Zhao and ask them to hold on to the city and wait for reinforcements.
After Pang Juan learned the news of Qi's troops, he immediately led the main army back to help. He judged that the target of the Qi army was Daliang, the capital of Wei (present-day Kaifeng, Henan), so he quickly marched in the direction of Daliang. However, this is exactly what Sun Bin wants.
Sun Bin had long expected Pang Juan to make such a judgment. He commanded the Qi army to avoid Daliang and instead march towards Guiling (present-day Juancheng County, Heze City, Shandong). Guiling was an important granary of Wei, and if it could be captured, it would not only cut off the logistical supply of the Wei army, but also severely damage the economic strength of Wei.
In order to confuse the enemy, Sun Bin also used an ingenious strategy. He ordered his soldiers to set up camp every night with 100,000 campfires on the first day, 90,000 on the second day, 80,000 on the third day, and so on. When Pang Juan's scouts saw this phenomenon, they reported to Pang Juan that the Qi army was fleeing in large numbers.
When Pang Juan heard this news, he was overjoyed. He believed that the Qi army was already disheartened and demoralized, and it was a good opportunity to annihilate the other party in one fell swoop. As a result, Pang Juan ordered the Wei army to speed up its advance in an attempt to pursue the "routed" Qi army.
However, the Wei army, which had traveled long distances, was exhausted by this time. Anticipating this, Sun Bin set up an ambush in a narrow valley near Guiling. When the Wei army entered the valley exhausted, the Qi army suddenly fought out from all sides and launched a fierce attack on the Wei army.
The Wei army was caught off guard and fell into chaos. Pang Juan tried to organize a counterattack, but it was too late. The offensive of the Qi army came like a tidal wave, and the Wei army was defeated and retreated, and finally collapsed. Pang Juan himself was wounded in the melee and escaped in disarray.
The Battle of Guiling was a big victory. The Qi army not only annihilated a large number of Wei troops, but also captured a large number of military supplies. More importantly, this battle severely damaged the military strength of Wei, so that it had to abandon the attack on Zhao, thus achieving the strategic goal of "encircling Wei and saving Zhao".
This victory strengthened Sun Bin's position in the Qi state, and his military prowess was unanimously recognized by the king of Qi Wei and his courtiers. For Sun Bin, the Battle of Guiling was not only a military victory, but also the first step in his revenge plan. He succeeded in defeating Pang Juan and gave his former enemies a taste of defeat.
However, Sun Bin was not satisfied. He was well aware of Pang Juan's talent and ambition, and expected that this enemy would definitely make a comeback. Therefore, Sun Bin continued to concentrate on studying military strategies to prepare for the next contest with Pang Juan. He knew that the real decisive battle was yet to come, and that would be his chance to take revenge once and for all.
After the Battle of Guiling, the strength of the Qi State increased greatly, while the Wei State suffered a great loss of vitality. However, this did not stop Wei from continuing its expansionist ambitions. In 341 BC, Wei again launched an attack on Korea in an attempt to annex this weak neighbor. South Korea was in danger of annihilation and had to ask Qi for help again.
King Qi Wei summoned his courtiers to discuss countermeasures. At this time, Sun Bin had become the core figure of Qi's military decision-making. He analyzed: "Although Wei was defeated in the Battle of Guiling, it was still a strong country. We cannot underestimate their strength. However, Wei's weakness lies in their pride and conceit, especially Pang Juan as a person. We can use this to defeat them. "
Sun Bin came up with a bold plan. He suggested that Qi first send a small force to feint on Wei's border and lure Wei's main force to attack. Then, the main force of Qi could set up an ambush at Maling (northwest of present-day Fan County, Henan Province) at the junction of Wei and Han and annihilate the Wei army in one fell swoop.
King Qi Wei adopted Sun Bin's suggestion and appointed Tian Ji as a general and Sun Bin as a military advisor, leading the army to Wei State. At the same time, Qi also sent envoys to secretly inform Korea, asking them to hold on to the city and wait for reinforcements.
When Wei learned of the attack of the Qi army, King Hui of Wei immediately summoned his courtiers to discuss countermeasures. Most ministers advised caution, but Pang Juan advocated taking the initiative. He said: "The Qi army must be exhausted when they come from afar. We should take the initiative and annihilate them in one fell swoop. King Wei Hui was impressed by Pang Juan's self-confidence and agreed to his suggestion.
Pang Juan led the main force of Wei to meet the Qi army. However, when they arrived at their intended location, they found that there was only a small Qi army. Pang Juan thought that this was a sign that the main force of the Qi army had retreated, so he ordered the whole army to pursue.
The Wei army chased all the way, but was never able to catch up with the main force of the Qi army. In the course of the pursuit, the Wei army passed through a wood. Sun Bin had already expected Pang Juan to pass by here, and he ordered someone to engrave the words "Pang Juan died under this tree" on the bark of the tree. When Pang Juan saw these lines, he couldn't help but be furious, thinking that this was a provocation by the Qi army, and strengthened his determination to pursue.
Just as the Wei army pursued to the vicinity of Maling, Sun Bin's plan was finally revealed. He ordered the Qi army to light 100,000 torches, forming a huge encirclement. The exhausted Wei army suddenly found itself under siege and immediately fell into a panic.
Sun Bin seized this opportunity and ordered the Qi army to launch a fierce attack. The Qi army came like a tide, and the Wei army was defeated and retreated. Pang Juan tried to organize a counterattack, but it was too late. In the scuffle, Pang Juan was shot by random arrows and fell to the ground with serious injuries.
Seeing the fall of the commander, the Wei army completely collapsed. The Qi army took advantage of the victory to pursue and chased the Wei army into scattered flights. In this battle, Wei suffered heavy losses, and the 100,000-strong army was almost completely annihilated. Pang Juan was captured during his escape and eventually committed suicide.
The Battle of Maling was the pinnacle of Sun Bin's military career and the final step in his revenge plan. Through this great victory, he not only completely defeated Pang Juan, but also severely damaged the national strength of Wei, causing it to collapse from then on.
After the war, King Qi Wei greatly rewarded Sun Bin and named him Shangqing, giving him a large amount of gold and silver treasures. Sun Bin's reputation spread throughout the Warring States and was known as the world's first military division. However, Sun Bin was not complacent. He knew that behind the victory was the sacrifice of countless soldiers, so he treated every military decision more carefully.
After the Battle of Maling, Sun Bin continued to serve the Qi State, but he no longer fought in person. He compiled his military ideas into a book and taught them to young generals. These ideas were later compiled into The Art of War, which became one of the most important military works in ancient China.
Sun Bin's life is full of legends. From a brutalized prisoner to a world-famous military strategist, his story is legendary. However, more importantly, Sun Bin used his wisdom and perseverance to not only achieve personal revenge, but also won the hegemony of Qi State, leaving a strong mark in the history of the Warring States Period.
After the Battle of Maling, Sun Bin's fame reached its peak. Not only did he become the most respected military advisor of the Qi State, but he was also regarded as an unborn military wizard by the other vassal states. However, Sun Bin did not stop his study and thinking. On the contrary, he began to more systematically organize and develop his military ideas.
With the support of King Qi Wei, Sun Bin began to lecture at the Jixia Academy. Jixia School Palace is a famous school established by the Qi State, bringing together famous scholars from various schools at that time. Sun Bin not only imparted his military experience here, but also conducted in-depth exchanges with other scholars, constantly enriching and perfecting his theoretical system.
Sun Bin's lectures covered a wide range of topics, from strategic planning to tactical application, from troop deployment to logistical support. He particularly stressed the importance of "knowing oneself and knowing one's enemy," holding that only by fully understanding the situation of both the enemy and the enemy can we formulate the best battle plan. In addition, Sun Bin also put forward the tactical idea of "winning with the right and winning with the odd", emphasizing that while going head-to-head, we should make good use of the odd soldiers to win.
Many of Sun Bin's students later became famous military strategists and politicians. One of the most famous is Meng Weijun Tianwen. Tian Wen not only inherited Sun Bin's military thoughts, but also applied them to the political field, becoming a famous politician and diplomat in the Qi State.
In addition to lecturing at the Jixia Academy, Sun Bin also set out to compile his own military works. He compiled his years of practical experience and theoretical thinking into a document to form "Sun Bin's Art of War". This work not only summarized Sun Bin's military thoughts, but also included many specific analysis of war examples, which became an important reference for later generations to study military affairs.
In the process of compiling "The Art of War", Sun Bin paid special attention to the combination of theory and practice. He not only recorded his own successes, but also summed up the lessons of his failures. For example, he analyzed in detail the whole process of the Battle of Guiling and the Battle of Maling, including intelligence gathering before the war, the deployment of troops during the war, and the summary and reflection after the war. This way of explaining with examples makes "The Art of War" not only have theoretical depth, but also have strong practicality.
In his later years, Sun Bin also participated in the military reform of the Qi State. He suggested that King Qi Wei reform the army establishment and implement the system of "organizing the army and even the shi", that is, five people for the army, ten people for the army, one hundred people for the tun, and one thousand people for the army. This method of organization not only improves the organizational efficiency of the armed forces, but also facilitates command and dispatch. In addition, Sun Bin also put forward the principle of "selecting and appointing capable people" and advocated vigorously selecting and training talented generals in the army.
In terms of diplomacy, Sun Bin also played an important role. He participated in the negotiations between Qi and other vassal states many times, and used his wisdom and experience to win a favorable diplomatic position for Qi. For example, in negotiations with Yan, Sun Bin skillfully used the strategy of "wanting to capture the old and indulge" to successfully persuade Yan to form an alliance with Qi to jointly defend against the threat of Qin.
As he grew older, Sun Bin gradually withdrew from the center of court politics. But he did not sit idle, but devoted more energy to writing and teaching. He often discusses the international situation with his students, analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of each country, and predicts future development trends. These discussions not only enriched Sun Bin's thoughts, but also cultivated a large number of outstanding military and political talents for the Qi State.
The exact time of Sun Bin's death is impossible to verify, but his impact went far beyond his life. His military ideas were not only widely used in the Qi state, but also spread to other vassal states. Many countries sent people to Qi to learn Sun Bin's art of war, which made his ideas have a profound impact throughout the Warring States period.
In later generations, Sun Bin and Sun Wu were known as the "two grandsons", and their military ideas were regarded as the essence of ancient Chinese military theory. "The Art of War" and "The Art of War" have become an important document for the study of ancient Chinese military. Sun Bin's wisdom and strategy not only influenced the military field, but also had a profound impact on China's politics, diplomacy, culture and other aspects, and became an indispensable part of traditional Chinese culture.