Tố Thư - Thái công Binh pháp

Using good strategies, there is no worry about guarding; not worrying about the distant will bring sorrow near. Those who share the same aspirations unite. Those who share the same benevolence share concerns; those who commit evil together form cliques; those who share likes seek each other out; those who share beauty make difficulties for each other. Those who share talent and wisdom scheme together; those who treasure the same object harm each other. Those who share profits are jealous of each other, fearful of each other. Those who share words respond to each other. Those who share spiritedness admire each other. Those who share the same kind rely on each other; those who share righteousness are intimate with each other. Those who share hardship help each other; those who share the Way build together; those who share a profession spy on each other; those who share skill compete with each other. This is what one follows as one's destiny; one cannot go against this principle. Meaning that letting oneself go while teaching others is contrary. Being upright oneself while transforming others is compliant. The contrary is hard to follow; the compliant is easy to do. What is hard to follow brings chaos; what is easy to do brings peace and order. Thus, governing oneself, managing the household, and ruling the state can be achieved. Greetings, welcome esteemed guests and friends to the DLT channel, opening remarks. More than 2,500 years ago, when heaven and earth were still immersed in chaos, people at that time fought and slaughtered each other endlessly. They exchanged their children to eat and burned human bones as firewood. This continued unceasingly for 500 years. Truly, since the separation of heaven and earth, there had never been such a time. In the midst of this great turmoil and suffering of all living beings, a sage appeared and wrote this book. Several hundred years earlier, this land had once contained hundreds of different states. But just over a decade after this book was born, all those states were unified into one, and from then on, the great chaos that had lasted 500 years came to an end. Someone once said that time is the ultimate measure of all success. If that is truly the case, then there is no need to discuss any further the value of this book. And if the Huaxia culture has truly existed for more than 4,000 years, then we can see that this book has grown up with the land of China and aged with the soul of the Chinese people. So legend has it that Huang Shigong passed the book to Zhang Liang; Zhang Liang could not find a worthy person to pass it on to, so he had to retire in seclusion at Dayin Mountain. After 400 years, someone found this book in a stone cave. This book was then circulated among the people; after some time, it reached the hands of Huang Chengyan. Huang Chengyan passed the book to Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang, following it, wrote an additional book, the New Book. Then, after 11 years, it reached the hands of Liu Bowen. All three of these men were extraordinary strategists who helped their lords rise from commoners to become emperors. After another three years, it was compiled by Zhao Wensu into a complete edition. Then, after another 400 years, it was published in Vietnam. Whether on bamboo slips or silk, printed on paper or copied by hand, all efforts were made to ensure that this book would not be lost to time but would be passed down forever to later generations. To prevent a day when after changes and shifts, if the world falls apart and comes together again, the great chaos would not last as long as 500 years. Thus, the most recent Vietnamese printed edition of the Su Shu was in the years before liberation, published by the Khai Tri bookstore, meticulously compiled by Ma Nguyen Luong and Le Xuan Mai in 1966. It was translated from Master Zhao Wensu's edition from the Ming Dynasty in 1588, and now it is the turn of this later-generation person in the midst of the great pandemic in 2022. An excerpt of the opening remarks from the two works above is also recorded below, hoping to honor the efforts of the predecessors and to glorify their achievements. That knowledge knows no borders, and those who transmit knowledge are the ones who have propelled the boat of humanity from the darkest, most desolate places to the present day. Oh, the river of time flows ceaselessly, while the boat of youth is steered by the aged. The world changes unpredictably; the dignities of yesterday will become the outdated things of today. The path to the future has myriad directions; whoever possesses the will of the era will be the victor. But look at today's authors: who among them has grasped the will of this era? In the past 50 years, no outstanding work has been produced in Vietnam. The common themes in modern Vietnamese culture often revolve around war and hardship, which are unfamiliar and little known to the youth. Conversely, what today's youth know are often works translated from foreign cultures, such as Chinese martial arts films, American blockbuster action movies, Japanese anime, Stephen Chow comedies, and lavish Korean tragedies. Why is this so? One cannot entirely blame the young Vietnamese intellectuals. Perhaps they are using the work of collecting and translating foreign cultures to accumulate a certain amount of knowledge for themselves, as a stepping stone to produce worthy works in the near future. Even so, the gap between foreign cultures and Vietnamese culture at the present time cannot be denied. Those cultures are either re-evaluating their past thoughts through historical martial arts works or looking toward the future through science fiction works. Vietnamese culture, however, remains stuck in the present, uncertain of what it wants on the future path. This stagnation can be said to be a common characteristic of most Asian cultures over the past 500 years until the early 20th century. So if one says that Vietnam has no work worth mentioning, that is not entirely true. Vietnamese cinema in the early 21st century has produced a number of modern works that achieved high revenue, such as the recent film "Dad" by Tran Thanh or "The Blood of Heroes" by Charlie Nguyen. But to be honest, have these works truly achieved the excellence worthy of veneration as outstanding pieces? Perhaps using this standard to judge would not be entirely fair to young Vietnamese creators. For the entire world culture at the present time, such works can be counted on one hand. If one were to reluctantly name one, the early period of the "Thần Đồng Đất Việt" comic series might be temporarily considered a moderately excellent work. What "Thần Đồng Đất Việt" achieved was to highlight the cleverness and talent of Vietnam's child prodigies in the process of nation-building and defense. Through an easy-to-understand and memorable storytelling method, the author made the story sink deep into readers' hearts and encouraged them to become like the characters they loved, imbued with Vietnamese traits such as wisdom and indomitability, yet also down-to-earth and likable. I hope that what has been said here is enough for everyone to understand what an outstanding work means in my thinking. An outstanding work is one that is widely known and loved. And from that love, the lessons it brings are remembered and followed. Those lessons can be a moral value or the author's thoughts about the era they live in. Even better, if that work is aimed at young people, because what is learned when young is often deeply engraved in the mind and has greater influence on what one will do in the future. When the majority of members in a society believe and act according to a certain direction, the efforts of all members of that society will be aligned in the same direction, and from that unity, the strength of a nation is born. Politics is the same; religion is the same. And because of this, precious thoughts and principles are often supported by many books and musical works, with the hope of making them sink deep into people's hearts. Thus, they are remembered and followed. The influence of a thought can then be measured by the prevalence of artistic works on that subject in a society. Conversely, a change in rites and music is also the starting point of a change in thought. The sages of antiquity believed that heaven and earth have four seasons, and the sun and moon have cycles. The stars shift after each cycle, causing the divination and fortune-telling of previous eras to lose their efficacy, making them no better than vague guesswork. Therefore, King Wen of the Zhou revised the hexagrams of the I Ching. This change also gave birth to new types of people, with thoughts and abilities different from those of previous eras. Thus, the Way differs with each era; people cannot know why it is so, so they use past events to prepare for future ones. In this era of unceasing scientific development, not knowing what to use as a foundation for the impending ideological revolution, I have chosen this old book as the root, hoping to provide the young Vietnamese intellectual class with a certain amount of knowledge, helping them understand the origin of right and wrong, and thus become more confident in their own choices on the future path. The first chapter of the Su Shu is titled "Original Beginning," meaning the start, which is also due to fate and conditions. The Su Shu talks about the path of the noble person. In another era, other types of people, such as those who drink wine and eat meat, or the virtuous and kind, might be the leaders of society. But in this era, when Vietnamese youth will have to compete with many other elements on the international market, nothing is more important than their cultivating their mind and exchanging knowledge—things that a noble person should know and do. Speaking of the noble person is not only for the reader to imitate and follow but also the beginning of a more detailed discussion on the origin and reasoning of the Way. The only thing that humans share with the sage, and the thing that, once possessed, can be likened to having the sage's eyes, is the Way. The Way is the operating principle of heaven, earth, and humans. For example, heaven and earth have four seasons, and no human has ever lived without eating. Heaven, earth, and humans also have their limits. For instance, no matter what humans do, they cannot make the sun rise in the west or bring the dead back to life. Virtue is understanding those principles and planning how one's actions benefit the majority. All great thoughts of humanity originate from this single idea. For example, Yu the Great's flood control or Xiao He's writing of the Han dynasty's laws. The planning of virtue also has its limits. For instance, the resources that humans can own and exploit are limited. And because they are limited, they cannot always be sufficient for everyone. And even if they were sufficient, it would be impossible to satisfy everyone, because human desire is unlimited. Benevolence is the light that pushes back the brutality of this world. It is the tear of compassion for human fate. It is the first thing one must have to become a sage and the root of all great paths in this world. The moon sometimes waxes and wanes; the stars sometimes dim. Matters in this world cannot always be perfect. Therefore, one should not grieve too much over past events. Knowing the limits of heaven, earth, and humans, thinking about doing what benefits the world, and having compassion for humans in one's heart—such a person can be said to have understood the Way. So what is the origin of right and wrong? Benefit and harm to humans are the origin of right and wrong. What benefits the majority will be considered right by people. What relieves the urgent suffering of many will be called holy. Thus, humans can be said to be the origin of all principles of right and wrong in this world. Actions aimed at that goal are called righteousness. The rituals and customs that help reinforce those thoughts are called rites. Over generations, these become deeply rooted and become the culture of a people. Each people possesses a value they consider right and follow it. The Japanese always regard three things as more important than their own lives: the Emperor, the family, and honor. These are things they are willing to die a painful death to protect. The Vietnamese always regard national independence as the highest benefit and are willing to do anything to protect the country. The result of their struggle against invaders many times stronger. By believing in those values, their country still exists to this day. By believing in those principles, their people still have warmth and plenty. And through those thoughts, a people, regardless of what may happen, confidently steps into the future. Likewise, science appeared like a bright star breaking all order among the stars in the night sky, forcing all peoples of the world to re-evaluate their thoughts that had existed for thousands of years. Science truly has such immense power. Science not only reduces resource consumption through the conveniences it creates but also generates other means to increase the happiness that humans can achieve. Just by looking at the phone in one's hand, one can see how beneficial science is to humans. Not only that, once humans truly understand happiness, they will realize that happiness is not the possession of external material things but a change in the internal environment. From there, happiness can be simply described as energy and the way to use energy. Perhaps then society will move in a direction that humans cannot imagine. Oh, great is the influence of science, and even greater is the final child it will give birth to for humanity. This is the will of the era. This is the greatest thought of the era. O you who hold the will of a thousand years, knowing this, what will you do? Oh, 2,230 years have passed since this book first rained over the Central Plains. Humans are still the same; the country is still here, but the times have changed. Two great cities were submerged in a sea of fire, taking more than 200,000 lives. Their ghosts still stand to this day where they stood when witnessing that destructive force. The footprints of distant empires, though faded on Asian soil, that explosion still echoes in that crippled soul. A soul that has long lost confidence in its place in this world. What words can restore pride after 100 long years of suffering? What rituals can return passion to a now-aged soul? Oh! You who hold the eternally young soul of China, remember: the noble person, when obtaining something, worries and guards it. Oh, the nation is hard to unify but easy to divide. You who harbor celestial fire within your heart, remember: this world is no longer large enough for our future. Look up at the starry night sky and see: where will our future go? Oh, you who can live and die for humanity, try to remember. Ho Chi Minh City, the West. May 15, 2022, the year of Nham Dan. Old preface. The book Su Shu by Le Xuan Mai. The way sages of old read books and ordinary people of today read books differs. The sages of old chose a special way of life. They did not seek fullness in eating, did not seek comfort in dwelling; they lay on thorns and tasted gall, endured the sun and frost; read military texts by moonlight, drew spring water to sharpen precious swords. They devoted their hearts and minds to seeking the Way and practicing the Way. They abandoned wealth, sought poverty; abandoned the body, sought the Way. When reading, they explored thoroughly; understanding deeply, they knew the ultimate truth. Knowing the ultimate, they memorized it, recited it daily, and read nothing else. Following the principle of reading only one book. Lam Dinen Le, Gia Dinh province, Phu Nhuan commune, May 28, 1966, Le Xuan Mai. Old preface of the Su Shu by Zhao Wensu. Departing from existence and departing from non-existence is called the Way. Neither existing nor non-existing is called spirit. Existing while departing is called sage; non-existing while existing is called worthy. Departing from existence, departing from non-existence—that is called the Way. Not existing, not departing—that is called spirit. Existing and departing—that is called sage; not existing and existing—that is called worthy. Ming Dynasty, Wanli era. Year Mau Ty 1588, autumn. Recorded by Zhao Wensu. Huang Shigong selects a disciple. According to historical records, Huang Shigong was a hermit living at the end of the Qin dynasty. Huang Shigong's background is faintly reflected in Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian, in the account of meeting Zhang Liang as follows. Zhang Liang was once strolling leisurely on the bridge of Xiapi, when he met an old man in coarse cloth clothing, looking poor. As he reached where Zhang Liang stood, he dropped his shoe under the bridge and turned to look at Zhang Liang, telling him to go down and pick up the shoe. Zhang Liang was surprised and was about to hit him, but seeing the old man's age, he restrained himself and ran down under the bridge to pick up the shoe. The old man then told him to put the shoe on his foot. Having already picked up the shoe, Zhang Liang knelt and put it on. The old man put his foot into the shoe, then laughed and walked away. Zhang Liang watched him in surprise. The old man walked several hundred paces, then turned back and said: "This lad can be taught. Meet me here at dawn five days from now." Zhang Liang found this strange, knelt, and replied: "I will." At dawn on the fifth day, Zhang Liang arrived at the meeting place. The old man was already there. He said angrily: "Having an appointment with an elder and arriving later—what is the meaning of this?" Then he left, saying to come earlier in five days. At dawn on the fifth day this time, Zhang Liang arrived at cockcrow, but the old man was already there and again said angrily: "Still arriving later—what does this mean?" Then he left, saying to come even earlier in five days. Five days later, in the middle of the night, Zhang Liang set out. He arrived at the meeting place and after a short while, the old man also came. The old man was pleased and said: "That's the way it should be." He then gave him a book and said: "Read this book, and you will become a teacher of emperors and kings. In ten years, you will see success. In another thirteen years, you will meet me again. The yellow stone at the foot of Mount Gucheng, north of Jiqui, is me." Saying only this, he left. At dawn, Zhang Liang opened the book and saw it was the Tai Gong Military Strategy. He considered it a wondrous book and read it over and over until he memorized it. Reading a hundred books in summary is not as good as memorizing one book. The outstanding disciple of Huang Shigong. First, the assassination attempt on the First Emperor. Zhang Liang, styled Zifang. His ancestors were from the state of Han. His grandfather was Kaidi, who served as prime minister for Han Zhaohou, Xuanhui Wang, and Xiang’ai Wang. In the 23rd year of King Dao Hui, Ping died. Twenty years after Ping's death, the state of Qin destroyed Han. Zhang Liang was young and had never held office serving Han. When Han fell, Zhang Liang's family still had 300 slaves; his younger brother died but he did not give him a proper burial. Zhang Liang gave away all his family wealth to find an assassin to kill the King of Qin to avenge Han. Zhang Liang studied rites in Huai Jiang. He once traveled to the east and met a strong man named Canghai Jun. He found a warrior and forged a heavy iron mallet weighing 120 catties. The First Emperor traveled east on a tour. Zhang Liang and this warrior ambushed the First Emperor at Bolangsha, hitting one of the accompanying carriages. The First Emperor was furious and ordered a nationwide urgent search for Zhang Liang. Zhang Liang then changed his name and fled to Xiapi. Second, following a man of destiny. In Xiapi, Zhang Liang lived a knight-errant life. When someone killed someone, he often hid them. Ten years later, Chen She started a revolt against Qin. Zhang Liang also gathered about a hundred young men. Jing Ju was established as the acting king of Chu at Liudi. Zhang Liang intended to follow him but met Liu Bang on the way, who was then called Duke Pei, the man who, within seven short years, would join the lords to destroy Qin, defeat Xiang Yu, unify the world, and ascend the throne. Liu Bang at that time was leading a few thousand men and occupied Xiapi; Zhang Liang then followed Liu Bang. Liu Bang employed Zhang Liang as a cavalry commander. Zhang Liang often spoke to Liu Bang about the Tai Gong Military Strategy, and Liu Bang was pleased and often followed his advice. Zhang Liang spoke of it to others, but no one understood. Zhang Liang said: "Is Liu Bang perhaps a man sent by heaven?" So he followed Liu Bang from then on and no longer went to see Jing Ju. Third, achieving merit, retiring, and preserving one's reputation. After helping Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, gain the world and gaining his trust, Zhang Liang, now Lord Liu, said: "My forebears served as prime ministers of Han for generations. When Han was destroyed, I did not spare ten thousand gold pieces to seek revenge for Han against Qin, which shook the world. Now, with three inches of tongue, I have become a teacher of emperors and kings, enfeoffed with ten thousand households—this is the utmost for a commoner. For me, this is enough. Now I wish to set aside worldly affairs and only follow Master Chi Songzi." Zhang Liang then practiced fasting and breathing exercises to lighten his body. When Emperor Gao died, Empress Lü felt grateful for Zhang Liang's support in protecting the crown prince and pressed him to eat, saying: "Man's life in the world is like a white colt passing through a crack in the wall; why trouble yourself like this?" Zhang Liang was forced to eat. Eight years later, Lord Liu Zhang Liang died, posthumously titled Wencheng Hou, and his son did not inherit the title. Recalling that when Zhang Liang received the book from the old man at Xiapi bridge, thirteen years later, when following Emperor Gao through Jibei, he saw a yellow stone at the foot of Mount Gucheng. He revered the stone and built a shrine for it. When Lord Liu Zhang Liang died, he was buried right below that stone. When his descendants visited the grave and performed sacrifices, they also worshipped the stone. Sima Qian's comment: Most scholars rarely speak of ghosts and spirits but acknowledge strange beings. The case of Zhang Liang meeting the old man who gave him a book is indeed a strange matter. When Emperor Gao was in peril not just once but several times, Zhang Liang always provided effective help. Was this not due to heaven? Emperor Gao said: "Devising strategies in the camp and deciding victory a thousand miles away—I am not equal to Zifang." I thought that man must have a majestic appearance, but when I saw his portrait, his features were no different from a beautiful woman. Confucius said: "Judging by the outward appearance, one would mistake Ziyu. The case of Lord Liu is similar." Timeline: 771 BC, the Zhou dynasty lost the Mandate of Heaven; the era of chaos began. 270–260 BC, Zhang Liang was born in the capital Xinzheng, state of Han. 230 BC, the state of Han was destroyed by Ying Zheng, the King of Qin. 228–221 BC, the state of Qin successively destroyed Zhao, Wei, Chu, Yan, and Qi, unifying the world. The King of Qin, Ying Zheng, proclaimed himself the First Emperor. 218 BC, Zhang Liang failed to assassinate Qin Shi Huang and was pursued. 218–209 BC, Zhang Liang hid in Xiapi for ten years, received the book from Huang Shigong, and helped Xiang Bo. July 10, 210 BC, Qin Shi Huang died; his son Hu Hai succeeded, becoming the Second Emperor. After the Second Emperor ascended, the laws became increasingly harsh. 209 BC, Chen She started the first revolt against Qin. Xiang Liang and his nephew Xiang Yu also revolted in Jiangdong. December 209 BC, Chen She was killed; Zhang Liang met Liu Bang. November 207 BC, Xiang Liang advanced into the Central Plains and established King Huai of Chu. 207 BC, Xiang Liang died in battle; King Huai of Chu made an agreement with the lords that whoever entered Guanzhong first would become king. Late 207 BC, Xiang Yu alone defeated the main Qin army and surrendered the Qin general Zhang Han. The lords were terrified and submitted. October 207 BC, Liu Bang entered Guanzhong before Xiang Yu. December 207 BC, Liu Bang went to Hongmen to apologize to Xiang Yu. 206 BC, Xiang Yu entered the Qin capital, killed the surrendered Qin king, elevated King Huai of Chu to Righteous Emperor, then divided the world into 19 states, proclaiming himself Hegemon-King of Western Chu. August 206 BC, Liu Bang appointed Han Xin as Grand General, and they emerged from Shu to ambush King Zhang Han, winning four battles. 205 BC, Liu Bang and Han Xin attacked the King of Sai, Sima Xin; the King of Di, Dong Yi; the King of Yin, Zheng Chang; and the King of Yin, Sima Ang, winning three battles. The King of Henan, Shen Yang, and the King of Wei, Bao, surrendered. Liu Bang accepted Xiang Yu's strategist Chen Ping. April 205 BC, Liu Bang declared revenge for the Righteous Emperor and led 560,000 troops of the lords to attack Xiang Yu's capital, while Han Xin held Guanzhong. A few days later, Xiang Yu defeated the Han army and captured Liu Bang's father and wife. June 205 BC, Han Xin and Liu Bang repelled Xiang Yu. Liu Bang then fortified himself in Xingyang. August 205 BC, Liu Bang sent Han Xin alone to attack Wei. Han Xin defeated the Wei army and captured the King of Wei, Bao. September 205 BC, Han Xin attacked the state of Dai and captured it.

Agreed. At this same time, Xiang Yu besieged Xingyang. Liu Bang escaped and sent someone to gather the elite troops of Han Xin in order to return and defend Gaocheng. Liu Bang ordered Han Xin to assemble a new army to attack Zhao. At the end of 205 BC, Han Xin attacked Zhao, completely defeated the Zhao army, captured Zhao King Xie alive, and took in Zhao King's advisor Li Zuoche. Following Li Zuoche's plan, Han Xin then pacified the state of Yan. Xiang Yu fell for Chen Ping's scheme and lost his advisor Fan Zeng. In June 204 BC, Xiang Yu besieged Gaocheng. Liu Bang escaped alone and fled north to seize the troops of Han Xin in order to resist Xiang Yu. Liu Bang also ordered Peng Yue to harass Xiang Yu's rear. In October 204 BC, Han Xin attacked the state of Qi. The Qi king fled. In November 204 BC, Xiang Yu sent Long Ju to rescue Qi. Han Xin defeated the Chu army, killed Long Ju, and captured the Qi king Tian Guang. In two years as a general, Han Xin alone won five consecutive battles, destroyed four vassal states, and together with Liu Bang won eight more battles, destroying five vassal states. It can be said that he was a general who was victorious wherever he fought—invincible. In 203 BC, Han Xin asked Liu Bang for the title of Qi king. Liu Bang was furious. Xiang Yu urged Qi King Han Xin to rebel against Liu Bang. Han Xin refused. In 203 BC, Xiang Yu fell into a dilemma. Attacked by Liu Bang in the west, Peng Yue in the east, and Han Xin in the north, he had no choice but to conclude the Hong Canal Treaty, dividing the empire with Liu Bang. Liu Bang agreed. Xiang Yu returned Liu Bang's father and wife. In 202 BC, Liu Bang attacked Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu committed suicide at the age of 31. Liu Bang seized Han Xin's troops for the second time and later enfeoffed him as the King of Chu. In May 202 BC, Liu Bang ascended the throne as emperor, establishing the Han dynasty. Later generations called him Emperor Gaozu of Han. In July 202 BC, the King of Yan, Zang Tu, rebelled and was captured. At the end of 202 BC, the King of Linjiang, Gong Ao, rebelled and was executed. In the first month of 200 BC, Liu Bang greatly enfeoffed his meritorious officials. Zhang Liang requested to be enfeoffed as Marquis of Liu, and from then on rarely participated in state affairs. In 200 BC, the King of Chu, Han Xin, was captured by Liu Bang through a scheme. Han Xin was thereafter placed under house arrest in the capital. In 198 BC, Liu Bang's son-in-law, the King of Zhao, Zhang Ao, was demoted to marquis. In 197 BC, the King of Han, Xin, and the King of Liang, Peng Yue, rebelled and were killed. Liu Bang had Peng Yue's flesh minced into sauce and sent it to the vassals. The King of Yan, Lu Wan, fled. By then, all the vassal kings had either been killed or demoted. Their fiefs were given to members of the Liu clan, with the exception of the King of Changsha, Wu Rui, whose family held the kingdom for five generations and always remained loyal to the Han court. On June 1, 195 BC, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, passed away at the age of 63. His son, Crown Prince Liu Ying, succeeded him, becoming Emperor Hui of Han. In 186 BC, Marquis of Liu, Zhang Liang, died at over 70 years of age. His posthumous title was Marquis Wencheng. His son, Zhang Buyi, succeeded to his marquisate. 370 years later, in 184 AD, the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, beginning the era of the Three Kingdoms. On December 11, 220 AD, the King of Wei, Cao Pi, forced Emperor Xian of Han to abdicate, and the Han dynasty officially ended.

Master Huangshi’s Book. Chapter One: The Primordial Dao, De, Ren, Yi, Li. These five things belong to one entity. Dao is the path that people follow, causing the myriad things to act without being understood why. Jiangzi discusses the Dao: The Dao is the way people live between heaven and earth, the path leading to what one's own will aspires to. What the common people desire is peace. What the junzi (noble person) contemplates is eternity. The Dao of nature, i.e., the Heavenly Dao, can be briefly described as chaotic and extraordinary. The unchanging principle within heaven and earth is that all things are constantly changing. The Dao of humans, i.e., the Human Dao, has order, prefers longevity, and dislikes change. This means using the unchanging Dao and righteousness to respond to the ever-changing world. Therefore, people deeply understand the times and thus choose a suitable path for themselves and walk it well, because this is what they are destined to do. The highest aspect of Dao is to understand what is beyond heaven and to comprehend heaven. De is what people obtain from themselves, covering all things and making everything as desired. Jiangzi discusses De: De is the ability to receive oneself. The highest aspect of De is to plan so that one's actions benefit others. Thus, others will want to help one. All one's endeavors will easily succeed, because what one desires is goodness. Ah, few can control their desires, but even ordinary people can hear and understand the great Dao. Strive toward it. Ren is that which people are fond of approaching, such as having compassion and pity to reach the hearts of all living beings born between heaven and earth. Ren is precisely the life-loving virtue of heaven. The highest aspect of Ren goes beyond nourishing one's own body. It is making people feel that life is good, making people feel that they themselves are good, making people feel that the future is good. It is accelerating the pain, turning it into heavenly peace and beauty, making the most pitiable things in the world beautiful—saving the suffering of all beings, amending the past through today's actions. If one can do that, then even if the world calls one a sage, that is fine. >> Oh, if only everything that has happened could be amended by today's actions, but in the end, time does not turn back; only beauty can lead people to the divine Dao. Hence the saying: a brutal will cannot give birth to beauty. Yi is that which people consider right, such as rewarding good and punishing evil to accomplish achievements. Jianzi discusses Yi: Yi is the body, the limbs of Dao. Dao is deep thought, while Yi is visible action. Dao is the root deep and firm in the earth, while Yi is the branches and leaves swaying with the four seasons. Each person walks a path, truly believing only in the right and wrong, good and bad, good and evil of the Dao and Yi of the path they take. Therefore, the highest aspect of Yi is precisely this. A hero does not sacrifice for minor Yi to avoid harming great Yi. In this world, truly there is no power greater than reward and punishment. Li is that which people should follow, such as rising early and sleeping late to establish the ethical order of humans. Jianzi discusses Li: Li is the daily habits that help people live together harmoniously; it is the ultimate development of Dao. Rituals are established to transmit the spirit of predecessors to later generations, with the intention of preserving the Dao and Yi within them for eternity. The highest aspect of Li is that this spirit and meaning penetrate deeply into people's minds. Thus, the ultimate end of Dao is precisely Li, and the ultimate end of Li is precisely Music. In general, if one wishes to build a foundation for people, one cannot do without these. The wise and noble person understands the Dao of flourishing and decline, comprehends the fate of success and failure, is profound in the principles of order and chaos, and thoroughly grasps the reasons for coming and going, gathering and parting. Therefore, they hide themselves and uphold the Dao to await the right time. If the time comes and they act, they will surely attain the highest positions of ruler and minister. If they encounter an opportunity and act, they will surely accomplish the greatest deeds in the world. If they do not meet the right time, then their person must sink and disappear. One here refers to the unified entity to which the five things belong—the root of humans and the standard of the junzi. Thus, the Dao will be exalted, and their fame will be passed down to later generations. The first chapter says that Dao cannot be without a beginning. Jiangzi concludes: The world is in turmoil, rites and music decline, and people no longer believe in them. Dao is then born, obscuring the old ways, and new and strange things appear. These are all signs of changing times. When a solar eclipse swallows the sun at its zenith, the world darkens, heaven and earth are confused, and the myriad things are in chaos for a time, after which everything returns to normal. The sun and moon alternate in this way, and the gathering and parting of the world are also like this, revolving like the four seasons, ending and then beginning anew, without knowing where the beginning or end is. Such is the mystery of Dao.

Chapter Two: The Straight Dao. The straight path. De is sufficient to be remembered from afar. Trust is sufficient to maintain a single mind. Yi is sufficient to win people's hearts. Talent is sufficient to emulate the ancients. Intelligence is sufficient to illuminate those below. Such a person can be called a noble talent. Actions sufficient to set a standard. Wisdom sufficient to resolve doubts. Prestige sufficient to keep promises. Integrity sufficient to distribute wealth. Such a person can be called a hero. Holding office without neglect, acting according to Yi without regret, seeing doubts without ignoring them, seeing profit without taking it. Such a person can be called a hero of the highest order. The first chapter says that Dao must not be not straight.

Chapter Three: Seeking the Wisdom of Others. Seeking the utmost sincerity of others. Cut off likes and stop desires to eliminate worries. Suppress what is contrary and abandon evil to prevent mistakes. Avoid wine and shun lust to avoid blemishes. Stay away from doubts and keep from suspicions to reduce errors. Learn broadly and inquire thoroughly to increase knowledge. Undertake great tasks and speak softly to cultivate oneself. Be respectful, frugal, humble, and cautious to guard oneself. People often desire what they see daily, so by not looking, one can curb the heart's desires. The characters for "like" and "see" are both pronounced "shi" in Chinese. Plan deeply and think far ahead to avoid difficulties, be close to benevolent people, make friends with upright people to help each other in times of trouble, be generous and attentive to treat others. Trust those with real talent, employ those with ability to assist in work. Hate the wicked and reject slanderers to prevent chaos. Seek the past and examine the old to avoid doubts. Anticipate and calculate beforehand to cope with the unexpected. Arrange matters with flexibility to untie knots. Tie the bag and go with the current to avoid jealousy. Tying the bag so that no one sees one's wealth; going with the current so that no one sees one's schemes, thereby avoiding calamities. Be thorough and steadfast to establish merit. Be diligent and kind to preserve the integrity of the central course. This means establishing merit is not as good as preserving the completeness of the central course.

Chapter Four: Rooted in De, Honored in Dao. Take De as the foundation and Dao as the noble. In general, the art of exerting all one's effort in doing things: nothing is more enduring than profound planning, nothing is more stable than patience, nothing is more urgent than cultivating De, nothing is better than loving goodness, nothing is more mysterious than utmost sincerity, nothing is clearer than examining the inner substance of things, nothing is better than knowing contentment, nothing is more bitter than desiring much, nothing is more pitiable than wasting essence, nothing is more diseased than inconstancy—meaning not being normal. Nothing is shorter than what is obtained unjustly. Nothing is more foolish than base greed. Nothing is more lonely than self-reliance. Nothing is more worrisome than trusting those who are suspect. Nothing is more failing than only thinking of oneself. "Essence" here is one of the three precious things—essence, energy, spirit—necessary to preserve life long in the Dao of nourishing life.

Chapter Six: Following Yi. Follow righteousness. Resentment arises from not overlooking small faults; disaster comes from not planning ahead. Fortune depends on accumulating goodness; disaster comes from accumulating evil. Hunger comes from neglecting farming; cold comes from laziness in weaving. Peace comes from winning people's hearts; danger comes from losing scholars. Wealth comes from anticipating events; poverty comes from missing opportunities. If superiors act capriciously, subordinates will be suspicious. Despising superiors leads to offense; infringing on inferiors makes them unsympathetic. If close subordinates do not respect oneself, distant subordinates will despise oneself. Doubting oneself leads to distrusting others; trusting oneself leads to not doubting others. A scholar with a crooked heart has no upright friends. If superiors are crooked, there are no upright subordinates. When a country is in crisis, there are no worthy men. When government is chaotic, there are no good men. Deeply compassionate people quickly seek worthy scholars. Delighting in worthy men, they nurture them fully with benevolence. When a country is about to become hegemon, scholars all come to help. When a country is about to experience chaos, the worthy have already distanced themselves. If the land is not fertile, great things do not grow. If the sea is shallow, large fish do not swim. If a tree is solitary, large birds do not perch. If the forest is sparse, large beasts do not dwell. If a mountain is too steep, it will collapse. If a lake is full, it will overflow. Good will turn into bad and be overthrown by the sage. Alas, this is to reach beyond heaven. Discarding jade and keeping stone is having eyes but no pupils. A goat in a tiger's skin is only external decoration. If clothes are not grasped at the collar, they will fold; if one runs without looking at the ground, one will fall. If pillars are weak, the house collapses; if assistants are weak, the country is in danger. Cold feet harm the body; popular resentment harms the country. A dam about to collapse will leak first. A country about to be in danger, the people will suffer death first. Easy drying leads to withered branches; people suffering leads to a poor country. Following an overturned cart leads to falling together. Following a lost country leads to destruction together. See what has passed and be cautious about what is to come. Observe unfavorable things to know and avoid them. Fear danger then be safe; fear loss then preserve. Note: Giving leads to receiving; forcefully holding on leads to losing everything. End of note. In general, if people act with Dao, it is good; without Dao, it is bad. Good brings a hundred blessings; bad brings a hundred disasters. It is not due to gods or spirits that everything naturally becomes good. Use good plans and do not worry about guarding; do not plan far ahead and you will have near sorrow. Those with the same aspirations come together. Those with the same benevolence share concerns. Those who do evil form cliques. Those with the same likes seek each other. Those with the same beauty trouble each other. Those with the same talent and wisdom scheme together. Those who value the same thing harm each other. Those with the same interests envy and fear each other. Those with the same words respond to each other. Those with the same spirit admire each other. Those of the same kind rely on each other. Those with the same righteousness become close. Those in the same difficulties help each other. Those on the same Dao build together. Those of the same profession spy on each other. Those with the same skill compete with each other. This is what one receives according to fate; one cannot go against this principle. That is, indulging oneself while teaching others is contrary. Being upright oneself and influencing others is compliant. Contrary is hard to follow; compliant is easy to do. Hard to follow leads to chaos; easy to do leads to order. Thus, one can govern oneself, one's family, and one's country.

The Fasting Talisman of Zhang Liang, the Great Immortal. Using this talisman, one can abstain from eating rice and grains. It has been proven correct a hundred times, ten thousand times, and many people have experienced it. Every morning, face southeast. Use white paper, a new brush, and new ink to draw seven talismans. Use three in the morning and four in the evening. Burn the talisman in a cup. After the talisman has burned completely, pour tea into the cup and drink it. Seven times a day for seven consecutive days, totaling forty-nine times. After that, do not use this talisman again. During the seven days, if you feel hungry, you may eat a little sweet potato, taro, vegetables, fruits, or drink herbal tea or boiled water to cleanse the stomach. Absolutely do not touch noodles or rice. If you accidentally eat them, you must burn forty-nine talismans and start over. Strictly avoid sexual activity. When drawing this talisman, recite two lines of incantation. Recite once for each talisman drawn. The incantation is as follows: "Three yin, three yang combine into one point. Dip the ink into a single pill—the fasting talisman." Meaning: Three yin and three yang add one point. The ink becomes a medicinal decoction—the grain-abstaining talisman. When burning the talisman in the morning and evening, recite four lines of incantation. Recite once for each talisman burned. The incantation is as follows: "By the mandate of heaven to save the world, I make this talisman. Dip the ink into a decoction—the fasting talisman. Open and unite yin and yang to move the qi. The common people regard it as grain and rejoice, and are without worry." Meaning: Following heaven's mandate to save the world, hence make this talisman. Dip the ink into a medicinal decoction for abstaining from grains. Open yin and yang to circulate qi. The people consider it grain and are joyful, without anxiety. Women can also have the talisman drawn for them. When burning the talisman, recite the incantation on their behalf. Using this talisman is better than eating miscellaneous other foods or vegetables and beans. It is even better than eating congee, and there are no aftereffects. When you resume eating rice, there is no need for any special remedy; just eat congee first, then rice afterward. The most important thing is not to eat too much and not to eat too quickly. Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, when besieged at Baideng, was given this talisman by Zhang Liang, thereby saving the entire army from starvation. During the Republican era and the War of Resistance, when rice and various foodstuffs were scarce, I personally used this talisman, and it was indeed very effective. Therefore, I now publicly transmit it to future generations. If I am not accused of fabricating words, then that is my blessing. Recorded by Cai Zhaowen in the year of Jichou of the Republic, 1949.

Tai Gong's Military Methods: The Three Strategies. Upper volume: The Three Strategies. In general, the art of being a commander-in-chief lies in grasping the hearts of heroes, constantly rewarding the meritorious with rank and salary, and spreading one's own aspirations to everyone. Therefore, sharing likes with the people means nothing cannot be achieved. Sharing dislikes with the people means nothing cannot be overthrown. Governing the country and pacifying the family come from winning people's hearts. Losing the country and destroying the family come from losing people's hearts. For those who nurture their aspirations within their hearts, I am willing to let them fulfill their ambitions. The Book of Military Prognostication says: "Note: This is said to be a military text from ancient times. End of note. The soft overcomes the hard; the weak overcomes the strong. The soft person is a virtuous person; the hard person is a bandit. The weak are helped by others; the strong are attacked by enemies. The soft also has its place for construction; the hard also has its place for reduction. The weak also has its place for use; the strong can also be added to. Remember these four things and change accordingly. Without seeing the tail end, people cannot know. Heaven, earth, spirits, and all things are constantly alternating and changing without regularity, so one must adapt to the enemy and transform, not relying on the past, and act according to opportunity. From this, one can plan infinitely, help establish the supreme heavenly authority, govern the eight directions well, and secretly stabilize the nine regions. One who can plan like this is the teacher of emperors and kings. Therefore, it is said that everyone is greedy for strength, but few maintain the small things. If one maintains those small things, one can preserve the people. The sage maintains these to respond to changes and opportunities. When released, they cover the four seas. When gathered, they do not fill a cup. Storing them does not require a house. Protecting them does not require a wall. Hiding them in the breast, the enemy state is subdued. The Book of Military Prognostication says: 'If the soft overcomes the hard, the country becomes more resplendent. If the weak overcomes the strong, the country becomes more glorious. If always soft and always weak, the country will be divided. If always hard and always strong, the country will be destroyed.' In general, the Dao of governing a country relies on the worthy and being close to the people. Trust the worthy as one's own heart; employ the people as one's own limbs and hands. Then policies are implemented without obstruction, coordinating like limbs and body, joints helping each other, natural as the Heavenly Dao. Thus, disasters rarely occur. The essence of military and state affairs is to observe the people's hearts to carry out all tasks. For those who are in distress, give them peace. For those who are fearful, make them happy. For those who are rebellious, lead them back. For those who are wronged, fulfill their wishes. For those who cry out, investigate for them. For those who are humble, elevate them. For those who are powerful, restrain them. For those who oppose, kill them. These are the eight methods of governing the people. For those who are greedy, reward them. For those who have desires, employ them. For those who are fearful, shelter them. For those who are strategic, keep them close. For those who are slanderous, overthrow them. For those who are ruined, restore them. For those who are fickle, discard them. For those who are arrogant, harm them. For those who are self-satisfied, damage them. For those who are compliant, invite them. For those who are submissive, keep them. For those who surrender, release them. These are the twelve methods of governing generals. When gaining a solid place, hold it. When gaining a narrow place, block it. When gaining a difficult place, garrison it. When gaining a city, divide and hold it. When gaining land, divide and enfeoff it. When gaining wealth, divide and use it. These are the six ways to handle victory. When the enemy moves, we spy on them. When the enemy is near, we guard against them. When the enemy is strong, we humble them. When the enemy is at ease, we move them. When the enemy invades, we wait for them. When the enemy is ferocious, we slow them down. When the enemy is against the Dao, we reproach them with righteousness. When the enemy listens, we lead them. Conveniently restrain them. Taking advantage of the situation, break them. Spread words to blame them. Surround them from four sides. These are the eight ways to deal with bandits. When gaining, do not store. When dwelling, do not occupy. When attacking, do not prolong. When establishing, do not claim. Accomplishment comes from us; preservation comes from the scholars. From this, one knows what is beneficial. They become vassals; we become the Son of Heaven. Make the cities protect themselves; order the scholars to guard themselves. These are the four methods of governance. People in the world may sacrifice to ancestors, but few can be humble toward inferiors. Sacrificing to ancestors is to be close to relatives; being humble toward inferiors is to be a ruler. Being humble toward inferiors means not to seize their time, to levy light taxes, not to take all their wealth, to reduce corvée labor so they do not become weary. Thus, the country will become rich, the people will be happy, and then one can select scholars to lead them. In general, those called scholars are the heroes. Therefore, it is said that gathering all heroes makes the enemy state suffer. Heroes are the pillars of the state; the common people are the foundation of the state. If one has the pillars and obtains the foundation, then policies are implemented without complaint. In general, the essence of the art of war is to value ritual and provide ample salaries. Valuing ritual means that the determined will surely come. Providing ample salaries means that righteous men will regard death lightly. Therefore, when granting salaries to the worthy, do not begrudge wealth. When rewarding the meritorious, do not delay. Then subordinates will have full strength, and the enemy state will suffer harm. In general, the Dao of employing people: to honor someone, use rank; to support someone, use wealth. Then scholars will come of their own accord. To treat people, use ritual; to encourage people, use righteousness. Then scholars will die for you. In general, a commander must share hardships and safety with the soldiers. Thereby, the strength to resist the enemy increases. Thus, military operations can achieve total victory, and the resistance against the enemy is fully justified. In ancient times, a worthy general using troops was given a jar of wine as a reward; he immediately poured it into the headwaters of a river to share the same water with the soldiers. A single jar of wine cannot make the river water taste wonderful, but the soldiers of the three armies remembered this treatment and were willing to die, as if the flavor had reached their own bodies. The Book of Military Prognostication says: Before the soldiers' well is dug, the general should not complain of thirst. Before the soldiers' tents are pitched, the general should not complain of fatigue. Before the soldiers' cooking fires are lit, the general should not complain of hunger. In winter, do not wear warm clothes; in summer, do not use a fan; in rain, do not open an umbrella. This is called the ritual of a commander sharing peace and sharing danger with the troops. Therefore, soldiers can be united and cannot be divided; they can be employed and cannot be exhausted. This is to use accumulated grace to plan for the unity of the three armies. Hence it is said that if one accumulates grace without ceasing, one can employ ten thousand men with a single man. The Book of Military Prognostication says: A commander's authority comes from orders; military success comes from discipline; soldiers' contempt for death comes from trust and commands. Therefore, the general does not retract his words; rewards and punishments are as just as heaven and earth. Thus, he can command others; if soldiers trust orders, they can cross borders. In general, commanding the army and holding the position is the task of the commander; achieving victory and defeating the enemy is the task of the soldiers. Therefore, a chaotic general cannot protect the three armies; he commands but cannot subdue others. Attacking cities will surely fail; besieging towns will surely be abandoned. If two tasks fail, the soldiers will become weary. If soldiers are weary, the general will be isolated. If scholars rebel, defending a city will be unstable; attacking will surely result in defeat and flight. This is a weak army. If the army is weak, the general's authority is not enforced. If the general has no authority, soldiers will regard punishment lightly. If soldiers regard punishment lightly, the army will lose its formations. If the army loses its formations, soldiers will desert. If soldiers desert, the enemy will take advantage. If the enemy takes advantage, the army will be scattered. The Book of Military Prognostication says: A worthy commander leading the army governs others by reflecting on his own heart, exerts himself to bestow grace, so the soldiers' strength increases daily. When attacking, it is like a thunderstorm; when storming, it is like a flood. Therefore, the enemy can only look on and cannot oppose us; they can only surrender and cannot defeat us. The commander leads from the front, so his army is the fiercest under heaven. The Book of Military Prognostication says: The army uses rewards as external law and punishments as internal law. If rewards and punishments are clear, the general's authority is enforced. If good officials are obtained, soldiers will obey orders. Knowing how to employ the worthy makes the enemy state fear. The Book of Military Prognostication says:

Thunder speaks that the gentleman warrior has a suitable attitude, then before him there is no enemy. Therefore, the warrior can humble himself but cannot be arrogant. The general can be at ease but cannot be sorrowful. The strategy can be profound but cannot be doubtful. If the warrior is arrogant, then subordinates will not obey. If the general is sorrowful, then inside and outside will not trust each other. If the strategy is doubtful, then the enemy country will be roused, they will seize the opportunity to attack, inevitably causing chaos. In general, the general symbolizes the fate of the nation; if the general often arranges for victory, then the country will surely be peaceful. The book "Military Admonitions" says: "The general should often be calm, often be fair, often be orderly, often listen to remonstrations, often attend to lawsuits, often recruit talented people, often select good words, often investigate customs, often draw maps of mountains and rivers, often clarify dangers, often control military authority. Therefore, it is said that the wisdom of the worthy, the broad-minded heart of the sage, the words of the woodcutter, the language of the temple, the causes of prosperity and decline are things the general should hear. The general often longs for warriors as if thirsty, then he will surely heed strategies. In general, if the general does not listen to remonstrations, then heroes will scatter; if he does not follow strategies, then counselors will betray; if good and evil are not distinguished, then meritorious ministers will become disheartened; if he is autocratic, then subordinates will blame superiors; if he boasts of merit and suppresses others, then subordinates will be unwilling to achieve merit. If he believes slander, then the soldiers' hearts will be divided. If he covets wealth, then he cannot prohibit corruption; if he only worries about household affairs and wives and concubines, then dissolute behavior arises. If the general has one fault, then he will not be trusted and obeyed by the soldiers; if he has two faults, then the army will lose discipline; if he has three faults, then subordinates will be defeated and flee; if he has four faults, then the calamity of national ruin can be seen. The book "Military Admonitions" says that strategy must be secret, soldiers must be united, attacking the enemy must be swift; if strategy is secret, then spies will be blocked; if soldiers are united, then hearts can be united; if attacking the enemy is swift, then defenses cannot be set up in time. If the army has these three things, then strategy will not be taken by the enemy. If strategy is leaked, then the army loses its advantage. If the outside spies see the inside, then calamity occurs that cannot be controlled; if wealth enters the camp, then wicked people will gather. If the general has these three faults, then the army must be defeated. If the general does not plan, then counselors will leave. If the general is not brave, then soldiers will be cowardly. If the general acts recklessly, then he will not be respected by the soldiers. If the general is quick to anger, then the entire army will be afraid. The book "Military Admonitions" says that planning and courage are the important things for the general. Action and anger are things the general often uses. These four things are the clear rules of the general. The book "Military Admonitions" says: "If the army has no wealth, then warriors will not come; if the army has no rewards, then warriors will not arrive." The book "Military Admonitions" says that if fragrant bait is cast, then fish will die; if heavy rewards are given, then brave men will come. Therefore, using ritual, warriors will follow; rewarding merit, warriors will die; recruiting people to oneself, treating well those who die for oneself, then one's wishes will be fulfilled. Therefore, if one uses ritual and then regrets, warriors will not come; if one grants rewards and then regrets, warriors will not stay. If rewards are given unceasingly, then warriors will compete to die for one. The book "Military Admonitions" says: "If a country wants to raise an army, it must first bestow kindness; if a country wants to attack and defend, it must first nourish the people. Using the one to defeat the many is due to kindness; using the weak to defeat the strong is due to the people's hearts. Therefore, the wise general nourishes the warriors just as he nourishes his own body, thus he can use the three armies as one heart and one mind. In this way, victory will surely be complete. The book "Military Admonitions" says that the essence of the art of war is first to observe the situation of the enemy army, inspect the military supplies, measure the amount of provisions, discern the strong and weak points, observe the signs of heaven and earth, and probe for weaknesses. Therefore, if a country has no war calamity yet transports provisions, it means the country is already deficient. If the people have a sallow complexion, it means the people are already impoverished. Transporting provisions from a thousand li makes the soldiers appear hungry. Gathering firewood and picking vegetables for cooking are signs that the army is not well-fed. In general, transporting provisions a thousand li results in insufficient food for one year; two thousand li results in insufficient food for two years; three thousand li results in insufficient food for three years; this means the country is deficient. If the country is deficient, then the people are poor. If the people are poor, then superiors and subordinates will not be close to each other. If the enemy attacks from outside and the people steal from inside, then that is a situation that must collapse. The book "Military Admonitions" says that if superiors act violently, then subordinates will hastily rebel; heavy taxes and levies, incessant punishments, the people harmed, they rise up as bandits. That is precisely the reason for losing the country. The book "Military Admonitions" says that inwardly greedy but outwardly feigning incorruptibility, using false reputation, stealing merit, establishing false favors, superiors acting recklessly, subordinates adorning themselves, with solemn appearance to seize high office—that is the beginning of theft. The book "Military Admonitions" says that officials form cliques, recommend relatives, summon the corrupt, suppress the worthy, abandon public service for private gain, and slander each other among positions—that is the cause of chaos. The book "Military Admonitions" says: "The powerful factions gather villains; without office they are still honored; their authority becomes immovable; their alliances extend deep to the roots; they exert themselves to dispense favors to seize positions and power; they encroach upon the interests of the common people; the country is noisy and clamorous, but the ministers remain silent and say nothing—that is the root of chaos." The book "Military Admonitions" says: "Generations doing evil, harming the gates of office, knowing only petty convenience, twisting words, harming the king's authority—that is the villain who harms the country." The book "Military Admonitions" says: "Many officials, few people; superiors and inferiors equal; the strong and weak harm each other, cannot be prevented; harming the gentleman, then the country encounters difficulty." The book "Military Admonitions" says: "The good are not promoted, the evil are not dismissed. The worthy remain hidden, the foolish hold office, then the country suffers harm." The book "Military Admonitions" says: "The branches and leaves are large and strong, relying on the power of the Zhou house, oppressed by the various feudal lords; the minister encroaches day by day, growing stronger; the ruler cannot bear to depose him; if the ruler cannot bear to depose him, then the country suffers defeat." The book "Military Admonitions" says: "Flattering ministers are above, the entire army brings lawsuits, seizing authority and influence over the masses; neither advancing nor retreating, careless in employing people, seizing all positions to boast of merit, slandering the good, spreading false accusations. Neither good nor evil, everyone is like oneself; obstruction occurs, orders are not communicated, policies are harsh, work is abnormal. If the ruler uses flatterers, he will surely suffer calamity." The book "Military Admonitions" says: "The crafty and ambitious praise each other, covering up the ruler's intelligence. Praise and blame arise together, blocking the ruler's hearing and sight. The various officials and commanders are disloyal, each having selfish motives, causing the ruler to have no loyal ministers. Therefore, the ruler must examine strange words to see clearly the sprouts. If the ruler seeks and invites Confucian worthies, then the crafty and ambitious must depart. If the ruler uses the aged, then all matters are resolved. If the ruler seeks and invites those in mountain caves, then the warriors there truly have talent and virtue. If strategies employ the woodcutter, then that merit will be transmitted. Without losing people's hearts, virtue becomes more abundant, reaching the spirits. The Three Strategies correspond to the Three Sovereigns, who without words transformed and flowed throughout the four seas; therefore, the world did not dare to attribute merit to themselves. In the time of the Five Emperors, they observed the heavens to establish virtuous laws; with words and commands, the world was peaceful and prosperous; ruler and minister yielded merit to each other; the four seas followed willingly; the people did not know how it came about naturally. Therefore, employing subordinates does not require ritual and rewards. Establishing such merit is beautiful yet harmless; commentary: they do not use ritual and rewards. Thus they give them positions and authority, end of commentary. The Son of Heaven controls people with virtue, subdues people's minds, establishes norms and defenses, the four seas are unified, so the yang office does not lose its dignity. Although fully armed and prepared, they do not encounter the calamity of war and chaos. The ruler does not suspect the minister, the minister does not suspect the ruler; the country is stable, the ruler is at peace. The minister withdraws for righteousness; this too is beautiful yet harmless. The hegemon controls warriors with power. Gathers warriors with trust, employs warriors with ritual and rewards. If trust declines, warriors will scatter. If rewards are lacking, warriors will not obey commands. The book "Military Potential" says that when the army is on the battlefield, the general decides for himself; if the court decides, then success is hard to achieve. The book "Military Potential" says that employing the wise, the brave, the greedy, the foolish: the wise like to establish merit, the brave like to carry out their own will, the greedy desire profit, the foolish do not think of death; use them according to their inclinations and feelings. That is the mysterious transformation of the army. Therefore, the book "Military Potential" says not to employ eloquent speakers to speak of the enemy's strengths to avoid confusing the army's hearts. Not to employ benevolent men to manage money, for they often give much charity to subordinates. The book "Military Potential" says to forbid fortune-tellers and boy mediums from divining the army's fortune to the general and soldiers. The book "Military Potential" says that employing righteous men does not require wealth. Therefore, the righteous man does not die for the unrighteous. The wise man does not plan for a benighted ruler. The ruler cannot lack virtue; without virtue, ministers will rebel. He cannot lack authority; without authority, he loses the mysterious power. The minister cannot lack virtue; without virtue, he has nothing with which to serve the ruler. He cannot lack authority; without authority, the country is weak; with too much authority, he will harm himself. Therefore, the sage king in governing the world observes prosperity and decline, measures gain and loss, and accordingly establishes norms. Therefore, a feudal lord has two armies, a regional chief has three armies, the Son of Heaven has six armies. In chaotic times, rebellion arises. When the ruler's favor is exhausted, there are oaths to jointly attack; if enemies are equal in power, there is no way to overthrow each other; then they grasp the people's hearts, unite heroes, share likes and dislikes with everyone, and then use mysterious changes to supplement. Therefore, without strategies and plans, there is nothing to resolve doubts. Without deceptive tricks and strange schemes, one cannot break wickedness and suppress bandits. Without secret plots, one cannot achieve success. The sage observes the heavens, the worthy establish virtuous laws, the wise learn from the past. Therefore, three strategies are set forth to aid a declining age. The Upper Strategy establishes ritual and rewards, distinguishes crafty villains, arranges success and failure. The Middle Strategy compares virtue, examines and eliminates mysterious changes. The Lower Strategy presents the Way and virtue, worries about safety and danger, clarifies bandits and worthies. Therefore, the wise and sage ruler who understands the Upper Strategy can employ the worthy and capture the enemy. He who understands the Middle Strategy can control generals and lead the masses. He who understands the Lower Strategy clarifies the origins of prosperity and decline, and establishes the discipline of governing the country. The worthy minister who understands the Middle Strategy can complete merit and preserve himself. In general, when the bird flies high and dies, the good bow is put away; when the enemy country is destroyed, the counselor is dismissed. Dismissal here does not mean losing the body, but taking away dignity and abolishing power. Enfeoff them with positions at court, reaching the highest ministerial rank to clarify their achievements; give them good land in the world to enrich their households; let them see beautiful women and precious objects to delight their hearts. In general, once the army is united, it cannot be suddenly divided. Once the mysterious authority is held, it cannot be suddenly abandoned. The time of withdrawing troops and disbanding is a moment of survival or loss. Therefore, one must lure them with the bait of position, one must seize them with the bait of land. That is the strategy taught by the hegemon. Therefore, the actions of the hegemon, in summary, are to preserve the bandits and wrap up the heroes. That is the situation of the Middle Strategy. Therefore, the secret of the key situation is precisely like this. Lower Volume of the Three Strategies. In general, one who helps the world's danger can maintain the world's peace. One who removes the world's worries can enjoy the world's joy. One who rescues the world's calamities can gather the world's blessings. Therefore, if favor extends down to the people, the worthy will follow. If favor extends down to insects, the sage will follow. If the worthy follow, the country is strong. If the sage follows, the six realms (commentary: heaven, earth, east, west, south, north, end of commentary) are unified. Seek the worthy with virtue. Invite the sage with the Way. If the worthy leave, the country will weaken. If the sage leaves, the country will be perverse. If the country weakens, it will be in danger. If the country is perverse, it will be lost. The policy of the worthy is to subdue people with form. The policy of the sage is to subdue people with the mind of the Way. Subduing with form can plan to destroy the head. Subduing with the mind of the Way is to plan for later. Subduing with form uses ritual. Subduing the mind and heart uses music. (Commentary: Music here broadly means harmony and purity, end of commentary.) What is called music is not gold, stone, strings, or bamboo, but making people happy with their homes, making people happy with their families, making people happy with their careers, making people happy with their cities, making people happy with laws, making people happy with the Way and virtue. Thus, with joy, music is established to restrain people's hearts, causing them not to lose harmony. Therefore, a virtuous ruler uses music to make people joyful. A ruler without virtue uses music to make his body joyful. Making people joyful leads to durability and longevity. Making the body joyful is not durable, and the country will be lost. Abandoning the near and worrying about the far leads to toil without merit. Abandoning the far to worry about the near leads to ease but not durability. If governance is easy, there are many loyal ministers. If governance is toilsome, there is much resentment. Therefore, it is said: worrying about empty land, the land will abandon the official; worrying about vast land, the country will be strong. Being content with what one has brings peace; coveting what others have brings harm. Harsh governance causes much sorrow among the people. Excessive construction, though successful, must fail. Forgiving oneself while reproaching others is perverse. Correcting oneself to transform others is compliant. Eliminating the perverse is called stopping chaos; following the compliant is the essence of peaceful governance. The Way, virtue, benevolence, righteousness, ritual: these five belong to one body. The Way is the path people walk; virtue is what people attain; benevolence is what people draw near; righteousness is what people deem right; ritual is the form that people cannot be without. Therefore, teaching from morning to evening is the regulation of ritual. Suppressing bandits and avenging wrongs is the determination of righteousness. The heart of pity and concealment is the expression of benevolence. Gaining others and gaining oneself is the path of virtue. Directing others harmoniously without erroneous commands is the transformation of the Way. From the ruler down to the minister is called command. Writing on silk is called decree. Acting upon the decree is called governance. In general, if the ruler's command is lost, then edicts will not be carried out. If edicts are not carried out, then governance is not established. If governance is not established, then the Way and principle are not communicated. If the Way and principle are not communicated, then wicked ministers prevail. If wicked ministers prevail, then the ruler's authority is damaged. A hundred li to welcome the worthy: that road is long. To reach the incompetent: that road is short. Therefore, the enlightened ruler abandons the near and takes the far. Thus, helping the superior man complete achievements, subordinates will also exert their utmost effort. Deposing one good man reduces the number of good men. Rewarding one evil man increases the number of evil men. If the good are protected and the evil are removed, then the country becomes stable, and the good will come of their own accord. If the people are perplexed, the country cannot be stable. If the people are misguided, they cannot be governed. Helping the perplexed to be at ease, guiding the misguided to the right path, then the country becomes stable. One wrong decree causes a hundred decrees to be lost. One evil act causes a hundred evils to coalesce. Therefore, doing good to the good people, doing evil to the violent people, then decrees are carried out without complaint. Using resentment to govern resentment, that is against the Way of Heaven. Using vengeance to govern vengeance, calamity occurs that cannot be remedied. To govern the people, use peace; to achieve peace, be tranquil. Then the people will be content and the world stable. If the offender against superiors is honored, if the corrupt are wealthy, then even a wise and sage ruler cannot govern peacefully. If the offender against superiors is killed, if the corrupt are restrained, then all matters become good, and the evil will naturally destroy themselves. The pure warrior cannot be lured with rank and salary. The righteous warrior cannot be intimidated with punishment. Therefore, the enlightened ruler, in seeking the worthy, must examine the reasons before he can invite them. To invite the pure warrior, first cultivate ritual. To invite the righteous warrior, first cultivate virtue and the Way; then the warrior can be invited. Thus, reputation will be preserved. In general, the sage and gentleman clarifies the origins of prosperity and decline, understands the beginnings of success and failure, examines clearly the methods of order and chaos, and knows the seasons of movement, rest, gathering, and separation. Though in distress, he does not accept office from a country about to perish. Though in poverty, he does not eat the salary of a country about to fall into chaos. He conceals his name and preserves the Way, waiting for the right time to act; then he will attain the highest ministerial position. He preserves virtue that matches him; then he will accomplish the greatest deeds in the world. Thus, the Way will be exalted, and his reputation will be transmitted forever to later generations. The wise and sage ruler uses weapons not for pleasure but to suppress violence and quell chaos. In general, using righteousness to destroy unrighteousness is no different from opening a river to douse a torch. (Commentary: Using the righteous Way to attack the cruel is like using water to extinguish fire, end of commentary.) At an unexpected moment, pushing a thing already about to fall, victory must surely be achieved. Therefore, if one remains leisurely and indifferent without acting, it will cause severe harm to people and things. In general, warfare is an unlucky thing. The Way of Heaven detests it; only when there is no other choice is it in accord with the Way of Heaven. In general, people with the Way are like fish in water. If they have water, they live; if they lose water, they die. Therefore, the gentleman is always fearful and dares not leave the Way. If heroes hold office, the country's authority will weaken. Life and death depend on heroes, then the country's strength is lost. If heroes bow their heads, the country becomes stable. Life and death depend on the ruler, then the country is at peace. If the tools of the four classes of people are insufficient, the country has no wealth to store. If the tools of the four classes are abundant, the country will be at peace. If worthy ministers are at court, then wicked ministers must leave. If wicked ministers are at court, then worthy ministers must die unjustly. If inside and outside do not correspond, then chaos will come in the age. If a high minister suspects the ruler, then villains will gather. If a minister seizes the ruler's dignity, then superiors and inferiors will be benighted. If the ruler does the minister's work, then superiors and inferiors lose their positions. Harming the worthy brings calamity for three generations. Concealing the worthy brings harm to oneself. Envying the worthy causes one's reputation not to be preserved. Promoting the worthy brings blessings to one's descendants. Therefore, the gentleman hastens to promote the worthy. By this, his reputation becomes even better. Benefiting one while harming a hundred, the people abandon the city walls. Benefiting one while harming ten thousand, the whole country considers leaving. Abandoning one while benefiting a hundred, the people give thanks for kindness. Abandoning one while benefiting ten thousand, governance will not be disordered. End of appendix. The last day of Xiang Yu. The Feast at Hongmen. The Feast at Hongmen did not enter the land of Qin. Xiang Yu's army had 400,000 camped at Hongmen Slope, Xinfeng Town. Liu Bang's army had 100,000 camped at Bashang. The Subordinate Fan Zeng said to Xiang Yu: "When in Shandong, Liu Bang coveted wealth and loved beautiful women. Now entering Guanzhong, he takes no wealth and approaches no women; this shows his ambition is not small. I sent someone to observe astronomy; I saw clouds forming dragon and tiger shapes with all five colors; that is the aura of the Son of Heaven. Attack quickly, do not miss the chance." The Left Minister of Chu, Xiang Bo, Xiang Yu's uncle, was a close friend of Zhang Liang. Zhang Liang was then with Liu Bang. Xiang Bo went by night to Liu Bang's camp, met with Zhang Liang privately, explained the situation, and wanted to take Zhang Liang away, saying if he did not go, he would die by the sword. Zhang Liang said, "I follow Liu Bang for the sake of the King of Han. Now Liu Bang is in urgent danger, and I secretly flee to save myself alone; that is unrighteous. I cannot but tell him." Liang then went in and told Liu Bang everything. Liu Bang was terrified and asked, "What to do now?" Zhang Liang asked back, "Who advised the king with that plan?" Liu Bang replied, "That petty man suggested to me that I should hold tightly Hangu Pass and not let Xiang Yu and the feudal lords' armies enter, then I could become king of the whole land of Qin. So I listened to him." Zhang Liang asked if the king's army could withstand Xiang Yu's army. Liu Bang was silent and then said, "Certainly not. So what to do?" "I will go and tell Xiang Bo that Liu Bang dares not betray Xiang Yu." Liu Bang asked, "How do you know Xiang Bo?" Liang answered, "In Qin, Xiang Bo and I used to travel together. He killed someone, and I saved his life. Now in urgent danger, fortunately he came to inform." Liu Bang asked, "Who is older between you?" "He is older." Liu Bang said, "Please invite him in; I will treat him as an elder brother." Zhang Liang went out and invited Xiang Bo. Xiang Bo immediately entered to meet Liu Bang. Liu Bang raised a goblet to toast, showing respect, and arranged a marriage alliance, saying, "When I entered the land of Qin, I dared not touch a single strand. I established household registers, sealed the treasuries to await General Xiang. The reason I garrisoned the pass was to prevent bandits and prepare for unforeseen events. Day and night I awaited General Xiang; how could I have any thought of betrayal? Please, uncle, tell him for me that I dare not forget his favor and be ungrateful." Xiang Bo agreed and told Liu Bang: "Tomorrow morning you must personally go and apologize to Xiang Yu." Liu Bang said, "Yes." Xiang Bo returned that very night to the camp and recounted Liu Bang's words to Xiang Yu. Taking the opportunity, he said, "If Liu Bang had not broken into Guanzhong first, how could you have dared to enter? Now he has great merit, and to attack him would be unrighteous. Better to treat him well." Xiang Yu agreed. The next morning, Liu Bang led over a hundred horsemen to meet Xiang Yu. He arrived at Hongmen Slope and presented himself to Xiang Yu, saying, "I and the general fought against Qin together; the general fought on the north side of the Yellow River, I fought on the south side. I never expected to enter the pass first and break the land of Qin, and thus meet the general here. Now I hear there are petty men sowing discord, causing the general to have some suspicion against me." Xiang Yu said, "It was your Left Sima Cao Wushang who told me." (Xiang Yu's mistake.) Then that day, Xiang Yu kept Liu Bang to drink wine. Xiang Yu and Xiang Bo sat facing east. The Subordinate Fan Zeng sat facing south. Liu Bang sat facing north. Zhang Liang stood in attendance facing west. Fan Zeng repeatedly glanced at Xiang Yu, three times lifting the jade jue he wore, secretly signaling Xiang Yu to make a decision. Xiang Yu remained silent and did not respond. Fan Zeng stood up, went outside, called Xiang Zhuang, and said, "Our lord is too soft-hearted. You go in to toast; after toasting, ask to perform a sword dance, then take the opportunity to kill Liu Bang. Otherwise, you will all be captured by him." Xiang Zhuang entered, toasted, and then said, "Our lord is drinking with Liu Bang; among the three armies, there is no entertainment. I request permission to perform a sword dance." Xiang Yu agreed. Xiang Zhuang drew his sword and danced. Xiang Bo also drew his sword and danced, constantly shielding Liu Bang with his body. Xiang Zhuang could not strike. Seeing this, Zhang Liang ran out the camp gate to find Fan Kuai. Fan Kuai asked, "How is the situation today?" Liang replied, "Urgent! Xiang Zhuang is now dancing with his sword, always aiming at Liu Bang." Fan Kuai said, "Then it is indeed urgent. Let me go in and fight to the death." Immediately, Fan Kuai, with sword and shield, rushed into the camp gate. The guard at the gate raised his halberd to block him. Fan Kuai struck the halberd aside with his shield, causing the guard to fall, and entered. He lifted the curtain, stood facing west, glared at Xiang Yu, hair standing on end, eyes almost splitting. Xiang Yu grasped his sword hilt, half-rising, and asked, "Who comes here?" Zhang Liang quickly replied, "This is the attending officer of the Duke of Pei, named Fan Kuai." Xiang Yu said, "A brave man! I give you a cup of wine." He handed him a large cup. Fan Kuai thanked him, then stood and drank. Xiang Yu said, "I give you a leg of meat." He ordered someone to give Fan Kuai a raw leg of pork. Fan Kuai placed his shield upside down on the ground, put the leg on it, drew his sword, cut it, and ate. Xiang Yu asked, "Brave man, can you drink more?" Fan Kuai replied, "I do not even fear death; what is a cup of wine? The King of Qin had a heart of a wolf and a beast; he killed people beyond count, punished people as if afraid it was not enough; therefore, the whole world rose in rebellion. King Huai agreed with the feudal lords that whoever first broke into Qin and entered Xianyang would be king. Now Liu Bang broke into Qin and entered Xianyang first; he dared not touch a single strand. He sealed the palaces, led the army back to Bashang, to await the great king. Liu Bang sent generals to guard the pass only to prevent bandits and unforeseen events. Liu Bang

Your Majesty, such great effort, yet no reward has been received. Now, the great king listens to villains and wishes to kill those who have contributed, which is following the path of the lost Qin Dynasty. Chóng Thần believes the great king should not do this. Xiang Yu did not know how to answer, only telling him to sit down. Phan Khoái sat next to Zhang Liang. A moment later, Liu Bang stood up, used the excuse of going outside, and asked Khoái to accompany him. After Liu Bang left, Xiang Yu ordered the commandant Chen Ping to chase after him and call him back. Liu Bang said to Phan Khoái, "If we leave without saying goodbye, what should we do now?" Phán Khoái replied, "When undertaking great matters, one should not be bound by trivial details. Now they are the knife and cutting board, and we are the meat and fish, why be polite? So the two of them went straight. Liu Bang ordered Zhang Liang to stay and apologize on his behalf. Zhang Liang asked Liu Bang, "What did you bring with you when you came here?" He replied that he had brought a pair of white jade discs intended as a gift for Xiang Yu and a pair of jade cups intended for Á Phủ. Seeing that they were angry and did not dare to present them, he asked him to give them on his behalf. Zhang Liang replied, "As you wish." At that time, Xiang Yu's army was camped at Hongmen, and Liu Bang was at Baishang, forty li apart. Lu Bang planned to abandon his chariots, ride his horse alone with four men, Phan Khoái, He Hou Ying, Gen Cuong, and Ji Xin, carrying swords and shields, and flee on foot along the foot of Mount Ly Son. He would pass through Zhiyang county before leaving, telling Zhang Liang, "Follow this road, from here to our army's camp is only about twenty li. You estimate when I arrive before you go to meet them." After Liu Bang left, he estimated he had taken a shortcut and returned to the camp. Only then did Zhang Liang go to apologize to Xiang Yu. Liu Bang had drunk too much and could not come to bid farewell to the great king. He sent Liang to respectfully present to the great king the pair of white jade discs and respectfully offer the general the pair of jade cups. Xiang Yu asked where Lu Bang was at that time. He replied, "Hearing that the great king intended to punish him, he left alone and returned to the camp." Xiang Yu accepted the pair of jade discs and placed them on his seat. Á Phủ threw them to the ground, drew his sword, and smashed them, saying, "Alas, this scoundrel cannot be reasoned with. The one who robs Xiang Yu of the empire must be Liu Bang. We may now be his prisoners." Upon returning, Liu Bang immediately killed Cao Wu Shang. A few days later, Xiang Yu advanced his army into Qin territory, ravaged the city of Xianyang, and killed the surrendered king of Qin, Zi Ying. He burned all the palaces of Qin, the flames not extinguishing for three months, plundered all wealth and women, and took them back east. A scholar said to Xiang Yu that the Guanzhong region, surrounded by treacherous mountains and fertile land, could be made the capital and a base for aspiring to hegemony. Xiang Yu saw the Qin palaces burned and destroyed, and still longed for his hometown, wanting to return east, so he said, "If you are rich and honored but do not return to your hometown, what is the difference between wearing brocade and walking at night? Who will know?" After this person left, he said, "People say the Chu people are like apes wearing human hats. It turns out to be true." When this remark reached Xiang Yu's ears, Xiang Yu had the person thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil. Four years later, just as Fan Zeng had said, when in the high city, Xiang Yu's army was exhausted, and supplies were scarce, while the Han army was strong and well-supplied. Xiang Yu at this time very much wanted to divide the empire with Liu Bang, and even promised to return his father and wife to Liu Bang. Liu Bang agreed to a truce with Xiang Yu. After receiving the hostages, Zhang Liang and Chen Ping offered a plan. The Han had already occupied more than half of the empire, and the feudal lords submitted. As for Chu, the army was tired and supplies were depleted; it was precisely the time for heaven to destroy Chu. It would be better to take advantage of the opportunity to attack and win, and to let Chu go now would be to nurture future disaster. Liu Bang immediately agreed, tore up the truce, and, in coordination with the armies of Han Xin, Peng Yue, and Zhou En, advanced towards the capital, ambushed the Chu army, and annihilated Xiang Yu, thereby unifying the empire and ascending the throne. The dynasty founded by Liu Bang, the ancestor of Han, lasted for a total of over 400 years. It was the legendary beginning of the vast Chinese nation we know today. This country immediately entered its most golden age in its history, after nearly 500 years of war and chaos. It was truly unprecedented since the separation of heaven and earth. More than 170 different states had existed, and now a single country was born. From then on, a new order was also established on mainland Asia, and China became the center of this world for more than 2000 years. For this reason, the Chinese sometimes call themselves Han. The Han dynasty was eventually usurped by Cao Pi, Cao Cao's son, marking the beginning of a new period of war and chaos, but that is another story for another time. Appendix: The Last Day of Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu's army was then camped at Gaixia, with few soldiers and depleted supplies, surrounded and attacked by the Han army and allied forces in several layers. At night, they heard the Han army on all sides singing Chu songs. Zhang Liang's stratagem was later called the "Four-Sided Chu Song" by posterity. Xiang Yu was terrified and said, "Has the Han already taken Chu? Why are there so many Chu people singing?" The soldiers heard this and were all worried and frightened, and more than half of them discussed fleeing. Xiang Yu got up at night to drink wine in his tent. Accompanying Xiang Yu was a beautiful woman named Yu. Xiang Yu's horse was a handsome steed, dark with white spots, named Zhui. Xiang Yu was moved and sang a mournful song, composing a poem: "My strength can uproot mountains, my spirit covers the world, but the time is not with me, Zhui does not run, Zhui does not run, what can be done? Yu, Yu, what will become of you?" Xiang Yu sang it several times, and the beautiful woman sang along. After singing, Consort Yu committed suicide. Xiang Yu's tears flowed, and those around him wept, no one looking away. Xiang Yu mounted his horse, and with over 800 brave soldiers on horseback under the banner, he broke through the encirclement in the middle of the night and fled out of the South Gate. At dawn, the Han army realized this and sent the cavalry general Guan Ying to lead 5,000 cavalry in pursuit. Xiang Yu crossed the Huai River, and the number of soldiers who kept up was only a little over a hundred. Arriving at Yingling, Xiang Yu lost his way and asked a farmer for directions. The farmer lied and told him to run to the left. Xiang Yu ran to the left, thus falling into a marsh. Because of this, the Han army caught up, and Xiang Yu led his troops to flee east. By the time they reached Dongcheng, there were only 28 cavalrymen left. The Han army pursued with nearly several thousand men. Knowing he could not escape, Xiang Yu said to his soldiers, "Since I raised my army, I have fought over seventy battles, charged into battle and won, attacked and succeeded, never losing. Yet now I am trapped here, it is heaven that has abandoned me, not that I am incompetent in warfare. Today, I must fight to the death. Let me fight one last glorious battle, surely I will gain three months of advantage, break through the encirclement, take the heads of the enemy generals, and break their banners, so that you all see that it is heaven that has abandoned me, not that I am incompetent in warfare." Having said this, he divided his army into four groups, facing four directions. The Han army surrounded them in several layers. Xiang Yu said, "I will take the head of an enemy general for you all." The soldiers were ordered to charge forward on horseback in all four directions, and then divide into three groups to rendezvous in the east, guarding the mountains. Xiang Yu shouted loudly. The Han army was scattered, and Xiang Yu beheaded an enemy general. At that moment, the cavalry general Chi Xun Hou pursued Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu glared and roared. Chi Xun Hou, both man and horse, were terrified and retreated several li. Xiang Yu divided his troops into three locations. The Han army did not know Xiang Yu's exact location, so they divided their forces into three wings, surrounding all three locations. Xiang Yu charged forward on his horse, killing a commandant and a hundred Han soldiers. Gathering his troops, he saw that only two of his men had been lost, and asked, "What is it?" The soldiers prostrated themselves and replied, "It is exactly as the great king said." At this point, Xiang Yu intended to cross the Wu River and retreat east. The ferryman of Wu River brought his boat to the shore and waited, saying to Xiang Yu, "The land of Jiangdong, though small, has a square area of a thousand li and a population of 100,000. It is enough to be king. Please cross quickly." At this time, only a boat from the divine Han army had arrived, and there was nothing to ferry them across the river. Xiang Yu laughed and said, "Heaven has abandoned me, why should I cross?" Moreover, this night, along with thousands of brothers from Jiangdong, we crossed the river and advanced west, and now not a single person remains to return with me. Even if the elders of Jiangdong took pity on me and made me king, I would have no face to see them again. Even if they did not say it, I would feel ashamed in my conscience. He then said to the ferryman, "I know you are a man of integrity. This horse of mine, I have ridden it for five years, and no horse can match it. It can run a thousand li in a day. I cannot bear to kill it, so I will give it to you." He then ordered his soldiers to dismount and fight on foot with short swords against the Han army. Tịch alone killed several hundred soldiers, and was wounded more than ten times. Looking around, he saw the Han general, the cavalry officer Ma Liu, and Ma Tong. Xiang Yu said, "Is that not an old acquaintance of mine?" Ma Tong recognized him and shouted, "It is Xiang Yu!" Xiang Yu just smiled faintly and said, "I heard that the Han offered a thousand gold taels for my head and a title of marquis. Today, I will do you a favor." Having said this, he drew his sword and killed himself. That year, Xiang Yu was 31 years old. His head was taken by the king, and other generals fought over Xiang Yu's body, killing each other, possibly more than several dozen people. Finally, Lang Tong Qi Yang Xi, Cavalry Officer Ma Lu, Ma Tong, Lang Tong Lin Sheng, and Yang Wu each obtained an arm or a leg. When they were put together, they were indeed Xiang Yu's body. Therefore, the fiefdom was divided into five. Liu Ma Tong was enfeoffed as Marquis of Zhongshui, Wen Yi was enfeoffed as Marquis of Douyan, Yang Xi was Marquis of Zhixun, Yang Wu was Marquis of Yufang, and Lin Sheng was Marquis of Niexiang. After Xiang Yu's death, the entire land of Chu surrendered to the Han, except for the land of Lu, which refused to lay down its arms. Han then led his army to destroy the people of Lu, but thought that because they valued righteousness, they would fight to the death for their lord. Liu Bang immediately ordered Xiang Yu's head to be displayed for them to see clearly. Only then did the state of Lu surrender. At first, King Huai of Chu enfeoffed Xiang Yu as the Duke of Lu. Now Xiang Yu died in Lu, and it was the last territory to surrender. Therefore, Xiang Yu was given a burial with the rites of a Duke of Lu and was buried in the land of Lu. Liu Bang performed the mourning rites before leaving. The poem by Li Qingzhao, a later poet of the Song dynasty, written about Xiang Yu's refusal to return to Jiangdong. "Thinking of heroes, Zi Yang returned to Gui Xiong. To this day, Xiang Yu, the hero, refused to cross Jiangdong. A rough translation is: alive, a hero; dead, a heroic ghost. To this day, Xiang Yu is remembered, and he does not care to return to Jiangdong." A person with the Way is like a fish in water; they live when they have water and die when they lose it. More than 2500 years ago, when heaven and earth were still in chaos, people fought and killed each other incessantly. They exchanged children to eat, and burned the bodies of the dead for firewood. This continued for 500 years, truly unprecedented since the separation of heaven and earth. In the midst of this great chaos and suffering of all living beings, a sage appeared and wrote this book. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for following the DLT video channel. Yeah.