Hey – It’s Fulong.
The subject matter of recent newsletters has been quite dark and Machiavellian, so I thought I’d lighten up the mood a bit this week :).
Estimated read time: 2 minutes 15 seconds
Let’s get started…
One Thrilling Story
I.
What causes the troops to be willing to fight to the death?
During the Three Kingdoms Period of ancient China, the state of Wei sent General Sima Yi to attack the state of Shu.
At that time, the prime minister of Shu, Zhuge Liang, was ensconced with his army on Mt. Qi. His flags were well-arrayed, his war implements all sharp, and his defenses occupied all the ravines and strong points.
Just then, Shu was about to rotate some of its troops, so the number present amounted to about 80,000. When Wei’s troops first deployed into battle formation, it so happened that Zhuge Liang’s replacements arrived to implement the rotation.
His staff felt that as the enemy’s troops were strong and numerous, beyond what their standing strength could control, it would be best to delay releasing the current troops for a month to combine their power with that of their replacements.
Zhuge Liang replied: “When I united these loyal men and marched forth on this campaign, I emphasized trust as the foundation. ‘To gain an objective but to lose one’s credibility’ was considered regrettable by the ancients. Those about to depart have bundled up their clothes and are waiting for the moment to leave. Their wives, stretching their necks, watch for them and count the days. Even though we confront great hardship on this campaign, righteousness cannot be abandoned.”
He then insisted they all depart.
Thereupon, those scheduled to leave were all elated and wanted to remain for one more battle, while the ones who had just arrived were stimulated to be courageous and became willing to obey his orders even unto death.
They said amongst themselves, “Even our deaths will not repay Duke Zhuge Liang’s beneficence.”
As the time for battle approached, they all drew their swords and competed to be the first to fight. With every one of them becoming a match for 10 soldiers, they forced Sima Yi to retreat.
The great victory of this single battle stemmed from trust.
Two Warfare Lessons
I.
Trust In A Leader
Whenever engaging an enemy in combat, if the officers and troops tread without fear, so much so that ten thousand men die for every one man that survives, it is always because trust has caused them to do so.
When superiors esteem trust and employ the lower ranks with sincerity, they will exhaust their emotions without any doubts and never fail to be victorious.
II.
The Necessity of Trust
Virtually every Chinese military writer emphasized the general importance of trustworthiness, sincerity, and credibility in commanders. Otherwise, orders would be doubted and the soldiers would become undisciplined.
The one whose words mean nothing, the one whose promises go unfulfilled will never meet success on the battlefield.
Three Warfare Quotes
I.
Albert Einstein on those careless with the truth:
“Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted in important matters.”
II.
Theodore Roosevelt on honesty:
“Honesty first; then courage; then brains – and all are indispensable.”
III.
Zhuge Liang on testing for trustworthiness:
“Give them a task to do within a specific time, to see how trustworthy they are.”
See you sooner or later — Fulong
