Hey – It’s Fulong.
It’s a bright new week, and now it’s time for a jam-packed issue.
Estimated read time: 1 minute 50 seconds
Let’s get started…
One Thrilling Story
I.
He Ignored Them And Instead Attacked Their Home
Sima Yi floated his army across the Liao River by boat and encircled the enemy.
However, he abandoned the siege and ordered a march towards Gongsun Yuan’s home base of Xiangping.
His generals criticized his actions, saying: “Failing to assault the city after mounting a siege is not the way to display strength of numbers.”
Sima Yi retorted: “The brigand’s camp is solid and his fortifications high, so he wants to wear our army.
If we attack them, we will fall into his plans.
The vast majority of the brigand’s troops are here, so their homeland is empty and weak.
By going directly to Xiangping their soldiers will inevitably become fearful about their state’s interior.
If they engage in battle while fearful, we will certainly destroy them.”
Thereupon, he deployed his forces in good order and proceeded past the city.
When the brigands saw the army proceeding to their rear, they indeed sallied forth to intercept them.
Sima Yi then released his soldiers in a counterattack and severely defeated them.
Two Warfare Lessons
I.
A Well-Ordered Enemy
Whenever engaging an enemy in battle, if the enemy’s rows and formations are well-ordered and uniform, while their officers and troops are composed and tranquil, you cannot lightly initiate an attack.
It would be advantageous to await or cause some change in them and then suddenly strike them.
This is why Sima Yi concealed the orientation of his attack within a well-ordered march toward a distant destination.
Once he had lured the rebels away from their fortifications, he then launched his counterattack.
II.
The Fearful
Sima Yi’s strategy exploited a fundamental psychological principle: the worried and fearful do not fight well.
He made it seem as though he was going to attack the undefended homes of the enemy soldiers, and this caused them to try to stop him in an emotional and weak state.
Three Favourite Quotes
I.
Sun Tzu on the correct method of warfare:
“So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.”
II.
Sun Tzu on baiting the enemy:
“Hold out baits to entice the enemy.”
III.
Bruce Lee on fear:
“Fear comes from uncertainty; we can eliminate the fear within us when we know ourselves better.”
See you next Monday — Fulong
