Treatise on Armament Technology, Volume 20

A Study of Military Strategy

The Warring States Period

Wu QiA famous military strategist and politician (c. 440–381 BCE) known for his treatise 'The Art of War by Wu Qi.', a general of the state of Wei, served as the Governor of XiheXihe was a strategic region on the western border of the Wei state, vital for defense against the state of Qin.. He shared the same food and clothing as the lowest-ranking soldiers. When he slept, he did not use a mat; when he traveled, he did not ride a horse or a carriage. He personally carried his own extra rations and shared in the hardships and toil of his troops.

Once, a soldier suffered from a carbuncleoriginal: 疽 (jū). A severe, painful cluster of boils or an abscess., and Wu Qi personally sucked the pus from the wound to clean it. When the soldier’s mother heard of this, she began to wail in grief. Someone asked her, "Your son is merely a common soldier, yet the General himself sucked the pus from his wound. Why do you weep?"

The mother replied, "It is not as you think. Years ago, Lord Wu sucked a wound for the boy's father. That man then fought with such devotion that he never turned his heel original: 不旋踵 (bù xuán zhǒng). An idiom meaning to never retreat, even in the face of death., eventually dying at the hands of the enemy. Now, Lord Wu has sucked the wound of my son, and I no longer know where his body will fall. This is why I weep for him."

Marquis Wen of WeiThe first ruler of the Wei state (reigned 445–396 BCE), known for his patronage of scholars and talented generals. recognized that Wu Qi conducted military affairs with integrity and fairness, winning the absolute devotion of his soldiers. He kept him in command of Xihe; in that time, Wu Qi fought seventy-six major battles against the rival lords, achieving total victory in sixty-four of them.

Later, Pang JuanA general of the Wei state known for his rivalry with his former classmate, the strategist Sun Bin. served as a general for Wei and launched an attack against the state of Zhao. The state of Qi sent forces to rescue Zhao. Master SunReferring here to Sun Bin, a descendant of Sun Tzu and a brilliant strategist who was mutilated by Pang Juan out of jealousy. said: "Now, to untangle a knot original: 夫。解。雜。亂。 This is a fragment of the famous strategy 'Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao.' The full proverb explains that one does not untangle a knot by hitting it with a fist, but by understanding its pressure points...."