Preface
In ancient China, there were four military wise men who were known as the Four Sages of Soldiers, and their strategic wisdom and military talent are still admirable. However, who is the strongest of these four legends?
However, outside the battlefield filled with gunpowder, how many wise men used their wisdom to inject reason and wisdom into this never-ending contest? Today, let us walk into the legendary lives of these soldiers and the four saints to appreciate their extraordinary wisdom and outstanding contributions.
Wu Qi: A talent for changing the law
Around 440 BC, a civilian family in Weiguo welcomed an extraordinary child, Wu Qi. In order to realize his ideals, the young Wu Qi did not hesitate to kill his wife of Qi nationality in order to gain the trust of Lu and the opportunity to join the army.
Wu Qi was born as a civilian, but from an early age he showed extraordinary military talent and political wisdom. He had a burning heart for the prosperity of the country and the well-being of the people, and was determined to change the fate of the country through his own efforts. For this reason, he did not hesitate to sacrifice his relatives to the extreme, and this spirit of fearless hardships and dangers and courage to take responsibility has become a quality admired by later generations.
Wu Qi served in the three kingdoms of Lu, Wei, and Chu, and quickly gained widespread and high prestige with his outstanding military command skills and superb administrative skills, regardless of his location. When he was in Wei, he served as the county guard of Xihe, worked hard to reform the military system, greatly improved the military strength of Wei, defeated the strong enemy Qin many times, seized a large area of land in Qin, and achieved the hegemony of Wei Wenhou.
Wu Qi's military reforms not only enhanced the fighting power of Wei, but also laid the foundation for the country's long-term development. He knows very well that only a strong military strength can ensure the country's security, and only a rich and strong economy can support the country's development. Therefore, while reforming the military system, he also paid attention to improving the people's living standards and laying a solid foundation for the country's prosperity and strength.
The "Art of War of Wu Tzu" written by him, along with Sun Wu's "The Art of War", has become the two treasures of the ancient art of war, which contains strategic ideas such as "cultivating literature and virtue internally, governing military equipment externally" and "winning due to changes in the enemy", which have played a role in promoting the development of ancient Chinese military theory. These ideas not only guided the military practice at that time, but also provided valuable wisdom for later generations of military strategists and statesmen.
During the Chu period, Wu Qi implemented a series of major political and military reforms, known as the "Wu Qi Reform". He eliminated redundant personnel, strengthened centralized power, rectified the rule of officials, and strengthened military strength, so that the state of Chu rose rapidly, and once became one of the seven heroes of the Warring States.
Although the reform touched the vested interests of the traditional aristocracy, and eventually caused a fatal crisis, Wu Qi was tragically killed by the old nobles after the death of King Chu Mourning, but the profound reforms and unique military ideas he implemented during his lifetime have left an indelible contribution throughout the Warring States Period.
Wei Yu: The policy of reunification
At the end of the Warring States Period, a military strategist and strategist from the Wei State, with his profound knowledge of strategic planning and the art of war, formulated a set of grand strategic blueprints for the annexation of the Six Kingdoms for the Qin Dynasty.
Born in the Wei state, Wei Yu developed a keen interest in military affairs and strategy from an early age. He thoroughly studied the writings of Sun Wu, Wu Qi, and other predecessors, and constantly perfected and innovated in practice, forming his own unique military theory system. When the situation in the Warring States period became increasingly chaotic and the Qin king wanted to unify the six kingdoms, Wei Yi took the initiative to defect to the Qin state and formulated a set of effective unification strategies for him.
Wei Yu advocated gradually weakening the opponent by dividing the princes and attacking horizontally, so as to achieve the unification and hegemony of the Qin state. This strategy played a crucial role in Qin's eventual unification of the Six Kingdoms. His book "Wei Xuanzi" systematically expounded the origin, nature, and purpose of war, as well as the relationship between war and politics and economy, and put forward theories such as "a soldier is a treacherous man" and "although a country is big, a warlike will perish."
Combining the social background of the time, Wei Yu's theory not only emphasized the cruelty and reality of war, but also advocated the rational use of force in order to achieve the country's long-term stability and development. He believes that although war is cruel, it is sometimes necessary, and the key lies in using wisdom and strategy to minimize casualties and losses, and to achieve national unity and prosperity.
This kind of thinking, which takes into account reality and ideals, has provided a valuable reference for later generations of military strategists and statesmen. Wei Yi's wisdom pointed out the direction for the great cause of the unification of the Qin State, and also left a valuable military ideological legacy for future generations.
His theories not only influenced the military practice of the time, but also laid the foundation for the development of military theory in later generations. Wei Yi's outstanding contributions made him one of the four great military masters in ancient China, and his status and influence continue to this day.
Sun Wu: The saint of the art of war
In 545 BC, in the late Spring and Autumn Period of the Qi Kingdom, a noble son was born. He was Sun Wu, who was later honored as the "Saint of Soldiers". Showing extraordinary military talent from an early age, Sun Wu had a unique insight into the laws and nature of warfare.
Sun Wu was born in an aristocratic family of the Qi State, received a good education since he was a child, dabbled in a wide range of fields, and had in-depth research and thinking in the fields of military, politics, and philosophy. He was keenly aware that war was not simply a confrontation of force, but a complex art that required the use of wisdom and strategy. This insight that transcended the times laid a solid theoretical foundation for his later creation of The Art of War.
During the period of avoiding chaos, Sun Wu got acquainted with Wu Zixu, the minister of Wu, and the two hit it off at first sight, Wu Zixu deeply felt Sun Wu's military wisdom, so he recommended Sun Wu to offer the art of war to the king of Wu. In front of King Wu, Sun Wu verified the practicability and effectiveness of his art of war by practicing the palace maid with clear logic and profound insights, thus gaining the appreciation and reuse of King Wu and serving as the general of Wu.
This event not only marked the full affirmation of Sun Wu's military talents, but also provided him with rich practical experience for his later creation of The Art of War. In the military practice of Wu, Sun Wu further deepened and perfected his strategic thinking, laying a solid foundation for this classic.
The advent of "The Art of War" opened a new era of military thought. Sprinkled with more than 5,000 words, the work covers the philosophy of war, strategic planning, tactical application, troop building, intelligence reconnaissance, and other aspects, and puts forward a series of popular military principles, such as "a soldier is a deceitful man," and "knowing oneself and knowing one's opponent will not be defeated in a hundred battles."
Sun Wu's work not only reveals the essence and laws of warfare, but also provides the qualities and strategic thinking that military commanders should possess.
This military book not only influenced China's military development, but also became an important part of the world's military theory and an important milestone in the progress of human civilization.
Sun Bin: The king of resourcefulness
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, a famous military giant of Qi was born - Sun Bin. Sun Bin was smart and studious since childhood, especially in the art of war, and studied the art of war with Pang Juan under Guiguzi. However, Pang Juan was jealous of Sun Bin's talent and designed to frame him, causing Sun Bin to be tortured and his legs crippled.
Sun Bin was born into the nobility of the Qi Kingdom and showed extraordinary wisdom and talent from an early age. He studied the art of war with Pang Juan, and both were among the most outstanding military strategists of their time. However, Pang Juan was jealous of Sun Bin's talent and designed to frame him, causing him to suffer cruel torture and cripple his legs. This kind of cruel encounter should have destroyed a person's will, but Sun Bin became more and more tenacious in the face of adversity.
But Sun Bin did not give in because of this, but became more tenacious and unyielding in the face of adversity. Thanks to the help of the envoys of Qi, Sun Bin managed to escape from Pang Juan's cruel persecution and resolutely went to Qi to seek refuge, where he won the high praise of King Qi Wei for his outstanding intelligence and was appointed as the chief military advisor of Qi.
After Sun Bin was reused in the Qi State, he relied on his resourcefulness and military talent to help the Qi State defeat the powerful Wei State twice in the Battle of Guiling and the Battle of Maling, thus establishing the hegemony of the Qi State.
Especially in the Battle of Maling, Sun Bin skillfully used the terrain to set up an ambush to lure Pang Juan into a desperate situation, which eventually led to Pang Juan's suicide, showing his superb military command art. This battle not only demonstrated Sun Bin's military wisdom, but also became a successful revenge for his revenge on the enemy.
Although Sun Bin's "Art of War" written by Sun Bin has been partially lost, the chapters that still remain contain rich and profound military ideas, such as strategic and tactical principles such as "potential", "form", and "virtual reality", as well as the national defense concept of "victory and strengthening".
His military theories had a great impact on later generations, not only guiding the decision-making of many generals on the battlefield, but also deeply influencing China's military culture and strategic philosophy. Sun Bin's resourcefulness and military prowess made him one of the most outstanding military strategists in ancient China, and his status and influence continue to this day.
epilogue
With their wisdom and courage, these wise men have made indelible contributions to the development of China and the world.
Their ideas and ideas have not only become an important part of traditional Chinese culture, but also an important milestone in the progress of human civilization. Their contributions will forever be engraved in the long river of time, shining brightly.