Learn the Art of War with Sun Wu

After being persecuted by political enemies, Sun Wu left Qi for Wu and lived in seclusion on Mount Luofu. Wu Zixu recognized him and visited Mount Luofu seven times before persuading him to join King Helü of Wu. As Chu repeatedly harassed the border and fighting continued, Sun Wu instituted the Zhao land-tax system to strengthen the state. He and Wu Zixu divided their forces to wear down the Chu army, and, with the help of Cai and Tang, finally set the conflict between Wu and Chu in motion.

The war between Wu and Chu was Sun Wu's first, and only, real battle. The situation on the battlefield shifted constantly, enemy and ally infiltrated one another, and loyalties were difficult to discern. With 30,000 Wu troops facing 200,000 Chu soldiers, Sun Wu applied The Art of War with consummate skill, decisively defeated the Chu generals Zichang and Shen Yinshu, and helped King Helü of Wu take control of Ying, the Chu capital. It was a classic battle in ancient Chinese military history, in which a small force overcame a vastly larger one.

After entering Chu, Sun Wu was repeatedly framed amid the treacherous intrigues of Ying. The people of Chu obtained troops from Qin, and Fugai rebelled and declared himself king. Sun Wu met him with a sincere and open heart, eventually earning the trust of both the king of Wu and the people of Chu. The war between Wu and Chu came to an end, putting a stop to the conflict.

After returning home, the king of Wu wanted to appoint Sun Wu supreme commander of all three armies. Sun Wu firmly declined, and eventually returned to Mount Luofu with his beloved wife, Bao Jiang, to live in seclusion. From then on, he took no further part in worldly affairs.