The Six Secret Teachings of the Grand Duke

Commonly abbreviated as the Six Secret Teachings, it is also known as the Taigong Art of War. According to Records of the Grand Historian: The House of the Marquis of Liu, Zhang Liang was hunted by the Qin state and once lived in seclusion in Xiapi, where the Old Man of the Yellow Stone passed on a military text to him. The Old Man of the Yellow Stone is said to have been a military strategist in the late Warring States period, as renowned as Guiguzi. He lived in seclusion on Mount Gucheng in Jibei, where he wrote works including The Taigong Art of War and The Strategies of the Old Man of the Yellow Stone. These are what later generations called the Six Secret Teachings and the Three Strategies. However, the Six Secret Teachings consists entirely of conversations between Jiang Taigong (Jiang Ziya) and King Wen and King Wu of Zhou, so later generations often believed that Jiang Taigong himself wrote it. In any case, it is an immortal masterpiece of military strategy. The Civil Teachings discuss the principles of governing a state; the Martial Teachings, strategies for defeating the enemy; the Dragon Teachings, military organization; the Tiger Teachings, equipment and tactics; the Leopard Teachings, adapting to the terrain; and the Dog Teachings, coordination among different branches of the military. It covers just about every aspect of warfare, and has therefore been revered throughout the ages as a sacred text of military studies and essential reading for strategists.