Since Sun Bin promised to copy the Art of War for Pang Juan, Pang Juan often came to Sun Bin's place to visit him. When he learned that Sun Bin had finished writing the first piece of the Art of War, he was a bit impatient and wanted to take it back to have a first look.
Sun Bin pondered for a moment and handed the written Art of War to Pang Juan and said “My dear brother, Sun Tzu's Art of War is so subtle and profound that it's hard to get the whole picture with just a glimpse, according to my brother's experience of learning the Art of War from Mr.Guigu, it's better to get the whole picture before seeking for a deeper understanding.”
Pang Juan was afraid that Sun Bin would realize his inner secret from this, he said, “What brother Sun said is very true.” He put the booklet back on the small table that Sun Bin used for writing, “When Brother Sun writes out all of the Art of War, I'll take it back and read it ...... then, Brother Sun can be sure to explain it in detail for me.”
Sun Bin happily promised.
Sun Bin's leg is getting better day by day and Zhong Li Qiu is overjoyed. She went home and happily told her sister Zhong Li Chun, “Mr. Sun can already walk on the ground, the physician said that in another ten days or so, Mr. Sun will be able to walk freely like a normal person.”
Zhong Li Chun was very cold about Sun Bin, she said, “Even so, he can't drive for battle, what's the difference between a man who can't drive for battle and an invalid?”
“As long as Mr. Sun can live like a normal person, I'm satisfied.”
Zhong Li Chun looked at Zhong Li Qiu and asked, “You really like Sun Bin?”
Zhong Li Qiu blushed and nodded in embarrassment.
Zhong Li Chun stared at her sister and asked again, “You plan to marry him?”
Zhong Li Qiu lowered her head and said, “Marshal Pang has already promised ......”
Zhong Li Chun said with a straight face, “He is a national sinner, you won't have a good life if you marry him!”
“He is not a sinner of the country,” Zhong Liqiu explained, ”Marshal Pang said that he was wrongly accused, and that when Mr. Sun finishes copying The Art of War, Marshal Pang will petition the king to clear Mr. Sun's name, and will also make Mr. Sun the military advisor.”
Zhong Li Chun laughed bitterly, “Silly sister, they, these soldiers, talk about falsehoods and truths, in order to achieve their own goals, falsehoods are said as much as truths.”
Zhong Li Qiu got a little upset and said, “Sister, you always think so badly of others.”
Zhong Li Chun persuaded bitterly, “Sister, sister traveled all over the world, what people have not seen, you listen to sister is right.”
Zhong Li Qiu did not listen and said, “Even if Marshal Pang is telling lies, I believe it! Even if Mr. Sun can't be rehabilitated, I'll still marry him, I like Mr. Sun.”
Zhong Li Chun's face sank and said, “Parents make the decision on marriage. Our parents are gone, when my sister makes the decision, I forbid you to marry Sun Bin.”
Zhong Li Qiu didn't know how to refute her sister for a moment, she pulled out Zhong Li Chun's sword and put it on her neck, “If you don't allow me to marry Mr. Sun, I'll die in front of you!”
Zhong Li Chun was at a loss for words for a moment and advised, “Sister, good sister, put down the sword, let's have a talk.”
“If you promise me, I will put down the sword.”
“Silly sister, I am doing this for your own good, if you don't listen to your sister, you will regret it in the future.”
“Regret then regret, I admit it! You must promise me now.”
Zhong Li Chun looked at her sister and let out a long sigh, “Alright, I promise ......” Zhong Li Chun took advantage of Zhong Li Qiu's unpreparedness to suddenly leap forward and knock Zhong Li Qiu down, and in the process, she grabbed the sword in her sister's hand, and then smiled coldly at Zhong Li Qiu, who had collapsed on the ground: “I will never promise you!”
Zhong Li Qiu got up from the ground and said hatefully, “If you don't promise me, I will still die!” She said as she picked up her organized packages and headed out.
Zhong Li Chun hurriedly stopped in front of her and said, “You must not go to seek death.”
“I'm not going to die, I haven't married Mr. Sun yet, wouldn't it be a shame to die!”
“Then ...... where are you going?”
Zhong Li Qiu replied word for word, “I'm going back to the Marshal's Mansion to take care of Mr. Sun.” After saying that, she walked around Zhong Li Chun and walked out of the house.
Gongsun Yue was worried that if Zhong Li Qiu and Sun Bin spent a lot of time together, they would make a fake and fall in love over time. One night he went to see Pang Juan and asked, “Marshal, Sun Bin only wrote the first of the Art of War in a dozen days, when will he finish the thirteen?”
“I'm not in a hurry yet, what are you in a hurry for.” Pang Juan laughed.
“I'm not in a hurry, I'm afraid he'll see through Marshal's intentions and intentionally delay.”
“It won't. The reason he's writing a bit slower is that he's afraid of making mistakes in his transcription, and he's been deliberating over and over again on each sentence.”
“Marshal, the night is long, it's better to urge Sun Bin to write faster.”
“Confucius said: if you want to be fast, you can't do it. What I want is a word-for-word copy of Sun Tzu's Art of War. Furthermore, if I rush it, Sun Bin will become suspicious instead.” Pang Juan swept a glance at Gongsun Yue and said, “Gongsun Yue, it's not the Art of War you're worried about, it's Zhong Li Qiu, right?”
“Not exactly ...... I'm mainly thinking of the marshal.”
“You can't hide it from me.” Pang Juan stared at Gongsun Yue for a moment of silence and sighed, “I originally didn't want Zhong Liqiu to fake a scene with Sun Bin, but then I thought about it, Sun Bin is unlucky enough, after all, we've been in the same class together for three years, and I wanted him to taste a woman in his lifetime, so it's considered that I'm doing my best to fulfill the love of my fellow classmates. You don't want to spoil my big event for a woman.”
Gongsun Yue saw Pang Donation said so, he couldn't say anything else, he secretly resolved in his heart that he couldn't let Sun Bin get Zhong Li Qiu and get rid of Sun Bin as soon as possible. The next day, the arrival of a Zhao merchant made him change his mind. This Zhao merchant's name was Zhao Li, Gongsun Yue had a one-sided acquaintance with him when he was on a mission to Zhao, Zhao Li's real identity was a Dafu of Zhao.
Zhao Li came to Gongsun Yue's house with many precious jewels. Pang Juan was ready to attack Zhao when Zhao occupied Zhongshan, which was subservient to Wei. Zhao Li told Gongsun Yue that the king of Zhao had promised to return Zhongshan to Wei, and asked Gongsun Yue to put in a good word for Zhao in front of Pang Juan so that he would not attack Zhao. Gongsun Yue promised to help.
Zhao Li asked about Sun Bin again, Gongsun Yue got alert and asked, “What are you asking him for?”
Zhao Li said, “I heard from the people of Wei that he is well versed in Sun Tzu's Art of War and is a rare general, but it's a pity that because he wanted to go back to Qi, the King of Wei sentenced him to Bin Punishment and he became an invalid, and he can't be reused for eternity. Mr. Gongsun, can you let me meet him?”
“What do you want?” Gongsun Yue became more and more alert.
“I want to ask him if he is willing to go to Zhao.”
Gongsun Yue smiled coldly, “Mr. Zhao, you are too whimsical! Marshal Pang will not let him go.”
“As long as mister lets me see Sun Bin once, no matter if he can go to Zhao or not, I'll thank you heavily.”
“I'm not a lover of money.”
“What about a beautiful woman, a beautiful woman must love it.”
Gongsun Yue thought of Zhong Li Qiu by the beautiful woman, and his heart moved, he pondered, why not use Zhao Li to achieve his purpose?
On this day, Sun Bin was sitting on his sleeping couch concentrating on copying the Art of War, Zhong Li Qiu said on the side, “I have a sister who wants to be a general, if you can teach my sister the Art of War, she will be very happy.”
Sun Bin laughed: “No, your sister is a woman, it's useless for a woman to learn the art of war.”
Zhong Li Qiu said unconvincingly, “Why can't a woman? My sister said that women can also kill and lead soldiers in war.”
Sun Bin was stunned and remembered that when he was in Ghost Valley, there was a girl who said the same thing, he asked, “I remember you said that your sister went to Ghost Valley?”
“She went to learn the art of war, Mr.Guigu didn't take her.”
“Was she dressed as a woman when she went?”
“Most likely, she loves to dress up as a woman on a regular basis.”
Sun Bin suddenly developed an inexplicable interest in meeting this girl who was so good at dressing up as a man, so he said to Zhong Li Qiu, “Miss Zhong Li, I want to meet your sister.”
Zhong Li Qiu was delighted and agreed at once. She also wanted her sister to meet the erudite and talented Sun Bin, and if her sister liked Sun Bin as well, maybe she wouldn't object to her marriage.
The streets of Daliang, the capital of Wei are very busy with pedestrians and carriages coming and going. Zhong Li Autumn helped Sun Bin to pass through the busy streets and go home to see her sister. Sun Bin's legs aren't healed yet, he walks very slowly and laboriously. A carriage drove past them with Gongsun Yue and Zhao Li dressed as merchants. Gongsun Yue saw Sun Bin and Zhong Li Qiu and said to Zhao Li beside him, “Sun Bin is out, you can see him now.”
The limping Sun Bin was out of breath and couldn't walk anymore, so Zhong Li Qiu helped him into a tavern on the street and told Sun Bin to rest in the tavern while she went home to ask her sister to come to the tavern to see Sun Bin.
Soon after Zhong Li Qiu left, Zhao Li walked into the tavern, he sat down opposite Sun Bin and respectfully said: “I've met Mr. Sun, when Mr. Sun came to Wei, Marshal Pang received you from afar and the King worshiped you as his guest secretary, I admire Mr. Sun to the fullest, I've waited for you outside of your mansion for the sake of seeing Mr. Sun's honorable face many times. Later I heard that Mr. Pang was unjustly punished, I always wanted to visit Mr. Pang, but I couldn't enter the Marshal's residence because of its high wall and deep courtyard. I'm very happy to see you here today.”
Sun Bin heard this and although he was puzzled, he still politely said to Zhao Li: “Thank you sir for still remembering Sun Bin as an invalid.”
“Sir, forgive me for speaking frankly.” Zhao Li quietly said, “The reason why Mister became an invalid is because someone framed him.”
“What person?”
“Pang Juan.”
Sun Bin said he didn't believe anything and rebuked Zhao Li for talking nonsense, but Zhao Li said he had witnesses.
When Zhong Li Qiu rushed to the tavern with his sister in high spirits, Sun Bin had already left. Sun Bin followed Zhao Li to the inn where he was staying and didn't realize that Zhao Li's witness was Gongsun Yue. Gongsun Yue told Sun Bin about Pang Juan's plot and took out the letter that Sun Bin asked Ding Yi to bring back to Qi for Sun Bin to read. Sun Bin carefully looked at the letter that was altered by Pang Juan and began to believe that their words were true.
Sun Bin was silent for a moment and asked Gongsun Yue, “Why did you tell me about Pang Juan's plot?”
“Because I'm not used to seeing such despicable practices from Pang Juan. And ...... “Gongsun Yue pointed to Zhao Li, ”He gave me many jewels.”
Sun Bin asked Zhao Li again, “And you, sir, why are you?”
“I want to get Mr.” Zhao Li replied.
Sun Bin asked Gongsun Yue to go out first, he wanted to speak with Zhao Li alone. After Gongsun Yue went out, Sun Bin made a big bow to Zhao Li and said, “Thank you, sir. Can you tell me your name?”
Zhao Li was afraid Gongsun Yue was eavesdropping outside the room and whispered, “It's useless for you to know my name, I can only tell you that I'm from Zhao.”
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Sun Bin asked, “Sir, when you said you wanted me, did you want to take me to Zhao?”
Zhao Li said frankly, “No, that was something I said to Gongsun Yue.”
“Then why did Mister want me to know the truth?”
“Wei's army is a constant threat to Zhao, I don't want to see Wei's marshal get the Art of War.”
Sun Bin pleaded, “As long as Mister takes me to Zhao, I can help Zhao defend against Wei.”
Zhao Li shook his head and said, “No, my country, right now, can't afford to offend the powerful Wei because of you alone.”
Sun Bin was silent and understood Zhao Li's thoughts, after a moment he sighed, “Am I really going to die in Wei ......”
Gongsun Yue returned to the house and urged Sun Bin to hurry back so that he wouldn't be late and Pang Juan would get suspicious.
Sun Bin took a ride back to his place and met Zhong Li Sisters who were looking for Sun Bin. Zhong Li Qiu called out “Mr. Sun” but Sun Bin in the car looked blank as if he was frozen and turned a blind eye to the two of them. Zhong Li Chun “hummed” and said to her sister, “This Sun Bin doesn't care about you at all.”
Zhong Li Qiu understood Sun Bin and said to her sister, “Mr. Sun seems to have encountered something, something very important ...... Sister, you go home, I'll go to the Marshal's Mansion .......”
Zhong Liqiu rushed back to Sun Bin's residence in Pangfu, only to see Sun Bin lying on his sleeping couch, his eyes dumbfounded. No matter what Zhong Liqiu asked him, he didn't say a word and he didn't eat the food served to him. Zhong Li Qiu couldn't help but cry, “Mr. Sun, you talk ah, what is difficult for you, tell me, I'll help you ......”
Gongsun Yue walked in, Zhong Liqiu turned back and grabbed Gongsun Yue's arm, crying, “Mr. Gongsun Yue, you quickly go and tell Marshal Pang that Mr. Sun does not eat or drink and does not speak ...... he ...... he is sick! ...... You tell Marshal Pang to quickly call a doctor ......”
Gongsun Yue comforted, “There is no need to invite a doctor, he has a Emotional burden, let him be alone and think quietly, his Emotional burden will naturally be cured.”
Gongsun Yue told Zhong Li Qiu to go home, Zhong Li Qiu was not at ease and said she wanted to take care of Sun Bin at night. Gongsun Yue was most unwilling to hear Zhong Liqiu say this, but still endured and persuaded Zhong Liqiu to leave.
After Zhong Liqiu left, Gongsun Yue walked over to the sleeping couch and said to Sun Bin: “Mr. Sun, I'm not really in it for the gold, I'm in it to get Zhong Liqiu, if you give up Zhong Liqiu, I can keep you alive and help that Zhao man by picking you up and taking you to Zhao.”
Sun Bin remained dumbfounded and speechless.
Gongsun Yue threatened, “If you don't give up Zhong Li Qiu, not only will you not get her, but you'll also lose the chance to live because of it, think about it.” After saying that Gongsun Yue also left Sun Bin's room.
Sun Bin was the only one left in the room. He let out a long sigh and said sadly to himself “How dangerous the human heart is!” Seeing the brief book on the table, he sighed again, “For the sake of The Art of War, he totally disregarded the brotherly love, and even gave such a poisonous hand ......” Tears flowed out from his eyes, “I can't walk, I can't run, and there is no one to help me, am I really going to die here or not ......”. really want to die here not ......”
He suddenly remembered that Guiguzi had given him a brocade pouch when he was going down the mountain and told him, “If you encounter a great difficulty, you will open this brocade pouch, and there is a wonderful plan inside.” Sun Bin hurriedly sat up, took the bag and pulled out a brocade pouch from inside. Open the pouch, inside is a yellow silk, on the yellow silk there are two hexagrams drawn, one is “Tun” hexagram and the other is “Meng” hexagram. He listened to Guiguzi said these two trigrams: “Tuen” trigram full of life is difficult, to survive, not moving in the open, in the dark can be moved; “Meng” trigram implies ignorance, childish. Together these two trigrams mean that by pretending to be ignorant and naive in the open, you can escape the hardship predicted by the “Tun” trigram in the dark. Sun Bin knows how to deal with the current danger.
It's late at night, Pang Juan is still reading the book, it's his habit to read till late every night as long as he has nothing else to do, he understands that a person who wants to achieve great things has to read all the books in the world.
Gongsun Yue hurriedly barged in and said to Pang Juan, “Marshal, it's bad, Mr. Sun has gone crazy!”
Pang Juan froze, “What did you say?”
“Mr. Sun has gone crazy, he cried and laughed, smashed and made a scene, and burned the book of war he copied ...... You should go and take a look.”
Pang Juan and Gongsun Yue rushed to Sun Bin's place, only to see the not yet burned out bamboo slips inside the house smoking inside the fire pot, the pieces of the clay pots were scattered all over the place, Sun Bin was lying on the ground with his hair spread out, his face was full of phlegm stains and black ash, and at this time, he was giggling for no reason.
Pang Juan came to Sun Bin and bent down to ask with concern: “Brother Sun, what's wrong with you?”
Sun Bin looked at Pang Juan and suddenly burst into tears, crying in a way that was distracting.
“Brother Sun, what's wrong with you, tell little brother, I'll do it for you.”
Sun Bin suddenly laughed again and said, “King of Wei, you want to harm me? You're dreaming! I, Sun Bin, have 100,000 heavenly soldiers and generals to help me, you can't help me!” He cried again after laughing and cried, “Wei is finished, finished, I Sun Bin became an invalid, Wei has no one to lead the army to fight anymore ......”
Gongsun Yue kicked him and said sternly, “Sun Bin, don't talk nonsense! Wei has Marshal Pang to lead the war, how can you say there's no one?”
Sun Bin climbed up and kowtowed to Pang Juan, “Mr.Guigu, save my disciple, the King of Wei wants to kill my disciple ......” Sun Bin stretched out his dirtied hands that were sticky with mud and dust as he pulled on Pang Juan's sleeve, “Mr.Save me! Mr. save me!”
Pang Juan impatiently broke away from Sun Bin's hand, “I'm Pang Juan, not your Mr.!”
Sun Bin hugged Pang Juan's leg again and cried, “Sir save me, the King of Wei wants to kill his disciple ......”
Gongsun Yue stepped forward and pulled Sun Bin away. Sun Bin opened his hands and cried, “Mr. Don't abandon me! Mr. don't abandon me ......”
Pang Juan took Sun Bin's sword from the wall and pointed it at Sun Bin: “Sun Bin, if you act crazy again, I'll kill you immediately!”
Sun Bin grabbed the sword and laughed: “King of Wei, go ahead and kill me! My heavenly soldiers and generals have surrounded you, you can't leave ......” and laughed again.
Pang Juan didn't believe Sun Bin was really crazy, he ordered his soldiers to drag Sun Bin into the pigsty to keep him company. Gongsun Yue dissuaded him, “Marshal, although Sun Bin is crazy, he is after all your fellow student, if you treat him like this, the world will say that Marshal is heartless and uncaring.”
Pang Juan sneered, “I just want to see if he's really crazy or not.”
Sun Bin was lying in the mud of a pigsty, the soldier gave him rice, he didn't eat it, said it was poisoned and threw it all over the soldier. The soldier in a fit of anger gave him feces and pieces of mud, but he ate it with gusto. The soldier reported what Sun Bin did to Pang Juan who still suspected Sun Bin was pretending to be crazy.
When Zhong Li Qiu heard that Sun Bin was put in a pigsty, he furiously questioned Pang Juan: “What law did Mr. Sun break? You put him in a pigsty and mistreated him so!”
Pang Juan went along with it and said to Zhong Liqiu: “Sun Bin and I are like brothers, how could I mistreat him? He's crazy and wants to go to the pigsty on his own ...... Miss Zhong Li, Sun Bin is still in your hands, as long as you care for him with your mind and body, his madness will surely be cured.”
Sun Bin was sent back to his original lodgings by the servants and changed into clean clothes to lie on the sleeping couch. After the servants left, Zhong Li Qiu sat beside Sun Bin in uncontrollable tears and cried, “Sir, why are you doing this? Why ...... have you really gone mad ......”
Sun Bin was speechless and had no expression on his face.
Zhong Li Qiu thought, “If I caress him with a woman's tenderness, he will definitely come to his senses. So she wrapped her arms around Sun Bin, Sun Bin's body couldn't help but tremble for a moment, just for a moment, Sun Bin calmed down, he pushed Zhong Liqiu away and sat up screaming, “You want to suck my blood! You want to get me killed! You spy of the King of Wei!”
Zhong Liqiu once again stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Sun Bin saying “I'm not a spy, I'm really good for you ......”
Sun Bin vigorously pushed her to the ground and said sternly: “You spy, you can't fool me! Scram! Get out!”
Zhong Li Qiu stood up and looked at Sun Bin with tearful eyes, sobbing sadly: “Mr. Sun, what's the use of me living in the world if you don't recognize me ......” She said, she took Sun Bin's sword and said, “Mr. Sun, answer me, do you want me? want me ......”
A trace of undetectable hesitation crossed Sun Bin's face, then he laughed maniacally, “You can't fool me, I won't fall for your tricks, I have heavenly soldiers and generals ......”
Tears flowed from Zhong Li Qiu's eyes. She let out a long sigh, her eyes closed, and the sword in her hand was placed on her neck.
At this time, Gongsun Yue broke through the door and knocked down the sword in Zhong Li Qiu's hand with a slap. Then, Pang Juan also walked in. Zhong Liqiu flung herself on her knees in front of Pang Juan and cried, “Marshal Pang, save Mr. Sun, he's really crazy ......”
Pang Juan is still skeptical about Sun Bin's insanity and intends to let Sun Bin out of the house and then spy on him in secret.
Sun Bin who was full of dirt and dirty stood in the market with his hands outstretched begging from passersby, people who intended to buy goods avoided him. The stall owner behind Sun Bin saw that it was affecting his business and loudly drove Sun Bin away. Sun Bin didn't seem to hear him and kept on begging with his hand outstretched to the pedestrians. The stall owner got angry and went forward and kicked Sun Bin to the ground and said “If you don't leave, I'll beat you to death!”
Sun Bin climbed up and kowtowed to the stall owner: “Sir, save me, the King of Wei wants to harm me ......”
The stall owner went up and kicked again and scolded “I told you to act crazy!”
Sun Bin climbed up again and kowtowed to the stall owner: “Sir, save me, the King of Wei wants to harm me ......”
Seeing Sun Bin pestering and not leaving, the stall owner used his hands and feet to beat Sun Bin all over his face. Sun Bin was on the ground holding his head and shouting “Mr. Save me, the King of Wei wants to harm me! Mr. Save me, the King of Wei wants to harm me ......”
Pang Juan who stood not far away looked at all this and still suspected Sun Bin. But he stared at Sun Bin for a few more days and still didn't see anything suspicious. Gongsun Yue said to Pang Juan, “Marshal, I think he's really crazy.”
Pang Juan sighed, “It's a pity, The Art of War ......”
Gongsun Yue consoled, “Sun Bin is crazy and is no longer enough to worry about. Marshal will be invincible even without The Art of War.”
Pang Juan still lamented, “That's what I said, but after all, you can't get The Art of War anymore.”
Note: “Pretending to be crazy, but sane inside” is the twenty-seventh of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, which means pretending to be confused and hiding, just like the thunderclouds in the winter and the tunnels gathering and hiding. Sun Bin used this plan to fool Pang Juan and avoided the danger of killing himself. However, Sun Bin is not completely out of danger yet, to know what will happen next time: “The Stratagem of the Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell”.