The Undefeated Strategist: Wu Qi (People Later Classified as Legalists ②)

Wu Qi. Let's take a look at this person this time.

Even if you don't know the name Wu Qi, many of you have likely heard of the book called the "Wuzi." It is a military treatise often mentioned alongside "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. It is frequently referred to as the "Military Strategy of Sun and Wu."

This man, Wu Qi, reportedly never lost a battle. He boasted unparalleled strength.
As for his book, the "Wuzi," we will read it together on another occasion in the "Wuzi" category.

This man, Wu Qi. He was strong in battle, but he was a bit of an eccentric character. However, precisely because of that, there is much we can learn from him. He is a very fascinating figure, so this "Wu Qi" category might become a bit long... Personally, he is a figure I like immensely, so...

Now, let's take a careful look. It is quite a shocking life story.

Wu Qi was from the state of Wei. He was fond of the art of warfare.

Wu Qi studied under Zeng Shen, one of Confucius's disciples. Afterward, he served the state of Lu.
At one point, the state of Qi invaded Lu. Consequently, Lu considered appointing Wu Qi as general to repel Qi.
However, it was discovered that Wu Qi had taken a woman from Qi as his wife, and Lu, harboring suspicions that he might be colluding with Qi, hesitated to appoint him as general.

Wanting to achieve merit, Wu Qi took an outrageous action.
He actually killed his wife. With this, there was no one left for Wu Qi to have ties with in Qi. By demonstrating that he would not side with Qi, he was finally appointed as general.

By this point, you cannot help but be shocked, right? It is an action that is completely incomprehensible to our modern sensibilities. He murdered his wife for the sake of his own career advancement, after all. However, in China at that time, while "filial piety" toward parents was emphasized, it seems that the treatment of a "wife" was not considered as much of an issue.
Wu Qi's life is extremely tumultuous, so if you are shocked here, you won't last until the end. Please be prepared as you read on.

Having become general, Wu Qi attacked Qi and dealt them a crushing defeat. As expected, his prowess in battle, which boasted an undefeated career, was genuine.

However, there were people who found this displeasing. It was likely not just one or two people. They were the high-ranking officials of the state of Lu.
If a person from another country suddenly appears and is promoted to general, and then achieves spectacular military results, the high-ranking officials have no standing. It is understandable that they would find Wu Qi's success displeasing. From here, the slander by the sycophants who envied Wu Qi's ability as a general begins.

The world today is not much different from that time. It is a case of "the nail that sticks out gets hammered down."

Now, Wu Qi, who was active as a general.

Shall we listen to the slander from those who envied him?

"Wu Qi is a man of intense jealousy and cruelty.

When he was young, his family had assets worth a thousand gold, but he traveled around seeking a government position and failed, eventually losing his assets.

Because of that, when he was mocked by the people of his hometown, Wu Qi killed more than thirty people who had slandered him.
Then, as he was about to flee to the east, he said goodbye to his mother, and at that time, he bit his arm and swore, 'I will not return to Wei again until I become a minister or prime minister of some state.'
He then studied under Zengzi, but after a while, his mother passed away.
However, Wu Qi claimed he had made a vow, and in the end, he did not return home.
Zengzi considered Wu Qi a heartless man and expelled him from his school.

So, Wu Qi came to Lu, learned military strategy, and served our lord.
When our lord harbored suspicions about Wu Qi, he was willing to kill his wife just to become general.

Lu is a small country. Yet, if his fame grows because he defeated Qi, the feudal lords will hate Lu and come to conquer it.
Also, although Lu and Wei are brother states, if our lord employs Wu Qi, who caused trouble in Wei, it is as if he is disregarding the friendship with Wei."

Hearing this story, the ruler of Lu deepened his suspicion of Wu Qi and dismissed him.

Now, hearing this story, what do you all think?

That Wu Qi couldn't find a position despite his travels was simply because he was out of step with the times. And that this resulted in him losing his assets. Wait? Come to think of it, Guan Zhong ended up in a similar situation, didn't he?

What makes him different from Guan Zhong is what happened next. He killed the people who mocked his circumstances. He was quite a passionate man.

He didn't even rush to his mother's funeral. From the perspective of a Confucian, this is outrageous. However, Wu Qi had made a vow to his mother. To keep that vow, he likely felt he could not return home.

However, this way of thinking was completely unacceptable by the common sense of the world at that time. Much less would Zengzi, a disciple of Confucius, ever forgive him.

Thus, Wu Qi was driven out of Lu and set off on a journey in search of a new master to serve.

After being relieved of his duties as a general in Lu, Wu Qi heard that Marquis Wen of Wei was a wise ruler and sought to serve him.

So, Marquis Wen asked his senior minister, Li Ke, what kind of person Wu Qi was.

Li Ke replied, "Wu Qi is a greedy and lustful man, but when it comes to the art of war, even the likes of Sima Rangju would not surpass him."

Calling him greedy and lustful is quite a harsh way to put it, but it seems his skill in warfare was highly regarded. By the way, Sima Rangju, like Wu Qi, was a strategist. He was a famous general who served as a senior minister of Qi and authored the famous military treatise, the 'Sima Fa'.

Hearing this, Marquis Wen became interested in Wu Qi and decided to meet him.

So, Wu Qi dressed in the robes of a Confucian and met with Marquis Wen to discuss military strategy. Marquis Wen, pretending to be uninterested, said, "Unfortunately, I am not fond of war." Wu Qi retorted as follows.

"I observe the phenomena that appear on the surface to infer the truths hidden within, and I discern future events based on the facts of the past. Why do you say things you do not mean, my King?

If that is the case, let me ask you one thing. What are you having your craftsmen make right now?

Day after day, your craftsmen are skinning beasts, applying vermilion lacquer, decorating them with red and blue colors, and painting fierce beasts on them. Even if one were to wear such things, they would not protect against heat or cold. Furthermore, you are making long halberds and short halberds, and even sturdy war chariots. Even if you were to ride these to go hunting, I do not think they would be comfortable to ride.

For what purpose do you intend to use these things, my King?

If you say you are preparing for an emergency, if there is no one who can master them, they will be of no use when the time comes. In the past, states that valued only internal affairs and neglected military affairs perished. Also, states that were too biased toward military affairs perished. Therefore, a wise ruler should learn from these failures, organize internal affairs internally, and strengthen military affairs externally. Not wanting to fight when facing an enemy cannot be called righteousness, and expressing condolences for the corpses of citizens killed by the enemy cannot be called benevolence."

Having finished listening to this, Marquis Wen nodded deeply and appointed Wu Qi as a general.

After this, Wu Qi performed remarkably as a general. In major battles alone, he fought seventy-six times. Sixty-four of those were complete victories, and the rest were all draws. Truly, he was undefeated. Wu Qi's fame only continued to grow.

Now, regarding such a Wu Qi, how did he manage to build such a strong army?

Now, let us look at the organization Wu Qi built and the secrets of his army, which boasted unparalleled strength.

When Wu Qi led his troops as a general, he wore the same clothes and ate the same food as the lowest-ranking soldiers under his command. He did not use a mat when sleeping, did not ride horses or carriages when going out, and carried his own rations himself.

In this way, Wu Qi shared the hardships with his subordinates.

There is also another episode like this.

Once, there was a soldier who suffered from an abscess. Wu Qi personally sucked the pus from the soldier's abscess with his own mouth.

When the soldier's mother heard about this, she suddenly burst into tears. A person who saw this asked, 'Your son is nothing more than a common soldier. Yet, the general himself sucked out the pus for him. Isn't that a great honor? Why are you crying?' The mother replied as follows:

'That is not it. Years ago, General Wu Qi sucked the pus from my son's father. My husband was so moved that he fought without taking a single step back to repay the kindness during battle, and eventually died in action. Now, General Wu Qi has sucked the pus from my son again. My son will surely fight for General Wu Qi and die in battle somewhere. I am crying because I know that.'

What do you think?

What kind of person is your boss?

Are they sitting in a fancy chair, acting arrogant? Do they listen to you seriously?

When you are suffering or in trouble, what does your boss do for you?

Sucking the pus of another person is not something that can be done easily. Even if one can offer kind words for the moment, there are not many people who will actually protect you at the risk of themselves.

Also, for those of you who already have subordinates, how do you treat them on a daily basis?

Although Wu Qi treated his subordinates with such affection, he was, of course, not just a kind general. He was firm when he needed to be, and he was fair to everyone.

First, he gained the trust of his subordinates, educated them, conducted rigorous training, and then strictly enforced rewards and punishments.

It was through soldiers trained in this way that his army boasted invincible strength.

That is right. No matter how good the weapons you obtain, or how good the strategies you have, it is humans who execute and master them. There is a limit to what you can do alone. If you want to accomplish great work, the cooperation of many people is essential. Furthermore, the stronger the relationship between these people, the more certain it will become.

Wu Qi was excellent in the art of war, was honest and fair, appointed all capable people, and firmly captured the hearts of his subordinates. Seeing this work of Wu Qi, Marquis Wen appointed him to defend the land of Xihe as a check against the powerful state of Qin and the neighboring state of Han. Wu Qi lived up to the expectations of Marquis Wen, winning battles and fulfilling his duties brilliantly.

Wu Qi, who successfully overcame his previous unfavorable circumstances. Is a smooth life waiting for Wu Qi from here on? I wish it were so, but after all, it is the life of Wu Qi, which is filled with rare turmoil. It seems it will not be that easy. Well, well...

Wu Qi had achieved numerous military exploits under Marquis Wen of Wei, but unfortunately, Marquis Wen passed away.

He continued to serve the Marquis Wu, who had succeeded to the throne.

One day, the Marquis was sailing down the Yellow River and, upon reaching the middle of the stream, turned to Wu Qi and spoke with a sense of pride.

How beautiful this rugged landscape is. This is truly the treasure of Wei.

Wu Qi replied to him respectfully.

The true treasure of a state is the virtue of its ruler, not the ruggedness of its terrain. Throughout history, many states have boasted of their formidable geography, yet they all perished because their rulers failed to govern with virtue. If you, my lord, do not cultivate virtue, even the people on this very boat will become your enemies.

The Marquis agreed with this sentiment and continued to hold Wu Qi in high regard.

Some time later, the state of Wei decided to create the position of Chancellor and appointed a man named Tian Wen to the post. Wu Qi, based on his past achievements, had assumed that he would be the one to become Chancellor. He had once vowed, I will not return to my hometown until I become Chancellor. With his long-held ambition within reach, he was deeply unsettled by the appointment and went to meet Tian Wen to voice his complaints.

Tian Wen, I would like to compare our achievements. What do you say?

Very well, Tian Wen replied.

Wu Qi continued, In leading the three armies, commanding the soldiers, ensuring they are willing to die for the country, and preventing enemy states from daring to plot against Wei, which of us is superior?

I am not your equal,

In governing the officials, winning the hearts of the people, and ensuring the state treasury is well-stocked, which of us is superior?

I am not your equal,

In guarding the western river region so that Qin dares not move east to attack Wei, and in bringing Han and Zhao into submission, which of us is superior?

I am not your equal,

Wu Qi then pressed him, saying, In these three areas, you are inferior to me. Why, then, is your rank higher than mine?

Tian Wen paused for a moment and replied, The ruler is still young, and the whole country is anxious. The ministers are not yet settled, and the people do not yet fully trust the government. In such times, should the position of Chancellor be entrusted to you, or to me?

Wu Qi thought in silence for a while and replied, It should be entrusted to you.

Tian Wen said, This is the reason why I hold a higher position than you, Wu Qi.

Wu Qi realized then that he was still not the equal of Tian Wen.

In this world, there are roles. And there is also timing.
Even a person with such exceptional talent as Wu Qi cannot achieve great things if the timing is wrong. I spoke about this earlier with Guan Zhong as well.

Regarding this person named Tian Wen, nothing detailed is known.
Therefore, we have no choice but to speculate, but when the monarch is young and the country is in an unstable period, he was the one who held it all together.
At such times, when managing a country, a person is needed to coordinate various minor details.
He was well-connected with the ministers, quick-witted, and well-liked. In terms of this coordination ability, Wu Qi may not have been a match for Tian Wen.

Wu Qi also realized what he lacked, and once he understood he was not a match, he stepped down gracefully. No matter how much he wanted the position of Prime Minister, Wu Qi was not such a fool that he did not know his own capabilities. If he were such a fool, he would not have been able to serve as an undefeated general. On the battlefield, intense tactical warfare is always unfolding. If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. He knew himself well.

Time passed, and Tian Wen passed away. A person named Gongshu was chosen as the next Prime Minister. Once again, it was not Wu Qi. This person, Gongshu, was the son-in-law of the previous ruler, Marquis Wen.
Unluckily for Wu Qi, Gongshu disliked him.

What does that mean?
Yes, as you guessed, the shadow of misfortune crept up on Wu Qi once again.

Gongshu became Prime Minister and plotted to drive Wu Qi out.

Wu Qi was firm in his principles, incorruptible, and fond of fame.

So, Gongshu first met with Marquis Wu and said:
“Wu Qi is a wise man. Our Wei is small and shares a border with the powerful state of Qin. Our Wei is constantly threatened by the menace of Qin. I am worried that Wu Qi might leave Wei someday. Without Wu Qi, we will not be able to keep Qin in check.”

Marquis Wu became anxious and asked Gongshu for his opinion on what to do. So, Gongshu proposed the following:

“Why not have him marry the Marquis’s daughter? If Wu Qi has any intention of staying in Wei, he will surely marry her, and if he does not, he will decline.”

Having done that, Gongshu invited Wu Qi to his mansion.
Gongshu had previously arranged with his wife, who was the daughter of the former king, to berate Gongshu and humiliate him in front of Wu Qi.

Seeing this, Wu Qi thought that marrying the king's daughter would only lead to trouble, and that even a Prime Minister could be treated like this and be unable to stand up to his wife, so he declined the offer to marry the daughter of Marquis Wu.
This was the trap. Wu Qi, who displayed excellent insight in battlefield maneuvers, did not notice this trap.

Because of this, Marquis Wu, not knowing it was a trap set by Gongshu, grew increasingly suspicious that Wu Qi might betray Wei since he had refused.

And so, Wu Qi, now under suspicion, feared that he would be falsely accused of planning a rebellion and murdered, so he left Wei.

After this, he wandered again, and this time he would serve the southern state of Chu. Now, what kind of land will this next place of service be for Wu Qi?

Wu Qi left Wei and headed for Chu.

King Dao of Chu had long heard of Wu Qi's wisdom.

He was overjoyed to hear that Wu Qi had come seeking service. He immediately appointed him Prime Minister of Chu.
Although he had been driven out of Wei, Wu Qi's fame already resonated throughout the world. Wu Qi was finally able to attain the position of Prime Minister he had long desired.

Wu Qi was excited and worked diligently on his duties as Prime Minister.

First, he reformed the laws of the state of Chu, abolished unnecessary government posts, and even stripped the titles of distant relatives of the royal family, giving those positions to soldiers in combat units to focus on training the military.
As a result, the soldiers of Chu became remarkably strong, and without being swayed by the sweet words of traveling lobbyists, the country began to operate a solid, grounded organization with its own power.

It is said that he pacified the Baiyue in the south, annexed Chen and Cai in the north, repelled the Three Jins, and attacked Qin in the west; he was truly unstoppable. In the blink of an eye, a powerful state of Chu was established.

King Dao was also overjoyed and relied heavily on Wu Qi for everything. Wu Qi lived up to those expectations well, and his momentum was enough to cover the sky.

It would be nice if the story ended here, but reality is so cruel.

Misfortune struck Wu Qi once again. It was the death of King Dao.

Wu Qi. If only he had a little more time. If only he had paid a little more attention to the people around him. Regret comes too late.

The negative consequences born from achieving reform all at once. These were the members of the Chu royal family who had their official positions taken away and their power stripped by Wu Qi.

Reforms and changes that are too sudden will always invite resentment from someone. Until now, with the power of King Dao, these could be suppressed, but with the death of King Dao as a trigger, that dissatisfaction erupted all at once.

From Wu Qi's perspective, he was only doing his best to build Chu into a strong nation. The royal family members who did little work and wasted the country's money simply because they were royal family members. Such people exist in every age. In modern terms, they are like bureaucrats who land cushy jobs after retirement or the incompetent family members of large corporations.

Unfortunately for Wu Qi, the good monarch who protected him, King Dao, was no longer there. The royal family members started a major rebellion and attacked Wu Qi. With no way to defend himself, Wu Qi fled and ran to the body of King Dao, who had not been dead for long. He then threw himself over King Dao's corpse.
Even for the royal family members, if they were to fire arrows at Wu Qi like this, they would also hit King Dao. If that happened, they would become true rebels.

However, in their blind rage, they fired arrows at Wu Qi along with King Dao. Poor Wu Qi. He finally lost his life in a rain of arrows.

After the death of King Dao, when the new crown prince ascended the throne, he executed everyone who had shot and killed Wu Qi, as well as those who had fired arrows at King Dao's corpse. It is said that the number of families executed exceeded seventy.