There was an ancient Chinese story called Tian Ji's Horse Racing. Though it sounded as if Tian Ji was the protagonist, it was actually Sun Bin who devised the strategy. He divided the horses into superior, middling, and inferior grades, then advised Tian Ji to race his superior horse against the other side's middling horse and his middling horse against their inferior horse, winning two out of three races despite losing one.
As a general of Qi State, how could Tian Ji defeat King Wei of Qi?
Tian Ji came from an aristocratic family. He recognized the talents of Sun Bin, a convicted criminal, and took him in as a retainer. After defeating Wei State's army with the strategy of relieving Zhao by besieging Wei, he used the reduced-campfire tactic to lure Pang Juan to his death, winning battle after battle.
Compared with generals who meekly let King Wei of Qi win, perhaps King Wei of Qi preferred this kind of daring general. The reason he received the posthumous title King Wei of Qi was that he came to his senses, stopped indulging in wine, women, song, and dance, broadly recruited talented people, and drilled his troops. He made Qi State prosperous and powerful, raising it from a middling state to the head of the Seven Warring States. Though he lost the race, he left behind a famous tale. Thus, in his era, King Wei of Qi became the foremost mighty ruler.
By rights, someone like Napoleon should not have frightened a child, even if Francis was a duke's son.
He had merely asked a very simple question. "Which long knife do you want to trade this dagger for?"
There were many blades in his storeroom: antique knives seized as spoils of war, as well as newly commissioned pure gold