Everyone pricked up their ears, awaiting Lu Yu’s explanation of "Dao."
Lu Yu’s voice then came.
"Sun Tzu mentioned the 'Five Virtues' – wisdom, trustworthiness, benevolence, courage, and discipline. In my view, to cultivate inner 'Dao,' a commander must first master 'trustworthiness,' 'benevolence,' and 'discipline'!"
"What is 'trustworthiness'? It means words and deeds are consistent, rewards and punishments are certain. If there's a reward, it must be given; if there's a punishment, it must be meted out. The commander must share spoils with the meritorious, while those who contributed nothing receive not even a single coin! Only when a commander is not stingy can rewards and punishments be consistent. Only when a commander is just can 'punishment not alter the formation,' otherwise, even punishment will lack deterrent effect, and might even lead soldiers to desert!"
Hiss…
Hearing this, Cao Ren and Xiahou Yuan both gained new insight.
No wonder their elder brother Cao Cao placed so much importance on 'consistent rewards and punishments'; it had such a profound connection.
Ordinarily, when they saw their brother act this way, they only knew it made the soldiers united and fearless, charging forward… but they never understood the underlying reason.
This time, after listening to Lu Yu’s eloquent explanation, they truly understood!
Meanwhile, Lu Yu continued.
"After 'trustworthiness,' let's discuss 'benevolence' and 'discipline.' Benevolence demands that a commander must care for his subordinates. During the Warring States period, the Wei general Wu Qi sucked pus from a soldier's festering wound. The soldier's mother wept, saying that General Wu had sucked pus from her husband’s wound, and her husband died in battle seeking to repay the favor. Now, the general is sucking pus from my son, and my son is bound to die on the battlefield!"
"'Benevolence' corresponds to 'authority,' which is the so-called 'discipline.' A commander must show meticulous care for his subordinates, and also know how to severely punish them when they err! Let them understand that orders must be obeyed without fail, or they will face severe punishment!"
"By doing this, there’s no need for all five virtues. If a commander can achieve these three points – 'trustworthiness,' 'benevolence,' and 'discipline' – then the internal 'Dao' is considered established and invincible!"
At these words, a stir arose amongst everyone!
… Profound! Truly profound.
If Xun You's intention before was to test Lu Yu under the guise of seeking advice, then… now, he was genuinely seeking counsel.
Lu Yu's remarks and viewpoints completely resolved Xun You’s doubts, bringing him great enlightenment!
The Five Virtues for a commander: wisdom, trustworthiness, benevolence, courage, and discipline. It was impossible for any single commander, throughout history, to embody all of them. However, according to Lu Yu’s analysis, setting aside the 'hard' conditions like 'wisdom' and 'courage,' as long as these three points were achieved, the internal 'Dao' would be established, and such a legion would naturally be invincible!
Xun You shook his head slightly. He had truly been like a frog in a well before, blind to the vastness of the world.
At this moment, it wasn't just Xun You; Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, Xun Yu, even Cai Zhaoji, and every deputy general benefited immensely!
Lu Yu, in his simple yet profound way, was explaining the most "difficult and obscure" military strategies using the most "plain" language. This was entirely different from the "obfuscating" lectures of those scholars and generals before. It was as if one could instantly remember it and have it indelibly imprinted in their minds.
"These are my understandings. There might be some shallow points, and I hope Mr. Xun can offer his guidance…"
Lu Yu still bowed respectfully, like a junior seeking advice from a senior.
Seeking advice?
Heh… Hehehe…
Xun You immediately felt ashamed. Seeking advice? This was clearly him seeking advice from this fifteen-year-old youth.
With just this speech, Lu Yu's understanding of "The Art of War" far surpassed his own!
"Not at all, not at all…" Xun You quickly helped Lu Yu up. "Knowledge is acquired sequentially, and skills are specialized. I never imagined that Young Master Lu's understanding of 'The Art of War' would reach such a level. My journey today is truly worthwhile!"
Such a rare opportunity, Xun You wished he could ask all his lingering questions about "The Art of War."
However, with so many people watching, he could only choose the most important and difficult questions.
"Allow me to ask Young Master Lu again, how should we understand the so-called 'complete victory' in 'The Art of War'?"
Complete victory!
This…
Even Lu Yu couldn't help but lightly tap his forehead. This question, compared to the previous one on "Dao," had its difficulty increased by more than double!
To analyze it thoroughly, one could write a thesis…
Indeed, before his transmigration, Lu Yu had read many papers debating Sun Wu's concept of 'complete victory.' In essence, it was the theory of achieving overall victory with minimal cost through perfect strategies. In later times, the dialectics and methodologies involved would likely require tens of thousands of words in a thesis to fully explain and clarify!
Where to begin?
Seeing Lu Yu’s silence, Xun You smiled and said, "I have pondered this question for years and am still at the most rudimentary stage of understanding. It seems, Young Master Lu, you also find it somewhat difficult to grasp?"
Being able to understand "Dao" already proved that Lu Yu had at least seventy to eighty percent understanding of "The Art of War." However, he was young after all, only fifteen years old. If Xun You himself couldn't grasp "complete victory," how could Lu Yu explain it?
These words were a way for Xun You to give Lu Yu an out…
Unexpectedly.
Lu Yu’s words were astonishing…
"It’s not difficult to understand, it’s just that explaining it will take some time…"
Uh… this…
Xun You was taken aback. He wondered if Lu Yu could truly explain it.
Before he could react.
Ahem… Lu Yu cleared his throat lightly.
Xun You immediately understood and quickly turned to say, "General Cao, General Xiahou, may I get a cup of water for Young Master Lu!"
Oh… Oh…
Cao Ren and Xiahou Yuan only then reacted.
After saying so much, his throat must be dry!
Careless, so careless.
"Someone, fetch some spring water… quickly, let Young Master Lu moisten his throat!"
Xiahou Yuan immediately gave the order…
Before long, a deputy presented several bowls of water. Not just for Lu Yu, but a large bowl was placed before everyone’s table.
Lu Yu took a sip, moistening his throat, and then began.
"What is called 'complete victory'? Literally, it means to subdue the enemy to the greatest extent, minimizing losses for both sides! Its core lies in strategizing for the entire situation, understanding total destruction, and determining comprehensive plans!"
"In the grand strategy of warfare, strive for perfection; in practice, advocate for a combination of 'perfection' and 'destruction,' seeking 'grand perfection' through 'minor destruction'! Ultimately, it is the supreme art of war, which is to attack the enemy's strategy and spirit! Going into more detail, the content becomes quite extensive, such as 'psychological warfare,' 'economic warfare,' 'alliance warfare,' and so on…"
At this point, Lu Yu paused. His intention was to stop here!
Before his transmigration, he hated being lectured. Now that he was giving a lengthy lecture… he might even annoy all these generals and strategists!
Who would have thought…
As soon as Lu Yu finished speaking.
"Young Master Lu, please explain in detail…" Cao Ren directly leaned his face towards Lu Yu, his expression one of immense thirst for knowledge.
At this moment, his subconscious address for Lu Yu had changed from 'kid' to 'Young Master Lu,' clearly indicating that he now regarded Lu Yu as a qualified strategist!
"Yes, the night is still long, and we are not sleepy!" Xiahou Yuan echoed. He was the most eager to learn…
In a way, it had been a long time since their elder brother Cao Cao had the time to explain military strategy to his kinsmen!
"Hahahaha…"
Xun You stroked his beard. "I understand 'the supreme art of war is to attack the enemy's strategy,' and I understand the literal meaning of 'psychological warfare,' 'economic warfare,' and 'alliance warfare.'"
"However, how to apply them in actual combat is somewhat complex! Young Master Lu, perhaps you could give examples to explain in detail!"
Give examples?
Lu Yu scratched his head again. His eyes darted around, and soon, thinking of something, he blurted out, "That's right, Lord Cao is currently leading troops to attack the Yellow Turban rebels in Yan Province! I will analyze this battle then…"
"However, let me say this upfront, according to my analysis, Lord Cao will definitely lose this battle, and lose terribly!"
Whoosh…
Whoosh-whoosh!
At these words, the entire hall fell silent. The surrounding air seemed to freeze instantly!
…
…