Capturing Pang Juan

Formerly, the ruler of Wei prepared to attack Handan, the capital of Zhao, and sent the great general Pang Juan with eighty thousand armored troops to Chiqu in Wey. When the ruler of Qi learned this, he sent General Tian Ji with eighty thousand armored troops to the Qi-Wei border. Pang Juan attacked Wey. Tian Ji wanted to rescue Wey, but Sun Bin pointed out that “to rescue Wey would be to disobey orders” and that they could not go directly to the rescue. Tian Ji asked, “If we do not rescue Wey directly, what should we do?” Sun Bin said, “Please march south and attack Wei’s Pingling. Pingling is small as a city but large as a county; it has a large population and strong armored troops, and it is a strategic stronghold in Dongyang, hard to take by storm. We must deliberately create a deceptive posture. In attacking Pingling, to the south is Song, to the north is Wey, and on the way is Shiqiu; our grain route can easily be cut. We must pretend not to understand this danger.” So the Qi army broke camp and went straight to Pingling. After approaching Pingling, Tian Ji......