Wu Tao: Non-Military Subversion

King Wen asked Tai Gong:
"What are the methods of non-military subversion (wen fa)?"

Tai Gong replied:
"There are twelve methods of wen fa:

• Exploit the enemy’s desires: Indulge their ruler’s preferences to fuel arrogance and recklessness. Guide them toward vice, then eliminate them when weakened.

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• Divide the enemy’s inner circle: Befriend their trusted ministers to sow discord. When loyalty wanes, the state crumbles.

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• Corrupt their officials: Bribe ministers to cultivate foreign allegiances. A court filled with traitors invites disaster.

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• Fuel decadence: Overwhelm their ruler with luxuries, flattery, and subservience. Let indulgence blind them to their own ruin.

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• Manipulate diplomacy: Pretend deference to loyal ministers, delay negotiations, and force the ruler to replace envoys. Then ally with new envoys to fracture trust within their court.

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• Turn talent into spies: Recruit the enemy’s skilled advisors and generals to sow internal chaos. A state divided cannot stand.

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• Bankrupt their resources: Lavish bribes on the ruler and their court, draining their treasury and neglecting agriculture. Starvation breeds collapse.

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• Entrap through shared ambition: Offer partnership in conquering others. Once dependent, exploit their trust to dominate them.

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• Inflate their ego: Praise their achievements as divine, grant grand titles, and feed their delusions of invincibility. Arrogance erodes vigilance.

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• Feign submission: Act humbly to gain their confidence. Learn their secrets, then strike like a god when they least expect.

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• Buy their heroes: Secretly promise wealth and status to their talented minds and warriors. Turn their elites into your allies, leaving the ruler blind.

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• Overwhelm with distractions: Flood their court with sycophants, beauties, hounds, and steeds. Distract the ruler until complacency invites conquest.

When these twelve methods are perfected, the time for military action arrives. Observe Heaven’s timing, Earth’s advantages, and the signs of destiny—then raise your army to claim victory."