Empty Warfare

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaAug 2024

2.5

Word count: 371 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Xu Zhan (Battle of Illusion) is a treatise on the art of war recorded in the ancient Chinese military classic Baizhan Qilue (One Hundred Strategies). It addresses how, when one's own strength is hollow and weak in comparison with the enemy, to escape passivity and seize the initiative. It holds that in battle, if our forces are weak, we should use the method of "showing form" to disguise ourselves as strong and substantial, so that the enemy cannot fathom our true situation and dares not attack rashly. We can then preserve our strength and wait for an opportunity to fight again. To be weak yet "falsely display the form of strength" is in essence a method of passing falsehood off as truth and confusing the enemy; in ancient warfare this was often a tactic used by the weaker side to preserve itself and wait for the chance to defeat the enemy.

Editor's review

"Warfare in Weakness" comes from Baizhan Qilüe and is devoted to how, when our forces are weak and in a position of deficiency, to escape passivity and seize the initiative. Its essence lies in using the method of "showing form"—feigning a appearance of substantial strength—to keep the enemy from discerning our true situation and daring to attack rashly, thereby preserving our strength and awaiting an opportunity to fight again. This approach of using falsehood to confuse the opponent is a common method by which the weaker side in ancient times preserved itself and awaited the chance to defeat the enemy. Bashu Press issues this chapter separately; it is brief and its theme focused, suitable for close reading by readers interested in ancient military categories and strategies for responding to weakness. When reading, note that "showing form" is not passive disguise but an active strategy linked to judging timing and preserving strength; its proper measure must be understood in specific circumstances. For the study of deception and psychological contest in ancient military thought, this chapter offers a clear entry point.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Military history readers interested in individual chapters and tactical thought in ancient military texts
Managers seeking to understand how to seize initiative from a position of weakness
Students of literature and history researching deception and psychological maneuvering in ancient warfare
General readers who enjoy short military texts for casual reading

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a systematic overview of all of Baizhan Qilüe
Readers wanting in-depth analysis of modern cases and a practical guide
Beginners impatient with the classical Chinese original and lacking annotations

Reading tips

First clarify the specific meaning of "showing form" in this chapter, then consider how it differs from mere lying.
Using a situation of weak competition familiar to you, imagine how disguise could be used to gain time.
After reading, compare this chapter with "The Substantial and the Insubstantial" to compare their different emphases on the conversion of the substantial and insubstantial.
Note the chapter's statements on timing and measure, and avoid understanding the strategy as unprincipled deception.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
虚战

FAQ

What is the core strategy of "Warfare in Weakness"?

The core is that when our forces are weak, we use the method of "showing form" to feign an appearance of substantial strength, so that the enemy cannot see through the real situation and dares not attack rashly, thereby preserving our strength and awaiting an opportunity to fight again. It is essentially a tactic for the weaker side to respond by using falsehood to confuse the enemy.

Is "showing form" the same as deception, and how do they differ?

In the context of ancient military thought, "showing form" is a tactical means of influencing the enemy's judgment by displaying false appearances. It differs from deception in the everyday moral sense: its purpose is to preserve oneself and seize the initiative, and it must be combined with judgment of timing and strength; it is not unprincipled false reporting.

Is this chapter suitable for readers without a military background?

It is brief and focused, and general readers can grasp the gist with annotations. But without a grounding in ancient military knowledge, understanding of concepts such as "showing form" may remain literal; reading alongside related background introductions or "The Substantial and the Insubstiantial" is recommended.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.