Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 04-07-12 18:05
中國成語故事 - 一鼓作氣
Yi Gu3 Zuo4 Qi4 - (Press on to the finish without letup)
During the Spring and Autumn Period (春秋時代 722BC to 481BC) of Zhou Dynasty
(周朝 1134BC to 256BC), in 683BC, Jiang Xiaobai (姜小白), the 15th ruler
of the State of Qi (齊國 present day Linzi county 臨淄縣 in Shandong province
山東省) dispatched a large army to attack the State of Lu (魯國 present
day Qufu county 曲阜縣 in Shandong province). Ji Tong (姬同), the 16th ruler
of Lu, led the Lu armed forces to engage the Qi army. Ji Tong was accompanied
by Cao Gui (曹劌), a genius of military strategy.
Ji Tong and Cao Gui were riding in the same chariot leading the Lu troops
to the battlefield. The forces of the two states met at Changshao (長勺).
They were facing each other in formation and ready to do battle. The Qi
forces had beaten the Lu army in other battles before and they were in contempt
of the Lu army.
The ruler of Qi ordered the war drums to be sounded and attacked the Lu.
On hearing of the enemy drums Ji Tong, the ruler of Lu, wanted to response
by ordering the Lu soldiers to beat their war drums too, but Cao Gui stopped
him from doing so. Cao Gui told Ji Tong: "The enemies are in high spirits.
We should have patient and wait."
The attack by the Qi troops were fierce but they could not penetrate the
Lu's formation. The Qi troops pulled back.
The Qi sounded their war drums the second time ordering another attack.
They charged against the Lu with a velocity of speed. Yet the Lu forces
did not sound their war drums in reply. Again the Qi could not penetrate
the Lu's defence. Once more the Qi had no other options but to pull back.
The Qi thought that the Lu troops were afraid of sounding their war drums.
The Qi beat their drums the third time. After hearing the enemy war drums
the third time Cao Gui told Ji Tong: "Now, it is time to defeat the Qi."
Ji Tong ordered the soldiers to beat their drums. This was the first time
that the Lu had sounded their drums. However, the Qi had already sounded
three times. Knowing that the Lu had failed to response to their war drums
twice the Qi troops thought that the Lu troops were not willing to fight.
Upon hearing of their war drums the Lu troops charged forward fiercely and
put the Qi army to rout. The Qi troops were in disarray and fleeing in all
directions.
Immediately Ji Tong wanted to give orders to pursue the enemies. However,
Cao Gui stopped him from doing so. Cao Gui rode to the place from where
the Qi troops had fled. Cao Gui got down from the chariot. He inspected
the ground as if he was looking for something. Getting back to the chariot
he told Ji Tong:
"Now is the time to pursue."
Ji Tong ordered his troops to go after the fleeing Qi army. They chased
the Qi troops for about thirty lis (three lis = one English mile) and attained
a lot of weapons from the fleeing Qi troops.
On the way home, Ji Tong asked Cao Gui:
"Tell me the reasons behind this victory that you could defeat the Qi troops
by beating the war drums only once against their thrice?"
Cao Gui replied:
"The main element in battle is courage. When the courage has waned defeat
is the result. When the drums were first sounded the courage of the soldiers
was very strong. After the drums were sounded the second time the courage
had waned. At the third sound of the drums the courage was exhausted. When
we sounded the first drum the courage of our troops were strong, but the
Qi troops had already sounded their drums three times and the courage of
their troops were exhausted. That was why we routed them."
Ji Tong asked again:
"Once the enemies were defeated and fleeing why we did not pursue them immediately?"
Cao Gui replied:
"The State of Qi is a very powerful State and it has a very tricky ruler.
I was afraid that they might set up a deceiving retreat and might ambush
us if we pursue them immediately. I got down from the chariot to look at
the foot prints they left behind. I found them disarrayed and they were
fleeing in disorder. From far I could see their banners were swaying and
trembling to all directions. Some of them were already torn into pieces.
After considering all these then we ordered to pursue."
Ji Tong said:
"Excellent! Excellent! You are really a military strategy genius."
The moral is to get something done in one vigorous effort or to make one
vigorous effort.
Source:
左傳:
"夫戰, 勇氣也;
一鼓作氣, 再而衰, 三而竭,
彼竭我盈, 故克之."
Posted to asiawind.com
By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
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