Wang Xizhi: A Penetrating Method
In 354 BC, the Wei army surrounded Handan, the capital of Zhao. The two sides fought for more than a year, and Zhao was weak and Wei was tired. At this time, Qi responded to Zhao's call for help, and sent Tian Ji as the general and Sun Bin as the strategist, leading 80,000 troops to save Zhao. Where is the attack direction? At first, Tian Ji prepared to go straight to Handan. Sun Bin believes that to untie the tangled silk thread, you can't pull hard with your hands, and you can't directly participate in fighting with others. To send troops to clear up, we should avoid reality and get to the point. He suggested to Tian Ji that the elite troops of Wei are now concentrated in Zhao, which is empty inside. If we lead the troops into the capital girder of Wei, occupy its traffic arteries, attack its empty space, and March into the capital girder of Wei (now Kaifeng, Henan), Zhao's Li will be spared to save himself, while the Qi army will take advantage of its fatigue to meet the returning enemy in Guiling, a pre-selected combat area. Wei Jun was defeated, and the siege of Zhao was solved. Sun Bin's method of besieging Wei to save Zhao is a famous example in the history of China, which was listed as an important one of the 36 strategies by later military strategists. The method of encircling Wei to save Zhao, avoiding reality and avoiding emptiness, has been appreciated by military strategists in past dynasties and still has vitality today.
Wang Xizhi: A Penetrating Method
Wang Xizhi's calligraphy is the best in ancient and modern times. His calligraphy is vigorous and beautiful, combining rigidity with softness. Many calligraphers in later generations, no one can compare with him. So many people who study calligraphy take his handwriting as a model. At present, his most famous books and posts are Preface to Lanting Collection and Huang Tingjing.