For instance， as regards the question of when best to attack an opposing force， Wu Zixu observed， “One must not try to intercept the enemy when their banners indicate perfect orderliness. One must not try to pursue the enemy when their movements indicate perfect array，” that is to say， one must prepare sufficiently before going to the battlefields. Almost the identical argument is expounded in TheArtof War.
King He Lü， as mentioned earlier， was a militarist， a politician， and an accomplished monarch who ruled in a most innovative and progressive manner. He had set his ambitious sights on conquering the much more powerful neighbouring Chu state， but lacked the outstanding general who he felt was absolutely essential if the Wu hoped to have any hopes of success. In 512 BC， the third year of He Lü’s reign， Wu Zixu came forward to recommend his friend， Sun Tzu， a young military thinker with an excellent pedigree， well versed in astronomy and topography and with an endless supply of resourcefulness. With respectful ceremony Sun Tzu humbly presented King He Lü with the fruits of his period of seclusion in a hut on Qionglong Mountain. It was a 13-bamboo stem text. It would become known as The Art of War. It was Sun Tzu’s masterpiece—a wholly innovative approach to the dance of death that was， and is， warfare. The king had found his general.
The Art of War makes mention of almost every conceivable situation which can occur in the course of a military engagement. The text also considers a whole host of situations which could result from wholly unexpected occurrences. In effect military combat， which had heretofore been， to a large extent， a chaotic and blood-soaked affair became a rational and precise science. It was not at all clear to contemporaries that he author of the The Art of War had just laid down the foundation for Chinese military culture. Here stood a callow 25-year-old man， who had never before experienced first-hand a real battle； it seemed absolutely ludicrous， even suicidal， to put an immense array of mounted and foot soldiers under his complete command.
This was the dilemma facing the king. He very much admired the bamboo text on martial strategy but it was nevertheless just text—a theoretical treatise with at that time no practical real world application. He Lü was keen to discover to what extent Sun Tzu could apply his theories to the actual battlefield.
The king resolved to test the leadership qualities of the young Sun. Instead of giving him soldiers to command however， the king presented his two favorite concubines. Sun’s ability to command them would demonstrate to the king whether or not this young man was the man to command his troops. The two concubines enjoyed the king’s favor and thus were most important and privileged personages in court. They looked in contempt at this stripling who thought to command them. When Sun issued them with specific commands and instructions， they mocked him by singing and dancing on the battlefield. It had become a battle of wills and it would end tragically.
Enraged at the attitude of the gorgeous beauties， he ordered his captain to execute them for military insubordination and undermining troop discipline. The ladies were unimpressed by Sun’s rage. What could this youth do to the king’s favourite bedmates？ Sun stood his ground， insisting that since the king had granted him authority he had the right to order the executions.
King He Lü was deeply distressed. He earnestly appealed to Sun， “You have proved your ability to command troops. Please let them go.” However to the king’s great disappointment， Sun Tzu refused to back down， insisting that if one wanted to achieve victory， military discipline had to be strictly maintained； since the two courtesans had been designated as Sun Tzu’s troops by the king and since they had committed a grievous breach of military discipline， they must be executed. On the battlefield Sun pointed out as the old maxim went， “A field commander must make the decision even against the orders of the king.” The order to execute the concubines was carried out. The king’s heart was heavy as his two favourite courtesans were put to the sword but he knew that he now had someone capable of leading his armies； someone who could make his expansionist dreams of conquest come true. Sun Tzu had proved that he had the ruthlessness to lead. The next time he would have real soldiers.