Art of War (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) (58 page)

Li I-chi played a somewhat similar part in 203 B.C., when sent by the King of Han to open peaceful negotiations with Ch’i. He has certainly more claim to be described as a [doomed spy]; for the King of Ch’i, being subsequently attacked without warning by Han Hsin, and infuriated by what he considered the treachery of Li I-chi, ordered the unfortunate envoy to be boiled alive.

13.
Surviving spies
, finally, are those who bring back news from the enemy’s camp.

 

This is the ordinary class of spies, properly so called, forming a regular part of the army. Tu Mu says: “Your surviving spy must be a man of keen intellect, though in outward appearance a fool; of shabby exterior, but with a will of iron. He must be active, robust, endowed with physical strength and courage; thoroughly accustomed to all sorts of dirty work, able to endure hunger and cold, and to put up with shame and ignominy.”

Ho Shih tells the following story of Ta-hsi Wu of the Sui dynasty: “When he was governor of Eastern Ch’in, Shên-wu of Ch’i made a hostile movement upon Sha-yüan. The Emperor T’ai Tsu sent Ta-hsi Wu to spy upon the enemy. He was accompanied by two other men. All three were on horseback and wore the enemy’s uniform. When it was dark, they dismounted a few hundred feet away from the enemy’s camp and stealthily crept up to listen, until they succeeded in catching the passwords used by the army. Then they got on their horses again and boldly passed through the camp under the guise of night-watchmen; and more than once, happening to come across a soldier who was committing some breach of discipline, they actually stopped to give the culprit a sound cudgelling!

“Thus they managed to return with the fullest possible information about the enemy’s dispositions, and received warm commendation from the Emperor, who in consequence of their report was able to inflict a severe defeat on his adversary.”

14. Hence it is that with none in the whole army are more intimate relations to be maintained than with spies.

 

Tu Mu and Mei Yao-ch’ên point out that the spy is privileged to enter even the general’s private sleeping-tent.

None should be more liberally rewarded. In no other business should greater secrecy be preserved.

 

Tu Mu [says that] all communications with spies should be carried on “mouth-to-ear.” . . . The following remarks on spies may be quoted from [Marshal] Turenne, who made perhaps larger use of them than any previous commander: “Spies are attached to those who give them most; he who pays them ill is never served. They should never be known to anybody; nor should they know one another. When they propose anything very material, secure their persons, or have in your possession their wives and children as hostages for their fidelity. Never communicate anything to them but what is absolutely necessary that they should know.”

15. Spies cannot be usefully employed without a certain intuitive sagacity.

Mei Yao-ch’ên says: “In order to use them, one must know fact from falsehood, and be able to discriminate between honesty and double-dealing.” . . . Tu Mu strangely refers these attributes to the spies themselves: “Before using spies we must assure ourselves as to their integrity of character and the extent of their experience and skill.” But he continues: “A brazen face and a crafty disposition are more dangerous than mountains or rivers; it takes a man of genius to penetrate such.” So that we are left in some doubt as to his real opinion on the passage.

16. They cannot be properly managed without benevolence and straightforwardness.

 

Chang Yü [interprets the Chinese as] “not grudging them honours and pay”; “showing no distrust of their honesty.” [So that the passage would read:] “When you have attracted them by substantial offers, you must treat them with absolute sincerity; then they will work for you with all their might.”

17. Without subtle ingenuity of mind, one cannot make certain of the truth of their reports.

 

Mei Yao-ch’ên says: “Be on your guard against the possibility of spies going over to the service of the enemy.”

18. Be subtle! Be subtle! and use your spies for every kind of business.

19. If a secret piece of news is divulged by a spy before the time is ripe, he must be put to death together with the man to whom the secret was told.

 

The Chinese here is so concise and elliptical that some expansion is necessary for the proper understanding of it. . . . Word for word [it reads]: “If spy matters are heard before [our plans] are carried out,” etc. . . . The main point of Sun Tzu’s injunction [must surely be that] whereas you kill the spy himself “as a punishment for letting out the secret,” the object of killing the other man is only, as Ch’ên Hao puts it, “to stop his mouth” and prevent the news leaking any further. If it had already been repeated to others, this object would not be gained.

Either way, Sun Tzu lays himself open to the charge of inhumanity, though Tu Mu tries to defend him by saying that the man deserves to be put to death, for the spy would certainly not have told the secret unless the other had been at pains to worm it out of him.