Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao, 围魏救赵 - 36 Strategies
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36 Strategies - Strategy No 2: Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao, 围魏救赵
Original: 共敌不如分敌，敌阳不如敌阴。
Modern: 如果要打击强大的敌人，应当设法使之分散兵力，然后各个击破。与其向敌人面前进攻，不如在他空虚的后方给以痛击。
English: To defeat a stronger enemy, one should try to make the enemy disperse his forces and attack each troops separately. Instead of making a head-on attack, one should consider attacking the rear where the defenses are lower.
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This strategy derives its name from a famous incident that occurred in 354 BC. At this time one of China's most renowned strategists, Sun Bin (A descendent of Sun Zi) was an advisor to the Lord of State of Qi. Sun had earlier been at the court of State of Wei but another minister, Pang Juan who is believed to have the same teacher as Sun Bin, became jealous of Sun's cleverness. He had Sun framed as a spy, sentenced to mutilation (removing the kneecaps), and imprisoned. Sun escaped and fled to State of Qi. Several years later, the Lord of State of Wei appointed the same Pang Juan as commander of the army and sent him to attack the capital of State of Zhao, Han Dan. The Lord of Zhao immediately appealed to State of Qi for help. The Lord of Qi consulted his advisors who all spoke in favour of immediately sending aid their ally, only Sun Bin recommended against attacking immediately. Sun advised: " To intervene between two warring armies is like trying to divert a tidal way by standing in its path. It would be better to wait until both armies have worn themselves out." The Lord agreed to wait.
The siege of Zhao had lasted more than a year when Sun Bin decided the time was ripe to come to Zhao's aid. The king of Qi appointed prince Tian Ji as general and Sun as military advisor. Tian Ji wanted to attack the Wei forces directly to lift the siege of Zhao, but again Sun advised against direct intervention saying: " Since most of Wei's troops are out of the country engaged in the siege, their own defence must be weak. By attacking the capital of Wei, we will force the Wei army to return to defend their own capital thereby lifting the siege of Zhao while destroying the Wei forces in turn." Tian Ji agreed to the plan and divided his army into two parts, one to attack the capital of Wei, and the other to prepare an ambush along the route to the capital.
When the Wei general, Pang Juan, heard that the capital was being attacked, he rushed his army back to defend the capital. Weakened and exhausted from the year long siege and the forced march, the Wei troops were completely caught by surprise by the ambush and suffered heavy losses. Zhao was thus rescued while Pang Juan barely escaped back to Wei to recoup his losses.
事见《史记．孙子吴起列传》，是讲战国时期齐国与魏国的桂陵之战。公元前354年，魏惠王欲释失中山的旧恨，便派大将庞涓前去攻打。这中山原本是东周时期魏国北邻的小国被魏国收服，后来赵国乘魏国国丧伺机将中山强占了，魏将庞涓认为中山不过弹丸之地，距离赵国又很近，不若直打赵国都城邯郸，既解旧恨又一举双得。魏王从之，欣欣然似霸业从此开始，即拨五百战车以庞涓为将，直奔赵国围了赵国都城邯郸。赵王急难中只好求救于齐国，并许诺解围后以中山相赠。齐威王应允，令田忌为将，并起用从魏国救得的孙膑为军师领兵出发。这孙膑曾与庞涓同学，对用兵之法谙熟精通。魏王用重金将他聘得，当时庞涓也正事奉魏国。庞涓自觉能力不及孙膑，恐其贤于己，遂以毒刑将孙膑致残，断孙两足并在他脸上刺字，企图使孙不能行走，又羞于见人。后来孙膑装疯，幸得齐使者救助，逃到齐国。这是一段关于庞涓与孙膑的旧事。
且说田忌与孙膑率兵进入魏赵交界之地时，田忌想直逼赵国邯郸，孙膑制止说：解乱丝结绳，不可以握拳去打，排解争斗，不能参与搏击，平息纠纷要抓住要害，乘虚取势，双方因受到制约才能自然分开。现在魏国精兵倾国而出，若我直攻魏国。那庞涓必回师解救，这样一来邯郸之围定会自解。我们再于中途伏击庞涓归路，其军必败。田忌依计而行。果然，魏军离开邯郸，归路中又陷伏击与齐战于桂陵，魏部卒长途疲惫，溃不成军，庞涓勉强收拾残部，退回大梁，齐师大胜，赵国之围遂解。