Art of War⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000672 **Origin.** Sun Tzu (Sunzi), 5th century BCE; the foundational text of Chinese strategic thought.
Empty Fort Strategy⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000744 **Origin.** Attributed to Zhuge Liang (3rd century CE); one of the Thirty-Six Stratagems. The famous story: facing an overwhelming enemy with no defenders, Zhuge Liang opened the city gates, sat atop the wall playing the lute, and let the enemy see an undefended city. The enemy commander, suspecting an ambush, withdrew.
Shi⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000616 **Origin.** Central concept in Sun Tzu, developed further by Han Fei Zi and later strategists. The term combines connotations of position, momentum, potential energy, and situational advantage.
Thirty-Six Stratagems⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000760 **Origin.** Anonymous; compiled from Chinese military and political history, possibly during the Ming or Qing dynasty. The stratagems encode recurring patterns of deception and maneuver.