The Art of War by Master Taigong Chapter 22 Dragon Strategy - The Authority of Generals

This Chapter is a dialogue from The Art of War by Jiang Taigong, where King Wu seeks to understand how generals maintain authority. Jiang Taigong explains that a general's power rests on a balance of strict punishments for serious offenses and generous rewards for even minor achievements. This approach, he argues, ensures clarity in commands and obedience, achieved by punishing high-ranking offenders to demonstrate severity and rewarding low-ranking individuals to boost morale. The passage emphasizes the importance of both discipline and benevolence in effective military leadership. The Chinese text provides the original text of the dialogue.