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In the 1st century CE, China's Han Empire vied for control of the Tarim Basin with the nomadic Xiongnu Empire from the north. Decades of tribal conflict had disrupted trade along the vital Silk Road. To rally forces against the northern nomads, the Han general, Ban Chao, led a 36-member delegation to negotiate with various peoples of the western regions in hopes of winning their support. When the delegation arrived in the small kingdom of Shanshan, they were warmly welcomed at first. But after a while, their host grew indifferent. Ban Chao realized something was amiss. He investigated and discovered that the Xiongnu Empire had also sent a delegation. Thus, the king of Shanshan was unsure which side to support. Ban Chao knew it was the moment to act, so he tried to motivate his followers. Our country had sent us on a mission to this remote frontier region. We are all alone out here, and our future depends on how well we do this job. By now, the Xiongnu delegation has only been here for a few days, yet the king of Shanshan is already scaling down his hospitality toward us. If he decides to support the other side, he will no doubt hand us over as an offering to the Xiongnu delegation, who will then kill us all and feed our bodies to the wolves. What do you think we should do? The soldiers were petrified and said they would follow Ban Chao in whatever decision he would make. In response, Ban Chao reportedly said, the best course of action right now is to go after the Xiongnu delegation. But since they far outnumber us, we will attack them with fire at night. They won't see us coming and won't know how many of us are attacking. We will wipe them all out before they figure out what hit them. The 36th man team agreed to the plan and set fire to the enemy encampment. In the ensuing chaos, Ban Chao and his men killed more than 30 Xiongnu guards right away. The rest of the Xiongnu entourage, more than 100 men in total, died in the flames. Afterward Ban Chao presented the decapitated head of the Xiongnu emissary to the king of Shanshan who chose to side with the Han Empire. Because of his split-second decision-making and valor, Ban Chao was appointed Protected General of the Western Regions. Through many military campaigns and diplomatic triumphs, Ban Chao's tenure restored stability to the west of the Middle Kingdom and revived the trade routes along the Silk Road. Ban Chao's signature victory, though, forever remained a textbook case for how he relied on the element of surprise and fire to overcome the disadvantage of manpower. Several hundred years before him, the famed military strategist and philosopher Sun Tzu had already explained the power of natural elements. As he wrote, a smart commander can harness the power of fire to aid his attack. Likewise, he's stronger with water on his side, although water is not as effective in destroying the enemy's resources. Sun Tzu clearly preferred fire to water in military tactics, and he developed quite a comprehensive theory on the use of fire. He presented five scenarios, setting fire to enemy camps, the footstock, arsenal or warehouses, as well as to troops while in movement. Each scenario may require a different approach, but to succeed, each relies on advanced preparation and perfect timing. Fire lighters are a necessity, while dry, windy days are obviously more conducive to fire than during the monsoon season. That said, if you only read this chapter as a beginner's guide to arson, you are fully appreciating Sun Tzu as a master strategist. Read between the lines, though, the arsonist's manual reveals much more on opportunities. When a fire breaks out within the enemy camp, that's the best moment to strike from the outside. However, if the enemy appears calm, even as their camps burn, hold your horses and wait for the flames to reach sufficient height. Also, rather than waiting for your spy to set fire in the enemy camp, sometimes it is better to start one from outside. Here Finzer is talking about how to seize upon opportunities as they are presented. Fortune favors those who are prepared. In this case, to take advantage of fire and the resulting disarray among enemy ranks, it is crucial that our forces are ready to strike at any moment. Some enemies are fairly organized to withstand some occasional toasting. A wise commander won't jump at the sight of the first spark. Still, sometimes he must work proactively to create opportunities, as was the case with Han Xing and his rookie soldiers in the previous episode. Some opportunities promise immediate results, while others pay off in the long term. Around the year 580 CE, the new king of Sui in north China wished to conquer the Chen regime in the south and create a much larger unified empire. His advisor suggested sending spies to burn the enemy bombs and gather troops at the border every single autumn around the harvest. In response, the Chen regime was forced to annually disrupt their harvesting work and instead organize its defense. Over time, the Chen economy was gravely weakened, and its soldiers grew oblivious to the ever larger number of Sui forces poised at their border. Seven years later, the Chen capital was overrun in a surprise attack, which was actually years in the making. These don't always portend good results. Sometimes they can come back and haunt you. Near the end of his chapter on fire, Sun Zi talk about rewards. After winning a battle and conquering territory, it is vital to reward those who contributed somehow. Failing to hand out proper rewards constitutes a great waste of resources and a tremendous risk. Next time, the soldiers may not be so ready or motivated to follow your orders. So it is wiser to seize the opportunity and promptly reward soldiers. Lastly, don't fight a war unless there's a real opportunity to win. A king or a commander may feel the burning rage to act and attack, yet an angry man can find reasons to be happy again. Dead soldiers and civilians can find no reason whatsoever to come back to life. A wise commander acts when opportunity arises and stays put when it doesn't. And that's how to keep the state secure and the army ready.