Victory is the main object in war.

If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril.

It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.

Know the enemy and know yourself.

It is imperative to contest all factions for complete victory, so the army is not garrisoned and the profit can be total. This is the law of strategic siege.

To persuade your enemy to (retreat) before the fight is to defeat them even before the battle begins. An enemy made ally is no longer an enemy.

What is of the greatest importance in war is extraordinary speed: One cannot afford to neglect opportunity.