No nation has ever benefited from a prolonged war.
There are routes not to be followed, armies not to be attacked, citadels not to be besieged, territory not to be fought over.
In making tactical dispositions, the highest pitch you can attain is to conceal them.
Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.
When he pretends to flee, do not pursue.
The supreme excellence is not to win a hundred victories in a hundred battles. The supreme excellence is to subdue the armies of your enemies without having to fight them.