Sun Wu divided them into two companies with the king's two favorite concubines as their leaders. After he armed the women he asked them if they knew their right from their left. The women assured him that they did. Then with the roll of a drum he gave the order "Turn right!". The women burst out laughing. Sun Wu said, "If the rules are not clear and the orders are not clear, the commander is to blame". He repeated the instructions a third and a fourth time. Again the beauties from the palace burst out laughing. Then Sun Wu said, "If the rules are not clear and orders are not understood, the commander is to blame. But when orders are clear yet not carried out, it is the officers who are to blame". He concluded by promptly executing both company leaders. When the king protested, Sun Wu replied, "I have been appointed commander, and a general in the field is not bound by orders from his sovereign". When he gave the orders another time, the women turned left or right and advanced or retreated exactly as they were told. After a period of time, the troops were in fighting trim and they would go through fire or water at the command of their general. King He Lu, now convinced of Sun Wu's skills as a commander, made him his general. Sun Wu went on to defeat the mighty kingdom of Chu and the powerful states in the north, Qi and Jin. .
Sun Tzu compiled all of his teachings together into a book which spread rapidly overseas after his death. The book coined the "Art of War" was widely studied throughout Asia and eventually became the Koran for militarists. Even the Japanese hold high esteem for Sun Tzu and call him the "Military Sage of the East". In Japan, managers and directors (modern commanders) have attached great importance to the application of Sun Tzu's theories to the improvement of management and corporate strategy. .
In the second half of the 18th century, the first French translation of Sun Tzu's Art of War appeared in Paris.
