Learning to write is merely enough to record one's name. The sword defeats but a single foe and is not worth mastering. I shall study the art of defeating ten thousand.
書足以記名姓而已。剣一人敵、不足学。学万人敵。
Military Strategists
Xiang Yu
The 'Hegemon-King of Western Chu' whose raw military genius made him the most feared commander of ancient China's civil wars (232-202 BCE). Xiang Yu won every battle but lost the war — his career is history's definitive case study in how tactical brilliance without political strategy leads to ultimate defeat.
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Xiang Yu's Other Quotes
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