For centuries in China army men would plot to kill a weak emperor, then would replace him with a strong general. The general, to ensure his own survival he would kill off his fellow generals. After some years, new generals would rise up and assassinate him.

To be emperor of China was to be alone, surrounded by a pack of enemies.

General Chao K’uang-yin became Emperor. He knew the probability that soon he would be murdered.

To break the pattern, he ordered a banquet to celebrate his triumph, and invited the most powerful commanders in the army. After drinking a lot, he talked alone to them, who thought they were going to get murdered.

Instead of killing them, he ask them if someone wanted to dethrone him. Drunk and fearing for their lives, the generals proclaimed their innocence and their loyalty.


But Sung offered them: "give up your commands, and I will give you houses, riches and bitches."

The next day, all of the generals tendered their resignations, and they retired as nobles to the estates.

In one stroke, Sung turned a pack of “friendly” wolves, who would likely have betrayed him, into a group of docile lambs, far from all power.

Over the next few years Sung continued his campaign to secure his rule.

In A.D. 971, King Liu of the Southern Han finally surrendered to him after years of rebellion. To Liu’s astonishment, Sung gave him a rank in the imperial court. Liu thought he was going to get poisoned. He said he didnt deserved death, then, Emperor Sung swallowed it himself. There was no poison. From then on Liu became his most trusted and loyal friend.

When Ch‘ien Shu, the king of one of little kingdom, was defeated, Sung’s ministers advised the emperor to lock him up. They presented documents proving that he was still conspiring to kill Sung. When Ch’ien Shu came to visit the emperor, however, instead of locking him up, Sung honored him. He also gave him a package, which he told the former king to open when he was halfway home. Ch’ien Shu opened the bundle on his return journey and saw that it contained all the papers documenting his conspiracy. He realized that Sung knew of his murderous plans, yet had spared him nonetheless. This generosity won him over, and he too became one of Sung’s most loyal vassals.