King Wu asked Tai Gong:

“When a ruler commands an army, he must have capable aides to create extraordinary authority. How should this be achieved?”

Tai Gong replied:

“All military campaigns hinge on the general’s mastery of the army’s fate. To command this fate, one must prioritize understanding the broader situation over specialized skills. Assign roles based on talent, leverage strengths flexibly, and institutionalize this practice. Thus, a general requires seventy-two aides to align with cosmic principles and adapt to all circumstances. Establishing such a system embodies the essence of generalship. By harnessing the unique abilities of diverse talents, all tasks may be flawlessly accomplished.”

King Wu asked:

“Please elaborate on the details.”

Tai Gong replied:

“One Heart-and-Mind Strategist

Responsible for advising on grand plans, responding to emergencies, observing celestial phenomena, averting disasters, overseeing military governance, and preserving the people’s lives;

Five Grand Advisors

Responsible for strategizing security and peril, analyzing shifting conditions, assessing officers’ virtues and abilities, enforcing discipline, appointing officials, resolving dilemmas, and approving critical decisions;

Three Astrologers

Responsible for tracking celestial movements, measuring winds and seasons, calculating auspicious dates, interpreting omens, verifying anomalies, and gauging public sentiment;

Three Geomancers

Responsible for analyzing terrain advantages, evaluating risks and benefits, assessing distances, identifying obstacles (mountains, rivers, and passes), and ensuring strategic positioning;

Nine Masters of Warfare

Responsible for comparing enemy and allied strengths, diagnosing victory or defeat, inspecting weaponry, and exposing violations of military law;

Four Supply Masters

Responsible for provisioning, stockpiling resources, securing supply routes, requisitioning grain, and ensuring uninterrupted logistics;

Four Champions of Valor

Responsible for selecting elite warriors, equipping them with superior arms, leading swift strike forces, and launching lightning assaults;

Three Masters of Deception

Responsible for managing flags and drums, coordinating signals, forging false orders, spreading misinformation, and executing unpredictable maneuvers to confuse the enemy;

Four Pillars of Strength

Responsible for critical missions: digging trenches, building fortifications, and preparing defenses;

Three Polymaths

Responsible for compensating for the general’s shortcomings, resolving disputes, hosting envoys, and neutralizing threats;

Three Tacticians of Deception

Responsible for crafting stratagems, devising unorthodox tactics, and executing endless transformations to baffle the enemy;

Seven Eyes-and-Ears Scouts

Responsible for gathering intelligence, monitoring movements, surveying global trends, and infiltrating enemy ranks;

Five Claws-and-Fangs Champions

Responsible for boosting morale, inspiring courage, and leading fearless assaults to crush enemy strongholds;

Four Wings of Influence

Responsible for amplifying the general’s prestige, intimidating distant states, and demoralizing enemy forces;

Eight Roving Spies

Responsible for detecting enemy traitors, inciting internal strife, manipulating public sentiment, and deciphering hostile intentions;

Two Masters of Esoterica

Responsible for deploying supernatural ruses, invoking divine omens, and stabilizing troop morale through mysticism;

Two Physicians

Responsible for compounding medicines, treating wounds, and curing illnesses;

Two Accountants of Law

Responsible for calculating camp expenditures, grain reserves, and financial logistics.”