"The general who hearkens to my council and acts on it, he will conquer... The general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but a few." - Sun Tzu, "The Art of War," 512 BC.

Great leadership was the backbone of a stalwart Chinese military machine. Storied leaders the likes of Sun Tzu, Sun Bin, and Wu Qi dot the annals of Chinese history with the fantastic tales of triumph over insurmountable odds. Sun Tzu led his 60,000 troops of the Wu army to victory over the 200,000 soldiers of the State of Chu in five different wars during the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history. He is most famous for his work "The Art of War," which remains the most widely read military manual in history.

Generals were expected to fight as well as they led. For example, Li Guang was a famous general of the Han Dynasty, and an exceptional archer: according to legend, arrows shot from his bow could penatrate stone. However, Generals were also held responsible for any failures on the battlefield. In such a case they were expected to commit ritual suicide to preserve their honor, as Li Guang did after he failed to arrive on time to the battle of Mobei in 119 BC.