Is “Died under a tree on Maling Road” true?
The Records of the Grand Historian, Biography of Sun Tzu and Wu Qi, records the classic details of the Battle of Maling: Sun Bin reduced cooking stoves to lure the enemy, and in advance 'cut the bark of a big tree and wrote on it: Pang Juan dies under this tree.' Pang Juan arrived at night, saw the white writing, and lit a torch to read it. At that moment, ten thousand crossbows were fired simultaneously. Pang Juan, knowing his wisdom was exhausted and his army defeated, drew his sword and committed suicide. The Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms, Chapter 89, describes Pang Juan falling for the trick and dying under the big tree on Maling Road, faithfully reproducing the official historical record.
Ambushed and committed suicide under a big tree on Maling Road, as clearly recorded in official history.
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