田忌 / Tian Ji
田忌 / Tian Ji appears in 《资治通鉴·周纪》16丨孙膑庞涓恩怨纠葛 桂陵之战 as the 齐国 general who recognizes 孙膑 and gives him protected status as a guest. His first major source role is the horse-racing story, where Sun Bin studies the relative quality of Tian Ji’s horses and proposes the arrangement later named 田忌赛马.
Tian Ji then becomes the commander in the rescue of 赵国. 齐威王 initially wants Sun Bin to lead, but Sun Bin argues that his punished body and social position would make army authority difficult. Tian Ji takes formal command while Sun Bin supplies the strategic design that leads to 围魏救赵 and 桂陵之战.
《资治通鉴·周纪》19丨马陵之战 gives Tian Ji another rescue-war role. In the Qi court debate over 韩国, he argues that Qi should rescue early because letting Wei absorb Han would break the balance. 孙膑 wins the timing argument with delayed rescue, but Tian Ji remains one of the formal commanders when Qi finally moves toward 马陵之战.
《资治通鉴·周纪》20丨庞涓死此树下 continues Tian Ji from campaign commander into a court-politics risk. Qi wins after 孙膑’s reduced-stove deception destroys 庞涓 and captures 太子申, but the episode closes by saying Tian Ji’s victorious return may raise his prestige above 成侯邹忌, who already dislikes him.
《资治通鉴·周纪》21丨邹忌下阴招 田忌国外避难 turns that court risk into exile. Zou Ji plants a divination story in which a supposed Tian Ji agent asks whether the victorious general can “do great things,” creating a treason accusation trap. Sun Bin advises Tian Ji to counter by rushing Yongmen before the city is closed, but Tian Ji rejects the high-risk move and flees to 楚国, with Sun Bin leaving Qi alongside him.
Connections
- 孙膑 - strategist and guest whom Tian Ji supports.
- 齐威王 and 齐国 - ruler and state context.
- Tian Ji Horse Racing / 田忌赛马 - source story built around his horse races.
- 赵国, 韩国, 魏国, 桂陵之战, and 马陵之战 - rescue campaign branch.
- Encircling Wei to Rescue Zhao / 围魏救赵, Delayed Rescue Statecraft / 晚救权谋, Lure Enemy Out of Position / 诱敌离位, and Decreasing Stoves Deception / 减灶诱敌 - strategic patterns attached to Sun Bin’s advice in Tian Ji’s campaigns.
- 成侯邹忌, Treason Accusation Trap / 谋反指控陷阱, and 楚国 - post-Maling accusation and exile branch.