War Is Not as Simple as It Seems

As a soldier, his judgment of value always lies in the war itself—his head count is the biggest contribution.

But in the imperial court, things are different.

Whether to fight at all, whether to fight for real or just posture, how far to push it, how to clean up after a loss, how to maintain gains after a win, how to start the war and how to end it—all of these matter.

These are the real work. The actual fighting is only a small part.

The bulk of the rewards never come from doing dirty labor for others; they come from negotiation and leverage.