18. Defeat the enemy by capturing the chief
“Defeat the enemy by capturing the chief” is a “saying” that means “bringing down the chief, bringing down an entire nation”. By going against the enemy’s leader you save yourself the trouble to go through the enemy’s subordinates. The chief represents the entire organization and will collapse when the chief is removed. Removing the chief will make the entire force disperse because the chief binds everything together (out of fear or loyalty). When the chief is captured or removed, the enemy’s chain of command will be broken where confusion and usurpation will start to arise.
Why fight an entire army or corporation when you can remove or capture the chief that holds everything together. It is foolish to go against the soldiers or lackeys that will all disperse when the enemy’s chief is in your hands. However, if there is a stronger successor, it is best to capture the chief and the potential successor in order to prevent the enemy from regrouping. That is what it means to “defeat the enemy by capturing the chief“.
