The conqueror seizes villages by projecting divine association and exposing enemy secrets to frighten opponents. He demoralizes foes by praising his army’s strength and treating defectors with honor to sow dissension among the oppressed. Conversely, ascetics and spies deceive kings by faking miracles or treasure to trap them for murder. Fiery spies fabricate supernatural dread at altars to destabilize enemy capitals through manufactured fear. Stratagems to eliminate kings include staged deaths, assassinations during rituals or leisure, and exploiting dismissed ministers who defect to sow internal conflict. Spies infiltrate forts via false identities to incite dissent or surrender. Conquest methods involve storming, winning subjects’ hearts, or trapping foes. The conqueror governs by adopting local customs, rewarding the virtuous, and banning harmful practices like animal slaughter. He conceals past faults, highlights merits, and establishes righteous transactions to secure prosperity and align his rule with the people’s welfare. Reduction of the enemy must precede a siege. The conqueror may dismiss confidential chiefs to offer them to the enemy as allies, thereby destroying the enemy’s trust. Spies disguised as merchants or ascetics infiltrate forts to carry off cattle or destroy them with incendiary agents. The text details strategies for destroying forts with troops or fire, while warning against unnecessary fire that destroys valuable resources.