In the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), the famous strategist Sun Wu (Sun Zi) presented his work The Art of War to the King of Wu. He offered to strengthen the state by training its army.
The king was skeptical. "Can you demonstrate your method on a small group?" he asked.
"Yes," replied Sun Wu.
"Even on women?"
"Certainly."
The king summoned 180 palace maids for Sun Wu to train. Sun Wu divided them into two teams, appointing two of the king's favorite concubines as leaders. Each woman was given a weapon and stood in formation.
Sun Wu asked, "Do you know the commands for marching forward, backward, left, and right?"
"Yes," they answered.
Despite this, Sun Wu explained the commands in detail and repeatedly emphasized the importance of obeying orders.
He beat the drum and ordered a right march. The untrained women giggled instead of complying. Sun Wu said solemnly, "If orders are not clear, the fault lies with the general." He patiently repeated the instructions.
He beat the drum again, ordering a left march. Again, the women giggled. Sun Wu declared, "Now the orders are clear. Disobedience is the fault of the leaders." He ordered the two concubine leaders to be executed.
The watching king was horrified and sent a plea for mercy, but Sun Wu refused. On his insistence, the leaders were beheaded. He appointed new leaders and resumed training. From then on, everyone followed orders perfectly, behaving like disciplined soldiers.
Under Sun Wu's training, the Wu army grew powerful. This story is the origin of the idiom "Repeating an order time and again."