"the three strategies" achieved its place in the canon of chinese military writings through its historical relationship with the early han general zhang liang. its sudden, semi-legendary appearance is typical of many historical accounts from that period. according to the shiji, while zhang was living as a fugitive after his failed assassination of qin shihuang (in 218 bc), he met a nondescript old man who recognized him while they were both strolling across a bridge. the old man tested his virtue several times before finally providing him with "the three strategies" and identifying himself with a yellow rock at the foot of mount gucheng (giving the treatise its received name, "huang shigong", meaning "duke of yellow rock"). according to the shiji, zhang liang then studied "the three strategies" and used its teachings to assist him in his future military accomplishments. a somewhat tenuous source from the song dynasty claims that zhang ordered that "the three strategies" be entombed with him upon his death in order to prevent its transmission to the unworthy, and that the work was only rediscovered in the jin dynasty by grave robbers.