He Lu, the king of Wu, called in one hundred and eighty beautiful women for military training. Sun Wu was appointed as the leader. He divided the women into pairs and appointed two concubine leaders. Then, he announced the exercises to be done which involved performing torture. After the announcement, he beat the drum signaling them to do the exercises. The beauties all laughed and did nothing. This made Sun Wu very angry, so he explained the exercises time and again, beating the drum a second time. Again the concubines laughed. The third time, he ordered his soldiers to behead the two concubine leaders. This surprised the king, who ordered him not to behead his favorite women. Sun Wu replied, "Since you appointed me as the general, I must do everything by the law; a general in the field is not required to follow orders from his superior." He had the two women beheaded, and from then on all orders were followed.