What does the story of Tian Ji’s horse racing mean?

During the Warring States Period, envoys from the State of Qi introduced Sun Bin to Tian Ji, the general of Qi State. Tian Ji asked Sun Bin for advice on the art of war. Sun Bin taught him the art of war for three days and three nights. Tian Ji was particularly impressed and treated Sun Bin as a distinguished guest. He was also very grateful to Tian Ji and often offered him suggestions. During a horse racing, Sun Bin followed Tian Ji to the racecourse. Everyone's horses were divided into three grades: upper, middle and lower according to their running speed. Different grades were decorated with different colors. The horses of each house competed according to their grade. The competition was a best-of-three race.

Before the competition, Tian Ji followed Sun Bin's idea and decorated the inferior horse with a superior saddle, pretending to be a superior horse, and competed with the King of Qi's superior horse. When the game started, King Qi's good horse was seen rushing ahead, while Tian Ji's horse lagged far behind. In the second game, still according to Sun Bin's arrangement, Tian Ji used his superior horse to compete with the king's medium horse. Tian Ji's horse unexpectedly rushed in front of King Qi's horse and won the second game. In the crucial third game, Tian Ji's middle-level horse competed with the king's low-level horse. Tian Ji's horse rushed in front of the king's horse again. As a result, Tian Ji defeated the king two to one.

Tian Ji told King Qi that his victory was not due to finding a better horse, but to using a strategy. Later, he told Sun Bin's plan. King Qi suddenly realized it and immediately summoned Sun Bin into the palace. Sun Bin told King Qi that when the conditions of both sides are equal, proper strategies can defeat the opponent. When the conditions of the two sides are far different, proper strategies can also minimize losses. Later, the king appointed Sun Bin as military advisor to command the army across the country. From then on, Sun Bin assisted Tian Ji and improved the Qi army's combat methods. As a result, the Qi army repeatedly won in wars with other countries' armies.