Slaying the Commander- In-Chief which is mentioned in chapter III of Book XII in Arthashastra, authorises the weak king to employ the Institution of spies who are already in the enemy camp to deceive the chiefs of infantry, cavalry, chariots and the elephants and pose them against their king only to kill them in disguise. The spies of the weak king, under the pretence of friendship can spread the news of king's dissatisfaction regarding the work of the chiefs of his army and mislead them so that can be killed easily in a disturbed state of mind. The spies can create suspicion in the mind of those who are demand some honours from the king or who are due of some rewards about the intention of the king as well as the officer in charge of the waste land and place them against each other. With this process the spies shall be able to deceive the partisans with the intention of the chiefs.

Slaying the Commander- In-Chief then includes the role of the spies who have been placed as the personal servants of the king can inform the king that they are being interviewed by the by the enemy servants; these spies can also be used to induce greed among the chiefs of the army by offering them money, gold as well as land. They shall also seduce one of the family members of either the commander in chief or the king or the one who has been imprisoned to deceive the king that will destroy the internal strength of the army as well as the royal family. Having seduced the wild tribes with rewards of wealth and gold, these spies can incite devastation in the enemy's countryside.

Thus, with the method of Slaying the Commander in Chief , the weak king makes all efforts to weaken the internal strength of the powerful king and kill him with intrigue at the first available opportunity.