C262

INTRODUCTION

The grandson said: The war is the country's big matter, the place of life and death, the key to survival, cannot not carefully examine.

The idea of analysing gains and losses had been adopted, and it was then necessary to create a favourable posture as an external auxiliary condition. The so-called advantageous posture meant that according to the principle of being advantageous to oneself, one would be flexible and control the initiative in battle.

The country's poverty as a result of the use of troops is due to the distant transport. An army expedition, a long journey, would leave the people in poverty, and prices in the areas close to the garrison would soar. Soaring prices will cause the wealth of the people's homes to dry up. Exhaustion of property inevitably leads to increased employment. When one's strength was exhausted and one's wealth was exhausted, it would be as if the entire country had become empty. Seven tenths of the people's property would be spent, and six tenths of the country's property would be consumed by the destruction of the vehicles, the weariness of the horses, the manufacture and replenishment of armor, crossbows, halberds, oars, and the conscription of the ox cart.

Therefore, the wise general always wanted to get food from the enemy country. The consumption of one clock of food from the enemy country was equivalent to the transportation of twenty from the country; the consumption of one stone of the enemy country's fodder was equivalent to the transportation of twenty from the country.

In order for the army to kill the enemy in a heroic manner, it was necessary to raise the morale of the soldiers in a common enmity; in order to seize the enemy's arms and materials, it was necessary to use them as a reward. Therefore, those who captured more than ten chariots in the war would be rewarded. Those who captured the chariots first would be put under the banner of our army and mixed into the ranks of their own chariots. For the enemy to capture, we must give preferential treatment and guarantee the supply. This meant that the more he defeated the enemy, the stronger he would become.

Therefore, it is better to fight quickly than to fight for long periods of time.

Therefore, a general who knew how to use troops was the master of the life and death of the people. He was the ruler of the nation's survival.

The Strategic Offensive Section

The general rule of war, said the grandson, is as follows: make the enemy surrender to the whole country as the best policy, but defeat the enemy as the best policy; make the enemy as a whole surrender to the whole army, and defeat the enemy as the second best; make the enemy as a whole surrender to the best policy, but defeat the enemy as a second best; make the enemy as a whole surrender, and defeat it by force; make the enemy as a whole surrender, and defeat it as a second class. Therefore, a hundred victories were not the best of the best; it was the best that could make the enemy surrender without a fight.

Therefore, the best strategy of using troops was to use strategy to defeat the enemy, then defeat the diplomatic alliance of the enemy, and then directly fight with the enemy and defeat their army. The best strategy was to attack the enemy's city. The choice of besieging came out of necessity. It would take months to complete the construction of the shields and the four wheels of the chariot, and months to complete the construction of the hill. If the Lord could not control his anger and impatience, and forced the soldiers to climb the stairs and attack the city like ants, he would lose a third of his men, and the city would not be able to take them down, which was the disaster of the siege.

So those who know how to use troops make the enemy yield instead of fighting, and take the enemy's city instead of forcing it, and destroy the enemy's country instead of fighting for a long time. We must use a strategy of all-out war to win the world, so that we can not only not let our troops be exhausted, but also achieve a complete and comprehensive victory. This was the standard for winning by guile.

Therefore, the principle of using troops was to surround the enemy with a force that was ten times stronger than the enemy, to attack the enemy with a force that was five times stronger than the enemy, to try to disperse the enemy with a force that was twice stronger than the enemy, to fight against the enemy with equal strength, to retreat if the enemy was weaker, and to avoid a decisive battle if the enemy was weaker. Therefore, if the weak troops continued to hold their ground, they would inevitably become the captives of the strong enemies.

The general is the king's assistant, auxiliary carefully, the country must be strong, auxiliary defects, the country must be weak.

So the monarchs had three kinds of situations that threatened military action: they did not know that the army could not move forward but forced the army forward, they did not know that the army could not retreat and they forced the army back, which was called binding the army, they did not know the internal affairs of the army and they were confused by interfering in the administration of the army, they did not know the expediency of the military, and they were suspicious of interfering in the command of the army. The army was confused and suspicious, and with it came the calamity of the invading nations. This was what it meant to disorderly one's own army and bring about one's own destruction.

There are five kinds of foretelling victories: those who know that they can or cannot fight can win; those who know the different uses of many and few soldiers can win; those who share the will of the whole army can win; those who are prepared to face the unprepared can win; and those who have the ability of a general and those who have the power of a king can win. These five rules were the way to predict victory.

Therefore, knowing both the enemy and yourself, there is no danger in a hundred battles; knowing not the enemy but the self, sometimes victory, sometimes defeat; knowing neither the enemy nor the self, then every use of the army is in danger.

Military Section

The grandson said: "People who used to be good at fighting with soldiers must first not be defeated by the enemy, so as to wait for an opportunity to defeat the enemy." The initiative to not be defeated by the enemy was in his hands. Whether or not he could defeat the enemy depended on whether or not the enemy had the opportunity to take advantage of it. As such, those who are good at fighting can create conditions that are unbeatable to the enemy, but they can't make sure that the enemy is defeated by me. Therefore, victory could be predicted, but could not be forced.

If one didn't want to be defeated by an enemy, it was to be heavily defended. If one wanted to defeat an enemy, it was to be attacked appropriately. Defense was because of a lack of military strength; defense was because of a lack of military strength; attack was because of an abundance of military strength. A man who is good at defense hides his army as if it were hidden in the ground; a man who is good at offense uses his army as if it were coming from the highest heavens. Thus, he could not only motivate himself, but he could also seize victory.

It was not the brightest of all the wise to foresee that victory would not exceed the knowledge of the average person; it was not the brightest of all the wise to predict that victory would be the best in the world after a fierce battle. It was like lifting a stick of autumn water without strength, seeing the sun and the moon without sight, or hearing thunder without hearing. In ancient times, the victory of those who were good at commanding battles was to defeat enemies that were easy to defeat. Therefore, the victory of those who command war has no reputation for wisdom or valiant exploits. There was no mistake in his victory. The reason why he did not make a mistake was that his combat measures were built on the basis of absolute victory, and he had defeated the enemy who was already in a defeated position. Therefore, those who were good at commanding the battle always placed themselves in an invincible position, and did not miss the opportunity to defeat the enemy. Thus, the victorious army always had the confidence to win before it fought the enemy, while the defeated army fought the enemy first and then sought victory. People who were good at guiding the war, who were good at fixing politics and ensuring the rule of law, were able to take the initiative to win or lose.

There were five basic principles underlying military strategies: first, 'measure', 'measure', 'count', 'measure', and finally, 'win'. The different regions where the enemy and self were located gave rise to different 'degrees' of land and sizes; different 'degrees' gave rise to different 'quantities' of resources and materials of both sides; different 'quantities' gave rise to different 'measures' of the military strength of both sides; different 'weights' determined the outcome of the battle. The victorious army has an absolute advantage over the defeated army, just as the 'baht' is compared to the 'baht'. The defeated army has an absolute disadvantage over the victorious army, just as the 'baht' is compared to the 'baht'. The victor commanded the army to fight against the enemy, and it was like the waters of a mountain stream crashing against a cliff. The victor was invincible. This was the form — military strength.

Military Classes

"Generally speaking, managing a large force is like managing a small one," said Sun. "This is an organization of the army." Directing a large force to fight was the same as commanding a small force to fight. It was a matter of commanding a large force to fight. The whole army was attacked by the enemy without being defeated. This was a matter of the 'Chizheng' tactical change. Attacking the enemy, like striking an egg with a stone, is a matter of proper application of the principle of evading the truth.

In normal battles, the main fighting force would be used together and the Elite Armament would be used to obtain victory. Therefore, those who were adept at surprise and victory had endless changes in their battle tactics, just like the movement of heaven and earth. They would be like a raging river that flowed unceasingly. It was like the motion of the sun and the moon; it was like the change of the four seasons. There were only five basic notes, but the change of five notes could not be heard. There were five colors, but the change of five colors was not significant. There were only five notes, but the change of five notes could not be fully tasted. There were only two ways of fighting which were 'strange' and 'positive', but the 'strange' and 'positive' changes could never be exhausted. The transformation between the 'odd' and 'positive' was as if they were circling in circles, without beginning or end. Who could exhaust it?

The swift flow of the water was so rapid that it could wash away the boulders, because of the swift 'momentum' of its flow; the bird of prey was so high that it could kill birds and birds, which was the short and swift 'knots'. Therefore, the man who was good at command of the battle, the situation he created was fierce, and the rhythm of his attacks was short and forceful. The steep posture was like a full crossbow, the swift rhythm was like a crossbow striking out and firing an arrow.

The flags were in disarray, the troops were mixed, and fighting in the chaos was more important to keep the troops in order. In a situation where the troops were in a state of turmoil and confusion, it was necessary to arrange the formations meticulously so as to maintain the posture without failure. Demonstrating confusion to the enemy is due to the meticulous composition of their own organization. Demonstrating cowardice to the enemy is due to their brave qualities. Showing weakness to the enemy was due to the fact that they had powerful forces. Straightening or confusion is determined by the quality of the organization. Courage or cowardice is the result of the advantages and disadvantages of a battle posture. The difference in strength between the two sides was like the difference in strength. Therefore, generals who were good at maneuvering their enemies would disguise themselves to confuse the enemy, and the enemy would listen to their maneuvers; they would use small advantages to lure the enemy, and the enemy would come to fight for them. In this way, we can actively mobilize the enemy and then prepare heavy soldiers to find an opportunity to attack it.

Therefore, those who were good at using troops to fight always tried to create favorable situations, and did not blame their subordinates for their actions. Thus, he was able to choose talented people to use and create advantageous situations. A man who is good at taking advantage of the situation commands an army to fight like a rolling log or a stone. The properties of wood and stone are that they stand still where they are flat and stable, and roll where they are steep and steep. The square is easy to rest, the round is flexible to roll. Therefore, the advantageous position created by a person adept at commanding combat was like pushing a boulder down a towering mountain. This was the so-called 'power'.

VI. Deixis

His grandson said: "Fan first occupied the battlefield, waiting for the enemy to take the initiative to ease, then arriving at the battlefield in a hurry to fight fatigue passive." Therefore, those who are good at commanding operations can always mobilize the enemy without being mobilized by the enemy. It was by means of small advantages that the enemy was able to enter my predetermined territory; it was by means of difficulties that the enemy was prevented from reaching his predetermined territory. When the enemy was well rested, he would try to tire him; when the enemy had sufficient food, he would try to starve them; when the enemy was in a stable position, he would try to move him.

To attack places where the enemy could not gallop, to attack places where the enemy did not expect. To march a thousand miles without tiring is to march in an area where the enemy is unprepared; to attack is to win, because to attack is a place where the enemy has not defended; to defend, to hold firm, because to hold back is a place where the enemy cannot attack. So good at attacking, can make the enemy not know how to defend; good at defending, can make the enemy not know how to attack. Subtlety, so subtlety that nothing could be seen. Miraculous, so magical that not a single sound could be heard. Thus, I can become the master of the enemy's fate. What moves forward that the enemy cannot resist is by attacking the place where the enemy is idle; what moves back that the enemy cannot pursue is that the enemy cannot catch up with the enemy because of the speed of the movement. So when our army wanted to fight, the enemy had to come out and confront me, even if it was deep, because we had attacked the place where the enemy had to be saved. When our army didn't want to fight, the enemy couldn't fight me even if we were on the defensive, because we had lured the enemy to change the direction of attack.

In order to make the enemy show his true intentions and our troops remain unexposed, our forces can be concentrated and the enemy forces have to be dispersed. Our forces are concentrated in one place, and the enemy's forces are dispersed in ten places. This way, we can attack the enemy with ten times the enemy's strength, and thus create a favorable situation for us as a whole. If we are able to concentrate our forces to attack the weaker enemies, then the number of enemies that will fight against our own troops will be limited. Where we attack the enemy is hard to know, and since we have no way to know, he needs more defenses; the more defenses the enemy has, the thinner the enemy we attack. As a result, if they were prepared for the front, the troops behind would be weak; if they were prepared for the back, the soldiers in front would be weak; if they were prepared for the left, the troops on the right would be weak; if they were prepared for the right, the troops on the left would be weak. If they were prepared in every direction, their forces would be weak everywhere. The reason why the troops were weak was because they were split up to defend themselves. The reason why the troops were sufficient was because they were forced to defend themselves from all sides.

As such, if one could predict the location and timing of the battle, then even if they travelled a thousand miles, they would still be able to fight the enemy. If the left wing could not save the right wing, if the right wing could not save the left wing, then the front could not save the back, and the back could not save the front, not to mention, what if they wanted to be able to move as fast as they could for thousands of miles? According to my analysis, the State of Yue has many armies, but what benefits do they have in determining the outcome of the war? Victory, therefore, can be made, and though the enemy has many, it cannot contend with me.

Therefore, through careful planning, it was necessary to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the enemy's battle plan; to understand the movement of the enemy by provoking them; to detect the location of the enemy's lifeline through feinting; and to understand the strength of the enemy's forces through small skirmishes. Thus, when he feigned to show that he had entered the highest realm, he could no longer see any traces of it. Since he couldn't see through it, even a spy couldn't see through it. Even a scheming enemy couldn't figure out how to deal with it. According to the change in the enemy's situation, they could nimbly use tactics. Even if they placed victory in front of everyone, they would still not be able to see the mystery behind it. People only know the methods I use to defeat the enemy, but they have no idea how I use them to achieve a surprise victory. Thus, every victory was not a simple repetition of the old saying. Rather, it was a victory that adapted to different situations, changing endlessly.

The law of the use of troops is like the law of water, the property of water, which is to avoid high places and to flow to low places; the law of war is to avoid the enemy's firm places and attack his weaknesses. The direction of the water is restricted by the height of the terrain, and the strategy of winning the battle is formulated according to the different enemy situations. Therefore, there is no rigid posture in military warfare, just as the flow of water has never been the same. Those who were able to move according to the circumstances of the enemy and obtain victory were called god-like soldiers. There were no fixed victories in the five elements, nor were there any fixed positions in the four seasons. There were long and short days, and there were also full and short moons.

Chapter VII - Military Dispute

The grandson said: "The laws of military service, the commander-in-chief to accept the king's orders, from recruiting the people, organizing the army to the enemy, there is no more difficult conditions than the fight for victory." The most difficult part of the competition was to turn the detour into a straight path and turn the disadvantage into an advantage. At the same time, it was necessary to turn the enemy's immediate advantage into a nuisance, and to tempt the enemy with minor advantages, so that he could reach the strategic point of contention before the enemy was sent out after him. This is how you learn to be direct.

Thus, the military conflict had a smooth side, while at the same time, it was also dangerous. If the entire army carried all of their supplies to fight for profits, they would not be able to reach the predetermined region on time. If some of their troops left behind to fight for profits, they would lose their supplies and equipment. As a result of this, the soldiers of the three armies would be captured by the enemy. Robust soldiers would arrive first, but weak soldiers would fall behind, and the result would only be a tenth of the enemy's strength being captured. If one walked fifty li, they would lose out to the main generals of the previous army. Only half of the army would be able to make it to the top. Only two-thirds of the troops would be able to make it to this place. It must be known that the army would fail without heavy transport. They would not survive without food, and it would be difficult to survive without supplies.

Therefore, without understanding the strategic intentions of the various kingdoms, one could not become friends with them. Without familiarizing himself with the terrain of the mountain forests, dangers, and swamps, one could not march. So the use of troops had to rely on cunning to achieve success, to determine their own actions on the basis of advantages, and to change tactics in the form of scattered or concentrated troops. Therefore, when the army moved fast, it was like a sudden gust of wind, and when the movement was relaxed, it was like a dense forest; when they attacked the enemy, it was like a raging fire; when they used defensive measures, it was like a mountain; when it hid itself, it was like a thick cloud covering the sun and the moon; when it charged, it was like a thunderclap. Dispatching troops, robbing enemy townships, separating troops to guard important areas, expanding their territory, weighing the stakes, and then moving cameras. A general who knows how to be direct can win, which is the principle of winning.

"Military Government" said: "language command cannot hear, so set up a golden drum; motion command cannot see, so set up a banner." These golden banners were used to unify the entire army. Since the whole army was united, the brave soldiers could not advance alone, and the timid soldiers did not dare to retreat alone. This was the method of commanding a large army. Therefore, during the night, they often used fire, gongs and drums, and during the day, they often used banners. All of these were for the sake of adapting to the needs of the soldiers, their eyes, ears, and eyes.

They could depress the morale of the enemy's troops; they could shake the resolve of the enemy's generals. When the army entered the battle, the morale, after a period of time, the morale completely fell. Therefore, people who were good at using troops would always avoid the enemy's spirit when they first encountered it, and then wait until the enemy's morale was sluggish before attacking it. This was a method to grasp how to use the army's morale. Using one's own discipline to deal with the enemy's chaos, and using one's own calmness to deal with the enemy's irritability, this was a method to grasp the general's mentality. He would use the battlefield that his troops were approaching to deal with the enemies that came from afar. Using the safety and rest of their own troops to deal with the enemies who were running for their lives, as well as the food and money provided by their own troops to deal with the starving enemies, this was the secret to grasping the military's combat ability. Don't block the enemies with neat banners, don't attack the enemies with strong formations, this is the principle of flexibility.

The rules of the army were as follows: When the enemy occupies the mountainous region, do not attack from the back; when the enemy is leaning against the high ground, do not meet the enemy head on; when the enemy pretends to be defeated, do not follow the enemy; when the enemy's elites do not attack; when the enemy's luring forces are ignored; when the enemy is on the way back to the country, do not face the enemy head on; when the enemy is surrounded, do not push too hard; when the enemy is in dire straits. These were the rules of the army.

Eight, Nine Transformations

His grandson said: The laws of military service are as follows: the general accepts the king's orders to recruit the people and organize the army, and cannot be stationed on the moor 'dilapidated' land at the time of the expedition, he should make friends with his neighbors on the 'plough' at the border of many countries, he should not stay on the 'Jedi', he must plot against the 'Enclosure', and he must fall into the 'Death Ground' and fight to the death. Some roads should not be traversed, some enemy armies should not attack, some cities should not be attacked, some places should not be fought over, and some orders of the king should not be carried out. Therefore, if the general was proficient in the pros and cons of all kinds of maneuvers, then he knew how to use troops. If the general was not proficient in the pros and cons of all sorts of mechanical changes, he would not be able to obtain terrain even if he knew the terrain well. Even if one knew the 'Wu Li', they still wouldn't be able to fully utilize the combat abilities of the army.

Therefore, a smart general had to take into account both the advantages and disadvantages. In unfavorable circumstances, the situation could be seen to be favourable, and in unfavorable circumstances, the disaster could be ruled out.

We will hurt it with what the princes of all nations hate most, we will force it to submit; we will harass it with what the princes feel is dangerous, we will force it to obey us; we will tempt the princes of all nations with profit, we will force it to run away passively.

The rule of the use of troops is not to hope that the enemy will not come, but to rely on himself to be fully prepared; not to hope that the enemy will not attack, but to rely on his own strength to make the enemy unable to attack.

The marshal had five major dangers: he could be lured to death if he only knew how to fight to the death; he could be captured if he only wanted to live his life; he could be easily angered, and be bullied by the enemy; he could fall into the trap of being insulted by the enemy if he had a good reputation for being honest; and he could cause trouble and restlessness if he did not love his people. The above-mentioned five points were the marshal's fault, and also a disaster for using troops. The destruction of the army and the capture of the commander must have been caused by these five dangers. This cannot be left out without due attention.

Troop Section

The grandson said: We should pay attention to the disposition of the troops deployed and to the observation and judgement of the enemy. Through the mountains, we must go near the valley with the aquatic plants, and camp at a place high in the sun, and not attack the high ground occupied by the enemy. This is the principle of deploying mobile troops in the mountains. Crossing rivers, one must be stationed far away from the river; the enemy must cross the river to fight, and not meet it in the river, but wait until it has crossed the middle before attacking it; if one wants to fight with the enemy, one should not be attacked by the enemy's troops near the water's edge; it is advantageous to be stationed in the river area; one should also be stationed in the high sun and must not face the current head-on, which is the principle of deploying disposal troops in the river area. If you meet the enemy in the salt and alkali swamps, you must be close to the aquatic plants and have your back against the trees, which is the principle of deploying mobile troops in the salt and alkali swamps. To occupy a flat and open area in the plains, the flank should lean on the uplands to reach the front and back heights. This was the principle of deploying mobile troops in the plains. The reason why the Yellow Emperor was able to defeat the other 'Four Emperors' was due to the advantages brought by the application of the four principles regarding the deployment of armies.

Under normal circumstances, garrisons always liked dry highlands and hated damp depressions. They paid attention to sunny areas, despised damp areas, and approached wet areas where there was plenty of water and grass to supply their troops and their soldiers. Thus, victory was guaranteed. In the region of hilly embankments, it was necessary to occupy the southerly side, and to lean the main flank against it. These measures, which were advantageous for the use of troops, used the terrain as an auxiliary condition. It was raining and flooding upstream, so if you wanted to cross the river, you had to wait until the current was steady. Whenever they encountered the six types of terrain: Broken Stream, Heaven Well, Sky Prison, Tian Luo, Sky Cave, and Sky Gap, they had to leave quickly and not get too close. Our army will stay away from them and let the enemy approach them; our army will face them and let the enemy lean against them. In the course of the march, if there were dangerous passes, marshes, water nets, reeds, mountain forests, or lush areas of vegetation, it was necessary to search carefully and repeatedly. These were all places where the enemy could set up ambushes and hide spies.

It was by virtue of its occupation of the dangerous terrain that the enemy approached and kept quiet; it was by means of its desire to lure my troops into its trap that the enemy came from far away; it was stationed in the flat area because it was profitable to do so. Many of the trees swayed, and these were the enemy's cover; there were many barriers in the grass, and these were the enemy's cover; birds flew, and these were the ambush below; wild beasts ran, and these were the enemy's chariots; the dust was high and sharp, and these were the enemy's chariots; the dust was low and wide, and these were the enemy's infantry; the dust flew in all directions, and these were the enemy's firewood; the dust was thin and sometimes falling, and the enemy was setting up camp. The envoys of the enemy spoke strong words, and the army advanced in preparation for the retreat; the chariots of the enemy were first set out on the flank, and this was in the form of the Bulai; there must have been a conspiracy on the part of the enemy who took the initiative to make peace before he was put down; the enemy who ran fast and set up the chariots in formation was looking forward to a final battle with me; the enemy who half advanced and half retreated was trying to lure our army. The enemy stood leaning on his weapon, which was a sign of hunger; the enemy drew water first, which was a sign of thirst; the enemy clearly saw that it was in the interest of the enemy and did not enter the battle, which was a sign of fatigue; the birds gathered above the enemy's camp indicated that it was an air camp; the enemy panicked at night, which was a sign of fear; the enemy's camp was disturbed, which indicated that there would be no dignity for the enemy; the untidy waving of the flags indicated that the enemy's army was in disarray; the enemy officers were irritable, indicating that they were tired; the whole army was fed with food, meat, meat, cooking utensils, and not returning to the camp. The enemy will speak with his men in a humble tone, indicating that the enemy will lose his heart; the constant reward of soldiers shows that the enemy is at his wit's end. Repeatedly punishing the subordinates showed that the enemy was in a difficult situation; the least astute leader would be the one who would lead the way against his subordinates, who would then fear them; the enemy had sent emissaries to give them gifts, which was what the enemy wanted; the enemy had fought with anger but had not retreated for a long time, so it was necessary to observe his intentions carefully.

The more troops, the better. As long as he didn't underestimate his enemy, he would be able to concentrate his forces, judge his enemy's situation, and gain the trust and support of his subordinates. A man who has neither foresight nor self-respect for his enemy is bound to be captured by his enemy.

Soldiers were punished before they were close to each other, and then they would not be convinced, and they would not be able to use it. Soldiers were already attached, and military discipline was still not enforced, so they could not be used to fight. Therefore, he had to use gentle and lenient methods to educate them and discipline them with military discipline. This way, he would definitely gain the respect and support of his subordinates. Ordinarily, the soldiers would follow strict orders and discipline the soldiers, and the soldiers would develop a habit of obedience. Ordinarily, if the soldiers were taught to obey strict orders, the soldiers would become disobedient. Ordinarily, the orders could be carried out, which showed that the general and the soldiers had a harmonious relationship.

Terrain section

His grandson said: There are six types of terrain: 'pass', 'hang', 'branch', 'pass', 'danger', 'far', etc. As long as we can go, the enemy can come from a region called Tong. In the "Tong" shaped area, we should occupy the open and sunny highlands first, and keep the fodder supply route unobstructed. This way, we will have the advantage of fighting the enemy. Any territory that can be advanced and is difficult to return to is called a 'hanging'. In a 'hanging' area, if the enemy is prepared, we cannot attack and we cannot return, which is not good. On the other hand, if the enemy is not prepared, we can suddenly attack and defeat them. Where the attack of our army is unfavorable, the territory in which the enemy's attack is unfavorable is called 'branch'. In the 'branch' area, although the enemy is in a favorable position, we should not attack, but should pretend to retreat and lure the enemy to attack in half before returning a counterattack. In the 'pass' area, we should first occupy the enemy and block the pass with heavy soldiers, so as to wait for the enemy's invasion. If the enemy does not guard the pass with heavy soldiers, then we can attack. In a 'dangerous' area, if the enemy occupied it first, they should lead their troops to retreat and not attack it. In the 'distant' region, both sides were evenly matched, so it would be inappropriate to challenge them. The above six points were the principle of using the terrain to their advantage. This was the major responsibility of the general, and he had to carefully study it.

The defeat of the army consisted of 'leave', 'move', 'sink', 'collapse', 'chaos', and 'north'. These six situations happened not because of natural disasters, but rather because of the general's own mistakes. In a situation where they were evenly matched, the one who failed ten times in a single strike was called 'Go'. The soldier was strong, and the one who caused the general to lose was called 'Chi'. The general was strong, and the soldier was weak and defeated was called 'subsidence'. The general was resentful and disobeyed the command. When the enemy came out to fight and the general did not understand his ability, the loser would be called 'Crash'. The general lacked dignity, had no rules and regulations in training and education, was in a state of disarray between the army and the army, and was in a state of uncertainty in the arrangement of troops. Therefore, it was called 'Chaos' that led to the defeat of the general. The general could not accurately judge the enemy's situation. He would strike at the crowd with fewer people, use the weak to strike at the strong, and have no elite vanguard troops to fight. Thus, the one who lost was called 'North'. All of these are the causes of failure. This is the general of the major responsibility, is not not not seriously studied.

Terrain is the auxiliary condition of using soldiers to fight, correctly judging the enemy's situation, actively grasping the initiative, inspecting the terrain danger, calculating the distance and proximity of the road, these are all methods that a capable general must master. Those who understood these principles to command combat would definitely win. Those who didn't understand these principles to direct combat would definitely lose. Therefore, according to the law of war, there was a certainty of victory. Even if the king didn't want to fight, he could still insist on fighting. But according to the law of war, if there was no certainty of winning, even if the king insisted on fighting, he could still choose not to fight. He did not seek to win his reputation, nor did he avoid the crime of disobeying orders. He only sought to protect the people, and this was in accordance with the interests of the king. Such a general was the country's precious wealth.

Treat the soldier as if he were a baby, then the soldier can go through trouble with him; treat the soldier as if he were his son, and the soldier can live and die with him. If the soldiers were treated with kindness and could not be used, if the soldiers were doted upon without being able to educate them, and if the soldiers could not be punished for violating the law and discipline, then it was just like a child who was raised on a whim, and could not be used to fight the enemy.

Only half of them knew that their own troops could fight, but none of them knew that the enemy could not fight. The other half knew that the enemy could fight, but none of them knew that their troops could fight, and only half of them could win. They knew that the enemy could fight, and they knew that their own troops could fight. Therefore, those who know how to use soldiers, he will not be confused in his actions, his combat measures are infinite, and do not embarrass. That is to say, if you understand the other party and you understand yourself, you won't be in any danger when it comes to winning. If one understood the heavens, the earth, then victory could be eternal.

NINETEEN, NINETEEN

Sun Wu said. According to the principle of using troops, the military geography includes scattered lands, light lands, contested lands, exchanged lands, plough s, heavy lands, dilapidated lands, surrounded lands, and dead lands. The area where the dukes fought in their own country was called the Diaspora. In the enemy countries near the depth of the fighting is called light land. Our side was in a favorable position, and the enemy was in a favorable position as well. Our troops can go there, but the enemy can also go there and call it an exchange. Adjacent to a few other dukedoms, the region where one could obtain assistance from a few of the dukedoms was called plough. The area that went deep into the heart of the enemy country and had many cities was called the 'stronghold'. Mountain forests, water web swamps and such difficult places to pass through were called dilapidated lands. The route of the march was narrow and the retreat circuitous. The enemy could attack the area where many of our troops were stationed with small numbers of troops. It was called the Enclosure. If they fought fast enough, they would survive. If they didn't fight fast enough, they would be completely annihilated. This place was called the land of the dead. As a result, it was unsuitable to fight in the scattered lands, it was unsuitable to stay where it was light, do not force an attack if there was a conflict, do not end up in contact if there is a conflict, and if you enter the plough, you should make friends with the dukes. If you enter the depths of the plough, you must plunder the foodstuffs, if you run into a crumbled land, you must quickly pass through, if you fall into a encirclement, you must plot to escape, if you must fight to survive in the dead.

In the past, those who were good at commanding and fighting were able to prevent the enemy's front and back forces from coordinating with one another, the main force and small forces from relying on one another, the officers and soldiers from calling each other for help, the upper and lower ranks of the troops were unable to gather together, the soldiers were unable to concentrate, and when they met a battle, their formations were not orderly. As for my army, I will fight as I see fit, and stop as soon as it is not beneficial to me. Ask: 'What should I do to deal with the enemy, with his numerous troops and his well-organized attack?' The answer is: "First seize the enemy's most crucial advantage, so that it will have to be at our mercy." The principle of using troops was to use the speed of the enemy, taking advantage of the enemy's unprepared time to take unexpected paths, and attacking places where the enemy was not on guard.

In the general rule of war within the borders of the enemy: Dive deep into the heart of the enemy, and our troops will have a strong will, and the enemy will not easily defeat us. By plundering the rich fields of the enemy country, the entire army was provided with adequate provisions. Pay attention to the rest of the troops and don't make them too tired. Keep up the morale, build up the strength, deploy the troops, and strategize so that the enemy cannot judge the intentions of our army. If the troops were placed in a desperate situation, the soldiers would rather die than retreat. Since the soldiers would rather die than retreat, how could they not fight to the death? When the soldiers were trapped in a dangerous situation, there was no more fear in them. When there was no way out, their morale would naturally stabilize. When there was no way out, their troops would not disperse. If there was no other choice, the army would fight to the death. Therefore, such an army does not need to be on guard; it does not need to be demanding; it does not need to be binding; it can be intimately united; it does not wait to be ordered to be disciplined. To forbid divination and superstition, to dispel the doubts of the soldiers, they will not escape death. It is not that our soldiers do not have excess money, it is not that they dislike money; it is not that our soldiers do not care about life and death, nor that they dislike longevity. When the combat order was issued, the sitting soldier's tears stained his clothes, while the lying soldier's face was covered with tears. Put the soldiers in a desperate situation where there is no way out, and they will be as brave as Cao Liang.

People who are good at commanding combat can make their troops' self-willed 'like snakes. It was a kind of snake in the Changshan Mountains. If you hit its head, the tail would come to save it; if you hit its tail, the head would come to save it; if you hit its waist, its head and tail would come to save it. Q: Can you make the army 'reckless'? The answer is: Yes. The Wu and the State of Yue hated each other, but when they crossed the river with the boat and met with the strong wind, they rescued each other and coordinated with each other like a human's right hand. Therefore, it would be unreliable to stabilize the troops by tying the horses together and burying the wheels deep in the ground, a way that showed their determination to fight to the death. The key to enabling the troops to work together and fight together as one person is the management education of the troops. It was essential to make proper use of the terrain in order to make all the soldiers with different advantages and disadvantages work. So a good soldier can bring the whole army together like one man, because the objective situation forces the troops to do so.

In the matter of commanding the army, it was necessary to consider a strategy that was calm and profound, and to manage the troops in a fair and orderly manner. It is necessary to blind the soldiers and their men so that they know nothing of the military operations; to change the disposition of the operations, to change the plan so that they will not be able to see the truth; and from time to time to change their positions, so that they will not be able to deduce our intentions. The general gives the army combat tasks, like making it ascend and taking off the ladders, so that the army can advance without retreat. The general led his soldiers deep into the lands of the dukes, advancing forward like an arrow fired from a crossbow. Burn the boat and smash the pot to show your determination to fight to the death. To the soldiers, they must be able to drive them away as if they were a flock of sheep, so that they do not know where to go. The gathering of all the officers and men, placing them in a dangerous situation, the gains and losses of attacking, defending, advancing and retreating, and the mental state of the entire army — these were all things that a general could not do without a careful study and thorough examination.

The general rules of war in enemy territory were: the deeper you entered into enemy territory, the more stable and stable your morale would be; the shallower you entered into enemy territory, the easier your morale would be for you to slack off. After leaving the native land, they would enter the enemy's territory to fight. They would enter the regions called the Jedi; they would enter from all directions, called the plough; they would enter the depths of the enemy's territory, called the Gravity Field; they would enter the shallow areas called the Light Land; they would enter the Light Land. Therefore, in the scattered lands, the will of the army was to be united; in the light lands, the camp was to be closely connected; in the struggle for ground, the troops were to be sent swiftly to the rear of the enemy; in the crossing of lands, the alliance with the kingdoms had to be consolidated; in the plough, the supply of military provisions was to be guaranteed; in the crumbling lands, the army was to be passed through quickly; in the surrounding lands, the gaps were to be blocked; and in the dead lands, the morale of the army was to be secured and ready to fight to the death. Therefore, the soldiers' mental state was that once they were surrounded, they would try their best to resist. When the situation was forced, they would fight to the death and when they were in dire straits, they would listen to their commands.

Therefore, without understanding the strategic intentions of the various kingdoms, do not befriend them in advance. Without familiarizing yourself with the terrain, such as mountain forests, dangers, and swamps, one cannot march. No advantageous terrain can be obtained without the use of a wizard. None of these could become an army that reigned supreme, if there was one thing they did not know. Any army that was a king and attacked the enemy could make it impossible for them to mobilize their troops and civilians; if the army was on the enemy's head, it could make it impossible for the enemy's allies to coordinate with them. Therefore, there was no need to compete for friendship with the dukes of the world, nor to cultivate one's own power in the dukedoms of the world; as long as one stretched their strategic intentions and imposed their military might on the enemy, they could plunder their cities and destroy their capital. To carry out a reward beyond the norm, to issue an unconventional order, to command the entire army was like using a single person. Arrange combat tasks to your subordinates, but do not state their intentions. The use of soldiers only indicated favourable conditions and did not point out dangerous factors. Only by placing soldiers in a dangerous place can they turn a dangerous place into a safe place, and only by putting soldiers in a place of death can they come back to life. The army was trapped in a desperate situation before it could win. Therefore, to guide a war was to carefully observe the strategic intentions of the enemy, to concentrate the troops on one part of the enemy, to rush forward thousands of miles, and to capture and kill the enemy and his generals. This was the so-called ingenious use of troops to achieve the goal of defeating the enemy.

Therefore, when deciding the strategy of the war, they had to bestow the pass, abolish the token, and not allow the envoys of the enemy countries to come and go. They had to repeatedly plan and make strategic decisions in the temple. As soon as a gap appeared in the enemy side, they had to quickly enter. First of all, seize the enemy's strategic location, but do not easily fight with the enemy, to be flexible, depending on the enemy changes to determine their own actions. Therefore, before the battle began, it was necessary to appear as quiet and weak as a virgin and to induce the enemy to relax their guard. After the battle began, they would have to act quickly like a fleeing hare, catching the enemy off guard and rendering them unable to resist.

Fire Attack

There are five forms of fire attack: first, the burning of enemy troops, second, the burning of enemy food, third, the burning of enemy supplies, fourth, the burning of enemy warehouses, and fifth, the burning of enemy food lines. Fire attack must be equipped with conditions, fire attack equipment must be ready at all times. When you want to set a fire to see the sky, you have to choose a good day when you start a fire. The so-called time of day referred to the dry climate; the so-called time of day referred to the time when the moon was passing through the four constellations, 'Keeping', 'Wall', 'Wing', and 'Zhen'. When the moon passes through these four constellations, it is the day of the rising wind.

Fire attacks must be carried out in accordance with the changes caused by the five fire attacks. If you set fire to the inside of the enemy's camp, you must dispatch troops to support them from the outside. When a fire is lit and the enemy remains calm, it is necessary to wait and not attack immediately. After waiting for the fire to burn and then making a decision according to the circumstances, they could attack and not attack and stop. The fire could be set off from the outside, and there was no need to wait for the inside fire, just to set it off at the right time. When setting fire from the upper hand, do not attack from the lower. The longer the day was windy, the easier it would be for the night to stop. The army must master these five methods of fire attack, using them flexibly, and wait until the time is right to set them on fire before launching them.

The effect of using fire to assist the army in attacking was especially remarkable. Using water to assist the army in attacking would definitely increase the offensive potential of the army. Water could cut the enemy off, but it could not burn down their supplies.

Anyone who had won a war and taken over a city or city of the land and was unable to reward them for their deeds in time would be met with a calamity. This situation was called 'Ferry'. Therefore, the wise king should consider this issue carefully, and the virtuous general should take it seriously. Do not act without benefits; do not use arms without confidence in victory; do not fight unless in dire straits. The king must not go to war because of a moment of anger, and the marshal must not go to war because of a moment of resentment. The use of troops is in the interest of the State, and shall cease if it is not in the interests of the State. Anger can also be turned back into joy, and resentment can also be turned back into happiness. But if the nation perishes, it cannot be reborn, and if a man dies, it cannot be reborn. Therefore, when it comes to war, a wise king should be careful, and a wise general should be vigilant.

Intersection

Sun Wu said: Every time an army of one hundred thousand would go on a long journey, the cost of the citizens and public housing would be costed up to a thousand gold coins per day. The people in the front and back would be in a state of turmoil, while the commoners would be on the move tiredly. The reason why they had been locked in a stalemate for so many years was because it would be a decisive victory. It would be most unkind of a man to be stingy with his money and his spies, and to fail because he could not master the enemy. Such a man was unworthy of command in the army, and could not be called an adjunct to the state or a victorious ruler. Therefore, the reason why the wise monarch and wise general could defeat the enemy as soon as they sent out their troops and surpass them was because of their prior knowledge of the enemy's situation. To understand the enemy beforehand, one must not use the method of asking the gods to question the ghosts; one must not use similar things to make analogies; one must not use the positions at which the sun, moon, and stars run to verify. He had to get it from the people, from the people who were familiar with the situation.

There are five ways of using spies, namely, interiority, interiority, interiority, interiority, interiority, and interiority. When these five agents are used at the same time, they make it impossible for the enemy to fathom the laws of my use. This is the mysterious method of using spies, and this is the magic weapon that the king uses to defeat his enemies. The so-called cause refers to the use of the enemy's countrymen as spies. The so-called inner circle used enemy officials as spies. The opposite is to use enemy spies for my own purposes. The so-called 'death' refers to the intentional spreading of false information through our spies to transmit it to the enemy, luring them to be deceived. Once the truth is revealed, we will inevitably meet our end. The so-called living room was someone who could report back to the enemy after reconnoitering.

So in the army there is no one more intimate than a spy; there is no better reward than a spy; there is nothing more secret than a spy. People who are not intelligent cannot use spies; people who are not benevolent and generous cannot use spies; and people who are not meticulous can't tell the information provided by a corroborating spy. Subtlety, subtlety! There was always a place where spies could be used! Before the work of the spy is done, if the secret is revealed, then both the spy and those who know will be put to death.

All the enemy troops who are preparing to attack, all the enemy cities who are preparing to attack, all the enemy personnel who are preparing to assassinate, must know in advance the names of the generals in charge, the trusted aides on the left and on the right, the officials responsible, the gatekeepers and the attendants, and instruct us to be sure that our spies are able to observe these circumstances clearly.

We must find out who the enemy sent to spy on us, and then buy him off with a lot of money to lure him out and then let him go back. In this way, the opposite is mine. Through the negative understanding of the enemy, so that the countryside, the interior can also be used. By understanding the enemy's situation from the other side, he could then allow false information to be transmitted to the enemy from the dead. By understanding the enemy's situation in reverse, we can make the birth room return to report the enemy's situation at a predetermined time. The monarch must know how to use the five kinds of spies. The key to understanding the situation lies in the use of the inverse, so you must treat the inverse well.

In the past, the rise of the Shang Dynasty was due to the use of Yi Yin, a courtier in the Xia Dynasty, who was familiar with and familiar with the situation of the Xia Dynasty. The rise of the Zhou Dynasty was due to King Wu's use of Lu Ya, who was familiar with the situation of the Shang Dynasty. Therefore, a wise king, a capable general, who could appoint a wise man as a spy, would be able to accomplish great things. This was a crucial step in the use of troops. The entire army relied on the enemy provided by spies to decide on military operations.

"Good!" At this point, I have already finished explaining the《 Sun Zi's Martial Art》. That's all for today's class. Tomorrow, we ask the General Song to explain the《 Thirty-six Stratagems》 to the soldiers. "

"I will listen to your orders! General Murong! "