[ss.12—14arerepeatedinchap.XI.ss.52.]
　　15.Inwar，practicedissimulation，andyouwillsucceed.
　　[InthetacticsofTurenne，deceptionoftheenemy，especiallyastothenumericalstrengthofhistroops，tookaveryprominentposition.[2]]
　　16.Whethertoconcentrateortodivideyourtroops，mustbedecidedbycircumstances.
　　17.Letyourrapiditybethatofthewind，[Thesimileisdoublyappropriate，becausethewindisnotonlyswiftbut，asMeiYao—ch`enpointsout，"invisibleandleavesnotracks."]
　　yourcompactnessthatoftheforest.
　　[MengShihcomesnearertothemarkinhisnote："Whenslowlymarching，orderandranksmustbepreserved"——soastoguardagainstsurpriseattacks.Butnaturalforestdonotgrowinrows，whereastheydogenerallypossessthequalityofdensityorcompactness.]
　　18.Inraidingandplunderingbelikefire，[Cf.SHIHCHING，IV.3.iv.6："Fierceasablazingfirewhichnomancancheck."]
　　isimmovabilitylikeamountain.
　　[Thatis，whenholdingapositionfromwhichtheenemyistryingtodislodgeyou，orperhaps，asTuYusays，whenheistryingtoenticeyouintoatrap.]
　　19.Letyourplansbedarkandimpenetrableasnight，andwhenyoumove，falllikeathunderbolt.
　　[TuYuquotesasayingofT`aiKungwhichhaspassedintoaproverb："Youcannotshutyourearstothethunderoryoureyestothelighting——sorapidarethey."Likewise，anattackshouldbemadesoquicklythatitcannotbeparried.]
　　20.Whenyouplunderacountryside，letthespoilbedividedamongstyourmen;
　　[SunTzuwishestolessentheabusesofindiscriminateplunderingbyinsistingthatallbootyshallbethrownintoacommonstock，whichmayafterwardsbefairlydividedamongstall.]
　　whenyoucapturenewterritory，cutitupintoallotmentsforthebenefitofthesoldiery.
　　[Ch`enHaosays"quarteryoursoldiersontheland，andletthemsowandplantit."Itisbyactingonthisprinciple，andharvestingthelandstheyinvaded，thattheChinesehavesucceededincarryingoutsomeoftheirmostmemorableandtriumphantexpeditions，suchasthatofPanCh`aowhopenetratedtotheCaspian，andinmorerecentyears，thoseofFu—k`ang—anandTsoTsung—t`ang.]
　　21.Ponderanddeliberatebeforeyoumakeamove.
　　[ChangYuquotesWeiLiaoTzuassayingthatwemustnotbreakcampuntilwehavegainedtheresistingpoweroftheenemyandtheclevernessoftheopposinggeneral.Cf.the"sevencomparisons"inI.ss.13.]
　　22.Hewillconquerwhohaslearnttheartificeofdeviation.
　　[Seesupra，SS.3，4.]
　　Suchistheartofmaneuvering.
　　[Withthesewords，thechapterwouldnaturallycometoanend.ButtherenowfollowsalongappendixintheshapeofanextractfromanearlierbookonWar，nowlost，butapparentlyextantatthetimewhenSunTzuwrote.ThestyleofthisfragmentisnotnoticeabledifferentfromthatofSunTzuhimself，butnocommentatorraisesadoubtastoitsgenuineness.]
　　23.TheBookofArmyManagementsays：
　　[Itisperhapssignificantthatnoneoftheearliercommentatorsgiveusanyinformationaboutthiswork.MeiYao—
　　Ch`encallsit"anancientmilitaryclassic，"andWangHsi，"anoldbookonwar."ConsideringtheenormousamountoffightingthathadgoneonforcenturiesbeforeSunTzu’stimebetweenthevariouskingdomsandprincipalitiesofChina，itisnotinitselfimprobablethatacollectionofmilitarymaximsshouldhavebeenmadeandwrittendownatsomeearlierperiod.]
　　Onthefieldofbattle，[Implied，thoughnotactuallyintheChinese.]
　　thespokenworddoesnotcarryfarenough：hencetheinstitutionofgongsanddrums.Norcanordinaryobjectsbeseenclearlyenough：hencetheinstitutionofbannersandflags.
　　24.Gongsanddrums，bannersandflags，aremeanswherebytheearsandeyesofthehostmaybefocusedononeparticularpoint.
　　[ChangYusays："Ifsightandhearingconvergesimultaneouslyonthesameobject，theevolutionsofasmanyasamillionsoldierswillbelikethoseofasingleman."！]
　　25.Thehostthusformingasingleunitedbody，isitimpossibleeitherforthebravetoadvancealone，orforthecowardlytoretreatalone.
　　[ChuangYuquotesasaying："Equallyguiltyarethosewhoadvanceagainstordersandthosewhoretreatagainstorders."TuMutellsastoryinthisconnectionofWuCh`i，whenhewasfightingagainsttheCh`inState.Beforethebattlehadbegun，oneofhissoldiers，amanofmatchlessdaring，salliedforthbyhimself，capturedtwoheadsfromtheenemy，andreturnedtocamp.
　　WuCh`ihadthemaninstantlyexecuted，whereuponanofficerventuredtoremonstrate，saying："Thismanwasagoodsoldier，andoughtnottohavebeenbeheaded."WuCh`ireplied："Ifullybelievehewasagoodsoldier，butIhadhimbeheadedbecauseheactedwithoutorders."]
　　Thisistheartofhandlinglargemassesofmen.
　　26.Innight—fighting，then，makemuchuseofsignal—firesanddrums，andinfightingbyday，offlagsandbanners，asameansofinfluencingtheearsandeyesofyourarmy.
　　[Ch`enHaoalludestoLiKuang—pi’snightridetoHo—yangattheheadof500mountedmen;theymadesuchanimposingdisplaywithtorches，thatthoughtherebelleaderShihSsu—minghadalargearmy，hedidnotdaretodisputetheirpassage.]
　　27.Awholearmymayberobbedofitsspirit;
　　["Inwar，"saysChangYu，"ifaspiritofangercanbemadetopervadeallranksofanarmyatoneandthesametime，itsonsetwillbeirresistible.Nowthespiritoftheenemy’ssoldierswillbekeenestwhentheyhavenewlyarrivedonthescene，anditisthereforeourcuenottofightatonce，buttowaituntiltheirardorandenthusiasmhavewornoff，andthenstrike.Itisinthiswaythattheymayberobbedoftheirkeenspirit."LiCh`uanandotherstellananecdote（tobefoundintheTSOCHUAN，year10，ss.1）ofTs`aoKuei，aprotegeofDukeChuangofLu.ThelatterStatewasattackedbyCh`i，andthedukewasabouttojoinbattleatCh`ang—cho，afterthefirstrolloftheenemy’sdrums，whenTs`aosaid："Notjustyet."Onlyaftertheirdrumshadbeatenforthethirdtime，didhegivethewordforattack.Thentheyfought，andthemenofCh`iwereutterlydefeated.QuestionedafterwardsbytheDukeastothemeaningofhisdelay，Ts`aoKueireplied："Inbattle，acourageousspiritiseverything.Nowthefirstrollofthedrumtendstocreatethisspirit，butwiththeseconditisalreadyonthewane，andafterthethirditisgonealtogether.Iattackedwhentheirspiritwasgoneandourswasatitsheight.Henceourvictory."WuTzu（chap.4）puts"spirit"firstamongthe"fourimportantinfluences"inwar，andcontinues："Thevalueofawholearmy——amightyhostofamillionmen——isdependentononemanalone：suchistheinfluenceofspirit！"]
　　acommander—in—chiefmayberobbedofhispresenceofmind.
　　[ChangYusays："Presenceofmindisthegeneral’smostimportantasset.Itisthequalitywhichenableshimtodisciplinedisorderandtoinspirecourageintothepanic—
　　stricken."ThegreatgeneralLiChing（A.D.571—649）hasasaying："Attackingdoesnotmerelyconsistinassaultingwalledcitiesorstrikingatanarmyinbattlearray;itmustincludetheartofassailingtheenemy’smentalequilibrium."]
　　28.Nowasolider’sspiritiskeenestinthemorning;
　　[Alwaysprovided，Isuppose，thathehashadbreakfast.AtthebattleoftheTrebia，theRomanswerefoolishlyallowedtofightfasting，whereasHannibal’smenhadbreakfastedattheirleisure.SeeLivy，XXI，liv.8，lv.1and8.]
　　bynoondayithasbeguntoflag;andintheevening，hismindisbentonlyonreturningtocamp.
　　29.Aclevergeneral，therefore，avoidsanarmywhenitsspiritiskeen，butattacksitwhenitissluggishandinclinedtoreturn.Thisistheartofstudyingmoods.
　　30.Disciplinedandcalm，toawaittheappearanceofdisorderandhubbubamongsttheenemy：——thisistheartofretainingself—possession.
　　31.Tobenearthegoalwhiletheenemyisstillfarfromit，towaitateasewhiletheenemyistoilingandstruggling，tobewell—fedwhiletheenemyisfamished：——thisistheartofhusbandingone’sstrength.
　　32.Torefrainfrominterceptinganenemywhosebannersareinperfectorder，torefrainfromattackinganarmydrawnupincalmandconfidentarray：——thisistheartofstudyingcircumstances.
　　33.Itisamilitaryaxiomnottoadvanceuphillagainsttheenemy，nortoopposehimwhenhecomesdownhill.
　　34.Donotpursueanenemywhosimulatesflight;donotattacksoldierswhosetemperiskeen.
　　35.Donotswallowbaitofferedbytheenemy.
　　[LiCh`uanandTuMu，withextraordinaryinabilitytoseeametaphor，takethesewordsquiteliterallyoffoodanddrinkthathavebeenpoisonedbytheenemy.Ch`enHaoandChangYucarefullypointoutthatthesayinghasawiderapplication.]
　　Donotinterferewithanarmythatisreturninghome.
　　[Thecommentatorsexplainthisrathersingularpieceofadvicebysayingthatamanwhoseheartissetonreturninghomewillfighttothedeathagainstanyattempttobarhisway，andisthereforetoodangerousanopponenttobetackled.ChangYuquotesthewordsofHanHsin："Invincibleisthesoldierwhohathhisdesireandreturnethhomewards."AmarveloustaleistoldofTs`aoTs`ao’scourageandresourceinch.1oftheSAN
　　KUOCHI：In198A.D.，hewasbesiegingChangHsiuinJang，whenLiuPiaosentreinforcementswithaviewtocuttingoffTs`ao’sretreat.Thelatterwasobligbedtodrawoffhistroops，onlytofindhimselfhemmedinbetweentwoenemies，whowereguardingeachoutletofanarrowpassinwhichhehadengagedhimself.InthisdesperateplightTs`aowaiteduntilnightfall，whenheboredatunnelintothemountainsideandlaidanambushinit.Assoonasthewholearmyhadpassedby，thehiddentroopsfellonhisrear，whileTs`aohimselfturnedandmethispursuersinfront，sothattheywerethrownintoconfusionandannihilated.
　　Ts`aoTs`aosaidafterwards："Thebrigandstriedtocheckmyarmyinitsretreatandbroughtmetobattleinadesperateposition：henceIknewhowtoovercomethem."]
　　36.Whenyousurroundanarmy，leaveanoutletfree.
　　[Thisdoesnotmeanthattheenemyistobeallowedtoescape.Theobject，asTuMuputsit，is"tomakehimbelievethatthereisaroadtosafety，andthuspreventhisfightingwiththecourageofdespair."TuMuaddspleasantly："Afterthat，youmaycrushhim."]
　　Donotpressadesperatefoetoohard.
　　[Ch`enHaoquotesthesaying："Birdsandbeastswhenbroughttobaywillusetheirclawsandteeth."ChangYusays：
　　"Ifyouradversaryhasburnedhisboatsanddestroyedhiscooking—pots，andisreadytostakeallontheissueofabattle，hemustnotbepushedtoextremities."HoShihillustratesthemeaningbyastorytakenfromthelifeofYen—ch`ing.Thatgeneral，togetherwithhiscolleagueTuChung—weiwassurroundedbyavastlysuperiorarmyofKhitansintheyear945A.D.Thecountrywasbareanddesert—like，andthelittleChineseforcewassoonindirestraitsforwantofwater.Thewellstheyboredrandry，andthemenwerereducedtosqueezinglumpsofmudandsuckingoutthemoisture.Theirranksthinnedrapidly，untilatlastFuYen—ch`ingexclaimed："Wearedesperatemen.Farbettertodieforourcountrythantogowithfetteredhandsintocaptivity！"Astronggalehappenedtobeblowingfromthenortheastanddarkeningtheairwithdensecloudsofsandydust.
　　ToChung—weiwasforwaitinguntilthishadabatedbeforedecidingonafinalattack;butluckilyanotherofficer，LiShou—
　　chengbyname，wasquickertoseeanopportunity，andsaid：
　　"Theyaremanyandwearefew，butinthemidstofthissandstormournumberswillnotbediscernible;victorywillgotothestrenuousfighter，andthewindwillbeourbestally."
　　Accordingly，FuYen—ch`ingmadeasuddenandwhollyunexpectedonslaughtwithhiscavalry，routedthebarbariansandsucceededinbreakingthroughtosafety.]
　　37.Suchistheartofwarfare.
　　[1]SeeCol.Henderson，op.cit.vol.I.p.426.
　　[2]Foranumberofmaximsonthishead，see"MarshalTurenne"
　　（Longmans，1907），p.29.
　　VIII.VARIATIONINTACTICS
　　[Theheadingmeansliterally"TheNineVariations，"butasSunTzudoesnotappeartoenumeratethese，andas，indeed，hehasalreadytoldus（VSS.6—11）thatsuchdeflectionsfromtheordinarycoursearepracticallyinnumerable，wehavelittleoptionbuttofollowWangHsi，whosaysthat"Nine"standsforanindefinitelylargenumber."AllitmeansisthatinwarfareweoughttoveryourtacticstotheutmostdegreeIdonotknowwhatTs`aoKungmakestheseNineVariationsouttobe，butithasbeensuggestedthattheyareconnectedwiththeNineSituations"
　　—ofchapt.XI.ThisistheviewadoptedbyChangYu.Theonlyotheralternativeistosupposethatsomethinghasbeenlost——asuppositiontowhichtheunusualshortnessofthechapterlendssomeweight.]
　　1.SunTzusaid：Inwar，thegeneralreceiveshiscommandsfromthesovereign，collectshisarmyandconcentrateshisforces.
　　[RepeatedfromVII.ss.1，whereitiscertainlymoreinplace.Itmayhavebeeninterpolatedheremerelyinordertosupplyabeginningtothechapter.]
　　2.Whenindifficultcountry，donotencamp.Incountrywherehighroadsintersect，joinhandswithyourallies.Donotlingerindangerouslyisolatedpositions.
　　[ThelastsituationisnotoneoftheNineSituationsasgiveninthebeginningofchap.XI，butoccurslateron（ibid.
　　ss.43.q.v.）.ChangYudefinesthissituationasbeingsituatedacrossthefrontier，inhostileterritory.LiCh`uansaysitis"countryinwhichtherearenospringsorwells，flocksorherds，vegetablesorfirewood;"ChiaLin，"oneofgorges，chasmsandprecipices，withoutaroadbywhichtoadvance."]
　　Inhemmed—insituations，youmustresorttostratagem.Indesperateposition，youmustfight.
　　3.Thereareroadswhichmustnotbefollowed，["Especiallythoseleadingthroughnarrowdefiles，"saysLiCh`uan，"whereanambushistobefeared."]
　　armieswhichmustbenotattacked，[Morecorrectly，perhaps，"therearetimeswhenanarmymustnotbeattacked."Ch`enHaosays："Whenyouseeyourwaytoobtainarivaladvantage，butarepowerlesstoinflictarealdefeat，refrainfromattacking，forfearofovertaxingyourmen’sstrength."]
　　townswhichmustbebesieged，[Cf.III.ss.4Ts`aoKunggivesaninterestingillustrationfromhisownexperience.WheninvadingtheterritoryofHsu—chou，heignoredthecityofHua—pi，whichlaydirectlyinhispath，andpressedonintotheheartofthecountry.Thisexcellentstrategywasrewardedbythesubsequentcaptureofnofewerthanfourteenimportantdistrictcities.
　　ChangYusays："Notownshouldbeattackedwhich，iftaken，cannotbeheld，orifleftalone，willnotcauseanytrouble."
　　HsunYing，whenurgedtoattackPi—yang，replied："Thecityissmallandwell—fortified;evenifIsucceedintakingit，itwillbenogreatfeatofarms;whereasifIfail，Ishallmakemyselfalaughing—stock."Intheseventeenthcentury，siegesstillformedalargeproportionofwar.ItwasTurennewhodirectedattentiontotheimportanceofmarches，countermarchesandmaneuvers.Hesaid："Itisagreatmistaketowastemenintakingatownwhenthesameexpenditureofsoldierswillgainaprovince."[1]]
　　positionswhichmustnotbecontested，commandsofthesovereignwhichmustnotbeobeyed.
　　[ThisisahardsayingfortheChinese，withtheirreverenceforauthority，andWeiLiaoTzu（quotedbyTuMu）ismovedtoexclaim："Weaponsarebalefulinstruments，strifeisantagonistictovirtue，amilitarycommanderisthenegationofcivilorder！"Theunpalatablefactremains，however，thatevenImperialwishesmustbesubordinatedtomilitarynecessity.]
　　4.Thegeneralwhothoroughlyunderstandstheadvantagesthataccompanyvariationoftacticsknowshowtohandlehistroops.
　　5.Thegeneralwhodoesnotunderstandthese，maybewellacquaintedwiththeconfigurationofthecountry，yethewillnotbeabletoturnhisknowledgetopracticalaccount.
　　[Literally，"gettheadvantageoftheground，"whichmeansnotonlysecuringgoodpositions，butavailingoneselfofnaturaladvantagesineverypossibleway.ChangYusays："Everykindofgroundischaracterizedbycertainnaturalfeatures，andalsogivesscopeforacertainvariabilityofplan.Howitispossibletoturnthesenaturalfeaturestoaccountunlesstopographicalknowledgeissupplementedbyversatilityofmind？"]
　　6.So，thestudentofwarwhoisunversedintheartofwarofvaryinghisplans，eventhoughhebeacquaintedwiththeFiveAdvantages，willfailtomakethebestuseofhismen.
　　[ChiaLintellsusthattheseimplyfiveobviousandgenerallyadvantageouslinesofaction，namely："ifacertainroadisshort，itmustbefollowed;ifanarmyisisolated，itmustbeattacked;ifatownisinaparlouscondition，itmustbebesieged;ifapositioncanbestormed，itmustbeattempted;andifconsistentwithmilitaryoperations，theruler’scommandsmustbeobeyed."Buttherearecircumstanceswhichsometimesforbidageneraltousetheseadvantages.Forinstance，"acertainroadmaybetheshortestwayforhim，butifheknowsthatitaboundsinnaturalobstacles，orthattheenemyhaslaidanambushonit，hewillnotfollowthatroad.Ahostileforcemaybeopentoattack，butifheknowsthatitishard—pressedandlikelytofightwithdesperation，hewillrefrainfromstriking，"andsoon.]
　　7.Henceinthewiseleader’splans，considerationsofadvantageandofdisadvantagewillbeblendedtogether.
　　["Whetherinanadvantageouspositionoradisadvantageousone，"saysTs`aoKung，"theoppositestateshouldbealwayspresenttoyourmind."]
　　8.Ifourexpectationofadvantagebetemperedinthisway，wemaysucceedinaccomplishingtheessentialpartofourschemes.
　　[TuMusays："Ifwewishtowrestanadvantagefromtheenemy，wemustnotfixourmindsonthatalone，butallowforthepossibilityoftheenemyalsodoingsomeharmtous，andletthisenterasafactorintoourcalculations."]
　　9.If，ontheotherhand，inthemidstofdifficultieswearealwaysreadytoseizeanadvantage，wemayextricateourselvesfrommisfortune.
　　[TuMusays："IfIwishtoextricatemyselffromadangerousposition，Imustconsidernotonlytheenemy’sabilitytoinjureme，butalsomyownabilitytogainanadvantageovertheenemy.Ifinmycounselsthesetwoconsiderationsareproperlyblended，IshallsucceedinliberatingmyselfForinstance;ifIamsurroundedbytheenemyandonlythinkofeffectinganescape，thenervelessnessofmypolicywillincitemyadversarytopursueandcrushme;itwouldbefarbettertoencouragemymentodeliveraboldcounter—attack，andusetheadvantagethusgainedtofreemyselffromtheenemy’stoils."
　　SeethestoryofTs`aoTs`ao，VII.ss.35，note.]
　　10.Reducethehostilechiefsbyinflictingdamageonthem;
　　[ChiaLinenumeratesseveralwaysofinflictingthisinjury，someofwhichwouldonlyoccurtotheOrientalmind：——"Enticeawaytheenemy’sbestandwisestmen，sothathemaybeleftwithoutcounselors.Introducetraitorsintohiscountry，thatthegovernmentpolicymayberenderedfutile.Fomentintrigueanddeceit，andthussowdissensionbetweentherulerandhisministers.Bymeansofeveryartfulcontrivance，causedeteriorationamongsthismenandwasteofhistreasure.Corrupthismoralsbyinsidiousgiftsleadinghimintoexcess.Disturbandunsettlehismindbypresentinghimwithlovelywomen."
　　ChangYu（afterWangHsi）makesadifferentinterpretationofSunTzuhere："Gettheenemyintoapositionwherehemustsufferinjury，andhewillsubmitofhisownaccord."]
　　andmaketroubleforthem，[TuMu，inthisphrase，inhisinterpretationindicatesthattroubleshouldbemakefortheenemyaffectingtheir"possessions，"or，aswemightsay，"assets，"whichheconsiderstobe"alargearmy，arichexchequer，harmonyamongstthesoldiers，punctualfulfillmentofcommands."Thesegiveusawhip—handovertheenemy.]
　　andkeepthemconstantlyengaged;
　　[Literally，"makeservantsofthem."TuYusays"preventthefromhavinganyrest."]
　　holdoutspeciousallurements，andmakethemrushtoanygivenpoint.
　　[MengShih’snotecontainsanexcellentexampleoftheidiomaticuseof："causethemtoforgetPIEN（thereasonsforactingotherwisethanontheirfirstimpulse），andhasteninourdirection."]
　　11.Theartofwarteachesustorelynotonthelikelihoodoftheenemy’snotcoming，butonourownreadinesstoreceivehim;notonthechanceofhisnotattacking，butratheronthefactthatwehavemadeourpositionunassailable.
　　12.Therearefivedangerousfaultswhichmayaffectageneral：（1）Recklessness，whichleadstodestruction;
　　["Braverywithoutforethought，"asTs`aoKunganalyzesit，whichcausesamantofightblindlyanddesperatelylikeamadbull.Suchanopponent，saysChangYu，"mustnotbeencounteredwithbruteforce，butmaybeluredintoanambushandslain."
　　Cf.WuTzu，chap.IV.adinit.："Inestimatingthecharacterofageneral，menarewonttopayexclusiveattentiontohiscourage，forgettingthatcourageisonlyoneoutofmanyqualitieswhichageneralshouldpossess.Themerelybravemanispronetofightrecklessly;andhewhofightsrecklessly，withoutanyperceptionofwhatisexpedient，mustbecondemned."
　　Ssu—maFa，too，maketheincisiveremark："Simplygoingtoone’sdeathdoesnotbringaboutvictory."]
　　（2）cowardice，whichleadstocapture;
　　[Ts`aoKungdefinestheChinesewordtranslatedhereas"cowardice"asbeingoftheman"whomtimiditypreventsfromadvancingtoseizeanadvantage，"andWangHsiadds"whoisquicktofleeatthesightofdanger."MengShihgivesthecloserparaphrase"hewhoisbentonreturningalive，"thisis，themanwhowillnevertakearisk.But，asSunTzuknew，nothingistobeachievedinwarunlessyouarewillingtotakerisks.T`aiKungsaid："Hewholetsanadvantageslipwillsubsequentlybringuponhimselfrealdisaster."In404A.D.，LiuYupursuedtherebelHuanHsuanuptheYangtszeandfoughtanavalbattlewithhimattheislandofCh`eng—hung.Theloyaltroopsnumberedonlyafewthousands，whiletheiropponentswereingreatforce.
　　ButHuanHsuan，fearingthefatewhichwasinstoreforhimshouldbebeovercome，hadalightboatmadefasttothesideofhiswar—junk，sothathemightescape，ifnecessary，atamoment’snotice.Thenaturalresultwasthatthefightingspiritofhissoldierswasutterlyquenched，andwhentheloyalistsmadeanattackfromwindwardwithfireships，allstrivingwiththeutmostardortobefirstinthefray，HuanHsuan’sforceswererouted，hadtoburnalltheirbaggageandfledfortwodaysandnightswithoutstopping.ChangYutellsasomewhatsimilarstoryofChaoYing—ch`i，ageneraloftheChinStatewhoduringabattlewiththearmyofCh`uin597B.C.hadaboatkeptinreadinessforhimontheriver，wishingincaseofdefeattobethefirsttogetacross.]
　　（3）ahastytemper，whichcanbeprovokedbyinsults;
　　[TuMutellsusthatYaoHsing，whenopposedin357A.D.byHuangMei，TengCh`iangandothersshuthimselfupbehindhiswallsandrefusedtofight.TengCh`iangsaid："Ouradversaryisofacholerictemperandeasilyprovoked;letusmakeconstantsalliesandbreakdownhiswalls，thenhewillgrowangryandcomeout.Oncewecanbringhisforcetobattle，itisdoomedtobeourprey."Thisplanwasactedupon，YaoHsiangcameouttofight，wasluredasfarasSan—yuanbytheenemy’spretendedflight，andfinallyattackedandslain.]
　　（4）adelicacyofhonorwhichissensitivetoshame;
　　[Thisneednotbetakentomeanthatasenseofhonorisreallyadefectinageneral.WhatSunTzucondemnsisratheranexaggeratedsensitivenesstoslanderousreports，thethin—skinnedmanwhoisstungbyopprobrium，howeverundeserved.MeiYao—
　　ch`entrulyobserves，thoughsomewhatparadoxically："Theseekaftergloryshouldbecarelessofpublicopinion."]
　　（5）over—solicitudeforhismen，whichexposeshimtoworryandtrouble.
　　[Hereagain，SunTzudoesnotmeanthatthegeneralistobecarelessofthewelfareofhistroops.Allhewishestoemphasizeisthedangerofsacrificinganyimportantmilitaryadvantagetotheimmediatecomfortofhismen.Thisisashortsightedpolicy，becauseinthelongrunthetroopswillsuffermorefromthedefeat，or，atbest，theprolongationofthewar，whichwillbetheconsequence.Amistakenfeelingofpitywillofteninduceageneraltorelieveabeleagueredcity，ortoreinforceahard—presseddetachment，contrarytohismilitaryinstincts.ItisnowgenerallyadmittedthatourrepeatedeffortstorelieveLadysmithintheSouthAfricanWarweresomanystrategicalblunderswhichdefeatedtheirownpurpose.Andintheend，reliefcamethroughtheverymanwhostartedoutwiththedistinctresolvenolongertosubordinatetheinterestsofthewholetosentimentinfavorofapart.Anoldsoldierofoneofourgeneralswhofailedmostconspicuouslyinthiswar，triedonce，Iremember，todefendhimtomeonthegroundthathewasalways"sogoodtohismen."Bythisplea，hadhebutknownit，hewasonlycondemninghimoutofSunTzu’smouth.]
　　13.Thesearethefivebesettingsinsofageneral，ruinoustotheconductofwar.
　　14.Whenanarmyisoverthrownanditsleaderslain，thecausewillsurelybefoundamongthesefivedangerousfaults.
　　Letthembeasubjectofmeditation.
　　[1]"MarshalTurenne，"p.50.
　　IX.THEARMYONTHEMARCH
　　[Thecontentsofthisinterestingchapterarebetterindicatedinss.1thanbythisheading.]
　　1.SunTzusaid：Wecomenowtothequestionofencampingthearmy，andobservingsignsoftheenemy.Passquicklyovermountains，andkeepintheneighborhoodofvalleys.
　　[Theideais，nottolingeramongbarrenuplands，buttokeepclosetosuppliesofwaterandgrass.Cf.WuTzu，ch.3：
　　"Abidenotinnaturalovens，"i.e."theopeningsofvalleys."
　　ChangYutellsthefollowinganecdote：Wu—tuCh`iangwasarobbercaptaininthetimeoftheLaterHan，andMaYuanwassenttoexterminatehisgang.Ch`ianghavingfoundarefugeinthehills，MaYuanmadenoattempttoforceabattle，butseizedallthefavorablepositionscommandingsuppliesofwaterandforage.
　　Ch`iangwassooninsuchadesperateplightforwantofprovisionsthathewasforcedtomakeatotalsurrender.Hedidnotknowtheadvantageofkeepingintheneighborhoodofvalleys."]
　　2.Campinhighplaces，[Notonhighhills，butonknollsorhillockselevatedabovethesurroundingcountry.]
　　facingthesun.
　　[TuMutakesthistomean"facingsouth，"andCh`enHao"facingeast."Cf.infra，SS.11，13.
　　Donotclimbheightsinordertofight.Somuchformountainwarfare.
　　3.Aftercrossingariver，youshouldgetfarawayfromit.
　　["Inordertotempttheenemytocrossafteryou，"accordingtoTs`aoKung，andalso，saysChangYu，"inordernottobeimpededinyourevolutions."TheT`UNGTIENreads，"IfTHEENEMY
　　crossesariver，"etc.Butinviewofthenextsentence，thisisalmostcertainlyaninterpolation.]
　　4.Whenaninvadingforcecrossesariverinitsonwardmarch，donotadvancetomeetitinmid—stream.Itwillbebesttolethalfthearmygetacross，andthendeliveryourattack.
　　[LiCh`uanalludestothegreatvictorywonbyHanHsinoverLungChuattheWeiRiver.TurningtotheCH`IENHANSHU，ch.
　　34，fol.6verso，wefindthebattledescribedasfollows："Thetwoarmiesweredrawnuponoppositesidesoftheriver.Inthenight，HanHsinorderedhismentotakesometenthousandsacksfilledwithsandandconstructadamhigherup.Then，leadinghalfhisarmyacross，heattackedLungChu;butafteratime，pretendingtohavefailedinhisattempt，hehastilywithdrewtotheotherbank.LungChuwasmuchelatedbythisunlooked—forsuccess，andexclaiming："IfeltsurethatHanHsinwasreallyacoward！"hepursuedhimandbegancrossingtheriverinhisturn.
　　HanHsinnowsentapartytocutopenthesandbags，thusreleasingagreatvolumeofwater，whichsweptdownandpreventedthegreaterportionofLungChu’sarmyfromgettingacross.Hethenturnedupontheforcewhichhadbeencutoff，andannihilatedit，LungChuhimselfbeingamongsttheslain.Therestofthearmy，onthefurtherbank，alsoscatteredandfledinalldirections.]
　　5.Ifyouareanxioustofight，youshouldnotgotomeettheinvadernearariverwhichhehastocross.
　　[Forfearofpreventinghiscrossing.]
　　6.Mooryourcrafthigherupthantheenemy，andfacingthesun.
　　[Seesupra，ss.2.Therepetitionofthesewordsinconnectionwithwaterisveryawkward.ChangYuhasthenote：
　　"Saideitheroftroopsmarshaledontheriver—bank，orofboatsanchoredinthestreamitself;ineithercaseitisessentialtobehigherthantheenemyandfacingthesun."Theothercommentatorsarenotatallexplicit.]
　　Donotmoveup—streamtomeettheenemy.
　　[TuMusays："Aswaterflowsdownwards，wemustnotpitchourcamponthelowerreachesofariver，forfeartheenemyshouldopenthesluicesandsweepusawayinaflood.Chu—koWu—
　　houhasremarkedthat’inriverwarfarewemustnotadvanceagainstthestream，’whichisasmuchastosaythatourfleetmustnotbeanchoredbelowthatoftheenemy，forthentheywouldbeabletotakeadvantageofthecurrentandmakeshortworkofus."Thereisalsothedanger，notedbyothercommentators，thattheenemymaythrowpoisononthewatertobecarrieddowntous.]
　　Somuchforriverwarfare.
　　7.Incrossingsalt—marshes，yoursoleconcernshouldbetogetoverthemquickly，withoutanydelay.
　　[Becauseofthelackoffreshwater，thepoorqualityoftheherbage，andlastbutnotleast，becausetheyarelow，flat，andexposedtoattack.]
　　8.Ifforcedtofightinasalt—marsh，youshouldhavewaterandgrassnearyou，andgetyourbacktoaclumpoftrees.
　　[LiCh`uanremarksthatthegroundislesslikelytobetreacherouswheretherearetrees，whileTuMusaysthattheywillservetoprotecttherear.]
　　Somuchforoperationsinsalt—marches.
　　9.Indry，levelcountry，takeupaneasilyaccessiblepositionwithrisinggroundtoyourrightandonyourrear，[TuMuquotesT`aiKungassaying："Anarmyshouldhaveastreamoramarshonitsleft，andahillortumulusonitsright."]
　　sothatthedangermaybeinfront，andsafetyliebehind.Somuchforcampaigninginflatcountry.
　　10.Thesearethefourusefulbranchesofmilitaryknowledge[Those，namely，concernedwith（1）mountains，（2）rivers，（3）marshes，and（4）plains.CompareNapoleon’s"MilitaryMaxims，"no.1.]
　　whichenabledtheYellowEmperortovanquishfourseveralsovereigns.
　　[Regardingthe"YellowEmperor"：MeiYao—ch`enasks，withsomeplausibility，whetherthereisanerrorinthetextasnothingisknownofHuangTihavingconqueredfourotherEmperors.TheSHIHCHI（ch.1adinit.）speaksonlyofhisvictoriesoverYenTiandCh`ihYu.IntheLIUT`AOitismentionedthathe"foughtseventybattlesandpacifiedtheEmpire."Ts`aoKung’sexplanationis，thattheYellowEmperorwasthefirsttoinstitutethefeudalsystemofvassalsprinces，eachofwhom（tothenumberoffour）originallyborethetitleofEmperor.LiCh`uantellsusthattheartofwaroriginatedunderHuangTi，whoreceiveditfromhisMinisterFengHou.]
　　11.Allarmiespreferhighgroundtolow.
　　["HighGround，"saysMeiYao—ch`en，"isnotonlymoreagreementandsalubrious，butmoreconvenientfromamilitarypointofview;lowgroundisnotonlydampandunhealthy，butalsodisadvantageousforfighting."]
　　andsunnyplacestodark.
　　12.Ifyouarecarefulofyourmen，[Ts`aoKungsays："Makeforfreshwaterandpasture，whereyoucanturnoutyouranimalstograze."]
　　andcamponhardground，thearmywillbefreefromdiseaseofeverykind，[ChangYusays："Thedrynessoftheclimatewillpreventtheoutbreakofillness."]
　　andthiswillspellvictory.
　　13.Whenyoucometoahillorabank，occupythesunnyside，withtheslopeonyourrightrear.Thusyouwillatonceactforthebenefitofyoursoldiersandutilizethenaturaladvantagesoftheground.
　　14.When，inconsequenceofheavyrainsup—country，ariverwhichyouwishtofordisswollenandfleckedwithfoam，youmustwaituntilitsubsides.
　　15.Countryinwhichthereareprecipitouscliffswithtorrentsrunningbetween，deepnaturalhollows，[Thelatterdefinedas"placesenclosedoneverysidebysteepbanks，withpoolsofwateratthebottom.]
　　confinedplaces，[Definedas"naturalpensorprisons"or"placessurroundedbyprecipicesonthreesides——easytogetinto，buthardtogetoutof."]
　　tangledthickets，[Definedas"placescoveredwithsuchdenseundergrowththatspearscannotbeused."]
　　quagmires[Definedas"low—lyingplaces，soheavywithmudastobeimpassableforchariotsandhorsemen."]
　　andcrevasses，[DefinedbyMeiYao—ch`enas"anarrowdifficultwaybetweenbeetlingcliffs."TuMu’snoteis"groundcoveredwithtreesandrocks，andintersectedbynumerousravinesandpitfalls."Thisisveryvague，butChiaLinexplainsitclearlyenoughasadefileornarrowpass，andChangYutakesmuchthesameview.Onthewhole，theweightofthecommentatorscertainlyinclinestotherendering"defile."ButtheordinarymeaningoftheChineseinoneplaceis"acrackorfissure"andthefactthatthemeaningoftheChineseelsewhereinthesentenceindicatessomethinginthenatureofadefile，makemethinkthatSunTzuisherespeakingofcrevasses.]
　　shouldbeleftwithallpossiblespeedandnotapproached.
　　16.Whilewekeepawayfromsuchplaces，weshouldgettheenemytoapproachthem;whilewefacethem，weshouldlettheenemyhavethemonhisrear.
　　17.Ifintheneighborhoodofyourcampthereshouldbeanyhillycountry，pondssurroundedbyaquaticgrass，hollowbasinsfilledwithreeds，orwoodswiththickundergrowth，theymustbecarefullyroutedoutandsearched;fortheseareplaceswheremeninambushorinsidiousspiesarelikelytobelurking.
　　[ChangYuhasthenote："Wemustalsobeonourguardagainsttraitorswhomaylieinclosecovert，secretlyspyingoutourweaknessesandoverhearingourinstructions."]
　　18.Whentheenemyiscloseathandandremainsquiet，heisrelyingonthenaturalstrengthofhisposition.
　　[HerebeginSunTzu’sremarksonthereadingofsigns，muchofwhichissogoodthatitcouldalmostbeincludedinamodernmanuallikeGen.Baden—Powell’s"AidstoScouting."]
　　19.Whenhekeepsaloofandtriestoprovokeabattle，heisanxiousfortheothersidetoadvance.
　　[Probablybecauseweareinastrongpositionfromwhichhewishestodislodgeus."Ifhecamecloseuptous，saysTuMu，"andtriedtoforceabattle，hewouldseemtodespiseus，andtherewouldbelessprobabilityofourrespondingtothechallenge."]
　　20.Ifhisplaceofencampmentiseasyofaccess，heistenderingabait.
　　21.Movementamongstthetreesofaforestshowsthattheenemyisadvancing.
　　[Ts`aoKungexplainsthisas"fellingtreestoclearapassage，"andChangYusays："Everymansendsoutscoutstoclimbhighplacesandobservetheenemy.Ifascoutseesthatthetreesofaforestaremovingandshaking，hemayknowthattheyarebeingcutdowntoclearapassagefortheenemy’smarch."]
　　Theappearanceofanumberofscreensinthemidstofthickgrassmeansthattheenemywantstomakeussuspicious.
　　[TuYu’sexplanation，borrowedfromTs`aoKung’s，isasfollows："Thepresenceofanumberofscreensorshedsinthemidstofthickvegetationisasuresignthattheenemyhasfledand，fearingpursuit，hasconstructedthesehiding—placesinordertomakeussuspectanambush."Itappearsthatthese"screens"werehastilyknottedtogetheroutofanylonggrasswhichtheretreatingenemyhappenedtocomeacross.]
　　22.Therisingofbirdsintheirflightisthesignofanambuscade.
　　[ChangYu’sexplanationisdoubtlessright："Whenbirdsthatareflyingalonginastraightlinesuddenlyshootupwards，itmeansthatsoldiersareinambushatthespotbeneath."]
　　Startledbeastsindicatethatasuddenattackiscoming.
　　23.Whenthereisdustrisinginahighcolumn，itisthesignofchariotsadvancing;whenthedustislow，butspreadoverawidearea，itbetokenstheapproachofinfantry.
　　["Highandsharp，"orrisingtoapeak，isofcoursesomewhatexaggeratedasappliedtodust.Thecommentatorsexplainthephenomenonbysayingthathorsesandchariots，beingheavierthanmen，raisemoredust，andalsofollowoneanotherinthesamewheel—track，whereasfoot—soldierswouldbemarchinginranks，manyabreast.AccordingtoChangYu，"everyarmyonthemarchmusthavescoutssomewayinadvance，whoonsightingdustraisedbytheenemy，willgallopbackandreportittothecommander—in—chief."Cf.Gen.Baden—Powell："Asyoumovealong，say，inahostilecountry，youreyesshouldbelookingafarfortheenemyoranysignsofhim：figures，dustrising，birdsgettingup，glitterofarms，etc."[1]]
　　Whenitbranchesoutindifferentdirections，itshowsthatpartieshavebeensenttocollectfirewood.Afewcloudsofdustmovingtoandfrosignifythatthearmyisencamping.
　　[ChangYusays："Inapportioningthedefensesforacantonment，lighthorsewillbesentouttosurveythepositionandascertaintheweakandstrongpointsallalongitscircumference.Hencethesmallquantityofdustanditsmotion."]
　　24.Humblewordsandincreasedpreparationsaresignsthattheenemyisabouttoadvance.
　　["Asthoughtheystoodingreatfearofus，"saysTuMu.
　　"Theirobjectistomakeuscontemptuousandcareless，afterwhichtheywillattackus."ChangYualludestothestoryofT`ienTanoftheCh`i—moagainsttheYenforces，ledbyCh`iChieh.Inch.82oftheSHIHCHIweread："T`ienTanopenlysaid：’MyonlyfearisthattheYenarmymaycutoffthenosesoftheirCh`iprisonersandplacetheminthefrontranktofightagainstus;thatwouldbetheundoingofourcity.’Theothersidebeinginformedofthisspeech，atonceactedonthesuggestion;butthosewithinthecitywereenragedatseeingtheirfellow—countrymenthusmutilated，andfearingonlylesttheyshouldfallintotheenemy’shands，werenervedtodefendthemselvesmoreobstinatelythanever.OnceagainT`ienTansentbackconvertedspieswhoreportedthesewordstotheenemy：
　　"WhatIdreadmostisthatthemenofYenmaydiguptheancestraltombsoutsidethetown，andbyinflictingthisindignityonourforefatherscauseustobecomefaint—hearted.’
　　Forthwiththebesiegersdugupallthegravesandburnedthecorpseslyinginthem.AndtheinhabitantsofChi—mo，witnessingtheoutragefromthecity—walls，weptpassionatelyandwereallimpatienttogooutandfight，theirfurybeingincreasedtenfold.T`ienTanknewthenthathissoldierswerereadyforanyenterprise.Butinsteadofasword，hehimselftooamattockinhishands，andorderedotherstobedistributedamongsthisbestwarriors，whiletherankswerefilledupwiththeirwivesandconcubines.Hethenservedoutalltheremainingrationsandbadehismeneattheirfill.Theregularsoldiersweretoldtokeepoutofsight，andthewallsweremannedwiththeoldandweakermenandwithwomen.Thisdone，envoysweredispatchedtotheenemy’scamptoarrangetermsofsurrender，whereupontheYenarmybeganshoutingforjoy.T`ienTanalsocollected20，000ouncesofsilverfromthepeople，andgotthewealthycitizensofChi—motosendittotheYengeneralwiththeprayerthat，whenthetowncapitulated，hewouldallowtheirhomestobeplunderedortheirwomentobemaltreated.Ch`iChieh，inhighgoodhumor，grantedtheirprayer;buthisarmynowbecameincreasinglyslackandcareless.Meanwhile，T`ienTangottogetherathousandoxen，deckedthemwithpiecesofredsilk，paintedtheirbodies，dragon—like，withcoloredstripes，andfastenedsharpbladesontheirhornsandwell—greasedrushesontheirtails.Whennightcameon，helightedtheendsoftherushes，anddrovetheoxenthroughanumberofholeswhichhehadpiercedinthewalls，backingthemupwithaforceof5000pickedwarriors.Theanimals，maddenedwithpain，dashedfuriouslyintotheenemy’scampwheretheycausedtheutmostconfusionanddismay;fortheirtailsactedastorches，showingupthehideouspatternontheirbodies，andtheweaponsontheirhornskilledorwoundedanywithwhomtheycameintocontact.Inthemeantime，thebandof5000hadcreptupwithgagsintheirmouths，andnowthrewthemselvesontheenemy.Atthesamemomentafrightfuldinaroseinthecityitself，allthosethatremainedbehindmakingasmuchnoiseaspossiblebybangingdrumsandhammeringonbronzevessels，untilheavenandearthwereconvulsedbytheuproar.Terror—stricken，theYenarmyfledindisorder，hotlypursuedbythemenofCh`i，whosucceededinslayingtheirgeneralCh`iChienTheresultofthebattlewastheultimaterecoveryofsomeseventycitieswhichhadbelongedtotheCh`iState."]
　　Violentlanguageanddrivingforwardasiftotheattackaresignsthathewillretreat.
　　25.Whenthelightchariotscomeoutfirstandtakeupapositiononthewings，itisasignthattheenemyisformingforbattle.
　　26.Peaceproposalsunaccompaniedbyasworncovenantindicateaplot.
　　[Thereadinghereisuncertain.LiCh`uanindicates"atreatyconfirmedbyoathsandhostages."WangHsiandChangYu，ontheotherhand，simplysay"withoutreason，""onafrivolouspretext."]
　　27.Whenthereismuchrunningabout[Everymanhasteningtohisproperplaceunderhisownregimentalbanner.]
　　andthesoldiersfallintorank，itmeansthatthecriticalmomenthascome.
　　28.Whensomeareseenadvancingandsomeretreating，itisalure.
　　29.Whenthesoldiersstandleaningontheirspears，theyarefaintfromwantoffood.
　　30.Ifthosewhoaresenttodrawwaterbeginbydrinkingthemselves，thearmyissufferingfromthirst.
　　[AsTuMuremarks："Onemayknowtheconditionofawholearmyfromthebehaviorofasingleman."]
　　31.Iftheenemyseesanadvantagetobegainedandmakesnoefforttosecureit，thesoldiersareexhausted.
　　32.Ifbirdsgatheronanyspot，itisunoccupied.
　　[Ausefulfacttobearinmindwhen，forinstance，asCh`enHaosays，theenemyhassecretlyabandonedhiscamp.]
　　Clamorbynightbetokensnervousness.
　　33.Ifthereisdisturbanceinthecamp，thegeneral’sauthorityisweak.Ifthebannersandflagsareshiftedabout，seditionisafoot.Iftheofficersareangry，itmeansthatthemenareweary.
　　[TuMuunderstandsthesentencedifferently："Ifalltheofficersofanarmyareangrywiththeirgeneral，itmeansthattheyarebrokenwithfatigue"owingtotheexertionswhichhehasdemandedfromthem.]
　　34.Whenanarmyfeedsitshorseswithgrainandkillsitscattleforfood，[Intheordinarycourseofthings，themenwouldbefedongrainandthehorseschieflyongrass.]
　　andwhenthemendonothangtheircooking—potsoverthecamp—
　　fires，showingthattheywillnotreturntotheirtents，youmayknowthattheyaredeterminedtofighttothedeath.
　　[ImayquoteheretheillustrativepassagefromtheHOUHAN
　　SHU，ch.71，giveninabbreviatedformbytheP`EIWENYUNFU：
　　"TherebelWangKuoofLiangwasbesiegingthetownofCh`en—
　　ts`ang，andHuang—fuSung，whowasinsupremecommand，andTungChoweresentoutagainsthim.Thelatterpressedforhastymeasures，butSungturnedadeafeartohiscounsel.Atlasttherebelswereutterlywornout，andbegantothrowdowntheirweaponsoftheirownaccord.Sungwasnotadvancingtotheattack，butChosaid：’Itisaprincipleofwarnottopursuedesperatemenandnottopressaretreatinghost.’Sunganswered：’Thatdoesnotapplyhere.WhatIamabouttoattackisajadedarmy，notaretreatinghost;withdisciplinedtroopsI
　　amfallingonadisorganizedmultitude，notabandofdesperatemen.’Thereuponheadvancestotheattackunsupportedbyhiscolleague，androutedtheenemy，WangKuobeingslain."]
　　35.Thesightofmenwhisperingtogetherinsmallknotsorspeakinginsubduedtonespointstodisaffectionamongsttherankandfile.
　　36.Toofrequentrewardssignifythattheenemyisattheendofhisresources;
　　[Because，whenanarmyishardpressed，asTuMusays，thereisalwaysafearofmutiny，andlavishrewardsaregiventokeepthemeningoodtemper.]
　　toomanypunishmentsbetrayaconditionofdiredistress.
　　[Becauseinsuchcasedisciplinebecomesrelaxed，andunwontedseverityisnecessarytokeepthementotheirduty.]
　　37.Tobeginbybluster，butafterwardstotakefrightattheenemy’snumbers，showsasupremelackofintelligence.
　　[IfollowtheinterpretationofTs`aoKung，alsoadoptedbyLiCh`uan，TuMu，andChangYu.AnotherpossiblemeaningsetforthbyTuYu，ChiaLin，MeiTao—ch`enandWangHsi，is："Thegeneralwhoisfirsttyrannicaltowardshismen，andtheninterrorlesttheyshouldmutiny，etc."Thiswouldconnectthesentencewithwhatwentbeforeaboutrewardsandpunishments.]
　　38.Whenenvoysaresentwithcomplimentsintheirmouths，itisasignthattheenemywishesforatruce.
　　[TuMusays："Iftheenemyopenfriendlyrelationsbesendinghostages，itisasignthattheyareanxiousforanarmistice，eitherbecausetheirstrengthisexhaustedorforsomeotherreason."ButithardlyneedsaSunTzutodrawsuchanobviousinference.]
　　39.Iftheenemy’stroopsmarchupangrilyandremainfacingoursforalongtimewithouteitherjoiningbattleortakingthemselvesoffagain，thesituationisonethatdemandsgreatvigilanceandcircumspection.
　　[Ts`aoKungsaysamaneuverofthissortmaybeonlyarusetogaintimeforanunexpectedflankattackorthelayingofanambush.]
　　40.Ifourtroopsarenomoreinnumberthantheenemy，thatisamplysufficient;itonlymeansthatnodirectattackcanbemade.
　　[Literally，"nomartialadvance."Thatistosay，CHENG
　　tacticsandfrontalattacksmustbeeschewed，andstratagemresortedtoinstead.]
　　Whatwecandoissimplytoconcentrateallouravailablestrength，keepaclosewatchontheenemy，andobtainreinforcements.
　　[Thisisanobscuresentence，andnoneofthecommentatorssucceedinsqueezingverygoodsenseoutofit.IfollowLiCh`uan，whoappearstoofferthesimplestexplanation："Onlythesidethatgetsmoremenwillwin."FortunatelywehaveChangYutoexpounditsmeaningtousinlanguagewhichislucidityitself："Whenthenumbersareeven，andnofavorableopeningpresentsitself，althoughwemaynotbestrongenoughtodeliverasustainedattack，wecanfindadditionalrecruitsamongstoursutlersandcamp—followers，andthen，concentratingourforcesandkeepingaclosewatchontheenemy，contrivetosnatchthevictory.Butwemustavoidborrowingforeignsoldierstohelpus."HethenquotesfromWeiLiaoTzu，ch.3："Thenominalstrengthofmercenarytroopsmaybe100，000，buttheirrealvaluewillbenotmorethanhalfthatfigure."]
　　41.Hewhoexercisesnoforethoughtbutmakeslightofhisopponentsissuretobecapturedbythem.
　　[Ch`enHao，quotingfromtheTSOCHUAN，says："Ifbeesandscorpionscarrypoison，howmuchmorewillahostilestate！Evenapunyopponent，then，shouldnotbetreatedwithcontempt."]
　　42.Ifsoldiersarepunishedbeforetheyhavegrownattachedtoyou，theywillnotprovesubmissive;and，unlesssubmissive，thenwillbepracticallyuseless.If，whenthesoldiershavebecomeattachedtoyou，punishmentsarenotenforced，theywillstillbeunless.
　　43.Thereforesoldiersmustbetreatedinthefirstinstancewithhumanity，butkeptundercontrolbymeansofirondiscipline.
　　[YenTzu[B.C.493]saidofSsu—maJang—chu："Hiscivilvirtuesendearedhimtothepeople;hismartialprowesskepthisenemiesinawe."Cf.WuTzu，ch.4init.："Theidealcommanderunitesculturewithawarliketemper;theprofessionofarmsrequiresacombinationofhardnessandtenderness."]
　　Thisisacertainroadtovictory.
　　44.Ifintrainingsoldierscommandsarehabituallyenforced，thearmywillbewell—disciplined;ifnot，itsdisciplinewillbebad.
　　45.Ifageneralshowsconfidenceinhismenbutalwaysinsistsonhisordersbeingobeyed，[TuMusays："Ageneraloughtintimeofpeacetoshowkindlyconfidenceinhismenandalsomakehisauthorityrespected，sothatwhentheycometofacetheenemy，ordersmaybeexecutedanddisciplinemaintained，becausetheyalltrustandlookuptohim."WhatSunTzuhassaidinss.44，however，wouldleadonerathertoexpectsomethinglikethis："Ifageneralisalwaysconfidentthathisorderswillbecarriedout，"etc."]
　　thegainwillbemutual.