第 7 章 军争篇

Sunzi said: During war, when a general receives orders from the sovereign, from assembling troops and setting up camp, to marching to the battlefield and confronting the enemy, there is nothing more difficult than seizing advantageous conditions first.

The most difficult part of seizing advantageous conditions first is that sometimes taking a longer, roundabout route can actually allow one to reach the battlefield faster, turning what seems like a bad situation into a good one.

Therefore, I take a longer, roundabout route, and then use small advantages to lure the enemy, making the enemy unaware of where I am going.

In this way, even though I start late, I can still arrive at the battlefield before the enemy.

One who can achieve this is someone who understands the principle of taking a longer route and a shorter one.

Seizing advantageous conditions first is for the purpose of winning, but this matter also carries risks.

If one brings all the baggage and equipment to seize advantageous conditions, the marching speed will slow down, and one cannot arrive at the battlefield before the enemy.

If one abandons the baggage and equipment to advance lightly, the equipment will be lost.

If one packs up the armor and marches urgently, without resting day or night, running a hundred li to seize advantageous conditions, then the generals of the three armies may be captured by the enemy.

The physically strong soldiers can arrive at the battlefield first, the physically weak soldiers will definitely fall behind, and in the end, only one-tenth of the people can arrive on time.

Forcing a march of fifty li to seize advantageous conditions, the commander of the vanguard will definitely suffer losses, and only half of the soldiers will arrive on time.

Forcing a march of thirty li to seize advantageous conditions, generally only two-thirds of the people will arrive on time.

From this perspective, an army cannot survive without luggage and equipment, cannot survive without food, and cannot survive without reserves of combat materials.

Therefore, if you do not understand the intentions of the feudal lords of various countries, do not form alliances with them.

If you do not know the terrain of mountains, forests, dangerous places, and marshes, you cannot conduct a march.

Without using guides, you cannot master and utilize advantageous terrain.

Therefore, winning battles relies on using stratagems and surprise attacks, deciding actions based on whether they are advantageous, and deciding whether to disperse or concentrate forces based on changes in the situation.

According to the needs of the battlefield situation, when troops move quickly, they should be as fast as a gale.

When moving slowly, they should unfold slowly like a forest.

When attacking cities, they should be as fierce as a raging fire.

When defending, be as stable as a big mountain.

When concealing military information, be like dark clouds covering the sun.

When the large army moves out, be as imposing as thunder.

Seizing the enemy's property and capturing civilians should be done by dividing the troops.

Occupying land and seizing benefits should involve dividing troops to guard important places.

All these should be based on actual circumstances, doing whatever is advantageous.

Whoever first understands the principle of taking the long way and the short way will win.

This is the principle of seizing advantageous conditions first.

The ancient book "Jun Zheng" says: On the battlefield, using speech to command, soldiers cannot hear clearly or cannot hear at all, so gongs and drums are set up.

Using actions to command, soldiers cannot see clearly or cannot see at all, so flags are used.

Gongs, drums, and flags are used to unify the ears and eyes of soldiers, and unify combat actions.

If soldiers all obey unified command, then brave people will not charge ahead on their own, and timid people will not retreat to the back on their own.

This is the method of commanding a large army in combat.

Therefore, when fighting at night, light more torches and beat drums more often.

When fighting during the day, plant more flags.

These are used to disrupt the ears and eyes of the enemy.

For the enemy's army, you can attack their morale, you can make them lose their fighting spirit.

For the enemy's general, you can shake his determination, you can make him lose his will to fight.

Therefore, when the enemy first arrives in the morning, their morale is at its peak.

By noon, people are tired, and morale also drops.

When the sun sets, people want to go home, and morale becomes even lower.

Those who are skilled in using troops avoid the enemy when their morale is high, and then launch a fierce attack when the enemy's morale is low.

This is the principle of correctly utilizing morale.

Use our army with strict discipline to deal with the enemy army with chaotic discipline.

Use our army with stable military morale to deal with the enemy with panicked military morale.

This is the method of mastering and utilizing military morale.

Use our army to wait nearby for the enemy who have traveled a long distance.

Use our army, which is calm and stable, to deal with the enemy who are hurried and tired.

Use our army, which has eaten their fill, to deal with the hungry enemy.

This is about understanding how to use one's own advantages to deal with the enemy's weaknesses.

Do not attack an army with neat flags and unified troops.

Do not attack an army with a neat formation and high morale.

This is understanding how to flexibly adapt based on battlefield conditions.

Therefore, the principle of using troops is: if the enemy occupies high ground and is backed by hills, do not attack from the front upward.

If the enemy pretends to flee, do not pursue.

Do not forcefully attack the enemy's elite troops.

Do not greedily pursue the small units the enemy uses to lure.

If the enemy is withdrawing to their own country, do not block them.

When surrounding the enemy, leave an exit.

If the enemy is in a desperate situation, do not press them excessively.

These are the basic principles of using troops.