791, the enemy is second

Wu Hou said to Wu Qi and said: "Now Qin is in the west, Chu is in the south, Zhao Chong is in the north, Qi is in the east, Yan is in the east, and Han is in front of me." The soldiers of the six countries are defending in four directions, and the situation is very inconvenient, so what can I do about it? ”

He said: "The way of the country, the first precept is the treasure." Now the king has quit, and the disaster is far away. The ministers asked to discuss the customs of the Six Kingdoms: Fu Qi Chen is heavy but not strong, Qin Chen is scattered and fights by himself, Chu Chen is rectified and not long, Yan Chen guards but does not leave, and Sanjin Chen does not use it. (Reading this, Song Kejin pauses for a moment, then explains: 'In 403 BC, the three vassal states of Han, Zhao, and Wei split from the Jin state were known as the 'Three Jin'.) This refers only to South Korea and Zhao. ’）

The husband is strong, the country is rich, the monarch and the minister are arrogant and simple to the people, and the government is wide and uneven, one Chen has two hearts, the front is heavy and the back is light, so it is heavy but not strong. Hit this way, must be threeth, hunt its left and right, coerce and follow, its stale can be bad. Qin has a strong nature, its land is dangerous, its politics is strict, its rewards and punishments are trusted, and its people do not let it, all of them have a fighting spirit, so they disperse and fight themselves. To strike this way, we must first show it to benefit and lead it away, and the soldiers are greedy for gain and leave their generals, obediently hunt and scatter, set up ambushes and speculate, and they will be desirable. Chu is weak, its territory is wide, its politics is commotion, and its people are tired, so it is not entered. Attack this way, attack its tun, and seize its qi first. Advance lightly and retreat quickly, do not work hard, do not fight with the army, its army can be defeated. Yan Xingyu (pronounced but), its people are cautious, brave and righteous, and scheming, so they keep and do not go. Hit this way, touch and force, the tomb and the distance, gallop and then it, then let the doubt but not fear, I will ride the road to avoid, it will be captured. The three Jin people, China also, its nature, its political peace, its people are tired of war, accustomed to soldiers, light generals, thin Qilu, soldiers have no will to die, so the rule is not used. Hit this way, block Chen and suppress it, and if everyone comes, they will reject it, and if they go, they will chase it, so as to tire their teachers. This is also the trend.

However, in an army, there must be tigers; The strength is light to carry the tripod, the foot is light to the horse, and the flag is cut off, there must be capable people. If so, it is a military life to choose and choose it. Those who have five soldiers, are physically ill, and are determined to devour the enemy must be added to their ranks and can win a decisive victory. Thick to his parents and wives, exhortation and fear of punishment, this strong man can last with it. It can be judged and doubled. ”

Wuhou said: "Good! ”

Wu Zi said: "Whoever expects the enemy to have an unpredictable battle with the eighth: one is said to be strong and cold, early and sleeping, publishing wood and water, and not afraid of difficulties; Second, it is said that the midsummer is hot, Yan Xing is endless, and the line drives hunger and thirst, and it is necessary to take far; The three divisions have been flooded for a long time, there is no food, the people are angry, and the demons are counted, and they can't be stopped; Fourth, the military funds are exhausted, the salaries are few, the sky is cloudy and rainy, and there is nothing to plunder; Fifth, there are not many disciples, the water and land are unfavorable, the people and horses are plagued, and the neighbors are not there; Sixth, the road is far away and the sun is twilight, the soldiers are tired, tired and have not eaten, and they are relieved and rested; Seven said that the thin officials were light, the soldiers were not solid, the three armies were shocked, the master and apprentice were helpless, and the eighth said that Chen was undecided, and he was not finished. If you like this, don't be suspicious.

There are six people who do not occupy and avoid: first, the land is vast and the people are rich; Second, it is said that the upper loves its lower, and Hui Shi Liufu; Third, it is said that the reward letter and criminal investigation will be issued in time; Fourth, Chen Gong is in the ranks, and he is able to be virtuous; Fifth, it is said that the master and apprentice, the essence of the armor; Sixth, it is said that the help of the neighbors and the aid of the great powers. This is not as good as the enemy, and avoid it. The so-called see that you can advance, and retreat when you know the difficulties. ”

Wu Hou asked: "I want to look at the outside of the enemy to know its inside, to observe its progress to know its stop, to determine the victory or defeat, can I hear it?" ”

He said: "When the enemy comes, he is careless, the flag is disturbed, the number of men and horses is concerned, and one can hit ten, and he will be at a loss." The princes did not meet, the monarchs and ministers were unknown, the ditch was not completed, the ban was not imposed, the three armies were not able to move forward, and they did not dare to go. ”

Wu Hou asked the enemy how to attack.

He said: "In the use of troops, it is necessary to judge the enemy's reality and danger to him." The enemy has come from afar, the ranks are undecided, the food is not the equipment can be attacked, the running can be attacked, the diligence can be attacked, the location is not advantageous, the loss of time is not attackable, the flag is chaotic and can be attacked, the long road is not resting, the wading half crossing can be attacked, the dangerous road is narrow, the number of Chen Shu can be moved, the general can be attacked, and the fear can be attacked. If this is the case, choose to rush sharply, divide the troops to follow, and do not doubt the rapid attack. ”

At this time, I saw Song Kejin continue: "The second anticipation of the enemy in the art of war of "Wu Zi" has come to an end, and I will explain its meaning in this chapter in layman's terms. ”

Wei Wuhou said to Wu Qi: "Now the Qin State threatens the west of our country, the Chu State is like a cloth belt across the south of our country, the Zhao State is facing the north of our country, the Qi State is approaching the east of our country, the Yan State is cut off from the back of our country, and Korea is guarding the front of our country. Surrounded by the armies of the six countries, the situation is extremely unfavorable for my country, and I am worried about this, what should I do? ”

Wu Qi replied: "The most important way to stabilize the country is to be on guard. Now that you're up, you're probably away from the scourge of war. I would like to ask for a few words about the various aspects of the Six Kingdoms: the formation of the Qi army, the concentration of troops but not solid; The formation of the Qin army, the deployment of troops is scattered but can fight independently; The formation of the Chu army, the deployment of troops is strict but cannot last for a long time; The formation of the Yan army, the deployment of troops is conducive to holding but is not good at mobile combat; The formation of the armies of South Korea and Zhao State, the deployment of troops was uniform but not used in battle.

The people of Qi have a strong character, the country is rich, the monarchs and ministers are arrogant and extravagant, despise the people, the government orders are lax, the income is uneven, the people in the Qi army are uneven, the front force is strong, and the rear force is weak, so although the Qi army is concentrated, it is not strong. In order to attack the Qi formation, it is necessary to divide the troops into three ways, flank the left and right flanks with two sides, and take advantage of the momentum to attack the tail all the way, and its formation can be broken. The people of Qin have a stubborn character, the country's terrain is dangerous, the government decrees are strict, the rewards and punishments are trustworthy, the soldiers do not back down in battle, and they all have the determination to fight, so although the Qin array is scattered, it can fight separately. In order to attack the Qin formation, it is necessary to first lure the soldiers to leave the generals who command them for profit, and then take advantage of the confusion of their formations to attack the scattered troops, and set up ambushes to wait for the attack, and their generals can also be captured. The people of Chu are weak, the country has a vast land, the government orders are disordered, and the people are tired, so the Chu array is well deployed but cannot fight for a long time. Attack the tactics of the Chu formation, attack and disrupt its station, and first demoralize it. Then attack suddenly with a small force, retreat quickly, consume and fatigue it, and the Chu army can be defeated without having to fight against it. The Yan people have a simple personality, the people are cautious, brave and righteous, and the army rarely uses tactics in combat, so although the Yan array is conducive to holding on, it is not good at mobile warfare. The tactics of attacking the Yan formation, after making contact with the Yan army, coerce it, quickly move away from it after the attack, rush to its rear, make its generals confused, and the soldiers are afraid, and strictly defend the road that our chariot must pass when maneuvering, and the generals of the Yan army can be captured by me. Korea and Zhao are located in the Central Plains, the human nature is mild, the national decree is stable, the people are tired of war, tired of fighting, despise the generals, despise the lords, and the soldiers do not have the will to fight to the death, so although the Han and Zhao arrays are uniformly deployed, they are not really used in battle. In order to attack the Han and Zhao formations, it is necessary to set up a position to suppress them, resist them if they have a large number of troops, and pursue them if they retreat, so as to fatigue their army. This is the general situation of the six countries.

However, in the interior of the Wei State, there must be warriors like the tigers, those who are so strong that they can lift the tripod easily, those who can catch up with the war horses when they run lightly and swiftly, and those who pull out the enemy's flag and kill the enemy generals. People like this, selected and used separately, cherished and valued, this is the lifeblood of the whole army. Those who are good at using all kinds of weapons, who are strong and agile, and who are determined to kill the enemy, must be given higher ranks and promotions, so that they can win the war. They also treat their parents, wives and children well, encourage them to receive meritorious service awards, and make them afraid of punishment, these are the people who can hold their positions and fight the enemy for a long time. If you can handle these problems carefully, you can attack enemies multiplied. ”

Wei Wuhou said: "You spoke well! ”

Wu Qi said: "Usually judging the enemy's situation, there are eight situations in which one can engage the enemy without divination: First, the enemy army marches long distances in windy and cold weather, day and night, and has to cut wood and build rafts to cross the river, regardless of the hardships and hardships of the troops; Second, in the hot weather of midsummer, there was no restraint in rest and action, which drove the troops to march long distances and forced them to go long distances; The third is when the enemy army has been stationed abroad for a long time, the food has been eaten, the people are resentful and indignant, strange rumors continue to occur, and the generals cannot stop it; Fourth, the military supplies have been exhausted, there is very little firewood and fodder, and the weather is cloudy and rainy, and there is no place to plunder; Fifth, the enemy army is not strong, the water and soil are not adapted, the men and horses are suffering from epidemics, and the rescue troops from the neighbors do not come; Sixth, it was late on the long journey, and the soldiers were tired and frightened, sleepy and hungry, and they were relieved and rested; Seventh, the enemy's generals had no prestige, the morale of the army was shaken, and the three armies were frightened several times, and there was no assistance; Eighth, the formation has not been set up, the camp has not yet been completed, and the climbing of the mountain is more dangerous, some are shaded, and some are exposed. Whenever you encounter such a situation, you can attack the enemy without any hesitation.

There are six situations in which you should avoid fighting the enemy without divination: first, the enemy country has a vast land and a large number of wealthy people; second, the king's generals loved the people and the soldiers, and generally extended favors; Third, the rewards and punishments are clear, and the handling is timely and appropriate; Fourth, the titles are arranged according to the size of the military exploits, and the virtuous and talented people are appointed; Fifth, the enemy army has a large number of troops and excellent weapons and equipment; Sixth, it has the help of its neighbors and the support of the vassal powers. Whoever is inferior to the enemy in these respects should avoid engaging it and not hesitate to do so. That is to say, attack when you see that you can win, and retreat when you know that it is difficult to defeat the enemy. ”

Wei Wuhou asked: "I think that by observing the external situation of the enemy army, we can understand its internal reality, and by observing its actions, we can know its intentions, so as to determine the victory or defeat of the battle, but is there any way to tell me?" ”

Wu Qi replied: "The arrival of the enemy army is sparse and sparse, without scruples, the military flag is messy, and the men and horses are looking left and right, and they can hit such an army with one blow, and they must be caught off guard." The princes did not meet, the kings and ministers did not get along, the fortifications for the battle were not repaired, the military orders were not announced, the three armies were in an uproar, they could not advance if they wanted to advance, and they did not dare to retreat if they wanted to retreat. ”

Wei Wuhou asked how to judge that the enemy army must be able to attack.

Wu Qi replied: "The use of troops must examine the reality of the enemy's army, and then attack its weak points. The enemy has just arrived from afar, and the battle formation has not been expanded, so it can attack; The meal has been eaten, but there is no defense, and it is possible to attack; The troops are running in a panic and can attack; Overtired, can attack; The enemy army is located in unfavorable terrain and can attack; If the weather is not good, you can attack; The flag is disordered and can attack; After a long march, the follow-up troops have not been rested and can attack; The enemy position moves frequently and can attack; Generals are separated from the soldiers and can attack; The military heart is shaken and fearful, and it can attack. Whenever these situations are encountered, elite troops should be selected to launch an attack, and then follow-up troops should be sent into battle separately to attack quickly without hesitation. ”