[ChangYusays：\"Thegeneralhasconfidenceinthemenunderhiscommand，andthemenaredocile，havingconfidenceinhim.Thusthegainismutual\"HequotesapregnantsentencefromWeiLiaoTzu，ch.4：\"Theartofgivingordersisnottotrytorectifyminorblundersandnottobeswayedbypettydoubts.\"Vacillationandfussinessarethesurestmeansofsappingtheconfidenceofanarmy.]
[1]\"AidstoScouting，\"p.26.
X.TERRAIN
[Onlyaboutathirdofthechapter，comprisingss.ss.1—13，dealswith\"terrain，\"thesubjectbeingmorefullytreatedinch.
XI.The\"sixcalamities\"arediscussedinSS.14—20，andtherestofthechapterisagainamerestringofdesultoryremarks，thoughnotlessinteresting，perhaps，onthataccount.]
1.SunTzusaid：Wemaydistinguishsixkindsofterrain，towit：（1）Accessibleground;
[MeiYao—ch`ensays：\"plentifullyprovidedwithroadsandmeansofcommunications.\"]
（2）entanglingground;
[Thesamecommentatorsays：\"Net—likecountry，venturingintowhichyoubecomeentangled.\"]
（3）temporizingground;
[Groundwhichallowsyouto\"staveoff\"or\"delay.\"]
（4）narrowpasses;（5）precipitousheights;（6）positionsatagreatdistancefromtheenemy.
[Itishardlynecessarytopointoutthefaultinessofthisclassification.AstrangelackoflogicalperceptionisshownintheChinaman’sunquestioningacceptanceofglaringcross—
divisionssuchastheabove.]
2.GroundwhichcanbefreelytraversedbybothsidesiscalledACCESSIBLE.
3.Withregardtogroundofthisnature，bebeforetheenemyinoccupyingtheraisedandsunnyspots，andcarefullyguardyourlineofsupplies.
[Thegeneralmeaningofthelastphraseisdoubtlessly，asTuYusays，\"nottoallowtheenemytocutyourcommunications.\"
InviewofNapoleon’sdictum，\"thesecretofwarliesinthecommunications，\"[1]wecouldwishthatSunTzuhaddonemorethanskirttheedgeofthisimportantsubjecthereandinI.ss.
10，VII.ss.11.Col.Hendersonsays：\"Thelineofsupplymaybesaidtobeasvitaltotheexistenceofanarmyasthehearttothelifeofahumanbeing.Justastheduelistwhofindshisadversary’spointmenacinghimwithcertaindeath，andhisownguardastray，iscompelledtoconformtohisadversary’smovements，andtocontenthimselfwithwardingoffhisthrusts，sothecommanderwhosecommunicationsaresuddenlythreatenedfindshimselfinafalseposition，andhewillbefortunateifhehasnottochangeallhisplans，tosplituphisforceintomoreorlessisolateddetachments，andtofightwithinferiornumbersongroundwhichhehasnothadtimetoprepare，andwheredefeatwillnotbeanordinaryfailure，butwillentailtheruinorsurrenderofhiswholearmy.\"[2]
Thenyouwillbeabletofightwithadvantage.
4.Groundwhichcanbeabandonedbutishardtore—occupyiscalledENTANGLING.
5.Fromapositionofthissort，iftheenemyisunprepared，youmaysallyforthanddefeathim.Butiftheenemyispreparedforyourcoming，andyoufailtodefeathim，then，returnbeingimpossible，disasterwillensue.
6.Whenthepositionissuchthatneithersidewillgainbymakingthefirstmove，itiscalledTEMPORIZINGground.
[TuMusays：\"Eachsidefindsitinconvenienttomove，andthesituationremainsatadeadlock.\"]
7.Inapositionofthissort，eventhoughtheenemyshouldofferusanattractivebait，[TuYusays，\"turningtheirbacksonusandpretendingtoflee.\"Butthisisonlyoneofthelureswhichmightinduceustoquitourposition.]
itwillbeadvisablenottostirforth，butrathertoretreat，thusenticingtheenemyinhisturn;then，whenpartofhisarmyhascomeout，wemaydeliverourattackwithadvantage.
8.WithregardtoNARROWPASSES，ifyoucanoccupythemfirst，letthembestronglygarrisonedandawaittheadventoftheenemy.
[Becausethen，asTuYuobserves，\"theinitiativewillliewithus，andbymakingsuddenandunexpectedattacksweshallhavetheenemyatourmercy.\"]
9.Shouldthearmyforestallyouinoccupyingapass，donotgoafterhimifthepassisfullygarrisoned，butonlyifitisweaklygarrisoned.
10.WithregardtoPRECIPITOUSHEIGHTS，ifyouarebeforehandwithyouradversary，youshouldoccupytheraisedandsunnyspots，andtherewaitforhimtocomeup.
[Ts`aoKungsays：\"Theparticularadvantageofsecuringheightsanddefilesisthatyouractionscannotthenbedictatedbytheenemy.\"[Fortheenunciationofthegrandprinciplealludedto，seeVI.ss.2].ChangYutellsthefollowinganecdoteofP`eiHsing—chien（A.D.619—682），whowassentonapunitiveexpeditionagainsttheTurkictribes.\"Atnighthepitchedhiscampasusual，andithadalreadybeencompletelyfortifiedbywallandditch，whensuddenlyhegaveordersthatthearmyshouldshiftitsquarterstoahillnearby.Thiswashighlydispleasingtohisofficers，whoprotestedloudlyagainsttheextrafatiguewhichitwouldentailonthemen.P`eiHsing—
chien，however，paidnoheedtotheirremonstrancesandhadthecampmovedasquicklyaspossible.Thesamenight，aterrificstormcameon，whichfloodedtheirformerplaceofencampmenttothedepthofovertwelvefeet.Therecalcitrantofficerswereamazedatthesight，andownedthattheyhadbeeninthewrong.
’Howdidyouknowwhatwasgoingtohappen？’theyasked.P`eiHsing—chienreplied：’Fromthistimeforwardbecontenttoobeyorderswithoutaskingunnecessaryquestions.’Fromthisitmaybeseen，\"ChangYucontinues，\"thathighandsunnyplacesareadvantageousnotonlyforfighting，butalsobecausetheyareimmunefromdisastrousfloods.\"]
11.Iftheenemyhasoccupiedthembeforeyou，donotfollowhim，butretreatandtrytoenticehimaway.
[TheturningpointofLiShih—min’scampaignin621A.D.
againstthetworebels，TouChien—te，KingofHsia，andWangShih—ch`ung，PrinceofCheng，washisseizureoftheheightsofWu—lao，inspikeofwhichTouChien—tepersistedinhisattempttorelievehisallyinLo—yang，wasdefeatedandtakenprisoner.
SeeCHIUT`ANG，ch.2，fol.5verso，andalsoch.54.]
12.Ifyouaresituatedatagreatdistancefromtheenemy，andthestrengthofthetwoarmiesisequal，itisnoteasytoprovokeabattle，[Thepointisthatwemustnotthinkofundertakingalongandwearisomemarch，attheendofwhich，asTuYusays，\"weshouldbeexhaustedandouradversaryfreshandkeen.\"]
andfightingwillbetoyourdisadvantage.
13.ThesesixaretheprinciplesconnectedwithEarth.
[Orperhaps，\"theprinciplesrelatingtoground.\"See，however，I.ss.8.]
Thegeneralwhohasattainedaresponsiblepostmustbecarefultostudythem.
14.Nowanarmyisexposedtosixseveralcalamities，notarisingfromnaturalcauses，butfromfaultsforwhichthegeneralisresponsible.Theseare：（1）Flight;（2）
insubordination;（3）collapse;（4）ruin;（5）disorganization;（6）
rout.
15.Otherconditionsbeingequal，ifoneforceishurledagainstanothertentimesitssize，theresultwillbetheFLIGHT
oftheformer.
16.Whenthecommonsoldiersaretoostrongandtheirofficerstooweak，theresultisINSUBORDINATION.
[TuMucitestheunhappycaseofT`ienPu[HSINT`ANGSHU，ch.148]，whowassenttoWeiin821A.D.withorderstoleadanarmyagainstWangT`ing—ts`ou.Butthewholetimehewasincommand，hissoldierstreatedhimwiththeutmostcontempt，andopenlyfloutedhisauthoritybyridingaboutthecampondonkeys，severalthousandsatatime.T`ienPuwaspowerlesstoputastoptothisconduct，andwhen，aftersomemonthshadpassed，hemadeanattempttoengagetheenemy，histroopsturnedtailanddispersedineverydirection.Afterthat，theunfortunatemancommittedsuicidebycuttinghisthroat.]
Whentheofficersaretoostrongandthecommonsoldierstooweak，theresultisCOLLAPSE.
[Ts`aoKungsays：\"Theofficersareenergeticandwanttopresson，thecommonsoldiersarefeebleandsuddenlycollapse.\"]
17.Whenthehigherofficersareangryandinsubordinate，andonmeetingtheenemygivebattleontheirownaccountfromafeelingofresentment，beforethecommander—in—chiefcantellwhetherornoheisinapositiontofight，theresultisRUIN.
[WangHsi`snoteis：\"Thismeans，thegeneralisangrywithoutcause，andatthesametimedoesnotappreciatetheabilityofhissubordinateofficers;thushearousesfierceresentmentandbringsanavalancheofruinuponhishead.\"]
18.Whenthegeneralisweakandwithoutauthority;whenhisordersarenotclearanddistinct;
[WeiLiaoTzu（ch.4）says：\"Ifthecommandergiveshisorderswithdecision，thesoldierswillnotwaittohearthemtwice;ifhismovesaremadewithoutvacillation，thesoldierswillnotbeintwomindsaboutdoingtheirduty.\"GeneralBaden—
Powellsays，italicizingthewords：\"Thesecretofgettingsuccessfulworkoutofyourtrainedmenliesinonenutshell——intheclearnessoftheinstructionstheyreceive.\"[3]Cf.alsoWuTzuch.3：\"themostfataldefectinamilitaryleaderisdifference;theworstcalamitiesthatbefallanarmyarisefromhesitation.\"]
whentherearenofixesdutiesassignedtoofficersandmen，[TuMusays：\"Neitherofficersnormenhaveanyregularroutine.\"]
andtheranksareformedinaslovenlyhaphazardmanner，theresultisutterDISORGANIZATION.
19.Whenageneral，unabletoestimatetheenemy’sstrength，allowsaninferiorforcetoengagealargerone，orhurlsaweakdetachmentagainstapowerfulone，andneglectstoplacepickedsoldiersinthefrontrank，theresultmustbeROUT.
[ChangYuparaphrasesthelatterpartofthesentenceandcontinues：\"Wheneverthereisfightingtobedone，thekeenestspiritsshouldbeappointedtoserveinthefrontranks，bothinordertostrengthentheresolutionofourownmenandtodemoralizetheenemy.\"Cf.theprimiordinesofCaesar（\"DeBelloGallico，\"V.28，44，etal.）.]
20.Thesearesixwaysofcourtingdefeat，whichmustbecarefullynotedbythegeneralwhohasattainedaresponsiblepost.
[Seesupra，ss.13.]
21.Thenaturalformationofthecountryisthesoldier’sbestally;
[Ch`enHaosays：\"Theadvantagesofweatherandseasonarenotequaltothoseconnectedwithground.\"]
butapowerofestimatingtheadversary，ofcontrollingtheforcesofvictory，andofshrewdlycalculatingdifficulties，dangersanddistances，constitutesthetestofagreatgeneral.
22.Hewhoknowsthesethings，andinfightingputshisknowledgeintopractice，willwinhisbattles.Hewhoknowsthemnot，norpracticesthem，willsurelybedefeated.
23.Iffightingissuretoresultinvictory，thenyoumustfight，eventhoughtherulerforbidit;iffightingwillnotresultinvictory，thenyoumustnotfightevenattheruler’sbidding.
[Cf.VIII.ss.3fin.HuangShih—kungoftheCh`indynasty，whoissaidtohavebeenthepatronofChangLiangandtohavewrittentheSANLUEH，hasthesewordsattributedtohim：\"Theresponsibilityofsettinganarmyinmotionmustdevolveonthegeneralalone;ifadvanceandretreatarecontrolledfromthePalace，brilliantresultswillhardlybeachieved.Hencethegod—likerulerandtheenlightenedmonarcharecontenttoplayahumblepartinfurtheringtheircountry’scause[lit.，kneeldowntopushthechariotwheel].\"Thismeansthat\"inmatterslyingoutsidethezenana，thedecisionofthemilitarycommandermustbeabsolute.\"ChangYualsoquotethesaying：\"DecreesfromtheSonofHeavendonotpenetratethewallsofacamp.\"]
24.Thegeneralwhoadvanceswithoutcovetingfameandretreatswithoutfearingdisgrace，[ItwasWellington，Ithink，whosaidthatthehardestthingofallforasoldieristoretreat.]
whoseonlythoughtistoprotecthiscountryanddogoodserviceforhissovereign，isthejewelofthekingdom.
[Anoblepresentiment，infewwords，oftheChinese\"happywarrior.\"Suchaman，saysHoShih，\"evenifhehadtosufferpunishment，wouldnotregrethisconduct.\"]
25.Regardyoursoldiersasyourchildren，andtheywillfollowyouintothedeepestvalleys;lookuponthemasyourownbelovedsons，andtheywillstandbyyouevenuntodeath.
[Cf.I.ss.6.Inthisconnection，TuMudrawsforusanengagingpictureofthefamousgeneralWuCh`i，fromwhosetreatiseonwarIhavefrequentlyhadoccasiontoquote：\"Heworethesameclothesandatethesamefoodasthemeanestofhissoldiers，refusedtohaveeitherahorsetorideoramattosleepon，carriedhisownsurplusrationswrappedinaparcel，andsharedeveryhardshipwithhismen.Oneofhissoldierswassufferingfromanabscess，andWuCh`ihimselfsuckedoutthevirus.Thesoldier’smother，hearingthis，beganwailingandlamenting.Somebodyaskedher，saying：’Whydoyoucry？Yoursonisonlyacommonsoldier，andyetthecommander—in—chiefhimselfhassuckedthepoisonfromhissore.’Thewomanreplied，’Manyyearsago，LordWuperformedasimilarserviceformyhusband，whoneverlefthimafterwards，andfinallymethisdeathatthehandsoftheenemy.Andnowthathehasdonethesameformyson，hetoowillfallfightingIknownotwhere.’\"LiCh`uanmentionstheViscountofCh`u，whoinvadedthesmallstateofHsiaoduringthewinter.TheDukeofShensaidtohim：\"Manyofthesoldiersaresufferingseverelyfromthecold.\"Sohemadearoundofthewholearmy，comfortingandencouragingthemen;andstraightwaytheyfeltasiftheywereclothedingarmentslinedwithflosssilk.]
26.If，however，youareindulgent，butunabletomakeyourauthorityfelt;kind—hearted，butunabletoenforceyourcommands;andincapable，moreover，ofquellingdisorder：thenyoursoldiersmustbelikenedtospoiltchildren;theyareuselessforanypracticalpurpose.
[LiChingoncesaidthatifyoucouldmakeyoursoldiersafraidofyou，theywouldnotbeafraidoftheenemy.TuMurecallsaninstanceofsternmilitarydisciplinewhichoccurredin219A.D.，whenLuMengwasoccupyingthetownofChiang—ling.
Hehadgivenstringentorderstohisarmynottomolesttheinhabitantsnortakeanythingfromthembyforce.Nevertheless，acertainofficerservingunderhisbanner，whohappenedtobeafellow—townsman，venturedtoappropriateabamboohatbelongingtooneofthepeople，inordertowearitoverhisregulationhelmetasaprotectionagainsttherain.LuMengconsideredthatthefactofhisbeingalsoanativeofJu—nanshouldnotbeallowedtopalliateaclearbreachofdiscipline，andaccordinglyheorderedhissummaryexecution，thetearsrollingdownhisface，however，ashedidso.Thisactofseverityfilledthearmywithwholesomeawe，andfromthattimeforthevenarticlesdroppedinthehighwaywerenotpickedup.]
27.Ifweknowthatourownmenareinaconditiontoattack，butareunawarethattheenemyisnotopentoattack，wehavegoneonlyhalfwaytowardsvictory.
[Thatis，Ts`aoKungsays，\"theissueinthiscaseisuncertain.\"]
28.Ifweknowthattheenemyisopentoattack，butareunawarethatourownmenarenotinaconditiontoattack，wehavegoneonlyhalfwaytowardsvictory.
[Cf.III.ss.13（1）.]
29.Ifweknowthattheenemyisopentoattack，andalsoknowthatourmenareinaconditiontoattack，butareunawarethatthenatureofthegroundmakesfightingimpracticable，wehavestillgoneonlyhalfwaytowardsvictory.
30.Hencetheexperiencedsoldier，onceinmotion，isneverbewildered;oncehehasbrokencamp，heisneverataloss.
[Thereasonbeing，accordingtoTuMu，thathehastakenhismeasuressothoroughlyastoensurevictorybeforehand.\"Hedoesnotmoverecklessly，\"saysChangYu，\"sothatwhenhedoesmove，hemakesnomistakes.\"]
31.Hencethesaying：Ifyouknowtheenemyandknowyourself，yourvictorywillnotstandindoubt;ifyouknowHeavenandknowEarth，youmaymakeyourvictorycomplete.
[LiCh`uansumsupasfollows：\"Givenaknowledgeofthreethings——theaffairsofmen，theseasonsofheavenandthenaturaladvantagesofearth——，victorywillinvariablycrownyourbattles.\"]
[1]See\"PenseesdeNapoleon1er，\"no.47.
[2]\"TheScienceofWar，\"chap.2.
[3]\"AidstoScouting，\"p.xii.
XI.THENINESITUATIONS
1.SunTzusaid：Theartofwarrecognizesninevarietiesofground：（1）Dispersiveground;（2）facileground;（3）
contentiousground;（4）openground;（5）groundofintersectinghighways;（6）seriousground;（7）difficultground;（8）hemmed—inground;（9）desperateground.
2.Whenachieftainisfightinginhisownterritory，itisdispersiveground.
[Socalledbecausethesoldiers，beingneartotheirhomesandanxioustoseetheirwivesandchildren，arelikelytoseizetheopportunityaffordedbyabattleandscatterineverydirection.\"Intheiradvance，\"observesTuMu，\"theywilllackthevalorofdesperation，andwhentheyretreat，theywillfindharborsofrefuge.\"]
3.Whenhehaspenetratedintohostileterritory，buttonogreatdistance，itisfacileground.
[LiCh`uanandHoShihsay\"becauseofthefacilityforretreating，\"andtheothercommentatorsgivesimilarexplanations.TuMuremarks：\"Whenyourarmyhascrossedtheborder，youshouldburnyourboatsandbridges，inordertomakeitcleartoeverybodythatyouhavenohankeringafterhome.\"]
4.Groundthepossessionofwhichimportsgreatadvantagetoeitherside，iscontentiousground.
[TuMudefinesthegroundasground\"tobecontendedfor.\"
Ts`aoKungsays：\"groundonwhichthefewandtheweakcandefeatthemanyandthestrong，\"suchas\"theneckofapass，\"
instancedbyLiCh`uan.Thus，Thermopylaewasofthisclassificationbecausethepossessionofit，evenforafewdaysonly，meantholdingtheentireinvadingarmyincheckandthusgaininginvaluabletime.Cf.WuTzu，ch.V.adinit.：\"Forthosewhohavetofightintheratioofonetoten，thereisnothingbetterthananarrowpass.\"WhenLuKuangwasreturningfromhistriumphantexpeditiontoTurkestanin385A.D.，andhadgotasfarasI—ho，ladenwithspoils，LiangHsi，administratorofLiang—chou，takingadvantageofthedeathofFuChien，KingofCh`in，plottedagainsthimandwasforbarringhiswayintotheprovince.YangHan，governorofKao—ch`ang，counseledhim，saying：\"LuKuangisfreshfromhisvictoriesinthewest，andhissoldiersarevigorousandmettlesome.Ifweopposehimintheshiftingsandsofthedesert，weshallbenomatchforhim，andwemustthereforetryadifferentplan.LetushastentooccupythedefileatthemouthoftheKao—wupass，thuscuttinghimofffromsuppliesofwater，andwhenhistroopsareprostratedwiththirst，wecandictateourowntermswithoutmoving.OrifyouthinkthatthepassImentionistoofaroff，wecouldmakeastandagainsthimattheI—wupass，whichisnearer.ThecunningandresourceofTzu—fanghimselfwouldbeexpendedinvainagainsttheenormousstrengthofthesetwopositions.\"LiangHsi，refusingtoactonthisadvice，wasoverwhelmedandsweptawaybytheinvader.]
5.Groundonwhicheachsidehaslibertyofmovementisopenground.
[TherearevariousinterpretationsoftheChineseadjectiveforthistypeofground.Ts`aoKungsaysitmeans\"groundcoveredwithanetworkofroads，\"likeachessboard.HoShihsuggested：\"groundonwhichintercommunicationiseasy.\"]
6.Groundwhichformsthekeytothreecontiguousstates，[Ts`auKungdefinesthisas：\"Ourcountryadjoiningtheenemy’sandathirdcountryconterminouswithboth.\"MengShihinstancesthesmallprincipalityofCheng，whichwasboundedonthenorth—eastbyCh`i，onthewestbyChin，andonthesouthbyCh`u.]
sothathewhooccupiesitfirsthasmostoftheEmpireathiscommand，[Thebelligerentwhoholdsthisdominatingpositioncanconstrainmostofthemtobecomehisallies.]
isagroundofintersectinghighways.
7.Whenanarmyhaspenetratedintotheheartofahostilecountry，leavinganumberoffortifiedcitiesinitsrear，itisseriousground.
[WangHsiexplainsthenamebysayingthat\"whenanarmyhasreachedsuchapoint，itssituationisserious.\"]
8.Mountainforests，[Orsimply\"forests.\"]
ruggedsteeps，marshesandfens——allcountrythatishardtotraverse：thisisdifficultground.
9.Groundwhichisreachedthroughnarrowgorges，andfromwhichwecanonlyretirebytortuouspaths，sothatasmallnumberoftheenemywouldsufficetocrushalargebodyofourmen：thisishemmedinground.
10.Groundonwhichwecanonlybesavedfromdestructionbyfightingwithoutdelay，isdesperateground.
[Thesituation，aspicturedbyTs`aoKung，isverysimilartothe\"hemmed—inground\"exceptthathereescapeisnolongerpossible：\"Aloftymountaininfront，alargeriverbehind，advanceimpossible，retreatblocked.\"Ch`enHaosays：\"tobeon’desperateground’islikesittinginaleakingboatorcrouchinginaburninghouse.\"TuMuquotesfromLiChingavividdescriptionoftheplightofanarmythusentrapped：\"Supposeanarmyinvadinghostileterritorywithouttheaidoflocalguides：
——itfallsintoafatalsnareandisattheenemy’smercy.A
ravineontheleft，amountainontheright，apathwaysoperilousthatthehorseshavetoberopedtogetherandthechariotscarriedinslings，nopassageopeninfront，retreatcutoffbehind，nochoicebuttoproceedinsinglefile.Then，beforethereistimetorangeoursoldiersinorderofbattle，theenemyisoverwhelmingstrengthsuddenlyappearsonthescene.
Advancing，wecannowheretakeabreathing—space;retreating，wehavenohavenofrefuge.Weseekapitchedbattle，butinvain;
yetstandingonthedefensive，noneofushasamoment’srespite.
Ifwesimplymaintainourground，wholedaysandmonthswillcrawlby;themomentwemakeamove，wehavetosustaintheenemy’sattacksonfrontandrear.Thecountryiswild，destituteofwaterandplants;thearmyislackinginthenecessariesoflife，thehorsesarejadedandthemenworn—out，alltheresourcesofstrengthandskillunavailing，thepasssonarrowthatasinglemandefendingitcanchecktheonsetoftenthousand;allmeansofoffenseinthehandsoftheenemy，allpointsofvantagealreadyforfeitedbyourselves：——inthisterribleplight，eventhoughwehadthemostvaliantsoldiersandthekeenestofweapons，howcouldtheybeemployedwiththeslightesteffect？\"StudentsofGreekhistorymayberemindedoftheawfulclosetotheSicilianexpedition，andtheagonyoftheAtheniansunderNiciasandDemonsthenes.[SeeThucydides，VII.
78sqq.].]
11.Ondispersiveground，therefore，fightnot.Onfacileground，haltnot.Oncontentiousground，attacknot.
[Butratherletallyourenergiesbebentonoccupyingtheadvantageouspositionfirst.SoTs`aoKung.LiCh`uanandothers，however，supposethemeaningtobethattheenemyhasalreadyforestalledus，sotthatitwouldbesheermadnesstoattack.IntheSUNTZUHSULU，whentheKingofWuinquireswhatshouldbedoneinthiscase，SunTzureplies：\"Therulewithregardtocontentiousgroundisthatthoseinpossessionhavetheadvantageovertheotherside.Ifapositionofthiskindissecuredfirstbytheenemy，bewareofattackinghim.Lurehimawaybypretendingtoflee——showyourbannersandsoundyourdrums——makeadashforotherplacesthathecannotaffordtolose——trailbrushwoodandraiseadust——confoundhisearsandeyes——detachabodyofyourbesttroops，andplaceitsecretlyinambuscade.Thenyouropponentwillsallyforthtotherescue.\"]
12.Onopenground，donottrytoblocktheenemy’sway.
[Becausetheattemptwouldbefutile，andwouldexposetheblockingforceitselftoseriousrisks.Therearetwointerpretationsavailablehere.IfollowthatofChangYu.TheotherisindicatedinTs`aoKung’sbriefnote：\"Drawclosertogether\"——i.e.，seethataportionofyourownarmyisnotcutoff.]
Onthegroundofintersectinghighways，joinhandswithyourallies.
[Orperhaps，\"formallianceswithneighboringstates.\"]
13.Onseriousground，gatherinplunder.
[Onthis，LiCh`uanhasthefollowingdeliciousnote：\"Whenanarmypenetratesfarintotheenemy’scountry，caremustbetakennottoalienatethepeoplebyunjusttreatment.FollowtheexampleoftheHanEmperorKaoTsu，whosemarchintoCh`interritorywasmarkedbynoviolationofwomenorlootingofvaluables.[Notabene：thiswasin207B.C.，andmaywellcauseustoblushfortheChristianarmiesthatenteredPekingin1900
A.D.]Thushewontheheartsofall.Inthepresentpassage，then，Ithinkthatthetruereadingmustbe，not’plunder，’but’donotplunder.’\"Alas，Ifearthatinthisinstancetheworthycommentator’sfeelingsoutranhisjudgment.TuMu，atleast，hasnosuchillusions.Hesays：\"Whenencampedon’seriousground，’
therebeingnoinducementasyettoadvancefurther，andnopossibilityofretreat，oneoughttotakemeasuresforaprotractedresistancebybringinginprovisionsfromallsides，andkeepaclosewatchontheenemy.\"]
Indifficultground，keepsteadilyonthemarch.
[Or，inthewordsofVIII.ss.2，\"donotencamp.]
14.Onhemmed—inground，resorttostratagem.
[Ts`auKungsays：\"Trytheeffectofsomeunusualartifice;\"andTuYuamplifiesthisbysaying：\"Insuchaposition，someschememustbedevisedwhichwillsuitthecircumstances，andifwecansucceedindeludingtheenemy，theperilmaybeescaped.\"ThisisexactlywhathappenedonthefamousoccasionwhenHannibalwashemmedinamongthemountainsontheroadtoCasilinum，andtoallappearancesentrappedbythedictatorFabius.ThestratagemwhichHannibaldevisedtobafflehisfoeswasremarkablylikethatwhichT`ienTanhadalsoemployedwithsuccessexactly62yearsbefore.[SeeIX.ss.24，note.]Whennightcameon，bundlesoftwigswerefastenedtothehornsofsome2000oxenandsetonfire，theterrifiedanimalsbeingthenquicklydrivenalongthemountainsidetowardsthepasseswhichwerebesetbytheenemy.ThestrangespectacleoftheserapidlymovinglightssoalarmedanddiscomfitedtheRomansthattheywithdrewfromtheirposition，andHannibal’sarmypassedsafelythroughthedefile.[SeePolybius，III.93，94;
Livy，XXII.1617.]
Ondesperateground，fight.
[For，asChiaLinremarks：\"ifyoufightwithallyourmight，thereisachanceoflife;whereasdeathiscertainifyouclingtoyourcorner.\"]
15.Thosewhowerecalledskillfulleadersofoldknewhowtodriveawedgebetweentheenemy’sfrontandrear;
[Moreliterally，\"causethefrontandreartolosetouchwitheachother.\"]
topreventco—operationbetweenhislargeandsmalldivisions;tohinderthegoodtroopsfromrescuingthebad，theofficersfromrallyingtheirmen.
16.Whentheenemy’smenwereunited，theymanagedtokeepthemindisorder.
17.Whenitwastotheiradvantage，theymadeaforwardmove;whenotherwise，theystoppedstill.
[MeiYao—ch`enconnectsthiswiththeforegoing：\"Havingsucceededinthusdislocatingtheenemy，theywouldpushforwardinordertosecureanyadvantagetobegained;iftherewasnoadvantagetobegained，theywouldremainwheretheywere.\"]
18.Ifaskedhowtocopewithagreathostoftheenemyinorderlyarrayandonthepointofmarchingtotheattack，I
shouldsay：\"Beginbyseizingsomethingwhichyouropponentholdsdear;thenhewillbeamenabletoyourwill.\"
[OpinionsdifferastowhatSunTzuhadinmind.Ts`aoKungthinksitis\"somestrategicaladvantageonwhichtheenemyisdepending.\"TuMusays：\"Thethreethingswhichanenemyisanxioustodo，andontheaccomplishmentofwhichhissuccessdepends，are：（1）tocaptureourfavorablepositions;（2）toravageourcultivatedland;（3）toguardhisowncommunications.\"
Ourobjectthenmustbetothwarthisplansinthesethreedirectionsandthusrenderhimhelpless.[Cf.III.ss.3.]Byboldlyseizingtheinitiativeinthisway，youatoncethrowtheothersideonthedefensive.]
19.Rapidityistheessenceofwar：
[AccordingtoTuMu，\"thisisasummaryofleadingprinciplesinwarfare，\"andheadds：\"Thesearetheprofoundesttruthsofmilitaryscience，andthechiefbusinessofthegeneral.\"Thefollowinganecdotes，toldbyHoShih，showstheimportanceattachedtospeedbytwoofChina’sgreatestgenerals.
In227A.D.，MengTa，governorofHsin—ch`engundertheWeiEmperorWenTi，wasmeditatingdefectiontotheHouseofShu，andhadenteredintocorrespondencewithChu—koLiang，PrimeMinisterofthatState.TheWeigeneralSsu—maIwasthenmilitarygovernorofWan，andgettingwindofMengTa’streachery，heatoncesetoffwithanarmytoanticipatehisrevolt，havingpreviouslycajoledhimbyaspeciousmessageoffriendlyimport.
Ssu—ma’sofficerscametohimandsaid：\"IfMengTahasleaguedhimselfwithWuandShu，themattershouldbethoroughlyinvestigatedbeforewemakeamove.\"Ssu—maIreplied：\"MengTaisanunprincipledman，andweoughttogoandpunishhimatonce，whileheisstillwaveringandbeforehehasthrownoffthemask.\"Then，byaseriesofforcedmarches，bebroughthisarmyunderthewallsofHsin—ch`engwithinaspaceofeightdays.
NowMengTahadpreviouslysaidinalettertoChu—koLiang：
\"Wanis1200LIfromhere.WhenthenewsofmyrevoltreachesSsu—maI，hewillatonceinformhisimperialmaster，butitwillbeawholemonthbeforeanystepscanbetaken，andbythattimemycitywillbewellfortified.Besides，Ssu—maIissurenottocomehimself，andthegeneralsthatwillbesentagainstusarenotworthtroublingabout.\"Thenextletter，however，wasfilledwithconsternation：\"ThoughonlyeightdayshavepassedsinceI
threwoffmyallegiance，anarmyisalreadyatthecity—gates.
Whatmiraculousrapidityisthis！\"Afortnightlater，Hsin—
ch`enghadfallenandMengTahadlosthishead.[SeeCHINSHU，ch.1，f.3.]In621A.D.，LiChingwassentfromK`uei—chouinSsu—ch`uantoreducethesuccessfulrebelHsiaoHsien，whohadsetupasEmperoratthemodernChing—chouFuinHupeh.Itwasautumn，andtheYangtszebeingtheninflood，HsiaoHsienneverdreamtthathisadversarywouldventuretocomedownthroughthegorges，andconsequentlymadenopreparations.
ButLiChingembarkedhisarmywithoutlossoftime，andwasjustabouttostartwhentheothergeneralsimploredhimtopostponehisdepartureuntiltheriverwasinalessdangerousstatefornavigation.LiChingreplied：\"Tothesoldier，overwhelmingspeedisofparamountimportance，andhemustnevermissopportunities.Nowisthetimetostrike，beforeHsiaoHsienevenknowsthatwehavegotanarmytogether.Ifweseizethepresentmomentwhentheriverisinflood，weshallappearbeforehiscapitalwithstartlingsuddenness，likethethunderwhichisheardbeforeyouhavetimetostopyourearsagainstit.[SeeVII.ss.19，note.]Thisisthegreatprincipleinwar.Evenifhegetstoknowofourapproach，hewillhavetolevyhissoldiersinsuchahurrythattheywillnotbefittoopposeus.
Thusthefullfruitsofvictorywillbeours.\"Allcameaboutashepredicted，andHsiaoHsienwasobligedtosurrender，noblystipulatingthathispeopleshouldbesparedandhealonesufferthepenaltyofdeath.]
takeadvantageoftheenemy’sunreadiness，makeyourwaybyunexpectedroutes，andattackunguardedspots.
20.Thefollowingaretheprinciplestobeobservedbyaninvadingforce：Thefurtheryoupenetrateintoacountry，thegreaterwillbethesolidarityofyourtroops，andthusthedefenderswillnotprevailagainstyou.
21.Makeforaysinfertilecountryinordertosupplyyourarmywithfood.
[Cf.supra，ss.13.LiCh`uandoesnotventureonanotehere.]
22.Carefullystudythewell—beingofyourmen，[For\"well—being\"，WangHsimeans，\"Petthem，humorthem，givethemplentyoffoodanddrink，andlookafterthemgenerally.\"]
anddonotovertaxthem.Concentrateyourenergyandhoardyourstrength.
[Ch`enrecallsthelineofactionadoptedin224B.C.bythefamousgeneralWangChien，whosemilitarygeniuslargelycontributedtothesuccessoftheFirstEmperor.HehadinvadedtheCh`uState，whereauniversallevywasmadetoopposehim.
But，beingdoubtfulofthetemperofhistroops，hedeclinedallinvitationstofightandremainedstrictlyonthedefensive.InvaindidtheCh`ugeneraltrytoforceabattle：dayafterdayWangChienkeptinsidehiswallsandwouldnotcomeout，butdevotedhiswholetimeandenergytowinningtheaffectionandconfidenceofhismen.Hetookcarethattheyshouldbewellfed，sharinghisownmealswiththem，providedfacilitiesforbathing，andemployedeverymethodofjudiciousindulgencetoweldthemintoaloyalandhomogenousbody.Aftersometimehadelapsed，hetoldoffcertainpersonstofindouthowthemenwereamusingthemselves.Theanswerwas，thattheywerecontendingwithoneanotherinputtingtheweightandlong—jumping.WhenWangChienheardthattheywereengagedintheseathleticpursuits，heknewthattheirspiritshadbeenstrunguptotherequiredpitchandthattheywerenowreadyforfighting.BythistimetheCh`uarmy，afterrepeatingtheirchallengeagainandagain，hadmarchedawayeastwardsindisgust.TheCh`ingeneralimmediatelybrokeuphiscampandfollowedthem，andinthebattlethatensuedtheywereroutedwithgreatslaughter.
Shortlyafterwards，thewholeofCh`uwasconqueredbyCh`in，andthekingFu—ch`uledintocaptivity.]
Keepyourarmycontinuallyonthemove，[Inorderthattheenemymayneverknowexactlywhereyouare.Ithasstruckme，however，thatthetruereadingmightbe\"linkyourarmytogether.\"]
anddeviseunfathomableplans.
23.Throwyoursoldiersintopositionswhencethereisnoescape，andtheywillpreferdeathtoflight.Iftheywillfacedeath，thereisnothingtheymaynotachieve.
[ChangYuquoteshisfavoriteWeiLiaoTzu（ch.3）：\"Ifonemanweretorunamokwithaswordinthemarket—place，andeverybodyelsetriedtogetourofhisway，Ishouldnotallowthatthismanalonehadcourageandthatalltherestwerecontemptiblecowards.Thetruthis，thatadesperadoandamanwhosetssomevalueonhislifedonotmeetoneventerms.\"]
Officersandmenalikewillputforththeiruttermoststrength.
[ChangYusays：\"Iftheyareinanawkwardplacetogether，theywillsurelyexerttheirunitedstrengthtogetoutofit.\"]
24.Soldierswhenindesperatestraitslosethesenseoffear.Ifthereisnoplaceofrefuge，theywillstandfirm.Iftheyareinhostilecountry，theywillshowastubbornfront.Ifthereisnohelpforit，theywillfighthard.
25.Thus，withoutwaitingtobemarshaled，thesoldierswillbeconstantlyonthequivive;withoutwaitingtobeasked，theywilldoyourwill;
[Literally，\"withoutasking，youwillget.\"]
withoutrestrictions，theywillbefaithful;withoutgivingorders，theycanbetrusted.
26.Prohibitthetakingofomens，anddoawaywithsuperstitiousdoubts.Then，untildeathitselfcomes，nocalamityneedbefeared.
[Thesuperstitious，\"boundintosaucydoubtsandfears，\"
degenerateintocowardsand\"diemanytimesbeforetheirdeaths.\"
TuMuquotesHuangShih—kung：\"’Spellsandincantationsshouldbestrictlyforbidden，andnoofficerallowedtoinquirebydivinationintothefortunesofanarmy，forfearthesoldiers’
mindsshouldbeseriouslyperturbed.’Themeaningis，\"hecontinues，\"thatifalldoubtsandscruplesarediscarded，yourmenwillneverfalterintheirresolutionuntiltheydie.\"]
27.Ifoursoldiersarenotoverburdenedwithmoney，itisnotbecausetheyhaveadistasteforriches;iftheirlivesarenotundulylong，itisnotbecausetheyaredisinclinedtolongevity.
[ChangYuhasthebestnoteonthispassage：\"Wealthandlonglifearethingsforwhichallmenhaveanaturalinclination.Hence，iftheyburnorflingawayvaluables，andsacrificetheirownlives，itisnotthattheydislikethem，butsimplythattheyhavenochoice.\"SunTzuisslylyinsinuatingthat，assoldiersarebuthuman，itisforthegeneraltoseethattemptationstoshirkfightingandgrowricharenotthrownintheirway.]
28.Onthedaytheyareorderedouttobattle，yoursoldiersmayweep，[ThewordintheChineseis\"snivel.\"Thisistakentoindicatemoregenuinegriefthantearsalone.]
thosesittingupbedewingtheirgarments，andthoselyingdownlettingthetearsrundowntheircheeks.
[Notbecausetheyareafraid，butbecause，asTs`aoKungsays，\"allhaveembracedthefirmresolutiontodoordie.\"WemayrememberthattheheroesoftheIliadwereequallychildlikeinshowingtheiremotion.ChangYualludestothemournfulpartingattheIRiverbetweenChingK`oandhisfriends，whentheformerwassenttoattemptthelifeoftheKingofCh`in（afterwardsFirstEmperor）in227B.C.Thetearsofallfloweddownlikerainashebadethemfarewellandutteredthefollowinglines：\"Theshrillblastisblowing，Chillytheburn;Yourchampionisgoing——Nottoreturn.\"[1]]
Butletthemoncebebroughttobay，andtheywilldisplaythecourageofaChuoraKuei.
[ChuwasthepersonalnameofChuanChu，anativeoftheWuStateandcontemporarywithSunTzuhimself，whowasemployedbyKung—tzuKuang，betterknownasHoLuWang，toassassinatehissovereignWangLiaowithadaggerwhichhesecretedinthebellyofafishservedupatabanquet.Hesucceededinhisattempt，butwasimmediatelyhackedtopiecedbytheking’sbodyguard.
Thiswasin515B.C.Theotherheroreferredto，Ts`aoKuei（orTs`aoMo），performedtheexploitwhichhasmadehisnamefamous166yearsearlier，in681B.C.LuhadbeenthricedefeatedbyCh`i，andwasjustabouttoconcludeatreatysurrenderingalargesliceofterritory，whenTs`aoKueisuddenlyseizedHuanKung，theDukeofCh`i，ashestoodonthealtarstepsandheldadaggeragainsthischest.Noneoftheduke’sretainersdaredtomoveamuscle，andTs`aoKueiproceededtodemandfullrestitution，declaringtheLuwasbeingunjustlytreatedbecauseshewasasmallerandaweakerstate.HuanKung，inperilofhislife，wasobligedtoconsent，whereuponTs`aoKueiflungawayhisdaggerandquietlyresumedhisplaceamidtheterrifiedassemblagewithouthavingsomuchaschangedcolor.Aswastobeexpected，theDukewantedafterwardstorepudiatethebargain，buthiswiseoldcounselorKuanChungpointedouttohimtheimpolicyofbreakinghisword，andtheupshotwasthatthisboldstrokeregainedforLuthewholeofwhatshehadlostinthreepitchedbattles.]
29.TheskillfultacticianmaybelikenedtotheSHUAI—JAN.
NowtheSHUAI—JANisasnakethatisfoundintheCh`angmountains.
[\"Shuai—jan\"means\"suddenly\"or\"rapidly，\"andthesnakeinquestionwasdoubtlesssocalledowingtotherapidityofitsmovements.Throughthispassage，thetermintheChinesehasnowcometobeusedinthesenseof\"militarymaneuvers.\"]
Strikeatitshead，andyouwillbeattackedbyitstail;strikeatitstail，andyouwillbeattackedbyitshead;strikeatitsmiddle，andyouwillbeattackedbyheadandtailboth.
30.AskedifanarmycanbemadetoimitatetheSHUAI—JAN，[Thatis，asMeiYao—ch`ensays，\"Isitpossibletomakethefrontandrearofanarmyeachswiftlyresponsivetoattackontheother，justasthoughtheywerepartofasinglelivingbody？\"]
Ishouldanswer，Yes.ForthemenofWuandthemenofYuehareenemies;
[Cf.VI.ss.21.]
yetiftheyarecrossingariverinthesameboatandarecaughtbyastorm，theywillcometoeachother’sassistancejustasthelefthandhelpstheright.
[Themeaningis：Iftwoenemieswillhelpeachotherinatimeofcommonperil，howmuchmoreshouldtwopartsofthesamearmy，boundtogetherastheyarebyeverytieofinterestandfellow—feeling.Yetitisnotoriousthatmanyacampaignhasbeenruinedthroughlackofcooperation，especiallyinthecaseofalliedarmies.]
31.Henceitisnotenoughtoputone’strustinthetetheringofhorses，andtheburyingofchariotwheelsintheground[Thesequaintdevicestopreventone’sarmyfromrunningawayrecalltheAthenianheroSophanes，whocarriedtheanchorwithhimatthebattleofPlataea，bymeansofwhichhefastenedhimselffirmlytoonespot.[SeeHerodotus，IX.74.]Itisnotenough，saysSunTzu，torenderflightimpossiblebysuchmechanicalmeans.Youwillnotsucceedunlessyourmenhavetenacityandunityofpurpose，and，aboveall，aspiritofsympatheticcooperation.ThisisthelessonwhichcanbelearnedfromtheSHUAI—JAN.]
32.Theprincipleonwhichtomanageanarmyistosetuponestandardofcouragewhichallmustreach.
[Literally，\"levelthecourage[ofall]asthough[itwerethatof]one.\"Iftheidealarmyistoformasingleorganicwhole，thenitfollowsthattheresolutionandspiritofitscomponentpartsmustbeofthesamequality，oratanyratemustnotfallbelowacertainstandard.Wellington’sseeminglyungratefuldescriptionofhisarmyatWaterlooas\"theworsthehadevercommanded\"meantnomorethanthatitwasdeficientinthisimportantparticular——unityofspiritandcourage.HadhenotforeseentheBelgiandefectionsandcarefullykeptthosetroopsinthebackground，hewouldalmostcertainlyhavelosttheday.]
33.Howtomakethebestofbothstrongandweak——thatisaquestioninvolvingtheproperuseofground.
[MeiYao—ch`en’sparaphraseis：\"Thewaytoeliminatethedifferencesofstrongandweakandtomakebothserviceableistoutilizeaccidentalfeaturesoftheground.\"Lessreliabletroops，ifpostedinstrongpositions，willholdoutaslongasbettertroopsonmoreexposedterrain.Theadvantageofpositionneutralizestheinferiorityinstaminaandcourage.Col.
Hendersonsays：\"Withallrespecttothetextbooks，andtotheordinarytacticalteaching，Iaminclinedtothinkthatthestudyofgroundisoftenoverlooked，andthatbynomeanssufficientimportanceisattachedtotheselectionofpositionsandtotheimmenseadvantagesthataretobederived，whetheryouaredefendingorattacking，fromtheproperutilizationofnaturalfeatures.\"[2]]
34.Thustheskillfulgeneralconductshisarmyjustasthoughhewereleadingasingleman，willy—nilly，bythehand.
[TuMusays：\"Thesimilehasreferencetotheeasewithwhichhedoesit.\"]
35.Itisthebusinessofageneraltobequietandthusensuresecrecy;uprightandjust，andthusmaintainorder.
36.Hemustbeabletomystifyhisofficersandmenbyfalsereportsandappearances，[Literally，\"todeceivetheireyesandears.\"]
andthuskeepthemintotalignorance.
[Ts`aoKunggivesusoneofhisexcellentapophthegms：\"Thetroopsmustnotbeallowedtoshareyourschemesinthebeginning;theymayonlyrejoicewithyouovertheirhappyoutcome.\"\"Tomystify，mislead，andsurprisetheenemy，\"isoneofthefirstprinciplesinwar，ashadbeenfrequentlypointedout.Buthowabouttheotherprocess——themystificationofone’sownmen？ThosewhomaythinkthatSunTzuisover—emphaticonthispointwoulddowelltoreadCol.Henderson’sremarksonStonewallJackson’sValleycampaign：\"Theinfinitepains，\"hesays，\"withwhichJacksonsoughttoconceal，evenfromhismosttrustedstaffofficers，hismovements，hisintentions，andhisthoughts，acommanderlessthoroughwouldhavepronounceduseless\"——etc.etc.[3]Intheyear88A.D.，aswereadinch.
47oftheHOUHANSHU，\"PanCh`aotookthefieldwith25，000menfromKhotanandotherCentralAsianstateswiththeobjectofcrushingYarkand.TheKingofKutcharepliedbydispatchinghischiefcommandertosuccortheplacewithanarmydrawnfromthekingdomsofWen—su，Ku—mo，andWei—t`ou，totaling50，000men.
PanCh`aosummonedhisofficersandalsotheKingofKhotantoacouncilofwar，andsaid：’Ourforcesarenowoutnumberedandunabletomakeheadagainsttheenemy.Thebestplan，then，isforustoseparateanddisperse，eachinadifferentdirection.
TheKingofKhotanwillmarchawaybytheeasterlyroute，andI
willthenreturnmyselftowardsthewest.Letuswaituntiltheeveningdrumhassoundedandthenstart.’PanCh`aonowsecretlyreleasedtheprisonerswhomhehadtakenalive，andtheKingofKutchawasthusinformedofhisplans.Muchelatedbythenews，thelattersetoffatonceattheheadof10，000horsementobarPanCh`ao’sretreatinthewest，whiletheKingofWen—surodeeastwardwith8000horseinordertointercepttheKingofKhotan.AssoonasPanCh`aoknewthatthetwochieftainshadgone，hecalledhisdivisionstogether，gotthemwellinhand，andatcock—crowhurledthemagainstthearmyofYarkand，asitlayencamped.Thebarbarians，panic—stricken，fledinconfusion，andwerecloselypursuedbyPanCh`ao.Over5000headswerebroughtbackastrophies，besidesimmensespoilsintheshapeofhorsesandcattleandvaluablesofeverydescription.Yarkandthencapitulating，Kutchaandtheotherkingdomsdrewofftheirrespectiveforces.Fromthattimeforward，PanCh`ao’sprestigecompletelyoverawedthecountriesofthewest.\"Inthiscase，weseethattheChinesegeneralnotonlykepthisownofficersinignoranceofhisrealplans，butactuallytooktheboldstepofdividinghisarmyinordertodeceivetheenemy.]
37.Byalteringhisarrangementsandchanginghisplans，[WangHsithinksthatthismeansnotusingthesamestratagemtwice.]
hekeepstheenemywithoutdefiniteknowledge.
[ChangYu，inaquotationfromanotherwork，says：\"Theaxiom，thatwarisbasedondeception，doesnotapplyonlytodeceptionoftheenemy.Youmustdeceiveevenyourownsoldiers.
Makethemfollowyou，butwithoutlettingthemknowwhy.\"]
Byshiftinghiscampandtakingcircuitousroutes，hepreventstheenemyfromanticipatinghispurpose.
38.Atthecriticalmoment，theleaderofanarmyactslikeonewhohasclimbedupaheightandthenkicksawaytheladderbehindhim.Hecarrieshismendeepintohostileterritorybeforeheshowshishand.
[Literally，\"releasesthespring\"（seeV.ss.15），thatis，takessomedecisivestepwhichmakesitimpossibleforthearmytoreturn——likeHsiangYu，whosunkhisshipsaftercrossingariver.Ch`enHao，followedbyChiaLin，understandsthewordslesswellas\"putsfortheveryartificeathiscommand.\"]
39.Heburnshisboatsandbreakshiscooking—pots;likeashepherddrivingaflockofsheep，hedriveshismenthiswayandthat，andnothingknowswhitherheisgoing.
[TuMusays：\"Thearmyisonlycognizantoforderstoadvanceorretreat;itisignorantoftheulteriorendsofattackingandconquering.\"]
40.Tomusterhishostandbringitintodanger：——thismaybetermedthebusinessofthegeneral.
[SunTzumeansthataftermobilizationthereshouldbenodelayinaimingablowattheenemy’sheart.Notehowhereturnsagainandagaintothispoint.AmongthewarringstatesofancientChina，desertionwasnodoubtamuchmorepresentfearandseriousevilthanitisinthearmiesoftoday.]
41.Thedifferentmeasuressuitedtotheninevarietiesofground;
[ChangYusays：\"Onemustnotbehide—boundininterpretingtherulesfortheninevarietiesofground.]
theexpediencyofaggressiveordefensivetactics;andthefundamentallawsofhumannature：thesearethingsthatmustmostcertainlybestudied.
42.Wheninvadinghostileterritory，thegeneralprincipleis，thatpenetratingdeeplybringscohesion;penetratingbutashortwaymeansdispersion.
[Cf.supra，ss.20.]
43.Whenyouleaveyourowncountrybehind，andtakeyourarmyacrossneighborhoodterritory，youfindyourselfoncriticalground.
[This\"ground\"iscuriouslymentionedinVIII.ss.2，butitdoesnotfigureamongtheNineSituationsortheSixCalamitiesinchap.X.One’sfirstimpulsewouldbetotranslateitdistantground，\"butthis，ifwecantrustthecommentators，ispreciselywhatisnotmeanthere.MeiYao—ch`ensaysitis\"apositionnotfarenoughadvancedtobecalled’facile，’andnotnearenoughtohometobe’dispersive，’butsomethingbetweenthetwo.\"WangHsisays：\"Itisgroundseparatedfromhomebyaninterjacentstate，whoseterritorywehavehadtocrossinordertoreachit.
Hence，itisincumbentonustosettleourbusinesstherequickly.\"Headdsthatthispositionisofrareoccurrence，whichisthereasonwhyitisnotincludedamongtheNineSituations.]
Whentherearemeansofcommunicationonallfoursides，thegroundisoneofintersectinghighways.
44.Whenyoupenetratedeeplyintoacountry，itisseriousground.Whenyoupenetratebutalittleway，itisfacileground.
45.Whenyouhavetheenemy’sstrongholdsonyourrear，andnarrowpassesinfront，itishemmed—inground.Whenthereisnoplaceofrefugeatall，itisdesperateground.
46.Therefore，ondispersiveground，Iwouldinspiremymenwithunityofpurpose.