| | 八月紀: |
一曰── |
| | Firstly──
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| | 八月紀: |
仲秋之月：日在角，昏牽牛中，旦觜嶲中。其日庚辛。其帝少皞。其神蓐收。其蟲毛。其音商。律中南呂。其數九。其味辛。其臭腥。其祀門。祭先肝。涼風生。候鳥來。玄鳥歸。群鳥養羞。天子居總章太廟，乘戎路，駕白駱，載白旂，衣白衣，服白玉，食麻與犬。其器廉以深。 |
| | In the eighth month of autumn: the sun is in Jiao, at dusk, Tianniu is central; at dawn, Zuiyi is central. Its days are Geng and Xin. Its emperor is Shaohao. Its deity is Rushou. Its creature is Mao. Its tone is Shang. The pitch pipe corresponds to Nanlv. Its number is nine. Its flavor is Xin (pungent). Its smell is Xing (fishy). Its offering is to the gate. The sacrifice is of the liver of ancestors. Cool winds arise. Migratory birds arrive. The xuan bird returns. Birds gather to fatten for the winter. The Son of Heaven resides in Zongzhang Taomiào, rides a military carriage, is drawn by white camels, carries a white banner, wears white robes, adorns himself with white jade, and eats hemp seeds and dog meat. Its vessels are sharp-edged and deep.
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| | 八月紀: |
是月也，養衰老，授几杖，行麋粥飲食。乃命司服，具飭衣裳，文繡有常，制有小大，度有短長，衣服有量，必循其故，冠帶有常。命有司，申嚴百刑，斬殺必當，無或枉橈，枉橈不當，反受其殃。 |
| | In this month, the elderly are cared for; they are given canes and stools, and are provided with porridge and food that is easy to digest. Then the emperor commands the officials in charge of attire to prepare and regulate clothing; embroidery and patterns follow established standards, sizes are regulated as small or large, lengths are measured as short or long, quantities of garments are determined, all must conform to precedent, and headdresses and sashes also have fixed regulations. The emperor commands the responsible officials to strictly enforce all punishments; executions and killings must be just, without any injustice or distortion. Those who act unjustly or distort justice will themselves suffer misfortune as a consequence.
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| | 八月紀: |
是月也，乃命宰祝，巡行犧牲：視全具；案芻豢；瞻肥瘠，察物色，必比類；量小大，視長短，皆中度。五者備當，上帝其享。天子乃儺，禦佐疾，以通秋氣。以犬嘗麻，先祭寢廟。 |
| | In this month, the emperor commands the chief priests to inspect the sacrificial animals: checking that they are complete and properly prepared; examining their fodder and care; observing their fatness or thinness, examining their appearance, and ensuring they are properly categorized by type; measuring their size, observing their length, all must conform to the proper standards. When these five aspects are properly prepared and meet the criteria, Heaven's Deity will accept the sacrifice. The Son of Heaven then performs the Nuo ritual to ward off illness and assist in healing, thereby harmonizing with the autumn qi (vital energy). He tastes hemp seeds using dog meat as an offering, first making sacrifices at the ancestral temple.
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| | 八月紀: |
是月也，可以築城郭，建都邑，穿竇窌，修囷倉。乃命有司，趣民收斂，務蓄菜，多積聚。乃勸種麥，無或失時，行罪無疑。 |
| | In this month, it is appropriate to build city walls and fortifications, establish capitals and towns, dig wells and cisterns, and repair granaries. The emperor then commands the responsible officials to urge the people to harvest and gather in their crops, to store vegetables, and to accumulate supplies in abundance. He encourages the sowing of wheat, warning that no one should miss the proper season; those who fail will be punished without hesitation.
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| | 八月紀: |
是月也，日夜分。雷乃始收聲。蟄蟲俯戶。殺氣浸盛，陽氣日衰。水始涸。日夜分，則一度量，平權衡，正鈞石，齊斗甬。 |
| | In this month, day and night are equal in length. Thunder begins to cease its sound. The hibernating insects retreat into their dwellings. Killing qi gradually becomes more intense, while yang qi diminishes daily. The water begins to dry up. When day and night are of equal length, the standard measures should be regulated, weights balanced, scales standardized, and measuring vessels made uniform.
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| | 八月紀: |
是月也，易關市，來商旅，入貨賄，以便民事。四方來雜，遠鄉皆至，則財物不匱，上無乏用，百事乃遂。凡舉事無逆天數，必順其時，乃因其類。 |
| | In this month, customs and market regulations are adjusted to attract merchants and travelers, allowing goods and valuables to flow in, thus facilitating the affairs of the people. When people from all directions come together and distant regions arrive, then wealth and goods will not be lacking; the ruler will have no shortage of resources, and all affairs will proceed smoothly. Whenever undertaking any endeavor, one must not go against the order of Heaven; it is essential to follow the proper time and act in accordance with its nature.
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| | 八月紀: |
行之是令，白露降三旬。仲秋行春令，則秋雨不降，草木生榮，國乃有大恐。行夏令，則其國旱，蟄蟲不藏，五穀復生。行冬令，則風災數起，收雷先行，草木早死。 |
| | This decree being carried out, white dew falls for thirty days. If in the eighth month of autumn one acts according to spring commands, then autumn rains will not fall, grass and trees will grow luxuriantly, and the state will be filled with great fear. If one acts according to summer commands during this time, then the country will suffer from drought, hibernating insects will not hide away, and five grains will sprout again. If one acts according to winter commands during this time, wind disasters will frequently arise, thunder will occur prematurely, and grass and trees will die early.
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| | 論威: |
二曰── |
| | Secondly--
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| | 論威: |
義也者，萬事之紀也，君臣上下親疏之所由起也，治亂安危過勝之所在也。過勝之，勿求於他，必反於己。 |
| | Righteousness is the foundation of all affairs; it is the source from which the relationships between ruler and subject, superior and subordinate, close and distant relatives arise. It is also where order or disorder, safety or danger, excess or victory lie. If one overcomes excess with victory, do not seek it from others; it must return to oneself.
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| | 論威: |
人情欲生而惡死，欲榮而惡辱。死生榮辱之道一，則三軍之士可使一心矣。 |
| | Human nature desires life and dislikes death, desires honor and dislikes disgrace. If the principles of life and death, honor and disgrace are unified, then the soldiers of the three armies can be made to have a single mind.
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| | 論威: |
凡軍欲其眾也，心欲其一也，三軍一心則令可使無敵矣。令能無敵者，其兵之於天下也亦無敵矣。古之至兵，民之重令也。重乎天下，貴乎天子。其藏於民心，捷於肌膚也，深痛執固，不可搖蕩，物莫之能動。若此則敵胡足勝矣？故曰其令彊者其敵弱，其令信者其敵詘。先勝之於此，則必勝之於彼矣。 |
| | In general, an army desires numbers, but the heart desires unity; if the three armies have a single mind, then commands can become invincible. If commands can be made invincible, then its military power in relation to the world will also be invincible. The supreme military force of ancient times was the people's reverence for orders. It is valued more than all under heaven, and esteemed even by the Son of Heaven. It is hidden within the people's hearts, more sensitive than skin; deeply felt and firmly held, it cannot be shaken or disturbed. Nothing can move it. If this is so, then what enemy could possibly be difficult to defeat? Therefore it is said: where commands are strong, the enemy is weak; where commands are trusted, the enemy is bent. If victory is first secured in this way, then it will surely be achieved there as well.
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| | 論威: |
凡兵，天下之凶器也；勇，天下之凶德也。舉凶器，行凶德，猶不得已也。舉凶器必殺，殺，所以生之也；行凶德必威，威，所以懾之也。敵懾民生，此義兵之所以隆也。故古之至兵，才民未合，而威已諭矣，敵已服矣，豈必用枹鼓干戈哉？故善諭威者，於其未發也，於其未通也，窅窅乎冥冥，莫知其情，此之謂至威之誠。 |
| | Arms are the ominous instruments of the world; Bravery is an ominous virtue in the world. To raise ominous instruments and practice an ominous virtue is only done when absolutely necessary. Raising the ominous instrument necessarily involves killing; killing, however, is for the sake of preserving life; Practicing an ominous virtue necessarily brings authority; authority, in turn, is used to intimidate and subdue. When the enemy is cowed and the people are preserved, this is why a righteous army prospers. Therefore, the supreme military force of ancient times, before the people and their leaders had united, already conveyed its authority, and the enemy was already subdued. Was it necessarily required to use drums, war hammers, spears, or swords? Therefore, those skilled in conveying authority do so before it is manifested, before it is communicated; they are profound and obscure, beyond comprehension—this is called the sincerity of supreme authority.
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| | 論威: |
凡兵欲急疾捷先。欲急疾捷先之道，在於知緩徐遲後而急疾捷先之分也。急疾捷先，此所以決義兵之勝也。而不可久處，知其不可久處，則知所兔起鳧舉死殙之地矣。雖有江河之險則淩之，雖有大山之塞則陷之，并氣專精，心無有慮，目無有視，耳無有聞，一諸武而已矣。冉叔誓必死於田侯，而齊國皆懼；豫讓必死於襄子，而趙氏皆恐；成荊致死於韓主，而周人皆畏；又況乎萬乘之國，而有所誠必乎，則何敵之有矣？刃未接而欲已得矣。敵人之悼懼憚恐，單蕩精神盡矣，咸若狂魄，形性相離，行不知所之，走不知所往，雖有險阻要塞，銛兵利械，心無敢據，意無敢處，此夏桀之所以死於南巢也。今以木擊木則拌，以水投水則散，以冰投冰則沈，以塗投塗則陷，此疾徐先後之勢也。 |
| | In general, military action desires speed, swiftness, agility, and being first. The way to achieve speed, swiftness, and being the first lies in understanding the distinction between slowness, delay, and falling behind on one hand, and urgency, swiftness, superiority, and taking the lead on the other. Speed, swiftness, and taking the initiative—this is how a righteous army secures victory. Yet such conditions cannot be maintained for long; understanding that they cannot last means one knows where to avoid the perilous ground of sudden danger, flight, and death. Even if there are the dangers of great rivers, they will be crossed; even if there are barriers of towering mountains, they will be breached. With unified spirit and focused energy, the mind is free from worry, the eyes see nothing, the ears hear nothing—only martial focus remains. Ran Shu vowed to die for Tian Hou, and thus all of Qi State became fearful; Yu Rang vowed to die for Xiangzi, and thus the Zhao clan were all frightened; Cheng Jing devoted himself to death for Han ZHU, and thus all the people of Zhou feared; Moreover, how much more so in a great state with ten thousand chariots—if there is genuine resolve and certainty—then what enemy could possibly exist? Before the blades have even met, victory has already been secured. The enemy, filled with sorrow, fear, dread, and terror, is completely drained of spirit; they are like mad souls, their bodies and minds separated. They walk without knowing where to go, run without knowing where to flee. Even if there are dangerous obstacles, strategic strongholds, sharp weapons, or advantageous equipment, their hearts dare not hold fast, nor does their will find a place to rest—this was why Xia Jie died at Nan Chao. Now, when wood strikes wood it splinters; when water is poured into water it disperses; when ice is thrown at ice it sinks; when mud is cast upon mud it collapses—this is the nature of speed and timing, of precedence and delay.
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| | 論威: |
夫兵有大要，知謀物之不謀之不禁也則得之矣，專諸是也，獨手舉劍至而已矣，吳王壹成。又況乎義兵，多者數萬，少者數千，密其躅路，開敵之塗，則士豈特與專諸議哉？ |
| | There is a fundamental principle to military affairs: understanding that what cannot be planned for, what cannot be prevented—when one grasps this, success follows. This was the case with Zhuan Zhu; he alone raised his sword and struck, and King Goujian of Wu achieved complete victory. How much more so for a righteous army, which may number tens of thousands at most and thousands at least—by concealing their tracks and opening the enemy's path, would its soldiers not surpass even Zhuan Zhu in effectiveness?
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| | 簡選: |
三曰── |
| | Thirdly──
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| | 簡選: |
世有言曰：「驅市人而戰之，可以勝人之厚祿教卒；老弱罷民，可以勝人之精士練材；離散係系，可以勝人之行陳整齊；鋤櫌白梃，可以勝人之長銚利兵」。此不通乎兵者之論。今有利劍於此，以刺則不中，以擊則不及，與惡劍無擇，為是鬥因用惡劍則不可。簡選精良，兵械銛利，發之則不時，縱之則不當，與惡卒無擇，為是戰因用惡卒則不可。王子慶忌、陳年猶欲劍之利也。簡選精良，兵械銛利，令能將將之，古者有以王者、有以霸者矣，湯、武、齊桓、晉文、吳闔廬是矣。 |
| | The world has a saying: "Driving common people into battle can enable them to overcome well-paid, well-trained soldiers; the elderly, the weak, and exhausted civilians can enable them to defeat others' elite warriors and trained talents; scattered and disorganized forces can enable them to triumph over others' well-ordered formations; hoes and white sticks can enable them to overcome others' long spears and sharp weapons." This is the argument of those who do not understand military affairs. Now suppose there is a fine sword here; if one uses it to stab, he does not hit the target, and if one uses it to strike, he cannot reach his opponent. Compared with an inferior sword, there would be no difference, so in such a case, using an inferior sword for fighting would certainly be unacceptable. Selecting and choosing elite troops, with sharp and superior weapons, yet launching them at the wrong time, or deploying them inappropriately, would make no difference compared to using inferior soldiers. Therefore, for this reason, it is unacceptable to wage war relying on inferior soldiers. Wang Zi Qingji and Chen Nian still desire the sharpness of a good sword. Selecting and choosing elite troops with sharp and superior weapons, and entrusting capable generals to lead them—this is how ancient rulers achieved either kingship or hegemony. Tang, Wu, Duke Huan of Qi, Duke Wen of Jin, and Gou Jian of Yue are examples of this.
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| | 簡選: |
殷湯良車七十乘，必死六千人，以戊子戰於郕，遂禽推移、大犧，登自鳴條，乃入巢門，遂有夏。桀既奔走，於是行大仁慈，以恤黔首；反桀之事，遂其賢良，順民所喜；遠近歸之，故王天下。 |
| | Yin Tang had seventy fine chariots and six thousand men ready to die, and on the Wusi day he fought a battle at Cheng. Thus he captured Tuiyi and Daxi, marched up from Mingtiao, entered Chamen, and thereby took control of Xia. After Jie had fled, he then practiced great benevolence and mercy to care for the common people; reversed Jie's deeds, promoted his virtuous and capable officials, and followed what pleased the people; distant and nearby people flocked to him, so he became king of all under heaven.
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| | 簡選: |
武王虎賁三千人，簡車三百乘，以要甲子之事於牧野而紂為禽。顯賢者之位，進殷之遺老，而問民之所欲，行賞及禽獸，行罰不辟天子，親殷如周，視人如己，天下美其德，萬民說其義，故立為天子。 |
| | King Wu had three thousand elite warriors and three hundred selected chariots, with which he confronted Zhou at the Battle of Muye on the Yojiu day, resulting in Zhou's capture. He established the position of virtuous men, promoted the elderly scholars from Yin, and inquired about what the people desired. He extended rewards even to animals, imposed punishments without sparing the Son of Heaven, treated the Yin people as his own relatives, and regarded others as he did himself. The whole world admired his virtue, and all the people were pleased with his righteousness; thus, he was established as Son of Heaven.
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| | 簡選: |
齊桓公良車三百乘，教卒萬人，以為兵首，橫行海內，天下莫之能禁，南至石梁，西至酆郭，北至令支。中山亡邢，狄人滅衛，桓公更立邢于夷儀，更立衛于楚丘。 |
| | Duke Huan of Qi had three hundred fine chariots and ten thousand trained soldiers, whom he placed at the head of his military forces. He marched freely across the land; no one in the world could stop him. His campaigns extended as far south as Shiliang, west to Fengguo, and north to Lingzhi. Zhongshan destroyed Xing, and the Di people annihilated Wei. Duke Huan of Qi reestablished Xing at Yiyi and reestablished Wei at Chuqiu.
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| | 簡選: |
晉文公造五兩之士五乘，銳卒千人，先以接敵，諸侯莫之能難，反鄭之埤，東衛之畝，尊天子于衡雍。 |
| | Duke Wen of Jin created five elite chariot units, each consisting of two chariots (totaling ten chariots), and a thousand sharp soldiers to lead the charge against the enemy. No feudal lord could challenge him. He recovered Bi from Zheng, reclaimed Miao from Dongwei, and honored the Son of Heaven at Hengyong.
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| | 簡選: |
吳闔廬選多力者五百人，利趾者三千人，以為前陳，與荊戰，五戰五勝，遂有郢。東征至于庳廬，西伐至于巴、蜀，北迫齊、晉，令行中國。 |
| | Gou Jian of Wu selected five hundred men with great strength and three thousand agile foot soldiers to serve as the vanguard. When he fought against Jing, he won five battles in succession and thus captured Ying. He launched eastern campaigns as far as Bilu, western expeditions reaching Ba and Shu, and northern advances pressing Qi and Jin, enforcing his commands throughout the Central States.
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| | 簡選: |
故凡兵勢險阻，欲其便也；兵甲器械，欲其利也；選練角材，欲其精也；統率士民，欲其教也。此四者，義兵之助也。時變之應也，不可為而不足專恃。此勝之一策也。 |
| | Therefore, in all military matters involving perilous terrain or obstacles, one desires convenience; armor and weapons, one desires their sharpness and effectiveness; selecting and training soldiers, one desires their excellence; commanding soldiers and civilians, one desires discipline and instruction. These four factors are the aids of a righteous army. Responding to changes in circumstances is essential; it cannot be forced and should not be relied upon exclusively. This is one strategy for achieving victory.
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| | 決勝: |
四曰── |
| | Fourthly──
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| | 決勝: |
夫兵有本幹：必義，必智，必勇。義則敵孤獨，敵孤獨則上下虛，民解落；孤獨則父兄怨，賢者誹，亂內作。智則知時化，知時化則知虛實盛衰之變，知先後遠近縱舍之數。勇則能決斷，能決斷則能若雷電飄風暴雨，能若崩山破潰，別辨霣墜；若鷙鳥之擊也，搏攫則殪，中木則碎。此以智得也。 |
| | Military affairs have a fundamental basis: they must be based on righteousness, wisdom, and bravery. Righteousness will isolate the enemy; when the enemy is isolated, both superiors and subordinates become demoralized, and the people lose confidence. Isolation leads to resentment among fathers and elder brothers, criticism from the virtuous, and internal disorder arises. Wisdom enables one to understand the times and their changes; understanding the times allows one to discern the transformations of strength and weakness, reality and illusion, as well as the calculations regarding priorities, distances, and when to advance or retreat. Bravery enables one to make decisive judgments; with the ability to decide, one can act as swiftly and powerfully as thunder, lightning, a storm, or heavy rain, capable of toppling mountains and breaking through obstacles, distinguishing clearly what should fall and be destroyed. Like a fierce bird in attack, when it strikes and seizes its prey, the target is killed; if it hits a tree, the tree shatters. This is achieved through wisdom.
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| | 決勝: |
夫民無常勇，亦無常怯。有氣則實，實則勇；無氣則虛，虛則怯。怯勇虛實，其由甚微，不可不知。勇則戰，怯則北。戰而勝者，戰其勇者也；戰而北者，戰其怯者也。怯勇無常，儵忽往來，而莫知其方，惟聖人獨見其所由然。故商、周以興，桀、紂以亡。巧拙之所以相過，以益民氣與奪民氣，以能鬥眾與不能鬥眾。軍雖大，卒雖多，無益於勝。軍大卒多而不能鬥，眾不若其寡也。夫眾之為福也大，其為禍也亦大。譬之若漁深淵，其得魚也大，其為害也亦大。善用兵者，諸邊之內，莫不與鬥，雖廝輿白徒，方數百里，皆來會戰，勢使之然也。幸也者，審於戰期而有以羈誘之也。 |
| | The people do not have constant bravery, nor do they have constant timidity. When they possess morale, they are strong; when strong, they become brave; Without morale, they are weak; and when weak, they become timid. The transition between timidity and bravery, weakness and strength is extremely subtle; it cannot be unknown or ignored. Bravery leads to battle, while timidity leads to defeat. Victory in battle comes from fighting with bravery; Defeat in battle results from fighting while timid. Timidity and bravery are not constant; they shift suddenly, coming and going unpredictably, and no one knows their direction—only the sage alone perceives the underlying cause. Therefore, the Shang and Zhou dynasties rose to power, while Jie and Zhou of the Xia dynasty perished. The reason why skillfulness surpasses clumsiness lies in whether one can bolster or drain the people's morale, and in whether one is capable of uniting the masses for battle or not. Although an army may be large and its soldiers numerous, this alone brings no advantage to victory. Even if the army is vast and the troops are many, if they cannot fight effectively, a large force is worse off than a small one. A large number of people can bring great blessings, but it can also bring great misfortunes. It is like fishing in a deep abyss: the fish caught may be large, but the dangers encountered are also great. A skilled general in the use of troops can mobilize all within the borders to fight; even common laborers and untrained civilians, from a region hundreds of li wide, will come together for battle—this is due to the influence of circumstances. "Fortune," in this context, means carefully determining the timing of battle and having a way to entice and restrain the enemy accordingly.
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| | 決勝: |
凡兵，貴其因也。因也者，因敵之險以為己固，因敵之謀以為己事。能審因而加勝，則不可窮矣。勝不可窮之謂神，神則能不可勝也。夫兵，貴不可勝。不可勝在己，可勝在彼。聖人必在己者，不必在彼者，故執不可勝之術以遇不勝之敵，若此則兵無失矣。凡兵之勝，敵之失也。勝失之兵，必隱必微，必積必摶。隱則勝闡矣，微則勝顯矣，積則勝散矣，摶則勝離矣。諸搏攫柢噬之獸，其用齒角爪牙也，必託於卑微隱蔽，此所以成勝。 |
| | In all military affairs, it is most important to act in accordance with circumstances. Acting in accordance with circumstances means using the enemy's terrain advantages as one's own strongholds, and employing the enemy's strategies as one's own plans. If one can carefully assess these circumstances and thereby achieve victory, then there is no limit to their success. Victory without limits is called "divine," and when a general is divine, they become invincible. In military affairs, the most valuable thing is to be invincible. Being invincible depends on oneself; being vulnerable to defeat depends on the enemy. A sage focuses only on what is within their own control, not on what depends on the enemy. Therefore, by holding to the method of being invincible and confronting an enemy that can be defeated, in this way there will be no failure in military affairs. Victory in war is due to the enemy's mistakes. A victorious army that exploits the enemy's errors must act secretly and subtly, accumulating strength and concentrating it effectively. Acting secretly leads to victory over the openly exposed; acting subtly leads to victory over those who are obvious; accumulating strength leads to victory over scattered forces; and concentrating forces leads to victory over divided enemies. All fierce beasts that seize, grasp, and bite rely on their teeth, horns, claws, and fangs; they must do so from a position of lowliness, subtlety, and concealment—this is how victory is achieved.
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| | 愛士: |
五曰── |
| | The fifth is──
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| | 愛士: |
衣，人以其寒也；食，人以其饑也。饑寒，人之大害也。救之，義也。人之困窮，甚如饑寒，故賢主必憐人之困也，必哀人之窮也。如此則名號顯矣，國士得矣。 |
| | Clothing, people wear it because of the cold; Food, people eat it because of hunger. Hunger and cold are great harms to human beings. Rescuing them is an act of righteousness. Hardship and destitution are even more severe than hunger and cold; therefore, a virtuous ruler must show compassion for people's hardships and necessarily feel sorrow for their destitution. If so, then one's reputation will become prominent, and the nation's talented individuals will be gained.
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| | 愛士: |
昔者秦繆公乘馬而車為敗，右服失而埜人取之。繆公自往求之，見埜人方將食之於歧山之陽。繆公歎曰：「食駿馬之肉而不還飲酒，余恐其傷女也！」於是遍飲而去。處一年，為韓原之戰，晉人已環繆公之車矣，晉梁由靡已扣繆公之左驂矣，晉惠公之右路石奮投而擊繆公之甲，中之者已六札矣。埜人之嘗食馬肉於歧山之陽者三百有餘人，畢力為繆公疾鬥於車下，遂大克晉，反獲惠公以歸。此詩之所謂曰「君君子則正，以行其德；君賤人則寬，以盡其力」者也。人主其胡可以無務行德愛人乎？行德愛人則民親其上，民親其上則皆樂為其君死矣。 |
| | In former times, Duke Mu of Qin was riding in a carriage when the cart broke down; the horse on the right side became lost and was taken by a commoner. Duke Mu personally went to seek it out, and found the commoner just about to eat it on the southern slope of Qishan Mountain. Duke Mu sighed and said, "To eat the meat of a fine horse without also drinking wine afterward—I fear it may harm you!" Thus he had wine served to everyone present and then departed. A year later, during the Battle of Han Yuan, the Jin forces had already surrounded Duke Mu's chariot; Jin Liang Youmi had seized the left horse of his carriage, and Jin Hui Gong's right-hand man Shi Fen threw a stone to strike Duke Mu's armor, which had already pierced six layers. The more than three hundred commoners who had once eaten horse meat on the southern slope of Qishang Mountain all exerted their utmost strength to fight fiercely beneath Duke Mu's chariot, thus achieving a great victory over Jin and capturing Hui Gong to return. This is what the poem refers to when it says, "If a ruler is a true gentleman, he will act uprightly and practice virtue;" "If a ruler treats those of low status with kindness, they will exert their full strength." How then can a sovereign possibly neglect the practice of virtue and the love for his people? Practicing virtue and loving the people will cause the populace to be close to their ruler; when the people are close to their ruler, they will all be willing to die for their sovereign.
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| | 愛士: |
趙簡子有兩白騾而甚愛之。陽城胥渠處廣門之官，夜款門而謁曰：「主君之臣胥渠有疾，醫教之曰：『得白騾之肝病則止，不得則死。』」謁者入通。董安于御於側，慍曰：「譆！胥渠也，期吾君騾，請即刑焉。」簡子曰：「夫殺人以活畜，不亦不仁乎？殺畜以活人，不亦仁乎？」於是召庖人殺白騾，取肝以與陽城胥渠。處無幾何，趙興兵而攻翟。廣門之官，左七百人，右七百人，皆先登而獲甲首。人主其胡可以不好士？ |
| | Zhao Jianzi had two white donkeys and loved them very much. Yangcheng Xuqu, who held an office at Guangmen, knocked on the gate at night and paid a visit, saying, "Your Lordship's subject Xuqu is ill. The physician has instructed me: 'If you obtain the liver of a white donkey, your illness will cease; if not, you will die.'" The gatekeeper entered to announce his arrival. Dong Anyu, who was standing by at the side, became angry and said, "Ah! Xuqu wants to obtain our lord's donkey—please execute him immediately." Jianzi said, "To kill a person in order to save an animal is not also unkind? To kill an animal in order to save a person—is that not kindness?" Thus, he summoned the cook to slaughter the white donkey and took its liver to give to Yangcheng Xuqu. Not long afterward, Zhao raised an army to attack Di. The officers at Guangmen had seven hundred men on the left and seven hundred on the right, all of whom led the charge and captured enemy armor and heads. How then can a sovereign possibly fail to cherish his talented individuals?
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| | 愛士: |
凡敵人之來也，以求利也。今來而得死，且以走為利。敵皆以走為利，則刃無與接。故敵得生於我，則我得死於敵；敵得死於我，則我得生於敵。夫得生於敵，與敵得生於我，豈可不察哉？此兵之精者。存亡死生，決於知此而已矣。 |
| | Whenever an enemy comes, it is in pursuit of profit. Now they come and find death—this will cause them to flee as the most advantageous course. If all enemies consider fleeing as the most profitable option, then weapons will have no opportunity to engage. Therefore, if the enemy can survive against us, we shall perish at their hands; If the enemy meets death at our hands, then we shall find survival against them. Whether it is that we survive through defeating the enemy or that the enemy survives at our expense, how can this not be carefully examined? This is the essence of military strategy. The preservation or destruction, life or death, depends solely on understanding this.
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