- 交地則無絶衢地則合交
- 重地則掠圮地則行
secured first by the enemy, beware of attacking him. Lure him away by pretending to flee — show your banners and sound your drums—make a dash for other places that he cannot afford to lose — trail brushwood and raise a dust — confound his ears and eyes — detach a body of your best troops, and place it secretly in ambuscade. Then your opponent will sally forth to the rescue.”
12. On open ground, do not try to block the enemy’s way.
Because the attempt would be futile, and would expose the blocking force itself to serious risks. There are two interpretations of 無絶. I follow that of Chang Yü (不可以兵阻絶其路). The other is indicated in Ts‘ao Kung’s brief note: 相及屬也 “Draw closer together” — i.e., see that a portion of your own army is not cut off. Wang Hsi points out that 交地 is only another name for the 通地 “accessible ground” of X. § 2, and says that the advice here given is simply a variation of 利糧道 “keep a sharp eye on the line of supplies,” be careful that your communications are not cut. The T‘ung Tien reads 無相絶.
On the ground of intersecting highways, join hands with your allies.
Or perhaps, “form alliances with neighbouring states.” Thus Ts‘ao Kung has: 結諸侯也. Capt. Calthrop’s “cultivate intercourse” is much too timid and vague. The original text reads 交合.
13. On serious ground, gather in plunder.
On this, Li Ch‘üan has the following delicious note: 深入敵境不可 非義失人心如漢高祖入秦無犯婦女無取寳貨得人心也此筌以掠字爲無掠字 “When an army penetrates far into the enemy’s country, care must be taken not to alienate the people by unjust treatment. Follow the example of the Han Emperor Kao Tsu, whose march into Ch‘in territory was marked by no violation of women or looting of valuables. [Nota bene: this was in 207 B.C., and may well cause us to blush for the Christian armies that entered Peking in 1900 A.D.] Thus he won the hearts of all. In the present passage, then, I think that the true reading must be, not 掠 ‘plunder’, but 無掠 ‘do not plunder’.” Alas, I fear that in this instance the worthy commentator’s feelings outran his judgment. Tu Mu,
