Li Jing answered: “Wu Qi said ‘Isolation of the team doesn’t separate them, the troops are still in order while retreating.’ This is the result of the usual foot training, which enables them to move at the same pace. Educating the soldiers is like arranging chess pieces on the chessboard; if we don’t think of a route beforehand, how is the chess piece going to move? Sun Tzu said: ‘On the battlefield we run analysis on the topography; from the analysis of the topography, we gather the information about the capacity of the surroundings; and from the capacity, we conclude the size of the troops. From the troop size of our enemy, we could understand better if our enemy is weak or strong, and from that we could find out the strategy to conquer them. When we use superiority to deal with the inferior, it’s like lifting something light with something heavy and vice versa.’ This is all due to the judgment that had been made beforehand, on the troop size of the enemy and the terrain of the battlefield.”
Tang Taizong asked: “Sun Tzu’s theory is indeed profound! Without considering the distance, troop size and terrain, how can the military operations move in orderly rhythms?”
Li Jing said: “The mediocre commander rarely knows about rhythm. Those who are good at commanding small battles would cause a dangerous situation in a large war; their rhythms of movements are short and brief. The warring situation is like the bow which has been pulled to the fullest extent; the rhythm will be like the arrow shooting out suddenly.
“I have studied this way, in the deployment of an army. It is appropriate to leave an interval of ten steps between every team; the stationed team is away from the frontal team for an interval of twenty steps. At the interval of every team, set up a domain team. Every advance should be made on the standard of fifty steps. When the horn is blown for the first time, each team stands separately: the interval between them should not exceed ten steps; until the fourth blow of the horn, the teams should hold their weapons and squat down simultaneously. The drumming will be the signal; each team will do the shouting for three times, followed by three times of hitting and hacking, until we have left only an interval of thirty or fifty steps between the enemy. The cavalry should come from behind; also note that they should approach the enemy until a distance of about fifty steps, when they should stop. The frontal advance army should move in the front, while the army for surprise attack should move behind. This is for the purpose of understanding the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses. Hit the drum again, and the surprise attack army will change to the front, and the frontal advance army should move to the back. We should then lure our enemy out and beat them using their weaknesses. These are the basics of ‘Liu Hua Battle Formation’.
太宗问：外画方形以显示士卒进退的步数，内画圆形以显示兵器运用的范围，要步度准确就应教以足法，要兵器运用灵活就应教以手法，手足便利，则古人布阵的方法不就思考到多半了吗？
李靖答：吴起说：”隔 绝而队形不分离，退却品行列不散乱。”这就是平时进行步法训练的结果。教育士卒，如在棋盘上摆布棋子一样，若不画好路线，棋子向那儿移动呢！孙武说：”从 作战地区进行地形判断，从地形判断估计战场容量，从战场容量计算军队数目，从军队数目对比敌我强弱，从强弱对比找出致胜方法；以优势对劣势好象以重举轻， 以劣势对优势好象以轻举重。”这都是由于首先判断一国的幅员和地形的缘故。
太宗问：孙武的话，意义十分深刻啊！不考虑距离的远近、幅员和地形的广狭，怎么能够使军队的行动有节奏呢！
李靖说：庸将很少懂得节奏的。”善 于作战的人，其所造成的战势是险疾的，其行动的节奏是短促的，战势就象拉满的弓一样，节奏就象把箭突然射出一样。”我研究过这种办法，凡部署军队，各队以 间隔十步为宜，驻队距前队二十步，每隔一队设一域队，前进一次以五十步为准。吹第一次角声，各队同时分散而立，其间隔不超过十步的规定，到第四次角户，各 队抱枪蹲跪于地。于是击鼓为号，各队三次呼喊，三次击剌，前进到距敌三十步至五十步，以对付敌人的变化。马军从后跃土，亦注意临到距敌五十步时即行停止。 正兵在前，奇兵在后，以观察敌人的虚实。[了解敌人虚实以后]再次击鼓，则奇兵在前，正兵在后，再把敌人引诱出来，乘机打击敌人弱点。六花阵法大概就是这 样。
Question 2.7
Emperor Tang Taigong asked: “Cao Cao’s Xin Shu mentioned: ‘In embattlement, to fight our enemies, we must establish a mile post before everything else; then lead the army to arrange the battle formation according to the mile post. If any team is suffering from the attack of the enemy, the rest who didn’t go for their rescue will be beheaded.’ What kind of way is this?”
Li Jing answered: “The theory of establishing the mile post at the very last minute, when we are facing our enemy is not correct; this is just the usual teachings of war. Those who were skilled in using military strategies in ancient times only taught their army about the indirect method, but didn’t teach them the direct method. Commanding the army is like driving a flock of sheep; they should advance when they are commanded, and retreat while receiving their orders. Because of the ego of Zhou Yu[28], the generals at that time dared not correct him. If we follow Zhou Yu’s way to establish the mile post at the last minute of a battle, isn’t it a little bit too late? I studied the ‘Po Zhen Yue Wu’ that was developed by Your Majesty: raise four flags at the front, arrange eight long streamers at the back; the fleet-footed move to either left or right, then rotate. Twist and turns are started with a quick pace and gradually change into slower pace. Hitting the cymbals and drums, there is rhythm for everything. All of this is imitating the Eight Tactical Formation’s ‘Four Heads and Eight Tails strategy’. Others can only focus on the spectacular music and footwork; who would have known that there is a battle formation underlying in it?”
Tang Taizong said: “In the past when Emperor Han Gaozu unified the whole of China, he wrote this song called Da Feng Ge. One of the lines is ‘Where could I find a strong general to secure the peace of our country.’ This means that in peace they want to leave war behind. Military strategies can only be understood by thoughts, and cannot always be explained with words. Only you can understand what I intended to express. The later generations may also understand that I created it for a specific purpose.”
太宗问：《曹公新书》说：”布阵对敌，必先设立标柱，然后率领军队根据标柱布列阵势。若一部遭受敌人攻击，其余不去救援的斩首。”这是什么方法呢？
李 靖答：临到与敌对阵才设立标柱的说法是不对的，这不过是平时教战的方法罢了。古人善于用兵的，只教正兵的戏法，不教奇兵的战法，指挥军队要象驱赶群羊一 样，叫它进就进，叫它退就退，使它们不知要到哪里去。因曹公骄而好胜，当时奉行《新书》的将领，不敢指出他的短处。如按曹公所说临敌之时才设立标柱，不是 太晚了吗？我看陛下所制定的”破阵乐舞”，前面举起四面旌旗，后面排列八幅长幡，舞蹈的人或左或右，曲折旋转，疾趋缓步，鸣金击鼓，各有节奏，这就是模仿八阵图四头八尾的方法。人们只见到音乐舞蹈的盛况，哪里知道这里面包含有阵法的内容呢！
太宗说：从前汉高祖平定天下后，曾作大风歌，其中一句是：”安得猛士兮守四方”，[这是安不志危的意思。]兵法可以意会，不可以言传。我作的”破阵乐舞”，惟有你已知道它的用意了，后来的人也将知道我不是随便创作的。
Question 2.8
Tang Taizong asked: “Using a single color of flags to command the army in five different directions, is this considered an indirect method? Using long streamers and small flags to command in a cross-cutting way; is this considered the direct method? When every team is separating and changing, what is the appropriate number of teams?”
Li Jing answered: “I follow t
he way of the ancients: gather the three teams into a group; the flags should lean against each other but do not cross each other. Five teams are then combined into one; then we should use two flags crossing one another. Ten teams are combined into one; we should then use five flags crossing each other. If separated, blow the horn once, and separate the five crossing flags. Then separate into ten teams again. When we are separating two crossed flags, then separate into five teams again; the non-crossing flag which leans against each other will separate into three again. When the army is separate, the combination will be the direct army and vice versa. After the three orders and five commands, three combinations and separations, we will get back to our usual training of frontal advance. By this time, the ‘coaching four heads and tails’ battle formation could be started. These are the steps that should be followed in training the army for battle formation.”
Tang Taizong praised Li Jing’s statement.
太宗问：在五个方位，各用一种颜色的旗子指挥军队的行动，这是正兵吗？用长幡、小旗相互交叉进行指挥，这是出奇吗？各队分合变化，其队数怎样才能适宜呢？
旗相靠而不交叉；五队合为一队，则用两旗交叉；十队合为一队，则用五旗交叉。 [分 散时]吹角一声，分开交叉的五旗，则[由十队合为]一队的又分为十队；分开交叉的两旗，则[由王队合为]一队的又分为五队；分开相靠而不交又的两旗，则 [由三队合为]一队的又分为三队。军队分散的时候，则以合为奇，集合的时候，则以散为奇。经过三令五申，三散而三合，然后再回到正兵的操练，这样四头八尾 的阵法就可开始进行教练了，这是训练队形变化所应采取的步骤。
太宗说很好。
Question 2.9
Tang Taizong asked: “Zhou Yu has three types of cavalry: there are Zhan Qi, Xian Qi and You Qi. What is the difference between the use of cavalry today and in ancient times?”
Li Jing answered: “According to Xin Shu, Zhan Qi are the cavalry in the front; Xian Qi stay in the middle, while the back are You Qi. These are just names that separate the three types of cavalries given different tasks. Approximately twenty four infantries and soldiers on military chariots are equivalent to eight cavalries, twenty four cavalries are equivalent to seventy two infantries and soldiers on military chariots; this is the ancient military system. The infantries and soldiers on the military chariots are usually educated by the indirect method (therefore called the indirect army), while the cavalries are taught by direct method. The Zhou Yu method of separating cavalries into frontal, middle and back are not used then. The method did not discuss the separation of cavalries into left and right sides. This arrangement was made to deal with a single situation. The later generations don’t understand and have the misconception that Zhan Qi must be placed somewhere between Xian Qi and You Qi. How could they use the cavalry correctly? I always use the following way: when the army is changing the battle formation, use You Qi as the frontal, while using Zhan Qi as the back part. Xian Qi should be used according to the situation. This is also the way used by Zhou Yu.”
Tang Taizong said, while smiling: “Countless people have been fooled by Zhou Yu in this situation.”
太宗问：曹公有战骑、陷骑、游骑三种，现在骑兵的使用和那时相比有何不同？
李 靖答：按曹公《新书》说：战骑在前，陷骑居中，游骑在后，这只是根据任务的不同各立名称，分为三类罢了。大约骑队的八骑相当于车徒二十四人，二十四骑相当 于车徒七十二人，这是古时的兵制。车徒通常教以正兵的戏法，骑兵通常教以奇兵的战法。按曹公把骑兵分为前、后、中三复未使用，而没有谈到左右两厢，这是仅 就一种部署来说的。后人不理解三复的真正意义，以为战骑必定在陷骑、游骑之前，这怎么能使用得好呢？我经常使用下述方法：当回军转阵时，用游骑在前，战骑 在后，陷骑则根据情况的变化而使用，这也是曹公的方法。
太宗笑着说：[在这个问题上]不知道有多少人为曹公所迷惑。
Question 2.10
Tang Taizong asked: “If the method to use military chariots, cavalry and infantry is the same, then is the human factor the sole factor in deciding the effectiveness of the use of that method?”
Li Jing answered: “During the period of Chun Qiu, Zheng Zhuang Gong developed the ‘Yu Li Battle Formation’. It uses the military chariots as the army’s frontal assault, while the infantry stays behind. In this instance, there are only infantry and platoons but not cavalry. The separation of battle formations was named as ‘Juo You Ju’; the sole purpose of it was for defense. It was not for the use of surprise attacks. When Xun Wu of Jing Dynasty conquered Di, they abandoned the use of military chariots and used only infantry. This could increase the number of infantries and make the battle easier. The purpose of making such arrangements was for surprise attacks, but not only for the purpose of defense. I concluded that all these methods, assuming that one cavalry is equivalent to three infantry, should be an appropriate ratio between the numbers of infantries and chariots. Combining the chariots, cavalries and infantries into teams, and cooperating in military operations, while using them effectively, how could our enemy know where the platoons will attack? Where will the cavalry come from and where will those infantry march out? Commanding the army should be either like being hidden under the unknown ground or suddenly dropped from the sky, therefore unable to be avoided. This kind of wit could only be possessed by Your Majesty. How would I know about the secret that lies within?”
太宗问：对车、步、骑三者运用的方法既然是一样的，那么，其运用的好坏在于人为吗？
李靖答：春秋时，郑庄公作”鱼 丽阵”，是用兵车在前，步卒在后[与周桓王作战]，那时只有兵车和步卒而没有骑兵，其阵的区分叫做左右拒，只是说用方阵抵御敌八，并非用以出奇制胜。晋苟 吴代狄时，曾舍弃车战改为步战，这样能增多骑兵就更便于作战了，其目的专在出奇制胜，不仅为抵御而已。我综合这些办法，以一个骑兵相当于三个步兵，战车与 步兵的数目也有适当比例；将车、步、骑三者混合编组配合行动，并加以巧妙地运用，敌人怎能知道我战车从那里驶出，骑兵从邻里袭来，步兵从那里进攻呢？指挥 军队的行动或象潜藏于九地之下[而不可知]，或象陡降于九天之上[而不及避〕。这种机智如神的天才，只有陛下才有，我怎能知道这种奥妙呢!
Question 2.11
Tang Taizong asked: “Jiang Ziya’s teachings on war mentioned: ‘The field of battle should be arranged into a square; each side should have a width of 600 or sixty steps and should be labeled according to the sequence of the twelve Shi Chen.’ What is your opinion on this method?”[29]
Li Jing answered: “Arranging the basics of a battle formation, four sides have a total count of 1,200 steps, forming a perfect square. Every team occupies the square land having a width of twenty steps. At the horizontal direction, every five steps, there will be one soldier occupying the space; for the vertical direction, there should be one soldier at the interval of every four steps. In total, there would be 250 separated into five formations and the four angles would have four empty spaces. This is what we call ‘another formation inside a battle formation’. When the Emperor of Zhou Dynasty, Zhou Wu Wang defeated the Shang Dynasty, the brave soldiers (otherwise called Hu Ben Zhi Shi) led 3,000 soldiers from each team. At that time, every battle formation had 6,000 soldiers. Five battle formations have a total count of 30,000 soldiers. This is the way Jiang Ziya battled.”
Tang Taizong asked: “What is the perimeter of your ‘Liu Hua Battle Formation’?”
Li Jing answered: “During the large-scale examination of the army, the perimeter will be 1,020 steps, forming a square shape. The method is: separate the army into six formations. Every formation should occupy a perfect square, having a perimeter of 400 steps. The six battle formations should be
separated into two sides, east and west. The central empty space should occupy 1,200 steps for the space of the commanding area. I have tried to train 30,000 soldiers with this formation. Every formation has 5,000 soldiers, one among all will practice the way of camping. The other five will be trained in square, round, curved, straight and sharp formation changes. Every formation should change five times and five formations could change twenty five times.”
Tang Taizong asked: “What is the significance of ‘Wu Xing Formation’?”
Li Jing answered: “Wu Xing Formation was originally named using five different colors to represent five different directions, while the five kinds of formations (square, round, curved, straight and sharp) were designed to suit the different kinds of terrain. If the army was unfamiliar with these five kinds of formations, how could they fight their enemy? The use of military force is deceitful; therefore it was purposely named as ‘Wu Xing Formation’. It is to cover up how deceitful it is, while practicing the theory of Shu Shu’s counteraction of each other. Actually, the movements of the army are like the flowing of water; it follows the terrain to decide the direction it flows. This is the true meaning of ‘Wu Xing Formation’.”
太宗问：太公兵书上说，”把布阵的地方画为方形，每边长六百步，或六十步，并按十二时辰的顺序标示出来”，其方法如何？
李靖答：画定阵基，四边共一千二百步，成为一个正方形。每一部占纵横各二十步的方地，横方向每五步占一人，纵方向每四步占一人，共二十五百人分布成〔东、西、南、北和中央]五个方阵，四角有空地四处。这就是所谓阵里有阵。周武王伐商纤时，虎贲之士由各部掌握的共三千人，当时每阵六千人。五阵共三万人。这就是太公画地布阵的方法。
Military Strategy Classics of Ancient China Page 52
