Fifty-sixth Section: Searching the Mountains and Burning the Grass

經曰：軍至險阻、溝澗、林薄、翳薈、葭蘆、草莽之處，鸛翔鳥舞不下，伏獸驚起，草木無風而動，必謹察之，恐伏奸也。

The Book of Military Classics states: When an army moves through narrow passes, ditches, thickets of low shrubs, areas covered with dense vegetation, reed thickets, or stretches of wild grass, if they see storks circling, flocks of birds flying around restlessly without landing, wild animals hidden in the undergrowth startle and run out, and the grass moves even though there is no wind, they must carefully examine the area, for there is likely an ambush hidden there.

邊城十月一日燒草及惡山、深谷、大川、連水左近草樹，虜騎若來，無所伏藏。

In the towns of the border regions, they set fires to clear the land on the first day of the tenth lunar month. They burn all the wild grass and trees near dangerous mountains, deep valleys, large rivers, and contiguous marshes. This way, even if enemy cavalry comes to attack, they will have no place to hide or ambush.

經曰：《周禮》：挈壺，以令軍井；挈轡，以令軍舍；挈畚，以令軍糧。前茅慮無建旗幟以表之，皆古法也。今以先鋒令先探井泉、水草、宿止、賊路，與鄕導計會，乃進軍。戰則有喝，後皆拔白刃以臨之，使進；如退𨚫，便斬。敵來追我，則後殿與戰，無驚擾大軍也。

The *Bing Jing* says: The *Zhou Li · Xia Guan* records the duties of the Qi Hu Shi, who hoists a flag shaped like a jar to indicate the location of the water well to the entire army; hoists a flag shaped like a bridle to indicate the place for encampment; and hoists a flag shaped like a basket to indicate the location of provisions. The phrase "Qian Mao Lu Wu" from the *Zuo Zhuan · Xuan Gong Shier Nian* refers to the vanguard raising flags as markers to warn the rear troops of possible situations in advance. These were established practices of ancient times. Nowadays, the vanguard is ordered to scout for water sources, grasslands, encampment sites, and enemy approaches. After consulting with guides, the main army then advances. During battle, those behind shout orders to urge the front, and all draw their swords to force the people in front to move forward; anyone who retreats is immediately beheaded. When the enemy pursues the army, the rearguard units engage in battle to prevent disturbing the main force.

經曰：軍臨敵境，使游奕捉敵一人，立於六纛之前而祝曰：「胡虜不道，敢干天常，皇帝授我旗鼓，翦滅凶渠。見吾旗纛者，目眩；聞吾鼓鼙者，魄散。」令散人跪纛前，乃腰斬之，首橫路之左，足橫路之右，取血以釁鼓鼙。大纛從首足間過，兵馬六軍從之，而往出勝敵。亦名祭敵。

The *Bing Jing* says: When the army advances into enemy territory, they first send out a patrol unit to capture one enemy. They bring him to stand before the six great banners. The commander then prays, saying: "The barbarians have no morality, daring to violate the heavenly order. The emperor has entrusted me with the banner and drums, commanding me to eliminate their main criminals. Anyone who sees our great banner will become dizzy; anyone who hears our war drums will lose their soul." After the prayer, he orders the attendants to make the captured enemy kneel before the banner and be beheaded. The head is placed across the left side of the road, and the feet across the right side. His blood is then smeared on the war drum. This is called "Xin Gu." Then the great banner is passed through between the head and feet, and the entire army of six thousand follows through. Afterward, the army goes out and achieves victory. This ritual is also called "Ji Di."

經曰：《洪範》八政，以食為先。是以商鞅入秦，行墾草之令；夷吾霸齊，富農功之術。夫地所以養人，城所以守地，戰所以守城。務耕者，其人不衰；務守者，其地不危；務戰者，其城不圍。

The *Book of Military Classics* states: The *Book of Documents·Hongfan* discusses eight state affairs for governing the country, placing "food" first. Therefore, Shang Yang entered the state of Qin and enacted laws to cultivate wasteland; Guan Yiwu (Guan Zhong) assisted the state of Qi to become hegemon, promoting methods to enrich agriculture. Land is used to sustain people, cities are used to guard the land, and warfare is used to protect the cities. Focusing on farming leads to an increasing population; focusing on defense ensures the land remains secure; focusing on military preparedness prevents cities from being besieged.

四海之內、六合之中有奚貴？曰：貴於土。奚貴於土？曰：人之本。奚貴於人？曰：國之本。是以興兵伐叛，而武爵任；武爵任，則兵勝。按民務農，則粟富；粟富，則國強。人主恃農戰而尊，三時務農，一時講武，使士卒出無餘力，入有餘糧，所謂興兵而勝敵，按兵而國富也。

Within the four seas and within the six harmonies, what is most precious? The answer is: land is most precious. Why is land precious? Because land is the fundamental basis for people's survival. Why are people precious? Because people are the foundation of the state. Therefore, when sending troops to suppress rebellion, it is important to promote those who have earned titles through military merit. Those who have earned titles through military merit are promoted, and then the army can achieve victory. Let the people be secure in their farming, and grain will be abundant; with abundant grain, the state will be strong. The ruler becomes noble precisely through agriculture and warfare—three seasons of farming and one season of military training, so that soldiers have no extra strength to waste when going to war and have surplus grain to eat when returning home. This is what is meant by: raising an army can defeat the enemy, and withdrawing the army can make the state prosperous.

合屯田六十頃：四十頃種子，五頃大荳種子，五頃麥種子，五頃麻種子，五頃蕎種子。屯外五十畝菜不入，至秋，納宴設廚，四十畝蔓菁種子，十畝蘿蔔種子。已上種子，各依鄕原種。

A village unit cultivated a total of sixty qing of farmland: forty qing were planted with grain seeds, five qing with soybean seeds, five qing with wheat seeds, five qing with hemp seeds, and five qin with buckwheat seeds. In addition to this farmland, fifty mu were set aside for growing vegetables, not included in the sixty qing. These fifty mu were planted with turnip seeds on forty mu and radish seeds on ten mu. All these seeds were sown according to the local varieties of the village.

一屯六十丁，一丁日給米二升，一日一石二斗，一月三十六石，一年四百三十二石。

A unit of屯 is equipped with sixty able-bodied men, each provided with two sheng of rice per day. Sixty men consume one stone and two dou per day, thirty-six stones per month, and four hundred and thirty-two stones per year.

牛料一屯六十頭牛，日給荳五升，十月一日起料，四月一日停，一日三石，一月九十石，六月五百四十石。

For feeding the oxen, a group of sixty oxen is kept. Each ox is given five sheng of beans per day, starting from the first day of the tenth lunar month and stopping on the first day of the fourth lunar month. Sixty oxen consume three stones per day, ninety stones per month, and five hundred and forty stones in total for six months.

一屯丁糧牛料種子耒屯，堅耒束以長三百七十八尺五寸三分三毫繩之四分之一，長九十三尺六寸三分四毫。四月磔橛繩內有田一畝，對屯田官分三等，田內上中下耒之，以三尺五寸圈成束，則耒數三等可知。

The method for measuring the grain yield, cattle feed, seeds, and estimating the harvest of a屯 is as follows: first take a rope of three hundred seventy-eight feet five inches three parts of a foot and three hair-widths, cut off one fourth of it, which is ninety-three feet six inches three parts of a foot and four hair-widths. In April, use wooden stakes to stretch this piece of rope around the field on all four sides, forming a circle that exactly measures one mu. In front of the屯田 official, divide the field into three grades: upper, middle, and lower. Within the circle, take samples from each of the three grades separately by cutting the grass. The cut grass is tied into bundles each with a circumference of three feet five inches. Thus, the number of bundles that can be produced by the upper, middle, and lower grade fields can all be calculated.

耒屯苗子，橫耒取三等，束。對屯田官打下苗子，斗升合數，為兩絹袋，各乘苗子一椀與屯田官者耒，使對一椀與耒，使掌者屯官封其後，恐有耗損者，耒米取子一斗，平量對屯田官擣，耒得幾米為率，則一屯斛斗可知。

The harvested rice stalks are cut and selected, with three bundles taken, each representing the upper, middle, and lower grades. In front of the屯田官, the stalks are threshed to separate the grain, and the amount measured in dou, sheng, and he. Then two silk bags are prepared, each filled with a bowl of stalks: one bowl is given to the屯田官 to keep, and the other is given to the person responsible for sampling. The屯官 seals the bags at the mouth to prevent any future disputes over loss. Then one dou of grain is taken, measured evenly, and in front of the屯田官 it is pounded into rice. The amount of rice obtained from one dou of grain is used as the rate of conversion. Thus, the total amount of rice the entire屯 can harvest can be calculated.

等級，殊等九千石，第一等七千石，第二等六千石，第三等五千石。歲無水旱、災蝗，滿四千石者，屯官有殿。

The yield of the屯田 is divided into grades. The top grade is 9,000 dan, the first grade is 7,000 dan, the second grade is 6,000 dan, and the third grade is 5,000 dan. If in a year there is neither flood nor drought, nor locust disaster, but the harvest is only 4,000 dan, the屯 official in charge will be rated as the lowest in performance and punished (「殿」means being ranked at the bottom in the assessment).

一軍載粟一十二萬八千石六分，支米九萬石，以殊等屯一十四餘萬二千石，方支一歲糧。《神農書》曰：「雖金城十仞，湯池百步，帶甲十萬，而無粟者，不能守也。」故充國伐西戎，杜茂守北鄙，創置屯田，以為耕植也。

A military force for one year requires the transportation of 128,000 and six tenths stones of millet, which is equivalent to 90,000 stones of rice. It is necessary to have a harvest of 142,000 stones or more from specially designated farmland to support the military grain supply for one year. The "Shen Nong Book" states: "Even if the city walls are ten chi high and as solid as cast metal, and the moat is a hundred steps wide and as hot as boiling water, and there are ten thousand armored soldiers, if there is no grain, the city cannot be defended." Therefore, during the Han dynasty, Zhao Chongguo led an expedition against the Qiang people in the west, and Du Mao defended the northern frontier, both innovatively established屯田 systems to solve the military grain supply by cultivating locally.

經曰：一軍一萬二千五百人，人日支米二升，一月六斗，一年七石二斗。一軍一日支米二百五十石，一月七千五百石，一年九萬石。

The "Military Classic" states: A military unit consists of 12,500 soldiers. Each soldier is given two sheng of rice per day, six dou per month, and seven stones and two dou per year. The entire unit receives 250 stones of rice per day, 7,500 stones per month, and 90,000 stones per year.

以六分支粟，一人日支粟三升三合三勺三抄三圭三粒，一月一石，一年一十二石。一軍一年二十萬八千石，每小月人支粟九斗六升六合六勺六抄六圭六粒。其大麥八分、小麥六分、蕎麥四分、大荳八分、小荳七分、宛荳七分、麻七分、黍七分，並依分折米。

If millet is used instead of grain at a rate of six tenths, each person receives three sheng three he three shao three cao three gui three li of millet per day. Over a month, this totals one stone, and over a year, twelve stones. For the entire army, the total for a year is twenty-eight thousand stones. In months with only twenty-nine days, each person receives nine dou six sheng six he six shao six cao six gui six li of millet. As for the conversion rates of various miscellaneous grains to rice: barley at eight tenths, wheat at six tenths, buckwheat at four tenths, soybeans at eight tenths, red beans at seven tenths, peas at seven tenths, flax at seven tenths, and millet at seven tenths, all are converted to rice according to their respective rates and distributed accordingly.

鹽，一人日支半合，一月一升五合，一年一斗八升。一軍一日六石二斗五升，一月一百八十七石五斗，一年二千二百五十石。

In terms of salt, each person is given half a he for daily consumption. For a month, it is one dou and five he, and for a year, it is two dou and eight sheng. The entire army receives six stones and two dou and five he of salt per day, which amounts to one hundred and eighty-seven stones and five dou per month, and two thousand two hundred and fifty stones per year.

馬料，一人二匹，一軍二萬五千匹。朔方、河西，一人二匹。范陽、河東、隴右、安西、北庭，則二人三匹。平盧、劍南，則一人一匹。計馬二萬五千匹為一軍，計二百五十匹為一隊，分為十坊，一坊秣馬五十隊。十月一日起料，四月一日停料。

Regarding horse fodder, with two horses assigned per person, the entire army has twenty-five thousand horses. The two commands of Shuofang and Hexi provide two horses per person; the five commands of Fanyang, Hedong, Longyou, Anxi, and Beinting provide three horses for every two persons; and the two commands of Pinglu and Jiannan provide one horse per person. With twenty-five thousand horses considered as one army, each squad consists of two hundred and fifty horses, and the entire army is divided into ten barracks, each barracks managing fifty squads of horses. Fodder distribution begins on the first day of the tenth lunar month and stops on the first day of the fourth lunar month.

一馬日支粟一斗，一月三石，六箇月一十八石。計一軍馬一日支粟一千二百五十石，一月三萬七千五百石，六箇月二十二萬五千石。

Each horse is allocated one dou of millet per day, three shi per month, and eighteen shi every six months. The entire army's horses consume a total of one thousand two hundred and fifty shi of millet per day, thirty thousand seven hundred and fifty shi per month, and twenty-two thousand five hundred shi every six months.

馬鹽，一馬日支鹽三合，一月九升，六箇月五斗四升。一軍馬支鹽三十七石五斗，一月一千一百二十五石，六箇月六千七百五十石。

Horses also need salt: each horse is given three he (合) of salt per day, nine sheng (升) per month, and fifty-four sheng (升) in six months. For the entire army's horses, the daily salt allowance is thirty-seven stones and five dou (石), one thousand one hundred and twenty-five stones per month, and six thousand seven hundred and fifty stones in six months.

茭草，一馬一日支茭草二圍，一月六十圍，六箇月三百六十圍。計一軍馬六箇月九十圍。

For hay, each horse is given two bundles per day (one bundle is a bundle held in two hands), totaling sixty bundles per month and three hundred and sixty bundles every six months. The total for all the horses in the army over six months is ninety bundles.

油藥，其油藥取逃亡兵士殘糧衣賜獸醫，人於馬押官都頭中差取。

The expenses for oil and medicine were drawn from the remaining grain and clothing left by the fleeing soldiers and allocated for the use of the veterinary officers. The people responsible for handling these matters were selected from among the horse supervisors and the headmen.

經曰：軍無財，士不來；軍無賞，士不往。香餌之下，必有懸魚；重賞之下，必有死夫。夫興師不有財帛，何以結人之心哉！

The Book of Military Classics states: Without wealth, soldiers will not be willing to come and join the army; without rewards, soldiers will not be willing to advance bravely. If bait is hung out, fish will certainly come; if heavy rewards are offered, brave warriors will certainly come. If a military campaign is launched without wealth as a backing, by what means can one win the hearts of the people?

軍士一年一人支絹布一十二疋、絹七萬五千疋、布七萬五千疋。　賞賜馬鞍轡、金銀銜轡二十具、　錦一百疋、　緋紫襖子衫具帶魚袋五十副、　色羅三百疋、　婦人錦繡夾襭衣帔袍二十副、　緋紫紬綾二百疋、　彩色綾一百疋、　銀器二百事、　銀壺瓶五十事、　帳設錦褥一十領、　紫綾褥二十領、　食卓四十張、　食器一千事、　酒樽杓一十副、　長幕二十條、　錦帳十所、　白氊一百事、　床�二十條、　鴟袋綉塾一百口。

Each soldier is given twelve bolts of silk and cloth per year. In total, the entire army receives seventy-five thousand bolts of silk and seventy-five thousand bolts of cloth. Additionally, there are provisions for rewards, including horses equipped with saddles and harnesses, twenty sets of gold and silver decorated bridles, one hundred bolts of brocade, fifty sets of red and purple robes, shirts, waistbands, and fish bags, three hundred bolts of silk of various colors, twenty sets of embroidered and patterned silk garments, wraps, and long robes for women, two hundred bolts of red and purple silk and satin, one hundred bolts of colored satin, two hundred pieces of silverware, fifty pieces of silver pots and vases, ten sets of silk褥 for the tent, twenty sets of purple satin褥, forty dining tables, one thousand pieces of dining utensils, ten sets of wine jugs and ladles, twenty long tents, ten pavilions of brocade, one hundred pieces of white felt, twenty pieces of beds, twenty pieces of bird cages and embroidered cushions.

經曰：雲上於天，需君子以飲食宴樂，用宣主君之惠、暢吏士之心。古人出師，必犒以牛酒，頒賞有序，殽席有差，以激勵於眾。酒酣，拔劒起舞，鳴笳角抵伐鼓呌呼，以增其氣。弦竹哀怨悽愴，征夫感而泣下，銳氣沮䘮，復安得而用哉！

The Book of Military Classics says: The image text of the Need hexagram in The Zhou Changes says, "Clouds rising to the sky represent the Need hexagram. A gentleman takes inspiration from it, calmly eating and drinking and enjoying leisure to wait for the right opportunity." In the army, holding banquets and playing music is used to proclaim the grace of the sovereign, and to comfort the hearts of officers and soldiers. In ancient times, when armies went out to campaign, they always used beef and fine wine to reward the troops, and distributed rewards in a certain order, with different levels of seating arrangements for the banquets, thus encouraging the people. When the wine was drunk to a point of exhilaration, they would draw swords and dance, sound the Hu qin, compete in wrestling, and beat drums and shout, to boost morale. But if the music played by strings and bamboo were melancholic and sorrowful, the soldiers who went to war would feel sad and weep, and their fighting spirit would be completely lost. How could we then expect them to go to war?

酒，一人二升，二百五十石。羊一口，分為二十節，六百二十五口。

Wine is allocated at two sheng per person. For an army of 12,500 men, the total amount required is 250 stones. Each sheep is divided into twenty portions, with twenty men sharing one sheep. Therefore, the total number of sheep needed for the entire army is 625.

牛肉代羊肉，一人二斤，二萬五千斤。白米，一人五合，六十二石五斗。

When beef is used instead of mutton, each person receives two jin, totaling twenty-five thousand jin for the entire army. White rice is given at five wu per person, amounting to sixty-two shi and five dou for the entire army.

薄餅，一人兩箇，二萬五千箇。每一斗麫作二十箇，計麫一百二十五石。〈○原作「一百五十石」，今校改。〉饅頭，一人一枚，一萬二千五百枚。一斗麫作三十枚，〈○此句舊抄本脫去，依　文瀾閣本補。〉用麫四十一石六斗七升。

Thin pancakes, two per person, totaling 25,000; each dou of flour makes twenty, requiring 125 shi of flour (originally '150 shi', now corrected based on calculation). Steamed buns, one per person, totaling 12,500; each dou of flour makes thirty (this sentence was missing in the old copy, added according to the Wenyang Pavilion edition), requiring 41 shi, 6 dou, and 7 sheng of flour.

蒸餅，一人一枚，一萬二千五百枚。一斗麫作一百枚。散子，一人一枚，一萬二千五百枚。一斗麫作三十枚，麫二十五石。每麫一斗，使油二十二斤。〈○原本「每麫一斗，使油一斤，二十斤碩二斤」，今依　文瀾閣本。〉

Steamed buns: one per person, totaling 12,500; one dou of flour makes 100 buns. Fried dough twists: one per person, totaling 12,500; one dou of flour makes 30 twists. In total, 25 dou of flour are needed, and each dou of flour requires 22 jin of oil (originally it said 'for each dou of flour, use one jin of oil, twenty jin of flour requires two jin of oil,' but this is corrected according to the Wenlan Pavilion edition).

饆饠，一人一枚，一萬二千五百枚。一斗麫作八十箇，麫一十五石六斗二升五合。餻�，一人三合，糯米三十七石五斗。

Each person is given one饆饠, totaling 12,500 for the entire army; one dou of flour can make 80饆饠, requiring 15 stone 6 dou 2 sheng 5 he of flour. Each person is given 3 he of cake, requiring 37 stone 5 dou of glutinous rice.

菜，一人五兩，二千九百五十斤零四兩。〈○此數不符，當云「三千九百斤零一兩」。〉羊頭蹄六百二十五具，充羹。醬羊䐗肝六百二十五具，並四等充羹。

Vegetables are allocated at five liang per person, totaling two thousand nine hundred and fifty jin and four liang (this figure does not match the number of people and should be 'three thousand nine hundred jin and one liang'). Six hundred and twenty-five sets of sheep heads including sheep hooves are used to make soup. Six hundred and twenty-five sets of pickled sheep liver and pig liver are also prepared, making up four types in total, which are all used to make soup.

鹽，三人一合，四石一斗六升。醬，一人半合，六石二斗五升。醋，一人一合，一十二石五斗。

Salt is consumed by three people per he, totaling four stones and one dou and six sheng. Soy sauce is consumed by each person half a he, totaling six stones and two dou and five sheng. Vinegar is consumed by each person one he, totaling twelve stones and five dou.

椒，五人一合，二石五斗。薑，一人一兩，七十八斤零二兩。蔥，三人一兩，二百九十六斤零六兩。〈○此數不符，當云「二百六十斤」。〉

Cassia seeds are measured at one he for every five people, totaling two shi and five dou. Ginger is one jin per person, totaling seventy-eight jin and two liang. Green onions are one jin for every three people, totaling two hundred ninety-six jin and six liang (this number does not match the number of people, it should be 'two hundred sixty jin').

隨莚樂例：大鼓、杖鼓、腰鼓、舞劍、渾脫、角抵、笛、拍板、破陣樂、投石、拔拒、蹙鞠。

The entertainment and music performances to enliven the banquet, following the usual customs, include the following items: large drum, staff drum, waist drum, sword dance, Huntu (a kind of dance and song from the Western Regions), Jidǐ (wrestling), flute, clappers, the "Pozhen Yue" (a musical piece), throwing stones (a contest of strength),拔拒 (a tug-of-war), and Cùjū (a game of kicking a ball).

經曰：黃帝設八陣之形：車廂洞當，金也；車工中黃，土也；烏雲鳥翔，火也；折衝，木也；龍騰𨚫月，水也；雁行鵝鸛，天也；車輪，地也；飛翼浮沮，巽也。

The Book of Military Classics states: The Yellow Emperor established eight formations — "Cartriage Cave" belongs to metal, "Cart Workshop Center Yellow" belongs to earth, "Black Cloud Bird Flying" belongs to fire, "Defensive Formation" belongs to wood, "Dragon Ascending Concave Moon" belongs to water, "Geese Formation Goose Swan" belongs to heaven, "Cart Wheel" belongs to earth, and "Flying Wing Floating Drought" belongs to wind.

風后亦演《握奇圖》云：「以正合，以奇勝。或合而為一，或離而為八。聚散之勢，節制之度，復置虛實二壘。」

The Yellow Emperor's minister Fenghou further developed the "Wòqí Tú" (The Diagram of the Unusual). It states: "Use regular troops to fight the enemy directly, and use irregular troops to achieve victory. Sometimes the eight formations combine into one formation, and sometimes one formation disperses into eight. The dynamics of gathering and dispersing, as well as the methods of command and control, are all contained within this. In addition, there are also two encampments designated as empty and real."

力牧以剙營圖，其後秦由余、蜀將諸葛亮並有陣圖，以教人戰。

The Yellow Emperor's other minister, Li Mu, used this to create the Camp Diagram. Later, Yu Yu of the Qin state and Zhuge Liang of the Shu Han dynasty each created their own array diagrams to train soldiers for battle.

夫營壘教戰有圖，使士卒知進止、識金鼓。其應敵戰陣不可預形，故其「戰勝不復，而應形無窮。兵形象水，水因地而制形，兵因敵而制勝，能與敵變化而取勝者，謂之神。」則其戰陣無圖，明矣。而庸將以教習之陣為戰敵之陣，不亦謬乎！

Setting up camps and training soldiers in combat indeed requires diagrams, so that the soldiers can understand the rules of advancing and retreating and clearly distinguish the signals of gongs and drums. However, the formations used in actual combat cannot be predetermined in advance. Therefore, the "Chapter on Virtual and Real" from Sun Tzu says: "The methods of achieving victory are never repeated, and responding to changes in enemy situations is endless. The forms of military action are like water; water flows according to the terrain, and military action follows the enemy's situation to find the way to victory. Those who can win by adapting to changes in the enemy's situation are called masterful in warfare." From this, it is clear that actual combat formations cannot be drawn. Yet, mediocre generals mistakenly take the formations used in regular training as the formations to be used in actual combat, which is clearly absurd.

經曰：自風后至於太公，俱用此法。古之握奇，文不滿尺，理隱難明。其范蠡、樂毅、張良、項籍、韓信、黥布，皆用此法，得其糟粕。而霍光、公孫宏、崔浩，亦採其華，未盡其實。今以八陣握奇，人數為壘，班布守地，闊狹頃畝，列之如後。〈○此四句，張刻本雲︰「惟諸葛孔明則深明其法，以入陣握奇壘畫為圖本，守地闊狹分寸丈尺毫髮不爽，具圖以列於後焉。」〉

The "Book of Military Classics" says: From Fenghou up to Jiang Taigong, they all used this system of formations. The ancient version of "Wuji" is less than a foot in length, its meaning obscure and difficult to understand. Fan Li, Yue Yi, Zhang Liang, Xiang Ji, Han Xin, Jing Bu, and others all used it, but they only obtained the superficial aspects; Huo Guang, Gongsun Hong, and Cui Hao only captured its ornamental exterior, without grasping its essential principles. Now, according to the eight formation "Wuji" method, the size of the camp is determined by the number of troops, the areas each unit is responsible for are arranged, along with the width and length in units of land measurement, all of which are listed below. (These four sentences, in the Zhang edition, read: "Only Zhuge Kongming thoroughly understood this method, drawing the camp layout of the 'Wuji' formation, accurately depicting the width and length of each area, with precision down to the smallest detail, all of which are illustrated and listed below.")

一軍一萬二千五百人，以十人為一火，一千二百五十火，幕亦如之。幕長一丈六尺，舍十人，人守地一尺六寸。十以三為奇，以三千七百五十人為奇兵，餘八千七百五十人分為八陣；陣有一千九十三人，七分五銖，守地一千七百五十尺。八陣積率，為地一萬四千尺，率成二千三百三十三步〈○原作「三百三十步」，今以算校正。〉餘二尺，積率成六里，餘一百七十三步二尺，以壘四面乘之，一面得地一里餘二百二十三步二尺，壘內得地一十四頃，一十七畝餘一百九十七步四尺六寸六分，以為外壘。

A military unit of 12,500 men is organized into 1,250 groups of ten men each, known as "fires." There are also 1,250 tents, each accommodating ten men. Each tent is 16 chi long, and on average, each person occupies 1.6 chi of space. According to a ratio of three out of ten, 3,750 men are left as mobile reserve forces, while the remaining 8,750 men are divided into eight formations. Each formation consists of 1,093 men and 7.5 liang (a unit of weight), and occupies an area of 1,750 chi. The total area occupied by the eight formations is 14,000 chi, which is equivalent to 2,333 steps and 2 chi (originally recorded as 330 steps, but corrected by arithmetic calculation), plus 2 chi. This is further converted into 6 li and 173 steps and 2 chi. Dividing this area equally among the four sides of the camp, each side has an area of 1 li, 223 steps, and 2 chi. The total area within the camp is 14 qing (a unit of land area), 17 mu, 197 steps, 4 chi, 6 cun, and 6 fen—this is the scale of the outer camp.

天陣居乾為天門。地陣居坤為地門。風陣居巽為風門。雲陣居坎為雲門。〈○「坎」疑「艮」，圖亦誤。〉飛龍居震為飛龍門。虎翼居兌為虎翼門。鳥翔居離為鳥翔門。蛇蟠居艮為蛇蟠門。〈○「艮」疑「坎」。〉

The heavenly array is stationed at the Qian position, and the gate on this side is called the heavenly gate; the earthly array is stationed at the Kun position, and the gate on this side is called the earthly gate. The wind array is stationed at the Xun position, and the gate is called the wind gate; the cloud array is stationed at the Kan position, and the gate is called the cloud gate (the character "Kan" is suspected to be incorrect and should be "Gen," and the original diagram also incorrectly labels it). The flying dragon array is stationed at the Zhen position, and the gate is called the flying dragon gate; the tiger wing array is stationed at the Dui position, and the gate is called the tiger wing gate. The bird soaring array is stationed at the Li position, and the gate is called the bird soaring gate; the snake coiling array is stationed at the Gen position, and the gate is called the snake coiling gate ("Gen" is suspected to be incorrect and should be "Kan").

天地風雲為四正。龍虎鳥蛇為四奇。乾坤巽坎為闔門。〈○「巽坎」疑當從　文瀾閣本作「艮巽」。〉震兌離艮為開門。〈○「艮」疑當從　文瀾閣本作「坎」。〉

Heaven, Earth, Wind, and Cloud are considered the Four Directions, while Dragon, Tiger, Bird, and Snake are considered the Four Wonders. The directions of Qian, Kun, Xun, and Kan are designated as "He Men," meaning closed doors that are not passable (the term "Xun Kan" may be a variant from the Wenlan Pavilion edition, which should be "Gen Xun"). The directions of Zhen, Dui, Li, and Gen are designated as "Kai Men," meaning open doors that allow passage (the term "Gen" may be a variant from the Wenlan Pavilion edition, which should be "Kan").

有牙旗遊隊列其左右，偏將軍居門內，禁出入，察姦詐。壘外有遊軍，定兩端，前有衝，後有軸，四隅有鋪，以備非常。中壘，以三千七百五十人為中壘，守地六千尺，積尺得二里，餘二百八十步；以中壘四面乘之，一面得地二百五十步。壘內有地兩頃，餘一百步。　正門為握奇，大將軍居之，六纛、五麾、金鼓、庫藏、輜重，皆居中壘。

Each gate has on either side banners and mobile patrols. The deputy general is stationed inside the gate to control the personnel and prevent them from entering or leaving at will, checking for spies and impostors. Outside the camp there are also mobile troops, stationed at both ends to guard fixed positions. In front there is a position called "Chong" which is for the vanguard to attack, and behind there is a position called "Zhou" which is for the central supply and transport. At the four corners there are "Pu" positions, which are watchtowers to guard against unexpected incidents. The layout of the central camp is as follows: the central camp is composed of 3,750 soldiers, occupying an area of 6,000 feet, which is equivalent to two li and 280 bu. Dividing this area equally among the four sides, each side occupies 250 bu. The total area within the camp is two qing and 100 bu. The main gate is where the "Wuqi" is located, and the grand general is stationed there. The six large banners, five command flags, gongs and drums, government stores, and supplies are all set up within the central camp.