Chapter 120 Thirty-two methods of observing the enemy's situation (1)

If there are dangers and obstacles in the army, yellow wells, reeds, mountains and forests, and those who live in the scorpion (yi) clumps, they must be carefully searched for, and this is where treacherous people lie.Those who are close to the enemy and quiet, rely on their danger; those who are far away and challenge, want others to advance;Those who move the trees will come; those who are obstructed by many grasses will be suspicious;If the dust is high and sharp, the carts will come; If there are dangers in the army, yellow wells, reeds, mountains, forests, and shade, you must be careful to search for them. This is where treacherous people lie.

Cao Cao's note: "A dangerous place is a place with one high and one lower; a obstructive one is a place with a lot of water; a bright one is a pool; a reed is a place where many grasses gather; a mountain forest is a place where many trees live; a vegetative one is a shelter. place." When you encounter dangerous places on the way to march, such as lakes, swamps, reeds, mountains and forests, etc., you must search carefully to prevent the enemy from ambushes or scouts. Let's talk about the enemy, a total of thirty-two methods of observing the enemy's situation. 1. "If the enemy is close and quiet, rely on the danger"

The enemy is very close to us, but does not move, that is to occupy a dangerous and favorable terrain, and there is nothing to fear. "Quiet" means standing still, not necessarily silent.I have learned the example of Ma Yuan's crusade against the Miao rebellion in Hunan.Ma Yuan was trapped on the river bank, and the Miao people shouted at him from the heights of the canyon, because they knew he couldn't get up, so they had no choice. 2. "Those who are far and challenged will advance if they want others" The enemy is far away from us, and he sent a small number of troops to challenge, that is to lure us forward.

The previous article said that the enemy army is close and does not move, which is to rely on danger without fear.On the contrary, the enemy's challenge from a distance is to lure me forward. "Wei Liaozi" said: "Those who take risks have no fighting spirit. Challengers have no strength." If the enemy occupies the dangerous ground first, we should not fight him.If the enemy is far away and comes to challenge again, we don't want to hit him with all our strength, but save one hand and fight to see. 3. "Those whose dwellings are easy, benefit also" If the enemy occupies an open area, the terrain must be in his favor, and he wants to lure us to the decisive battle.

Zhang Yuzhu commented: "It will be beneficial for the enemy to take advantage of the dangerous terrain." He did not want to occupy the dangerous terrain, but he wanted to set up an army in a flat and open place.Then we have to be cautious.This has almost the same meaning as "Don't invite the flag of righteousness, don't hit the majestic formation" said in the previous "Military Struggle". 4. "Whoever moves the trees, come" If you see trees shaking, that means the enemy is coming. Zhang Yu's note: "Every army must send good-seeing people to climb high to watch the enemy. If they see trees shaking, they are coming by cutting trees to remove the way. Or, not only to remove the way, but also to use weapons."

When large troops came, they had to cut wood to clear the way, or cut wood to make weapons and build camps.In short, if you see the trees shaking, it means that the enemy army is coming. 5. "Those with many grasses and many obstacles are doubtful" Cao Cao's note: "The knot of grass is an obstacle, and I want to make me doubt it." If you set up obstacles in the grass, it is setting up doubts.The enemy may have run away. Du Mu's note: "It is said that the enemy may not build a camp, or pull out his troops and sneak away, fearing that I will come after him, so the envoys often gather together, as if someone is hiding, which makes me suspicious and dare not enter."

The enemy may have not completed the fortifications of the camp, and they are afraid that we will attack the camp, or they have already pulled out the camp and retreated, and they are afraid that we will pursue them. 6. "The Bird Riser, Fu Ye" Cao Cao's note: "The bird rises above, and there are ambushes below." Zhang Yu's annotation is more vivid: "The bird is suitable for flying flat, and when it reaches the other side and suddenly rises, there are ambushes below." The bird was flying quite normally, but when it got there it suddenly flew high, which meant that there was an ambush below.

7. "Beast Terrorist, Recover" Chen Hao's note: "The one who covers me means that he hides in the forest and sneaks to cover me." Cao Cao's note: "The enemy is wide, Chen Zhangyi, come and cover me." Therefore, the "overturn" means that the enemy hides in the forest and sneaks over; up.This problem is serious! 8. "Where the dust is high and sharp, the car will come" The dust is high and sharp, and the chariots are coming. Zhang Yu commented: "Chariots and horses travel fast and are crowded, and the ruts follow each other, so the dust is high and straight."

9. "Those who are humble and broad will come in vain" If the dust is low and wide, the infantry is coming. The chariots are lined up to go back and forth, so the dust is relatively narrow.The infantry formation is relatively wide, so the dust is also wide, but the dust raised by people walking is not as high as that raised by cars. Therefore, in ancient wars, there were special people who were responsible for watching the enemy's dust.During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao chased Liu Bei, Zhang Fei sent a team of cavalry to confuse Cao Cao, dragging a branch on the horse's tail, galloping back and forth, kicking up dust.I don't know if Cao Cao looked at the dust, could he tell it was fake?

10. "Those who are scattered but well-developed are also woodcutters" The dust scattered into strips is the enemy chopping firewood. Why is it scattered into strips?First of all, firewood is cut everywhere, so it is scattered; after cutting, it is dragged back, so the smoke and dust are in strips. Li Quan commented: "The Jin army attacked Qi, and dragged the firewood to follow it; Qi people climbed the mountain, fearing the crowd, and fled at night." The Jin army dragged the firewood on the march, raising dust.Qi Jun looked at it, thought there were too many people, and scared away.

11. "Those who are few but come and go, the battalion is also" There is very little dust, coming and going, rising and falling from time to time, that is camping. Zhang Yu's note: "Anyone who divides the camp must send Qingqi to look at the place from all sides. He wants to know the dangers and narrowness of the shape, so the dust comes." Sparsely.