Chapter 3 Section 2 The Earliest Military Books "Military Records" and "Military Administration"

So far, people have not found the earliest complete book on military affairs. The main reason is that it is lost because of its long history or difficulty in preservation.Even so, people can still see some early military books that appeared in the records of ancient documents, the most common of which are "Military Records" and "Military Administration".Although the quotations from "Junzhi" and "Military Affairs" by historians and writers of military literature are not long and long, they are also some incisive chapters and sentences. They are indeed treasures for studying early military literature, and may be transcribed below.

Nine lost texts of early military books have been found. "Zuo Zhuan" mentions three lost texts of "Jun Zhi". "Military Records" says: "Return when you are allowed", "Retreat when you know difficulties", and "Be virtuous and invincible".These three quotations were recorded in Zuo Zhuan in the twenty-eighth year of Duke Xi (632 BC).Its meaning is: "Military actions must be stopped in moderation", "we must retreat when we face difficulties", and "a virtuous country is irresistible". "Military Records" said: "The ancestors had the heart to seize others." This quotation was recorded in "Zuo Zhuan" in the twelfth year of Xuangong (597 BC), which means: "Preemptive strikes can disintegrate the will of the enemy. "

"Military Records" has it: "The ancestors had the heart to win, and the later generations have to wait for it to decline." This quotation was contained in "Zuo Zhuan" in the 21st year of Zhao Gong (521 BC), which means: "Preemptive strikes , can disintegrate the will of the enemy; strike late, wait for the exhaustion of the enemy's morale." There are two lost texts of "Jun Zhi" preserved in "Eleven Family Notes on Sun Tzu". "Military Records" says: "When you stop, you form a camp, and when you move, you form a formation." It means that the army "must set up a camp when it stops marching, and it must be able to convert into a battle formation at any time when it is marching."See "Military Struggle" Du Mu's note.

"Military Records" said: "A lineup between the formations, feet dragging swords; a formation between the formations, can be hostile. The front defends the front, the rear acts as the rear, the left defends the left, and the right defends the right. Lines must be filed, standing Flying geese, long to join the short, short to join the long. When returning to the army, turn the formation, the front is the rear, and the future is the front. Advance without rushing, retreat at speed, with four heads and eight tails, lead at the contact point, the enemy rushes into it, and both ends have Rescue." It means: "In the formation of the army, there must be an array in order to maintain sufficient combat power; there must be a team in the team to fight against the enemy. The forward defends the enemy's forward, the rear guard resists the enemy's rear, and the left team defends against the enemy's rear." The left side, the right team defends the right side. When you move, you have to file in file. When you stand still, you have to be like flying geese. Long weapons should be matched with short weapons, and short weapons should be matched with long weapons. The army retreats, the position is shifted, and the front is the rear. The future is the front. When advancing, do not run in a hurry. When retreating, withdraw quickly. The formation has four heads and eight tails. The head is where the enemy comes into contact.

"Taiping Yulan" quotes a piece of "Jun Zhi" in the lost text of "Wu Zi". "Military Records" said: "The general wants to be secret, the soldiers want to be one, and the enemy wants to be fast." It means: "The general must keep secrets when planning, the soldiers must be uniform when they act, and they must be quick when attacking the enemy." Illness." See "Taiping Yulan · Ministry of War Four Generals" cited "Wu Zi" lost article. When Tang Duyou compiled Li Jing's works, he quoted a lost article in "Junzhi". "Military Records" said: "The benefits of losing land will confuse the soldiers, and the three armies will be defeated. Hunger, work and rest, geography is a treasure." It means: "Once the army loses the benefits of land, the soldiers will be confused, and the whole army will be in trouble. Whether you are hungry or full, whether you are tired or rested, geographical advantage is the most precious." See Du You's "Tong Dian" citing "Military Records".

There are two lost texts of "Jun Zhi" preserved in Tang Li Quan's "Kun [kun Bundle] Wai Chunqiu". There is a saying in "Military Records": "Insufficient attack and more than defense." It means: with the same force, "there is insufficient strength for offense, and more than enough for defense." There is a saying in "Military Records": "Don't force the poor, don't chase after the crowd." It means: "Don't force the enemy army who is in a desperate situation, and don't rush to pursue the enemy army who is retreating to its own country" in order to disintegrate the enemy. The will of the army to fight like a trapped beast.

"Sun Tzu's Art of War" retains two lost articles from "Military Affairs". "Military Affairs" said: "If you don't hear each other, it's a golden drum; if you don't see each other, it's a banner." The distance is too far to see the action, so set up the flag."See the quotation from "Eleven Family Notes on Sun Tzu Military Struggle". "Military Administration" said: "Advance when you see what is possible, and retreat when you know it is difficult." It also said: "Avoid when you are strong." "If the enemy is strong, avoid him." See "Eleventh Annotations on Sun Tzu: Military Struggles" Cited Pre-Notes.

Due to the lack of records, it is impossible to confirm the writing dates of "Junzhi" and "Military Affairs".However, from the many mentions in "Zuo Zhuan", it can be speculated that they have come out at least in the late Western Zhou Dynasty.From the analysis of their content and the customs at that time, it seems that the quoted articles are not written by one person at a time, but a collection of the speeches of military strategists and statesmen before the late Western Zhou Dynasty.According to the existing materials and research results, scholars believe that they are the earliest military books mentioned so far, which is reasonable.First of all, it has been more than 2,300 years since the late Neolithic Age in my country 5,000 years ago to the late Western Zhou Dynasty. Primitive tribal wars such as the Battle of Banquan, the Battle of Shun Yu's Conquest of Sanmiao, and dozens of wars in the class society, such as the battle of Shang Tang's defeat of Xia Jie, the battle of Zhou's defeat of Shang Zhou, and the war of King Xuan of Zhou against foreign nations. .Secondly, not only stone weapons but also exquisite bronze weapons and fairly solid chariots were used in the war. Command large-scale operations at long distances.The accumulation of practical experience in war, the advancement of military technology, and the records of military activities in oracle bone inscriptions and bronze inscriptions all created conditions for the summary of war experience.

"Virtue is invincible." This is a conclusion drawn by "Military Records" on the basis of summarizing the causes of war and victory or defeat.Xia Jie was fatuous and immoral, the people were full of grievances, and dangers abounded.The virtuous Shang Tang, the virtuous government and the support of the people, first unified the neighboring countries, cut off the wings of Xia, and then led 6000-7000 daredevils, 70 chariots, defeated Xia Jie, and established the Shang Dynasty .In the last years of the Shang Dynasty, King Zhou had no way, his important minister Bigan was killed, Jizi was imprisoned, Huizi fled, and the people complained.The virtuous King Wu of Zhou won the hearts of the people. He held a meeting of princes in Mengjin (northeast of Mengjin, Henan today), commanded 3,000 tigers, 45,000 soldiers, and 300 chariots, and occupied Chaoge (now Qi County, Henan), the capital of Shang, in one fell swoop. Zhou Dynasty.Shang Tang's extermination of Xia and King Wu's defeat of Zhou were both caused by the innocence of the kings Jie and Zhou, and they were won because of the virtues of Tang and Wu. With his victorious war experience, he came to the conclusion that "virtue is invincible".

Discussions such as "return when you allow it", "advance when you see what is possible, and retreat when you know difficulty", and "avoid it when you are strong", all require war directors to act according to their capabilities and stop when enough is enough.Attack when there is a possibility of victory, retreat when there is danger of failure, and avoid when encountering a strong enemy, so that you can always grasp the initiative and remain invincible. Other articles in "Junzhi" and "Military Affairs" are also about the art of war and warfare.Although they are few in number, they are the prelude to the first climax of writings on military books in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods.