Chapter 9 · The Army on the March · 行軍

Passage 9-5

平陸處易, 而右背高, 前死後生, 此處平陸之軍也. 凡此四軍之利, 黃帝之所以勝四帝也.

On level ground, occupy easy terrain with high ground to the right and rear. Position so death lies ahead and life lies behind—this is the method for level ground warfare. These four principles enabled the Yellow Emperor to defeat the Four Emperors.

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These passages from other chapters connect to the themes in Passage 9-5:

Earth (地) Passage 1-5 地者, 遠近, 險易, 廣狹, 死生也. Entangling Terrain Passage 10-2 我可以往, 彼可以來, 曰通. 通形者, 先居高陽, 利糧道... Distant Terrain Passage 10-6 險形者, 我先居之, 必居高陽以待敵. 若敵先居之, 引而去... Stalemated Terrain Passage 10-3 可以往, 難以返, 曰; 掛; 掛形者, 敵無備, 出而勝之... Victory as Calculated Overflow Passage 4-11 兵法: 「一曰度, 二曰量, 三曰數, 四曰稱, 五曰勝; ... Making Victory Inevitable Passage 4-4 善守者, 藏於九地之下; 善攻者, 動於九天之上, 故能自保...

More from Chapter 9: The Army on the March (行軍)

Passage 9-1: Sun Tzu said: When positioning the army to observe the enemy: Cross mountains an... Passage 9-2: After crossing rivers, move away from the water. When the enemy crosses toward y... Passage 9-3: If you seek battle, do not confront the enemy near water. Observe the terrain an... Passage 9-4: Cross wetlands swiftly—do not linger. If you must engage in wetlands, position n... Passage 9-6: Armies prefer high ground to low, favor sunlight over shade, nurture life and oc... Passage 9-7: This is how terrain aids the army. When upstream rains cause rushing currents, w... Passage 9-8: When terrain features deep ravines, enclosed basins, natural prisons, tangled un... Passage 9-9: When the army’s flanks have difficult terrain, marshes, reeds, forests, or dense... Passage 9-10: When the enemy is near but quiet—he relies on difficult terrain. When distant an... Passage 9-11: Movement in the trees—the enemy approaches Many obstacles in the grass—suspicion... Passage 9-12: Reading dust: - High and sharp—chariots approaching - Low and wide—infantry appr... Passage 9-13: Humble words with increased preparations—advancing Aggressive words with forcefu... Passage 9-14: Rushing about and arranging chariots—preparing for decisive action Half advancin... Passage 9-15: Water-bearers drinking first—thirsty Seeing advantage but not advancing—exhauste... Passage 9-16: Night cries—fear Camp disturbance—general lacks authority Flags moving erratical... Passage 9-17: Hanging pots and not returning to quarters—desperate Earnest, rambling talks wit... Passage 9-18: First harsh, then fearful of troops—the height of incompetence Arriving with apo... Passage 9-19: Numbers alone do not guarantee victory. Avoid reckless advance. Unite forces, as... Passage 9-20: Punish troops before winning their loyalty—they will not submit; not submitting,... Passage 9-21: When orders are consistently enforced, the troops are trained to obey. When orde...