Verse 1-Wei Liao Zi Art of War Chapter 1

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Verse 1-Wei Liao Zi Art of War Chapter 1

English

King Hui of Liang State asked Wei Liao Zi:"Is it true that the Yellow Emperor, through punishment and virtue, one can achieve a hundred victory without defeat?"

Wei Liao Zi replied:"Punishment was employed to attack the rebellious and virtue was employed to stabilise peace. This is not what is referred to as ' Heavenly Positions ', auspicious time, yin & yang, comet appearance. The Yellow Emperor's victories were a matter of human effort, that is all. Why do we say that? Now if there is a fortified city and one attacks it from the east and west but cannot take it, and attacks from the south and north but cannot take it, can it be that all four directions fail to accord with the auspicious momentum? If you still cannot take it, it is because the walls are high, the moats deep, the weapons and implements fully prepared, the materials and grains accumulated in great quantities, and their soldiers are unified. If the wall is low, the moats shallow, and the defenses weak then it can be taken. From this perspective, 'moments', 'seasons' and ' Heavenly Office ' are not as important as human effort."

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Modern

梁惠王问尉缭子说：“黄帝的兵书《刑德》的学说，据说根据它来用兵就可以百战百胜，有这回事吗？”

尉缭子回答说：“所谓刑德，是说用武力征伐敌人，用仁德安定天下，不是指天官、时日、阴阳、向背等而说的。黄帝所说的，不过是强调人的作用罢了。为什么这样说呢？譬如现在有座城，从东西两方进攻，不能取胜；从南北两方进攻，也不能取胜，难道四方面都没有适应吉利时辰的方位吗？其所以攻不下来，是因防守者的城垣高，城壕深，武器装备完善，资财粮食充足，豪杰之士同心协力的原故。如果它的城垣低，战壕浅，守备弱，就能攻下来了。由此看来，相信天官时日，不如充分发挥人的作用。

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Original

惠王问尉缭子曰：“黄帝《刑德》，可以百胜，有之乎？”尉缭子对曰：“刑以伐之，德以守之，非所谓天官、时日、阴阳、向背也。黄帝者，人事而已矣。何者？今有城：东西攻不能取，南北玫不能取，四方岂无顺时乘之者耶？然不能取者，城高池深，兵器备具，财谷多积，豪士一谋者也，若城下、池浅、守弱，则取之矣。梁由是观之，天官时日不若人事也。

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