Wei Liao Zi Art of War Chapter 13

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Wei Liao Zi Art of War Chapter 13, 重刑令

本篇主要论述以重刑来维护战场纪律的问题。它主张对战败、投降、临阵脱逃等行为处以重刑，以达到“刑重则内畏，内畏则外坚”的目的。反映了当时的统治阶级只有靠酷刑来驱使人民从事战争。

English

If a general commanding one thousand men or more retreats from battle, surrenders his defenses, or abandons his terrain and deserts his troops, he is termed as 'state brigand', someone who has stolen from the state. He should be executed, his family exterminated, his name expunged from the registers, his ancestral graves broken open, his bones exposed in marketplace,

If commander of one hundred or more men retreats from battle, surrenders his defenses or abandon his terrain and deserts his troops, he is termed an 'army brigand'. He should be executed, his family exterminated and his male and female children shall serve in government as slaves.

If you cause the people to fear heavy punishment within the state, then outside the state they will regard the enemy lightly. Thus the Former Kings made the regulations and measures clear before making their punishment heavy. When punishments are heavy, then they will fear them within the state. When they fear them within the state, then they will be stalwart outside it.

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Modern

统辖千人以上的将领，若有作战失败，守城投降，擅离防地，弃军逃跑的，叫做国贼。对这种人要处死抄家，取消他的官籍，挖掘他的祖坟，把尸骨暴露在大街上示众，全家男女收入官府作为奴隶。统辖百人以上的官吏，若有作战失败，守城投降，擅离防地，弃军逃跑的，叫做军贼。对这种人要处死抄家，把全家男女收入官府作奴隶。这样就会使全军将士对内畏惧重刑，对外轻视敌人了。所以从前英明的君主，都是首先中明法令，然后使用重刑。刑罚重则人心畏刑，人心畏刑就会坚强对敌了。

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