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["In order to prevent treachery," says Wang Hsi. The general

meaning is made clear by Ts'ao Kung's quotation from the Ssu-ma

Fa: "Give instructions only on sighting the enemy; give rewards

when you see deserving deeds." Ts'ao Kung's paraphrase: "The

final instructions you give to your army should not correspond

with those that have been previously posted up." Chang Yu

simplifies this into "your arrangements should not be divulged

beforehand." And Chia Lin says: "there should be no fixity in

your rules and arrangements." Not only is there danger in letting

your plans be known, but war often necessitates the entire

reversal of them at the last moment.]

and you will be able to handle a whole army as though you had to

do with but a single man.

[Cf. supra, § 34.]

57. Confront your soldiers with the deed itself; never let them

know your design.