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4. Thus, to take a long and circuitous route, after enticing the

enemy out of the way, and though starting after him, to contrive

to reach the goal before him, shows knowledge of the artifice of

deviation.

[Tu Mu cites the famous march of Chao She in 270 B.C. to relieve

the town of O-yu, which was closely invested by a Ch'in army. The

King of Chao first consulted Lien P'o on the advisability of

attempting a relief, but the latter thought the distance too

great, and the intervening country too rugged and difficult. His

Majesty then turned to Chao She, who fully admitted the hazardous

nature of the march, but finally said: "We shall be like two rats

fighting in a whole-and the pluckier one will win!" So he left

the capital with his army, but had only gone a distance of 30 li

when he stopped and began throwing up entrenchments. For 28 days

he continued strengthening his fortifications, and took care that

spies should carry the intelligence to the enemy. The Ch'in

general was overjoyed, and attributed his adversary's tardiness

to the fact that the beleaguered city was in the Han State, and

thus not actually part of Chao territory.