Страница 5 из 266

[Tu Mu alludes to the remarkable story of Ts'ao Ts'ao (A.D.

155-220), who was such a strict disciplinarian that once, in

accordance with his own severe regulations against injury to

standing crops, he condemned himself to death for having allowed

his horse to shy into a field of corn! However, in lieu of losing

his head, he was persuaded to satisfy his sense of justice by

cutting off his hair. Ts'ao Ts'ao's own comment on the present

passage is characteristically curt: "when you lay down a law, see

that it is not disobeyed; if it is disobeyed the offender must be

put to death."]

(5) Which army is the stronger?

[Morally as well as physically. As Mei Yao-ch'en puts it, freely

rendered, "esprit de corps and 'big battalions.'"]

(6) On which side are officers and men more highly trained?