The Art of War

if you oppose his retreat and attack him then, he will fight desperately, which will not conduce to your success.” A rather more obvious explanation is given by Tu Mu: “If the wind is in the east, begin burning to the east of the enemy, and follow up the attack yourself from that side. If you start the fire on the east side, and then attack from the west, you will suffer in the same way as your enemy.”  ↩

 Cf. Lao Tzǔ’s saying: 飄風不終朝 “A violent wind does not last the space of a morning.” (Tao Tê Ching,  chap. 23.) Mei Yao-chʽên and Wang Hsi say: “A day breeze dies down at nightfall, and a night breeze at daybreak. This is what happens as a general rule.” The phenomenon observed may be correct enough, but how this sense is to be obtained is not apparent.  ↩


Tu Mu’s commentary shows what has to be supplied in order to make sense out of 以數守之. He says: 須筭星