Six Secret Teachings, Tiger Teaching — The Army's Plan六韜 軍略
1When the three armies' gear is ready, what has the commanding general to worry about?
武王問太公曰：「引兵深入諸侯之地，遇深谿大谷險阻之水。吾三軍未得畢濟，而天暴雨，流水大至，後不得屬於前，無有舟梁之備，又無水草之資。吾欲畢濟，使三軍不稽留，為之奈何？」太公曰：」太公曰：「凡帥師將眾，慮不先設，器械不備；教不素信，士卒不習，若此，不可以為王者之兵也。凡三軍有大事，莫不習用器械。攻城圍邑，則有轒轀、臨衝；視城中，則有雲梯、飛樓；三軍行止，則有武衝、大櫓；前後拒守，絕道遮街，則有材士、強弩，衝其兩旁；設營壘，則有天羅、武落、行馬、蒺藜。晝則登雲梯遠望，立五色旗旌；夜則設雲火萬炬，擊雷鼓，振鼙鐸，吹鳴笳；越溝塹，則有飛橋、轉關、轆轤、鉏鋙；濟大水，則有天潢、飛江；逆波上流，則有浮海、絕江。三軍用備，主將何憂？」
King Wu asked Taigong, "Troops are led deep into the land of the feudal lords and come upon deep streams, great valleys, and dangerous water. Our three armies have not all made the crossing when the sky pours down a violent rain and a great flood comes, so that the rear cannot join the front. There is no boat or bridge ready and no store of water or fodder. I wish to have them all cross over, so that the three armies are not held up. What should be done?" Taigong said, "When one leads an army and heads a host, and the reckoning is not set beforehand and the gear is not ready, when the teaching is not trusted in ordinary times and the soldiers are not drilled — troops like these cannot be the troops of a true king. Whenever the three armies have a great matter in hand, there is nothing in the use of gear they have not drilled at. For attacking a city and surrounding a town there are the covered siege wagon (轒轀) and the assault tower (臨衝). For looking into the city there are the cloud ladder and the flying tower. For the three armies on the march and at rest there are the assault carriage and the great shield carriage. For holding the front and the rear, cutting the roads and barring the streets, there are able men and strong crossbows to strike at both flanks. For setting up camp and rampart there are the heaven net, the martial fence, the horse-barrier, and the caltrops. By day they climb the cloud ladder and look far off, and set up banners of five colors. By night they set out ten thousand beacon torches, beat the thunder drums, shake the small drums and the bells, and blow the reed pipes. For getting over ditches and trenches there are the flying bridge, the swivel joint, the pulley, and the locking pieces. For crossing great water there are the heavenly pool and the flying river bridge. For going up against the current there are the sea floater and the river crosser. When the three armies' gear is ready, what has the commanding general to worry about?"