Six Secret Teachings, Tiger Teaching — Taking the Land六韜 略地
1Taking the land — "The guilt lies with one man"
武王問太公曰：「戰勝深入，略其地，有大城不可下。其別軍守險阻，與我相拒。我欲攻城圍邑，恐其別軍猝至而薄我。中外相合，拒我表裏。三軍大亂，上下恐駭。為之奈何？」太公曰：「凡攻城圍邑，車騎必遠，屯衛警戒，阻其內外。中人絕糧，外不得輸，城人恐怖，其將必降。」武王曰：「中人絕糧，外不得輸，陰為約誓，相與密謀。夜出，窮寇死戰。其車騎銳士，或衝我內，或擊我外。士卒迷惑，三軍敗亂。為之奈何？」太公曰：「如此者，當分為三軍，謹視地形而處。審知敵人別軍所在，及其大城別堡，為之置遺缺之道以利其心，謹備勿失。敵人恐懼，不入山林，即歸大邑。走其別軍，車騎遠要其前，勿令遺脫。中人以為先出者得其徑道，其練卒材士必出，其老弱獨在。車騎深入長驅，敵人之軍必莫敢至。慎勿與戰，絕其糧道，圍而守之，必久其日。無燔人積聚，無毀人宮室，冢樹社叢勿伐。降者勿殺，得而勿戮，示之以仁義，施之以厚德。令其士民曰：『辜在一人』。如此則天下和服。」武王曰：「善哉！」
King Wu asked Taigong, "We have won the battle and gone deep in and are taking his land, but there is a great city that cannot be brought down. His detached army holds the steep places and stands against us. We would attack the city and surround the town, but I fear that his detached army will come all at once and press upon us, and that inside and outside will join and block us within and without, so that the three armies fall into great disorder and high and low are struck with fear. What is to be done?" Taigong said, "Whenever you attack a city and surround a town, the chariots and horsemen must be kept far off, the camp guard must keep watch, and the way between inside and outside must be blocked. Then the men within are cut off from grain, nothing can be brought in from outside, the people of the city are in terror, and their general is sure to surrender." King Wu said, "The men within are cut off from grain and nothing can be brought in from outside, so they swear in secret and lay a hidden plan together. They come out by night, and the cornered enemy fights to the death. Their chariots and horsemen and keen troops, some charge our inner line and some strike our outer; the officers and men are bewildered, and the three armies are beaten and thrown into disorder. What is to be done?" Taigong said, "At such a time you should divide into three armies, look carefully at the shape of the land, and take your places. Know closely where the enemy's detached army is, and where his great city and his outlying forts are. Leave them a road to slip away by, so as to draw their hearts, but guard it carefully and do not lose them. The enemy is afraid, and if he does not go into the mountains and forests he goes back to the great town. Let his detached army run, and let the chariots and horsemen block its way far ahead, so that none slips off. The men within think that those who went out first have found the open road, so their drilled soldiers and able men are sure to come out, and only the old and the weak are left. When the chariots and horsemen go deep in and drive far, the enemy's army surely dares not come. Take care not to fight him. Cut his grain road, surround him and hold him, and be sure to draw the days out long. Do not burn what the people have stored; do not tear down their houses; do not cut the trees on the graves or the groves at the shrines. Do not kill those who surrender; do not put to death those you take. Show them benevolence and right, and deal with them in generous virtue, and say to their officers and people, 'The guilt lies with one man.' Do this, and all under Heaven comes to peace and submits." King Wu said, "Good."