Wei Liaozi — Teaching the Soldiers, First Part尉繚子 兵教上
1Teaching the soldiers — teach five men and the section head is rewarded
兵之教，令分營居陳，有非令而進退者，加犯教之罪。前行者前行教之，後行者後行教之，左行者左行教之，右行者右行教之，教舉五人，其甲首有賞。弗教如犯教之罪。羅地者，自揭其伍，伍內互揭之，免其罪。
In the teaching of soldiers, the camps are divided and the men are set in their formations, and if anyone advances or retreats without a command, the guilt of breaking the teaching is laid upon him. The front row is taught by the front row, the rear row by the rear row, the left row by the left row, and the right row by the right row, and when the teaching of five men is complete, their section head is rewarded. Not to teach is the same as the guilt of breaking the teaching. Those drawn up on the ground who report their own file, and who report one another within the file, are spared the punishment.
2If one man does not go forward to die, it is the teacher's guilt
凡伍臨陳，若一人有不進死於敵，則教者如犯法之罪。凡什保什，若亡一人，而九人不盡死於敵，則教者如犯教之罪。自什己上，至於裨將，有不若法者，則教者如犯法者之罪。
When a file comes to the formation, if there is even one man who does not go forward to die before the enemy, the one who taught them bears the same guilt as a man who breaks the law. Ten stand surety for ten, and if one man is lost and the nine do not all die before the enemy, the one who taught them bears the same guilt as a man who breaks the teaching. From the leader of ten up to the adjutant general, if there is anyone who does not act by the law, the one who taught him bears the same guilt as the man who breaks the law.
3Making punishments clear and rewards right lies in the law of teaching the soldiers
凡明刑罰，正勸賞，必在乎兵教之法。
Making punishments clear, and making encouragement and reward right, lies without fail in the law of teaching the soldiers.
4The generals differ in their flags, the soldiers differ in their badges
將異其旂，卒異其章，左軍章左肩，右軍章右肩，中軍章胸前。書其章曰：某甲、某士。前後軍各五行，尊章置首上，其次差降之。
The generals differ in their flags and the soldiers differ in their badges. The left army wears its badge on the left shoulder, the right army on the right shoulder, and the central army on the breast. On the badge is written, "such a section, such a soldier." The front army and the rear army each have five rows, and the highest badge is set above the head, and the ones after it are lowered in turn.
5A board for a drum, a roof tile for a gong
伍長教其四人，以板為鼓，以瓦為金，以竿為旂。擊鼓而進，低旂則趨，擊金而退。麾而左之，麾而右之，金鼓俱擊而坐。
The leader of five teaches his four men, taking a board for a drum, a roof tile for a gong, and a pole for a flag. When the drum is struck they advance, when the flag is lowered they run, and when the gong is struck they fall back. He waves them to the left and waves them to the right, and when gong and drum are struck together they sit down.
6From the leader of five to the great general — when the teaching is complete they are joined
伍長教成，合之什長。什長教成，合之卒長。卒長教成，合之伯長。伯長教成，合之兵尉。兵尉教成，合之裨將。裨將教成，合之大將。大將教之，陳於中野，置大表三百步而一。既陣去表，百步而決。百步而趨，百步而鶩，習戰以成其節，乃為之賞罰。
When the teaching of the leader of five is complete, they are joined to the leader of ten. When the teaching of the leader of ten is complete, they are joined to the leader of a troop. When the teaching of the leader of a troop is complete, they are joined to the leader of a hundred. When the teaching of the leader of a hundred is complete, they are joined to the commandant. When the teaching of the commandant is complete, they are joined to the adjutant general. When the teaching of the adjutant general is complete, they are joined to the great general. The great general teaches them, setting the formation in the middle of the open country, with one great marker every three hundred paces. Once the formation is set they move off from the marker, and at a hundred paces they decide, at a hundred paces they go at a run, and at a hundred paces they go at full speed, practicing battle until their timing is made, and then rewards and punishments are given.
7From the commandant's officers downward all have flags
自尉吏而下，盡有旂。戰勝得旂者，各視所得之爵，以明賞勸之心。
From the commandant's officers downward all have flags. Whoever wins the battle and takes a flag is judged by the rank of the man whose flag he took, and so the mind that rewards and urges them on is made clear.
8Winning the battle lies in setting up awe
戰勝在乎立威，立威在乎戮力，戮力在乎正罰，正罰者所以明賞也。
Winning the battle lies in setting up awe; setting up awe lies in joining their strength; joining their strength lies in making punishment right; and making punishment right is how reward is made clear.
9Why the people turn their backs on the gate of the state and decide between life and death
令民背國門之限，決生死之分，教之死而不疑者，有以也。令守者必固，戰者必鬥，姦謀不作，姦民不語，令行無變，兵行無猜，輕者若霆，奮敵若驚。舉功別德，明如白黑，令民從上令，如四肢應心也。
That the people can be made to turn their backs on the threshold of the gate of the state, to decide the parting of life and death, and to be taught to die without doubting, has its reason. Those who guard are sure to hold fast and those who fight are sure to fight; crooked schemes do not arise and crooked people do not speak; the commands are carried out and are not changed, and the soldiers march without misgiving; the light troops are like thunder, and their rousing against the enemy is like a start of alarm. Merit is raised up and virtue is told apart as clearly as black from white, and the people are made to follow the commands from above as the limbs answer the mind.
10This is called the teaching of soldiers
前軍絕行亂陳，破堅如潰者，有以也。此謂之兵教。所以開封疆，守社稷，除患害，成武德也。
That the front army cuts through the ranks and throws the formation into disorder, and breaks what is hard as though it were crumbling, has its reason. This is called the teaching of soldiers. It is how the borders are opened, the altars of the land are guarded, trouble and harm are removed, and the virtue of arms is made complete.