The Use of Spies — employing spies用間篇

古者，八家爲鄰，一家從軍，七家奉之。言十萬之師舉，不事耕稼者七十萬家。

In old times eight households made up a neighborhood, and when one household followed the army the other seven supported it. The meaning is that when a host of a hundred thousand is raised, seventy thousand households cannot work the fields.

古者，發一家之兵，則鄰里三族共資之，是以不得耕作者七十萬家，而資十萬之衆矣。

In old times, when one household sent out a soldier, the neighborhood and the three kindreds together bore the cost; and so the households that could not plow numbered seventy thousand, and these supported an army of a hundred thousand.

古者，一夫田一頃。夫九頃之地，中心一頃，鑿井樹廬，八家居之，是爲井田。怠，疲也。言七十萬家奉十萬之師，轉輸疲於道路也。

In old times one man worked one qing (頃) of field. Of nine qing of land, in the middle one a well was dug and huts were raised, and eight households lived there: this is the well-field (井田). Dai (怠) means to be worn out. The meaning is that seventy thousand households, carting supplies to keep a host of a hundred thousand, are worn out on the roads.

輸糧供用，公私煩役，疲於道路，廢於耒耜也。曹說是也。

In carting grain and furnishing supplies, state and household alike are harried by labor service, are worn out on the roads, and lay down plow and plowshare. Cao Cao (曹操) has it right.

井田之法︰八家爲鄰，一家從軍，七家奉之。興兵十萬，則輟耕作者七十萬家也。或問曰︰重地則掠，疲於道路而轉輸，何也？曰︰非止運糧，亦供器用也。且兵貴掠敵者，謂深踐敵境，則當備其乏，故須掠以繼食，非專館穀於敵也。亦有磧鹵之地，無糧可因，得不餉乎？

By the law of the well-field, eight households make a neighborhood, and when one household goes out as soldiers the other seven support it. Raise an army of a hundred thousand and seventy thousand households stop plowing. Someone asked: in heavy ground, it is said, one plunders — then what is this being worn out on the roads with carting? The answer: it is not grain alone that is carted, for vessels and supplies must be furnished too. And when it is said that an army prizes plundering from the enemy, the meaning is that on going deep into enemy land one must provide against shortage and so plunder to keep the food coming, not that one feeds from the enemy alone. Besides, in land that is nothing but sand and salt flats there is no grain to rely on, so how could one not cart food in?

惜爵賞，不與間諜，令窺敵之動靜，是爲不仁之至也。

To grudge rank and reward, and so not give them to spies to peer into the enemy's movements — this is the height of inhumanity.

言不能以厚利使間也。

The meaning is that he cannot employ spies with liberal profit.

相守數年，則七十萬家所費多矣；而乃惜爵禄百金之微，不以遺間釣情取勝，是不仁之極也。

Hold out against each other for years and what seventy thousand households spend is great. Yet to grudge so small a thing as rank and pay and a hundred pieces of gold, and not give it to spies to angle out the enemy's true state and gain the victory, is the height of inhumanity.

恡財賞，不用間也。

It is to grudge goods and rewards and not use spies.

相持且久，七十萬家財力一困；不知恤此，而反靳惜爵賞之細，不以啗間求索知敵情者，不仁之甚也。

When the holding out lasts long, the goods and strength of seventy thousand households are spent to the last. Not to know pity for this, but instead to grudge the trifles of rank and reward and refuse to keep spies and search out the enemy's true state, is inhumanity in a grave degree.

非將人成功者也。

He is not one to lead men and accomplish a work.

一本作「非仁之佐」也。

One text has: no help to humaneness.

非以仁佐國者也。

He is not one to help the state with humaneness.

非致勝主利者也。

He is not one to achieve victory and profit his ruler.

不可以將人，不可以佐主，不可以主勝。勤勤而言者，嘆惜之也。

He cannot lead men, cannot help his ruler, cannot master victory. That it is said over and over is a sign of regret.

爲間也。

Because they use spies.

知敵情也。

It is knowing the enemy's true state.

主不妄動，動必勝人；將不苟功，功必出衆。所以者何也？在預知敵情也。

The ruler does not move rashly, so when he moves he is sure to overcome others; the general does not hope for merit by shifts, so his achievement is sure to rise above the common run. What is the reason? It lies in knowing the enemy's true state beforehand.

先知敵情，制勝如神也。

Knowing the enemy's true state first, he brings victory about as though by spirits.

《周官》「士師掌邦諜」，蓋異國間伺之謂也。故兵家之有四機、二權，曰事機，曰智權，皆善用間諜者也。故能敵人動靜，我預知矣。韋孝寬爲驃騎大將軍，鎮玉壁。孝寬善於撫御，能得人心。所遣間諜入齊者，皆爲盡力；亦有齊人得孝寬金貨，遙通書疏。故齊之動靜，朝廷皆先知之。時有主帥許盆，孝寬委以心膂，令守一戍。盆乃以城東入。孝寬怒，遣諜取之。俄而斬首而還。其能致物情如此。又，李達爲都督義州、弘農等二十一防諸軍事，每厚撫境外之人，使爲間諜，敵中動靜，必先知之。至有事泄被誅戮者，亦不以爲悔，其得人心也如此。

The *Zhou Offices* (周官) says that the shishi (士師), the officer of justice, has charge of the state's spying; this speaks of peering into other states. Hence the military schools have four junctures (機) and two kinds of leverage (權), called the junctures of affairs (事機) and the leverage of wits (智權), and all of them are a matter of using spies well. So the enemy's movements can be known by me beforehand. Wei Xiaokuan (韋孝寬) became Grand General of the Agile Cavalry and held Yubi (玉壁). Xiaokuan led men well and won their hearts. The spies he sent into Qi (齊) all spent their utmost strength, and among the men of Qi too there were those who took Xiaokuan's gold and goods and passed him letters from afar. So the movements of Qi were all known to the court beforehand. At that time there was a commander named Xu Pen (許盆), whom Xiaokuan trusted as his right hand and set to hold one fort; and Xu Pen took the walls over to the east. Xiaokuan in anger sent spies to seize him, and before long they came back with his head. So well did he draw out men's hearts. Again, Li Da (李達) became commander in chief charged with the military affairs of twenty-one defense posts, Yizhou (義州), Hongnong (弘農) and the rest, and he always cared liberally for the men beyond the border and made them his spies, so that he was sure to know the movements within the enemy beforehand. Though there were those who were killed when a matter leaked out, he did not repent of it; so well did he win men's hearts.

先知敵情，故動則勝人，功業卓然，超絶羣衆。

Because he knows the enemy's true state beforehand, he overcomes others when he moves, and his achievement is outstanding, far above the common run.

視之不見，聽之不聞，不可以禱祀而取。

Look and it is not seen, listen and it is not heard; so it cannot be got by prayer and sacrifice.

不可以禱祀而求，亦不可以事類而求也。

It cannot be sought by prayer and sacrifice, nor can it be sought by likening one affair to another.

不可取於鬼神象類，唯間者能知敵之情。

It cannot be got from ghosts and spirits, nor from the likeness of one affair to another; only a spy can know the enemy's true state.

象者，類也。言不可以他事比類而求。

Xiang (象) is likeness. The meaning is that it cannot be sought by comparison with other affairs.

不可以卜筮知也，不可以象類求也。

It cannot be known by divination, nor sought by comparison with like affairs.

不可以事之相類者，擬象而求。

It cannot be sought by weighing it against affairs that resemble one another.

不可以事數度也。

It cannot be measured by the reckoning of affairs.

度，數也。夫長短、闊狹、遠近、小大，卽可驗之於度數；人之情僞，度不能知也。

Du (度) is reckoning. Long and short, broad and narrow, far and near, small and great can be measured by reckoning; but the truth or falsity of men cannot be known by reckoning.

不可以度數驗也，言先知之難也。

It cannot be measured by reckoning; the meaning is that knowing beforehand is hard.

不可以度數推驗而知。

It cannot be known by inference and reckoning.

因人也。

It comes by way of men.

因間人也。

It comes by way of spies.

鬼神之情，可以卜筮知；形氣之物，可以象類求；天地之理，可以度數驗。唯敵之情，必由間者而後知也。

The affairs of ghosts and spirits can be known by divination; what has shape and breath can be sought by comparison with like affairs; the order of heaven and earth can be measured by reckoning. The enemy's true state alone must be known through spies.

鬼神、象類、度數，皆不可以求，先知必因人而後知敵情也。

Ghosts and spirits, like affairs, and reckoning can none of them yield it; so knowing beforehand is to know the enemy's true state only after it has come by way of men.

五間之名也。

These are the names of the five spies.

此五間之名。「因間」當爲「鄉間」，故下文云「鄉間可得而使」。

These are the names of the five spies. Local spy (因間) ought to read village spy (鄉間), for the text below says that the village spy can be got and employed.

同時任用五間也。

This is to put all five spies to use at one and the same time.

五間者，因五人用之。

The five spies are those used by way of five kinds of men.

五間俱起者，敵人不知其情泄形露之道，乃神鬼之綱紀，人君之重寶也。

When all five spies are at work together, the enemy does not know by what road his own true state leaks out and his shape is laid bare; this then is the thread of ghosts and spirits and the ruler's weighty treasure.

五間俱起以間敵，而莫知我用之之道，是曰神妙之綱紀，人君之所貴也。

All five spies are at work together peering into the enemy, yet no one knows the road by which I use them; this is called the divine thread, and it is what the ruler prizes.

五間俱起，人不之測，是用兵神妙之大紀，人主之重寶也。

When all five spies are at work together, others cannot reckon it out; this is the divine great thread of using troops, and the ruler's weighty treasure.

紀，理也。言敵人但莫知我以何道，如通神理也。

Ji (紀) is order. The meaning is that the enemy simply does not know by what road I do it, so that it seems I have penetrated a numinous order.

五間循環而用，人莫能測其理，茲乃神妙之綱紀，人君之重寶也。

Use the five spies by turns and others cannot reckon out their order; this is the divine thread and the ruler's weighty treasure.

因敵鄉國之人而厚撫之，使爲間也。晉豫州刺史祖逖之鎮雍丘，愛人下士，雖踈交賤隸，皆恩禮而遇之。河上堡因先有任子在胡者，皆聽兩屬；時遣游軍僞抄之，明其未附。諸塢主感戴，胡有異圖，輒密以聞，前後剋獲，蓋由於此。西魏韋孝寬使齊人斬許盆而來，猶其義也。

It is to care liberally for the people of the enemy's place and make them spies. When Zu Ti (祖逖), Inspector of Yuzhou (豫州) under Jin (晉), held Yongqiu (雍丘), he cherished men and humbled himself before gentlemen, and all who dealt with him, however distant or lowly a servant, he met with kindness and courtesy. Among the forts along the river there were those who had long before sent sons as hostages to the barbarians, and he let them all lean toward both sides. At times he sent roving troops to plunder them in pretense, showing that they had not yet gone over. The masters of the several forts were grateful and gave him their service, and whenever the barbarians had a design of their own they would secretly report it; and the victories and gains of those years, first and last, all came of this. When Wei Xiaokuan of Western Wei (西魏) had men of Qi behead Xu Pen, the intent was the same.

讀「因間」爲「鄉間」。

Here local spy (因間) is read as village spy (鄉間).

因敵鄉人知敵表裏虛實之情，故就而用之，可使伺候也。

The people of the enemy's own place know the enemy's outside and inside, where he is empty and where he is full, and so one can go on to use them to peer for one.

因其國人，利而使之。

By way of the people of that country, one employs them with profit.

如春秋時，楚師伐宋，九月不服，將去宋，楚大夫申叔時曰︰「築室反耕者，宋必聽命。」楚子從之。宋人懼，使華元夜入楚師，登子反之牀，起之曰︰「寡君使元以病告，曰︰弊邑易子而食，析骸而爨；雖然，城下之盟有以國斃，不能從也。去我三十里，唯命是聽。」子反懼，與之盟，而告楚子，退三十里，宋及楚平。

In the time of the Spring and Autumn, the troops of Chu (楚) attacked Song (宋), and after nine months Song would not bend, so Chu was about to leave it. The Chu grandee Shen Shushi (申叔時) said: build houses and send the troops back to the fields, and Song will surely heed your command. The Viscount of Chu did so. The men of Song were afraid and sent Hua Yuan (華元) by night into the Chu camp; he climbed onto Zifan (子反)'s couch, roused him, and said: our ruler sent me to tell you of our distress. In our city we exchange children and eat them and split bones for fuel. Even so, an oath sworn beneath our walls we cannot follow though the state perish. Withdraw thirty li from us and we will obey your command in all things. Zifan was afraid, swore the oath with him, and reported to the Viscount of Chu, who withdrew thirty li; and Song and Chu were at peace.

因敵國人知其底裏，就而用之，可使伺候也。韋孝寬以金帛啗齊人，而齊人遙通書疏是也。

The people of an enemy country know its inner workings, and so one can go on to use them to peer for one. So it was when Wei Xiaokuan kept men of Qi with gold and silk, and men of Qi passed him letters from afar.

因敵人失職之官，魏用許攸也。

It is by way of the enemy's officials who have lost their posts; it is Wei (魏)'s use of Xu You (許攸).

敵之官人，有賢而失職者，有過而被刑者，亦有寵嬖而貪財者，有屈在下位者，有不得任使者，有欲因敗喪以求展己之材能者，有翻覆變詐、常持兩端之心者。如此之官，皆可以潛通問遺，厚貺金帛而結之，因求其國中之情，察其謀我之事，復間其君臣，使不和同也。

Among the enemy's officials there are those who are worthy and yet have lost their place; those punished for a fault; those favored and yet greedy for goods; those bent down in low posts; those given no charge; those who would use the cracking of the state to try out their own talents; and those who turn and overturn and deceive, always keeping two hearts. With every such official one may secretly exchange letters, send gifts, and give liberally of gold and silk, and so bind him. By this one gets the true state of things inside that country and watches what is plotted against oneself, and further sets its ruler and ministers apart so that they cannot agree.

因在其官失職者，若刑戮之子孫與受罰之家也，因其有隙，就而用之。

It is by way of one who held office and lost his place — say the children and grandchildren of a man put to death, or a household that was punished — taking the crack there is in him and so going on to use him.

因其官屬，結而用之。

By way of the body of his officials, one binds them and uses them.

如益州牧羅尚遣將隗伯攻蜀賊李雄於郫城，互有勝負。雄乃募武都人朴泰，鞭之見血，使譎羅尚，欲爲內應，以火爲期。尚信之，悉出精兵，遣隗伯等率兵從泰擊雄。雄將李驤於道設伏，泰以長梯倚城而舉火。伯軍見火起，而爭緣梯，泰又以繩汲上尚軍百餘人，皆斬之。雄因放兵，內外擊之，大破尚軍。此用內間之勢也。又，隋陰壽爲幽州總管，高寶寧舉兵反，壽討之。寶寧奔於磧北。壽班師，留開府成道昂鎮之。寶寧遣其子僧伽率輕騎掠城下而去，尋引契丹、靺鞨之衆來攻。道昂苦戰連月，乃退。壽患之，於是重購寶寧，又遣人陰間其所親任者趙世模、王威等。月餘，世模率其衆降。寶寧復走契丹，爲其麾下趙修羅所殺，北邊遂安。又，唐太宗討竇建德，入武牢，進薄其營，多所傷殺。凌敬進說曰︰「宜悉兵濟河，攻取懷州河陽，使重將居守；更率衆鳴鼓建旗，踰太行，入上黨，先聲後實，傳檄而定；漸趨壺口，稍駭蒲津，收河東之地，此策之上也。行必有三利︰一則入無人之境，師有萬全；二則拓土得兵；三則鄭圍自解。」建德將從之，王世充之使長孫安世陰齎金玉，啗其諸將，以亂其謀。衆咸進諫曰︰「凌敬書生耳，豈可與言戰乎？」建德從之，退而謝敬曰︰「今衆心甚銳，此天贊我矣！因此決戰，必然大捷，已依衆議，不得從公言也。」敬固爭，建德怒，扶出焉。於是悉衆進逼武牢。太宗按甲，挫其銳，建德中槍，竄於牛口渚，車騎將軍白士讓、楊武威生獲之。又，王翦爲秦將攻趙，趙使李牧、司馬尚禦之。李牧數破走秦軍，殺秦將桓齮。翦惡之，乃多與趙王寵臣郭開等金，使爲反間，曰︰「李牧、司馬尚欲與秦反趙，以多取封於秦。」趙王疑之，使趙葱及顔聚代將，斬李牧，廢司馬尚。後三月，翦因急擊趙，大破，殺趙葱，虜趙王遷及其將顔聚也。

Luo Shang (羅尚), Governor of Yizhou (益州), sent his general Wei Bo (隗伯) to strike the Shu (蜀) bandit Li Xiong (李雄) at Picheng (郫城), and they beat each other by turns. Li Xiong bought Pu Tai (朴泰), a man of Wudu (武都), whipped him until blood showed, and had him deceive Luo Shang into thinking he would answer from within, the time to be told by fire. Luo Shang believed it and sent out all his nimble troops, having Wei Bo and the rest lead them behind Pu Tai to strike Li Xiong. Li Xiong's general Li Xiang (李驤) laid an ambush along the road, while Pu Tai set long ladders against the wall and raised the fire. Wei Bo's troops, seeing the fire rise, scrambled up the ladders; and Pu Tai hauled up a hundred and more of Luo Shang's men by rope and beheaded them all. Li Xiong then loosed his troops and struck from within and without, and broke Luo Shang's army utterly. This is the shape of using an inside spy. Again, under Sui (隋), when Yin Shou (陰壽) was Commander in Chief of Youzhou (幽州), Gao Baoning (高寶寧) raised troops in revolt and Yin Shou struck him. When Baoning fled north of the desert, Yin Shou turned his troops back and left Cheng Dao'ang (成道昂), of kaifu (開府) rank, to hold the place. Baoning sent his son Sengqie (僧伽) with nimble horsemen to plunder below the walls and be gone, and then drew in hosts of Khitan and Mohe and came to attack. Dao'ang fought on painfully month after month, and they withdrew. Yin Shou, troubled by this, set a heavy reward on Baoning's head, and also sent men to set apart in secret Zhao Shimo (趙世模), Wang Wei (王威) and the others he trusted and kept close. A month or so later Shimo led his host and surrendered. Baoning fled again to the Khitan and was killed by his own man Zhao Xiuluo (趙修羅), and the northern border was at last at peace. Again, when Taizong of Tang (唐) struck Dou Jiande (竇建德), he entered Wulao (武牢) and pressed close upon his camp, causing many wounds and deaths. Ling Jing (凌敬) came forward and said: send out all your troops, cross the river, take Huaizhou (懷州) and Heyang (河陽), and set a weighty general to hold them. Then lead your host with drums beating and banners raised over the Taihang range into Shangdang (上黨), putting the noise first and the substance after, so that a proclamation passed round will settle it of itself. Press on by degrees to Hukou (壺口) and startle Pujin (蒲津) little by little, and gather in the lands of Hedong: this is the best plan. Do so and there are sure to be three gains. The first is that you enter empty land and your troops stay whole; the second, that you widen your land and win troops; the third, that the siege of Zheng (鄭) lifts of itself. Jiande was about to follow it, when Zhangsun Anshi (長孫安世), the envoy of Wang Shichong (王世充), secretly brought gold and jade and fed it to his several generals, and so threw that plan into confusion. The host all came forward and said: Ling Jing is only a scholar of books. How can one speak of battle with him? Jiande followed their word, drew back, and apologized to Ling Jing: the host's heart is very keen now, and this is heaven helping me. Force the decision with it and the victory is sure to be great. Having already followed the host's will, I cannot follow your word. Ling Jing argued stubbornly, and Jiande in anger had him taken and put out. He then sent out his whole host and pressed toward Wulao. Taizong quieted his troops and so blunted that keenness; Jiande was struck by a spear and hid at Niukouzhu (牛口渚), and Bai Shirang (白士讓), General of Chariots and Cavalry, and Yang Wuwei (楊武威) took him alive. Again, when Wang Jian (王翦) was general of Qin (秦) and struck Zhao (趙), Zhao had Li Mu (李牧) and Sima Shang (司馬尚) hold him off. Li Mu broke and drove off the Qin troops several times and killed the Qin general Huan Yi (桓齮). Wang Jian hated this, and gave much gold to Guo Kai (郭開) and others, favored ministers of the King of Zhao, making them turned spies and having them say that Li Mu and Sima Shang meant to join with Qin to overturn Zhao and receive great fiefs from Qin. The King of Zhao suspected them, changed his generals for Zhao Cong (趙葱) and Yan Ju (顔聚), beheaded Li Mu and set Sima Shang aside. Three months later Wang Jian took the chance, struck Zhao hard and broke it utterly, killed Zhao Cong, and took the King of Zhao, Qian (遷), and his general Yan Ju captive.

因其失意之官，或刑戮之子弟，凡有隙者，厚利使之。晉任析公，吳納子胥，皆近之。

Officials who have lost their hopes, or the sons and younger brothers of men put to death — in short, whoever has a crack in him — are employed with liberal profit. Jin's entrusting of Xi Gong (析公) and Wu (吳)'s receiving of Zixu (子胥) both come near to it.

敵有間來窺我得失，我厚賂之，而令反爲我間也。

When the enemy's spy comes to peer into my gains and losses, I give him liberal bribes and turn him about to be my own spy.

敵有間來窺我，我必先知之，或厚賂誘之，反爲我用，或佯爲不覺，示以僞情而縱之，則敵人之間反爲我用也。陳平初爲漢王護軍尉，項羽圍於滎陽城，漢王患之，請割滎陽以西和，項王弗聽。平曰︰「顧楚有可亂者，彼項王骨鯁之臣亞父、鍾離昩、龍且、周殷之屬，不過數人耳。大王能出捐數萬斤金，行反間間其君臣，以疑其心；項王爲人意忌信讒，必內相誅。漢因舉兵而攻之，破楚必矣。」漢王以爲然，乃出黃金四萬斤與平，恣所爲，不問出入。平旣多以金縱反間於楚軍，宣言︰諸將鍾離昧等爲項王將，功多矣，然終不得列地而王，欲與漢爲一，以滅項氏，分王其地。項王果疑之，使使至漢。漢爲太牢之具，舉進，見楚使，卽陽驚曰︰「吾以爲亞父使，乃項王使也！」復持去，以惡草具進楚使。使歸，具以報，項王果大疑亞父。亞父欲急擊下滎陽城，項王不信，不肯聽亞父。亞父聞項王疑之，乃大怒，疽發而死。卒用陳平之計滅楚也。

When the enemy's spy comes to peer into me, I must know it first, and then either bribe him liberally and lure him and turn him to be used for me, or feign ignorance, show him a false state of things, and let him go. Then the enemy's spy is turned about and used for me. When Chen Ping (陳平) first became Commandant of the Protecting Army under the King of Han (漢), Xiang Yu (項羽) was encircling the city of Xingyang (滎陽). The King of Han, troubled by this, offered to cut off the land west of Xingyang and sue for peace, but King Xiang would not hear it. Chen Ping said: there is a place in Chu that can be thrown into confusion. King Xiang's ministers of real bone are no more than a few men, Yafu (亞父), Zhongli Mo (鍾離昩), Long Qie (龍且), Zhou Yin (周殷) and such. If Your Majesty will bring out some tens of thousands of catties of gold and work a turned spy, setting ruler and ministers apart so that their hearts suspect one another, then King Xiang, being by nature wary and a believer in slander, will surely have them killing one another within. If Han raises its troops and strikes at that moment, the breaking of Chu is beyond doubt. The King of Han thought it right, brought out forty thousand catties of gold and gave it to Chen Ping, and left it to him to do as he would, asking nothing of its coming and going. Chen Ping spent the gold freely, loosed turned spies in the Chu camp, and put about the word that the several generals, Zhongli Mo and the rest, had served as King Xiang's generals with much merit and yet in the end had received no land and been made no kings, and so meant to become one with Han, wipe out the house of Xiang, and divide its land and be kings. King Xiang did indeed come to suspect them, and sent an envoy to Han. Han set out a great feast and was carrying it in, but on seeing the Chu envoy feigned surprise and said: I took you for Yafu's envoy, but you are King Xiang's envoy. Then the food was taken away again and the Chu envoy served with coarse fare. The envoy went back and reported it all, and King Xiang did indeed come to suspect Yafu greatly. Yafu wished to press the attack on Xingyang and bring it down, but King Xiang did not trust him and would not listen to Yafu's word. Yafu, hearing that King Xiang suspected him, grew greatly angry, broke out in a carbuncle and died. In the end Chen Ping's plan was used and Chu was wiped out.

或以僞事紿之，或以厚利啗之。

Sometimes one deceives him with a false affair, sometimes one feeds him with liberal profit.

反間，反爲我間也。或留之使言其情，又或示以詭形而遣之。

The turned spy is one turned about to be my own spy. Sometimes he is held and made to tell the true state of things; sometimes a false shape is shown him and he is sent back.

如燕昭王以樂毅爲將，破齊七十餘城。及惠王立，與樂毅有隙。齊將田單乃縱反間於燕，宣言曰︰「齊王已死，城之不拔者二耳。樂毅畏誅而不敢歸，以伐齊爲名，實欲連兵南面而王齊；齊人未附，故且緩卽墨以待其事。齊人所懼，唯恐他將之來，卽墨殘矣！」燕王以爲然，使騎刼代樂毅。燕人士卒離心。單又縱反間曰︰「吾懼燕人掘吾城外冢墓，戮辱先人。」燕軍從之。卽墨人激怒，請戰，大破燕師，所亡七十餘城，悉復之。又，秦師圍趙閼與，趙將趙奢救之，去趙國都三十里不進。秦間來，奢善食遣之。間以報秦將，以爲奢師怯弱而止不行。奢隨而卷甲趨秦師，擊破之。又，范睢爲秦昭王相，使左庶長王齕攻韓，取上黨。上黨民走趙。趙軍長平。齕因攻趙，趙使廉頗將。廉頗堅壁以待秦。秦數挑戰，趙兵不出。趙王數以爲讓。而睢使人行千金於趙，爲反間曰︰「秦之所惡，獨畏趙括耳，廉頗軍易與，且降矣。」趙王旣怒廉頗軍多亡失數敗，又反堅壁不戰，又聞秦反間之言，因使括代頗。秦聞括將，以自起爲上將軍，射殺括及坑降卒四十萬。

King Zhao (昭王) of Yan (燕) made Yue Yi (樂毅) his general and broke more than seventy cities of Qi. After King Hui (惠王) was set up, there was a crack between him and Yue Yi. The Qi general Tian Dan (田單) loosed turned spies among Yan and put about the word: the King of Qi is already dead, and only two cities are not yet taken. Yue Yi fears being put to death and dares not go home; he has hung out the name of attacking Qi, but in truth he means to keep his troops at it, look south, and be king of Qi himself. Because the men of Qi have not yet gone over, he leaves Jimo (卽墨) slack and waits upon that. What the men of Qi fear is only that another general should come and Jimo fall. The King of Yan thought it right and replaced Yue Yi with Qi Jie (騎刼). The hearts of the Yan troops turned away. Tian Dan loosed turned spies again and said: what we fear is that the men of Yan should dig up the graves outside our walls and shame our forebears. The Yan troops did just that, and the people of Jimo in their fury asked to fight; they broke the Yan army utterly and took back all the seventy and more cities they had lost. Again, when the troops of Qin encircled Zhao's Yanyu (閼與), the Zhao general Zhao She (趙奢) went to its relief, but stopped thirty li short of the capital of Zhao and did not advance. When a Qin spy came, Zhao She fed him well and sent him off. The spy reported to the Qin general that Zhao She's troops were timid and weak and had halted and would not go. Zhao She thereupon rolled up his armor, raced upon the Qin troops, struck them and broke them. Again, when Fan Ju (范睢) was chancellor to King Zhao of Qin, he had Wang He (王齕), Senior Chief of the Left (左庶長), attack Han (韓) and take Shangdang. The people of Shangdang fled to Zhao, and Zhao set troops at Changping (長平). Wang He went on to attack Zhao, and Zhao made Lian Po (廉頗) its general. Lian Po held his walls firm and waited upon Qin. Qin offered battle many times, but the Zhao troops would not come out, and the King of Zhao rebuked him for it again and again. Fan Ju sent men to loose a thousand pieces of gold in Zhao and had turned spies say: what Qin hates, and alone fears, is Zhao Kuo (趙括). Lian Po's army is easy to handle and will surrender before long. The King of Zhao was angry that Lian Po's army had lost many men and been beaten several times and yet still only held its walls firm and would not fight, and, hearing besides the word of Qin's turned spies, he replaced Lian Po with Zhao Kuo. When Qin heard that Zhao Kuo was general, it made Bai Qi (白起) its supreme commander, shot Zhao Kuo dead, and buried four hundred thousand of the surrendered troops alive.

敵有間來，或重賂厚禮以結之，告以僞辭；或佯爲不知，踈而慢之，示以虛事，使之歸報，則反爲我利也。趙奢善食秦間，漢軍佯驚楚使是也。

When the enemy's spy comes, one binds him with weighty bribes and liberal courtesy and tells him falsehoods; or one feigns ignorance, keeps him at a distance and treats him slackly and shows him empty doings so that he goes back and reports them; and then he is turned about to my profit. So it was when Zhao She fed the Qin spy well, and when the men of Han feigned surprise at the sight of the Chu envoy.

情詐僞，不足信，吾知之，令吾動此間而待之。此筌以「待」字爲非「傳」也。

I know that the state of things is false and not to be relied on, and I move my own spy to wait upon it. Here Li Quan (李筌) read the word as to wait [待] and not as to pass on [傳].

誑者，詐也。言吾間在敵，未知事情，我則詐立事跡，令吾間憑其詐迹，以輸誠於敵，而得敵信也。若我進取，與詐跡不同，間者不能脫，則爲敵所殺，故曰死間也。漢王使酈生說齊，下之；齊罷守備，韓信因而襲之；田橫怒，烹酈生。此事相近。

Kuang (誑) is to deceive. The meaning is that when my spy is among the enemy and does not know the true state of the affair, I falsely set up the traces of an affair, so that my spy, resting on those false traces, offers them to the enemy as true and gains the enemy's trust. If what I then go on to do is not like those false traces, the spy cannot get away and is killed by the enemy; hence he is called the doomed spy. When the King of Han sent Master Li (酈生) to talk Qi into surrender, Qi loosened its guard, and Han Xin (韓信) struck in through that opening. Tian Heng (田橫) in anger boiled Master Li to death. This affair comes near to it.

作誑詐之事於外，佯漏泄之，使吾間知之。吾間至敵中，爲敵所得，必以誑事輸敵，敵從而備之。吾所行不然，間則死矣。又云︰敵間來，聞我誑事以持歸，然皆非所圖也。二間皆不能知幽隱深密，故曰死間也。蕭世誠曰︰「所獲敵人及己叛亡軍士有重罪繫者，故爲貸免，相勑勿泄，佯不祕密，令敵間竊聞之。吾因縱之使亡，亡必歸，敵必信焉，往必死，故曰死間。」

A false affair is made up outside and let leak out on purpose, so that my spy learns of it. When my spy reaches the enemy's midst and is taken by them, he is sure to offer that false affair to the enemy, and the enemy makes his preparations according to it. If what I do differs from it, the spy dies. It is also said: the enemy's spy comes, hears my false affair and carries it back, but none of it is what I am plotting. Neither spy knows what is hidden deep; hence it is called the doomed spy. Xiao Shicheng (蕭世誠) said: take a man of the enemy's whom you have seized, or a soldier of your own who deserted and was shut up for a weighty crime, and let him go on purpose; charge him not to let it leak, yet make a show of not keeping it secret, so that the enemy's spy hears it in secret. If I loose him and let him run, he will surely go home and the enemy will surely believe him; and going, he must die. Hence it is called the doomed spy.

以誑告敵，事乖必殺。

He reports falsely to the enemy, and when the affair goes otherwise he is sure to die.

詐吾間，使敵得之；間以吾詐告敵，事決，必殺之也。

One deceives one's own spy so that the enemy gets him. The spy reports my falsehood to the enemy, and when the affair is decided the enemy is sure to kill him.

如戰國鄭武公欲伐胡，先以其子妻胡，因問羣臣曰︰「吾欲用兵，誰可伐者？」大夫關期思曰︰「胡可。」武公怒而戮之，曰︰「胡，兄弟之國；子言伐之，何也？」胡君聞之，以鄭爲親己，不備。鄭襲而取之。此用死間之勢也。又，班超發于闐諸國兵擊莎車、龜茲二國，揚言兵少不敵，罷散。乃陰緩生口，歸以告。龜茲王喜而不虞。超卽潛勒兵，馳赴莎車，大破降之。斯亦同死間之勢。又，李靖伐突厥頡利可汗，以唐儉先在突厥結和親，突厥不備，靖因掩擊，破之。

In the time of the Warring States, Duke Wu (武公) of Zheng meant to attack Hu (胡), and first married his own child into Hu; then he asked his ministers: I mean to use troops, and who is worth attacking? The grandee Guan Qisi (關期思) said: Hu is worth attacking. Duke Wu in anger put him to death, saying: Hu is a brother state. What is your reason for saying it should be attacked? The ruler of Hu heard of it, took Zheng to be close to him, and made no preparations. Zheng struck in and took it. This is the shape of using a doomed spy. Again, when Ban Chao (班超) brought out the troops of Yutian (于闐) and the other states to attack the two states of Shache (莎車) and Qiuci (龜茲), he gave it out loudly that his troops were too few to stand against them, and sent them scattering off. Then he left the captives he had taken slackly guarded, and they went home and reported just that. The King of Qiuci was pleased and gave it no further thought. Ban Chao thereupon led his troops in secret, raced to Shache, broke it utterly and made it surrender. This too is like the shape of a doomed spy. Again, when Li Jing (李靖) attacked Jieli Qaghan (頡利可汗) of the Turks, Tang Jian (唐儉) had gone to the Turks beforehand and concluded a peace, so that the Turks made no preparations, and Li Jing fell upon them through that opening and broke them.

欲使敵人殺其賢能，乃令死士持虛僞以赴之；吾間至敵，爲彼所得，彼以誑事爲實，必俱殺之。我朝曹太尉嘗貸人死，使僞爲僧，吞蠟彈入西夏。至，則爲其所囚。僧以彈告，卽下之。開讀，乃所遺彼謀臣書也。戎主怒，誅其臣，并殺間僧。此其義也。然死間之事非一，或使吾間詣敵約和，我反伐之，則間者立死。酈生烹於齊王，唐儉殺於突厥是也。

To make the enemy kill his own worthy and able men, one sends off a soldier resolved to die, letting him hear what is false. When my spy reaches the enemy and is taken by them, they hold the false affair to be true and are sure to kill them both. Grand Commandant Cao (曹太尉) of our own court once spared a man condemned to die, dressed him as a monk, had him swallow a ball of wax, and sent him into Western Xia (西夏). On arriving he was shut up by them. The monk told them of the ball of wax, and before long it came down and was shown to them. They opened and read it: it was a letter to a minister of theirs who was plotting. The barbarian ruler in anger put that minister to death, and the spy monk with him. This is the intent of it. Yet the affairs of the doomed spy are not of one kind. Send my spy to the enemy to conclude a peace and then turn about and strike, and the spy dies on the spot. So it was when Master Li was boiled by the King of Qi, and when Tang Jian died among the Turks.

往來之使。

He is the messenger who goes and comes.

往來相通報也。生間者，必取內明外愚、形劣心壯，趫捷勁勇，閑於鄙事，能忍飢寒垢耻者爲之。

It is going and coming and reporting to one another. For the living spy one must choose a man clear within and dull to look at, poor in appearance but firm of heart, nimble and forceful, practiced in small matters, and able to bear hunger and cold and filth and shame.

身則公行，心乃私覘，往反報復，常無所害，故曰生間。

His body goes about in the open while his heart peers in secret; he goes and comes and reports again and again and never takes harm; hence he is called the living spy.

擇己有賢材智謀，能自開通於敵之親貴，察其動靜，知其事計，彼所爲已知其實，還以報我，故曰生間。

One chooses from one's own side a man of worthy talent and counsel who can himself get through to those close and honored about the enemy, and has him watch their movements and learn their affairs and reckonings. He comes to know the whole truth of what that side does and returns and reports it to me; hence he is called the living spy.

使智辨者往覘其情，而以歸報也。

One sends a man wise and ready of speech to peer into their true state and come back and report.

如華元登子反之牀而歸。又如隋達奚武爲東秦刺史時，齊神武趣沙苑，太祖遣武覘之。武從三騎，皆衣敵人衣服，至日暮，去營數百步，下馬潛聽，得其軍號。因上馬歷營，若警夜者；有不如法者，往往撻之。具知敵之情狀，以告太祖，太祖深嘉焉，遂破之。

Hua Yuan's climbing onto Zifan's couch and coming back is of this kind. Again, under Sui, when Daxi Wu (達奚武) was Inspector of Eastern Qin (東秦), Shenwu (神武) of Qi raced toward Shayuan (沙苑), and the Taizu sent Daxi Wu to peer at him. Daxi Wu took three horsemen, all in the enemy's clothes, and when the day darkened came within a few hundred paces of the camp, dismounted, listened in secret, and got their watchword. Then he mounted and rode round the camp as though he were one of those keeping the night watch, and now and then had a man flogged for not doing by the rule. He learned the enemy's whole condition and reported it to the Taizu, who was deeply pleased; and in the end they broke them.

選智能之士，往視敵情，歸以報我。若婁敬知匈奴之強，以告高祖之類。然生間之事亦衆，或己欲退，告敵以戰；或己欲戰，告敵以退。若秦行人夜戒晉師曰︰「來日請相見。」臾駢曰︰「使者目動而言肆，懼我也。」秦果夜遁。又，呂延攻乞伏乾歸，大敗之。乾歸乃遣間稱東奔成紀。延信而追之。耿稚曰︰「告者視高而色動，必有姦計。」延不從，遂爲所敗是也。

One chooses a wise and able gentleman to see the enemy's true state and come back and report to me. Lou Jing (婁敬)'s learning that the Xiongnu were strong and reporting it to Gaozu is of this kind. Yet the affairs of the living spy are of many kinds too. Sometimes I mean to withdraw and have the enemy told that I will fight; sometimes I mean to fight and have the enemy told that I will withdraw. An envoy of Qin told the troops of Jin by night that he asked to meet with them the next day, and Yu Pian (臾駢) said: the envoy's eyes waver and his words run on unchecked — he fears us; and Qin did indeed flee in the night. Again, Lü Yan (呂延) attacked Qifu Qiangui (乞伏乾歸) and broke him utterly. Qiangui sent a spy to say that he was fleeing east to Chengji (成紀), and Lü Yan believed it and gave chase. Geng Zhi (耿稚) said: the man who reports it holds his eyes high and his color wavers; there is surely a crafty plan in it. But Lü Yan did not heed him, and in the end was beaten.

受辭指蹤，在於卧內。

Receiving his words and pointing out the traces is done within the bedchamber.

若不親撫，重以禄賞，則反爲敵用，洩我情實。

If one does not care for him closely and make his pay and rewards weighty, he is turned about and used by the enemy and lets my true state leak.

入幄受詞，最爲親近。

He comes into the tent and receives the word, and so is the closest of all.

以腹心親結之。

One binds him close with one's inmost heart.

三軍之士，然皆親撫，獨於間者以腹心相委，是最爲親密也。

The soldiers of the three armies are all cared for closely, but with the spy alone are inmost hearts entrusted to each other; so he is the closest and most intimate.

以重賞賞之，而賴其用。

One rewards him with weighty rewards and leans upon his use.

爵禄金帛，我無愛焉。

Rank and pay, gold and silk, I do not grudge.

軍功之賞，莫厚於此。

Of the rewards given for merit in arms, none is more liberal than this.

非高爵厚利，不能使間。陳平曰︰「願出黃金四十萬斤，間楚君臣。」

Without high rank and liberal profit one cannot employ spies. Chen Ping said: I ask that four hundred thousand catties of gold be brought out, to set the ruler and ministers of Chu apart.

出口入耳也。「密」一作「審」。

It goes out of the mouth and into the ear, and no further. Mi (密) is written shen (審) in one text.

間事不密，則爲己害。

If the spy's business is not kept close, it becomes a harm to oneself.

幾事不密，則害成。

If the springs of the affair are not kept close, harm is made.

獨將與謀。

Only the general plots it with him.

惟將與間得聞其事，非密與？

Only the general and the spy hear of that business; is it not secret?

先量間者之性，誠實多智，然後可用之。厚貌深情，險於山川，非聖人莫能知。

First one measures the spy's nature: only when he is true, trustworthy and full of wisdom can he be used. To make a thick face and hide one's intent deep is more perilous than mountains and rivers; none but a sage can know it.

知其情僞，辨其邪正，則能用。

Know his truth and his falsity and tell his crookedness from his straightness, and he can be used.

聖通而先識，智明於事。

Sheng (聖) is to be penetrating and to know beforehand; zhi (智) is to be clear about affairs.

聖，則事無不通；智，則洞照幾先，然後能爲間事。或曰︰聖智則能知人。

Being a sage, there is no affair he does not get through to; being wise, he lights up the springs of things before they come; and only then can he carry on the business of spies. Some say that one who is a sage and wise can know men for what they are.

仁者有恩以及人，義者得宜而制事。主將者，旣能仁結而義使，則間者盡心而覘察，樂爲我用也。

The kind man has grace in him and it reaches others; the right-acting man gets what is fitting and orders affairs. When the commander in chief binds them with kindness and employs them with right conduct, the spies spend their hearts in peering and watching and take joy in being used for him.

太公曰︰「仁義著，則賢者歸之。」賢者歸之，則其間可用也。

Taigong said: let kindness and right conduct show, and worthy men come over. When worthy men come over, their spies can be used.

撫之以仁，示之以義，則能使。

Care for them with kindness and show them right conduct, and they can be employed.

仁結其心，義激其節；仁義使人，有何不可？

With kindness one binds their hearts; with right conduct one raises their resolve. Employ men with kindness and right conduct, and what cannot be done?

仁則不愛爵賞，義則果決無疑。旣啗以厚利，又待以至誠，則間者竭力。

Being kind, he does not grudge rank and reward; being right, he decides firmly and has no doubts. Feed them with liberal profit and meet them besides with the utmost sincerity, and the spies will spend their strength.

間亦有利於財寶，不得敵之實情，但將虛辭以赴我約，此須用心淵妙，乃能酌其情僞虛實也。

Among spies there are those who, greedy for goods, fail to get the enemy's true state and bring back only empty words to fit the terms I set. Here the mind must be used deeply and subtly to pick out their truth from their falsity, their emptiness from their fullness.

用意密而不漏。

It is to use one's intent so closely that nothing leaks.

防間反爲敵所使，思慮故宜幾微臻妙。

One must guard against the spy's being turned about and used by the enemy, so thought should reach to the springs of things and arrive at subtlety.

謂間者必性識微妙，乃能得所間之事實。

The meaning is that a spy must be subtle in nature and in knowledge before the truth of what he peers at can be got.

間以利害來告，須用心淵微精妙，乃能察其真僞。

When the spy comes to report profit and harm, the mind must be used deeply, finely and exactly to look into his truth and his falsity.

言每事皆須先知也。

The meaning is that in every affair one must know beforehand.

微之又微，則何所不知？

Subtle, and subtle on top of that: what could there be that is not known?

丁寧之，當事事知敵之情也。

This is said over again as a charge. In every affair one must know the enemy's true state.

密之又密，則事無巨細，皆先知也。

Close-woven, and close-woven on top of that: great affairs and small alike are all known beforehand.

告者非誘間者，則不得知間者之情，殺之可也。

Had the man who told of it not been the one who drew the spy out, he could not have known the spy's circumstances; so it is right to put him to death.

間者未發其事，有人來告，其聞者、所告者亦與間者俱殺以滅口，無令敵人知之。

If, before the spy has brought his business out, someone comes and tells of it, then the one who heard and the one who told are put to death together with the spy, to stop their mouths so that the enemy does not learn of it.

殺間者，惡其泄；殺告者，滅其言。

The spy is put to death because the leak is hateful; the one who told of it is put to death to do away with his words.

兵謀大事，泄者當誅；告人亦殺，恐傳諸衆。

The army's plans are a great affair, and whoever lets them leak must be beheaded. The man who told of it is killed as well for fear it should spread among the many.

間敵之事，謀定而未發，忽有聞者來告，必與間俱殺之，一惡其泄，一滅其口。秦已間趙不用廉頗，秦乃以白起爲將，令軍中曰︰「有泄武安君將者，斬！」此是已發其事，尚不欲泄，況未發乎？

Peering into the enemy is a matter in which the plan is settled but not yet brought out; so when one who has suddenly heard of it comes and tells, he is surely put to death together with the spy. The one is because the leak is hateful; the other is to stop his mouth. After Qin had already used spies so that Zhao would not use Lian Po, it made Bai Qi general and gave this order in the camp: whoever lets it leak that the Lord of Wu'an (武安君) has become general shall be beheaded. Here the affair had already been brought out, and still he did not wish it to leak; how much more an affair not yet brought out?

知其姓名，則易取也。

Know their names and they are easy to take.

凡欲攻戰，先須知敵所用之人賢愚巧拙，則量材以應之。漢王遣韓信、曹參、灌嬰擊魏豹，問曰︰「魏大將誰也？」對曰︰「柏直。」漢王曰︰「是口尚乳臭，不能當韓信。騎將誰也？」曰︰「馮敬。」曰︰「是秦將馮無擇子也。雖賢，不能當灌嬰。步卒將誰也？」曰︰「項它。」曰︰「是不能當曹參。吾無患矣！」

Whenever one would attack and give battle, one must first know whether the men the enemy uses are worthy or foolish, skilled or clumsy; then one can gauge their gifts and meet them. The King of Han (漢王) sent Han Xin, Cao Shen (曹參) and Guan Ying (灌嬰) to strike Wei Bao (魏豹), and asked: who is Wei's commander-in-chief? Bo Zhi (柏直), they said. The King of Han said: his mouth still smells of mother's milk, and he is no match for Han Xin. Who leads the horse? Feng Jing (馮敬), they said. He is the son of Feng Wuze (馮無擇), a general of Qin, said the king; worthy though he is, he is no match for Guan Ying. Who leads the foot? Xiang Tuo (項它), they said. He is no match for Cao Shen, said the king. I have nothing to fear.

此言敵人左右姓名，必須我先知之。或敵使間來，我當使間去，若不知其左右姓名，則不能成間者之說。漢高伐秦，至嶢關，張良曰︰「吾聞其將賈竪爾，可以利啗之。」又曰︰「其將雖曰欲和，其軍士未肯，不如因其懈而擊之。」乃進兵擊破之。又，宋華元夜登子反之床，以告宋病，若非素知門人、舍人、左右姓名，先使間導之，又何由得登其床也？

This says that I must first know the names of the men about the enemy. If the enemy sends a spy to me, I too should send a spy; and if I do not know the names of those about him, the spy's words will not take. When Gaozu of Han (漢高祖) struck Qin and came to the Yao Pass (嶢關), Zhang Liang (張良) said: I hear their general is a tradesman's son, so he can be lured with profit. And he said: their general says he wants peace, but his soldiers are not willing to follow him; better to strike while they are slack. So he sent his troops forward and broke them. Again, Hua Yuan of Song climbed at night onto Zifan's couch and told him of Song's straits; had he not known beforehand the names of the gatekeepers, the household men and those about him, and had he not had a spy lead him there first, how could he have climbed onto that couch?

守，謂官守職任者。謁，告也，主告事者也。門者，守門者也。舍人，守舍之人也。必先知之爲親舊，有急則呼之，則不可不知，亦因此知敵之情。

Shou (守) means one who holds an office and keeps to his charge. Ye (謁) means to report, and is the one whose charge is to report matters. Menzhe (門者) is the one who guards the gate. Sheren (舍人) is the one who keeps the house. One must know them beforehand and be on familiar terms with them, so that in an urgent matter one can call on them; they cannot be left unknown, and by this too one knows the enemy's true state.

凡敵之左右前後之姓名，皆須審省，而令吾間先知，則吾間可行矣。

The names of all those to the enemy's left and right, before and behind, must be looked into, and if one's own spy is made to know them first, then one's spy can go to work.

不可臨事求也。

It is not a thing to look for when the matter is already upon one.

守將，守官任職之將也。謁者，典賓客之官也。門者，閽吏也。舍人，守舍之人也。凡欲擊其軍，欲攻其城，欲殺其人，必先知此左右之姓名，則可也。欲潛入其軍，則呼其姓名而往，若華元夜登子反之床，以告宋病。杜元凱《註》引此文，謂元用此術，得以自通是也。又，漢高祖入韓信卧內，取其印，亦近之。

A shoujiang (守將) is a general who holds an office and keeps to his charge. A yezhe (謁者) is the officer in charge of guests. A menzhe (門者) is the clerk who keeps the gate. A sheren (舍人) is the one who keeps the house. Whenever one would strike his army, take his walled town, or kill his man, one must first know the names of these men about him. To slip into his camp one goes calling their names, as Hua Yuan climbed at night onto Zifan's couch and told him of Song's straits. Du Yuankai's (杜元凱) commentary cites this passage and says that Hua Yuan used this art and so could get through by himself. Again, Gaozu of Han entering Han Xin's sleeping quarters and taking his seal of office comes near to this.

舍，居止也。令吾人遺以重利，復導而舍之，則可令詭其辭。

She (舍) means to stay and lodge. If our man gives him heavy profit and then leads him in and lodges him, one can make him twist his words.

舍，居止也。

Shè (舍) means to stay and dwell.

敵間之來，必誘以厚利而止舍之，使爲我反間也。

When the enemy's spy comes, one must lure him with heavy profit and lodge him, and make him my turned spy.

故能取敵之間而用之。

So one can take the enemy's spy and use him.

必探索知敵之來間者，因而利誘之，引而舍止之，然後可爲我反間也。

One must feel out and find who the spy sent by the enemy is, and then lure him with profit and lead him in and lodge him. Only then can he be made my turned spy.

此留敵間以詢其情者也。必謹舍之，曲爲辯說，深致情愛，然後啗以大利，威以大刑，自非至忠於其君王者，皆爲我用矣。

This is to lodge the enemy's spy and question out his true state. One must lodge him carefully, bend one's words to persuade him and pour out deep feeling for him; and then, luring him with great profit and cowing him with great punishment, all but those utterly loyal to their own lord will be put to my use.

索，求也。求敵間之來窺我者，因以厚利，誘導而館舍之，使反爲我間也。言舍之者，謂稽留其使也。淹延旣久，論事必多，我因得察敵之情。下文言四間皆因反間而知，非久留其人，極論其事，則何以悉知？

Suo (索) means to seek. One seeks out the enemy's spy who has come to peer at me and, with heavy profit, lures and leads him and lodges him in a guest house, so that he becomes my spy instead. To say lodge him means to keep his envoy back. When it is drawn out long, there must be much said back and forth, and by this I can look into the enemy's true state. The text below says that the four spies are all known by way of the turned spy; without keeping the man long and pressing the matter to the end, how could all of it be known?

若敵間，以利導之，尚可使爲我反間，因此乃知，厚利亦可使鄉間、內間也。此言使間非利不可。故上文云︰「相守數年，爭一日之勝，而愛爵禄百金，不知敵情者，不仁之至也。」下文皆同其義也。

If even the enemy's spy, led on by profit, can be made my turned spy, one knows from this that with heavy profit the village spy and the inside spy can be employed too. This says that spies cannot be used without profit. So the text above says: to hold out against each other for years and then grudge rank, salary and a hundred pieces of gold while contending for the victory of a single day, and so not know the enemy's true state, is the height of being without humaneness. The text below is all of the same sense.

此說踈也。言敵使間來，以利啗之，誘令止舍，因得敵之情，因間、內間可使反間誘而使之。

This explanation is loose. It means that when the enemy sends a spy, one lures him with profit and makes him stay and lodge, and so gets the enemy's true state; and the local spy (因間) and the inside spy can be lured and employed by way of the turned spy.

因反敵間而知敵情，鄉間、內間者皆可得使。

Because one turns the enemy's spy and so knows the enemy's true state, the village spy and the inside spy can both be got and employed.

其國人之可使者，其官人之可用者，皆因反間而知之。

Those among that country's people who can be employed and those among its officers who can be used are all known by way of the turned spy.

因是反間，知彼鄉人之貪利者，官人之有隙者，誘而使之。

By way of this turned spy one learns which of the other side's villagers are greedy for profit and which of its officers have a grievance, and lures and employs them.

因是反間，知彼可誑之事，使死間往告之。

By way of this turned spy one learns in what matters the other side may be deceived, and sends the doomed spy to go and tell him.

可使往來如期。

One can have him go and come back on the appointed day.

言五間皆循環相因，惟生間可使如期。

It means that the five spies all go round and round, each by way of another, and that only the living spy can be made to keep to the appointed day.

因誑事而知敵情。生間往返，可使知其敵之腹心所在。

By way of the matter he is deceived in one knows the enemy's true state. When the living spy goes and returns, one can have him learn where the enemy's inmost heart lies.

令吾間以誑告敵者，須因反間而知敵之可誑也。生間以利害覘敵情，須因反間而知其踈密，則可往得實而歸如期也。

To have my spy tell the enemy what is false, I must know by way of the turned spy that the enemy can be deceived. For the living spy to peer at the enemy's true state through gain and harm, I must know by way of the turned spy where the enemy is thin and where he is close. Then the spy can go, get the truth, and come back on the appointed day.

因是反間，知彼之情，故生間可往復如期也。

By way of this turned spy one knows the other side's true state, and so the living spy can go and come back on the appointed day.

孫子殷勤於五間，主切知之。

Sunzi (孫子) was so earnest about the five spies, and a ruler should know this keenly.

鄉間、內間、死間、生間，四間者，皆因反間知敵情而能用之，故反間最切，不可不厚也。

The village spy, the inside spy, the doomed spy and the living spy, these four, can all be used only when the enemy's true state is known by way of the turned spy. So the turned spy is the most pressing of all, and cannot but be treated generously.

人主當知五間之用，厚其禄，豐其財。而反間者，又五間之本，事之要也，故當在厚待。

A ruler should know the use of the five spies and make their salaries heavy and their means ample. And the turned spy is the root of the five spies and the heart of the matter, so he ought to be treated generously.

五間之始，皆因緣於反間，故當厚遇之。

The five spies all begin by way of the turned spy, so he ought to be met generously.

人主當用五間以知敵情，然五間皆因反間而用，則是反間者，豈可不厚待之耶？

A ruler should use the five spies to know the enemy's true state. But since all five spies are used by way of the turned spy, how could the turned spy not be treated generously?

伊摯，伊尹也。

Yi Zhi is Yi Yin (伊尹).

呂牙，太公也。

Lü Ya is Taigong (太公).

伊尹、呂牙，非叛於國也，夏不能任而殷任之，殷不能用而周用之，其成大功者，爲民也。

Yi Yin and Lü Ya did not turn against their own country. Xia (夏) could not give Yi Yin a charge and Yin (殷) did; Yin could not use Lü Ya and Zhou (周) did. That they accomplished great things was for the people's sake.

伊、呂，聖人之耦，豈爲人間哉？今孫子引之者，言五間之用，須上智之人如伊、呂之才智者，可以用間，蓋重之之辭耳。

Yi Yin and Lü Ya were the peers of sages; how should they have been another man's spies? That Sunzi cites them here means that for the use of the five spies one needs a man of the highest wisdom, with the gifts and the wit of Yi Yin and Lü Ya, before he can use spies; it is only a way of saying how weighty the matter is.

伊尹，夏臣也，後歸于殷；呂望，殷臣也，後歸于周。伊、呂相湯、武，以兵定天下者，順乎天而應乎人也，非同伯州犁之奔楚，苗賁皇之適晉，狐庸之在吳，士會之居秦也。

Yi Yin was a minister of Xia and afterward went over to Yin; Lü Wang (呂望) was a minister of Yin and afterward went over to Zhou. That Yi Yin and Lü Wang aided Tang (湯) and King Wu (武王) and settled all under heaven by arms was to follow Heaven and answer to men; it was not the same as Bo Zhouli (伯州犁) fleeing to Chu, Miao Benhuang (苗賁皇) going over to Jin, Hu Yong (狐庸) being in Wu, or Shi Hui (士會) staying in Qin.

孫子論兵，始於計而終於間者，蓋不以攻爲主，爲將者可不慎之哉？

That Sunzi, in discussing war, began with Reckoning (計) and ended with the Use of Spies (用間) is because he did not take attacking as the chief thing. Can one who is made a general fail to be careful?

不知敵情，軍不可動；知敵之情，非間不可。故曰「三軍所恃而動」。李靖曰︰「夫戰之取勝，此豈求於天地？在乎因人以成之。歷觀古人之用間，其妙非一，卽有間其君者，有間其親者，有間其賢者，有間其能者，有間其助者，有間其鄰好者，有間其左右者，有間其縱橫者，故子貢、史廖、陳軫、蘇秦、張儀、范睢等，皆憑此而成功也。且間之道有五焉︰有因其邑人，使潛伺察而致辭焉；有因其仕子，故洩虛假令告示焉；有因敵之使，矯其事而返之焉；有審擇賢能，使覘彼向背虛實而歸說之焉；有佯緩罪戾，微漏我僞情浮計使亡報之焉。凡此五間，皆須隱祕，重之以賞，密之又密，始可行焉。若敵有寵嬖，任以腹心者，我當使間遺其珍玩，恣其所欲，順而旁誘之。敵有重臣失勢，不滿其志者，我則啗以厚利，詭相親附，採其情實而致之。敵有親貴左右，多辭誇誕，好論利害者，我則使間曲情尊奉，厚遺珍寶，揣其所間而反間之。敵若使聘於我，我則稽留其使，令人與之共處，矯致慇懃，僞相親暱，朝夕慰諭，倍供珍味，觀其辭色而察之；仍朝夕令使獨與己伴居，我遣聰耳者，潛於複壁中聽之；使旣遲違，恐彼怪責，必是竊論心事。我知事計，遣使用之。且夫用間間人，人亦用間以間己；己以密往，人以密來。理須獨察於心，參會於事，則不失矣。若敵人來，欲候我虛實，察我動靜，覘知事計而行其間者，我當佯爲不覺，舍止而善飯之，微以我僞言誑事，示以前却期會，則我之所須爲彼之所失者，因其有間而反間之。彼若將我虛以爲實，我卽乘之而得志矣。夫水所以能濟舟，亦有因水而覆没者。間所以能成功，亦有憑間而傾敗者。若束髮事主，當朝正色，忠以盡節，信以竭誠，不詭伏以自容，不權宜以爲利，雖有善間，其可用乎？」

Without knowing the enemy's true state an army cannot be moved, and the enemy's true state cannot be known but by spies. So it says: what the three armies rely on when they move. Li Jing said: now, the winning of victory in war, is this a thing to be sought from heaven and earth? It lies in accomplishing it by way of men. Look through the use of spies by the men of old, and their subtlety is not of one kind: there is spying on his ruler, spying on his kin, spying on his worthy men, spying on his able men, spying on his helpers, spying on his good relations with his neighbors, spying on those about him, and spying on the alliances he has knit across and lengthwise. So Zigong (子貢), Shi Liao (史廖), Chen Zhen (陳軫), Su Qin (蘇秦), Zhang Yi (張儀), Fan Ju and their like all leaned on this and accomplished what they did. And the way of spies has five kinds. There is going by way of a man of his town, having him watch and look in secret and bring back word. There is going by way of one of his officials, deliberately letting slip what is empty and false so that it is reported to him. There is going by way of the enemy's envoy, dressing up the matter and sending him back. There is picking out with care a worthy and able man, having him peer at the other side's leanings and its empty and full places, and come back and tell. There is making as if to go easy on a man's offense, letting a little of our false state and empty plans leak to him, and letting him run off and report it. All these five spies must be kept hidden and secret, weighted with rewards, and made close and closer still, before they can be set to work. If the enemy has a favorite to whom he entrusts his inmost heart, I should send a spy to give him treasures and playthings, let him have all he wants, go along with his wishes and lure him from the side. If the enemy has a great minister who has lost power and has not had his will, I lure him with heavy profit, falsely attach myself to him as a friend, and draw his true state out of him. If the enemy has men about him close and honored, who talk much and boast and are fond of arguing gain and harm, I have my spy bend his feelings and wait upon them and give them treasures in plenty, and then gauge what they are spying out and spy back in turn. If the enemy sends an envoy to call on us, I keep his envoy back and send a man to stay together with him, and am studiedly warm to him, feigning closeness and intimacy, comforting him morning and evening and setting out twice the delicacies, and watch his words and his face. Then morning and evening I have the envoy left alone with his own companion, and send a man of sharp ears to listen hidden in the double wall. The envoy has already overstayed the day of his return and will fear his master's reproach, so he is sure to talk over his inmost business in secret. I learn his business and his plans, and send an envoy who turns them to use. Moreover, when one uses spies to spy on another, the other uses spies to spy on oneself; I go in secret, and he comes in secret. The reason of it must be looked into alone in one's own heart and matched against the matter, and then one does not go wrong. If the enemy comes wanting to feel out my empty and full places, to look into my movements, to peer out my business and plans, and so to play the spy, I should feign not to notice, lodge him and feed him well, let slip a little of my false words and deceiving matters, and show him the dates set for advance and retreat; then what I need becomes what he loses, and by way of his spying I spy back. If he takes my empty for full, I ride upon it at once and have my will. Water is what carries a boat across, yet there are those who are overturned and sunk by way of water; spies are what accomplish things, yet there are those who are toppled and beaten by leaning on spies. As for a man who from the age when he bound up his hair and served his lord has stood with a straight face at court, who has been loyal to the full of his duty and faithful to the whole of his sincerity, who does not deceive and hide to make a place for himself and does not watch the turn of things for his own profit, then though there were a good spy, could he be put to use?

晉伯州犁奔楚，楚苗賁皇奔晉，及晉、楚合戰於鄢陵，苗賁皇在晉侯之側，伯州犁侍於楚王，二人各言舊國長短之情。然則晉所以勝楚者，楚所以敗者，其故何也？二子則有優劣也。是知用間之道，間敵之情，得不慎擇其人，深究其說也？故上文云「非聖智莫能用間」者。夫聖智知人，人卽附之；賢者受知，則勠力爲效。非聖非智，必猜必忌。公道不啓，仁義不施，則義士賢人因而銜憤，此將上天不祐，幽有鬼神，設無人事之變，恐有陰誅之禍，豈上智之士爲其用哉！故上文云「非仁義莫能使間」。然則湯、武之聖，伊、呂宜用；伊、呂獲用，事宜必濟。聖賢一會，交泰時乘，道合乾坤，功格寰宇，當其耕夫於畎畝，釣叟於渭濱，知我者，誰能無念也？

Bo Zhouli of Jin fled to Chu, and Miao Benhuang of Chu fled to Jin. When Jin and Chu met in battle at Yanling (鄢陵), Miao Benhuang was at the side of the Marquis of Jin and Bo Zhouli was in attendance on the King of Chu, and each of the two spoke of the long and the short of his old country's true state. Why, then, was it that Jin beat Chu and Chu was the one defeated? It was that the two men were not equal. From this one knows that in the way of using spies and of spying out the enemy's true state one cannot but choose the man with care and search his words deeply. So the text above says: without sagely wisdom one cannot use spies. The sagely and the wise know men, and men attach themselves to them at once; and the worthy, when they are known, join their strength and answer for it. One neither sagely nor wise is sure to be jealous and suspicious. Where the public way is not opened and humaneness and right are not practiced, men of right and worthy men hold a grudge because of it; then Heaven above does not help him, and in the shadows there are ghosts and spirits, so that even with no upheaval in the affairs of men there is reason to fear the disaster of a hidden stroke. How should a man of the highest wisdom be used by such a one! So the text above says: without humaneness and right one cannot employ spies. And so, with the sageliness of Tang and King Wu, Yi Yin and Lü Wang were fitly used; and when Yi Yin and Lü Wang were used, their business was sure to be accomplished. Sage and worthy met once and rode a time of great peace; their way fitted heaven and earth and their achievement reached the whole world. When the one was plowing between the furrows and the other was an old man fishing on the banks of the Wei (渭水), how could they have been without thought for the man who knew them?

軍無五間，如人之無耳目也。

An army without the five spies is like a man without ears and eyes.

未知敵情者，不可動也。

One who does not know the enemy's true state cannot move.

用師之本，在知敵情，故曰「此兵之要」也。未知敵情，則軍不可舉，故曰「三軍所恃而動」也。然處十三篇之末者，蓋用非兵之常也。若計、戰、攻、形、勢、虛實之類，兵動則用之；至於火攻與間，則有時而爲耳。

The root of using troops lies in knowing the enemy's true state, and so it says: this is the heart of war. Without knowing the enemy's true state an army cannot be raised, and so it says: it is what the three armies rely on when they move. That it is put at the end of the thirteen chapters is because its use is not the constant business of war. Such things as Reckoning, Waging War (作戰), Attack by Stratagem (謀攻), Shape, Force (勢) and Empty and Full (虛實) are used as soon as troops move; but Attack by Fire (火攻) and the Use of Spies have their times, and no more.