The skilful soldier does not raise a second levy, neither are his
supply-waggons loaded more than twice.
Once war is declared, he will not waste precious time in waiting
for reinforcements, nor will he turn his army back for fresh
supplies, but crosses the enemy’s frontier without delay. This may
seem an audacious policy to recommend, but with all great
strategists, from Julius Caesar to Napoleon Buonaparte, the value
of time—that is, being a little ahead of your opponent—has counted
for more than either numerical superiority or the nicest
calculations with regard to commissariat. 籍 is used in the sense
of 賦. The _T‘ung Tien_ and _Yü Lan_ have the inferior reading 藉.
The commentators explain 不三載 by saying that the waggons are
loaded once before passing the frontier, and that the army is met
by a further consignment of supplies on the homeward march. The
_Yü Lan_, however, reads 再 here as well.