Sun Tzŭ said: The control of a large force is the same in principle as
the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their
numbers.
That is, cutting up the army into regiments, companies, etc., with
subordinate officers in command of each. Tu Mu reminds us of Han
Hsin’s famous reply to the first Han Emperor, who once said to
him: “How large an army do you think I could lead?” “Not more than
100,000 men, your Majesty.” “And you?” asked the Emperor. “Oh!” he
answered, “the more the better” (多多益辦耳). Chang Yü gives the
following curious table of the subdivisions of an army:—5 men make
a 列; 2 列 make a 火; 5 火 make a 隊; 2 隊 make a 官; 2 官 make a
曲; 2 曲 make a 部; 2 部 make a 校; 2 校 make a 裨; 2 裨 make a 軍.
A 軍 or army corps thus works out at 3200 men. But cf. III. § 1,
note. For 曲, see I. § 10. It is possible that 官 in that paragraph
may also be used in the above technical sense.