A whole army may be robbed of its spirit;
“In war,” says Chang Yü, “if a spirit of anger can be made to
pervade all ranks of an army at one and the same time, its onset
will be irresistible. Now the spirit of the enemy’s soldiers will
be keenest when they have newly arrived on the scene, and it is
therefore our cue not to fight at once, but to wait until their
ardour and enthusiasm have worn off, and then strike. It is in
this way that they may be robbed of their keen spirit.” Li Ch‘üan
and others tell an anecdote (to be found in the _Tso Chuan_, 莊公
year 10, § 1) of 曹劌 Ts‘ao Kuei, a _protégé_ of Duke Chuang of Lu.
The latter State was attacked by Ch‘i, and the Duke was about to
join battle at 長勺 Ch‘ang-cho, after the first roll of the enemy’s
drums, when Ts‘ao said: “Not just yet.” Only after their drums had
beaten for the third time, did he give the word for attack. Then
they fought, and the men of Ch‘i were utterly defeated. Questioned
afterwards by the Duke as to the meaning of his delay, Ts‘ao Kuei
replied: “In battle, a courageous spirit is everything. Now the
first roll of the drum tends to create this spirit, but with the
second it is already on the wane, and after the third it is gone
altogether. I attacked when their spirit was gone and ours was at
its height. Hence our victory.” 吳子 (chap. 4) puts “spirit” first
among the “four important influences” in war, and continues:
三軍之衆百萬之師張設輕重在於一人是謂氣機 “The value of a whole army—a
mighty host of a million men—is dependent on one man alone: such
is the influence of spirit!”
a commander-in-chief may be robbed of his presence of mind.
Capt. Calthrop goes woefully astray with “defeat his general’s
ambition.” Chang Yü says: 心者將之所主也夫治亂勇怯皆主於心 “Presence
of mind is the general’s most important asset. It is the quality
which enables him to discipline disorder and to inspire courage
into the panic-stricken.” The great general 李靖 Li Ching (A.D.
571–649) has a saying: 夫攻者不止攻其城擊其陳而已必有攻其心之術焉
“Attacking does not merely consist in assaulting walled cities or
striking at an army in battle array; it must include the art of
assailing the enemy’s mental equilibrium.” [問對, pt. 3.]