Methods of the Sima: Detailed Military Methods

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The Grand Commander (Zhongshuai): the supreme military leader responsible for discipline and strategic oversight and the various high officials issue orders to the army, saying: When entering the territory of the transgressor, do not commit violence against the gods and spirits original: "神祇" (shenqi); referring to local shrines and sacred sites. Do not engage in hunting, do not destroy irrigation works or earthworks, do not burn walls or houses, and do not cut down forests or groves.

Do not seize the Six Domestic Animals (Liuxu): the essential livestock of an ancient household, typically comprising horses, oxen, goats, pigs, dogs, and chickens, the grain, or the tools. If you encounter the elderly or children, escort them home and do not harm them. Even if you encounter able-bodied men, if they do not fight, do not treat them as enemies. If an enemy is wounded, provide medical care and return them home.

Once the guilty parties have been punished, the King and the Feudal Lords (Zhuhou): regional rulers who held land and power in exchange for loyalty to the central sovereign shall restore the state. They shall promote the worthy, establish enlightened leadership, and restore people to their proper duties.

There are six means by which Kings and Hegemons govern the Feudal Lords:
1. Use the shape and borders of the land to constrain the Feudal Lords demonstrating strategic positioning.
2. Use administrative orders to stabilize the Feudal Lords.
3. Use ritual and etiquette to gain the trust of the Feudal Lords.
4. Use wealth and resources to please the Feudal Lords.
5. Use wise counselors and strategists to maintain ties with the Feudal Lords.
6. Use military force and armor to ensure the submission of the Feudal Lords.

Share benefits and share burdens to unify the Feudal Lords. Help the small states serve the great ones to harmonize the Feudal Lords. Convene them to announce the nine prohibitions gathering the Feudal Lords to clarify the nine prohibitions of the Son of Heaven: the first is for those who rely on strength to bully the weak or invade the few...

The text ends here as it begins to detail the "Nine Prohibitions" (Jiu Fa), which served as the international law of the ancient Chinese world, defining what actions warranted a collective military response from the central authority.