Treatise on Military Preparedness (Vol. 3)

Volume 3

Usage: Killing is not the goal.

...education can be restored; therefore, the Superior Man (Junzi): a person of noble character and moral integrity values it. By taking benevolence and love as the way to victory, education and social transformation can be resumed after the victory.

The Youyu Clan (the era of the legendary Emperor Shun) issued warnings within the capital, for they wished the people to embody the spirit of his commands. The Xiahou Clan (the Xia Dynasty) took their oaths within the army, for they wished the people to first perfect their mental preparations. The Yin (the Shang Dynasty) took their oaths outside the army gates, for they wished the people to align their intentions while waiting for the task at hand. The Zhou Dynasty took their oaths just as the blades were about to cross, to unify the people’s will at the moment of crisis.

The Xiahou Clan corrected through Virtue (De); they had not yet used the edges of weapons, thus their weaponry was not original: "雜" (za) - referring to a lack of specialized or varied tactical equipment complex. Many. The Yin relied on Righteousness (Yi); they began to use the edges of weapons. The Zhou relied on Strength (Li); they made full use of the edges of weapons.

The Xia rewarded at court to show they valued the good. The Yin executed in the marketplace to overawe those who were not good. The Zhou rewarded at court and executed in the marketplace to encourage the superior man and strike fear into the Petty Man (Xiao Ren): those driven by self-interest rather than duty. Although the methods differed, the way these Three Kings manifested their virtue was the same.

If the weaponry is not mixed, then long weapons are not advantageous.
Use of equipment: complete these methods.

Use [long weapons] to protect short weapons. When defending: if weapons are too long, they are difficult to maneuver; if they are too short, they cannot reach the enemy; if they are too light, then...