Military Classic with Evaluative Commentary: Three Strategies

Volume 1: The Upper Strategy

...the commander and the soldiers drink from the same stream. Indeed, even a single basket original: "簟" (dian); usually a bamboo mat, but here used interchangeably with "簞" (dan), a small bamboo container for food or drink of unrefined wine original: "醪" (lao) cannot flavor the waters of an entire river, yet the soldiers of the three armies are willing to fight to the death because the flavor of his kindness has reached them personally.

The Military Oracles original: "軍讖" (Jun Chen); an ancient, now largely lost collection of military proverbs state:
Until the army's well has been reached, the general does not speak of thirst.
Until the army's tents are prepared, the general does not speak of weariness.
Until the army's stoves are lit, the general does not speak of hunger.
In winter, he does not wear furs; in summer, he does not wave a fan; in rain, he does not open a canopy.

This is known as the Protocol of the General.

He shares in their safety and shares in their danger. Therefore, his masses can be united but cannot be divided; they can be employed but cannot be exhausted. This is because kindness has been steadily accumulated and their purposes have long been aligned. Thus it is said: if you accumulate kindness without tiring, you can use the power of one to overcome ten thousand.

The Military Oracles state:
The source of a general’s authority lies in his commands.
The means by which a battle is won completely is military administration junzheng: the systems of discipline, logistics, and internal governance of an army.
The reason soldiers treat death lightly is because they follow orders original: "用命" (yongming); literally "to use one's life" or "to obey commands to the death".

Therefore, a general should never retract an order once given. Rewards and punishments must be reliable—as constant as the Heavens and the Earth. Only then can he ensure that his officers and soldiers will follow his commands.