New Treatise on Military Efficiency, Volume 223

Page 8

• Scholar-officials and military officers who accompany the commanding general to patrol the city and oversee operations are themselves exempt from the labor rolls. original: "免編" (mian bian); This indicates that those already serving in a supervisory or 提調 (tidiao - coordinating) capacity are not required to perform the manual labor of a common sentry.

• Those who are blind, disabled, or suffering from chronic ailments—and who also possess neither a residence nor servants to assist them—are exempt from the labor rolls. Those with only temporary illnesses are not permitted this exemption. The text distinguishes between permanent disability (殘疾) and temporary sickness to prevent people from feigning illness to avoid the grueling duty of city defense.

• At each battlement, there must be two or three men to take turns for eating, sleeping, resting, relieving themselves, and transporting supplies. If there is only one man, how could he stand for a day and a night without becoming exhausted? If the enemy attacks while he is weary, how could he have the energy to fight? original: 垛口 (duokou); these are the crenellations or notched openings along the top of a city wall used for observation and defense.

• In the registration of laborers for city defense, assignments must be near each person’s residence, not exceeding a distance of one and a half to two li. If officials assign men randomly without regard for distance, they shall be severely punished. One li (里) is approximately 500 meters. This rule ensures that defenders are protecting their own neighborhoods, which increases their motivation and allows for quicker rotations.

Next, calculate the total number of battlements on the city wall, and the total number of adult males—whether military or civilian—within the city. For each battlement...