SixThree - Chinese National Essence Classics Library

Author: Xiangming
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: The term "Six" refers to six secret strategies, specifically six stratagems for discussing military matters. The entire book is divided into six volumes—Wen, Wu, Long, Hu, Bao, and Qu—comprising a total of sixty chapters. It is presented in the form of dialogues between Jiang Taigong and the Duke of Zhou and King Wu of Zhou, elaborating on the fundamental strategies for governing a nation and commanding an army, as well as specific tactical and strategic approaches to warfare. The Wen and Wu volumes primarily discuss strategic issues, the Long volume addresses the role of commanders, while the Hu, Bao, and Qu volumes detail specific combat methods under various conditions. The "Three" is divided into three parts—Upper, Middle, and Lower—and contains relatively concise content, mainly outlining political strategies for governing a state and leading armies, while also touching on some specific tactics and methods for warfare. Its ideological framework is not confined to a single school but rather blends the thoughts of various traditions, particularly drawing heavily from Confucian and Daoist doctrines. As a result, while the "Three" is renowned as a military treatise, it is also regarded as a work on political strategy. This publication combines the "Six" and "Three" into one volume, partly because of the claim that the two books have a "common origin," and partly because their content complements each other. This book includes both the original text and a translation. The original text is based on the reproduction of the "Song Dynasty Edition of the Seven Military Classics" from the "Continued Ancient Classics Series," with errors and omissions in the original text corrected based on other versions. The translation primarily adopts a literal approach, supplemented occasionally by paraphrasing.