謹養, according to Wang Hsi, means: 撫循飮食周謹之 “Pet them, humour them, give them plenty of food and drink, and look after them generally.”
and do not overtax them. Concentrate your energy and hoard your strength.
Tu Mu explains these words in a rhyming couplet: 氣全力盛一發取勝; and Ch‘ên recalls the line of action adopted in 224 B.C. by the famous general 王翦 Wang Chien, whose military genius largely contributed to the success of the First Emperor. He had invaded the Ch‘u State, where a universal levy was made to oppose him. But, being doubtful of the temper of his troops, he declined all invitations to fight and remained strictly on the defensive. In vain did the Ch‘u general try to force a battle: day after day Wang Chien kept inside his walls and would not come out, but devoted his whole time and energy to winning the affection and confidence of his men. He took care that they should be well fed, sharing his own meals with them, provided facilities for bathing, and employed every method of judicious indulgence to weld them into a loyal and homogeneous body. After some time had elapsed, he told off certain persons to find out how the men were amusing themselves. The answer was, that they were contending with one another in putting the weight and long-jumping (投石超距). When Wang Chien heard that they were engaged in these athletic pursuits, he knew that their spirits had been strung up to the required pitch and that they were now ready for fighting. By this time the Ch‘u army, after repeating their challenge again and again, had marched away eastwards in disgust. The Ch‘in general immediately broke up his camp and followed them, and in the battle that ensued they were routed with great slaughter. Shortly afterwards, the whole of Ch‘u was conquered by Ch‘in, and the king 負芻 Fu-ch‘u led into captivity. [See Shih Chi, ch. 73, f. 5 ro. It should be noted that, 楚 being a taboo character under the Ch‘in dynasty, the name figures as 荆 throughout.]
Keep your army continually on the move,
In order that the enemy may never know exactly where you are. It has struck me, however, that the true reading might be, not 運兵, but 連兵 “link your army together” [cf. supra § 46, 吾將使之屬], which would be more in keeping with 併氣積力, Capt. Calthrop cuts the Gordian knot by omitting the words altogether.
and devise unfathomable plans.
Ch‘ang Yü’s paraphrase is: 常爲不可測度之計.
