ABSTRACT
VIII. 九變篇
1. 孫子日凡用兵之法將受命於君合軍聚眾
2. 圮地無舍衢地合交絕地無留圍地則謀死 地則戰
The heading means literally “The Nine Variations,” but as Sun Tzŭ does not appear to enumerate these, and as, indeed, he has already told us (V. §§ 6—11) that such deflections from the ordinary course are practically innumerable, we have little option but to follow Wang Hsi, who says that “Nine” stands for an indefinitely large number. “All it means is that in warfare 當極其變 we ought to vary our tactics to the utmost degree … I do not know what Ts‘ao Kung makes these Nine Variations out to be [the latter’s note is 變其正得其所用九 也], but it has been suggested that they are connected with the Nine Situations” — of chap. XI. This is the view adopted by Chang Yü: see note on 死地, § 2. The only other alternative is to suppose that something has been lost — a supposition to which the unusual shortness of the chapter lends some weight.
