ABSTRACT
When confronted by a numerically superior enemy on the battlefield, the ability to both discern and exploit any potential advantage becomes crucial for securing victory. This chapter examines the concept ji 機, ‘opportune moments’, as found in the recently discovered fourth century bce bamboo manuscript of a previously unknown treatise, titled Cao Mie’s Battle Array. From a military perspective, it employs the concept to advocate the necessity of appointing a perspicacious general capable of both detecting tactically advantageous situations which arise on the battlefield, and acting decisively to exploit such situations. I will first provide a translation and analysis of a portion of the text concerning ‘opportune moments’. Through this analysis, I will also contextualize this usage of ji as ‘opportune moments’ within the discourse of other early Chinese military texts, thereby providing a more comprehensive understanding of the concept of ‘opportune moments’ in early Chinese military thought.
