乘馬

Whenever establishing a state capital, it must be either at the foot of a great mountain or on the banks of a broad river. High enough to avoid drought with sufficient water supply; low enough to be near water yet with minimal need for drainage works. Follow heaven's materials and take advantage of the land's features — thus city walls need not conform perfectly to compass and square, and roads need not align perfectly with level and line. To act without purpose is the way of the emperor; to act yet take no credit for it is the way of the king; to act without self-aggrandizement is the way of the hegemon.

Land is the foundation of governance. The court is the principle of duty. The market is the standard of goods. Gold is the measure of expenditure. The territory of feudal lords and states of a thousand chariots are the regulation of capacity. These five — their principles can be understood, and there is a Way to implement each. Land is the foundation of governance; therefore land can correct governance. If land is not measured evenly and harmonized, governance cannot be corrected. The market lets you know order and disorder, abundance and scarcity — but cannot create abundance or scarcity. Gold lets you know extravagance and thrift — but frugality harms enterprise while extravagance harms goods.

Land that cannot produce food: mountains without trees count as one hundredth of productive land. Dried marshes count as one hundredth. Barren land without grass or trees counts as one hundredth. For the measurement system: an area of six li square is called a 'burst.' Five bursts make a 'section.' Five sections make a 'cluster' — every cluster has a market, for without a market the people will lack. Five clusters are named a certain district; four districts make a 'region' — this is the official system. An area of six li square constitutes the territory for one war chariot. One chariot means four horses. The horses require twenty-eight sets of armor and twenty shields. Thirty unarmored infantry serve the chariot pair.

What makes the sage a sage is his skill at allocating the people. If the sage could not allocate the people, he would be no different from an ordinary person — insufficient in himself, how could he be called sage? Therefore when there are tasks, he employs them; when there are none, he returns resources to the people. Only the sage is skilled at entrusting enterprise to the people. Time's handling of affairs is supremely precise; it cannot be stored and set aside. Therefore it is said: what is not done today will be forgotten wealth tomorrow. Yesterday has passed and will not return.