明爵祿以殺士
Clarify Ranks and Emoluments When Expending Soldiers
孫子曰：明爵祿而..（以下為散簡）..殺士則士....知之。知士可信，毋令人離之。必勝乃戰，毋令人知之。當戰毋忘旁毋....必審而行之。士死..
Sun Bin said: Clarify ranks and emoluments and [...]. [The following are scattered strips.] ...When expending soldiers, then the soldiers [...] know it. When you know a soldier can be trusted, do not let anyone alienate him. Fight only when victory is certain; do not let anyone know of it. When engaged in battle, do not forget the flanks; do not [...]. You must deliberate carefully before acting. When soldiers die [...]
Notes
This chapter survives in extremely fragmentary condition, with most of the bamboo strips lost or illegible. The title '殺士' (Expending Soldiers) addresses the moral and practical dimensions of sending men to their deaths. The surviving fragments emphasize: clear reward structures, trust in soldiers, operational secrecy, flank awareness, and careful deliberation.