經卒令

Organizing the troops means dividing them into three divisions by standing orders. The left division carries blue-green flags, and its soldiers wear blue-green plumes. The right division carries white flags, and its soldiers wear white plumes. The center division carries yellow flags, and its soldiers wear yellow plumes.

Soldiers are distinguished by five colored badges: the first rank wears blue-green badges, the second rank wears red badges, the third rank wears yellow badges, the fourth rank wears white badges, and the fifth rank wears black badges. These badges organize the troops; anyone who loses his badge is executed.

The first group of five ranks wears badges on the head. The second group wears badges on the nape. The third group wears badges on the chest. The fourth group wears badges on the abdomen. The fifth group wears badges at the waist.

In this way, no soldier can be separated from his officer, and no officer can lose track of his soldiers. Anyone who sees an irregularity and does not challenge it, or sees disorder and does not prohibit it, bears the same guilt as the offender.

When the drums beat for the advance and battle is joined, the front ranks pushing forward are 'braving danger,' while the rear ranks falling back are 'shaming the army.' Anyone who advances more than five ranks ahead of his line is rewarded. Anyone who falls more than five ranks behind is executed.

The ability to know who advanced and who retreated, who was first and who was last -- this is the achievement of the officer-and-soldier identification system. Therefore it is said: 'When the drums sound, the advance is like thunder, the movement like a storm -- none dare stand before them, none dare pursue behind them.' This is what having proper organization means.