The Business of the General

The general principle is that penetrating deeply brings cohesion, penetrating but a short way means dispersion. When you leave your own country behind and take your army across neighborhood territory, you find yourself on critical ground. We cannot enter into alliance with neighboring princes until we are acquainted with their designs. Bestow rewards without regard to rule, issue orders without regard to previous arrangements, and you will be able to handle a whole army as though you had to do with just one man.