Chapter 56: Preparations Against Cloud Ladders
Qin Guli served Master Mo for three years. His hands and feet developed thick calluses, and his face turned a dark yellow. He served diligently without daring to ask any questions. Master Mo took pity on him, so he prepared wine and dried meat, set up a feast at the foot of Mount Tai, and had Qin Guli sit on straw to reward him for his labor. Qin Guli bowed twice and sighed.
Master Mo asked, “Do you have anything you wish to ask?” Qin Guli bowed twice and said, “May I ask about the way to defend a city?”
Master Mo said, “Wait, wait. In ancient times, there were those who possessed defensive arts, but they did not endear themselves to the people within, nor did they govern well without. They used the few to alienate the many, and the weak to take the strong lightly. In the end, they died and their states perished, becoming a laughingstock to the world. You must be cautious, lest you suffer a similar fate.”
Qin Guli bowed and kowtowed again, wishing to continue asking about the way of defense. He said, “May I ask, if the enemy is numerous and brave, fills our moats with earth, advances their troops together, has already set up cloud ladders, has all their siege equipment ready, and has many warriors scrambling up our city walls, what should we do?”
Master Mo said, “Are you asking about defending against cloud ladders? Cloud ladders are heavy equipment and are very difficult to move. To defend against them, build a ‘Xing Cheng’ (auxiliary wall) with interspersed towers to observe the interior. Adjust according to the width of the enemy’s attack formation, and set up protective screens (Da) in the enclosed area, minimizing exposed space. The method for building a Xing Cheng is: it should be twenty chi higher than the main wall, with parapets added on top, ten chi wide, and extending twenty chi on both the left and right sides. The height and width should follow the standard of the Xing Cheng.
Dig ‘Jue Xue’ (shooting holes) and ‘Hui Shu’ (observation holes) in the wall, and hang ‘Da’ (woven shields) on the outside. Set up mechanisms, battering rams, Qian (weapons), and city defenses, with widths equal to the enemy’s attack formation. Intersperse them with Juan swords. Assign ten men to operate the battering rams and five men to hold swords; all must be strong men. Have those with good eyesight observe the enemy, and use drum beats to command actions. Shoot at them from both flanks, concentrate fire, use mechanisms to launch projectiles, and rain down arrows, stones, sand, and charcoal from the walls. Supplement this with firewood, boiling water, strict rewards and punishments. Maintain calm as the norm, act swiftly, and do not let the enemy have time to think. Thus, the attack with cloud ladders will be defeated.
When building the Xing Cheng, the parapets should be six chi high and uniform. Install swords on their faces, triggered by mechanisms; lower them when the battering rams arrive, and raise them when they do not. Dig a Jue Xue every three chi. Caltrop throwers must be set up according to the terrain and pushed by carts.
Build a ‘Ju’ (outer defensive barrier) ten chi outside the city wall, ten chi thick. Cut down the trees in the Ju, breaking them at the base regardless of size. Bury them in sections of ten chi in deep pits, and ram the earth firmly so they cannot be pulled out.
Set up a ‘Sha’ (killing zone/defense point) every twenty bu. Each Sha has a ‘Ge’ (partition wall) ten chi thick. The Sha has two gates, each five chi wide. The Ju has one gate, which should be shallowly buried and not rammed, so it can be easily removed. Drive wooden stakes directly at the Ju gate.
Hang fire weapons, with one hook post every four chi. Set up a stove every five bu, with furnace charcoal at the stove door. When the enemy has fully entered, set fire to the gate, followed by lowering the hanging fire weapons. Deploy carts and stand them upright, with a width equal to the enemy’s formation. Place a fire weapon between every two carts, all standing by, waiting for the drum beat to ignite and launch them. When the enemy clears the fire and attacks again, lower the hanging fire weapons again. The enemy will suffer greatly and will withdraw. Then, order our death-defying soldiers to sally forth from the left and right tunnel gates to strike the retreating troops. Command the brave warriors and generals to advance and retreat according to the drum beats from the city. Take the opportunity to send out troops and set up ambushes. At midnight, beat drums and shout from all four sides of the city. The enemy will be bewildered, and this will surely break their army and kill their generals. Use white clothes as uniforms and use signals to identify each other. Thus, the attack with cloud ladders will be defeated.”
Note
This chapter records Mozi’s counsel to his devoted disciple Qin Guli on countering cloud ladders, detailing auxiliary walls, arrow slits, incendiary traps, ambushes and night psychological tactics to repel ladder assaults.
Qin Guli (禽滑厘 / Qinzi, Qin Huali):
Qin Guli (Qin Huali), a devoted disciple of Mozi. This chapter opens with a vivid description of his three years of grueling service to his master, highlighting the Mohist emphasis on extreme self-discipline, endurance, and practical labor as prerequisites for learning their defensive arts.
Cloud Ladders (云梯):
Massive, wheeled siege towers or ladders used to scale city walls. Mozi notes their primary weakness: they are extremely heavy and difficult to maneuver, making them vulnerable to concentrated countermeasures.
Xing Cheng (行城):
A secondary, elevated auxiliary wall built inside or parallel to the main city wall. This architectural innovation allowed defenders to match or exceed the height of enemy siege towers, neutralizing the enemy’s vertical advantage.
Combined Arms Defense:
The chapter details a highly sophisticated, multi-layered defense strategy. It integrates mechanical traps (sword-dropping parapets), incendiary weapons (hanging fire devices), chemical/thermal warfare (boiling water, charcoal), and psychological warfare (midnight drumming and shouting). This reflects the Mohist school’s advanced understanding of military engineering and battlefield psychology.
Jue Xue (爵穴) and Hui Shu (煇鼠):
Specialized architectural features on city walls. Jue Xue were narrow shooting holes for crossbows, while Hui Shu were observation holes, demonstrating the precise, standardized terminology of ancient Chinese siegecraft.
Sha (杀) and Ge (鬲):
Tactical zones and partition walls designed to create kill zones and compartmentalize the battlefield, preventing enemy breaches from spreading.
“Fear of being like ginger” (恐为身姜):
A metaphorical warning by Mozi to Qin Guli, cautioning him against the arrogance of relying solely on military tactics without moral governance and popular support.
56章 备梯
禽滑厘子事子墨子三年，手足胼胝，面目黧黑，役身给使，不敢问欲。子墨子其哀之，乃管酒块脯，寄于大山，昧葇坐之，以樵禽子。禽子再拜而叹。
子墨子曰：“亦何欲乎？”禽子再拜再拜曰：“敢问守道？”
子墨子曰：“姑亡，姑亡。古有其术者，内不亲民，外不约治，以少间众，以弱轻强，身死国亡，为天下笑。子其慎之，恐为身姜。”
禽子再拜顿首，愿遂问守道。曰：“敢问客众而勇，烟资吾池，军卒并进，云梯既施，攻备已具，武士又多，争上吾城，为之奈何？”
子墨子曰：问云梯之守邪？云梯者重器也，其动移甚难。守为行城，杂楼相见，以环其中。以适广陕为度，环中藉幕，毋广其处。行城之法，高城二十尺，上加堞，广十尺，左右出巨各二十尺，高、广如行城之法。
为爵穴、煇鼠，施荅其外，机、冲、钱、城，广与队等，杂其间以镌剑，持冲十人，执剑五人，皆以有力者。令案目者视适，以鼓发之，夹而射之，重而射，披机藉之，城上繁下矢、石、沙、炭以雨之，薪火、水汤以济之，审赏行罚，以静为故，从之以急，毋使生虑。若此，则云梯之攻败矣。
守为行堞，堞高六尺而一等，施剑其面，以机发之，冲至则去之。不至则施之。
爵穴，三尺而一。
蒺藜投必遂而立，以车推引之。
裾城外，去城十尺，裾厚十尺。伐裾，小大尽本断之，以十尺为传，离而深埋之，坚筑，毋使可拔。
二十步一杀，杀有一鬲，鬲厚十尺。杀有两门，门广五尺。裾门一，施浅埋，弗筑，令易拔。城希裾门而直桀。
县火，四尺一钩樴。五步一灶，灶门有炉炭。令适人尽入，火烧门，县火次之。出载而立，其广终队。两载之间一火，皆立而待鼓而然火，即具发之。适人除火而复攻，县火复下，适人甚病，故引兵而去，则令我死士左右出穴门击遗师，令贲士、主将皆听城鼓之音而出，又听城鼓之音而入。因素出兵施伏，夜半城上四面鼓噪，适人必或，有此必破军杀将。以白衣为服，以号相得，若此，则云梯之攻败矣。
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