Chapter 69: Flags and Banners
The method of defending a city dictates: when wood is needed, raise a green flag; when fire is needed, raise a red flag; when firewood is needed, raise a yellow flag; when stone is needed, raise a white flag; when water is needed, raise a black flag; when food is needed, raise a mushroom-shaped flag. The death-defying troops raise the Cangying flag, the brave warriors raise the Yu flag, when there are many soldiers raise the Double Rabbit flag, five-chi tall boys raise the Boy flag, and women raise the Timei Meimei flag. When a crossbow is needed, raise the Dog flag; when a halberd is needed, raise the Dian flag; when a sword and shield are needed, raise the Feather flag; when a chariot is needed, raise the Dragon flag; when cavalry is needed, raise the Bird flag. For any requested item whose name is not listed, name the flag after its shape. When a flag is raised on the city wall, the official in charge of that supply must deliver the materials, and lower the flag once the supply is sufficient.
In general, the method of defending a city requires: stockpiles of stone, firewood, Jian grass, Guan reeds, wood, charcoal, sand, pine and cypress, Artemisia and mugwort, hemp and grease, metal and iron, and millet and grain; wells and stoves must have designated locations, and important hostages must have dedicated quarters; the five weapons each have their own flag; tally tokens each have their distinguishing marks; laws and decrees each have their standards; the weight and quantity of supplies each have their regulations; and those in charge of roads have their established rules.
Each pavilion commander sets up a banner with a pole twenty-five chi long and a silk banner fifteen chi long and half a bolt wide, making it very large. When the enemy approaches and attacks the outer edge of the front moat, beat the drum three times facing the enemy formation and raise one banner; when they reach the water’s perimeter, beat the drum four times and raise two banners; when they reach the fence, beat the drum five times and raise three banners; when they reach the outer wall (Feng Yuan), beat the drum six times and raise four banners; when they reach the inner parapet (Nu Yuan), beat the drum seven times and raise five banners; when they reach the main city wall, beat the drum eight times and raise six banners; when they scale more than half of the main wall, beat the drum continuously. At night, use fire instead, following the same numbers. When the enemy retreats and the threat is lifted, lower the banners in reverse order of the advance, but do not beat the drum.
The city wall must be built high and prominent, fifty chi long. The commanders of the four gates on all four sides have gate lengths of forty chi, then thirty chi, twenty-five chi, twenty chi, and fifteen chi, with a height no less than forty-five chi.
On the city wall, officials and soldiers place their banners on their backs, with soldiers placing them on their heads; below the city wall, officials and soldiers place them on their shoulders, with the left army on the left shoulder and the central army on the chest, one each. For drums, the central army has one large drum; for every three or ten beats of this drum, other officials with drums must respond in proper sequence. Those who fail to respond when they should, or respond when they should not, shall be beheaded by the commanding officer.
The road is thirty bu wide, with two structures on each side of the city wall stairs, and iron urns placed at the wells. Set up screens outside the road, making a circular screen every thirty bu, one zhang high. Build public latrines with walls over twelve chi high. Streets, alleys, and circumferential roads must have gates, guarded by two men each; no one may pass without a valid tally token, and those who disobey shall be beheaded.
Those who guard the Sheng Ge (defensive positions) and repel the enemy three times shall be summoned by the defender, rewarded with food in front of them, given a large banner, and credited with a hundred-household fief. If the property belongs to others, erect a banner at their office so that everyone knows clearly, calling it “So-and-So’s Banner.” The Sheng Ge is twenty-five bu wide on the inside and ten bu wide on the outside, with markers determined by the terrain.
Jin soldiers receive instruction in the formation, understanding the front, back, left, and right. When soldiers are exhausted, they are relieved and rested.
Note
This chapter lays out a siege signal system: color-coded, pictorial banners for supplies/troops, plus graded drum and fire alerts tracking enemy advance stages, alongside strict gate tally rules and reward regulations for defenders.
Five Elements Color Coding (五行色):
The chapter assigns specific colors to different siege materials based on the ancient Chinese Five Elements (Wu Xing) cosmology: Wood/Green (East), Fire/Red (South), Earth/Yellow (Center), Metal/White (West), and Water/Black (North). This reflects the deep integration of cosmological beliefs into ancient Chinese military logistics and communication.
Pictographic and Totemic Flags:
Unlike later standardized military flags, the Mohists used highly specific, pictographic flags to represent different units and supplies (e.g., Mushroom for food, Dog for crossbows, Double Rabbit for large infantry numbers). This represents an early, highly functional visual communication system designed for illiterate or rapidly mobilized troops.
Acoustic and Visual Warning Systems:
The text details a sophisticated, escalating alarm system combining drumbeats and the raising of banners to indicate the exact proximity of the enemy (from the outer moat to the main wall). This dual-channel communication ensured that battlefield commanders could coordinate defenses even in the chaos of a siege.
Military Discipline and Tokens:
The strict enforcement of passwords/tally tokens (信符) for moving through city gates and roads highlights the Mohist emphasis on absolute discipline, security, and the prevention of espionage or panic during a siege.
Sheng Ge (牲格):
A fortified defensive position or barricade. The term literally translates to “animal grid/fence,” likely referring to a defensive structure originally made of or resembling animal pens, repurposed as a killing zone or barricade.
Nu Yuan (女垣) and Feng Yuan (冯垣):
Architectural terms for city walls. Nu Yuan refers to the inner, lower parapet, while Feng Yuan refers to the outer defensive wall or barrier, illustrating the multi-layered defensive architecture of ancient Chinese cities.
69章 旗帜
守城之法，木为苍旗，火为赤旗，薪樵为黄旗，石为白旗，水为黑旗，食为菌旗，死士为仓英之旗，竟士为雩旗，多卒为双兔之旗，五尺童子为童旗，女子为梯末妹妹之旗，弩为狗旗，戟为藢旗，剑盾为羽旗，车为龙旗，骑为鸟旗。凡所求索旗名不在书者，皆以其形名为旗。城上举旗，备具之官致财物，之足而下旗。
凡守城之法：石有积，樵薪有积，菅茅有积，雚苇有积，木有积，炭有积，沙有积，松柏有积，蓬艾有积，麻脂有积，金铁有积，粟米有积；井灶有处，重质有居；五兵各有旗；节各有辨；法令各有贞；轻重分数各有请；主慎道路者有经。
亭尉各为帜，竿长二丈五，帛长丈五、广半幅者大。寇傅攻前池外廉城上当队鼓三，举一帜；到水中周，鼓四，举二帜；到藩，鼓五，举三帜，到冯垣，鼓六，举四帜，到女垣；鼓七，举五帜；到大城，鼓八，举六帜；乘大城半以上，鼓无休。夜以火，如此数。寇却解，辄部帜如进数，而无鼓。
城为隆，长五十尺，四面四门将，门长四十尺，其次三十尺，其次二十五尺，其次二十尺，其次十五尺，高无下四十五尺。
城上吏卒置之背，卒于头上；城下吏、卒置之肩，左军于左肩，中军置之胸，各一。鼓，中军一三，每鼓三、十击之，诸有鼓之吏，谨以次应之；当应鼓而不应，不当应而应鼓，主者斩。
道广三十步，于城下夹阶者各二，其井，置铁甕。于道之外为屏，三十步而为之圜，高丈。为民圂，垣高十二尺以上。巷术周道者，必为之门，门二人守之；非有信符，勿行，不从令者斩。
诸守牲格者，三出却适，守以令召赐食前，予大旗，署百户邑。若他人财物，建旗其署，令皆明白知之，曰某子旗。牲格内广二十五步，外广十步，表以地形为度。
靳卒中教，解前后、左右，卒劳者更休之。
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