What is an eight-array diagram?

Eight-array diagram is usually used to describe the deployment of ancient troops in action or battle, which plays a very important role in the weapon age and is an important array method in past dynasties. During the Warring States Period, Sun Bin's The Art of War mentioned the Eight Arrays. There are also "cloud arrays" of shooting, "victory arrays" of encircling the enemy, "combined arrays" of surprise attacks, and "improved arrays" advocated by Zhuge Liang. Eight-array diagram changes, that is, eight battle formations. Generals will organize their troops into various formations according to the characteristics of different services, terrain and the number of enemy troops. "Eight arrays are: square array, circular array, Zhen Niu, Zhen Niu, wheel array, floating array and flying array". The word "Eight Arrays" really appeared in ancient books in history, belonging to Sun Tzu's Art of War written by Sun Bin in the Warring States Period: "Those who use eight arrays to fight should use eight arrays to gain land. Use the array three points, the teaching array has a front, the teaching front has a back, and everything is at your disposal. But only the names of eight arrays are mentioned here, and the contents of eight arrays are not mentioned. The Eight Arrays after the Wind, written by Dugu He, the secretariat of Changzhou in Tang Dynasty, includes eight kinds: sky-covering array, ground-supporting array, wind-rising array, hanging cloud array, dragonfly array, tiger wing array, flying bird array and snake flat array, but these eight arrays are not real eight arrays, and eight arrays refer to troops on eight positions. According to the records of Wang Yinglin in the Song Dynasty, there are the following sayings about the Eight Arrays: Dong Dang, Huang Zhong, Long Teng, Bird, Partridge, Tiger Wing, Grip Machine and Lian Heng.

The greatest contribution in military science is the improvement of eight-array diagram, which originated from the art of war. Wuhou himself once proudly said, "The eight battalions have all been completed. Since the division started today, don't lose again. What is the arrangement of the eight-array diagram? Although there are some records, the language is vague and needs no introduction. Generally speaking, this is a flat defense measure, which is used to defend against and confuse the enemy, but it can also be used to attack the enemy. According to Yuhai's records, there are three places in the eight arrays: "Kuizhou, there are four in sixty, and the square array method is also. In Mi Mou Town (in Xindu near Xindu), eight of the 120 people took the lead, and six of the 250 people near Dingjun Mountain in Chessboard City took the lead. "There are also eight arrays in Xixian County (Xingyuan County Records), so there are four arrays. In addition, Wuhou left Gu Jie and was stationed in Wuzhangyuan. In the serenade, he only used six figures. In Miansisi Bamboo Garden in Shaanxi Province, Du Mu of Tang Dynasty once saw its legacy, which is the other half of the Eight Arrays. Historically, Sima Yi led Wei Jun to ride 400,000 troops, but he dared not fight the Shu army. The so-called fear of Shu is like a tiger The use of the Eight-Array Diagram has been used to defeat the enemy in later life. For example, Jin used the Eight-Array Diagram as a partial teacher (see Book of Jin) to defeat Liangzhou. In the late Wei Dynasty, Diao used Zhuge Liang's Eight Arrays in order not to let the soft-hearted criminals block it (see General Code). The person who has the most research on the Eight Arrays and can use it flexibly recommends Li Jing, a general who always wins in the early Tang Dynasty. He used the Six Arrays to defend the enemy. Taizong asked him, "What's the skill of your six-flower array? Li Jing replied: "I am based on Zhuge Liang's eight-array map. The large array covers the small array, the large camp covers the small camp, and the corners are hooked and the twists and turns are opposite. This was the case in ancient times, and I am also trying to find a way; Therefore, the square of external painting, the ring of internal painting and the circle of painting are six flowers, commonly known as ears. " Taizong said, "What is inside the outer circle? Jing said, "Fang was born in the right way, while Yuan was born in the strange way. The square rules its steps, and the compass rules its turn, enough to set the number of steps on the ground, the line on the day, and the step on the fast, without being chaotic. Eight arrays are six, and the old method of Wuhou is also. Emperor Taizong said: "What is the geometry of the painting of Liu Hua array in Qing Dynasty? Confucius said, "Those who study in the local area take 1,200 steps, each of which takes 400 steps. It takes 1,200 steps to teach the war. I have 30,000 priests, and each array has 5,000 people. One of them is the camp method, and the other is the shaping of Fiona Fang's merits. Each array has five changes and stops every twenty-five changes. " Emperor Taizong asked, "How many arrays are there? The center is zero, the general holds it, and all directions are accurate. Between array and array, between teams, the former is the back and the latter is the front. There is no speed to rush in, no retreat, four heads and eight tails, the first to touch, the enemy rushes in, and both ends are saved. Count from five to eight. What is it? Jing Yue: "Zhuge Liang used stones vertically and horizontally, paving a gossip array, which is what he meant." It can be seen that Li Jing can be a general who always wins, and the six-flower array is the way to win. The author deeply doubts the six remnants left by Wuhou in the ruins, that is, the method of Li Jing's six flowers array. According to Sun Tzu's Art of War, there have been sixty-four battles, and Dou Xian once attacked Xiongnu with eight battles, which proves that there were eight battles before Wuhou, but there may not be a picture. According to historical records, Wu Hou "derived the eight-array diagram according to the art of war", so the eight-array diagram has existed since ancient times, but it was all made clear by Wu Hou that it could be derived into a map. The Eighth Company had already made the meritorious military service, but Li Jing changed it into the Sixth Company, thus becoming an invincible and invincible general, completing the great feat of unifying China and defeating Siyi in the early Tang Dynasty. From the question-and-answer between Li Jing and Emperor Taizong, we can know that the Six-Flower Array is derived from the Eight-Array Map, and the status of Wuhou in China's military science is very high. In the question-and-answer session between Emperor Taizong and Li Jing, Li Jingyun said: "I put forward two schemes of Emperor Taizong of the Yellow Emperor, which combined Sima Fa and Zhuge Liang's odd and correct methods and have been refined." (See "General Code") It can be seen that the offensive and defensive methods of Wuhou are correct and valued by later military strategists. Wuhou's military science plays a connecting role in the history of China's military science. Wu Hou's research on military science has an accurate theory and achieved practical results. Chen Shou's so-called "short-lived wisdom" is the prejudice of Wei Jin people, and its benefits are obvious. Chen shou also said, "cleverness is better than cleverness." He once invented the crossbow, the wooden ox and the flowing horse to facilitate the military. Although it is prejudice, it cannot drown out historical facts.

Eight-array diagram is a poem. Du Fu, divided in the Three Kingdoms, has always been bound by his greatness, and the Eight Faces Castle is built on his prestige. This river won't divert the stones from your disposal, and you will always regret that you will destroy Wu's unwise.

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