論「子玉馳之」

On Tzu-yu’s Attack

城濮之戰的勝負關鍵，歷來多集中於晉國君臣整軍經武，慎謀能斷，卻忽視楚帥子玉所扮演是何角色。子玉之敗，固在於冒然驟馳晉師，未料遭晉師橫擊，以致敗績。惟其所以「馳之」之故，向來未見令人滿意的解釋。故本文詳述「馳之」之義，子玉所以「馳之」之故，子玉個人條件，子玉失敗的原因，以及晉師中軍指揮等問題。

The key to the victory of Chin in the Battle of Cheng-pu, according to previous accounts, was the strategy of the Lord of Chin and his ministers. This judgment, however, neglects the role which the Commander of Ch’u, Tzu-yu played on the battlefield. The reason Tzu-yu lost the battle was his sudden charge towards the Chin army, resulting in an ambush by the Chin army. It is my belief that Tzu-yu’s sudden charge toward the Chin army has not been satisfactorily explained. It is the purpose of this article to provide an alternative explanation of Tzu-yu’s sudden attack by exploring the meaning of 「馳之」and to examine Tzu-yu’s ability as a commander, the reasons why he failed and to analyze the problems of commanding the central division of the Chin army.