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[Meng Shih says: "To make it seem that I meant to defend the

position, whereas my real intention is to burst suddenly through

the enemy's lines." Mei Yao-ch'en says: "in order to make my

soldiers fight with desperation." Wang Hsi says, "fearing lest my

men be tempted to run away." Tu Mu points out that this is the

converse of VII. § 36, where it is the enemy who is surrounded.

In 532 A.D., Kao Huan, afterwards Emperor and canonized as

Shen-wu, was surrounded by a great army under Erh-chu Chao and

others. His own force was comparatively small, consisting only of

2000 horse and something under 30,000 foot. The lines of

investment had not been drawn very closely together, gaps being

left at certain points. But Kao Huan, instead of trying to

escape, actually made a shift to block all the remaining outlets

himself by driving into them a number of oxen and donkeys roped

together.