Though according to my estimate the soldiers of Yüeh exceed our own in number, that shall advantage them nothing in the matter of victory. I say then that victory can be achieved. The other is in XI. § 30:— Asked if an army can be made to imitate the _shuai-jan_, I should answer, Yes. For the men of Wu and the men of Yüeh are enemies; yet if they are crossing a river in the same boat and are caught by a storm, they will come to each other’s assistance just as the left hand helps the right. These two paragraphs are extremely valuable as evidence of the date of composition. They assign the work to the period of the struggle between Wu and Yüeh. So much has been observed by Pi I-hsün. But what has hitherto escaped notice is that they also seriously impair the credibility of Ssŭ-ma Ch‘ien’s narrative. As we have seen above, the first positive date given in connection with Sun Wu is 512 B.C. He is then spoken of as a general, acting as confidential adviser to Ho Lu, so that his alleged introduction to that monarch had already taken place, and of course the 13 chapters must have been written earlier still. But at that time, and for several years after, down to the capture of Ying in 506, 楚 Ch‘u, and not Yüeh, was the great hereditary enemy of Wu. The two states, Ch‘u and Wu, had been constantly at war for over half a century,[74] whereas the first war between Wu and Yüeh was waged only in 510,[75] and even then was no more than a short interlude sandwiched in the midst of the fierce struggle with Ch‘u. Now Ch‘u is not mentioned in the 13 chapters at all. The natural inference is that they were written at a time when Yüeh had become the prime antagonist of Wu, that is, after Ch‘u had suffered the great humiliation of 506. At this point, a table of dates may be found useful. B.C. 514 Accession of Ho Lu. 512 Ho Lu attacks Ch‘u, but is dissuaded from entering 郢 Ying, the capital. _Shih Chi_ mentions Sun Wu as general. 511 Another attack on Ch‘u. 510 Wu makes a successful attack on Yüeh. This is the first war between the two states. 509 Ch‘u invades Wu, but is signally defeated at 豫章 Yü-chang. or 508 506 Ho Lu attacks Ch‘u with the aid of T‘ang and Ts‘ai. Decisive battle of 柏舉 Po-chü, and capture of Ying. Last mention of Sun Wu in _Shih Chi_. 505 Yüeh makes a raid on Wu in the absence of its army. Wu is beaten by Ch‘in and evacuates Ying. 504 Ho Lu sends 夫差 Fu Ch‘ai to attack Ch‘u. 497 勾踐 Kou Chien becomes King of Yüeh. 496 Wu attacks Yüeh, but is defeated by Kou Chien at 檇李 Tsui-li. Ho Lu is killed. 494 Fu Ch‘ai defeats Kou Chien in the great battle of 夫椒 Fu-chiao, and enters the capital of Yüeh. 485 Kou Chien renders homage to Wu. Death of Wu Tzŭ-hsü. or 484 482 Kou Chien invades Wu in the absence of Fu Ch‘ai. 478 Further attacks by Yüeh on Wu. to 476 475 Kou Chien lays siege to the capital of Wu.