Violent language and driving forward as if to the attack are signs that he will retreat.
I follow the original text here, also adopted by the T‘u Shu. The standard text reads 辭詭而强進驅者退也 on the strength of Ts‘ao Kung’s commentary 詭詐也, which shows that his text included the word 詭. Strong as this ground is, I do not think it can counterbalance the obvious superiority of the other reading in point of sense. 詭 not only provides no antithesis to 卑, but makes the whole passage absurd; for if the language of the enemy is calculated to deceive, it cannot be known as deceitful at the time, and can therefore afford no “sign.” Moreover, the extra word in 强進驅者 (an awkward locution, by the way) spoils the parallelism with 益備者.
25. 輕車先出居其側者陳也
When the light chariots
The same, according to Tu Yu, as the 馳車 of [II. § 1].
come out first and take up a position on the wings, it is a sign that the enemy is forming for battle.
The T‘ung Tien omits 出.
26. 無約而請和者謀也
Peace proposals unaccompanied by a sworn covenant indicate a plot.
Tu Yu defines 約 as 要約, and Li Ch‘üan as 質盟之約 “a treaty confirmed by oaths and hostages.” Wang Hsi and Chang Yü, on the other hand, simply say 無故 “without reason,” “on a frivolous pretext,” as though 約 bore the rather unusual sense of “important.” Capt. Calthrop has “without consultation,” which is too loose.