《资治通鉴·齐纪·齐纪十》
如果东边军队前来，以一万人攻打这两座城，而两城之间势必不能互相援救，如果我分派军队去援救，则首尾兵力俱将削弱；如果不派遣的话，则孤城必然陷入敌手，只要一座城丢失了，其它城也会相继土崩瓦解，如此则大势已去，谋求天下之大业也就宣告失败了。
脱东军有上者，以万人攻一城，两城势不得相救，若我分军应援，则首尾俱弱；如其不遣，孤城必陷，一城既没，诸城相次土崩，天下大事去矣。
If the Eastern army comes to attack these two cities with ten thousand soldiers, the two cities will not be able to rescue each other. If I send troops to rescue them, the troops at both ends will be weakened; if I don't send them, the isolated cities will definitely fall into the hands of the enemy. As long as one city is lost, the other cities will collapse one after another. In this way, the overall situation is gone, and the pursuit of great cause in the world will be declared a failure.