There seems to be multiple versions of this idiom, with slightly different characters:
And a big bunch of variants:
- 将在外,军令有所不受
- 将在外,军令有所不从
- 将在外,君令有所不受
- 将在外,军令有所不为
- 将在外,军令有所不授
There may be more that I have missed.
So in general, these variants are: 将在[外|军],[君|军][命|令]有所不[受|从|为|授].
A few variants are documented too (sometimes attributed the same person!):
春秋·齐·孙武《孙子兵法·变篇》:“城有所不攻,地有所不争,*君命*有所不受。”
《史记·孙子吴起列传》:“ 孙子 曰:‘臣既已受命为将,将在*军*, *君命*有所不受。’遂斩队长二人以徇。”
司马光·宋·《资治通鉴》:“五十七年(癸卯,前258)将在外,*君令*有所不受”
亮曰:“彼本无战心,所以固请者,以示武于其众耳。将在*军*,君命有所不受,苟能制吾,岂千里而请战邪!”(晋书.帝纪第一)
《史记·魏公子列传》:“ 侯生 曰:‘将在外,*主令*有所不受,以便国家。’”
- Which ones are correct, which ones are incorrect?
- For the variants that are correct, are there subtle differences in their meaning?