魏二 THE STRATAGEMS OF WEI II (B)
魏王令惠施之楚
The King of Wei Sends Hui Shi to Chu
魏王令惠施之楚，令犀首之齊。鈞二子者，乘數鈞，將測交也。楚王聞之，施因令人先之楚，言曰：「魏王令犀首之齊，惠施之楚，鈞二子者，將測交也。」楚王聞之，因郊迎惠施。
The King of Wei[1] sent Hui Shi[2] to Chu, and the Xishou General[3] to Qi. Both diplomats were given equal status, since people will count the number of carriages and use it to draw conclusions regarding the relations between states[4]. Shi[5] took the opportunity to send one of his people ahead to Chu to say[6], "The King of Wei is sending the Xishou General to Qi and Hui Shi to Chu. People will compare the status of the two missions to assess the relations between the states." The King of Chu[7] heard about this, and as a result went out to welcome Hui Shi on the road[8].
[1] It is not clear which King of Wei is indicated here.
[2] Master Hui (Hui Shi) was a politician and philosopher belonging to the School of Names, and a friend of Zhuangzi.
[3] The Xishou General was also known as Gongsun Yan, and worked as a politician in Qin, Wei and Han. He was another opponent of Zhang Yi.
[4] Some commentaries suggest that this sentence may be an interpolation.
[5] The commentaries suggest that the 楚王聞之 here is superfluous.
[6] The commentaries suggest 之 for 人 here.
[7] It is not clear which King of Chu is indicated here.
[8] The implication here seems to be that the King of Chu intends to use his own carriages to augment Hui Shi's entourage in order to make it seem that Wei favours Chu.
魏惠王起境內眾
King Hui of Wei Mobilises the Population Within His Borders
魏惠王起境內眾，將太子申而攻齊。客謂公子理之傳曰：「何不令公子泣王太后，止太子之行？事成則樹德，不成則為王矣。太子年少，不習於兵。田醶宿將也，而孫子善用兵。戰必不勝，不勝必禽。公子爭之於王，王聽公子，公子不封；不聽公子，太子必敗；敗，公子必立；立，必為王也。」
King Hui of Wei[1] mobilised the population within his borders, appointed Crown Prince Shen[2] as his general and attacked Qi. A visitor spoke to Prince Li's[3] tutor, saying, "Why not send Prince Li to plead tearfully with the Queen Dowager to prevent the Crown Prince's departure? If the attack succeeds, Prince Li will have planted a seed that will bring him honour in the future, if it fails he will be King. The Crown Prince is young and has not yet acquired expertise in military affairs, whereas Tian Pan[4] has long been a general[5] and Master Sun[6] is skilled in the use of troops. If it comes to a pitched battle, the Crown Prince will not prevail and will certainly be captured. Prince Li can argue thus before the King; if the King listens he will be rewarded with land[7] and if the King does not listen the Crown Prince will be defeated. If Prince Shen is defeated, then Prince Li will be established as the new crown prince, and if Prince Li is established as the new crown prince he will certainly become king.
[1] King Hui of Wei (344 - 319 BC) succeeded Marquis Wu following a violent succession conflict during which Wei was almost conquered by Han and Zhao. He conducted several discussions with Mencius and exchanged territory with Han, making his state easier to defend.
[2] Prince Shen was the eldest son of King Hui of Wei. He was captured and killed following the Battle of Maling against Qi.
[3] Prince Li was Prince Shen's younger brother.
[4] Tian Pan was a celebrated general in Qi.
[5] Reading 盼 for 醶 here, per the commentaries.
[6] Sun Bin was also a famous general and author. Originally from Wei, he was accused of treason but escaped to Qi.
[7] Reading 必 for 不, per the commentaries.
齊魏戰於馬陵
Qi and Wei Fight at Maling
齊、魏戰於馬陵，齊大勝魏，殺太子申，覆十萬之軍。魏王召惠施而告之曰：「夫齊，寡人之讎也，怨之至死不忘。國雖小，吾常欲悉起兵而攻之，何如？」對曰：「不可。臣聞之，王者得度，而霸者知計。今王所以告臣者，疏於度而遠於計。王固先屬怨於趙，而後與齊戰。今戰不勝，國無守戰之備，王又欲悉起而攻齊，此非臣之所謂也。王若欲報齊乎，則不如因變服折節而朝齊，楚王必怒矣。王游人而合其鬥，則楚必伐齊。以休楚而伐罷齊，則必為楚禽矣。是王以楚毀齊也。」魏王曰：「善。」乃使人報於齊，願臣畜而朝。
Qi and Wei fought at Maling[1], and Qi won a great victory over Wei, killing Crown Prince Shen[2] and repelling an army a hundred thousand strong. The King of Wei[3] summoned Hui Shi[4] and reported this to him, saying, "Qi is my enemy; I will not forget the grudge I bear as long as I live. Though our state is small, we have long wished to mobilise our entire cavalry and infantry and attack them. What do you think?"
Hui Shi replied, "Impossible. Your servant has heard that a king is one who standardises systems and a hegemon is one who understands strategy. Now what Your Majesty has reported to me shows neither system nor strategy. Your original grudge was against Zhao, but that led to war with Qi[5]. Now you have lost that fight, and your state is unprepared to attack or defend, but once again you wish to mobilise all you have and attack Qi. This is the opposite of what your servant would recommend. If you wish to seek revenge against Qi it would be better for you to resolve to put off your royal robes and go to kneel humbly in the court of Qi[6]. The King of Chu[7] will certainly be angered by this. If you then send your people to Chu to bolster their willingness to fight, then Chu will attack Qi. Use Chu's fresh troops to attack Qi's exhausted ones, and Chu will certainly capture Qi's army. Thus Your Majesty will be able to use Chu to destroy Qi."
The King of Wei said, "Very well." Consequently he sent people to announce in Qi that he was willing to present himself as a dependent in Qi's court.
田嬰許諾。張丑曰：「不可。戰不勝魏，而得朝禮，與魏和而下楚，此可以大勝也。今戰勝魏，覆十萬之軍，而禽太子申；臣萬乘之魏，而卑秦、楚，此其暴於戾定矣。且楚王之為人也，好用兵而甚務名，終為齊患者，必楚也。」田嬰不聽，遂內魏王，而與之並朝齊侯再三。
Tian Ying[8] gave his assent, but Zhang Chou[9] said, "It would not be appropriate. We did not defeat Wei in a pitched battle[10]; to bring them to pay formal respects in our court and then make peace with them in order to attack Chu would only be appropriate if we had won a great victory. Now we went to war and defeated Wei, repelling an army a hundred thousand strong and capturing Crown Prince Shen, but making a servant of Wei and its ten thousand chariots would be a gesture of contempt[11] towards Qin and Chu[12] and a proof of our incorrigibly violent nature[12]. Moreover, the King of Chu's nature is such that he is fond of war and strives for fame. In the end, when disaster falls upon Qi, it will certainly be on Chu's account." Tian Ying would not listen and invited the King of Wei to come and pay homage in Qi, upon which he brought him to the royal court three times.
趙氏醜之。楚王怒，自將而伐齊，趙應之，大敗齊於徐州。
The Zhao clan was humiliated and the King of Chu was so indignant that he himself led an attack on Qi. Zhao followed suit and they inflicted a great defeat upon Qi at Xuzhou[13].
[1] The Battle of Maling took place in 342 BC. Maling was in Shen County, Shandong.
[2] Prince Shen was the eldest son of King Hui of Wei. He was captured and killed following the Battle of Maling against Qi.
[3] King Hui of Wei (344 - 319 BC) succeeded Marquis Wu following a violent succession conflict during which Wei was almost conquered by Han and Zhao. He conducted several discussions with Mencius and exchanged territory with Han, making his state easier to defend.
[4] Master Hui (Hui Shi) was a politician and philosopher belonging to the School of Names, and a friend of Zhuangzi.
[5] Wei had originally gone to war with Zhao. Qi came to Zhao's aid, and Wei was then forced to fight Wei.
[6] Reading 固 for 因, per the commentaries.
[7] King Xuan of Chu (369–340 BC) was known mainly for having helped rescue Zhao from an attack by Wei.
[8] Tian Ying was a member of the Qi royal house and served as Chancellor for a time.
[9] Reading 張丑 for 戰醜, per the commentaries. I can find no other information about this person.
[10] Actually, Qi won the battle of Maling, but via a strategy of deception and ambush, which Zhang Chou seems to consider a sign of inferiority.
[11] Other versions suggest 甲 for 卑, which would give "an act of war against Qin and Chu".
[12] The commentaries suggest that the 於 here may be superfluous.
[13] Xuzhou is still called Xuzhou and is in Jiangsu, though the commentaries suggest that here it may be intended to read 枿州 (Niezhou), which was an alternative name for Xue, which was around modern Tengzhou, in Shandong.
惠施為韓魏交
Hui Shi Improves Relations Between Han and Wei
惠施為韓、魏交，令太子鳴為質於齊。王欲見之，朱倉謂王曰：「何不稱病？臣請說嬰子曰：『魏王之年長矣，今有疾，公不如歸太子以德之。不然，公子高在楚，楚將內而立之，是齊抱空質而行不義也。』」
Hui Shi[1] had been working to improve relations between Qi[2] and Wei, and Crown Prince Ming[3] had been sent as a hostage to Qi. The King[4] wished to see him again, and Zhu Cang[5] spoke up, saying, "Why not claim to be ill? Then allow me to persuade Master Ying[6]. I will say, 'The King of Wei is growing old, and now he is sick. Your Lordship would be best off sending the Crown Prince back; thereby putting Wei in your debt. If not, then Prince Gao[7] is in Chu and Chu will send him back to Wei and see that he is put on the throne. If this happens, then you will be left with a worthless hostage and a bad reputation.'"
[1] Master Hui (Hui Shi) was a politician and philosopher belonging to the School of Names, and a friend of Zhuangzi.
[2] Reading 齊 for 韓 here, per the commentaries.
[3] This person is not well known. Presumably he was a brother of Crown Prince Shen, who died in the previous chapter.
[4] King Hui of Wei (344 - 319 BC) succeeded Marquis Wu following a violent succession conflict during which Wei was almost conquered by Han and Zhao. He conducted several discussions with Mencius and exchanged territory with Han, making his state easier to defend.
[5] Zhu Cang was a politician from Wei.
[6] Tian Ying was a member of the Qi royal house and served as Chancellor for a time.
[7] Prince Gao served as a hostage in Chu, which later supported his domestic political career.
田需貴於魏王
Tian Xu is Honoured by the King of Wei
田需貴於魏王，惠子曰：「子必善左右。今夫楊，橫樹之則生，倒樹之則生，折而樹之又生。然使十人樹楊，一人拔之，則無生楊矣。故以十人之眾，樹易生之物，然而不勝一人者，何也？樹之難而去之易也。今子雖自樹於王，而欲去子者眾，則子必危矣。」
Tian Xu[1] was honoured by the King of Wei[2]. Master Hui[3] said, "You must ingratiate yourself with the King's entourage. Now, the poplar, it can grow on its side, it can grow when turned upside down[4], and it can even grow after you chop it in two, but you can send ten people to plant poplar trees and one to uproot them, and none of the trees will survive. So a group of ten people planting such hardy trees cannot defeat one man. Why? Becasue planting is difficult and uprooting is easy. Now you may have have planted your tree with His Majesty, but there are crowds of people who will seek to uproot it. Thus[5] you are definitely in danger."
[1] Tian Xu was a politician from Qi.
[2] It is not clear which king is indicated here.
[3] Master Hui (Hui Shi) was a politician and philosopher belonging to the School of Names, and a friend of Zhuangzi.
[4] The commentaries suggest 側 for 倒 here.
[5] The commentaries suggest that the 則 here may be superfluous.
田需死
The Death of Tian Xu
田需死。昭魚謂蘇代曰：「田需死，吾恐張儀、薛公、犀首之有一人相魏者。」代曰：「然則相者以誰而君便之也？」昭魚曰：「吾欲太子之自相也。」代曰：「請為君北見梁王，必相之矣。」昭魚曰：「奈何？」代曰：「君其為梁王，代請說君。」昭魚曰：「奈何？」對曰：「代也從楚來，昭魚甚憂。代曰：『君何憂？』曰：『田需死，吾恐張儀、薛公、犀首有一人相魏者。』代曰：『勿憂也。梁王，長主也，必不相張儀。張儀相魏，必右秦而左魏。薛公相魏，必右齊而左魏。犀首相魏，必右韓而左魏。梁王，長主也，必不使相也。』代曰：『莫如太子之自相。是三人皆以太子為非固相也，皆將務以其國事魏，而欲丞相之璽。以魏之強，而持三萬乘之國輔之，魏必安矣。故曰，不如太子自相也。』」遂北見梁王，以此語告之，太子果自相。
When Tian Xu[1] died, Zhao Yu[2] spoke to Su Dai[3], saying, "Tian Xu is dead, and I am afraid that either Zhang Yi[4], the Duke of Xue[5] or the Xishou General[6] will be made Chancellor of Wei."
Dai said, "In that case, who would suit you[7]?"
Zhao Yu said, "I would like the Crown Prince himself to be made Chancellor."
Dai said, "I beg permission to go north[8] on your behalf and seek an audience with the King of Liang[9]; I guarantee I will be able to have him appointed Chancellor."
Zhao Yu said, "How would you manage that?"
Dai said, "Pretend that you are the King of Liang and allow me to persuade you[10]."
Zhao Yu said, "How should I manage this?"
Dai replied, "My name is Dai and I just came from Chu, where Zhao Yu is deeply worried. I said to him, 'What is troubling Your Lordship?' He said, 'Tian Xu is dead, and I am afraid that either Zhang Yi, the Duke of Xue or the Xishou General will be made Chancellor of Wei.' I said, 'There is no need to worry. The King of Liang has long experience in power, so he will certainly not make Zhang Yi Chancellor. If Zhang Yi became Chancellor of Wei, he would put Qin first and Wei second. If the Duke of Xue was Chancellor of Wei, he would put Qi first and Wei second. If the Xishou General was Chancellor of Wei, he would put Han first and Wei second. Because the King of Liang has long experience in power, he will certainly not make any of them Chancellor.' The King said, 'In that case, whom will he appoint as Chancellor?'[11] I said, 'Nothing would be better than to make the Crown Prince himself Chancellor. All three will realise that Crown Prince will not remain in the position long, and they will work to ensure that their respective states to serve Wei's interests out of a desire to obtain the Chancellor's seal for themselves afterwards[12]. If you use Wei's strengths to obtain the backing of states possessing thirty thousand chariots[13], Wei's safety will be assured. Therefore I said that nothing would be better than to make the Crown Prince himself Chancellor.'" Consequently he went north and sought an audience with the King of Liang, to whom he recounted all of this. As a result, the Crown Prince was made Chancellor.
[1] Tian Xu was a politician in Qi.
[2] Zhao Yu was Prime Minister of Chu and an opponent of Qin.
[3] Su Dai was a brother of Su Qin and an opponent of Qin.
[4] Zhang Yi was a politician and general in Qin, and the principal proponent of Qin's Horizontal Alliance, the aim of which was to prevent the other states from unifying against Qin.
[5] At this point Tian Ying still held the dukedom of Xue. He was a member of the Qi royal house and served as Chancellor for a time.
[6] The Xishou General was also known as Gongsun Yan, and worked as a politician in Qin, Wei and Han. He was another opponent of Zhang Yi.
[7] According to the commentaries, the characters 者以 may be superfluous.
[8] This discussion is taking place in Chu.
[9] King Hui of Wei (344 - 319 BC) succeeded Marquis Wu following a violent succession conflict during which Wei was almost conquered by Han and Zhao. He conducted several discussions with Mencius and exchanged territory with Han, making his state easier to defend. Liang was an alternative name for Wei.
[10] The commentaries suggest 若 for 君 here.
[11] Reading 也。』王曰：『然則寡人孰相 。』代曰 for 也。』代曰, per the commentaries.
[12] The commentaries suggest reading 不以 for 皆以 here, in which case it may be implying that they believe that the Crown Prince will be Chancellor for a long time, and they will aim to please him in order to be appointed as his deputies.
[13] Yao suggests 持 may be superfluous here.
秦召魏相信安君
Qin Summons Lord Xin'an, Chancellor of Wei
秦召魏相信安君，信安君不欲往。蘇代為說秦王曰：「臣聞之，忠不必當，當必不忠。今臣願大王陳臣之愚意，恐其不忠於下吏，自使有要領之罪。願大王察之。今大王令人執事於魏，以完其交，臣恐魏交之益疑也。將以塞趙也，臣又恐趙之益勁也。夫魏王之愛習魏信也，甚矣；其智能而任用之也，厚矣；其畏惡嚴尊秦也，明矣。今王之使人入魏而不用，則王之使人入魏無益也。若用，魏必舍所愛習而用所畏惡，此魏王之所以不安也。夫舍萬乘之事而退，此魏信之所難行也。夫令人之君處所不安，令人之相行所不能，以此為親，則難久矣。臣故恐魏交之益疑也。且魏信舍事，則趙之謀者必曰：『舍於秦，秦必令其所愛信者用趙。』是趙存而我亡也，趙安而我危也。則上有野戰之氣，下有堅守之心，臣故恐趙之益勁也。
Qin summoned Lord Xin'an[1], Chancellor of Wei. Lord Xin'an did not want to go. Working on his behalf, Su Dai[2] exercised his persuasions on the King of Qin[3], saying, "Your servant has heard that not everyone who is devoted to you will be a member of your party, and not everyone in your party will be devoted to you[4]. Now I wish to present a humble suggestion before Your Majesty, but I am afraid that there are those under you who are not loyal, and I will find myself accused of some crime for which I will be cut in half or beheaded[5]. I hope that Your Majesty will bear this in mind. Now you intend to send a certain individual[6] to take care of your affairs in Wei and consolidate your relationships there, and your servant is afraid that your good relations with Wei will falter as a result. You seek to isolate Zhao, but I am afraid that it will only grow more vigorous as a result[7]. The King of Wei's[8] affectionate familiarity with Wei Xin[9]; how deep it is! His recruitment and employment policies, how generous they are! His timorous respect for Qin, how evident it is! Now if you send[10] someone to Wei and he turns out to be unemployable, you will have sent him there to no benefit. If your candidate is to be employed, then the King of Wei will have to reject someone he is fond of and used to working with, and appoint someone he fears, something that will leave him ill-at-ease[11]. To abandon the affairs of a state of ten thousand chariots and withdraw, this is something that Wei Xin will be loathe to do. If your approach to fostering your foreign relations involves obliging a lord of men to live in a state of unease and a public servant to accept your restrictions on his actions, it will be difficult to make them last. Therefore your servant is afraid that your relations with Wei will grow increasingly shaky. Furthermore, if Wei Xin abandons his responsibilities, then the strategists of Zhao[12] will certainly say, 'His resignation is down to Qin; the King of Qin will certainly send someone he trusts and favours to take charge of Zhao next.' This being so, Zhao's survival implies our extinction, and peace for Zhao means danger for us. As a result, those at the summit of the state will be filled with the spirit of the battlefield, and the those below them will harden their hearts ready to mount a defence. Therefore I am afraid that Zhao will be strengthened by this.
「大王欲完魏之交，而使趙小心乎？不如用魏信而尊之以名。魏信事王，國安而名尊；離王，國危而權輕。然則魏信之事主也，上所以為其主者忠矣，下所以自為者厚矣，彼其事王必完矣。趙之用事者必曰：『魏氏之名族不高於我，土地之實不厚於我。魏信以韓、魏事秦，秦甚善之，國得安焉，身取尊焉。今我講難於秦兵為招質，國處削危之形，非得計也。結怨於外，主患於中，身處死亡之地，非完事也。』彼將傷其前事，而悔其過行；冀其利，必多割地以深下王。則是大王垂拱之割地以為利重，堯、舜之所求而不能得也。臣願大王察之。」
"Do you wish to settle your relations with Wei while ensuring that Zhao observes due caution? You could do no better than to make use of Wei Xin and honour him with noble titles. If Wei Xin handles your affairs in Wei, peace and renown will ensue. If he leaves, peril and weakness will follow. This being so, Wei Xin will serve your interests[13]. Superior individuals work for their lord out of loyalty, and inferior ones work for themselves in order to profit; therefore he will certainly serve your interests wholeheartedly[14]. Those responsible for Zhao's affairs will say, 'The name and pedigree of the Wei clan is no more distinguished than ours; their lands and resources are no more impressive. Wei Xin is going to put Wei to work in service of Qin's interests[15]. The King of Qin favours him; thus he will obtain peace for his state and respect for himself. Now we have got into a difficult entanglement with Qin[16] and it has a mind to make our armies its own. To place one's state in a situation in which it is at risk of losing territory is not a winning strategy. With bitter entanglements abroad and burgeoning[17] troubles at home, we are standing on deadly ground. This is hardly an ideal way to handle things.' They will curse their previous management of their affairs, and regret their prior conduct[18]. Hoping to profit, they will certainly offer you extensive lands as a token of their profound submission to Your Majesty[19]. Thus you will be able to sit with your hands folded, growing richer and stronger as you receive lands such as not even Yao[20] or Shun[21] could have taken. I hope that Your Majesty will consider this."
[1] Lord Xin'an is known principally via this story.
[2] Su Dai was a brother of Su Qin and an opponent of Qin.
[3] It is not clear which King of Qin is indicated here.
[4] Reading 黨 for 當, per the commentaries.
[5] The commentaries and modern translations disagree on the precise reading of this sentence, and this is a best-guess interpretation.
[6] Whomever the King of Qin intends to replace Lord Xin'an as Chancellor of Wei. It is not known who this person was, and he is referred to in such oblique terms throughout.
[7] Because Zhao will suspect that Qin is about to form an alliance with Wei.
[8] It is not clear which King of Wei is indicated here.
[9] I.e. Lord Xin'an.
[10] Yao suggests 令 for 今 here.
[11] The commentaries suggest that the 以 here may be superfluous.
[12] Some commentaries suggest reading 魏 for 趙 here.
[13] Reading 王 for 主 here, per the commentaries.
[14] This entire passage seems deliberately ambiguous, implying that whether Lord Xin'an is motivated by devotion or self-interest, the result will be the same.
[15] The commentaries disagree on the correct reading of this sentence, but they agree that the 韓 is superfluous.
[16] Reading 搆 for 講 here, per the commentaries.
[17] Reading 生 for 主, per the commentaries.
[18] Reading 過其 for 其過, per the commentaries.
[19] Reading 多 for 之, per the commentaries.
[20] Yao (c. 2188-2089 BC) was a semi-legendary Chinese founder.
[21] Shun (c. 2187-2067 BC) was another semi-legendary founding father.
秦楚攻魏圍皮氏
Qin and Chu Attack Wei and Surround Pishi
秦、楚攻魏，圍皮氏。為魏謂楚王曰：「秦、楚勝魏，魏王之恐也見亡矣，必舍於秦，王何不倍秦而魏王？魏王喜，必內太子。秦恐失楚，必效城地於王，王雖復與之攻魏可也。」楚王曰：「善。」乃倍秦而與魏。魏內太子於楚。
Qin and Chu attacked Wei and surrounded Pishi[1]. Someone spoke to the King of Chu[2] on Wei's behalf, saying, "Qin and Chu will defeat Wei, and the King of Wei[3] is afraid that he will witness its demise[4]. He will certainly make peace with Qin[5]. Why not betray Qin for Wei first? The King of Wei will be delighted, and will send his Crown Prince here as a hostage. Qin will be afraid of losing Chu's support, and will certainly offer you land. You can then switch sides and attack Wei again."
The King of Chu said, "Very well." Consequently he betrayed Qin and approached Wei. Wei sent its Crown Prince to Chu as a hostage.
秦恐，許楚城地，欲興之復攻魏。樗里疾怒，欲與魏攻楚，恐魏之以太子在楚不肯也。為疾謂楚王曰：「外臣疾使臣謁之，曰：『敝邑之王欲效城地，而為魏太子之尚在楚也，是以未敢。王出魏質，臣請效之，而復固秦、楚之交，以疾攻魏。』」楚王曰：「諾。」乃出魏太子。秦因合魏以攻楚。
Qin was afraid and promised Chu land along with a request that it join an attack on Wei. Chuli Ji[6] was annoyed as he would have preferred to work with Wei to attack Chu, but was afraid that the presence of Wei's Crown Prince in Chu would dissuade Wei from joining the attack. Someone spoke to the King of Chu on Ji's behalf, saying, "Your servant abroad, Ji, has sent me to visit you and say: 'The King[7] of our humble state wishes to give you a city, but the Crown Prince of Wei is in Chu and so he does not dare. If you send your hostage back, I will request that he hand the city over[8]. Then relations between Qin and Chu will solidify once more and we will immediately proceed to attack Wei[9].'"
The King of Chu said, "I will do so." Accordingly he returned the Crown Prince to Wei. Qin seized the opportunity to make an agreement with Wei and attack Chu.
[1] This refers to the former fiefdom of the Pi family. It is now Hejin in Shanxi. At the time it belonged to Wei, something that the commentaries cannot explain.
[2] King Huai of Chu (328 - 299 BC) was known for having been the object of various poetic complaints by Qu Yuan. He was captured by Qin in 299 BC and his son King Qingxiang took the throne. He made one attempt to escape, but was recaptured and died in 296 BC.
[3] It is not clear which King of Wei is indicated here.
[4] The commentaries disagree regarding the precise reading of this sentence, but the general sense is clear.
[5] Reading 合 for 舍, per the commentaries.
[6] Chuli Ji was a son of Duke Xiao of Qin, and served as a General and Prime Minister at the same time as Gan Mao. He helped to preside over Qin's expansion. His military and political expertise was such that he is occasionally referred to as "Master Chuli" in literature.
[7] King Zhaoxiang of Qin (306–251 BC) began life as a relatively minor prince, and served as a child hostage in Zhao before being sneaked out by Queen Xuan (his mother), her brother Wei Ran, and King Wuling of Zhao to assume the throne following the premature death of his brother, King Wu. Upon coming of age, he exiled Queen Xuan and Wei Ran, and worked with a succession of important figures of the age (Gan Mao, Fan Ju, Bai Qi...) to expand Qin's territory during the course of a long and successful reign.
[8] Yao suggests 太子 for 臣 here.
[9] Following the interpretation given by the commentaries. An alternative reading would be "and we will order Ji to attack Wei."
龐蔥與太子質於邯鄲
Pang Cong Accompanies the Crown Prince to Serve as a Hostage in Handan
龐蔥與太子質於邯鄲，謂魏王曰：「今一人言市有虎，王信之乎？」王曰：「否。」「二人言市有虎，王信之乎？」王曰：「寡人疑之矣。」「三人言市有虎，王信之乎？」王曰：「寡人信之矣。」龐蔥曰：「夫市之無虎明矣，然而三人言而成虎。今邯鄲去大梁也遠於市，而議臣者過於三人矣。願王察之矣。」王曰：「寡人自為知。」於是辭行，而讒言先至。後太子罷質，果不得見。
Pang Cong[1] was to accompany the Crown Prince[3] to Handan, where he was to serve as a hostage. He spoke to the King of Wei[4], saying, "Your Majesty, if someone said that there is now a tiger in the marketplace, would you believe him?"
The King said, "No."
"If two people said there was a tiger in the marketplace, would you believe them?"
The King said, "We would have our doubts."
"If three people said that there was a tiger in the marketplace, would you believe them?"
The King said, "We would."
Pang Cong said, "Obviously there is no tiger in the marketplace. Nevertheless, if three people say it then it becomes a reality. Now Handan is further from Daliang[5] than the marketplace, and there will be more than three people with comments to make about me. I hope that Your Majesty will consider this[6]."
The King said, "We will only believe what we can confirm for ourselves." This being so, Pang Cong bade farewell and left, but the slanders against him reached their destination before he did. Later on, when the Crown Prince's role as a hostage had come to an end, Pang Cong was no longer accorded audiences with the King.
[1] Pang Cong was from Wei, and is known principally via this story.
[2] Handan was the capital of Zhao. It is still called Handan, and is in Hebei.
[3] The Crown Prince of Wei, it is not clear which one.
[4] King Hui of Wei (344 - 319 BC) succeeded Marquis Wu following a violent succession conflict during which Wei was almost conquered by Han and Zhao. He conducted several discussions with Mencius and exchanged territory with Han, making his state easier to defend.
[5] Daliang was the capital of Wei. It is now Kaifeng in Henan.
[6] The commentaries suggest 也 for 矣 here.
梁王魏嬰觴諸侯於范臺
Wei Ying, King of Liang, Hosts a Banquet for the Sovereign Lords in Fantai
梁王魏嬰觴諸侯於范臺。酒酣，請魯君舉觴。魯君興，避席擇言曰：「昔者，帝女令儀狄作酒而美，進之禹，禹飲而甘之，遂疏儀狄，絕旨酒，曰：『後世必有以酒亡其國者。』齊桓公夜半不嗛，易牙乃煎敖燔炙，和調五味而進之，桓公食之而飽，至旦不覺，曰：『後世必有以味亡其國者。』晉文公得南之威，三日不聽朝，遂推南之威而遠之，曰：『後世必有以色亡其國者。』楚王登強臺而望崩山，左江而右湖，以臨彷徨，其樂忘死，遂盟強臺而弗登，曰：『後世必有以高臺陂池亡其國者。』今主君之尊，儀狄之酒也；主君之味，易牙之調也；左白台而右閭須，南威之美也；前夾林而後蘭臺，強臺之樂也。有一於此，足以亡其國。今主君兼此四者，可無戒與！」梁王稱善相屬。
Wei Ying[1], the King of Liang[2], hosted a banquet for the sovereign lords[3] in Fantai[4]. Once the wine was flowing, he raised a toast to the Lord of Lu[5], who got up from his mat and selected his words carefully, saying, "In ancient times, the Emperor's[6] daughter, Yidi[7], made some rice wine[8]. It was so good that she offered some to Yu[9], who drank and savoured it. From that point on he avoided Yidi and abstained from her fine wines, saying, 'In future generations these drinks will be the ruin of states.' Once, in the middle of the night, Duke Huan of Qi[10] was feeling hungry and had nothing good to eat, so Yi Ya[11] put all his effort into roasting and grilling[12], harmonising and blending the five flavours and offering the resulting dishes to Duke Huan. Duke Huan ate and was satiated, but the next morning he overslept and said, 'In future generations, these flavours will be the ruin of states.' Duke Wen of Jin[13] obtained possession of Nan Zhiwei[14], and for three days afterwards he heard no petitions in court. Consequently he distanced himself from Nan Zhiwei, saying as he sent her away, 'In future generations, such charms will be the ruin of states.' The King of Chu[15] climbed the Jing Pagoda[16] and looked out over the rugged peaks[17], with the river to his left, the lake to his right[18], overlooking Fanghuang[19]. It brought him such delight that he forgot his own mortality, and so he vowed never to climb the Jing Pagoda again, saying, "In future generations, the raising of towers and digging of lakes will be the ruin of states.' Now Your Lordship's cup is filled with Yidi's wine, and you relish the taste of Yi Ya's cuisine. To your left sits Bai Tai[20] and to your right is Lü Xu[21], both of whom are as beautiful as Nan Zhiwei. Before you is the forest of Jia[22] and behind you is the Orchid Pagoda[23], both of which are as delightful the Jing Pagoda. Possession of any one of these would be enough to bring ruin to the state. Now Your Lordship has all four, can you afford not to beware of them?" The King of Liang acclaimed this excellent speech, and raised a toast to the Lord of Lu.
[1] Reading 罃 for 嬰 here, per the commentaries.
[2] Wei Ying was King Hui of Wei (344 - 319 BC), however, other histories suggest that this took place under his predecessor, King Wu of Wei (396–370 BC).
[3] According to the commentaries, these were the rulers of Lu, Wey, Song and either Zheng or Han.
[4] Fantai is still called Fantai, and is in Luancheng, in modern Hebei.
[5] Probably Duke Jing of Lu (343–323 BC).
[6] The presence of Yu the Great in this story seems to imply Emperor Shun (c. 2187-2067 BC).
[7] Yidi may actually have been an alternative name for Dukang, who was another purported inventor of alcoholic drinks in ancient China. Here we follow the commentaries and modern Chinese translations.
[8] The commentaries suggest that the 令 here may be superfluous. If so, Yidi is indeed the Emperor's daughter rather than an alternative name for Dukang.
[9] Yu the Great (c. 2122 - 2024 BC) was another semi-legendary founding father.
[10] Duke Huan of Qi (685–643 BC) was the greatest ruler of Qi during the Spring and Autumn Period, and with his Chancellor Guan Zhong led the state to a position of hegemony over the other states.
[11] Yi Ya was a celebrated chef in Qi.
[12] Reading 熬 for 敖, per the commentaries.
[13] Duke Wen of Jin (636–628 BC) endured a long exile before being returned to power and enjoying a successful reign in Jin.
[14] Yao suggests that the 之 here may be superfluous.
[14] Nan Zhiwei was celebrated beauty and a concubine of Duke Jin.
[15] Possibly King Ling of Chu (515–489 BC) who usurped the throne from his nephew and oversaw a chaotic reign.
[16] The Jing Pagoda may have been near near modern Jingzhou in Hubei. Other versions of this story imply that it was on the opposite bank of the Yangtze, between Lake Dongting and Lake Poyang.
[17] Reading 荊臺 for 強臺 per the commentaries. There may also be other errors in this sentence, but the commentaries disagree regarding where they may be.
[18] This would place him on the south bank of the Yangtze River, looking eastwards.
[19] It is not clear where this was or even whether this is the correct spelling, but it seems to have been another body of water.
[20] Bai Tai was a celebrated beauty at the time.
[21] The commentaries suggest that this may be the same person as the Lü Ju mentioned in the Xunzi, another famous beauty.
[22] It is not clear where this was.
[23] It is not clear where this was.