司馬錯與張儀爭論於秦惠王前。司馬錯欲伐蜀，張儀曰：「不如伐韓。」王曰：「請聞其說。」

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Sima Cuo[1] and Zhang Yi[2] argued before King Hui of Qin[3]. Sima Cuo wished to attack Shu.

Zhang Yi said, "It would be better to attack Han."

The King said, "We beg to hear[4] your persuasions."

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對曰：「親魏善楚，下兵三川，塞轘轅、緱氏之口，當屯留之道，魏絕南陽，楚臨南鄭，秦攻新城、宜陽，以臨二周之郊，誅周主之罪，侵楚、魏之地。周自知不救，九鼎寶器必出。據九鼎，桉圖籍，挾天子以令天下，天下莫敢不聽，此王業也。今夫蜀，西辟之國，而戎狄之長也，弊兵勞眾不足以成名，得其地不足以為利。臣聞：『爭名者於朝，爭利者於市。』今三川、周室，天下之市朝也，而王不爭焉，顧爭於戎狄，去王業遠矣。」

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Zhang Yi replied, "If we hold Wei close and ingratiate ourselves with Chu, we can send troops into Sanchuan[5], block the Huanyuan Pass[6] and the Goushi Gate[7], and occupy the road through Tunliu[8]. Wei will be cut off from Nanyang and Chu will advance upon South Zheng[9]. Qin can attack Xincheng[10] and Yiyang[11], using these to advance into the hinterlands of the two Zhous, executing the Lords of Zhou for their crimes[12] and invading the lands of Chu and Wei. Zhou knows that it cannot be saved, and it will certainly give away the Nine Cauldrons[13] and other treasures. We will take possession of the Nine Cauldrons and their maps and records, laying our hands on the Son of Heaven and using him to instruct All-Under-Heaven. None will dare disobey. Such is the work of a true king. Now Shu is a state in the distant West, leader of the Rong confederation[14]. We could exhaust our troops and fatigue our population there and it would not be enough to make a name for ourselves, nor would taking their land provide any profit. Your servant has heard that 'one fights for fame in the palace, and for profit in the marketplace'[15]. Now Sanchuan and the halls of the Zhou are the palace and the marketplace of All-Under-Heaven, but Your Majesty declines to compete for them. You only care to contend against the Rong, avoiding the work of a king entirely[16]."

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司馬錯曰：「不然。臣聞之，欲富國者，務廣其地；欲強兵者，務富其民；欲王者，務博其德。三資者備，而王隨之矣。今王之地小民貧，故臣願從事於易。夫蜀，西辟之國也，而戎狄之長也，而有桀、紂之亂。以秦攻之，譬如使豺狼逐群羊也。取其地，足以廣國也；得其財，足以富民；繕兵不傷眾，而彼已服矣。故拔一國，而天下不以為暴；利盡西海，諸侯不以為貪。是我一舉而名實兩附，而又有禁暴正亂之名。今攻韓劫天子，劫天子，惡名也，而未必利也，又有不義之名，而攻天下之所不欲，危！臣請謁其故：周，天下之宗室也；齊，韓、周之與國也。周自知失九鼎，韓自知亡三川，則必將二國并力合謀，以因子齊、趙，而求解乎楚、魏。以鼎與楚，以地與魏，王不能禁。此臣所謂『危』，不如伐蜀之完也。」惠王曰：「善！寡人聽子。」

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Sima Cuo said, "Not so. Your servant has heard it said that 'If you want a prosperous state, you must strive enlarge your territory[17]; if you want a strong army, you must make your citizens prosperous; if you want to become a true king, you must work to increase your honour.' If you perfect these three resources, then royal status[18] will follow. Now Your Majesty's lands are small and your citizens poor, therefore your servant would like to follow the easiest course in this affair. Shu is a state in the distant West led by the Rong tribes, and it is in a state of disorder similar to that of Jie[19] and Zhou[20]. Using Qin to attack them would be like sending wolves to chase away sheep. Taking their land will suffice to expand our state, and taking their resources will suffice to enrich our citizens. The army may be prepared for such a campaign without adversely affecting the populace[21], and Shu will submit of its own accord. Thus we can take a state without committing any violence within All-Under-Heaven; our gains will stretch to the Western Sea[22], and will be no cause for envy among the sovereign lords. This being so, I can increase both our fame and our fortune at a stroke, gaining a reputation for preventing violence and bringing order to chaos. Now if we attack Han and threaten the Son of Heaven, we will end up with a bad name and moreover make no profit. We will have a reputation for unprincipled behaviour and by attacking what All-Under-Heaven does not wish us to attack, we will be in danger. Your servant therefore begs permission to explain: Zhou is the ancestral hall of All-Under-Heaven; the states of Qi and Han are on Zhou's side. If Zhou knows that it will lose the Nine Cauldrons and Han knows it will lose Sanchuan, they will certainly unite the strength of their two states and make a strategic accord, taking the opportunity to join with[23] Qi and Zhao and beg relief from Chu and Wei. They will give the Nine Cauldrons to Chu and land to Wei, and Your Majesty will be unable to prevent it. This is why your servant says, 'You will be at risk.' This lacks the self-contained perfection of an attack on Shu."

King Hui said, "Very well. We will pay heed to what you say."

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卒起兵伐蜀，十月取之，遂定蜀。蜀主更號為侯，而使陳莊相蜀。蜀既屬，秦益強富厚，輕諸侯。

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Troops were raised and attacked Shu, taking it in ten months and then stabilising it[24]. The King of Shu[25] was made a Marquis and Chen Zhuang[26] was appointed as Prime Minister of Shu. Thus Shu became Qin's, Qin flourished and grew strong, prosperous and able to disregard the sovereign lords.

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[1] Sima Cuo was a politician and military leader in QIn. He would later lead the campaign against Shu and Ba.

[2] Zhang Yi was among Qin's most famous diplomats; like Su Qin he was a Guiguzi alumnus.

[3] King Huiwen of Qin (338–311 BC) began his reign by killing Shang Yang, but maintained his legal and military reforms, using his strengthened state to acquire large tracts of additional land.

[4] Reading 問 for 聞, per the commentaries.

[5] Sanchuan (or Three Rivers) Commandery, was part of modern Henan. It included the city of Yiyang, which Qin would later attack.

[6] Huanyuan Pass provided access to Luoyang, it was famously risky to traverse. 

[7] Goushi is a small town just East of Luoyang.

[8] Tunliu is now a part of Changzhi in Shanxi.

[9] South Zheng was the area in Han formerly occupied by the state of Zheng. In other versions, it is Chu who will attack South Zheng.

[10] Xincheng was in the Southwest of modern-day Yichuan County, Henan.

[11] Yiyang in modern Henan.

[12] The commentaries suggest 討 as a possible alternative for 誅. This does not substantially alter the sense.

[13] The nine ritual vessels that symbolised the authority to rule over the Empire were still held by the state of Zhou, whose royal family had once ruled China but which was now merely one feudal state among many.

[14] The commentaries suggest 偷 as an alternative for 長. The Rong were non-Chinese peoples living West of Qin

[15] This reads like a quotation, but the source is unclear.

[16] Some of the commentaries suggest that the 業 is superfluous here. 

[17] Some of the commentaries suggest 國富 for 富國. This does not substantially change the sense.

[18] King Huiwen began his rule as a mere Duke, taking his royal title later.

[19] Jie was the tyranical and debauched last ruler of the Xia Dynasty, deposed by Tang of Shang.

[20] Zhou (紂) was the final ruler of the Shang Dynasty, defeated by King Wu to found the Zhou (周) Dynasty. 

[21] I.e. the conquest could be achieved without requiring exceptional levies of conscripts or taxes.

[22] At the time it was assumed that the landmass upon which China was situated was surrounded by four seas - one in each cardinal direction - of which only the East Sea was well-known.

[23] Reading 於 for 子 as in other versions.

[24] If Zhang Yi was genuinely opposed to the campaign, he did not let it stand in his way. He and Sima Cuo were the generals who led the invasion.

[25] Actually the son of the twelfth and last Kaiming King of Shu (dates unknown).

[26] Chen Zhuang was a politician in Qin. He would later start a rebellion in Shu and was killed by an army led by Sima Cuo and Zhang Yi.