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中山 THE STRATAGEMS OF ZHONGSHAN

魏文侯欲殘中山
Marquis Wen of Wei Wishes to Destroy Zhongshan

魏文侯欲殘中山。常莊談謂趙襄子曰:「魏并中山,必無趙矣。公何不請公子傾以為正妻,因封之中山,是中山復立也。」

 

Marquis Wen of Wei[1] wished to destroy Zhongshan. Chang Zhuangtan[2] spoke to Zhao Xiangzi[3], saying, "If Wei annexes Zhongshan, then Zhao will cease to exist. Why do you not request Lady Qing[4] for your principal wife, and seize the opportunity to secure a domain for her in Zhongshan? Then you will be able to reestablish Zhongshan's position."

[1] Marquis Wen of Wei (424-396 BCE) was son of Wei Huanzi, who secured the independence of the state of Wei. He was noted for having employed Li Kui to reform the legal system, thus strengthening the state.

[2] Chang Zhuangtan was originally from Zhao, but served as a politician in Wei. 

[3] Bao suggests that this is intended to be a reference to Wei Huanzi. Zhao Xiangzi (458–425 BCE) was also known as Zhao Wuxu. He was the first leader of Zhao as an independent state. Wei Huanzi was his equivalent in Wei.

[4] Lady Qing was the daughter of Marquis Wen of Wei.

犀首立五王
The Xishou General Establishes Five Kings

犀首立五王,而中山後持。齊謂趙、魏曰:「寡人羞與中山並為王,願與大國伐之,以廢其王。」中山聞之,大恐。召張登而告之曰:「寡人且王,齊謂趙、魏曰,羞與寡人並為王,而欲伐寡人。恐亡其國,不在索王。非子莫能吾救。」登對曰:「君為臣多車重幣,臣請見田嬰。」中山之君遣之齊。見嬰子曰:「臣聞君欲廢中山之王,將與趙、魏伐之,過矣。以中山之小,而三國伐之,中山雖益廢王,猶且聽也。且中山恐,必為趙、魏廢其王而務附焉。是君為趙、魏驅羊也,非齊之利也。豈若中山廢其王而事齊哉?」

Shou Xi[1] established five kings[2], and the last and least among them was the King of Zhongshan. Qi spoke to Zhao and Wei, saying, "We should be ashamed to be ranked on a level with the King of Zhongshan. I hope your great states will join me in an attack on Zhongshan and compel its lord to renounce his royal titles."

Zhongshan heard about this and panicked. The King summoned Zhang Deng[3] and reported it to him, saying, "Since our recent elevation to the royal estate Qi has been speaking to Zhao and Wei, saying that it would be ashamed to be ranked on a level with us, and thus it wishes to attack us. We are afraid that our state will be exterminated and care nothing for royal titles. If you cannot come up with a plan to help me then no one can."

Deng replied, "If your Lordship will supply me with enough carriages and sufficient strings of cash, I beg permission to seek an audience with Tian Ying[4]."

The Lord of Zhongshan[5] sent him to Qi, where he secured an audience with Tian Ying and said, "Your servant has heard that you wish to strip the King of Zhongshan of his title, and will join with Zhao and Wei to attack him. This is a mistake. If, taking advantage of Zhongshan's small size, all three of you attack at once, and then even a much bigger state than Zhongshan would renounce its royal titles and fall into line. Zhongshan is so afraid now that it will surrender its royal titles to Zhao or Wei, in an effort to be accepted within their suite[6]. In that case, you will be nothing more than a shepherd to Zhao or Wei, and Qi will not benefit at all. Would it not be better to have Zhongshan renounce its royal titles in favour of Qi?"

田嬰曰:「柰何?」張登曰:「今君召中山,與之遇而許之王,中山必喜而絕趙、魏。趙、魏怒而攻中山,中山急而為君難其王,則中山必恐,為君廢王事齊。彼患亡其國,是君廢其王而亡其國,賢於為趙、魏驅羊也。」田嬰曰:「諾。」張丑曰:「不可。臣聞之,同欲者相憎,同憂者相親。今五國相與王也,負海不與焉。此是欲皆在為王。而憂在負海。今召中山,與之遇而許之王,是奪五國而益負海也。致中山而塞四國,四國寒心。必先與之王而故親之,是君臨中山而失四國也。且張登之為人也,善以微計薦中山之君久矣,難信以為利。」

Tian Ying said, "How should I manage this?"

Zhang Deng said, "If Your Lordship will now extend an invitation to Zhongshan, meet its delegation and promise to recognise their King, then Zhongshan will be delighted and sever its relations with Zhao and Wei. Zhao and Wei will be outraged and will attack Zhongshan,

which will be left in a desperate situation. If Your Lordship then criticises its adoption of royal titles, its lord will be frightened enough to abandon his kingship on your account and serve Qi. Fearing the extermination of his state, you will be able to rob him of his royal title while propping up[6] his state. This is much wiser than becoming a shepherd for Zhao and Wei."

Tian Ying said, "I will do so."

Zhang Chou[7] said, "Impossible. Your servant has heard that those who desire the same things hate one another, while those who share the same grievances grow closer. Now there are four states that have agreed to recognise one another's royal titles[8], and the only one refusing to join them is the one with its back to the sea[9]. Thus their common desire is to remain kings, and their shared grievance is against us. If you now extend an invitation to Zhongshan and go out to meet its delegation at the border, then you will be stealing from four[10] states to benefit the one on the coast. You will be able to deliver Zhongshan into our hands and alienate it from the other states, but the four states' sentiments towards us will also cool. You will first be forced to approach the King of Zhongshan as an equal in order to stage a rapprochement, but by approaching Zhongshan you will lose the backing of the other four. Moreover, given the kind of person Zhang Deng is - one who has long demonstrated his skill in creating subtle strategies for the Lord of Zhongshan - it is hard to believe that he is acting for our benefit."

 

田嬰不聽。果召中山君而許之王。張登因謂趙、魏曰:「齊欲伐河東。何以知之?齊羞與中山之為王甚矣,今召中山,與之遇而許之王,是欲用其兵也。豈若令大國先與之王,以止其遇哉?」趙、魏許諾,果與中山王而親之。中山果絕齊而從趙、魏。

 

Tian Ying would not listen. Consequently, he extended an invitation to the Lord of Zhongshan, promising to recognise his royal title. Zhang Deng took advantage of this to speak to Zhao and Wei, saying, "Qi wishes to launch a strike east of the Yellow river[11]. How do I know this? Qi is profoundly embarrassed to be ranked equal to Zhongshan[12], but now it has invited a delegation from Zhongshan, intending to meet them at the border and recognise their King. If Qi has done this, it must be because it wants to make use of Zhongshan's troops. Can you not ensure that your own mighty states will be the first to recognise Zhongshan's royal title, and thereby prevent its meeting with Qi?" Zhao and Wei agreed with this, and consequently recognised Zhongshan's royal titles, thereby staging a rapprochement. As a result of this, Zhongshan severed its relations with Qi and followed Zhao and Wei.  

[1] The Xishou General was also known as Gongsun Yan, and worked as a politician in Qin, Wei and Han.

[2] The commentaries disagree regarding the precise list of kings: Qi, Wei, Yan, Zhongshan and either Zhao or Han. The Xishou General's role in the process is similarly unclear. 

[3] Zhang Deng is known principally via this story.

[4] Tian Ying was a member of the Qi royal family, and the father of Lord Mengchang.

[5] King Cuo of Zhongshan (323-309 BCE) was the first leader in Zhongshan to elevanted to a royal title. He was a successful leader, doubling the size of Zhongshan's territory.

[6] Reading 立 for 亡, per the commentaries.

[7] Zhang Chou crops up repeatedly through the book, and may have been a member of Tian Ying's entourage, but he is not otherwise well-known.

[8] Reading 四 for

[9] I.e. Qi. Chou's insitence upon this term likely implies that it was under a naming taboo for him at the time. Possibly "Qi" was a component of his father or grandfather's name.

[10] Reading 四 for 五, per the commentaries.

[11] This land belonged to Wei at the time.

[12] Reading 並 for 之, per the commentaries. 

中山與燕趙為王
Zhongshan, Yan and Zhao Adopt Royal Titles

中山與燕、趙為王,齊閉關不通中山之使,其言曰:「我萬乘之國也,中山千乘之國也,何侔名於我?」欲割平邑以賂燕、趙,出兵以攻中山。

 

Zhongshan, Yan and Zhao adopted royal titles[1]. Qi closed its borders and refused to allow Zhongshan's envoys entry, saying, "We are a state of ten thousand chariots. Zhongshan is a state of a hundred chariots[2]. How can they have the same rank as us?" Qi decided to cede land in Pingyi[3] to Yan and Zhao and thus bribe them to dispatch troops to attack Zhongshan.

藍諸君患之。張登謂藍諸君曰:「公何患於齊?」藍諸君曰:「齊強,萬乘之國,恥與中山侔名,不憚割地以賂燕、趙,出兵以攻中山。燕、趙好位而貪地,吾恐其不吾據也。大者危國,次者廢王,柰何吾弗患也?」張登曰:「請令燕、趙固輔中山而成其王,事遂定。公欲之乎?」藍諸君曰:「此所欲也。」曰:「請以公為齊王而登試說公。可,乃行之。」藍諸君曰:「願聞其說。」

 

Lord Lanzhu[4] was worried about this. Zhang Deng[5] spoke to him, saying, "Why worry about Qi?"

"Qi is strong, a state of ten thousand chariots, and regards being ranked equal to Zhongshan as such a humiliation that it will happily cede land to Yan and Zhao to bribe them to dispatch troops to attack Zhongshan. Yan and Zhao love titles and are greedy for land[5], so I am afraid that they will not be a support I can lean on. In the worst case they will endanger the state and in the best case we will have to renounce our royal titles. How would you handle this so as to eliminate my worries?"

Zhang Deng said, "Allow me to reinforce Yan and Zhao's support for Zhongshan. Thus I can secure your situation, if this is what you want?"

Lord Lanzhu said, "It is."

​Zhang Deng said, "Please act the part of the King of Qi[6], and I will try to persuade you. If this is acceptable to you, I will proceed."

Lord Lanzhu said, "I would like to hear your persuasions."

登曰:「王之所以不憚割地以賂燕、趙,出兵以攻中山者,其實欲廢中山之王也。王曰:『然。』然則王之為費且危。夫割地以賂燕、趙,是強敵也;出兵以攻中山,首難也。王行二者,所求中山未必得。王如用臣之道,地不虧而兵不用,中山可廢也。王必曰:『子之道柰何?』」藍諸君曰:「然則子之道柰何?」張登曰:「王發重使,使告中山君曰:『寡人所以閉關不通使者,為中山之獨與燕、趙為王,而寡人不與聞焉,是以隘之。王苟舉趾以見寡人,請亦佐君。』中山恐燕、趙之不己據也,今齊之辭云『即佐王』,中山必遁燕、趙,與王相見。燕、趙聞之,怒絕之,王亦絕之,是中山孤,孤何得無廢。以此說齊王,齊王聽乎?」藍諸君曰;「是則必聽矣,此所以廢之,何在其所存之矣。」張登曰:「此王所以存者也。齊以是辭來,因言告燕、趙而無往,以積厚於燕、趙。燕、趙必曰:『齊之欲割平邑以賂我者,非欲廢中山之王也;徒欲以離我於中山,而己親之也。』雖百平邑,燕、趙必不受也。」藍諸君曰:「善。」

 

Deng said, "If Your Majesty can, with equanimity, cede land to Yan and Zhao to bribe them to dispatch troops to attack Zhongshan, you must really wish to deprive Zhongshan of its royal titles."

The 'King' said, "That is so."

"Such a course will will be expensive and - moreover - dangerous to Your Majesty. If you cede land to Yan and Zhao as a bribe, you will be strengthening your enemies, and thus the mobilisation of troops to attack Zhongshan will only be the beginning of your troubles. If you do these two things, you will certainly never get what you want from Zhongshan. If you apply my methods, however, then with no loss of land and no use of military force, Zhongshan agree to renounce its royal titles... Then the King will certainly say, 'How would you apply your methods to handle this matter[7]?'"

Lord Lanzhu said, "This being so, then how would you apply your methods to handle this matter?"

Zhang Deng said, "If Your Majesty appoints a plenipotentiary ambassador, he can report this to the Lord of Zhongshan[8], saying, 'If we closed our border and did not let your envoys pass, it was only because we had not yet heard that Zhongshan had adopted royal titles along with Yan and Zhao. Therefore we prevented their onward travel. If Your Majesty would honour our land with your illustrious footsteps and attend an audience with us[9], I will beg the King to offer our assistance.' Zhongshan is afraid that it will not be able to depend upon Yan and Zhao's support. If Qi now says, 'We will assist Your Majesty instead', then Zhongshan will go behind the backs of Yan and Zhao, and seek an audience with you. When Yan and Zhao hear of this, they will sever their relations with Zhongshan[10]. If you then also sever your relations, Zhongshan will be left isolated. Once isolated, what can it do but surrender its titles?[11] If I thus persuade the King of Qi, will he listen?"

Lord Lanzhu said, "If you do it thus, he will certainly listen, but this is a method that will force us to surrender our titles. Do you have one that would enable us to retain them?"

"Here is how the King can preserve his title: When Qi comes and repeats this to you, you should seize your chance and report its envoys' words to Yan and Zhao rather than going along with their suggestions. Zhongshan's relations with Yan and Zhao will thus improve, such that Yan and Zhao will certainly say, 'If Qi wants to bribe us with land in Pingyi, it is not because it wants to make Zhongshan surrender its royal titles, rather it is because it wants to disrupt our own relations with Zhongshan and thereby improve its own.' Then even if Qi were to offer a hundred Pingyis, Yan and Zhao would certainly not accept them."  

Lord Lanzhu said, "Very well."

 

遣張登往,果以是辭來。中山因告燕、趙而不往,燕、趙果俱輔中山而使其王。事遂定。

 

He dispatched Zhang Deng to Qi, where he deployed the above-mentioned arguments as planned. Zhongshan then reported them to Yan and Zhao rather than going along with their suggestions. Consequently, Yan and Zhao came together to support Zhongshan, thus permitting it to keep its royal titles and secure the King's position.

[1] I.e. their leaders titles were elevated from Duke to King. 

[2] Reading 百 for 千 here, per the commentaries.

[3] Pingyi was in modern Changle County, Shandong.

[3] Lord Lanzhu was the Chancellor of Zhongshan.

[4] Zhang Deng appears repeatedly in the Stratagems but his background is not otherwise well-known.

[5] The commentaries suggest that this may be intended to read 倍 for 位, in which case the sentence would be "Yan and Zhao delight in deception".

[6] King Min of Qi (300–284 BCE) was famously bad at managing his subordinates, and almost lost his state following an invasion by Yan. His own generals eventually turned upon him and one of them, Nao Chi, killed him.

[7] Here and below there is no indication in the original text to show when Zhang Deng is breaking character.

[8] King Cuo of Zhongshan (323-309 BCE) was the first leader in Zhongshan to elevanted to a royal title. He was a successful leader, doubling the size of Zhongshan's territory. 

[9] Reading 玉趾 for 趾 here, per the commentaries.

[10] Reading 必怒 for 怒, per the commentaries.

[11] Zhang Deng seems to break character at this point.

司馬憙使趙

Sima Xi Serves as an Envoy in Zhao

司馬两使趙,為己求相中山。公孫弘陰知之。中山君出,司馬两御,公孫弘參乘。弘曰:「為人臣,招大國之威,以為己求相,於君何如?」君曰:「吾食其肉,不以分人。」司馬两頓首於軾曰:「臣自知死至矣!」君曰:「何也?」「臣抵罪。」君曰:「行,吾知之矣。」居頃之,趙使來,為司馬两求相。中山君大疑公孫弘,公孫弘走出。

 

Sima Xi[1] was serving as an envoy to Zhao, and he intended to request that Zhao secure him the position of Chancellor in Zhongshan. Gongsun Hong[2] found out about this via clandestine means. When the Lord of Zhongshan[3] went out with Sima Xi as his driver and Gongsun Hong riding in his chariot, Hong said, "A public servant who recruits a large state for its capacity to intimidate and uses it to request that he be made Chancellor of his home state, what does Your Lordship think of such a person?"

The Lord of Zhongshan replied, "I would eat him alive, and not share the meal with anyone else."

Sima Xi bowed his head over the crossbar of the chariot, and said, "I now know that the moment of my death is nigh."

The Lord of Zhongshan said, "Why so?"

"You just said that your servant merits such a sanction[4]."

The Lord of Zhongshan said, "Duly noted. Drive on." After some time, an envoy from Zhao arrived in Zhongshan to request the position of Chancellor for Sima Xi. The Lord of Zhongshan thus grew suspicious of Gongsun Hong, and Gongsun Hong fled[5].  

[1] Reading 司馬喜 for 司馬两, per the commentaries. Sima Xi was a politician in Zhongshan.

[2] Gongsun Hong was a politician in Zhongshan. He may later have moved to Qi and joined the entourage of Lord Mengchang.

[3] Probably King Zici of Zhongshan (309-299 BCE). He suffered repeated incursions and lost a large amount of land, finally dying in Qi.

[4] Reading 曰臣 for 臣, per the commentaries.  

[5] Presumably because - thanks to Sima Xi's preemptive confession - he thinks Hong orchestrated it to get Sima Xi into trouble.

司馬憙三相中山

Sima Xi Serves as Chancellor of Zhongshan Three Times

司馬两三相中山,陰簡難之。田簡謂司馬两曰:「趙使者來屬耳,獨不可語陰簡之美乎?趙必請之,君與之,即公無內難矣。君弗與趙,公因勸君立之以為正妻。陰簡之德公,無所窮矣。」果令趙請,君弗與。司馬两曰:「君弗與趙,趙王必大怒;大怒則君必危矣。然則立以為妻,固無請人之妻不得而怨人者也。」

 

Sima Xi[1] had served as Chancellor of Zhongshan three times, and Yin Jian[2] detested him. Tian Jian[3] spoke to Sima Xi, saying, "An envoy has come to serve as Zhao's ears here. Could you not simply speak to him of Yin Jian's beauty? Zhao will certainly request her. If your Lord hands her over, then you yourself will have no more problems here. If he does not hand her over, then you can take the opportunity to recommend that he establish her as his principal wife. Yin Jian will be indebted to you forever more."

As a result of this, Sima Xi had Zhao request Yin Jian[4], and the Lord of Zhongshan refused to hand her over. Sima Xi said, "If you do not hand her over you will enrage the King of Zhao[5], and if you enrage the King of Zhao then Your Lordship will certainly be in danger. This being so, you should establish her as your principal wife, since no one would ever request a principal wife or, upon not obtaining her, bear a grudge."

[1] Reading 司馬喜 for 司馬两, per the commentaries. Sima Xi was a politician in Zhongshan.

[2] Yin Jian was a concubine belonging to King Cuo.

[3] Tian Jian may be Yin Jian's father.

[4] Reading 請之 for 請 here, per the commentaries.

[5] King Wuling of Zhao (325–299 BCE), who oversaw Zhao's transition to light cavalry tactics, a move that won them several significant victories and was rapidly followed by the other states. The commentaries suggest that it was Marquis Su, but he died before King Xiang of Wei took the throne.

陰姬與江姬爭為后

Consort Yin Competes with Consort Jiang to become Queen

陰姬與江姬爭為后。司馬两謂陰姬公曰:「事成,則有土子民;不成,則恐無身。欲成之,何不見臣乎?」陰姬公稽首曰:「誠如君言,事何可豫道者。」司馬两即奏書中山王曰:「臣聞弱趙強中山。」中山王悅而見之曰:「願聞弱趙強中山之說。」司馬两曰:「臣願之趙,觀其地形險阻,人民貧富,君臣賢不肖,商敵為資,未可豫陳也。」中山王遣之。

Consort Yin[1] was competing with Consort Jiang[2] to be appointed queen[3]. Sima Xi[4] spoke to Consort Yin's father[5], saying, "If she can carry this affair off, then Zhongshan's citizens will be in your power[6]; if she cannot, then I am afraid that your life will be forfeit. If you seek to make her success certain, why not secure me an audience with the King?"

Consort Yin's father bowed down to the ground and said, "If you can really do as you say, how could I ever repay you for this service?"

Sima Xi thus offered a memorial to the King of Zhongshan[7], saying, "Your servant has heard of a means by which you could weaken Zhao and strengthen Zhongshan."

The King of Zhongshan was delighted, and accorded him an audience, saying, "To hear such a thing would please me greatly."

Sima Xi said, "Your servant would like to go to Zhao and observe its terrain, its mountains and its passes, to see whether its people are poor or rich and whether its lords and their advisors are worthy or contemptible. I will compare our resources with our enemy's, information that we have not yet been able to collate." Thus the King of Zhongshan sent him off.

見趙王曰:「臣聞趙,天下善為音,佳麗人之所出也。今者,臣來至境,入都邑,觀人民謠俗,容貌顏色,殊無佳麗好美者。以臣所行多矣,周流無所不通,未嘗見人如中山陰姬者也。不知者,特以為神,力言不能及也。其容貌顏色,固已過絕人矣。若乃其眉目准頞權衡,犀角偃月,彼乃帝王之后,非諸侯之姬也。」趙王意移,大悅曰:「吾願請之,何如?」司馬两曰:「臣竊見其佳麗,口不能無道爾。即欲請之,是非臣所敢議,願王無泄也。」

 

Sima Xi secured an audience with the King of Zhao[8], at which he said, "Your servant has heard that Zhao is the homeland of the most skilled musicians and the greatest beauties. Now I have crossed your border and entered your capital, heard the songs and witnessed the customs of your citizens[9]. I noted their figures and their faces, but I an yet to see any exceptional beauties. Your servant has travelled a great deal, wandering unceasingly[10], and I have not yet seen anyone equal to Consort Yin of Zhongshan. If I did not know better, I would have thought her something supernatural. Human speech lacks the power to measure her beauty[11] - her form and face entirely surpass those of other mortals. Her nose and cheekbones, like her eyebrows, are perfect, and the moon itself should pay homage to her forehead. She should be an emperor's queen, not simply the concubine of a feudal lord."

The King of Zhao's interest was piqued. Delighted, he said, "I would like to request that he give her to me. What do you think?"

​Sima Xi said, "Having stolen a glance at her beauty, I was unable to prevent myself speaking of it. Nevertheless, it is not a matter that I would dare discuss formally. I hope that Your Majesty will not allow this to leak out."

司馬两辭去,歸報中山王曰:「趙王非賢王也。不好道德,而好聲色;不好仁義,而好勇力。臣聞其乃欲請所謂陰姬者。」中山王作色不悅。司馬喜曰:「趙強國也,其請之必矣。王如不與,即社稷危矣;與之,即為諸侯笑。」中山王曰:「為將奈何?」司馬两曰:「王立為后,以絕趙王之意。世無請后者。雖欲得請之,鄰國不與也。」中山王遂立以為后,趙王亦無請言也。

 

Sima Xi made his excuses and left. He returned and made his report to the King of Zhongshan, saying, "The King of Zhao is not a wise sovereign. He cares nothing for honour, preferring sweet voices and blushing cheeks. He cares nothing for duty or benevolence, preferring force and bravado. Your servant has also heard that he wishes to request the concubine that goes by the name of Yin." The King's expression fell; he was not pleased. Sima Xi said, "Zhao is a strong state, and its requests may as well be commands. If Your Majesty does not hand her over, then the altars of earth and grain will be at risk, but if you give her to him then you will be a laughing stock among the sovereign lords."

The King of Zhongshan said, "How would you handle this?"

Sima Xi said, "If you make her your queen, that would dash his hopes. There is no one on earth who would request a queen as a gift. Even if he is so inflamed with desire that he puts in a request, his neighbours would never permit her to be handed over[12]." The King of Zhongshan thus made Consort Yin his queen, and the King of Zhao did not say another word about her."

[1] Yin Jian was a concubine belonging to King Cuo.

[2] Consort Jiang appears to have been a favourite of King Cuo.

[3] I.e. to be designated the King's chief wife.

[4] Reading 司馬喜 for 司馬两, per the commentaries. Sima Xi was a politician in Zhongshan.

[5] Possibly Tian Jian, a politician in Zhongshan.

[6] Reading 得 for 子 here, per the commentaries.

[7] King Cuo of Zhongshan (323-309 BCE) was the first leader in Zhongshan to be elevated to a royal rank. He was a successful leader, doubling the size of Zhongshan's territory. 

[8] King Wuling of Zhao (325–299 BCE), who oversaw Zhao's transition to light cavalry tactics, a move that won them several significant victories and was rapidly followed by the other states. The commentaries suggest that it was Marquis Su, but he died before King Xiang of Wei took the throne.

[9] 謠 refers to both folk songs and gossip, reflecting a tradition dating back to the early Zhou Dynasty, whereby popular songs were noted down by officials as a means of gauging public opinion. 

[10] Reading 至 for 通, per the commentaries.​

[11] Reading 人 for 力 here, per the commentaries.

[12] For fear of the precedent it would set.

主父欲伐中山

The King of Zhao's Father Attacks Zhongshan

主父欲伐中山,使李疵觀之。李疵曰:「可伐也。君弗攻,恐後天下。」主父曰:「何以?」對曰:「中山之君,所傾蓋與車而朝窮閭隘巷之士者,七十家。」主父曰:「是賢君也,安可伐?」李疵曰:「不然。舉士,則民務名不存本;朝賢,則耕者惰而戰士懦。若此不亡者,未之有也。」

The King of Zhao's father[1] wished to attack Zhongshan, and sent Li Ci[2] ahead to scout out the situation. Li Ci said, "It is possible to attack. Indeed if you do not strike now, I am afraid others in All-Under-Heaven will preempt you."

The King's father said, "Why so?"

Li Ci replied, "The Lord of Zhongshan removed the awning from his carriage[3] and went to pay his respects to scholars in poor villages and back alleys[4], visiting seventy households."

The King's father said, "Such is the mark of wise lord. Why would I attack him?"

Li Ci said, "Not so. When scholars are elevated, then the people work to gain renown rather than concentrating on the primary industries[5], and when sages are summoned to the royal court farmers grow lazy and soldiers timid. There has never yet been a ruler who acted thus and survived." 

[1] King Wuling of Zhao (325–299 BCE), who oversaw Zhao's transition to light cavalry tactics, a move that won them several significant victories and was rapidly followed by the other states. He later abdicated in favour of his son, while continuing to command Zhao's armies and participate in politics.

[2] Li Ci was a politician in Zhao.

[3] Reading 車者 for 車 here, per the commentaries.

[4] Some commentaries suggest that this was because the awning was wider than the carriage and would not fit in the narrow alleys inhabited by poor scholars.

[5] Agriculture, mining and production of basic goods. 

中山君饗都士

The Lord of Zhongshan Holds a Banquet for the Officials of His Capital

中山君饗都士,大夫司馬子期在焉。羊羹不遍,司馬子期怒而走於楚,說楚王伐中山,中山君亡。有二人挈戈而隨其後者,中山君顧謂二人:「子奚為者也?」二人對曰:「臣有父,嘗餓且死,君下壺餌之。臣父且死,曰;『中山有事,汝必死之。』故來死君也。」中山君喟然而仰歎曰:「與不期眾少,其於當厄;怨不期深淺,其於傷心。吾以一杯羊羹亡國,以一壺得士二人。」

 

The Lord of Zhongshan[1] held a banquet for the officials of his capital at which Counsellor Sima Ziqi[2] was present. He was not offered any of the mutton soup, and was so annoyed that he left for Chu to persuade its King[3] to attack Zhongshan. When the Lord of Zhongshan fled[4], two of his partisans moved to follow him, their halberds in their hands. He glanced back and spoke to them: "What are you doing?"

The two men said, "We are brothers. Once, when our father was starving, you gave him a pot of dumplings[5]. Later, when he was dying, he said, 'If ever Zhongshan is embroiled in any contention, you must be ready to die for it.' Therefore we have come to die for Your Lordship."

The Lord of Zhongshan sighed and gazed up to the sky, saying, "The quality of a gift is measured not by its size, but whether it arrives when most needed. The intensity of a grudge is determined not by the significance of the slight, but by the hurt suffered. I was forced to flee my state on account of a bowl of mutton soup, but have gained two partisans in return for a pot of dumplings[6]." 

[1] This leader seems to have ruled before Zhongshan attained full independence.

[2] Sima Ziqi was a brother of King Zhao of Chu, as well as a politician in Zhongshan.

[3] Possibly King Zhao of Chu (515-489 BCE), who suffered repeated incursions, being defeated by the troops of King Helü of Wu under Sun Tzu, and later killed attempting to defend Chen against King Fuchai of Wu.

[4] Presumably the people of Zhongshan were still at least semi-nomadic at this point, so the departure of the King is not necessarily as significant an event as it would have been elsewhere.

[5] There seems to be a character missing here, but it is not clear what it is. Bao suggests that 壺餌 is an error for 臣父. This may be a reference to a pot of some other unspecified food (dumplings had not yet become a staple at the time this story took place).

[6] There is a character missing between 壺 and 得. The commentaries suggest 龪.

樂羊為魏將
Yue Yang Leads Wei's Army

樂羊為魏將,攻中山。其子時在中山,中山君烹之,作羹致於樂羊。樂羊食之。古今稱之:樂羊食子以自信,明害父以求法。

 

Yue Yang[1] led Wei's army in an attack on Zhongshan. His son[2] was in Zhongshan at the time, so the Lord of Zhongshan[3] cooked him and delivered the resulting soup to Yue Yang, whereupon Yue Yang drank it. Thenceforth it was said[4], "Yue Yang ate his son to preserve his credibility, clearly he was willing to suffer as a father if his military doctrine required it." 

[1] Yue Yang originally came from Zhongshan, but served in Wei.

[2] Yue Shu (樂舒) served as a General in Zhongshan, defeating and killing one of Marquis Wen of Wei's sons, but he is known principally via this story. 

[3] Duke Wu of Zhongshan (414-406 BCE) established a new capital for Zhongshan in Gu.

[4] Reading 稱之曰 for 稱之 here, per the commentaries.

昭王既息民繕兵

King Zhao Lets his People Rest and his Troops Recuperate

昭王既息民繕兵,復欲伐趙。武安君曰:「不可。」王曰:「前年國虛民飢,君不量百姓之力,求益軍糧以滅趙。今寡人息民以養士,蓄積糧食,三軍之俸有倍於前,而曰『不可』,其說何也?」

 

King Zhao[1] had let his citizens rest and his soldiers recuperate, intending to renew his attack on Zhao[2], but Lord Wu'an[3] said, "It cannot be done."

The King said, "Two years ago the state was barren and its citizens starving. Your Lordship, without bothering to assess the capacity of the hundred clans, demanded that they provide your army with grain supplies for the purpose of exterminating Zhao. Now we have rested our citizens and increased our officers' stipends, we have accumulated extensive grain reserves[4], and the wages of the three armies have been doubled, but you say it cannot be done. Why do you argue thus?"

武安君曰:「長平之事,秦軍大剋,趙軍大破;秦人歡喜,趙人畏懼。秦民之死者厚葬,傷者厚養,勞者相饗,飲食餔餽,以靡其財;趙人之死者不得收,傷者不得療,涕泣相哀,戮力同憂,耕田疾作,以生其財。今王發軍,雖倍其前,臣料趙國守備,亦以十倍矣。趙自長平已來,君臣憂懼,早朝晏退,卑辭重幣,四面出嫁,結親燕、魏,連好齊、楚,積慮并心,備秦為務。其國內實,其交外成。當今之時,趙未可伐也。」君所將之不能半之,而與戰之於伊闕,大破二國之軍,

 

Lord Wu'an said, "In the contention at Changping[5] Qin's army routed its adversaries[6], and Zhao's army was decisively broken. Qin's partisans were overjoyed and Zhao's were terrified. Qin's dead received lavish funerals, while the wounded received generous pensions. Those who had laboured for our victory celebrated one another's successes; they ate and drank and poured libations to the dead, dissipating their resources. Zhao's partisans could not retrieve their dead and their wounds will never heal; they wept among themselves in their sorrow. In their shared grief, they redoubled their efforts, giving all their strength to till their fields and thereby augment their resources. If Your Majesty dispatches the army now, even having doubled its size, your servant believes that Zhao will be ready to protect itself with ten times the number of defenders. Since Changping, Zhao's lords and their servants have been troubled and fearful. At dawn they make their way to the palace and in the evening they return home[7]. They speak humbly, distribute heavy strings of cash, and make marriage alliances in all directions. They have formed close connections with Yan and Wei, and fond ties with Qi and Chu. They store up schemes in their hearts and devote themselves to making preparations against Qin. Their state is thriving internally and perfecting its diplomacy abroad. At the present moment, there is no way we can attack Zhao."

王曰:「寡人既以興師矣。」乃使五校大夫王陵將而伐趙。陵戰失利,亡五校。王欲使武安君,武安君稱疾不行。王乃使應侯往見武安君,責之曰:「楚,地方五千里,持戟百萬。君前率數萬之眾入楚,拔鄢、郢,焚其廟,東至竟陵,楚人震恐,東徙而不敢西向。韓、魏相率,興兵甚眾,流血漂鹵,斬首二十四萬。韓、魏以故至今稱東藩。此君之功,天下莫不聞。今趙卒之死於長平者已十七、八,其國虛弱,是以寡人大發軍,人數倍於趙國之眾,願使君將,必欲滅之矣。君嘗以寡擊眾,取勝如神,況以彊擊弱,以眾擊寡乎?」

 

The King said, "We have already raised troops for this purpose." Thus he ordered Counsellor Wang Ling[8], Chief of the Five Garrisons[9], to lead the attack. Ling fought and ceded the advantage, losing all five of his garrisons.

The King wished to appoint Lord Wu'an in his place, but Lord Wu'an claimed to be sick and would not go. Accordingly, the King sent Marquis Ying[10] to seek an audience with Lord Wu'an and rebuke him, saying, "Chu has five thousand square li of land and millions of halberdiers, but Your Lordship previously led a group just a few tens of thousands strong into Chu, overwhelming Yan[11] and Ying[12] and burning their ancestral temples, proceeding east as far as Jingling[13]. Chu's partisans trembled in fear and fled eastwards, not daring to glance behind them. Han and Wei both sent reinforcements, raising as many battalions as they could. The forces under Your Lordship's command could not have totalled half their numbers[14], but you fought them at Yique[15], inflicting devastating destruction upon the armies of the two states. The blood flowed deep enough to float a shield and two hundred and forty thousand were beheaded. Thus Han and Wei were brought to such a point that they are now[16] forced to call themselves our eastern border guards. Such were Your Lordship's achievements, and there is no one in All-Under-Heaven who has not heard of them. Seven or eight out of every ten of Zhao's troops already died at Changping, and its state is barren and weak. This being so, if we[17] send out our entire army, it will be several times the size of Zhao's battalions. We would like be sure of wiping them out, which is why we wish to appoint you as its general. You have already attacked with smaller forces and secured godlike victories. How much more will you achieve when you are using a strong force to strike a weaker one, a large army to attack a smaller one?"

武安君曰:「是時楚王恃其國大,不恤其政,而群臣相妒以功,諂諛用事,良臣斥疏,百姓心離,城池不修,既無良臣,又無守備。故起所以得引兵深入,多倍城邑,發梁焚舟以專民,以掠於郊野,以足軍食。當此之時,秦中士卒,以軍中為家,將帥為父母,不約而親,不謀而信,一心同功,死不旋踵。楚人自戰其地,咸顧其家,各有散心,莫有鬥志。是以能有功也。伊闕之戰,韓孤顧魏,不欲先用其眾。魏恃韓之銳,欲推以為鋒。二軍爭便之力不同,是以臣得設疑兵,以待韓陣,專軍并銳,觸魏之不意。魏軍既敗,韓軍自潰,乘勝逐北,以是之故能立功。皆計利形勢,自然之理,何神之有哉!今秦破趙軍於長平,不遂以時乘其振懼而滅之,畏而釋之,使得耕稼以益蓄積,養孤長幼以益其眾,繕治兵甲以益其強,增城浚池以益其固。主折節以下其臣,臣推體以下死士。至於平原君之屬,皆令妻妾補縫於行伍之間。臣人一心,上下同力,猶勾踐困於會稽之時也。以合伐之,趙必固守。挑其軍戰,必不肯出。圍其國都,必不可剋。攻其列城,必未可拔。掠其郊野,必無所得。兵出無功,諸侯生心,外救必至。臣見其害,未睹其利。又病,未能行。」

 

Lord Wu'an said, "At that time, the King of Chu[18], relying upon the size of his state, paid no heed to political matters. His private secretaries were all avid to scupper one another's successes and pursued their own interests by means of flattery[19]. Faithful advisors were neglected, the hundred clans were alienated, and the its walls and moats left in a state of disrepair. Having thus lost his best servants, there was no one to make any preparations for Chu's defence. Therefore, I was able to lead my troops deep into his state, skirting multiple fortified cities. I severed the bridges behind us and burnt our boats to concentrate the minds of our people[20], ransacking Chu's hinterlands for food sufficient to feed my army. At that time, both Qin's officers and its troops regarded the army as their home and their superiors as their parents. Even when there were no covenants between us we acted in solidarity[21], even when we had made no advance plans we were able to depend on one another[22]. With one mind we achieved our shared successes, not shrinking in the face of death. Chu's people were fighting on their own territory, constantly glancing backwards towards their homes, the mind of each distracted, lacking any fighting spirit. This is why I was able to achieve some success. During the Battle of Yique[23], Han was isolated and thus turned to Wei, not wanting to have recourse to its own battalions as a first resort, while Wei was dependent upon Han's elite troops, and wanted them to serve as its vanguard. The two armies were so busy struggling to take advantage of one another that they were unable to coordinate their forces. This being so, your servant was able to deploy decoy troops to hold off[24] Han's columns while regrouping our elite forces to take Wei by surprise. Thus Wei's army was defeated, and Han retreated of its own accord. Riding high on this victory and the subsequent rout, we were thereby able to consolidate our success. In all of my strategies I took advantage of contingent circumstances, following their natural logic. What is godlike about that? Qin has now broken Zhao's army at Changping, but we did not pursue them at the moment of victory and wipe them out when they were still shaken. We frightened them and let them go, allowing them to return to their ploughing and their harvesting, thus replenishing their stores, to raise their orphans, thus replenishing their battalions. They are repairing their armour and training their troops to bolster their strength, reinforcing their walls and deepening their moats to consolidate their positions. The Lord of Zhao has abased himself before his advisors and his advisors have humbled themselves before their front-line officers. Some have even gone as far as Lord Pingyuan[25], who ordered all his wives and concubines to go among the troops to mend their armour. Zhao's citizens are all of one mind. Superiors and subordinates have united their forces, just as when Goujian[26] was surrounded at Kuaiji[27]. If we attack now[28], they will certainly mount a robust defence. If we try to provoke their army to a pitched battle, they will be unwilling to advance. If we surround their capital, we will not be able to overrun it. If we attack their fortifications, we will never bring them down. If we ransack their countryside, we will gain nothing. If we dispatch troops and do not achieve anything, the sovereign lords will start to get ideas, and reinforcements from abroad will arrive. Your servant can foresee the potential harm in this, but is yet to identify any profit. So, once again, I am sick and I cannot go." 

應侯慚而退,以言於王。王曰:「微白起,吾不能滅趙乎?」復益發軍,更使王齕代王陵伐趙。圍邯鄲八、九月,死傷者眾,而弗下。趙王出輕銳以寇其後,秦數不利。武安君曰:「不聽臣計,今果何如?」王聞之怒,因見武安君,彊起之,曰:「君雖病,彊為寡人臥而將之。有功,寡人之願,將加重於君。如君不行,寡人恨君。」武安君頓首曰:「臣知行雖無功,得免於罪。雖不行無罪,不免於誅。然惟願大王覽臣愚計,釋趙養民,以諸侯之變。撫其恐懼,伐其憍慢,誅滅無道,以令諸侯,天下可定,何必以趙為先乎?此所謂為一臣屈而勝天下也。大王若不察臣愚計,必欲快心於趙,以致臣罪,此亦所謂勝一臣而為天下屈者也。夫勝一臣之嚴焉,孰若勝天下之威大耶?臣聞明主愛其國,忠臣愛其名。破國不可復完,死卒不可復生。臣寧伏受重誅而死,不忍為辱軍之將。願大王察之。」王不答而去。

 

Marquis Ying was embarrassed and withdrew to tell the King. The King said, "Never mind Bai Qi, can I not wipe Zhao out myself?" Reinforcements were raised and sent to join Qin's army. Meanwhile, the King appointed Wang He[29] to replace Wang Ling and launch another attack. He besieged Handan[30] for eight or nine months, and many of his troops were killed or injured, but the city did not fall. The King of Zhao[3!] dispatched his elite light units to harass Qin's rear. Qin did much and gained nothing.

Lord Wu'an said, "You did not listen to your servant's strategies; how did that turn out for you[32]?"

The King heard about this and was so irritated that he went to see Lord Wu'an, forcing him to get up, and said, "However ill you may be, you will just have to grit your teeth lead our troops from your sickbed. If you succeed and achieve our aims, we will elevate your position even higher. If you do not go, you will truly have earned our resentment." 

Lord Wu'an bowed his head and said, "I know that if I go - even if I do nothing of any merit - then I will be able to avoid censure. If I do not go - even if I do nothing deserving of censure - there will be no evading a capital sentence. Nevertheless, I hope that Your Majesty will glance over your servant's simple-minded plan: to abandon Zhao and take care of our own citizens in order to better to deal with the tumults among the sovereign lords[33]. By calming the fearful, attacking the proud, and wiping out the unprincipled, we will be able to command the sovereign lords and pacify All-Under-Heaven. Why must we attack Zhao first? Following such a plan could be described as abasing oneself to a subordinate to secure victory over All-Under-Heaven. If Your Majesty is not willing to consider my humble strategy, then it must be because you wish to please Zhao by convicting me on this pretext. This is can be described as vanquishing a subordinate only to abase oneself before All-Under-Heaven. Is managing to subdue a subordinate really as impressive as winning a victory over All-Under-Heaven? I have heard that a devoted servant cherishes his reputation just as an enlightened sovereign cherishes his state. A ruined state can never be made whole again, and dead troops cannot be brought back to life. I would be happier to bow my head, accept the ultimate penalty and go to my death, rather than endure life as the general of a humiliated army. I hope that Your Majesty will consider this." The King left without giving any reply.  

[1] King Zhaoxiang of Qin (306–251 BCE) 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.

[2] This refers to the aftermath of the siege of Handan, between 259 and 257 BCE.

[3] Bai Qi, also known as Lord Wu'an, was a Qin General famous for his mass murders. At the time of this story he has just returned from the Battle of Changping.

[4] Reading 實 for 食, per the commentaries. 

[5] Changping was in what is now Gaoping, in Shanxi.

[6] The commentaries suggest 克 for 剋. 

[7] The commentaries suggest 罷 for 退. Arriving at the office at dawn and leaving at dusk implied that a state's bureaucrats were industrious and uncorrupt. 

[8] Wang Ling is known principally via this story.

[9] It is not entirely clear to what this referred at the time.

[10] Fan Ju, also known as Marquis Ying, was Chancellor of Qin.

[11] Yan was in modern Yicheng, Hubei. It was the capital of Chu for a time.

[12] Ying was in modern Jingzhou, Hubei. It was also the capital of Chu for a time.

[13] Jingling was in modern Zhongxiang, Hubei.

[14] Reading 之卒 for 之, per the commentaries. 

[15] Yique was in modern Luoyang, in Henan.

[16] According to some of the commentaries, the 至今 here may be superfluous.

[17] This speech uses royal pronouns, implying that Fan Ju is simply reporting King Zhaoxiang's words.

[18] King Qingxiang of Chu (298–263 BCE) was the son of King Huai, and ascended the throne while his father was still held prisoner in Qin.

[19] Reading 諛諂 for 諂諛, per the commentaries.   

[20] The commentaries disagree regarding the precise reading of this sentence, but the general sense is clear.

[21] This probably refers to the collective responsibility contracts that had, in fact, been in use at least since the days of Shang Yang. Under these agreements soldiers were grouped in units of five, with the members being obliged to ensure each other's compliance with official orders.

[22] I.e. they knew each other well enough to be able to anticipate colleagues' movements even when out of contact or when no plans to act in concert had been made.

[23] The Battle of Yique was a key step in Qin's expansion, and took place in 293 BCE.

[24] Reading 持 for 待, per the commentaries. 

[25] Lord Pingyuan​ was also known as Zhao Sheng, and was a successful Zhao general, having helped to lift the siege of Handan and push back Qin's forces.

[26] King Goujian of Yue (496–465 BCE) was captured by King Fuchai of Wu early during his reign and forced to serve him for three years. When he was finally released, he set about political and military reforms in Yue, making it strong enough to attack and wipe out Wu, forcing Fuchai to kill himself.  

[27] Kuaiji is now called Shaoxing, and it is in modern Zhejiang.

[28] Reading 今 for 合, per the commentaries. 

[29] Wang He was a Qin general.

[30] Handan was the capital of Zhao. It is still called Handan, and is in Hebei.

[31] King Xiaocheng of Zhao (265-245 BCE) inherited the throne at a young age, and almost immediately oversaw Zhao's greatest defeat by Qin at the Battle of Changping. While the state survived, it never regained its previous status.

[32] Reading 如何 for 何如, per the commentaries.

[33] The commentaries are not sure if this sentence is correct. 

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