“Huang Xie: Diplomatic Wisdom in Ancient China”
Huang Xie, known as Chunshenjun, hailed from the Chu state and was born into the Huang clan with the name Xie. Renowned for his extensive travels and erudition, he served under King Qingxiang of Chu.
King Qingxiang appointed Huang Xie as Chu’s envoy to the state of Qin. During this period, King Zhao of Qin dispatched Bai Qi to attack the states of Han and Wei, achieving a decisive victory at Huayang where he captured the Wei general Mang Mao. As a result, Han and Wei submitted to Qin’s authority. Meanwhile, Qin had already instructed Bai Qi to invade Chu, capturing the regions of Wu and Qianzhong, seizing the cities of Yan and Ying, and advancing eastward to Jingling (present-day Jiangling).
Faced with the encroaching threat from Qin, King Qingxiang relocated the Chu capital to Chen County. Huang Xie arrived in Qin just as they were planning their offensive against Chu. Hearing of Qin’s strategies, Huang Xie saw through Qin’s manipulative tactics aimed at King Huai of Chu, leading to a series of deceptions and ultimately his demise in Qin.
Worried about the precarious position of Chu and fearing Qin’s intent to annihilate his state, Huang Xie penned a persuasive letter to King Zhao of Qin:
“None surpasses Qin and Chu in power. If Your Majesty plans to attack Chu, it is akin to two tigers battling. When two tigers fight, a jackal may benefit from their struggle, but it will not gain much. Instead of aggression, it would be wiser to treat Chu well. I have heard that everything that reaches its peak will decline—this is true of winter and summer. Likewise, when something reaches its extreme, it becomes vulnerable. The vast territory of a great nation spans across the world—this is a land that has never been completely controlled by any other in generations. King Wen and King Zhuang of Chu did not encroach upon Qi for three generations, severing the ties of kinship. Now, Your Majesty has stationed Sheng Qiao to serve in Han, who has delivered their land to Qin. This has been achieved without shedding blood or instilling fear, yet gaining a vast territory. Your Majesty also deployed troops to attack Wei, capturing cities such as Yudu, Suanzao, Xu, and Tao, and entered Xing and Xian. The Wei forces dared not to resist. Your Majesty’s achievements are indeed numerous. Rest the troops and the populace for two years before resuming action. Furthermore, Qin has taken Puyan, Yan, Shouyuan, and Yuan, threatening Ren and Pingqiu in Chenliu. The cities of Huang and Jiyang surrendered to Wei. Moreover, Your Majesty cut off the northern part of Puyan and took over the strategic positions of Qi and Zhao, leaving the world defenseless. Your Majesty’s power is unquestionable.
However, if Your Majesty intends to conquer Chu, what purpose does this serve? Your Majesty will rely on Han and Wei’s enmity. The day the army marches, Your Majesty will worry about its return. This implies that Your Majesty is arming yourself with the enmity of Han and Wei, endangering yourself. The Scriptures say, ‘The clever fox gets wet when crossing water, wetting its tail.’ This proverb illustrates that the beginning is easy, but the end is difficult. How do I know this to be true? In the past, Duke of Zhao saw the benefits of attacking Zhao but did not foresee the disaster at Yuci. Wu saw the benefits of attacking Qi but did not anticipate the defeat at Gansui. These two countries made significant gains initially but suffered later. Wu was betrayed by Yue, which resulted in a defeat at Ailing, and Yue captured the three rivers. Duke of Zhao saw the benefits of attacking Han and Wei but did not foresee the disaster at Zao Tai. Now Your Majesty envies Chu’s persistence and forgets that Han and Wei’s resistance will be stronger. I am worried that Han and Wei will use soft words to remove the threat while secretly planning to deceive a major power. Why? Your Majesty lacks a long-standing virtue with Han and Wei and bears a long-standing resentment against them. Ten generations of fathers, sons, brothers, and brothers-in-law have died under Qin’s attack. The homeland is ruined, and the ancestral temples are destroyed. The body is mutilated, the abdomen and intestines are cut, and the head and body are separated. The corpses are exposed in the grasslands, and the heads and bodies face each other in the territory. People and gods suffer, and there is no blood food. People cannot live and families are scattered, becoming slaves and concubines, scattered across the world. Han and Wei’s survival is a concern for Qin’s social worry. Now Your Majesty is lending their armies to attack Chu, which is excessive!
Additionally, will Your Majesty bring out the troops to attack Chu? Your Majesty intends to take advantage of Han and Wei’s opportunity. On the day the troops leave, Your Majesty will worry about their return, lending support to Han and Wei’s enemies. Though Your Majesty is well-equipped to tackle this challenge, it will not yield positive results. Thus, Your Majesty will be known for damaging Chu’s reputation without achieving the desired territory.
When Your Majesty attacks Chu, four nations will immediately rise up in defense. Qin and Chu’s armies will be engaged without breaking the alliance. Wei will attack Lou, Fang, Zhi, Huling, Dang, Xiao, and Xiang, causing Song to submit. The people will attack Chu from the south, and Si will rise from the river. These are the four plains that are rich in territory, and Your Majesty will attack alone. Your Majesty will break Chu and strengthen Han and Wei in China, and will help strengthen Qi. Han and Wei are strong enough to confront Qin. Si will submit to the territory, and the sea will support the river without leaving any worries. No kingdom is stronger than Qi and Wei, Qi and Wei are profitable for the country and are involved in the second year. One year later, the emperor could not, and he was left over from the emperor.
Today, the king is the same, but the king is not safe. The king was attacked by four countries, and the country was tired. For the king, if the Chu people want to take advantage of the battle, they will go to the land. The river is too expensive. The river is used by the government and the people.