“Strategic Diplomacy in Ancient China”

In the Warring States period of ancient China, the states of Chu and Qin were considered brotherly nations. Han and Liang were referred to as vassals to the east, while Qi offered fish and salt, akin to cutting off Zhao’s right arm. To sever one’s arm and engage in battle is to lose one’s allies and live in isolation. How can one seek safety without danger?

“Currently, Qin has dispatched three generals: one to block the Wudao, which according to the Commentary, is located east of Zhao and west of Qi. Wudao is a place name. Zheng Xuan said, ‘One vertical and one horizontal make Wudao,’ meaning a crossing. They informed Qi to mobilize troops to cross the Qing River, stationed to the east of Handan. Another army is positioned at Chenggao, driving the Han-Liang army beyond the river, while the third is stationed at Mianchi.”

The four states formed an alliance to attack Zhao, planning to divide its territory. Therefore, there is no hiding of intentions; they were first disclosed to the inner circle. As a humble adviser, I suggest to the king that it is best to meet with the King of Qin at Mianchi, face-to-face, and propose not to engage in war. This is the best strategy for the king.”

King Zhao said, “During the reign of the previous king, Lord Yang had exclusive authority and power, deceiving the previous king. He monopolized and manipulated everything, excluding the country’s council. The previous king disregarded his ministers, and being young, he recently succeeded to the throne. He had always been suspicious, thinking that not cooperating with Qin would not be in the country’s long-term interest. Now he agrees to change his mind and reduce the risk, ceding land to Qin in apology. Just as we were about to agree, the envoy’s clear orders were heard.”

Northward in Yan, he told King Zhao of Yan, “No one is as close to Your Majesty as Zhao. In the past, King Zhao once married his sister to the King of Dai, wanting to merge with Dai, and agreed to meet the King of Dai at the Great Wall. He ordered craftsmen to make a golden ladle with a long handle that could strike people. He drank with the King of Dai and secretly told the chef, ‘When the wine is warm and joyful, bring it forward, and serve it hot,’ according to the Commentary, which is the sound of Chang Yue. Press below to say ‘The chef serves the wine,’ referring to the hot and joyous wine, the chef pours. Therefore, when the wine is warm and joyful, the chef serves the wine, the king’s brain is smeared on the ground, and his sister heard it and stabbed himself with a hairpin. Therefore, the hairpin mountain exists to this day. The King of Dai was killed, and everyone in the world heard about it.

“King Zhao’s very cold and unfamiliar attitude toward the king’s obviousness, and thinking that King Zhao could be intimate, Zhao raised an army to attack Yan, twice besieged Yan’s capital, and trapped the king, who ceded ten cities as an apology. Now that King Zhao has entered the Chengbi River, acting as a river between the kingdoms, King Zhao is not daring to act recklessly, there is a strong Qin on the west, and there is no danger from Qi and Zhao to the south, so I advise the king to calculate the worth of the kingdom.”

King Yan said, “I’m a barbarian, though.