春申君列傳

Lord Chunshen was a man of Chu, named Xie, of the Huang clan. Widely traveled and deeply learned, he served King Qingxiang of Chu. The king, recognizing Xie's eloquence, sent him as envoy to Qin. King Zhao of Qin had dispatched Bai Qi to attack Han and Wei, defeating them at Huayang and capturing the Wei general Mang Mao. Han and Wei submitted and served Qin. King Zhao was now preparing to order Bai Qi and the forces of Han and Wei to jointly invade Chu — but the campaign had not yet begun when Chu's envoy Huang Xie arrived in Qin and learned of the plan.

At that time, Qin had already sent Bai Qi against Chu in an earlier campaign, seizing the commanderies of Wu and Qianzhong, taking Yan and Ying, and advancing east to Jingling. King Qingxiang of Chu had been forced to relocate his court eastward to Chen. Huang Xie had witnessed how King Huai of Chu had been lured to Qin, deceived, detained, and left to die there. King Qingxiang was his son. Qin held him in contempt and was poised to destroy Chu in a single campaign.

Xie therefore submitted a memorial to King Zhao of Qin:

"No states under Heaven are mightier than Qin and Chu. Now I hear Your Majesty intends to attack Chu — this is like two tigers fighting each other. While two tigers fight, a worthless dog profits from their exhaustion. Better to make peace with Chu. Allow me to explain.

"I have heard that when things reach their extreme, they reverse — as winter and summer show; when accumulation reaches its peak, it becomes precarious — as stacked cups demonstrate. Now Your Majesty's territory covers two-thirds of All-Under-Heaven. Since the beginning of human civilization, no state of ten thousand chariots has ever held so much. Through the reigns of the former kings — King Wen and King Zhuang — across three generations, Qin refrained from rashly seizing Qi's territory, in order to sever the essential link of the north-south alliance. Then Your Majesty stationed Sheng Qiao in Han, and Sheng Qiao delivered his territory to Qin — without deploying armor or brandishing force, Your Majesty gained a hundred li of land. That may be called ability. Your Majesty then raised an army to attack Wei, sealed the gates of Daliang, seized Henei, took Yan, Suanzao, Xu, and Tao, and entered Xing. Wei's forces circled helplessly without daring to fight. Your Majesty's achievements are indeed great. Your Majesty then rested the army for two years before resuming; you annexed Pu, Yan, Shou, and Yuan, loomed over Ren and Pingqiu, and the cities of Huang and Jiyang pulled up their drawbridges as Wei submitted. Your Majesty further carved off the territory north of Pu, commanding the vital junction between Qi and Qin, severing the spine that connects Chu and Zhao. The states assembled five and six times but dared not rescue one another. Your Majesty's prestige is already supreme."

"If Your Majesty can hold your achievements, maintain your prestige, restrain the impulse to attack and conquer, and instead cultivate the ground of benevolence and righteousness, ensuring no future troubles — then the Three Kings would not suffice to make a fourth, and the Five Hegemons would not suffice to make a sixth. But if Your Majesty relies on the mass of your people, the strength of your armaments, and the momentum of Wei's destruction, and attempts to subjugate the lords of the realm by force alone, I fear there will be consequences. The Odes say: 'None fail to make a beginning; few manage to see it through.' The Changes say: 'The fox fords the water and wets its tail.' These speak of how easy it is to begin and how hard to finish.

"How do we know this? In the past, the Zhi clan saw the profit in attacking Zhao but did not foresee the disaster at Yuci. Wu saw the advantage in attacking Qi but did not foresee the defeat at Gansui. These were not states without great achievements — they were swallowed by the profit before them and caught unawares by the peril behind. Wu trusted Yue and went to attack Qi. Having defeated Qi at Ailing, Wu returned only to be captured by the King of Yue at the marsh of Sanzhu. The Zhi clan trusted Han and Wei and went to attack Zhao, besieging the city of Jinyang with victory in sight. But Han and Wei turned against them and killed Zhi Bo Yao beneath the Zuotai. Now Your Majesty is jealous that Chu has not been destroyed, but forgets that destroying Chu will strengthen Han and Wei. This is a course I cannot recommend.

"Moreover, when Your Majesty attacks Chu, where will the army advance from? Will you borrow passage through hostile Han and Wei? From the day the army departs, you will worry it will not return — you would be placing your forces at the mercy of your enemies. If you do not borrow passage through Han and Wei, you must attack through the territory west of the Sui River — all broad rivers and deep waters, mountains and forests and gorges, land that produces no food. Even if you take it, it is worthless. You would have the reputation of destroying Chu without the reality of gaining territory.

"Furthermore, on the day you attack Chu, four states will certainly raise their armies in response. While Qin and Chu are locked in battle and cannot disengage, Wei will seize Liu, Fangyu, Zhi, Huling, Dang, Xiao, and Xiang — all of the former Song territory. Qi will attack southward and take everything above the Si River. These are all flat, rich, fertile lands — and you will be fighting alone. By breaking Chu, you will fatten Han and Wei in the Central States and invigorate Qi. Han and Wei, once strengthened, will be able to contest with Qin. Qi, with the Si River as its southern border, the sea to its east, and the Yellow River to its north, will face no threats. No states in the realm would be mightier than Qi and Wei. Once Qi and Wei have secured territory and consolidated their gains, they may not be able to claim the imperial title within a year, but they will certainly be able to prevent Your Majesty from claiming it.

"With Your Majesty's vast territory, huge population, and powerful army — to undertake a single campaign, make an enemy of Chu, and in the end hand the imperial balance to Han, Wei, and Qi: that is a miscalculation. I recommend instead: make peace with Chu. If Qin and Chu unite and bear down on Han, Han will fold its hands and submit. Deploy the advantages of the eastern mountains and the winding Yellow River, and Han becomes a vassal within the passes. Station a hundred thousand at Zheng, and the Liang clan will lose heart — Xu and Yanling will pull up their drawbridges, and Shangcai and Shaoling will be cut off. Wei too becomes a vassal within the passes. One act of friendship toward Chu, and two states of ten thousand chariots each are forced to pour their territory into Qi. Qi's western flank can then be taken without effort. Your Majesty's territory will span from sea to sea, commanding All-Under-Heaven. Yan and Zhao will be severed from Qi and Chu; Qi and Chu from Yan and Zhao. Then unsettle Yan and Zhao, shake Qi and Chu directly — these four states will submit before they even feel the pain."

King Zhao said: "Good." He thereupon halted Bai Qi and dismissed Han and Wei. He sent envoys bearing gifts to Chu and agreed to an alliance.

Huang Xie returned to Chu with the agreement. Chu then sent Xie and Crown Prince Wan to Qin as hostages. Qin detained them for several years. When King Qingxiang of Chu fell ill, the crown prince was not permitted to return. The Chu crown prince had formed a friendship with the Marquis of Ying, Qin's chancellor. Huang Xie therefore went to persuade the Marquis of Ying: "Does the chancellor truly care for the Chu crown prince?" The Marquis of Ying said: "I do." Xie continued: "The King of Chu will likely not recover. Qin should send the crown prince home. If the prince takes the throne, he will serve Qin with the utmost gravity and be endlessly grateful to the chancellor — you will have made a friend of an allied state and secured the heir of a state of ten thousand chariots. If you do not send him back, he will be nothing but a commoner in Xianyang. Chu will install a different heir, one who will certainly not serve Qin. To lose an ally and sever relations with a state of ten thousand chariots is poor strategy. I beg the chancellor to consider carefully."

The Marquis of Ying reported this to the King of Qin. The king said: "Have the crown prince's tutor go ahead to inquire after the King of Chu's illness. When he returns, we will decide." Huang Xie then counseled the crown prince: "Qin is holding you to extract concessions. At present, you have nothing to offer Qin, and I am gravely worried. Lord Yangwen's two sons are at court in Chu. If the king dies while you are absent, Lord Yangwen's son will certainly be installed as heir, and you will lose the ancestral temples. You should escape from Qin — disguise yourself as a Chu envoy's driver and leave through the pass. I will stay behind to face the consequences with my life."

The crown prince changed his clothes, posed as a chariot-driver for a Chu envoy, and left through the pass. Huang Xie remained at their lodgings, continually declining visitors on the pretext of illness. When he judged that the prince was far enough away that Qin could not catch him, Xie went before King Zhao of Qin and declared: "The Chu crown prince has returned. He is already far away. I deserve death — I beg to be executed."

King Zhao was furious and was inclined to let Xie kill himself. The Marquis of Ying intervened: "Xie served his master by putting his own life at risk. When the crown prince takes the throne, he will certainly employ Xie. Better to release him without punishment, as a gesture of goodwill toward Chu." Qin accordingly sent Huang Xie home.

Three months after Xie reached Chu, King Qingxiang died and Crown Prince Wan took the throne — this was King Kaolie. In the first year of King Kaolie's reign, he appointed Huang Xie as chancellor and enfeoffed him as Lord Chunshen, granting him twelve counties north of the Huai River. Fifteen years later, Huang Xie told the King of Chu: "The territory north of the Huai borders Qi, and the situation there is precarious. I request that it be converted into a commandery for administrative convenience." He then returned all twelve counties and requested instead to be enfeoffed in the region east of the Yangtze. King Kaolie agreed. Lord Chunshen fortified the ruins of the old Wu capital and made it his seat.

When Lord Chunshen became chancellor, Qi had Lord Mengchang, Zhao had Lord Pingyuan, and Wei had Lord Xinling. They were all competing to humble themselves before the worthy, recruiting guests and retainers, vying to outdo each other, bolstering their states and wielding power.

In his fourth year as chancellor, Qin destroyed the Zhao army at Changping — over four hundred thousand men. In his fifth year, Qin besieged Handan. Handan sent urgently to Chu for rescue. Chu dispatched Lord Chunshen with an army to relieve the siege. Qin's forces also withdrew, and Lord Chunshen returned. In his eighth year as chancellor, he led a northern campaign that destroyed the state of Lu, and he appointed Xun Qing as magistrate of Lanling. At that time, Chu was once again powerful.

When Lord Pingyuan of Zhao sent an envoy to Lord Chunshen, the lord lodged him in the finest guesthouse. The Zhao envoy, wishing to impress Chu, wore a tortoiseshell hairpin and decorated his sword-scabbard with pearls and jade, then requested to meet Lord Chunshen's retainers. Lord Chunshen's retainers numbered over three thousand. His most honored guests all appeared wearing pearl-studded shoes. The Zhao envoy was deeply mortified.

In Lord Chunshen's fourteenth year as chancellor, King Zhuangxiang of Qin took the throne and appointed Lü Buwei as chancellor, enfeoffing him as Marquis Wenxin. Qin annexed Eastern Zhou.

In Lord Chunshen's twenty-second year as chancellor, the lords, alarmed that Qin's attacks and annexations would never cease, formed a north-south alliance and marched west to attack Qin. The King of Chu served as leader of the alliance, with Lord Chunshen directing affairs. When they reached Hangu Pass, Qin sallied out and attacked. The allied armies were all defeated and routed. King Kaolie of Chu blamed Lord Chunshen, and their relationship grew increasingly distant.

Among Lord Chunshen's retainers was Zhu Ying, a man from Guanjin, who said: "Everyone considers Chu strong and is surprised that you have used it weakly. I see it differently. In the previous reign, Qin maintained friendly relations with Chu for twenty years without attacking. Why? To cross the Mian'ai pass and attack Chu was impractical; to borrow passage through the two Zhous and turn against Han and Wei to attack Chu was impossible. But now things are different. Wei is on the verge of collapse and cannot hold Xu and Yanling — it will have to cede them to Qin. Once Qin's forces are only a hundred and sixty li from Chen, what I foresee is Qin and Chu fighting every day."

Chu accordingly abandoned Chen and moved its capital to Shouchun. Qin relocated Wei to Yewang and established the Eastern Commandery. Lord Chunshen thereupon took up residence at his fief of Wu to conduct the business of the chancellorship.

King Kaolie of Chu had no son. Lord Chunshen was troubled by this and presented him with many women likely to bear children, but in the end none produced an heir. A man of Zhao named Li Yuan had a younger sister whom he wished to present to the King of Chu. Hearing that the king seemed unable to sire children, he feared she would fail to win lasting favor.

Li Yuan contrived to enter Lord Chunshen's service as a household retainer. After some time, he requested leave to go home and deliberately returned late. When he reported back, Lord Chunshen asked what had happened. Li Yuan replied: "The King of Qi sent an envoy to request my sister's hand in marriage. I drank with his envoy, and that is why I was late." Lord Chunshen asked: "Has the betrothal been formally entered?" "Not yet." "May I see her?" "You may." Li Yuan then presented his sister, and she immediately became Lord Chunshen's lover.

When she knew she was pregnant, Li Yuan and his sister concocted their scheme. Finding a private moment, Li Yuan's sister said to Lord Chunshen: "The King of Chu's favor toward you exceeds even what he shows his own brothers. You have served as chancellor for over twenty years, yet the king has no son. When the king dies, a brother will succeed him. When a new king is installed, each will naturally favor his own circle of intimates — how will you retain your position? Worse still, you have wielded power so long that you have given offense to many of the king's brothers. If one of them truly takes the throne, disaster will fall on you. How will you preserve the chancellor's seal and your fief in the east?

"Now I know that I am with child, though no one else does. I have been your lover only a short time. If you use your influence to present me to the King of Chu, the king will certainly take me. If, by Heaven's grace, I bear a son — then your son will be king. All of Chu can be yours. Is that not better than facing unimaginable punishment?"

Lord Chunshen found this argument compelling. He sent Li Yuan's sister away, lodged her in proper quarters, and spoke to the King of Chu. The king summoned her, took her as his consort, and she bore a son who was made crown prince. Li Yuan's sister was made queen. The king elevated Li Yuan, and Li Yuan wielded power.

Once Li Yuan had installed his sister as queen and her son as crown prince, he feared that Lord Chunshen would let the secret slip. Growing increasingly arrogant, Li Yuan secretly maintained a corps of assassins, intending to kill Lord Chunshen to silence him. Many in the state were aware of this.

In Lord Chunshen's twenty-fifth year as chancellor, King Kaolie of Chu fell ill. Zhu Ying said to Lord Chunshen: "In this world there is unhoped-for fortune, and there is unhoped-for disaster. You now live in an unhoped-for age, serving an unhoped-for master. Can you afford not to have an unhoped-for man at your side?"

Lord Chunshen asked: "What is unhoped-for fortune?" Zhu Ying replied: "You have served as Chu's chancellor for over twenty years. In name you are chancellor; in reality you are the King of Chu. Now the king is ill and will die any day. You could serve as regent for the young heir, ruling the state as Yiyin and the Duke of Zhou once did. When the heir comes of age, you return power — or else you face south, declare yourself king, and take Chu for your own. This is unhoped-for fortune."

"What is unhoped-for disaster?" "Li Yuan holds no government office, yet he is your mortal enemy. He commands no army, yet he has maintained assassins for a long time. When the king dies, Li Yuan will certainly rush in first, seize power, and kill you to silence you. This is unhoped-for disaster."

"What is an unhoped-for man?" "Station me as a palace guard. When the king dies and Li Yuan rushes in, I will kill Li Yuan for you. This is the unhoped-for man."

Lord Chunshen said: "Enough. Li Yuan is a weak man. I am on good terms with him. How could things come to that?" Zhu Ying knew his counsel had been rejected and feared the danger would reach himself. He fled.

Seventeen days later, King Kaolie of Chu died. Li Yuan indeed was the first to enter the palace, stationing his assassins inside the Thorn Gate. When Lord Chunshen entered the Thorn Gate, Li Yuan's assassins attacked him from both sides, cut off his head, and threw it outside the gate. Li Yuan then ordered officials to exterminate Lord Chunshen's entire clan. The son that Li Yuan's sister had conceived by Lord Chunshen and borne after entering the king's household was installed on the throne — this was King You of Chu.

In that same year, the First Emperor of Qin had been on the throne for nine years. Lao Ai had also attempted a revolt in Qin; it was discovered, his three clans were exterminated, and Lü Buwei was dismissed.

The Grand Historian remarks: I traveled to Chu and observed Lord Chunshen's former residence. How magnificent its halls were! In the beginning, when Lord Chunshen presented his memorial to King Zhao of Qin and risked his life to send the Chu crown prince home — how brilliant his intelligence was! Yet later he was manipulated by Li Yuan. He had grown old and dim. As the saying goes: "When you should cut and do not cut, the chaos falls upon you." Was this not what Zhu Ying meant when he warned Lord Chunshen?