秦策一

Wei Yang fled Wei and entered Qin. Duke Xiao made him chancellor and enfeoffed him at Shang, whence he was called Lord Shang.

Lord Shang governed Qin: his laws were enforced to the letter, impartially and without favoritism. Punishments did not spare the powerful; rewards did not favor the well-connected. The law reached even the Crown Prince — his tutor was branded and had his nose cut off. After a year, people did not pick up lost goods on the road and the people did not steal. The army grew tremendously powerful, and the feudal lords trembled.

Yet he was harsh, exacting, and sparing of clemency — he compelled obedience through force alone.

Duke Xiao had been implementing his system for eight years when he fell gravely ill. He wished to pass the throne to Lord Shang, but Lord Shang declined. After Duke Xiao died, King Hui succeeded him. Shortly after taking power, Lord Shang asked leave to retire to his estate.

Someone said to King Hui: "When a minister is too powerful, the state is in danger. When those close to the ruler are too intimate, the ruler's person is in danger. Today every woman and child in Qin speaks of Lord Shang's laws — no one speaks of Your Majesty's laws. Lord Shang has become the true sovereign, and Your Majesty has become the subject. Moreover, Lord Shang has always been Your Majesty's personal enemy. We urge you to act."

When Lord Shang returned, King Hui had him torn apart by chariots. The people of Qin did not pity him.

Su Qin initially promoted the east-west alignment and addressed King Hui of Qin:

"Your Majesty's state has the riches of Ba, Shu, and Hanzhong to the west; the war horses and furs of the Hu and Mo peoples to the north; the barrier of Mount Wu and Qianzhong to the south; and the fortress of Yao and Hangu to the east. The fields are lush, the people prosperous, war chariots number ten thousand, crack troops a million, fertile plains stretch a thousand li, and stores are abundant. The terrain gives every advantage. This is what they call the Heavenly Storehouse — the mightiest state under heaven.

"With Your Majesty's wisdom, the multitude of your people, the strength of your cavalry, and the training of your armies, you could annex the feudal lords, swallow All-Under-Heaven, and reign as emperor. I beg Your Majesty to give this a moment's consideration, and I will demonstrate how it can be done."

The King of Qin replied: "I have heard it said: a bird whose feathers are not yet full cannot fly high; a text whose patterns are incomplete cannot be used to govern; one whose virtue is not deep cannot command the people; one whose policies are not sound cannot trouble his ministers. Now you have traveled a thousand li to lecture me at court. Let us discuss this another day."

Su Qin said: "I rather suspected Your Majesty would not act. In ancient times, Shennong attacked Busui, the Yellow Emperor attacked Zhuolu and captured Chiyou, Yao attacked Huandou, Shun attacked the Three Miao, Yu attacked Gonggong, Tang attacked the Xia, King Wen attacked Chong, King Wu attacked Zhou, and Duke Huan of Qi relied on war to become hegemon of All-Under-Heaven. Considering all this, when has there ever been a ruler who did not fight?

"In antiquity, chariot hubs clashed as diplomats raced between states, words were exchanged and alliances tied, and the world was briefly unified. North-south coalitions and east-west alignments arose; weapons were never put away. Scholars competed in rhetoric; the lords were bewildered. A myriad schemes sprang up beyond anyone's ability to manage. Regulations multiplied, but the people grew deceitful. Documents piled up, but the people had not enough. High and low worried alike, and the people had nothing to live for. The more clearly principles were articulated, the more armies arose. The more eloquent the speakers and imposing their dress, the more wars were fought. The more elaborate the formulations, the worse the disorder. Tongues wore out and ears went deaf, yet no results appeared. Righteousness was practiced and good faith pledged, yet the world grew no closer.

"At that point, rulers abandoned civil arts and relied on military force, lavished rewards on men willing to die, mended armor and sharpened weapons, and sought victory on the battlefield. To sit idle and gain profit, to remain at ease and expand territory — even the Five Emperors, Three Kings, and Five Hegemons, those wise rulers and worthy lords, always wished to achieve this from their seats, but circumstance would not permit it. So they continued through war.

"When there is space, two armies clash across fields. When the space is narrow, spear and halberd collide at close range. Only then can great deeds be accomplished. Thus: victory abroad, and justice strengthened at home; martial authority above, and the people submissive below.

"Now, to annex All-Under-Heaven, to overpower ten-thousand-chariot states, to subdue rival kingdoms, to master all within the seas, to nurture the black-haired people, to make vassals of the lords — this cannot be done without war! Yet today's successor-kings neglect the highest Way. They are muddled in their teaching, disordered in their governance, lost in their speech, confused by language, drowned in debate, and swamped by rhetoric. By this reasoning, Your Majesty has clearly decided not to act."

Su Qin submitted memorials to the King of Qin ten times, but his proposals were not adopted. His black sable coat wore out. His hundred catties of gold were spent. His resources utterly exhausted, he left Qin and went home.

In tattered leggings and straw sandals, shouldering his books and carrying his bags, haggard and gaunt, his face dark and weathered, he bore the unmistakable look of a man who has failed. When he arrived home, his wife did not stop her weaving, his sister-in-law did not cook for him, and his parents would not speak to him.

Su Qin sighed deeply: "My wife does not regard me as a husband, my sister-in-law does not regard me as a brother-in-law, my parents do not regard me as a son — all this is Qin's fault!"

That night he opened his books and spread out dozens of trunks until he found the Taigong's Secret Talisman. He bent over it, memorizing and reciting, selecting and distilling its principles for strategic analysis. When his reading made him drowsy, he took an awl and stabbed himself in the thigh. Blood ran down to his feet. He said: "How can there be a man who cannot persuade a ruler to part with gold, jade, and embroidered silks, or attain the dignity of minister and chancellor?"

After a year his study was complete. He said: "Now I truly can persuade the rulers of this age!"

Thereupon he went to the Wuji Gate of Yan, then presented himself to the King of Zhao beneath the ornate hall, and spoke with animated gestures. The King of Zhao was greatly pleased and made him Lord of Wu'an. He received the seal of chancellor, a hundred leather-covered chariots, a thousand bolts of embroidered silk, a hundred pairs of white jade discs, and ten thousand yi of gold — all following in his train. He forged the north-south coalition and dissolved the east-west alignment to check mighty Qin.

And so, while Su Qin served as chancellor in Zhao, the passes were closed to Qin. At that time, vast as All-Under-Heaven was, numerous as its people were, awesome as its kings and lords were, powerful as its strategists were — all wished to stake their fates on Su Qin's strategy. Without expending a bushel of grain, without mobilizing a single soldier, without stringing a single bow, without snapping a single arrow, the feudal lords became closer than brothers.

When a worthy man appears, the world submits. When one man is employed, the world follows. Hence it is said: master politics, not courage; master the court, not the frontier. At the height of Su Qin's power, ten thousand yi of gold were at his disposal; his wheeled carriages and mounted escorts dazzled the road. The states east of the mountains bowed before him like grass before the wind, and Zhao grew enormously important.

And yet Su Qin was nothing but a scholar from a narrow alley with a worn-out gate, a mulberry-wood door and a bent hinge — who rode in chariots, held the reins of power, traversed All-Under-Heaven horizontally, lectured the kings of the feudal lords in their own courts, and silenced their attendants. No one in the world could match him.

When he was on his way to persuade the King of Chu and passed through Luoyang, his parents heard of his coming. They swept the house and cleared the road, set out musicians and prepared a banquet, and went out thirty li to welcome him in the suburbs. His wife looked at him sidelong and listened intently. His sister-in-law crawled forward on her belly, bowed four times, knelt, and begged his forgiveness.

Su Qin said: "Sister-in-law, why so arrogant before and so humble now?"

She said: "Because your position is lofty and your gold is plentiful."

Su Qin sighed: "Alas! In poverty, even your parents disown you. In wealth and rank, even distant relatives are in awe. When a man lives in this world, can power, position, wealth, and rank ever be taken lightly?"

King Hui of Qin said to Hanquan Zi:

"Su Qin has deceived me. He tried to use one man's cleverness to turn the lords east of the mountains against Qin, forming a coalition to cheat us. Zhao relied on its large population and sent Su Qin ahead with gifts to bind the feudal lords in alliance. But uniting the lords is as impossible as tying chickens together and expecting them all to roost at once — that is obvious.

"I have seethed with rage over this for a long time. I want to send the Lord of Wu'an to go and make our position clear."

Hanquan Zi said: "That will not do. For besieging cities and razing towns, send the Lord of Wu'an. For managing our state's diplomacy with the feudal lords, send the visiting minister Zhang Yi."

King Hui said: "I accept your counsel."

Ling Xiang said to the King of Qin:

"I wished to use Qi to serve Your Majesty's interests by having Qi attack Song. Once Song falls, Wei is endangered, and Anyi becomes yours. Yan and Zhao, alarmed by a Qi-Qin alliance, will cede territory to buy your goodwill. Qi will then depend heavily on you.

"So my encouraging the attack on Song was actually to intimidate Qi while strengthening Your Majesty. Why does Your Majesty disapprove of my promoting the attack on Song? I assumed that with Your Majesty's insight, you would have understood this from the start — which is why I did not explain."

Sima Cuo and Zhang Yi debated before King Hui of Qin. Sima Cuo wanted to attack Shu. Zhang Yi said: "Better to attack Han."

The king said: "Let me hear the arguments."

Zhang Yi replied: "Befriend Wei, cultivate Chu, send troops into Sanchuan, seal the passes at Huanyuan and Goushi, block the road at Tunliu. Wei will be cut off from Nanyang, Chu will face us at Nanzheng. Qin attacks Xincheng and Yiyang, advances to the outskirts of the two Zhous, punishes the Zhou king for his offenses, and seizes Chu and Wei's territory. Zhou, knowing it cannot be saved, will surrender the Nine Cauldrons and its treasures. Holding the Nine Cauldrons, controlling the maps and records, using the Son of Heaven to command All-Under-Heaven — none will dare disobey. This is the path to kingship.

"Now Shu is a remote western country, chieftain of barbarian peoples. Exhausting troops and wearying the people there will not bring fame; gaining its territory will not bring profit. As the saying goes: 'Those who compete for fame do so at court; those who compete for profit do so at the marketplace.' Sanchuan and the Zhou court are the marketplace and court of All-Under-Heaven. If the king does not compete there but instead competes among barbarians, he is far from the path to kingship."

Sima Cuo said: "Not so. I have heard that one who would enrich a state must expand its territory; one who would strengthen an army must enrich its people; one who would become king must broaden his virtue. When all three resources are in place, kingship follows naturally.

"Now Your Majesty's territory is small and your people poor. I therefore recommend starting with what is easy. Shu is a remote western country, chieftain of barbarian peoples, and currently afflicted by tyranny as bad as Jie or Zhou. For Qin to attack it would be like sending wolves after a flock of sheep. Taking its territory is enough to expand the state; seizing its wealth is enough to enrich the people. We can refurbish our army without suffering casualties, for the enemy will already have submitted.

"Thus we conquer a state without the world considering it violent; we take all the profit to the western sea without the lords considering it greedy. In one stroke we gain both substance and reputation, along with the name of suppressing tyranny and restoring order.

"Attacking Han, by contrast, means coercing the Son of Heaven. Coercing the Son of Heaven is a terrible name to bear, and it may not even succeed. We would earn the name of injustice while attacking what no one in the world wants us to attack — dangerous!

"Let me explain why: Zhou is the ancestral house of All-Under-Heaven. Qi is the ally of both Han and Zhou. If Zhou knows it will lose the Nine Cauldrons, and Han knows it will lose Sanchuan, the two states will combine their strength and conspire together, appeal to Qi and Zhao for help, and seek relief from Chu and Wei. They will offer the cauldrons to Chu and territory to Wei, and Your Majesty will be unable to prevent it. This is what I call dangerous. Better to attack Shu — the safer course."

King Hui said: "Excellent! I accept your counsel." He raised an army and attacked Shu, conquering it in ten months and pacifying the region. The ruler of Shu was demoted to the rank of marquis, and Chen Zhuang was appointed chancellor of Shu. Once Shu was incorporated, Qin grew enormously wealthy and powerful, and looked down on the feudal lords.

Zhang Yi addressed the King of Qin:

"I have heard that to speak without understanding is unwise, and to understand but not speak is disloyal. A disloyal minister deserves death, and imprudent speech also deserves death. Even so, I wish to say all that I know, and let Your Majesty judge my offense.

"I hear that the states are secretly aligning Yan and openly courting Wei, linking Chu and binding Qi, gathering what remains of Han to form a coalition, and preparing to march southwest against Qin. I cannot help but laugh at this.

"There are three paths to destruction, and the world is walking all of them: those who send disorder against order perish; those who send crookedness against straightness perish; those who send defiance against compliance perish.

"Now the other states' treasuries are not full, their granaries are empty. They mobilize their entire populations and field armies of millions, with blades ahead and executioners behind — yet their soldiers all flee and cannot die for their rulers. Is the fault the people's, that they cannot die? No — it is their leaders', who cannot make them. Rewards are promised but not given; punishments are announced but not enforced. When rewards and punishments are not enforced, the people will not die for you.

"Now Qin issues orders and enforces rewards and punishments without fail. Qin's people emerge from their parents' arms never having seen an enemy, yet when they hear of battle they stamp their feet, bare their chests, charge naked blades, and tread on hot coals — those who choose death in the front ranks stand shoulder to shoulder. Choosing death and choosing life are not the same, yet the people do it because they prize the chance to fight.

"One can defeat ten; ten can defeat a hundred; a hundred can defeat a thousand; a thousand can defeat ten thousand; ten thousand can defeat All-Under-Heaven.

"Now Qin's territory, trimmed and squared, extends thousands of li. Its elite troops number millions. Qin's system of orders, rewards, and punishments, its terrain advantages — nothing in the world compares. With these, All-Under-Heaven is not too much to conquer and possess. Qin has never fought without winning, never attacked without taking, never confronted an enemy without breaking it. It has opened up thousands of li of territory — these are enormous achievements.

"Yet the armor is battered, the soldiers are weary, stores are exhausted, fields lie fallow, granaries are empty. The neighboring lords do not submit. The name of hegemon-king is not achieved. There is only one reason: your advisors have not been fully loyal.

"Let me speak of the past. When Qin fought Chu, smashed its forces, stormed Ying, and took Dongting, the Five Capitals, and the lands south of the Yangtze — the King of Chu fled east and hid at Chen. At that moment, had Qin pursued with its army, Chu could have been swallowed whole. To swallow Chu meant gaining its population and its territory — using that strength against Qi and Yan in the east and dominating the Three Jin in the center. One stroke, and the name of hegemon-king could have been achieved; all neighboring lords would have paid court. But the advisors did not pursue it. They withdrew the army and made peace with Chu. They let Chu reassemble its lost state, gather its scattered people, restore its altars and ancestral temples — and then lead All-Under-Heaven west to oppose Qin. This was the first time the path to hegemony was lost.

"When the states united and camped at Hua, Your Majesty defeated them by stratagem. The army reached the walls of Daliang and besieged it for weeks — Daliang could have been taken. Taking Daliang meant conquering Wei. Conquering Wei would have broken Chu and Zhao's resolve. With Chu and Zhao's resolve broken, Zhao would have been in peril, and Chu isolated. In the east you could have dominated Qi and Yan; in the center you could have controlled the Three Jin. One stroke for hegemony. But the advisors withdrew the army and made peace with Wei. This was the second time.

"Earlier, when the Marquis of Rang governed Qin, he used one state's troops trying to achieve two states' objectives. The army was permanently exposed abroad while the people were exhausted at home. The name of hegemon-king was not achieved. This was the third time.

"Zhao is a central state with a mixed population — its people are capricious and hard to control, its orders unenforceable, its rewards and punishments unreliable, its terrain unfavorable. The leadership cannot fully mobilize its people. It bears every mark of a doomed state, yet neglects its people's welfare. Zhao committed its entire population to camp at Changping to contest Han's Shangdang. Your Majesty defeated them by stratagem and took Wu'an.

"At that moment, Zhao's upper and lower ranks were estranged, the noble and base did not trust each other. Handan should not have held. Had you taken Handan, controlled Hejian, then marched west to take Xiuwu, crossed the Yangchang Pass, and accepted the surrender of Dai and Shangdang — Dai's thirty-six counties and Shangdang's seventeen counties, without deploying a single suit of armor, without troubling a single citizen, would all have been Qin's. Dai and Shangdang would have fallen to Qin without a fight. Dongyang and the lands beyond the river would have reverted to Qi without a fight. Huichi and everything north would have gone to Yan without a fight.

"Taking Zhao would have meant Han's destruction. With Han gone, Chu and Wei could not stand alone. In one stroke: destroy Han, cripple Wei, uproot Chu, weaken Qi and Yan in the east, breach the White Horse Ford to flood Wei's lands. One stroke and the Three Jin are finished, the coalition is defeated. Your Majesty could have folded his arms and waited while the world submitted — the name of hegemon-king would have been achieved.

"But the advisors did not do it. They withdrew and made peace with Zhao. With Your Majesty's brilliance and Qin's military strength, the hegemonic enterprise, the honored territory — none of it could be obtained. Instead Qin was cheated by a state that should have perished. This is the incompetence of your advisors.

"Moreover, when Zhao should have perished but did not, and Qin should have become hegemon but did not — the world took the measure of Qin's advisors once. When Qin then threw all its troops at Handan and could not take it, abandoned its armor in fury, and retreated trembling — the world took the measure of Qin's strength twice. When the army withdrew and rallied at Li, and Your Majesty concentrated forces for another battle but could not win a decisive victory, and both sides withdrew exhausted — the world took the measure of Qin's strength a third time.

"Internally they gauge our advisors; externally they test our military power. By this reasoning, I believe the coalition may not be so difficult to form after all. Internally our armor is battered, our people are sick, our stores exhausted, our fields fallow, our granaries empty. Externally the world's resolve is firmly united. I beg Your Majesty to think on this.

"Yet I have also heard: trembling with care, more cautious each day. If one is cautious about the Way, All-Under-Heaven can be possessed. How do I know this? King Zhou of Shang was Son of Heaven, commanding a million armored troops. His army drank the Qi Valley dry on one side and stopped the Huan River's flow on the other — and with that force he opposed King Wu of Zhou. King Wu led three thousand men in plain armor. In one day's battle he destroyed Zhou's state, captured his person, seized his territory, and took his people. The world was shaken.

"Zhi Bo led the combined armies of three states to attack Lord Xiang of Zhao at Jinyang, diverted rivers to flood the city, and after three years the walls were about to fall. Lord Xiang consulted his tortoise shells, cast his divination stalks, read the omens to determine which state to approach — and sent Zhang Mengtian. Zhang went out in secret, reversed Zhi Bo's alliance, won over two states' armies, and attacked Zhi Bo, capturing him and establishing Lord Xiang's glory.

"Now Qin's territory extends thousands of li, its elite troops number millions, and its system of commands, rewards, and punishments, its terrain advantages, are unmatched in the world. With these, All-Under-Heaven can be conquered and possessed.

"I risk death to present myself before Your Majesty. I will explain how to shatter the world's coalition, conquer Zhao, destroy Han, vassalize Chu and Wei, befriend Qi and Yan, achieve the name of hegemon-king, and make all neighboring lords pay court.

"If Your Majesty will try my proposals and in one stroke the coalition is not broken, Zhao is not taken, Han does not fall, Chu and Wei do not submit, Qi and Yan do not befriend us, and the name of hegemon-king is not achieved — then let Your Majesty behead me and parade my corpse through the state as a warning to all who scheme disloyally for their sovereign."

The King of Qin said: "I have heard of this too late. Let us put your plans into effect."

In the end Zhang Yi was employed, and Su Qin's coalition dissolved.

Zhang Yi wanted to borrow Qin's troops to rescue Wei. Zuo Cheng said to Gan Mao:

"Do not give them to him. If Wei does not return Qin's troops, Zhang Yi will not return to Qin. If Wei does return the troops, Zhang Yi will have established himself in Wei and will not dare come back to Qin either. If Zhang Yi does not leave Qin, he will certainly be promoted above you."

Zhang Yi schemed to destroy Chuli Ji. He praised Chuli Ji highly and had him sent as envoy to Chu, then arranged for the King of Chu to request that Qin appoint Chuli Ji as chancellor.

Zhang Yi said to the King of Qin: "The reason Chuli Ji was given such an important mission was to conduct state diplomacy. But now that he is in Chu, the King of Chu is requesting that he be made chancellor of Qin. I have heard Chuli Ji say: 'Does the king wish to corner Zhang Yi in Qin? I will help.' The King of Chu agreed, and that is why he made the request for the chancellorship. If Your Majesty grants it, Chuli Ji will serve Chu's interests using our state."

The King of Qin was furious, and Chuli Ji fled.

Zhang Yi wanted to give Hanzhong to Chu. He addressed the King of Qin:

"Possessing Hanzhong is a canker. A tree planted where it does not belong will be damaged by others. Wealth that does not properly belong to a household harms its foundations. Hanzhong's southern border profits Chu — it is a burden on the state."

Gan Mao said to the king: "Is territory always a source of worry just because it is large? If the world changes, Your Majesty could cede Hanzhong to make peace with Chu — and Chu would certainly abandon the other states and side with you. But if you give Hanzhong away now, then when the world changes, what will you have left to buy Chu's loyalty?"

The king dropped the proposal.

Chu attacked Wei. Zhang Yi said to the King of Qin:

"Better to support Wei and strengthen it. If Wei wins, it will return to obedience to Qin and will certainly cede its territory beyond the West River. If it does not win, Wei will be too weak to defend itself, and Your Majesty will simply take what you want."

The king followed Zhang Yi's advice: he took ten thousand soldiers from Pishi and a hundred chariots and gave them to Wei. Xishou defeated King Wei of Chu. Wei's forces were exhausted, and fearing Qin, Wei duly ceded its territory beyond the West River.

Tian Xinzhi spoke to King Hui of Qin on behalf of Chen Zhen:

"I fear Your Majesty will end up like the lord of Guo. Duke Xian of Jin wanted to attack Guo but was wary because the advisor Zhou Zhiqiao was still there. Xun Xi said: 'The Zhou Documents say: Beautiful women break sharp tongues.' So he sent gifts of female musicians to corrupt Guo's government. Zhou Zhiqiao remonstrated but was not heeded, and left. Jin then attacked Guo and destroyed it.

"Next Jin wanted to attack Yu but was wary because the advisor Gong Zhiqi was there. Xun Xi said: 'The Zhou Documents say: Beautiful men corrupt the old.' So he sent beautiful young men to Yu's lord and instructed them to turn him against Gong Zhiqi. Gong Zhiqi remonstrated but was not heeded, and fled. Jin then attacked Yu and took it.

"Now Qin considers itself strong, and the state capable of harming Qin is Chu. Chu knows that the Lord of the Coalition is skilled at war and that Chen Zhen is wise, so Chu has used the five states to flatter Zhang Yi. When Zhang Yi comes, he will certainly slander these two men. I urge Your Majesty not to listen."

Zhang Yi did indeed come and speak against Chen Zhen. But the king was angry and did not listen.

Zhang Yi again slandered Chen Zhen to the King of Qin:

"Chen Zhen runs back and forth between Chu and Qin. Now Chu does not treat Qin any better, but it does treat Chen Zhen well — which means he is serving himself, not the state. Moreover, he wants to leave Qin for Chu. Why does Your Majesty not let him go?"

The king said to Chen Zhen: "I hear you want to leave Qin for Chu. Is this true?"

Chen Zhen said: "It is."

The king said: "Then Zhang Yi's words are indeed reliable."

Chen Zhen replied: "It is not only Zhang Yi who knows this — everyone on the road knows it. They say: Xiaoji loved his parents, and all the world wished to have him for a son. Wu Zixu was loyal to his lord, and all the world wished to have him for a minister. Servants and maids who sell well in the neighborhood are good servants and maids. A divorced woman who remarries in her own village is a good woman.

"If I were not loyal to you, why would Chu want me? If loyalty itself is to be cast aside, and I do not go to Chu, where else would I go?"

The King of Qin said: "Well said." And he retained him.

Chen Zhen left Chu and came to Qin. Zhang Yi said to the King of Qin:

"Chen Zhen has been Your Majesty's minister, yet he constantly leaks state secrets to Chu. I cannot work alongside him. I beg Your Majesty to expel him. If he returns to Chu, I beg Your Majesty to have him killed."

The king said: "Surely Chen Zhen would not dare go to Chu."

He summoned Chen Zhen and said: "I will grant your wishes — where do you want to go? I will prepare a carriage for you."

Chen Zhen replied: "I wish to go to Chu."

The king said: "Zhang Yi says you will go to Chu. I too know perfectly well you will go to Chu. Where else would you go, if not Chu?"

Chen Zhen said: "When I leave, I will deliberately go to Chu, following Your Majesty's and Zhang Yi's prediction — and thereby prove whether or not I am truly Chu's man.

"There was a man from Chu who had two wives. Someone flirted with the older one, and she cursed him. He flirted with the younger one, and she consented. Before long, the husband died. A friend asked the flirt: 'Which will you marry — the older or the younger?' He said: 'The older one.' 'But the older one cursed you, and the younger one welcomed you — why choose the older?' He said: 'When I was at her husband's house, I wanted her to say yes. But now, as my own wife, I want her to curse other men.'

"Now the King of Chu is a wise ruler and Zhao Yang is a worthy chancellor. If Chen Zhen were truly a minister who leaked state secrets to the King of Chu, the king would certainly not keep me, and Zhao Yang would refuse to work with me. This will prove whether or not I am Chu's man."

After Chen Zhen left, Zhang Yi entered and asked the king: "Where is Chen Zhen going?"

The king said: "That man is the most brilliant debater in the world. He looked me straight in the eye and said: 'I am certainly going to Chu.' I was helpless. I asked: 'If you are going to Chu, then Zhang Yi's words are confirmed!' He said: 'It is not only Zhang Yi who says this — everyone on the road knows it. In ancient times, Wu Zixu was loyal to his lord, and all the world wished to have him for a minister. Xiaoji loved his parents, and all the world wished to have him for a son. Servants who sell well without leaving the neighborhood are good servants. A divorced woman who remarries locally is a good woman. If I were not loyal to Your Majesty, why would Chu want me? If loyalty itself is to be cast aside, and I do not go to Chu, where else would I go?' I found his argument compelling and treated him well."