秦策四

Qin seized Hanzhong from Chu and fought twice at Lantian, inflicting a major defeat on the Chu army. When Han and Wei heard of Chu's distress, they launched a southern raid as far as Deng, and the King of Chu withdrew homeward. Afterward, the three states plotted to attack Chu but feared Qin might come to Chu's rescue. Someone advised the Lord of Xue: "Send an envoy to tell Chu: 'The armies of the three states are about to withdraw from Chu. If Chu responds and joins us in attacking Qin, even Lantian could be retaken — let alone Chu's former territories!' Chu suspects that Qin may not actually rescue them, and now that the three states offer to leave, Chu will eagerly agree — which means Chu itself will be lured into a scheme to draw out Qin's forces. When Qin realizes this, it will certainly refuse to help. Then the three states attack Chu in full force. Chu will desperately appeal to Qin for aid, but Qin will be even less willing to commit troops. The result: we isolate Qin and attack Chu — and our campaign will succeed."

The Lord of Xue said: "Excellent." He dispatched a senior embassy to Chu, and Chu eagerly agreed. The three states then attacked Chu with combined forces. Chu duly appealed to Qin for help, and Qin refused to send troops. The ministers' stratagem succeeded.

The Lord of Xue entered Wei and expelled the Qi princess. Han Chun said to the King of Qin: "Why not take the Qi princess as a wife? Then use Qi and Qin together to coerce Wei, and Shangdang will become Qin's possession. If Qi and Qin unite to install Fuchu on the throne — and his mother resides in Qin — then Wei will be no more than a county of Qin. Wen wishes to use Qi and Qin to coerce Wei and bring down the Lord of Xue. Zuo wishes to install his younger brother. Allow me to work through Wen and Zuo on Your Majesty's behalf. Wei will be frightened into compliance, and Fuchu will serve Qin with Wei for the rest of his life. The Qi princess, once reinstalled in Wei, will bear a grudge against the Lord of Xue and ultimately bring Qi into your service."

Three states attacked Qin and penetrated Hangu Pass. The King of Qin said to Lou Huan: "The armies of the three states have advanced deep into our territory. I want to cede Hedong and sue for peace."

Lou Huan replied: "Ceding Hedong is a great sacrifice; escaping a national crisis is a great gain. This is a decision for the elders of your house. Why not summon Prince Chi and ask him?"

The king summoned Prince Chi and asked him. Prince Chi replied: "Whether you make peace or not, you will regret it."

The king asked: "Why?"

"If Your Majesty cedes Hedong and makes peace, once the three states have withdrawn, you will surely say: 'What a waste! They were about to leave anyway, and I gave them three cities for nothing.' That is the regret of making peace. If Your Majesty does not make peace and the three states push through Hangu Pass, Xianyang will be in peril, and you will say: 'What a waste! I clung to three cities and refused to make peace.' That is the regret of not making peace."

The king said: "Since I will regret it either way, I would rather lose three cities and regret it than endanger Xianyang and regret it. I am resolved to make peace." He dispatched Prince Chi to cede three cities to the three states, and their armies withdrew.

King Zhao of Qin said to his attendants: "Are Han and Wei today as strong as they once were?" They replied: "They are not."

The king said: "Are Ru Er and Wei Qi as capable as Lord Mengchang and Mang Mao were?" They replied: "They are not."

The king said: "With the capable Lord Mengchang and Mang Mao leading strong Han and Wei armies to attack Qin, they still could not prevail against me. Now with the incompetent Ru Er and Wei Qi leading weakened Han and Wei against Qin, it is perfectly clear they cannot prevail either." All the attendants said: "Quite so."

Zhongqi pushed aside his zither and said: "Your Majesty's assessment of All-Under-Heaven is mistaken. In the old days of the six Jin houses, the Zhi clan was the strongest. They destroyed the Fan and Zhonghang clans and led Han and Wei to besiege Zhao Xiangzi at Jinyang. They diverted the Jin River to flood the city, and only three courses of wall remained above water. Zhibo went out to inspect the flood, with the Lord of Han driving the chariot and the Lord of Wei riding beside him. Zhibo said: 'I never knew that water could destroy a state — now I understand. The Fen River could be used to flood Anyi, and the Jiang River to flood Pingyang.' The Lord of Wei nudged the Lord of Han with his elbow; the Lord of Han stepped on the Lord of Wei's foot. Elbow and foot touched in the chariot, and the Zhi clan was doomed — their lord killed, their state destroyed, a laughingstock to All-Under-Heaven. Today Qin's strength does not exceed Zhibo's, and Han and Wei, though weakened, are still more capable than they were beneath the walls of Jinyang. This is precisely the moment when elbows and feet are being exchanged. I beg Your Majesty not to take this lightly."

Chu and Wei fought at Xing Mountain. Wei had promised Shangluo to Qin in exchange for Qin cutting off support to Chu. Wei won the battle, and Chu was defeated at Nanyang. Qin then demanded the promised territory from Wei, but Wei refused.

Ying Qian said to the King of Qin: "Why not tell the King of Chu: 'Wei promised me territory, but now that it has won, the King of Wei has reneged on me. Why don't you and I arrange a summit?' Wei, fearing a Qin-Chu alliance, will certainly hand over the land. The result: Wei wins the battle against Chu but loses territory to Qin. And you, Majesty, will have earned Qin's gratitude using Wei's land — a rich endowment for the Qin-Chu relationship. If Wei remains stubborn and refuses to hand over the land, then you attack from the south while I cut them off from the west, and Wei will be in mortal danger."

The King of Qin said: "Excellent." He conveyed this proposal to Chu. The King of Chu announced publicly that he would hold a summit with Qin. When the King of Wei heard this, he was terrified and promptly handed Shangluo over to Qin.

The Chu envoy Jing Li was in Qin and accompanied the King of Qin to a summit with the King of Wei at the border. Chu was angered that Qin had aligned with Wei. Zhou Zui said to the King of Chu on Qin's behalf: "Wei asked that Chu be excluded from the summit and wanted to ally solely with Qin. It was precisely for this reason that Jing Li was included — our humble city made sure the meeting went smoothly for Chu. That is why Qi did not join the alliance."

The King of Chu therefore did not punish Jing Li and was grateful to Zhou and Qin.

The King of Chu sent Jing Li to Qin. An advisor said to the King of Qin: "Jing Li is greatly favored by the King of Chu. Why not detain him and use him as leverage to extract territory? If the King of Chu agrees, you gain land without using troops. If he refuses, kill Jing Li and replace him with someone more pliable — either way, detaining him is the advantageous move." The King of Qin therefore detained Jing Li.

Jing Li sent someone to address the King of Qin: "I observe that Your Majesty's leverage over All-Under-Heaven is diminishing, and the territory you seek cannot be obtained this way. When I came as envoy, Qi and Wei were both preparing to cede land to serve Qin. The reason was that they saw Qin and Chu as brother states. Now that Your Majesty detains me, you show All-Under-Heaven that Chu means nothing to you. Why would Qi and Wei defer to an isolated state? When Chu realizes Qin stands alone, it will refuse to give territory and instead form alliances with the other lords to plot against you — and then the state will be in danger. Better to release me."

The King of Qin released him.

The King of Qin wished to see Dun Ruo. Dun Ruo said: "It is my principle not to bow repeatedly. If the king will exempt me from bowing, I will come. Otherwise, I will not." The King of Qin agreed.

Dun Ruo then said: "In this world, there are those who have the substance but not the name; those who have the name but not the substance; and those who have neither name nor substance. Does Your Majesty know which is which?"

The king said: "I do not."

Dun Ruo said: "Those who have substance without the name — these are merchants. They never grip the plow or push the hoe, yet they have granaries full of grain. This is substance without the name. Those who have the name without substance — these are farmers. They break the frozen earth to plow and burn their backs under the sun weeding, yet their granaries are empty. This is the name without the substance. Those who have neither name nor substance — that is Your Majesty. You have been established as ruler of ten thousand chariots, yet you have no reputation for filial piety. You are sustained by a domain of a thousand li, yet you show no filial devotion in practice."

The King of Qin flushed with anger.

Dun Ruo continued: "There are six warring states east of the mountains. Your Majesty's authority does not overawe those six states, but it is exercised against your own mother — I venture that this is not worth emulating. "

The King of Qin asked: "Can the eastern states be annexed?"

Dun Ruo replied: "Han is the throat of All-Under-Heaven; Wei is its chest and belly. Fund me with ten thousand in gold and send me traveling. I will win over Han and Wei and bring their key ministers into Qin's fold. Once Han and Wei submit, All-Under-Heaven can be taken."

The king said: "My state is poor. I fear I cannot afford it."

Dun Ruo said: "All-Under-Heaven is never at rest — it is always either forming a north-south coalition or an east-west alignment. If the east-west alignment succeeds, Qin becomes emperor. If the north-south coalition succeeds, Chu becomes king. If Qin becomes emperor, All-Under-Heaven will reverently support you. If Chu becomes king, then even if Your Majesty has ten thousand in gold, you will not be able to keep it."

The king said: "Excellent." He funded Dun Ruo with ten thousand in gold and sent him east to infiltrate the courts of Han and Wei and suborn their generals and ministers. He traveled north to Yan and Zhao, and engineered the killing of Li Mu. The King of Qi came to court, and the four states submitted — all from Dun Ruo's counsel.

In the twentieth year of King Qingxiang of Chu, Qin's general Bai Qi took Chu's Xiling, then captured Yan, Ying, and Yiling, and burned the tombs of Chu's former kings. The king fled northeast and took refuge at the city of Chen. Chu was drastically weakened and held in contempt by Qin. Then Bai Qi again led an army to attack.

There was a Chu man named Huang Xie, widely traveled and learned. King Xiang considered him eloquent and sent him as envoy to Qin. He addressed King Zhao:

"The two strongest states under Heaven are Qin and Chu. Now I hear Your Majesty intends to attack Chu. This is like two tigers fighting while a mongrel dog profits from their wounds — it would be better to befriend Chu. Allow me to explain.

"I have heard it said: 'Things reach their extreme and reverse — winter and summer are proof. Push to the limit and danger follows — a tower of chess pieces shows this.' Now Your Majesty's territory covers half of All-Under-Heaven, with two frontiers extending outward — since the beginning of human habitation, no state of ten thousand chariots has ever held such territory. Through three generations — Kings Wen and Zhuang and now Your Majesty — Qin has kept its borders from touching Qi, thereby severing the vital link of the north-south coalition. Your Majesty sent Sheng Qiao three times to manage affairs in Han, and Cheng Qiao entered Yan from the north. Without deploying armor or projecting force, you gained a hundred li of territory — this may be called skillful. Then Your Majesty raised an army and attacked Wei, sealed the gates of Daliang, took Henei, and captured Yan, Suanzao, Xu, and Taoren. The forces of Chu and Yan circled like clouds but dared not engage. Your Majesty's achievements are considerable. After resting the troops for two years, you resumed, taking Pu, Yan, and Shouguan, advancing on Ren, Pingqiu, Xiaohuang, and Jiyang, forcing them behind their walls — and Wei submitted. Then Your Majesty ceded the territory north of Pu and Mo to Yan, severing the link between Qi and Qin and cutting the spine of Chu and Wei. All-Under-Heaven formed coalitions five and six times but dared not come to the rescue. Your Majesty's authority inspires dread. If you can hold these achievements and guard this authority, restrain the impulse to conquer and nourish the restraint of benevolence and righteousness, ensuring no future calamity, then the Three Kings would need a fourth and the Five Hegemons a sixth.

"But if Your Majesty relies on sheer numbers and military strength, destroys Wei's power, and tries to force All-Under-Heaven's rulers into submission by might alone, I fear there will be consequences. The Odes say: 'All have a beginning; few see it through to the end.' The Changes say: 'The fox wets its tail.' These speak of how easy it is to start and how hard to finish. How do we know? 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 two states did not lack great achievements — they set gain before their eyes and overlooked the peril behind them. Wu trusted Yue and went to attack Qi; having defeated Qi at Ailing, it returned only to be captured by the King of Yue at the Three Rivers. The Zhi clan trusted Han and Wei and went to attack Zhao, besieging Jinyang — victory was a matter of days — but Han and Wei turned against them and killed Zhibo Yao at Zuotai. Now Your Majesty resents that Chu has not been destroyed, but forgets that destroying Chu would strengthen Wei. I have considered this for Your Majesty and find it inadvisable.

"The Odes say: 'A great army camped far off does not cross the river.' From this we see: Chu is an ally; the neighboring states are the enemy. The Odes also say: 'Others have designs in their hearts — I measure and fathom them. The leaping hare, when it meets the hound, is caught.' Now Your Majesty trusts that Han and Wei are loyal to you midway through your campaign — this is precisely Wu trusting Yue. I have heard: 'Do not underestimate an enemy; do not miss the right moment.' I fear that Han and Wei's humble words mask their real calculations and that they are in truth deceiving Your Majesty. Why? You have no accumulated goodwill toward Han and Wei — only accumulated grievances spanning generations. The fathers, sons, and brothers of Han and Wei who have died at Qin's hands are beyond counting. Their homelands have been ravaged, their altars destroyed, their ancestral temples toppled. Disemboweled, jaws broken, heads severed from bodies, bones bleaching in the marshes, skulls scattered along the roads. Fathers, sons, the old and the young, bound as captives, filing along the highways. Their spirits and gods have nothing to eat; their people cannot sustain themselves. Clans scattered, refugees made servants and concubines throughout the realm. That Han and Wei have not yet perished is itself a worry for Qin's altars. Is it not a mistake, then, to attack Chu?

"On the day Your Majesty attacks Chu, where will you send your troops? Will you borrow passage through Han and Wei — your mortal enemies? The day your army marches out, you will fear it may never return — you will have handed your army to your mortal enemies. If you do not borrow passage through Han and Wei, you must attack through Suiyang and You Rang — but these are regions of broad rivers and deep water, mountains and forests and gorges, barren land. Even if you take them, you gain nothing. You would have the name of destroying Chu but not the reality of gaining territory. Moreover, on the day you attack Chu, the four states will certainly all rise in response. While Qin and Chu are locked in conflict, Wei will send armies to attack Liu, Fangyu, Zhi, Huling, Dang, Xiao, and Xiang — all of old Song will be taken. Qi will advance southward, and everything north of the Si River will fall. These are open plains, rich and fertile lands — and Your Majesty lets others take them. By destroying Chu you fatten Han and Wei in the Central States and strengthen Qi. Han and Wei will be strong enough to challenge Qin. Qi, with the Si as its southern border, the sea at its back, and the Yellow River to the north, will face no threats — no state under Heaven will be stronger. Once Qi and Wei gain territory and consolidate their power, even if pretending to serve you through minor officials, within a year, though they may not be able to claim the imperial title themselves, they will certainly be able to block Your Majesty from claiming it.

"I advise Your Majesty: nothing is better than befriending Chu. If Qin and Chu unite as one and press Han, Han must surrender. With the mountain passes of the east as your collar and the bend of the Yellow River as your belt, Han will become a vassal within the passes. Then use ten cities to secure Zheng. The house of Liang will quake. Xu and Yanling will cower behind their walls. Shangcai and Shaoling will cease all traffic. Thus Wei too will become a vassal within the passes. By one act of befriending Chu, two lords of ten thousand chariots within the passes will turn their forces against Qi — Qi's western territories can be taken without lifting a hand. Your Majesty's domain will stretch between the two seas, commanding All-Under-Heaven. Then Yan and Zhao will have no Qi or Chu to rely on, and without Yan and Zhao, Qi and Chu are helpless. Threaten Yan and Zhao, hold Qi and Chu — these four states will submit without having to feel the blade."

Someone addressed the King of Qin on behalf of the six states, saying: "Vast territory is not sufficient for security; a large population is not sufficient for strength. If vast territory meant security and large populations meant strength, then the descendants of Jie and Zhou would still rule. In former times, Zhao too was once powerful. How powerful was Zhao? It raised its left hand and pressed down on Qi; raised its right hand and pressed down on Wei. It bore down upon states of ten thousand chariots, and between them was Song, a state of a thousand chariots. It built fortifications at Gangping, conscripted labor with no respite for the eastern fields — no one dared even peer out the eastern gate. At that time, Wei was as precarious as stacked eggs. The men of All-Under-Heaven consulted one another and said: 'Shall we return our pledges and pay court to the lord of Handan instead?' At that point, anyone who proposed attacking Handan found himself marching at dawn.

"But then Wei attacked Handan and afterward withdrew to hold the assembly at Fengze. Riding the Xia chariot and claiming the title 'King of Xia,' Wei paid court to the Son of Heaven and All-Under-Heaven followed. Duke Tai of Qi heard this and raised an army to attack Wei. Wei's territory was split in two, and the state was in grave danger. The King of Liang himself clasped a jade tablet and grasped a jade disc, begging to become a vassal of the Lord of Chen — and only then did All-Under-Heaven relent toward Wei.

"King Wei of Chu heard of this, and could neither sleep nor eat his fill. He led the people of All-Under-Heaven and engaged Shen Fu at the Si River, inflicting a great defeat. The men of Zhao advanced to Zhisang; the men of Yan reached Gedao. The roads were blocked, all routes cut off. Qi, defeated in battle and outmaneuvered, sent Chen Mao to lay down his sword and shield, submit in the south and plead guilty, persuade Zhao to the west, persuade Yan to the north, and reassure the people at home — and only then did All-Under-Heaven release Qi.

"Thus thin things are piled up until they become thick; few things are gathered until they become many — and by the same token, people came to compare King Wei of Chu to the likes of the tyrant Zhou. Do I say that King Wei of Chu reached this pass because of failed governance and disordered counsel? No — it was because Chu was strong and lorded over the lords of All-Under-Heaven. That is why All-Under-Heaven was glad to attack it."