齊策六

Among the people living outside Qi's walls is a man named Guhu Xuan. He offers frank criticism of King Min and is butchered in Tan Street. The people withdraw their allegiance. Chen Ju, a scion of the Qi royal house, speaks bluntly and is killed at the Eastern Gate. The royal clan becomes estranged. Sima Rangju, a statesman, is killed — and the great ministers cease to be loyal.

Because of this, Yan raises its armies and sends the Lord of Changguo to command the attack. Qi sends Xiang Zi to lead the defense. The Qi army is shattered; Xiang Zi flees in a single carriage. Da Zi rallies the remnants, regroups, and fights Yan again. He requests rewards for his troops; King Min refuses to provide them. The army breaks and flees.

The king escapes to Ju. Nao Chi confronts him: "In the region between Qiansheng and Bochang, an area of several hundred li, rain of blood fell and stained men's clothes. Did the king know of this?"

The king says: "I did not know."

"In the region between Ying and Bo, the earth split open down to the springs. Did the king know of this?"

"I did not know."

"There was a person weeping at the palace gate — when sought, no one was found; when people left, the voice was heard again. Did the king know of this?"

"I did not know."

Nao Chi says: "Heaven rained blood to give warning. The earth split to give warning. A person wept at the gate to give warning. Heaven, earth, and humanity all gave warning, yet the king did not take heed. How can he escape punishment?"

And so King Min is killed at Guli.

The Crown Prince strips off his court robes, flees to the household of the Grand Historian, and works as a garden waterer. The Grand Historian's daughter, later known as Queen Dowager Jun, recognizes him as a person of noble birth and serves him devotedly. Tian Dan, with the broken remnants of Jimo, defeats the Yan army, outwits Qi Jie, and thereby restores Qi. He hastens to welcome the Crown Prince from Ju and enthrones him as king. King Xiang ascends the throne, takes the Grand Historian's daughter as his queen, and she gives birth to King Jian of Qi.

Wang Sun Jia is fifteen years old, in the service of King Min. The king flees, and Wang Sun Jia loses track of his whereabouts.

His mother says: "When you go out in the morning and come home late, I lean against the door and watch for you. When you go out at dusk and do not return, I lean against the gate and watch for you. Now you serve the king, and the king has fled, and you do not know where he is. What home do you have to come back to?"

Wang Sun Jia goes into the marketplace and declares: "Nao Chi has thrown Qi into chaos and killed King Min. Those who wish to join me in punishing him — bare your right shoulders!"

Four hundred men in the market follow him. Together they attack Nao Chi, stab him, and kill him.

Yan attacks Qi and takes over seventy cities. Only Ju and Jimo do not fall. Tian Dan of Qi uses Jimo to break the Yan army and kill Qi Jie.

Earlier, a Yan general had attacked Liaocheng. Someone slandered him at the Yan court. Fearing execution if he returned, the general fortified Liaocheng and refused to go home. Tian Dan besieges the city for over a year, losing many soldiers, but Liaocheng does not fall.

Lu Zhonglian writes a letter, ties it to an arrow, and shoots it into the city. He addresses the Yan general:

"I have heard that the wise do not reject the times and discard advantage; the brave do not fear death only to destroy their name; the loyal do not put themselves before their lord.

"Now you, sir, act from a single morning's anger, heedless of the fact that your king has no worthy ministers — this is not loyalty. To die and lose Liaocheng while your defiance earns no real respect from Qi — this is not bravery. To let your accomplishments go to waste, your name perish, with nothing for later generations to praise — this is not wisdom.

"The wise do not deliberate twice. The brave do not fear death. Life and death, honor and disgrace, rank high and low — these are matters of a moment. I hope you will calculate carefully and not follow the common crowd.

"Moreover, Chu is attacking Nanyang, Wei is attacking Pinglu, and Qi has no ambitions to the south. It has concluded that losing Nanyang matters less than securing the land north of the Ji River, and has resolved to hold firm. Now Qin has sent troops south, Wei dares not face east, and the east-west alliance with Qin is forming. Chu's position is becoming perilous — it will abandon Nanyang, sever its right flank, and preserve the Ji River north. This is a certainty.

"Chu and Wei are both withdrawing. Yan sends no rescue. Qi has no grand designs elsewhere, and it will pit the full force of a recovered state against the exhausted garrison of Liaocheng for as long as it takes. I can see that you will not hold.

"Qi will resolve matters at Liaocheng. You will have no second chance.

"The Yan state itself is in great disorder. Its ruler and ministers have blundered. The generals are confused. Li Fu led a million men and was defeated five times in the field. A ten-thousand-chariot state has been besieged by Zhao, its territory carved away, its ruler humiliated — a laughingstock of All-Under-Heaven. Have you heard of this?

"The King of Yan now stands cold and alone. His great ministers cannot be trusted. The state is ruined and beset with troubles. The people's hearts have nowhere to turn.

"Yet you, sir, with the exhausted people of Liaocheng, hold off the full army of a restored Qi for over a year without relief — this is a defense worthy of Mo Di himself. Your men eat human flesh and burn bones for fuel, yet not one soldier turns or flees — this is an army worthy of Sun Bin and Wu Qi. Your abilities are evident to All-Under-Heaven.

"Therefore, in planning for you: it would be better to stand down your troops, rest your soldiers, keep your chariots and armor intact, and return to report to the King of Yan. The king will certainly be overjoyed. Your soldiers and people will see you as a father and mother. Your friends will clasp your arm and debate your achievements before the world. Your fame will be established. Above, you could assist your beleaguered king and control the ministers; below, you could nourish the people and support the persuaders. You could reform the state and change its customs before All-Under-Heaven. Your accomplishments and name would be secured.

"Or perhaps you would rather abandon Yan and go east to Qi? Then I will arrange for territory and a fixed fief, with wealth rivaling that of Tao and Wei, and the title of lord passed down through your descendants, enduring alongside Qi. This too is a plan.

"Both paths bring illustrious fame and substantial reward. I hope you will consider carefully and choose one.

"Moreover, I have heard that those who fuss over small proprieties cannot achieve great authority, and those who recoil from small humiliations cannot establish a glorious name.

"In the past, Guan Zhong shot Duke Huan of Qi and hit his belt buckle — this was attempted assassination. He abandoned Prince Jiu and did not die with him — this was cowardice. He was bound in shackles and fetters — this was bodily humiliation. These three acts would have meant social death in his village and rejection by any ruler.

"Had Guan Zhong remained in poverty and confinement, hiding in shame until the end of his days, he would have been nothing more than a disgraced and base man. But Guan Zhong carried these three stains, took control of Qi's government, straightened All-Under-Heaven, united the feudal lords nine times, became first of the Five Hegemons, with a name that towered over the world and a glory that shone upon neighboring states.

"Cao Mo served as a general for the lord of Lu, fought three battles, lost three times, and gave up a thousand li of territory. Had Cao Mo refused to leave the battlefield, given no thought to the future, and charged forward to die — he would have been nothing more than a defeated general taken prisoner. A defeated captive general — that is not bravery. Accomplishments wasted, name destroyed, nothing for later generations to praise — that is not wisdom.

"So Cao Mo set aside the shame of three defeats, withdrew, and plotted with the lord of Lu. He waited for his moment. When Duke Huan of Qi held All-Under-Heaven and received the feudal lords at court, Cao Mo took up a single blade, seized Duke Huan on the altar, his expression unchanged, his words unhurried. What three battles had lost, one morning recovered. All-Under-Heaven was shaken. His authority was felt in Wu and Chu. His name was transmitted to later ages.

"These two men did not lack the ability to observe small proprieties or die from small humiliations. They judged that to kill themselves and end their line, leaving no accomplishment or name behind, was not wisdom. So they set aside their anger and achieved lifelong fame. They removed the shame of the moment and established merit across generations. Their achievements rival the Three Kings; their names will last as long as heaven and earth.

"Consider this well, sir!"

The Yan general says: "I respectfully hear your command." He stands down his troops, studies the letter once more, and departs.

Thus the siege of Qi's Liaocheng was lifted and the people's lives were saved — all through Lu Zhonglian's persuasion.

Yan attacks Qi; Qi is shattered. King Min flees to Ju; Nao Chi kills King Min. Tian Dan holds the city of Jimo, breaks the Yan army, and restores the Qi state. King Xiang becomes Crown Prince through conquest. Because Qi was restored through the defeat of Yan, there is doubt about Tian Dan's ambitions — the people of Qi all believe Tian Dan intends to make himself king. King Xiang ascends the throne; Tian Dan serves as his chief minister.

One day, crossing the Zi River, Tian Dan sees an old man who has waded through the water and is shivering with cold, unable to walk, sitting in the sand. Tian Dan, seeing the old man's distress, wants to have his rear carriage share some clothing, but there is nothing to share. He removes his own fur coat and drapes it over the old man.

King Xiang is alarmed: "Tian Dan's generosity — does he intend to steal my state? If I do not act soon, I fear it will be too late."

He looks around — no one is nearby. But beneath a rock cliff, there is a pearl-stringer. King Xiang calls to him: "Did you hear what I said?"

"I heard."

"What do you think?"

The pearl-stringer replies: "Your Majesty would do better to claim the credit. Commend Tian Dan's goodness and issue a proclamation: 'I worry that my people go hungry — Tian Dan gathers them and feeds them. I worry that my people go cold — Tian Dan removes his own coat to warm them. I worry about the toil of my people, and Tian Dan shares my worry — he fulfills my intentions.' When Tian Dan does good and Your Majesty commends it, Tian Dan's goodness becomes Your Majesty's goodness."

The king says: "Good." He bestows an ox and wine on Tian Dan, praising his conduct.

Several days later, the pearl-stringer visits the king again: "On the next court day, Your Majesty should summon Tian Dan, bow to him in the courtyard, and praise him personally. Then issue orders to find the hungry and cold among the people and provide for them."

The king sends people to listen in the villages. They hear the men saying to each other: "Tian Dan loves the people!" Then adding: "Ah, but that is the king's grace and teaching!"

Diao Bo constantly disparages Tian Dan, saying: "The Lord of Anping is a petty man."

The Lord of Anping hears of this. He deliberately prepares a feast and invites Diao Bo, saying: "How have I, Dan, given offense, sir, that you constantly 'praise' me at court?"

Diao Bo replies: "The robber Zhi's dog barked at Yao — not because it valued Zhi and despised Yao, but because a dog simply barks at anyone who is not its master. Suppose Gongsun Zi is worthy and Xu Zi is worthless. Still, if Gongsun Zi fights with Xu Zi, Xu Zi's dog will snap at Gongsun Zi's calf and bite it. But if that dog could leave the worthless master and become the worthy man's dog — it would do far more than just snap at calves."

The Lord of Anping says: "I hear you, sir!" The next day, he recommends Diao Bo to the king.

Nine of the king's favorites wish to destroy the Lord of Anping. They say to the king: "When Yan invaded Qi, the King of Chu sent a general with ten thousand troops to assist Qi. Now the state is settled and the altars of soil and grain are secure — why not send an envoy to thank the King of Chu?"

The king asks: "Who among my attendants is suitable?"

The nine say: "Diao Bo."

Diao Bo is sent to Chu. The King of Chu receives him and feasts him. He does not return for several days.

The nine say to the king: "One man's influence detains a ten-thousand-chariot state — is this not because he holds a position of power? Moreover, the Lord of Anping's conduct toward Your Majesty shows no propriety between ruler and minister, no distinction between above and below. His intentions are malicious. Internally he tends the people, soothes their hearts, aids the poor and supplements the lacking, spreading virtue among the populace. Externally he conciliates the Rong and Di, attracts the world's worthy men, and secretly cultivates alliances with the heroic and outstanding among the feudal lords. His ambitions are clear. We beg Your Majesty to investigate."

Some days later the king says: "Summon Chief Minister Dan." Tian Dan removes his cap, goes barefoot and bare-chested, comes forward, withdraws, and begs for the death penalty. After five days, the king says: "You bear no guilt toward me. You observe your minister's propriety, and I observe my king's propriety. That is all."

Diao Bo returns from Chu. The king bestows gifts before the assembled court. When the wine flows freely, the king says: "Summon Chief Minister Tian Dan."

Diao Bo leaves his mat, kneels, and bows his head to the ground: "Where did Your Majesty acquire such state-destroying words? At the highest, are you comparable to King Wen of Zhou?"

The king says: "I am not."

"Indeed, I knew Your Majesty was not. At the lowest, are you comparable to Duke Huan of Qi?"

"I am not."

"Indeed, I knew Your Majesty was not. King Wen of Zhou obtained Lu Shang and called him Grand Duke. Duke Huan of Qi obtained Guan Yiwu and called him Uncle Zhong. Yet Your Majesty has obtained the Lord of Anping and merely calls him 'Dan.'

"Since heaven and earth were opened and humankind was governed, what minister has ever achieved more than the Lord of Anping? Yet Your Majesty says 'Dan, Dan' — where did you acquire such state-destroying words?

"Your Majesty could not hold the former king's state. The Yan army marched in and occupied the Qi heartland. Your Majesty fled to the mountains of Chengyang. The Lord of Anping, with the trembling city of Jimo — walls three li around, an outer wall of five li, and seven thousand ragged soldiers — captured the Yan commander and recovered a thousand li of Qi. This was the Lord of Anping's achievement.

"At that moment, had he closed the gates of Chengyang and made himself king — Chengyang, the whole world — no one could have stopped him. But he weighed it against principle, measured it by righteousness, and judged it impermissible. So he built plank roads and wooden galleries to go into the mountains of Chengyang and welcome Your Majesty and the Queen. Only then did you return and rule the people.

"Now the state is settled and the people are at peace, and Your Majesty says 'Dan.' Even a child's reasoning would not lead to this.

"If Your Majesty does not immediately execute these nine men and apologize to the Lord of Anping, the state will be in danger!"

The king executes the nine favorites, exiles their families, and increases the Lord of Anping's fief with the town of Ye and ten thousand households.

Tian Dan is about to attack Di and goes to see Lu Zhonglian. Lu Zhonglian says: "General, you will attack Di and fail to take it."

Tian Dan says: "With a city of five li and an outer wall of seven li, with broken remnants of a defeated army, I shattered ten-thousand-chariot Yan and restored Qi. Attack Di and fail? How?"

He mounts his chariot and departs without thanking his host. He attacks Di. Three months pass and he cannot take it.

Children in Qi sing a rhyme: "Great hat like a winnowing basket, long sword propping up his chin — attacked Di and could not take it, piled up fortifications at Withered Hill."

Tian Dan grows alarmed and goes to ask Lu Zhonglian: "You said I could not take Di. Please explain."

Lu Zhonglian says: "When you were at Jimo, you sat weaving rush baskets, stood holding a spade, and called out to your soldiers: 'Forward! Our ancestral temples are destroyed! Where can we go? What can we hope for? Where can we return?' At that time, General, you had the heart of a man prepared to die, and your soldiers had no thought of living. Hearing those words, every one of them wiped away tears, bared their arms, and burned to fight. This is why you broke Yan.

"Now you have the revenues of Ye in the east and the pleasures of the Zi River in the west. You ride between the Zi and the Sheng with gold across your belt. You have the joy of living and no thought of death. This is why you cannot win."

Tian Dan says: "I had it in my heart — you, sir, have seen it."

The next day, he steels himself, walks the walls, stands in the line of arrows and stones, takes up the drumstick, and beats the war drum. Di falls.

After the affair at Pushang — where Zhui Zi is killed and Zhang Zi flees — Pan Zi says to the King of Qi: "It would be better to trade our surplus grain to Song. The King of Song will be pleased, and Wei will not dare cross through Song to attack Qi. Qi is presently weak — use the surplus grain to secure Song's goodwill. When Qi has recovered its strength, you can demand the grain back from Song — that works too. And if Song does not repay, you can use that as a pretext to attack them — that also works."

When King Min of Qi is killed, his son Fazhang changes his name and takes work as a hired laborer in the household of the Grand Historian of Ju.

The Grand Historian Jiao's daughter notices something extraordinary in Fazhang's appearance and bearing, concluding he is no ordinary man. She takes pity on him, secretly provides him with food and clothing, and becomes his lover.

In Ju, the surviving Qi officials gather and search for King Min's son, hoping to enthrone him. Fazhang reveals his identity. Together they enthrone him as King Xiang.

Upon his enthronement, King Xiang makes the Grand Historian's daughter his queen. She gives birth to a son, Jian.

The Grand Historian Jiao says: "A daughter who gives herself without arrangement is no child of mine. She has disgraced our family." He refuses to see her for the rest of his life.

Queen Dowager Jun is a worthy woman. Despite her father's refusal to see her, she never fails in the duties of a child.

King Xiang dies. His son Jian becomes King of Qi. Queen Dowager Jun manages relations with Qin meticulously and maintains trust with the feudal lords. Because of this, King Jian's reign lasts over forty years without Qi suffering invasion.

The First Emperor of Qin once sends an envoy to present Queen Dowager Jun with a jade linked-ring puzzle, saying: "Qi is famed for its cleverness — can you solve this ring?"

Queen Dowager Jun shows it to her ministers. None of them can solve it. The Queen Dowager picks up a hammer and smashes it. She tells the Qin envoy: "It is hereby solved."

When Queen Dowager Jun falls ill and is about to die, she warns King Jian: "Among the ministers, those who can be trusted are so-and-so."

King Jian says: "Please write them down."

The Queen Dowager says: "Good." She takes brush and tablet to receive his words.

The Queen Dowager says: "This old woman has already forgotten!"

After Queen Dowager Jun dies, Hou Sheng becomes chief minister of Qi. He accepts large quantities of gold and jade from Qin's intelligence agents and sends guests to Qin who all return with changed tunes, urging the king to pay court to Qin. He neglects all military preparations.

King Jian of Qi goes to pay court to Qin. The Sima of Yongmen steps forward and says: "Was the king installed for the sake of the state, or was the state established for the sake of the king?"

The king says: "For the sake of the state."

The Sima says: "If the king was installed for the sake of the state, why does the king abandon the state and enter Qin?"

The King of Qi turns his carriage around and goes home.

The magistrate of Jimo and the Sima of Yongmen, finding that their remonstrance has been heeded, conclude that the king can be counseled. They enter and address the king: "Qi's territory spans thousands of li, with armored troops numbering in the millions. The officials of the Three Jin states who are discontented with Qin — there are hundreds of them in the region between A and Juan. Your Majesty should gather them and give them an army of a million to recover the former territories of the Three Jin — then the pass at Linjin can be breached. The officials of Yan and Ying who do not wish to serve Qin — there are hundreds of them south of the city. Your Majesty should gather them and give them an army of a million to recover Chu's former territories — then Wu Pass can be breached. If this is done, Qi's authority will be established and Qin can be destroyed. To abandon the south-facing position of supreme authority and instead face west in submission to Qin — we would not have Your Majesty choose this."

The King of Qi does not listen.

Qin sends Chen Chi to lure the King of Qi, promising him five hundred li of territory. The King of Qi ignores the magistrate of Jimo and listens to Chen Chi. He enters Qin.

He is placed among the pines and cypresses of Gong, where he starves to death.

Before this, the people of Qi had sung: "Pine trees! Cypress trees! Those who housed Jian at Gong — was that the way?"

In the aftermath of the upheaval caused by Lord Nao, Qi uses the incident to break with Qin. Afterward, Qin wishes to win Qi over, so it sends Su Juan to Chu and dispatches Ren Gu to Qi.

Qi Ming tells the King of Chu: "Qin desires Chu, but not as much as it desires Qi. Qin sent Juan to you in order to show Qi that Chu is in Qin's pocket — thereby giving Ren Gu leverage in Qi. When Qi sees Chu aligned with Qin, it will certainly accept Ren Gu's overtures. Your Majesty's reception of Juan is effectively driving Qi into Qin's arms.

"A Qi-Qin alliance is not in Chu's interest.

"Moreover, the message Juan brought to Chu is certainly not the same message Gu is delivering to Qi. Your Majesty should send someone to leak Juan's actual message to Qi through Ren Gu. Then Qi and Qin will certainly not unite.

"If Qi and Qin are not in harmony, Your Majesty's position strengthens. If you wish to ally with Qi and attack Qin, Hanzhong can be taken. If you wish to ally with Qin and attack Qi, the lands between the Huai and Si Rivers can be taken."