韓三 THE STRATAGEMS OF HAN III (B)
韓珉相齊
When Han Min was Chancellor of Qi
韓珉相齊，令吏逐公疇豎，大怒於周之留成陽君也。謂韓珉曰：「公以二人者為賢人也，所入之國，因用之乎？則不如其處小國。何也？成陽君為秦去韓，公疇豎，楚王善之。今公因逐之，二人者必入秦、楚，必為公患。且明公之不善於天下。天下之不善公者，與欲有求於齊者，且收之，以臨齊而市公。」
When Han Min[1] was Chancellor of Qi he sent an envoy to have Gongchou Shu[2] deported, having been[3] angered by Zhou's detention of Lord Chengyang[4]. Someone spoke to Han Min, saying, "Do you believe these two men to be of such quality that any state they enter will seize any opportunity to employ them? In that case you would do better to ensure that they remain in a small state[5]. Why? Lord Chengyang abandoned Han for Qin, and as for Gongchou Shu, the King of Chu[6] has been courting him. If you now cause them both to be expelled from Zhou then they will go to Qin and Chu, from where they will be a certain source of trouble for you. Moreover, it will make your unpopularity manifest throughout All-Under-Heaven. All those in All-Under-Heaven who dislike you and those with demands to make of Qi will take them in, and when they move against Qi they will demand it hand you over as a part of the bargaining process[7]."
[1] Han Min was a politician in Han. He was also known as Han Nie, Gongzhong Min and Han Liang.
[2] Gongchou Shu seems to have been a politician from Qi who was resident in Zhou at the time.
[3] The commentaries suggest 又 for 大 here.
[4] The commentaries suggest that the 也 here is superfluous. Chengyang was a pro-Qin politician in Han who had previously been serving in Qi. Han Min had sent him to Qin on a diplomatic mission, but he was stopped and detained in Zhou.
[5] I.e. Zhou, where they will not be able to use their intelligence to threaten Han, simply because Zhou lacked comparable resources.
[6] King Qingxiang of Chu (298–263 BCE) was the son of King Huai, and ascended the throne while his father was still held prisoner in Qin.
[7] That is, when one of Han Min's enemies launches an attack on Qi with the aim of extorting money, land or military support, it will also demand that Han Min be handed over to sweeten the deal.
或謂山陽君
Speaking to Lord Shanyang
或謂山陽君曰：「秦封君以山陽，齊封君以莒。齊、秦非重韓則賢君之行也。今楚攻齊取莒，上及不交齊，次弗納於君，是棘齊、秦之威而輕韓也。」山陽君因使之楚。
Someone[1] spoke to Lord Shanyang[2], saying, "Qin gave Your Lordship the domain of Shanyang[3] and Qi gave you Ju[4]. If this is not on account of the high regard Qi and Qin have for Han it must be on account of your own sagely conduct. Now Chu has attacked Qi and taken Ju, the primary consequence[4] will be to end their relationship, but a secondary consequence will be that you will not be able to take possession of your new domain. If this has happened, it is because Qi and Qin are sufficiently imposing that they can treat Han with contempt." Lord Shanyang thus appointed his interlocutor as his envoy to Chu[5].
[1] The commentaries suggest that the 或 here may be superfluous.
[2] Lord Shanyang was a politician in Han.
[3] Shanyang covered parts of Southern Shandong and northern Henan.
[4] According to the commentaries, the 及 is superfluous.
[5] Presumably to reinforce his relations with Chu and thereby make good his losses in Ju, since apparently the other states respect him but not his state.
趙魏攻華陽
Zhao and Wei attack Huayang
趙、魏攻華陽，韓謁急於秦。冠蓋相望，秦不救。韓相國謂田苓曰：「事急，願公雖疾，為一宿之行。」田苓見穰侯，穰侯曰：「韓急乎？何故使公來？」田苓對曰：「未急也。」穰侯怒曰：「是何以為公之王使乎？冠蓋相望，告弊邑甚急，公曰未急，何也？」田苓曰：「彼韓急，則將變矣。」穰侯曰：「公無見王矣，臣請令發兵救韓。」八日中，大敗趙、魏於華陽之下。
Zhao and Wei attacked Huayang[1], and Han sent word urgently to Qin. Its delegations were so numerous that they were never out of sight of one another on the road, but Qin would not help.
The Chancellor of Han[2] spoke to Tian Ling[3], saying, "This business is urgent. I hope that - tiring though it may be - you will spare an evening to help us pursue it."
Tian Ling sought an audience with Marquis Rang[4], who said, "Han must be desperate. Why else would it have sent you here?"
Tian Ling replied, "It is not desperate yet."
Marquis Rang was irked and said, "In that case why would it have made you its official ambassador[5]? Its envoys are never out of sight of one another on the road and they all tell our humble selves that Han is in extremis, but you say that it is not. Which is it?"
Tian Ling said, "Han is not in extremis. If we were, we would already have changed our allegiance[6]."
Marquis Rang said, "There is no need for you to see the King. Allow me to give the order for troops to be dispatched to aid Han." Within eight days Zhao and Wei had suffered a great defeat beneath the walls of Huayang[7].
[1] Huayang was a Han city situated between Xinzheng and Zhengzhou in Henan.
[2] Han Chen succeeded Han Min as chancellor of Han.
[3] Tian Ling was also known as Chen Shi, Chen Quan, Chen Tu and You Yu. He is known mainly for his role in the Huayang conflict.
[4] Wei Ran (Marquis Rang) was the half-brother of Queen Xuan of Qin and the uncle of King Zhaoxiang. Having backed Zhaoxiang in the struggle for succession that occurred following the death of King Wu, he subsequently became Chancellor.
[5] Reading 主 for 王, per the commentaries.
[6] And joined Zhao and Wei for an attack on Qin.
[7] The Battle of Huayang took place in 273 BCE, and was a resounding Qin victory.
秦招楚而伐齊
Qin Seeks to Recruit Chu's Assistance for an Attack on Qi
秦招楚而伐齊，冷向謂陳軫曰：「秦王必外向。楚之齊者知西不合於秦，必且務以楚合於齊。齊、楚合，燕、趙不敢不聽。齊以四國敵秦，是齊不窮也。」向曰：「秦王誠必欲伐齊乎？不如先收於楚之齊者，楚之齊者先務以楚合於齊，則楚必即秦矣。以強秦而有晉、楚，則燕、趙不敢不聽，是齊孤矣。向請為公說秦王。」
Qin was seeking to recruit Chu's assistance for an attack on Qi. Leng Xiang[1] spoke about this to Chen Zhen[2], saying, "The King of Qin[3] will certainly be looking for other allies abroad[4], and Qi's partisans in Chu know that there is no accord between Qi and Qin in the west, so they will strive to broker an agreement between Chu and Qi. Once Qi and Chu have come to an accord, then Yan and Zhao will not dare to disobey them. Qi will bring these four states together to stand against Qin[5], and if this happens Qi will certainly not emerge worse off." Xiang then said[6], "Does the King of Qin really intend to attack Qi? Then he had better win over[5] Qi's partisans in Chu first. Those who once strove for an accord between Qi and Chu will thenceforth perform the same office for Qin. If mighty Qin gains Chu's backing[7] then Yan and Zhao will not dare to disobey you. This being so, Qi will be left isolated. Please allow me to persuade the King of Qin on your behalf."
[1] Leng Xiang was a politician in Han.
[2] Chen Zhen was from Qi, but worked as a politician and diplomat in Qin, and a rival of Zhang Yi, who eventually forced him out. He then returned to Qi. At the time of this story he seems to have been in Qin.
[3] King Huiwen of Qin (338–311 BCE) began his reign by killing Shang Yang, but maintained his legal and military reforms, using his strengthened state to acquire large tracts of additional land.
[4] I.e. in addition to Chu.
[5] The commentaries suggest that the 國 here is superfluous.
[6] It is possible that a speech by Chen Zhen has been omitted here.
[7] According to the commentaries, the 晉 may be superfluous.
韓氏逐向晉於周
The House of Han Declares Xiang Jin Persona Non Grata
韓氏逐向晉於周，周成恢為之謂魏王曰：「周必寬而反之，王何不為之先言，是王有向晉於周也。」魏王曰：「諾。」成恢因為謂韓王曰：「逐向晉者韓也，而還之者魏也，豈如道韓反之哉！是魏有向晉於周，而韓王失之也。」韓王曰：「善。」亦因請復之。
The House of Han declared Xiang Jin[1] persona non grata, so Zhou sent[2] Cheng Hui[3] to speak to the King of Wei[4], to whom he said, "Zhou will be lenient with him and get Han to take him back[5]. Why does Your Majesty not anticipate this by speaking up on his behalf? Then it will be you who acquires his services."
The King of Wei said, "I shall do so."
Cheng Hui took advantage of this to speak to the King of Han[6], saying, "It was Han that expelled Xiang Jin, but it will be Wei who pushes for his return. Thus it will be Wei that acquires Xiang Jin and the you will lose him. In the circumstances, Han should welcome him back immediately!"[7]
The King of Han said, "Very well." Thus the he requested that Zhou return Xiang Jin.
[1] Xiang Jin was a politician from Zhou who had been serving as an official in Han.
[2] Reading 周使 for 周, per the commentaries.
[3] Cheng Hui seems to have been a politician in Han.
[4] Probably King Anxi of Wei (276-243 BCE).
[5] Presumably with a missive insisting that Han be similarly magnanimous. This story is somewhat confusing for anyone not familiar with diplomatic convention at the time. Han probably expelled Xiang Jin in an attempt to extort something from either him or Zhou, and was counting on obtaining both his services and a bribe as a result.
[6] Probably King Huanhui of Han (272-239 BCE), who seems to have taken the throne as a child and then spent much of his reign attempting to placate or distract Qin.
[7] Reading 是魏有向晉於周，而韓王失之也。豈如道韓反之哉！ for 豈如道韓反之哉！是魏有向晉於周，而韓王失之也, following Crump.
張登請費紲
Zhang Deng Speaks to Bi Xie
張登請費紲曰：「請令公子年謂韓王曰：『費紲，西周讎之，東周寶之。此其家萬金，王何不召之，以為三川之守。是紲以三川與西周戒也，必盡其家以事王。西周惡之，必效先王之器以止王。』韓王必為之。西周聞之，必解子之罪，以止子之事。」
Zhang Deng[1] spoke to[2] Bi Xie[3], saying, "Please have Prince Nian[4] speak to the King of Han[5], saying, 'Bi Xie is an enemy to West Zhou and a pearl without price to East Zhou. Since his family has a fortune of ten thousand gold pieces, why does Your Majesty not summon him to court to make him the Prefect of Sanchuan[6]? This being done, Xie will hold West Zhou back in Sanchuan and exhaust his family's resources in Your Majesty's service. West Zhou hates him so much that they will offer you their ancestral treasures to dissuade you from appointing him.' The King of Han will certainly put this plan into effect, and when West Zhou hears about it, it will certainly forgive you your previous offenses if that will prevent you from being appointed in Sanchuan[7]."
[1] Zhang Deng was a politician from Zhongshan.
[2] Reading 謂 for 請, per the commentaries.
[3] Fei Xie was a politician in Han. Apparently he had recently got into trouble with his superiors.
[4] The commentaries suggest that 年 may be an error for 牟 (Mou). This person is not otherwhise well-known, but was presumably a member of the Han royal house.
[5] It is not clear which King of Han is indicated here.
[6] Sanchuan was an area near Luoyang in Henan. It was fought over regularly.
[7] Reading 止 for 解, as in other versions.
安邑之御史死
The Death of the Censor of Anyi
安邑之御史死，其次恐不得也。輸人為之謂安令曰：「公孫綦為人請御史於王，王曰：『彼固有次乎？吾難敗其法。』」因遽置之。
The Censor of Anyi[1] had died, and his deputy was afraid that he would not be appointed as his replacement. A member of the Yu clan[2] went on his behalf to speak to the Magistrate of Anyi[3] and said[4], "When Gongsun Qi[5] requested that the King[6] grant the post of Censor to one of his partisans, the King said, 'Did the Censor not have an appointed deputy? I would not wish to depart from the established protocol[7].'" As a result, the deputy was appointed immediately.
[1] It is not clear who this was. A Censor was akin to a party cadre in modern China, keeping an eye on the actions of the officials around him and reporting back to the central authorities. Anyi was in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi. It was the capital of Wei for a time.
[2] Yu seems to have been a common name in Anyi.
[3] It is not clear who this was.
[4] The commentaries suggest 安邑 for 安 here.
[5] This person is not otherwise well-known.
[5] King Anxi of Wei (276-243 BCE) suffered repeated attacks by Qin throughout his reign.
[6] Bao suggests 之 for 法 here, in which case this sentence would read, "I would not wish to cause him to lose out."
魏王為九里之盟
The King of Wei Builds a Ninefold Alliance
魏王為九里之盟，且復天子。房喜謂韓王曰：「勿聽之也，大國惡有天子，而小國利之。王與大國弗聽，魏安能與小國立之。」
The King of Wei[1] was building a ninefold alliance[2] with the aim of restoring the the Son of Heaven[3] to his former glory. Fang Xi[4] spoke to the King of Han[5], saying, "Do not listen. The large states hate having an Emperor; his existence benefits only the small states. If Your Majesty and the other large states do not listen, how will Wei and the other small states be able to secure the Emperor's position?"[6]
[1] King Hui of Wei (400-319 BCE) suffered repeated attacks by Qin throughout his reign.
[2] Reading 重 for 里, per the commentaries. No one is entirely sure of the implications of this term. Crump suggests it could be the name of a place, while Bao says it refers to cities. According to modern Chinese translations, this is a reference to a meeting that took place at Fengze in 344 BC.
[3] Probably King Xian of Zhou (368-321 BCE), during whose reign many states ceased to recognise Zhou sovereignty.
[4] Fang Xi was a politician in Han.
[5] Probably Marquis Xi of Han (362-333 BCE), who employed Shen Buhai to reform his state.
[6] This seems to be an attempt to flatter the King of Han - his state was roughly the same size as Wei.
建信君輕韓熙
Lord Jianxin Snubs Han Xi
建信君輕韓熙，趙敖為謂建信侯曰：「國形有之而存，無之而亡者，魏也。不可無而從者，韓也。今君之輕韓熙者，交善楚、魏也。秦見君之交反善於楚、魏也，其收韓必重矣。從則韓輕，橫則韓重，則無從輕矣。秦出兵於三川，則南圍鄢，蔡、邵之道不通矣。魏急，其救趙必緩矣。秦舉兵破邯鄲，趙必亡矣。故君收韓，可以無亹。」
Lord Jianxin[1] snubbed Han Xi[2], so Zhao Ao[3] spoke to Lord Jianxin[4] on Han Xi's behalf, saying, "There are states that will survive given a favourable environment but - failing this - be wiped out[5]. Wei is one such. Since Wei cannot do without allies, it must bring Han over to its side[6]. Now Your Lordship is treating Han Xi with disdain and seeking to build favourable relations with Chu and Wei. When Qin observes that you are leaning towards Chu and Wei it will make Han its priority, seeking to make an ally of it. Thus, if Han joins your Vertical Alliance[7] it will be treated with contempt while if it joins Qin's Horizontal Alliance[8] it will be treated with respect. It will not join the Vertical Alliance simply to be snubbed. Qin will station its troops in Sanchuan[9] and then turn south to encircle Yan[10], leaving the roads to Cai and Zhao[11] impassible. Wei will be in dire straits and this will delay any effort to aid Zhao[12]. Qin will raise more troops and destroy Handan[10], and thus Zhao will be doomed. For this reason you should accept Han's support. You will thereby be able to prevent a split in the alliance."
[1] Lord Jianxin was a businessman and a rival of Lü Buwei. He also had a political career in Zhao.
[2] Han Xi is known principally via this story.
[3] Zhao Ao is known principally via this story.
[4] Reading 君 for 侯, per the commentaries.
[5] I.e. they can only survive if they have friendly neighbours.
[6] Following the interpretation given by the commentaries.
[7] The shifting coalition of countries aiming to prevent Qin's expansion.
[8] The shifting coalition of countries aiming to share in Qin's conquests/be conquered last.
[9] Sanchuan was an area near Luoyang in Henan. It was fought over regularly.
[10] Yan is now Xiangyang in Hubei.
[11] Zhao here refers to Zhaoling, which is now Luohe in Henan.
[12] Which was under threat from Qin at the time.
段產謂新城君
Duan Chan Speaks to Lord Xincheng
段產謂新城君曰：「夫宵行者能無為姦，而不能令狗無吠己。今臣處郎中，能無議君於王，而不能令人毋議臣於君。願君察之也。」
Duan Chan[1] spoke to Lord Xincheng[2], saying, "A person who wanders abroad at night may not be up to no good, but he nevertheless cannot prevent the dogs from barking at him. Now I have a position at court[3], and while I will not criticise you to the King, I will nevertheless not be able to ensure that no one will criticise me to you. I hope that Your Lordship will consider this."
[1] Duan Chan was a politician in Qin.
[2] Mi Rong was originally from Chu and was brother of Queen Dowager Xuan of Qin, who made him Lord Huayang and later, after Qin captured Xincheng from Chu, Lord Xincheng.
[3] The precise wording is not entirely clear, but the general sense is.
段干越人謂新城君
DuanGan Yueren Speaks to Lord Xincheng
段干越人謂新城君曰：「王良之弟子駕，云取千里馬，遇造父之弟子，造父之弟子曰：『馬不千里。』王良弟子曰：『馬，千里之馬也；服，千里之服也。而不能取千里，何也？』曰：『子纆牽長。故纆牽於事，萬分之一也，而難千里之行。』今臣雖不肖，於秦亦萬分之一也，而相國見臣不釋塞者，是纆牽長也。」
Duangan Yueren[1] spoke to Lord Xincheng[2], saying, "Wang Liang[3] had an apprentice chariot-driver who claimed to that his horses could cover a thousand li[4]. He happened to meet one of Zao Fu's[5] apprentices who said, 'Those horses will not go a thousand li.' Wang Liang's follower said, 'Both my trace horses and my yoke horses are thousand-li horses, and yet you assert that I cannot cover a thousand li. Why?' He replied, 'Give them a longer rein. When using the reins, a fraction of an inch[6] can make a difference of a thousand li.' Now worthless though I may be, I could correct Qin's position by a fraction of an inch, and yet you see me and do not give me the freedom to act[9]. Thus you should loosen your reins."
[1] Duangan Yueren was a politician from Wei.
[2] Mi Rong was originally from Chu and was brother of Queen Dowager Xuan of Qin, who made him Lord Huayang and later, after Qin captured Xincheng from Chu, Lord Xincheng.
[3] Wang Liang was the driver of Zhao Jianzi, a leader of the Zhao clan prior to the break-up of Jin.
[4] The precise wording of this sentence is not entirely clear, but the general sense is.
[5] Zao Fu was the driver of King Mu of Zhou.
[6] Zeng suggests 維 for 難 here.
[9] This is a guess at the precise meaning of this phrase; the commentaries are uncertain concerning these characters.