燕一 THE STRATAGEMS OF YAN I (A)
蘇秦將為從北說燕文侯
Su Qin Heads North to Persuade Marquis Wen of Yan to Join His Alliance
蘇秦將為從，北說燕文侯曰：「燕東有朝鮮、遼東，北有林胡、樓煩，西有雲中、九原，南有呼沱、易水。地方二千餘里，帶甲數十萬，車七百乘，騎六千疋，粟支十年。南有碣石、鴈門之饒，北有棗粟之利，民雖不由田作，棗栗之實，足食於民矣。此所謂天府也。夫安樂無事，不見覆軍殺將之憂，無過燕矣。大王知其所以然乎？夫燕之所以不犯寇被兵者，以趙之為蔽於南也。秦、趙五戰，秦再勝而趙三勝。秦、趙相弊，而王以全燕制其後，此燕之所以不犯難也。且夫秦之攻燕也，踰雲中、九原，過代、上谷，彌地踵道數千里，雖得燕城，秦計固不能守也。秦之不能害燕亦明矣。今趙之攻燕也，發興號令，不至十日，而數十萬之眾，軍於東垣矣。度呼沱，涉易水，不至四五日，距國都矣。故曰，秦之攻燕也，戰於千里之外；趙之攻燕也，戰於百里之內。夫不憂百里之患，而重千里之外，計無過於此者。是故願大王與趙從親，天下為一，則國必無患矣。」
Su Qin[1], building his alliance, headed north to persuade Marquis Wen of Yan[2] to join it, saying, "Yan has Korea[3] and Liaodong[4] to the east. To the north it has the Linhu[5] and the Loufan[6]. To the west it has Yunzhong[7] and Jiuyuan[8]. To the south it has the Hutuo[9] and the Yishui[10] rivers. Your lands are over two hundred thousand square li in size[11], protected by more than two hundred thousand men at arms, seven hundred chariots and six thousand teams of horses, with grain reserves sufficient to support you for ten years[12]. You have the abundant produce of of Jieshi[13] and Yanmen[14] to the south, while in the north it you have bountiful groves of jujubes and chestnuts[15]. Even if your citizens do not work, the fruits of the trees will provide them with enough to eat. Thus Yan can be described as a land of plenty. Never has anyone lived in such untroubled peace and contentment, never having to endure the sorrow of seeing their armies pushed back and their generals killed. Does Your Majesty know why this is the case? The reason Yan's borders have never been violated by foreign troops is because it is shielded by Zhao to the south. Qin and Zhao have fought five battles, with Qin winning two and Zhao three. While they exhausted one another, you have kept your state whole and maintained your control over the hinterlands. This is the reason Yan has not been troubled by incursions. If Qin were to attack Yan, it would have to traverse Yunzhong and Jiyuan, crossing Dai[15] and Shanggu[16], its columns stretching out over a thousand li. Even if they managed to capture a Yan city, Qin's strategists recognise that they could not hold such land. Qin is thus incapable of harming Yan, this much is clear. If Zhao were to attack Yan, however, it could issue its mobilisation orders[17] and before ten days have passed it would have amassed batallions several hundred thousand strong. This army will camp at Dongyuan[18]. Once they cross the Hutuo and ford the Yishui, it will not take them more than four or five days to cover the distance between there and the capital[19]. Therefore I say that a Qin attack on Yan would be a thousand-li battle, while a Zhao attack on Yan would be a hundred-li battle. Nevertheless, you do not worry yourself over troubles a hundred li away while according full importance to those over a thousand li away. There is no more erroneous strategy than this. This being so, I hope that Your Majesty will approach Zhao seeking a close alliance. If All-Under-Heaven acts as one then no disaster can befall your state."
燕王曰：「寡人國小，西迫強秦，南近齊、趙。齊、趙，強國也，今主君幸教詔之，合從以安燕，敬以國從。」於是齎蘇秦車馬金帛以至趙。
The King of Yan said, "Ours is a small state. We were intimidated by Qin's strength in the west and the looming presence of Qi and Zhao on our southern borders[20]. Qi and Zhao are strong states[21]. Now that your lord has favoured me with his advice I will form an accord with them that will bring peace to Yan and esteem to our alliance." This being so, he offered Su Qin carriages, horses, gold and silk and to take back with him to Zhao.
[1] Su Qin worked for almost all of the states during a long and successful career as the principal proponent of the anti-Qin alliance.
[2] Actually Duke Wen of Yan (361-333 BCE) conducted successful diplomatic operations with Qin and Qi, marrying a daughter of King Huiwen of Qin.
[3] I.e Gojoseon.
[4] The Liaodong Peninsula.
[5] A non-Chinese people living mainly in Inner Mongolia.
[6] A Xiongnu group living mainly in Inner Mongolia.
[7] Yunzhong was an area outside the Great Wall, near Wuhai in modern Inner Mongolia.
[8] It is not entirely clear where this was, but it seems to have been near Yunzhong.
[9] The Hutuo River runs through Shanxi and Hebei.
[10] The Yi flows into the Hutuo.
[11] The commentaries suggest that the 餘 here may be superfluous.
[12] The commentaries suggest that this may be intended to read "two years" ( 二年).
[13] Jieshi is now Changli County in Hebei.
[14] Yanmen was in Dai County, in Shanxi, but it was not to the South of Yan, but rather to the West.
[15] Reading 栗 for 粟 here, per the commentaries.
[14] Dai Commandery was in Zhao at the time, and now covers parts of Hebei and Inner Mongolia.
[15] Shanggu was in modern Huailai County, Hebei.
[17] Reading 號出 for 興號, per the commentaries.
[18] Dongyuan was in modern Zhengding County, Hebei.
[19] Jicheng, modern Beijing.
[20] The commentaries disagree regarding the precise reading of this sentence. It may be intended to read "Qi and Wei".
[21] The commentaries suggest that 也 here may be superfluous.
奉陽君李兌甚不取於蘇秦
Lord Fengyang Wants Nothing to do with Su Qin
奉陽君李兌甚不取於蘇秦。蘇秦在燕，李兌因為蘇秦謂奉陽君曰：「齊、燕離則趙重，齊、燕合則趙輕。今君之齊，非趙之利也。臣竊為君不取也。」
Lord Fengyang[2], wanted nothing to do with Su Qin[3], so when Su Qin arrived in Yan, he had someone[3] speak to Lord Fengyang on his behalf, saying, "When Qi and Yan are at odds, Zhao's influence grows. When Qi and Yan are united, Zhao's influence diminishes. If Your Lordship were to approach Qi now, this would not be to Zhao's benefit. Your servant humbly suggests that this is not the appropriate course for Your Lordship."
奉陽君曰：「何吾合燕於齊？」
Lord Fengyang replied, "Why would you take it that Yan intends to approach Qi?"
對曰：「夫制於燕者蘇子也。而燕弱國也，東不如齊，西不如趙，豈能東無齊、西無趙哉？而君甚不善蘇秦，蘇秦能抱弱燕而孤於天下哉？是驅燕而使合於齊也。且燕亡國之餘也，其以權立，以重外，以事貴。故為君計，善蘇秦則取，不善亦取之，以疑燕、齊。燕、齊疑，則趙重矣。齊王疑蘇秦，則君多資。」
He replied, "Yan is under Master Su's control, but it is a weak state. Yan is no match for Qi in the east, or Zhao in the west. What could it do without the backing of Qi in the east or Zhao in the west? Your Lordship has been profoundly hostile towards Su Qin, and how can Su Qin keep his hold over puny Yan while remaining neutral within All-Under-Heaven[4]? Thus you are driving Yan into an alliance with Qi. When Yan was nothing but the rump of a defeated state[5], a certain person established a position for himself by force, relying upon foreign influences to secure his own elevation[6]. Therefore, if I were making your strategies, whether I liked Su Qin or not, I would work to win him over[7], if only to foment suspicion between Yan and Qi. The more suspicious Yan and Qi are of one another, the more influential Zhao will become. If the King of Qi[8] grows suspicious of Su Qin, then he will multiply the resources available to you[9]."
奉陽君曰：「善。」乃使使與蘇秦結交。
Lord Fengyang said, "Very well." Accordingly an envoy was sent to establish ties with Su Qin.
[1] The commentaries suggest that 李兌 here is superfluous. Lord Fengyang, also known as Li Dui, served as Prime Minister under King Huiwen of Zhao.
[2] Su Qin worked for almost all of the states during a long and successful career as the principal proponent of the anti-Qin alliance.
[3] The original text says "Li Dui took the opportunity to speak to Lord Fengyang on Su Qin's behalf", which obviously makes no sense. The commentaries struggle to explain this, and modern translations eliminate the problem via the method I have adopted here.
[4] I.e. if Su Qin maintains Yan's neutrality it will be overrun.
[5] This happened during the 310s BC, when Qi took advantage of a simmering civil war in Yan to invade. King Kuai of Yan had attempted to disinherit his sons and pass the state on to his Chancellor, Zizhi. This led his sons to revolt upon his death.
[6] The commentaries suggest that this refers to Prince Ping, who attempted to take the throne from Zizhi but was killed in action, but the modern translation seems to think it refers to the future King Zhao of Yan. In either case this would have occurred a few years prior to the events in this chapter.
[7] Reading 取之 for 取, per the commentaries.
[8] Possibly King Xuan or King Min.
[9] I.e. if Qi suspects that its alliance with Yan is about to collapse, it will seek to build up its relations with Zhao in the hope that they will be able to join forces to take on Yan.
權之難燕再戰不勝
Yan Loses Two Battles in a row During the Troubles at Quan
權之難，燕再戰不勝，趙弗救。噲子謂文公曰：「不如以地請合於齊，趙必救我。若不吾救，不得不事。」文公曰：「善。」令郭任以地請講於齊。趙聞之，遂出兵救燕。
During the troubles in Quan[1] Yan lost two battles in a row and Zhao refused to help. Master Kuai[2] spoke to Duke Wen[3], saying,
"The best option would be to offer Qi land and beg for an alliance. Then Zhao will certainly aid us[4]. If they do not help us, then they will have no choice but to serve us."
Duke Wen said, "Very well." He ordered Guo Ren[5] to offer Qi land and beg for an alliance. Zhao heard of this, and consequently dispatched troops to aid Yan.
[1] The only known Quan was a state on the border with Chu, in modern Hubei, but the commentaries indicate that this occurred during a fight between Yan and Qi, which presumably implies that there was another Quan somewhere on their shared border.
[2] Later King Kuai of Yan (320-318 BCE). He would be killed in internal power struggles after attempting to give the throne to his Chancellor rather than his son. He was the grandson of Duke Wen. Modern translations suggest that this may be an error for Guo Ren (郭任). See below.
[3] Duke Wen of Yan (361-333 BCE), grandfather of King Kuai of Yan. He conducted successful diplomatic operations with Qin and Qi, marrying a daughter of King Huiwen of Qin.
[4] For fear that Yan and Qi will band together in order to turn against it.
[4] Guo Ren is known principally via this story.
燕文公時
In the Time of Duke Wen of Yan
燕文公時，秦惠王以其女為燕太子婦。文公卒，易王立。齊宣王因燕喪攻之，取十城。
In the time of Duke Wen of Yan[1], King Hui of Qin[2] offered his daughter to Yan's Crown Prince[3]. When Duke Wen passed away the Crown Prince was enthroned, becoming King Yi. King Xuan of Qi[4] took advantage of the period of official mourning to attack Yan, taking ten cities.
武安君蘇秦為燕說齊王，再拜而賀，因仰而弔。齊王桉戈而卻曰：「此一何慶弔相隨之速也？」
Su Qin, Lord Wu'an[5], working on Yan's behalf, went to exercise his persuasions upon the King of Qi. He bowed twice to express his congratulations and then raised his head to offer his condolences. The King of Qi grabbed his halberd, forcing Su Qin to back away, and said, "Why do you thus offer congratulations and condolences in the same breath?"[6]
對曰：「人之飢所以不食烏喙者，以為雖偷充腹，而與死同患也。今燕雖弱小，強秦之少婿也。王利其十城，而深與強秦為仇。今使弱燕為鴈行，而強秦制其後，以招天下之精兵，此食烏喙之類也。」
He replied, "Even when one is starving, one does not solve the problem by eating wolfsbane. It may fill your stomach for a moment but death would soon ensue - the very same disaster you were attempting to avoid. Though Yan is currently small and weak, its King is a son-in-law to mighty Qin, and so you have gained ten cities, but created a profound enmity between yourself and great Qin. Yan is now the lead goose flying in this formation, but Qin is bringing up the rear and will bring a levee of the best troops in All-Under-Heaven with it. Thus you may as well have eaten wolfsbane."
齊王曰：「然則柰何？」
The King of Qi said, "If that is so, how should I handle this[7]?"
對曰：「聖人之制事也，轉禍而為福，因敗而為功。故桓公負婦人而名益尊，韓獻開罪而交愈固，此皆轉禍而為福，因敗而為功者也。王能聽臣，莫如歸燕之十城，卑辭以謝秦。秦知王以己之故歸燕城也，秦必德王。燕無故而得十城，燕亦德王。是棄強仇而立厚交也。且夫燕、秦之俱事齊，則大王號令天下皆從。是王以虛辭附秦，而以十城取天下也。此霸王之業矣。所謂轉禍為福，因敗成功者也。」
He replied, "When a wise man has control over affairs, he can transform a disaster into a blessing and seize success from the the jaws of defeat. Thus Duke Huan[8] repudiated his wife, but grew ever more respected as a result[9]. Han Xian[10] aided and abetted in others' mideeds, but nevertheless formed ever stronger alliances[11]. Thus both of them transformed disasters into blessings and seized success from the the jaws of defeat. If Your Majesty is is capable of following my instructions, the best thing would be to return these ten cities to Yan and apologise humbly to Qin. Qin - having been made aware that you have returned Yan's cities on its account - it will certainly offer Your Majesty some token of its appreciation. Yan - having regained its cities with no action required on its own part - will also pay due tribute. Thus you will have rid yourself of a powerful enemy and formed some profitable friendships. Yan and Qin will both be at your service, and Your Majesty will - with a decree - have made followers of everyone in All-Under-Heaven. This being so, for nothing more than empty words you will have made an adherent of Qin, and for only ten cities you will have gained All-Under-Heaven. This would be the work of a true hegemon[12]. Thus it will be said that you transformed a disaster into a blessing, and seized success from the the jaws of defeat."
齊王大說，乃歸燕城。以金千斤謝其後，頓首塗中，願為兄弟而請罪於秦。
The King of Qi was overjoyed and consequently returned the cities to Yan, receiving a thousand jin of gold in return, He bowed down, grovelling in the dust and begging for forgiveness and a brotherly alliance from Qin.
[1] Duke Wen of Yan (361-333 BCE) conducted successful diplomatic operations with Qin and Qi, marrying a daughter of King Huiwen of Qin.
[2] 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.
[3] Later King Yi of Yan (323-321 BCE). After his accession he suffered attacks by Qi, but persuaded it to return the cities lost. Su Qin rose to prominence in the Yan court during his reign.
[4] King Xuan of Qi (319–301 BCE) was best known for having been advised by Mencius and founding the Jixia Academy.
[5] Su Qin worked for almost all of the states during a long and successful career as the principal proponent of the anti-Qin alliance.
[6] This sounds like a prelude to an assassination attempt, hence Xuan's nerves.
[7] The commentaries suggest 何乎 for 何 here.
[8] Duke Huan of Qi (685–643 BCE) was the greatest ruler of Qi during the Spring and Autumn Period, and with his Chancellor Guan Zhong led the state to a position of hegemony over the other states.
[9] Duke Huan suspected his wife - a woman from Cai - of attempting to assassinate him. He sent her back but did not officially divorce her. Nevertheless, her Cai relations found her a new husband, which served as a pretext for Huan to invade Cai, which he then used as a base for an attack on Chu.
[10] Also known as Han Jue and Han Xianzi, he led the Han family prior to the breakup of Jin, being a successful politician and general.
[11] This seems to be a reference to an episode during which Han Xianzi persuaded the vacillating Jin general, Xun Linfu, that, having already demonstrated his incompetence in various ways, his only option was a desperate last ditch battle against Chu. Xun lost the battle, but managed to redeem himself with more creditable performances later on.
[12] The commentaries suggest that 矣 here may be superfluous.
人有惡蘇秦於燕王者
A Certain Individual Seeks to Defame Su Qin Before the King of Yan
人有惡蘇秦於燕王者，曰：「武安君，天下不信人也。王以萬乘下之，尊之於廷，示天下與小人群也。」武安君從齊來，而燕王不館也。謂燕王曰：「臣東周之鄙人也，見足下身無咫尺之功，而足下迎臣於郊，顯臣於廷。今臣為足下使，利得十城，功存危燕，足下不聽臣者，人必有言臣不信，傷臣於王者。臣之不信，是足下之福也。使臣信如尾生，廉如伯夷，孝如曾參，三者天下之高行，而以事足下，不可乎？」燕王曰：「可。」曰：「有此，臣亦不事足下矣。」
A certain individual sought to defame Su Qin[1] before the King of Yan[2], saying, "Lord Wu'an[3] is the most untrustworthy man in All-Under-Heaven. If you receive him in your court with the respect due to a lord of ten thousand chariots, it will show everyone that you willingly consort with such good-for-nothings." When Lord Wu'an returned after having secured an alliance with Qi, the King did not offer him official accommodation[4].
He spoke to the King, saying, "At our first audience, your servant - a mere commoner from East Zhou - had done nothing of any great merit, but you came out into the suburbs to welcome me, and presented me to your court. Now I have undertaken this mission for you, gaining ten cities and securing Yan's survival when its existence hung in the balance, and you ignore me. Someone must have been saying that I am not trustworthy, impugning my reputation with Your Majesty. Untrustworthy I may be[5], but you are the one who has profited from it. Imagine if I had been as honest as Wei Sheng[6], as honourable as Boyi[7], and as filial as Zeng Shen[8]. All-Under-Heaven takes these three for exemplars, but if you had employed them to serve your interests, could they have done it[9]?"
The King of Yan said, "They could."
Su Qin said, "In that case I shall withdraw from Your Majesty's service."
蘇秦曰：「且夫孝如曾參，義不離親一夕宿於外，足下安得使之之齊？廉如伯夷，不取素，汙武王之義而不臣焉，辭孤竹之君，餓而死於首陽之山。廉如此者，何肯步行數千里，而事弱燕之危主乎？信如尾生，期而不來，抱梁柱而死。信至如此，何肯楊燕、秦之威於齊而取大功乎哉？且夫信行者，所以自為也，非所以為人也。皆自覆之術，非進取之道也。且夫三王代興，五霸迭盛，皆不自覆也。君以自覆為可乎？則齊不益於營丘，足下不踰楚境，不窺於邊城之外。且臣有老母於周，離老母而事足下，去自覆之術，而謀進取之道，臣之趣固不與足下合者。足下皆自覆之君也，僕者進取之臣也，所謂以忠信得罪於君者也。」
Su Qin said[10], "If I were as filial as Zeng Shen, my strict principles would not have let me spend a single night away from my family home[11]. How, then, could you have employed me as your envoy in Qi? What if I were as honourable as Boyi, who refused to eat in idleness[12] and would not serve under a King[13] whose principles he felt would tarnish his own[14], declining the domain of Guzhu[14] and starving to death in the mountains of Shouyang[15]? If I were as honourable as him, would I have been willing to walk thousands of li to serve feeble Yan and its imperiled leader? Or if I were as honest as Wei Sheng, who died clinging to the beams of the bridge he stood under, waiting for one who would never arrive? If I were as honest as him, would I have been willing to extol[16] Yan's greatness[17] in Qi and thereby seize such a significant victory? These promoters of good faith pay lip-service to such values for their own benefit and no one else's. It is craft by which one may minimise any risk to oneself, not a path by which one may advance. The Three Kings[18] belonged to different generations, and the Five Hegemons flourished one after the other, but none of them sought self-preservation. What can a lord achieve who aims for only this? Qi would not have expanded beyond Yingqiu[19] and you would haver have crossed your own frontiers[20] or even glanced beyond your border walls. I have an aged mother in Zhou but I left her to come and serve your interests, putting aside self-preservation and turning my mind towards advancement. My preferences are clearly not in accordance with yours. You are a lord who seeks only to minimise personal risk, I am a servant who aims to advance. This is what they mean when they speak of 'causing offense through excess fidelity'."
燕王曰：「夫忠信，又何罪之有也？」對曰：「足下不知也。臣鄰家有遠為吏者，其妻私人。其夫且歸，其私之者憂之。其妻曰：『公勿憂也，吾已為藥酒以待之矣。』後二日，夫至。妻使妾奉卮酒進之。妾知其藥酒也，進之則殺主父，言之則逐主母，乃陽僵棄酒。主父大怒而笞之。故妾一僵而棄酒，上以活主父，下以存主母也。忠至如此然不免於笞，此以忠信得罪者也。臣之事，適不幸而有類妾之棄酒也。且臣之事足下，亢義益國，今乃得罪，臣恐天下後事足下者，莫敢自必也。且臣之說齊，曾不欺之也。使之說齊說，莫如臣之言也，雖堯、舜之智，不敢取也。」
The King of Yan said, "What offense could such fidelity possibly cause?"
Su Qin replied, "You are not aware of this, but your servant has a neighbour whose official duties took him far from home, during this time his wife had found herself a replacement. When her husband was due to return, her lover grew unsettled. The wife said, 'Worry not. I will have some drugged wine waiting for him.' Two days later, her husband arrived home and she ordered the maid to bring him a cup of wine. The maid knew it was poisoned[20]; if she served it, it would kill her master, but if she spoke up her mistress would be driven out of the house. Therefore she pretended to trip and spilled the wine. The master of the house was enraged, and flogged her. Thus by falling and spilling the wine[21] she saved the lives of both her master and her mistress, but such devotion did not spare her a beating. This is how one may cause offense through excess fidelity. My service to you is - unfortunately - like that of the maid who spilled the wine. In my work for you I have made it my principle to prioritise the national interest, and now I am being accused of wrongdoing. Your servant is afraid that those in All-Under-Heaven who would have been inclined to enter your service will henceforth not dare put themselves at risk[22]. Moreover, when I was exercising my persuasions in Qi, I did not deceive anyone. The other envoys' arguments[23] were simply not as good as my own. Even if they had contained all the wisdom of Yao[15] and Shun, Qi would have shrunk from them."
[1] Su Qin, also known as Lord Wu'an, worked for almost all of the states during a long and successful career as the principal proponent of the anti-Qin alliance.
[2] Duke Wen of Yan (361-333 BCE) conducted successful diplomatic operations with Qin and Qi, marrying a daughter of King Huiwen of Qin.
[3] I.e. Su Qin.
[4] The commentaries suggest that this may be intended to read 不官 - "did not give him an official position".
[5] Bao suggests 且臣 for 臣 here.
[6] Wei Sheng drowned under a bridge while waiting for a girl who stood him up.
[7] Boyi refused to serve under a ruler whose principles he disagreed with and starved as a result.
[8] Zeng Shen was one of Confucius' followers and an exemplar of filial piety.
[9] According to the commentaries, the 不 is superfluous here.
[10] Bao suggests 蘇秦曰 here is superfluous.
[11] Refraining from travelling far from home while one's parents were alive was a Confucian precept.
[12] The commentaries suggest 素龪 for 素.
[13] King Wu of Zhou (1046–1043 BCE) defeated King Zhou of Shang to become one of the founders of the Zhou Dynasty. Boyi regarded him as an usurper.
[14] The commentaries disagree regarding the exact reading of this sentence, but the general sense is clear.
[14] Guzhu was near modern Tangshan, in Hubei.
[15] Apparently these were north of Mount Hua, in modern Shaanxi.
[16] Reading 揚 for 楊, per the commentaries.
[17] The commentaries suggest that 秦 here is superfluous.
[18] The Three Kings and Five Hegemons were Zhou dynasty leaders. The precise list varies depending on the source.
[19] Yingqiu was in modern Changle County, Shandong. It was the original domain awarded to Jiang Ziya, Qi's founder.
[20] Reading 其為 for 其, per the commentaries.
[21] The commentaries disagree regarding the exact reading of this sentence, but the general sense is clear.
[22] The modern translations disagree regarding the interpretation of this sentence. This is a best guess interpretation.
[23] The commentaries suggest that 之 here is superfluous.
張儀為秦破從連橫謂燕王
Zhang Yi, Working on Qin's Behalf, Breaks the Horizontal Alliance by Speaking to the King of Yan
張儀為秦破從連橫，謂燕王曰：「大王之所親，莫如趙。昔趙王以其姊為代王妻，欲并代，約與代王遇於句注之塞。乃令工人作為金斗，長其尾，令之可以擊人。與代王飲，而陰告廚人曰：『即酒酣樂，進熱歠，即因反斗擊之。』於是酒酣樂進取熱歠。廚人進斟羹，因反斗而擊之，代王腦塗地。其姊聞之，摩笄以自刺也。故至今有摩笄之山，天下莫不聞。
Zhang Yi[1], working on Qin's behalf, broke the Horizontal Alliance[2] by speaking to the King of Yan[3], saying, "Among all the states with which Your Majesty has relations, none are closer to you than Zhao. In the past, the Lord of Zhao[4], wishing to annex Dai, offered his elder sister to its king[5] and arranged to meet him at the Juzhu Pass[6]. He then ordered one of his engineers to make a ladle with a long handle, such that it could be used a strike a person down[7]. While drinking with the King of Dai, he whispered to one the kitchen servants about this, saying, 'When he grows tipsy, bring in some hot wine[8] and take the opportunity to reverse the ladle and strike him down with it[9].' Thus, when the King of Dai grew tipsy, Xiangzi called for more hot wine. The servant advanced to pour it out, and took the opportunity to reverse the ladle and strike the King of Dai, whose brains spilled out across the floor. When Xiangzi's sister heard of this she sharpened a hairpin and killed herself with it[10]. As a result of this there is a Sharpened Hairpin Mountain[11] there to this day, and there is no one in All-Under-Heaven who has not heard of it.
「夫趙王之狼戾無親，大王之所明見知也。且以趙王為可親邪？趙興兵而攻燕，再圍燕都而劫大王，大王割十城乃郤以謝。今趙王已入朝澠池，效河間以事秦。大王不事秦，秦下甲雲中、九原，驅趙而攻燕，則易水、長城非王之有也。且今時趙之於秦，猶郡縣也，不敢妄興師以征伐。今大王事秦，秦王必喜，而趙不敢妄動矣。是西有強秦之援，而南無齊、趙之患，是故願大王之熟計之也。」
"The King of Zhao[11] is a ravening wolf with no human attachments. You must be aware of this given all you have seen and heard, and yet you believe you can build a close relationship with him? Zhao has already raised troops and attacked Yan - twice encircling the capital and threatening Your Majesty's life, to a point at which you were willing to offer it ten cities and an apology. Now[12] the King of Zhao has gone in person to Mianchi[13] in Han to offer up his lands by the Yellow River to serve Qin. If you do not also present yourself ready to serve us[14], then Qin will deploy troops to Yunzhong[15] and Jiuyuan[16] and spur Zhao on to attack you. The Yi River[17] and the Great Wall[18] will no longer be yours. Zhao's relationship to Qin is currently such that Zhao may as well be one of Qin's own provinces. It will not dare to raise any troops or launch any attacks unbidden. If Your Majesty also enters Qin's service, then the King of Qin[19] will certainly be overjoyed and thus Zhao will not dare move against you independently. Having the assistance of mighty Qin in the west, you will not suffer at the hands of Qi or Zhao to the south. In the circumstances, I hope that Your Majesty will think intensively on this matter."
燕王曰：「寡人蠻夷辟處，雖大男子，裁如嬰兒，言不足以求正，謀不足以決事。今大客幸而教之，請奉社稷西面而事秦，獻常山之尾五城。」
The King of Yan said, "We live among barbarians, where even adult men are childlike in their comportment. Their words are of no help in searching for clarity, their strategies of no help in deciding affairs. Now we have been blessed with advice from such an illustrious guest, I beg your permission to offer up our earth and grain to serve Qin in the west, presenting you with five cities in the vicinity of Wei, near Mount Chang[20]."
[1] Zhang Yi was a politician and general in Qin, and the principal proponent of Qin's Horizontal Alliance, the aim of which was to prevent the other states from unifying against Qin.
[2] The Horizontal Alliance was the shifting coalition of countries aiming to resist Qin's expansion.
[3] The commentaries suggest King Zhao of Yan (311-279 BCE), while the text itself heavily implies that this speech is being given at some point in the 230s or 220s BCE, when Qin's victory was more or less inevitable. However, Zhang Yi's death in 309 BCE precludes his participation in the relevant events.
[4] Reading 主 for 王, per the commentaries. This refers to Zhao Xiangzi, who was the head of the Zhao clan during the break-up of Jin.
[5] It is not clear which King of Dai is indicated here.
[6] The Juzhu Pass is now known as the Yanmen Pass and is in Shanxi. It was a strategic chokepoint.
[7] A ladle from a bronze ceremonial banquet set would have a heavily ornamented handle, likely with jagged edges.
[8] Following the commentaries.
[9] The commentaries suggest that 之 here may be superfluous.
[10] This is also known as Mount Mingji, and is in Laiyuan County, Hebei.
[11] The commentaries suggest King Wuling of Zhao (325–299 BCE).
[12] The commentaries suggest that the 今 here may be superfluous.
[13] Mianchi is still called Mianchi, and is in Henan.
[14] The commentaries sugges 今大 for 大 here.
[15] Yunzhong was an area outside the Great Wall (or the iteration of it that existed at the time), near Wuhai in modern Inner Mongolia.
[16] It is not entirely clear where this was, but it seems to have been near Yunzhong.
[17] The Yi River is now known as the Yishui River, and it is in Hebei.
[18] This refers to the section of the wall in modern Yi County, Hebei.
[19] The commentaries suggest King Zhaoxiang of Qin (306–251 BCE).
[20] Wei was east of Mount Chang, which is now called Mount Heng.
宮他為燕使魏
Gong Ta Serves as Yan's Envoy in Wei
宮他為燕使魏，魏不聽，留之數月。客謂魏王曰：「不聽燕使何也？」曰：「以其亂也。」對曰：「湯之伐桀，欲其亂也。故大亂者克得其地，小亂者可得其寶。今燕客之言曰：『事茍可聽，雖盡寶、地，猶微之也。』王何為不見？」魏說，因見燕客而遣之。
Gong Ta[1] was serving as Yan's envoy in Wei, but Wei refused to listen to him. He had been kept there for several months when a member of his entourage spoke to the King of Wei[2], saying, "You refuse to listen to the envoy from Yan. Why is this?"
The King said, "Because it is in a state of insurrection."
He replied, "Tang[3] attacked Jie[4] because he wished to spead disorder in Jie's state. If a major insurrection broke out within Jie's state, Tang would be able to overrun his land. If minor civil disorder broke out, he would be able to gain possession of Jie's treasures[5]. Now your guest from Yan has spoken, saying, 'I would expend land and treasure as if it were nothing, if the King would just listen to a single sentence on this matter.' Why does Your Majesty prevent him from gaining an audience with you?" The King of Wei was delighted, and thus granted his guest from Yan an audience before sending him home[6].
[1] Gong Ta was a politician in West Zhou.
[2] It is not clear which King of Wei is indicated here.
[3] Tang of Shang (c. 1675–1646 BCE) overthrew King Jie of Xia to become the first ruler of the Shang Dynasty.
[4] King Jie (c. 1728–1675 BEC) was the tyrannical last ruler of the Xia Dynasty.
[5] Presumably as a bribe for his assistance in putting down the rebellion.
[6] With a message as proof that he had completed his mission.
蘇秦死其弟蘇代欲繼之
Su Qin Dies and his Younger Brother, Su Dai, Wishes to Pursue his Work
蘇秦死，其弟蘇代欲繼之，乃北見燕王噲曰：「臣東周之鄙人也，竊聞王義甚高甚順，鄙人不敏，竊釋鉏耨而干大王。至於邯鄲，所聞於邯鄲者，又高於所聞東周。臣竊負其志，乃至燕廷，觀王之群臣下吏，大王天下之明主也。」王曰：「子之所謂天下之明主者，何如者也？」
After Su Qin[1] died, his younger brother Su Dai[2] wished to pursue his work. Consequently he headed north to seek an audience with King Kuai of Yan[3], saying, "Your servant is a mere peasant from East Zhou, but having happened to hear about the exemplary nobility of Your Majesty's ideals, I - for all my rustic simplicity - took the liberty of setting aside my hoe and my rake and seeking you out. When I arrived in Handan the stories I heard about you were even more impressive than those recounted to me in East Zhou. I thus had the temerity to abandon my own plans[4] and come to the court of Yan. When I saw Your Majesty's assembled servants and functionaries, it appeared to me to be the court of an enlightened sovereign of All-Under-Heaven[5]."
對曰：「臣聞之，明主者務聞其過，不欲聞其善。臣請謁王之過。夫齊、趙者，王之仇讎也；楚、魏者，王之援國也。今王奉仇讎以伐援國，非所以利燕也。王自慮此則計過。無以諫者，非忠臣也。」王曰：「寡人之於齊、趙也，非所敢欲伐也。」
The King said, "You talk of enlightened sovereigns of All-Under-Heaven. How would you define such a thing?"
He replied, "Your servant has heard that an enlightened sovereign seeks to hear about his mistakes and has no desire to hear himself praised. If I may, therefore, I beg permission to touch upon your mistakes. Qi and Zhao are your enemies, while Chu and Wei are the sources of your salvation. Currently you are exalting your enemies and attacking those liable to assist you. This is not the way to benefit Yan. Consider it for yourself and you will realise you are following the wrong strategy. Any advisor who did not remonstrate with you on this would not be a loyal servant."
The King said, "Our position with regard to Qi and Zhao is such that an attack on them would be unthinkable."
曰：「夫無謀人之心，而令人疑之，殆；有謀人之心，而令人知之，拙；謀未發而聞於外，則危。今臣聞王居處不安，食飲不甘，思念報齊，身自削甲扎，曰有大數矣，妻自組甲絣，曰有大數矣，有之乎？」
Su Dai said, "One who has no intention to plot against others and yet causes them to suspect him is at risk. One who has a mind to scheme against others and allows them to become aware of the fact is inept. One who has not yet begun to enact a plan and permits it to be spoken of abroad is in mortal danger. Now I have heard that you know no traquility within your private appartments and your food and drink no longer tastes sweet to you, such is your obsession with vengeance against Qi[6]. You yourself sit polishing your armour[7], while your wife re-braids the ties. Is this not so?"
王曰：「子聞之，寡人不敢隱也。我有深怨積怒於齊，而欲報之二年矣。齊者，我讎國也，故寡人之所欲伐也。直患國弊，力不足矣。子能以燕敵齊，則寡人奉國而委之於子矣。」
The King said, "Since you have already heard about this, we would not have the temerity to try to conceal it. I have a profound and long-running grudge against Qi. I have desired revenge these past two years[8]. The state of Qi is my greatest enemy, thus it is Qi that we wish to attack, but our state is so worn down by misfortune that our strength is insufficient to the task. If you can make Yan a match for Qi[9], then we will offer up our state and entrust you with its management."
對曰：「凡天下之戰國七，而燕處弱焉。獨戰則不能，有所附則無不重。南附楚則楚重，西附秦則秦重，中附韓、魏則韓、魏重。且苟所附之國重，此必使王重矣。今夫齊王，長主也，而自用也。南攻楚五年，嘡積散。西困秦三年，民憔瘁，士罷弊。北與燕戰，覆三軍，獲二將。而又以其餘兵南面而舉五千乘之勁宋，而包十二諸侯。此其君之欲得也，其民力竭也，安猶取哉？且臣聞之，數戰則民勞，久師則兵弊。」
Su Dai replied, "Of the seven warring states in All-Under-Heaven, Yan is the weakest. If you fight alone, you cannot prevail, but if you arrive with reinforcements there is no one who will not accord you proper respect. Reinforced by Chu in the South, you will have the weight of a Chu. Reinforced by Qin in the West, you will have the weight of a Qin. Reinforced by Han and Wei in the centre, you will have the weight of both Han and Wei. You only have to secure the backing of one of these influential states and you too will be influential. Now the King of Qi[10] is a leader among sovereigns, and he has made abundant use of this status. He has been launching attacks on Chu in the south for five years now, squandering his accumulated resources. He has been striving to contain Qin in the west for three years[11], and his citizens are weary, his officers exhausted. In the north he has been fighting you, pushing back three armies and capturing two generals. On top of this, he now intends to turn the remnants of his armies south[12] and raise five thousand chariots to move against hardy Song, thereby sercuring his hold over the twelve sovereign lords[13]. This is what the Lord of Qi seeks, but its citizens have already given everything they can, so how can he possibly secure it? I have heard it said that frequent wars are hard labour for the people, and long service exhausts the troops."
王曰：「吾聞齊有清濟、濁河，可以為固；有長城、鉅防，足以為塞。誠有之乎？」
The King said, "I have heard it said that the Qing[14], Ji[15] and Zhuo[16] Rivers make a stronghold of Qi, and its walls and guards are more than sufficent to secure its borders. Is this not so?"
對曰：「天時不與，雖有清濟、濁河，何足以為固？民力窮弊，雖有長城、鉅防，何足以為塞？且異日也，濟西不役，所以備趙也；河北不師，所以備燕也。今濟西、河北，盡以役矣，封內弊矣。夫驕主必不好計，而亡國之臣貪於財。王誠能毋愛寵子、母弟以為質，寶珠玉帛以事其左右，彼且德燕而輕亡宋，則齊可亡已。」
Su Dai replied, "If Heaven has decreed that this is Qi's time, then what can the Qing, Ji and Zhuo Rivers do to protect it? If Qi's citizens are impoverished and exhausted, then what defensive fortifications will suffice to secure its borders? There was a time when Qi refused to mobilse troops west of the Ji because it was readying itself to defend against Zhao; it refused to muster troops north of the Yellow River because it was readying itself to defend against Yan[17]. Now Qi is defenseless west of the Ji and north of the Yellow River, and broken within its own domains. A haughty sovereign neglects strategy and the servants of a dying state are greedy for wealth; if you are capable of offering your beloved favourites, your sons and brothers, as hostages to Qi, as well as giving jewels, jade and silks to the King's entourage, they will ensure that Yan is paid due tribute and regard the etermination of Song as an inconsequential matter[18]. Thus Qi can be wiped out completely."
王曰：「吾終以子受命於天矣？」曰：「內寇不與，五敵不可距。王自治其外，臣自報其內，此乃亡之之勢也。」
The King said, "I will receive all your instructions henceforth as if they came from Heaven itself."
Su Dai said, "When there is disorder and discord inside the court, then one will never be able to ward off five opponents[19]. If you take command of Qi's foreign affairs, I will ensure the submission of its court. Thus its power will be extinguished."
[1] Su Qin worked for almost all of the states during a long and successful career as the principal proponent of the anti-Qin alliance. He was assassinated by political enemies in Qi.
[2] Su Dai was Su Qin's younger brother and shared his anti-Qin position.
[3] King Kuai of Yan (320-318 BCE) seems to have believed in Mohist meritocracy, and appointed his son Zizhi as Chancellor before abdicating in his favour. In fact, Su Qin did not die until long after King Kuai's reign. The commentaries suggest that this actually refers to King Zhao of Yan (311-279 BCE), who initiated a successful invasion of Qi. The latter seems more likely since Su Qin's career did not take off until after Kuai's death.
[4] This follows Crump's interpretation.
[5] Having the power to attract such an entourage.
[6] The commentaries suggest 思齊報齊 for 思念報齊 here.
[7] The commentaries suggest that 曰有大數矣 here and below are superfluous.
[8] The commentaries suggest that 二年 here may be superfluous.
[9] The commentaries disagree regarding the correct reading of this sentence, but the general sense is clear.
[10] King Min of Qi (300–284 BCE) was famously bad at managing his subordinates, and almost lost his state following an invasion by Yan. His own generals eventually turned upon him and one of them, Nao Chi, killed him.
[11] Or "has been contained by Qin in the west". The commentaries disagree.
[12] Bao suggests 西 for 而 here.
[13] It's not clear which twelve are indicated here.
[14] There are multiple rivers with this name.
[15] The Ji River followed the channel currently occupied by the Yellow River.
[16] It is not clear where this was.
[17] I.e. it did not dare risk exhausting its conscripts in expansionary campaigns for fear that it would shortly be obliged to wage a defensive war.
[18] That is to say that Yan will promise Qi its support for its attack on Song, giving Qi the confidence to proceed. Yan will then withdraw its troops and attack Qi once it has exhausted itself with the attack on Song.
[19] Reading 拒 for 距, per the commentaries. It is not clear that who the five opponents referred to are, as there were more than five surviving states at this point. Possibly it is a reference to the idea of having enemies on four borders as well as internal opponents.