楚襄王為太子之時，質於齊。懷王薨，太子辭於齊王而歸。齊王隘之：「予我東地五百里，乃歸子。子不予我，不得歸。」太子曰：「臣有傅，請追而問傅。」傅慎子曰：「獻之地，所以為身也。愛地不送死父，不義。臣故曰，獻之便。」太子入，致命齊王曰：「敬獻地五百里。」齊王歸楚太子。

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When King Xiang[1] was the Crown Prince, he served as a hostage in Qi. When King Huai[2] passed away, the Crown Prince went to bid farewell to the King of Qi[3] before going home, but the King prevented him from leaving: "Give me five hundred li of land in the East, and I will send you home. If you will not give it to me, then you cannot leave."

The Crown Prince said, "I have a preceptor. I beg permission to withdraw[4] and ask him about this."

The preceptor, Master Shen[5], said, "If you give him land, it would be for the purpose of preserving your life. Covetousness over land should not prevent you from saying farewell to your father; that would not be ethical. Therefore, your servant says that it would be sensible to make the offer[6]."

The Crown Prince went back into the palace and delivered his decision to the King of Qi, saying, "I respectfully offer you five hundred li of land." The King of Qi allowed the Crown Prince to return to Chu.

 

太子歸，即位為王。齊使車五十乘，來取東地於楚。楚王告慎子曰：「齊使來求東地，為之奈何？」慎子曰：「王明日朝群臣，皆令獻其計。」

 

The Crown Prince went home, and was enthroned as King.

Qi sent five hundred chariots to receive the land from Chu. The King of Chu reported this to Master Shen, saying, "Qi has dispatched a mission to demand their land in the East. How should we handle this?"

Master Shen said, "Tomorrow you should bring your private secretaries together in your court and order them all to propose a plan." 

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上柱國子良入見。王曰：「寡人之得求反，王墳墓、復群臣、歸社稷也，以東地五百里許齊。齊令使來求地，為之奈何？」子良曰：「王不可不與也。王身出玉聲，許強萬乘之齊而不與，則不信，後不可以約結諸侯。請與而復攻之。與之信，攻之武。臣故曰與之。」

​

Generalissimo Zi Liang[7] arrived at the palace for an audience. The King said, "If our request to return was successful, and we were able attend the former sovereign's[8] funeral, meet our assembled private secretaries once more, and returning to our altars of earth and grain, it was on account of the five hundred li and in the East that we promised to Qi. Qi's envoys have arrived to demand it. How should we handle this[9]?"

Zi Liang said, "There is nothing you can do but give it to them. Your words are as precious as jade. If you make a promise to mighty Qi, a ten-thousand chariot state, and do not fulfil it, then you will lose credibility. Afterwards you will not be able to secure a treaty or an agreement with any of the sovereign lords. I beg that you give them the land and then attack them. Giving them the land will strengthen your credibility, and attacking them will strengthen your military reputation. This is why your servant says that you should hand the land over."

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子良出，昭常入見。王曰：「齊使來求東地五百里，為之奈何？」昭常曰：「不可與也。萬乘者，以地大為萬乘。今去東地五百里，是去戰國之半也，有萬乘之號而無千乘之用也，不可。臣故曰勿與。常請守之。」昭常出，景鯉入見。王曰：「齊使來求東地五百里，為之奈何？」景鯉曰：「不可與也。雖然，楚不能獨守。王身出玉聲，許萬乘之強齊也而不與，負不義於天下。楚亦不能獨守。臣請西索救於秦。」

 

Zi Liang left, and Zhao Chang[9] arrived for an audience. The King said, "Qi's envoys have arrived to demand their five hundred li of land in the East. How should we handle this?" 

Zhao Chang said, "You cannot hand it over. If Qi is a state of ten thousand chariots, it is because it used its vast lands to obtain them. If you now throw away five hundred li of land in the East, you will be giving away the eastern[11] half of the state. We will be a ten-thousand chariot state in name only, unable to muster even a thousand chariots for deployment.  This is unacceptable. Your servant therefore says that you should not hand the land over. I request permission to defend it." 

Zhao Chang left, and Jing Li[12] arrived for an audience. The King said, "Qi's envoys have arrived to demand their five hundred li of land in the East. How should we handle this?" 

Jing Li said, "You cannot hand it over, however, you also cannot defend it alone. Your words are as precious as jade. If you make a promise to mighty Qi, a ten-thousand chariot state, and do not fulfil it, then you will have to shoulder a reputation for unethical conduct throughout All-Under-Heaven... But Chu also cannot protect the land alone[13]. I request permission to go West and seek aid from Qin."

​

景鯉出，慎子入，王以三大夫計告慎子曰：「子良見寡人曰：『不可不與也，與而復攻之。』常見寡人曰：『不可與也，常請守之。』鯉見寡人曰：『不可與也，雖然楚不能獨守也，臣請索救於秦。』寡人誰用於三子之計？」慎子對曰：「王皆用之。」王怫然作色曰：「何謂也？」慎子曰：「臣請效其說，而王且見其誠然也。王發上柱國子良車五十乘，而北獻地五百里於齊。發子良之明日，遣昭常為大司馬，令往守東地。遣昭常之明日，遣景鯉車五十乘，西索救於秦。」王曰：「善。」乃遣子良北獻地於齊。遣子良之明日，立昭常為大司馬，使守東地。又遣景鯉西索救於秦。

 

Jing Li left, and Master Shen arrived for an audience. The King told him about the plans of his three counsellors, saying, "Zi Liang came for an audience with us and said, 'You cannot refuse to give them the land; hand it over and then attack them.' Chang Zhao came to see us and said, 'You cannot give them the land, I request permission to defend it.' Li came to see us and said, 'You cannot give them the land, but you cannot protect it alone. I request permission to seek aid from Qin.' Of the three, whose plan should we use?"

Master Shen said, "Your Majesty should use all of them."

The King's mood showed in his expression, and he said, "What are you talking about?"

Master Shen said, "Your servant begs you to implement their arguments, and then Your Majesty will see their true nature. Dispatch Generalissimo Zi Liang with fifty chariots to head north to offer five hundred li of land to Qi. The day after you dispatch Zi Liang, you should make Zhao Chang a Cavalry Commander and send him to mount a defense in the East. Then send Jing Li west with fifty carriages to seek aid from Qin."

The King said, "Very well." Accordingly he sent Zi Liang north to offer the land to Qi. The day after he dispatched Zi Liang, he made Zhao Ju a Cavalry Commander and sent him to mount a defense in the East. Then he sent Jing Li west to seek aid from Qin.

​

子良至齊，齊使人以甲受東地。昭常應齊使曰：「我典主東地，且與死生。悉五尺至六十，三十餘萬弊甲鈍兵，願承下塵。」齊王謂子良曰：「大夫來獻地，今常守之何如？」子良曰：「臣身受命弊邑之王，是常矯也。王攻之。」齊王大興兵，攻東地，伐昭常。未涉疆，秦以五十萬臨齊右壤。曰：「夫隘楚太子弗出，不仁；又欲奪之東地五百里，不義。其縮甲則可，不然，則願待戰。」齊王恐焉。乃請子良南道楚，西使秦，解齊患。士卒不用，東地復全。

 

When Zi Liang arrived at the Qi border, Qi sent its partisans in arms to accept the land in the East. Zhao Chang replied to the Qi envoys, saying, "I have charge over the lands in the East, and I will live and die with them. I have mobilised the entire population over five chi tall[14] and under sixty years old. We have over thirty thousand troops; their armour may be worn-out and their weapons blunt, but they are willing to follow me to the grave[15]." 

The King of Qi spoke to Zi Liang, saying, "You came to offer us land; why does Chang now want to defend it from us?"

Zi Liang said, "Your servant received his orders from the King of our humble state. This being so, Chang must be exceeding his authority; Your Majesty should attack him." The King of Qi raised a great army and struck from the east, attacking Zhao Chang.

Before it had crossed the border, however, Qin moved five hundred thousand troops towards Qi's right flank, saying, "You detained the Crown Prince of Chu and would not let him leave. This is not benevolence. Then you tried to grab five hundred li of their land in the East. This is not justice. If you intend to withdraw your troops, we will allow that. If not, then we willingly await your attack." The King of Qi was afraid of this. He asked Zi Liang to take the road southwards into Chu and sent an envoy west into Qin to resolve its antagonism with Qi. Officers and troops were left unused, and the land in the east was all returned.    

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[1] 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. 

[2] King Huai of Chu (328-299 BCE) was known for having been the object of various poetic complaints by Qu Yuan​. He was captured by Qin in 299 BCE and his son King Qingxiang took the throne. He made one attempt to escape, but was recaptured and died in 296 BCE.

[3] 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.

[4] Reading 退 for 追, per the commentaries. 

[5] This may be the legalist author Shen Dao. He would have been in Qi at the right time.

[6] The commentaries disagree regarding the precise reading of this sentence, but the general sense is clear. 

[7] Zi Liang was a Chu aristocrat.

[8] Reading 主 for 王 here, per the commentaries. 

[9] Yao suggests 今 for 令 here.

[10] Zhao Chang was not otherwise well-known.

[11] Reading 東 for 戰 as in modern translations.

[12] Jing Li worked as a diplomat in Chu.

[13] The commentaries suggest that this passage may be corrupt.

[14] A chi was a little under ten inches, or 25 cm. Ancient states often used height in lieu of age to determine whether someone was a minor.

[15] This is a modern interpretation of the sentence. The commentaries give a different one, suggesting "and I am willing to lay the dust raised by their feet."