Chapter 21 3rd century 40s BC (260-251 BC)

1. Zuo Shuchang (the eleventh level of Qin officials) Wang Yan (sound he) of the Qin Kingdom (capital Xianyang) captured Shangdang City (Changzi County, Shanxi Province).The residents of Shangdang fled to the Kingdom of Zhao (the capital Handan), and Lian Po, the commander of the Kingdom of Zhao, led an army to Changping (northwest of Gaoping County, Shanxi Province) to take in the refugees. Wang Yan continued to attack Zhao Jun. Zhao Jun was defeated repeatedly, and a lieutenant general (pi general) and four officers (wei) were killed in battle.King Zhao (the third king of Xiaocheng) Zhao Dan discussed with his ministers Lou Chang and Yu Qing how to deal with it. Lou Chang suggested sending important figures to negotiate peace.Yu Qing objected, saying: "Now, the power of peace and war is in the hands of the Kingdom of Qin. It is obvious that the Kingdom of Qin has made up its mind to destroy the field army of the Kingdom of Zhao. It is useless for us to send important people there. It is better to send this important person to Chu Kingdom (capital Chenqiu) and Qi Kingdom (capital Linzi) to present precious treasures. If Chu Qi accepts, Qin Kingdom will force out another north-south alliance due to concerns. Peace is the only way to hope." Zhao Dan didn't believe it, so he appointed his important minister Zheng Zhu to go to Xianyang, and the Qin Kingdom expressed his welcome.Zhao Dan happily said to Yu Qing: "Look, the Kingdom of Qin welcomes you." Yu Qing said: "That would be worse, reconciliation is even more impossible, and our army will be attacked more severely. Why? Some countries The envoys congratulating the Qin Kingdom on their victory have already arrived there. Zheng Zhu is a well-known person in the world. Yingji and Fan Ju will definitely respect him on the surface and publicize it so that it will be known to the world. If you bow your knees, no one will consider sending troops to aid. After the attitudes of all countries become clear, the next step is definitely not peace, but war."

Everything was as Yu Qing expected, the Kingdom of Qin entertained Zheng Zhu grandly, but kept silent about reconciliation.The battle ahead became more and more fierce. Zhao Jun was defeated again and again, but Lian Po stood firm in his camp and refused to fight.Zhao Dan was very dissatisfied with Lian Po's series of defeats and evasion strategies, and repeatedly blamed him.Fan Ju used a huge sum of 240,000 taels of gold to launch a whisper offensive within the Kingdom of Zhao, saying: "The most feared thing in the Kingdom of Qin is Zhao Kuo, the son of Zhao She (Ma Fujun). Once Zhao Kuo becomes the commander, the Qin army wants to escape. It was too late. Lian Po was old and easy to deal with, so he surrendered soon." Zhao Dan ordered Zhao Kuo to be appointed to replace Lian Po.Lin Xiangru warned: "The king used Zhao Kuo because he was famous, and played the piano there by glueing the tuning column. In fact, Zhao Kuo could only read his father's military books, and didn't know how to deal with the enemy on the battlefield." It's ever-changing." But Zhao Dan firmly believed in Zhao Kuo's ability.

At first, when Zhao Kuo was young, he learned the art of war from his father Zhao She and thought he was invincible.I used to talk about military affairs with my father, and repeatedly discussed it, which often made Zhao She speechless, but Zhao She still disagreed with his son. His mother asked him why, and his father said: "War is death. Death is a serious matter. But Zhao Kuo talked so easily, this is a crisis. Zhao Kuo is not the commander in chief, if he is the commander in chief, he must be the one who broke the Zhao Kingdom's army." When Zhao Kuo accepted the appointment and before leaving, his mother wrote a letter To Zhao Dan, firmly point out that Zhao Kuo is definitely not a commander in chief.Zhao Dan asked her, "How do you know?" My mother said, "When I married his father, his father was already a general. There were more than ten elders who I personally served with a bowl, and his own friends also had one." About a hundred people. All the property rewarded by the king and the royal family were distributed to the officers and staff. On the day of receiving the order, he threw himself into the barracks without asking about family affairs. Now, Zhao Kuo has just become a general, and he sits high in the hall, Facing the east, majestic and majestic, the officers dare not even lift their heads. All the property rewarded by the king are transported home, and they check every day for cheap farms and houses, and hurry to buy them. The king thought he was just like his father, but he didn't know He is different from his father. Please don’t send him, the king, he will bring disaster to the country.” (Buying a house and a piece of land will make you happy, but he is mediocre. Giving power to such a person is like throwing Thousands of lives were driven to the slaughterhouse. In history, there are such brazen butcher generals who murdered their own troops everywhere.) Zhao Dan said: "Old lady, don't say too much, I have made up my mind." Mother said: " If there is anything wrong with Zhao Kuo, please allow his family members not to be punished." Zhao Dan promised.

The King of Qin Kingdom (the third Zhaoxiang King) Yingji was so happy when he got the news that Zhao Kuo was appointed as the commander-in-chief, the opportunity to wipe out the main force of the Zhao Kingdom's field army finally came.Immediately, Bai Qi was secretly appointed as the commander-in-chief (general) of the expeditionary force, and Wang Lu was demoted to be the deputy general (general).Order: Anyone who dares to reveal the news of Bai Qi's appointment as commander-in-chief will be executed immediately (Zhao Kuozhen may retreat because of Bai Qi's prestige, and the Qin Kingdom does not allow Zhao Jun to leave the battlefield).Zhao Kuo went to the front, entered the position, revoked Lian Po's order to stand firm, replaced Lian Po's staff, dismantled the fortifications, and ordered an attack.Bai Qi taught the Qin army to pretend to be defeated, but secretly stretched the left and right wings.Zhao Kuo took advantage of the victory and pursued, until he reached the camp of the Qin army.Bai Qi stood firm, Zhao Kuo launched an unprecedented violent attack, Qin Jun fought bloody, Zhao Jun was unable to break through.The left and right wings of the Qin army's 25,000 men had already detoured behind the Zhao army.Another 5,000 elite cavalry had cut off Zhao Kuo's retreat.As a result, the attacking troops led by Zhao Kuo and the heavy troops still staying in the original camp were divided into two, and the food road was cut off.Bai Qi sent a small force to fight back, and Zhao Kuo fought again, but still could not win. It became a situation where he could not advance, retreat, and fight, and he was helpless.He had no choice but to follow Lian Po's example and build another camp, waiting for the government to rescue the soldiers. (At this time, the army has been divided and the food roads have been cut off. Lian Po is a veteran, and the first priority of a veteran is to use heavy troops to keep the food roads open. Zhao Kuo’s wishful thinking is that after defeating the Qin army, there will naturally be food. The debate is arguing, Zhao Kuo said He has heroic courage and grandeur, so he often wins over his father.)

Yingji received the report and knew that Zhao Jun had been forced into a trap. Fearing that things might change over time and he might escape, he personally went to Hanoi (north of the Yellow River in Henan Province) and ordered that all men over the age of fifteen from the whole country should be recruited and sent to Changping ( Northwest of Gaoping County, Shanxi Province) to report, block all roads, and cut off the reinforcements and food supplies of the Kingdom of Zhao.The Kingdom of Qi and the Kingdom of Chu attempted to provide assistance to the Kingdom of Zhao. The Zhao army was short of food.Minister Zhou Zi warned: "The Kingdom of Zhao is the barrier between the Kingdom of Qi and the Kingdom of Chu. They are closely related, just like teeth are to the lips. If the lips die, the teeth will become cold. Today the Kingdom of Zhao is destroyed, and tomorrow it will be the turn of Qi and Chu. To save the Kingdom of Zhao is to hold Leu It's like pouring a burnt iron pot. It's so urgent, how can you ignore it? Moreover, saving the Zhao Kingdom is the highest morality, and defeating the Qin army will be even more prestigious. Don't do these things, but cherish the food. Yes As far as the country is concerned, this is a terrible mistake." Tian Jian did not accept it. (Du Mu said: "The one who destroys the Six Kingdoms is the Six Kingdoms, not Qin.")

In September, the Zhao army had no food supply for forty-six days. The officers and soldiers were so hungry that they murdered and devoured each other in the camp.The Qin army's encirclement became smaller and smaller, and they continued to challenge.Zhao Kuo selected elites, formed four teams, and charged in all directions at the same time.The Qin army's position was heavily defended, as strong as a copper wall and an iron wall. Zhao Jun charged four or five times repeatedly, causing casualties everywhere, but still could not shake a single hair of the Qin army.Zhao Kuo was determined to put all his eggs in one basket. As the commander in chief, he personally led the army and launched the most ferocious and tragic breakout.However, the Qin army refused to fight hand-to-hand, and only used a strong bow to deal with it. Arrows rained down, and Zhao Kuo died with an arrow.

The commander-in-chief was killed, the Zhao army collapsed, and 400,000 exhausted officers and soldiers surrendered to the Qin army.They were rejoicing that they had finally escaped the catastrophe, but they didn't expect that a more tragic catastrophe was yet to come.Bai Qi said: "The Qin Kingdom has occupied Shangdang, but the Shangdang people have surrendered to the Zhao Kingdom. The Zhao Kingdom's army has always been strong, and will never be willing to be a prisoner. If you don't act decisively, there may be chaos in the future." The army was relieved, and then they all ganged up and killed, leaving only 240 young officers, and sent them back to the Kingdom of Zhao to make them report the bad news.In this battle, the Qin Kingdom won an unprecedented victory, killing a total of 450,000 people. The main force of the Zhao Kingdom's field army was completely wiped out, and the whole country was shocked. (Bai Qi divided the Zhao army into ten battalions, isolated from each other. They were unguarded and unarmed, and they were like pigs and sheep. However, the "punishment" of the Qin Kingdom was to bury people in the chest or shoulders, and then behead them. To deal with a large number of captives, this method does not work by itself. Therefore, it should be buried alive instead of tortured. The scene is now in Wangbao Village, ten kilometers northwest of Gaoping County, Shanxi Province. Valley", Li Longji, the ninth emperor of the Tang Dynasty, once visited this place and renamed it "Provincial Injustice Valley".)

Bo Yang said: Any general with a noble heart will never kill and surrender.As the saying goes: "The one who kills and surrenders is inauspicious." The effect of killing and surrendering is immediate, but the damage caused by killing and surrendering will not heal for a long time.Although Bai Qi was killed two years later, we don't think it was retribution for killing and surrendering.Because the retribution of killing surrender is much more serious, the country, society, and even the moral character of the people must pay the price for killing surrender.Never before in history has a government that allowed surrender paid such a price.Although Bai Qi is a famous general, he is just a vicious dog who did such a cruel thing. We are happy to see his role in Du You (northeast of Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province) (refer to 257 BC).

1. In October, Bai Qi divided the army into three groups. One group ordered Wang Yan to be the commander. They captured Wu'an (Wu'an City, Hebei Province) and Pilao (northeast of Yicheng County, Shanxi Province) in the Kingdom of Zhao (the capital Handan). As the commander, Sima Geng captured Taiyuan (Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province) and Shangdang County (Changzi County, Shanxi Province), the northwest fortresses of the Kingdom of Zhao. He led the way to Handan (the capital of Zhao).The Kingdom of Han (the capital of Xinzheng) and the Kingdom of Zhao were defeated, panicked, and asked Su Daixi to enter the Kingdom of Qin (the capital of Xianyang), present the most precious gift to Fan Ju, and asked: "Is Bai Qi going to attack Handan? "Fan Ju said: "Of course." Su Dai said: "Once the Kingdom of Zhao is destroyed, King Qin will become the co-lord of the world, and Bai Qi will be promoted to Sangong (a noble official higher than the prime minister, located between the emperor and the prime minister) When he is also a prime minister, he is a prime minister. When he is not a prime minister, he has a noble status and has political and moral influence. Different dynasties have different titles for the three princes, but the nature is the same. The three princes of the Zhou Dynasty: Taishi, Taifu, and Taibao The three princes of the Western Han Dynasty: Da Sima, Da Situ, and Da Sikong. The three princes of the Eastern Han Dynasty: Taiwei, Situ, and Sikong) high positions. Can you be his subordinate willingly? Even if you are willing to be his subordinate, I am afraid he will tolerate it. No less than you. The Qin Kingdom attacked the Han Kingdom and occupied Xingqiu (east of Wen County, Henan Province) and Shangdang. The people there would rather be ruled by the Zhao Kingdom than the Qin Kingdom. People are bound to flee. The northerners fled to the Kingdom of Yan (the capital Jicheng), the Easterners fled to the Kingdom of Qi (the capital Linzi), and the southerners fled to the Kingdoms of Han and Wei. How much human resources can the Qin Kingdom get? For the Kingdom of Qin, accepting the cession of land is the greatest benefit. Why should Bai Qi make contributions?" Fan Ju was moved, and suggested to the king (the third King of Zhaoxiang) Ying Ji: "The Qin army went out to fight with all the country, and the violent divisions were outside. , I am too tired, if there is a mistake due to excessive use, wouldn’t all previous efforts be wasted. It is better to allow Han Zhao to cut off the land to make peace, and wait for our soldiers to rest for a while before attacking.” Ying Ji agreed with Fan Ju’s opinion, so, The Kingdom of Han ceded Yuanyong (west of Yuanyang County, Henan Province), and the Kingdom of Zhao ceded six cities and concluded a peace treaty.

In the first month, Yingji ordered the class teacher.Seeing that his achievements in destroying the country were ruined, Bai Qi deeply hated Fan Ju's obstruction, and since then there has been hatred between the two of them. 2. King Zhao (the third king of Xiaocheng), Zhao Dan, sent Zhao Haoju as a special envoy to handle the handover procedures of the six cities.Yu Qing said to Zhao Dan: "When the Qin Kingdom attacked us, did it retreat because of fatigue? Or did it retreat because it had enough strength to advance?" Zhao Dan said, "Of course it is because of insufficient strength." Yu Qing said: "Qin The kingdom retreated because it had no strength to capture it, but now the king gave them the city they had no strength to capture, in order to help the enemy attack him. Next year, the Kingdom of Qin will attack again, and we are unable to remedy it." Zhao Dan did not dare to make a decision right away. .It happened that when Lou Huan came to Zhao Kingdom, Zhao Dan consulted with him. Lou Huan said: "Yu Qing only knows one thing, but not the other. The Kingdom of Zhao and the Kingdom of Qin are fighting endlessly, and all the countries in the world are rejoicing. Why? It is for them Relying on the remaining prestige of the powerful Qin Kingdom, we will attack the weakened Zhao Kingdom. The king should quickly cede the land and seek peace. All countries think that Qin and Zhao are reconciled, and the Zhao Kingdom has comforted the heart of the Qin Kingdom, so they dare not take Zhao Kingdom's idea Otherwise, the countries will take advantage of the anger of the Qin Kingdom and take advantage of the exhaustion of the Zhao Kingdom to divide up their troops, and the Zhao Kingdom will be destroyed, so why talk about whether to cede the land?" Yu Qing was shocked when she heard Lou Huan's suggestion, and she went to see Zhao Dan and said: "Lou Huan's scheme makes people tremble. Doing so will make all countries in the world doubt Zhao Kingdom's position and refuse to help, Zhao Kingdom will be even more isolated. And how can the land cession comfort the heart of the Qin Kingdom? In fact, cession of land is only enough It exposes the cowardice and incompetence of the Kingdom of Zhao. I suggest refusing to cede land, not to the end. What I mean is that the Kingdom of Qin asked the king to cede six cities. It hates you deeply, and it is willing to watch you take action? Therefore, although you lost six cities to the Kingdom of Qi, you can get compensation from the Kingdom of Qin. Suppose the king announces this decision internationally, and the Kingdom of Qi receives troops from six cities , have not yet reached the border, I can guarantee that the peace envoy of the Kingdom of Qin has come to the territory of the Kingdom of Zhao with a heavy gift. If you conclude a peace treaty with it at this time, the Kingdom of Han and the Kingdom of Wei (the capital Daliang) will respect you, It was you who established friendship with the three kingdoms in one fell swoop. Qin Kingdom has the way of Qin Kingdom, and Zhao Kingdom has the way of Zhao Kingdom.” Zhao Dan accepted the reward and sent Yu Qingdong to Qi Kingdom to discuss ways to jointly deal with Qin Kingdom.Before Yu Qing returned home, the envoy of the Kingdom of Qin to seek peace had arrived in Handan.Lou Huan got the news and hurried away.Zhao Dan awarded Yuqing a city as a reward.

3. At the beginning, when the Qin Kingdom aggressively attacked the Zhao Kingdom, Wei Yu, the king of Wei (the fourth king of Anli), asked the state official (doctor) about his views on the international situation. Everyone agreed that the Wei Kingdom could benefit.The prime minister, Kong Bin, asked, "Why do you know that?" The state officials said in unison: "The Kingdom of Qin won, and we will submit to it. If it cannot be defeated, we will attack it while it is tired." Kong Bin said: "The Kingdom of Qin won by itself. Since Quliang (the twenty-fifth ruler of the country Xiaogong, who appointed Gongsun Yang to reform the law), he has never lost a battle, and now he has a good general Bai Qi as the commander, where is the fatigue?" The state official said: "Even if they win Zhao Kingdom, what do we have to lose? The shame of the neighboring countries is the interests of the country.” Kong Bin said: “The Qin Kingdom is a greedy and violent country. After defeating the Zhao Kingdom, it will inevitably continue to expand. The Kingdom of Wei was in trouble. The predecessors once told a story: swallows and sparrows built their nests on the beams of the roof, mother and child fed each other, loved each other, and twittered. That kind of happy and happy scene is enviable. I thought it was very safe. Unexpectedly, there was a sudden fire at the chimney of the stove, and the building was about to be reduced to ashes. Only the swallows and sparrows remained unchanged and did not panic, because they had no idea that a catastrophe was coming. Now, you people, Unexpectedly, after the death of the Zhao Kingdom, it will be my turn. What I don't understand is why some people have the same views as swallows and sparrows?" Kong Bin is the sixth grandson of Kong Qiu.At the beginning, Wei Yu admired Kong Bin's talents and sent envoys to present gold silk and satin, asking Kong Bin to be the prime minister.Kong Bin said: "If your majesty adopts my suggestion, my suggestion can make the country govern. I would be willing to teach me to eat vegetables and drink cold water. If you just use my popularity and give me generous treatment, I am just a commoner." Is your majesty lacking a commoner?" The envoy insisted, and Kong Bin arrived in the Kingdom of Wei.Wei Yu personally went to the suburbs to meet him and asked him to be prime minister.Kong Bin first rectified the government, transferred officials who only relied on connections but had no talent, and appointed talented people.Lay off idle personnel and spend funds on causes that are beneficial to the country.The injured vested interests fought back one after another and spread rumors.Minister Wenzhi told Kong Bin that Kong Bin said: "The inertia of the people is: they are used to the life in front of them and oppose the reform. Therefore, any politician will encounter opposition at the beginning of the reform. ) Prime Minister, no one criticized after three years. My ancestor (Kong Qiu) became the prime minister of Lu State (capital Qufu), and everyone shut up after three months. I am not as good as them in reforming politics today, but I don’t mind any Attack." Wenzi said: "I don't know about your ancestor Kong Qiu, what was the situation at the time?" Kong Bin said: "When the ancestor (Kong Qiu) was the prime minister, people hated him and said: 'The man who wears deerskin The guy in the robe, kill him, I don't feel sad at all. The guy in the buckskin robe, kill him, but I don't know how to use it.' Three months later, the reform was successful, and people praised him: 'The one with the big hat, The man in the fur jacket meets our needs. The man in the fur coat and the big hat is not partial to the people!'" Wenzi said happily, "I just found out today that you are a sage." Kong Bin served as prime minister for nine months, and Wei Yu would not listen to any suggestions related to the country's major plans and policies.Kong Bin sighed and said: "My suggestion was rejected, because my suggestion must be inappropriate. Since it is not in line with the king's wishes, but he is the king's official and takes the king's salary, just for a small profit, willing to eat idle food , deeply guilty." So he resigned.A friend said: "The king no longer employs you, do you want to go?" Kong Bin said: "Where am I going? The countries in Shandong (east of Xiaoshan) are bound to be annexed by the Qin Kingdom. And the Qin Kingdom is greedy. , I will never go.” Just rest at home.Another friend, Xin Yuangu, asked Kong Bin and said: "Where there are talented people, the cultural level of that place must be improved. When you were the prime minister of the Kingdom of Wei, you quit politics without hearing of any breakthrough contributions. It may be You can’t be successful, otherwise, why did you step down so quickly?” Kong Bin said, “It is precisely because there is no breakthrough contribution that I quit politics. For a terminally ill patient, there is no good doctor in the world. The Qin Kingdom is determined to annex The world, even if we are careful to curry favor with it, we will not be safe. We are busy saving the nation every day, and we only care about the urgent needs in everything. How can we have the mood to change the old and make new ones, and strengthen cultural construction? Once upon a time, Yi Yin was in the Xia Dynasty and Jiang Ziya was in the Shang Dynasty. This dynasty is still perishing. Don’t Yi Yin and Jiang Ziya plan to save them? Of course not, but the situation does not allow it. All the countries in Shandong have come to an end. The three kingdoms of Han, Zhao, and Wei only know how to cede their land for temporary peace. During the split The Zhou Kingdom (the capital Luoyang) will also be merged into the territory of the Qin Kingdom. Yan, Qi, and Chu have already surrendered. From this observation, within twenty years, the whole world will be swallowed up by the Qin Kingdom." Bo Yang said: The parable of a sparrow quoted by Kong Bin is thought-provoking.He was amazed at the trance-like attitude of some people, who had the same views as the sparrows, who did not know that a catastrophe was coming.However, the history of more than two thousand years has allowed us to see more such shots.A man fell from a sixty-story building, and when he passed the window on the fifty floor, he said: "I am alive and well." When he passed the window on the fortieth floor, he said: "I am alive and well." When he got out of the window, he said, "I'm alive and well." The news of safety continued to spread.Too often, all living beings are happy in the sound of "living well", and even fight for power and profit, causing a teacup storm. Too much sense of urgency makes people frightened, and too little sense of urgency makes people numb.The Chinese tend to be divided into two extremes, which makes the disaster even more serious and harder to get rid of. 4. The King of Qin (the third King of Zhaoxiang), Yingji, is determined to avenge Fan Ju to the end.According to intelligence, Wei Qi hid in the residence of Zhao Sheng, Pingyuan Lord of the Zhao Kingdom, so he invited Zhao Sheng to visit the Qin Kingdom.After Zhao Sheng arrived in the Kingdom of Qin, he was immediately imprisoned.Send someone to tell King Zhao (the third King Xiaocheng) Zhao Dan said: "If you don't cut off Wei Qi's head, your uncle (Zhao Sheng) will not be able to leave Hangu Pass (northeast of Lingbao County, Henan Province)." Wei Qi had no choice but to He escaped from Zhao Sheng's residence and defected to Prime Minister Yu Qing.Yu Qing immediately resigned and fled to the Kingdom of Wei with Wei Qi, planning to ask his younger brother Wei Wuji for help before fleeing to the Kingdom of Chu (the capital Chenqiu).Considering the national interest, Wei Wuji dared not meet immediately.Wei Qi committed suicide in a fit of anger.Zhao Dan cut off his head and gave it to the Qin Kingdom, who then sent Zhao Sheng back. Bo Yang said: Although Wei Qi is a prime minister, he is essentially the same as Xu Jia. He is just a gangster in the officialdom. When he shed other people's blood, made others suffer, and showed his loyalty, he was impassioned and in high spirits.When he needed to shed his own blood to maintain the security of the country, he despicably abandoned his job and fled.All cruel people are as cowardly as a mouse.Thinking back to when he sat in the high hall and ordered the execution of Mr. Fan Ju, he never thought that there would be today, and the cowardly people suddenly became bold because they firmly believed that their opponents would not be able to stand up.Wei Qi didn't say a word of apology for his past behavior of framing Zhongliang until his death, instead he angrily reprimanded others for not being enough friends.Hey, he actually wants everyone in the world to die and suffer for his sins alone, he can be regarded as a typical scum.His end made all the lonely souls who have been wronged and wronged feel proud.Mr. Reader, if you have wine, please drink it. 5. In September, the royal tomb of the five great officers of the Qin Kingdom (the twelfth level of Qin officials) led an army to attack the Zhao Kingdom.Bai Qi was ill and could not travel far. 1. In the first month, Wang Ling attacked Handan (the capital of Zhao, Handan City, Hebei Province) and failed.The Kingdom of Qin (capital Xianyang) sent massive reinforcements, but they were still unable to win.Bai Qi recovered from his illness, and King Qin (the third king of Zhaoxiang) Ying Ji planned to ask him to succeed Wang Ling.Bai Qi said: "Handan is really not easy to take, and the rescuers from all over the world are gradually gathering. Those countries have long hated the Qin Kingdom. Although we won the battle in Changping (northwest of Gaoping County, Shanxi Province), the soldiers died. Halfway through, the country is empty. Across thousands of mountains and rivers, competing for other people's capitals, the Zhao Kingdom is fighting on the inside, and the rescuers from other countries are surrounded on the outside. Our army is really in danger." Ying Ji found that he could not order him, and sent Fan Ju to urge him .Bai Qi excused that the old illness had relapsed, and he still refused to accept the order.Reluctantly, Ying Ji reassigned Wang Lu to replace Wang Ling. 2. King Zhao (the third king of Xiaocheng) Zhao Dan sent Lord Pingyuan Zhao Sheng to the Kingdom of Chu (capital Chenqiu) to ask for help. Zhao Sheng selected 20 well-equipped guests and entourages, only 19 were obtained, and the other one did not Can't find it.Mao then recommended himself to Zhao Sheng. Zhao Sheng said: "A virtuous person, living in the world, is like an iron cone in his pocket, and the tip will be revealed immediately. Mr. has been with me for three years, and no one has ever praised him. You, I don't know you, are you a proof of Mr.'s incompetence, please stay." Mao Sui said: "I ask to go with you, because I want to put the iron awl in my pocket. If I put it in my pocket , even the handle of the awl has been ripped out of the bag, not only the tip is exposed." Zhao Sheng reluctantly agreed.Nineteen people looked at me and I looked at you with sneers on their faces. After Zhao Sheng went to the Kingdom of Chu, he had a meeting with the king (the 23rd King Kaolie) Mi, and he mentioned again the conclusion of the North-South Vertical Alliance. After analyzing the advantages and disadvantages, it was impossible to make a decision from morning to noon.Mao Sui stood up suddenly, pressed the hilt of his sword with his right hand, quickly climbed up the steps, and said to Zhao Sheng: "The advantages and disadvantages of the vertical alliance are simple and clear. You can finish it in two sentences. From morning to noon, you are still chattering. What's the reason?" Mi Wan was furious, and ordered: "Don't go down, I'm talking to your master, how can you interrupt?" Mao Sui made a posture ready to strike at any time, held the hilt of his sword tightly, and walked to Mi Wan. It said earlier: "The reason why your majesty dares to yell at me is because of the millions of soldiers of the Chu Kingdom. However, within ten steps, your millions of soldiers are useless at all. You must know that your life is in your hands." What do you mean by yelling at me in front of my master? Zi Tianyi (the first emperor of the Shang Dynasty) only had seventy miles of land, so he became the emperor. Ji Chang only had a hundred miles of land, so he became emperor. All the vassals of the feudal kingdoms do not depend on the large number of troops and strong fighting power, but to seize the opportunity and exert their power. Now, the Chu Kingdom has a vast land of five thousand miles and more than one million soldiers. This is the capital of being a hegemon. With the strength of the Chu Kingdom, no one in the world can resist it. Bai Qi, but an ignorant generation, led tens of thousands of people, launched an attack, and captured Yancheng (south of Yicheng County, Hubei Province) and Yingdu (the old capital of Chu·Hubei Province) in World War I. Jiangling County, Hubei Province), and burned Yiling (Yichang City, Hubei Province) where the ancestor’s tomb was located in another war, and insulted the ancestors of the king in the third war (Bai Qi destroyed the Taimiao of the Chu Kingdom, refer to 279 BC and 278 BC). This is the grievance of the Kingdom of Chu for hundreds of generations. Even the Kingdom of Zhao (the capital Handan) feels humiliated, but the King doesn’t care. The North-South Alliance is actually for the Kingdom of Chu, not for the Kingdom of Zhao. Why are you shouting at me in front of my master? Mi Wan repeatedly apologized and said, "Thank you for your explanation. The Kingdom of Chu decided to follow the Kingdom of Zhao." Mao Sui said, "In this case, can we make a contract now?" He told Mi Wan's attendants, "Please bring the blood of chickens, dogs, and horses." , pig blood, chicken blood for the state officials and below. Mao Sui was determined to participate in this covenant, so he added chicken blood and used it mixed.) Mao Sui poured the blood of animals into a copper plate and knelt down in front of Mi Wan He made a present and said: "Your Majesty should drink blood first to express your determination to make a treaty, then my master, and then me." So on top of the palace, drink blood (歃, sound sha. Drink blood, apply blood to the lips to express Drink it into the stomach, the gods will learn from each other, and never regret it) Li Cheng.Mao Sui held a copper plate in his left hand, and invited nineteen people with his right hand, saying: "Just under this hall, you also participate in this alliance. You mediocre people, it's just because people make things happen." The covenant, then returned to the Kingdom of Zhao, and said to people: "From now on, I dare not say that I can see through people." Respecting Mao Sui was the guest of honor.The Kingdom of Chu sent Huang Xie to lead an army north to help. 3. Wei Yu, king of Wei (fourth king of Anli), also sent general Jin Bi, leading an army of 100,000, to go north to help.King Qin (the third king of Zhaoxiang) Yingji sent someone to warn Wei Yu, saying: "I attack the Kingdom of Zhao, and sooner or later I will succeed. If anyone dares to come to rescue, after I destroy the Kingdom of Zhao, the next one will attack him." Wei Wei Terrified, Yu ordered Jin Bi to stop advancing, and set up camp in Yecheng (Nanye Town, Linzhang County, Hebei Province). He went to help in name, but actually waited and watched.Wei Yu then sent General Xin Yuanyan to enter Handan from the small trail, pass through Zhao Sheng, and suggest to King Zhao (the third Xiaocheng King) Zhao Dan that there is only one way to make the Qin army retreat, that is, the Kingdom of Wei and the Kingdom of Zhao, jointly named Zun Feng Yingji is called "Emperor" - the Son of Heaven, that is, the co-lord of the world.Lu Zhonglian, a member of the Qi Kingdom, was in Handan at that time. When he heard the news, he visited Xin Yuanyan and said: "The Qin Kingdom is a barbaric country. I would rather die by jumping into the East China Sea than be under his jurisdiction and be his subject. Kingdom Wei did not realize the harm of proclaiming emperor. If Ying Ji proclaimed emperor, I can teach him to chop your king Wei Yu into meat sauce Xin Yuanyan was unhappy and said: "How can you teach him to chop our king into meat paste?" Lu Zhonglian said: "Of course I can, and I will tell you the reason now. In the past, Jiuhou, Ehou, Jichang, It is the third prince of the last emperor of the Shang Dynasty, Zi Shouxin (Emperor Zhou). Jiuhou presented his beautiful daughter to Zishouxin as his concubine, but Zishouxin hated her, so he chopped Jiuhou into meat sauce. Ehou tried his best Persuading, repeated justice for Jiuhou, Zi Shouxin dried Ehou into dried meat. Ji Chang only sighed, and Zi Shouxin imprisoned him in Yanli (northeast of Tangyin County, Henan Province. 羑, sound you) One hundred days in a warehouse, trying to put him to death. Now, Qin Kingdom is a country of 10,000 chariots, and Wei Kingdom is also a country of 10,000 chariots. Each of them is in a country of 10,000 chariots. The kings who are called each other, but just because they saw the other party winning a battle, they were terrified and planned to respect him as the "Emperor" and the "Son of Heaven", but they flinched to the point that they would be chopped into meat paste and sun-dried at any time. The humble status of jerky. The problem is that the matter does not stop here. After the King of Qin proclaimed himself emperor, he has the legal qualifications to exercise the power of the emperor and issue orders. How dare he not obey? He began to replace the ministers of various countries. They will exclude the bad guys he thinks, and appoint the so-called virtuous ones who are loyal to him. Exclude what he hates, and give what he loves. Then, they will select the beauties of the Qin Kingdom to be the queens and concubines of the kings of various countries. These women are full of Wei The palace of the kingdom, the Kingdom of Wei can still rest in peace? And you, general, how can you maintain the favor and trust of the king?" Xin Yuanyan stood up, thanked you repeatedly, and said: "I just now know that Mr. is a genius in the world, I will go back immediately , don’t dare to mention this kind of thing again.” 4. King Wucheng (unknown name) of King Yan Kingdom (capital Jicheng) (sixth term) passed away, and his son Xiaowang (unknown name) succeeded to the throne (seventh term). 5. At the beginning, Wei Wuji, Lord of Xinling in the Kingdom of Wei (the capital of Daliang), had three thousand guests.Hou Ying, a hermit in Daliang (the capital of Wei Dynasty · Kaifeng City, Henan Province), was 70 years old and had a poor family. He served as the gatekeeper (Yimen Supervisor) of the north gate of Daliang.Wei Wuji feasted on the guests, and when everyone was seated, he drove the carriage with his entourage, vacating the seat on the left (the empty seat on the left, in the eyes of the other party, is the right, which is an honored seat), and went to greet him in person.Hou Ying was in shabby clothes and hat, and when he got into the car, he didn't give in, and sat down on the empty seat.Wei Wuji held the rein in his hand and became more respectful.Hou Ying said to Wei Wuji: "I have a friend who works as a butcher in the downtown area. Please stop by and visit him." Wei Wuji drove until the downtown area. Hou Ying got out of the car to visit his friend Zhu Hai. He was more gentle, and then he took his leave and got into the car.When we arrived at Wei Wuji's house, he invited Hou Ying to sit down and introduced the guests one by one. The guests were shocked. When the Qin Kingdom surrounded Handan, Zhao Sheng's wife was Wei Wuji's sister.Zhao Sheng sent envoys to the Kingdom of Wei, one after another, day and night, and complained to Wei Wuji: "The reason why I dare to trouble you for the sake of in-laws is because you have a high righteousness and are anxious about people's difficulties. Now Handan is under heavy siege. Among them, the precarious situation is precarious, sooner or later it will fall, and your country will not come to rescue the soldiers. Even if you despise me and abandon me, but you don’t feel sorry for your sister, you will suffer this catastrophe?" Wei Wuji repeatedly asked Wei Yu to order Jin Bi to march , And through ministers, guests, thousands of words to lobby Wei Yu, but Wei Yu's attitude is firm.Wei Wuji was filled with grief and indignation, helpless.In the end, he gathered his guests and more than a hundred chariots, rode lightly, and prepared to die in the Zhao Kingdom. When the people and horses passed by the North Gate (Yimen), they saw Hou Ying, and Hou Ying said, "Your Majesty works hard, but I can't follow." .Hou Ying said with a smile: "I know you will come back. Now, you are in a predicament, and you are going to fight the Qin army. It's like throwing meat buns at a hungry tiger. What's the point?" Wei Wuji asked him to show a feasible method , Hou Yingjiao dismissed his entourage and told him in secret: "I heard that you can dispatch Jin Bi's soldier talisman (Soldier talisman is used as a token for dispatching troops and issuing military orders. The talisman is made of copper, and a tiger statue is cast on it. It means bravery, so it is also called "Tiger Talisman". Cut the bronze Talisman into two longitudinally, and give half of it to the commander of the expedition, and the other half will be kept by the king. Acceptable), put it in the king's bedroom. The king loves Ruji the most, and only she can steal it. I heard that you once avenged the murder of your father on behalf of Ruji, and Ruji is willing to die for you. As long as you open your mouth , you will definitely get the soldier talisman. Once you get the soldier talisman, you can lead the Jinbi army, go north to rescue the Zhao Kingdom, and defeat the Qin army. This is the meritorious deed of the Five Hegemons." Everything went according to the plan, and Wei Wuji got the military talisman as expected. Before leaving, Hou Ying said: "The general is away, and the emperor's order will not be accepted. Although the military talisman matches, if Jin Bi still refuses to hand over the army and ask the king for instructions, the matter will be resolved." All failed. My friend Zhu Hai is a famous strongman, so you can go with you. If Jin Bi surrenders his military power, it will be fine; otherwise, I will teach Zhu Hai to kill." After verifying the military talisman, he was really full of doubts. He looked at Wei Wuji and said, "I lead an army of 100,000 to garrison the border. Isn't it a bit of a joke when you are in a hurry by bicycle and you are about to take over as commander?" A hammer weighing about 40 jin hit Jin Bi on the head like lightning. Jin Bi never expected such a drastic change, and died under the hammer in an instant.Wei Wuji redeployed the army and ordered: "If father and son are both in the army, the father will return home; if brothers are both in the army, the elder brother will return home; if the only son has no brothers, return home to take care of his parents." In the end, about 80,000 elite soldiers were selected and marched towards Handan.The general of the Qin Kingdom, Wang Yan, besieged Handan for more than a year, but he could not break it. Relief troops from various countries arrived one after another.When Bai Qi heard the news, he couldn't help saying: "Your Majesty doesn't listen to my opinion, what's the matter now?" Ying Ji became angry and forced Bai Qi to be the commander-in-chief. 1. In October, King Yingji of Qin Kingdom (capital Xianyang) (the third Zhaoxiang King) ordered Baiqi to be exempted from all titles and positions, demoted to be a soldier, and exiled to Yinmi (Lingtai County, Gansu Province). In December, the Qin Kingdom once again mobilized troops to reinforce the front, and the vanguard arrived in Fencheng (Xinjiang County, Shanxi Province).Bai Qi was unable to set off due to illness.At that time, reinforcements from various countries attacked Wang Lu, and Wang Lu was repeatedly defeated. Envoys who asked the government for help came in an endless stream.This made Ying Ji even more angry, and ordered Bai Qi to be forced to set off, and he was not allowed to stay in the capital Xianyang for a while.Bai Qi had no choice but to leave, ten miles from the west gate of Xianyang, to Duyou (northeast of Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province).嬴稷跟范雎，以及高级官员商议：“白起对加到他身上的处罚，表示不满，而且还发牢骚……”赢稷派人送给白起一把宝剑，白起接剑后，知道君王的用意，遂举剑自杀。秦王国军民同情白起的冤狱，乡村聚落间，都为他设坛祭祀。 Bo Yang said: 白起最大的罪恶，是长平（山西省高平县西北）杀降。However, for the Qin Kingdom, his meritorious service is unmatched.His refusal to be commander in chief of the great army may have been out of vindictiveness, or he may have genuinely foreseen invincibility.The Qin Kingdom punished the defeated generals severely, and he dared not take the risk.但更有一种可能是，他真正患病。The problem is that under the autocratic system, no one is allowed to have individuality.白起胆敢拒绝君王恩赐的高官，已犯了大忌（轻视官爵就是轻视君王，因为君王全凭这个法宝维持他的权威），而在被贬逐之后，竟然仍不满意，还发牢骚，这种行为，谓之“怨望”。Therefore, once the cunning people in the officialdom are persecuted or wronged, not only dare not express their dissatisfaction and speak the truth, but they are sincere and fearful, thinking that "the minister's crime should be punished" and "the king of heaven is wise".I hope the leader will affirm his loyalty.Felonies may avoid death, and misdemeanors may be re-emerged. 2、魏王国（首都大梁）信陵君魏无忌，在邯郸（赵首都·河北省邯郸市），大败秦军，王龁解围撤退。大将郑安平陷于重围，率二万人投降赵王国，范雎由是受到谴责（郑安平是范雎的救命恩人，一同逃奔秦王国，被保荐出任大将，参考前二七〇年。从郑安平的二万人大军无法撤退一事，可窥知秦军失败之惨。这是自前四世纪五〇年代，公孙鞅变法以来，九十年间，秦王国第一次受到重创，国力大减，之后二十年间，使秦王国无力发动类似这次灭国性的大规模攻击）。 魏无忌既救了赵王国，不敢回魏王国，就跟他的宾客们，在赵王国定居，派人领大军回魏王国。赵国王（三任孝成王）赵丹，跟平原君赵胜商议，要封五个城市给魏无忌。赵丹亲自迎接魏无忌进宫，毕恭毕敬，用最尊贵的礼节，请魏无忌登上西阶。魏无忌谦虚辞让，侧着身子，从东阶上去，不敢以国宾自居，并表示自己只是待罪之身，辜负祖国（魏王国），而又对赵王国没有太大帮助。赵丹跟魏无忌欢宴饮洒，直到黄昏，不好意思出口封他五个城市。但到了最后，赵丹仍把最大的一座城市鄗城（河北省柏乡县北）送给魏无忌当汤沐邑（用全县的税收作为沐浴费用）。魏王国对这位杀将夺兵的叛徒，不敢开罪，仍维持他信陵君的爵位。 魏无忌听说赵王国赌徒毛先生、卖甜酒的薛先生，都雄才大略，打算拜访，两人拒绝。魏无忌就不带车骑，单身跟他们结伴，赵胜不以为然。魏无忌说：“我知道赵胜贤能，所以不惜背叛祖国，为赵王国牺牲。现在才发现赵胜所以接纳朋友，不过是一种大丈夫的豪迈之情，目的不在为国家物色栋梁。我跟这两位在一起，唯一害怕的是他们不肯交我这个朋友，赵胜却反而当成羞辱。”假装要告辞他往。赵胜一再道歉，才留下来。 赵胜打算封鲁仲连，以酬庸他折服新垣衍尊秦称帝的建议。使节去了三次，鲁仲连始终不肯接受。赵胜又赠送他黄金二十四万两，鲁仲连笑说：“大丈夫最可贵的是，替别人排除灾难，解决困惑，而不要报酬。如果要报酬，那可是商人做生意的事。”向赵胜告辞，终身不再相见。 3、秦王国太子嬴柱的大老婆（太子妃）华阳夫人，没有儿子。小老婆夏姬，生了一个儿子嬴异人。嬴异人被送到赵王国充当人质。由于秦王国屡次侵略，赵王国对他并不重视，礼貌也不周到。嬴异人在皇家血统中的地位，十分卑微（庶孽孙），所以从国内送来的生活费用，寥寥无儿，生活艰难，前途暗淡。然而，他的命运突然好转。阳翟（河南省禹州市）巨商吕不韦，恰好来邯郸，看见了他，拍桌子说：“他是一件难得的货物，可囤积起来卖大价钱。”于是拜访嬴异人，告诉他：“我可以光大你的门户！”嬴异人失笑说：“留点劲光大你自己的门户吧。”吕不韦说：“我当然也要光大我的门户，但是却在光大了你的门户之后。”嬴异人心中一动，请他上座密谈。吕不韦说：“秦国王（三任嬴稷）年纪已老（嬴稷本年已在宝座上坐了五十一年），随时会死，太子（嬴异人的老爹嬴桂）最宠爱华阳夫人，而华阳夫人却没有儿子。你们兄弟二十余人中，嬴傒（赢异人的老哥，可能是异母兄，虽也是庶子，但却受到重视），已被公认为合法的继承人，有名的智囊士仓，又是他的助理，更如虎添翼。你在国内时，本来并不特别受到宠爱，现在又充当人质，长期羁留外邦。老爹一旦逝世，你绝对没有继承宝座的可能。”嬴异人说：“那怎么办？”吕不韦说：“有权力决定谁是王储的，只有华阳夫人。我虽然没有钱，但我愿意拿出二十四万两黄金，前往秦王国，为你夺取这个位置。”嬴异人喜不自胜说：“如果你的计划可以实现，我愿意把秦王国分出一半，跟你共同治理。” 吕不韦一次付给嬴异人黄金十二万两，使他在邯郸广交朋友，用以制造美好的声誉（有钱而慷慨，美誉自至），吕不韦自己携带黄金十二万两，前往咸阳，先行结纳华阳夫人的姐姐，请老姐转献给华阳夫人珍奇礼物，利用老姐的嘴，赞扬嬴异人贤能，宾客满天下，尤其孝顺，常常思念老爹（太子）、娘亲（华阳夫人），说：“夫人就是我的天！”华阳夫人听了，十分高兴。在经过一段密切交往之后，吕不韦再通过华阳夫人的老姐，向华阳夫人提出警告说：“靠着自己美丽容貌得到宠爱的，一旦美丽容貌消失，爱情也就跟着消失。夫人的宠爱已到极点，却没有儿子，如果不在权势巅峰时早早在庶子群中培养一位贤才，提拔他当做嫡子。万一有那么一天，美丽早上衰退，爱情晚上就会溜走，即使想开口说一句话，恐怕也不可能。庶子群中，嬴异人最有才干，他自己知道他在庶子群中，上有哥哥，下有弟弟，嫡子根本没他的份。夫人如果特别垂爱他，使嬴异人本没有国家而忽然有了国家，夫人本没有儿子而忽然有了儿子。则夫人的尊荣，将在秦王国永存。” 华阳夫人承认这种分析有理，趁着一个机会，对嬴柱说：“孩子中有一个叫异人的，才能品德，都十分卓越，常常听到有人夸奖。”因而流下眼泪说：“我不幸不能为你生一个儿子，愿收异人当我的儿子，我有了儿子，也可托付终身。”嬴柱既爱华阳夫人爱得发紧，当然一口答应，跟她剖开玉石，作为符信。老爹娘亲遂即赏赐给嬴异人很多金银财宝，并且请吕不韦当他的师傅。嬴异人的英名，逐渐在各国君王中传播。 吕不韦更进一步控制嬴异人。吕不韦先娶了一位在邯郸数一数二的绝世美女（赵姬），等到她怀了身孕。一天，嬴异人到吕不韦家欢宴，看见了她，神魂飘荡，请赠送给自己。吕不韦假装大发雷霆：“怎么，朋友妻，不可欺！”闹了一阵之后，仍是把她赠送给赢异人。怀孕共怀了一年，生下一子嬴政。嬴异人就立那位赵姬当夫人。 邯郸围城时，赵王国要杀嬴异人。嬴异人跟吕不韦用黄金六百斤贿赂守卫，逃出来投奔秦军，一同撤退。到咸阳后，嬴异人改穿楚王国的衣服，拜见华阳夫人，华阳夫人深为感动说：“我是楚国人，你当然是我的儿子。”并把嬴异人改名嬴楚。 1、秦王国（首都咸阳）大将摎（姓不详。摎，音jiu），攻击韩王国（首都新郑），占领阳城（河南省登封县东南）、负黍（登封县西南），杀四万人。再攻击赵王国（首都邯郸），占领二十余县，斩杀及俘虏九万人。 2、位于洛阳（河南省洛阳市白马寺东）的周王国国王（四十三任赧王）姬延，忽然大起恐慌，秘密跟各王国联络，企图重组南北合纵同盟，由姬延亲自率领联军，出伊阙（河南省洛阳市南五千米），攻击秦王国，切断秦军粮道，使它再不能进入阳城（河南省登封县东南）。秦军的反应迅速而猛烈，大将摎（姓不详）率军直抵洛阳，生擒姬延，掳往秦王国献俘。周王国所属三十六个城市，人口总计三万，全部并入秦王国。稍后，又把姬延放回，贬作平民，就在本年（前二五六年），死于洛阳。 Bo Yang said: 周王朝自公元前一一三四年一任王姬发即位，到本年（前二五六年）四十三任王姬延死亡，共立国八百七十九年，悄悄消失，没有引起一丝涟漪和一声抗议。 “共主”“天子”，何等神圣，时候来到时，不值一文。周王国到了只剩下三十六个城市和三万人口，已没有资格过问国际政治，甚至连“大起恐慌”的资格都不具备。The only way is to wait and see.而姬延却忽然大展宏图，我们虽不在场，但可以想象：慷慨激昂，“有土一城，有众一旅”，姒少康中兴的话，一定说了一箩筐。When the country is destroyed and the family is ruined, those who speak loudly will of course disappear. 1、秦王国（首都咸阳）河东郡（安邑，魏王国故都）郡长（守）王稽，被指控跟外国秘密勾结，斩首。应侯范雎心情蒙上严重阴影。（范雎得晋见秦国王嬴稷，是王稽的推荐。后来，范雎又推荐郑安平。秦王国法律，被推荐的人犯法，推荐人也要受到同样的处分。稍早，郑安平投降赵王国，王稽又以叛逆罪处决，范雎处境，岌岌可危。）一天，嬴稷在朝会上，忽然叹息，范雎探询他苦闷的原因，嬴稷说：“现在，白起已死，郑安平、王稽又都背叛。内无良将，可是外面的敌国却多的是，不由人不忧虑。”范雎毛骨悚然，不知道用什么话回答。 燕王国（首都蓟城）人蔡泽得到信息，遂到秦王国，先请人把话传到范雎耳朵：“蔡泽是一位著名的雄辩之士，他一旦晋见国王，就会把你推入困局，夺取你的高位。”范雎七窍生烟，派人把蔡泽找来。蔡泽态度傲慢，范雎不高兴，斥责他说：“你扬言说要接替我当宰相，请你把事情说清楚。”蔡泽说：“这就怪啦，你的见解怎么迟钝到这种程度？像春夏秋冬，四季更替，都在各自完成它们的任务之后，隐身退去。难道没有看见秦王国的公孙鞅、楚王国的吴起、越王国的文种，你可愿意有那种结局？”范雎嘴硬说：“有什么不愿意的？你所举的三位先生，他们都怀着最高贵的仁义，最彻底的忠心。大丈夫杀身成名，死而无恨。”蔡泽说：“人们追求功勋，哪一个不盼望全身而退。身体和名誉都能保持，是最最上策。拥有美好的名誉而丧失生命，就次一等。形象破坏，却偷生于世，那是下等货色。像公孙鞅、吴起、文种，他们站在人臣立场，效忠国家，可以说如愿以偿。问题是，闳夭、姬旦（二位都是周王朝开创大臣），难道不效忠国家？前面三位先生，岂不盼望也能跟他们二人一样？”范雎说：“当然。”蔡泽说：“当今国王（嬴稷）对保护功臣故旧的态度，能不能比嬴渠梁（秦孝公，任用公孙鞅）、芈疑（楚悼王，任用吴起）、姒勾践（越国王，任用文种）？”范雎说：“不知道将来会怎么样？”（这又是嘴硬的话，逼杀白起，还不够说明？）蔡泽说：“你的功劳，比那三位先生如何？”范雎承认不如。蔡泽说：“既然如此，你还不肯下台，大祸恐怕比他们还严重。俗谚说：'太阳到了中天，一定会下降。月亮圆了之后，一定会残缺。'进、退、发展、减缩，随着时间，不断变化，这就是圣人法则。而今，你恩也报完，仇也报尽，愿望完全满足。却不应因变局，我替你感到担心。”范雎大梦方醒，把蔡泽尊为贵宾，推荐给嬴稷。嬴稷跟他面谈，十分投机，任命他当外籍顾问官（客卿）。范雎乘机声称有病，呈请辞职。嬴稷正喜欢蔡泽的才能，遂任命蔡泽当宰相（相国）。蔡泽当宰相只几个月就被免职。 2、楚王国（首都陈丘春申君黄歇，任命荀况当兰陵（山东省苍山县）县长。 荀况是赵王国（首都邯郸）人，曾经跟临武君（名不详）在赵国王（三任孝成王）赵丹面前，讨论军事，赵丹说：“请告诉我军事重点是什么？”临武君说：“上得天时，下得地利，严密监视敌人。比敌人后出发，却比敌人先到达，这就是重点。”荀况说：“不然。古人的道理是：发动攻击，必涓人民跟军队同心合力。弓和箭如果不能密切配合，神射手后羿也无法射中目标。六匹马如果不能和平共驰，神驾驶造父也无法把车辆驶得太远。战士和人民如果不合作，子天乙（商王朝一任帝）、姬发（周王朝一任王）也没有必胜的把握。能使民心归附认同，才是伟大的军事家。所以，军事的重点在于上下一心，精诚团结。”临武君说：“不然。军事上重视的，是创造形势，趋利避害，诡诈百出。名将作战，急如闪电，神秘莫测，没有人知道会从哪里发动。孙武、吴起，战无不胜，攻无不取，不见得一定都得到人民支持。”荀况说：“不然。我所说的，是仁人的用兵之道和天子的伟大事业。而你的着眼点，却只在权力、谋略、形势、利害上打转。仁人用兵——只要他是仁人，对他就不可能使用诈术。凡是可以用诈术对付的人，都是粗心大意之辈，或者对方军心厌战，长官与部属之间，貌合神离。姒履癸（桀）用诈术对付姒履癸（桀），还不见得成功。如果姒履癸（桀）用诈术对付伊祁放勋（尧），那就好比令鸡蛋去打石头，或把手指伸到滚水里，或奋不顾身的跳到水潭火窟，结果不是淹死，就是烧焦。所以仁人的军队，上下一心，三军同力。臣僚跟君王的关系，部下跟长官的关系，好像儿子对父亲、老弟对老哥，如同手臂保卫头颅、眼睛、肚腹、胸膛。用诈术突袭他，跟先警告他而后攻击，事实上是一样的。而且仁人的国家如果有十里，他的视界会超过百里。如果有百里，他的视界会超过千里。如果有千里，他的视界将广及四海。那将使他有广阔的胸襟和锐敏的反应。所以，仁人的军队，集结时是战土，分散开就是良民。延伸时，像'莫邪'宝剑的长刃，碰上立即斩杀。近距离相接时，像'莫邪'宝剑的锋端，遇到立即死亡。平日扎营驻守，稳如磐石，胆敢冒犯，连角都被折断，狼狈而逃。暴君仗恃什么？唯一的仗恃是他的国家人民。如果敌国人民喜爱我们如同喜爱爹娘，喜爱我们的芳香如同喜爱芝兰。抬头上望他们的统治阶层，就好像将处黥刑（脸上刺字）的囚犯望见火焰，或好像一个被迫害的人面对着不共戴天的仇敌。人之常情，即令是暴君姒履癸、恶徒柳下跖（春秋时代的名盗，柳下惠的弟弟，拥有九千余人的武力，横行不法），岂有效忠他所厌恶的，而残害他所喜爱的？那就跟教人的子女杀他的爹娘一样，根本不可能。一定会向我国报告他们的阴谋，泄露他们的机密。那时候，底牌都放到明处，又有什么诈术可用？仁人主持政府，国家必定日趋强大，各国先归附的获得平安，后归附的受到惩罚。反抗的衰落，叛变的灭亡。上说：'子天乙（商王朝一任帝）竖起大旗／手拿斧钺／战火燃烧／谁敢阻拦？ '就是一个恰当的形容。 " 赵丹、临武君同声说：“你说得有道理。但请问：天子仁人处理军事，有什么可行的具体方法？”荀况说：“君王贤明的，他的国家一定尽善尽美。君王如果是个脓包，他的国家一定混乱。倡导礼教、尊重仁义的，必然治理。破坏礼教、轻视仁义的，必然混乱。秩序井然的国家强大，秩序混乱的国家衰弱。所以，礼教仁义，是国家的根本。在上位的能推广教化，人民才会归附。在上位的不能推广教化，人民就不可能甘心接受驱使。人民甘心接受驱使，则国家强大，不甘心接受驱使，则国家衰弱。推广教化，是强国的根本。齐王国（首都临淄）重视个人'技击'，凡砍下敌人一颗人头的，由政府出钱购买。用人头来论功过，即令打了败仗，只要有人头，照样赏赐。如果打了胜仗，而没有人头，也不给分文。这种军队，遇到脆弱的敌人，还可将就使用。遇到的敌人坚强，可就成了一盘散沙，好像空中飞鸟，只会各自逞能。这是亡国之军，不过在街头上招募的一群打手而已。魏王国（首都大梁）的战士，都经过考试，要穿上全副铁甲，可以拉开重量十二石（音dan，每石六十公斤，十二石合七百二十公斤）的强弓，身负羽箭五十支，手提长枪、久戴铁盔、腰挂宝剑，背着足够三天的粮食，每天行军百里。一旦通过考试，就免除他家的赋税，配给较好的耕地和住宅。可是，几年之后，战士们的体力，便开始衰退。而已免的赋税，不能再征。已赐的田宅，不能收回，改变办法又不容易。所以魏王国国土虽大，因税收减少的缘故，国库空虚，造成一种危机。秦王国地势险恶，政府对待人民，手段残酷，用权力驱使他们，用特务控制他们，用奖赏鼓励他们，用刑罚镇压他们。人民要想改善自己的生活和环境，除了拼命杀敌外，没有第二条路。功劳和赏赐，成正比例，只要能砍下敌人五个人头，就可以管辖五家，作为他们的首长。这是秦王国强大的原因，累积四世（二十五任孝公嬴渠梁、一任惠王嬴驷、二任武王嬴荡、三任昭襄王嬴稷）的努力，才能到这种程度，并不是一时的侥幸，更不是一时的运气。齐王国的'技击'军队，不能抵抗魏王国的'武卒'军队，魏王国的'武卒'军队，不能抵抗秦王国的'锐士'军队。但秦王国的'锐士'军队，却不能抵挡姜小白、姬重耳的'霸主'军队。而姜小白、姬重耳的'霸主'军队，也不能抵挡子天乙、姬发的'仁义'军队。凡是跟'仁义'军队作战的，好像把一个脆弱的烧焦了的铁锅，投掷到石头上，它非粉碎不可。更主要的是，各国培养的都是追求名利的将领