Chapter 13 Chapter 10 The Fourth Century BC

This century is a century of war. The international situation has completely changed, and all the feudal states have declared that they have become independent kingdoms, and the monarchs of each feudal state have also changed their titles to kings—standing on an equal footing with the kings of the Zhou Dynasty who governed them before. But a miracle happened to Qin State, the most backward and least noticeable remote country, successfully reformed under the auspices of the legalist giant Gongsun Yang, and broke into the international community like a bull breaking into a porcelain shop. Frightened and at a loss, the countries didn't know that they were trying to improve themselves, but only blindly begged for foreign policy. Some countries advocated to unite to resist and subdue it by force.Some countries advocate reconciliation with it in order to avoid immediate harm.

The international diplomatic war is fierce. The Disappearance and Transformation of a Kingdom After the beginning of this century (the first four), three important feudal states perished one after another. The first is the state of Qi.Like the Sanhuan of Lu and the Sanjin of Jin, the regime of Qi State fell into the hands of the family of a minister surnamed Tian in the last century (the first five). In 389, Tian He, the patriarch of the Zhou family, imitated the method of the Jin Dynasty and gave bribes to Ji Jiao, the king of the Zhou Kingdom in Luoyang. Ji Jiao played the last remaining value of the king of the Zhou Dynasty and ordered Tian He to be promoted to be the king of Qi. .The former monarch of Qi State, Jiang Dai, was exiled to a small town by the sea.Ten years later, in 379 B.C., Jiang Loe passed away, and the state of Qi with the surname Jiang perished.

The second is the state of Jin. The split of the state of Jin is regrettable, because among all the feudal states, the state of Jin has the largest area and the strongest power, and is most qualified to unify the chaotic China at that time.In 376 B.C., Ji Jujiu, the last monarch of the Jin Kingdom, was expelled from the court by the Jin Dynasty and deposed as a commoner.The remaining two cities were also divided among the three Jins.The state of Jin perishes. Then there is the state of Zheng, which is located in the center of the North China Great Plains. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Jin and Chu were the two countries that must contend for hegemony for a long time.In the year following the demise of the Jin State (before 375), South Korea attacked it, the capital Xinzheng (Henan Xinzheng) fell, Zheng State perished, and South Korea moved its capital from Pingyang (Linfen, Shanxi) to Xinzheng.

The demise of three important countries, no country in the world said a word of support or sympathy, like a dead leaf sinking in a torrent, not even a ripple. After the middle of this century (the first four), only the following eight important countries remained on the Chinese territory at that time.Among these eight important countries, except for the Kingdom of Chu, the other seven countries are still theoretically feudal states of the Zhou Dynasty, and the monarchs can only be called "Duke" or "Marquis".But they have long been dissatisfied with this low-level status.Therefore, starting from the 1960s, the monarchs swarmed out of the name of the feudal state, and all changed their titles to kings, and established an independent kingdom that was completely equal to the Zhou Kingdom.The following table lists their kingdom names and their capitals:

Yingdu, Kingdom of Chu (Jiangling, Hubei) Linzi, Kingdom of Qi (East Linzi Town, Zibo, Shandong) Anyi of the Kingdom of Wei (Xia County, Shanxi) (the capital will soon be moved to Daliang, Kaifeng, Henan) Song Kingdom Suiyang (Shangqiu, Henan) Xianyang, Kingdom of Qin (Xianyang, Shaanxi) Xinzheng, Kingdom of Korea (Henan Xinzheng) Zhao Kingdom Handan (Handan, Hebei) Yan Kingdom Jicheng (Beijing) Others that still exist are the smaller and smaller Wei State (Puyang, Henan), the Lu State (Qufu, Shandong), the Confucian stronghold, the lingering Zou State (Zoucheng, Shandong), the Teng State (Tengzhou, Shandong), and the Zhongshan Kingdom with a vague history (Dingzhou, Hebei) and the ancient Zhou Kingdom (Luoyang, Henan), but each is insignificant than the other.Especially the Kingdom of Zhou, in the past, it could still be spiritually self-absorbed, and closed the door to declare that he is the co-lord of the world, the head of China, at least there is value once it is used, such as enfeoffing the Sanjin and enfeoffing Tianhe.Now even this narcissism is over, and there is only a poor shell left, the king is impoverished, busy with internal struggles every day, and is not much different from a tribal chieftain.

The State of Wei was a superpower in the early Warring States Period—just as the State of Zheng was a superpower in the early Spring and Autumn Period.Before the establishment of a kingdom, the state of Wei appeared as a hegemon and ruled the world for more than sixty years.Its founding monarch, Weiss, successively appointed three legal school figures: one was Li Li as described earlier; the other was Ximen Bao who guarded Yecheng (Linzhang, Hebei); Wuqi in the west of the Yellow River and northern Shaanxi).The state of Wei is located in the center of the Central Plains, with the most fertile arable land, and the income from agricultural products is higher than that of other countries.During Li Li's tenure as prime minister, he formulated laws and adjusted taxes, which made the society stable for a long time.Ximenbao set up an irrigation project in the area of ​​Yecheng, which made the state of Wei richer and richer.Wu Qi is not only an outstanding politician, but also an outstanding military strategist.During his guarding of Xihe, he pressed Qin's northern border tightly like Mount Tai pressing down on the top. If he was given another ten years, Qin might be eaten away by him.

In the 1940s (first four) of this century, the Wei State, which was still a feudal state, reached its peak of national strength.In 354 BC, General Pang Juan attacked Handan, the great city of Zhao State (at that time, the capital of Zhao State was still in Jinyang—Taiyuan, Shanxi).Zhao State asked Qi State for help. Next year (before 353), Qi State sent reinforcements. Commander-in-Chief Tian Ji and Chief of Staff Sun Bin adopted the strategy of attacking the enemy and leading the army to directly enter Wei State.Sure enough, Pang Juan returned to the rescue, fell into an ambush in Guiling (Changyuan, Henan Province), and returned home in defeat.

——This includes a famous story of betraying a friend: Pang Juan and Sun Bin are both Guiguzi's disciples and best friends.Pang Juan left his teacher first and became a general of the Wei State. At first, he recommended Sun Bin to Wei Kou, the king of the Wei State, with pure friendship.However, Pang Juan soon discovered that Sun Bin's talents far surpassed his own, and he might be appreciated by the monarch and take his position.Therefore, he ordered people to report Sun Bin's treason, of course, the evidence was conclusive, and then Pang Juan repeatedly pleaded falsely, and the monarch Wei Zui reluctantly pardoned Sun Bin's death, but still cut off his feet to prevent him from fleeing.From then on, Sun Bin could not walk, but could only crawl on the ground.Pang Juan didn't kill him because he wanted him to write an art of war taught by Gui Guzi in his memory.Sun Bin is grateful for his old friend's life-saving grace, and of course he is willing to write it.But halfway through writing, he discovered the truth of being framed, so he pretended to be crazy, laughed and laughed, and sometimes even ate shit.When Pang Juan's precautions were relaxed a little, Sun Bin fled back to his homeland—Qi State, and was appointed Chief of Staff (Military Advisor) by Tian Ji, the highest military chief of Qi State.Another significance of this story is that in the Golden Age, political power is no longer the private property of hereditary playboys, and talented civilians can easily be promoted to senior government officials. In the world of ideological and academic freedom, there must be a A vibrant open society.

In 341 BC, the State of Wei launched a second war of aggression.Prince Wei Shen personally served as the commander-in-chief, and Pang Juan served as the chief of staff to attack South Korea.South Korea also asked for help from Qi State. Tian Ji and Sun Bin still used the old strategy of attacking the enemy to save them. Southwest of Yanggu) laid an ambush.The Wei Corps had to return to the army to fight, but was defeated for the second time. Wei Shen was captured and committed suicide. When he lit the torch and checked what was written on it, the ambush soldiers fired all arrows at the fire and shot him to death.Pang Juan is a typical despicable character. He didn't feel ashamed of his injustice at the moment of his death. Instead, he criticized Sun Bin for getting famous by getting away with it.

Two Wu Qi and Yue Kingdom Wei Si, the founding king of Wei, was a wise leader, as evidenced by his ability to appoint three legalist giants.And Wu Qi is the more outstanding one among the three giants. He is a native of Wei.Once, when Wei Si and Wu Qi were crossing the Yellow River at Longmen (northwest of Hejin, Shanxi Province), Wei Si could not help admiring and said: "The mountains and rivers are so dangerous, they are the treasures of the Wei State." Si Lugui, the last monarch of the Xia Dynasty, has Jishui in the east (originated from the Taihang Mountains and flows into the Bohai Sea in the east, and now the river course has been seized by the Yellow River), Huashan (one of the Five Sacred Mountains) in the west, and Yique in the south ( Pass in the southern suburbs of Luoyang), and Yangyangban in the north (East of Pingshun, Shanxi), which was eventually destroyed by the Shang Dynasty. The last monarch of the Shang Dynasty, Zi Shouxin, had Mount Tai (one of the Five Sacred Mountains) in the east. Xingshan Pass), the Yellow River in the south, and Mount Heng (one of the Five Sacred Mountains) in the north, which were destroyed by the Zhou Dynasty. If the Wei State is politically corrupt, all those who help each other may become enemies.” Wei Si readily accepted this very unpleasant encouragement .

In 387 B.C., Wei Si passed away, and his son Wei Jian, the father of the king Wei Kou, succeeded to the throne when Pang Juan lost his teacher and humiliated the country. Uncle Gong panicked, Uncle Gong was a shrewd politician, and he carried out his power struggle like a play.The uncle's wife is a princess—the daughter of Weiss. In front of the new king Wei Ji, the uncle tried his best to praise Wu Qi, thinking that Wu Qi is a great character.He is qualified to be the prime minister of Wei.The problem is, Wu Qi is from the state of Wei, so I'm afraid he can't concentrate on being loyal to the state of Wei.But this is also easy to solve. The uncle suggested that if you choose a princess to marry Wu Qi, you will tie Wu Qi's heart.Wei Jian thinks this is a good way. So, under the precise design, the uncle and his wife held a banquet and invited Wu Qi. At the banquet, the wife of the uncle, as a princess, with her nostrils turned upside down, scolded the uncle like a cow and horse, and insulted him in every possible way.Wu Qi was horrified when he saw it, and secretly rejoiced that he did not marry the princess.Soon, the monarch Wei Jian told Wu Qi that he was willing to marry his daughter to him. Wu Qi became nervous, tactfully but firmly expressing that he did not dare to do so.The uncle warned Wei Jian: "Marrying a princess is an honor that most people can't even dream of. Wu Qi refused. I'm afraid his ambition is higher than that of the princess. We must be careful." Wei Jian then changed his attitude towards Wu Qi. Only now did Wu Qi know that he had fallen into Uncle Gong's trap, but he could no longer explain it with words.He had no choice but to flee and fled to the Kingdom of Chu.The king welcomed him sincerely and appointed him as the prime minister of Chu Kingdom.It has been 200 years since Wu Zixu whipped the corpse of Wu Zixu in the last century (the first six), and the Kingdom of Chu could not restore its former power. It is suspected that it pinned its hopes on Wu Qi and handed him power. For this huge, ancient and rotten kingdom, Wu Qi first started by sorting out the laws and regulations to make them concise and practical, and then strictly enforced them. The aristocrats were all removed from their posts and expelled from the government, appointed talented cadres, improved administrative efficiency, and used the saved funds for the armed forces.Wu Qi was the commander-in-chief, but he often lived with the lowest rank of soldiers.In just a few years, the Kingdom of Chu suddenly prospered.Influence goes south to Baiyue (Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian provinces and the southern part of Hunan and Jiangxi provinces), and northwards prevents the newly emerging Wei and Han countries from going south, attacks Qin State westward, and penetrates the upper reaches of the Han River (southern Shaanxi) .The world feels that the ancient disaster of aspiring to the Central Plains is about to repeat itself. However, the parasitic elements attached to those political garbage who have lost their official positions and powers and opportunities for corruption, would rather the country decline than lose their own vested interests, so an obvious phenomenon occurs, that is, there are complaints.In 381 B.C., Kou Yi passed away, Wu Qi lost his protector, and the angry trash couldn't wait to mobilize and attack Wu Qi—the arrows rained down like rain.After all, Wu Qi's strategy was superior to others. He fled to the place where the dead body was buried and hid under the corpse. Although the random arrows shot Wu Qi to death, they also shot the dead body.When Kou Zang's son, Kou Zang, ascended the throne, he ordered the arrest of the traitors who shot Wu Qi and Lao Wang's corpse, and more than 70 families were massacred. Wu Qi's contribution to the Kingdom of Chu was a miracle, but within a short period of six years, he could not make greater use of it, and his foundation was not solid. When Wu Qi died, his light went out again. But Wu Qi was only serious about rectifying the original scale. Twenty years later, an even bigger miracle appeared in Qin State. The Three Greatest Magic in History——The Qin Reform History has developed to the present, this century (the first four) has passed more than 30 years, and the Qin State located in the wild west is still unknown. No one sees the future of this backward and poor small country, can maintain the status quo, and will not be annexed by the Wei State , has been counted as lucky. Two great politicians made history change. One was Ying Quliang, the king of Qin, and the other was Gongsun Yang, a fellow of Wu Qi and a legalist giant whose ancestral home was in Wei.Although Ying Quliang presided over a small and poor country, he was ambitious to restore the hegemony of his ancestor Ying Renhao in the seventh century BC three hundred years ago.In the next year of his accession to the throne (361 BC), he issued a proclamation to solicit talents, and welcomed intellectuals who could make Qin prosperous and strong to visit Qin.In that era, countries recruited political talents, just like countries recruited scientific talents in the 20th century.Ying Quliang confirmed that talents determine the destiny of a country. Although Gongsun Yang was from the state of Wei, the state of Wei was too small to be relied upon.So I went to Wei State very early and worked under the prime minister of Wei State, Gong Shucuo.Gongshucuo knew him very well, and was about to recommend him to Wei Kou, the king of the state of Wei, but Gongshucuo couldn't afford to be ill.Wei Kou went to visit him in person and asked him about his funeral.Uncle Gong said: "Gongsun Yang is ten times more talented than me. After I die, please hand over the state affairs to him. The future of Wei depends on him." Wei Kou couldn't help being surprised.After a while, Gong Shucuo said again: "If the king can't use Gongsun Yang, please kill him and don't let him go out of the country. Once he is recruited by other countries, it will become Wei's biggest problem." Wei Kou said goodbye and went out. Finally, he said to the left and right: "Uncle Gong is seriously ill and has become incoherent. He even taught me to hand over the power of the country to Gongsun Yang. And after a while, he taught me to kill him." Minister Wei Ang knew Gongsun Yang's talent very well, and also Recommended to Wei Kou, Wei Kou laughed it off, Wei Kou is just an ordinary mediocre, not a revolutionary figure. Gongsun Yang was also completely desperate in the state of Wei, and he went to the state of Qin in due course. Ying Quliang had a long knee talk with Gongsun Yang. This is a reenactment of Jiang Xiaobai and Guan Zhong's long knee talk about history. Ying Quliang hated seeing Gongsun Yang late.Gongsun Yang told Ying Quliang: "If you doubt a knowledge, you will never succeed. If you doubt a measure, you will never succeed. A person with true insight will be rejected by the world. Do not discuss with ignorant people to make progress. It can only make them see rich harvests. Highly intelligent views are different from the secular world. Those who achieve great success only conspire with a few people and do not seek the opinions of the majority. To make a country strong, there is only a thorough reform.” So this A stone thrown away by the State of Wei became a rock in the corner of the State of Qin.Ying Quliang handed over the power to this stranger, Ke Qing, and ordered him to carry out a thorough reform according to his plan and steps-the term at the time was called "reform". Before Gongsun Yang promulgated the reform decree, he first set up a ten-meter-long wooden stick at the south gate of the capital Liyang (Lintong, Shaanxi), and ordered, "Whoever brings it to the north gate will be rewarded with ten taels of gold." When everyone was surprised, he increased the reward to fifty taels.A curious young man took it arbitrarily and got the reward in full.This is Gongsun Yang's first step. He needs the people to trust and respect the government first. Only after the government has the people's trust and respect can the government make a difference. The reforms made by Gongsun Yang can be summarized into the following eleven main specific items: One forces the people to learn a minimum of manners.Father and son brothers and sisters are not allowed to sleep on the same kang, they must live in separate rooms (kang, a large bed made of adobe or bricks, with a stove door, in which a fire can be lit in winter. The winter in the north is very cold, and the whole family sleeps keep warm on top). 2. Unify weights and measures system.Force the whole country to use the same standard size, liter bucket, and jinliang. 3. Establish a local government system.Several villages form a township, several townships form a county, and the county is directly under the central government. Fourth, establish social grassroots organizations.Ten companies form a group to encourage each other to produce and supervise actions. If one family breaks the law, the other nine companies are obliged to report.Reporting other crimes outside this group is the same as killing the enemy, and there is a heavy reward; hiding a prisoner is the same as hiding the enemy, and there is a heavy punishment. Fifth, force every citizen to have a proper job, idlers, including hereditary aristocrats and the children of rich merchants, if they cannot have a proper job, they will all be treated as slaves and sent to the frontiers for reclamation. Sixth, recruit immigrants with favorable conditions.Regardless of nationality, anyone who went to Qin to cultivate wasteland would not receive land tax for nine years.In order to increase the population rapidly, and the population is the source of soldiers. 7. Encourage production.People who are particularly good at farming and weaving, and who have accumulated a lot of grain, will be exempted from taxes and labor. There are two adult men in the Bay Family, separated by force (this is a means of increasing production and increasing the population). Nine interpersonal disputes must be referred to the court for judgment, and private duels are not allowed.Private duels, regardless of justification or unreasonableness, will be punished. Ten battles against the enemy are first-class meritorious service and receive first-class rewards. Eleven must be successful in combat to be promoted.Although the status of the nobles is high, and the merchants have a lot of wealth, if they do not have military exploits, they cannot hold government positions. From these eleven items, it can be seen that Qin was still in a semi-barbaric state at that time, backward, poor, corrupt and in chaos.It can also be seen that the meaning of the reform is not simply to change laws and regulations, not only to change only the superstructure, but to completely change, military changes, political changes, government organizations and social structures, customs and habits, and even moral values ​​and standards. The outlook on life has to change. "Reform" is the most thrilling magic that human wisdom can do. It can turn a dwarf into a giant, turn a declining nation into a thriving nation, and turn a weak country into a powerful one. It only took nineteen years for Qin to rise as one of the superpowers after Wei, but it was a hundred times stronger than Wei. ——This is the only glorious reform in Chinese history, and only in the Great Golden Age can such a great achievement be made, but Gongsun Yang also paid the same frustrating price as Wu Qi paid.The vested interests that have lost their vested interests will always hate reform to the bone.In 338 B.C., Ying Quliang passed away, and his son Ying Si succeeded to the throne. The angry garbage group full of complaints, including Ying Si's royal teachers Gongsun Jia and Ying Qian, took the opportunity to counterattack and accused Gongsun Yang of treason. He was tortured and executed by car cracking.The Confucian school has always used this tragic ending to warn future generations of politicians that they must never change the law. ——After 2,200 years, the Japanese Empire imitated Gongsun Yang and implemented reforms, the famous "Meiji Restoration", which made an ancient Japan that was as backward as the Qin State rise up magically.History has shown a law that in an era of great change, countries that are capable of radical change are strong, while countries that do not change thoroughly are in chaos, and countries that refuse to change will continue to decline and only perish. Sihe vertical confrontation and continuous horizontal reconciliation In 350 BC, Gongsun Yang moved the capital of Qin State from Liyang (Lintong, Shaanxi) to Xianyang (Xianyang, Shaanxi).In 340 BC, the year following the defeat of Ma Lingdao in the state of Wei, Gongsun Yang led the army to make the most important display of force after the reform, and attacked the devastated state of Wei. The Wei army was defeated again. Commander-in-chief Wei Ang was captured by Gongsun Yang.Wei Kou, the monarch of the state of Wei, beat his chest and said, "I regret not listening to Gongsun Cuo." With Wei Kou's mediocrity and his hatred for Gongsun Yang at that time, he could not regret losing this talent, but he probably regretted not killing him.Wei State suffered a heavy blow this time, and lost all the Hexi territory (northern Shaanxi) that Wu Qi worked so hard to develop to Qin State.The capital Anyi (Xia County, Shanxi Province) was only separated from the State of Qin by the Yellow River, so they lost security, so they had to move eastward to Daliang (Kaifeng, Henan Province), an important town 300 kilometers away. This battle was only 19 years since Gongsun Yang's political reform began in 359 BC. Qin State had become so strong that it forced the superpower Wei State to collapse, and moved the capital to other lands. This momentum immediately aroused the shock of all countries. Since then, there has been an unprecedented long-term tension in the world. The old traditional ideology and political knowledge cannot cope with this thunderous pressure.Therefore, taking Qin as the target, two brand-new strategic thinking and foreign policies were produced that were exactly tit-for-tat.The first is the policy of joint vertical confrontation, that is, the policy of encirclement. It advocates that from north to south, all countries should form military alliances to jointly resist Qin's aggression. If Qin invades a certain country, it is tantamount to aggressing against all allies, and all countries send troops to fight at the same time. .The other is the Lianheng reconciliation policy, that is, the policy of peaceful coexistence. It advocates that from west to east, all countries should sign friendship treaties with Qin at the same time to maintain bilateral peaceful relations. These two policies were proposed by two scholars of civilian origin, Su Qin and Zhang Yi. Su Qin is a native of the Zhou Kingdom, with a poor family. He once sold the strategy of unifying China to Ying Si, the king of Qin.Ying Si had just killed Gongsun Yang and hated all the foreigners. Su Qin got frustrated and ran out of travel expenses, almost begging to go back to his hometown.The wife who was weaving did not even move her body when she saw her long-lost husband come back in despair.Su Qin asked his sister-in-law who was cooking to satisfy his hunger, but his sister-in-law didn't seem to hear.Su Qin was ashamed, changed his mind, and proposed to adopt a policy of joint vertical confrontation against Qin.Then he worked hard to study the international situation and follow the psychology of the masters. When he was tired, he stabbed his legs with an iron awl, and the blood flowed everywhere.In 333 B.C., he set off again, first to meet Lord Ji Wengong, the monarch of Yan Kingdom, and this time he achieved a breakthrough success.Ji Wengong introduced him to see Zhao Yu, the king of Zhao State. Zhao Yu was very happy with this suggestion, so he introduced Su Qin in a chain, and went to South Korea, Wei State, Qi State, and finally to the Chu Kingdom.The six countries fully agreed to sign the covenant, and unanimously appointed Su Qin as their prime minister, making him the "covenant chief" - the secretary-general of the North-South Coalition against the covenant, and the containment policy was completed. ——The most dramatic thing happened next. When Su Qin returned from the Kingdom of Chu to the Kingdom of Zhao to report his life, he passed through Luoyang.Su Qin was no longer the pitiful look he had when he returned home last time. He was honored as the prime minister of the six countries, with fresh clothes and angry horses, and his followers were like clouds. His compatriots in the motherland really respected and envied him.The sister-in-law who starved him also crawled by the side of the road.He didn't even dare to lift his head.Su Qin asked her: "Why did you despise me so much in the past? Why are you so respectful today?" The sister-in-law said honestly, "It's just because you are dignified and rich today." This sister-in-law said in the fourth century BC To tell a secret of human nature, if you want to gain the respect of others; especially if you want to gain the respect of this kind of sister-in-law snobbery, you don't need anything else, as long as you have a high status and money. Zhang Yi is a native of Wei, Su Qin's classmate and friend, and also a poor scholar.When he lobbied in the Kingdom of Chu, he was accused of stealing something because he was too poor and was almost beaten to death.Later, when he came to Qin State, he promoted his Lianheng reconciliation policy. Qin Guojun Ying Si was regretting losing Su Qin, so that he was isolated by Su Qin internationally.Once you get Zhang Yi, it's like getting a treasure.Zhang Yi's strategy is to defeat the allies participating in the joint vertical confrontation covenant one by one, so that they can individually reconcile with Qin. ——From the standpoint of the Eastern countries at that time, the policy of joint vertical confrontation was the only way to survive.However, only great politicians can see ten years later, and only historians can see thirty years later.Countries have real interests under the noses of other countries. Instead of uniting, they kill each other. The first covenant of joint vertical confrontation was signed in 333 BC.Qin State reacted immediately.Next year (before 332), the state of Qin expressed a concession to the state of Wei, willing to return the seven cities in the Xiangling (Xiangfen, Shanxi) area that had previously occupied the state of Wei.Those seven cities are 80 kilometers away from Anyi (Xia County, Shanxi), the former capital of the Wei State, and are the most needed defense barriers. If they can be taken back, Anyi can rest in peace.Wei Guo could not resist this temptation, so he agreed to leave Hezong.And in order to expand the land, he also launched an attack on Zhao Guo.Encouraged by Qin State, Qi State thought that it could carve up the land from Zhao State, so it also joined Wei State.Although the armies of the two countries were repulsed by the State of Zhao, it was the first time that they joined forces to fight against the alliance, and it collapsed after only one year. Su and Qin were unable to explain the rebellion of Wei and Qi in the State of Zhao, so they had to go to the State of Yan. Prime Minister of the country.Qin State refused to return the seven cities of Xiangling after the covenant of joint confrontation collapsed. Wei State attacked Qin State in a rage and was defeated by Qin State again. Although the covenant of joint vertical confrontation has collapsed, this concept is still considered to be the correct guiding principle.So fifteen years later, in 318 BC, all the feudal states had been restructured into independent kingdoms. The five kingdoms of Wei, Chu, Han, Zhao, and Yan hated the Qin Kingdom because of the disintegration of the alliance, and continued to expand eastward. Then concluded the second joint vertical confrontation alliance, elected Chu Wang Huahuai as the leader of the vertical alliance, assembled the five-nation coalition, and attacked Hangu Pass (northeast of Lingbao, Henan), an important town on the eastern border of the Qin Kingdom.This is a massive military operation, and everyone expects a major war.However, the general guarding the gate of the Qin Kingdom, Chi Liji, opened the gate and sent troops to fight.Shocked by the prestige of the Qin army, the Allied Forces of the Five Nations looked at each other in blank dismay, and no one dared to attack first.After several days of stalemate, the food road of the Chu Corps was cut off by the Qin Kingdom, and they were the first to retreat in panic.The armies of the other five countries followed suit and returned home in a panic, and the joint vertical confrontation alliance collapsed again. Although the Kingdom of Chu lost Wu Qi and therefore lost the opportunity to become a superpower, it is still the largest country with the largest territory and the most powerful manpower. The Kingdom of Qin dare not underestimate it, especially fearing that the Kingdom of Chu will unite with another powerful country in the east, the Kingdom of Qi .In the child's play battle at Hangu Pass, the Qi Kingdom did not participate. Zhang Yi, the prime minister of the Qin Kingdom, was deeply impressed by this, and he was determined to further separate Chu and Qi. In the fifth year after the Battle of Hangu Pass (313 B.C.), Zhang Yi visited the Kingdom of Chu and suggested to King Huahuai of Chu: "As long as your country cuts off diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Qi, the Kingdom of Qin is willing to give up the Shang Yu (Shaanxi Danish) that once occupied you. Feng went to the river valley in the Xixia area of ​​Henan) to return the six hundred Huali area." Kou Huai, one of the biggest fools in the world, was very happy, thinking that this was the cheapest thing in the world, and immediately announced the severance of diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Qi, in order to express He was resolute, and sent people to the border to insult the king of the Qi Kingdom, and then the envoys accompanied Zhang Yi to the Qin Kingdom to receive the land.Unexpectedly, what Zhang Yi handed over was only Liuhuali, his own fief.The envoy was surprised and said: "I came here by the order of the king, and I stated that it is six hundred li." Zhang Yi was also surprised and said: "Your king must have heard it wrong. Every inch of Qin Kingdom's land was obtained from bloody battles. How can you give it away for nothing?" Six hundred miles." Kou Huai couldn't stand this kind of deception, so he ordered General Qu Gai to attack the Kingdom of Qin, but he was defeated, Qu Gai was captured, and the 300-kilometer territory of the Hanzhong area (southern Shaanxi) was lost.Kouhuai went mad even more, and mobilized the whole country to make the most violent blow to the Qin Kingdom. This time, it was unstoppable and attacked all the way to Lantian (Shaanxi Lantian), which was only 40 kilometers away from the Qin Kingdom's capital Xianyang (Shaanxi Xianyang). at stake.However, the wrong foreign policy of the Chu Kingdom had bad consequences. When the Qin Kingdom asked the Qi Kingdom for help, the Qi Corps immediately invaded the Chu Kingdom.The Chu army had to reluctantly retreat. Qin Wang Yingsi generously declared that he would not take any retaliatory action, and was still willing to continue to reconcile, and proposed to exchange six hundred Huali in the Shangyu area (Danfeng, Shaanxi to Xixia, Henan) in exchange for six hundred li in the central Guizhou area (Guizhou) of the Kingdom of Chu Baihuali.Kouhuai hated Zhang Yi to the bone, and he replied to Ying Si, "I don't want to exchange Shang Yu, but Zhang Yi." Ying Si refused, but Zhang Yi said he was willing to exchange.Yingsi said: "Kaohuai will kill you." Zhang Yi said: "Kill me and the country will get 600 li in the central Guizhou area, and death is worth it. Besides, Kouhuai can't kill me." As soon as Zhang Yi arrived in the Kingdom of Chu, Kou Huai put him in prison and planned to choose a good day for execution.And Zhang Yi's strategy - the main thing is to bribe, to generate power at the right time.Zheng Xiu, the most beloved beauty of Kou Huai, cried to Hua Huai and said: "Zhang Yi is the prime minister of the Qin Kingdom and the most powerful think tank of the Qin King. If you kill him rashly, the Qin Kingdom will not give up. Once the army is on the scene, the children and I There is no place to die, so it is better to escape to the south one day earlier, so as not to be humiliated by the Qin army." Jin Shang, the most trusted eunuch of Kouhuai, also secretly suggested: "Everyone is their own master, and there is no grievance in itself. Kill Zhang Yi, The Kingdom of Qin is only missing one person, but we will lose six hundred miles in central Guizhou." After thinking about it, Kouhuai decided to release Zhang Yi and became good friends with Zhang Yi. After the Kingdom of Qin gained sweetness repeatedly, its aggression against the eastern countries became more severe.In 306 B.C., Chu, Qi, and South Korea concluded the third covenant of vertical confrontation. However, just after the covenant was signed, Huahuai changed his mind for the first time. (Nanyangnan, Henan) met, and returned the land of Shangyong (Zhushan, Hubei) that they had occupied before to the Kingdom of Chu.Kou Huai was very satisfied with this diplomatic victory, and the covenant of joint confrontation collapsed for the third time. Five Aggressive Wars Between Qi and Song In the 1950s, Qi State defeated the then superpower Wei State twice in a row, and established hegemony in the East.After the kingdom was rebuilt in the 1960s, the country has become even more prosperous.When the Qin Kingdom continued to encroach on its neighbors in the west, the Qi Kingdom continued to encroach on its neighbors in the east. In the 1980s, civil strife broke out in the Yan Kingdom located in the remote north. The civil strife in the Kingdom of Yan was a product of Confucianism. For political purposes, the Confucian system, within its ideological system, included the era of the sixth and seventh monarchs of the Yellow Emperor Dynasty in the 24th and 23rd centuries BC. Described as an unprecedentedly beautiful world-the historical facts of more than 30 years of severe floods and tens of millions of deaths have been wiped out.Yiqi Fangxun, the sixth emperor of Tang Yao, and Yao Chonghua, the seventh emperor of Yushun, referred to as "Yaoshun" for short, are also described as saints who are more benevolent and perfect than the Lord of Heaven and Jesus. The way of power transfer between them is even more It is beautified as an automatic "abdication" system like a lyric poem.King Ji Kui of the Kingdom of Yan is a fool like Kouhuai, and he really believes in this.So in 316 BC, he followed the same pattern and abdicated the throne to his minister Zizhi. He stepped down from the throne very humbly and joined the ranks of officials. However, although Zizhi's strategy seized the throne, he could not control the situation after he seized the throne.Another minister, Shi Bei, and Ji Kuai's son, Ji Ping, rebelled successively, and the capital Jicheng (Beijing) fell into melee.During the three years of Zizhi's reign, the civil war lasted for three years, and tens of thousands of people died, which is a huge number in that sparsely populated country. Qi Wangtian Bijiang seized this opportunity excitedly. In 314 BC, the Qi Corps invaded the land of the Kingdom of Yan and occupied Jicheng without any resistance. They all died in the chaos.Tian Bijiang announced the completion of the merger, and triumphantly declared: "A country with 10,000 chariots attacked a country with 10,000 chariots, and it took only fifty days to conquer them all." The people of Yan Kingdom resisted the merger. Two years later, The newly-emerged civil forces expelled the Qi army and supported the prince Ji Ping as the king.But the Kingdom of Qi did not suffer any losses. The property and jewels plundered from the Kingdom of Yan are still there, and the national power is even richer.However, Qi Kingdom's unsuccessful aggression this time has formed an irreconcilable hatred with Yan Kingdom, and planted the seeds of Yan Kingdom's inevitable revenge. While the Qi Kingdom was expanding outwards, the Song Kingdom was also expanding outwards.We can understand from the geographical location that the Song Kingdom has the least qualifications for expansion. Its only way to establish a country should be to pursue long-term and stable peace, even if it contains humiliating peace, it must be endured.Because its four borders have no danger to defend, and they are all first-class powers, any disputes are enough to lead to wars that they cannot afford.However, Song Yan, the king of the Song Kingdom, did not think this was the case. Like Cao Kou, the last monarch of the Cao Kingdom in the last century (the first five years), he was ambitious and wanted to become a leading hegemon beyond his capacity.In order to demonstrate his power, he hung the bloody skin bag on a tree and shot it with an arrow. When the blood flowed down, he believed that shooting the sky was a victory.宋堰又教他的侍卫人员和摇尾系统，经常大声喊叫：“万岁”，一个人先在宫里喊，宫外的人接着喊，然后全城喊，万岁的声音震耳欲聋，好像全国上下都一心一意地向他效忠。凡规劝他的人，一律当作叛乱分子处决。国际上愕然地称它是“桀宋王国”。桀，凶暴的意思，纪元前十八世纪夏王朝最末一位君主姒履癸，便被人加上这个恶劣的称号。宋偃不在乎别人的评论，他像一只瞎了眼的野兽，向四面八方狂咬猛噬。当齐王国侵略燕王国时，宋偃乘虚向齐王国背后攻击，占领五个城市。又在西界跟魏王国冲突，夺取两个城市。在南方楚王国交界处，把楚王国的边防巡逻队击败。 一连串的军事胜利，使宋偃踌躇满志，他跟遥远的西方秦王国建立密切的外交关系，互相呼应，俨然如愿以偿的成为东方新兴的超级强国。不过，横挑强邻的历史定律又要再一次应验了。宋王国不但横挑一个强邻，而是横挑东西南北四周所有的强邻，灭亡迫在眉睫。 六三位巨子 我们再回到学术的领域。 大黄金时代百花怒放、光芒四射的学术界，各种哲学和各种政治思潮，在本世纪（前四）更为辉煌灿烂。吴起、孙膑、公孙鞅、苏秦、张仪一系列英雄人物的际遇事迹，说明新的思潮中最进步的一部分已经得到付诸实施的机会和发生推动社会的力量。 传统的贵族统治在迅速崩溃，平民中高级知识分子的地位在国内和国际，开始成为政府的主要支柱。以致各国君主都以延揽他们作为重要的国策。齐王田辟疆，当他在位的八、九十年代期间，在首都临淄（山东淄博东）稷门附近，建筑一个庞大的国际学人区，称为“稷下馆”，专用来招待各种专家。这个稷下学人区中，街道宽广，楼厦相连，每位学人都有一份等于政府国务官（大夫）的薪俸。所以在本世纪（前四）后期，齐王国的文化水准最高，人才最盛。 学术不但已获得自由研究的环境，也获得社会的尊敬，各家各学派都有突飞猛进的发展。我们无法详细叙述，因为它是中国思想史上的精华，大黄金时代的主要成就之一，有千万种专门著作表达官。我们只能具体的介绍在本世纪（前四）后期出现最有影响力的三位巨子，作为代表。 这三位巨子是：儒家孟轲、道家庄周和诗人屈原。 孟轲，邹国（山东邹城）人，鲁国三桓之一的孟孙的后裔，是孔丘的第四代门徒，属于稷下学人的行列。他富有财产（这财产来自于奴隶或来自于土地，还不得而知），生活豪华，当他游说各国时，乘车数十辆，仆从和门徒百余人，声势夺人，纵使宰相出巡，也不过如此，这跟苏秦、张仪以及其他平民出身的贫穷学人，迥然不同。 儒家学派的理论体系，发展到孟轲而完全成熟。修正是有的，如孔丘的正名主义在孟轲学说中已被贬为次要，因为贵族没落，平民（包括奴隶）升起已成定局，硬把“楚王”正名为“楚子”的时代已经过去，再不能维持固有的名份了。但孔丘的崇古精神，孟轲却全部继承，而且更发扬光大。 孟轲最主要的政治思想，是分辨“义”、“利”，即坚持一切以仁义为基本，强烈地反对功利。我们不能单凭字典上孤立的解释去了解仁义功利的区别，必须在实践中去了解它。 纪元前三二○年，孟轲晋见魏王国国王魏囗，魏囗问他说：“你老人家不远千里而来，有什么利于我们国家的吗？”孟轲回答说：“大王何必说利，只要说仁义就够了。大王说：'怎么利我的国家？'大臣们说：'怎么利我的家族？'平民说：'怎么利我自己？'上下都争夺利，你的王国就危险了。万辆战车的王国，杀他君主的，必是拥有千辆战车的大臣。千辆战车的王国，杀他君主的，必是拥有百辆战车的大臣。假如大家只讲仁义，不讲功利，就不会有这种事情发生。” 魏囗当时的反应是可想而知的，孟轲在魏王国的游说彻底失败。 从上面这番说话可看出孟轲反对功利，但他的仁义理论却仍然建筑在功利的基础之上。孟轲又说：“为国家开辟上地，充实国库的人，现代人称他们是英雄，古人称他们是民贼。为国家缔结联盟，攻战必胜，现代人称他们是英雄，古人称他们是民赋。”这种民贼必须排斥，于是孟轲声言：“勇敢善战的将领，应处死刑。能广结盟国的外交家，应处次一等的刑。垦荒拓地的移民，应处再次一等的刑。”孟轲这段话，可能是对某一种特定的事情有感而发。但一旦实行起来，结果将是一种悲惨的场面，那就是：为国家图富强，为人民谋福利和为抵抗侵略，捐躯战场，折冲国际的英雄和外交家，都成了民贼，要被铲除。 崇古是儒家的中心思想，既是目的，也是手段。九十年代时，滕国（山东胜州）国君姬定公逝世，他的儿子姬文公即位，向孟轲请教：他应该为他的国家做些什么？孟轲指示姬文公首先应该“服三年之丧”，必须为死去的老爹穿三年孝服，在此三年期间，不准吃肉饮酒，不准听音乐，不准跟妻子同房，不准参加任何社交活动，不准处理任何公私事务——这一项最重要，一处理公私事务，便是功利，不是仁义了。更不准从事任何劳动，只准穿粗布衣服，盖粗布被。睡在草地上或木板上，专心专意的悲哀，最好是悲哀到骨瘦如柴，口吐鲜血，或昏迷不醒。这种行为被称为“孝道”，是达到仁政的必要步骤，也是仁政的具体表现，国家由此即可治理。 但孟轲的基本思想是民本主义的，他严厉地谴责暴君，他认为暴君并不是君主，而只是一个“独夫”，人民推翻他、甚至杀掉他都是合理的。——孟轲这种突破时代的主张，曾引起以后很多帝王的不悦，直到纪元十四世纪末叶，明王朝的开国皇帝朱元璋，还为了孟轲这种激烈的思想，大发雷霆，下令把孟轲逐出圣庙。 孟轲卓越的贡献在于他强调经济成长的重要性，认为经济衰退，道德即跟着衰退；道德衰退，社会秩序即不能维持，国家即受到伤害。政府和君主的第一桩重大的责任，是使人民安居乐业。如何使人民安居乐业，孟轲提出“仁政”，他主张尽量少用刑罚，尽量减少赋税，使人民安息。他厌恶他所处的战国时代，希望回到古时候儒家学派所称颂的伊祁放勋和姚重华时代。 孟轲在下世纪（前三）初逝世，跟当时大多数失败的游说之士一样，没有人注意他。可是他的言论被门徒们记载，定名《孟子》。大黄金时代结束后，被儒家学派尊为经典之一，孟轲才被人记起来，而且尊奉到仅次于孔丘的地位，被称为“亚圣”——第二位或次一等的圣人。 庄周，宋国人，曾经在他的故乡蒙县（河南商丘）当过低级的地方官员（漆园吏）。他跟李耳没有丝毫渊源，但他大体上尊崇李耳的学说，而在程度上更为极端。李耳的思想是逃避的，认为逃避即进攻。庄周的思想则是颓废的，认为凡是存在的，都是合理的；凡是发生的，都是正当的。他说：“鸭子的腿虽然太短，你给它接长，它必然害怕。白鹤的脖子虽然太长，你给它截短，它一定悲哀。凡是长的不要强迫它短，凡是短的不必强迫它长。”所以连逃避都懒得去做，而只求苟且地活下去，任凭外在形势的宰割辱弄，自己只保持精神胜利。 庄周反对对任何事情认真，因为世上根本没有真。He said. “我们两个人争执，你胜了我，就是你对了吗。我胜了你，就是我对了吗。可能两个人都对了，也可能两个人都错了，没有人能作公正的判断。使赞成你的人判断，他既然赞成你，怎么能公正。使赞成我的人判断，他既然赞成我，怎么能公正。使反对我们的人判断，他既然反对我们，那就更无法公正。我们连谁是谁非都不知道，怎么能依靠是非。” 是非无法肯定，善恶自然也无法肯定，所以也不必发扬善和反对恶。不但抽象的事物如此，庄周认为他自己这个人是否存在，同样的也都无法肯定。有一天，他做了一二个梦，梦见变成蝴蝶，飞来飞去，十分快乐。醒来之后，他就宣称他弄不清是他在梦中变成了蝴蝶，还是蝴蝶在梦中变成了他。据说楚王华商曾请他去当宰相，他不肯去，他说，他宁愿当一个在污泥中爬行的活乌龟，而不愿当一个被敬奉在神庙里的死乌龟。庄周的妻子逝世，他并不悲哀，反而敲着盆子高歌。在他看来，死亡跟生存没有差异。 庄周没有门徒，他的著作，据说是由他自己写出来的。后世崇拜他的学人，拿来跟李耳的《老子》——，并列为道家的经典。他们的学说，并列称为“老庄哲学”。道家学派发展到此，也完全成熟。 ——孟轲把纪元前二十四、二十三世纪黄帝王朝第六任唐尧帝伊祁放勋和第七任虞舜帝姚重华，纳入儒家系统，努力崇拜。不知道从什么时候开始，道家学派的学者把纪元前二十七世纪黄帝王朝第一任黄帝姬轩辕也纳入道家系统——以后便把他纳入道教炼金术、长生术的巫师系统，并替他写出相当多的著作。所以除了“老庄哲学”外，对道家思想也称“黄老哲学”。伊祁放勋、姚重华、姬轩辕在地下如果知道他们被化妆的如此伟大，一定乐不可支，恐怕要大大的干上一杯。 屈原，楚王国人，中国历史上第一位留下名字的文学家和诗人。他在楚王囗槐政府中担任高级官员，负责文书方面工作，楚王国的文告法令，都由他执笔。但他得罪了最有权势的宦官靳尚——张仪所以能把囗槐像呆瓜一样玩弄于手掌之上，全靠贿赂这位宦官。屈原反对囗槐的这种外交政策，使靳尚大不愉快，他告诉囗槐说：“屈原太轻浮了，你吩咐他做的事，他常夸口说非他不行，闹的全国皆知。”囗槐把屈原贬黜，命他担任较低的职务（三闾大夫）。下世纪（前三）第二年（前二九九）秦王赢稷邀请囗槐到武关（陕西商南）会谈，屈原反对，囗槐也不想去，但他的幼子囗兰恐怕开罪强邻，力劝老爹前往。结果囗槐在武关被囚，屈原就对囗兰抨击，囗兰恼羞成怒，把屈原贬窜到南方蛮荒地区。屈原走到汨罗江（湖南汨罗），痛恨政府的腐败无能，感伤自己因太忠心而获罪，于是把石头绑在自己身上，投水而死。 ——这是一个爱国诗人之死，他投水的那一天是阴历五月五日，后来中华人称这一日为“端五节”——当时人们称初一日初二日……为端一端二……每逢端五节，江南一带广泛地举行划船竞赛，表示对屈原的营救工作，一直进行不辍。 屈原的长诗《离骚》，叙述他对国家的热爱和悲愤，大部分使用楚王国的方言，即在当时，虽然仍用的是汉字，但不经过注释，一般人也不容易了解。屈原以后的诗人还有宋玉、景差，后人把他们的作品集成一书，名为《楚辞》，即《楚王国诗歌选集》，《离骚》是其中的第一篇。跟北方文学对称。 《楚辞》是具有异国情调的南方乡土文学，保留着楚王国的风俗习惯和特别的语法。 七东西万世界 纪元前三九九年（韩国宰相韩傀被聂政刺死前二年），希腊哲学家苏格拉底被政敌诬陷，狱中服毒自杀。 纪元前三八八年（吴起从魏国投奔楚王国前一年），高卢王布棱那斯攻陷罗马城，罗马共和国用黄金一千磅赎城。分批缴纳时，对数量计算，总有争执。布棱那斯大怒说：“战败的人应该承认他的不幸。” 纪元前三八四年（秦国首府自雍城迁至标阳的前一年），希腊哲学家亚里士多德诞生。 纪元前三四七年（秦国首府自栎阳迁至咸阳后三年），希腊哲学家柏拉图逝世。 纪元前三三八年（公孙鞅被杀），马其顿王腓力二世统一希腊半岛。 纪元前三三六年（苏秦游说失败，狼狈回家的次年），腓力二世被刺身死，他的儿子亚历山大继位。 纪元前三三四年（苏秦任六国宰相前一年），亚历山大东征，侵入小亚细亚。 纪元前三三三年（苏秦任六国宰相，嫂嫂赞扬他地位高而又有钱），马其顿兵团跟波斯帝国大军在伊索斯会战。马其顿死四百五十人，波斯死十一万人。波斯王大流上三世逃脱，皇太后、皇后、公主全部被俘。 纪元前三三二年（第一次合纵对抗盟约瓦解），亚历山大回军攻入埃及，筑亚历山大城。此城直到二十世纪，仍巍然矗立在尼罗河口。 纪元前三三一年（第一次合纵对抗盟约瓦解的次年），亚历山大再攻波斯，陷波斯首都苏萨城。 纪元前三三○年（第一次合纵对抗盟约瓦解唇二年），波斯大将柏苏斯于骡车中刺杀现任国王大流士三世，以阻止他向马其顿投降。柏苏斯继位称王，在巴克拉尼城集结残军，续与马其顿作战。 纪元前三二八年（秦王国任命张仪当宰相），亚历山大攻陷巴克拉尼城，生擒柏苏斯，鞭打后交给故王大流士三世的家属处置。 纪元前三二三年（韩、燕同时宣布建立王国），亚历山大痛饮狂醉，暴死。 纪元前三二二年（秦王国宰相张仪出任魏王国宰相），亚里士多德逝世。