Chapter 32 31 Zhang Yi broke up the alliance

Since Sun Bin defeated Wei Jun, Wei State lost power, but Qin State became stronger and stronger.After Qin Xiaogong's death, his son Qin Huiwen took power and continued to expand his power, causing panic in the other six countries.How to deal with Qin's attack?Some politicians came up with ideas for the six countries, advocating that the six countries form an alliance and jointly fight against Qin.This policy is called "joint vertical".There are also some politicians who help Qin to lobby in other countries, asking them to get close to Qin and attack other countries.This policy is called "Lianheng".In fact, these politicians do not have fixed political views, but rely on their eloquent lips to make ends meet.It doesn't matter which country's princes, no matter what kind of proposition, as long as anyone can make him a high official.

Among these politicians, Zhang Yi is the most famous.Zhang Yi was from the state of Wei. He was impoverished in the state of Wei. He went to the state of Chu to lobby, but the king of Chu did not receive him.Ling Yin of the state of Chu kept him at home as a guest.Once, Ling Yin's family lost a piece of precious bi.Ling Yin's family saw that Zhang Yi was poor, suspected that Bi had been stolen by Zhang Yi, and arrested Zhang Yi and beat him to death. When Zhang Yi returned home dejected, his wife stroked the scars all over Zhang Yi's body, and said distressedly, "If you don't study or go out to seek an official position, how can you suffer such grievances!"

Zhang Yi opened her mouth and asked her wife, "Is my tongue still there?" The wife said, "Of course the tongue is still growing." Zhang Yi said: "As long as the tongue is there, there will be no way out." Later, when Zhang Yi came to the state of Qin, with his eloquence, he won the trust of King Huiwen of Qin and became the prime minister of the state of Qin.At this time, the six countries are organizing alliances.In 318 BC, Chu, Zhao, Wei, Han, and Yan formed a coalition army to attack Hangu Pass in Qin State.In fact, there are also internal contradictions among the five countries, and they are unwilling to work together.Unable to withstand the counterattack of the Qin army, the Allied Forces of the Five Nations failed.

Among the six countries, Qi and Chu are big countries.Zhang Yi believed that in order to implement "Lian Heng", the alliance between Qi and Chu must be dismantled.He offered a plan to King Huiwen of Qin and was sent to the state of Chu. When Zhang Yi arrived in the state of Chu, she first gave a valuable gift to Jin Shang (Jin Yinjin), the favorite minister of King Huai of Chu, and asked to see King Huai of Chu. King Huai of Chu heard that Zhang Yi was very famous, so he received him seriously and asked Zhang Yi for advice. Zhang Yi said: "The king of Qin specially sent me to make good relations with your country. If the king is determined to break off diplomatic relations with Qi, the king of Qin is not only willing to make peace with your country forever, but also willing to send Shangyu (now southwest of Xichuan County, Henan Province) six hundred miles away. Dedicate the land to your country. In this way, it will not only weaken the power of Qi State, but also gain the trust of Qin State, wouldn’t it be the best of both worlds.”

King Huai of Chu was a fool. After Zhang Yi lobbied, he said happily: "If Qin can really do this, why should I hold Qi to hold on?" When the ministers of Chu State heard that there was such a cheap thing, they all congratulated King Huai of Chu.Only Chen Zhen raised objections.He said to King Huai, "Why did the State of Qin give the land of six hundred li to the King? Isn't it because the King made an alliance with the State of Qi? Qin State dared not come to Chu State since it had Qi State as its ally. Bully us. If the king breaks off diplomatic relations with Qi, it will be no wonder that Qin doesn't come to bully Chu. If Qin is really willing to give us the land of Shang Yu, the king might as well send someone to take it first. Wait for Shang Yu for six hundred miles After the land is in hand, it is not too late to break off diplomatic relations with Qi."

King Huai of Chu listened to Zhang Yi's words, rejected Chen Zhen's advice, broke off diplomatic relations with Qi, and sent someone to follow Zhang Yi to Qin to receive Shang Yu. King Xuan of Qi heard that Chu State had broken off diplomatic relations with Qi State, so he immediately sent envoys to King Qin Huiwen and asked him to attack Chu State together. The envoy of the state of Chu went to Xianyang to receive Shang Yu. Unexpectedly, Zhang Yi turned his face and refused to accept it. Li, not six hundred miles, and it's my own fiefdom, not Qin's land." When the envoy returned, King Huai of Chu rolled his eyes in anger, and sent 100,000 troops to attack Qin.King Qin Huiwen also sent 100,000 troops to fight, and at the same time invited Qi to help.The state of Chu suffered a crushing defeat.There were only 20,000 to 30,000 of the 100,000 horses left. Not only did Shang Yu lose six hundred miles of land, but Qin also took away six hundred miles of land in Chu and Hanzhong.King Huai of Chu had no choice but to swallow his anger and sue for peace from Qin State, and Chu State suffered greatly from then on.

Zhang Yi used deception to subdue Chu State, and later went to Qi State, Zhao State, and Yan State successively to persuade the princes of various countries to "Lian Heng" to be pro-Qin.In this way, the "joint vertical" alliance of the six countries was finally dismantled by Zhang Yi.