Chinese History Stories Volume 1 9781885008374, 9781885008381, 2009027288

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Treasures of C hina ^

H istory Stories «*© V olume i

Translated from the original Chinese by Qian Jifang ^ E dited by Renee Ting JUL

2011

A 'Erief Introduction to Chinese, History The history of China dates back thousands of years, but it wasn’t always the big, unified country we know today. In early Chinese history, about 4,000 years ago, China was a much smaller area of land, governed by kings. As the kings passed their power down to their sons, the first dynasties began. There were no written records until the third dynasty, the Zhou dynasty. The Zhou dynasty was the longest dynasty in Chinese history, lasting from 1122-221 BC. A t that time, kings did not yet call themselves emperors and the truth was, they did not have much control over areas far from their own capital. Instead, they granted land to their relatives, friends, and valued followers, who controlled each area themselves. At first, the capital of the Zhou dynasty was located in the western area of the land, but after a rebellion in 771 BC, the new king moved it to the east. Historians thus divide the Zhou dynasty into two periods: the Western Zhou and the Eastern Zhou. After the capital was moved to the east, local rulers took control over their land and people, creating many small states. Each state was ruled by its own government. Moreover, the states began fighting each other for power and land. This period of fighting during the Eastern Zhou dynasty was called the Spring and Autumn period (771-481 BC), named after a famous book written by the great Chinese philosopher Confucius. At first, the leaders of the fighting states called themselves dukes, but as they grew stronger, they grew bolder and began to consider themselves kings. The strongest kings defeated the weaker states, and when there were only seven strong states left, the Warring States period (403-221 BC) began. Each of the seven states was independently ruled by its own king, and all of them were constantly occupied by fighting or forming alliances with each other. In 221 BC, the king of the Qin state conquered all the other states and unified the country of China. He gave himself the name Qin Shi Huangdi, meaning “First Emperor of Qin,” and claimed that his power was bestowed upon him by Heaven. He also named his unified country Zhong Guo, meaning “Middle Kingdom,” and considered it the center of the universe, while all people outside it were thought to be barbarians. Normally, each emperor would name one of his sons the Crown Prince, who would then become the next emperor. As long as the power stayed within the family, the dynasty would continue. However, the

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government in power had to always be alert for rebellions. Sometimes, after a period of fighting, the rebels would win power over the country, and a new dynasty would begin. Over the next 2,000 years, China was ruled by this system of imperial monarchy. From the Qin dynasty to the last dynasty of Qing, there were fourteen different dynasties, though some were ruled by foreign invaders. Of all the dynasties, a few stand out for their contributions to the culture and history of China. The Qin dynasty is known for the building of the Great Wall, and for the terracotta soldiers in the First Emperor’s tomb. The Han dynasty was a time of great strength and extended the Chinese territory westward. The Tang dynasty was a time of flourishing art and poetry. The final dynasty, the Qing, was one of the strongest and most prosperous, encompassing the largest area of land in China’s history, until it was weakened by oppression from western countries. In 1912, the Qing dynasty was overthrown by a democratic movement led by Sun Yat Sen and the Republic of China was established. In 1949, the Communist Party, headed by Mao Zedong, took control and renamed the country the People’s Republic of China. It is still governed by the Communist Party today. The eleven stories selected for this volume of Chinese History Stories all come from the Zhou dynasty, before the rule of emperors. The stories begin at the end of the Western Zhou dynasty and tell of military and diplomatic strategy during both the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States periods, and conclude with a story about the first emperor of Qin. It was during the Zhou dynasty that many of China’s most beloved, most hated, and most interesting figures emerged, famous for their clever plans, treacherous alliances, and daring schemes. These stories have been passed down for so many generations that the characters and the places they made famous have become legendary. If you visit China today, you can still see many of the landmarks, monuments, and temples built at the time these stories took place, over 2,000 years ago. Join us on a journey into the past of ancient China, and meet the people who shaped its history and live on in the hearts of Chinese people today.

Timeline o f Chinese History X l A D Y N A ST Y

2 2 0 5 -1 7 7 6 B C

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hang

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D Y N A ST Y

W estern Z h ou

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S p rin g an d A u tu m n

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W arrin g S ta te s

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u i d y n a sty

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\ 4 - h e a d in g C U im s e In 1958, a spelling system called pinyin was developed so that the Roman alphabet could be used to spell out Chinese characters. The system could represent both the sound and the tone of each character using letters and a selection of accent marks. In this book, we have used the pinyin system without the accent marks for the sake of simplicity. Also, some letters are pronounced differently in pinyin than they are in English. Here are a few examples: zh = j Example: Zhou = joh q = ch Example: Qin = cheen x = sh Example: Xun Xi = shoon shee

C o n te n ts Fooling Vassals with False Alarms Bribing Yu to D efeat G uo Q u Yuan and the D ragon Boat Festival Sun W u D emonstrates the A rt of War Ximen Bao and the River G od Lord M engchang and His G uests 4~ T he D og and the Rooster 4 - Feng Yuan Arrives and Proves to Be Useful 4 - Feng Yuan FIeeps Lord M enchang Again Wu Zdoj's Revenge L in Xiangru the C lever 4 - Return the Jade to Zhao 4 - The M eeting at M ianchi 4 - T he G eneral and the Prime M inister Unite Tian Dan D efeats the Yan Army M ao Sui Recommends FIimself J ing R e 's Assassination Attempt

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^■Tooling Vassals w ith Talse A larm s

(T S uring the late Western Zhou dynasty (1122-771

BC),

not long after King You of Zhou took the throne, a string of natural disasters occurred, one after another, all within a few years. First, the Jing River, the Wei River, and the Luo River near the capital city of Hao all ran dry. Then, there was a sudden avalanche on Qj Mountain, also not far from Hao. And in that same year, the area around the capital was hit by a violent earthquake that destroyed many houses and left a great number of the citizens homeless.

Panic and rumors swept through the kingdom. Some people said the disasters were an ill omen, while others thought they were a warning from Heaven to change their ways.

As the leader of the country, King You of Zhou should have been busy addressing all the problems of his kingdom and easing the misery of his people. Instead, he neglected his country's troubles and continued to live his life of pleasure.

At this time, King You of Zhou and his Queen Shen had a son named Yi Jiu, who was designated as the Crown Prince and was to inherit the throne after King You. One day, the king was making his rounds in the back palace where his concubines lived. He came upon a maiden named Bao Si and was immediately struck by her exceptional beauty. Enamored by Bao Si, the king decided to make her his queen and banished Queen Shen from the palace.

Now that he had a new queen, the king became even less interested in court affairs. All day long he did nothing but spend time with Bao Si. When she gave birth to a son named Bo Fu, King You of Zhou became even more enchanted and gladly did anything Bao Si asked of him. He promised her he would make Bo Fu the Crown Prince and he sent Yi Jiu away.

King You of Zhou wasn’t entirely carefree, however. There was one thing about Bao Si that troubled him. Beautiful as she was, Bao Si rarely smiled and, instead, often frowned. Whenever the King looked at her displeased face, he felt as if he had done something to make her unhappy. The less Bao Si smiled, the more eagerly he tried to please her. Whenever she did manage to smile, he felt that it was the most charming smile in the world.

Still, Bao Si smiled so rarely that the king remained frustrated. When his ministers approached him with matters of state, he was in no mood to listen.

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At this time, the Zhou kingdom was frequently attacked by nomads from the north and west. In order to protect the capital, Zhou's neighboring states, ruled by vassals appointed by the king, had agreed to come to the king’s aid whenever there was an attack. They used a system of signal fires on beacon towers to notify

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each other of an enemy approach.

Beacon towers were built throughout the Zhou kingdom, each a few dozen miles apart from the next. Soldiers manned these towers, on the lookout for danger. If an enemy was spotted at night, the soldiers would send a signal by lighting a bright fire. If it was daytime, they would send a plume of thick smoke into the air. Either way, as soon as the soldiers at the next tower saw the signal, they would do the same. In this way, all the towers would be lit, and the warning signal transmitted, as quickly as possible. The neighboring states would then send troops to the rescue. It was a magnificent sight indeed, to see all the vassals' troops marching in from all directions.

One day, a sly court official named Guo Shifu said to King You of Zhou, “Why not light the signal fires to summon the vassal troops here? When Bao Si sees the splendor, she is sure to be delighted.’’

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The king was very pleased with this idea. One day, he arranged a special trip to visit a beacon tower near the capital with Bao Si. When they arrived, he ordered the soldiers to light the signal. Immediately, they could see the other towers near and far do the same, one after another in a chain of smoke.

As the distress signal traveled, vassal troops began speeding in. Thinking their king was in great danger, they rushed to the capital, traveling without rest. When they arrived, however, there was no sign of any enemy at all.

Bao Si was indeed amused to see the troops gallop into sight with clouds of dust trailing behind them. Her face lit up with a smile at the spectacular scene. The king laughed joyously at the sight.

When the exhausted soldiers saw the king and queen laughing and smiling on the tower, they realized that the signal had been a false alarm, and that they had made the tiring journey ju st so the king could see Bao Si smile. Enraged and

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inwardly cursing the king’s foolishness, the generals ordered their men to withdraw.

Encouraged by his success in making Bao Si smile, King You of Zhou set the signal fires

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several more times afterward. Each time, the vassal troops rushed to the rescue. After making the exhausting trip >>

again and again, the vassal troops finally became so frustrated that they decided to stop responding

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to any more signals.

Meanwhile, the former Queen Shen had not forgotten how badly she was treated by King You of Zhou. Her father, the powerful Lord Shen, was equally resentful of his daughter’s humiliation and plotted his revenge. Lord Shen allied his troops with the Zeng kingdom and a western tribe called the Quan Rong, and soon his rebel forces advanced on the Zhou capital.

King You of Zhou panicked when he heard the reports of the advancing rebels. He hastily ordered his soldiers to light the signal fires, hoping the vassals would come quickly to his rescue. O f course, when the vassals saw the fires, they assumed it was another false alarm—that it was ju st the king trying to amuse the queen again. No one sent any troops to King You of Zhou’s aid. The rebel troops, led by Lord Shen, captured the capital.

Helpless, King You fled the capital with Bao Si in tow. But when they readied Li Mountain they were overtaken by the soldiers of the Quail Rong army. King You was killed and Bao Si was taken captive. Back at the capital, the palace was looted, countless treasures lost. Thus, the Western Zhou dynasty came to an end.

When the battle was over, all the vassals accepted Lord Shell’s plan to force out the Crown Prince Bo Fu and place Lord Shell’s grandson Yi Jiu on the throne. Yi Jiu became King Ping of Zhou. He moved the capital from Hao in the west to Luo Yi in the east, and the Eastern Zhou dynasty began.

To this day, King You of Zhou remains a laughing stock. He is remembered as the king who lost his country and his life by fooling his vassals with false alarms, ju st to make a beautiful woman smile. illustrations by Chen Yunxing, Jin Yi-an, and Niu Xin

L e a r n m o re During this time in China, kings had concubines in addition to wives. A concubine was a woman who was like a girlfriend and held a much lower rank than a wife, although sometimes a favored concubine might become a wife. Also during this time, kings owned both the land and the people on it. The Zhou king assigned land to his military leaders to run. These territories became Zhou states. The landholders were called vassals and they pledged their loyalty to the king and provided military service.

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to D efeat Cwo

'y the tw en ty -secon d year o f the reign o f King Xiangong o f Jin , the kingdom of Jin had grown to be a powerful and influential state. King Xiangong decided he would like to conquer the state of Guo. He worried, however, that Guo’s neighboring state, Yu, would send troops to aid in its defense. But, if he attacked Yu first, Guo would most likely help defend Yu. The problem was that Jin would probably not be able to fight successfully against two states at the same time. King Xiangong was disheartened.

The king’s minister, Xun Xi, made a suggestion. "Why don't we bribe the King of Yu to give us safe passage through his territory to attack Guo? He is a greedy man who could easily be bribed into betraying Guo.”

King Xiangong thought this was a good idea. He asked, “What can we use as a bribe?”

"The usual riches will not do, but 1 think Your Majesty has two treasures that are sure to convince him, provided you are willing to part with them,” Xun Xi said.

“Yes? Which two?”

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"One is the jade carving from Chuji, and the other is your steed from Qu. If you present these two treasures to the King of Yu, he will most certainly allow our troops to pass through.”

King Xiangong hesitated. The jade carving was indeed exquisite and his horse strong and fast. "This is a reasonable suggestion, but 1 am not sure if 1 can bear to send my most prized treasures to Yu.”

Xun Xi laughed. "Yes, Your M ajesty’s treasures have no equal. How could you part with them? You won’t have to."

The king looked puzzled.

Xun Xi explained. "If Yu does not help Guo, we will defeat Guo easily. Won’t it be equally effortless, then, to conquer Yu once Guo is ours? Then, you’ll have your jade and your steed back!"

King Xiangong agreed to Xun Xi's plan, and sent him to Yu with the beautiful jade and the magnificent steed.

When Xun Xi met the King of Yu, he announced, "King Xiangong has entrusted me to bring Your Majesty his most prized treasures to seek an alliance with Yu.”

With these words, he presented the jade and the steed to the King of Yu, who smiled with pleasure. Seizing this opportunity, Xun Xi went on to ask the favor of safe passage through Yu to attack Guo. Dazzled by the treasures, the king readily agreed.

A minister of the Yu court named Gong Zhiqi stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty must not grant such a request. If we offer Jin safe passage for a war against Guo, our country Yu is also doomed to be attacked.”

With the two treasures in hand, the king was deaf to any advice. He reasoned, “Why would Jin attack us? We all share the same ancestry.”

*

Gong Zhiqi retorted, “Jin ’s relationship to Guo is even closer than ours. I doubt that we will be spared. As the saying goes, ‘when the lips are gone, the teeth will feel cold.' Guo is to Yu what lips are to teeth. With Guo gone, we will surely not last long."

Unfortunately, no matter how hard Gong Zhiqi tried to persuade the king to refuse the request, the king would not change his mind. His mind was made up the moment he saw the treasures.

In the winter of that year, Jin ’s troops advanced on Guo through the passage provided by Yu. After conquering Guo, the Jin army attacked Yu on its way back. Caught by surprise, Yu was unable to organize its troops for resistance and was no match for the Jin army. The King of Yu and many of his ministers were taken prisoner by Jin. Gong Zhiqi, however, predicting ju st this outcome, was able to flee before the attack.

The minister Xun Xi recovered the jade and the steed and presented them to King Xiangong upon his return to Jin. The king was delighted to have them back. In great spirits, he laughed and said, "The jade is exactly as 1 last saw it. The steed too, is one and the same, only ju st a little bit older now!" Illustrations by Slteng Yuanfu

L e a v n M o re Jade is a natural stone that comes in many colors, but the most common color is green. This stone can be carved into sculptures, ornaments, containers, and more. The Chinese believe that jade has powers of protection. Jade is considered the royal “gem” in China. When the lips are gone, the teeth will feel cold is an old Chinese proverb that means when two people (or in the story’s case, two states) share common interests, if one suffers the other will, too.

+Qu ISnan and the Onagon 'Root yestival

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In he famous poet and statesm an

Qu Yuan lived during the reign of L s Q

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King Huai of Chu, from 340-278 BC.

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Qu Yuan was a descendant of the royal Chu family, and from childhood was well-educated and well-informed. He was rich in his knowledge and forceful with his words.

Qu Yuan was a minister for King Huai of Chu. The king trusted and respected Qu Yuan and often consulted him on government affairs. Qu Yuan drafted documents, issued official proclamations, and handled some foreign affairs. In addition, Qu Yuan was a distinguished poet. He was known for his unique and magnificent depictions of nature. His verses were very popular among

27

There was another minister named Jin Shang who was jealous of Qu Yuan. He felt that he was treated inferior to Qu Yuan, even though the)/ were of the same rank.

Once, Jin Shang visited Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan was working on a new law at the request of the king. Jin Shang demanded to have a look at it, but Qu Yuan refused, saying that the new law could not be leaked to anyone before it was complete.

Humiliated at this slight, Jin Shang went to see the king. "That Qu Yuan is always boasting about himself,” he said. “Just now, he claimed that no one but he is capable of writing laws, including Your Majesty!"

The king was surprised to hear this “Is that true? Qu Yuan does not seem to be the kind of person to say such things.”

"Oh yes, he is,’ Jin Shang lied. “He is very good at pretending to be humble and Your Majesty has been deceived by him. He has said many times that Your Majesty could not run the state without his help and that he could even do it all by himself.”

The king was skeptical at first, but Jin Shang continued his campaign to ruin the king’s trust in Qu Yuan. Eventually, King Huai began to believe Jin Shang's lies and asked less and less of Qu Yuan. Finally, the king removed Qu Yuan from office.

Qu Yuan was very distressed at this turn of events. He was not concerned for himself, but rather, he was worried about his homeland of Chu. He knew that the state would weaken and perish, and the people would suffer, if the King thoughtlessly allowed petty and arrogant men to gain too much power. In his great sorrow and indignation, he wrote the famous poem, Li Sao, which means "The Lament.” It is still considered a classic poem today.

One day, King Huai of Chu received an invitation to meet with King Zhao of Qin. Though no longer the king's minister, Qu Yuan advised him against accepting. "Everyone has said that the King of Qin is as greedy as a wolf and as fierce as a tiger,” he cautioned. “Qin has wanted to conquer Chu for a long

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King Huai's youngest son, however, recommended that he go. There is no reason for us to reject Q jn’s friendly advances,” he said.

The king did not heed Qu Yuan's advice and departed for Qjn as planned. As he traveled through the Wu Pass between the two states, he and his men were ambushed by the Qin army. King Zhao of Qjn ordered him to hand over land to Qin, and then imprisoned him when he refused. King Huai later died while in captivity.

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After King Huai of Chu's death, his eldest son succeeded the throne and became King Xiang of Chu. Zilan, the youngest son, was named prime minister. King Xiang was a negligent leader, caring more about his own comfort and entertainment than anything else. It was Zilan and Jin Shang who truly ruled the state. They promoted their favorites, persecuted officials that spoke out against them, and sent the state’s affairs into great disorder.

Qu Yuan could not stand back and watch his beloved country fall apart. He submitted a written statement to King Xiang, advising him to use worthy men and eliminate corruption in order to prevent Chu from being taken over by Qin. To his dismay, his suggestions were ignored. Worse, Zilan and Jin Shang thought his interference threatened their power, so they banished Qu Yuan to the far south.

In 111 BC, Qin attacked Chu and was on the verge of taking Chu’s capital. Upon hearing this news, Qu Yuan was filled with anxiety. He stood by the Milou River in his shabby clothes, looking thin and haggard.

A fisherman recognized him and asked, "Aren’tyou Minister Qu? What has brought you here?”

With a sigh, Qu Yuan replied, "Chu is going to fall to the Qin soon. No one believed me when I warned of this. What has this world come to when no one will listen to reason? They even call me crazy! Who is really crazy? Who is sane? Time will tell.”

The fisherman said, “They say that a wise man must be flexible and open to change. The world may be in turmoil, but one man alone cannot solve everything.

Qu Yuan answered, "They also say that a man who takes a bath will shake out his clothing before dressing. 1 am that clean man who cannot stand to wear dirty clothes. 1 would rather feed myself to the fish than associate with dishonorable men.”

As Qu Yuan predicted, Chu was defeated. On the fifth day of the fifth month on the lunar calendar, Qu Yuan jumped into the Milou River with a stone held to his chest and drowned.

People rushed to the river to attempt a rescue. They cried out Qu Yuan's name and ran along the banks. They scattered rice into the water to prevent fish from attacking his body. Some people rowed their dragon boats up and down, searching for him.

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Even when it was clear that Qu Yuan was truly gone, they still lingered at the river’s edge, reluctant to leave their beloved poet and statesman.

The next year, when it was again the fifth day of the fifth month, people gathered by the river to honor the memory of Qu Yuan. Many brought zongzi, packets of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, to throw into the water. Others rowed their dragon boats in races to symbolize the rescue search.

Since then the celebration has become an annual event known as the Dragon Boat Festival. Every year, people pay their respects to the great patriotic poet and express their hope for a peaceful world.

Qu Yuan’s poems have been passed down through the generations. These poems speak vividly of a noble soul and a world of incomparable beauty.

My way ahead is a long, long one, oh! I'll seek the truth high and low. These most famous lines from Qu Yuan's poem, Li Sao, have been remembered for thousands of years as a motto for those who share Qu Yuan’s ideals. Illustrations by Zhang Yong

L e a n 1 w ove, A dragon boat is long and narrow, fitting up to 80 rowers side-by-side. A dragon’s head is carved into the front, a tail at the back, with brightly carved and painted scales along the boat’s hull. Zongzi is a pyramid-shaped packet of rice that is wrapped in bamboo leaves and steamed. The center of the zongzi is filled with nuts, beans, fruit, or meat.

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the

l T u n Wu, also known as Master Sun Tzu, lived during a time called the Spring and Autumn period (771-481 BC). At this time, skirmishes were frequent between the many states, and Sun Wu took an interest in the strategies of war. He spent many hours pondering why some armies were victorious while others were defeated. Over many years, he developed his ideas into a book on military theory, now famously known as Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War.”

King Helu of the state of Wu read "The Art of War” with great interest. He was an ambitious man. King Helu was fascinated by the possibility that Sun Wu's military strategies could strengthen his own forces, and he was eager to find out if these theories truly worked in practice.

The king sent for Sun Wu and said to him, “1 have read your book thoroughly, and I am very impressed with your ideas. Would you be able to demonstrate your training on real troops?”

O f course,” replied Sun Wu

The king then added, “Moving our troops here right now would be troublesome. Can we use the ladies of the court for the demonstration instead?”

The king called in 180 ladies of the court and turned them over to Sun Wu's training while he himself watched from a viewing platform

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Sun Wu divided die ladies into two companies with the king’s two favorite concubines as the company leaders. Each woman was issued a battle axe to carry. Then, Sun Wu asked them, "Doyou all know your front from your back? Your left from your right?”

“Yes, sir!” the women assured him.

"When 1 give the order to look forward, look straight ahead," Sun Wu instructed. "When 1 tell you to turn left, turn toward your left. If 1 tell you to turn right, you turn toward your right. And if 1 say the words, "about face,” then you turn around toward your back. Mistakes will not be tolerated. Understand?”

"We understand!” the women replied together.

Sun Wu demonstrated the orders for them one more time, then reminded them, "Be sure to listen to my orders during the drill. No laughing, no disruptions. We are now under military law.”

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Sun Wu had the palace guards beat the drums for the ready signal, then ordered, “Turn right!"

Immediately, there was chaos. None of the ladies had ever had any military training and had been spoiled by the palace luxuries. In the confusion, some turned right, some left. Others stood still, not knowing which way to turn. All of them thought the result was hilarious. They became a directionless, giggling clump

Sun Wu frowned and waited for them to quiet down. “If the rules are not clear and the orders are not understood, it is not your fault. You have never done this before, so 1 will explain it again." He repeated the instructions and demonstrated them several more times.

The drums sounded again, and Sun Wu ordered, “Turn left!”

Again, the formation of ladies broke down as they turned one way or another, laughing all the while.

This time, Sun Wu became grave. He gave an angry shout and the women quieted immediately.

“When you failed to follow my order the first time,” he barked, "1 was to blame for not giving clear instructions. I explained again, and you all claimed to understand clearly. When you failed to follow my order the second time, it was no longer any fault of mine. All of you must take responsibility. You are soldiers now, subject to military law.” With these words, he ordered the court guards to remove the two company leaders for immediate execution.

Now he had the ladies’ full attention.

King Helu of Wu jumped up, shocked. He had been watching from his seat, amused by the proceedings, but at this threat to his two favorite concubines, he came forward.

He said hastily, "I can see that you are an able general, and your method is sound. Please spare these two concubines. 1 would be most distraught without them."

Sun Wu replied, “You have appointed me as the commander of these troops. On the battlefield, the general must have full power to do whatever it takes to win the battle and cannot be bound by orders from his sovereign. Furthermore, military law is no laughing matter and must be enforced. 1 made the rules quite clear. If I do not enforce them, why would the soldiers follow my orders in the future? How will the king command an entire army?"

The king opened his mouth to speak, but before he could make a sound, Sun Wu dismissed the guards with a wave of his hand, and they marched off to execute the two women.

Sun Wu appointed two women as the new company officers and continued the drill.

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This time, as the drums sounded, the women silently snapped to attention in perfect formation. No matter which order they were given, they turned, advanced, retreated, and even knelt and stood up exactly and precisely as they were told.

After several more practice drills, Sun Wu approached the king. "The troops are trained and ready for your inspection. They will now follow any order you give them. They would walk through fire for you if you were to ask.”

King Helu of Wu was still shaken up by the loss of his concubines. He said sullenly, “That's enough for today. You may return to your rooms and rest.”

Sun Wu knew the King Helu was unhappy with him, but said with a smile as he left, "Your Majesty seems to be only interested in my theories, and not in their practice."

Much later, after the king’s grief had eased, he started to understand how skillful Sun Wu was at military command and strategy. He decided to call for him again and appointed Sun Wu to be his general.

strengthening the army considerably over the years. Later, he led the Wu forces to defeat the mighty Chu state in the west as well as the Qi and Jin states in the north. Generals from the other states showed their admiration and respect to Sun Wu, and other rulers desired his services. King Helu of Wu knew, then, ju st how valuable his general was. Illustrations by Wu Yaoming

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“The Art of War” is considered the oldest military handbook. Nobles and military leaders all over the world have sought warfare advice from this book throughout time. Today, Sun Wu’s principles are applied not only to war, but to business and sports as well.

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j uring the Warring States period (403-221 BC), King Wen of Wei appointed a man named Ximen Bao to the post of magistrate of Ye County, in northern China. When Ximen Bao arrived at his post, he visited the local citizens for an initial inspection of the area.

Ye was a sparsely populated area, desolate and poor. What struck Ximen Bao, though, was that the men there greatly outnumbered the women. The women he did meet were either older matrons or little girls. There were hardly any young women in sight. M ost of the men were unmarried. Puzzled, Ximen Bao found some locals and inquired about this strange situation.

.

■

An old man with a long white beard said, "It's because of the River God’s marriage."

"Who is the River God?" asked Ximen Bao. ‘What does his marriage have to do with the people?”

“Oh, you must be new here,” another man said. "The River God controls the Zhang River. Every year he must marry a young maiden. If we don’t send him a bride, he will swell the Zhang River and flood our fields and villages."

Ximen Bao asked suspiciously, "Who told you that?”

"The witch told us. So, every year we give the local officials a large sum to pay for the wedding ceremony. But, in fact, only a small portion is used for the wedding. The majority of the money falls into their own pockets.”

“Where do the brides come from?"

"The witch and her attendants search from door to door,” the first old man answered. "They choose a young and beautiful girl. Wealthy families can afford to bribe the officials to spare their daughters, but the maidens of the poor are the unfortunate,” he said sadly.

Another man tugged on his mustache and said, "On the wedding day, a mat of woven reeds is laid out by the river. After the chosen maiden is dressed up and seated on the mat, they set the mat afloat and let it drift downstream. In the beginning, the mat floats on the water, but soon it sinks with the maiden."

"That is why families with daughters have fled elsewhere,” the first man continued. “And the young men here are left with no girls to marry. Because of the River God, the inhabitants of this county are getting fewer and poorer."

Ximen Bao asked, "When the River God gets his brides, does the Zhang River stop flooding?"

“Oh, no,” the old man said. "The river still floods as it did before. The witch said that if we had not sent the girls to the River God, the floods would have been much worse."

"Well,” said Ximen Bao. "It seems that the River God is truly powerful here. Would you be so kind as to inform me when the next wedding takes place? 1 would like to attend.”

When the next wedding day came, Ximen Bao and his men joined the crowds of people by the river. The local officials recognized him as the county magistrate and hurried over to greet him. An old woman in her seventies wearing fine clothes followed. Her clothes were beautiful and much more luxurious than everyone else's. A dozen attendants trailed behind her.

Ximen Bao knew she was the witch the men referred to. He said to her, “Please bring the bride to me for inspection. I must make sure she is beautiful enough for the River God."

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The officials brought over a girl with fair skin and silky hair cascading down her back. Tears flowed over her cheeks. Her parents, dressed in rags, knelt down before Ximen Bao and begged him for mercy.

Ximen Bao helped the couple rise. He turned to the witch and said, ‘This girl is not beautiful enough. The River God will be angry with us. Please take a message to him, telling him that we are looking for another maiden. When we find a prettier one we will present her to him."

Ximen Bao then ordered his men to pick up the witch, whose eyes were wide with surprise, and toss her into the river.

After the witch was gone for some time, Ximen Bao announced, Why hasn’t the witch returned yet? Perhaps she has lost her way. Let one of her attendants help fetch her." He had his men toss an attendant into the water.

As Ximen Bao pretended to get more and more worried, he had his men toss two more attendants in the river.

Finally, he said impatiently, “The witch and her attendants seem unable to complete the task. W e’d better send a local official to meet the River God and beg his pardon." He had the official who was responsible for the whole matter thrown in the river.

The rest of the local officials turned pale with fear and fell on their knees, bowing their heads to the ground again and again. Ximen Bao let them suffer a while before saying, “1 suppose the River God wants to keep them. Oh, well. Get up, all of you, and go home.”

twelve canals to bring water from the Zhang River to irrigate the crops in the fields. As a result, people on both sides of the river enjoyed bountiful harvests year after year, and their lives improved greatly. The families with girls returned, but the floods never did. Illustrations by Sheng Yuanfu

L e a rn w o re A magistrate is a person who is responsible for managing and overseeing the law. People in ancient China believed there were many gods who could control nature and give either good or bad luck. There were gods and goddesses of wind, thunder, rain, happiness, and more. Every mountain, every river, every city had its own god. The people made sacrifices to the gods in hopes for good fortune.

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Vavt 1: The Tog and the tloostev fj/ ^ jiir in g the Warring States period (403-221 BC), there lived a 40^ ^ famous aristocrat in the state of Qj known as Lord Mengchang. Lord Mengchang was born as Tian Wen. When he was very young, he showed exceptional intelligence and talent. As soon as he was old enough, his father put him in charge of family affairs. Then, after his father’s death, Tian Wen became the next Lord Mengchang, inheriting his father's title and land.

Lord Mengchang was known as a kind and intelligent lord who welcomed anyone needing food and shelter to his estate. Lord Mengchang treated all his guests generously, no matter what their position, background, or skills. Some guests were simple peasants, some had criminal pasts, and others were learned men with their own skills and talents.

Though his entourage of guests reached into the thousands at times and strained his finances and resources, Lord Mengchang continued to welcome them all. Thus, his guests were not only grateful and loyal to their lord, but many were able to help him in times of need.

Once, Lord Mengchang was sent to the state of Qin on an official duty. King Zhao of Qjn had heard much about this lord, and was considering appointing him prime minister. However, after Lord Mengchang arrived, the king's ministers pointed out that Lord Mengchang might put the interests of his home state before those of Qin and should not be trusted. Taking their advice, the king imprisoned Lord Mengchang, intending to kill

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Luckily, Lord Mengchang had been accompanied by several loyal guests on his trip. One guest suggested to his companions that they approach King Zhao of Q jn’s favorite concubine for help. She agreed to help only in exchange for the lord's rare and precious white fox fur. Alas, Lord Mengchang had already presented the fur to the king upon his arrival. It was in the palace treasury. Another of the Lord’s guests, however, was a skilled thief. That night, he disguised himself as a dog and slipped into the treasury to recover the fur. When the concubine received the fur, she went to the king and asked for Lord Mengchang’s release. Because the king favored her, he agreed and released Lord Mengchang.

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Lord Mengchang and his party hastily headed home. Close to midnight, they reached a roadblock at the Hangu Pass on the border between Qin and Qi. Soldiers on guard told them that no one could pass until the first crow of the rooster. Lord Mengchang worried that King Zhao of CLin might have regretted releasing him, and that there could be soldiers following close behind to recapture them. If they were delayed all night at the pass, they were bound to be caught.

Suddenly, out of the darkness, came the crow of a rooster. Then, other roosters near and far joined in a chorus of crowing. The Qin soldiers were puzzled, but orders were orders. They had to open the pass for Lord Mengchang’s party. Sure enough, King Zhao of Qin did regret the release of Lord Mengchang and had sent soldiers to recapture him, but by the time they reached the Hangu Pass, the lord and his men were long gone.

When Lord Mengchang and his guests were safely back at home, they all laughed at the "rooster," another of the lord’s guests who had the most useful skill of being able to crow ju st like a rooster.

In this way, two of Lord Mengchang’s guests—a thief and a mimic—saved his life. He was glad to have them around.

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Lean 1 wove During this time in ancient China, a king ruled over his land. The king parceled tracts of land to loyal followers, giving them the right to rule locally. These people were often nobility and given titles, such as Lord. This title along with the land would be passed down from father to son. It was a common practice at the time for landowners to support guests who lived on their property, but Lord Mengchang was exceptional in that he did not select only the people he thought would he useful to him. Rather, he welcomed all guests.

Paid 2: Teng Ijnan Arrives and Proves fo 'Re Useful me y ears later, a fte r Lord M en g ch a n g had been appointed the prime minister of Qi, a new guest named Feng Yuan arrived at his estate. Feng Yuan was a poor old man wearing straw sandals, with no obvious skills. Lord Mengchang settled him in a guest house of the lowest rank with simple accommodations.

After a time, Lord Mengchang asked the housekeeper how his new guest was doing. He replied, "Mr. Feng Yuan is very poor. His only possession is an old sword. All day, he sits and taps his sword, singing this song:

“Long sword, long sword, let us go back Fish fo r my dinner is what I lack!" Hearing this, Lord Mengchang moved Feng Yuan to a house of mediumlevel accommodations, and included fish with his meals.

Five days later, when Lord Mengchang asked the housekeeper again about the new guest, he replied, “In the last few days, he has started singing again. Now he sings a different song:

“Long sword, long sword, let ns go back A carriage fo r traveling is what I lack!" Lord Mengchang once again moved Feng Yuan to a new house. This time, the accommodations were of the highest level and included a carriage for his personal use.

Another five days passed. The housekeeper reported to Lord Mengchang that Feng Yuan was still singing to his sword:

“Long sword, long sword, let ns go back Starting my own family is what I lack!" Lord Mengchang shook his head and gave up.

By the next year, the number of guests staying with Lord Mengchang had reached as many as three thousand. Lord Mengchang’s resources were wearing thin and he was finding it difficult to support so many people. He decided to generate income by lending money, and charging interest, to the people in his domain of Xue. However, collecting on the debts proved difficult, and a year later he still hadn't had much success. The housekeeper advised him to send Feng Yuan to collect the debts, since he was such a smooth talker and did not have much else to do anyway. Lord Mengchang sent Feng Yuan to Xue on this mission.

Once in Xue, Feng Yuan managed to collect one hundred thousand coins of the interest. He then took the money, spent it all on food and wine, and invited all those who owed debts to a grand banquet. At the banquet, Feng Yuan figured out which debtors were truly too poor to pay back their debt. To them, he explained that Lord Mengchang wanted only to better the lives of his people and take care of his guests.

Feng Yuan told them that Lord Mengchang had ordered all their debts to be forgiven. He burned their debt contracts on the spot. Amazed and thankful, the people cheered the great Lord Mengchang.

When Lord Mengchang heard this news, he was angry and ordered Feng Yuan to return immediately. "Why would you act on your own and forgive all those debts? I sent you to collect them!"

Feng Yuan explained in earnest, "It is pointless to squeeze water from a stone. Those poor people could never have repaid their debts. If we press too hard, they may even flee from your land. Now that 1 have burned these useless contracts, your citizens believe that you are kind and understanding, and they will love you all the more. You will be known far and wide as a great and compassionate leader. How can this be a bad thing?”

Lord Mengchang could not disagree.

L e a rn w ove Ancient Chinese used shells, at first, as money. During the Zhou dynasty, it is believed that the Chinese started using metal coins instead of shells as currency. These coins had a round hole at its center, making it easy to string coins together.

'part 2: 7eng (Juan Helps Lord Mengchang Again ing Xuan of Qi, after appointing Lord Mengchang as prime minister, was becoming increasingly jealous of Lord Mengchang's popularity and influence. He feared that it would soon exceed his own. One day, King Xuan heard rumors speaking ill of Lord Mengchang. He seized on this opportunity and removed Lord Mengchang from the office of Prime Minister.

Lord Mengchang's guests, put off by his loss of status and large salary, began to abandon him. Feng Yuan, however, loyally stayed behind.

"My Lord," he said to Lord Mengchang. “1 have a plan that will not only restore everything you have lost, but will also increase your fame, fortune, and land. All 1 need is a carriage and horses to make a trip to Qin.”

Lord Mengchang was skeptical, but agreed. The carriages were readied and Feng Yuan setoff.

When Feng Yuan arrived in Qin, he requested a meeting with King Zhao of Qin. "Your Majesty,” Feng Yuan said to him. "The states of Qin and Qi are very powerful, but also evenly matched. Only one state can prevail, and that state will be able to dominate the world.”

The king was interested. "How can Qin prevail against Qi?” he asked eagerly.

"Has Your Majesty heard the news? Lord Mengchang has been removed from his post as prime minister of Qi. He will certainly bear a grudge against King Xuan of Qi, who has failed to appreciate all of Lord Mengchang’s efforts to bring glory to the state of Qi. If Your Majesty can convince him to serve Qin instead, he is sure to help you prevail. Then, the whole world will be yours."

King Zhao of Qin, eager to conquer Qi, immediately dispatched men with wagons full of gold to recruit Lord Mengchang's allegiance.

Feng Yuan then took his carriage at top speed back to Qi and asked to meet with King Xuan of Qi.

"Your M ajesty!” he cried. “I have ju st heard news that King Zhao of Qin has dispatched ten wagons of gold to invite Lord Mengchang to become his advisor. If Lord Mengchang helps Qin, then surely Qin will be able to dominate us all!”

Panicked, King Xuan of Qi asked, "What can we do?”

Feng Yuan replied, “Why not reinstate Lord Mengchang to prime minister and offer him a larger domain of land as a show of good will? Qin may be powerful, but we cannot let them steal our prime minister. If we foil their attempt to hire Lord Mengchang, they surely cannot prevail over us.” (

King Xuan of Qi immediately sent guards to the border and, indeed, they saw the Qin wagons and envoys approaching. The king immediately called Lord Mengchang in and returned him to the post of prime minister. When the Qin envoys arrived, it was too late. They knew they would not be able to convince Lord Mengchang to change allegiances, and they returned home disappointed.

Afterward, Lord Mengchang thanked Feng Yuan but said with a sigh, “I treated my guests so well, but as soon as I was down on my luck, they left without even looking back. Now that you have helped me regained my position, we shall see if they come back. If they do, 1 will spit upon them and turn them away.”

Feng Yuan quickly disagreed. “It is merely human nature to be drawn to the rich and successful while avoiding the fortuneless. It is like a fair that is busy during the day when people can buy what they want, but is deserted at night when there is nothing more to buy. My Lord, you may forgive them for desertingyou when you were out of power. You are compassionate and generous, so perhaps you can treat them the same way as you had before.”

Lord Mengchang nodded, and then bowed to Feng Yuan twice. "You have always given me the best advice.” Illustrations by Chen Yunxing, Lu Xiaodi, Lu Genfa, and Lu Chengfa

Learn wove The prime minister in ancient China was the highest ranking official under the king. The king was the person in charge of appointing (or removing) a prime minister.

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uring the Spring and Autumn period (771-481 BC), King Ping of o

Clui had a son named Jian.Jian, who was the Crown Prince, had two guardians: Wu She and Fei Wuji. They were in charge of bringing him up and teaching him everything a young prince should know. When Prince Jian was old enough, the king asked Fei Wuji to find the prince a suitable wife.

Fei Wuji found a lovely young woman, but instead of introducing her to Prince Jian, he went to the king. "1 have found a girl from Qin who is quite a beauty. She would make a fine concubine for Your Majesty,” he said slyly. "1 can always find another wife for Prince Jian."

So, King Ping of Chu married the young woman himself, and before long his love for Prince Jian's mother faded. His feelings for his son, Prince Jian, also weakened. When the king’s new wife gave birth to a son, the king was completely captivated by his new son.

Now in the king's good graces, Fei Wuji left Prince Jian's side and became a close advisor to the king. Fei Wuji was pleased with this change, but he started to worry. What if the king died and Jian took the throne? Surely, Fei Wuji would fall out of favor. He decided to speak ill of Jian to the king whenever he had the opportunity.

In the sixth year of King Ping of Chu's reign, Crown Prince Jian was sent to the border of Chu to lead the army of guards. Fei Wuji saw this as a great opportunity.

“Your Majesty,” Fei Wuji said. "The Crown Prince naturally resents me, and may even resent you as well, for taking his wife from Qin. Now he commands his own army. You might do well to prepare yourself for trouble, if you know what 1 mean. After all, it is not 1 who is his guardian. I have no control over him anymore.”

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King Ping of Clui immediately summoned guardian Wu She and blamed him for leading Prince Jian astray. He threw Wu She into prison and sent his men to bring Prince Jian back from the border. The prince, however, knew that all was not well and fled to the state of Song.

Back at the palace, Fei Wuji continued to put ideas into the king's head. “Wu She has two sons. They will surely cause you much trouble when they hear that their father has been imprisoned. You should eliminate them as well."

King Ping of Chu thought this was sound advice and devised a plan to lure Wu She's sons to the palace. He sent them a message: Bring yourselves to the capital and your father will live. Do not appear and your father will die.

Wu She’s elder son, Wu Shang, wanted to depart at once to save his father from danger. The younger son, Wu Zixu, stopped him. “This is a trap. King Ping of Chu intends to kill all of us once we arrive. We cannot fall for this trick!”

Wu Shang replied, “It would be dishonorable if 1 did not go to our father to save his life. It would be equally dishonorable if our father was murdered and there was no one to avenge his death. Let me go. You stay behind and avenge our father and me, should we be killed.”

Wu Shang departed for the capital of Chu. As expected, both he and his father were put to death by the king.

Wu Zixu, meanwhile, fled to the state of Song, where he joined the fugitive Crown Prince Jian. When a revolt broke out in Song, the two fled to the state of Zheng, where Duke Ding of Zheng, sympathetic to their plight, allowed them to stay on his property.

Prince Jian plotted his revenge. He planned to join forces with the neighboring state of Jin to first take over Zheng. Then, using Zheng’s forces, he planned to attack Chu. Duke Ding heard of Jian's plan and had Jian captured and killed.

Wu Zixu and Jian's son, Sheng, narrowly escaped with their lives and began the journey toward the state of Wu, where they hoped to find refuge with Prince Guang of Wu.

The route to Wu, however, took them through the state of Chu aud to the Zhao Pass near the border of Chu and Wu, where King Ping of Chu had issued an order to capture Wu Zixu if he was seen. His portrait was posted on all the city gates and border passes throughout the state. Anyone needing to pass through these checkpoints was stopped and questioned. Wu Zixu had no choice but to take shelter with a local family near Zhao Pass and wait for his chance to sneak through.

The host of house was named Dong Gaogong. After a few days, he said to Wu Zixu, "Sir, you seem to be in some trouble. Is there anything 1 can do to help?”

Startled, Wu Zixu asked, "How did you know?”

Mr. Dong replied, "Haveyou looked in a mirror lately? In the few days that you have been here, your black hair has turned completely white!” Mr. Dong then added in a low voice, "You must be the Mr. Wu wanted by the court.”

Wu Zixu was alarmed at being recognized.

"Don't worry,” continued Mr. Dong. "Everyone here is disgusted with King Ping of Chu and that treacherous court official, Tei Wuji. If you need to get through the Zhao Pass, my friends and I can help you.”

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Dong Gaogong had a friend who looked very much like Wu Zixu. He dressed up as Wu Zixu and headed to the pass. The guards took one look at him and thought they had their man. They seized him at once. At the commotion, the villagers gathered around to look at the famous Wu Zixu yelling, "Let me go! I'm not Wu Zixu! You have the wrong man!” Upon closer inspection, the guards realized their mistake, but it was too late.

During the commotion, Wu Zixu and Jian's son, Sheng, were able to sneak through the pass unnoticed. When they reached Wu, they were welcomed by Prince Guang, who later became King Helu of Wu. King Helu named Wu Zixu an ambassador and consulted him on government affairs. ! Meanwhile, King Ping of Chu had died and his son from his new wife succeeded him as King Zhao of Chu. The new King Zhao of Chu was /

young and inexperienced, so he too listened to old Fei Wuji regarding all state affairs. Fei Wuji grew more and more aggressive, pushing his power too far. When the public turned against Fei Wuji, the prime minister of Chu had him put to death to calm the public's anger.

During the ninth year of King Helu of W u’s reign, he consulted with Wu Zixu and his military advisor, Sun Wu. The three men decided that the time was right to mount an attack on the capital of Chu. With the help of forces from Chu’s enemy states of Tang and Cai, they launched a surprise assault on Chu’s capital city of Yin, forcing King Zhao of Chu to flee.

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After the capital city of Yin was captured, Wu Zixu found the tomb of King Ping of Chu and had the corpse dug up. He then whipped the body three hundred times with a leather strap. In this way, after so many years, Wu Zixu was finally able to keep his promise and avenge the deaths of his father and brother. Illustrations by Hu Zhiming

L m m w o rn The Sun Wu mentioned in this story is the same from the previous story who wrote “The Art of War.”

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Vari /: Returning iUe 'Lade io Zhao fjj

^ ju r in g the Warring States period (403-221 BC), there was a very famous

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jade carving of incomparable beauty and value that all the nobles of

the different states desired to own. King Zhaoxiang of din, the most powerful state at the time, was no exception. When he heard that the jade had come into the possession of King Huiwen of Zhao, he sent an envoy to Zhao, offering the king fifteen cities in exchange for the jade.

The King of Zhao and his advisors found themselves in an awkward predicament. They feared that if they sent the jade carving to Qin, they might be cheated and get no cities in return. Yet if they refused the trade, the King of Qin might attack Zhao in anger. They were no match for the Qin forces. The King of Zhao could not decide what to do.

One of his advisors told the king that his steward, Lin Xiangru, was a brave and resourceful man who might have an idea. King Huiwen summoned Lin Xiangru and asked for his thoughts.

"Qin is so strong, I’m afraid you can’t simply refuse the offer," Lin Xiangru began.

"W hat if Qin takes the jade, but doesn’t give us the cities?" the king asked.

Lin Xiangru responded, "Fifteen cities is a generous offer for one piece of

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jade. If we refuse the offer, we will be in the wrong. But if we give up the jade and get no cities in return, that puts Qin in the wrong. Of the two options, it is better to take the offer, putting the responsibility to act on Qin."

"We shall send you to Qin with the jade then,” proposed the King. "Do you have a plan if King Zhaoxiang of Qin does not keep his word?”

"Do not worry, Your Majesty. If no cities are given, I promise that the jade will return to Zhao unharmed,” said Lin Xiangru.

When Lin Xiangru arrived at the capital of Qin, he presented the precious jade to King Zhaoxiang of Qin. The king was most definitely pleased as he held it up and examined it from every angle.

who all marveled at its beauty. Everyone praised the king for his excellent acquisition.

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He stepped forward and said to the king, “This jade indeed is a treasure, but it does have one small blemish. Please allow me to show it to Your Majesty.”

King Zhaoxiang handed the jade back to Lin Xiangru, who immediately retreated with it, backing up against a pillar.

Lin Xiangru looked the king directly in the eye and said, “Your Majesty sent a message to the King of Zhao offering fifteen cities in exchange for this jade. None of the ministers in Zhao believed in Your M ajesty’s sincerity, but 1 disagreed with them. 1 said to the King of Zhao, 'If even the poorest peasants can trust one another, why can’t kings?' So, the king sent me here with the jade. Now, it seems that you do not intend to keep your promise. I must take the jade back to King Huiwen of Zhao. Do not attempt to take it from me or 1 will smash the jade — and my own head—against this pillar.” Lin Xiangru raised the jade above his head.

King Zhaoxiang of Qjn, fearing for the jade, quickly replied, "Sir, let’s not be hasty. 1 am a man of my word.” He ordered an officer to retrieve a map and pointed out the boundaries of the fifteen cities to be given to Zhao.

Lin Xiangru thought that this exchange was ju st a little too casual to be believed. He said, "Before I departed from Zhao, King Huiwen of Zhao fasted for five days, then held a magnificent ceremony in honor of the jade. If Your Majesty is sincere in his offer, you should also fast for five days and prepare a grand exchange ceremony. Only then will I hand the jade over.”

With the jade in danger of being destroyed, the king had

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no choice but to agree to Lin Xiangru’s demands. Lin Xiangru and the iade were dismissed from court.

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Back ar his lodging, Lin Xiangru had one of his men dress as a merchant. With the jade concealed upon him, the man sneaked through the back streets and returned to Zhao.

Five days later, as promised, King Zhaoxiang of Qin held a grand reception for the official exchange of the jade. Ambassadors from other states were invited to attend. Lin Xiangru casually strolled into the court and bowed to the king.

The king said to him, "1 have fasted for five days and 1 have invited dignitaries from every state to witness this ceremony. Now you must hand over the jade.”

Lin Xiangru gaped at the king in mock awe. "Your Majesty,” he said with a gasp.

“In the long history of all twenty kings of Clin, not one has ever kept his promises. 1 feared it would happen again and I did not want to disappoint my country, so I sent a man back to Zhao with the jade. This was my mistake and my responsibility. Please punish me as you see fit."

King Zhaoxing of Qin erupted in a rage. “How dare you cheat me!

“Please,” Lin Xiangru replied calmly. “We all know that Qin is strong and Zhao is weak. There is no reason the weak would knowingly cheat the strong. If Your Majesty truly still wants the jade, you can give Zhao the fifteen cities with these ambassadors as witnesses. I am sure the King of Zhao will then have no objection to handing over the jade.”

With this reasonable suggestion, in the presence of all the state ambassadors, the King of Qin could not argue. He gritted his teeth, pretended to smile, and said, “You know, a small thing like a jade carving should not come between the good relations of two states. Let us leave everything as it is. Please give my regards to the King of Zhao.”

Not only did Lin Xiangru’s clever scheme keep the jade in Zhao’s possession, but he was also able to protect Zhao’s dignity in the face of King Zhaoxiang of Qin. This was such an impressive feat that the King of Zhao immediately promoted Lin Xiangru to be a high councilor.

L d a w 1 M et'd, In these times, royal feasts could involve more than 3,000 people to prepare of the dishes. Foods for the wealthy included meats, vegetables, rice, millet and fruits.

Vart 2: The Meeting at Mianchi 'ome years later, Qin went to war against Zhao. It wasn’t until the second year of the war, after losing over 20,000 soldiers, that Zhao was able to halt the Qin forces. The King of Qjn, sensing a stalemate, thought to call a truce in order to free his military resources to meet the threat of the Chu state in the south. He sent a messenger to the King of Zhao inviting him to a friendly meeting in the city of Mianchi inside the state of Qin, not far from the Zhao border.

The King of Zhao hesitated, again worried of what the King of Qin might have in mind, but he did not think it wise to refuse outright, either.

Lin Xiangru, now a top advisor, and Lian Po, Zhao’s highest general, both advised the king. “If Your Majesty does not appear, it will make our state appear weak and cowardly.”

The King of Zhao agreed to the meeting in Mianchi, as long as Lin Xiangru could accompany him. Lian Po and his troops accompanied them to the border, where they bid farewell.

Lian Po said, "1 calculate that including your travel time and the meeting, Your Majesty should not be more than thirty days. We shall wait here. If you do not return in thirty days, allow us to install the Crown Prince to the throne, so Zhao will continue to have a leader.”

As soon as the King of Zhao and his men arrived at Mianchi, they exchanged bows with the King of Qin and settled in for a grand feast.

Merry with wine, the King of Qin said, “I have heard that the King of Zhao is skilled at playing the se. Why don’t you play us a song to celebrate this occasion?"

Unable to refuse, the King of Zhao plucked out a song on the musical instrument. Immediately afterward, the Qin record-keeper stepped forward and announced as he wrote, "On this day the King of Qin met with the King of Zhao in Mianchi and ordered the King of Zhao to play the se.”

Lin Xiangru dashed forward and said loudly, "The King of Zhao has heard that the King of Qjn is an able foil player. Won't you please entertain us with a song?"

The King of Qin refused angrily. Lin Xiangru picked up the drum-like instrument in the shape of a clay jar, pressed it toward the King's face and again invited him to play. Again, the king refused.

Now only a breath away from the king, Lin Xiangru said to him in a low voice, “1 am mere steps from you. 1 am perfectly willing to lose my own life in exchange for yours, if you insist on your refusal."

The Qjn guards drew their swords to advance on Lin Xiangru, but he glared at them so fiercely that they didn’t move. The King of (Tin had no choice but to beat on the fou halfheartedly.

Satisfied, Lin Xiangru turned to the record-keeper and ordered him to write, "On this day, the King of Zhao met with the King of Qin at Mianchi and ordered the King of Qin to play the fou.”

In retaliation, the top minister of Qin blurted out, “We hope the King of Zhao will present fifteen cities to Qin to honor the King of Qin.”

| Lin Xiangru responded, "We hope the King of Qin will present the capital city of Xianyang to bless the King of Zhao.”

This exchanged continued for the rest of the evening. The King of Qin and his ministers were not able to gain any advantage over the King of Zhao. Nor could they move with their forces, as Zhao’s troops were stationed close by at the border. In the end, the two kings called for a truce. The King of Zhao and his officials were politely seen off, and they returned home with both dignity and peace.

The King of Zhao was so happy with the outcome of their meeting in Mianchi that he promoted Lin Xiangru to the position of prime minister for his outstanding service.

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The se of this time was a large wood zither with up to 50 strings. This instrument would lie flat while the performer played it by plucking strings with the right hand and pressing on the strings to change the tone with the left hand. The modern version of this ancient instrument is called a guzheng. The fou was originally a large wine or food container made of pottery. The performer struck it with a stick to make sounds. In the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, 2,008 drummers played modern fou drums.

"1 am a senior general of Zhao. 1 have led our troops in countless victories,” he complained to his men. “What can Lin Xiangru do except wag his tongue? And yet, his position outranks mine. If 1 ever run into him, 1 shall humiliate him once and for all.”

These words reached Lin Xiangru’s ears. He had no wish to compete with Lian Po, so he made an effort to avoid him. When Lin Xiangru had to appear in court, he pretended to be ill so Lian Po would not have to see him lined up in front of him.

One day while out in the city, Lin Xiangru caught sight of Lian Po’s carriage coming toward his on the narrow road. He had his driver pull his

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carriage off to the side, letting Lian Po’s carriage pass by first. Lin Xiangru's men were embarrassed by this deference and demanded to know why Lin Xiangru

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was so afraid of Lian Po.

Lin Xiangru answered, "The King of Qjn is more powerful than Lian Po, correct? Well, 1 have threatened that mighty king and insulted his ministers. Why would I fear Lian Po? If it were not for the two of us, the mighty King

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of CLin would not hesitate to invade Zhao. If Lian Po and 1 became enemies, then Qjn would gain an advantage. 1 avoid Lian Po because I put our country's best interests before my private feuds."

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When Lian Po heard what Lin Xiangru had said, he was ashamed at his own selfish actions. He hurried to Lin Xiangru's house with bared shoulders and a switch of thorns. He knelt in front of Lin Xiangru and apologized. "I am contemptible, unwise, and narrow-minded. 1 am ready to receive your punishment, sir!"

Lin Xiangru hurried forward to help Lian Po to his feet and told him, "You are a great hero to Zhao, and 1 consider you my senior. I am grateful for your understanding and there is no need to apologize."

From then on, the two men became close friends, eager to work together for the good of their country. Illustrations by Chen Yunxing, Jin Yian, and Tang Shufang

Learn more Rank was very important in ancient China and there was strict protocol to be followed. The prime minister ranked higher than a general. When two carriages met on a road, the lower ranking official had to pull over to let the higher ranking official pass first. Also, when appearing in the royal court, officials lined up according to rank.

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*Tian Dan Defeats the Wan Aewy

uring the reign of King Min of Qj in the Warring States period (403-221 BC), there lived in the capital a minor official named Tian Dan. When the Yan state attacked Qi and conquered its capital, King Min fled to the city of Ju, while Tian Dan fled to Anping.

The route to Anping was filled with refugees, with horses and carriages jostling each other on the crowded road. Every carriage had axles with ends that stuck out past the wheels. These protruding axles bumped and scraped against other carriages, causing damage and accidents.

Another carriage ran into Tian Dan’s carriage, almost breaking the axle. When Tian Dan finally reached Anping, he pulled his carriage into a blacksmith's shop and asked the workmen to saw off the protruding ends of the axle, and then fit iron guards around the stumps. Bystanders disapproved of the changes, for the carriage design had always been that way, and they believed that this traditional design should not be changed. Tian Dan ignored his critics and proceeded to modify all the carriages of his clansmen.

Soon afterward, the Yan troops stormed Anping and everyone fled the city. Many people were captured when their carriages were damaged in the turmoil, but Tian Dan and his kinsmen, in their improved carriages, escaped smoothly to the city of Jimo.

Jimo and Ju were the only two remaining cities that hadn’t fallen to the Yan.

When the Yan troops attacked Jimo, the general of Jimo led his troops outside the city walls to fight. However, the general was killed in battle and the remaining soldiers fled back to the city. Inside the tightly closed city gates, j

the people of Jimo decided to defend themselves to the death against the siege. They were low on food and they didn’t know how long they could last without the leadership of their general.

A man from Anping recommended thatTian Dan lead them. “Before the retreat from Anping,” he recalled, “Tian Dan had his carriage axles refitted so that his kinsman could escape quickly and safely. He understands warfare.

Not long after, the King of Yan died and was succeed by King Hui of Yan. It

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was widely known that the new king was not on good terms with

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Yan’s military commander, General Yue Yi. Tian Dan sent a message to y J

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King Hui that said, “The King of Qi was recently assassinated. \:, Your General Yue Yi wants to be the new King of Qi, so he delays his attacks against the two cities that remain to be taken.”

King Hui of Yan believed the rumor and removed General Yue Yi from command. He sent General Qi Jie to take over. The Yan troops, angry about how their beloved General Yue Yi was treated, were not willing to follow the new general’s orders.

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Meanwhile, Tian Dan told his citizens that they must offer rice and food to their ancestors in the open courtyard every day before each lunch. As a result, flocks of birds hovered over the city each day at noon, puzzling the enemy soldiers outside of the city. c Again Tian Dan spread a rumor. “A divine revelation has been delivered to Qi. A man with su powers will soon descend on Jimo to be our savior.

Upon hearing this, one Qi soldier joked, “I’ll be the savior!”

Tian Dan heard him and invited him to sit on a raised seat facing east. He then bowed to the soldier in homage, as if the soldier were a messenger from heaven.

1 was fooling, sir!” the soldier said. “You are mistaken! 1 am no savior!

“Hush,” whispered Tian Dan. “You are the savior now."

From then on, Tian Dan attributed all his orders to this divine savior. When the people of Jimo heard this, everyone was relieved and they cheered. “God has given us help and we will be saved!"

The men of Yan also heard this news and were disheartened. They grew afraid that conquering Qj would prove much more difficult.

Though Tian Dan knew that these tricks did very well to comfort his people and discomfort their enemies, he also knew that they would not win any real battles. He came up with another plan.

Tian Dan collected some gold, silver, and jewels from his people and sent a group of noblemen to present them to the enemy general.

“The city is about to surrender,” they told the general. “Our gate will soon open to welcome Yan’s troops.”

General Qj Jie accepted the treasures with delight, and his troops relaxed their vigilance.

Tian Dan then gathered more than a thousand bulls. He swathed them in red silk, tied daggers to their horns, and fastened a bit of oil-soaked straw to each of their tails. In the darkness of night, Tian Dan opened the city gates and set the straw aflame. Frightened by the fires at their tails, the bulls stampeded straight into the enemy camps. Behind the bulls marched five thousand stout Qi soldiers.

The Yan men woke in alarm. They were terrified by the hoard of red, burning monsters rushing toward them. Before they had a chance to react, bulls trampled many surprised soldiers. Other sleepy soldiers were stabbed by the daggers on the bulls’ horns. M ost of the soldiers, however, were killed by the army behind the bulls. General Qj Jie was among those killed in the battle. With their general gone, the rest of the Yan soldiers fled.

Tian Dan ordered his men to pursue the enemy soldiers. He and his troops advanced on the Yan-occupied cities one by one. As each city fell, previously scattered Qi soldiers rejoined Tian Dan’s troops and their ranks swelled. Yan’s army, on the other hand, grew weaker and smaller with each retreat, until they were finally pushed all the way back to the Yellow River.

After dozens of Qj cities were recovered, the King of Qj returned to the capital, Linzi. The King was so grateful to Tian Dan for his service to the country that he appointed him the Lord of Anping. Illustrations by Lan Chengkai and Wang Yan

Le a vn w ove The Yellow River (or Huang He) is the second longest river in China at about 3,398 miles in length. The Chinese refer to it as “Mother River” because its shores are the birthplace of ancient northern Chinese civilization. Walls around cities were good defense against enemies. Weapons of this time were not strong enough to penetrate these walls. Enemies had to try to enter the cities through the reinforced and heavily guarded gates.

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SkIfeecoMwiends Miwself

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uring the Warring States period (403-221 BC), there was a lord in

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the state of Zhao named Lord Pingyuan. He was known for being generous and intelligent, very much like the famous Lord Mengchang of Qj. Lord Pingyuan also had many guests on his estate, their numbers reaching the thousands.

When the army of Qin attacked the capital of Zhao, the King of Zhao sought help from the state of Chu. He appointed Lord Pingyuan to travel to Chu to meet the king in hopes of forming an alliance.

Lord Pingyuan decided to take twenty of his bravest and most resourceful men with him to Chu. After selecting nineteen men from among his guests, he could not find a twentieth.

One of his guests, a man named Mao Sui, approached Lord Pingyuan to recommend himself.

“My Lord, I hear you are looking for twenty men to take on your mission,” he said. "You could take me and your party will be complete.”

“I have been here for three years,” Mao Sui answered.

“It is said that an able man is like an awl kept in a cloth bag. It cannot be long before the sharp point shows itself through the fabric,” Lord Pingyuan said. “You have been here for three years, yet 1 do not know you. 1 can only assume that since no one has spoken of your abilities before, you cannot have any exceptional talent, sir."

Mao Sui persisted. "1 am asking now to be put in the bag so 1 may have the opportunity to show myself. If 1 had been put there earlier, 1 would have pierced right through the cloth instead of simply showing the tip of my talent."

Lord Pingyuan had not expected Mao Sui to argue with him. He thought there was some merit in his reasoning, so he agreed to take Mao Sui with him. The other nineteen men exchanged amused glances in silence.

On the journey to Chu, Mao Sui participated heartily in discussions of current events and politics with the other men, and proved to be an able debater. By the time they arrived in Chu, the other men had become convinced of his intelligence and cleverness.

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Lord Pingyuan met with the King of Chu and spent an entire morning presenting his case for an alliance between the two states. By noon, however, the King of Chu still refused an alliance.

The nineteen men looked to Mao Sui and encouraged him "Why don't you try?”

With sword in hand, Mao Sui mounted the steps to the meeting platform and said to Lord Pingyuan, "Whether the alliance is advantageous or not can be settled in a few words. What is taking so long?”

The King of Chu glared angrily at the interruption. "Who is this man?”

"He is one of my guests,” Lord Pingyuan answered.

“Return to your place!” shouted the king. "1 am discussing matters with your master. You have no business here.”

As the king’s attendants moved toward Mao Sui, he brandished his sword, waving them away.

Mao Sui advanced another step toward the king and said, "Your Majesty only dares to shout at me because of your great Chu forces. You and I are a sword’s length apart. Your guards are of no help to you now. You shall hear what I have to say.”

Mao Sui kept his sword in hand, "lfyou recall your history, King Tang of Shang became the ruler of the world over one thousand years ago with only seventy square miles of land. King Wen of Zhou, hundreds of years ago, ruled over many states from a kingdom of only a hundred square miles. These kings had no great armies, but used their strengths and talents to extend their power.

"Now, your state of Chu has five thousand or more square miles of territory, plus a million soldiers. In theory, no one should dare oppose you. Yet didn’t Bai Qj attack Chu with only a few thousand men? He took the city of Yan and the capital Ying. Then he burned the royal tombs at Yiling, shaming your ancestors. This is an intolerable disgrace to Chu. We feel humiliated for you, but to our surprise, you, the King of Chu, are not ashamed.

“We are actually proposing this alliance for your sake, not only for our own. Yet you have the gall to yell at me in front of my master."

When Mao Sui finished talking, the king was speechless. He thought for a moment, then said, “W hatyou say, sir, is true. Let us enter into an alliance.”

At once, Mao Sui ordered the king’s attendants to fetch a dish of rooster, dog, and horse blood. Mao Sui got down on his knees and presented the dish to the King of Chu to begin the ancient ritual of swearing an oath.

“According to tradition, Your Majesty must first smear the blood on your own mouth to seal the promise. Then, my master will do the same, and then 1.”

And so the alliance was forged in the court of Chu.

After Lord Pingyuan and his men returned to Zhao from their successful mission, he was often heard commenting on this experience. "1 shall never again consider myself an expert judge of character. I have known hundreds, if not thousands of men, and believed 1 could not miss a true talent. But 1 was mistaken about Mao Sui. In the court of Chu, Mao Sui gave our country more honor than any of our national treasures.

His three inches of tongue were mightier than the long swords of an army of a million soldiers. I shall never jump to conclusions regarding other men’s abilities again.” Illustrations by Chen Yunxing, Wang Wanchun, and Tang Shufang

L e a n 1 wore Ancient Chinese kings and nobles were buried below ground in giant tombs with dirt mounds covering them. Along with the deceased king, all his worldly possessions, including wives, slaves, food and drink, were buried along with him to take along to the afterlife. The most famous tomb is that of the first Qin emperor, unearthed in the 1970s in the city of Xian. Thousands and thousands of life-size terracotta warriors and horses have been found and pieced together by hard-working archeologists.

-4

7ing k e ' s Assassination Attempt

jfk f e a r the end of the Warring States period (403-221 BC), Crown Prince I

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Dan ofYan was held hostage in the state of Qin. When he finally

escaped back to his state, he vowed to seek revenge against King Zheng of Qin, who had held him hostage and treated him badly even though they had been friends since childhood. Yan, however, was a small and powerless state compared to Qin. Prince Dan had to come up with a brilliant plan.

Jing Ke, a scholar and a swordsman, was recommended as a clever and trustworthy man to help Prince Dan with his scheme for revenge.

Prince Dan summoned Jing Ke and said to him, "The King of Qin has ambitions to rule the world. He has already conquered Han and is now threatening the borders of Zhao. After that, he will come for Yan. 1 need a courageous and quick-witted man to travel to Qin and figure out how to get close to the king. We shall demand the return of all the lands that he has taken, and assassinate him if he refuses. All the Qin’s generals are away fighting, so the king's assassination would be sure to cause confusion and turmoil.

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This would give us and the other states the opportunity to work together to retake our lands. 1 need a man to whom I can entrust this task.”

It was a long while before Jing Ke spoke. “1 am an ordinary man, perhaps not suited for this mission," he said at last. But Prince Dan bowed again and again, begging him not to refuse, until finally Jing Ke agreed to the mission.

At once the prince honored Jing Ke as a high minister and lodged him in a fine mansion. Jing Ke was given the finest meals and wines and was treated with the highest respect by the court.

At this time, a great Qin general named Fan Wuji arrived in Yan seeking refuge. He had angered the King of Qin and was fleeing for his life. Prince Dan agreed to keep him safe, even though he knew it would enrage the King of Qin. Prince Dan thought that not only would it be heartless to turn the general away, but in a time of war, who knew when a talented man would become useful?

It was not long before Qin troops invaded the capital of Zhao and captured its king. As the Qin troops continued their march toward the Yan border, Prince Dan went to Jing Ke, urging him to set out for Qin as soon as possible.

“Your Highness, 1 was in fact planning to depart very soon," Jing Ke replied. "1 will need to bring gifts to present to the King of Qin, so that I can get close to him.”

What do you need?" Prince Dan asked.

“What the King of Qin loves most is land from other states. What he hates most is General Fan Wuji. If 1 take with me a map of Dukang, the richest area of Yan, and the general’s head, the king will surely welcome me with open arms and 1 shall be able to carry out the plan." ' Prince Dan was surprised. "But General Fan came to me for refuge in his time of greatest need. Flow can I kill him for the sake of revenge?

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Isn’t there some other way?”

t t Knowing that the Crown Prince was too soft-hearted to take his advice, Jing Ke went to see General Fan Wuji himself.

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“The King of Qin has committed terrible atrocities against you,”/, 1 ’ , Jing Ke said to the general. “Fie killed your parents and other relations.' Fie made slaves of your kinsmen. He has also placed a large bounty on '

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your head. Who can endure such pain and disgrace? But sir, 1 have a plan to avenge you and the Crown Prince. Would you like to hear it?"

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General Fan Wuji replied gratefully, “Just tell me how 1 can help.” / ' f

"1 wish to have your head to present to the King of Qin. He will then receive me with great pleasure, giving me the opportunity to stab him to death.”

General Fan looked to the heavens and cried, “1 have been thinking of nothing but revenge both day and night! Now 1 am finally able to fulfill my dream and set my soul free.” With those words, he took his own life.

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