Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Zhou Book 2 Scroll 2 (continued)
The 11th year of King Xian (358 B.C.)
The state of Qin defeated the army of Han at West Mountain.
The 12th year of King Xian (357 B.C.)
The troops from the states of Han, Zhao, and Wei united and joined forces at Hao.
The 13th year of King Xian (356 B.C.)
The troops from the states of Zhao and Yan combined their forces at E.
The troops from the states of Zhao, Qi, and Song united at Pinglu.
The rulers of Lu, Wey, Song, and Han paid homage to the ruler of Wei.
The 14th year of King Xian (355 B.C.)
King Wei of Qi and King Hui of Wei went hunting together in the suburbs. King Hui of Wei asked, “Does the state of Qi have any treasures?” King Wei of Qi replied, “No.” King Hui said, “Even my small state has pearls of an inch in diameter. We have ten of those pearls that illuminate twelve chariots in the front and twelve chariots in the back. How come there are no treasures in a large state such as Qi?”
King Wei of Qi responded, “Your grace, our definition of treasures seems to differ. I have a minister named Tanzi, who guards the southern cities. The large state of Chu dares not harass our border, and the twelve small states along the Si River pay homage to my state. I have a minister called Panzi. When he defends the city of Gaotang, the people of state Zhao dare not fish on the east Yellow river. I have an official named Qianfu, who guards the city of Xuzhou. The people of the State of Yan pay tributes at the north gate of Xuzhou, and the people of the state of Zhao pay tributes at the west gate of the city. More than seven thousand families have since moved into the city. I also have a minister named Zhongshou. When asked to reduce robbery crimes, he has made the people won’t pick up things that others dropped. I have these four ministers who shine through thousands of miles, not to mention twelve chariots.”
King Hui of Wei felt ashamed by King Wei‘s response.
Duke Xiao of Qin and King Hui of Wei met at Duping.
Duke Gong of Lu passed away. His son Mao succeeded him as Duke Kang.
The 15th year of King Xian (354 B.C.)
The army of the State of Qin routed the army of the State of Wei, beheading seven thousand soldiers. The State of Qin also captured the city of Shaoliang from the State of Wei.
King Hui of Wei led a campaign against the State of Zhao and laid siege to the city of Handan.
In response to the situation, the King of Chu ordered his general Jin She to come to the aid of the State of Zhao.
The 16th year of King Xian (353 B.C.)
King Wei of Qi dispatched his general Tian Ji to aid the besieged state of Zhao. It leads to a story about Sun Bin and Pang Juan.
Sun Bin and Pang Juan, both students of the art of war in their youth, followed very different paths. While Pang Juan rose to become a general for the State of Wei. Sun Bin‘s superior capabilities ignited Pang Juan‘s jealousy. Pang Juan falsely accused Sun Bin of a crime upon summoning him to Wei. Pang had his feet cut off and branded his face, disabling him for life.
However, fate took a twist when an envoy from the state of Qi arrived in Wei. Sun Bin, though treated as a prisoner, managed to secretly share his story with the envoy. He persuaded the envoy to hide him in his vehicle, enabling Sun Bin to escape to Qi. General Tian Ji extended respect towards Sun Bin and introduced him to King Wei of Qi. The king, recognizing Sun Bin‘s exceptional understanding of warfare, engaged in discussions with him. Impressed by Sun Bin‘s insights, King Wei appointed him as his teacher.
As the discussion turned to aiding the state of Zhao against Wei‘s onslaught, King Wei and General Tian Ji sought Sun Bin‘s counsel. However, Sun Bin, due to his fugitive status, declined the role of a general. Instead, they decided on Tian Ji as the general and Sun Bin as his strategic adviser. Positioned in a caravan, Sun Bin oversaw the military strategies.
When Tian Ji initially planned a direct intervention to defend Zhao, Sun Bin advised against a head-on confrontation: “In the art of warfare, direct frontal assaults are not always the most effective approach. Instead, it is wiser to target the enemy’s vulnerabilities and critical areas, altering the dynamics of the battle by imposing constraints on both sides. This strategic shift can naturally lead to the cessation of hostilities.”
“At this time, the states of Wei and Zhao were locked in conflict along their borders. The youth and most skilled fighters were engaged in this border dispute, leaving the interior areas defended by older and weaker soldiers. Why not take advantage of this situation? Lead our troops swiftly to Wei‘s capital, seize the strategic gateways and thoroughfares of the state, and strike at its exposed weak points. The Wei forces, preoccupied with the defense of their own home, would be compelled to redirect their efforts, abandoning the siege on Zhao. By executing this strategic maneuver, we can not only defeat Wei‘s army but also relieve the siege on Zhao in one decisive move.”
Tian Ji heeded Sun Bin‘s advice. In October of the winter, the city of Handan surrendered to the state of Wei. The Wei army rushed back to its home territory, abandoning their heavy equipment and walking day and night. They walked into a trap set by Qi‘s forces at Guiling. In this ambush, the army of Wei suffered a devastating defeat.
The state of Han raided the sovereign of East Zhou, took the cities of Lingguan and Linqiu.
Zhao Xixu held the position of prime minister in the state of Chu. One day, Jiang Yi addressed the King of Chu with a story: “There is a man who has a deep affection for his dog. Unfortunately, the dog frequently urinates in the well. Observing this, concerned neighbors wished to caution the man about the contamination. However, when they approached his doorstep, the dog fiercely barked and even bit them. In a similar manner, Zhao Xixue behaves like that dog. He vehemently opposes my proposals. Just as your grace would get closer to someone who constantly praises others as he looks like a nobleman, and to avoid someone who constantly criticizes others as they might be unpleasant. There are sons who commit parricide and assistants who betray their lords, but often these matters go unnoticed. Why? Because your grace is inclined to listen to favorable things and averse to hearing unfavorable truths.”
In response, the King of Chu concurred, acknowledging the wisdom in Jiang Yi‘s words: “You are absolutely correct. I should have made an effort to listen to both sides of the story.”
King Xuan of Chu once asked his ministers, “I have heard that the people in the northern regions fear Zhao Xixu. Is this really the case?” The ministers remained silent. Jiang Yi spoke up and said, “The tiger seeks to eat all beasts and captures a fox. The fox says, ‘You wouldn’t dare to eat me. The Heavenly Emperor appointed me to govern all beasts. If you eat me, you are defying the Heavenly Emperor’s command. If you doubt my words, I will go ahead of you, and you can follow behind me. Let’s see if any of the other beasts dare not flee upon seeing me.’ The tiger believed this and followed the fox. When the other beasts saw them, they all fled. The tiger didn’t realize that the beasts feared itself and fled, not the fox. Similarly, although Your Majesty’s realm covers five thousand miles and you have an army of one million soldiers, the northern regions’ fear of Zhao Xixu is actually due to their fear of your mighty military force, just like the beasts’ fear of the tiger.”
Jingshan of Song and Gongsun Cang of Wey joined the forces of Qi. The force of the coalition besieged Wei’s army at Xiangling.
Reflection by Rio Grande 
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