Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Zhou Book 5 Volume 5 (continued)
The 58th year of King Nan(257 B.C.)
In early October of the winter, Lord Wu’an was stripped of all his titles and reduced to the rank of a private. He was subsequently compelled to relocate to the modest town of Yinmi. Meanwhile, in December, additional troops were mustered and dispatched to the front lines near Fencheng, but Lord Wu’an, afflicted by illness, remained behind. As the military situation worsened with repeated retreats by Wang He under onslaught from rival kingdoms, reports of these setbacks inundated the court of Qin, prompting the king to decree Lord Wuan‘s expulsion from the city of Xianyang. Finding refuge in the nearby town of Duyou, situated roughly ten miles out of Xianyang‘s west gates, Lord Wu’an‘s fate hung in the balance. Seeking counsel from the Marquis Ying and his advisors, the king of Qin complained of Lord Wu’an‘s continued discontent and unwelcome remarks even in his exile. In a gesture both symbolic and final, the king dispatched his envoy to present Lord Wu’an with a sword. Lord Wu’an ended his own life with the blade. Despite his fall from grace, the people of Qin harbored a deep affection and sympathy for him, venerating his memory in towns and countryside alike.
Prince Wuji decisively defeated the Qin army stationed beneath the walls of Handan, compelling Wang He’s forces to abandon their siege and retreat in disarray. Meanwhile, Zheng Anping, commanding a contingent of twenty thousand soldiers, capitulated to the encroaching Zhao troops after finding himself besieged. The blame for this surrender fell squarely on Marquis Ying due to his close association with Zheng Anping, casting a shadow over his reputation and influence.
Prince Wuji saved the kingdom of Zhao by forging the order of the king of Wei. He dared not return to Wei and stayed in Zhao with his dependents. He let his lieutenant general command the troops of Wei and march back home. The king of Zhao discussed the reward for Prince Wuji with Lord Ping’yuan, preparing to grant five cities to the prince as a fief. The king of Zhao personally swept outside his palace in preparation for Prince Wuji’s visit. During the ceremony, the king of Zhao welcomed Prince Wuji at the west stairway of the palace. To show his modesty, Prince Wuji walked sideways, climbing from the east stairway. He remained unassuming and kept expressing his guilt towards the kingdom of Wei while taking no credit from the kingdom of Zhao. The king of Zhao wine and dined with Prince Wuji until dusk. Since the prince passed up the gratitude from the king, the five cities’ awards were withdrawn. Instead, the king of Zhao awarded Prince Wuji the town of Hao as his fief. The kingdom of Wei also reinstated the fief of the town Xinling.
Prince Wuji learned about a wise man, Mr. Mao, who dwelt among gamblers, and another sage, Mr. Xue, who loitered in bars. When he tried to visit them, they rejected him. Undeterred, Prince Wuji followed them around on foot. When Lord Ping’yuan heard about this, he was unimpressed. Prince Wuji reacted strongly, saying, “I heard that Lord Ping’yuan was a nobleman. That’s why I turned my back on the kingdom of Wei to save the kingdom of Zhao. Now I see that Lord Ping’yuan only wants to show off his generosity without truly seeking learned men. Wuji likes to spend time with these two gentlemen and fears rejection from them. Is Lord Ping’yuan ashamed of me?” Prince Wuji packed up and prepared to leave. Lord Ping’yuan took off his hat and apologized for his comment. Prince Wuji ended up staying in Zhao.
Lord Ping’yuan wanted to reward Lu Zhonglian. His envoys went three times to deliver the goods, but Lu rejected the offers each time. On Lu’s birthday, Lord Ping’yuan presented him with a thousand catties of gold. Lu Zhonglian laughed and said, “What is noble for a scholar is that he relieves the suffering and solves the problems for people without taking anything. If he takes compensation, he becomes a businessman. I don’t want to be a businessman.” With that, Lu Zhonglian said farewell to Lord Ping’yuan and left, never to see him again.
The crown prince of Qin had a concubine named Madam Huayang, who bore him no sons. Another concubine, Madam Xia, had a son named Yiren. Yiren was held hostage in the kingdom of Zhao. During his stay, the kingdom of Qin raided Zhao many times, causing the people of Zhao to treat Yiren harshly. As a bastard grandson of a king held as a hostage, he received minimal funding for his living and travel expenses, and his house looked dilapidated.
There was a wealthy merchant named Lv Buwei from the city of Yangzhai. He met Yiren during a trip to Handan and thought to himself, “This is a rare commodity to hold.” Lv Buwei visited Yiren and promised, “I will make your doorway look grand.” Yiren laughed, “Why don’t you make your own doorway look grand first?” Lv Buwei replied, “You don’t understand. My doorway will look grand only after yours does.” Understanding his intent, Yiren invited him inside, and they had a deep conversation.
Lv Buwei explained, “The king of Qin is old. The crown prince loves Madam Huayang, but she has no son. You have more than twenty brothers, and among them, Zixi has the best chance of inheriting the kingdom with Mr. Du Cang’s assistance. You, being in the middle of the pack, are not favored and are held as a hostage far from the capital. When the crown prince is installed, you won’t have a chance to vie for the heirship.”
Prince Yiren asked, “What can I do?” Lv Buwei answered, “The only person who can decide the heir is Madam Huayang. I am not rich, but I am willing to spend a thousand catties of gold to lobby for you to be designated as heir to the crown.” Prince Yiren agreed, “If your lobbying succeeds, I will share the kingdom of Qin with you.”
Lv Buwei gave five hundred catties of gold to Prince Yiren to make friends with scholars and influential people. He used another five hundred ounces to buy exotic artifacts and jewelry, then traveled westward to Qin. He visited Madame Huayang’s elder sister and, through her, presented the gifts to Madam Huayang. He took the opportunity to praise Prince Yiren‘s commendable character and his popularity among scholars worldwide, emphasizing that Yiren often cried thinking of the crown prince and Madam Huayang, even declaring, “Madam Huayang, you are heaven-sent to Yiren.”
Madam Huayang was delighted. Lv Buwei then advised Madam Huayang through her sister, “A woman’s beauty fades, but influence can last. Today, you are favored but have no son. If you don’t bond with a worthy prince now and make him the heir, will your words matter when you are old and less beautiful? Prince Yiren is decent and ranks in the middle among the princes, so he doesn’t expect to be heir. If you make him the crown prince now, he will owe everything to you. You will have a son and retain your influence in Qin.”
Madam Huayang approved. She waited for an opportunity and, during a pillow talk with the crown prince, praised Yiren, saying, “Every guest speaks highly of him. Unfortunately, I have no son. I wish to adopt Yiren as my own and have him designated as the heir so I could depend on him.” The crown prince agreed, and they made the pledge by carving the words onto a jade charm. They then made a large endowment to Prince Yiren, delivered by Lv Buwei. With this financial backing, Prince Yiren gained more accolades and support from other kings.
Lv Buwei married a woman of exceptional beauty from Handan. He invited Prince Yiren over to drink when he knew that she was pregnant. Prince Yiren fell in love at first sight and couldn’t help but ask for her. Lv Buwei pretended to be offended initially but eventually submitted her to Prince Yiren. The woman bore a son named Zheng after a full-term pregnancy with Prince Yiren. Prince Yiren made her the lady of his house.
During the siege of Handan by the army of Qin, the people of Zhao wanted to kill Prince Yiren. In desperation, he gave Lv Buwei three hundred kilograms of gold to bribe the guards and allow him to flee to the camp of Qin. He finally made it home safely. Dressed in the apparel of Chu, he paid a visit to Madam Huayang. Deeply moved, she exclaimed, “I am from the kingdom of Chu. You are my son!” She changed Yiren‘s name to Zichu[Son of Chu].
The 59th year of King Nan(256 B.C.)
General Jiu of Qin led a campaign against the kingdom of Han, conquering the cities of Yangcheng and Fuji and beheading forty thousand soldiers of Han. He then turned his attention to the kingdom of Zhao, where the Qin army occupied more than twenty counties and beheaded ninety thousand soldiers. Horrified by these events, King Nan of West Zhou broke the pact with Qin and joined a vertical alliance with other kingdoms. Their plan was to combine their elite forces and attack Qin from the pass of Yijue, disrupting communication between the city of Yangcheng and the heart of Qin.
In response, the king of Qin ordered General Jiu to attack the kingdom of West Zhou. Facing the overwhelming might of Qin, King Nan surrendered. He was brought to Qin, where he kowtowed to the king, begging for pardon. He submitted thirty-six towns and thirty thousand subjects to Qin. The king of Qin accepted his submission and allowed him to return home. King Nan died in the same year.
Meanwhile, the kingdom of Chu annexed the kingdom of Lu. Duke Qing of Lu was moved to the city of Ju and demoted to the position of a housekeeper. With no descendants, his lineage ended.
Reflection by Rio Grande 
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