Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Zhou Book 3 Scroll 3 (continued)
The 6th year of King Nan (309 B.C.)
The kingdom of Qin established the position of prime minister. Chuli Ji became the first prime minister of Qin.
The 7th year of King Nan (308 B.C.)
The Kingdoms of Qin and Wei convened for a significant meeting in the city of Ying.
The King of Qin tasked Gan Mao with coordinating a joint campaign alongside the Kingdom of Wei (Liang) against the Kingdom of Han. To assist Gan Mao, the king appointed Xiang Shou, who accompanied the troops. However, upon reaching the Kingdom of Wei (Liang), Gan Mao decided to send Xiang Shou back to Qin.
Upon his return, Xiang Shou conveyed to the King of Qin his observations, stating, “The Kingdom of Wei followed our lead, yet I wish, Your Grace, that we hadn’t been called upon to attack the Kingdom of Han.” Responding to this, the King of Qin personally met with Gao Mao in the town of Xirang, seeking clarification regarding Gan Mao‘s change of plan.
Gan Mao provided an explanation: “Yiyang is no small county; in fact, it’s a substantial prefecture. Today, Your Grace undertook an arduous journey, passing through multiple barriers and traveling thousands of miles to conquer it—a remarkably challenging feat. This situation brings to mind an incident from the past in the Kingdom of Lu, where a man sharing the name of Zeng Sen, a disciple of Confucius, committed a crime. When people informed Zeng Sen‘s mother, who was engrossed in weaving on her loom, about her son’s alleged misdeed, she continued weaving as if unperturbed. However, as the same story was repeated by more than three individuals, Zeng Sen‘s mother abruptly ceased her weaving, swiftly vaulted over a wall, and fled.”. He likened his own situation to this anecdote, expressing his concern about being distrusted, saying, “I don’t possess the esteemed reputation of Zeng Sen. Your Grace’s trust in me falls short of the confidence Zeng Sen‘s mother had in her son. The number of people suspicious of me exceeds three. I fear that, eventually, Your Grace might lose trust in me, just as Zeng Sen‘s mother eventually abandoned her loom.”
Expressing his apprehension further, Gan Mao continued: “In another instance, Marquis Wen of Wei commanded Yue Yang to lead a prolonged three-year campaign against the state of Zhongshan. Upon Yue Yang‘s triumphant return, Marquis Wen displayed a chest brimming with letters containing defamatory content about Yue Yang. Yue Yang repeatedly expressed gratitude to Marquis Wen, attributing the success not to personal achievements but to the power of the trust that Marquis Wen had on him.”
“Presently distanced from the capital, I am susceptible to slander by individuals like Chuli Zi and Gongsun Shi, who might speak ill of me, because of my ties to the kingdom of Han. If Your Grace were to heed their words, it would amount to betrayal against the King of Wei, and I would be hated by Gongsun She of Han for such aggression.”
In response, the King of Qin assured Gan Mao, “I won’t heed their words; I promise.” The two solidified their agreement at Xirang. As the fall approached, Gao Mao and Chang Feng took charge of besieging Yiyang as per the agreement reached during their meeting.
The 8th year of King Nan (307 B.C.)
Gan Mao‘s attempts to capture the city of Yiyang persisted for a prolonged period of five months without success. During this time, Chuli Zi and Gongsun Shi approached the King of Qin, advocating for an end to the ongoing conflict. Responding to their plea, the King of Qin summoned Gan Mao and contemplated withdrawing the troops.
Gan Mao queried, “Does the Xirang pact still hold?” Acknowledging this, the King of Qin affirmed, “Yes, it remains valid.” Contrary to the initial consideration of withdrawal, the King of Qin instead dispatched additional troops to reinforce Gan Mao‘s campaign.
Ultimately, after persistent efforts, the city of Yiyang succumbed, leading to the execution of sixty thousand soldiers from Han. Subsequently, Gongzhong She of Han traveled to the Kingdom of Qin, beseeching forgiveness and pleading for peace.
King Wu of Qin had a strong affinity for weight-lifting as a sport. He surrounded himself with individuals of immense strength, such as Ren Bi, Wu Huo, and Meng Yue, who held prominent positions within the court. In August, the King engaged in a weight-lifting competition with Meng Yue, focusing on lifting large tripod-cauldrons. Tragically, the strain led to the bursting of his blood vessels, resulting in his untimely demise.
Following this incident, the entire family of Meng Yue faced severe repercussions, receiving a death sentence. As King Wu had no direct heir, his brother from another mother, named Ji, previously held as a political hostage in the kingdom of Yan, was brought back by the people of Qin and installed as the new king. He assumed the title of King Zhaoxiang. Notably, the mother of King Zhaoxiang, Mi Bazi, hailed from the kingdom of Chu and later became recognized as Empress Xuan.
King Wuling of Zhao embarked on a military expedition into the northern state of Zhongshan. Their journey took them past Fangzi and reached Dai, traversing northward through the vast desert and then heading westward to the Yellow River. Upon ascending a hill named Huanghua, King Wuling discussed with his prime minister, Fei Yi, the notion of altering the people’s attire to resemble that of nomads, alongside teaching them horsemanship and archery.
King Wuling expressed his conviction to Fei Yi, stating, “Though fools may mock me, the wise shall understand. Even if the world ridicules me, I aim to acquire the nomadic lands and the state of Zhongshan.” Consequently, he initiated a mandate requiring people to adopt nomadic attire—donning short tops, trousers, and boots. However, this change was met with resistance from the people of Zhao, who didn’t favor the new clothing style.
Meanwhile, his uncle, Prince Cheng, cited illness as an excuse to avoid attending court sessions. Concerned about the potential repercussions and public perception, King Wuling dispatched a representative to implore Prince Cheng to comply with the clothing reform: “A family obeys its patriarch; A kingdom obeys its king. Now I ordered a change in the way of dressing, and my uncle would not do it. I am afraid that the rest of the world would suspect that I meant it. We must abide by the vital interests of the people to govern a state, and we must abide by the principle that orders are implemented to run an administration. The benefit of an act must be explained to the common people first. The enforcement of executive orders must be started with the royals first. That’s why I expect my uncle to do the right thing and help dressing reform succeed.” Prince Cheng, while bowing repeatedly, expressed reservations: “I learned that central kingdoms are the place where saints and scholars educate people, where propriety and music cultivate people’s behaviors, where others come from afar to appreciate, where foreigners and barbarians should imitate and learn. Now, Your Grace abandons this culture and imitates the dressing habits of remote areas, changing our traditional way of clothing against the will of our people. I really wish Your Grace would take the time to think it through.”
Subsequently, King Wuling personally visited Prince Cheng, emphasizing the strategic necessity: “My kingdom has neighboring territories: the kingdoms of Qi and Zhongshan to the east, the kingdom of Yan and Donghu tribe to the north, and the kingdoms of Qin, Han, and Loufan tribe to the west. If we fail to assemble a strong cavalry, how will we defend our borders? Earlier, the state of Zhongshan, relying on the robust army of Qi, invaded our land, causing distress to our people. They diverted water from the river to flood the city of Hao. If not for divine intervention, the city of Hao would have fallen to the invaders. Our previous king faced humiliation due to this invasion. That’s why I initiated this change in dressing and promoted horse-riding and archery—to resolve the defense challenges on all our borders and seek retribution for Zhongshan‘s aggression. Uncle, clinging to the ancient customs of central kingdoms, discrediting the dressing reform, and disregarding the humiliation by Zhongshan, are not in line with my intentions.” Eventually, Prince Cheng acquiesced and adorned himself in nomadic attire when attending court the following day.Convinced of the importance of this reform, King Wuling officially mandated the adoption of the nomadic dressing style and encouraged the populace to engage in horse-riding, archery, and related practices for the defense and advancement of the kingdom.
Reflection by Rio Grande 