Lian Po was a famous general of the Zhao state. During King Zhao Huiwen's sixteenth year on the throne, Lian Po led troops to attack the Qi state, winning a decisive victory and capturing Yangjin. He was promoted to a high-ranking official because of his bravery and was well-known in all countries. Lin Xiangru, another Zhao man, was a retainer of the eunuch Miao Xian.
During King Zhao Huiwen's reign, he acquired a precious He'shi Bi from Chu. When Zhao's king received a letter from Qin's king, offering to exchange fifteen cities for this piece of jade, he discussed the matter with General Lian Po and other ministers. Giving it to Qin risked being cheated; refusing risked war. He was stuck. Unable to make a decision, they thought of finding someone to respond to Qin but couldn't find a suitable candidate for a while. Miao Xian, the eunuch, suggested, "Lin Xiangru, my retainer, is the man for the job." The king asked, "How do you know?" Miao Xian replied, "I made a mistake before, planning to escape to the Yan state secretly. My retainer Lin Xiangru stopped me and said, 'Why'd you think the Yan king would take you in?' I said, 'I have met the Yan king and King Zhao on the border before. The Yan king shook hands with me privately and said, "I want to be friends with you." So I know him, that's why I want to go.' Lin Xiangru said to me, 'Zhao's strong, Yan's weak, and you are favored by King Zhao, so the Yan king wants to be friends with you. If you escape from Zhao to Yan, Yan will be afraid of Zhao and will definitely not keep you; they will send you back to Zhao. Just strip, prostrate yourself, and offer yourself up for execution. It might save your life.' I took his advice, and luckily, the king pardoned me. I think this person is a brave warrior with great strategy, so he should be sent."
So King Zhao summoned Lǐn Xiāngrú and asked him, "The Qin king's offering fifteen cities for my jade. Should I give it to him?" Lǐn Xiāngrú replied, "Qin is powerful, Zhao is weak; we've gotta agree." King Zhao said, "What if he takes the jade but doesn't give us the cities?" Lǐn Xiāngrú said, "If Qin exchanges cities for jade and Zhao refuses, the fault lies with Zhao; if Zhao gives jade and Qin doesn't give cities, the fault lies with Qin. Better to be the one who broke their word to Qin than the other way around." King Zhao asked, "Who's up for this?" Lǐn Xiāngrú said, "If the king cannot find anyone, I am willing to take the jade to Qin. If the cities enter Zhao, the jade will remain in Qin; if the cities do not enter Zhao, I will bring back the jade to Zhao intact!" And so Lǐn Xiāngrú was sent west to Qin with the jade.
King Qin received Lin Xiangru in the Zhangtai Palace, and Lin Xiangru presented the He Shi Bi to King Qin. King Qin was over the moon and showed the Bi to his concubines and his courtiers, and everyone cheered. When Lin Xiangru saw that King Qin had no intention of returning the city to the Zhao Kingdom, he stepped forward and exclaimed, "You sent for this Bi under false pretenses! You had Zhao write a letter, and the King of Zhao gathered all his ministers to discuss it. Everyone said, 'The Qin Kingdom is too greedy, relying on its own strength, using empty words to deceive and obtain the Bi, wanting to exchange it for the city. That won't work!' No one wants to give the Bi to the Qin Kingdom. Even ordinary folk wouldn't pull a stunt like this, let alone kings! Offending the powerful Qin Kingdom for the sake of a piece of Bi is also inappropriate. The King of Zhao observed five days of ritual fasting and sent me to bring the Bi and present the national book in court. Why? This is to show respect for the great nation! Now that I am here, Your Majesty is receiving me in front of many ministers, very casually; after receiving the Bi, you show it to the concubines, making a fool of me. I see that Your Majesty has no intention of returning the city to the King of Zhao, so hand it back, or I swear I'll smash it against this pillar and die right here!" Lin Xiangru held the Bi, staring at the pillar, as if he was about to crash into it. King Qin was afraid that he would really smash the Bi, so he quickly apologized, pleaded, and called officials to check the map, pointing to the map and saying, "I'll give you fifteen cities west of here!"
Lin Xiangru estimated that the King of Qin was only using this deceptive method to pretend to want to give Zhao's territory, but in fact, it was impossible to do so. So he said to the King of Qin, "This He Shi Bi is a treasure recognized by people all over the world. The King of Zhao is afraid and dares not offer it. When the King of Zhao sent the jade, he underwent five days of ritual purification. Now the king should also undergo five days of ritual purification and present the nine-rank ceremonial reception in the court; only then will I dare to offer the jade." After thinking about it, the King of Qin felt that he could not forcibly take it, so he agreed to fast for five days and settled Lin Xiangru in the Guangcheng Palace. Lin Xiangru estimated that even if the King of Qin fasted, he would definitely breach the contract and not return the city. So he had his followers wear coarse clothes, carry the jade, and escape by a secret route, returning the jade to Zhao.
After five days, the King of Qin finally presented the grandest nine-rank reception in the court and invited Lin Xiangru to come out. When Lin Xiangru arrived, he said to the King of Qin, "Since Duke Mu of Qin, more than twenty monarchs of Qin have failed to keep their promises. I am really afraid of being deceived by you, so I secretly sent someone to return the He Shi Bi to Zhao, and I estimate it has already reached Zhao. Moreover, Qin is powerful and Zhao is weak. If you send an envoy to Zhao, they will immediately send the jade back. Now that Qin is so powerful, why would Zhao dare to keep the jade and offend you, the King? I know deceiving the King is a capital offense. I am willing to die in a cauldron of boiling water immediately; it's up to you and your ministers how to decide." The King of Qin and the ministers looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh. Some guards wanted to take Lin Xiangru out, but the King of Qin said, "Killing Lin Xiangru now will not get back the He Shi Bi, and it will also sever the friendly relationship between Qin and Zhao. It's better to treat him well and let him return to Zhao. Will the King of Zhao deceive Qin over a piece of jade?" Finally, the King of Qin gave Lin Xiangru a formal audience and sent him home with the highest honors.
After Lin Xiangru returned to his country, King Zhao considered him a capable minister and did not humiliate him during his missions to other states, so he appointed him as a high minister. In short, neither side gave up what they’d promised. Later, Qin attacked Zhao and conquered Shicheng. The following year, Qin attacked Zhao again, killing twenty thousand Zhao troops.
King Qin sent a message to King Zhao, wanting to meet him at Mianchi outside the Western River to foster goodwill. King Zhao was quite afraid of Qin and did not want to go. Lian Po and Lin Xiangru discussed and said, "If the king does not go, it will make Zhao look weak." So King Zhao finally decided to go, with Lin Xiangru accompanying him. Lian Po escorted King Zhao to the border, bid him farewell, and said, "This time you go, it should only take about thirty days with all the ceremonies and such. If you haven't returned in thirty days, quickly install the crown prince as king and cut off Qin's ambitions!" King Zhao agreed, and then met with King Qin at Mianchi.
King Qin was feeling jovial and said, "I heard that King Zhao is good at playing music; why not play the se?" King Zhao then played the se. Qin's historian quickly recorded, "On a certain year, month, and day, King Qin and King Zhao drank together, and King Zhao played the se." Lin Xiangru immediately stepped forward and said, "I heard that King Qin is good at playing Qin's musical instruments; why not play the pan and pot, and let’s entertain each other?" King Qin became angry and refused. So Lin Xiangru took a step forward, held a pot, knelt down, and begged King Qin to perform. King Qin still refused. Lin Xiangru said, "Within five paces, my blood will stain your robes!" Qin's guards wanted to kill Lin Xiangru, but Lin Xiangru stared at them and scolded them, intimidating them into backing down.
King Qin was not happy this time, so he picked up an earthenware drum and knocked on it. Lin Xiangru immediately called the historian of Zhao Kingdom to record: "On such-and-such a date, King Qin beat the drum for King Zhao." The ministers of Qin took the opportunity to suggest, "How about we just gift King Qin fifteen of Zhao's cities for his birthday?" Lin Xiangru quickly responded, "Then why don't we offer Xianyang of Qin to King Zhao as a birthday gift?" After King Qin's banquet ended, he didn't get anything out of Zhao. Zhao had already prepared their troops and were ready, while Qin did not dare to act recklessly.
After Lin Xiangru returned to his country, he was given a high position above Lian Po due to his great achievements. Lian Po wasn't best pleased and said, "I fought for Zhao, achieved great military feats, taking cities and lands like it was nothing. Yet Lin Xiangru only talked; why is his rank higher than mine? He used to be a nobody, and I'm bloody embarrassed to be ranked below him! It's a bloody insult to be ranked below him!" He even threatened, "When I see Lin Xiangru, I will definitely humiliate him!"
Lin Xiangru heard about this and did not want to meet him at all. Every day at court, Lin Xiangru feigned illness, avoiding any competition with Lian Po. Later, even if Lin Xiangru went out, he would quickly avoid Lian Po. His subordinates couldn't bear it and advised him, "We left our hometown to follow you because we admire your noble character. Now that you and Lian Po are both high-ranking officials, and Lian Po openly threatens to humiliate you, but you are avoiding him, that's a bit gutless, isn't it? Even a commoner would be mortified! We quit!"
Lin Xiangru quickly stopped them and asked, "Compared to General Lian and the King of Qin, who is stronger?" His subordinates replied, "Of course, he can't compare to the King of Qin." Lin Xiangru said, "The King of Qin is so strong that I can openly rebuke him in the court, causing him and his ministers to be humiliated. Although I, Lin Xiangru, have limited abilities, would I still fear General Lian? I am doing this because I am considering the safety of the country! The reason why the powerful Qin state does not dare to easily attack the Zhao state is because both of us are here! Now, the two of us are fighting like two old tigers, and the final result could very well be that we both end up harming each other. I am doing this for the benefit of the country, not for personal grudges!"
After hearing these words, Lian Po was very moved. He took off his upper garment, carried a cane on his back, and personally went to Lin Xiangru's residence to apologize, saying, "I am a bit uncouth; I did not expect you, General, to be so magnanimous!" From then on, the two became best friends, as close as brothers, and became brothers in arms.
In that year, Lian Po launched an eastern expedition against the Qi state, defeating one of their armies. Two years later, Lian Po once again attacked the Qi state, conquering several cities. Three years later, Lian Po attacked the Fengling and Anyang cities of the Wei state, also taking these two cities. Four years later, Lin Xiangru led troops to attack the Qi state, advancing to Pingyi before withdrawing. The following year, Zhao She defeated the Qin army at Eyu.
Zhao She was just a minor tax collector in the Zhao state. When collecting taxes, the family of Pingyuan Jun refused to pay. Zhao She did not care who they were; he enforced the law and had all nine people in charge at the Pingyuan Jun's residence executed. When Pingyuan Jun heard this, he was so angry that he wanted to kill Zhao She for revenge.
Zhao She hurriedly explained: "You are a highly influential figure in Zhao country. If no one pays taxes, the rule of law would collapse. Ineffective laws weaken the country, inviting attack and ultimately leading to its downfall. If the country falls, where will you get your wealth and glory? Given your esteemed position, if you can lead by example in obeying the laws, then everyone will be treated fairly. When the country is strong, Zhao country will be stable. As a member of the royal family, your position will be even more secure and respected." Persuaded by Zhao She's logic, Pingyuan Jun recommended him to the king. The Zhao King appointed Zhao She to manage the country's taxes, and his tax reforms led to efficient tax collection, a prosperous populace, and a brimming treasury.
When Qin attacked Han, the army was stationed at Eyu (阏与). King Zhao summoned Lian Po and asked if he could go to the rescue. Lian Po replied that the journey was long and difficult, making it hard to provide assistance. He then asked Le Cheng the same question, and Le Cheng's answer was the same as Lian Po's. Next, King Zhao asked Zhao She, who replied: "Although the journey is long and difficult, it's a contest of courage, like two mice scrabbling in a burrow—the bolder one prevails." Impressed by Zhao She's assessment, King Zhao dispatched him to lead the rescue effort.
When the Zhao army was thirty miles away from Handan, General Zhao ordered, "Anyone who opens their yap about my plans gets the chop!" The Qin army camped west of Wu'an City, beating drums and gongs with such force that the drumming rattled the tiles off the roofs of Wu'an City. A soldier in the camp said he wanted to rush to rescue Wu'an; Zhao She didn't waste a second, he had the bloke executed on the spot. Zhao She adopted a scorched earth strategy, staying put for twenty-eight days, reinforcing the camp. Qin scouts infiltrated, and Zhao She plied them with food and drink before letting them go. The scouts reported back to the Qin general, who was delighted, saying, "Those Zhao blokes haven't budged thirty miles from the capital, they're just sitting there reinforcing their camp. Clearly, Wu'an ain't that important to them!" After sending off the Qin scouts, Zhao She immediately ordered the army to pack up and quickly march towards Wu'an City. They got there in a day and a half. He ordered skilled archers to set up camp fifty miles from Wu'an City. Once the camp was set up, the Qin army, fully armed, rushed over upon hearing the news. A soldier, Xu Li, spoke up, warning that the Qin were overconfident and urging the General to concentrate his forces or risk defeat. Zhao She agreed and immediately sent ten thousand men to grab North Mountain. The Qin got there too late; Zhao She pounced, smashed the Qin army, and that was that. The Qin army scattered like rats, and the siege of Wu'an was over.
King Zhao Hui Wen appointed Zhao She as the Marquis of Ma Fu and promoted Xu Li to the position of Commander-in-Chief. From then on, Zhao She and Lian Po were equals, alongside Lin Xiangru. Four years later, King Zhao Hui Wen died, and his son, King Xiaocheng, became king. Seven years later, the states of Qin and Zhao faced off at Changping. By this time, Zhao She had already died, and Lin Xiangru was seriously ill. Zhao sent Lian Po as the general to attack Qin, but the Qin army defeated the Zhao army multiple times. The Zhao army dug in and refused to fight. Despite numerous challenges from the Qin army, Lian Po would not engage. However, King Zhao believed the Qin spies, who claimed that the one general Qin feared most was Zhao Kuo, the son of Marquis Zhao She. King Zhao heeded the rumors and appointed Zhao Kuo as the general, replacing Lian Po. Lin Xiangru advised, "Your Majesty, by choosing Zhao Kuo based solely on his reputation, it is like trying to play a lute with a hammer. Kuo just knows his father's playbook and can't adapt!" King Zhao did not listen and sent him off.
Zhao Kuo has been studying military strategy since he was young, and he was a military genius. He often discusses military matters with his father Zhao She, who cannot refute him but does not believe that he truly understands military strategy. Zhao Kuo's mother asked Zhao She for the reason, and Zhao She said, "War's not a game; it's life or death, yet Kuo makes light of it. If Zhao State doesn't use Zhao Kuo as a general, that would be fine, but if he must lead troops, then the one who defeats the Zhao army will surely be Zhao Kuo!"
When Zhao Kuo was about to go to war, his mother wrote to King Zhao, saying, "Zhao Kuo cannot lead troops!" King Zhao asked, "Why?" Zhao Kuo's mother replied, "When I served his father, who was a general, he ate and drank every day with a dozen or more servants and had over a hundred friends. He shared the king's and royal family's gifts generously with his officers and men. After receiving military orders, he never worried about household matters. Now, once Zhao Kuo becomes a general, no one dared meet his gaze when they bowed to him. He hides the gold and silver treasures given by the king at home and buys land and properties every day. He's nothing like his father; they're completely different men. I hope you, Your Majesty, will not send him." King Zhao said, "My mind's made up, so don't worry about it." Zhao Kuo's mother said again, "If Your Majesty insists on sending him, if he screws up, can I be spared?" King Zhao agreed.
After Zhao Kuo replaced Lian Po, he changed all the army's rules and replaced all the officers. When the Qin general Bai Qi heard about this, he executed a clever flanking maneuver, feigned a retreat, cut off the supply line of the Zhao army, divided the Zhao army into two parts, and demoralized the Zhao troops. Over forty days later, the Zhao army was starving, and Zhao Kuo led the elite troops to launch a decisive battle, only to be cut down by Qin archers. Zhao Kuo died in battle, and several hundred thousand Zhao soldiers surrendered to the Qin army, who then massacred them all. Zhao suffered a loss of 450,000 troops. The following year, the Qin army surrounded Handan, and after more than a year, Handan was on the verge of collapse. Thanks to help from Chu and Wei, the siege of Handan was lifted. Because of a prophecy about his mother, the Zhao king ultimately did not punish her.
Five years after the siege of Handan was lifted, the Yan state, following Li Fu's advice, launched an attack on Zhao, claiming that all Zhao's best fighters had died at Changping, leaving them vulnerable. Zhao dispatched Lian Po to lead the troops and defeated the Yan army at Hao, killing Li Fu and surrounding the Yan state. Yan ceded five cities and requested peace, to which Zhao agreed. Zhao made Lian Po Lord Xinping and acting prime minister.
After returning from the Battle of Changping, Lian Po fell out of favor and lost all his followers. When he was reinstated as a general, his followers returned. Lian Po sighed and said, "Where'd all my hangers-on go?" His followers replied, "Oh! Why did you only realize this now? That's just how it is, isn't it? People only stick with you when you're on top."
Six years later, the state of Zhao sent Lian Po to attack the city of Fanyang in the state of Wei and took it. King Xiaocheng of Zhao died, and his son King Daoxiang succeeded to the throne, replacing Lian Po with Yue Cheng. Lian Po was very angry and attacked Yue Cheng, who fled. Lian Po then fled to Daliang. The following year, the state of Zhao appointed Li Mu as the general, attacking the state of Yan and capturing Wusui and Fangcheng. Lian Po stayed in Daliang for a long time, but the state of Wei could not trust him. Meanwhile, the state of Zhao was repeatedly defeated by the army of the state of Qin. King Zhao, remembering Lian Po, and Lian Po himself eager to serve Zhao again, sent an envoy to assess Lian Po's fitness for service. Lian Po's enemy Guo Kai secretly gave the envoy a lot of money to speak ill of Lian Po. After meeting Lian Po, the envoy saw him eat a huge amount of rice and meat, put on armor, and ride a horse to prove that he was still capable. The envoy returned to Zhao and reported to King Zhao, "General Lian, although old, has a large appetite. But, he... well, let's just say his bowels aren't what they used to be." King Zhao thought Lian Po was too old and did not summon him. The state of Chu heard that Lian Po was in Wei and secretly invited him over. Lian Po was a general in Chu for a time, without winning any battles. He said, "I want to use people from Zhao." In the end, Lian Po died in Shou Chun.
Li Mu is a top-notch general on the northern border of the state of Zhao. He was stationed year-round at Yanmen Pass in Daijun to defend against the Huns. He appoints officials based on the actual situation, and all market taxes went straight to the army's coffers for the soldiers' expenses. He kept the troops fed with daily beef rations, trained them in archery and horseback riding, meticulously maintained the signal towers, had a network of spies, and treated the soldiers generously. His orders were simple: "If the Huns attack, get inside the walls. Anyone caught trying to take prisoners gets the death penalty!" Every time the Huns invaded, the alarm from the signal towers was very timely, and the Zhao army quickly entered the city to defend, not daring to fight the Huns. This went on for several years without any losses. However, the Huns thought Li Mu was timid; even the border soldiers of Zhao felt that their general was timid. King Zhao chewed him out, but Li Mu didn't change a thing. The King of Zhao became angry, recalled him, and sent someone else to replace him as general.
Over a year passed, and the Huns kept invading, so Zhao sent troops to fight. However, they lost every battle, suffering heavy casualties, and the border areas could not even cultivate land or raise livestock. In desperation, King Zhao was desperate and begged Li Mu to come back. Li Mu flat-out refused, claiming he was sick. So, King Zhao reluctantly sent someone else. Li Mu said, "If you really need me, Your Majesty, I'll do it my way – and only then." The King of Zhao agreed to his request.
After Li Mu took office, he kept playing it safe, just like before. For years, the Xiongnu got nothing, so they figured Li Mu was a scaredy-cat. The soldiers on the border received rewards every day without any battles to fight; they were all dying for a scrap. So Li Mu carefully selected 1,300 war chariots, 13,000 warhorses, 50,000 elite soldiers, and 100,000 archers, and then drilled them relentlessly. At the same time, he vigorously developed animal husbandry, bringing peace and prosperity to the borderlands, which were flourishing. When a small group of Xiongnu troops invaded, Li Mu feigned weakness, pretending to be weak as a kitten, and baited them with a few thousand men. Upon hearing this, the Chanyu led a large army to invade. Li Mu executed a brilliant tactical maneuver, launching attacks on both wings, defeating the Xiongnu, and killing more than 100,000 enemy cavalry. He wiped out the Linhu and Donghu, bringing the Linhu to heel, while the Chanyu hightailed it out of there. For over a decade, the Xiongnu stayed far away from Zhao's borders. In the first year of King Zhao Daoxiang's reign, after Lian Po escaped to the state of Wei, Zhao sent Li Mu to attack the state of Yan, capturing Wusui and Fangcheng. Two years later, Pang Nuan slaughtered the Yan army, killing the Yan general Juxin. Seven years later, Qin wiped out Zhao general Hu Xie at Wusui, taking 100,000 heads. Zhao then appointed Li Mu as the Grand General, defeating the Qin army in Yian and driving away the Qin general Huan Ji. Li Mu was titled the Marquis of Wu'an. Three years later, Qin attacked Fanwu, and Li Mu once again defeated the Qin army, also heading south to contain the states of Han and Wei.
In the seventh year of King Zhao Qian's reign, the state of Qin sent Wang Jian to attack the state of Zhao. Zhao dispatched Li Mu and Sima Shang to resist. Qin secretly gave a lot of money to Zhao's favorite, Guo Kai, using divisive tactics and claiming that Li Mu and Sima Shang were planning a rebellion. King Zhao then sent Zhao Cong and Yan Ju, a general from the state of Qi, to replace Li Mu. Li Mu refused to accept the orders, so he was secretly arrested and executed. Sima Shang was also dismissed. Three months later, Wang Jian pressed his advantage and decisively defeated Zhao Cong, capturing King Zhao Qian and General Yan Ju of Qi, ultimately destroying the state of Zhao.
Sima Qian said, "Knowing when to die and being brave about it isn't hard; what's hard is facing the moment." Take Lin Xiangru for example: he stood with the jade bi pressed against a pillar, even daring to rebuke the Qin king's guards. At that time, it wouldn't have been unreasonable to kill him. However, some scholars are cowardly and afraid, not daring to make a sound. But Lin Xiangru erupted, overwhelming the enemy state, then retreated, his reputation heavier than Mount Tai. His courage and shrewdness can be said to be both!
You see, Sima Qian's point is that the real difficulty is not death, but the courage and wisdom in facing death. The situation Lin Xiangru faced was extremely dangerous; he could have been killed by the Qin king at any moment, but he calmly dealt with it, using his intellect and bravery to resolve the crisis, ultimately saving himself and earning great reputation. This is the true heroic spirit! "To know death is to be brave; not to die is difficult, but to face death is even more difficult." Man, those words really hit home!
