Xin Lingjun, or Wei Wuji as he was also known, is the son of King Zhao of Wei and the half-brother of King Anli of Wei. After King Zhao died, King Anli ascended to the throne and appointed him as Xin Lingjun. At that time, Fan Sui, that weasel, hightailed it to Qin and became their prime minister, still bitter about Wei Qi. As a result, the Qin army surrounded Daliang, Wei's capital, and wiped out their Huayang forces, taking Mangmao too. The King of Wei and Xin Lingjun were freaking out.
Xin Lingjun was exceptionally kind and treated everyone with respect, regardless of their background. Therefore, people flocked to him from miles around, and he gathered three thousand followers. With Xin Lingjun's power and following, no other lord dared touch Wei for over a decade.
Once, while playing chess with the King of Wei, word came from the north: the Zhao army was on the move. The King of Wei dropped his chess pieces and wanted to call a meeting. Xin Lingjun stopped him and said, "Zhao's just hunting, not invading." He then continued playing chess. The King of Wei was still worried and had no focus on the game. After a while, more news came from the north, saying, "Zhao's just hunting, not invading." The King was even more stunned. "How'd you know?" he asked. Xin Lingjun replied, "I've got guys who keep tabs on Zhao. Anything he does, I know about it." After that, the King was scared of Xin Lingjun's abilities and kept him out of important decisions.
So the story goes that there was a hermit named Hou Ying in Wei, who was seventy years old and very poor. He worked as a gatekeeper in Liang. When the Wei prince heard about him, he personally went to invite him, wanting to give him a lot of money. However, Hou Ying refused, saying, "I've lived a clean life for decades, and I won't take your money just because I'm a poor gatekeeper."
When Prince Wei heard this, he immediately threw a feast to entertain guests. Once the guests were seated, Prince Wei personally drove the carriage, keeping the seat of honor open, and went to meet Hou Ying at the gate. Hou Ying, dressed in rags, boldly climbed onto Prince Wei's carriage and sat in the upper seat, wanting to see what kind of man Prince Wei really was. Prince Wei held the reins with even more respect. Hou Ying then said to the Prince, "I have a friend at the market, at the butcher's, and I would like you to drive over there." Without another word, he drove into the market, where Hou Ying got off to see his friend Zhu Hai. He stalled, chatting for a long time to see how Prince Wei reacted. Prince Wei's expression became increasingly gentle. At that time, Wei's generals, ministers, family, and guests packed the hall, all waiting for the Prince to raise his cup. The market crowd watched him drive. Prince Wei's entourage were muttering under their breath about Hou Ying. Seeing that Prince Wei's expression remained unchanged, Hou Ying bid farewell to his friend and got back on the carriage. Back at the mansion, the Prince asked Hou Ying to sit in the upper seat and introduced him to all the guests, who were all very surprised. As the party went on, the Prince stood up and personally toasted Hou Ying. Hou Ying took the opportunity to say to the Prince, "Today I have fulfilled my duty to you. I am just a gatekeeper at the gate of Yi, yet you personally drove and welcomed me in front of so many guests, which was unnecessary. But I did this to test you, standing by your carriage for a long time at the market, observing you while visiting my friend, and you became more and more respectful. The people at the market may think I am a petty person, but they all think you are an elder who can show respect to the worthy." And so, the banquet ended, and Hou Ying became Prince Wei's honored guest.
Hou Ying said to the Prince, "That butcher I visited, Zhu Hai, is a real talent, but nobody knows it, which had Prince Wei scratching his head."
In 262 BC, King Zhaoxiang of Qin had already defeated the Zhao Kingdom in the Battle of Changping and surrounded Handan. King Huiwen's sister, Lady Pingyuan, wrote letters to the King of Wei and the Prince of Wei, requesting Wei to send troops to rescue Zhao. The King of Wei then sent General Jin Bi to lead 100,000 troops to rescue Zhao.
The King of Qin sent envoys to tell the King of Wei, "I am attacking Zhao, and I am about to take Handan. If other vassal states dare to come to rescue Zhao, once I take Zhao, I will definitely defeat them first!" The King of Wei was afraid, so he ordered Jin Bi to stop advancing, and the army camped in Ye City, ostensibly to rescue Zhao, but in fact, they were playing it safe, waiting to see which way the wind blew.
The envoys sent by Lord Pingyuan arrived in Wei in a continuous stream, persuading the Prince of Wei, "You married into our family because of your noble character and your willingness to help in times of crisis. Now Handan is about to be captured by Qin, but Wei has not sent troops to rescue. How can you live with yourself knowing you didn't help? Moreover, even if you don't care about our Zhao, and watch Zhao surrender to Qin, don't you feel sorry for your sister?"
The Prince of Wei was anxious, repeatedly requesting the King of Wei, and even inviting guests and debaters, trying various methods to persuade him. But the King of Wei, fearing Qin, refused to send troops. The Prince of Wei knew he couldn't convince the King, and he couldn't let Zhao fall just to save his own skin. So he gathered guests, prepared more than a hundred war chariots, and planned to go to the Qin army camp with the guests to die together with Zhao.
I was heading to Yimen when I ran into Hou Sheng. I told him my whole suicide plan. After bidding farewell, I left, and Hou Sheng said, "Kid, you gotta try harder. This old man's done all he can."
I'd walked a few miles, and something felt off. I thought to myself, "Everyone knows how well I've treated Hou Sheng. Now I'm about to die, and Hou Sheng hasn't even said a word of farewell. Did I do something wrong?" So, I turned around and went back to ask Hou Sheng. Hou Sheng smiled and said, "I knew you would come back." He said, "Everyone knows your reputation for cherishing talent. Now that you're in trouble and have no other way, you want to throw yourself into the Qin army. It's like throwing meat to the wolves. What good would it do? Who's got time for being polite to guests? But you have treated me well. You left, but I didn't send you off, so I guessed you would come back because you were angry."
I gave Hou Sheng another bow and asked him for a plan. Hou Sheng dismissed the people around us, then quietly said to me, "I heard that the military token of Jin Bi has always been kept in the king's bedroom, and Ru Ji is the most favored, often entering and leaving the king's bedroom. She has the ability to steal the military token. I also heard that Ru Ji's father was killed, and for three years, she has been trying to avenge her father, without success. Ru Ji weeps for you. If you send someone to cut off the enemy's head and present it to Ru Ji, she would go to hell and back for you, just feeling helpless. If you ask Ru Ji, she will definitely agree, and you will obtain the military token, rescue Zhao from the north, and resist the Qin army from the west. This would make you one of the Five Hegemons!"
I followed his plan and asked Ru Ji for help. Sure enough, Ru Ji got the token.
So, the young master's gonna lead the troops. Hou Sheng said, "When a general's out leading troops into battle, sometimes you don't have to completely obey orders from above to better serve the country. If you take the token and go, Jin Bi might not give up his command to you; instead, he might grill you about the situation, and then things could get dangerous! I know a butcher named Zhu Hai, a strong guy; you can take him with you. If Jin Bi plays ball, great. If not, Zhu Hai can take care of him." When the young master heard this, he burst into tears. Hou Sheng asked him, "Scared, are ya? What's with the tears?" The young master replied, "Jin Bi's a tough old bird, and I might have to off him. That's why the tears, not 'cause I'm chicken!" So the young master went to invite Zhu Hai. Zhu Hai smiled and said, "I'm just a butcher, but you've looked after me a few times. I've never had a chance to return the favor, and those little things don't count. Now's my chance to repay you!" So Zhu Hai followed the young master. Before he left, the young master thanked Hou Sheng again. Hou Sheng said, "I'd go with you, but I'm too old and frail. Just count the days till you reach Jin Bi's camp. I'll be there to see you off... in my own special way."
The prince set off. When he arrived in Ye City, he forged an order from the King of Wei to replace Jin Bi. Jin Bi took the seal and began to doubt. He looked at the prince and said, "I’m currently commanding a large army stationed at the border. This is a heavy responsibility for the country! You came alone to replace me. What gives?" He didn't want to listen to the prince. At that moment, Zhu Hai pulled out a heavy iron mace from his sleeve and smashed Jin Bi to death. The prince then took over Jin Bi's army. He ordered the army reorganized. Fathers could go home if they had sons in the army. Older brothers could go home if they had younger brothers in the army. Sons without brothers could go home to care for their parents. In this way, he selected eighty thousand troops and then marched to attack the Qin army. Realizing they were outmatched, the Qin army retreated. The prince successfully rescued Handan and saved the Zhao state. The King of Zhao and Lord Pingyuan personally welcomed the prince at the border, with Lord Pingyuan carrying a quiver of arrows and leading the way in front of him. The King of Zhao repeatedly bowed and said, "I've never seen anyone like him, a true hero!" At that moment, Lord Pingyuan dared not compare himself to the prince. The prince bid farewell to Hou Sheng, and when he arrived at the military camp, Hou Sheng indeed did as he said, killing himself, facing north.
King Wei was furious that the Prince had secretly grabbed his army's seal and unauthorizedly offed Jin Bi. The Prince knew he'd screwed up. He'd saved Zhao, kept it safe, and returned the army to Wei, but he stayed put in Zhao with his buddies. King Zhao thanked the Prince for saving Zhao by taking Jin Bi's army and talked with Pingyuan Jun about rewarding him with five cities. The Prince was stoked and acted like he'd pulled off some major feat. A friend told him, "Some things you gotta let go of, some you can't. Never forget what others do for you, but it's best to forget what *you* do for others!" He disobeyed King Wei, stole Jin Bi's army to save Zhao—that's great for Zhao, but you ain't exactly loyal to Wei, are ya? You're still all puffed up about it, and that ain't gonna help you. The Prince started second-guessing himself, feeling like everything he'd done was wrong. King Zhao came out to greet him personally, all proper and stuff, and invited him to sit on the west steps. But the Prince humbly took the east steps instead. He confessed he'd messed up, apologized to Wei, and said he didn't deserve any reward from Zhao. King Zhao drank with him late into the night, never bringing up the five cities because the Prince was so humble. So the Prince stayed in Zhao. King Zhao gave him Hao, and Wei gave him Xinling. He stayed in Zhao.
The young master heard that there were two hermits in the state of Zhao: Mao Gong lived hidden in a gambling house, while Xue Gong resided in a shop selling congee. The young master was eager to meet them, but both avoided him. He discovered their whereabouts and quietly walked to visit them, enjoying their company immensely. When Pingyuan Jun heard about this, he said to his wife, "I used to hear that my wife's brother, this fellow, was unparalleled in the world. Now it seems he’s gone completely bonkers, spending time with gamblers and congee vendors!" The wife informed the young master of this. He bid farewell to her, saying, "I heard that Pingyuan Jun was wise, so I betrayed the King of Wei to save Zhao, hoping to befriend him. However, Pingyuan Jun's social circle consists of grand gestures, but nothing more; he doesn't seek out talent at all. When I was in Daliang, I heard these two were very wise, and upon arriving in Zhao, I worried I wouldn’t get to meet them. I took the initiative to interact with them, fearing they wouldn’t want to! Now Pingyuan Jun is ashamed of this; it seems he’s not worth befriending at all!" So the young master prepared to leave. The wife relayed his words to Pingyuan Jun. Pingyuan Jun immediately took off his hat and apologized, insisting on keeping him. When Pingyuan Jun's followers heard this, half of them left to join the young master, and many learned men from across the land flocked to him. The young master took away most of Pingyuan Jun's followers.
This young master stayed in Zhao for ten years without returning. Qin heard he was in Zhao and sent troops to attack Wei daily. The King of Wei was anxious and sent envoys to ask the young master to return. Worried that the King of Wei would be angry, the young master warned his subordinates, "Anyone who dares to inform the envoy of the King of Wei will be beheaded!" So, his followers all remained loyal to Zhao; no one dared urge him to return.
Only Mao Gong and Xue Gong went to see the prince, saying, "Prince, your high standing and fame among the lords is entirely due to your Wei heritage! Now that Qin is attacking Wei, you cannot turn a blind eye. If Qin takes Daliang and desecrates our ancestors' tombs, how will you ever show your face again?" Before they could finish speaking, the prince's face changed, and he immediately ordered a carriage to return to save Wei.
When the Wei King saw the prince, they embraced and wept, and then handed over the general's seal to the prince, who then led the troops. In the thirtieth year of King Wei Anxi, the prince sent messengers to notify the vassal states. When the vassal states heard that the prince was leading the troops, they all sent generals with troops to help Wei. The prince commanded a five-state alliance, defeated the Qin army west of the Yellow River, and drove away Meng Ao. He pressed his advantage, driving them all the way to Hangu Pass, where he bottled them up. At that time, the prince's reputation shook the world, and lords from across the land offered him their military treatises, all of which he meticulously studied, leading to the later compilation known as *The Prince of Wei's Art of War*.
Fearing the prince's power, the Qin king lavished bribes on Wei officials, having them slander the prince in front of the Wei King, saying, "The prince has been in exile for ten years, and now that he has become the general of Wei, everyone only talks about the Prince of Wei, not the king himself. The prince is trying to take advantage of this opportunity to dominate the south and be crowned king. The vassal states fear his power and are planning to support him!" The king heard these constant accusations and eventually believed them, replacing the prince with another general.
Knowing he was again the target of slander, the prince feigned illness and stayed away from court. Instead, he spent his days and nights in a haze of wine and women. He lived a life of debauchery for four years, ultimately dying from his excessive drinking. That same year, King Anxi also died.
The state of Qin heard that the prince had died, so they sent Meng Ao to attack the state of Wei, capturing twenty cities and establishing the Dongjun commandery. Subsequently, Qin gradually conquered Wei, and eighteen years later captured the King of Wei, destroying Daliang. When Liu Bang was young, he often heard that Lord Xinling was a really good guy. Later, when Liu Bang became emperor, every time he passed through Daliang, he would go to pay homage to Lord Xinling. After reigning as emperor for twelve years, Liu Bang returned from defeating Xiang Yu and had five families assigned to guard the tomb of Lord Xinling, stipulating that their descendants must honor Lord Xinling seasonally. Sima Qian said: I once went to the ruins of Daliang to investigate, specifically looking for the legendary Yi Gate. The Yi Gate was the main gate on the east side of Daliang city. Among all the princes and nobles, there were many who liked to recruit talents, but like Lord Xinling, who could accept mountain hermits without looking down on others based on their status, that wasn't something just anyone could do. Lord Xinling's reputation was well-deserved! Liu Bang kept the tradition going, ordering the people to honor Lord Xinling every time he passed through Daliang, and that tradition, started by Liu Bang, continues to this day.
