University of Virginia Library

Chapter I

THE FIRST INTERVIEW WITH THE KING OF
CH`IN[1] : A MEMORIAL

Thy servant has heard: "Who knows not but speaks, is not
wise. Who knows but speaks not, is not loyal. Any minister,
if not loyal, must be condemned to death. If what he speaks
be not true, he must be condemned to death, too." However,
thy servant begs to speak all he has heard and entreats Your
Majesty to convict him of whatever crime.

Thy servant has heard, All-under-Heaven[2] are forming
the Perpendicular Union[3] by uniting with Chao[4] in the

centre, Yen in the north, and Wey in the south, confederating
with Ching,[5] securing the good-will of Ch`i, and also
conjoining Han, with a view to facing the west[6]
and thereby
forcibly causing Ch`in difficulties. At such a measure thy
servant is laughing within himself. While there are in the
world three causes of ruin, the allies exemplify all of them.
If they are said to be exemplifying all the causes of ruin, it
is because of their conspiracy against Ch`in! About the
causes of ruin, thy servant has heard the saying, "A misgoverned
country attacking a well-governed country will go
to ruin; a wicked country attacking an upright country will
go to ruin; and a country defying the course of nature,
when it attacks a country following the course of nature,
will go to ruin."

At present, the treasuries and armouries of the allies are
not full; their granaries[7] and storehouses[7] are empty. With
all their gentry and commoners enlisted, there can be massed
troops counting by hundreds of thousands.[9] Among them,
those who would bow their heads,[10] wear feather head-dresses,
assume the office of commanders, with a decisive forethought
to die fighting, number more than[11] one thousand. While
they all avow their determination to die, in case of emergency,
even pulled by naked blades in the front and pushed by axes

and anvils from behind, they would run backward and never
fight to the death. Not that the gentry and commoners cannot
fight to the death, but that their superiors are not capable of
making them do so. For rewards are not bestowed as
promised; nor are punishments inflicted as announced.
Since reward and punishment are of no faith, their gentry
and commoners would never fight to the death.

Now Ch`in issues verbal commands and written orders
and carries out rewards and punishments accordingly, both
men of merit and of no merit are clearly distinguished[12] from
each other. Therefore, though the people have never seen
any bandits since they left their parents' bosoms and lapels,
once the news of hostilities reaches their ears, everywhere are
found men tapping their feet and baring their arms to rush
against sharp blades and step upon the charcoal of burning
furnaces with a decisive forethought to die fighting. Verily
in time of crisis readiness to die and resolution to live are
not the same. Yet the people of Ch`in alone dare all hazards
in the cause of their country, for they respect courageous[13]
death. Indeed, one man resolved to die a courageous death
can overcome ten enemies afraid of death, ten brave men can
overcome one hundred coward enemies, one hundred brave
men can overcome one thousand coward enemies, one
thousand brave men can overcome ten thousand coward
enemies, and ten thousand brave men can subdue All-underHeaven.

In these days, Ch`in has a territory, which, if the wider
places are cut off to fill up the narrower places, extends over
several thousand square li, plus a famous army counting by

tens of thousands. In regard to the rewards and punishments
carried out by her commands and orders as well as the
advantages and disadvantages presented by her topographical
features, no other country in All-under-Heaven can be
compared to her. On coping with the world in the light of
such gains, she can accomplish more than the conquest of
All-under-Heaven and can easily hold them at her feet. Thus,
Ch`in in warfare has never failed to win, in attack has never
failed to take, and whatever has stood in her way she has
never failed to smash, having opened up a vast land stretching
several thousand li. This has been her great achievement.

However, of late, so dull are her weapons and armour
growing, so ill are her gentry and commoners becoming, so
scanty are her savings and hoardings become, so fallow are
her fields and arable lands resting, so empty are her granaries
and storehouses, that her neighbouring feudal lords do not
obey her and the title of Hegemonic Ruler[14] is not as yet
secured. For such there is no other reason than this: Her
State counsellors, all in all, do not exert their spirit of loyalty.

Thy servant dares to speak:—

In times gone by, Ch`i in the south routed Ching, in the
east routed Sung, in the west subdued Ch`in, in the north
routed Yen, and in the centre put Han and Wey to use. Thus,
with vast territory and strong soldiers she won in warfare
and took in attack, thus becoming able to enforce her edicts
and decrees throughout All-under-Heaven. Of Ch`i, the
limpid Chi Stream and the muddy Yellow River sufficed to
make boundaries; the long walls and the large dikes[15]
sufficed to make frontiers. Therefore, in five successive wars
was Ch`i victorious. Later, because of only one war[16] she
failed to win, Ch`i was reduced to impotency. From this
viewpoint it is clear that warfare is always a life-or-death
question to the ruler of ten thousand chariots.[17]

Besides, thy servant[18] has heard the saying: "On
removing traces, leave no root, and be no neighbour to any
catastrophe. There shall then survive no catastrophe." Well,
Ch`in in the war[19] with the Chings routed them by long odds
and made such a surprise attack upon the city of Ying and

the districts of Tung-ting, Wu-tu,[20] and Chiang-nan, that the
ruler and ministers of Ching had a narrow escape and sought
refuge eastward under the protection of Ch`ên. At that
moment, if with her forces Ch`in closely pursued the Chings,
the Ching State could be taken. After the state was taken,
the people would become covetable and the territory fruitful
to Ch`in, so that in the east Ch`in could thereby weaken
Ch`i and Yen and in the centre devastate the Three Chins.[21]
If so, at one stroke she could secure the title of Hegemonic
Ruler and lay all the neighbouring feudal lords under tribute.
Instead, her State counsellors led the troops in retreat and,
what was worse, made peace with the Chings, allowed them
to recover the ruined country, gather the scattered masses,
reinstate the Spirits of Land and Grain on the Altar,[22] and
rebuild their ancestral shrines, and let them lead All-underHeaven
to face the west and cause Ch`in difficulties. This,
no doubt, was the first time the way to Hegemony was
lost.

Another time,[23] when All-under-Heaven formed a wicked
alliance and entrenched their forces at the foot of Mount
Hua,[24] His Majesty[25] by virtue of his own edicts ordered the
army to rout them. The soldiers marched as far as the outer
walls of Liang. The city of Liang, after being besieged for

several tens of days, could be captured. Were Liang captured,
the Wey State might fall. Should Wey be taken, the friendly
contact between Chao and Ching would come to an end. If
the friendly contact between Chao and Ching ceased, Chao
would fall into peril. Should Chao fall into peril, Ching
would become helpless.[26] So that in the east Ch`in could
weaken Ch`i and Yen and in the centre hold down the Three
Chins, at one stroke she could secure the title of Hegemonic
Ruler and lay all her neighbouring feudal lords under tribute.
Instead, her State counsellors led the troops in retreat, and,
what was worse, made peace with the Weys, allowed them to
recover the ruined country, gather the scattered masses,
reinstate the Spirits of Land and Grain on the Altar, and
rebuild their ancestral shrines, and let them lead All-underHeaven
to face the west and cause Ch`in difficulties.[27] This,
no doubt, was the second time the way to Hegemony was
lost.

In the days of old, Marquis Hsiang,[28] while governing
Ch`in, used the soldiers of one country to perform meritorious
services for two.[29] As a result, the soldiers of Ch`in were
life-long exposed afield; gentry and commoners were tired
and ill at home; while His Majesty never secured the title
of Hegemonic Ruler. This, no doubt, was the third time
the way to Hegemony was lost.

The Chao Clan, indeed, holds the central state inhabited
by heterogeneous populations. Their people are frivolous

and hard to rule, their rewards and punishments are of no
faith, their topographical features are not advantageous, and
their superiors[30] are unable to exert the people's best.
Assuredly these are symptoms of a doomed state. Yet, not
concerned about the welfare of the masses, they dared to
mobilize their gentry and commoners, entrenched their forces
in the suburbs of Ch`ang-p`ing, and thereby contested with
Ch`in the districts of Shang-tang in Han.[31] Thereupon His
Majesty by virtue of his own edicts ordered the army to
rout them and captured Wu-an. At that moment, among
the Chaos, high and low were not mutually attached; the
noble and the humble had no faith in each other. Naturally
Han-tan could not hold out long. Should Ch`in take Han-tan,
occupy Shan-tung and Ho-chien, and lead her troops on
the march westward to fall upon Hsiu-wu, cross the Yangch`ang[32]
Ascent and subject[33] Tai[34] and Shang-tang, then without
a single cuirass used and without any gentry or
commoners afflicted the thirty-six[35] counties of Tai plus the
seventeen[36] counties of Shang-tang would all become Ch`in's
possessions. After Tai and Shang-tang had fallen into the
hands of Ch`in without fighting, Tung-yang and Ho-wai
would also without fighting fall into the hands of Ch`i while
the territory to the north of Central Hills and the River
Hu-to into the hands of Yen. In consequence Chao would
give way. Without Chao, Han would fall. Without Han,
neither Ching nor Wey could stand by itself. If Ching and
Wey could not stand alone, then at one effort Ch`in could
break Han, encroach upon Wey, and capture Ching whereby
to weaken Ch`i and Yen in the east, and break up the White
Horse Ford whereby to flood the Wey Clan. As a result,
the Three Chins would fall; the Unionists would fail;
and His Majesty might with clothes dropped and hands
folded[37] wait for All-under-Heaven to give way and easily
secure the title of Hegemonic Ruler. Instead, the state
counsellors led the troops in retreat, and, what was worse,
made peace with the Chaos.[38] Thus, notwithstanding the
intelligence of His Majesty and the strength of the Ch`in
soldiers, the plan for Hegemony was discarded; no inch
of territory but insults by a doomed state was gained;
which was altogether due to the incompetence of the state
counsellors.

Indeed, Chao doomed to ruin did not go to ruin; Ch`in
deserving Hegemony did not attain Hegemony. This was
the first reason why All-under-Heaven came to penetrate
the ability of Ch`in's state counsellors. Again, when Ch`in
marched out all her officers and soldiers to launch a fresh
attack upon Han-tan, her men failed to take that city, threw
away their armour and[39] crossbows, withdrew, and shivered.
This was the second reason why All-under-Heaven came to
penetrate the strength of Ch`in. Meanwhile, they drew out
in retreat and held their breath in the suburbs of Li-hsia,

whereupon His Majesty arrived with newly gathered forces.
They then started new engagements but could not win.
As their supplies stopped coming along,[40] they had to leave
the front line.[41] This was the third reason why[42] All-underHeaven
came to penetrate the strength of Ch`in. Thus, in
the past, they penetrated the ability of Ch`in's State counsellors
at home and wore out her military strength abroad. From this
viewpoint thy servant believes that the Union of All-underHeaven
has practically had no obstacle. Now that, inside
Ch`in, armour and weapons are growing dull, gentry and
commoners are falling ill, savings and hoardings are becoming
scanty, and fields and arable lands are resting fallow,
granaries and storehouses are standing empty; outside Ch`in,
All-under-Heaven are very firmly allied against her, would to
Your Majesty that there be concerns of mind about such
a crisis!

Besides, thy servant has heard the saying: "Be alarmed
and trembling and act more carefully day after day. If thou
act carefully in due manner, thou mayest hold All-underHeaven
under thy sway." How to prove this? Well, in
days of yore, Chow, being the Son of Heaven,[43] commanded
hundreds of thousands of troops of All-under-Heaven, with
the left flank of his army draining the Rivulet Ch`i and the
right flank draining the Rivulet Huan till the water of the
Ch`i was used up and the water of the Huan ran no longer.
Thereby he intended to cause King Wu of Chou difficulties.

Commanding only three thousand troops all clad in white[44]
armour, King Wu in one day's battle broke up the state
of Chow, took him prisoner, occupied his territory, and
subdued his subjects; whereas none in the world ever
grieved over the event. Likewise, Earl Chih[45] once led the
forces of three countries[46] to attack Viscount[47] Hsiang of
Chao at Chin-yang. By cutting down the Chin Stream and
thereby inundating the city for three months,[48] he brought
the city to the verge of downfall. Thereupon Viscount
Hsiang bored a tortoise-shell, counted[49] bamboo slips,
divined by casting lots with them, and found omens on the
shell foretelling the gains and losses, whereby he chose the
country he should surrender to. Meanwhile, he sent out his
envoy named Chang Mêng-t`an,[50] who wormed through the
water and stole out of the city. He turned down the covenant
Earl Chih had made with the other two countries and won
the forces of the latter to his views. With their aid he fell
upon Earl Chih, took him prisoner, and restored to Viscount
Hsiang the original territory.[51]

In these days, Ch`in has a territory, which, if the wider

places are cut off to fill up the narrower places, extends over
several thousand square li, plus a famous army counting by
hundreds of thousands. In regard to the rewards and punishments
carried out by her commands and orders as well as
the advantages and disadvantages presented by her topographical
features, no other country in All-under-Heaven
can be compared to her. On coping with the world in the
light of such gains, she can conquer and hold All-underHeaven
at her feet. Therefore thy servant has in the face of
the death-penalty prayed to have an audience of Your Majesty
and speak of the right way whereby to break up the Perpendicular
Union of All-under-Heaven, to take Chao and ruin
Han, to subject Ching and Wey, to befriend Ch`i and Yen,
in order thereby to secure the title of Hegemonic Ruler
and lay all the neighbouring feudal lords under tribute.
May[52] Your Majesty therefore lend ear to this memorial!
Should at one effort the Perpendicular Union not be broken,
Chao not taken, Han not ruined, Ching and Wey not subjected,
Ch`i and Yen not befriended, the title of Hegemonic
Ruler not secured, and all the neighbouring feudal lords not
laid under tribute, would Your Majesty behead thy servant
as a warning to the whole country on a charge of disloyal
counsel to the sovereign?[53]