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Chapter 326: The Strategist Guiguzi
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, hundreds of schools of thought contended with each other.

The school of diplomacy was the product of this ideological dispute, and Guiguzi was its representative.

The influence of the diplomats at that time was very huge. They once had such an influence that if they were angry, the princes would be afraid, and if they were at peace, the whole world would be at peace.

The activities of the diplomats were enough to affect the unity of the world and the survival of the country, so they left a deep impression on people at that time.

Guiguzi never served any country in his life and never participated in politics.

But because of his teaching, his disciples devoted themselves to the politics of various countries during the Warring States Period and served them.

His disciples almost made up the wonderful history of the Warring States Period. They became generals and ministers, able to call the wind and rain, and became famous throughout the ages.

They used the Taoist knowledge, military strategies, and rhetoric skills taught by Guiguzi to stir up trouble in various vassal states and influence the political situation during the turbulent Warring States period.

The book "Guiguzi" written by Guiguzi has been regarded as a rare and wonderful book since ancient times. It is a philosophy that emerged in troubled times.

As a masterpiece that culminates ancient China's diplomatic experience and skills, Guiguzi has extremely high academic value, and its ideas have profoundly influenced later generations.

"He is well versed in history and can predict the future, making him as famous as Confucius and Laozi."

"His disciples are famous throughout the world and he can be called the greatest genius of all time."

"Guiguzi, also known as Chan, Wang Chan, and Taoist name Guiguzi, was a native of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period."

"He is the founder of the School of Diplomacy and is known as the Sage of Strategy by later generations."

"It is said that he lived in seclusion in Guigu, Yunmeng Mountain, so he called himself Mr. Guigu."

"He was endowed with wisdom from heaven, so he knows everything about the past and present and can predict the future."

"Gui Guzi never entered the secular world, but lived in seclusion in the mountains and forests, writing books and theories."

"But he has many disciples. Rumor has it that he has five hundred disciples."

"Among Guiguzi's 500 disciples, the most well-known are undoubtedly Su Qin, Zhang Yi, Pang Juan and Sun Bin, who are known as the Four Friends of Guiguzi."

"From this we can see that Guiguzi can be regarded as the chief behind-the-scenes planner of the Warring States Period, influencing the world situation."

"He never left the mountain in his life, but he was able to shake up the Warring States period. All this was thanks to his disciples."

"They hung the seals of the six kingdoms, destroyed the alliance, forced the powerful Qin to move its capital, and destroyed the Wei Kingdom's Wuzu."

"Later generations even said that when he was angry, the princes were afraid, and when he was at peace, the whole world was at peace."

"As long as the disciples of Guigu come out, the situation in the Central Plains will be shaken."

"The four most famous disciples of Guiguzi, the Four Friends of Guiguzi."

"Sun Bin and Pang Juan, brothers who love and hate each other, are both Guiguzi's most promising disciples."

"Under Pang Juan's correct command, the Wei army defeated the coalition forces of the three countries, making Wei the only country in the Warring States Period that defeated Zhao, Qi and Qin at the same time. Sun Bin made Qi the overlord of the Warring States Period."

"They were obviously from the same school, but they took completely different paths."

Liu Che: As the founder of the school of diplomacy, Guiguzi's historical status can still be compared with that of Confucius and Laozi.

Guiguzi's main ideas are reflected in the book "Guiguzi", and his works can be called a masterpiece.

Because of this, it has been listed as a banned book in successive dynasties.

The school of diplomacy founded by Guiguzi can be regarded as the most dazzling school in the Warring States Period.

In the Records of the Grand Historian, there are biographies of various pre-Qin philosophers, among which the largest proportion is that of the diplomats.

The term "diplomats" refers to a unique group of strategists who can be called the earliest and most special diplomatic politicians in Chinese history.

Later generations used the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period as the names of two eras of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the former because of the Spring and Autumn Annals, and the latter because of the book Strategies of the Warring States.

The "Strategies of the Warring States" highlights the thoughts of the strategists and reflects their outlook on life.

Later generations also spoke highly of the School of Diplomacy, which shows its influence.

Looking at the entire history of the Warring States Period, we can find that the stage and market for the strategists were very large, and generally, those who stirred up the situation came from this school.

From this we can see that Guiguzi, the founder of the school of diplomacy, is not called the sage of strategy in vain.

The central idea of ​​the school of diplomacy, headed by Guiguzi, is how to achieve the intended goals through strategies, verbal tactics, and debate skills.

To put it simply, it is about how to persuade others to achieve your needs.

The diplomat starts from the actual political needs of a country and then shuttles between the major forces.

To confuse opponents by achieving political needs, or to reap benefits for one's own country, this is the embodiment of strategy by the School of Diplomacy.

The strategies of the diplomats were the product of the specific international situation during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. They rose and fell quickly.

After Emperor Gaozu established the unified Han Empire, the wisdom and strategies of the diplomats were no longer of much use.

"During the Warring States Period, King Hui of Wei needed to recruit talented people from all over the world to fight."

"So Pang Juan left Guiguzi before he finished his studies and left the mountain early to pursue his ambitions."

"When he first entered the State of Wei, Pang Juan was known for his military prowess and for being a disciple of Guiguzi."

“With great fame and reputation, he was soon entrusted with important tasks.”

"Then, when faced with letters of attack from the three kingdoms of Zhao, Han, and Qin, they sang with great enthusiasm."

"We fought back the coalition forces of the three kingdoms step by step, and finally forced the three kingdoms to sign an alliance treaty with Wei at the same time."

"Pang Juan was promoted to general and commanded the troops of the whole country."

"However, Pang Juan did not get carried away because he knew that his fellow apprentice Sun Bin was the opponent who made him tremble with fear."

"After learning that Sun Bin had come down the mountain, Pang Juan sent someone to invite Sun Bin to the State of Wei to work together, but in fact, it was to monitor Sun Bin's every move."

"After Sun Bin arrived in Wei, he gradually gained the respect of the King of Wei."

"In order to protect his position, Pang Juan decided to strike first."

"Syndicated charges were fabricated to slander Sun Bin, which resulted in Sun Bin's legs being chopped off and his face being tattooed and disfigured."

"Pang Juan, not satisfied, even forced Sun Bin to eat pig manure to test whether he was pretending to be crazy."

"The reason why Pang Juan didn't just kill Sun Bin was that he wanted Sun Bin to become a living useless person and watch him become successful and famous."

"The second reason was to obtain the Art of War. The tortured Sun Bin was able to flee to Qi with the secret help of the Qi envoy."

"Logically speaking, Sun Bin and Pang Juan were from the same school, but why did Pang Juan insist on harming Sun Bin?"

"Sun Bin is a descendant of the famous military strategist Sun Wu, the author of The Art of War. His family background is higher than Pang Juan's."

"The Art of War was the best military book in the world at that time. Before Pang Juan went down the mountain, he begged his master to teach him the Art of War, but his master taught it to Sun Bin instead."

"Because of his humble origins and his master's partiality, Pang Juan, who was filled with resentment, vented his anger on Sun Bin."

"However, would Guiguzi, who is known as a saint, really be partial? Wasn't it that Pang Juan was jealous of Sun Bin's talent and wisdom?"

"Legend has it that Guiguzi once gave his master and his apprentice a question, asking who could help him get out of the house."

"Guiguzi remained unmoved by Pang Juan's threats, flooding, and fire attacks."

"And Sun Bin, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up. I can't make the teacher leave, but I can make the teacher come in."

"Guiguzi subconsciously stood outside the house, wanting to see what Sun Bin would do."

"At this time, Sun Bin smiled and said, 'Teacher, you are already standing outside.'"

"It can be seen that Sun Bin was always able to break the routine, look at problems from a different angle, and thus find solutions to the problems."

"When Guiguzi asked this question, he firmly set up a solid line of defense in his mind."

"They will definitely try their best to get me out. As long as I don't go out, I win."

"However, he never expected that Sun Bin changed the question to how to get the teacher in."

"This moment broke the inherent thinking, and the problem was solved."

"Although Sun Bin and Pang Juan were from the same school, their backgrounds, status, vision, intelligence, and thinking patterns were vastly different."

"Pang Juan is a narrow-minded person, which also doomed the two of them to love and hate each other."

Ying Zheng: Guiguzi warned Pang Juan that one would prosper if he met a sheep but would die if he met a horse. I didn’t expect that his advice would come true in the end.

The most beautiful and happiest times in the world are undoubtedly those spent in school, and the friendships made at that time are also the most genuine.

Pang Juan and Sun Bin were both disciples of Guiguzi, and it was at this time that the two formed a deep friendship.

Pang Juan had great ambitions and wanted to achieve something great in his career.

After studying for three years, I wanted to leave Guiguzi.

Seeing that Pang Juan's heart had already flown to the court and the battlefield, the teacher made no effort to keep him.

As a teacher, he was also worried about his students, so he asked Pang Juan to go to the valley to pick a flower and tell fortunes for him.

Pang Juan came to the valley and picked a small flower, but he felt that this small flower could not reflect his magnanimity, so he put it in his sleeve and went back to tell his teacher that there were no flowers in the valley.

When Guiguzi saw Pang Juan coming back, he told his disciples that people should not lie to others, because those who lie will eventually be deceived by others.

So Pang Juan took out the wild flowers from his sleeve, and Guiguzi also performed divination for his disciple.

When this grass has twelve flowers in bloom, it means twelve years of prosperity and wealth in the future. But now the sun is shining brightly, and many flowers have withered. Next to the word "ghost" is the word "wei", so the place where you will make your fortune must be the State of Wei.

Pang Juan was secretly delighted and said that when he became successful in the future he would definitely bring his teacher to live with him.

Guiguzi was a teacher after all, and he was afraid that his student would end up going astray.

Let Pang Juan remember this saying: "If you meet a sheep, you will be honored, but if you meet a horse, you will die", and he will not be in danger of his life in the future.

After Pang Juan arrived in Wei, when he was seeking an audience with King Hui of Wei, he happened to see someone sending roasted lamb to the King of Wei, and he was overjoyed.

Taking this roasted lamb as an example, he explained his strategy to the King of Wei and how to lead troops to conquer other countries and maintain the hegemony of Wei.

The King of Wei was delighted and appointed Pang Juan as general.

After becoming rich, Pang Juan invited his junior fellow apprentice Sun Bin to come and enjoy the good life with him.

Unexpectedly, this time, Pang Juan's lies deceived Sun Bin and indirectly caused the tragedy of his own later life.

After Sun Bin came to Wei State, he thought he would be able to show his talents together with his senior brother.

Unexpectedly, Pang Juan, out of jealousy, dug out his junior brother's patella, making Sun Bin a disabled person.

Sun Bin pretended to be crazy and finally escaped to the State of Qi.

In an era of strife for hegemony, the wise men of the enemy country are a danger to one's own country.

However, although Qi was a big country in the East, its military strength was no match for Wei. Even with a military strategist like Sun Bin, it did not dare to act rashly.

However, in this world, the righteous will have many supporters, while the unrighteous will have few. The State of Wei has been in the position of hegemony for a long time, and it can't stand anyone disobeying it the most.

When Zhao attacked Wei's ally Wei, Pang Juan led his troops to attack Zhao.

After receiving Zhao's letter for help, Qi ordered Sun Bin and Tian Ji to lead troops to rescue.

Sun Bin used the strategy of besieging Wei to save Zhao, forcing Pang Juan to return his troops to rescue the Wei capital Daliang.

As a result, on the way back to pursue the enemy, they suffered a strong attack from the Qi army on the Guiling Mountain Road, suffering heavy casualties.

After resting for a few years, the State of Wei gradually recovered its vitality.

Thus, a new round of war to maintain hegemony began, and this time it was South Korea that was hurt.

After receiving the letter for help, the king and his ministers of Qi, who had ambitions for hegemony, once again sent Sun Bin and Tian Ji to fight.

This time they still used the strategy of besieging Wei to save Zhao. Pang Juan could not withstand the urging of the King of Wei and urgently returned to rescue.

This time, the cautious Pang Juan fell into Sun Bin's strategy of reducing the number of cooking fires and was ambushed by the Qi army on the Maling Mountain Road.

On a tree trunk blocking the road, it was written that Pang Juan died under this tree.

Pang Juan looked at the Wei soldiers falling beside him and felt so ashamed that he drew his sword and committed suicide.

This really fulfilled Guiguzi's prophecy that one will prosper when meeting a sheep and die when meeting a horse. On the other hand, it also verified Guiguzi's prediction that those who deceive others will eventually be deceived by others.

The wars for hegemony during the Warring States Period can be said to be a stage for various military strategists and politicians to shine.

Some people succeed immediately, while others end up in disgrace.

Pang Juan's success stemmed from his arrogance and talent, and his failure stemmed from his jealousy and deception.

Guiguzi's words tell the world that if you want to succeed, you must act in an honest and upright way.

You may achieve temporary success through deception and cleverness, but you will still fail in the long run.

"It is said that after Sun Bin was rescued, he became Tian Ji's retainer."

"In a horse race held by King Wei of Qi, Sun Bin simply switched the order of the top-quality horses and the bottom-quality horses, and Tian Ji easily won the king's bet of a thousand gold coins."

"After that, Sun Bin was appreciated by King Wei of Qi, and his road to revenge also began."

"In 354 BC, Zhao attacked Wei and was attacked by Wei."

"Pang Juan personally led an army of 80,000 to besiege Handan, the capital of Zhao. Zhao was defeated and asked Qi for help."

"Sun Bin believed that Wei had been attacking Zhao for a long time, and its main forces were consumed abroad, leaving its domestic defense empty, which gave rise to the tactic of besieging Wei to save Zhao."

"Seeing the base camp on fire, Pang Juan had to stop the attack and return to defend and rescue, and the siege of Handan was solved."

"This was also the first official battle between the two. Sun Bin became famous because of this, and Pang Juan became a prisoner."

"It was not until three years later, when Wei and Zhao formed an alliance, that Pang Juan was released back to Wei by Qi."

"However, it was the Battle of Maling that truly demonstrated Sun Bin's peak military prowess."

"In 342 BC, Han, which had suffered five defeats, asked Qi for help, just like the scene in the Battle of Guiling."

"So Sun Bin decided to use the strategy of besieging Wei to save Zhao again, and added the strategy of reducing the number of stoves to lure the enemy deeper into the territory."

"The deceived Wei army pursued all the way and eventually fell into Sun Bin's encirclement and was caught in a trap."

"After this battle, the State of Wei declined rapidly and gradually lost its power to dominate the Seven Kingdoms. Sun Bin also succeeded in making the State of Qi the dominant power at that time."

"After this battle, Tian Ji was framed and exiled, and Sun Bin also resigned from his post and retired, and wrote "Sun Bin's Art of War."

"Unlike The Art of War by Sun Tzu, The Art of War by Sun Bin focuses more on actual combat tactics and skills rather than just military theory."

"It emphasizes the importance of espionage and intelligence gathering, covers all aspects from organizational establishment to weapons and equipment, and highlights the flexibility of tactics that can be adapted to local conditions and the enemy."

"This work had a profound influence on the military thinking of later generations for more than 2,000 years, and Sun Bin was therefore successfully ranked among the four great military sages."

Zhuge Liang: As the saying goes, it is never too late for a gentleman to take revenge. Sun Bin finally succeeded in his revenge.

How could Sun Bin let Pang Juan go when he disregarded their fellow disciples' feelings and used such cruel means?

After fleeing to Qi State, Sun Bin quietly began his revenge plan.

Coincidentally, among all the countries at that time, the strongest was Wei.

The State of Qi was often attacked by the State of Wei, and suffered more defeats than victories.

Therefore, Wei State can be said to be Qi State's number one enemy.

At the same time, while suppressing Qin, Wei continued to attack Han and Zhao in an attempt to unify the Three Jins and restore Jin's former strength.

Therefore, weakening Wei and preventing it from unifying the Three Jins became the most important thing for Qi at present.

The arrival of Sun Bin was a great help to the State of Qi.

Sun Bin met the King of Qi on the recommendation of Qi general Tian Ji. After a conversation, King Wei of Qi admired Sun Bin's talent very much and planned to use him.

Gaining the trust and reliance of the King of Qi was a good start for Sun Bin's road to revenge.

During the war between Wei and Qi, Sun Bin determined that Pang Juan was arrogant.

Moreover, Qi had been defeated by Wei many times, so it was concluded that Pang Juan would definitely underestimate the Qi army.

So, Sun Bin came up with the idea of ​​reducing the number of stoves to confuse the enemy, and Tian Ji also agreed with Sun Bin's strategy.

The Wei army led by Pang Juan entered Wei after the Qi army, and then quietly followed behind the Qi army.

It was discovered that the Qi army had 100,000 stoves on the first day, but this number dropped to 50,000 on the second day, and only 30,000 on the third day.

After learning about this, Pang Juan guessed that the Qi army must have been scared, and the soldiers actually fled after entering Wei. Pang Juan thought this was an opportunity, so he decided to lead a small number of elite troops to quickly pursue them and head straight to Maling.

However, they never expected that the terrain in the Maling area was dangerous and the roads were narrow, and Sun Bin had already sent people to set up an ambush there.

Seeing that the opportunity for revenge was coming, Sun Bin was very excited and sent someone to carve the words "Pang Juan died under this tree" on a big tree.

As it got dark, Pang Juan led his troops to the place and saw words that seemed to be carved on the tree.

Just as I walked over with the torch in hand and saw the sentence clearly.

The Qi soldiers in ambush raised their bows and arrows and fired thousands of arrows at once.

Pang Juan looked back in horror and saw that everyone around him had been shot dead.

Pang Juan knew he had fallen into a trap and knew he was powerless to change the situation. He shouted unwillingly, "You have become a coward," and then drew his sword and committed suicide.

In the Battle of Maling, Sun Bin finally got his revenge.

It was impossible for Sun Bin not to hate Pang Juan, his former classmate who plotted to harm him.

So, Sun Bin used his own method to retaliate against Pang Juan, knowing that Pang Juan was very conceited and narrow-minded.

When he found out that he had been tricked by Sun Bin and was defeated miserably, such humiliation would be more painful to him than if he had been killed directly.

Sun Bin’s guess was also very accurate. After Pang Juan fell into the trap, his self-confidence was completely destroyed and he eventually chose to commit suicide.

"Zhang Yi, a strategist, was from Wei during the Warring States Period."

"If there is a ranking of the most influential figures in the Warring States Period, Zhang Yi will definitely be at the top."

"He manipulated the nations with his eloquence."

"When he is angry, the princes are afraid; when he is at peace, the whole world is quiet."

"For more than 2,000 years, Su Qin and Zhang Yi have been described as rivals in the struggle for vertical and horizontal alliances during the Warring States Period."

"Su Qin promoted the policy of vertical and horizontal alliance, while Zhang Yi insisted on the policy of horizontal and vertical alliance."

"But the unearthed letters of the Warring States strategists show that Zhang Yi was much older than Su Qin."

"When Zhang Yi was the prime minister of Qin, Su Qin had not yet made his mark."

"In fact, Zhang Yi's real opponent is Gongsun Yan."

"At this time, the world was divided and annexed among various vassal states."

"Zhang Yi first returned to his hometown of Wei to look for opportunities, but he ran into obstacles everywhere."

"After that, he came to the State of Chu, but was again accused of stealing the jade disk and was flogged for nothing."

"In 333 BC, Zhang Yi heard that the Qin State valued foreign officials."

"So he rushed to Qin State to look for opportunities, but he didn't expect that this trip would open up his life."

"According to historical records, Zhang Yi received help from Lord Dong Zhou during his visit to Qin."

"In front of King Huiwen of Qin, his eloquence was fully utilized, and he was later appointed as prime minister by King Huiwen of Qin."

"When it comes to alliances, it's like the black and white pieces in Go."

"The so-called coalition is to unite the weak to attack the strong, that is, many weak countries unite to resist a strong country to prevent being swallowed up by the strong country."

"The so-called Lianheng means using one strong country to attack many weak countries, that is, a strong country unites some weak countries to attack other weak countries, and the goal of annexing land is also achieved."

"At this time, Gongsun Yan's coalition has already gathered some small countries."

"Zhang Yi then proposed the strategy of Lianheng, which was to win over weak countries in order to attack other weak countries."

"Then King Huiwen of Qin sent Zhang Yi to lobby the various vassal states."

"Because he was born in Wei and was familiar with the national conditions, Zhang Yi simply decided to make Wei the first stop of the "Heng Lian" strategy."

"Zhang Yi can be said to have coaxed and deceived the King of Wei into becoming mentally weak, and he finally agreed to become a vassal state of Qin."

"In 313 BC, the State of Qin was preparing to attack the State of Qi, so it sent Zhang Yi as an envoy to the State of Chu."

"King Huai of Chu was incompetent and unjust, so Zhang Yi took the opportunity to persuade him."

"If Your Majesty can sever ties with Qi, the King of Qin is willing to offer six hundred li of land."

"When King Huai of Chu really broke off diplomatic relations with Qi, Zhang Yi refused to pay the debt and argued that the land was only six miles. This move successfully attracted King Huai of Chu's 100,000 troops."

"However, what King Huai of Chu did not expect was that Qin had already formed an alliance with Qi."

"Then, King Huai of Chu took the opportunity to propose that he would hand over the Qinzhong region in exchange for Zhang Yi's surrender."

"For the development of Qin, Zhang Yi expressed his willingness to go deep into the tiger's den."

"But not long after, Zhang Yi successfully lobbied the King of Chu by bribing his favorite ministers and concubines."

"So, Zhang Yi, who was on his second tour in Chu, returned to Qin."

"After completing his mission in Chu, Zhang Yi went on to persuade Han, Qi, Zhao, Yan and other countries to form an alliance with Qin, successfully uniting all the countries and breaking up the Hezong alliance."

"At this point, the Six Nations Alliance was divided, and the strategy of uniting the nations completely failed."

"But unexpectedly, before Zhang Yi returned to Xianyang City, King Huiwen of Qin died and King Wu of Qin succeeded to the throne."

"King Wu of Qin did not like Zhang Yi, and the ministers in the court criticized him for being untrustworthy. In order to protect himself, Zhang Yi had no choice but to leave Qin."

"In 309 BC, Zhang Yi, a great strategist, died in the State of Wei."

"Everyone says that Zhang Yi is cunning."

"Because when he was lobbying the princes, he would do anything to achieve his goals."

"But third-rate counselors are alert and skillful in argument, second-rate counselors seek benefits and avoid harm, and first-rate counselors control people's hearts."

"Zhang Yi may seem like a third-rate counselor, but everything he does is first-rate."

"Zhang Yi served as prime minister of Qin for eleven years, saving Qin from many unnecessary losses in wars."

"It pushed the national strength of Qin to become stronger again since Shang Yang's reform."

"Although Zhang Yi did whatever it took to achieve his goal, he also made great contributions to the later unification of the Qin State."

Li Si: Zhang Yi deceived the State of Chu yet dared to go to Chu alone. There are not many people in the world who dare to go there knowing that they will die.

Zhang Yi deceived all the countries other than Qin, especially Chu and Wei.

For the State of Qin, Zhang Yi was undoubtedly a great contributor.

During the reign of King Huiwen of Qin, Zhang Yi was appointed prime minister. His policy of "Heng Lian" (united the states together) greatly defeated the policy of "Zong Zong" (united the states together) of the six eastern states.

This caused the other two powerful countries of the Warring States Period, Chu and Qi, to fight each other, and Qin benefited from it.

Then, the State of Qin pretended to be on friendly terms with the State of Qi, and on the surface expressed its willingness to divide the world equally, but secretly destroyed the other five countries one by one.

By the time Qi reacted, Qin's troops had already approached the city from all directions.

Qin's diplomatic strategy was undoubtedly the most successful at that time, and Zhang Yi made an indelible contribution to it.

However, Zhang Yi, who had made such great contributions to the State of Qin, was ostracized by his successor, King Wu of Qin, after the death of King Huiwen of Qin.

In order to please the King of Qin, Zhang Yi did not hesitate to use all extraordinary means.

He traveled around lobbying among nations, sowing discord and acting double-dealing.

Although it brought many benefits to the State of Qin, Zhang Yi's actions ruined his reputation and even the people of Qin felt ashamed of Zhang Yi.

It was precisely because of Zhang Yi's bad reputation that King Wu of Qin disliked him.

King Wu of Qin, Ying Dang, disliked Zhang Yi when he was still the crown prince.

At that time, Zhang Yi was extremely popular and was a big shot around King Huiwen of Qin.

King Wu of Qin, Ying Dang, was a man who was particularly fond of martial arts. Whether he was a crown prince or the king of Qin, he always admired the use of force.

King Wu of Qin spoke with his fists, while Zhang Yi relied entirely on his mouth.

Zhang Yi's style is completely opposite to that of King Wu of Qin. No wonder King Wu of Qin disliked Zhang Yi.

Not long after King Wu of Qin took office, he launched many wars against the surrounding areas and even reached the capital of the Zhou emperor.

In the past, King Zhuang of Chu once challenged the Central Plains, and King Wu of Qin simply lifted the tripod to weigh it.

It’s just a pity that this reckless man eventually died because of his own recklessness.

"Su Qin was an outstanding diplomat in the middle and late Warring States period. He proposed the strategic idea of ​​the six countries uniting to resist Qin."

"He persuaded the rulers of the six states with his own strength, and successfully formed a coalition alliance with the seals of the six states, which prevented the powerful Qin State from leaving Hangu Pass for 15 years."

"But even the most successful people will have their downfalls, just like Su Qin and Zhang Yi in the past."

“The first stop after going down the mountain is to go back to one’s home country and prepare to make great plans.”

"However, King Xuan of Zhou looked down on Su Qin's origin and background and did not trust him."

"Then I went to Qin State, but was turned away as well."

"The Qin State had just executed Shang Yang at that time, and was very hostile to foreign lobbyists."

"King Huiwen of Qin rejected Su Qin and said to him."

"A bird's wings are not yet full, and it is not strong enough to flap its wings and soar into the sky. A country's politics and religion are not yet on the right track, and it is impossible for it to annex the world."

"Su Qin finally went to Zhao State, but this time he was not even given an interview opportunity."

"Compared with several other fellow apprentices, Su Qin's job search was extremely bumpy."

"He was ridiculed by his neighbors when he got home, but Su Qin did not give up."

"He continued to study hard and read a lot of books."

"Later, Su Qin learned a lot and came out again."

"This time Su Qin chose to go north to the State of Yan and explained to Duke Wen of Yan the difficulties the State of Yan was in."

"With his knowledge, Su Qin finally won the appreciation of Duke Wen of Yan this time."

"Then he proposed that Yan and Zhao should form a coalition alliance and become one."

"Then contact other countries to fight against Qin together. Yan Wenhou really agreed."

"After that, Su Qin had the status and capital to lobby other countries, and the process was very smooth."

"Superb language skills, a wave of sugar-coated bullets and a statement of pros and cons."

"All the vassal states recognized Su Qin's idea of ​​uniting the states to resist Qin, and Su Qin thus began his glorious moment as the prime minister of the six states."

"The Records of the Grand Historian even records that for several years afterwards, because of the existence of the Six Nations Alliance, the Qin State never dared to go east through Hangu Pass."

"Su Qin's great achievements not only included promoting the coalition, but also helped Yan State to recapture ten cities by himself."

"Later, in order to gain real power in Yan State, Su Qin secretly had an affair with the mother of King Yi of Yan, but was discovered by King Yi of Yan."

"Faced with this situation, Su Qin proposed that he could go to Qi to be an official, serve as a spy for Yan, and secretly help Yan."

"So Su Qin pretended to offend the King of Yan and fled to Qi. As soon as Su Qin arrived in Qi, he was given an important position."

"Because the king of Qi favored Su Qin too much, the ministers of Qi became jealous of him."

"So he sent assassins to kill Su Qin, who was seriously injured and was on the verge of death."

"The King of Qi sent people to catch the assassin, but he was never found."

"When Su Qin was breathing his last, he said that if the king wanted to avenge me, he should cut me into pieces and announce to the public that I was an undercover agent of the State of Yan. Then the assassin would come to claim the credit and the reward, and my revenge would be achieved."

"Sure enough, the assassin was caught after Su Qin was torn to pieces by a chariot."

"But before long, Su Qin's identity as a spy was gradually discovered by the State of Qi."

Li Shimin: Su Qin was born into a common family, but he was able to accomplish the great cause of uniting the six kingdoms, which shows that his talent and wisdom surpassed that of ordinary people.

The customs of the people in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty regarded engaging in industry and commerce, making profits, and managing industries as their main duties.

Su Qin was an outlier, he had unique ambitions.

Despite his family's opposition, he went to Qi State to study when he was young and became a disciple of Guiguzi.

After years of traveling, he achieved nothing and ran out of money, so he had no choice but to return home in disgrace.

But when he returned home, he was ridiculed and treated coldly by his family.

I'm afraid that by then Su Qin's family had already given up on him, and no one was willing to comfort him, or even reprimand him.

I think he is hopeless and deserves to be in this situation.

Although Su Qin was very ashamed of falling into such a predicament, he still insisted on his own ideas.

So he stayed indoors, hung his head on the beam and pierced his thigh with a needle, studying hard.

After a year, I thought I had figured it all out and continued to do what my family members called a waste of time.

Su Qin used his eloquent speech to successfully raise funds from others and persuaded several people to follow him.

He began to travel around the countries and lobby the kings and princes.

He first lobbied the State of Qin and proposed to King Huiwen the plan to annex the world, but was rejected by King Huiwen.

He tried to lobby the State of Zhao again, but still ended in failure.

But Su Qin was not discouraged and went to Yan State again.

After listening to Su Qin's strategy of uniting the states, Duke Wen of Yan was very impressed and funded him to lobby the State of Zhao.

Next, everything went smoothly and the era of Su Qin had arrived.

Su Qin single-handedly completed the alliance of the six countries, and Su Qin also served as prime minister of the six countries.

At that time, Su Qin was at the peak of his career, with power over the world and extreme wealth and honor.

During the Warring States Period, due to the implementation of Su Qin's strategy of vertical and horizontal alliances, the Qin army did not dare to go east through Hangu Pass for 15 years.

When he returned home in glory and was awarded the seals of six countries, his family's attitude towards him changed 180 degrees.

Later, the Qin State used a strategy of sowing discord to destroy the coalition.

The alliance of the six countries was dissolved and everyone blamed Su Qin.

Su Qin was so busy running around that he was later discovered having an affair with the mother of King Yi of Yan, so he went to Qi to act as a traitor and help Yan.

After his death, his activities as a traitor in the State of Qi were exposed and he was despised by people all over the world. His glorious reputation was ruined in an instant.

Su Qin became famous for persuading the six countries to unite, and the success of the alliance brought temporary stability to the world.

Looking at Su Qin's life, his idea of ​​uniting the states was not intended to bring peace to the world.

In fact, he is also acting in his own interests, seeking fame and fortune.

If he succeeded in persuading King Huiwen of Qin and enabled Qin to annex the six states, Su Qin would have achieved his goal.

Su Qin was essentially the same as those people in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty who were engaged in industry and commerce and pursued profits.

It's just that his desires are greater, he wants more, and he has bigger dreams.

His journey to pursue his dream was difficult, but he persevered.

His success is the result of his hard work, he deserves it and is admirable.

At that time, there were many people who were engaged in the art of diplomacy, but he was the only one who succeeded, which shows that he was indeed outstanding.

Su Qin once said that if his family had not been extremely poor and did not even have two hectares of arable land, how could he be the prime minister of six countries today?

He might have really thought so at the time, but given his character and ambitions, he would never be content with having enough food and clothing on two hectares of land.

He endured the blows from his family, persisted in his beliefs, became more courageous after each setback, never gave up, and finally achieved success.

Whether in ancient times or modern times, it is a model of personal struggle.

Although his mind is not as broad as those saints who are dedicated to benefiting the world, he is still worthy of praise among the mediocre people.

(End of this chapter)