100 Historical Stories That Unlock Teenage Wisdom

Chapter 84

Chapter 9 Competing Strategies
One of the most important characteristics of modern society is fierce competition. Whether we win the competition is related to whether we can occupy a place in this society.Social competition is different from the speed competition between lions and antelopes, but the competition of comprehensive strength including intelligence, energy and physical strength, the most fundamental factor of which is intelligence.You can't smell the gunpowder, but you can feel the meaning of the battlefield at any time, and you can't see the sword, light and sword, but you often interpret the outcome of victory or defeat.Competition is a game of life like a battle, which requires us to use the correct strategy.

Chapter 91 King Huai of Chu was deceived and died in Qin State——Don’t be easily softened by opponents
There is no need to point our sharp edge at the opponent like a hedgehog erecting its thorns, but at the same time, we must pay attention not to be softened by the opponent easily!
During the Warring States Period, the Chu State was one of the most powerful states among the nations, with a vast area and a large population, and had the power to unify China.However, most of the kings of the Chu Kingdom in the past were mediocre people. Not only could they not rely on the country's strong strength to make progress, but they often went against the grain, losing their teachers and losing their ground.King Huai of Chu was one of the Yong kings.

The name of King Huai of Chu was Xiong Huai, which was located in the 41st year of King Zhou Xian (328 BC).Zhang Yi, a well-known political strategist at that time, became Prime Minister of Qin in that year.At the beginning of King Huai of Chu's accession to the throne, there was quite a revitalization.He appointed Qu Yuan and others to revise the laws and reform the politics, which made people think for a while.The Chu army went north again to defeat the Wei army, and sent troops to attack Qi.In the third year of King Zhou Shenliang (318 BC), Su Qin asked the six kingdoms of Shandong to join forces to attack Qin, and King Huai of Chu was promoted as the leader of the alliance.However, the mediocre face of King Huai of Chu was soon exposed.Zheng Xiu's pampering in the harem made Yin Zilan jealous, and Qu Yuan was expelled.The politics of Chu State fell into chaos.

In the second year of King Zhou Nan (313 BC), Qin State was about to send troops to attack Qi State.Because of the alliance between Chu State and Qi State, in order to destroy the relationship between Qi and Chu, Qin State sent Zhang Yi to Chu State.After Zhang Yi arrived in Chu, he persuaded King Huai of Chu, saying: "Your Majesty, if you can listen to your ministers' words, retreat and break off relations with Qi State, Qin State will dedicate [-] miles of the land of Shang Yu to Chu State, and let the king marry the daughter of King Qin." As a concubine, in this way, Qin State and Chu State will marry their daughters and wives, and they will become in-laws, and they will grow up as a country of brothers." The greedy King Huai of Chu was very happy after hearing this, and immediately agreed.The ministers also echoed and congratulated King Huai of Chu.Only Chen Zhen expressed sadness.King Huai of Chu was very displeased, and said, "I won't get six hundred miles of land without raising troops to fight, why are you sad?" Qin State and Qi State will unite. At that time, Chu State will be in trouble. The reason why Qin State attaches great importance to Chu State is because of the alliance between Chu State and Qi State. Now that we break off diplomatic relations with Qi, Chu State will be isolated. Qin State will decide You will not give up six hundred miles of land for the isolated Chu State. Zhang Yi will definitely break his promise when he returns to Qin State. In this way, the king will break off diplomatic relations with Qi in the north, and invite the disaster of Qin State in the west. The soldiers of the two countries will come at the same time Attack. For the sake of the king, it is better to secretly form an alliance with the state of Qi, but pretend to be severing it on the surface, and at the same time send someone to follow Zhang Yi to the state of Qin. If you get the land, it will not be too late to sever diplomatic relations with the state of Qi." But King Huai of Chu couldn't listen to it at all, and gave Zhang Yi generously, and also granted him a seal.At the same time, he ordered retreat to break off diplomatic relations with Qi State, and sent a general to follow Zhang Yi to Qin State to prepare to receive the land.

After Zhang Yi returned to Qin State, she pretended to be injured when she fell from the car, and did not go to court for three whole months.When King Huai of Chu heard about it, not only did he not doubt it, but he thought it was because Zhang Yi felt that Chu and Qi had not done enough to break off diplomatic relations, so he sent a warrior named Song Yi to borrow Song's talisman to insult the king of Qi.King Qi was furious, and Zhejie turned to make friends with Qin.Seeing that the goal had been achieved, Zhang Yi went up to the court and said to the envoy of Chu State: "Why don't you take over the land? My own fief Liuli." Send troops to attack Qin.Chen Zhen stopped him, but King Huai of Chu refused to listen. He sent troops to attack Qin, and Qin also sent troops to attack Chu.In the spring of the third year of King Zhou Nan (312 BC), the Qin and Chu armies fought in Danyang. The Chu army was defeated and 80000 soldiers died. Hanzhong County (now southern Shaanxi) was also occupied by the Qin army.Unwilling to fail, King Huai of Chu mobilized all the troops in the country to attack Qin for revenge.This time, the Qin and Chu armies fought in Lantian, and the Chu army was defeated again.When South Korea and Wei heard that the Chu army was defeated, they also took advantage of the fire to loot and sent troops to attack Chu.King Huai of Chu was forced to order the Chu army to withdraw and cede the two cities to Qin for peace.

After the fiasco, King Huai of Chu did not learn his lesson.In the second year, King Hui of Qin sent someone to King Huai of Chu, requesting that Dan, Xi, Shangyu and other places other than Wuguan of Qin State be exchanged for the land in central Guizhou of Chu State.King Huai of Chu replied: "I don't want to change the land, but I would like to get Zhang Yi and dedicate the land in central Guizhou to Qin State." After Zhang Yi heard about it, he voluntarily went to Chu State and bribed King Chu Huai's favorite ministers Jin Shang and Chong with a lot of money. Concubine Zheng Xiu.As a result, King Huai of Chu not only did not punish Zhang Yi, but instead pardoned him and gave him generous gifts.Zhang Yi coaxed and intimidated King Huai of Chu with a three-inch tongue, so that King Huai of Chu agreed to make friends with Qin, and then left.For more than ten years, the state of Chu has only obeyed the orders of the state of Qin.

In the 16th year of King Zhou Nan (299 BC), King Qin Zhao sent someone to send a letter to King Huai of Chu, asking him to meet at Wuguan and form an alliance face to face.King Huai of Chu felt very embarrassed.If you go, you are afraid of being deceived, if you don't, you are afraid of offending Qin.Minister Zhao Sui persuaded King Huai to send troops to defend himself and not to go to the appointment, thinking that Qin was a country of tigers and wolves, and his words were broken.The son Zilan persuaded King Huai to go to the appointment.King Huai of Chu obeyed Zilan's words and set off for Qin.Qin Guo ordered a general to pretend to be the king of Qin and lay an ambush at Wuguan.As soon as King Huai of Chu arrived, the State of Qin closed the city gates, kidnapped King Huai of Chu, and took him to Xianyang, the capital of Qin.After arriving in Xianyang, he forced King Huai of Chu to meet King Qin in Zhangtai Palace like a vassal, and threatened King Huai to cede Wu County and Qianzhong County to Qin State.King Huai of Chu thought that he had been deceived and insulted, so he resolutely refused.The state of Qin detained King Huai of Chu.Seeing that King Huai was detained, the ministers of the Chu State were terrified and had nothing to do. In order to stabilize the country, they welcomed the prince who was a hostage in the Qi State as the King of Chu, the King of Chu Qingxiang, and told the news to the State of Qin.Seeing that the plan of hijacking failed, King Qin Zhao became furious and sent troops out of Wuguan to attack Chu, killing 50000 Chu troops and capturing 16 cities.In the 18th year of King Zhou Nan (297 BC), King Huai of Chu fled from Qin.After Qin found out, he immediately sent troops to block all the roads leading to Chu.King Huai of Chu had no choice but to escape from Xiaolu to the State of Zhao.At that time, King Wuling of Zhao Kingdom was far away in Daidi. When King Huai of Chu came, no one dared to take him in.King Huai of Chu was forced to leave the state of Zhao and planned to flee to the state of Wei, but was caught up by the people of Qin on the way and arrested.In the second year, King Huai of Chu died in shame and anger in Qin.

Wisdom Interpretation:

Chen Zhen said it well, the reason why Qin State attaches great importance to Chu State is because of the alliance between Chu State and Qi State.Break off diplomatic relations with Qi, and Chu will be isolated.Qin State will never give up six hundred miles of land for the isolated Chu State.What Chu State did was losing money.

Therefore, don't be easily "softened" by the opponent. You can hide your thorn, but never pull it out because it can protect itself when needed and give the opponent a powerful counterattack.

(End of this chapter)