equalized1; he standardized weights, scales, and measures of quantity and length. After the orders had been in force for four years, Prince Ch'ien 2 again infringed the law, and his nose was sliced off as punishment. After five years the people of Ch'in were rich and strong, and the Son of Heaven sent a present of sacrificial meat to Duke Hsiao, and all the feudal lords congratulated him.3 In the following year, Ch'i beat the army of Wei at Ma-ling and captured their

in rendering the phrase by "il le remplaça par un réseau de canaux d'irrigation, le long desquels s'alignaient les propriétés ".

1 The reforms made new taxes necessary. According to the Annals (Chavannes, op. cit., p. 64), these were levied for the first time in 348. For a discussion of these taxes, see p. 46.

2 Cf. above, p. 16. This must have been in 346.

3 This was in 342; the five years seem to be counted from the last event onwards. In order to understand this sentence, one should remember that, in the meantime, the prestige of Ch'in's neighbour, Wei, who had threatened for a time to become very strong, had been seriously damaged, and that Ch'in had, in 349, even sent its troops through Wei's territory for a campaign against Ch'i. The Ch'in Annals say that in 343 the Son of Heaven had conferred on Duke Hsiao the title of leader, 1. The sending of the sacrificial meat, which came from the sacrifices to Wen-wang and Wu-wang, was the solemn confirmation of this dignity. In 342, Duke Hsiao called the feudal lords to a meeting at Feng-chih (in the present Hsiang-fu. hsien, in K'ai-feng-fu, in Honan), and was there recognized by them in this position. The Bamboo Annals place this meeting in 345. According to the Annals of the Chou (Chavannes, op. cit., i, p. 304), Ch'in had assembled the princes at the capital of Chou in 344. This meeting at Feng-chih evidently made Wei Yang first known to the other states, for we find in the Annals of Ch'i (Chavannes, op. cit., v, p. 255), in immediate connection with the conferring of the leadership on Duke Hsiao, the notice that the latter, in 342, took Yang, Lord of Shang, into his service. The title it here used prematurely, as he did not receive it until 340.

4 Han, which had been Wei's ally, broke the alliance after the meeting at Feng-chih, probably realizing that Wei's friendship was of little value.. When Wei, thereupon, sent troops to reduce it to allegiance, Ch'i came to

crown prince, Shen,1 and killed their general, P'ang Chüan.2 In the following year, Wei Yang counselled Duke Hsiao as follows: "The relations between Ch'in and Wei are like a man with a disease in his stomach and heart.3 If Wei does not annex Ch'in, Ch'in will annex Wei. For what is the situation? Wei occupies the country west of the mountain passes and has its capital in An-i 4; it has the Yellow River as frontier in common with Ch'in, but it alone usurps all the advantages of the country east of the mountains. If it is successful, then it will come westward to invade Ch'in, but if it suffers reverses, it will still keep its territory in the east. Now considering, on the one hand, the ability and wisdom of Your Highness, and the prosperous state of the country, and on the other hand, the fact that Wei, in the past year, has suffered severe defeats from Ch'i, and that all the feudal lords have defected from it, we should avail ourselves of this time to attack Wei. If Wei is unable to withstand Ch'in, it will certainly move its capital eastward, and if it does so, Ch'in will be able to rely on the natural strength of the river and mountains, so that in an easterly direction, we shall

Han's rescue and Wei suffered a severe defeat at Ma-ling, identified with a place south-east of Yuan-ch'engin Ta-ming-fu, Chihli, or with a place north-east of Chüan-ch'eng, east of Pu-chou, in Shantung. For these events, cf. Chavannes, op. cit., v, pp. 155 et seq.

3 i.e. these relations are vital. Cf. the same expression in Han Fei

tzŭ, ch. 1, par. 2, p. 17.

4 Cf. p. 17, note 2.

66

be able to control the feudal lords.1 This is an undertaking worthy of an ancient emperor or king!" Duke Hsiao consented and sent Wei Yang, at the head of an army, to attack Wei, while Wei sent Prince Ang2 at the head of its army to engage him in battle. When the armies were opposite each other, Wei Yang sent a letter to the general of Wei, Prince Ang, saying: Originally, I had friendly relations with you, and now we are the generals of two different countries; it is unbearable that we should fight each other, and so I suggest that we have a personal interview, make an alliance with music and drinking, and desist from war, so that Ch'in and Wei may have peace." Prince Ang agreed to the proposal; they met and made an alliance, and when all was over, sat drinking, when suddenly armed soldiers, hidden by Wei Yang, sprang forward and captured Prince Ang. Following up this advantage, they attacked his army and completely destroyed it and then returned to Ch'in.3

1 Here the policy, which Ch'in followed, is clearly outlined. Wei stretched right across the mountainous region from east to west. If Ch'in could succeed in occupying the Yellow River, which here runs from north to south, and the mountain passes, it would be safe against attacks from the east and would have its points d'appui for invasions of the eastern states. The intelligent anticipation of the later course of events, in this speech, might lead one to suppose that it was written after Ch'in's success. On the other hand, there is nothing impossible in the supposition that a clearsighted statesman would have consciously guided Ch'in's policy along these lines.

3 The Annals of Wei (Chavannes, op. cit., v, p. 157) state that Wei was attacked by Ch'in, Chao, and Ch'i together, and mention the ambush laid for Prince Ang. Another version of this incident is given in Lü-shih-ch'un-ch'iu, ch. 22, pp. 4, 5. "Kung-sun Yang was not a near blood-relation of the prince of Ch'in, nor was he an old friend, but he was employed because of his capacities. Desiring to make

King Hui of Wei, his army having been repeatedly beaten by Ch'i and Ch'in, being depleted of resources within the state and daily becoming weaker, was afraid, and sent a messenger to cut off the territory, west of the river, and to cede it to Ch'in, so as to make peace. Wei thereupon left An-i and removed its capital to Ta-liang.1 King Hui of Liang (= Wei) said: "I regret that I did not follow the advice of Kung-shu Tso." 2

himself a success, by some way or other, he found he could do so only by an aggressive policy. Thereupon, he became the general of Ch'in and attacked Wei. Wei dispatched Prince Ang, as general, to meet him. Now Kungsun Yang, when he lived in Wei, had naturally been friendly with the prince, so he sent a messenger to Prince Ang, saying: 'It has been for your sake that I have travelled abroad and have tried to obtain a position of honour. Now Ch'in has made me its general and Wei has ordered you to meet me, but how could we bear to fight against each other! Tell your master this and I shall also speak to my lord, and let us both make an armistice.' Hereupon, when they were on the point of withdrawing the armies, he sent another messenger to the prince, saying: 'If we now withdraw, it is not certain when we shall again meet. I should wish to sit once more with you, in order to take leave.' The prince consented to this, and although the officers of Wei disputed his decision and advised him not to go, he paid no heed, and subsequently sat with Kung-sun Yang. But the latter had set soldiers, chariots, and horsemen in ambush for the purpose, and took the prince prisoner."

The Bamboo Annals, particularly important for the history of Wei, say that in the 9th month of the 27th year of King Hsien (341), Wei Yang of Ch'in attacked "our" (i.e. Wei's) western frontier, and that, in the 10th month, the King engaged in battle with Wei Yang, but our army was beaten and fled.

"

1 Cf. p. 17, note 2. This was a complete success for Ch'in. The new capital of Wei, Ta-liang (the modern K'ai-feng-fu, in Honan), removed the centre of Wei's power far towards the east. The Bamboo Annals place this transfer of capital as early as 365; this may have been a temporary removal, which became definite in 340.

a Cf. p. 9.

When Wei Yang had defeated Wei, on his return to Ch'in, he was awarded fifteen cities in Shang,1 as fief, and was called the Lord of Shang. When Lord Shang had been Chancellor of Ch'in for ten years, the majority of the members of the princely family and of the nobility bore him a grudge. Chao Liang 2 went to see Lord Shang, who said: "I have had the privilege of having been introduced to you by Meng Lankao. May I now ask to have your intercourse? " 4

Chao Liang replied: "I dare not hope for this. K'ung Ch'iu has said: 'Where able men are promoted, a virtuous ruler comes to the front, but where men of no merit are assembled, a king of the whole empire will pass into the background.' 5 I am a man of no merit and, therefore, I dare not receive your commands. I have heard it said that to occupy a position for which one is not qualified, is called 'being covetous of position', and to have a reputation, to

1 The modern Shang-chou in Shensi. The Ch'in Annals add that Yang was appointed lich-hou, feudal lord. The Ch'u Annals (Chavannes, op. cit., iv, p. 384) say that Yang received Yü (or Wu) A and Shang in fief. Yü was east of modern Nei-hsiang-hsien. in Nan-yang-fu, Honan, adjoining the territory of Shang. See also below where Yü is mentioned by Chao Liang. The Bamboo Annals, for the same year, say that Ch'in conferred on Wei Yang a fief in Wu, of which the name was altered to Shang f. Wu is the territory now comprised by Yen-shih-hsien and Yung-ning-hsien, which is a little to the north-east of the region mentioned above. This slight divergence in detail gives this testimony great independent value.

, not known elsewhere. This interview is a famous piece of literature, often reproduced in anthologies.

3 An unknown individual.

4 i.e." give you a position ".

5 This dictum of Confucius is not otherwise known.

L