What means greed and obstinacy? In ancient times, Yao, Lord Zhi, led Zhao, Han and Wei to conquer and destroy the Fan and Zhonghang clans. After returning from victory, he rested his troops for several years, then sent men to demand land from Han.
Kang Zi of Han intended to refuse. His advisor Duan Gui remonstrated: “We cannot refuse. Lord Zhi is greedy, arrogant and stubborn. If denied land, he will certainly attack Han. Grant him the land. Once accustomed to gaining easily, he will demand land from other states. If others resist, Lord Zhi will attack them. Thus Han may avoid disaster and wait for changes.” Kang Zi agreed and offered a county of ten thousand households. Lord Zhi rejoiced.
Lord Zhi then sent envoys to demand land from Wei. Xuan Zi of Wei intended to refuse. His advisor Zhao Jia remonstrated: “Han has yielded land. If Wei refuses, we provoke Lord Zhi. He will attack us for sure. Better give it.” Xuan Zi consented and also offered a ten‑thousand‑household county.
Lord Zhi next demanded the lands of Cai and Gaolang from Zhao. Xiang Zi of Zhao refused. Lord Zhi secretly plotted with Han and Wei to attack Zhao.
Xiang Zi summoned Zhang Mengtan and said: “Lord Zhi feigns friendship yet harbors enmity. He has contacted Han and Wei repeatedly while I refuse his demand. He will surely attack me. Where should I defend?”
Zhang Mengtan replied: “Dong Eyu, a talented minister of Jian Zi, governed Jinyang. Yin Duo continued his policies; his legacy remains. Settle in Jinyang.” Xiang Zi agreed. He sent Yan Lingsheng (Yanling Sheng or Scholar Yanling) with cavalry to Jinyang first, then followed himself.
On arriving, Xiang Zi inspected city walls and treasuries. Walls were unrepaired, granaries empty, treasuries penniless, armories short of weapons, and defenses insufficient. Frightened, he consulted Zhang Mengtan.
Zhang Mengtan said: “Wise rulers store wealth among people, not in treasuries; they emphasize education rather than city walls. Issue an order: each household keeps three‑year provisions, surplus grain to granaries; keeps three‑year supplies, surplus money to treasuries; idle laborers repair fortifications.”
By the next day, reserves were full. In five days, defenses were complete.
Xiang Zi worried about lacking arrows. Zhang Mengtan said: “When Dong Eyu ruled Jinyang, palace walls were built of tough reeds and thorns ten feet high, harder than bamboo for arrow‑shafts.” Arrows were sufficient. Next, copper was lacking. Zhang Mengtan said: “Palace halls used refined copper for pillar bases.” Copper weapons were then abundant.
The allied armies of the three states arrived, besieging Jinyang. After three months of failed assaults, they surrounded the city long‑term and diverted the Jin River to flood it. After three years of siege, residents lived in tree‑like hollows and hung cauldrons to cook. Supplies nearly ran out, and officials grew weak and sick. Xiang Zi planned to surrender.
Zhang Mengtan dissuaded him and secretly left to persuade the lords of Han and Wei: “When the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold. Once Zhao falls, Han and Wei will be next.”
The two lords agreed but feared Lord Zhi’s cruelty if the plot leaked. Zhang Mengtan guaranteed secrecy, and they agreed to rebel together.
Zhi Guo, advisor to Lord Zhi, noticed the lords’ unusual demeanor and warned twice: either kill them immediately or reward their advisors Duan Gui and Zhao Jia with ten‑thousand‑household counties to secure their loyalty.
Lord Zhi, greedy for dividing Zhao’s territory three ways, refused to give extra land. Seeing his advice ignored, Zhi Guo changed his clan name to Fu and separated himself from the Zhi clan.
On the agreed night, Zhao soldiers killed the dike‑guards and reversed the flood to submerge Lord Zhi’s army. Panicked by flooding, Lord Zhi’s troops fell into disorder. Han and Wei attacked from both flanks, while Xiang Zi led Zhao troops in a frontal assault. Lord Zhi was captured and killed, his state split into three parts, mocked by the whole world.
Hence it is said: greed and obstinate love of profit are the root of state ruin and personal death.
Note
This epic historical case delivers a key Legalist lesson: uncontrolled greed for territory and profit, paired with obstinate refusal of wise counsel, leads to total political collapse; strategic patience and alliance‑building can defeat arrogant powers.
Representative Legalist thinker of the late Warring‑States Period. This story is from The Ten Faults (Shi Guo), illustrating the fifth fatal ruler’s mistake: greed and obstinacy for profit.
Lord Zhi (Yao)
Powerful warlord of the Spring‑and‑Autumn / Warring‑States transition, destroyed by his own greed and arrogance in the famous “Three Clans Destroy Lord Zhi” event (453 BCE).
Xiang Zi of Zhao
Ruler of Zhao, strategic survivor who defeated Lord Zhi with the help of his minister Zhang Mengtan.
Zhang Mengtan
Brilliant political strategist of Zhao who united Han and Wei against Lord Zhi.
Duan Gui, Zhao Jia
Advisors of Han and Wei who pushed their lords to yield land temporarily.
Zhi Guo
Foresighted minister of Lord Zhi who fled after his warnings were ignored.
When Lips Are Gone, Teeth Grow Cold (Chún Wáng Chǐ Hán)
World‑famous Chinese idiom originating in this story, meaning neighboring powers share a common fate and must cooperate for survival.
A landmark historical event marking the end of the Spring‑and‑Autumn Period and start of the Warring‑States Period, triggered by Lord Zhi’s downfall.
Wealth Stored among the People
Legalist governance principle: national strength relies on popular reserves rather than state treasuries.
Greed‑Obstinacy as a Fatal Vice
Han Fei uses Lord Zhi’s rise and fall to prove that unbridled greed combined with stubborn disregard of advice leads to total collapse.
奚謂貪愎？昔者智伯瑤率趙、韓、魏而伐范、中行，滅之，反歸，休兵數年，因令人請地於韓，韓康子欲勿與。段規諫曰：「不可不與也。夫知伯之為人也，好利而驁愎。彼來請地而弗與，則移兵於韓必矣。君其與之。與之彼狃，又將請地他國，他國且有不聽，不聽，則知伯必加之兵。如是韓可以免於患而待其事之變。」康子曰：「諾。」因令使者致萬家之縣一於知伯，知伯說。又令人請地於魏，宣子欲勿與，趙葭諫曰：「彼請地於韓，韓與之，今請地於魏，魏弗與，則是魏內自強，而外怒知伯也。如弗予，其措兵於魏必矣。」宣子「諾」。因令人致萬家之縣一於知伯。知伯又令人之趙請蔡、皋狼之地，趙襄子弗與，知伯因陰約韓、魏將以伐趙。襄子召張孟談而告之曰：「夫知伯之為人也，陽規而陰疏，三使韓、魏而寡人不與焉，其措兵於寡人必矣，今吾安居而可？」張孟談曰：「夫董閼于，簡主之才臣也，其治晉陽，而尹鐸循之，其餘教猶存，君其定居晉陽而已矣。」君曰：「諾。」乃召延陵生，令將軍車騎先至晉陽，君因從之。君至，而行其城郭及五官之藏，城郭不治，倉無積粟，府無儲錢，庫無甲兵，邑無守具，襄子懼，乃召張孟談曰：「寡人行城郭及五官之藏，皆不備具，吾將何以應敵？」張孟談曰：「臣聞聖人之治，藏於臣不藏於府庫，務修其教不治城郭。君其出令，令民自遺三年之食，有餘粟者入之倉，遺三年之用，有餘錢者入之府，遺，有奇人者使治城郭之繕。」君夕出令，明日，倉不容粟，府無積錢，庫不受甲兵，居五日而城郭已治，守備已具。君召張孟談而問之曰：「吾城郭已治，守備已具，錢粟已足，甲兵有餘，吾奈無箭何？」張孟談曰：「臣聞董子之治晉陽也，公宮之垣皆以荻蒿楛楚牆之，有楛高至於丈，君發而用之。」於是發而試之，其堅則雖菌輅之勁弗能過也。君曰：「吾箭已足矣，奈無金何？」張孟談曰：「臣聞董子之治晉陽也，公宮令舍之堂，皆以鍊銅為柱、質，君發而用之。」於是發而用之，有餘金矣。號令已定，守備已具，三國之兵果至，至則乘晉陽之城，遂戰，三月弗能拔。因舒軍而圍之，決晉陽之水以灌之，圍晉陽三年。城中巢居而處，懸釜而炊，財食將盡，士大夫羸病。襄子謂張孟談曰：「糧食匱，財力盡，士大夫羸病，吾恐不能守矣，欲以城下，何國之可下？」張孟談曰：「臣聞之，亡弗能存，危弗能安，則無為貴智矣，君失此計者。臣請試潛行而出，見韓、魏之君。」張孟談見韓、魏之君曰：「臣聞脣亡齒寒。今知伯率二君而伐趙，趙將亡矣。趙亡，則二君為之次。」二君曰：「我知其然也。雖然，知伯之為人也麤中而少親，我謀而覺，則其禍必至矣，為之奈何？」張孟談曰：「謀出二君之口而入臣之耳，人莫之知也。」二君因與張孟談約三軍之反，與之期日。夜遣孟談入晉陽以報二君之反於襄子，襄子迎孟談而再拜之，且恐且喜。二君以約遣張孟談，因朝知伯而出，遇智過於轅門之外，智過怪其色，因入見知伯曰：「二君貌將有變。」君曰：「何如？」曰：「其行矜而意高，非他時之節也，君不如先之。」君曰：「吾與二主約謹矣，破趙而三分其地，寡人所以親之，必不侵欺。兵之著於晉陽三年，今旦暮將拔之而嚮其利，何乃將有他心，必不然，子釋勿憂，勿出於口。」明旦，二主又朝而出，復見智過於轅門，智過入見曰：「君以臣之言告二主乎？」君曰：「何以知之？」曰：「今日二主朝而出，見臣而其色動，而視屬臣，此必有變，君不如殺之。」君曰：「子置勿復言。」智過曰：「不可，必殺之。若不能殺，遂親之。」君曰：「親之奈何？」智過曰：「魏宣子之謀臣曰趙葭，韓康子之謀臣曰段規，此皆能移其君之計，君與其二君約，破趙國因封二子者各萬家之縣一，如是則二主之心可以無變矣。知伯曰：「破趙而三分其地，又封二子者各萬家之縣一，則吾所得者少，不可。」智過見其言之不聽也，出，因更其族為輔氏。至於期日之夜，趙氏殺其守隄之吏而決其水灌知伯軍，知伯軍救水而亂，韓、魏翼而擊之，襄子將卒犯其前，大敗知伯之軍而擒知伯。知伯身死軍破，國分為三，為天下笑。故曰：貪愎好利，則滅國殺身之本也。
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