When the state of Qi invaded and defeated Yan, King Xuan asked Mencius:
“Some advise me not to annex Yan; others urge me to take it. We, a great state of ten thousand chariots, conquered another great state in just fifty days – surely this is Heaven’s will! If I refuse to take it, won’t I invite divine punishment? What should I do?”
Mencius replied:
“If the people of Yan rejoice at your rule, then take it – this is what King Wu of Zhou did. If they do not rejoice, then do not take it – this is what King Wen of Zhou did.
When a mighty army invades, and the local people come out with baskets of rice and flasks of wine to welcome your troops, is it because they love you? No – they are fleeing water and fire! But if under your rule the water grows deeper and the fire hotter, they will simply turn elsewhere.”
齊人伐燕，勝之。宣王問曰：「或謂寡人勿取，或謂寡人取之。以萬乘之國伐萬乘之國，五旬而舉之，人力不至於此。不取，必有天殃。取之，何如？」
孟子對曰：「取之而燕民悅，則取之。古之人有行之者，武王是也。取之而燕民不悅，則勿取。古之人有行之者，文王是也。以萬乘之國伐萬乘之國，簞食壺漿，以迎王師。豈有他哉？避水火也。如水益深，如火益熱，亦運而已矣。」
Note
This passage from Mencius: King Hui of Liang II (circa 314 BCE) captures the essence of Confucian political ethics: the legitimacy of power rests not on military might or claims of destiny, but on the consent and well-being of the governed.
Historical records confirm that Qi’s occupation soon turned oppressive, sparking a popular uprising that expelled its forces – precisely as Mencius warned. His insight endures: conquest without justice is never sustainable. More details about this war between Qi and Yan as follows.
Qi Conquest of Yan
In 316 BCE, King Kuai of Yan abdicated in favor of his chancellor Zi Zhi and initiated sweeping reforms. In 314 BCE, Crown Prince Ping and General Shi Bei launched a rebellion against Zi Zhi’s rule, but the uprising was crushed – both the prince and the general were killed.
Amid this internal chaos, Qi seized the opportunity and launched a full-scale invasion of Yan in 314 BCE. King Xuan of Qi dispatched General Kuang Zhang, who conquered Yan in just thirty days, capturing its capital (near present-day Beijing). King Kuai was killed, and Zi Zhi fled but was later captured by Qi forces and executed by being minced into meat paste. Qi occupied Yan for two years, effectively extinguishing the state.
Yan Conquest of Qi
However, Qi’s troops behaved with extreme brutality – plundering, burning, raping, and killing – sparking widespread resistance among the Yan populace, who rose up to expel the occupiers. Meanwhile, other major states – Zhao, Wei, Han, Chu, and Qin – all opposed Qi’s annexation of Yan. Qin attacked Qi along their shared border; Song’s ruler, King Kang, switched sides mid-campaign; and Qi suffered a major defeat. Zhao massed troops on the Qi-Zhao frontier, threatening war if Qi did not withdraw. Under mounting pressure, Qi pulled out of Yan in 312 BCE.
King Wuling of Zhao then escorted Yan’s exiled prince, Zhi (who had been residing in Han), back to Yan, where he ascended the throne as King Zhao of Yan. Never forgetting Qi’s destruction of his homeland, King Zhao spent decades preparing for revenge. In the Battle of Quan (c. 295 BCE), Yan launched an ill-prepared attack on Qi and suffered a catastrophic defeat, losing 100,000 soldiers.
Years later, in 284 BCE, the spy Su Qin (working for Yan) successfully sowed discord within Qi, prompting King Min of Qi to recklessly expand by conquering the state of Song. This alarmed the other powers, leading to the formation of a five-state coalition – Yan, Qin, Zhao, Wei, and Han – against Qi. Yan appointed Yue Yi, a general from Wei, as commander-in-chief. In the decisive Battle of Jixi, Qi’s commander Chu Zi fled, and Qi’s army collapsed. The coalition forces captured Linzi, Qi’s capital, and nearly annihilated the state (284–279 BCE) – an event known as the Yan Conquest of Qi.
Leave a Reply