Brief: This article details the revenge of Fan Ju, the Chancellor of Qin, against the state of Wei. After surviving torture and betrayal, Fan Ju adopted the alias “Zhang Lu” to rise to power in Qin. When Wei sent the envoy Xu Gu to negotiate peace, Fan Ju orchestrated a dramatic psychological reckoning. He disguised himself as a beggar to test Xu Gu’s conscience, revealing his true identity only after confirming Wei’s weakness. The narrative highlights his strategic mercy: sparing Xu Gu for a single act of kindness while demanding the head of his true enemy, Marquis Rang (Wei Qi). This bloodless victory secured Wei’s surrender and cemented Fan Ju’s legacy as a master of diplomatic warfare during the Warring States period.
The shadow of Qin’s strategy
Following the counsel of his chancellor Zhang Lu – formerly Fan Ju of Wei – King Zhaoxiang of Qin launched a campaign against Han and Wei, executing the doctrine of “Ally with the Distant, Attack the Nearby”.
When news reached King Anxi of Wei, panic spread through the court.
At the emergency council, Lord Xinling, the king’s younger brother and famed general, urged defiance:
“Qin attacks without cause – it is unbearable arrogance! We must defend our walls and strike back fiercely!”
But Chancellor Wei Qi disagreed:
“Qin is strong; Wei is weak. Resistance is futile. Yet their chancellor, Zhang Lu, is a native of Wei. Surely he retains some loyalty to his homeland. Let us send an envoy to appeal to him.”
King Anxi agreed. He dispatched Minister Xu Gu – the very man who had once betrayed Fan Ju – to Xianyang to sue for peace.
A ghost in tattered robes
When Xu Gu arrived in Qin’s capital and checked into the guesthouse, he planned to seek an audience with Chancellor Zhang Lu. But Zhang Lu – now revealed to be Fan Ju – had other plans.
Remembering the torture, the humiliation, the urine-soaked reed mat, Fan Ju felt a surge of bitter joy:
“My time for revenge has come.”
He disguised himself in ragged clothes and visited Xu Gu unannounced. Xu Gu stared in horror:
“Fan…? Are you still alive? I thought Wei Qi killed you!”
Fan Ju spun a tale of near-death and rescue by a merchant, claiming he now lived as a humble servant in Qin. Moved – or perhaps calculating – Xu Gu feigned sympathy. Seeing Fan Ju shiver in the winter cold, he gave him a fine silk robe, saying:
“Uncle Fan, I can’t bear to see you suffer.”
Grateful, Fan Ju accepted the gift. Then Xu Gu made his request:
“I need to meet Chancellor Zhang Lu – but I have no introduction. You’ve been here years. Can you help?”
Fan Ju replied smoothly:
“My master is a friend of the chancellor. I’ve accompanied him to the chancellery before. The chancellor even speaks with me sometimes.”
Relieved, Xu Gu became more respectful and asked to borrow a carriage just to test Fan Ju. Unexpectedly Fan Ju returned shortly – not with a borrowed cart, but driving his own official chariot although he claimed it to be a borrowed one.
The Chancellor Revealed
At the chancellery gate, Fan Ju told Xu Gu to wait while he announced his arrival. Minutes turned to hours. Then came the cry:
“The Chancellor ascends the hall!”
Still no sign of “Fan.” Confused, Xu Gu asked a guard:
“Where’s the man who came with me – Uncle Fan?”
The guard frowned:
“There is no ‘Uncle Fan.’ That was our Chancellor.”
Xu Gu’s blood ran cold. Trembling, he stripped off his ceremonial robes and knelt at the gate:
“Tell the Chancellor: the criminal Xu Gu of Wei kneels outside, awaiting death!”
Brought inside, he crawled on his knees to Fan Ju’s feet, forehead striking the floor again and again:
“I am blind! Punish me as you will!”
Seated in judgment, Fan Ju listed his crimes:
“You accused me of treason. You watched as they broke my ribs, knocked out my teeth. You even urinated on me in that latrine! Should I not repay you in kind?”
Xu Gu sobbed:
“Yes! A thousand times yes!”
But then Fan Ju softened:
“Yet you gave me this robe – a trace of human kindness. For that alone, I spare your life.”
Truth before the King
The next day, Fan Ju reported to King Zhaoxiang of Qin:
“Wei seeks peace without battle – thanks to Your Majesty’s might.”
Pleased, the king praised him. At that moment, Fan Ju prostrated himself and confessed:
“I have deceived you, Your Majesty. My name is not Zhang Lu – I am Fan Ju of Wei.”
He recounted his ordeal – the betrayal, the near-murder, the escape. The king, furious, vowed:
“I’ll execute Xu Gu for you!”
But Fan Ju refused:
“He came on state business. My true enemy is Wei Qi.”
Impressed by his restraint, the king declared:
“Then I shall crush Wei Qi for you. Handle Xu Gu as you see fit.”
The Final Demand
Fan Ju summoned Xu Gu and delivered his terms:
“Return to Wei. Tell your king: Send me Wei Qi’s head, and Qin will accept your surrender. Refuse – and I will lead an army to raze Daliang (Wei’s capital).”
Terrified, Xu Gu raced back to Wei. King Anxi, desperate to avoid war, agreed to cede territory. Wei Qi, cornered and abandoned, chose suicide over capture.
Thus, without a single battle, Qin gained leverage over Wei – not by force alone, but by the vengeful wisdom of a wronged man who rose to shape an empire.
And Fan Ju, once left for dead in a toilet, now stood as Chancellor of Qin, his mercy as strategic as his wrath.
Note
Fan Ju (alias Zhang Lu)
Former victim of torture in Wei, later became Chancellor of Qin. He used wisdom and psychological tactics to take revenge without full-scale war.
Xu Gu
Fan Ju’s former master who falsely accused him of treason. He showed a small kindness (giving a silk robe) and thus saved his own life.
Wei Qi
Prime Minister of Wei who ordered Fan Ju’s brutal beating and humiliation. He was Fan Ju’s real enemy and eventually committed suicide.
King Zhaoxiang of Qin
Powerful ruler of Qin who supported Fan Ju and helped him achieve justice.
King Anxi of Wei
Weak king of Wei who surrendered to Qin to avoid destruction.
Fake Identity Survival
Fan Ju changed his name to Zhang Lu and hid his identity to escape death – a common political survival method in ancient China.
Psychological Warfare in Diplomacy
Fan Ju disguised himself as a beggar to test Xu Gu’s conscience, then revealed his identity as chancellor, creating total psychological shock.
Mercy Within Revenge
A traditional Chinese value: punish the truly evil, but spare those who show even small kindness.
Ally the Distant, Attack the Nearby
Fan Ju’s grand strategy that guided Qin’s conquests.
Revenge served cold
Fan Ju waited years to take just revenge, not blind anger.
A robe saves a life
The small kindness of giving a silk robe became Xu Gu’s lifeline.
From latrine to chancellor
Describes Fan Ju’s legendary rise from near-death to the highest position in Qin.
Victory without war
Fan Ju achieved diplomatic surrender using only wisdom and resolve.
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