Brief: This article recounts the legendary stratagem of Lord Xinling during the Warring States period, who saved the State of Zhao from the tyrannical Qin army. Facing a paralyzed Wei king, Xinling was forced to steal the Tiger Tally (the imperial command token) from his brother’s favorite concubine to seize military control. The narrative details the brutal coup where his henchman Zhu Hai crushed General Jin Bi to take command of the army. By leading the Wei forces to Handan, Xinling achieved a decisive victory, shattering Qin’s momentum. However, the triumph came at a personal cost, forcing him into exile in Zhao to avoid his brother’s wrath.
The siege tightens
When King Zhaoxiang of Qin learned that Wei and Chu were sending troops to relieve Zhao, he personally traveled to Handan to oversee the siege. Fearing no rival, he sent a blunt warning to King Anxi of Wei (King Anli of Wei):
“Handan will fall soon. Anyone who dares rescue Zhao will be crushed first!”
Terrified, King Anxi (King Anli) immediately ordered his general Jin Bi – commanding 100,000 Wei troops stationed at Ye (modern-day Linzhang, Hebei) – to halt all advance.
Hearing this, Lord Chunshen of Chu also stopped his army at Wuguan, unwilling to provoke Qin alone. With both relief forces stalled, General Wang He intensified the assault on Handan.
Desperate, King Xiaocheng of Zhao dispatched secret envoys to Wei, pleading for immediate aid. But King Anxi (King Anli) was paralyzed – afraid to defy Qin, yet ashamed to abandon Zhao. He chose inaction.
A Plea from a Brother-in-Law
Lord Pingyuan, Zhao’s chancellor and brother-in-law to Lord Xinling (younger brother of King Anxi of Wei), sent messengers to Jin Bi, urging him to march. Jin Bi refused:
“I follow the king’s orders. I cannot act on my own.”
So Lord Pingyuan wrote a heartfelt letter to Lord Xinling (Wu Ji, Xinling Jun):
“I have always admired you… Now Handan is burning. My people look to your army in hope – but it stands idle at Ye. My wife – your sister – weeps day and night. Can you not think of her?”
The letter pierced Lord Xinling’s heart like a thousand needles.
The decision to die with honor
Lord Xinling (Xinling Jun) pleaded again and again with his brother, King Anxi – but to no avail. Finally, he declared:
“If Wei will not save Zhao, I shall go myself – and die with them!”
He prepared chariots and gathered over 1,000 loyal retainers to charge into certain death.
On his way out of the capital, he stopped at the East Gate to bid farewell to his revered friend, Hou Ying. But Hou Ying greeted him coldly:
“Go in peace. I am old – I cannot follow you.”
Heartbroken and confused, Lord Xinling drove on – yet kept glancing back. Hou Ying stood unmoved.
A few miles down the road, consumed by sorrow, Lord Xinling turned back.
The master strategist revealed
Hou Ying was still waiting. Smiling, he said:
“I knew you’d return.”
He rebuked Xinling gently:
“You have 3,000 retainers – yet none devised a plan? Charging Qin’s camp is suicide!”
Then came the revelation:
“The king’s favorite consort is Ru Ji. Years ago, you avenged her father’s murder. She owes you her life. Ask her to steal the tiger tally – the imperial command token. With it, you can take Jin Bi’s army and save Zhao.”
Lord Xinling’s eyes lit up as if waking from a dream.
The theft of the Tiger Tally
That night, through a trusted eunuch named Yan En, Lord Xinling reached Ru Ji. Without hesitation, she vowed:
“For you, I would walk through fire.”
As King Anxi slept, Ru Ji stole the right half of the tiger tally – a bronze token shaped like a crouching tiger – and delivered it to Xinling.
But Hou Ying warned:
“What if Jin Bi refuses to yield command – even with the tally?”
He introduced Zhu Hai, a legendary strongman:
“If Jin Bi resists… Zhu Hai will strike him down.”
With a pang of sorrow in his heart, Lord Xinling (Xinling Jun) said mournfully,
“General Jin Bi was loyal and devoted, and he did nothing wrong. It was only right for him to refuse me. How could it not grieve me if I were to kill him?”
Hou Ying replied,
“Is it not worth sacrificing one life to save an entire nation from peril? We must think of the greater good. How can we afford to be sentimental and indecisive?”
Though pained at the thought of killing a loyal general, Xinling accepted.
Blood at the Camp of Ye
At Jin Bi’s camp, Lord Xinling presented the tally. Jin Bi matched it with his half – it fit perfectly. Yet suspicious, he said:
“Let me report to the king before transferring command.”
Before he could finish, Zhu Hai roared:
“You defy royal order – you are a traitor!”
From his sleeve, he drew a 40-jin iron hammer and smashed Jin Bi’s skull.
Seizing control, Lord Xinling addressed the stunned army:
“The king commands me to lead you to save Handan! Obey, and you shall be rewarded!”
He then issued compassionate orders:
- Fathers or eldest sons could return home.
- Only sons could leave to care for parents.
- The sick or weak were dismissed.
About 20% departed. The remaining 80,000 formed a disciplined, motivated force.
The battle that shook Qin
Lord Xinling led the charge himself. Catching Wang He off guard, the Wei army crashed into the Qin lines. Simultaneously, Lord Pingyuan burst from Handan’s gates.
Trapped between two armies, Qin collapsed in chaos – their worst defeat in decades. Half their forces were lost. General Zheng Anping, cut off with 20,00, surrendered, declaring:
“I am a native of Wei – I return to my homeland.”
King Zhaoxiang of Qin fled in disgrace.
Triumph and Exile
King Xiaocheng of Zhao personally thanked Lord Xinling:
“Zhao survives only by your courage!”
He offered five cities as reward. But Xinling Jun demurred:
“I bear great guilt against Wei. To be sheltered here is enough.”
Only after repeated insistence did he accept.
Knowing he could never return to Wei – having stolen the royal tally and killed a general – he left the army under Wei command and remained in Zhao.
Meanwhile, Lord Chunshen of Chu, hearing of Qin’s rout, quietly withdrew his 80,000 troops back to Chu.
Thus, through courage, loyalty, and a stolen symbol of power, one man defied an empire – and saved a nation.
Note
Lord Xinling (Wu Ji)
One of the Four Lords of the Warring States. He was a noble of Wei who risked everything to save Zhao from Qin. He is praised as the most loyal and chivalrous of the Four Lords.
Hou Ying
A wise old strategist who planned the entire tiger‑tally mission and advised Lord Xinling.
Zhu Hai
A powerful warrior who killed General Jin Bi with a hammer to help Lord Xinling seize military command.
Ru Ji
The king’s favorite concubine. She stole the tiger tally to repay Lord Xinling for avenging her father’s death.
General Jin Bi
Commander of the Wei army. He was a loyal, cautious general who refused to yield command without formal confirmation.
King Anxi of Wei (King Anli of Wei)
Lord Xinling’s brother. He was cowardly and afraid of Qin, so he refused to send troops to save Zhao.
King Zhaoxiang of Qin
Powerful ruler of Qin who laid siege to Handan to destroy Zhao.
Tiger Tally (“Hu Fu”)
A bronze military token split into two halves. The king kept one; the general kept the other. Only when the two halves matched perfectly could the army be ordered to move. It was the ultimate symbol of military authority.
Siege of Handan
Qin’s campaign to conquer Zhao’s capital after the Battle of Changping. It was stopped by Lord Xinling’s rescue.
Four Lords of the Warring States
The four most famous nobles known for keeping thousands of talented retainers: Lord Xinling (Wei), Lord Pingyuan (Zhao), Lord Mengchang (Qi), Lord Chunshen (Chu).
Steal the Tiger Tally
A famous idiom meaning: to take bold, illegal action for a just and righteous cause.
Kill one to save many
The moral choice Lord Xinling faced: sacrificing one loyal general to save a whole state.
Chivalry in peril
Lord Xinling became the classic symbol of courage, loyalty, and brotherhood in Chinese culture.
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