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:
Following Chancellor Fan Ju’s doctrine of “Ally with the Distant, Attack the Nearby” (Yuan Jiao Jin Gong), King Zhaoxiang of Qin strengthened ties with Qi and Chu while turning his armies toward neighboring states – starting with Han.