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King Hui of Liang said to Mencius, “In the world there was not a stronger state than mine, as you, venerable sir, know, but during my reign, we have been defeated by the State of Qi on the east with my eldest son’s life sacrificed there; on the west we have lost seven hundred…
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In 311 BCE, during the eighth year of King Xiang of Wei’s reign, also known as King Ai of Wei, the state of Wei launched a full-scale invasion of the small kingdom of Wey. Wei’s forces swiftly captured two cities, and the Wey capital of Zhaoge trembled on the brink of collapse. King Si…
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In 307 BCE, the state of Zhao found itself in a precarious position. To the north lay Yan and the fierce Donghu tribes; to the east roamed the Linhu and Loufan nomads; to the west stood the powerful states of Qin and Han; and right in the heart of Zhao’s territory sat the stubborn…
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After the collapse of Su Qin’s Vertical Alliance (Hezong), a new threat emerged to Qin’s ambition: the alliance between Qi and Chu, the two most powerful eastern states. United, they could block Qin’s path to unification.
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In 338 BCE, Duke Xiao of Qin fell gravely ill and died. His son ascended the throne as King Huiwen of Qin.
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During the Warring States period, after Shang Yang’s sweeping reforms, Qin transformed from a marginal western state into the most powerful military and administrative machine in China. Its centralized governance, merit-based army, and booming economy made it a looming threat to the six eastern states – Han, Zhao, Wei, Qi, Chu, and Yan.
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After the prolonged hegemonic wars of the Spring and Autumn period, the number of vassal states within the Zhou dynasty had significantly decreased. The Zhou royal court, though nominally the supreme ruler of the realm, had become a mere shell of its former self. The vassal states were constantly at war with one another.
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Duke Wen of Jin was angered by Zheng’s “fence-sitting” diplomatic tendencies during the power struggle between Jin and Chu. Zheng had ostensibly submitted to Jin while secretly maintaining ties with Chu, a stance that deeply frustrated the Jin ruler.
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Feudal throne succession is a critical period of power transition. However, as it involves the transfer of supreme authority, it often triggers internal conflicts or even national instability. The root causes of such disasters typically lie in the tests of human nature under the allure of power, flaws in institutional design, or interference from…