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In the state of Qi, there was a man who lived with one wife and one concubine. Every time he went out, he always returned home full of wine and meat. His wife asked him, “Who did you eat and drink with?” He always replied, “All wealthy and noble people.”
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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,…
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Brief: This article explores the intense rivalry between the Vertical Alliance (Hezong) of Su Qin and the Horizontal Alliance (Lianheng) of Zhang Yi during the Warring States period. It details how Su Qin’s coalition of six states threatened Qin, only to be countered by Zhang Yi’s diplomatic stratagems that divided them. The narrative follows…
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Brief: This article chronicles the rise of Su Qin, the architect of the “Vertical Alliance” (Hezong) during the Warring States period. It details his transformation from a penniless outcast—mocked by family and rejected by Qin—into a master strategist through the legendary discipline of “Suspension Beam, Pricking Thigh.” The narrative follows his diplomatic triumph as…
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When Lord Mengchang decided to leave his native land – Qi state – to take office in Qin, hundreds of men tried to dissuade him from going. But he would not listen to them. Then Su Qin, the rhetorician, wanted to reason with him.