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For more than thirty years, Han has served Qin. Externally, it acts as Qin’s defensive shield; internally, it serves like a mat and cushion for Qin. Whenever Qin sends elite troops to seize Han’s land, the resentment incurred falls upon the other states, while all merit belongs solely to powerful Qin. Moreover, Han pays…
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The State of Zhao lay in the central plain, a land inhabited by mixed peoples. Its folk were frivolous and hard to command. Its government decrees were ill‑regulated, rewards and punishments lacked credibility, its terrain offered no strategic advantage, and its ruler could not fully mobilize the strength of the people. Zhao already bore…