Han Ce — the three books of the Strategies of Han

The Strategies of the Warring States (Zhanguo Ce) is Liu Xiang's Han-dynasty compilation, arranged by state, of the persuasions, stratagems, and anecdotes that Warring States wandering counselors used to move the courts of their age. These three books, the Strategies of Han (Han Ce), carry the record of the state of Han: the division of the fallen Zhi clan's lands among Han, Zhao, and Wei, and Duan Gui's counsel to seize the stronghold of Chenggao in the reckoning; the quiet methods of the minister Shen Buhai, who tested his own influence with Marquis Zhao before he ever spoke his own mind; the rival persuasions of Su Qin and Zhang Yi arguing the Vertical Alliance and the Horizontal Alliance before the king of Han in turn; the assassination of the chancellor Han Kui by Nie Zheng at the request of Yan Sui, called Yan Zhongzi, and the public claiming of Nie Zheng's mutilated body by his own sister rather than let his name go unknown; and the debate before the Marquis of Rang at Huayang over whether Qin should rescue Han from a rival army at all.

Each persuasion or anecdote stands under its own heading drawn from the episode it records, and the three books proceed loosely through Han's history from the destruction of the Zhi clan in the early fifth century BCE toward the state's fall to Qin in 230 BCE; the commentary of Bao Biao and Yao Hong travels with the source text below in its own untranslated layer, along with the collation notes set in 〔 〕.

Names of persons and states are given in Hanyu pinyin without tone marks, with the Chinese characters supplied at first appearance; rulers below the rank of king keep their conventional titles such as marquis and lord, and the standing rivalry of the Vertical Alliance (合從) against the Horizontal Alliance (連橫) runs through the persuasions addressed to Han as it does throughout the Strategies.

Translated for the Good Works Library directly from the classical Chinese, which is printed in full below. J. I. Crump's Chan-kuo Ts'e (1970; revised 1996) is the standing complete English translation of the Strategies of the Warring States; it is named here as a control-in-existence but was not consulted, and this translation makes no claim of firstness.

Contents

• Strategies of Han, 1 (韓策一)
  • The Three Jin Had Broken the Zhi Clan (三晉已破智氏)
  • Da Chengwu Comes from Zhao (大成午從趙來)
  • When Wei Besieged Handan (魏之圍邯鄲)
  • Master Shen Asks Office for His Cousin (申子請仕其從兄官)
  • Su Qin, for Chu, Persuades the King of Han to the Vertical Alliance (蘇秦為楚合從說韓王)
  • Zhang Yi, for Qin, Persuades the King of Han to the Horizontal Alliance (張儀為秦連橫說韓王)
  • King Xuan Speaks to Jiu Liu (宣王謂摎留)
  • Zhang Yi Speaks to the King of Qi (張儀謂齊王)
  • Zhao Xian of Chu Is Chancellor of Han (楚昭獻相韓)
  • Qin Attacks Xing (秦攻陘)
  • Five States Covenant and Attack Qin (五國約而攻秦)
  • Zheng Qiang Carries Eight Hundred in Gold into Qin (鄭彊載八百金入秦)
  • Zheng Qiang Drives Zhang Yi Out of Qin (鄭彊之走張儀於秦)
  • The Campaign at Yiyang (宜陽之役)
  • Qin Besieges Yiyang (秦圍宜陽)
  • Gongzhong, Because of Yiyang, Makes an Enemy of Gan Mao (公仲以宜陽之故仇甘茂)
  • Qin and Han Fight at Zhuoze (秦韓戰於濁澤)
  • Yan Shuai Seeks Audience with Gongzhong (顏率見公仲)
  • Gongzhong of Han Speaks to Xiang Shou (韓公仲謂向壽)
  • Someone Says to Gongzhong: He Who Listens Listens to the State (或謂公仲曰聽者聽國)
  • Gongzhong of Han Is Chancellor (韓公仲相)
  • The King Says: A While Ago You Said the World Was Without the Way (王曰向也子曰天下無道)
  • Someone Says to the King of Wei: Put the Four Borders on Guard (或謂魏王王儆彊之內)
  • Guan Yang Speaks to the Lord of Chunshen (觀鞅謂春申)
  • Gongzhong Repeatedly Breaks Faith with the Feudal Lords (公仲數不信於諸侯)
• Strategies of Han, 2 (韓策二)
  • Chu Besieges Yongshi for Five Months (楚圍雍氏五月)
  • Chu Besieges Yongshi; Han Sends Ling Xiang to Borrow Rescue from Qin (楚圍雍氏韓令冷向借救於秦)
  • Gongzhong Arranges an Exchange of Lands for Han and Wei (公仲為韓魏易地)
  • Qi Xuan Instructs the King of Han to Win Qin Over (錡宣之教韓王取秦)
  • The Campaign at Xiangling (襄陵之役)
  • Gongshu Sends Lord Feng to Qin (公叔使馮君於秦)
  • Someone Says to Gongshu: You Wish to Get Wusui from Qin (謂公叔曰公欲得武遂於秦)
  • Someone Says to Gongshu: Riding in a Boat (謂公叔曰乘舟)
  • Qi Sends Zhou Zui as Envoy to Zheng (齊令周最使鄭)
  • Gongshu of Han Contends with Jise for the State: Zheng Qiang Goes as Chu's Envoy to Han (韓公叔與幾瑟爭國鄭強為楚王使於韓)
  • Gongshu of Han Contends with Jise for the State: The Attendant Qiang Speaks to the Heir (韓公叔與幾瑟爭國中庶子強謂太子)
  • Qi Ming Speaks to Gongshu (齊明謂公叔)
  • Gongshu Is About to Kill Jise (公叔將殺幾瑟)
  • Gongshu Was on the Point of Killing Jise (公叔且殺幾瑟)
  • A Man Spoke to the Lord of Xincheng (謂新城君曰)
  • Hu Yan Brought Jise Out of Chu (胡衍之出幾瑟於楚)
  • Jise Fled to Chu (幾瑟亡之楚)
  • Leng Xiang Spoke to Han Jiu (冷向謂韓咎)
  • Chu Sent Jing Li into Han (楚令景鯉入韓)
  • Han Jiu Was Set Up as Ruler but Not Yet Secure (韓咎立為君而未定)
  • Shi Ji Went as Han's Envoy to Chu (史疾為韓使楚)
  • Han Kui Was Chancellor of Han (韓傀相韓)
• Strategies of Han, 3 (韓策三)
  • Someone Spoke to Gongzhong of Han (或謂韓公仲)
  • Someone Spoke to Gongzhong (或謂公仲)
  • The Men of Han Attacked Song (韓人攻宋)
  • Someone Spoke to the King of Han (或謂韓王)
  • A Man Spoke to the King of Zheng (謂鄭王)
  • Han Yang, on Campaign in Sanchuan, Wished to Go Home (韓陽役於三川而欲歸)
  • Qin Is a Great State (秦大國)
  • Zhang Chou Brought Qi and Chu to Terms with Wei (張丑之合齊楚講於魏)
  • Someone Spoke to the Chancellor of Han (或謂韓相國)
  • Gongzhong Sent Han Min to Qin to Ask for Wusui (公仲使韓珉之秦求武隧)
  • The Han Chancellor Gongzhong Min Sent Han Chi to Qin (韓相公仲珉使韓侈之秦)
  • A Guest Minister Spoke to the King of Qin for Han (客卿為韓謂秦王)
  • Han Min Was Chancellor of Qi (韓珉相齊)
  • Someone Spoke to the Lord of Shanyang (或謂山陽君)
  • Zhao and Wei Attacked Huayang (趙魏攻華陽)
  • Qin Drew Chu In and Attacked Qi (秦招楚而伐齊)
  • Han Drove Xiang Jin Out at Zhou (韓氏逐向晉於周)
  • Zhang Deng Made a Proposal to Fei Xie (張登請費緤)
  • The Censor of Anyi Died (安邑之御史死)
  • The King of Wei Made the Covenant of Jiuli (魏王為九里之盟)
  • The Lord of Jianxin Made Light of Han Xi (建信君輕韓熙)
  • Duan Chan Spoke to the Lord of Xincheng (段產謂新城君)
  • Duangan Yueren Spoke to the Lord of Xincheng (段干越人謂新城君)

Translation

Strategies of Han, 1 (韓策一)

The Three Jin Had Broken the Zhi Clan (三晉已破智氏)

The Three Jin had already broken the Zhi clan and were about to divide its lands. Duan Gui (段規) said to the king of Han, "In dividing the land you must take Chenggao." The king of Han said, "Chenggao is a land of bare stone where the water runs off. I have no use for it." Duan Gui said, "Not so. Your servant has heard that a thickness of one li may move the balance of a thousand li — that is the advantage of ground; and that a host of ten thousand may break three armies — that is coming unlooked for. If Your Majesty uses your servant's words, then Han will surely take Zheng." The king said, "Good." And he did take Chenggao. When the time came for Han to take Zheng, it did indeed begin from Chenggao.

Da Chengwu Comes from Zhao (大成午從趙來)

Da Chengwu (大成午) came from Zhao and said to Shen Buhai (申不害) in Han, "If you use Han to make me weighty in Zhao, I ask leave to use Zhao to make you weighty in Han. Then you will have two Hans, and I shall have two Zhaos."

When Wei Besieged Handan (魏之圍邯鄲)

When Wei besieged Handan: Shen Buhai had only lately come into accord with the king of Han, and did not yet know what the king wanted; he feared that if he spoke he might not hit the king's mind. The king asked Master Shen, "With whom should I side, that it may go well?" He replied, "This is the pivot of safety and danger, the great business of the state. Let your servant ponder it deeply and think it out with pains."

Then he said quietly to Zhao Zhuo (趙卓) and Han Chao (韓鼂), "You are both the persuaders of the state. As for one who serves as a subject, how can his words be certain to be used? He exhausts his loyalty, and that is all." The two men each went in and laid a proposal before the king upon the matter. Master Shen quietly watched to see which pleased the king, and then spoke to the king accordingly; and the king was greatly pleased with him.

Master Shen Asks Office for His Cousin (申子請仕其從兄官)

Master Shen asked that his elder cousin be given office. Marquis Zhao (昭侯) would not allow it, and Master Shen wore a look of resentment. Marquis Zhao said, "This is not what I learned from you. Shall I heed your petition and throw away your doctrine? Or shall I carry out your method and throw away your petition? You once taught me to follow merit and service and to look to the order of rank. Now you have a request of your own. Which of the two am I to listen to?" Master Shen thereupon withdrew from his dwelling and begged punishment, saying, "My lord is truly the man for it."

Su Qin, for Chu, Persuades the King of Han to the Vertical Alliance (蘇秦為楚合從說韓王)

Su Qin (蘇秦), acting for Chu in the vertical alliance, persuaded the king of Han:

"To the north Han has the strongholds of Gong, Luo, and Chenggao; to the west the barriers of Yiyang and Changban; to the east Wan, Rang, and the Wei River (洧水); to the south Mount Xing. Its land is a thousand li square, and it has several hundred thousand men in armour. The strong bows and stiff crossbows of the world all come out of Han. The Xizi and the Shaofu, the Shili and the Julai all shoot beyond six hundred paces. The soldiers of Han tread the bow down with the foot and shoot; a hundred discharges, and they have no leisure to stop. At a distance the bolt drives through to the breast; at close quarters it is buried at the heart. The swords and halberds of Han's soldiers all come out of Mingshan, Tangxi, Moyang, Hebobo, Dengshi, Wanfeng, Longyuan, and Da'e. On land they cut through horses and oxen; on water they strike swans and wild geese; facing the enemy they cut through what is hard at a stroke. Armour and shields, leather caps and helmets, iron sleeves for arm and shin, leather thumb-guards, bucklers and their cords — of these there is nothing not fully provided. With the courage of Han's soldiers, clad in stout armour, treading the stiff crossbow, girt with the sharp sword, one man is a match for a hundred: it is not worth the saying.

"Yet with the toughness of Han and the worthiness of Your Majesty, you would face west and serve Qin, style yourself the eastern screen, build a palace for the emperor, accept his cap and girdle, sacrifice for him in spring and autumn, and fold your arms in submission. To bring shame upon the altars of soil and grain and be laughed at by the world — nothing goes beyond this. Therefore I would have Your Majesty consider it ripely.

"If Your Majesty serves Qin, Qin will certainly demand Yiyang and Chenggao. Hand them over this year, and next year it will demand still more land to be cut away. Give it, and there will be no land left to supply it; withhold it, and you throw away your former merit and receive the calamity afterwards all the same. Moreover Your Majesty's land has an end, and Qin's demands have none. To meet demands that have no end with land that has an end is what is called trafficking in resentment and buying disaster: without a battle your land is already pared away.

"Your servant has heard the common saying, 'Better be the mouth of a cockerel than the rump of an ox.' Now if Your Majesty faces west, folds his arms, and serves Qin as a subject, in what does he differ from an ox's rump? With Your Majesty's worthiness, and the arms of a strong Han in his hand, to carry the name of an ox's rump — your servant is privately ashamed for Your Majesty."

The king of Han flushed with anger, bared his arm and laid his hand on his sword, looked up to Heaven and sighed deeply: "Though I die, I certainly cannot serve Qin. Now that you, my lord, instruct me with the teaching of the king of Chu, I respectfully offer up my altars of soil and grain and follow."

Zhang Yi, for Qin, Persuades the King of Han to the Horizontal Alliance (張儀為秦連橫說韓王)

Zhang Yi (張儀), acting for Qin in the horizontal alliance, persuaded the king of Han:

"Han's land is rough and harsh and its people dwell among mountains. Of the five grains what grows there is not wheat but beans; what the people eat is for the most part bean rice and bean-leaf broth. Let one year fail of its harvest, and the people are not filled even with dregs and chaff. Its land is not a full nine hundred li square, and it has not two years' food in store. Reckon Your Majesty's soldiers: all told they do not exceed three hundred thousand, and the menials and the carriers who keep them supplied are counted within that number. Take away those who hold the patrol posts, the watch-towers, the ramparts, and the passes, and the soldiers actually to be seen are no more than two hundred thousand.

"Qin has more than a million men in armour, a thousand chariots, and ten thousand horse; and its tiger-fierce men, who run barefoot and bare-headed, who charge with jaw set and halberd brandished, are past all counting. The excellence of Qin's horses and the multitude of its war-gear — reaching forward before and kicking off behind, three fathoms between one hoof-fall and the next — cannot be numbered.

"The soldiers of the lands east of the mountains put on armour and cover themselves with helmets to join battle; the men of Qin throw off their armour and run at the enemy stripped bare, in the left hand a severed head, under the right arm a live captive. Qin's soldiers set against the soldiers east of the mountains are as Meng Ben against a coward; brought to bear with their whole weight, they are as Wu Huo against an infant. To send men like Meng Ben and Wu Huo to fight, and to attack with them a weak state that will not submit, is no different from dropping a weight of a thousand jun upon a bird's egg: there can be no escaping it.

"The feudal lords do not reckon the weakness of their troops or the scantness of their food. They listen to the sweet words and fine phrases of the men of the vertical alliance, who league together and dress one another up, and who all say, 'Listen to my plan and you may be strong and lord it over the world.' To disregard the long profit of the altars of soil and grain and listen to the talk of a moment, thereby leading a ruler of men astray — nothing goes beyond this.

"If Your Majesty does not serve Qin, Qin will send down its armoured troops and hold Yiyang, cutting off the upper lands of Han; and taking Chenggao and Yiyang in the east, then the palace of Hongtai and the park of Sanglin will be Your Majesty's no longer. Stop up Chenggao and cut off the upper lands, and Your Majesty's state is divided in two. Serve Qin first and you are safe; do not serve Qin and you are in danger. To make disaster and look for blessing, to plan shallowly and be resented deeply, to defy Qin and go along with Chu — though you should wish not to perish, it could not be had.

"Therefore, in planning for Your Majesty, nothing is so good as to serve Qin. What Qin desires is nothing so much as to weaken Chu, and none is so able to weaken Chu as Han — not because Han is stronger than Chu, but because the lie of the land is so. If Your Majesty now faces west and serves Qin in order to attack Chu, doing it for my humble city, the king of Qin will certainly be pleased. To attack Chu and take its land for your own, to turn calamity aside and please Qin — no plan is more advantageous than this. It is for this that the king of Qin has sent his envoy, your servant, to present a letter to Your Majesty's recorder, and to await your decision upon the matter."

The king of Han said, "The guest has been kind enough to instruct me. I ask to be ranked as a commandery and county, to build a palace for the emperor, to sacrifice in spring and autumn, to be styled the eastern screen, and to hand over Yiyang."

King Xuan Speaks to Jiu Liu (宣王謂摎留)

King Xuan said to Jiu Liu (摎留), "I wish to employ both Gongzhong (公仲) and Gongshu (公叔). May it be done?" He replied, "It may not. Jin employed the six ministers, and the state was divided. Duke Jian employed Tian Cheng and Jian Zhi, and Duke Jian was assassinated. Wei employed both Xishou and Zhang Yi, and the land beyond the Western He was lost. If Your Majesty now employs both of these, the one with the more strength will plant his faction within, and the one with the less will borrow authority from without. Among the ministers, some will plant factions within and so usurp their ruler, and some will make alliances abroad and so tear away his land. Then Your Majesty's state will surely be in danger."

Zhang Yi Speaks to the King of Qi (張儀謂齊王)

Zhang Yi spoke to the king of Qi: "Your Majesty had better furnish Han Peng (韓朋) with means and with him drive Zhang Yi out of Wei. Wei will thereupon make Xishou its chancellor, and thereupon Qi and Wei will set Han Peng aside and make Gongshu chancellor, in order to attack Qin. When Gongzhong hears of it, he will certainly not go over to Qi. Take your stand in Wei, sir, and then you will have nothing to fear."

Zhao Xian of Chu Is Chancellor of Han (楚昭獻相韓)

Zhao Xian (昭獻) of Chu was chancellor of Han. Qin was about to attack Han, and Han set Zhao Xian aside. Zhao Xian had a man say to Gongshu, "It would be better to honour Zhao Xian, and so make Chu firm; then Qin will surely say that Chu and Han are joined."

Qin Attacks Xing (秦攻陘)

Qin attacked Xing, and Han sent men to yield up the land of Nanyang. When Qin had taken the yielding it attacked Xing again, and Han thereupon cut away the land of Nanyang and gave it over. Qin received the land and attacked Xing again. Chen Zhen (陳軫) said to the king of Qin: "It was because the shape of their state was inconvenient that they yielded, and because their relations with you were not close that they ceded. Now they have ceded, and relations are still not close; they have yielded, and the troops do not stop. Your servant fears that the lands east of the mountains will have no means left of serving Your Majesty by yielding and ceding. Moreover Your Majesty may seek a hundred in gold from Sanchuan and not get it, but seek a thousand in gold from Han and have it ready in a single morning. Now if Your Majesty attacks Han, this is to cut off the higher intercourse and make firm a private treasury. I privately hold that Your Majesty should not take that course."

Five States Covenant and Attack Qin (五國約而攻秦)

Five states made a covenant and attacked Qin, the king of Chu being head of the vertical alliance. They could not injure Qin; the armies broke off and halted at Chenggao. Wei Shun (魏順) said to the lord of Shiqiu, "When the five states break off, they will surely attack Shiqiu to make good the cost of the campaign. If my lord will furnish me with means, I ask leave to stop the world's attack upon Shiqiu for my lord." The lord of Shiqiu said, "Good," and accordingly sent him off.

Wei Shun went south and saw the king of Chu: "Your Majesty made a covenant of five states and marched west to attack Qin, and could not injure Qin. The world will make light of Your Majesty for this and hold Qin weighty. Why then does Your Majesty not put his relations to the test?" The king of Chu said, "How?" Wei Shun said, "When the world breaks off, they will surely attack Shiqiu to make good the cost of the campaign. Let Your Majesty order them not to attack Shiqiu. If the five states hold Your Majesty weighty, they will heed Your Majesty's word and not attack Shiqiu; if they do not hold Your Majesty weighty, they will go against Your Majesty's word and attack it. Then whether Your Majesty is light or weighty will be plain." So the king of Chu put his relations to the test, and Shiqiu survived.

Zheng Qiang Carries Eight Hundred in Gold into Qin (鄭彊載八百金入秦)

Zheng Qiang (鄭彊) carried eight hundred in gold into Qin and asked that Han be attacked. Ling Xiang (泠向) said to Zheng Qiang, "You are using eight hundred in gold to ask that a state allied to Qin be attacked; Qin will certainly not listen to you. You had better make the king of Qin suspect Gongshu." Zheng Qiang said, "How?" He said, "Gongshu's attacking of Chu is on account of Jise (幾瑟) being kept there; that is why he speaks first of Chu. Now have the king of Chu escort Jise with a hundred chariots to dwell at Yangdi, and have Zhao Xian turn about and take up his quarters with him; in a little more than ten days it will already be noticed. Now Jise is Gongshu's enemy, and Zhao Xian is Gongshu's man. When the king of Qin hears of it, he will certainly suspect that Gongshu is working for Chu."

Zheng Qiang Drives Zhang Yi Out of Qin (鄭彊之走張儀於秦)

When Zheng Qiang drove Zhang Yi out of Qin, he said that Zhang Yi's envoy would certainly go to Chu. So he said to the Grand Steward, "Detain Zhang Yi's envoy, sir; I, Qiang, ask leave to go west and plot against Zhang Yi in Qin." Accordingly he went and petitioned the king of Qin: "Zhang Yi has sent a man to deliver over the land of Shangyong; therefore he has sent his envoy, your servant, to bow twice and present himself before the king of Qin." The king of Qin was enraged, and Zhang Yi fled.

The Campaign at Yiyang (宜陽之役)

In the campaign at Yiyang, Yang Da (楊達) said to Gongsun Xian (公孫顯), "Let me for you attack Western Zhou with fifty thousand men. If we take it, that is to outweigh Gan Mao (甘茂) with the nine cauldrons. If not, then Qin will be attacking Western Zhou, the world will detest it, and their rescue of Han will surely be swift — and then Gan Mao's business fails."

Qin Besieges Yiyang (秦圍宜陽)

Qin besieged Yiyang. You Teng (游騰) said to Gongzhong, "Why do you not give Zhao the towns of Lin, Lishi, and Qi, and with a hostage promise them land? Then Lou Huan (樓緩) will surely be undone. Gather the troops of Han and Zhao and bring them to bear upon Wei, and Lou Bi (樓鼻) will surely be undone. Once Han is made one with them, Wei will certainly turn its back on Qin, and Gan Mao will surely be undone. Use Chengyang to furnish Zhai Qiang (翟強) in Qi, and Chu will surely be beaten. Wait a little, and Qin will surely be undone; once Qin loses Wei, Yiyang will surely not be taken."

Gongzhong, Because of Yiyang, Makes an Enemy of Gan Mao (公仲以宜陽之故仇甘茂)

Because of Yiyang, Gongzhong made an enemy of Gan Mao. Afterwards Qin returned Wusui to Han, and the king of Qin came to suspect that Gan Mao had used Wusui to settle matters with Gongzhong. Du He (杜赫), on Gongzhong's behalf, said to the king of Qin, "Ming would gladly serve Your Majesty through Gan Mao." The king of Qin was greatly enraged at Gan Mao; and therefore Chuli Ji (樗里疾) was greatly pleased with Du Liao.

Qin and Han Fight at Zhuoze (秦韓戰於濁澤)

Qin and Han fought at Zhuoze, and Han was hard pressed. Gongzhong Ming (公仲明) said to the king of Han, "Allied states cannot be relied upon. Now Qin's heart is set upon attacking Chu. Your Majesty had better make peace with Qin through Zhang Yi, bribe them with one famous city, and join them in attacking Chu. This is a plan of trading one for two." The king of Han said, "Good," and made ready Gongzhong's journey; he was to go west and treat with Qin.

The king of Chu heard of it and was greatly afraid. He summoned Chen Zhen and told him. Chen Zhen said, "Qin has long desired to attack us. Now it will have gained one famous city of Han besides, and will fit out its armour with it. Qin and Han will join their troops and face south — this is what Qin has prayed for in its ancestral temple. Now it has got it, and the state of Chu will surely be attacked. Let Your Majesty listen to your servant. Make ready within the four borders and pick out an army; announce that we are rescuing Han; let the war-chariots fill the roads. Send trusted ministers, make their chariots many and their gifts weighty, so that Han may believe that Your Majesty is rescuing them. Even if Han proves unable to heed us, Han will surely be grateful to Your Majesty, and will surely not come against us in the flying-goose line. Then Qin and Han will not be in accord, and though their troops come, the state of Chu will not be greatly hurt. And if Han is able to heed us and breaks off the peace with Qin, Qin will surely be greatly enraged and will conceive a heavy resentment against Han. Han, having Chu's rescue, will surely make light of Qin; making light of Qin, it will surely answer Qin without respect. Thus we shall wear out the troops of Qin and Han and rid the state of Chu of its trouble."

The king of Chu was greatly pleased. He made ready within the four borders and picked out an army; he announced that he was rescuing Han; he sent trusted ministers, made their chariots many and their gifts weighty. They said to the king of Han, "Though my humble city is small, it has already raised all its forces. We would have your great state give free rein to its will against Qin; my humble city will follow Han to the death."

The king of Han was greatly pleased and stopped Gongzhong. Gongzhong said, "It may not be. It is Qin that deals with us in substance; it is Chu that rescues us with an empty name. To rely on Chu's empty name and lightly break with an enemy as strong as Qin will surely make us the laughing-stock of the world. Moreover Chu and Han are not brother states, nor have they long since covenanted and plotted to attack Qin. Qin desired to attack Chu, and Chu thereupon raised troops and spoke of rescuing Han: this is certainly Chen Zhen's scheme. Besides, Your Majesty has already sent a man to report to Qin; if we now do not go, this is to deceive Qin. To make light of the calamity of a strong Qin and trust the scheming minister of Chu — Your Majesty will surely regret it." The king of Han would not listen, and so broke off the peace with Qin. Qin was indeed greatly enraged. It raised an army and fought Han at Anmen. Chu's rescue did not come, and Han was heavily defeated.

Han's troops were not pared down and weak, nor were its people blind and foolish; yet its soldiers were taken by Qin and its wisdom laughed at by Chu, because it listened wrongly to Chen Zhen and threw away the counsel of Han Ming.

Yan Shuai Seeks Audience with Gongzhong (顏率見公仲)

Yan Shuai (顏率) sought audience with Gongzhong, and Gongzhong would not see him. Yan Shuai said to Gongzhong's usher, "Gongzhong must take me for a dissembler, and so will not see me. Gongzhong is fond of the inner chambers, and I said he was fond of gentlemen; Gongzhong is close with money, and I said he scattered largesse; Gongzhong is without conduct, and I said he loved righteousness. From now on I shall simply speak of him straight, and that is all." Gongzhong's usher reported this to Gongzhong, and Gongzhong rose in haste and saw him.

Gongzhong of Han Speaks to Xiang Shou (韓公仲謂向壽)

Gongzhong of Han said to Xiang Shou (向壽): "A cornered beast overturns the cart. You broke Han and humiliated Gongzhong; Gongzhong gathered his state together and served Qin again, reckoning that he would certainly get a fief for it. Now you have come to terms with Chu, and within their country have enfeoffed the lesser chief minister with Guiyang. If Qin and Chu join and attack Han again, Han must perish; and Gongzhong will lead his private followers in person and fight against Qin. I would have you consider it ripely." Xiang Shou said, "I am joining Qin and Chu, but not to set them against Han. Speak of this for me."

Gongzhong said, "The intercourse of Qin and Han may be joined." The reply was: "I would say something further to you. A proverb says, 'He who honours that by which he is honoured is himself honoured.' Now in the king's love and familiarity you do not equal Gongsun Hao (公孫郝); in his knowledge of your abilities you do not equal Gan Mao. Yet both these men are now barred from any close part in affairs, while you alone share with the king the decision of the state's business — because they had something by which they lost it. Gongsun Hao took the side of Han, and Gan Mao took the side of Wei; therefore the king does not trust them. Now Qin and Chu contend for mastery, and you take the side of Chu: this is the same road as Gongsun Hao's and Gan Mao's. How do you differ from them? Everyone says that Chu is full of changes, and you stake yourself upon it: that is to make yourself honoured on your own account. You had better plan against those changes together with the king. Be good to Han and so make ready against Chu; do this, and there will be no calamity. Han first put its state at Gongsun Hao's disposal and afterwards entrusted its state to Gan Mao, so that Han is your enemy. If you now speak of being good to Han in order to prepare against Chu, that is to promote outside your own party and not shun an enemy."

Xiang Shou said, "I very much wish to join with Han." The reply was: "Gan Mao promised Gongzhong Wusui and gave back the people of Yiyang. If you would now simply gather them in for nothing, it will be very hard." Master Xiang said, "Then what is to be done? Is Wusui in the end not to be had?" The reply was: "Why do you not use Qin to seek Yingchuan from Chu on Han's behalf? This is land of Han's that is held in trust. Seek it and obtain it, and your command runs in Chu and you have made Han grateful with its own land. Seek it and fail to obtain it, and the resentment between Han and Chu is not resolved, and both run to Qin. Qin and Chu contend for mastery, and you charge Chu with the fault of attacking Han: this is to Qin's advantage." Master Xiang said, "How so?" The reply was: "This is good business. Gan Mao wishes to take Qi by means of Wei; Gongsun Hao wishes to take Qi by means of Han. If you now take Yiyang and make it your merit, gather in Chu and Han and settle them, and call Qi and Wei to account for their faults, then Gongsun Hao and Gan Mao are left with nothing to do."

Someone Says to Gongzhong: He Who Listens Listens to the State (或謂公仲曰聽者聽國)

Someone said to Gongzhong: "He who listens listens to the state; he does not necessarily listen only to what is substantial. Therefore the former kings listened to the common sayings of the marketplace. I would have you listen to your servant's words. You sought neutrality with Qin and could not obtain it. You were good to Gongsun Hao in order to embarrass Gan Mao, and welcomed Qi's troops in order to check Wei — and Chu and Zhao are both your enemies. Your servant fears the state will make a calamity of this. I would have you seek neutrality with Qin once more."

Gongzhong said, "How?" He replied: "The king of Qin holds Gongsun Hao to be of your party and will not listen to him; Gan Mao is not on good terms with you and will not speak for you. Why do you not use Xing Yuan (行願) to talk with the king of Qin? Xing Yuan in serving the king of Qin is impartial. Let your servant say to the king of Qin on your behalf: 'Qi and Wei joined, or Qi and Wei parted — which is to Qin's advantage? Qi and Wei separated, or Qi and Wei united — which makes Qin strong?' The king of Qin will certainly say: 'If Qi and Wei part, then Qin is weighty; if they join, Qin is light. If Qi and Wei are separated, Qin is strong; if they are united, Qin is weak.' Then your servant will say:

"'Now if Your Majesty listens to Gongsun Hao and uses the troops of Han and Qin to answer Qi and attack Wei, Wei will not dare to fight; it will give back land and join with Qi, and then Qin is light. Your servant holds Gongsun Hao to be disloyal. And if Your Majesty listens to Gan Mao and uses the troops of Han and Qin to hold Wei and attack Qi, Qi will not dare to fight; without demanding any cession of land it will join with Wei, and then Qin is light. Your servant holds Gan Mao to be disloyal. Therefore Your Majesty had better make Han stand neutral and attack Qi, and declare that you are rescuing Wei so as to stiffen the attack. Then Qi and Wei will not be able to hear one another, and their arms will long be parted. If Your Majesty wishes it, trust Gongsun Hao with Qi, take Nanyang for Han, exchange Guchuan for it and come home: this was King Hui's wish. If Your Majesty wishes it, trust Gan Mao with Wei, and with the troops of Han and Qin hold Wei and drive Qi back: this was King Wu's wish. Your servant holds that to make Han stand neutral and attack Qi is the most pressing business of Qin. Gongsun Hao takes the side of Qi and is unwilling to speak; Gan Mao is slighted and does not dare present himself. These two men are Your Majesty's great trouble. I would have Your Majesty consider it ripely.'"

Gongzhong of Han Is Chancellor (韓公仲相)

Gongzhong of Han was chancellor. The relations of Qi and Chu were good with Qin. Qin and Wei held a meeting, meaning to be good to Qi and to sever Qi from Chu. The king sent Jing Li (景鯉) to Qin, and Jing Li took part in the meeting of Qin and Wei. The king of Chu was angry with Jing Li, fearing that Qi would take Chu's presence at the meeting for proof of a secret understanding with Qin and Wei; and he was about to punish Jing Li.

On his behalf someone said to the king of Chu: "Your servant congratulates Your Majesty that Jing Li took part in the meeting. The meeting of Qin and Wei was meant to join Qi and Qin and to sever Qi from Chu. Now that Jing Li has taken part in the meeting, Qi has no ground for believing that Wei is joining it to Qin in order to attack Chu; and Qi, fearing besides that Chu has a secret understanding with Qin and Wei, will surely hold Chu weighty. So Jing Li's taking part in the meeting is Your Majesty's great asset. Had Jing Li not taken part in the meeting, Wei's severing of Qi from Chu would have been plain; Qi and Chu would have believed it and would surely make light of Your Majesty. Therefore Your Majesty had better not punish Jing Li, and so show Qi that you have Qin and Wei with you. Qi will surely hold Chu weighty, and Qin and Wei will moreover be suspected by Qi." The king said, "Agreed," and accordingly did not punish him but advanced him in rank.

The King Says: A While Ago You Said the World Was Without the Way (王曰向也子曰天下無道)

The king said, "A while ago you said, 'The world is without the Way'; now you say, 'They are about to attack Yan.' Why is this?" He replied, "To say now that a horse has great strength — that will stand; but to say that it can bear a thousand jun will not stand. Why? A thousand jun is no load for a horse. To say now that Chu is strong and great — that will stand; but as for crossing over Zhao and Wei and joining battle in Yan, how is that a load for Chu? And if it is no load for Chu, and Chu does it, that is to wear Chu out. A strong Chu, or a worn-out Chu — which of the two is convenient for Your Majesty?"

Someone Says to the King of Wei: Put the Four Borders on Guard (或謂魏王王儆彊之內)

Someone said to the king of Wei: "Let Your Majesty put the four borders on guard: of those who are to follow Your Majesty, any whose equipment is not complete within ten days shall die. Your Majesty may then take their pennons and make them fast upon the boats. Your servant will go to Chu for Your Majesty; let Your Majesty await your servant's return, and then march."

The Lord of Chunshen heard of it and said to the envoy, "Go back for me; there is no need to see the king. Within ten days a host of tens of thousands will be crossing the borders of Wei." The Qin envoy heard of it and reported it to the king of Qin. The king of Qin said to the king of Wei, "If the great state has this intention, it will certainly come; this by itself is enough."

Guan Yang Speaks to the Lord of Chunshen (觀鞅謂春申)

Guan Yang (觀鞅) said to the Lord of Chunshen (春申君): "Everyone holds Chu to be strong, and says that under your lordship's management it has grown weak. To Yang it is not so. Before your lordship's time, for more than twenty years it was never once attacked. Now Qin wishes to carry its troops across the barrier of the Meng defile — that is not convenient; and to borrow a road through the two Zhous and turn its back on Han in order to attack Chu — that cannot be done. But now it is otherwise. Wei is on the point of perishing, morning or evening; it cannot cherish its Xu, Yanling, and Wu, but cuts them off and gives them to Qin, and then it is a hundred and sixty li away. What your servant sees is the day of the fight between Qin and Chu, and nothing else."

Gongzhong Repeatedly Breaks Faith with the Feudal Lords (公仲數不信於諸侯)

Gongzhong repeatedly broke faith with the feudal lords, and the feudal lords shut him out. He entrusted his state southward to Chu, and the king of Chu would not listen. Su Dai (蘇代) said to the king of Chu on his behalf: "Better to listen, and to guard against his turning. Ming's turnings have been these: he leaned upon Zhao and betrayed Chu; he leaned upon Qi and betrayed Qin. Now four states have shut him out and he has nowhere to enter, and he too is greatly troubled by it. This is just the moment when he will play Wei Sheng (尾生)."

Strategies of Han, 2 (韓策二)

Chu Besieges Yongshi for Five Months (楚圍雍氏五月)

Chu besieged Yongshi for five months. Han sent envoys to seek rescue from Qin, their caps and carriage-canopies in sight of one another along the road, yet the Qin army did not come down from Xiao. Han then sent Shang Jin (尚靳) as envoy to Qin, and he said to the king of Qin: "Han is to Qin what a screen is when at rest and what the flanking line is when you go out. Now Han is already sick, and the Qin army does not come down from Xiao. Your servant has heard that when the lips are drawn back the teeth are cold. I would have Your Majesty consider it ripely."

The Dowager Queen Xuan (宣太后) said, "Many envoys have come, but only Master Shang's words are right." She summoned Master Shang in, and the Dowager Queen Xuan said to him: "When I served the former king, the former king would lay his thigh across my body, and I was hard pressed and could not bear up under it; but when he set his whole body upon me, I did not find it heavy. Why? Because there was some little advantage in it for me. Now if we aid Han and the troops are not many and the grain not plentiful, it will not be enough to rescue Han. To rescue Han from its danger costs a thousand in gold a day. Can it not be arranged that I too have some little advantage in it?"

Shang Jin took a letter back and reported to the king of Han, and the king of Han sent Zhang Cui (張翠). Zhang Cui pleaded illness and travelled one county a day. When Zhang Cui arrived, Gan Mao said, "Han is hard pressed, and yet you have come sick, sir." Zhang Cui said, "Han is not yet hard pressed; it is about to be." Gan Mao said, "Qin is a weighty state and its king is wise; of Han's straits or ease there is nothing he does not know. Now you say that Han is not hard pressed. Will that do?" Zhang Cui said, "If Han were hard pressed, it would already have turned and gone over to Chu. How should your servant dare to come?" Gan Mao said, "Say no more, sir."

Gan Mao went in and said to the king of Qin: "It is because Gongzhong holds the handle of Qin's army that he dares to fend off Chu. Now Yongshi is besieged and the Qin army does not come down from Xiao — this is to have no Han at all. Gongzhong will bow his head and cease coming to court, and Gongshu will take the state south and join with Chu. Chu and Han being one, Wei will not dare not to follow; and then Chu will be plotting against Qin with three states. In that case the shape of an attack on Qin is complete. I do not know: to sit still and await attack — how does that compare in profit with attacking others?" The king of Qin said, "Good," and did indeed send the army down from Xiao to rescue Han.

Chu Besieges Yongshi; Han Sends Ling Xiang to Borrow Rescue from Qin (楚圍雍氏韓令冷向借救於秦)

Chu besieged Yongshi, and Han sent Ling Xiang to borrow rescue from Qin. Qin dispatched an envoy, Gongsun Mo (公孫昧), into Han. Gongzhong said, "Do you take it that Qin will rescue Han, or that it will not?" He replied, "The king of Qin's words were these: 'We ask leave to take the road by Nanzheng and Lantian, and so to enter and attack Chu, sending troops out to Sanchuan to await you.' It will probably not come together, and the army will be encamped at Nanzheng."

Gongzhong said, "What is to be done?" He replied: "The king of Qin will certainly take Zhang Yi's old scheme for his model. When King Wei of Chu attacked Liang, Zhang Yi said to the king of Qin, 'If we join Chu in attacking Liang, Wei will break and go over to Chu. Han has long been Wei's ally, and then Qin is left alone. So it would be better to send out troops and stiffen Wei.' Thereupon Pishi was attacked. Wei was stiffened, King Wei was enraged, Chu and Wei fought a great battle, and Qin took the land beyond the Western He and went home.

"Now too Qin will proclaim aloud that it is rescuing Han while secretly being good to Chu. You, relying on Qin, will be stiffened, and will lightly give battle to Chu. Chu, having secretly learned that Qin is not to be used, will find it easy to hold out against you. If you fight and beat Chu, Qin will follow after you and ride upon Chu, take Sanchuan in exchange, and go home. If you fight and do not beat Chu, Qin will block Sanchuan and hold it, and you cannot be rescued. Your servant greatly dislikes this business. Sima Kang (司馬康) has gone back to Ying three times; Gan Mao and Zhao Xian have met upon the border, and their talk was of taking up seals — in truth there is still an agreement between them."

Gongzhong was afraid and said, "Then what is to be done?" He replied: "You must put Han first and Qin second, yourself first and Zhang Yi second. You had better hasten to join your state with Qi and Chu; Qin will then certainly commit its state to you in order to break off the attack. Then the one you have put outside is Zhang Yi and no more, and in truth you will still not have lost Qin."

Gongzhong Arranges an Exchange of Lands for Han and Wei (公仲為韓魏易地)

Gongzhong was arranging an exchange of lands between Han and Wei. Gongshu contested it and was not heeded, and was about to flee. Shi Ti (史惕) said to Gongshu: "If you flee, the exchange will certainly be brought about. You will have no pretext for coming back afterwards, and you will show the world that you count for little. You had better fall in with it. If Han's land is exchanged above, it harms Zhao; if Wei's land is exchanged below, it harms Chu. You had better tell Chu and Zhao. Chu and Zhao will hate it. When Zhao hears of it, it will raise troops and come up to Yangchang; when Chu hears of it, it will send troops up to Fangcheng — and the exchange will certainly fail."

Qi Xuan Instructs the King of Han to Win Qin Over (錡宣之教韓王取秦)

Qi Xuan (錡宣) instructed the king of Han in winning Qin over, saying: "Provide Gongshu with a hundred chariots and let it be said that he is going to Chu to exchange Sanchuan. Then have Gongzhong say to the king of Qin: 'The word in Sanchuan is that the king of Qin will certainly take us. The mind of the king of Han cannot be loosened from this. Why does Your Majesty not try sending Xiangzi (襄子) as a hostage to Han, so as to let the king of Han know that Your Majesty is not taking Sanchuan?' By this you get Xiangzi out and put the heir apparent in your debt."

The Campaign at Xiangling (襄陵之役)

In the campaign at Xiangling, Bi Chang (畢長) said to Gongshu: "Contrive that no troops be used, and both Chu and Wei will be grateful to your state. Chu wishes to install Prince Gao, and must bring troops up against Wei. Why do you not send a man to persuade Master Zhao, saying, 'A battle is not certain to be won; let me raise troops for you and take them to Wei'? He will then have his pretext for not fighting, and thereupon the heir apparent Bian, Zhao Yang (昭揚), and the king of Liang will all be grateful to you."

Gongshu Sends Lord Feng to Qin (公叔使馮君於秦)

Gongshu sent Lord Feng (馮君) to Qin, and fearing that he would be detained, he taught Yang Xiang (陽向) to persuade the king of Qin: "To detain Lord Feng in order to please the ministers of Han is not the highest wisdom. My lord had better be good to Lord Feng and back him with Qin. Lord Feng, made great by Your Majesty, will not listen to Gongshu but will contend with the heir apparent; then Your Majesty's bounty will be spread abroad, and it will be to Han's hurt."

Someone Says to Gongshu: You Wish to Get Wusui from Qin (謂公叔曰公欲得武遂於秦)

Someone said to Gongshu: "You wish to obtain Wusui from Qin, and are not troubled that Chu is able to stir up the lands beyond the He. You had better send a man to alarm the king of Chu, and send a man to seek Wusui from Qin on your behalf. Say to the king of Chu: 'Send a weighty envoy to seek Wusui from Qin for Han. If the king of Qin heeds it, then your command runs with a lord of ten thousand chariots. Han, getting Wusui and so holding Qin at a distance, will be without trouble from Qin and indebted to Chu; Han will be no more than a county of Chu. If Qin does not heed it, then the resentment between Qin and Han deepens, and Han turns to Chu.'"

Someone Says to Gongshu: Riding in a Boat (謂公叔曰乘舟)

Someone said to Gongshu: "When you ride in a boat, if the boat leaks and you do not stop the leak, the boat sinks. If you stop the leak in the boat but make light of the waves of Yanghou, the boat capsizes. Now you reckon that you have settled matters with the Lord of Xue and make light of Qin: this is to stop the leak in the boat and make light of the waves of Yanghou. I would have you look into it."

Qi Sends Zhou Zui as Envoy to Zheng (齊令周最使鄭)

Qi sent Zhou Zui (周最) as envoy to Zheng, to install Han Rao (韓擾) and set Gongshu aside. Zhou Zui was troubled by it and said, "Gongshu is on good terms with the lord of Zhou, and now I am sent to Zheng to install Han Rao and set Gongshu aside. The saying goes, 'He who is angry in his chamber shows the colour of it in the marketplace.' Now Gongshu resents Qi and can do nothing about it; he will certainly have done with the lord of Zhou and resent me deeply." Shi She (史舍) said, "Go, sir. I ask leave to see to it that Gongshu holds you weighty."

Zhou Zui journeyed to Zheng, and Gongshu was greatly enraged. Shi She went in to see him and said, "Zhou Zui truly did not wish to come on this mission; your servant privately pressed him to it. Zhou Zui did not wish to come, and that was for your sake; your servant pressed him, and that too was for your sake." Gongshu said, "Let me hear your explanation." He replied: "A grandee of Qi and his sons had a dog. The dog was so fierce that it could not be shouted at; shout at it and it would surely bite. There was a guest who asked leave to shout at it. He looked hard at it and shouted slowly, and the dog did not stir; he shouted again, and the dog thereupon lost all mind to bite. Now Zhou Zui has all along been able to serve you, and comes on this mission only because he could not help it. He will set out his message with ceremony and speak it slowly, and the king of Zheng will surely take it that the king of Qi is not urgent, and will surely not grant it. Had Zhou Zui not come, another would certainly have come. An envoy who has no dealings with you and wants Han Rao's gratitude would be swift in his mission and urgent in his speech, and then the king of Zheng would surely grant it." Gongshu said, "Good," and thereupon held Zhou Zui weighty. And the king did indeed refuse Han Rao.

Gongshu of Han Contends with Jise for the State: Zheng Qiang Goes as Chu's Envoy to Han (韓公叔與幾瑟爭國鄭強為楚王使於韓)

Gongshu of Han contended with Jise for the state. Zheng Qiang, on the king of Chu's business, went as envoy to Han, and falsely used Xincheng and Yangren to make common cause with the heir, so that he might contend with Gongshu for the state. Chu was enraged and was about to punish him. Zheng Qiang said, "Your servant gave them falsely for the sake of the state. Your servant reasoned thus: if the heir gets Xincheng and Yangren and with them contends with Gongshu for the state and comes through whole, Wei will surely press Han hard; and Han, being pressed, will surely hang its life upon Chu — and then how should it dare to demand Xincheng and Yangren back? And if he fights and does not win, and flees and does not die, he will presently be here — and then how should he dare to speak of land?" The king of Chu said, "Good," and did not punish him.

Gongshu of Han Contends with Jise for the State: The Attendant Qiang Speaks to the Heir (韓公叔與幾瑟爭國中庶子強謂太子)

Gongshu of Han contended with Jise for the state. Qiang, attendant to the heir (中庶子), said to the heir apparent, "Better to strike Gongshu hard before the Qi army comes in." The heir said, "It may not be. To fight within the state must divide it." He replied, "If the business does not succeed, your own person will be in danger. What is the good then of planning for the wholeness of the state?" The heir would not listen; the Qi army did indeed come in, and the heir fled the country.

Qi Ming Speaks to Gongshu (齊明謂公叔)

Qi Ming (齊明) said to Gongshu: "Qi drove Jise out, and Chu was good to him. Now Chu very much wishes to be good to Qi. Why do you not have the king of Qi say to the king of Chu, 'Let Your Majesty drive Jise out for me and bring him to extremity'? If Chu listens, then Qi and Chu are joined and Jise is a fugitive; if the king of Chu does not listen, then he has a secret understanding with Han."

Gongshu Is About to Kill Jise (公叔將殺幾瑟)

Gongshu (公叔) was about to kill Jise (幾瑟). Someone said to Gongshu: "The reason the heir apparent honors you is that he fears Jise. If Jise dies now, the heir apparent will have nothing to fear, and he will surely make light of you. The grandees of Han see that the king is old, and they hope the heir apparent will take charge of affairs; already they wish to serve him. If the heir apparent has no danger from Jise abroad, and gathers the grandees within to support himself, you will surely be slighted. Better not to kill Jise, and so keep the heir apparent in fear. Then he will honor you all his life."

Gongshu Was on the Point of Killing Jise (公叔且殺幾瑟)

Gongshu was on the point of killing Jise. Song He (宋赫) spoke on Jise's behalf, saying to Gongshu: "What makes Jise able to raise disorder is that within Han he has the senior kinsmen of the ruling house, and abroad he has Qin and Chu. If you kill him now, the heir apparent will have nothing to fear, and he will surely make light of you. The grandees of Han, knowing that the king is old and that the succession is fixed, will surely serve the heir apparent in secret. And if Qin and Chu no longer have Han, they will surely serve Boying (伯嬰) in secret, and Boying would become another Jise. Better for you not to kill him. Boying will be afraid and will surely take shelter with you. The grandees of Han, unable to be sure that Jise will not come back in, will not dare support Boying in raising disorder. With Qin and Chu holding Jise to block Boying, Boying will have no weight of Qin and Chu abroad and no numbers of the ruling house within, and will surely be unable to raise disorder. This is to your advantage."

A Man Spoke to the Lord of Xincheng (謂新城君曰)

Someone said to the Lord of Xincheng (新城君): "Gongshu and Boying fear that Qin and Chu will bring Jise back into Han. Why do you not, on Han's behalf, ask Chu for a hostage prince? If the king of Chu agrees and sends a hostage prince into Han, then Gongshu and Boying will know for certain that Qin and Chu are not making Jise their business, and they will surely join Han to Qin and Chu. With Qin and Chu holding Han and pressing Wei, Wei will not dare turn east, and Qi will be left alone. If you then have Qin ask Chu for a hostage prince as well, and Chu refuses, resentment will be fixed upon Han. Han will lean upon Qi and Wei and glare at Chu, and the king of Chu will surely honor you. Holding the weight of Qin and Chu, you will store up favor in Han, and Gongshu and Boying will surely serve you with their state."

Hu Yan Brought Jise Out of Chu (胡衍之出幾瑟於楚)

When Hu Yan (胡衍) was bringing Jise out of Chu, he instructed Gongzhong (公仲) to say to the king of Wei: "While the heir apparent is in Chu, Han does not dare break with Chu. Why not try raising up Prince Jiu (公子咎), and ask on his behalf that he be made heir apparent? Then send a man to say to the king of Chu: 'If Han sets up Prince Jiu and casts Jise aside, Your Majesty will be holding an empty hostage. Better to send Jise home at once. Once Jise is inside Han, he will surely use the power of Han to take his revenge on Wei, and he will be grateful to Your Majesty.'"

Jise Fled to Chu (幾瑟亡之楚)

Jise fled to Chu, and Chu was about to draw in Qin and restore him. Someone said to Mi Rong (羋戎): "It was Chu that pushed Gongshu aside and backed Jise. Now Jise has fled to Chu, and Chu is again drawing in Qin to restore him. On the day Jise enters Zheng, Han will be a county town of Chu. You would do better to have the king of Qin send congratulations on Boying's accession. Han will then break with Chu and serve Qin with all speed; and Qin, holding Han and keeping Wei close, will see that of Qi and Chu, the ones who come late are the first to perish. This is the work of a king."

Leng Xiang Spoke to Han Jiu (冷向謂韓咎)

Leng Xiang (冷向) said to Han Jiu (韓咎): "Jise is a fugitive in Chu, and the king of Chu is very eager to restore him: he has more than a hundred thousand Chu troops posted beyond Fangcheng. Let me have Chu build a city of ten thousand households beside Yongshi. Han will certainly raise an army to stop it, and you will certainly be given the command. Then, with the troops of Chu and of Han, you may take up Jise and bring him into Zheng. Once Jise is in, he will be grateful to you, and will surely use Han and Chu to support you."

Chu Sent Jing Li into Han (楚令景鯉入韓)

Chu sent Jing Li (景鯉) into Han. Han was about to send Boying into Qin, and Jing Li was troubled by it. Leng Xiang said to Boying: "If you, the heir apparent, enter Qin, Qin will surely detain you and join with Chu in order to restore Jise. So you would be throwing yourself away."

Han Jiu Was Set Up as Ruler but Not Yet Secure (韓咎立為君而未定)

Han Jiu had been set up as ruler, but the succession was not yet secure. His younger brother was in Zhou, and Zhou wished to send him back with a hundred chariots to give him weight, yet feared that Han Jiu, once inside Han, might not hold the throne. Qimu Hui (綦母恢) said: "Better to send a hundred pieces of gold along with him. If Han Jiu holds the throne, we may say the gold was sent as a guard for him; if he does not, we may say we have come to deliver up a rebel."

Shi Ji Went as Han's Envoy to Chu (史疾為韓使楚)

Shi Ji (史疾) went as Han's envoy to Chu. The king of Chu asked him, "What doctrine does my guest follow?"

He said, "I study the words of Liezi Yukou (列子圉寇)."

"What does it hold precious?"

"It holds correctness precious."

The king said, "Can correctness also be used to govern a state?"

"It can."

The king said, "The state of Chu has many robbers. Can correctness be used to ward off robbers?"

"It can."

"And how does one ward off robbers by correctness?"

Just then a magpie came to rest on the roof. Shi Ji said, "May I ask what the people of Chu call this bird?"

The king said, "They call it a magpie."

"Would it do to call it a crow?"

"It would not."

Shi Ji said, "Now Your Majesty's state has a Pillar of the State, a chief minister, a marshal, and a director of ordinances, and in appointing officers and placing officials it is always said that they must be incorrupt and equal to their charge. Yet robbers and brigands go about openly and cannot be stopped. This is the crow not being a crow and the magpie not being a magpie."

Han Kui Was Chancellor of Han (韓傀相韓)

Han Kui (韓傀) was chancellor of Han, and Yan Sui (嚴遂) stood high with the ruler; the two men were at odds and did each other injury. Yan Sui, in upright debate, spoke straight to the point and set forth Han Kui's faults. For this Han Kui shouted him down in open court. Yan Sui drew his sword and rushed at him, and they were pulled apart by those who came between. After this Yan Sui, fearing execution, fled and wandered abroad, seeking a man who could take vengeance on Han Kui for him.

He came to Qi, and a man of Qi said: "Nie Zheng (聶政) of Shenjing ward in Zhi is a bold and daring man. Avoiding an enemy, he has hidden himself among the butchers." Yan Sui secretly made his acquaintance and treated him generously with every mark of goodwill. Nie Zheng asked him, "What is it you wish to use me for?" Yan Sui said, "The days in which I have been able to serve you are few, and our dealings are still slight. How should I dare to make a request?" Then Yan Sui set out wine and offered the cup before Nie Zheng's mother. Zhongzi (仲子) brought forward a hundred yi of yellow gold and came forward to drink long life to Nie Zheng's mother. Nie Zheng was startled, and the more he wondered at such generosity, the more firmly he declined it. Yan Zhongzi pressed it upon him, and Nie Zheng declined, saying: "I have an old mother, and my house is poor. I have wandered as a stranger and become a butcher of dogs, and morning and evening I can get something sweet and tender with which to nourish my parent. My parent's keep is provided; in right I dare not accept Zhongzi's gift."

Yan Zhongzi sent the others away and said to Nie Zheng: "I have an enemy, and I have traveled among many of the feudal lords. But when I came to Qi I heard that your righteousness stands very high. That is why I simply offered a hundred pieces of gold — only as something toward your honored mother's coarse grain and husked rice, and to win the pleasure of your friendship. How should I dare to have any request?" Nie Zheng said: "The reason I have lowered my ambition and humbled my person to live in the marketplace is only that I am fortunate enough to nourish my old mother. While my old mother lives, I dare not pledge my body to any man." Yan Zhongzi pressed him again, but Nie Zheng in the end would not accept. Yet Zhongzi completed all the rites of guest and host before he departed.

After a long time Nie Zheng's mother died. When she had been buried and the mourning laid aside, Nie Zheng said: "Alas! I am a man of the marketplace, plying my knife as a butcher, while Yan Zhongzi is a minister and chancellor among the feudal lords. He did not think a thousand li too far; he turned his carriage and horsemen out of their road to make a friend of me. What I gave him in return was very little indeed; I had done no great deed that could be named, and yet Yan Zhongzi offered a hundred pieces of gold to drink long life to my mother. Though I did not accept it, in this he showed that he knew me deeply. That a worthy man, stirred to indignation over a glare of the eye, should give his trust and affection to a man of a poor and out-of-the-way place — how can I alone stay silent and let it rest? Besides, when he sought me out that day, I refused only because of my old mother. My old mother has now come to the end of her natural years. I shall be used by the man who knows me."

So he went west to Puyang, saw Yan Zhongzi, and said: "The reason I would not consent to Zhongzi before was only that my parent was living. Now my parent is gone. Who is it that Zhongzi wishes to take vengeance upon?" Yan Zhongzi told him everything: "My enemy is Kui, the chancellor of Han. Kui is also the youngest uncle of the ruler of Han. His clan is numerous and armed guards are set about him. I have sent men to stab him, but in the end none could bring it off. Now that you are so good as not to cast me off, let me provide more carriages, horsemen, and stout fellows to be your wings." Nie Zheng said: "Han and Wey are not far apart. To kill another man's chancellor now, and a chancellor who is moreover a kinsman of the ruler of the state — in such a case many men will not do. With many men there is bound to be some slip; a slip means the word gets out; and if the word gets out, the whole state of Han will make an enemy of Zhongzi. Would that not be perilous?" So he declined the carriages, horsemen, and attendants, took his leave, and went alone, carrying a sword, to Han.

It happened that Han was holding the meeting at Dongmeng. The king of Han and his chancellor were both there, and those standing guard with weapons and halberds were very many. Nie Zheng went straight in, mounted the steps, and stabbed Han Kui. Han Kui ran and clung to Marquis Ai (哀侯); Nie Zheng stabbed him there and struck Marquis Ai as well. The attendants fell into great confusion. Nie Zheng gave a great shout, and those he killed were several tens of men. Then he flayed his own face and gouged out his eyes, cut himself open and drew out his bowels, and so died. Han took Nie Zheng's corpse to the marketplace and posted a reward of a thousand pieces of gold for him. For a long time no one knew whose son he was.

Nie Zheng's elder sister heard of it and said: "My younger brother was a man of the highest worth. I must not, from love of my own poor body, blot out my brother's name. That was not my brother's intent." So she went to Han. She looked at the body and said: "How brave! The height of his spirit and self-command! In this he has outstripped Ben and Yu and risen above Cheng Jing. Now he has died without a name. Our father and mother are dead, and we have no brothers left; this was done for my sake. To love my own body and not make my brother's name known — that I cannot bear." Then she embraced the corpse and wept over it, saying, "This is my younger brother, Nie Zheng of Shenjing ward in Zhi." And she killed herself beside the body.

Jin, Chu, Qi, and Wey heard of it and said: "It was not Nie Zheng's ability alone; his sister too was a woman of ardor." The reason Nie Zheng's name has spread to later ages is that his sister did not shrink from the punishment of being minced and pickled, and so made his name known.

Strategies of Han, 3 (韓策三)

Someone Spoke to Gongzhong of Han (或謂韓公仲)

Someone said to Gongzhong of Han: "When twins resemble each other, only their mother can tell them apart; when gain and harm resemble each other, only the wise man can tell them apart. Now in your state, gain and harm resemble each other exactly as twins resemble each other. Handle it by the right way, and the ruler is honored and your person safe; fail of the right way, and the ruler is lowered and your person is in danger.

"If the peace between Qin and Wei is now concluded, and it is not you who binds the two of them, then Han will surely become the object of others' schemes. If Han follows Wei in courting Qin, this makes Han a mere follower of Wei; then Han is made light of and its ruler is lowered. Once Qin is on good terms with Han, it will surely wish to install those it loves and trusts and have them manage affairs in Han so as to make its own position complete; and then you are in danger.

"Now if you and the Lord of Ancheng (安成君) work for a peace between Qin and Wei, its succeeding is a blessing and its failing is also a blessing. If the peace between Qin and Wei is concluded and it is you who binds the two of them, then Han is the gate and doorway of Qin and Wei, and Han is weighty and its ruler honored. The Lord of Ancheng will carry weight with Wei in the east and be held in honor by Qin in the west; holding the right half of the tally, he will call in for you the debt of gratitude owed by the rulers of Qin and Wei. To have land cut off for you and to be made a feudal lord — that is the business you should be at. As for settling Han and Wei and being chancellor for life, that is the lower service; but even so, the ruler is honored and your person safe.

"Qin and Wei will not go on listening to each other forever. Qi, angry at not getting Wei, will surely wish to court Han in order to block Wei; and Wei, if it will not obey Qin, will surely take pains to court Han as a guard against Qin. Then it is for you to choose the cloth and cut it. If Qin and Wei are at peace, both states will be in your debt; if they are not at peace, both will vie to serve you. This is what I mean by saying that its succeeding is a blessing and its failing is also a blessing. I hope you will not hesitate."

Someone Spoke to Gongzhong (或謂公仲)

Someone said to Gongzhong: "There is now a single move by which you may be loyal to your ruler, serve the convenience of your state, and profit your own person. I hope you will make it.

"At present, if the world scatters and serves Qin, then Han is the lightest of all; if the world unites and breaks with Qin, then Han is the weakest of all; and if union and division follow one upon another, then Han will be the first to be endangered. This is the great affliction of one who rules a state and heads a people.

"Now if you make Han the first to join with Qin, and the world follows after, then it is Han that brings the world to serve Qin, and Qin's gratitude to Han will be deep. Han will go to court at Qin along with the world, yet alone take a rich store of gratitude from it. If you carry out this plan, it is the utmost loyalty toward your ruler.

"If the world does not join with Qin, and Qin gives orders that are not obeyed, Qin will surely raise troops to punish the disobedient. When Qin has long been locked in enmity and struggle with the world and its arms have reached no decision, Han will rest its officers and people and wait for the crack to open. If you carry out this plan, it is a great convenience for the state.

"In former times Zhou Jiao (周佼) brought Western Zhou to friendship with Qin and was enfeoffed at Gengyang; Zhou Qi (周啟) brought Eastern Zhou to friendship with Qin and was enfeoffed at Pingyuan. Now if you bring Han to friendship with Qin, Han's weight beside the two Zhous is past all reckoning, and the prize Qin contends for is ten thousand times what it was in the case of Zhou. If you make Han the first in the world to join with Qin, Qin will surely make you a feudal lord and display it plainly to the world. If you carry out this plan, it is a great profit to your own person. I hope you will apply yourself to it."

The Men of Han Attacked Song (韓人攻宋)

The men of Han attacked Song. The king of Qin was greatly angered and said: "I love Song as I love Xincheng and Yangjin. Han Min (韓珉) has dealings with me, and yet he attacks what I love most. Why?"

Su Qin, on Han's behalf, persuaded the king of Qin, saying: "Han Min's attack on Song is done for Your Majesty. With Han's strength supported by Song, Chu and Wei will surely take fright; and taking fright, they will surely face west and serve Qin. Your Majesty will not break a single weapon nor kill a single man, and without effort will carve off Anyi. This is what Han Min prays to obtain from Qin."

The king of Qin said: "What has always troubled me is that Han is hard to know: now with the vertical league, now with the horizontal. How do you explain it?"

He answered: "The world itself makes Han knowable. Han has already attacked Song; it must face west and serve Qin, using a state of ten thousand chariots to support itself. If it does not serve Qin in the west, its ground in Song will not be secure. The white-headed wandering men of the Middle States all store up their wits to part Qin and Han. Of those who lean on the crossbar and knot the traces and drive west, not one has spoken for friendship with Han; of those who lean on the crossbar and knot the traces and drive east, not one has spoken for friendship with Qin. Why is it that none of them wishes Han and Qin to join? Because Jin and Chu are shrewd and Han and Qin are foolish. If Jin and Chu unite, they will surely spy upon Han and Qin; if Han and Qin unite, they will surely lay plans against Jin and Chu. Let this settle the matter."

The king of Qin said, "Good."

Someone Spoke to the King of Han (或謂韓王)

Someone said to the king of Han: "The king of Qin means to move against Liang, and wishes to attack Jiang and Anyi. What plan will Han bring forth? Qin's desire to attack Han and so peer eastward at the house of Zhou is such that only in sleep does he forget it. If Han now fails to see this and therefore wishes to side with Qin, it will become the great calamity of the lands east of the mountains.

"Qin's wish to attack Liang comes of its wanting to hold Liang so as to overlook Han; and fearing that Liang will not obey, it wishes to injure Liang in order to make the tie fast. If Your Majesty fails to see this and therefore wishes to stand neutral, Liang will be angry that Han did not side with it, will surely bend and be used by Qin, and Han will surely be taken. I hope Your Majesty will think this over carefully.

"Better to send weighty envoys in haste to Zhao and Liang, and covenant to be brothers again, and have all the lands east of the mountains garrison the western borders of Han and Liang with picked troops. Without this, the lands east of the mountains have no way to save themselves from ruin. This is a plan for ten thousand generations.

"Qin's wish to swallow the world and reign as king over it is not like the ancients'. Serve it as a son serves his father, and it will still destroy you. Let your conduct be like Bo Yi's, and it will still destroy you. Let your conduct be like Jie's and Zhou's, and it will still destroy you. Serving it well is of no use. It cannot make you survive; it serves only to bring your ruin the faster. So then, unless the lands east of the mountains can bind themselves in the vertical league as kin, uniting and holding fast to one another as one, they will surely all perish."

A Man Spoke to the King of Zheng (謂鄭王)

Someone said to the king of Zheng: "Marquis Zhaoli (昭釐侯) was an enlightened ruler of his age, and Shen Buhai (申不害) a worthy man of his age. Han and Wei were states of matched strength, and yet Shen Buhai and Marquis Zhaoli took up the jade tablet and presented themselves to the ruler of Liang. It was not that they loved lowliness and hated honor, nor that they had thought amiss and counselled wrongly. Shen Buhai reckoned the matter thus: 'If I hold the tablet before Wei, the ruler of Wei will surely get his will of Han, and will surely spend himself abroad upon the whole world; and so Wei will be worn out. The feudal lords, hating Wei, will surely serve Han; and so I shall bow beneath one man and stand tall above ten thousand. To weaken the arms of Wei and make heavy the power of Han, there is nothing like paying court to Wei.' Marquis Zhaoli listened and acted upon it: he was an enlightened ruler. Shen Buhai thought the matter through and spoke it: he was a loyal minister. The Han of today is weaker than the Han of that time, and the Qin of today is stronger than the Qin of that time. Today Qin has the mind that the ruler of Liang then had, and yet Your Majesty and your ministers make no business of honoring Qin so as to settle Han. I privately hold that Your Majesty's enlightenment falls short of Marquis Zhaoli's, and that among Your Majesty's ministers none is as loyal as Shen Buhai.

"In old days Duke Mu won a single victory at Hanyuan and became hegemon of the western region; Duke Wen of Jin won a single victory at Chengpu and settled the world. These men, with a single victory, established honor and command and made their achievement and their name in the world. Now Qin has been strong for several generations; its great victories are numbered by the thousand and its small victories by the hundred; yet at the greatest it has not become king, and at the least it has not become hegemon. Its name and honor have found no place to stand, and its ordinances and commands find no place to run; and those who have used arms season after season have not been seeking to make their ruler honored and their name accomplished in the world.

"In old times, when the former kings attacked, some attacked for the name and some for the substance. He who attacks for the name attacks the heart; he who attacks for the substance attacks the form. In old days Wu fought with Yue, and the men of Yue were heavily beaten and took refuge upon Kuaiji. The men of Wu entered Yue and comforted them household by household. The king of Yue sent the grandee Zhong to make peace with Wu, asking that their men be servants and their women handmaids, and that he himself should carry the fowl of submission and follow among the attendants. The men of Wu did indeed listen to his words: they granted the peace and did not bind it with a covenant. This was attacking the heart. Afterward Yue fought with Wu, and the men of Wu were heavily beaten and also asked that their men be servants and their women handmaids, offering to serve Yue with the very rites by which Yue had served Wu. The men of Yue would not hear of it; they went on to ruin the state of Wu and take Fuchai captive. This was attacking the form. Now if you would attack the heart, you should act as Wu did; if you would attack the form, you should act as Yue did. But in attacking the form you are not the equal of Yue, and in attacking the heart you are not the equal of Wu, and yet ruler and minister, high and low, young and old, noble and base, all cry out for hegemon and king. I privately think this is like going down into a well and saying, 'I shall get fire for you.'

"At the meeting at Dongmeng, Nie Zheng and Yang Jian (陽堅) stabbed the chancellor and the ruler along with him. Xu Yi (許異) nudged Marquis Ai and had him fall as though slain, and then set him up as ruler of Zheng. There was none among the multitude of Han who did not obey his orders, because Xu Yi had taken the lead in the matter. Thus Marquis Ai was ruler, and Xu Yi was chancellor to the end of his life; and Han honored Xu Yi as it honored Marquis Ai. Today no such thing can be done for a ruler of Zheng, yet one might still be chancellor for life; and to say 'even so I will not do it' — is that not a plan gone wrong?

"In old days Duke Huan of Qi assembled the feudal lords nine times, and never once without the command of King Xiang of Zhou. So although he honored King Xiang, Duke Huan yet made his hegemony sure; and those who joined in the nine assemblies honored Duke Huan as they honored King Xiang. Today no Son of Heaven can be made, and yet to say 'even though it would make me a Duke Huan, I will not do it' — is that not a plan gone wrong and an ignorance of what should be honored?

"The officers of Han were some hundreds of thousands, and all upheld Marquis Ai as their ruler, yet Xu Yi alone took the chancellorship; there was no other reason for it. Among the rulers of the feudal lords there was none who did not take up service for the house of Zhou, yet Duke Huan alone took the hegemony; there too was no other reason. Now the strong state is about to have its opening toward emperorship and kingship, and he who puts his own state forward first will be of the kind of Duke Huan and Xu Yi. Can that not be called good planning?

"As for the advantage of siding first with the strong state: if the strong state can become king, then I shall surely be its hegemon; if the strong state cannot become king, then I can keep clear of its arms and make it not attack me. So if the strong state's business succeeds, I set up the emperor and am hegemon; and if the strong state's business fails, it will still be deeply in my debt. Side with the strong state now, and if the strong state's business succeeds there is blessing, and if it fails there is no trouble. So then, to side first with the strong state is a sage's plan."

Han Yang, on Campaign in Sanchuan, Wished to Go Home (韓陽役於三川而欲歸)

Han Yang (韓陽) was on campaign in Sanchuan and wished to go home. Zu Qiang (足強) spoke for him to the king of Han, saying: "Sanchuan has submitted. Does Your Majesty know it? The men on the campaign are about to join in raising up a prince." At this the king summoned all the princes serving on the campaign in Sanchuan and brought them home.

Qin Is a Great State (秦大國)

Qin is a great state; Han is a small state. Han was far estranged from Qin. Yet it wished to be counted an intimate of Qin, and the plan for it could not be carried through without gold. So Han sold a beauty. The price of the beauty was high, and the feudal lords could not buy her; so Qin bought her for three thousand in gold. Han then used that gold to serve Qin, and so Qin got back both its gold and Han's beauty. And Han's beauty thereupon said to Qin, "Han is far estranged from Qin." Looked at in this way, Han lost both the beauty and the gold, and its estrangement from Qin only became the plainer.

So a traveling persuader said to Han: "Better to stop extravagant spending and make that into the gold with which to serve Qin. Then the gold would go through, and Han's estrangement from Qin would not be made plain. A beauty is one who knows what goes on within; therefore the good planner does not let what goes on within be seen."

Zhang Chou Brought Qi and Chu to Terms with Wei (張丑之合齊楚講於魏)

When Zhang Chou (張丑) was bringing Qi and Chu to terms with Wei, he said to Gongzhong of Han: "If you now press your attack on Wei's town of Yun, Wei will be hard pressed and will surely make peace with Qi and Chu by ceding land. So you had better not attack. If Wei is left at ease, it will surely fight. If it wins the battle, it will be easy for you to attack Yun and take it; if it does not win, then Wei will hand the place over to you."

Gongzhong said, "Agreed."

Zhang Chou then said to Qi and Chu: "Han has already sided with Wei. If you think not, then look and see whether Gongzhong attacks." Gongzhong did not attack. Qi and Chu took fright, and so came to terms with Wei without telling Han.

Someone Spoke to the Chancellor of Han (或謂韓相國)

Someone said to the chancellor of Han: "The reason men are on good terms with Bian Que (扁鵲) is that they have swellings and sores; if they were on good terms with Bian Que and had no swellings, then no one would trouble to be so. Now the reason you serve the king and cultivate the Lord of Pingyuan is that you are ill regarded by Qin; but it is precisely your cultivating the Lord of Pingyuan that makes you ill regarded by Qin. I hope you will think it over carefully."

Gongzhong Sent Han Min to Qin to Ask for Wusui (公仲使韓珉之秦求武隧)

Gongzhong sent Han Min to Qin to ask for Wusui, but feared that Chu would be angered. The guest Tang (唐客) said to Gongzhong: "Han's serving Qin, when it is done in order to ask for Wusui, is nothing that our humble state hates. Once Han has got Wusui, its position will be such that it can then be on good terms with Chu. I would say something, though I dare not plan for Chu. As things stand, in Han those senior kinsmen who command a following do not hold the chancellorship; Han cannot stand alone, and by the force of things will not be friendly with Chu. Our king has said: 'I should like to back Han Min with my state and make him chancellor. May it be done? The senior kinsmen hate Min, so Min will surely make his state take shelter with Chu.'"

Gongzhong was pleased. He got the guest Tang a post among the ministers and put him in charge of affairs between Han and Chu.

The Han Chancellor Gongzhong Min Sent Han Chi to Qin (韓相公仲珉使韓侈之秦)

Gongzhong Min, chancellor of Han, sent Han Chi (韓侈) to Qin to ask that Wei be attacked, and the king of Qin was pleased with him. While Han Chi was at Tang, Gongzhong Min died. Han Chi said to the king of Qin: "Wei's envoy said to Han Chen (韓辰), the succeeding chancellor, 'You must, for Wei's sake, lay a charge against Han Chi.' Han Chen said, 'It cannot be done. The king of Qin has given him office and has moreover made an agreement with him.' The envoy said, 'Qin gave Han Chi office in order to give weight to Gongzhong. Now Gongzhong is dead. If Han Chi goes to Qin, Qin will surely not let him in; and if it does let him in, why should it keep him at its side to spite the king of Wei?' Han Chen was troubled by this, and is about to listen to him. If Your Majesty does not summon Han Chi now, Han Chi will go into hiding in the mountains."

The king of Qin said: "How could anyone think me so changeable as that! Where is he hiding now?" He summoned Han Chi and gave him office.

A Guest Minister Spoke to the King of Qin for Han (客卿為韓謂秦王)

A guest minister spoke to the king of Qin on Han's behalf, saying: "In Han Min's counsels he knows his own ruler and knows no other ruler, knows his own state and knows no other state. As for Gongzhong, the power of Qin can bring him low; and of those who set their heads against the strength of Qin, Min is the fiercest. He advanced the troops of Qi and Song as far as Shouyuan and pressed far on to the outer wall of Liang. The reason he did not press home against Wei was that he meant to make peace and pass by the road through Nanyang, wishing to turn the four states westward. The reason they did not do so was that all said Yan lost land to Qi, Wei lost land to Qin, and Chen and Cai were destroyed by Chu, and in all these the lie of the land had been severed. The assembled ministers band together to blind the one above them, and the great ministers, for the sake of the feudal lords, make their own state light.

"Now Your Majesty's ranks are rightly ordered. For all Zhang Yi's (張儀) honor, he may not sit in judgment on Gongsun Hao (公孫郝): this is the attendant ministers not meddling with the great ministers. For all Gongsun Hao's honor, he may not sit in judgment on Gan Mao (甘茂): this is the great ministers not meddling with the intimate ministers. When high and low do not meddle with each other, each holds his own place and all converge like spokes upon a hub in serving the one above them; and then which of the ministers is worthy and which unworthy can be known. This is the first proof of Your Majesty's clear sight.

"Gongsun Hao was once eager for Qi and Han, and yet gained no added honor by it; so those who are great ministers will not dare, for the sake of the feudal lords, to make their own state light. Qi and Han once worked through Gongsun Hao and were not received; so the feudal lords will not dare to work through Your Majesty's ministers and think themselves able. When outside and inside do not act for one another, then the truth and falsehood of the feudal lords can be known. This is the second proof of Your Majesty's clear sight.

"Gongsun Hao and Chuli Ji (樗里疾) asked that Han not be attacked, and the ranks were broken up and withdrawn, yet Your Majesty attacked all the same. Gan Mao made a compact with Chu and Zhao and then turned about and paid court to Wei, coming to terms at our expense; and when Mao was about to attack Yiyang, Your Majesty still kept a check upon him. The knowledge of the assembled ministers comes nowhere near Your Majesty's clear sight. Therefore I would have Gongzhong bring his state to wait upon Your Majesty, and not have it come by way of those at Your Majesty's side."

Han Min Was Chancellor of Qi (韓珉相齊)

Han Min was chancellor of Qi. He ordered his officers to drive out Gongchou Shu (公疇豎), and was greatly angered that Zhou had detained the Lord of Chengyang (成陽君). Someone said to Han Min: "You take these two men to be worthy men. Will the state they enter therefore employ them? In that case it were better that they stayed in a small state. Why? Because the Lord of Chengyang left Han for Qin's sake, and Gongchou Shu is favored by the king of Chu. If you now drive them out, the two men will certainly go into Qin and Chu, and will certainly become a trouble to you. Moreover it will make plain to the world that you are no friend to men. Those in the world who wish you no good, and those who want something of Qi, will take these two up, and will use them to bear down upon Qi and to make a market of you."

Someone Spoke to the Lord of Shanyang (或謂山陽君)

Someone said to the Lord of Shanyang (山陽君): "Qin enfeoffed you with Shanyang, and Qi enfeoffed you with Ju. If Qi and Qin did not do so out of regard for Han, then it was for the worth of your own conduct. Now Chu attacks Qi and takes Ju: at the first, it will not deal with Qi; and next, it will not put you in possession. This is to press upon the majesty of Qi and Qin and to make light of Han." The Lord of Shanyang thereupon sent him to Chu.

Zhao and Wei Attacked Huayang (趙魏攻華陽)

Zhao and Wei attacked Huayang, and Han reported its distress to Qin. Caps and carriage canopies were within sight of one another on the road, yet Qin sent no relief. The chancellor of Han said to Tian Ling (田苓): "The matter is urgent. Though you are ill, I beg you to make the journey of a single night."

Tian Ling saw the Marquis of Rang (穰侯). The Marquis of Rang said, "Is Han hard pressed? Why has it sent you?"

Tian Ling answered, "It is not yet hard pressed."

The Marquis of Rang said angrily: "What sort of envoy for your king is this? Caps and canopies are within sight of one another on the road, telling our humble state that the case is most urgent; and you say it is not urgent. Why?"

Tian Ling said: "If Han were truly hard pressed, it would change sides."

The Marquis of Rang said: "You need not see the king. Let me have troops sent out to rescue Han." Within eight days Zhao and Wei were heavily defeated below Huayang.

Qin Drew Chu In and Attacked Qi (秦招楚而伐齊)

Qin drew Chu in and attacked Qi. Leng Xiang said to Chen Zhen (陳軫): "The king of Qin will surely look outward for allies. Those in Chu who favor Qi, knowing that in the west there is no joining with Qin, will surely take pains to bring Chu together with Qi. If Qi and Chu unite, Yan and Zhao will not dare disobey. With four states Qi will face Qin, and Qi will not be brought to extremity."

Xiang said: "If the king of Qin truly must attack Qi, it were better first to win over those in Chu who favor Qi. Those in Chu who favor Qi have been laboring first of all to bring Chu together with Qi; win them, and Chu will surely go over to Qin. With mighty Qin holding Jin and Chu, Yan and Zhao will not dare disobey, and Qi will be left alone. Let me persuade the king of Qin on your behalf."

Han Drove Xiang Jin Out at Zhou (韓氏逐向晉於周)

Han had Xiang Jin (向晉) driven out at Zhou. Cheng Hui (成恢) of Zhou spoke for him to the king of Wei, saying: "Zhou will surely relent and bring him back. Why does Your Majesty not speak for him first? Then Your Majesty will have Xiang Jin at Zhou for his own."

The king of Wei said, "Agreed."

Cheng Hui then spoke on the same account to the king of Han, saying: "It was Han that drove Xiang Jin out, and it is Wei that will bring him back. How much better if he were restored by way of Han! As matters stand, Wei will have Xiang Jin at Zhou, and Your Majesty will have lost him."

The king of Han said, "Good," and he too asked that Xiang Jin be restored.

Zhang Deng Made a Proposal to Fei Xie (張登請費緤)

Zhang Deng (張登) made a proposal to Fei Xie (費緤), saying: "Let me have Prince Nian (公子年) say to the king of Han: 'As for Fei Xie, Western Zhou counts him an enemy and Eastern Zhou counts him a treasure. His household is worth ten thousand in gold. Why does Your Majesty not summon him and make him warden of Sanchuan? Then Xie will hold Sanchuan on guard against Western Zhou, and will spend his whole household in serving Your Majesty. Western Zhou will hate it, and will surely offer up the vessels of the former kings to stop Your Majesty.' The king of Han will certainly do it; and when Western Zhou hears of it, it will surely release you from your offense in order to put a stop to the business."

The Censor of Anyi Died (安邑之御史死)

The censor of Anyi died, and the man next in line feared he would not get the post. A man of the Shu ward spoke for him to the magistrate of Anyi, saying: "Gongsun Qi (公孫綦) asked the king for the censorship on someone's behalf, and the king said, 'Is there not already a man next in line there? It would be hard for me to break their rule.'" At this the magistrate at once appointed the next man.

The King of Wei Made the Covenant of Jiuli (魏王為九里之盟)

The king of Wei made the covenant of Jiuli, meaning to restore the Son of Heaven. Fang Xi (房喜) said to the king of Han: "Do not consent to it. The great states hate having a Son of Heaven, while the small states profit by one. If Your Majesty, together with the great states, does not consent, how can Wei set him up with the small states alone?"

The Lord of Jianxin Made Light of Han Xi (建信君輕韓熙)

The Lord of Jianxin (建信君) made light of Han Xi (韓熙). Zhao Ao (趙敖) spoke on Han Xi's behalf to the Lord of Jianxin, saying: "In the shape of the state, the one whose having means survival and whose lacking means ruin is Wei; the one you cannot do without if you would have the vertical league is Han. Now your making light of Han Xi comes of your having good dealings with Chu and Wei. When Qin sees that your dealings have turned to friendship with Chu and Wei, its winning over of Han will be all the heavier. Under the vertical league Han counts for little; under the horizontal Han counts for much; and then the one left without a league is the one made light of. If Qin sends troops out into Sanchuan, it will besiege Yan in the south, and the roads through Cai and Shao will be cut. Wei will be hard pressed, and its rescue of Zhao will surely be slow. If Qin raises its army and breaks Handan, Zhao will surely perish. So if you win over Han, no crack will be left open."

Duan Chan Spoke to the Lord of Xincheng (段產謂新城君)

Duan Chan (段產) said to the Lord of Xincheng: "A man who walks by night may keep from doing anything wicked, but he cannot keep the dogs from barking at him. Now I hold a post among the palace gentlemen. I can keep from speaking against you before the king, but I cannot keep others from speaking against me before you. I hope you will look into it."

Duangan Yueren Spoke to the Lord of Xincheng (段干越人謂新城君)

Duangan Yueren (段干越人) said to the Lord of Xincheng: "A disciple of Wang Liang (王良) was driving, and said he would make a thousand li. He met a disciple of Zaofu (造父), and the disciple of Zaofu said, 'The horse will not do a thousand li.' Wang Liang's disciple said, 'The horse is a thousand-li horse, and the inner pair are a thousand-li team. Why then can it not do a thousand li?' The other said, 'Your leading rope is too long. The rope, in the whole business of driving, is one part in ten thousand, and yet it makes the journey of a thousand li hard.' Now though I am of little worth, I too am one part in ten thousand in Qin; and that the chancellor, when he sees me, does not lift the obstruction — this is the leading rope being too long."

Colophon

This file was prepared for the Chinese shelf of the Good Works Library, translated independently from the classical Chinese text printed below. Each persuasion and anecdote keeps its own heading as the 士禮居叢書 text divides it, and speeches are rendered as continuous direct discourse rather than broken into summary. Only the main text is translated; the interlinear commentary of Bao Biao and Yao Hong, together with the collation notes set in 〔 〕, are printed in the source layer but not rendered into English.

J. I. Crump's Chan-kuo Ts'e (1970; revised 1996) is a complete published English translation of the Zhanguo Ce and is named here as a control-in-existence; it was not fetched or consulted in preparing this file, and no claim of firstness is made for this translation.

A note on one name: Han Kui, the assassinated chancellor, is also referred to by his title alone in places the source varies its reference; his killer Nie Zheng and his patron Yan Sui, called Yan Zhongzi, are kept consistent throughout by the names given them at first appearance.

Prepared for the Good Work Library by the Tianmu Anglican Church with AI-assisted translation and editorial work.

🌲

Source Text: 戰國策 韓策

Classical Chinese text in the Chinese Wikisource transcription of the 士禮居叢書 edition, with the commentary of Bao Biao and Yao Hong and the collation notes set in 〔 〕 as the transcription carries them. Presented complete for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above; the commentary is not translated.

韓策 一

〔鮑本韓　分晉得南陽及潁川之父城、定襄、襄城、穎陽、潁陰、長社、陽翟。東接汝南，西接弘農。得新安、宜陽。正曰：鄭，今河南之新鄭及成皋、榮陽，潁川之崇高、城陽。鮑引漢地理志為言，鄭亦韓地，而獨遺不取，誤矣。〕

三晉已破智氏

三晉已破智氏，將分其地。段規謂韓王曰：「分地必取成皋。」〔鮑本補曰：見秦策。〕韓王曰：「成皋，石溜〔鮑本溜，言其無積潤。補曰：溜，言多山石，水所溜也。〕之地也，寡人無所用之。」段規曰：「不然，臣聞一里之厚，而動千里之權者，地利也。萬人之眾，而破三軍者，不意〔鮑本言地薄，鄭人不備。正曰：言地險，寡足破眾。〕也。王用臣言，則韓必取鄭矣。」〔鮑本正曰：取鄭在哀侯二年。〕王〔鮑本諸稱王，皆非當時語。〕曰：「善。」果取成皋。至韓之取鄭也，果從成皋始。

大成午從趙來

大成午〔鮑本「大」字在上篇《三晉已破智氏》末「果從成皋始」下。○　札記丕烈案：吳讀亦如此，然誤也。當以「大」字下別為一章。此策文亦見韓子內儲說下，可證也。大成午又見趙世家、古今人表。〕從趙來，謂申不害〔鮑本補曰：史，申不害者，荊人也。故鄭之賤臣，學術以干韓昭侯，用為相。〕於韓曰：「子以韓重我於趙，請以趙重子於韓，是子有兩韓，而我〔札記今本「我」誤「子」。〕有兩趙也。」

魏之圍邯鄲

魏之圍邯鄲也。申不害始合於韓王，然未知王之所欲也，恐言而未必中於王也。王問申子曰：「吾誰與而可？」〔鮑本與魏耶，趙耶？〕對曰：「此安危之要，國家之大事也。臣請深惟〔鮑本惟，亦思。〕而苦思之。」乃微謂趙卓、韓鼂曰：「子皆國之辯士也，夫為人臣者，言可〔鮑本可，豈可。〕必用，盡忠而已矣。」二人各進〔鮑本「各」上補「因」字。○　補曰：一本「各進」。謂以事議於王。〕議於王以事。申子微視王之所說以言於王，王大說之。〔鮑本補曰：此術之最下者。〕

申子請仕其從兄官

申子請仕其從兄官，〔鮑本仕其從父兄以官。正曰：註贅。〕昭侯不許也。申子有怨色。昭侯曰：「非所謂〔姚本劉無「謂」字。〕學於子者也。聽子之謁，而廢子之道乎？又亡其行子之術，而廢子之謁〔鮑本「謁」作「請」。○〕乎？子嘗教寡人循功勞，視次第。今有所求，此〔鮑本此，如此。補曰：「此」當屬下句讀。〕我將奚聽乎？」申子乃辟舍請罪，曰：「君真其人也！」

蘇秦為楚合從說韓王

蘇秦為楚〔鮑本「楚」作「趙」。○　補曰：字誤，恐當作「趙」。〕合從說韓王曰：「韓北有鞏、洛、〔鮑本並屬河南。〕成皋之固，西有宜陽、常阪〔鮑本「常」，史作「商」。　殷紀注，商，今上洛是也。補曰：正義云，商阪即商山，在商洛縣南，亦曰楚山，武關在焉。〕之塞，東有宛、穰、洧水，〔鮑本穰屬南陽。洧水出潁川陽城。〕南有陘山，〔鮑本補曰：見前。〕地方千里，帶甲數十萬。天下之強弓勁弩，皆自韓出。谿子、少府〔鮑本下皆弩名。俶真訓註，谿子，國名，夷名。又谿子，陽匠名。徐註，少府所造。〕時力、距來，〔鮑本徐注，作之得時，力倍於常，其勁足以距來敵。正曰：徐註「距來」者，謂弩勢勁利，足以云云。〕皆射六百步之外。韓卒超〔姚本劉作「跕」，錢作「帖」。〕足而射，〔鮑本舉蹠踏弩。〕百發不暇止，遠者達胸，近者掩心。〔鮑本箭中心上，如掩。〕韓卒之劍戟，皆出於冥山、棠谿、墨陽、合伯〔姚本曾無「伯」字。〕膊。〔鮑本無「膊」字。○　正曰：「合伯」，史作「合膊」。　札記丕烈案：考無者當是。索隱曰，按戰國策作「合伯」，春秋後語作「合相」，可證。「伯」、「膊」聲之轉也。「相」當作「柏」，「柏」、「伯」同字，形近之訛耳。此或用史記注「膊」於旁，乃誤入正文。〕鄧師、宛馮、〔鮑本司馬彪注，冥山在相州北，汝南吳房有棠谿亭。脩務訓註，墨陽，美劍名。合伯，地缺。鄧師，豈南陽鄧耶？猶云洛師。榮陽有馮池。正曰：相州北非韓地，餘見下。〕龍淵、大阿，〔鮑本吳越春秋，「楚王召風胡子曰：『吳有干將，越有歐冶，寡人欲因子請此二人作劍。』風胡見云人，作劍二」，其名云。以上類，言以地名。正曰：脩務訓文云，「墨陽之莫邪」，則墨陽地名。「合伯」，史作「合膊」。姚本「合伯膊」，註，曾無「伯」字。索隱云，鄧國有工鑄劍，因名鄧師。宛人於馮池鑄劍，故名宛馮。晉太唐地理記，汝南西平有龍泉，可淬刀劍。今按上說，冥山、棠谿、龍淵，地名。鄧師、宛馮人名兼地。太阿，劍名。合膊等未詳。〕皆陸斷馬牛，水擊鵠鴈，〔札記今本「鴈」誤「雁」。〕當敵即斬堅。甲、盾、鞮、鍪、〔鮑本盾，櫓。鞮，革履。鍪，兜鍪。說文，鍪，鍑屬。鍑，大口釜，蓋鍪如之。補曰：韻書，鞮鍪，首鎧也。〕鐵幕、革抉、㕭〔鮑本「㕭」作「㕹」。○　音筏。　札記丕烈案：史記作「㕹」，即盾。〕芮，〔鮑本史並不註。補曰：索隱云，鐵幕，謂以鐵為臂脛之衣，以革為射決。決，射鞴也。按詩「決拾」，傳，決，以象骨為之，著右手大指，以鉤弦闓體。拾，以皮為之，著於左臂，以遂弦。恐此革，即拾；抉，即決也。索隱即以為一物，蓋據說文「鞴射臂決」之文也，亦通。索隱云，㕹與瞂同，謂楯也；芮，音如字，謂繫楯之紛綬也。愚按，㕹，音伐，即詩所謂「蒙伐」者，字皆通借。史云，「當敵則斬堅甲，鐵幕、革援，㕹芮，無不畢具」。故說者上文以「甲」字句，謂其劍皆能斬之。策文不可從此讀，當以「斬堅」句，而「甲盾」以下，屬「無不具」之文。〕無不畢具。以韓卒之勇，被堅甲，蹠勁弩，帶利劍，一人當百，不足言也。夫以韓之勁，與大王之賢，乃欲西面事秦，稱東藩，築帝宮，受冠帶，祠春秋，交臂而服焉。夫羞社稷而為天下笑，無過此者矣。是故願大王之熟計之也。大王事秦，秦必求宜陽、成皋。今茲效之，明年又益求割地。與之，即無地以給之；不與，則棄前功而後更受其禍。且夫大王之地有盡，而秦之求無已。夫以有盡之地，而逆無已之求，此所謂市怨而買禍者也，不戰而地已削矣。臣聞鄙語曰：『寧為雞口，無為牛後。』〔姚本續云：顏氏家訓引作「寧為雞尸，不為牛從」。　鮑本補曰：正義云，雞口雖小，乃進食；牛後雖大，乃出糞。大事記取。正曰：索隱引延篤云，寧為雞尸，不為牛從。尸，雞中主；從，牛子也。沈說亦有所本也。　札記丕烈案：顏氏家訓書證云，延篤戰國策音義也，姚已引，但不云延篤，非。鮑以為沈括辨，更非矣。〕今大王西面交臂而臣事秦，何以異於牛後乎？夫以大王之賢，挾強韓之兵，而有牛後之名，臣竊為大王羞之。」

韓王忿然作色，攘臂按劍，仰天太息曰：「寡人雖死，必不能事秦。今主君以楚〔鮑本補曰：字誤，史正作「趙」。〕王之教詔之，敬奉社稷以從。」〔鮑本傳在燕、趙後，云宣惠王。今按合從在燕文公二十八年，趙肅侯十六年。此二十五年。又蘇秦傳說六國後去趙，而從約解，是歲燕易王立。徐註云，自初說燕至此三年，宣惠之元年也。此時從已解，則說從時非宣惠明矣。沈括辨以為雞尸、牛從。今按秦稱牛後，蓋以惡語侵韓，故昭侯怒而從之。雞尸、牛從，謬誤也。正曰：大事記，顯王三十五年，蘇秦說燕與趙合從，燕文公納之趙。三十六年，蘇秦說趙肅侯以六國合從。按史年表，是歲韓昭侯二十六年，高門成而昭侯卒，子宣惠王立。蘇秦說宣惠王，蓋昭侯卒後爾。鮑序次非。〕

張儀為秦連橫說韓王

張儀為秦連橫說韓王曰：〔鮑本補曰：此元年。〕「韓地險惡，山居，五穀所生，非麥而豆；〔姚本史記、後語作「非菽而麥」。〕民之所食，大抵豆飯〔姚本續云：古語只稱菽，漢以後方呼豆。史記，飯菽。後語，菽飯。〕藿羹；〔鮑本藿，菽之少者。補曰：按此非麥即豆也，麥少又以豆飯。〕一歲不收，民不饜糟糠；地方不滿九百里，無二歲之所食。料大王之卒，悉之不過三十萬，而廝徒負養〔鮑本負荷養牧之人。正曰：索隱云，負養者，負擔以給養公家。廝徒，見魏策。〕在其中矣，為除守徼亭鄣塞，〔鮑本徼，巡也。亦關境上。補曰：漢書「徼外」。顏云，徼，塞也，取徼遮之義，字音叫。〕見卒不過二十萬而已矣。〔鮑本無「矣」字。○　札記丕烈案：史記有。〕秦帶甲百餘萬，車千乘，騎萬匹，虎摯〔鮑本「摯」作「鷙」。○　鷙，擊鳥。正曰：「鷙」，「摯」通。禮記，「蚤摯」，「摯獸」。凡鳥之勇，獸之猛，皆曰摯。　札記丕烈案：「摯」，史記作「賁」。〕之士，跿跔〔鮑本跿音徒，跔音俱。說文，天寒足跔，與此不合。史註，跳躍也。補曰：跿，猶下文徒裎。此謂徒跣也，義與科頭協。〕科頭，〔鮑本不著兜鍪。〕貫頤〔鮑本貫人之頤。正曰：此說似與上文不類。索隱曰，兩手捧頤而直入敵，言其勇。「貫」與「捧」亦不通。劉辰翁云，貫頤，謂見射猶奮戟，不顧死也。則此連下文「奮戟」為義。〕奮戟者，至不可勝計也。秦馬之良，戎兵之眾，探前趹〔鮑本「趹」作「蹶」。○　字書無「趹」字。蹶，跳也。正曰：說文，趹，馬行貌。西都賦，要趹追蹤。字古宂反。索隱云，謂馬前足探向前，後足趹於後。趹，謂抉地，言馬走勢疾，前後蹄間一擲而過三尋也。八尺曰尋。〕後，蹄間三尋〔姚本曾添「騰者」二字。　鮑本補曰：一本此有「騰」字。　札記今本脫「者」字。丕烈案：史記作「騰者」。〕者，不可稱數也。山東之卒，被甲冒冑〔鮑本冑，兜鍪。〕以會戰，秦人捐甲徒裎〔鮑本裎，裸也。〕以趨敵，左挈人頭，右挾生虜。夫秦卒之與山東之卒也，猶孟賁之與怯夫也；以重力相壓，猶烏獲之與嬰兒也。夫戰孟賁、烏獲之士，以攻不服之弱國，無以異於墮千鈞之重，集於鳥卵之上，必無幸矣。〔鮑本幸其不破碎，無是理也。〕諸侯不料兵之弱，食之寡，而聽從人之甘言好辭，比周以相飾也，皆言曰：『聽吾計則可以強霸天下。』夫不顧社稷之長利，而聽須臾之說，詿誤〔鮑本詿，亦誤也。補曰：漢語「詿誤」本此。〕人主者，無過於此者矣。大王不事秦，秦下甲據宜陽，斷絕韓之上地；東取成皋、宜陽，則鴻臺之宮，桑林之菀，〔鮑本桑林，在亳。修務訓言，湯禱于桑山之林，則似指言多桑之山，非地名也。正曰：鴻臺、桑林，韓臺苑，非湯所禱者也。太平御覽作「樂林」。　札記丕烈案：史記作「桑林」。徐廣曰，「桑」一作「栗」。索隱曰，亦見戰國策，當指徐注「栗」字言之。今國策作「桑」，當是後人用史記文所改。御覽作「樂」，亦訛字也。〕非王之有已。夫塞成皋，絕上地，則王之國分矣。先事秦則安矣，不事〔札記「事」，鮑本作「成」。丕烈案：史記作「事」。〕秦則危矣。夫造禍而求福，計淺而怨深，逆秦而順楚，〔鮑本「楚」作「趙」。○　札記丕烈案：史記作「楚」。下文自可見。鮑改誤甚。〕雖欲無亡，不可得也。故為大王計，莫如事秦。秦之所欲，莫如弱楚，而能弱楚者莫如韓。非以韓能強於楚也，其地勢然也。今王西面而事秦以攻楚，為敝邑，〔鮑本衍「為」字。補曰：一本無。　札記丕烈案：史記無「為敝邑」三字，策文不同，當以此三字別為句。「為」，讀去聲。鮑云衍者非，一本亦誤。〕秦王〔鮑本惠文。〕必喜。夫攻楚而私其地，轉禍而說秦，計無便於此者也。是故秦王使使臣獻書大王御史，須以決事。」

韓王曰：「客幸而教之，請比郡縣，築帝宮，祠春秋，稱東藩，效宜陽。」〔鮑本彪謂：橫人之辭，真所謂虛喝者。韓之兵信弱，食信寡矣，獨不曰從合則能以弱為強，以寡為多乎？惜乎世主不少察於此也。補曰：甘茂攻宜陽在後，此云效者，請效之也。儀歸而約敗矣。〕

宣王謂摎留

宣〔姚本一作「韓」。〕王謂摎留〔鮑本韓人。補曰：摎，居尤反。漢有摎氏。通鑑、大事記作「繆」。　札記丕烈案：韓子兩見此事，皆作「韓宣王謂樛留」。樛、摎同字也。〕曰：「吾欲兩用公仲、公叔，其可乎？」對曰：「不可。晉用六卿而國分，簡公用田成、監止〔鮑本補曰：「監」即「闞」。魏策「闞」，史作「監」。田齊世家亦作「監止」。　札記丕烈案：韓子作「監」。「闞止」見左氏傳。〕而簡公弒，〔鮑本齊。事見哀十四年。〕魏兩〔姚本劉無「兩」字。〕用犀首、張儀而西河之外亡。〔鮑本秦惠八年，魏納河西，儀時為秦客卿，未相魏也。後至魏襄十三年相儀，儀留四年去而衍相，未嘗兩用，未嘗亡也。此豈為秦良造儀為客卿時，魏以事聽之邪？正曰：大事記，魏惠後十三年張儀相魏，魏不事秦，秦以公孫衍代相。儀留衛四歲，後說襄王，久之乃去。二人更迭用，衍相，儀留，猶兩用也。魏亡河西地，大概言之，不必兩人為相時也。大事記，魏惠後五年，以少梁與秦，引此策云，秦至是盡得河西地，則犀首、張儀之力，是時二人皆信用於秦云云。〕今王兩用之，其多力者內樹其黨，其寡力者籍外權。群臣或內樹其黨以擅〔鮑本補曰：韓子作「驕」。〕其主，〔札記丕烈案：韓子作「以驕主」，無「其」字。〕或外為交以裂其地，則王之國必危矣。」〔鮑本彪謂：此非天下之公議也，顧所用如何耳。使得人如周、召，兩用之，庸何傷？若公仲、公叔也，一之謂甚，何必兩。補曰：胡氏管見，謂摎留之論，似是而非，不可遂以為法。使所用而賢，則一人而足，不虞其專擅；左右參副，不虞其比黨。使其不賢，則一人足以喪國，又況二三其眾乎！意者留於仲、叔陰有所附，欲國柄歸一而不分，故危言以動其君耳。大事記云，韓雖兩用仲、叔，以戰國策攷之，仲實專政，叔亦間用事，終不若仲之權寵也。愚按，鮑說有與胡氏合者，而不得留之情，故引以著之。按此策，宣惠欲兩用，非已用也。當時叔之事不著，意其止於用仲，而仲、叔並用，實襄王之世。以其爭主幾瑟、公子咎知之也。公仲卒不勝公叔，則公叔又重矣。二人爭權，摎留之言遂驗。是以帝王之要，知人而后官人，九經之序，尊賢而后敬大臣，則無患乎此矣。〕

張儀謂齊王

張儀〔鮑本「張」上補「謂」字，「儀」下補「臣」字。○　補曰：章首有缺文。〕謂齊〔札記今本「齊」誤「秦」。〕王〔鮑本閔。正曰：見前。〕曰：「王不如資韓朋，與之逐張儀於魏。魏因相犀首，〔鮑本齊使相之。〕因以齊、魏廢韓朋，而相公叔以伐秦。公仲聞之，必不入於齊。據公於魏，〔鮑本此士言其效也。齊廢公仲而逐儀，故公仲據儀不合齊。〕是公無患。」〔鮑本此士計，非先逐張儀，不能得衍合魏；非合魏，不能廢朋；朋怒，則復善儀矣。於此，然後知公仲之名朋也。原在韓策。正曰：事與公仲、公叔相涉，當從舊策。有「魏因相犀首」之語，當是惠王時，說見下章。〕

楚昭獻相韓

楚昭獻相韓。秦且攻韓，韓廢昭獻。昭獻令人謂公叔曰：「不如貴昭〔姚本一本無「昭」字。〕獻以固楚，秦必曰楚、韓合矣。」〔鮑本正曰：此策未知何時。按策有云，幾瑟，公叔之讎；而昭獻，公叔之人也。又甘茂與昭獻遇於境，在先圍雍氏時。其相韓，見周策，必在宣惠之後。〕

秦攻陘

秦攻陘，〔鮑本此時史不書。後至桓惠九年，秦拔我陘。然陳軫、張儀同時，儀死至桓惠九年，四十六年矣，軫必不存。故因舊。〕韓〔姚本曾無「韓」字。〕使人馳〔鮑本馳，反走示服也。〕南陽之地。秦已馳，〔鮑本馳，進也。韓避之，而秦進也。〕又攻陘，韓因割南陽之地。秦受地，又攻陘。陳軫謂秦王〔鮑本惠。〕曰：「國形不便故馳，交不親故割。今割矣而交不親，馳矣而兵不止，臣恐山東之無以馳割〔札記今本「馳割」誤「割地」。〕事王者矣。且王求百金於三川而不可得，求千金於韓，一旦而具。今王攻韓，是絕上交而固私府也，〔鮑本言利移於下。正曰：即所謂「無以馳割事王者矣」。〕竊為王弗〔鮑本「弗」作「不」。○〕取也。」

五國約而攻秦

五國約而攻秦，〔鮑本趙惠文十三年，此十年。正曰：說誤，見下。〕楚王為從長，〔鮑本頃襄。補曰：此懷王為從長，合齊、趙、韓、魏、燕及匈奴伐秦時，事在懷王十一年，韓宣惠王十五年。說見趙策。　此策文見孔叢子，以為子順之言，其註謂魏公子無忌率五國兵敗蒙恬，為尤誤。〕不能傷秦，兵罷而留於成皋。魏順謂市〔鮑本「市」作「沛」。○　下同。正曰：孔叢子作「市」，大事記作「沛」。　札記丕烈案：此策文，吳氏以為見孔叢子，其實孔叢依此以作偽耳。〕丘君〔鮑本太公世家，君，其長也。〕曰：「五國罷，必攻市丘，〔鮑本註，沛丘為「貝」，曰貝丘，屬清河。正曰：成皋與清河絕遠，恐非。〕以償兵費。君〔鮑本「君」作「若」，又改作「君」。○〕資臣，臣請為君止天下之攻市丘。」市兵君曰：「善。」因遣之。

魏順南見楚王曰：「王約五國而西伐秦，不能傷秦，天下且以是輕王而重秦，故王胡不卜交乎？」楚王曰：「柰何？」魏順曰：「天下罷，必攻市丘以償兵費。王令之勿攻市丘。五國重王，〔鮑本「五」當作「四」。正曰：是役本六國，言五國重王，則楚在外。史年表等書五國，故因此稱五國。此明是楚約從時事，大事記改「五」作「四」，遂以此策附註李兌約五國伐秦之年，亦誤。其曰，合五國之眾，一籌不畫，逡巡而卻，乃欲攻一小邑以償費。楚王為從長，不知諸侯與己之深淺，始欲卜交，宜乎秦以折箠笞之。此言移以論懷王，尤為切中者也。〕且聽王之言而不攻市丘；不重王，且反王之言而攻市丘。然則王之輕重必明矣。」故楚王卜交而市丘存。〔鮑本補曰：留成皋而將攻市丘，市丘必韓地。不然，則策當在楚，不在韓。〕

鄭彊載八百金入秦

鄭彊載〔鮑本「載」作「以」。○〕八百金入秦，請〔鮑本無「請」字。○〕以伐韓。〔鮑本彊以韓滅故。正曰：無據。補曰：一本並作「彊」。一本「載八百金入秦請以伐韓」。〕泠向〔鮑本「泠」作「冷」。○　補曰：冷向即冷壽。秦策高以為秦臣，詳此章為信。　札記今本「泠」作「冷」。〕謂鄭彊曰：「公以八百金請伐人之與國，〔鮑本韓，秦之與。〕秦必不聽公。公不如令秦王〔鮑本昭。〕疑公叔。」鄭彊曰：「何如？」曰：「公叔之攻楚也，以幾瑟〔鮑本幾瑟，太子嬰弟，時質楚，公叔所不善。補曰：幾瑟，史作「幾虱」，後並同。〕之存焉，故言先楚〔鮑本「先」作「伐」。○　正曰：以攻楚。　札記今本「先」作「伐」，乃誤涉鮑也。〕也。今已令楚王〔鮑本懷。〕奉幾瑟以車百乘居陽翟，令昭獻轉而與之處，〔鮑本獻本不善幾瑟，令之回心相善。〕旬有餘，彼已覺。〔鮑本「覺」作「角」。○　角，言二人均禮。補曰：姚本「角」作「覺」，是。〕而幾瑟，公叔之讎也；而昭獻，公叔之人也。秦王聞之，必疑公叔為楚也。」〔鮑本幾瑟，韓愛子，而在楚，秦固疑其合楚。公叔與幾瑟讎，故秦不疑。今叔所善與之處而禮均，然則秦安得不疑其為楚？楚，秦所惡也，其伐韓不待請矣。〕

鄭彊之走張儀於秦

鄭彊〔鮑本鄭公族，韓滅鄭，故為韓人。補曰：此人嘗請秦伐韓，魏策亦有其人，蓋游說秦、楚之間者。此豈以為韓而走儀，故次之韓歟？〕之走張儀於秦，〔鮑本譖之於秦，使逐之。〕曰儀之使者，必之楚矣。故謂大宰〔鮑本楚官。彊謂之。　札記今本「謂」誤「為」。〕曰：「公留儀之使者，〔鮑本留之者，欲詐為儀使之致地。〕彊請西圖儀於秦。」故因而〔姚本一本作「西」。　鮑本「而」作「西」。○〕請秦王〔鮑本武。〕曰：「張儀使人致上庸之地，〔鮑本秦惠十三年取上庸，今言儀致之楚，欲以怒秦。〕故使使臣再拜謁〔鮑本彊偽為楚使白此於秦。下衍「秦王」字。　札記鮑衍「秦王」字。丕烈案：此當是涉下而衍「秦」字耳，鮑說非也。〕秦王。」秦王怒，張儀走。〔鮑本武元年，此二年。〕

宜陽之役

宜陽之役，〔鮑本秦三年，此四年。〕楊達〔鮑本「達」作「侹」。○　棗人。補曰：「侹」即「達」字訛。姚本正作「達」。餘說並見秦策。〕〔【秦策注】鮑本秦人。正曰：無據。〕謂公孫顯曰：「請為公以五萬攻西周，得之，是以九鼎印〔姚本錢、劉作「卬」。　鮑本「印」作「市」。○〕〔【秦策注】鮑本「印」作「抑」。補曰：大事記引作「市」者是。〕甘茂也。〔鮑本茂與顯爭國，顯得九鼎，其功大，秦必棄茂用顯。〕〔【秦策注】鮑本顯，與茂爭國者，見惠王策。抑，按也。正曰：按惠王策李讎云云，顯乃張儀讎，無與茂爭國事。〕不然，秦攻西周，天下惡之，其救韓必疾，則茂事敗矣。」〔鮑本補曰：宜依此舊次，刊去秦策所增。〕〔【秦策注】鮑本言攻而不勝，亦足以敗茂。原在韓策。補曰：鮑既改從秦策，今韓策仍出此章。「楊達」作「楊侹」，「印」作「市」，注亦異。大事記所取鮑氏云「顯得」止「用顯」，亦今韓策注文。高注此章，無作「侹」字者，豈別本有之，而鮑又重見於此乎？　宜陽之役，策公孫衍，史並作公孫奭，又有公孫顯、公孫郝、公孫赫。其云「挾韓」而議云「善韓」，皆仕秦而黨韓者。大事記謂，郝、顯、奭（郝在奭音）為一人。愚謂，赫即郝也，然其事亦多與衍類，又恐衍即顯之訛也。今且當各從本文。〕

秦圍宜陽

秦圍宜陽，〔鮑本秦三年，此四年。〕游騰謂公仲曰：「公何不與趙藺、離石、祁，〔鮑本趙地。韓嘗取之，今使歸之。〕以質許〔鮑本韓地，趙嘗取之。質，易地也。正曰：藺、離石、祁見周、趙策。宜陽之役，去秦前取藺六年，藺、離石、祁不聞屬韓，許亦與趙遠，恐「與趙」下有缺文。「以質許地」者，以質（音贄）子而許之地也。　札記今本「藺」誤「蘭」。〕地，則樓緩必敗矣。〔鮑本緩，害韓者。趙、韓合，故緩敗。〕收韓、趙之兵〔鮑本「兵」作「地」。○　補曰：一本「地」作「兵」。〕以臨魏，樓鼻必敗矣。〔鮑本「鼻」作「𢋛」。○　亦以魏害韓者。正曰：說見魏策。〕韓為一，〔姚本一本作「韓、趙為一」。　鮑本「韓」下補「趙」字。○〕魏必倍〔鮑本倍，音背。〕秦，甘茂必敗矣。〔鮑本茂攻宜陽，韓得趙、魏，則不易拔，故茂敗。補曰：一本「茂」作「戊」，後章多同，不復出。〕以成陽資翟強於齊，楚必敗之。〔鮑本「之」作「矣」。○　齊，楚敵也，齊得地則益強，可以敗楚，時楚助秦，故必敗。正曰：樓緩欲以趙合秦，嘗勸趙割地事秦，見趙策。樓鼻為魏合秦、楚外齊，翟強為魏合齊、秦外楚，見魏策。皆有事於秦者，故策云然。〕須秦必敗，〔鮑本須，言少待。以趙、魏救至，而楚不助，故敗。〕秦失魏，〔鮑本秦，魏鄰也，失魏之害重於趙，故獨言魏。〕宜陽必不拔矣。」

公仲以宜陽之故仇甘茂

公仲以宜陽之故，仇甘茂。其後，秦歸武遂於韓，〔鮑本此五年。補曰：史甘茂傳，蘇代謂向壽曰，韓氏委國於甘茂，茂許公仲以武遂，反宜陽之民。既而甘茂竟言秦王以武遂復歸之韓，向壽、公孫奭爭之不得，由此怨讒茂。　此九年，秦復取武遂。〕已而，秦王〔鮑本昭。〕固疑甘茂之以武遂解於公仲也。杜赫〔鮑本「赫」作「聊」。○　韓人。補曰：姚本上「聊」字作「赫」，疑「聊」字誤。〕為公仲謂秦王曰：「明〔鮑本「明」作「朋」。○　補曰：當作「朋」。〕也願因茂以事王。」〔鮑本若公仲與茂善，以實秦王之疑。〕秦王大怒於甘茂，故樗里疾大說杜聊。

秦韓戰於濁澤

秦、韓戰於濁澤，〔鮑本長社濁澤。補曰：大事記，韓與趙、魏伐秦，秦使庶長樗里疾與戰脩魚，虜韓將申差。解題云，濁澤即脩魚之戰。〕韓氏急。公仲明〔鮑本「明」作「朋」。○　補曰：當作「朋」。大事記，顯王三年，魏公子景賈伐韓，與韓將韓明戰于陽。此人在公仲前。　札記丕烈案：史記無「明」字。索隱曰，韓相國，名侈。考韓子十過有此文，正作「朋」。吳說是矣。〕謂韓王曰：「與國〔鮑本與，謂山東。〕不可恃。今秦之心欲伐楚，王不如因張儀為和於秦，賂之以一名都，與之伐楚。此以一易二之計也。」韓王曰：「善。」乃儆〔鮑本儆，猶戒。〕公仲之行，將西講於秦。

楚王〔鮑本懷。〕聞之大恐，召陳軫而告之。陳軫曰：「秦之欲伐我久矣，今又得韓之名都一而具甲，〔鮑本以一都之賦為兵備。〕秦、韓并兵南鄉，此秦所以廟祠而求也。今已得之矣，楚國必伐矣。〔鮑本「伐」下無「矣」字。○　補曰：一本「伐矣」。　札記丕烈案：史記有。〕王聽臣，為之儆四境之內選師，言救韓，令戰車滿道路；發信臣，多其車，重其幣，使信王之救己也。縱韓為不能聽我，〔鮑本「救己」下無「也縱」二字。○　使其或不能從我以與秦戰。補曰：一本「救己也縱韓」。札記丕烈案：今史記有「也縱」二字。以索隱考之，其本亦無「縱」字。〕韓必德王也，〔鮑本「必」作「之」。○　恩救我。補曰：一本「韓必德王」。此以上，姚同，文勝。　札記丕烈案：史記作「必」。考索隱，其本是「之」字。〕必不為鴈行以來。是秦、韓不和，兵雖至，楚國不大病矣。為能聽我絕和於秦，秦必大怒，以厚怨於韓。韓得楚救，必輕秦。輕秦，其應秦必不敬。是我困〔鮑本「困」作「因」。○　札記丕烈案：史記作「因」。〕秦、韓之兵，而免楚國之患也。」

楚王大說，乃儆四境之內選師，言救韓，發信臣，多其車，重其幣。〔鮑本「多其車，重其幣」作「多車幣」。○　補曰：一本復作「多其車，重其幣」。　札記丕烈案：史記有「其」字及「重其」二字。〕謂韓王曰：「弊邑雖小，已悉起之矣。願大國遂肆意於秦，弊邑將以楚殉〔鮑本殉，言以死從之。〕韓。」

韓王大說，乃止公仲。公仲曰：「不可，夫以實告〔姚本一作「困」。〕我者，秦也；以虛名救我者，楚也。恃楚之虛名，輕絕強秦之敵，必為天下笑矣。且楚、韓非兄弟之國也，又非素約而謀伐秦矣。〔姚本劉作「也」。札記吳補一本「矣」作「也」。丕烈案：史記作「也」。〕秦欲伐楚，楚因〔鮑本無「因」字。○札記丕烈案：史記作「已有伐形，因發兵」。此當有誤。〕以起師言救韓，此必陳軫之謀也。且王以〔鮑本「以」作「已」。○札記丕烈案：史記作「已」。〕使人報於秦矣，今弗行，是欺秦也。夫輕強秦之禍，而信楚之謀臣，王必悔之矣。」韓王弗聽，遂絕和於秦。秦果大怒，興師與韓氏戰於岸門，〔鮑本後志，潁陰有岸亭。事在十九年，此要終言之也。補曰：徐廣云，岸門即岸亭。正義引括地志云，在許州長社縣西北。又韓世家，太子倉入質於秦，以和魏。年表又書秦走犀首岸門。蓋救韓而敗也。〕楚救不至，韓氏大敗。

韓氏之兵非削弱也，民非蒙愚也，兵為秦禽，智為楚笑，過聽於陳軫，失計於韓明〔鮑本「明」作「朋」○　補曰：「朋」。〕也。〔鮑本記十六年有。彪謂：二子皆億中之材也，宣惠訹於其言，惑於重幣，雖有公仲之謀，固難以入。至於非兄弟，非素約，而以虛名救我，此言豈不明著矣乎！如之何弗聽也？正曰：鮑嘗謂陳軫少捭闔風氣，故此以億中稱之，此策非捭闔而何？〕

顏率見公仲

顏率見公仲，公仲不見。頻率謂公仲之謁者曰：「公仲必以率為陽〔姚本劉作「傷」。　鮑本「陽」，「佯」同，不實也。補曰：一本「陽」作「傷」。〕也，故不見率也。公仲好內，〔鮑本齊世家注，內，婦官也。〕率曰好士；仲〔鮑本「仲」上有「公」字。○〕嗇於財，率曰散施；公仲無行，率曰好義。〔鮑本所謂不實。〕自今以來，率且正言之而已矣。」公仲之謁者以告公仲，公仲遽起而見之。〔鮑本彪謂：顏率此言，可行公仲而已。誠有是人，雖陽言何益於德？苟無是也，正言之，吾何懼。以是知公仲非躬行者也。〕

韓公仲謂向壽

韓〔鮑本「韓」作「為」。○　正曰：一本章首「韓公仲」。據史，韓公仲使蘇代謂向壽。此章首及「仲」字下，或有缺文。當云：「蘇代為」，或云「使蘇代」。　札記丕烈案：吳說未是，此不誤。實使蘇代，而策文但云「韓公仲謂」者，省也。〕公仲謂向壽曰：「禽〔鮑本禽，所獲獸也，能覆獵者之車，不可忽。正曰：逐獸困急，猶能奔觸傾覆人車。〕困覆車。公破韓，辱公仲，公仲收國復事秦，自以為必可以封。〔鮑本正曰：史注，公仲自以為必可得秦封。〕今公與楚解，〔鮑本解，言復好。補曰：見下。〕中封小令尹以桂陽。〔鮑本中，言使楚自封之國中。桂陽，荊州郡。補曰：史與楚辭，楚地。索隱云，秦地名，近韓。「桂」，史作「杜」。索隱云，又封楚之小令尹以杜陽。杜陽，秦地。今以封楚令尹，是相合也。今按策文「中」字，恐是「曰」字訛。〕秦、楚合，復攻韓，韓必亡。公仲躬率其私徒以鬬於秦，〔鮑本謂且賊壽於秦。〕願公之熟計之也。」向壽曰：「吾合秦、楚，非以當韓也，子為我謁之。」

公仲曰：「秦、韓之交可合也。」對曰：「願有復〔鮑本復，重言之。〕於公。諺曰：『貴其所以貴者貴。』〔鮑本所以貴，人所同貴。正曰：所以得貴也。〕今王之愛習公也，不如公孫郝；〔鮑本原作「赫」，下同。補曰：一本作「郝」，史作「奭」，說見秦策。〕其知能公也，不如甘茂。今二人者，皆不得親於事矣，而公獨與王主斷於國者，彼有以失之也。公孫郝黨於韓，而甘戊〔鮑本「戊」作「茂」。○　札記今本「戊」作「茂」。〕黨於魏，故王不信也。今秦、楚爭強，而公黨於楚，是與公孫郝、甘茂〔札記今本誤作「甘茂、公孫郝」。〕同道也。公何以異之？人皆言楚之多〔姚本劉作「多」，舊作「若」。〕變也，而公必之，是自為貴也。〔鮑本非貴所同貴。〕公不如與王謀其變也。善韓以備之，若此，則無禍矣。韓氏先以國從公孫郝，而後委國於甘茂，是韓，公之讎也。〔鮑本言以韓為讎。〕今公言善韓以備楚，〔鮑本「備」作「待」。○　補曰：一本「今公善韓以備楚」。　札記丕烈案：史記作「備」，有「言」字。〕是外舉不辟讎也。」

向壽曰：「吾甚欲韓合。」對曰：「甘茂許公仲以武遂，反宜陽之民，〔鮑本補曰：取其地而還其民也。〕今公徒〔鮑本徒，言無地與之。〕令〔鮑本「徒」下無「令」字。○　札記丕烈案：史記無。〕收之，甚難。」向子曰：「然則柰何？武遂終不可得已。」〔鮑本與韓地，宜以其所得於韓，若武遂者可也。茂已許之已，無以易之也。〕對曰：「公何不以秦為韓求穎川於楚，此乃韓之寄地也。〔鮑本此本韓地，楚取之，故云。〕公求而得之，是令行於楚而以其地德韓也。公求而弗得，是韓、楚之怨不解，而交走〔鮑本補曰：走音奏。〕秦也。秦、楚爭強，而公過楚以攻韓，〔鮑本過，謂以攻韓為楚罪。補曰：姚本「收韓」，史同。札記丕烈案：此當是鮑本作「收」而誤互。〕此利於秦。」向子曰：「奈何？」對曰：「此善事也。甘茂欲以魏取齊，公孫郝欲以韓取齊，今公取宜陽以為功，〔鮑本宜陽，蓋壽議攻，而甘茂攻之。〕收楚、韓以安之，〔鮑本使楚歸潁川，則楚、韓講，故曰安。〕而誅齊、魏之罪，〔鮑本誅，猶求也。求其過失，以為郝、茂之罪。正曰：誅，責也。正義云，公孫奭、甘茂皆欲以秦挾韓、魏而取齊，今向壽取宜陽以為功，收楚、韓以事秦，而責齊、魏之罪。〕是以〔鮑本衍「以」字。〕公孫郝、甘茂之〔鮑本衍「之」字。　札記鮑衍「以」字、「之」字。丕烈案：史記有「以」字，無「之」字。〕無事也。」〔鮑本言其失權。正曰：正義云，二子不得合韓、魏以伐齊也。補曰：按史甘茂傳，秦拔宜陽，韓與秦平，向壽為秦守宜陽，將伐韓，公仲使蘇代謂壽云云，甘茂竟言昭王以武遂歸韓，由是壽、奭怨讒茂。〕

或謂公仲曰聽者聽國

或〔姚本錢有「或」字。〕謂公仲曰：「聽者聽國，〔鮑本謂聽於眾。〕非必聽實〔鮑本實，謂見事。〕也。故先王聽諺言於市，願公之聽臣言也。公求中立於秦，〔鮑本立，謂立於齊、魏之間，此章實右魏。〕而弗能得也，善公孫郝以難甘茂，勸〔鮑本「勸」作「歡」。○〕齊兵以勸止魏，〔鮑本郝善齊，故善郝則喜於齊之攻魏；茂善魏，故難茂則可以止魏之攻齊。勸，言茂欲為之。補曰：一本「勸齊兵」。〕楚、趙皆公之讎也。〔鮑本詳此，則公仲與齊者也。二國不善齊，故讎公仲。〕臣恐國之以此為患也，願公之復求中立於秦也。」

公仲曰：「奈何？」對曰：「秦王〔鮑本補曰：秦王當是昭，下文言惠、武。〕以公孫郝〔鮑本「郝」作「赫」，又改為「郝」。○〕為黨於公而弗之聽，甘茂不善於公而弗為公言，公何不因行願〔鮑本行願，人姓名。〕以與秦王語？行願之為秦王臣也公，〔鮑本無私，秦王信之，故可因。〕臣請為公謂秦王曰：〔鮑本補曰：請行願為公仲言於秦王。〕『齊、魏合與離，於秦孰利？齊、魏別與合，〔鮑本離以交言，別以兵言。正曰：合離、別合，反復言之。〕於秦孰強？』秦王必曰：『齊、魏離，則秦重；合，則秦輕。齊、魏別，則秦強；合，則秦弱。』臣即曰：『今王聽公孫郝以韓、秦之兵應齊而攻魏，魏不敢戰，歸地而合於齊，是秦輕也，臣以公孫郝為不忠。今王聽甘茂，以韓、秦之兵據魏而攻齊，齊不敢戰，不〔鮑本「不」作「亦」。○　補曰：疑衍。或「求」本「亦」字。　札記今本「不」作「亦」，乃誤涉鮑也。丕烈案：吳說亦未是，此不誤。言齊不求魏割地也。蒙上句為文。〕求割地而合於魏，是秦輕也，臣以甘茂為不忠。故王〔鮑本無「王」字。○〕不如令韓中立以攻齊，齊王〔鮑本「王」上衍「齊」字。○　補曰：疑衍。〕言救魏以勁之，〔鮑本齊時先以伐魏，故令秦王聲言救魏，以勁韓之攻齊。〕齊、魏不能相聽，〔鮑本秦救魏，則魏不憚齊，亦不合於齊。〕久離兵史。〔鮑本「久」作「必」，「史」作「交」。○　補曰：字誤，未詳。　札記今本「久」作「必」，「史」作「交」，乃誤涉鮑也。〕王欲，〔鮑本欲，言或欲此或欲彼。〕則信公孫郝於齊，為韓取南陽，易穀川〔鮑本穀水。出澠池。〕以歸，此惠王之願也。王欲，則信甘茂於魏，以韓、秦之兵據魏以郄〔姚本曾一作「欲」，一作「郤」。　鮑本「郄」作「拒」。○〕齊，此武王之願也。臣以為令韓以〔姚本劉無「以」字。〕中立以勁〔鮑本「勁」作「攻」。○　補曰：恐當作「攻」，從上文。〕齊，最秦之大急也。公孫郝黨於齊而不肯言，甘茂薄〔鮑本茂，羈旅之臣，故言「薄」。此欲攻齊，故其辭與茂。正曰：「薄」，即上文「不善於公」。「薄」下或有缺字。〕而不敢謁也，此二人，王之大患也。願王之熟計之也。』」

韓公仲相

韓公仲相。〔鮑本衍「韓公仲相」四字，章內初不涉韓也。補曰：此四字必錯簡。〕齊、楚之交善秦。秦、〔鮑本「秦」下補「與」字，無上「秦」字。○〕魏遇，且以善齊而絕齊乎楚。王〔鮑本「王」上補「楚」字。○〕使景鯉之秦，鯉與於秦、魏之遇。〔鮑本於其遇時與焉。秦策有。其事在惠九年後，懷王初也。〕楚王怒景鯉，恐齊以楚遇〔鮑本補曰：楚謂鯉。〕為有陰於秦、魏也，〔鮑本恐齊以此謂楚有私於二國。〕且罪景鯉。

為謂楚王曰：「臣賀鯉之與於遇也。秦、魏之遇也，將以合齊、秦而絕齊〔姚本劉作「和」。〕於楚也。今鯉與於遇，齊無以信魏之合己於秦而攻於楚也，〔鮑本將絕齊於楚，而楚使與焉，故齊疑之。〕齊又畏楚之有陰於秦、魏也，必重楚。故鯉之與於遇，王之大資也。今鯉不與於遇，魏之絕齊於楚明〔鮑本「明」上有「信」字。○〕矣。齊、楚〔鮑本衍「楚」字。補曰：疑衍。〕信之，必輕王，故王不如無罪景鯉，以視齊於有秦、魏，〔鮑本視，示同。示齊以楚有二國。〕齊必重楚，而且疑〔鮑本疑，楚使之疑。〕秦、魏於齊。」王曰：「諾。」因不罪而益其列。〔鮑本列，亦次也。下衍「王曰向也」止「孰便也」凡九十字。原在韓策。〕　　〔鮑本補曰：「與魏」之「與」、「為有」之「為」如字。〕

王曰向也子曰天下無道

王曰：「向也子曰『天下無道』，今也子曰『乃且攻燕』者，何也？」對曰：「今謂馬多力則有矣，若曰勝千鈞則不然者，何也？夫千鈞，非馬之任也。今謂楚強大則有矣，若夫越趙、魏而鬬兵於燕，則豈楚之任也哉？且非楚之任，而楚為之，是弊楚也。強楚、弊楚，其於王孰便也？」〔鮑本正曰：姚本凡九十七字，在韓策自為一章，乃楚策虞卿謂春申之文脫簡誤衍，略有不同。鮑於韓策既刪去，全不見其文，而於此復不明言在楚策後章。　札記丕烈案：下文「觀鞅謂春申曰」云云，吳氏補曰，今詳其文，當屬楚，其說是也。當是自此策文「王曰向也」以下連「或謂魏王」云云，皆本在楚策尾，誤錯入韓策中也。〕

或謂魏王王儆彊之內

或謂魏王：「王儆〔姚本錢無「儆」字。鮑本「儆」作「警」。○〕四彊之內，〔鮑本「彊」作「疆」。○　將出兵，先令以警之。〕其從於王者，〔鮑本凡兵械當從者。〕十日之內，備不具者死。王因取其游〔鮑本旄旗之旒。〕之舟上擊〔鮑本「擊」作「繫」。○〕之。〔鮑本之，猶於也。亦以楚攻秦。〕臣為王之楚，王胥臣〔鮑本「𦙃」作「咠」，「臣」下補「之」字。○補曰：一本作「𦙃」。〕反，乃行。」〔鮑本行兵。〕春申君聞之，謂使者〔鮑本即此說者。〕曰：「子為我反，無見王矣。〔鮑本欲其亟反，不必見考烈。〕十日之內，數萬之眾，今涉魏境。」秦使聞之，以告秦王。〔鮑本莊襄。〕秦王謂魏王〔札記今本下「王」字誤「主」。〕曰：「大國有意，必來以是而足矣。」〔鮑本秦恐楚、魏合，故言魏兵自足，不待楚也。今詳春申在時，魏歲受秦兵，此三十年，無忌率五國攻秦，可當此語。此及下二章元在韓策，正曰：事證未明。〕

觀鞅謂春申

觀〔姚本一作「魏」。〕鞅〔鮑本「觀」作「魏」。○　魏人，為魏說。正曰：一本「觀鞅」。史作「觀津人朱英」，見楚策。　史，楚考烈王二十二年，諸侯合從西伐秦，楚王為從長，春申君用事。至函谷關，秦出兵攻，諸侯兵皆敗走。考烈王以咎春申君，以此益疏。客有云云。於是去陳，徙壽春。札記丕烈案：觀，觀津也，「鞅」即「英」字，作「魏」者訛。鮑從之，誤甚。〕謂春申曰：「人皆以楚為強，而君用之弱，〔鮑本「弱」下有「也」字。○　札記史記無。〕其於鞅也不然。先君者，〔鮑本先春申用事之人。〕二十餘年未嘗見攻。今秦欲踰兵於澠〔鮑本「澠」作「鄳」。○　補曰：「澠」即「鄳」。　札記丕烈案：史記作「黽」。〕隘之塞，〔鮑本魏記所謂冥阨。註，楚險塞，或以為江夏郢縣。補曰：詳見楚策註。〕不使；〔鮑本補曰：史作「便」，是。「不便」句絕。下與「不可」對文。〕假道兩周倍韓以攻楚，〔鮑本倍音背。此昔者所以未嘗見攻。〕不可。今則不然，魏且旦暮亡矣，不能愛其許、鄢陵與梧，〔鮑本梧屬楚國，此時為魏。正曰：漢侯國。梧屬彭城，與許、鄢陵不相接。左傳襄十年「晉師城梧及制」，杜註，皆鄭舊地。制即虎牢，梧必相近。此時鄭為韓。按史云，不能愛許、鄢陵，其許魏割以予秦，秦兵去陳百六十里。以此參較，則策有缺誤。徐廣云，陳在許東南，蓋此時楚徙都陳也。　札記丕烈案：策文與史記當皆有誤。〕割以予秦，去〔鮑本「去」上補「相」字。○〕百六十里。〔鮑本言秦伐楚之近，不須假道。〕臣之所見者，秦、楚鬬之日也〔鮑本「也」作「近」。○　正曰：史作「秦、楚之日鬬也」。此策「鬬」字殽次在「之日」上。〕已。」〔鮑本補曰：原在韓策。今詳其文，當屬楚。〕

公仲數不信於諸侯

公仲數不信於諸侯，諸侯〔鮑本「諸侯」二字不重。○　補曰：一本復有此二字。〕錮之。〔鮑本不行其說。〕南委國於楚，〔鮑本以國事聽之。〕楚王〔鮑本懷。〕弗聽。蘇代為〔姚本劉添謂字。　鮑本「為」下有「謂」字。○〕楚王曰：「不若聽而備於其反也。〔鮑本反，亦謂不信。〕明〔鮑本「明」作「朋」。○〕之反也，常仗〔鮑本「仗」作「杖」。○　下同。補曰：仗，倚也，字與「杖」通。〕趙而畔楚，〔札記今本「楚」下衍「楚」字。〕仗齊而畔秦。今四國錮之，而無所入矣，亦甚患之。〔鮑本公仲甚患。〕此方其為尾生之時也。」〔鮑本言公仲自患其反之不利，故欲為信。尾生，再見燕策蘇代言，名高。蓋論語「微生」。汎論訓亦云。補曰：莊子，「尾生與女子期於梁下，水至不去，抱梁柱而死」。與燕策所載同。一本「微生」。釋文引高誘註，魯人。今註本無。或謂即論語「微生」。古今人表作「尾生高」。〕

韓策 二

楚圍雍氏五月

楚圍雍氏〔鮑本此十二年。補曰：圍雍氏，見周策。〕五月。韓令使者求救於秦，冠蓋相望也，秦師不下殽。韓又令尚靳使秦，謂秦王〔鮑本昭。〕曰：「韓之於秦也，居為隱蔽，出為鴈行。今韓已病矣，秦師不下殽。臣聞之，脣揭〔鮑本揭，猶反。〕者其齒寒，願大王之熟計之。」宣太后曰：「使者來者眾矣，獨尚子之言是。」召尚子入。宣太后謂尚子曰：「妾事先王也，〔鮑本「也」作「日」。○　補曰：一本「日」作「也」。〕先王以其髀〔鮑本股也。〕加妾之身，妾困不疲〔姚本錢、劉本作「支」。　鮑本「疲」作「支」。○〕也；盡置其身妾之上，而妾弗重也，何也？以其少有利焉。〔鮑本補曰：宣太后之言汙鄙甚矣！以愛魏醜夫欲使為殉觀之，則此言不以為恥，可知秦母后之惡，有自來矣！〕今佐韓，兵不眾，糧不多，則不足以救韓。夫救韓之危，日費千金，獨不可使妾少有利焉。」

尚靳歸書〔鮑本以書歸。〕報韓王，韓王遣張翠。張翠稱病，日行一縣。張翠至，甘茂曰：「韓急矣，先生病而來。」張翠曰：「韓未急也，且急矣。」甘茂曰：「秦重國知〔姚本錢改作「之」。　鮑本「知」作「智」。○　補曰：一本「智」作「知」。　札記丕烈案：凡「知」音「智」者，鮑本多即作「智」，此非有異本。〕王也，韓之急緩〔鮑本「急緩」作「緩急」。○〕莫不知。今先生言不急，可乎？」張翠曰：「韓急則折而入於楚矣，臣安敢來？」甘茂曰：「先生毋復言也。」

甘茂入言秦王曰：「公仲柄得秦師，〔鮑本柄，猶持。補曰：史記「枋有得秦」。按字書「枋」與「柄」同，此恐字訛。〕故敢捍楚。今雍氏圍，而秦師不下殽，是無韓也。公仲且抑首而不朝，〔鮑本抑首，不意貌。〕公叔且以國南合於楚。楚、韓為一，魏氏不敢不聽，是楚以三國謀秦也。如此則伐秦之形成矣。不識坐而待伐，〔札記今本「伐」誤「我」。〕孰與伐人之利？」秦王曰：「善。」果下師於殽以救韓。〔鮑本甘茂傳有「茂入言」下。補曰：大事記，赧王十五年，楚圍雍氏，引此章云，此即周紀所載之事。楚前圍雍氏，在赧王三年，秦惠王猶在位，安得有宣太后？楚後圍雍氏，甘茂出奔已數年，兩者皆不合。〕

楚圍雍氏韓令冷向借救於秦

楚圍雍氏，韓令冷向借救於秦，秦為發使公孫昧〔鮑本補曰：昧，當音莫葛反。公子昧、唐昧皆然。〕入韓。公仲曰：「子以秦為將救韓乎？其不乎？」對曰：「秦王〔鮑本昭。〕之言曰，請道於南鄭、〔鮑本屬漢中。〕藍田以入攻楚，出兵於三川以待公，殆不合，軍於南鄭矣。」〔鮑本不與楚戰。正曰：正義云，南鄭，梁州縣。藍田，雍州縣。秦王言或出雍州西南至鄭，或出雍東南歷藍田出嶢關，俱繞楚北境以待韓使而東救雍氏。如此遲緩，殆不合於楚矣。按史止作「殆不合矣」，無「軍於南鄭」四字。竊謂史為是。蓋雍氏在陽翟，而此言合軍南鄭，殊不相涉。且上文請道南鄭，而此曰「不合軍於南鄭」，豈非誤乎？　札記丕烈案：索隱曰「殆不合於南鄭」，依策文為說也。詳史記，與策文不同。此當讀「殆不合」為一句，「軍於南鄭矣」為一句，言待楚、韓之勝也。〕公仲曰：「柰何？」對曰：「秦王必祖張儀之故謀。〔鮑本昔者所謀。補曰：秦策有，說見本條。〕楚威王攻梁，張儀謂秦王〔鮑本惠。〕曰：『與楚攻梁，魏折而入於楚。韓固其與國〔鮑本「與」下無「國」字。○　韓、魏之與。補曰：一本「固其與國也」。　札記丕烈案：史記有。〕也，是秦孤也。故不如出兵以勁魏。』〔鮑本陽為助魏，實欲其與楚戰。〕於是攻皮氏。〔鮑本楚攻之。〕魏氏勁，威王怒，楚與魏大戰，秦取西河之外以歸。〔鮑本惠八年。補曰：說亦見秦策。〕今也其將揚〔鮑本「揚」作「陽」。○　札記丕烈案：史記「將揚」作「狀陽」。〕言救韓，而陰善楚，公恃〔札記「恃」，鮑本作「待」。丕烈案：史記作「待」。〕秦而勁，必輕與楚戰。楚陰得秦之不用也，〔鮑本不為韓用。〕必易與公相支也。公戰勝楚，逐與公乘〔鮑本乘，因取之也。〕楚，易三川而歸。公戰不勝楚，〔鮑本「楚」下復有「楚」字。○　札記丕烈案：史記有，然實衍字。此謂秦塞三川也。鮑本當是誤依史記添入耳。〕塞三川而守之，公不能救也。臣甚惡其事。司馬康〔鮑本秦人。補曰：「康」，史作「庚」。　札記丕烈案：徐廣曰，一作「唐」。〕三反之郢矣，甘茂與昭獻遇於境，其言曰收璽，〔鮑本璽，軍符。收之者，言欲止楚之攻韓。正曰：收，取也；璽，印也。如楚置相璽之云。索隱以為昭獻欲得秦官之印璽。〕其實猶有約也。」〔鮑本疑秦、楚約攻韓。〕公仲恐曰：「然則柰何？」對曰：「公必先韓而後秦，先身而後張儀，〔鮑本先己所見，後儀之故智。言欲秦之救己，而不欲其勁韓也。徐註欲以為儀在之日而云，非也。正曰：先韓者，急圖其國；後秦者，不望其救。先身者，善己之謀；後儀者，不墮人之詐。徐說見後。〕以〔姚本劉去「以」字。　鮑本「以」上補「臣」字。○　札記丕烈案：史記無「以」字。〕公不如亟以國合於齊、楚，秦必委國於公以解伐。是公之所以外者儀而已，〔鮑本外，猶後也。此言不恃秦耳。承上故言儀。正曰：不墮儀之故智，為外於儀耳。〕其實猶之不失秦也。」〔鮑本雖合齊、楚，圖國事耳，秦無辭怨之。記十二年有。正曰：即上文秦委國於公云云。補曰：徐廣云，秦紀惠王後十三年，楚圍雍氏。紀年於此亦說楚景翠圍雍氏，韓宣惠王卒，秦助韓共敗楚屈匄。又云齊、宋圍煮棗。皆與史記年表及田完世家符同。此是前圍雍氏事也。後圍雍氏，是赧王十五年事。大事記書楚景翠圍韓雍氏，秦樗里疾帥師救韓敗楚，解題具載。徐說謂世家合而為一者，誤。又按正義云，徐見張儀尚存，生此前後之見，此是公孫昧，卻述張儀時事。愚謂，此策雖曰「祖張儀故謀」，其下云「先身後儀」，又云「所外者儀」，似非儀死後之辭。然楚圍之解，實以秦救，公孫昧之言，為不可信耳。此章宜在前，鮑序次誤。　又按大事記云，韓年表書秦助我攻楚，圍景痤。楚將之名與紀年不同，蓋紀年云屈匄也。　愚按，韓、楚世家並云敗楚將屈匄丹陽。夫丹陽之與雍氏相去遠矣。景痤恐即景翠，聲轉而訛。景痤之敗，雍氏之戰也。屈匄之敗，丹陽之戰也。丹陽之役，其雍氏之後歟？大事記首書丹陽之役，後書景翠圍韓。且丹陽大敗之餘，楚力未蘇，何暇於圍韓哉？〕

公仲為韓魏易地

公仲為韓、魏易地，公叔爭之而不聽，且亡。史惕〔鮑本韓史。正曰：或姓。〕謂公叔曰：「公亡，則易必可成矣。公無辭以後〔姚本錢、劉一作「復」。　鮑本「後」作「復」。○〕反，且示天下輕公，公不若順之。夫韓地易於上，〔鮑本上，上流，魏之上。正曰：上，謂魏。〕則害於趙；〔鮑本趙，魏鄰也。魏地廣，趙之害也。〕魏地〔鮑本「魏」下無「地」字。○　補曰：一本「魏地易」。〕易於下，〔鮑本下，謂韓。〕則害於楚。公不如告楚、趙。楚、趙惡之。趙聞之，起兵臨羊腸，楚聞之，發兵臨方城，而易必敗矣。」

錡宣之教韓王取秦

錡宣〔鮑本韓人。〕之教韓王取秦，〔鮑本取，言與之合。〕曰：「為公叔具車百乘，言之楚，易三川。因令公仲謂秦王〔鮑本昭。〕曰：『三川之言曰，秦王必取我。〔鮑本我，三川也。〕韓王之心，不可解矣。〔鮑本言其聞三川之言，恐空失地，故來與楚易。補曰：三川，見秦策。〕王何不試以襄子〔鮑本王，秦王。襄子，秦諸公子不善太子者。正曰：無考。〕為質於韓，令韓王知〔鮑本「知」下原注「衍之字」。○　補曰：一本無。姚同。〕王之不取三川也。』〔鮑本韓之易地，畏秦取之也，今秦入質，則不取可知。〕因以出襄子而德太子。」

襄陵之役

襄陵之役，〔鮑本史不書。補曰：襄陵，見齊策。〕畢長謂公叔曰：「謂毋用兵，而楚、魏皆德公之國矣。夫楚欲置公子高，〔鮑本「高」作「咎」。○　原作「高」，從史。後並同。此書亦或作「咎」。置，不立也。事見十二年。補曰：「咎」與「皋」通，「皋陶」作「咎繇」。此為「高」，音同也。　札記丕烈案：此未必即韓公子咎也。吳說亦未是。〕必以兵臨魏。〔鮑本魏欲立咎故。〕公何不令人說昭子〔鮑本陽也。〕曰：『戰未必勝，請為子起兵以之魏。』〔鮑本韓起兵。〕子有辭以毋戰，〔鮑本楚臨魏，欲置咎也。韓令順之，故可以無戰。〕於是以〔鮑本衍「以」字。〕太子扁、〔鮑本「扁」作「與」。○　幾瑟也。補曰：此「高」字訛。　札記丕烈案：吳說亦未是。上文高稱公子，此稱太子，必別一人。〕昭揚、〔鮑本「揚」作「陽」。○　補曰：即「陽」。音同而訛。〕梁王皆德公矣。」〔鮑本陽得毋戰，梁得免兵。補曰：大事記，韓世家襄王十二年，太子嬰死，公子咎、公子蟣虱爭為太子。時蟣虱質於楚，楚欲內之，遂圍雍氏。蟣虱竟不得歸韓，韓立咎為太子。戰國策與世家所載，參錯重複，不可詳考。大略二公子各有所主，公仲主蟣虱，公叔主咎。愚按，楚策，韓公叔有齊、魏，而太子有楚、秦。據此，則公叔挾齊、魏以主咎，公仲挾秦、楚以主蟣虱也。〕

公叔使馮君於秦

公叔使馮君於秦，恐留，教陽向〔鮑本並韓人。正曰：陽向未必韓人。〕說秦王〔鮑本昭。〕曰：「留馮君以善韓臣，〔姚本集、錢、劉、曾作「辰」。　鮑本韓之嫉馮者，以留之為善。〕非上知也。主君不如善馮君，而資之以秦。馮君廣王〔鮑本恃秦以自大。補曰：「廣」字未詳，疑有誤。〕而不聽公叔，以與太子爭，〔鮑本太子爭也。時未定所立，故幾瑟、咎、嬰更稱之。補曰：此太子，指咎也。秦主幾瑟者，此設為順秦之辭。按大事記云，國策中庶子強謂太子云云。史，蘇代謂韓咎曰，幾瑟亡在楚，楚王欲內之甚，然則幾瑟嘗立為太子，不然公子咎之徒，乃出奔也。索隱曰，伯嬰即太子嬰。嬰前死，故咎與幾瑟爭立。愚謂，此大事記所謂不可考者。〕則王澤布，而害於韓矣。」〔鮑本國不和故。補曰：「害」疑「善」字。〕

謂公叔曰公欲得武遂於秦

謂公叔曰：「公欲得武遂於秦，而不患楚之能揚〔鮑本揚，猶動。補曰：年表，襄王五年，秦拔宜陽，涉河城武遂；六年，秦復與我武遂；九年，秦復取之。正義云，武遂，韓邑也，近平陽，非堯都。秦昭雎曰，秦破韓宜陽，而韓猶復事秦者，以先王墓在平陽，而秦之武遂去之七十里，以故尤畏秦。「揚」疑「傷」字訛。〕河外也。公不如令人恐楚王，〔鮑本懷。〕而令人為公求武遂於秦。謂楚王曰：『發重使為韓求武遂於秦。秦王〔鮑本昭。〕聽，是令得行於萬乘之主也。韓得武遂以恨〔鮑本「恨」作「限」。○　補曰：疑「限」。〕秦，毋〔鮑本「毋」作「無」。○　補曰：「無」通。〕秦患而得〔鮑本「得」作「德」。○　補曰：當作「德」。〕楚。韓，楚之縣而已。〔鮑本言役屬於楚。〕秦不聽，是秦、韓之怨深，而交〔鮑本「交」下補「事」字。○　補曰：恐「交」字下有缺字。　札記今本「交」下有「事」字，乃誤涉鮑也。〕楚也。』」

謂公叔曰乘舟

謂公叔曰：「乘舟，舟漏而弗塞，則舟沉矣。塞漏舟，而輕陽侯之波，〔鮑本說陽侯多矣。今按四八目，伏羲六佐，一曰「陽侯」，為江海。蓋因此為波神歟？補曰：此出陶潛聖賢群輔錄。「侯」一作「使」。博物志，晉陽國侯溺水，因為大海之神。〕則舟覆矣。今公自以〔鮑本「以」下有「為」字。○〕辯於薛公〔鮑本「辯」作「辨」。○　辨，猶治也。猶言治於高徯。薛公，田嬰。〕而輕秦，是塞漏舟而輕陽侯之波也，願公之察也。」

齊令周最使鄭

齊令周最使鄭，〔鮑本韓滅鄭，有其地，故多稱鄭。補曰：韓滅鄭，徙都之，故稱鄭。猶魏都大梁稱梁。〕立韓擾〔鮑本韓公子，蓋立為相。正曰：無據。〕而廢公叔。周最患之，曰：「公叔之與周君交也，〔鮑本交，言其相善，己不可以廢之。〕令〔鮑本「令」作「今」。○　補曰：一本「令我」，從上文。〕我使鄭，立韓擾而廢公叔。語曰：『怒於室者色〔鮑本色，作色也。〕於市。』今公叔怨齊，無柰何也，必〔鮑本「必」下有「絕」字。○札記今本「必」下有「絕」字。〕周君而深怨我矣。」史舍曰：「公行矣，請令公叔必重公。」

周最行至鄭，公叔大怒。史舍〔鮑本舍，齊、韓史，與最同使。正曰：史，或姓。〕入見〔鮑本見公叔。〕曰：「周最固不欲來使，臣竊強之。周最不欲來，以為公也；臣之強之也，〔鮑本「臣」上有「使」字。○　補曰：「最固不欲來使」句，下亦有「來使」文。一本「臣之強之也」上無「使」字，是。〕亦以為公也。」公叔曰：「請聞其說。」對曰：「齊大夫諸子有犬，犬猛不可叱，叱之必噬人。客有請叱之者，疾視而徐叱之，犬不動；復叱之，犬遂無噬人之心。今周最固得事足下，而以不得已之故來使，彼將禮陳其辭〔鮑本以禮陳說，不急也。〕而緩其言，鄭王必以齊王〔鮑本閔。〕為不急，必不許也。今周最不來，他人必來。來使者無交於公，而欲德於韓擾，其使之必疾，言之必急，則鄭王必許之矣。」公叔曰：「善。」遂重周最。王果不許韓擾。

韓公叔與幾瑟爭國鄭強為楚王使於韓

韓公叔與幾瑟爭國。〔鮑本爭立為相。見後。〕鄭強為楚王〔鮑本懷。〕使於韓，矯〔姚本劉改「橋」作「矯」。〕以新城、陽人合〔鮑本「合」作「命」。○〕世子，〔鮑本幾瑟也。〕以與公叔爭國。楚怒，將罪之。鄭強曰：「臣之矯與之，以為國也。臣曰，〔鮑本言其言然。〕世子得新城、陽人，以與公叔爭國，而得全，魏必急韓氏；〔鮑本魏欲立咎，故急攻之。〕韓氏急，必縣命於楚，又何新城、陽人敢索？若戰而不勝，走〔鮑本「走」作「幸」。○〕而不死，今且以至，〔鮑本言歸楚。〕又安敢言地？」楚王曰：「善。」乃弗罪。〔鮑本楚策有，大同。「強」作「申」。〕

韓公叔與幾瑟爭國中庶子強謂太子

韓公叔與幾瑟爭國。中庶子強〔鮑本庶子，本周官，秦置中庶子，為太子官。補曰：新序楚莊王蒞政云云，中庶子聞之，跪而泣曰，「臣尚衣冠御即十三年矣」。燕策有。秦王寵臣中庶子蒙嘉，衛鞅為公叔痤庶子，甘羅事呂不韋為庶子。則中庶子者，侍御左右之臣，而當時家臣亦有此名，非復周制矣。秦官，太子、庶子、中庶子。此云「中庶子強謂太子」，豈亦太子之官歟？強或是鄭強。〕謂太子曰：「不若及齊師未入，〔鮑本齊助公叔。〕急擊公叔。」太子曰：「不可。戰之於國中必〔鮑本「必」上有「國」字。○〕分。」對曰：「事不成，身必危，尚何足以圖國之〔姚本曾作「尚之」。〕全為？」太子弗聽，齊師果入，太子出走。〔鮑本彪謂：幾瑟之及此言也，義嗣也，而卒不得立，小人勝故也。正曰：幾瑟之不欲戰，慮國之分耳，非有息民全民之意、退讓之美也，何義嗣之足稱乎？〕

齊明謂公叔

齊明謂公叔曰：「齊逐幾瑟，楚善之。今楚欲善齊甚，公何不令齊王〔鮑本閔。〕謂楚王：〔鮑本懷。〕『王為我逐幾瑟以窮之。』楚聽，是齊、楚合，而幾瑟走也；楚王不聽，是有陰〔鮑本陰，言私厚之，然則公叔不可不備。〕於韓也。」

公叔將殺幾瑟

公叔將殺幾瑟也。謂公叔曰：「太子〔鮑本太子咎。〕之重公也，畏幾瑟也。今幾瑟死，太子無患，必輕公。韓大夫見王老，冀太子之用事也，固欲事之。太子外無幾瑟之患，〔鮑本時在楚，故言外。〕而內收諸大夫以自輔也，公必輕矣。不如無殺幾瑟，以恐太子，太子必終身重公矣。」

公叔且殺幾瑟

公叔且殺幾瑟也，宋赫為謂公叔曰：「幾瑟之能為亂也，內得父兄，〔鮑本補曰：大事記云，內得父兄，指公仲也。〕而外得秦、楚也。今公殺之，太子無患，必輕公。韓大夫知王之老而太子定，必陰事之。秦、楚若無韓，〔鮑本言小國不之有。補曰：未詳。〕必陰事伯嬰。〔鮑本秦、楚有韓，則事太子。太子，韓嗣故也。無韓乃事嬰。〕伯嬰亦幾瑟也。公不如勿殺。〔鮑本絕句。〕伯嬰恐，〔鮑本嬰與太子在韓，皆幾瑟之仇。幾瑟在，故嬰恐。〕必〔鮑本「必」下有「陰」字。○〕保於公。韓大夫不能必其不入也，〔鮑本幾瑟入。〕必不敢輔伯嬰以為亂。秦、楚挾幾瑟以塞伯嬰，〔鮑本塞，障也。不使與事。〕伯嬰外無秦、楚之權，內無父兄之眾，必不能為亂矣。此便於公。」〔鮑本十二年書太子嬰死，因言公仲、伯嬰六事。六事豈與太子同名歟？正曰：索隱說伯嬰云云，見前。〕

謂新城君曰

謂新城君曰：「公叔、伯嬰恐秦、楚之內幾瑟也，公何不為韓求質子於楚？〔鮑本楚不主幾瑟，則必入質，以此卜之。〕楚王〔鮑本懷。〕聽而入質子於韓，則公叔、伯嬰必知秦、楚之不以幾瑟為事也，必以韓合於秦、楚矣。秦、楚挾韓以窘魏，魏氏不敢東，〔鮑本不合齊。〕是齊孤也。公又令秦求質子於楚，〔鮑本卜其與秦同否也。〕楚不聽，則怨結於韓。〔鮑本此韓，皆主公叔、伯嬰為言。〕韓挾齊、魏以眄〔鮑本「眄」作「盻」。○　盻，睥睨也。正曰：盻，恨視也，五禮反。　札記今本「眄」作「盼」，乃因鮑注而誤其字也。丕烈案：依吳，當作「盻」。〕楚，楚王必重公矣。〔鮑本新城貴於秦，楚欲秦援之，故重新城。〕公挾秦、楚之重，以積德於韓，則公叔、伯嬰必以國事公矣。」〔鮑本記十二年有，在楚圍雍氏下。補曰：史以此為蘇代之言。新城君，羋戎也。〕

胡衍之出幾瑟於楚

胡衍〔鮑本韓人。〕之出幾瑟於楚也，〔鮑本出而歸韓。〕教〔鮑本衍「教」字。〕公仲謂魏王〔鮑本哀。正曰：襄。〕曰：「太子在楚，韓不敢離楚也。〔鮑本懼其為幾瑟伐韓。〕公〔鮑本「公」作「王」。○　正曰：謂魏王之言，止上二句，言韓所以不敢離楚之故，以解於魏也。「公何不試奉公子咎，而為之請太子」，此勸公仲之辭，「試」字可見。大事記引此，亦去「公」字，反不若存之之明也。　札記丕烈案：此當「公」字下有缺文，吳說亦未是。〕何不試奉公子咎，〔鮑本此後並因舊字。〕而為之請太子。〔鮑本請韓立之。〕因令人謂楚王〔鮑本懷。幾瑟聞魏欲立咎故。〕曰：『韓立公子咎而棄幾瑟，是王抱虛質也。王不如亟歸幾瑟。幾瑟入，必以韓權報讎於魏，而德王〔鮑本正曰：「德王」之「王」，謂楚王。〕矣。』」〔鮑本正曰：大事記謂，公仲始主幾瑟，後持兩端。幾瑟既不得入，遂改主咎。以此章為證。愚謂，勸仲試奉咎者，將以行其謂楚之謀，激楚王之早入幾瑟耳，非果有奉咎之心也。楚既敗雍氏，幾瑟卒不得入，公仲直以勢窮力竭而遂止耳。〕

幾瑟亡之楚

幾瑟亡之楚，楚將收秦而復之。謂羋戎曰：「廢公叔而相〔鮑本相，謂昔日。正曰：相，助也。〕幾瑟者楚也。今幾瑟亡之楚，楚又收秦而復之，幾瑟入鄭之日，韓，楚之縣邑。〔鮑本「邑」作「已」。○　補曰：策文如此句者。每作「已」。然「邑」字自通。　札記丕烈案：吳氏補曰，策文如此句者，每作「已」，是也。又曰，然「邑」字自通，非。〕公不如令秦王賀伯嬰之立也。韓絕於楚，〔鮑本楚主幾瑟，而今立嬰，故絕韓。〕其事秦必疾，秦挾韓親魏，齊、楚後至者先亡。此王業也。」

冷向謂韓咎

冷向謂韓咎〔鮑本史有公子咎，有韓咎。補曰：史，「冷向」作「蘇代」。愚謂，咎即太子咎，豈有內幾瑟之理？當是謂公仲之辭。此大事記所謂不可考者。〕曰：「幾瑟亡在楚，楚王〔鮑本懷。〕欲復之甚，令楚兵十餘萬在方城之外。臣請令楚築萬家之都於雍氏之旁，韓必起兵以禁之，公必將矣。公因以楚、韓之兵奉幾瑟而內之鄭，〔鮑本「之」下無「鄭」字。○札記丕烈案：鄭即韓也。無者，必不知而誤刪之。〕幾瑟得入而德公，必以韓、楚奉公矣。」〔鮑本記十二年有。〕

楚令景鯉入韓

楚令景鯉入韓，韓且內伯嬰於秦，景鯉患之。〔鮑本楚欲立幾瑟，怨秦立嬰故。〕冷向謂伯嬰曰：「太子〔鮑本謂伯嬰。〕入秦，秦必留太子而合楚，以復幾瑟也，是太子反棄之。」〔鮑本言已得立而棄之，向蓋為鯉者。彪謂：太子，國子之本也，而紛紛不定若此，韓置相，其皆何事耶？正曰：己若入秦，而秦與楚復幾瑟，反為自棄也。　大事記云，置嗣不定，大臣外連敵國，相與為市，國之不亡者幸也！愚觀咎與幾瑟爭立，實大臣輔之爭，而鮑謂「置相何事」，獨弗考乎？〕

韓咎立為君而未定

韓咎〔鮑本太子咎。即釐王。〕立為君而未定也，〔鮑本幾瑟、伯嬰難之。補曰：韓襄王十二年，公子咎、公子幾瑟爭立，楚圍雍氏。次年，魏襄王與齊閔王會於韓，立咎為太子。此策必其爭立之時，若既即位，則何未定之有？〕其弟在周，周欲以〔鮑本「以」作「立」。○〕車百乘重〔鮑本「乘」下無「重」字。○〕而送之，恐韓咎入韓之不立也。綦母恢曰：「不如以百金從之，韓咎立，因〔姚本劉改「因」作「曰」。〕也〔姚本一本添「也」字。　鮑本「因」下無「也」字。○〕以為戒；〔鮑本所謂兵餽。〕不立，則曰來效賊也。」〔鮑本得立者以咎弟為賊。正曰：公叔、公仲之用事，仲先而叔後。韓咎既立，則公仲之權寵衰矣。伯嬰、幾瑟、咎之爭立，伯嬰必先死，鮑次序錯亂，非是。〕

史疾為韓使楚

史疾為韓使楚，楚王問曰：「客何方所循？」〔鮑本方，術也。〕曰：「治列子圉〔鮑本「圉」，「禦」同。〕寇之言。」曰：「何貴？」曰：「貴正。」王曰：「正亦可為國乎？」曰：「可。」王曰：「楚國多盜，正可以圉盜乎？」曰：「可。」曰：「以正圉盜，柰何？」頃間〔姚本曾作「聞」。〕有鵲止於屋上者，曰：「請問楚人謂此鳥〔鮑本「此鳥」二字作「之」。○〕何？」王曰：「謂之鵲。」曰：〔鮑本無「曰」字。○〕「謂之烏，可乎？」曰：「不可。」曰：「今王之國有柱國、令尹、司馬、典令，〔鮑本皆楚官。〕其任官置吏，必曰廉潔勝任。今盜賊公行，而弗能禁也，此烏不為烏，鵲不為鵲也。」〔鮑本原在韓策。正曰：為韓使楚，故有韓，從舊可。按，此言循名，有申、韓之意，而以為列圉寇所治，何歟？抑申、韓原於道德，本不異歟？補曰：「為韓」之「為」，去聲。〕

韓傀相韓

韓傀〔鮑本補曰：史作「韓相俠累」。索隱引高誘云，韓傀，俠累也。今註本無。俠，古狹反。累，力追反。韓非子「傀」作「廆」。藝文類聚引作「韓羌」。今按「傀」字，呼乖、徒回、姑回、姖鮪、戶賄等反不一。「傀」與「俠累」，字音有差互訛轉。說又見後。　札記丕烈案：「傀」、「廆」同字，「累」、「羌」同字。考索隱在韓世家。單刻本「俠」下有「侯」字，疑「俠侯」是其爵號。「傀」、「累」為聲之轉也。〕相韓，嚴遂重於君，二人相害也。嚴遂政〔鮑本「政」，「正」同。〕議直指，舉韓傀之過。韓傀以之〔鮑本猶以此。〕叱之於朝。嚴遂拔劍趨之，以救解。〔鮑本以救至得解。〕於是嚴遂懼誅，亡去游，求人可以報韓傀者。

至齊，齊人或言：「軹深井里〔鮑本軹之里名深井。補曰：軹，即河內軹。正義云，深井里，在懷州濟源縣南三十里。政時客游齊。〕聶政，勇敢士也，避仇隱於屠者之間。」嚴遂陰交於聶政，以意厚之。聶政問〔鮑本「問」下有「之」字。○　補曰：一本「問曰」。〕曰：「子欲安用我乎？」嚴遂曰：「吾得為役之日淺，事今薄，〔鮑本薄，猶迫。〕奚敢有請？」於是嚴遂乃具酒，觴〔鮑本「觴」上有「自」字。○　補曰：一本「具酒觴」。　札記丕烈案：史記作「自暢」。徐廣曰，一作「賜」。索隱曰，作「觴」近為得也。〕聶政母前。仲子〔鮑本仲子，遂字。補曰：索隱引高誘云，嚴遂，字仲子。今本無。〕奉黃金百鎰，前為聶政母壽。聶政驚，愈恠其厚，固謝〔鮑本補曰：一本「固謝」。史、姚同。　札記「固」，鮑本作「因」。吳補一本「固謝」，史同。丕烈案：今鮑本誤為「固」，即與吳校矛盾也。〕嚴仲子。仲子固進，而聶政謝曰：「臣有老母，家貧，客游以為狗屠，可旦夕得甘脆〔鮑本肉之肥美者。正曰：說文，甘，美也；脆，小耎物易斷也。〕以養親。親供養備，義不敢當仲子之賜。」嚴仲子辟人，〔鮑本辟，猶屏闢去之。〕因為聶政語曰：「臣有仇，而行游諸侯眾矣。然至齊，聞足下義甚高。故直進百金者，特以為夫人麤糲〔鮑本「夫」作「丈」。○　丈人，亦尊稱政也。粟十六斗為一秉，舂米一斛曰糲。補曰：一本「夫人」。史、姚同。韋昭云，古者，尊大嫗為夫人，又或作「大人」。糲，落蓋反，又力制、郎達二反。　札記丕烈案：「丈」字當是。顏氏家訓有說。〕之費，以交〔鮑本「交」作「反」。○　補曰：一本「交足下」。史、姚同。「反」字必誤。〕足下之驩，豈敢以有求邪？」聶政曰：「臣所以降志辱身，居市井者，〔鮑本「者」上有「屠」字。○〕徒幸〔鮑本「幸」上無「徒」字。○〕而〔鮑本「而」作「以」。○　札記丕烈案：史記「而」作「以」。〕養老母。〔鮑本以有養為幸。〕老母在，〔鮑本「在」下有「前」字。○　在未死前。補曰：一本「居市井者，徒幸而養老母，老母在」。史、姚同，無「前」字。〕政身未敢以許人也。」嚴仲子固讓，聶政竟不肯受。然仲子卒備賓主之禮而去。

久之，聶政母死，既葬，除服。聶政曰：「嗟乎！政乃市井之人，鼓刀以屠，而嚴仲子乃諸侯之卿相也，不遠千里，枉車騎而交臣，臣之所以待之至淺鮮〔鮑本無「鮮」字。○　補曰：一本「至淺鮮矣」。史、姚同。〕矣，未有大功可以稱者，而嚴仲子舉百金為親壽，我雖〔鮑本「雖」作「義」。○　補曰：一本「我雖不受」。史、姚同。〕不受，然是深知政也。夫賢者以感忿睚眥之意，〔鮑本感，言動心。睚眥，怒視也。補曰：師古曰，睚音厓，舉眼也；眥，謂目匡也。言舉眼相忤者，即殺之也。一說，睚，五懈反；眥，士懈反。瞋目貌。〕而親信窮僻之人，而政獨安可嘿然而止乎？且前日要政，政徒以老母。老母今以天年終，政將為知己者用。」

遂西至濮陽，〔鮑本補曰：漢濮陽縣屬東郡，春秋時帝丘也。〕見嚴仲子曰：「前所以不許仲子者，徒以親在。今親不幸，〔鮑本「幸」下有「而死」二字。○　補曰：一本無「而死」二字。　札記丕烈案：史記作「今不幸而母以天年終」。〕仲子所欲報仇者為誰？」〔鮑本「者」下無「為誰」二字，有「請得從事焉」五字。○　補曰：一本「仇者為誰」。史、姚同。一本無「請得從事焉」五字。史有。〕嚴仲子具告曰：「臣之仇韓相傀。〔鮑本「傀」上有「韓」字。○　補曰：一本「韓相傀」。　札記丕烈案：史記「韓相俠累」。〕傀又韓君之季父也，宗族盛，兵衛設，〔鮑本「盛」下有「多居處」三字，「設」上有「甚」字。○　設，陳也。補曰：一本無「多居處甚」四字。史有。〕臣使人刺之，終莫能就。今足下幸而不棄，請益具車騎壯士，以為羽翼。」政曰：「韓與衛，中間不遠，〔鮑本「衛」下有「相去」二字。○事泄易聞。補曰：一本「韓與衛中間不遠」，無「相去」二字。姚同，史有。司馬貞引高誘云，韓都潁川陽翟，衛都東郡濮陽，故云云。今註本無。〕今殺人之相，相又國君之親，此其勢不可以多人。多人不能無生得失，〔鮑本謂相可否。〕生得失則語泄，〔鮑本補曰：索隱云，策作「無生情」，言所將人多，或生異情，故語泄。今本無此文。　札記丕烈案：考索隱云，此云「生得」，言將多人往殺俠累後，又被生擒而語泄，亦兩俱通也。是史記本作「生得」，策文本作「生情」。今本皆誤。〕語泄則韓舉國而與仲子為讎也，豈不殆哉！」遂謝車騎人徒，辭，獨行仗劍〔鮑本仗，兵器也。蓋以劍為兵。正曰：仗，執持也。〕至韓。

韓適有東孟〔鮑本東孟，地缺。補曰：索隱引高註，東孟，地名。今本無。〕之會，韓王及相皆在焉，持兵戟而衛〔鮑本「衛」下有「侍」字。○　補曰：一本無「侍」字。史、姚同。　札記丕烈案：今史記有。〕者甚眾。聶政直入，上階刺〔鮑本「刺」下有「殺」字。○　札記丕烈案：史記「刺殺俠累」。索隱引戰國策「刺韓傀」，無「殺」字。鮑本當是誤用史記添入耳。〕韓傀。韓傀走而抱哀侯，〔鮑本「哀」作「列」。○　下同。按釐侯，策及傳皆言哀侯，而記及年表皆書列侯。策、傳可為誤，年不可移也。補曰：說見後。　札記鮑改「哀」為「列」，下同。丕烈案：此即世家之列侯，策文謂之哀侯，一人耳。世本又作武侯，引見索隱，非世家所謂「韓嚴弒其君哀侯者也」。吳氏補以為二事，是矣。其必謂之列侯，未審於史記、策文本不同也。〕聶政刺之，兼中哀侯，左右大亂。聶政大呼，所〔鮑本「所」下有「擊」字。○　補曰：一本無「擊」字。姚同，史有。　札記丕烈案：劉向列女傳無。〕殺者數十人。因自皮面〔鮑本「皮面」作「面皮」。○　去面之皮。補曰：索隱云，以刀刺其面皮，欲令人不識。列女傳作「披」，蓋以刀剺面而去其皮也。　札記丕烈案：「皮」、「披」同字，「抉」、「決」同字，作「面皮」者誤。列女傳是「自披其面」也。〕抉〔鮑本抉，挑也。補曰：史作「決」。〕眼，自屠出腸，〔鮑本「自屠出腸」作「屠腸」。○　一本「自屠出腸」。史、姚同。　札記丕烈案：列女傳作「自屠剔」。〕遂以死。韓取聶政屍〔鮑本「屍」下有「暴」字。○　札記丕烈案：史記有。列女傳，「韓暴其屍於市」。〕於市，縣購之千金。〔鮑本縣金募知者。〕久之莫知誰子。〔鮑本「誰」下無「子」字。○　補曰：一本「誰子」。史、姚同。　札記丕烈案：列女傳，「莫知為誰」。〕

政姊〔姚本劉有「嫈」字。　鮑本「姊」下有「嫈」字。○　補曰：一本無「嫈」字。嫈，么莖反。史作「榮」。　札記丕烈案：索隱云，戰國策無「榮」字，有者當是誤用史記添入耳。列女傳亦無。〕聞之，曰：「弟〔鮑本「弟」上有「吾」字。○　札記丕烈案：列女傳無。〕至賢，不可愛妾之軀，滅吾弟之名，非弟意也。」〔鮑本言往哭自吾意耳。〕乃之韓。視之曰：「勇哉！氣矜〔鮑本矜，自持也。〕之隆。是其軼〔鮑本軼，車相出也。〕賁、育而〔鮑本「高」上無「而」字。○　補曰：姚本「而高」。〕高成荊矣。〔鮑本說文，成荊，古之勇士。今對賁、育，復似兩人。補曰：呂氏春秋，「豫讓必死於襄子，而趙氏皆恐；成荊致死於韓王，而周人皆畏」。按此對豫讓言，則一人也。〕今死而無名，〔鮑本不顯其人。〕父母既歿矣，兄弟無有，此為我故也。〔鮑本不顯其名，恐累及姊。〕夫愛身不揚弟之名，吾不忍也。」乃抱屍而哭之曰：「此吾弟軹深井里聶政也。」亦自殺於屍下。

晉、楚、齊、衛聞之曰：「非獨政之能，乃其姊者，亦列女也。」〔鮑本「政」上有「聶」字，「者」下無「亦」字。○　列，義烈可陳。正曰：「列」，「烈」通。補曰：一本「非獨政之能，乃其姊者，亦列女也」。姚同。　札記丕烈案：史記，「非獨政能也，乃其姊亦烈女也」。列女傳，「非獨聶政之勇，乃其姊者烈女也」。〕聶政之所以名施於後世者，其姊不避菹醢〔鮑本「菹醢」作「葅酢」。○　葅酢，菜也。言剉斮之如此。補曰：周禮註疏，薤葅之類，菜肉通稱。全物若䐑為葅。記文，醢，肉醬。〕之誅，以揚其名也。〔鮑本此三年書政殺韓相俠累，刺客傳有。彪謂：政之始終於其親，孝矣。其臨財也，義矣。嘗欲評其死，感其義烈，不忍下筆。獨以謂人之居世，不可不知人，亦不可妄為人知也。遂唯知政，故得行其志。惜乎，遂褊猵狷細人耳，政不幸謬為所知，故死於是！使其受知明主與賢相，則其所成就，豈不有萬萬於此者乎？哀哉！補曰：大事記，按史記韓世家，烈侯三年，聶政殺韓相俠累；十一年，烈侯卒；子文侯立，十年卒；子哀侯立，六年，韓嚴弒其君哀侯。聶政之刺俠累，與哀侯之弒，相去遠矣，而聶政傳乃謂嚴仲子事哀侯，與韓相俠累有郤，使政刺累。與世家不合。蓋其氏偶同，故刺客傳誤以為哀侯之時。策曰，東孟之會，韓王及相皆在焉，聶政刺韓傀兼中哀侯。又曰，聶政刺相，兼中哀侯，許異蹴哀侯而殪之，是故哀侯為君而許異終身相焉。考之世家，哀侯既弒，其子懿侯即立，許異將誰相哉？俠累既死，烈侯猶在位十年，謂之終身相可也。則此乃烈侯三年之事，但戰國策誤以為哀侯耳。又烈王五年，韓嚴遂弒哀侯，解題引索隱云，紀年，晉桓公邑哀侯於鄭，韓山堅賊其君哀侯而立韓若山。山堅即韓嚴也，若山即懿侯也。愚按，此事，國策誤合二事為一，司馬遷兩存而不決，故溫公與劉道原書、蘇氏古史皆疑之。大事記考之未盡，且史記年表、世家兩書韓嚴，是聶政之事乃嚴遂；而弒哀侯者，乃韓嚴。大事記謂氏偶同，又不知韓嚴遂、韓嚴，國、氏、名交混也。通鑑書嚴遂弒哀侯，大事記因之未改，當從史書韓嚴。綱目書「廢遂」下注，哀侯以韓廆為相，而愛韓遂，二人相害，遂刺廆于朝，併中哀侯，亦仍誤也。正曰：史遷作刺客傳，失在獎盜，而年表書盜殺韓相俠累，獨為得春秋書法。綱目、大事記不能易也。父母遺體不敢毀傷，以不義而滅其身得為孝乎？非有夙昔之遇，如智伯之於豫讓；非有累世之恩，如韓之於子房，以欲報仇之故，厚己而使為不義，得為知己乎？鮑陳說區區，陋矣。補曰：姊嫈之死，蓋兄弟之義，策述其言，以為不愛身以揚弟之名，而說者徒知論名，而不及義，此皆戰國之習也。史記云，「使政知姊無濡忍之志，不重暴骸之難，必絕險千里以列其名，姊弟俱僇於韓市者，亦未必敢以身許仲子也」。列女傳云，「嫈仁而有勇，不怯死以滅名。詩云，『死喪之威，兄弟孔懷』云云，此之謂也。」愚謂，子長得政之情，子政得嫈之志，然一則曰列其名，一則曰不滅名，猶未免世俗之失也。〕

韓策 三

或謂韓公仲

或謂韓公仲〔姚本曾作「中」。〕曰：「夫孿〔鮑本孿，一乳兩子。補曰：孿，來戀、力員二反。〕子之相似者，唯其母知之而已；利害〔鮑本「利」上有「夫」字。○　補曰：一本「利害」，無「夫」字。〕之相似者，唯智者知之而已。今公國，其利害之相似，正如孿子之相似也。得以〔鮑本無「以」字。○〕其道為之，則主尊而身安；不得其道，則主卑而身危。今秦、魏之和成，〔鮑本轉則二國和。〕而非公適〔鮑本「適」下有「兩」字。○　札記今本「適」下有「兩」字。〕束〔鮑本束，猶約。〕之，則韓必謀〔鮑本謀，謂和不堅而復議之。〕矣。若韓隨魏以善秦，是為魏從也，〔鮑本從人而已，非自約也。〕則韓輕矣，〔鮑本無「矣」字。○　補曰：一本「韓輕矣」。〕主卑矣。秦已善韓，必將欲〔鮑本無「欲」字。○〕置其所愛信者，令用事於韓以完之，〔鮑本全秦之事。〕是公危矣。今公與安成君〔鮑本韓人。〕為秦、魏之和，成固為福，不成亦為福。秦、魏之和成，而公適〔鮑本「適」下有「兩」字。○　札記今本「適」下有「兩」字。〕束之，是韓為秦、魏之門戶也，〔鮑本喻兩國由之。〕是韓重而主尊矣。安成君東重於魏，而西貴於秦，操右契〔鮑本左契，待合而已；右契，可以責取。〕而為公責德於秦、魏之主，〔鮑本「主」作「王」。○　公仲制和，為德於秦，今責其報。〕裂地而為諸侯，公之事也。〔鮑本言當務此。〕若夫安韓、魏而終身相，公之下服，〔鮑本服，猶事。以侯國為上，則相猶為下也。〕此主尊而身安矣。秦、魏不終相聽者也。〔姚本劉有「者」字。　鮑本後必有違。〕齊怒於不得魏，必欲善韓以塞魏；魏不聽秦，必務善韓以備秦，是公擇布而割也。〔姚本錢作「擇豨而割之」，曾、劉作「擇布」。　鮑本布，喻齊、魏。割，喻制之。補曰：「齊怒」，詳文意當作「秦怒」。〕秦、魏和，則兩國德公；不和，則兩國爭事公。所謂成為福，不成亦為福者也。願公之無疑也。」

或謂公仲

或謂公仲曰：「今有一舉而可以忠於主，便於國，利於身，願公之行之也。今天下散而事秦，則韓最輕矣；天〔鮑本「天」上有「今」字。○〕下合而離秦，則韓最弱矣；合離之相續，則韓最先危矣。此君國長民之大患也。今公以韓先合於秦，天下隨之，是韓以天下事〔姚本錢作「予」。〕秦，秦之德韓也厚矣。韓與天下朝秦，而獨厚取德焉，公行之〔鮑本之，猶此。〕計，是其於主也至忠矣。天下不合秦，秦令而不聽，秦必起兵以誅不服。秦久與天下結怨構〔鮑本「構」作「搆」。○　御名。〕難，而兵不決，韓息士民以待其亹，〔鮑本亹，罅也。〕公行之計，是其於國也，大便也。昔者，周佼以西周善於秦，而封於梗陽；〔鮑本太原榆次有梗陽鄉。〕周啟以東周善於秦，而封於平原。今公以韓善秦，韓之重於兩周也無計，〔鮑本「無」下有「先」字。○　札記丕烈案：策文「無」多作「无」，而誤複衍也。〕而秦之爭機也，〔鮑本在己之計，無先於此。在秦則為爭，言欲之急。機，言不可失。〕萬於周之時。今公以韓為天下先合於秦，秦必以公為諸侯，以明示天下，公行之計，是其於身大利也。願公之加務也。」

韓人攻宋

韓人攻宋，〔鮑本齊記閔三十八年，書韓為齊攻。今從史，定為此十年。〕秦王〔鮑本昭。〕大怒曰：「吾愛宋，與新城、陽晉〔鮑本補曰：正義引括地志云，新城故城，在宋州宋城縣界。陽晉故城，在曹州乘氏縣西北。又見楚策。〕同也。韓珉與我交，而攻我甚所愛，何也？」蘇秦〔鮑本「秦」作「代」。○　原作「秦」，今從史。　補曰：當作「代」。〕為韓說秦王曰：「韓珉之攻宋，所以為王也。以韓之強，輔之以宋，楚、魏必恐。恐，必西面事秦。王不折一兵，不殺一人，無事而割安邑，此韓珉之所以禱於秦也。」〔鮑本禱，言以此求事秦。〕秦王曰：「吾固患韓之難知，一從一橫，此其說何也？」〔鮑本韓難知，而代說如此，何也？〕對曰：「天下固令韓可知也。〔鮑本「也」作「矣」。○　言非獨代知之。〕韓故〔鮑本「故」作「固」。○〕已攻宋矣，其西面〔鮑本無「面」字。○〕事秦，以萬乘〔鮑本萬乘，秦也。〕自輔；不西事秦，則宋地不安矣。〔鮑本雖得宋地，不能自安。〕中國白頭游敖〔鮑本敖，出游也。〕之士，皆積智欲離秦、韓之交。伏軾結靷〔鮑本靷，駕牛具，在胸者。〕西馳者，未有一人言善韓者也；伏軾結靷東馳者，未有一人言善秦者也。皆不欲韓、秦之合者何也？則晉、楚智而韓、秦愚也。晉、楚合，必伺〔鮑本伺，亦圖也，小言之。正曰：伺，窺也。〕韓、秦；韓、秦合，必圖晉、楚。請以決事。」秦王曰：「善。」〔鮑本齊記有，「韓」字並作「齊」。補曰：趙策，謂魏王曰「韓珉處於趙，去齊三千里」，王以此疑齊曰「有秦陰」；五國伐秦無功，蘇代謂齊王舉說奉陽君之辭曰，「天下爭秦，秦內韓珉於齊」，又云「與韓氏大吏東勉，齊王必無召珉」。而韓策云「韓珉相齊」。蓋韓珉為齊伐宋也。首句不云「韓攻宋」，而云「韓人」，疑「人」即「珉」之訛。蘇代為燕反間，勸齊伐宋，將以敝齊而為燕，恐秦之敗其事，故游說以止之爾。史記恐有所據，當考。　札記丕烈案：鮑氏引史記齊世家，此下「韓」字皆作「齊」。考此策文必本亦作「齊」。史記索隱引此策文異同，不及「韓」、「齊」字，可證。因韓珉而在韓策，後人乃誤改之耳。〕

或謂韓王

或〔姚本錢添「或」字。〕謂韓王曰：「秦王〔鮑本昭。〕欲出事於梁，而欲攻絳、安邑，韓計將安出〔鮑本謂有齒寒之憂。〕矣？秦之欲伐韓，以東闚周室，甚唯寐忘之。今韓不察，因欲與秦，必為山東大禍矣。秦之欲攻梁也，欲得梁以臨韓，恐梁之不聽也，故欲病〔姚本錢、劉作「痛」。　鮑本「病」作「痛」。○　攻之深，使之懲創，不敢離秦。補曰：一本「固欲病之」。姚同。〕之以固交也。王不察，因欲中立，〔鮑本不助秦，亦不救魏。〕梁必怒於韓之不與己，必折為秦用，韓必舉矣。願王熟慮之也。不如急發重使之趙、梁，約復為兄弟，使山東皆以銳師戍韓、梁之西邊，非為此也，山東無以救亡，此萬世之計也。秦之欲并天下而王之也，不與古同。事之雖如子之事父，猶將亡之也。行雖〔姚本錢添此「雖」字。〕如伯夷，猶將亡之也。行雖如桀、紂，猶將亡之也。〔鮑本言志於亡之而已，無擇也。〕雖善事之無益也。不可以為存，適足以自令亟亡也。然則山東非能從親，合而相堅如一者，必皆亡矣。」〔鮑本彪謂：秦之大情，此士陳之無餘蘊矣，非蘇氏兄弟不能也。說之著明如此，而聽之者藐藐，豈天亡之邪？蓋漢運將興，而秦為之鸇獺也。補曰：大事記引此策自「秦之」止「益也」，謂論秦最得其情。附見于赧王二十九年，魏獻安邑之後。愚以齊、趙、燕策考之，宜附赧王十六年。說見齊策秦伐魏陳軫合三晉而東一章。〕

謂鄭王

謂鄭王曰：「昭釐侯，一世之明君也；申不害，一世之賢士也。韓與魏敵侔之國也，申不害與昭釐侯執珪而見梁君，非好卑而惡尊也，非慮過而議失也。申不害之計事，曰：『我執珪於魏，魏君必得志於韓，必外靡〔鮑本靡，蔑視之。正曰：靡，散也，忙皮反。補曰：昭釐侯朝魏，見魏策。〕於天下矣，是魏弊矣。諸侯惡魏必事韓，是我免〔鮑本「免」作「俛」。○　補曰：此書「免」、「俛」通。〕於一人之下，而信〔鮑本平。〕於萬人之上也。夫弱魏之兵，而重韓之權，莫如朝魏。』昭釐侯聽而行之，明君也；申不害慮事而言之，忠臣也。今之韓弱於始之韓，而今之秦強於始之秦。〔鮑本補曰：孔叢子，「韓與魏有隙，子順謂韓王曰：『昭釐侯，一世之明君也；申不害，一世之賢相也。韓與魏敵侔之國，而釐侯執珪見梁君者，非好卑而惡尊，慮過而計失也。與嚴敵為鄰而動有滅亡之憂，獨動不能支二難，故降心以相從，屈己以求存也。申不害慮事而言，忠臣也。昭釐侯聽而行之，明君也。今韓弱於始之韓，魏均於始之魏，秦強於始之秦，而背先人之舊好，以區區之眾，居二敵之間，非良策也。齊、楚遠而難恃，秦、魏呼吸而至，舍近而求遠，是以虛名自累，而不免近敵之困者也。為王計者，莫如除小忿，全大好也。吳、越之人，同舟濟江，中流遇風波，其相救如左右手者，所患同也。今不卹所同之患，是不如吳、越之舟人也。』韓王曰：『善。』」按此文與策上文略同，其下則異。子順之言，主除忿全好，策文主尊秦，非子順意也。今全錄以俟考者。〕今秦有梁君之心矣，而王與諸臣不事為尊秦〔鮑本不以尊秦為事。〕以定韓者，臣竊以為王之明為不如昭釐侯，而王之諸臣忠莫如申不害也。

「昔者，穆〔鮑本「穆」上補「秦」字。○〕公一勝於韓原〔鮑本晉記「斃於原」注，晉韓原。後志，在馮翊夏陽。補曰：左氏僖十五年傳，在同州韓城。〕而霸西州，〔鮑本猶言西方。〕晉文公一勝於城濮而定天下，〔姚本曾改「子」作「下」。　鮑本「下」作「子」。○　僖二十八年。〕此以一勝立尊〔鮑本尊，謂霸。〕令，〔鮑本令，謂使。正曰：「立尊令」句。〕成功名於天下。今秦數世強矣，大勝以千〔鮑本「千」作「十」。○　札記丕烈案：「十」字是也。〕數，小勝以百數，大之不王，小之不霸，名尊無所立，制令無所行，〔鮑本諸侯不從其令。〕然而春秋用兵者，非以求主尊成名〔鮑本「名」作「王」。○〕於天下也。〔鮑本言志於尊王而已。〕昔先王之攻，有為名者，有為實者。為名者攻其心，〔鮑本使其心服而已。〕為實者攻其形。〔鮑本形，在外者，謂地與民。〕昔者，吳與越戰，越人大敗，保於會稽之上。吳人入越而戶撫之。〔鮑本遍至其家撫安之。〕越王使大夫種行成於吳，請男為臣，女為妾，身執禽〔鮑本禽，鳥，小鷙也。正曰：執禽鳥服役。〕而隨諸御。〔鮑本吳之執事者。〕吳人果聽其辭，與成而不盟，此攻其心者也。其後越與吳戰，吳人大敗，亦請〔鮑本「請」作「謂」。○〕男為臣，女為妾，反以越事吳之禮事越。越人不聽也，遂殘吳國而禽夫差，此攻其形者也。今將攻其心乎，宜使如吳；攻其形乎，宜使如越。夫攻形不如越，而攻心不如吳，而君臣、上下、少長、貴賤，畢呼霸王，臣竊以為猶之井中而謂曰：『我將為爾求火也。』

「東孟之會，〔鮑本補曰：姚及一本自為一章，恐非。〕聶政、陽堅〔鮑本堅，政之副，猶秦舞陽。正曰：說見前。　札記丕烈案：此在東周策。〕刺相兼君。許異〔鮑本韓人。〕蹴〔鮑本「蹴」作「蹙」。○　蹙，猶留侯躡漢王足，蓋使之佯死。補曰：「蹙」，一本作「蹴」，字通。說文，蹴，躡也；躡，蹈也。〕哀〔鮑本「哀」作「列」。○　下同。補曰：「哀」、「列」二字，訛舛不明，且從本文讀之而已。　札記丕烈案：鮑改非也，吳補亦未是。說在前。〕侯而殪之，立以為鄭君。韓氏之眾無不聽令者，則許異為之先也。是故哀侯為君，而許異終身相焉。〔鮑本補曰：按哀侯既弒，則無終身相之事。以為列侯，則又非陽堅為賊之事。〕而韓氏之尊許異也，猶其尊哀侯也。今日〔鮑本補曰：一本「日」作「曰」。〕鄭君不可得而為〔鮑本「為」，去音，謂蹙之。正曰：下文「天子不可得而為」與此仝，則「為」當如字。〕也，雖終身相之焉，然而吾弗為云者，豈不為過謀哉！〔鮑本言無前日之難而可以久相，而曰不為者，過也。〕昔齊桓公九合諸侯，未嘗不以周襄王之命。然則雖尊襄王，桓公亦定霸矣。九合之尊桓公也，〔鮑本侯之與九合者。〕猶其尊襄王也。今日天子不可得而為也，雖為桓公吾〔鮑本「吾」上補「然而」二字。○〕弗為云者，豈不為過謀而不知尊哉！〔鮑本此欲其尊秦。〕韓氏之士數十萬，皆戴哀侯以為君，而許異獨取相焉者，無他；〔鮑本「他」下有「也」字。○〕諸侯之君，無不任事於周室也，而桓公獨取霸者，亦無他也。〔鮑本知所尊而已。〕今強國將有帝王之亹，〔鮑本謂秦。〕而以國先者，此桓公、許異之類也。豈可不謂善謀哉？夫先與強國之利，強國能王，則我必為之霸；強國不能王，則可以辟〔鮑本「辟」作「避」。○　補曰：一本「避」作「辟」，當音闢。　札記丕烈案：凡「辟」音「避」者，鮑本多作「避」。此非異本，亦不音闢，吳說皆未是。〕其兵，使之無伐我。然則強國事成，則我立〔鮑本立，言彼為帝，由我尊之。〕帝而霸；強國之事不成，猶之厚德我也。今〔鮑本今，謂韓。〕與強國，強國〔姚本曾、劉無下「強國」兩字。〕之事成則有福，不成則無患，然則先與強國者，聖人之計也。」〔鮑本正曰：此策時不可考。其說雖多，務尊強國而已，非善謀也。「為名」、「為實」、「為爾」、「為之先」之「為」，去聲。〕

韓陽役於三川而欲歸

韓陽役於三川〔鮑本征伐之役。〕而欲歸，足強〔鮑本韓人。〕為之說韓王曰：「三川服矣，王亦知之乎？役且共貴公子。」〔鮑本役，役人。公子，謂陽等輩。貴，言立之為君。〕王於是召諸公子役於三川者而歸之。〔鮑本正曰：時不可考。〕

秦大國

秦，大國也。韓，小國也。韓甚疏秦。然而見親秦，計之，〔鮑本「而」上無「然」字，「計」上補「韓」字。○　為秦所親。補曰：一本「然而」。正曰：「然而」止「以也」句。「計之」恐當作「之計」，謂見親於秦之計，非金無以為親。　札記今本「計」上有「韓」字，乃誤涉鮑也，鮑補「韓」字。丕烈案：依文自通，鮑補、吳正皆非。〕非金無以〔姚本曾作「已」。〕也，〔鮑本金以事秦。〕故賣美人。美人之賈貴，諸侯不能買，故秦買之三千金。韓因以其金事秦，秦反得其金與韓之美人。韓之美人因言於秦曰：「韓甚疏秦。」〔鮑本美人怨韓賣之，又知韓之情。〕從是觀之，韓亡〔鮑本「亡」作「之」。○〕美人與金，〔鮑本此兩者。〕其疏秦乃始〔鮑本「始」下衍「於」字。○　補曰：一本無，姚同。〕益明。故客有說韓者曰：「不如止淫〔鮑本滛，侈也。〕用，以是為金以事秦，是金必行，而韓之疏秦不明。美人知內行者也，〔鮑本謂國中隱事。〕故善為計者，不見〔鮑本見，顯示之。補曰：見，賢遍反。正曰：時不可考。〕內行。」

張丑之合齊楚講於魏

張丑之合齊、楚講於魏也，謂韓公仲曰：「今公疾攻魏之運，〔鮑本「運」作「鄆」。○　下同。後志，瑯邪東筦有鄆亭。正曰：非魏地。運，未詳。〕魏急，則必以地和於齊、楚，故公不如勿攻也。魏緩則必戰。〔鮑本與齊、楚戰。〕戰勝，攻運而取之易矣。〔鮑本勝則兵敝，又無齊、楚之助，韓可取運。〕戰不勝，則魏且內之。」〔鮑本內運於韓。〕公仲曰：「諾。」張丑因謂齊、楚曰：「韓已與魏矣。〔鮑本與之講。正曰：公仲事，當附襄王時。〕以為不然，則蓋〔姚本三本同作「蓋」，一本作「盍」。　鮑本「蓋」作「盍」。○〕觀公仲之攻也。」公仲不攻，〔鮑本從丑之言。〕齊、楚恐，〔鮑本恐韓、魏合。〕因講於魏，而不告韓。

或謂韓相國

或〔姚本錢添「或」字。　鮑本無「或」字。○〕謂韓相國〔鮑本公仲也。正曰：無考。未必釐王時。〕曰：「人之所以善扁鵲者，為有臃腫也；使善扁鵲而無臃腫也，則人莫之為之也。〔鮑本無為善之。〕今君以所事〔鮑本謂王〕善平原君者，為惡於秦也；〔鮑本以見惡於秦，故善之以支秦。〕而善平原君乃所以惡於秦也。〔鮑本秦以平原君難之，故惡之；而韓與之善，故亦惡韓。〕願君之熟計之也。」

公仲使韓珉之秦求武隧

公仲使韓珉之秦求武隧，〔鮑本「隧」作「遂」。○　札記丕烈案：「隧」、「遂」同字。〕而恐楚之怒也。唐客〔鮑本楚人。〕謂公仲曰：「韓之事秦也，且以求武隧也，非弊邑之所憎也。韓已得武隧，其形乃可以善楚。臣願有言，而不敢為楚計。今韓之父兄得眾者毋相，韓不能獨立，勢必不〔鮑本衍「不」字。補曰：疑衍。〕善楚。王曰：〔鮑本唐客以楚懷言告公仲。〕『吾欲以國輔韓珉而相之可乎？父兄惡珉，珉必以國保楚。』」公仲說，〔鮑本初恐楚怒己使珉，今欲相珉，則不怒也。〕士〔姚本錢作「仕」字。　鮑本「士」作「仕」。○〕唐客於諸公，〔鮑本蓋薦之於韓之大臣乃得仕。〕而使之主韓、楚之事。

韓相公仲珉使韓侈之秦

韓相公仲珉〔鮑本衍「珉」字，下同。補曰：公仲珉，策屢各見，此兩言公仲珉，不可曉。公仲即公仲侈，此云公仲死，後韓侈云云，則韓侈別是一人也。文亦多難通，宜缺。　札記今本無「珉」字，乃誤涉鮑也。〕使韓侈之秦，請攻魏，秦王〔鮑本昭。〕說之。韓侈在唐，〔鮑本晉陽。注詩，唐國。正曰：唐，未詳。〕公仲珉死。韓侈謂秦王曰：「魏之使者謂後相韓辰曰：『公必為魏罪韓侈。』韓辰曰：『不可。秦王仕之，又與約事。』〔鮑本言約攻魏。〕使者曰：『秦之仕韓侈也，以重公仲也。今公仲死，韓侈之秦，秦必弗入。入，〔姚本曾有下「入」字。　鮑本無「入」字。○　補曰：一本復有「入」字。〕又奚為挾之以恨魏王〔鮑本昭。〕乎？』韓辰患之，將聽之矣。今王不召韓侈，韓侈且伏於山中矣。」〔鮑本懼罪。〕秦王曰：「何意寡人如是之權〔鮑本權，猶變也。始說侈而今不入，是變也。補曰：權，未詳，字疑有誤。〕也！令安伏？」〔鮑本秦人。正曰：無考。　札記丕烈案：「令」當作「今」。上文云且伏於山中，故此問其今者方安所伏也。鮑以為秦人，吳云「無考」，皆誤甚。〕召韓侈而仕之。

客卿為韓謂秦王

客卿〔鮑本韓。〕為韓謂秦王〔鮑本武。〕曰：「韓珉之議，知其君不知異君，知其國不知異國。彼公仲者，秦勢能詘〔鮑本詘，貶下也。〕之。秦〔鮑本「秦」上補「以」字。○〕之強，首〔鮑本首，言以兵向之。〕之者，珉為疾矣。〔鮑本珉者，公仲所善。公仲受兵，則珉病。正曰：珉之議為其國之病也。〕進齊、宋之兵至首坦，〔姚本曾作「垣」。　鮑本「坦」作「垣」。○　韓進之。補曰：首垣，魏地。見秦策。〕遠薄梁郭，所以不及〔鮑本「及」作「反」。○　反，不合也。兵薄梁郭，疑於不合而合。補曰：一本「不及魏」，姚同，似義長。〕魏者，以為成〔姚本劉作「戍」。　鮑本成，平也，猶和。〕而過南陽之道，欲以四國〔鮑本韓、宋、齊、魏。〕西首也。所以不者，〔鮑本言欲攻秦而不果者。正曰：見下。〕皆曰以〔鮑本衍「以」字。〕燕亡於齊，〔鮑本亡，謂喪地。補曰：前此四年，齊破燕。〕魏亡於秦，〔鮑本孟子曰，西喪地。〕陳、蔡亡於楚，〔鮑本此亡國也。〕此皆絕地形，〔鮑本言其大小相絕，而四國輕以小敵大，故亡。正曰：「所以不者」，再申「不及魏」之說。燕、魏亡地於齊、秦，陳、蔡亡國於楚，則地形已絕，不可復通。韓、齊、宋之於魏，則不然。「絕地形」以下，當有缺文，引言秦事。〕群臣比周以蔽其上，大臣為諸侯輕國也。今王位正，〔鮑本言武王能正貴賤之位。〕張儀之貴，不得議公孫郝，〔鮑本「郝」作「赫」，又改作「郝」。○　元作「赫」。下同。補曰：姚作「郝」。〕是從臣不事大臣也；〔鮑本從臣，謂儀；大臣，郝也。事，言不得干其事。正曰：見下。〕公孫郝之貴，不得議甘戊，〔鮑本「戊」作「茂」。○　札記今本「戊」作「茂」。〕則大臣不得事近臣〔鮑本近臣，謂茂。正曰：大事記，此秦武王未逐張儀前時事也。大臣、從臣之名，始見于此。大臣者，張儀、甘茂也；從臣者，公孫郝也。秦武不過防其交通，使之互相伺察而已。〕矣。〔姚本劉本作「也」。〕貴賤不相事，各得其位，輻湊以事其上，則群臣之賢不肖，可得而知也。王之明一也。公孫郝嘗疾齊、韓〔鮑本言急於得二國。補曰：「疾」字恐有誤。〕而不加貴，〔鮑本貴，言不厚二國。正曰：言郝不加厚也。〕則為大臣不敢為諸侯輕國矣。齊、韓嘗因公孫郝而不受，則諸侯不敢因群臣以為能矣。外內不相為，則諸侯之情偽可得而知也。王之明二也。〔鮑本補曰：王之明一也，申群臣比周蔽上之說；王之明二也，申大臣為諸侯輕國之說。〕公孫郝、樗里疾請無攻韓，陳四辟去，〔鮑本陳，軍陳。以不攻，故解散。補曰：「四」，疑當作「而」。〕王猶攻之也。〔鮑本宜陽之役。〕甘茂約楚、趙〔鮑本欲攻魏。〕而反敬魏，〔鮑本違其初約。〕是其講我，〔鮑本「反」作「攻」，「其講」作「且搆」。○　初約攻而反敬之，是欲與三國難我也。　札記丕烈案：此有誤字，鮑強為之說，吳亦然，皆未是也。〕茂且攻宜陽，王猶校之也。〔鮑本茂攻宜陽，可以贖前，若他人則置不檢校。正曰：按史「茂攻宜陽，請約於魏」，此言在未攻宜陽之時，茂黨魏者。楚、趙當時蓋與魏不合，茂約結楚、趙而反其敬，魏且將搆難於我，其欲攻宜陽，王猶檢察之。以此二事，稱王之明智。〕群臣之知，無幾〔鮑本幾，猶近。〕於王之明者，臣故願公仲之國以〔鮑本「國以」作「以國」。○　補曰：當作「以國」。〕侍〔鮑本「侍」作「待」。○　待，待其命。　札記今本「侍」誤「待」。〕於王，而無自左右也。」〔鮑本自，猶由也。欲秦王聽己，勿用左右之說。正曰：謂公仲一心聽王，不由左右。補曰：大事記引此策在韓襄二年、秦武元年。解題云，韓客謂向壽曰，「今王之愛習公也，不如公孫郝」。當時所謂從臣，指愛習而侍從者也。秦用其愛習為人主私人，其權至與大臣相抗，古無是也。愚謂，公孫郝挾韓而議大臣，必不得與而爭於中，故此士欲王自聽。公仲之待事而不由左右陳駕御之術，以稔強明猜忌之見爾。張儀出走，毀者固非一人，而茂攻宜陽，亦以奭為憂。大臣卒為從臣所勝，愛習真可畏哉。〕

韓珉相齊

韓珉相齊，令吏逐公疇豎，〔鮑本齊人。正曰：無考。〕大〔鮑本「大」作「又」。○〕怒於周之留成陽君〔鮑本君本在齊，為秦善之，珉欲使之之秦，過周，周人留之，故怒。正曰：成陽君，韓人。鮑於魏策已言之。今因此言韓珉相齊而怒之，故又云君本在齊。又因魏策成陽君欲以韓、魏聽秦，故生此說，皆非。〕也。〔鮑本無「也」字。○〕謂韓珉曰：「公以二人者為賢人也，所入之國，因用之乎？則不如其處小國。〔鮑本謂周。〕何也？成陽君為秦去韓，公疇豎，楚王〔鮑本頃襄。正曰：無據。〕善之。今公因逐之，二人者必入秦、楚，必為公患。且明公之不善於天下。〔鮑本明，猶顯示。二大國惡之，天下不能善也。〕天下之不善公者，與欲有求於齊者，且收之，以臨齊而市公。」

或謂山陽君

或〔姚本錢添入「或」字。　鮑本無「或」字。○〕謂山陽君〔鮑本韓人。〕曰：「秦封君以山陽，〔鮑本兗州郡。〕齊封君以莒。齊、秦非重韓則賢君之行也。今楚攻齊取莒，上及〔鮑本無「及」字。○〕不交齊，次弗納於君，〔鮑本弗使入莒。〕是棘齊、秦之威而輕韓也。」〔鮑本棘，猶難也。楚攻齊，而不納秦之所封，山陽又韓人，故云。正曰：「棘」義未詳，詩、傳多訓「急」。「楚攻」以下，本文自明。其時不可考。〕山陽君因使之楚。

趙魏攻華陽

趙、魏攻華陽，韓謁急於秦。〔鮑本以急告也。〕冠蓋相望，秦不救。〔鮑本補曰：攻華陽事，見魏策。〕韓相國〔鮑本辰也。正曰：無考。〕謂田苓曰：「事急，願公雖疾，為一宿之行。」田苓見穰侯，穰侯曰：「韓急乎？何故使公來？」田苓對曰：「未急也。」穰侯怒曰：「是何以為公〔鮑本公，猶國也，言其不任。〕之王使乎？〔鮑本「王」作「主」。○　札記丕烈案：史記作「主」。〕冠蓋相望，告弊邑甚急，公曰未急，何也？」田苓曰：「彼韓急，則將變矣。」穰侯曰：「公無見王矣，臣請令發兵救韓。」八日中，大敗趙、魏於華陽之下。〔鮑本記二十三年有。補曰：與前章張翠說同。〕

秦招楚而伐齊

秦招楚而伐齊，冷向〔鮑本補曰：冷，平聲。冷倫氏之後。〕謂陳軫曰：「秦王〔鮑本惠。〕必外向。〔鮑本言合他國，不一於楚。〕楚之齊者〔鮑本與齊善者。〕知西不合於秦，必且務以楚合於齊。齊、楚合，燕、趙不敢不聽。齊以四國〔姚本三本同去「國」字。〕敵秦，是齊不窮也。」〔鮑本兵力不屈。〕向曰：「秦王誠必欲伐齊乎？不如先收於楚之齊者，楚之齊者先務以楚合於齊，則楚必即秦矣。〔鮑本秦能收楚之善齊者，則其初雖欲合齊、楚，今必背齊合秦。〕以強秦而有晉、〔鮑本衍「晉」字。〕楚，則燕、趙不敢不聽，是齊孤矣。向請為公說秦王。」〔鮑本原在韓策。〕

韓氏逐向晉於周

韓氏逐向晉〔鮑本晉，周人，使周逐之。正曰：無據。〕於周，周〔鮑本「周」下有「使」字。○〕成恢為之謂魏王〔鮑本安釐。正曰：無據。時不可考。〕曰：「周必寬而反〔鮑本反，謂還。〕之，王何不為之先言，是王有〔鮑本有，言得其用。〕向晉於周也。」魏王曰：「諾。」成恢因為謂韓王曰：「逐向晉者韓也，而還之者魏也，豈如道〔鮑本道，猶由。〕韓反之哉！是魏有向晉於周，而韓王失之也。」〔鮑本不反之則然。〕韓王曰：「善。」亦因請復之。

張登請費緤

張登〔鮑本中山人。見其策。〕請〔鮑本「請」作「謂」。○〕費緤〔鮑本韓人。〕曰：「請令公子年〔鮑本「年」作「牟」。○　補曰：一本「牟」作「年」。　札記今本「年」作「牟」。〕謂韓王曰：『費緤，西周讎之，東周寶之。此其家萬金，王何不召之，以為三川之守。是緤以三川與西周戒也，〔鮑本三川近西，西讎之，故緤有戒心。〕必盡其家以事王。西周惡之，必效先王之器以止王。』〔鮑本止韓勿使為守。〕韓王必為之。〔鮑本此下登言其效也。〕西周聞之，必解子之罪，以止子之事。」〔鮑本守三川非緤之欲，登云云，解其罪耳。正曰：韓釐王元年，趙滅中山。大事記載韓、燕、中山稱王，在周顯王四十六年，當宣惠王十年。中山策有張登，去此時甚遠。然此策本不可定為何王之世，鮑強附之。〕

安邑之御史死

安邑之御史死，其次恐不得也。輸〔鮑本輸，安邑里名。〕人為之謂〔姚本三本同，無「謂」字。〕安〔鮑本「安」下補「邑」字。○　補曰：宜有「邑」字。大事記有。〕令曰：「公孫綦為人請御史於王，王曰：『彼固有次乎？〔鮑本無「乎」字。○　補曰：一本「有次乎？吾難敗其法，因遽置之。」〕吾難敗其法。』」〔鮑本「其法」二字作「之」字。○〕因遽置之。〔鮑本令聞王言，故立其次。大事記、前漢百官表，監御史，秦官，掌監郡。此策云云，六國已遣御史監掌矣，非獨秦也。正曰：魏都安邑，在惠王未徙大梁前，昭王十年獻安邑於秦，章次不當在此。〕

魏王為九里之盟

魏王〔鮑本安釐。〕為九里之盟，〔鮑本「里」作「重」。○　九重，謂王城。欲城之，先盟其眾。正曰：一本「九里」，大事記引之，姚同，說見後。〕且復天子。〔鮑本赧四十二年，馬犯請梁城周，有「復之」之語。正此二十三年。復，復其尊。正曰：按周紀「復之」之文，謂許梁以鼎事。正義，復，一音扶又反，非謂復王。大事記，按韓非子，魏惠公為臼里之盟，將復立天子，彭喜謂鄭君曰，「君勿聽」云云。戰國策所載與此同，但止言魏王而不言惠王，以臼里為九里，以彭喜為房喜，以鄭君為韓王。所謂將復立天子者，是時七國既稱王，不以周為天子也。或者猶咎孟子勸諸侯行王道，何哉？盟不知何年，附載於慎靚王三年，魏惠王薨之前。按此策當屬惠王。　札記丕烈案：「九」、「臼」，「彭」、「房」，皆聲之轉也。「鄭君」、「韓王」仝此。魏王，依彼知為惠王。〕房喜〔鮑本韓人。〕謂韓王曰：「勿聽之也，大國惡有〔姚本曾本作「惡有」。〕天子，而小國利之。王與大國弗聽，〔鮑本此言韓亦大國。〕魏安能與小國立之。」

建信君輕韓熙

建信君〔鮑本趙人。〕輕韓熙，趙敖為謂建信侯〔鮑本「侯」作「君」。○〕曰：「國形有之而存，無之而亡者，魏也。〔鮑本趙、魏為鄰，故其勢如此。〕不可無而從者，韓也。〔鮑本欲為從，必得韓。〕今君之輕韓熙者，交善楚、魏也。〔鮑本此為從者說也。從宜善韓，而善此二國者，非也。正曰：初無此意，但謂今君之輕韓熙，因交善於楚、魏故也。〕秦見君之交反善〔鮑本秦之志，常反諸國。補曰：一本「之交之善」。〕於楚、魏也，其收韓必重矣。從則韓輕，〔鮑本從必得韓，而反輕者，國小不得主從。〕橫則韓重，〔鮑本最近秦故。〕則無從輕矣。〔鮑本韓以為輕。正曰：無從者輕，指趙言也。〕秦出兵於三川，則南圍鄢，蔡、邵〔鮑本謂潁川鄢陵，汝南二蔡、邵陵。〕之道不通矣。魏急，〔鮑本上三邑皆近魏。正曰：鄢、許屬魏者，策於魏多言許、鄢陵。〕其救趙必緩矣。秦舉兵破邯鄲，趙必亡矣。故君收韓，可以無亹。」

段產謂新城君

段產〔鮑本秦人。〕謂新城君〔鮑本韓襄十二年註，羋戎也。〕曰：「夫宵行者能無為姦，而不能令狗無吠己。今臣處郎中，〔鮑本「郎」，「廊」同。漢官表注，主郎內諸官。正曰：「廊」字通作「郎」，不謂「郎」為「廊」。郎中令，秦官，郎乃其屬。此注在「郎中令」下，非郎職也。大事記謂是時郎中職已親近。〕能無議君於王，而不能令人毋議臣於君。願君察之也。」〔鮑本原在韓策。魏昭策白圭語同。正曰：見下。〕

段干越人謂新城君

段干〔鮑本凡段干皆魏人，今在秦。補曰：史注，段干，魏邑。路史，段干，李姓邑。初邑段，後邑干，因邑而氏。〕越人謂新城君曰：「王良之弟子駕，〔鮑本良，趙簡子御。駕，馬在車下負軛。〕云取千里〔鮑本其言然。〕馬，〔姚本一無此字。〕遇造父之弟子，〔鮑本造父，周穆王之御，不得與王良同時。然學出於造父者，得稱為其弟子，非必與之同時也。〕造父之弟子曰：『馬不千里。』〔鮑本不能然。〕王良弟子曰：『馬，千里之馬也；服，千里之服也。〔鮑本駕車，馬四，兩服在中央夾轅，兩驂在旁。見太叔于田言馬言服。馬，豈驂耶？〕而不能取千里，何也？』曰：『子纆〔鮑本纆，索也，以牽馬。〕牽長。故纆牽於事，萬分之一也，而難〔姚本曾作「維」。〕千里之行。』今臣雖不肖，於秦亦萬分之一也，而相國見臣〔鮑本戎未嘗相，以其傳國事稱之。〕不釋塞者，〔鮑本言障之於下，不解。〕是纆牽長也。」〔鮑本亦在韓策。詳二臣之言，則戎之寵少衰矣，故范睢得而間之。正曰：上章為議己者言，下章言相國之短於用己，皆不見羋戎寵衰之意，為秦亦無明徵，當從舊次。難，去聲。〕

Source Colophon

The Chinese text follows the Chinese Wikisource transcription of the Strategies of the Warring States (articles 戰國策 (士禮居叢書本)/韓/一, 戰國策 (士禮居叢書本)/韓/二, 戰國策 (士禮居叢書本)/韓/三, revisions of 7 October 2024 to 7 October 2024), inspected from a witness copy captured on 22 August 2026. Chinese Wikisource transcriptions are published under CC BY-SA 4.0 and the GFDL; the text itself is ancient and in the public domain. The wiki header, navigation links, license templates, and modern contributors' footnotes have been removed; the text is otherwise complete and unaltered.

🌲