There is a very prominent phenomenon in the Warring States period, that is, neighboring countries often have wars, and the diplomatic relations of neighboring countries are often complicated, such as Qin and Jin, such as Qilu, such as Song Zheng, such as Yan Qi, anyway, no matter how big or small the country is, as long as the neighbors will not get along harmoniously, even if there is a so-called Qin and Jin, it is better than a few decades.
This phenomenon may be related to the turmoil and strife, and is the result of the development of the political and economic situation since the Western Zhou Dynasty. From the founding of the Western Zhou Dynasty to the time of the Warring States, there have been more than 500 years of history, in these more than 500 years, the political and economic development of various princely states, many countries are vigorously expanding their territories, neighboring countries bear the brunt of the impact, weak neighbors are suppressed.
Almost all the princely states were subject to this, such as the Qin state's most famous long-distance and close-range attack, as well as the wandering countries of the Zongheng family, and always regarded the gains and losses of the interests of neighboring countries as the fundamental point of foreign political strategy. When dealing with this kind of relationship between the nations, many times they will walk on thin ice, and the ministers of the nations will also work hard for it.
The development of different state forces is extremely uneven, some countries have developed politically and economically faster and their forces are stronger; some countries have developed more slowly for various reasons, and their forces are relatively weak. It is precisely this constant encroachment on neighboring countries that some countries have gradually become stronger, and the Jin, Chu, Qi, and Qin states have all become stronger because of the wars that destroyed neighboring countries in a hundred years.
The excitement of the Warring States is precisely because of the intensification of the war of encroachment. At that time, the eight hundred princes of the Western Zhou Dynasty were few left, and most of the Rongdi tribes scattered in the barbarous lands perished or migrated, and the international situation showed a large-scale and collectivized pattern, and only those larger and stronger princely states could survive, such as the Rongdi tribe also had its own country Zhongshan State. The Middle Principles were left with only Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, and Qin, and they were almost all neighbors, all neighbors.
But is it good that the country is just big? Of course not, many countries are big but not strong in the future, and they have nothing to do politically, and can only settle for a while, such as the Yan state. The so-called "bigness" of the Yan kingdom lies precisely in its area, and its territory extends as far as today's Korea, and the westernmost part is to the border between today's Inner Mongolia and Hebei, which is also a country of thousands of miles. However, the role played by the Yan State in the Warring States was that of a weak person.
The monarchs of the State of Yan often believe that the State of Yan is not a powerful country in the traditional sense, and even the State of Yan is not willing to take the initiative to participate in the matter of hegemony, and the biggest war launched in the Warring States Era is the war against the State of Qi, and it is only a war of revenge. In the Warring States Policy, there is a saying of the King of Yan to Zhang Yi: "The widow barbarians are in the place, although they are big men, they are like babies", which means that the Yan state often compares itself to barbarians, and the formation of this view may be related to the suppression of the powerful State of Qi for many years.
In the "Records of History", there are: "Northern Yan forced barbarians, Neicuo Qi Jin, rugged and powerful countries, the weakest", Sima Qian believed that the Yan state was the weakest, this weakness was not only because the Yan state was located on the frontier, in fact, the Qin state and the Chu state at that time were also located on the frontier, but Qin Chu was not weak. The weakness of the Yan state was more due to the political deterrence it had suffered for hundreds of years. In the Spring and Autumn Period, the Yan state was invaded by Rong Di, and many times it relied on the strength of the state of Qi to restore the country.
In fact, the neighboring country of Qi has gradually developed from a weak country in the early days to a strong country. Before the State of Yan, the State of Qi also had neighboring countries such as the State of Lai and the State of Ji, and at one time the State of Qi was also threatened by these two neighbors, including the monarch who was killed by the Son of Heaven because of the State of Ji. During several generations, the State of Qi worked hard and vigorously developed diplomacy and military affairs, and finally became a powerful country in the era of Qi Huangong. The fact that the State of Qi has become a powerful country is both a blessing for the State of Yan and a disaster for the State of Yan.
If the state of Qi is strong, it can expel Shanrong and Lone Bamboo for the State of Yan. However, Qi Guoqiang completely cut off the passage between the Yan State and the Central Plains, especially if the Yan State wanted to break into the Central Plains, it must first consider the opinion of the State of Qi. The political and economic influence of the Yan state often depended on the path of the state of Qi before it could be extended to other princely states. Therefore, the influence of the Yan Kingdom on the Six Kingdoms was actually relatively weak.
However, after all, the State of Yan was the largest remaining princely state left by zhou Tianzi's division of the seal, and it still had a rather special status. After all, it is a country with a large territory, and it has this certain right to speak in the northeast region, so in the late Warring States period, because most of the energy of the State of Qi is spent in disputes with the five countries, and the State of Qi is a relatively strong country, the other five countries want to weaken the State of Qi, they will find a way from the neighboring State of Yan of the State of Qi, and the State of Qin, the State of Zhao, and even the State of Chu are often allied with the State of Yan.
The history books say that "there is no importance to some appendages", and the "annexation" here means that if the Yan state is united with a certain princely state, and "attached" to a certain country, then the strength and international status of a certain country will become important. In fact, the State of Yan itself was not willing to occupy the position of "having a by-laws and being heavy", especially in the face of the aggressiveness of the State of Qi, the State of Yan was also actively developing, trying to break through the siege of the State of Qi in order to compete with other countries.
In the situation where Yan was weak and Qi was strong, although the State of Yan hated the State of Qi very much, in the process of interacting with the State of Qi, it was also necessary to conceal this hatred without a trace, and on the surface to show loyalty to the State of Qi, and to exchange the trust of the State of Qi in a way that would seek perfection, so as to blind the State of Qi and make the State of Qi unable to see the true purpose of the alignment of the State of Yan. At the same time, he also spied on the opportunity in secret to realize his long-cherished wish to take revenge on the State of Qi.
In the prosperous age of the State of Yan, most people believe that it was the time when King Yan Zhao built the "Golden Platform", and it was after that the State of Yan attacked the seventy cities of the State of Qi and completely weakened the State of Qi. However, the neighboring state of Yan, the State of Qi, weakened, and did not seem to bring greater benefits to the State of Yan, and in the following years, the State of Qi was restored, and it was even more vindictive to the State of Yan, and curbed the development of the State of Yan at every turn. The bigger crisis is that while the State of Qi is completely weakened, the national strength of the six eastern countries has seriously lagged behind that of the State of Qin, the State of Qi has weakened, and the State of Yan has completely lost a country that can protect itself.