What is history: it is the echo of the past to the future, the reflection of the future on the past. - Hugo
After a protracted struggle for hegemony during the Spring and Autumn Period, the number of princely states in the Territory of the Zhou Dynasty decreased significantly, and in 453 BC, the three families of Han, Zhao, and Wei eliminated the Zhi clan, marked by the results of the three branches of the Jin Dynasty, thus laying the pattern of the Seven Heroes of the Warring States. In the historical stage of the Warring States, the seven countries of the Qin, Chu, Qi, Yan, Wei, Korea, and Zhao states were called the "Seven Heroes of the Warring States". In the process of the Seven Heroes of the Warring States competing for hegemony, countries not only needed wu such as Bai Qi, Wang Qi, Lian Po, Li Mu, Wu Qi, and Le Yi to attack the city strategically, but also needed Zhang Yi and Su Qin to achieve a favorable external environment.
The Zonghengjia advocate the strategy of power and the technique of speech and debate, they pay attention to the psychology of the target of the lobby, use the means of vertical and horizontal deception, or co-opt or divide, there is no definite master, there is no definite word, everything starts from the requirements of reality. The Zongheng family was very active on the stage of the Warring States period, and its ideas and activities had an important impact on the situation at that time. Among them, Zhang Yi, who is going to talk about this article, is undoubtedly the leader of the Zhongheng family in the Warring States period. As far as Zhang Yi's life is concerned, he has promoted the rise of the Qin state by running across the Qin state. However, Zhang Yi, who had spent half his life running for the Qin State, was expelled by King Wu of Qin in his later years, that is, he could not stay in the Qin State all the time.
First of all, Zhang Yi (?) –309 BC), surnamed Ji (姬), of the Zhang clan (張氏), courtesy name Yi ,; was a native of Anyi , Wei ( present-day Zhangyi Village , Wangxian Township , Wanrong County , Shanxi) . Descendants of the nobles of the State of Wei, famous Zongheng and Strategist of the Warring States period. He had worked with Su Qin to teach Mr. Guzi and learn the art of lobbying, and Su Qin thought that he could not learn as much as Zhang Yi. After Zhang Yi and Su Qin finished their studies, they went to lobby the princes. For Zhang Yi, although she was a native of Wei, Zhang Yi was not able to gain the reuse of the State of Wei or the other Six Kingdoms of Shandong. In 328 BC, King Huiwen of Qin used Zhang Yi as a guest secretary to discuss with him the grand plan to attack the princes of various countries. Compared with the Six Kingdoms of Shandong, the State of Qin undoubtedly gave Zhang Yi an opportunity to display her talents. Since then, Zhang Yi has served the Qin state for a long time.
In 328 BC, King Huiwen of Qin sent Gongzi Hua and Zhang Yi to besiege Puyang in the Wei state of Puyang, attacking and occupying Puyang. Zhang Yi took the opportunity to persuade King Huiwen of Qin to return Puyang to the State of Wei, and sent his son to the State of Wei as a hostage. Zhang Yi also took the opportunity to persuade the King of Wei: "The State of Qin has treated the State of Wei so leniently, the State of Wei must repay it with courtesy. The state of Wei therefore dedicated the fifteen counties of Shangjun and Shaoliang to the state of Qin in return for king Huiwen of Qin. In this regard, in the author's opinion, Zhang Yi's operation not only allowed the Qin state to obtain practical benefits in the city, but also deepened the relationship between the Qin state and the Wei state. On this basis, the combination of the six kingdoms of Shandong against the Qin state will naturally fall apart. As a result, King Huiwen of Qin appointed Zhang Yi as Xiang (an ancient official name), ranking first among the hundred officials, which prompted Zhang Yi to become another important minister after Shang Martin.
In 323 BC, King Huiwen of Qin sent Zhang Yi and the Xiangguo of Qi and Chu to meet at Sangsang (place name). In 322 BC, for the benefit of the State of Qin, Zhang Yi went to the State of Wei as Minister of State, intending to make the State of Wei first subject the State of Qin and let other princely states follow it. However, King Hui of Wei, as the former overlord of the Central Plains, was obviously unwilling to completely fall to the Qin state, so he refused to accept Zhang Yi's suggestion. In this regard, King Huiwen of Qin was furious and immediately sent an army to conquer Quwo and Pingzhou in the Wei state, secretly giving Zhang Yi more favorable treatment. Zhang Yi felt ashamed and felt that there was nothing to repay King Huiwen of Qin. From this, it is very obvious that King Huiwen of Qin's kindness made Zhang Yi grateful, prompting him to be willing to run among the six kingdoms of Shandong for the benefit of the Qin state.
In 319 BC, King Hui of Wei died and King Xiang of Wei took the throne. Zhang Yi persuaded The King of Wei Xiang again, and the King of Wei Xiang did not listen. Therefore, Zhang Yi secretly let the Qin state attack the State of Wei. The State of Wei and the State of Qin fought, and the State of Wei was defeated. In 317 BC, Zhang Yi again lobbied King Xiang of Wei to withdraw from the Covenant and submit to the State of Qin. Therefore, under the persuasion of Zhang Yi and the pressure of the Qin army, the State of Wei announced its withdrawal from the United States and asked Zhang Yi to serve as an intermediary to reconcile with the State of Qin; Zhang Yi returned to the State of Qin and re-appointed as Minister of State. During the Warring States period, the Six Kingdoms of Shandong formed a hezhong in order to curb the expansion of the Qin state. Among them, Su Qin, Zhang Yi's old classmate, is undoubtedly an advocate of hezhong. As far as Zhang Yi is concerned, for the benefit of the Qin State, it is natural to constantly dismantle the alliance against the Qin State.
At the same time, in addition to repeatedly maneuvering among the seven heroes of the Warring States, Zhang Yi also has the ability to lead troops to fight, that is, a relatively comprehensive talent. In 316 BC, King Huiwen of Qin sent Zhang Yi and Sima Que to rescue the kingdoms of Tho and Ba, and took the opportunity to annex the state of Shu. Zhang Yi coveted the wealth of the kingdoms of Ba and Tho, and then conquered the kingdoms of Ba, captured the monarchs of the kingdoms, established Ba County, Shu County, and Hanzhong County, and divided the land of the three counties into thirty-one counties. And build a city in Jiangzhou. After the annexation of the Shu and Ba states, Zhang Yi's most important achievement should be to tease the King of ChuHuai. In 313 BC, the State of Qin wanted to attack the State of Qi, but fearing that the two states of Qi and Chu had already concluded an alliance, they sent Zhang Yi to the State of Chu to lobby King Huai of Chu.
In 312 BC, Zhang Yi of the State of Qin deceived King Huai of Chu into taking the land of the State of Qin ceding six hundred miles of shang in exchange for cutting off the State of Qi, and King Huai of Chu was only able to break off diplomatic relations with the State of Qi and only get six miles of land. After being deceived by Zhang Yi, King Huai of Chu, as the king of a country, was naturally very angry. Therefore, king Huai of Chu sent troops to attack the state of Qin, that is, to prepare for the state of Qin to pay a heavy price. However, in the Battle of Danyang, the large army sent by King Huai of Chu was defeated by the Qin general Wei Zhang. After the Battle of Danyang, King Huai of Chu gathered all the soldiers and horses of the Chu state and launched an attack, and then suffered a crushing defeat at Lantian. In 311 BC, the State of Qin attacked Zhaoling, and three battles were lost, Han Wei took the opportunity to attack the territory of the State of Chu in the Central Plains, and the status of the State of Chu collapsed, and it fell from then on.
In the end, however, Zhang Yi, who had made great contributions to the Qin state, could not stay in the Qin state forever. In the fourteenth year of King Huiwen of Qin (311 BC), after lobbying the Six Kingdoms of Shandong, Zhang Yi returned to the Qin state to report that before he could reach Xianyang, King Huiwen of Qin died and King Wu of Qin took the throne. For the monarch of Qin Wu, he was liked by Zhang Yi when he was crown prince, so after officially becoming the monarch of the Qin State, the King of Qin Wu did not hesitate to expel Zhang Yi and drive Zhang Yi back to the State of Wei. In this regard, in the author's opinion, the reason why King Wu of Qin drove away Zhang Yi was not just a matter of personal liking, but because Zhang Yi had long fooled the Six Kingdoms of Shandong and sought benefits for the Qin State, which led to Zhang Yi having no credibility in the minds of the monarchs of the Six Kingdoms of Shandong.
On this basis, even if King Qin Wu continued to reuse Zhang Yi, it would be difficult for this Zongheng family to shine again. For example, if King Wu of Qin sent Zhang Yi to the Chu state and other princely states again, king Huai of Chu would obviously not be fooled by Zhang Yi again. Therefore, King Wu of Qin chose to unload and kill the donkey, that is, to expel Zhang Yi, who had no use value. In the second year of King Wu of Qin (309 BC), Zhang Yi finally died of illness in the State of Wei, because Zhang Yi himself was a native of the State of Wei, and in the author's opinion, this can also be called the root of the fallen leaves. In general, for more than two thousand years, Su Qin and Zhang Yi have been said to be opponents in the Warring States joint vertical and horizontal struggle, Su Qin has engaged in joint vertical and horizontal, and Zhang Yi has insisted on continuous horizontal. Judging from the final result, it is obvious that Zhang Yi's lianheng won the victory, especially the long-distance and close-range attack strategy implemented by the Qin state later, which can also be regarded as a kind of lianheng.