After the Battle of Maling, the Wei kingdom's national strength was greatly damaged, and once it suffered defeat, as long as the princely states bordering him would "take advantage of his illness and ask for his life", they would never give this former Thanos a chance to breathe. It is a pity that almost all the great powers in the Warring States period bordered the Wei state.
Beginning in 339 BC, the Wei state was mainly surrounded and beaten by Qi, Zhao, and Qin. The State of Wei had counterattacked the State of Qin, and as a result, Gongzi Bian and tens of thousands of soldiers went in.
In 338 BC, the Qin state conquered the Shore Gate (yellow circle above) and captured a stronghold on the east bank of the Yellow River.
At this critical time, if the script continues like this, then the Wei state will not survive the last years of the Warring States, so Wei Huiwang, who is over 60 years old, put aside his hegemonic dignity and began to change his diplomatic strategy.
King Hui took Xiangguo Huishi's advice and tried to unite Qi and Chu respectively while provoking them to give Wei a chance to breathe.
Huishi wanted to use Wei Heyu Qi and Chu to be a case soldier. --"Warring States Policy. Wei Ce Yi"
If the king wants to repay Qi, it is better to change his clothes and go to Qi, and the king of Chu will be angry. If Wang You and the people fight together, they will be Chu Bivaqi. --"Warring States Policy. Wei Ce II
In 336 BC, the Wei Hui dynasty met King Qi Wei. King Wei Hui not only appeared respectfully in front of King Qi Wei, but also led the Korean monarch and other kings of small countries.
King Qi Wei was very satisfied with the submission of King Hui of Wei, who honored him as king, and he also honored King Hui as king - this is the famous "meeting of Xuzhou".
However, the "meeting of Xuzhou" not only gave the Wei state a breathing space, but also quietly changed the international situation at that time.
Before the meeting of Xuzhou, Qi, Qin, Zhao, and Chu attacked the Wei state together, but the meeting of Xuzhou successfully separated the relationship between the state of Qi and Zhao and Chu.
It turned out that when the Wei State was strong, Qi and Zhao were naturally allies, but now the Qi State has set Zhao Guo aside and "rolled the sheets" with the Wei State alone, and the Zhao State is naturally angry. Not only was Zhao angry, but because of the long war with the Wei Kingdom, he would probably think: These two brothers want to take advantage of me again?
For King Chu, King Qiwei's behavior was even more intolerable.
First of all, among the small kingdoms led by King Wei Hui to meet King Qi Wei, there must be the Sishang Kingdoms. The State of Wei coveted here when it was powerful, and the State of Qi and the State of Chu were the same, given that everyone had to deal with a common enemy, Qi Chu did not tear his face because of the struggle for the hegemony of Sishang, this wave of operations of the State of Wei directly fed the hegemony of Sishang to the mouth of the State of Qi, how could the State of Chu be willing to give up.
In addition, King Chu Wei was a generation of heroes, he had ambitions and great achievements, and when he saw King Wei Hui submit to the State of Qi, his self-esteem was greatly stimulated, and he immediately became angry. Since the Spring and Autumn Period, the powerful monarchs of the State of Chu have dreamed of dominating the Central Plains, and the result is that whoever is the hegemon of the Plains, the State of Chu cannot get by. Now King Wei Hui went to Xuzhou and directly announced that he had given his hegemony to the King of Qi, which was like draping a bright red cloth over the State of Qi, attracting all the firepower of the barbarian bull of the State of Chu.
Sure enough, it didn't take long for Huiwang's strategy to come into play.
In 333 BC, the state of Zhao took the lead in attacking the Wei state Huangcheng (Huangnei, Henan) and built the Great Wall to protect Wei and Qi.
Wei Wei Huang, not gram. Build the Great Wall. --- "Chronicle. Zhao Shijia"
In the same year, the army of Prince Wei of Chu besieged Xuzhou and defeated the army of the State of Qi in Xuzhou.
As a result, Huishi's policy was quite successful in the east, Qi, Chu, and Zhao turned their faces, the Wei state and the Qi state became closer, and the eastern Wei state was preserved.
Although the eastern part was peaceful at this time, the Qin state in the west never stopped attacking the Wei state.
Regarding this series of attacks, Tai Shigong ("Shiji. Qin Benji") is recorded as follows:
In the twenty-second year (340), Wei attacked Wei and captured Wei Gongzi Ang. Feng Martingale was the Marquis of Lie, the Lordship of Shang.
In the twenty-fourth year (338), he fought against Yanmen with Jin, and captured Wei Qi.
In 338 BC, Duke Xiao of Qin, who had reigned for 24 years, died, and his son Huanxi ascended the throne as Prince Huiwen of Qin (later called Wang, King Huiwen of Qin). When Duke Xiao died, the Duke of Qin immediately collectively attacked Shang Martingale, who planned to flee to the fiefdom to rebel, but thanks to the Qin Law Firm, Shang Martin could not even live in a hostel on the way to escape.
According to the "History", Shang Martingale wanted to go to the hostel to rest, but the owner of the hostel did not know him, and told him that Shang Jun had an order and was not allowed to stay without identification. So Shang Martin planned to flee to the Wei state, but the Wei people hated Shang Martingale and refused to accept it. So Shang Martingale had to run back to Fengyi and launch his men to attack Zheng Guo in an attempt to kill a way to survive, but as a result, the Qin court sent troops to kill Shang Martin in Zheng Guo's Yuchi, and finally Shang Martin's body was taken back to China to crack the public, and his family was eventually slaughtered.
Shang Martingale left the historical stage in this way, but the ruthless set of Qin laws he left behind was retained by the Qin State, that is, Shang Martingale was gone, but his reform achievements were accepted by the Qin State.
Perhaps King Wei Hui thought that when Qin Xiaogong left, the western world would stop a bit, but the situation in the west was not what he wanted. According to the Tai Shi Gong record:
In the sixth year (332), Wei Na Yin Jin, Yin Jin changed its name to Ning Qin.
In the seventh year (331), Gongzi Ang fought against Wei and captured his general Long Jia and beheaded 80,000 people.
(Qin Huiwen Jun) Eighth year (330), west of the Weina River.
(Qin Huiwen Jun) In the ninth year (329), he crossed the river and took Fenyin and Pi. Meet with the King of Wei. Surround the scorch, descend it.
(Qin Huiwen Jun) Ten years (328), Zhang Yi Xiang Qin. Fifteen counties of the upper county of Weina.
(Qin Huiwen Jun) In the thirteenth year (325), Qin took me Quwo and Pingzhou.
……
In short, the State of Qin came to the State of Wei by taking advantage of your illness to kill you - when the strength of the State of Wei declined sharply, the people of the State of Qin frantically attacked the State of Wei like diamond under the blessing of the Law of Shang Martingale, even though the situation in the east had gradually calmed down under a series of tumultuous actions by King Hui of Wei, but the State of Qin had no intention of stopping.
And Qin's step-by-step strength and a series of attacks on the Wei state also managed to attract the attention of the princes. At this time, the "Qin State Threat Theory" began to ferment among Shandong countries.
It is worth noting that in 328 BC, due to a series of military defeats, the defense forces in the northwest of the Wei state had been emptied, so Wei's sacrifice of Shangjun to the Qin state was also considered to be a reality.
Since the Battle of Maling in 341, the back of the Wei kingdom has been discounted, and King Hui is no longer the same Thanos-like existence as before. When he tasted the sweetness through Huishi's diplomatic strategy, he relied on the means of diplomatic trickery to obtain living space.
Since then, Thanos has become an old coin.
And once transformed, there is no turning back. I think it is likely that it is not that the high-level of the Wei State does not want to return to the era of Wen Hou's burning feelings by changing the law to improve himself, but that the various princes led by the State of Qin simply cannot give the Wei State a chance to become strong again.
The attack of the Qin state began with Xiaogong, which is what Jia Yi mentioned in the "Treatise on Guo Qin": "The Sixth Emperor of Fen."
"The first life.
In fact, in the era of Xiaogong, the Qin State carried out primitive accumulation through the Shang Martingale transformation method, and although it was strong, it was still not as powerful as Qi Chu. In terms of foreign expansion, the Qin state only captured part of Hexi (the Shaoliang area, the stronghold on the west bank of the Yellow River). But at this point, Qin had a stronghold on the Yellow River to attack the opposite bank.
After inheriting the huge political legacy of Duke Xiao (Shang Martingale Transformation Law) by the second Qin Huiwen Jun, taking advantage of the decline of the Wei state, the Qin state rapidly expanded eastward, and by 325, the Qin state had large territories in Hexi, Shangjun, and Hedong.
Through a series of wars, the Qin state finally occupied an important stronghold in the area of Yuhan, Hangu Pass, laying a solid foundation for the future eastward advance.
When the State of Qin violently attacked the State of Wei, the State of Wei could not sit still, and if it was tough, the State of Wei did not have that strength, so it was during this period that the State of Wei transformed from a battlefield Thanos into an old diplomatic coin - in the treacherous Warring States World, he would continue to use diplomatic strategies to block the attack of the State of Qin.
At that time, the Qin state frantically attacked Wei and Han, not only to weaken the Three Jin Dynasties, but also to expand eastward. And the more fierce Qin's offensive became, the stronger the warlords' defense against him. Therefore, although the Qin state repeatedly forced the Wei state to submit, King Wei Hui never cooperated, and tried to unite the Shandong states again against the increasingly fierce Qin state.
This is the premise and foundation of the union.
The world's Yin Yan Yang Wei, even Jing Guqi, collected Yu Han Cheng, and embarrassed the southwest with Qin. --"Warring States Policy. Qin Yi"
The so-called convergence means that many weak and small countries join forces to fight against a powerful country, so as not to be encroached upon by this powerful country one by one.
In turn, the powerful Qin State was also worried that the six countries of Shandong would really unite to deal with him, so he also took corresponding measures to attract some small countries to him, thus disintegrating the six countries, which was Lianheng.
And how did the longitudinal-renyoko set off monstrous waves in the middle of the Warring States period?
On the one hand, it is Party A, such as the State of Qin and the Six Kingdoms of Shandong (mainly Wei Han at the beginning).
On the other hand, it is Party B - a group of top big fools - Su Qin and Zhang Yi.
The origins of Su Qin and Zhang Yi are unknown, but when it comes to fame, Mr. Su Qin is definitely first.
Su Qin was originally a native of Luoyang, Zhou State, not rich, his family's seven aunts and eight aunts all made a living from farming, but he loved to read and study, and later Su Qin studied under the famous Ghost Guzi, and after completing his studies, Su Qin began to apply everywhere.
First of all, as a native of Luoyang, Su Qin first thought of King Zhou Xian, but at that time, because the whole family was engaged in farming, Su Qin was the only one who talked all day, so he left a good reputation for not doing business in his early years. It is estimated that Su Qin's reputation has long spread to King Zhou Xian, so Su Qin's first application ended in failure.
Later, Su Qin came to the State of Qin to lobby the King of Qin, in an attempt to get an official and a half-post in the State of Qin.
But it is a pity that even if Mr. Su talked eloquently and was full of brilliance, King Qin Huiwen at that time was never impressed by him. It was not that Mr. Su's level was not enough, because at that time, the Shang Martingale Rebellion was still in the aftermath of the Qin State, and the Qin high-level saw the shadow of Shang Martin on the sharp-toothed Su Qin, so King Qin Huiwen did not wait to see him.
Fang Yi Shang Martingale, Disease Debater, Fu Yong. --"Chronicle. The Biography of Su Qin
After the second defeat in the Qin state, Su Qin ran to the state of Zhao to test the waters, when the marquis of Zhao Su appointed his younger brother Zhao Chengxiang and called Fengyang Jun. Fengyang Jun did not like Su Qin, and Su Qin failed to apply for the job for the third time.
After three failures, the perseverance Su Qin decided to try the fourth time, this time, after a year, he came to Yan Country, met Yan Wenhou, to Yan Jun, Su Qin began his art of lobbying, in his speech, Mr. Su expressed the following points:
1. The state of Qin is now constantly moving eastward and has already fought five wars with Zhao, a neighbor of the state of Yan. The reason why the Yan Kingdom did not suffer from Qin's invasion was precisely because the Zhao State was the barrier of the Yan Kingdom in the south. (Lock on the imaginary enemy - the State of Qin, and point out the harmfulness of Qin, as well as the geographical value of Zhao)
2. If the State of Qin wants to attack the Kingdom of Yan, it has to travel thousands of miles, and even if it can conquer the city of the Kingdom of Yan, it is difficult to say whether the State of Qin can hold it. But if Zhao Guo wanted to attack the Yan Kingdom, it would only take ten days to get hundreds of thousands of troops to garrison the border, and in a few days, it would be able to reach the capital of the Yan Kingdom. Therefore, Qin attacked Yan and had to fight thousands of miles away; Zhao Zhengyan is only fighting within a hundred miles. (Geographically, the existence of the Yan Kingdom requires both the State of Zhao and the State of Zhao to further enhance the strategic significance of Zhao)
3. There is no more wrong strategy than not worrying about the scourge within a hundred miles, but valuing the enemy thousands of miles away. Therefore, I hope that the Great King can unite with the Zhao Kingdom and unite the countries into one, then there will be no calamity in the Yan Kingdom. (To sum up, my big pie, oh no, my suggestion is to hope that the king will unite with the Zhao kingdom and further unite the countries to form an anti-Qin alliance, so that we will be safe.) ）
Qin Zhao fought five battles, Qin won again and Zhao won three. Qin Zhao was killed, and Wang ruled with Quan Yan, so why this Yan did not violate Kou Ye. Moreover, Fu Qin's attack on Yanye, surpassed the clouds, the Jiuyuan, the dynasty, the upper valley, and the land of thousands of miles, although he obtained the city of Yan, Qin Ji could not defend it. Qin Zhi can't harm Yan Yiming. Now Zhao Zhi attacked Yanye and issued an order, and within ten days, hundreds of thousands of troops would be in Dongyuan. Crossing Hutuo, wading through easy waters, and not four or five days away from the national capital. Therefore, Qin's attack on Yanye fought thousands of miles away; Zhao Zhi attacked Yanye and fought within a hundred miles. The husband does not worry about a hundred miles of troubles and weighs thousands of miles away, and there is nothing more than this. If the former king and Zhao are relatives, the world is one, and the Yan Kingdom will be fine. --"Chronicle. The Biography of Su Qin
It can be seen from Su Qin's remarks that for the princes of Shandong at that time, the rise and threat of the Qin state was already very specific, so the princes united to resist the eastward advance of the Qin state, which was very acceptable in the eastern countries.
At that time, there were corresponding contradictions between Eastern countries, but contradictions are pain points, and the focus of Mr. Su's work is to grasp the pain points of various countries and promote everyone to seek common ground while reserving differences. But what everyone has in common - that is, to fight against the Qin State.
If you were in the six eastern countries at that time, Su Qin's policy proposal was very provocative. First of all, the Six Kingdoms of Shandong have long regarded the Qin State as a "barbarian"-like existence. Despite the fights between the six countries, everyone identified with each other culturally and politically, and to use an inappropriate metaphor, these were all things that incited the princes themselves. And the crazy attack of the Qin State naturally made the princes of Shandong uneasy, and this is an "outsider" who is going to break into our house. And Su Qin's job was to try his best to match the princes of Shandong so as to achieve a unified resistance to Qin.
Then for small and medium-sized princely states, the pressure to survive is already great. Su Qin came to such a country as a troublemaker, and naturally there was a market.
In fact, the strength of the Yan State was weaker, and there was not only the powerful State of Zhao, but also the State of Qi around him, and the problem of survival had always been a major problem for the State of Yan, and hearing Mr. Su's suggestion, Yan Jun was very happy and immediately appointed Su Qin as the Xiangguo and funded him to go to the State of Zhao to lobby Yan and Zhao to form an alliance.
In addition, I also think that there are two points worth playing with Mr. Su's successful lobbying of Yan Guo, first, how did Mr. Su impress Yan Jun? The answer is obvious – figure out the pain points and come up with an enforceable (or at least seemingly executable) solution.
In addition, how Mr. Su, who came from an ordinary family, understood Yan Jun's needs, although the historical records are not clearly recorded, it is also worth exploring. I think it is likely to be hearsay on the road of lobbying, and it is also very likely that it is a friend from the same window, after all, Mr. Su studied under the gate of Oniyako. Therefore, it is self-evident how important the educational environment is.
I think there is also a possibility that in the early Warring States period, the working class of the soldiers (as we mentioned earlier, most of these people came from ordinary backgrounds, but with the development of productive forces and the popularization of education, most of them had skills), which was a "transnational" interest group formed behind it, and there were always some people who would help lobbyists like Su Qin to run to the princes to stir up the situation, and once their suggestions were adopted by the princes, then the group behind them would benefit immensely.
Therefore, Su Qin is the spokesperson, and the interest groups behind it will help the spokesperson implement its policies. Over time, once the princes are involved, the situation in the entire Chinese land will also be stirred.
Therefore, I think that most of the time, one can change the situation, and it is the invisible hand behind the back that can change the situation.
It is said that after Su Qin arrived in Zhao State from Yan Country, it happened that Zhao Guo's most disgusted person - Zhao Cheng, the Prince of Fengyang, died, and Su Qin's remarks suggested that Zhao Hou was finally taken by him, and Su Qin said to Zhao Hou like this:
1. No matter whether the State of Zhao is an enemy of either or both sides of Qi and Qin, there will be no peace. Nowadays, when the princes attack other countries, they often suffer from publicly severing diplomatic relations with other countries, and I hope that you will be careful not to say this lightly.
2. Qin is now mainly targeting Han and Wei; The state of Qi is now mainly aimed at Chu and Wei. When the Wei state weakened, it would cede the land outside the river, and when Korea was weak, it would sacrifice Yiyang. Han Wei declined, and the Zhao state was blocked by Qin. The state of Chu is about to weaken, and Zhao will be alone.
3. In the world, the Qin State hates the most than the Zhao State. However, why didn't the State of Qin dare to send troops to attack the State of Zhao? It was the fear that Korea and the Wei kingdom would secretly calculate it behind. Therefore, Han and Wei can be regarded as a barrier to the south of the Zhao Kingdom. If the Qin state attacked Han and Wei, there would be no famous mountains and rivers to block it, and it would gradually invade it until it approached the capital of the two countries. Han and Wei could not resist Qin and would inevitably submit to it. Qin relieved Han and Wei of Gu, then the disaster of war would inevitably befall the State of Zhao.
4. I think that if the six kingdoms unite as a whole and work together to attack the Qin State to the west, the Qin State will definitely be defeated. In summary, Han, Wei, Qi, Chu, Yan, and Zhao should form an alliance against the Qin state. In this way, the Qin State could not get out of Hangu Pass.
Zhao Hou was also satisfied with Su Qin's advice, and he not only supported Hezhong, but also became Su Qin's second investor, ordering him to lobby the princes of the world to resist Qin together.
Following the State of Zhao, Su Qin successfully lobbied Korea, and then Su Qin came to the State of Wei. At that time, in order to advance further eastward, the Qin state forced Han Wei to submit through continuous wars. At that time, King Hui of Wei was over seventy years old, and the political leader of the old coin of Thanos in the first half of his life was very rigid and never willing to submit to the Qin state.
I think that from beginning to end, King Wei Hui should not have given up his original dream of unifying the three Jin Dynasties and then unifying the world. However, after the Battle of Maling, the Wei state never had a respite, and he had successfully saved the precarious Wei state with diplomatic intrigue, and when Su Qin's suggestion was brought to his eyes, it is likely that King Hui of Wei saw it as another power game, in which perhaps he could achieve his goals diplomatically.
Therefore, when Su Qin arrived in the Wei state, King Hui of Wei readily agreed to support Su Qin's proposal to join forces.
After setting out from the Wei state, Su Qin's party became more and more powerful, and he took the ardent expectations of the Yan Zhao, Han and Wei monarchs to the eastern power, the Qi state.