When the term "return to Zhao is complete" first heard, it seems that Zhao successfully kept the country's treasures through clever tactics and avoided the danger of falling into war with the powerful Qin State, which can be described as outwitting the enemy. However, digging deeper into the deeper meaning of this diplomatic turmoil, can we be sure that this will really do more good than harm to Zhao? In this game, what kind of character and psychology did King Zhao and Lin Xiangru show? Through careful analysis, it may be possible to provide a different perspective on thinking.
1. King Zhao Huiwen was ecstatic when he first won the national treasure
In 279 BC, King Zhao Huiwen received a long-standing national treasure from the State of Chu - "Heshi Bi". This rare piece of jade is crystal clear and exudes a warm luster. King Huiwen was so overjoyed by the acquisition of this treasure that he indulged in its beauty for several days, and regarded it as a national treasure.
King Huiwen has a frivolous personality and is keen on beauty and food. After obtaining the national treasure, his flamboyant style and extravagant life became more and more inflated. The courtiers offered food and wine, and the king of Zhao accepted these flatteries and offerings without modesty. And Zhao Guo was already powerless, and there were many delays in government affairs.
However, King Huiwen was intoxicated with pleasures all day long, and had little interest in court politics and state affairs. This made many ministers secretly complain about King Zhao, although they did not dare to say it openly. In joy, King Huiwen did not care about the safety of the country, and only wanted to fully integrate the glory and majesty of Heshibi into his own power and happiness. He completely ignored the huge risks that could arise if the news was leaked.
2. The King of Qin's coveting of the national treasure was rejected and then tried to use the city to blackmail
As King Huiwen had expected, the news spread quickly. When King Zhaoxiang of Qin learned that Zhao possessed such a peerless treasure, he immediately sent an envoy to him, arrogantly and rudely begging for the peace of fifteen cities.
Qin's move was actually a test of Zhao's reality. The envoy's tough attitude and arrogant words made King Zhao furious. King Zhao refused**, and the envoy even knelt down and begged, and finally left. King Qin Zhaoxiang had a sinister personality, and he became even more anxious after knowing that this move was attempted. He was determined to get the Heshi Bi, and he was even more worried about whether the Zhao State would tolerate the Qin State to dominate now that he had this treasure. Therefore, King Zhaoxiang planned to invade while Zhao was weak, and this plan was like a fishbone stuck in his throat, keeping him awake at night.
The second wave of Qin envoys was about to arrive in the Zhao capital, intending to threaten the city again. This time, they may also intend to use such means of negotiation to build momentum for the next more complex plan.
3. Lin Xiangru is like a line of life and death, and the jade is returned to Lied to save Zhao from the scourge of war
Faced with this situation, King Zhao summoned his ministers to discuss how to deal with it, but none of them could come up with an idea. Eventually, the young envoy Lin Xiangru was ordered to come and discuss countermeasures with King Zhao.
Lin Xiangru is smart and wise, calm and sophisticated, and is well versed in national art and strategy. He analyzed and pointed out that the strength of the Zhao State was weak and it was difficult to defeat the Qin State. In this case, there must be no conflict with the Qin state. Losing the country could damage the prestige of the country, and going to war would endanger the security of the territory. Therefore, he advocated that the matter should be handled properly and that it should not lead to disaster.
Lin Xiangru decided to take the risk of personally taking He's Bi into Qin, with the strategy of "retreating into advance". He suggested to the king of Zhao: "If you can get fifteen cities, you will leave Bi in Qin; If the city is hopeless, take it back and return it to Zhao. King Zhao readily agreed.
Once he entered the Qin State, Lin Xiangru provoked many times, but the King of Qin still broke his promise and only met him briefly in the side hall. Faced with this situation, Lin Xiangru was extremely angry and threatened to break it in front of King Qin. The king of Qin was furious and put Lin Xiangru in prison until late at night before he was arraigned.
In the dimly lit cell, Lin Xiangru spent the night, seemingly endless. The grim aurae of death wrapped around him. However, for the sake of the people of Zhao, he must try to get out. In the wee hours of the morning, a bold idea suddenly flashed through his mind...
Fourth, King Zhao made a mistake to destroy the stone city and underestimated the enemy
When the King of Qin was about to cut the land, Lin Xiang ordered the left and right to smuggle Bi back to Zhao in the chaos. Five days later, according to the agreement, Lin Xiangru went to Qin again and truthfully informed that Qin Wang and Shibi had been sent back to Zhao. The King of Qin was furious, and he wanted to break Lin Xiang's corpse into pieces.
In the face of the anger of the King of Qin, Lin Xiangru knew that the situation was grim, and the King of Qin obviously intended to annex the Central Plains. Although he succeeded in bringing back Bi, this did not stop the King of Qin, but instead prepared more eagerly to invade Zhao. Lin Xiangru understands that it is already lucky to be able to escape at this moment, and his own life is hanging by a thread. Thinking that Zhao Guo could avoid a war, Lin Xiangru secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
Sure enough, the King of Qin was furious when he learned that he had been deceived by Lin Xiangru, and a few months later led his army to attack Shicheng on the border of Zhao. At this time, King Zhao was addicted to wine, indifferent to state affairs, and lax in defense. Unexpectedly, the Qin army raided, Shicheng was quickly breached, and the Zhao army retreated.
It was only at this time that King Zhao woke up and realized that the country was facing a catastrophe. However, it was too late, and it was difficult for him to turn the tide when he mobilized all his elite. Under the fierce offensive of the Qin army, the Zhao army was defeated and retreated.
At this time, King Zhao had completely lost the will to fight, and he regretted that he had underestimated the enemy and missed the best opportunity to defeat the Qin army. I also deeply regret that I have ignored Lin Xiangru's advice. Now it seems that it is too late to save the world.
Fifth, Qin dominates the Central Plains and the end of the destruction of the Zhao State
After this battle, the morale of the Qin army was high and even more powerful. The situation of the defeat of the Zhao State cannot be reversed. After a decade of resistance, the Zhao state was defeated and eventually became a direct jurisdiction of the Qin state in 222 BC. King Huiwen, who had been addicted to wine for a long time, also died young amid internal and external troubles.
From the acquisition of the bi to the final destruction, this history has only passed a short period of more than 20 years. For the displaced remnants of the Zhao State, this war-torn experience will never be forgotten. In their minds, this diplomatic storm has become an unforgettable disaster. There are also some people who still don't want to believe that it was Lin Xiangru's single-handedness that led to the fall of the Zhao State.
However, it is undeniable that although this diplomatic campaign seemed to be successful, it deprived the king of Zhao the opportunity to confront the Qin state. Since then, the state of Zhao has been defeated and eventually perished. The wheels of history rolled forward, and King Qin Zhaoxiang finally realized his wish to unify the Central Plains.
Sixth, later generations will comment on the truth and re-examine the way of diplomacy
Historians have mixed reviews of this history. Sima Qian praised Lin Xiangru's excellent negotiation skills, believing that he had successfully saved Zhao from the possible scourge of war at that time, and bought Zhao a chance to breathe. However, Sima Guang criticized him for losing the country's talents and ignoring the country's plans for his own selfish interests.
In fact, the return to Zhao was a short-term diplomatic success on the surface, and Lin Xiangru successfully defused the crisis with his wit, but this did not prevent Zhao from eventually being annexed by Qin.
We cannot simply conclude who is right and who is wrong. History needs to be interpreted from different perspectives. In this diplomatic event, Lin Xiangru showed remarkable personal courage and negotiating wisdom, but his tough stance also deprived Zhao of the opportunity to adjust his strategy and reconcile with Qin.
Although this diplomatic activity allowed Zhao to successfully retreat from the enemy for a while, it fueled the arrogance and indulgence of the Zhao king, led to the laxity of precautions, and finally the irreversible destruction of the Zhao state. This not only reflects the diplomatic victory, but also lays the seeds of defeat, and is full of historical contingency and inevitability.
Conclusion
Life is full of ups and downs, and history is unpredictable. We should not be deceived by superficial appearances, but should deeply consider the historical law implicit in such events: a light enemy will bring about its own destruction, and it is inevitable to escape doom if we lose the opportunity to adjust our strategy. This is a profound lesson from the fall of the Zhao State, and it also brings us profound enlightenment.