Lin Xiangru (about 329 BC to 259 BC) was a native of Mengmen, Liulin, Shanxi today. There are also records saying that he was a native of Linziping, Gu County, Shanxi. He was once a retainer of Miao Xian, the leader of the eunuchs of Zhao State. Because he gave Miao Xian reasonable advice when Miao Xian was about to flee to Yan State, he gained Miao Xian's trust. Miao Xian also admired his talent very much.
According to "Historical Records·Biographies of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru", there were three most important deeds in Lin Xiangru's life, one was returning the jade to Zhao intact, the other was meeting in Mianchi, and the third was bearing a thorn to plead guilty. Among them, the story of returning the perfect jade to Zhao most vividly reflects his wisdom and courage.
At the right time, Lin Xiangru was already over 40 years old, but he was still a little-known disciple of the eunuch. He could be said to be "unworthy of having great talent, and he has never been able to embrace it in his life." Although he received courtesy from Miao Xian, he had no regard for his talent. For Lin Xiangru, who has bad ambitions and lofty ambitions, it is still not enough.
The reason why he was willing to work under Miao Xian was, on the one hand, because Miao Xian was broad-minded and tolerant; on the other hand, because Miao Xian was the largest eunuch in the capital of Zhao State and had the trust of King Zhao. . In the era of great contention during the Warring States Period, one must have a spirit of great contention. Only by hearing and reaching the princes can one live up to the hardships of troubled times. Lin Xiangru believed that only through Miao Xian's recommendation could he soar into the sky and achieve great fame.
There is a saying in later generations: "If there is a will, things will come true. Even if the cauldron sinks the boat, one hundred and two Qin Pass will eventually belong to Chu; if you work hard, God will not fail you; if you lie on the salary and taste the gall, three thousand Yue Jia can swallow Wu." Under Lin Xiangru's painstaking efforts, this day, finally come.
After King Zhao heard about Miao Xian's recommendation, he was overjoyed. He immediately ordered people to go to Miao Xian's house and sent a message to Lin Xiangru to come to see him. When they met, King Zhao looked Lin Xiangru up and down and asked him impatiently: "The King of Qin said in his letter that he would exchange fifteen cities for my King's He's Bi. Do you think you can give it to him?" When he came, he had already thought about the key to this issue, so he said confidently: "Qin Guoqiang and Zhao Guowei, we have no choice but to agree to him." King Zhao heard Lin Xiangru's words and was not disappointed. The worry came out: "Everyone knows that King Qin is greedy. I expected that if King Qin got He's Bi, he would never give it to me. So what should I do?" ("Historical Records: Biography of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru") )
Lin Xiangru naturally knew King Zhao's worries, and also knew that the current situation between Qin and Zhao was that Qin was strong and Zhao was weak, but he understood better that Qin's move was a plan to kill two birds with one stone. King Qin requested to exchange the city for jade, but if Zhao did not agree, then If Zhao Guo suffered a loss, Qin would have a reason to attack Zhao; conversely, if Zhao gave Qin He Shibi, but Qin did not give Zhao a city, Qin would have suffered a loss. After weighing the two countermeasures, we came to a conclusion: I would rather agree to Qin's request than let myself be in a passive position politically.
King Zhao was overjoyed. On the one hand, he saw that Lin Xiangru was really talented, and on the other hand, because through Lin Xiangru's analysis, he saw the key to the matter: offering He's Bi to gain political initiative. He expected that the King of Qin would not give 15 cities to Zhao. As long as he took the initiative, He Shibi might be able to be preserved.
However, no matter how perfect the plan is, it still needs someone who knows how to weigh it. King Zhao actually recognized Lin Xiangru in his heart. However, King Zhao did not know him very well after all, so he asked him tentatively: "It's just that I am going to Qin as an envoy." Who should be sent as the envoy?" The clever Lin Xiangru naturally understood what King Zhao was thinking. He knew that the time had come to show his loyalty and determination, so he boldly said to King Zhao: "If the king urgently needs an envoy, , and there is indeed no one in the capital to send, and I am not talented, so I am willing to protect He Shibi and go to Qin as an envoy. Here, I promise the king: If Qin gives the city to Zhao, I will fulfill my promise , then I will take advantage of the situation and leave He's Bi to Qin; but if Qin pretends to be He's Bi and fails to fulfill its promise, then I will definitely bring He's Bi back to Zhao intact." (" "Historical Records: Biography of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru") Hearing this, the King of Zhao was very happy, so he ordered Lin Xiangru to be an envoy to represent the State of Zhao and travel westward to Qin.
Tens of days later, Lin Xiangru arrived in the territory of Qin. In order to prevent accidents along the way and preserve He's Bi, Lin Xiangru tried his best and never relaxed for a moment. However, he knew that he and He Shibi's safe arrival in Qin was only the first step, and bigger storms were still to come.
Sure enough, after arriving in Xianyang, the king of Qin couldn't wait to send Lin Xiangru to Zhangtai Palace to see him. When King Qin saw Lin Xiangru, he was not surprised by this unfamiliar face, because all his thoughts were on He's Bi. After some pleasantries, King Qin Zhaoxiang quickly asked Lin Xiangru to present He's Bi for viewing.
The long-famous He's Bi finally came into the hands of King Qin Zhaoxiang under Lin Xiangru's "careful care". King Qin Zhaoxiang worked hard for He's Bi. With the treasure in hand, King Qin Zhaoxiang smiled brightly. At this moment, there was cheering in the palace of King Qin. When the King of Qin was happy, he passed the Heshi Bi to the ministers to appreciate it one by one. After the ministers feasted their eyes on it, they passed it to the concubine of King Qin Zhaoxiang, leaving only Lin Xiangru waiting there. After a long time, Lin Xiangru knew that King Qin was not sincere in exchanging 15 cities for He's Bi.
But at this moment, He's Bi was in the hands of King Qin, and Lin Xiangru could not get it back, nor could he get the city promised by King Qin. But Lin Xiangru was a perseverant and resourceful man. He knew that only by remaining calm could he seek a turning point. Otherwise, not only would Heshibi not be able to keep it, but the city would also be lost. Even his own life would inevitably be threatened. Zhao Guo The relationship with Qin will once again collapse to the brink of war.
So, Lin Xiangru came up with a plan. He stepped forward and said to the King of Qin: "Your Majesty, the He's Bi is not flawless. There is still a flaw on it. Please allow me to testify for the King."
King Qin was actually thinking about how to seize He's Bi without fulfilling his previous promise. While Xu Tu was delaying, Lin Xiangru suddenly said that there was a flaw in the jade bi. Without thinking much, he handed the Heshi Bi to Lin Xiangru's hands.
Lin Xiangru held the He's Bi in his hand and took a few steps back until he reached the pillar in the palace. He leaned against the pillar and became "furious" and said to the King of Qin righteously: "The king wants to get the He's Bi, so he sent people to send the letter non-stop." It was sent to the State of Zhao and handed over to the King of Zhao. The King of Zhao was unable to make a decision for a while, so he summoned all civil and military officials to discuss whether He's Bi should be presented to the State of Qin in exchange for the 15 cities promised by the King of Qin. However, The ministers in the DPRK all said: 'As we all know, the Qin State is greedy by nature. Relying on its strong military power, it does not take Zhao State into consideration. In order to defraud He's Bi, it can be said that it does everything possible, even using empty words and lies. , so the city used for exchange will definitely be difficult to redeem." In Zhao State, everyone from the king to the common people can understand the mind of King Qin. Therefore, the whole country of Zhao State agrees not to give Qin He's jade. . But I think that even if it is communication and exchanges between common people, they can keep their word, let alone the exchanges between Qin and Zhao, two big countries with one east and one west! A piece of Heshi Bi is a plaything. Er, if it makes the powerful Qin unhappy because of it, isn’t it a small gain but a big loss? Under my urging, Zhao finally decided to agree to King Qin’s request. King Zhao also fasted for five days for this matter , he sent me to hold the Heshi Bi, bow down in the court hall, and personally present the credentials. The king thought, why is this? Is it to show that our Zhao country is a country of etiquette? The reason why our Zhao country is like this is for Respecting the State of Qin shows respect to the King of Qin. Fortunately, I have lived up to my mission and traveled all the way to bring He's Bi here, but I can't see the slightest etiquette of the State of Qin and the King of Qin. First, the king received the envoys of the great powers and brought them here. Putting it in an ordinary palace would inevitably show a lack of etiquette; after the king got the jade, he passed it on to the ministers and concubines. The ministers were all well-educated people, but what kind of people were the concubines in the harem? Your Majesty knows this. Isn't this move just teasing me? According to my humble opinion, I'm afraid your Majesty has no intention of compensating Zhao for 15 cities. He wants to seize He's Bi with nothing, right? In desperation, I can only get the He's Bi back. If the king must force me, my head will be smashed on the pillar together with the He's Bi, and I will fight to the death to protect the dignity of the Zhao Kingdom!"
When King Qin heard this, he was shocked and still had a sense of luck, thinking that Lin Xiangru might be threatening and could not be true. Unexpectedly, Lin Xiangru actually held the Heshi Bi, squinted at the pillar, and was about to hit it. Lin Xiangru's death was not a pity, but the He's Bi was a valuable treasure that had been passed down for hundreds of years. The King of Qin spent a lot of effort to trick it into Zhao. Lin Xiangru must not be allowed to burn both the jade and the stone in a rage.
Therefore, the King of Qin immediately compromised with Lin Xiangru. On the one hand, he apologized to Lin Xiangru, saying that it was because of his improper consideration that Lin Xiangru was neglected. On the other hand, he announced the officials responsible for land inspection and inspected the map with all civil and military officials. The King of Qin also pointed out a few things on the map from time to time, which meant that he planned to transfer the 15 cities shown on the map to the State of Zhao. In fact, this was a delaying tactic against Lin Xiangru, with the intention of stabilizing Lin Xiangru first, and then Xu tried to obtain He's Bi.
Lin Xiangru was not an idle person, so he naturally understood King Qin's intention. But he didn't want He's Bi to be damaged in the slightest. His words and actions before were just to show his determination and also a delaying tactic. Now that King Qin had taken the bait, Lin Xiangru simply followed the trick and said smoothly: "He's Bi is peerless." It is well known to all the world that He's Bi is an important treasure. Out of respect for the king, King Zhao did not hesitate to present He's Bi. And before He's Bi was about to leave Zhao, King Zhao also fasted for five days. God. As the saying goes, it is not polite to come and go. King Zhao did this, which shows the sincerity of Zhao. Should Qin also show it now? King Qin also fasted for five days and installed "nine guests" in the court. Only in this way can I comply with the status of Zhao and Qin, and only then can I dare to offer He's jade to your Majesty."
After hearing what Lin Xiangru said, the King of Qin knew that Lin Xiangru was a resourceful man and it was impossible to steal He's Bi by clever means. With no other choice, the King of Qin could only temporarily agree to Lin Xiangru's fasting for five days. Lin Xiangru was then placed in the Guangcheng Hotel in Xianyang City by the King of Qin. When Lin Xiangru arrived at Guangcheng Hotel, he did not sit idle. Instead, he acted more quickly in an attempt to preserve He's Bi. He knew that King Qin's so-called fasting was just an excuse. It would be extremely difficult to get the city he promised. For the current plan, the only way is to stabilize the King of Qin and quietly send He's Bi back to the State of Zhao. By then, everything is done and I will find a way to escape.
The next day, Lin Xiangru asked his followers who were loyal to the State of Zhao to put on coarse cloth clothes, sneak away from the trail with He's Bi in their arms, and return it to the king of Zhao.
After King Qin fasted for five days, according to Lin Xiangru's request, a "nine guests" ceremony was held in the court hall, and Lin Xiangru was invited to attend a banquet. This time, King Qin had made up his mind to seize the Heshi Bi no matter what. Even if he had to bear the reputation of injustice, he could not let himself "enter the treasure mountain and return empty-handed." Unexpectedly, although Lin Xiangru did not break the promise, he did not present the Heshi Bi. He only heard Lin Xiangru say to the King of Qin: "History can be used to draw lessons from the fact that the Qin State has experienced more than 20 monarchs since Qin Mugong. Has anyone ever heard that there was a king?" Does the monarch stick to his promise? No! I, Lin Xiangru, am just a retainer of the officials of the State of Zhao, but I have gained the trust of the King of Zhao and shouldered the important task of escorting Heshibi and sending envoys to the State of Qin. I am not afraid of death, but I am afraid of being punished. The king was deceived and betrayed the great trust of the king of Zhao. In desperation, I had no choice but to secretly send the Heshi Bi back to the Zhao State. I believe that it has reached the hands of the king of the Zhao State. Today, the Qin State is strong and powerful. The state of Zhao is weak. If the king is sincere, he can send a small envoy to the state of Zhao and hand over 15 cities to the state of Zhao. The state of Zhao will definitely not dare to disobey the king and deliver the Heshi Bi as promised. Just think about how powerful Qin is, is there any rival in the world? How dare Zhao keep the jade and offend the king, becoming Qin’s enemy? However, the crime of deceiving the king is to be blamed even to death, and I feel shameless. King Qin, please be punished by the punishment of soup wok. Your Majesty is wise and your ministers are virtuous. I also hope that you will think carefully to decide how to handle this matter."
When the King of Qin and the ministers heard this, they immediately looked at each other. Some ministers even shouted in surprise. Doesn't teasing the King of Qin like this mean that the country of Qin is not taken seriously? It must be severely punished to serve as a warning to others. But there are many wise people in Qin State, including the king of Qin State.
At this point, no matter how cunning and cunning King Qin is, it will be difficult for him to regain He's Bi. Looking around at the ministers, King Qin sighed and said: "What Lin Xiangru said is not unreasonable. If you kill Lin Xiangru now, you can only get rid of it for a while." However, He's Bi is still not available. Not to mention losing He's Bi will also sever the 'friendly' diplomatic relations between Qin and Zhao, and even lead to war. This is an unwise behavior." In fact, how could King Qin ever know this? What about fear of war? What he was afraid of was that Qin's failure to do so would harm the war. And he knew that when Lin Xiangru's entourage returned to Zhao, Zhao's veteran general Lian Po had already led tens of thousands of troops and was stationed on the border of Zhao. He was heavily armed and ready to guard against Qin's invasion.
Seeing that the ministers had calmed down, the King of Qin suggested: "Since Lin Xiangru is the envoy of the State of Zhao, our country should entertain him well and send him back to the State of Zhao to avoid false accusations. I guess King Zhao is not a pedantic person, and the State of Zhao He is not so powerful that he would deceive me, Da Qin, for the sake of Heshi Bi."
At this point, the matter of He's Bi finally came to an end, and the King of Qin also moved the place where Lin Xiangru was received to the main hall to show respect for Zhao. Lin Xiangru successfully completed his important mission to Qin and returned to Zhao with full honor. For a time, Lin Xiangru's name was spread in the mouth and ears of every Zhao people.
The King of Zhao was grateful for Lin Xiangru's merits and talents, so he appointed him as a doctor. After that, the State of Qin did not give the State of Zhao a city, and the State of Zhao did not give the State of Heshi Bi to the State of Qin.
Regarding this matter, Sima Qian praised in "Historical Records": "Knowing that death requires courage, not only is it difficult to die, but it is difficult to execute a person. Fang Linxiangru led a jade pillar and scolded the King of Qin's left and right, but the force was not enough to kill him, but the soldiers may be cowardly and not Dare to make a move. Xiangru will use his energy and prestige to the enemy country." Lin Xiangru was able to find the right opportunity to turn the tide when Zhao was in danger and help the building from falling. It was wisdom; on top of the main hall, he dared to burn both jade and stone. It can be said that he is brave enough to die and survive; he cannot forget the great trust of Zhao at all times, which can be said to be loyal; when repatriating He's Bi, he allows his followers to take He's Bi away first, which can be called righteous. Therefore, it can be said that Lin Xiangru is a man of wisdom, courage, and unparalleled loyalty.
