Zhan Guo Ce

Author: Shi Yanbo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: The War States Strategy primarily records the words and deeds of the statesmen and scholars during the Warring States period, as well as some historical facts and records of related historical figures. It was not written by a single person but created by multiple authors at different times, so the content is disorganized and even contradictory. Moreover, the title of the book was not uniform, such as The Statesmen, State Affairs, Short and Long, Events and Speeches, The Long Book, and so on. It was not until the Western Han Dynasty that Liu Xiang unified and organized the book, naming it The War States Strategy. The War States Strategy is a unique type of national history. The events described in the book are approximately after the Spring and Autumn Period and before the Chu-Han contention. Recording such a chaotic era, Liu Xiang fully demonstrated his organizational talent. He arranged the entire book by country, dividing it into twelve nations: Eastern Zhou, Western Zhou, Qin, Chu, Qi, Zhao, Wei, Han, Yan, Song, Wei, and Zhongshan, totaling thirty-three chapters. He organized the complex relationships between the countries and the anecdotes of famous figures in an orderly manner. During that time, each feudal state sought to dominate independently with its own power, leading to intricate struggles in politics, economy, military, and diplomacy among the states. As a result, a series of sharp-witted and well-informed diplomats emerged. Standing on different perspectives, they proposed various doctrines and strategies, influencing to some extent the rise and fall of the feudal states and fully showcasing the eloquence and wisdom of ancient Chinese sages.