Zhan Guo Ce

Author: Zhi Junfeng Qu Jin Hu Jianhua
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-05-01
Features: The War States Strategy is an important historical document concerning the conflicts and military-political events during the Warring States period. It was not written by a single person at a single time. The original compiler was a strategist or a wandering scholar from the late Warring States period to the Qin and Han dynasties. In the late Western Han Dynasty, Liu Xiang, while organizing and reviewing various books, compiled The War States Strategy, establishing a foundation, simplifying the content, and arranging it according to the twelve states of the Eastern Zhou, Western Zhou, Qin, Qi, Chu, Zhao, Han, Yan, Song, Wei, and Zhongshan. It spans over two hundred and forty years from the Spring and Autumn period to the unification of the six states by Qin, totaling thirty-three chapters, and was named The War States Strategy. Unlike other pre-Qin historical prose that reflects Confucian thought, The War States Strategy primarily records the political ideas and strategies of strategists and advisors when they persuaded feudal lords or engaged in debates, showcasing their political wisdom and manipulative tactics. It reflects the thoughts and actions of the strategists. For example, in politics, they valued strategy, emphasized seizing the moment, and pursued fame, wealth, and status. In action, they traveled to persuade and assist Qin in its unification or form alliances against Qin, determining the success or failure. The War States Strategy is a historical book that reflects the turbulent and mysterious changes of the prosperous Warring States period. It is an important source for understanding and studying the history of the Warring States period, but it is by no means a reliable historical record. Its elaborate language, dramatic plot, vivid allegories, and anecdotes are highly literary, leaving later generations in awe. The dramatic twists and turns of the plot and the lifelike portrayal of characters make The War States Strategy highly novelistic. One of the reasons we chose The War States Strategy is to allow more ordinary readers to experience with us the era of changing fortunes but also of great freedom and enlightenment, where rulers and feudal lords showed respect for scholars, officials and subjects worked together to achieve their goals, scholars demonstrated extraordinary talents and manipulative skills, and people were loved and valued with a human-centered approach.