The Statesman (Part 2)

Author: Zhi Junfeng, Qu Jin, Hu Jianhua (Translation and Annotation)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: The War State Strategies (Zhan Guo Ce) is an important historical document concerning the conflicts and military-political affairs during the Warring States period. It was not written by a single person at a single time; its original compilers were the strategists and orators who traveled during the late Warring States period and the early Qin and Han dynasties. In the late Western Han Dynasty, Liu Xiang, while organizing and reviewing various books, compiled The War State Strategies, selecting its essence and discarding the superfluous, 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 from the Spring and Autumn period to the unification of the six states by Qin, covering over two hundred forty years and thirty-three chapters, and was named The War State Strategies. Unlike other pre-Qin historical prose that reflects Confucian thought, The War State Strategies primarily records the political doctrines and strategies of the strategists and orators when they persuaded the feudal lords or engaged in debates, showcasing their 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 power. In action, they traveled to persuade and assist Qin in its expansion or form alliances to resist Qin, determining the success or failure of states. The War State Strategies is a historical book that reflects the turbulent and mysterious changes of the prosperous Warring States period. It serves as 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 ups and downs of the plot and the lifelike portrayal of characters make The War State Strategies highly novelistic. One of the reasons we chose The War State Strategies 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 talent, officials and subjects worked together to achieve their goals, scholars demonstrated their brilliance through strategic maneuvering, and people were cherished and valued.