Discovery of lost eloquence: new insight from the Mawangdui "Zhanguo zonghengjia shu."

• Author: Blanford, Yumiko F.

The discovery in 1973 of the "Zhanguo zonghengjia shu" [UNKNOWN TEXT OMITTED] manuscript ("A Text of the Strategists in the Warring States") among others from the Mawangdui [UNKNOWN TEXT OMITTED] tomb, sealed in 168 B.C., has been of great value to scholars interested in the Zhanguo ce [UNKNOWN TEXT OMITTED] text.(1) The title by which we refer to this manuscript was given to it by the first group of Chinese scholars and editors who studied tHe scroll and who published the transcribed and annotated text.(2) It was chosen because all of the accounts contained in the manuscript deal with political and military strategies during the Warring States period, and are similar in nature to accounts in the received version of the Zhanguo ce.

Of the twenty-seven accounts recorded in the Mawangdui "Zhanguo zonghengjia shu" (hereafter, MWD), eleven are comparable to accounts in the two well-known texts, Zhanguo ce and Shiji [UNKNOWN TEXT OMITTED] When matching versions are compared, the excavated manuscript, which had remained untouched since the early second century B.C., often reveals corruptions and alterations that exist in the received versions.

Here we will examine account number 4 of the MWD manuscript. In analyzing this account, we shall see that the MWD version is more complete than the Zhanguo ce version (hereafter, ZGC) and we shall also discover the strategist's rhetorical techniques that characterize the story, techniques that were lost in the extant tradition for two thousand years.(4)

My translation of the MWD version folloWS.(5) Only the italicized portions appear in the ZGC version, lettered A through D, as further explained below.

Translation of Account Four

[Su Qin] submitted a letter from Qi to the King of Yan, saying:(6) (PORTION A)

The enmity between Yan and Qi has existed for a long time. When I was going to deal with the relations between Yan and Qi, I certainly knew that I would be mistrusted. [So] my plan was: Qi will definitely become a great problem for Yan. I shall go ahead and become employed in Qi. The best I could do is to cause Qi not to scheme against Yan. The next [best] I could do is to erode the relations between Qi and Zhao, in order to serve the convenience of Your Majesty's important matters. This was what Your Majesty expected along with me.

I received your instruction, have been in charge of Qi and have been associated with them for five years. [In that time] Qi's soldiers have been often sent out, but they have never once schemed against Yan. Concerning the relations between Qi and Zhao, they have been good at times, bad at times,7 united at times, and separated at times. [On the contrary] in the case of Yan, if it has not schemed with Qi against Zhao, it has then schemed with Zhao against Qi. As far as Qi's faith in Yan is concerned, it has emptied the northern territories and moved its troops [from there].(8) [In spite of that) Your Majesty trusted the words of Tian Fa, Qiao, and Quji, and attacked Qi.(9) You have caused Qi to be very much forewarned,'o so that they mistrust Yan. (PORTION C)

I, your vassal [Su] Qin, prostrated myself and tried to explain the matter.(11) But Your Majesty was angry, so I did not dare to press it. Zhao, having suspected Yan, did not attack Qi, [and yet] Your Majesty dispatched Lord Xiang'an to go east [to Qi] in order to make matters convenient [to attack Qi].(12) How could I dare force you [to leave off attacking Qi]? Qi and Zhao were meeting at E. 3 Your Majesty was distressed over that. [So] I participated in the meeting and made them agree to attack Qin and withdraw the title of "emperor."(14) Although it was costly, it dispelled the worries about Qi and Zhao, and removed our disgrace [of having been a subject of Qi].(15)

When the Qi killed Zhang Tui,(16) I begged to entrust the matter [to other officials] and to excuse myself from being a vassal in Qi. [But] Your Majesty dispatched Qing to tell me that if I did not go, Qi would endanger our state.(17) [So] 1, prepared for death, went to Wei, and restored good relations between Qi and Yan.(18)

Later when Lord Xue and Han Xuwei made a pact with your majesty to attack Qi, Lord Fengyang, being a traitor, attributed the fault to Yan, thereby confirming his own fief from Qi.(19) The lord Yudan went to Zhao to deliver over Meng,(20) and Lord Fengyang accepted it. Your Majesty was distressed over that. Therefore you forced me to go to Qi. I went to Qi, eroded the relations between Qi and Zhao, caused Qi not to give away Meng, and then came in contact with envoys from Song. Therefore if Your Majesty can judge this, [you know that] I assumed the task even at the risk of my life. After this, Qin has received soldiers. And Qi and Zhao in all cases have schemed against others. [But] Qi and Zhao have never schemed against Yan; instead they contend with each other throughout the empire for Your Majesty['s favor]. Although I have not had great merit, I might consider myself free of accusation.

Now the Qi have made an offensive statement. Your Majesty does not realize that the king of Qi has frequently been unfaithful, but instead considers me culpable. I am extremely frightened.

Your Majesty feels humiliated in the matter of [Zhang] Tui's death. Your Majesty feels bitter in the matter of Lord Xiangan's not returning from Qi for the funeral. When the Qi reburied the queen and then summoned me, I did not wish to go there, but rather wished the Qi to desert me. [Then] Your Majesty said, "Concerning the matter of the king of Qi's being unfaithful so frequently, [it was so bad that] he killed his wife and chased out his son. What else could be resented if this fault were not his?" Therefore you forced me to go to Qi. Those two were important people, so Your Majesty thereby pardoned me and I have received honorable gifts.

I certainly knew that there would be calumnies about my conduct. Therefore I presented a letter to your retainer before I left, in which I stated: "If I become honored at Qi, the grandees of Yan will mistrust me. If I become despised there, they will think little of me. If I become employed there, they will expect much of me. If there is something wrong with Qi, they will attribute the fault to me. If other states do not...