More from the Zhan Guo Ce

[tylik]

ZhiBo asked for land from WeiHuanZi. WeiHuanZi didn't give it to him. RenZhang said: "For what reason didn't you give it?" Huanzi said: "He didn't have a reason to ask for land, so I didn't give it." RenZhang said: "If he lacked a reason to ask for land, the neighboring countries will inevitably be afraid. If he increases many times over and desires without satiation, then the sub celestial realm will be frightened. Lord, if you give him land, ZhiBo will inevitably become proud. If he is proud, he will inevitably make light of the opposition. If the neighbor countries are afraid, then they will come closer together, and use the military that is drawn closer together to deal with the opposing country that makes light of them. The fate of the Zhi clan will not be long.

"The book of Zhou says if you want to defeat it, you must first put up with aiding it. If you want to get it, you must first put up with giving it. Lord, nothing could be better than giving it. Lord, how could you let go [let the opportunity slip away] of using the sub celestial realm to plot against the Zhi clan and soley use our country as the Zhi clan's hostage?"

The Lord said "Good." and gave him a city of ten thousand households. ZhiBo was very pleased, and therefore asked for Cai and GaoLiang from Zhao. He therefore surrounded JinYan [the capitol of Zhao]. Han and Wei turned against him from outside. The people of Zhao responded to him from inside. The Zhi clan soon perished.