韩  非  子
Translated by W. K. Liao

BOOK ONE

2 存韓第二
CHAPTER II.
ON THE PRESERVATION OF HAN:
ISSUE BETWEEN HAN FEI AND LI SSŬ

{存韓. The content of this chapter is not unique. The first part was the petition Han Fei Tzŭsubmitted to the King of Ch`in. It was followed by Li Ssŭ’s memorial refuting Han Fei Tzŭ’s arguments in favour of the preservation of the Han State and then by the memorial Li Ssŭ sent to the King of Han. These memorials were apparently compiled by subsequent editors.}

Han Fei Tzŭ’s Memorial to the King of Ch`in {Italics mine.} : —
韓事秦三十餘年，出則為扞蔽，入則為蓆薦。秦特出銳師取（韓）地而〔韓〕隨之，怨懸於天下，功歸於強秦。
"Han has served Ch`in for upwards of thirty years. To Ch`in she has formed a shielding barrier in case of war and made a restful carpet in time of peace. Thus, whenever Ch`in sends out crack troops to conquer new territory and Han {With Wang Hsien-shen 韓 should be below 而.} follows at her heels, Han incurs hatred from All-underHeaven, but every achievement belongs to Ch`in.

且夫韓入貢職，與郡縣無異也。今（日）臣竊聞貴臣之計，舉兵將伐韓。 夫趙氏聚士卒，養從〔徒〕，欲贅天下之兵，明秦不弱，則諸侯必滅宗廟，欲西面行其意， 非一日之計也。今釋趙之患，而攘內臣之韓，則天下明趙氏之計矣。
"Further, since Han pays tribute and renders services to Ch`in, she does not differ from a district or county of Ch`in. Of late, however, thy servant has in secret heard of the scheme of Your Majesty’s ministers to raise an army to invade Han. Verily it is the Chaos that have been recruiting officers and soldiers and supporting the advocates of the Perpendicular Union with a view to uniting the troops of All-under-Heaven. And, with the clear understanding that unless Ch`in be weakened, the feudal lords would eventually see their ancestral shrines ruined, they plan to turn west and accomplish their task. This is not such a scheme as could be devised in the brief space of one day. Now supposing Ch`in left the impending harm Chao has been causing and spurned Han so trustworthy a vassal as a eunuch, then Allunder-Heaven would accordingly find reason for the scheme of the Chaos.

夫韓，小國也，而以應天下四擊，主辱臣苦，上下相與同憂久矣。脩守備， 戒強敵，有蓄積，築城池以守固。今伐韓，未可一年而滅，拔一城而退，則權輕於天下，天下摧我兵矣。 韓叛，則魏應之，趙據齊以為原，如此，則以韓、魏資趙假齊，以固其從，而以與爭強，趙之福而秦之禍也。
"Verily Han is a small country. To stand the pressure by All-under-Heaven from the four directions, the sovereign has to bear disgrace and the ministers have to undergo hardships, high and low having thus for years shared griefs with each other in mending garrisons, in making provision against strong foes, in keeping hoardings and savings, and in building walls and moats, in order to solidify their defence works. Therefore, though Ch`in starts invading Han now, she may be unable to take her in a year. Should Ch`in withdraw after taking only a city, she would fall into contempt by All-under-Heaven, who might in their turn crush her soldiers. Again, should Han rebel, Wey would join her and Chao would look to Ch`i for safety. {Ku Kuang-ts`ê proposed 厚 for 原.} If so, Ch`in will eventually supply Chao with the strength of Han and Wey and let Ch`i unite all these powers to solidify the Perpendicular Union and thereby struggle for supremacy with Ch`in. The result would be Chao’s fortune and Ch`in’s misfortune, come what might.

夫進而擊趙不能取，退而攻韓弗能拔，則陷銳之卒懃於野戰，負任之旅罷於內攻， 則合群苦弱以敵而共二萬乘，非所以亡（趙）〔韓〕之心也。均如貴（人）〔臣〕之計，則秦必為天下兵質矣。 陛下雖以金石相弊，則兼天下之日未也。
"Indeed, if Ch`in on going forward to raid Chao cannot take and on turning backward to attack Han cannot win, her troops, however invulnerable, will become tired of field operations abroad and her transport corps will fall short of supplies {With Kao Hêng 攻 below 内 should read 共 which means 共給.} from home. Then, if Ch`in masses her distressed and weakened troops to cope with the twenty thousand chariots of Ch`i and Chao {With Wang Wei 而共 above 二萬乘 is superfluous}, the result will not go in accordance with the original plan to destroy Han. {Ku Kuang-ts’ê proposed 韓 for 趙.} Thus, if everything be done according to the scheme of Your Majesty’s ministers, {Lu Wên-shao proposed 臣 for 人.} Ch`in will infallibly become the anvil {The target of military operations—the common enemy of the world.} of the forces of All-under-Heaven, wherefore even though Your Majesty’s reign may last as long as metals and rocks, there never will come the day to bring the world under one rule.

今賤臣之（遇）愚計：使人使荊，重幣用事之臣，明趙之所以欺秦者；與魏質以安其心， 從韓而伐趙，趙雖與齊為一，不足患也。二國事畢，則（轉）〔韓〕可以移書定也。是我一舉二國有亡形， 則荊、魏又必自服矣。
"Now, it is the stupid suggestion of thy humble servant to send an envoy to Ching and, by bribing the ministers in charge of her state affairs with precious presents, convince them of the reasons why Chao has been conspiring against Ch`in, and at the same time send a hostage to Wey to make her feel at ease, and then {With Yü Yüeh and Wang Hsien-shen 韓 below 從 is superfluous.} to fall upon Chao. Consequently, Chao will not make any serious trouble in spite of her confederation with Ch`i. After the removal of the difficulties with these two countries, Ch`i and Chao, the problem of Han can be solved by means of an official despatch. Likewise, if we can at one effort doom the two countries to ruin, Ching and Wey will voluntarily surrender themselves to us.

故曰：「兵者，凶器也。」不可不審用也。以秦與趙敵衡，加以齊，今又背韓， 而未有以堅荊、魏之心。夫一戰而不勝，則禍搆矣。計者，所以定事也，不可不察也。
"Hence the saying: `Weapons are dangerous implements, and should not be employed at random.’ For illustration, Ch`in in vying with Chao has to challenge Ch`i and simultaneously break off with Han while she is as yet unsuccessful in winning the good-will of Ching and Wey, so that once she fails to win in a single combat, she will certainly suffer a tremendous adversity. Verily schemes are means whereby affairs are settled and therefore should be carefully scrutinized.

（韓^〔趙〕、秦強弱，在今年耳。且趙與諸侯陰謀久矣。夫一動而弱於諸侯， 危事也；為計而使諸侯有意（伐）〔我〕之心，至殆也。見二，非所以強於諸侯也。臣竊願陛下之幸熟圖之！ 攻伐而使從者（聞）〔間〕焉，不可悔也。
"The turning-point {Ku Kuang-ts`ê and Wang Hsien-shen proposed 轉 for 韓} of Ch`in, whether towards strength or towards weakness, will come to pass within this year. It is, indeed, a long time since Chao began to plot with other feudal lords against Ch`in. It will be a castastrophe to be defeated by the feudal lords in the first engagement with them. Again, it is a great risk to devise such a scheme as would excite the feudal lords’ suspicion. Exposing these two carelessnesses to the world is not the right way to display our strength before the feudal lords. Therefore, with due reverence may thy humble servant pray Your Majesty to ponder over such eventualities and foresee that should the expedition against Han be utilized by the Perpendicular Unionists, it would be too late to regret the consequences?" {With this paragraph ends Han Fei Tzŭ’s memorial.}

Li Ssŭ’s Memorial to the King of Ch`in {Italics mine.}:—
詔以韓客之所上書，書言韓子之未可舉，下臣斯。〔臣斯〕甚以為不然。
"Under His Majesty’s edict the memorial submitted by the envoy from Han, in which he maintained that Han should not be taken, was handed down to thy servant, Ssŭ. Thy servant, Ssŭ, {With Kao Hêng 臣斯 should be supplied above 甚以爲不然 inasmuch as this sentence as well as the preceding one was uttered by Li Ssŭ in his memorial.} however, considers the viewpoint presented therein extremely fallacious.

秦之有韓，若人之有腹心之病也。虛處則然，若居濕地，著而不去，以極走則發矣。 夫韓雖臣於秦，未嘗不為秦病。今若有卒報之事，韓不可信也。秦與趙為難，荊蘇使齊，未知何如。 以臣觀之，則齊、趙之交未必以荊蘇絕也。若不絕，是悉（趙）〔秦〕而應二萬乘也。夫韓不服秦之義而服於強也， 今專於齊、趙，則韓必為腹心之病而發矣。韓與荊有謀，諸侯應之，則秦必復見崤塞之患。
"What stomach and heart diseases are to man, that is Han to Ch`in. The man having stomach and heart diseases ordinarily only feels like standing in the mud which is sticky and cannot be brushed off; but as soon as he starts running  fast, the trouble becomes serious. Similarly, Han, though she pays homage to Ch`in, is a constant menace to Ch`in. At the news of any kind of hostilities she cannot be trusted. Vying with Chao, Ch`in has sent Ching Su to Ch`i. Nobody is yet able to foretell the outcome. From thy servant’s viewpoint, it remains uncertain whether the friendship of Ch`i and Chao will be broken by the mission of Ching Su. Should it remain unbroken, Ch`in {Wang Wei proposed 秦 for 趙.} would have to exert all her forces to cope with the twenty thousand chariots. To be sure, Han has yielded not to Ch`in’s kindness but to her strength. As soon as we move our forces against Ch`i and Chao, Han will make trouble as stomach and heart diseases do. Besides, if Han and Ching have any conspiracy against Ch`in and other feudal lords respond to it, Ch`in is then bound to encounter another humiliation as met at the fort of Mount Yao.
{In 247 B.C. under the command of Lord Hsin-ling of Wey the allied forces of Chao, Ch`u, Han, Wey, and Yen defeated the Ch`in invaders and drove them as far back as the Pass of the Armour Gorge.}

非之來也，未必不以其能存韓也為重於韓也。辯說屬辭，飾非詐謀，以釣利於秦， 而以韓利闚陛下。夫秦、韓之交親，則非重矣，此自便之計也。 臣視非之言，文其淫說靡辯，才甚。臣恐陛下淫非之辯而聽其盜心，因不詳察事情。
"Fei came here most probably with the intention to elevate
{With Kao Hêng 爲重 means 求重.} his own position in the Han Government by demonstrating his ability to save the Han State. By means of eloquent speeches and beautiful phrases he embellishes lies and falsifies plots in order thereby to fish for advantages from Ch`in and watch Your Majesty’s mind on behalf of Han. Indeed, if the friendship of Ch`in and Han becomes intimate, Fei will be esteemed; which is his self-seeking scheme. Having found Fei in his memorial twisting so many beguiling contentions and showing his sophistic ability to the utmost, thy servant is afraid lest Your Majesty should be bewildered {With Kao 淫 below 陛下 means 惑.} by his eloquence and listen to his crooked viewpoint and consequently neglect the consideration of the actual conditions.

今以臣愚議：秦發兵而未名所伐，則韓之用事者以事秦為計矣。臣斯請往見韓王，使來入見； 大王見，因內其身而勿遣，稍召其社稷之臣，以與韓人為市，則韓可深割也。因令象武發東郡之卒， 闚兵於境上而未名所之，則齊人懼而從蘇之計。是我兵未出而勁韓以威擒，強齊以義從矣。聞於諸侯也，趙氏破膽， 荊人狐疑，必有忠計。荊人不動，魏不足患也，則諸侯可蠶食而盡，趙氏可得與敵矣。願陛下幸察愚臣之計，無忽。
"Now thy servant has devised a stupid scheme as follows: Suppose Ch`in sends out troops without announcing the object of the expedition. Then the ministers in charge of Han’s state affairs will consider serving Ch`in a good policy. Then thy servant will ask for Your Majesty’s permission to interview the King of Han and make him come to visit Your Majesty. When he comes, Your Majesty retains him and never sends him away, but, instead, summons a few important ministers
{社稷之臣 literally means "ministers from the Altar of the Spirits of Land and Grain", that is, such ministers as would risk their lives for the welfare of the state.} from the Han Government and make bargains with them. In consequence we will be able to encroach upon Han farther inside. After that, if Your Majesty similarly orders Mêng Wu {Wang Wei proposed 蒙武 for 象武.} to despatch the garrisons of the eastern districts to guard against enemy troops along the border without announcing their objective, the Ch`is will fear surprise invasion and accept the proposal of Ching Su. {His mission was to persuade Ch`i to break with Chao.} As a result, before our forces march outside the boundary, we will capture Han while Ch`i will yield to our pressure. As soon as such news spreads among the feudal lords, the Chao Clan will be struck with terror while the Chings will be in doubt how to act and eventually decide to remain loyal to Ch`in. If the Chings make no move at all, Wey will not be sufficient to cause worries, so that we will be able to encroach upon the territories of the feudal lords in the way silkworms eat mulberry-leaves and cope with the forces of Chao. May Your Majesty ponder deliberately over the scheme of thy stupid servant with no hesitation?"

秦遂遣斯使韓也。 李斯往詔韓王，未得見，因上書曰：
Ch`in accordingly sent Ssŭ to the court of Han. Li Ssŭ went to interview the King of Han, but could not have an audience of him. Therefore he sent in a memorial saying:—
「昔秦、韓戮力一意以不相侵，天下莫敢犯，如此者數世矣。 前時五諸侯嘗相與共伐韓，秦發兵以救之。韓居中國，地不能滿千里，而所以得與諸侯班位於天下， 君臣相保者，以世世相教事秦之力也。
"Of old, when Ch`in and Han combined their forces and united their purposes to refrain from invading each other, {This means that they signed and observed a mutual non-aggression pact.} nobody in the whole world dared to aggress. Such a situation lasted for several generations. Some time ago, when the five {As a matter of fact, only Chao and Wey attacked Han in 273 B.C.} feudal lords sent a joint-expedition against Han, Ch`in sent out troops to rescue her. Han being a central state, her territory scarcely stretches a thousand li. Thanks to the traditional policy she has pursued from generation to generation to serve Ch`in, {Han served Ch`in for several generations, but Ch`in saved Han only once.} she has been able to occupy an equal position among the feudal lords in All-under-Heaven.

先時五諸侯共伐秦，韓反與諸侯先為鴈行，以嚮秦軍於（闕）〔關〕下矣。 諸侯兵困力極，無柰何，諸侯兵罷。杜倉相秦，起兵發將以報天下之怨而（失）〔先〕攻荊。 荊令尹患之，曰：『夫韓以秦為不義，而與秦兄弟共苦天下。已又背秦，先為鴈行以攻關。韓則居中國，展轉不可知。』 天下共割韓上地十城以謝秦，解其兵。
"Another time, however, when the five feudal lords launched a joint-attack upon Ch`in, Han in her turn joined them and stood at the front of the allied line to meet the forces of Ch`in beneath the Pass of the Armour Gorge. {Han joined Ch`i, Chao, Wey, Sung, and Central Hills, in attacking Ch`in in 296 B.C.} With their armies worn out and their strength exhausted, the feudal lords were compelled to cease hostilities. {In reality Ch`in made territorial cessions to bring the war to an end.} When Tu Ts`ang was Premier of Ch`in, he mobilized soldiers and despatched generals to revenge the wrong of the allies and attacked Ching {In 278 B.C. General Pai Ch`i captured the capital of Ching.} first. The Chancellor of Ching, feeling uneasy about it, said: `Han at first regarded Ch`in as unjust and yet kept fraternal terms with Ch`in in order jointly to menace the rest of the world. Then she betrayed Ch`in and took the lead of the allied forces in storming the Pass. Thus, centrally located, Han is so fickle that nobody knows what she is going to do next.’ Thereupon the allies ceded to Ch`in ten cities from the best districts of Han as an apology for their wrong and thereby ceased hostilities.

夫韓嘗一背秦而國迫地侵，兵弱至今，所以然者，聽姦（人）〔臣〕之浮說，不權事實， 故雖殺戮姦臣，不能使韓復強。
"Thus, ever since Han turned against Ch`in, the country has been oppressed, her territory invaded, and her army weakened, till the present day. The reason therefor is: Her rulers have been listening to the flippant theories of wicked ministers but have never considered actual conditions. Even if the wicked ministers be put to death, it would be impossible for Han to recover her former strength.

「今趙欲聚兵士，卒以秦為事，使人來借道，言欲伐秦，其勢必先韓而後秦。 且臣聞之：『脣亡，則齒寒。』夫秦、韓不得無同憂，其形可見。
"At present, Chao is massing officers and soldiers {With Wang Hsien-shen 兵 above 士卒 is superfluous.} with Ch`in as target. Therefore, she has sent envoys to Han to borrow the way through the country on the pretext of attacking Ch`in. Indeed, in her campaign against Ch`in she will naturally invade Han first and Ch`in next. Besides, thy servant has heard: `When the lips are gone, the teeth are cold.’ Verily Ch`in and Han have to share the same hazard. And such an eventuality is now visible enough.

魏欲發兵以攻韓，秦使人將使者於韓。今秦王使臣斯來而不得見，恐左右襲曩姦臣之計， 使韓復有亡地之患。臣斯不〔得〕見，請歸報，秦、韓之交必絕矣。斯之來使，以奉秦王之歡心，願效便計， 豈陛下所以逆賤臣者邪？臣斯願得一見，前進道愚計，退就葅戮，願陛下有意焉。
"Formerly, when Wey was about to despatch troops to attack Han, Ch`in ordered guards to escort her good-will envoys to Han. {Wey had sent envoys to Ch`in to conclude an alliance against Han.} Now thy servant, Ssŭ, is sent here by the King of Ch`in, he is not granted an audience. Therefore, he is afraid the present chamberlains of Your Majesty have inherited the scheme of the former wicked ministers and might once more cause Han territorial losses. If thy servant, Ssŭ, is granted no audience while here and has to go home to report to His Majesty the King of Ch`in on his mission, the relations between Ch`in and Han will certainly be severed. On this mission Ssŭ came to present the good-will of His Majesty the King of Ch`in to the court of Han and hopes to make the best plan for Your Majesty; which in no wise constitutes sufficient reason for Your Majesty’s according thy humble servant such a cold reception as this. Thy servant, Ssŭ, has petitioned for an audience only to present his stupid counsels inside the court and then to be chopped into inches to death outside the court. Thereon may Your Majesty deliberate!

今殺臣於韓，則大王不足以強，若不聽臣之計，則禍必搆矣。秦發兵不留行， 而韓之社稷憂矣。臣斯暴身於韓之市，則雖欲察賤臣愚忠之計，不可得已。邊鄙殘，國固守， 鼓鐸之聲於耳，而乃用臣斯之計，晚矣。
"Now supposing Your Majesty executed thy servant in Han, it would not do Your Majesty any good. Moreover, since Your Majesty turns no ear to thy servant’s counsels, there will be fostered the seed of catastrophes. For once Ch`in marches her troops out without stopping, Han will then feel concern for the safety of her Altar of the Spirits of Land and Grain. After thy servant, Ssŭ, has had his corpse exposed in the market-place in the capital of Han, though Your Majesty might begin to think about thy servant’s stupid but loyal counsels, it would be impossible to prevent disaster. After the frontiers have been raided and only the defence work of the capital is held and when the sounds of drums and bells are filling {With Wang Hsien-shen 盈 should be supplied above 於耳.} up the ears, though Your Majesty might then apply the counsels of thy servant, Ssŭ, it will be too late.

且夫韓之兵於天下可知也，今又背強秦。夫棄城而敗軍，則反掖之寇必襲城矣。 城盡則聚散，〔聚散〕則無軍矣。城固守，則秦必興兵而圍王一都；道不通，則難必謀，其勢不救。 左右計之者不用，願陛下熟圖之。
"Moreover, though the limits of Han’s military strength are generally known throughout the world, she is now betraying Ch`in. Indeed, if cities are evacuated and troops defeated, rebels among the rear forces will infallibly raid the capital. When the capital falls, the civilians will scatter. When the civilians scatter, no more troops can be recruited. Even though the capital might be well defended, yet Ch`in would send out all her men to besiege the only city of Your Majesty. When its communication with the outside world is cut off, it will be impossible to accomplish any scheme, till the situation becomes unsavable. As the consideration of the whole situation by the chamberlains is not thorough, {With Ku Kuang-ts`ê 用 should be 周.} may Your Majesty deliberate on it carefully!

若臣斯之所言有不應事實者，願大王幸使得畢辭於前，乃就吏誅不晚也。 秦王飲食不甘，遊觀不樂，意專在圖趙，使臣斯來言，願得身〔見〕，因急與陛下有計也。
"If what thy servant, Ssŭ, has said contains anything that does not coincide with actual facts, may Your Majesty allow him to complete his memorial before the throne! After that it will not be too late to put him to death through official censure. The King of Ch`in neither indulges in drinking and eating nor amuses himself with travelling and sight-seeing, but is whole-heartedly scheming against Chao. Therefore he has sent thy servant, Ssŭ, here to speak on his behalf. Thy servant has petitioned for a personal interview because he feels he must parley with Your Majesty on matters of urgent importance.

今使臣不通，則韓之信未可知也。夫秦必釋趙之患而移兵於韓，願陛下幸復察圖之，而賜臣報決。」
"Now, if Your Majesty grants no audience to thy servant, the faith of Han never will be proved. Verily Ch`in will cease the campaign against Chao and move the army against Han. May Your Majesty, therefore, kindly ponder over the matter again and again and grant thy servant a definite answer?"