Chapter 23: The Renowned Zhu Zhiwu Persuades the Qin Army to Retreat

Before Duke Xian of Jin passed away, he appointed Xi Qi, the son of Lady Li, as his heir and entrusted him to the care of the official Xun Xi. After Xi Qi ascended the throne, he failed to command the loyalty of the people. The official Li Ke conspired with other ministers to assassinate him. Xun Xi then installed Zhuo Zi, the son of Lady Li’s younger sister, as the new ruler. Once again, Li Ke intervened, killing both Zhuo Zi and Xun Xi.

Following these events, Li Ke and his faction sent envoys to the Di state to invite the exiled Prince Chong’er to return and claim the throne. Chong’er, however, assessed that the situation in Jin remained volatile and that the Di state lacked the strength to serve as a sufficient base for his return. He politely declined, saying, "I have already defied my father’s command and fled Jin; I could not return to pay my respects upon his death, so how could I have the face to return now? Please, official Li Ke, invite another prince to take the throne."

When the envoys returned with this response, Li Ke traveled to the state of Liang to invite Prince Yiwu. Yiwu was eager to return, but his ministers cautioned him: "There are other princes within the state who could be named ruler, yet Li Ke seeks someone from abroad—there must be a trap. The state of Qin is currently powerful and commands great respect among the border states. It would be better to ask Qin to provide an escort for our return."

Consequently, Prince Yiwu sent envoys to Qin with lavish gifts, requesting that Duke Mu of Qin provide a military escort. He promised Duke Mu, "If I am successfully enthroned, I shall cede the eight cities west of the Yellow River to Qin." Simultaneously, he wrote to Li Ke, promising, "If I am successfully enthroned, I shall enfeoff you with the territory of Fenyang." Finding these terms favorable, Duke Mu gladly dispatched troops to escort Yiwu back to Jin. Li Ke, satisfied with the promise of his fief, genuinely supported Yiwu’s accession. Through the balance of power between Qin, Qi, and Jin, Prince Yiwu ascended the throne as Duke Hui of Jin.

However, once enthroned, Duke Hui abandoned his promises. He not only refused to grant Li Ke his fiefdom but actively curtailed his power, eventually executing him out of fear that he would conspire with the exiled Prince Chong’er. Furthermore, Duke Hui refused to cede the eight cities to Qin. He sent the official Pi Zheng to Qin to offer excuses, claiming that the ministers argued the land belonged to the ancestors and could not be arbitrarily given away.

Pi Zheng, a former ally of Li Ke, heard of Li Ke’s execution while in Qin. Fearing for his own safety upon returning home, he sought to use Qin’s strength to eliminate Duke Hui’s favorites, Lü Sheng and Xi Rui. He told Duke Mu that the people of Jin actually preferred Chong’er and that Duke Hui’s actions were the result of the machinations of those two ministers, suggesting that Qin lure them to the capital and hold them. Lü Sheng and Xi Rui, however, sensed the trap and persuaded Duke Hui to execute Pi Zheng. Pi Zheng’s son, Pi Bao, fled to Qin and urged Duke Mu to attack Jin, but the Duke declined, choosing instead to harbor him in secret.

Soon after, a severe drought struck Jin, and they requested grain from Qin. Pi Bao advised against it, suggesting an invasion, but the official Baili Xi argued that the innocent commoners should not suffer for their ruler's slights. Duke Mu agreed to provide the grain. Years later, when Qin suffered a famine and requested grain in return, Jin not only refused but launched an opportunistic attack. Enraged, Duke Mu appointed Pi Bao as a general and led his army to retaliate.

The armies met at Han. During the battle, Duke Hui fought in the vanguard but found his chariot mired in mud. As Duke Mu pursued him, the situation reversed, and the Qin army was surrounded. Only the desperate charge of three hundred loyal warriors saved Duke Mu and resulted in the capture of Duke Hui.

Duke Mu brought Duke Hui back to Qin, declaring his intent to sacrifice him to the heavens. The Zhou Emperor, concerned for his kinsman, interceded on Duke Hui’s behalf. Meanwhile, Lady Mu, Duke Mu’s wife and Duke Hui’s sister, threatened to burn herself and her children to death if her brother were harmed. Faced with these pressures, Duke Mu ultimately relented, following the counsel of Zisang to release Duke Hui in exchange for his son, Crown Prince Yu, as a hostage.

After this, Duke Hui dared not defy Qin again. Following his death and the subsequent betrayal by his successor, Duke Huai, Duke Mu supported the return of the exiled Chong’er, who became Duke Wen of Jin. Under Duke Wen’s prosperous rule, Jin became the second hegemon after Duke Huan of Qi.

In the twenty-ninth year of Duke Xi of Lu (631 BCE), Duke Wen and his allies met at Zhaiquan to discuss an attack on the state of Zheng. The following year, Jin and Qin besieged Zheng. Terrified, the people of Zheng sent the strategist Zhuo Zhiwu to meet Duke Mu of Qin in secret. Zhuo Zhiwu persuaded Duke Mu that destroying Zheng would only benefit Jin, which would eventually turn its expansionist eyes toward Qin. Moved by this logic, Duke Mu made peace with Zheng, left a garrison, and returned to Qin.

This was the famous incident of "Zhuo Zhiwu Defending the State of Zheng." When the Jin army withdrew, they sought to ease tensions with Zheng, while the alliance between Qin and Jin began to fray. The Qin commanders left in Zheng, angry at this betrayal, sent word to Duke Mu to launch a surprise attack. Despite the warnings of the elder Jian Shu, Duke Mu insisted on the expedition. As the Qin army passed through the Zhou capital, the official Wangsun Man observed them and predicted their failure, noting their lack of discipline and decorum.

Before they reached their target, the Zheng merchant Xian Gao intercepted the Qin commanders with a gift of twelve oxen, feigning that the ruler of Zheng was prepared for their arrival. Realizing their element of surprise was lost, the Qin commanders retreated. Through his wisdom and courage, the merchant Xian Gao saved Zheng from destruction.