91 Shi Yan Said

A4.72|73 

The State of Qin intended to borrow a road between the Eastern and the Western Zhou in preparation for attacking the State of Han. The Zhou had its fear, that there would be retaliation from Han if they do; or the retaliation would come from Qin if they don't. Shi Yan said to the Lord of Zhou: "Why don't you send someone to tell Duke Shu of Han: 'Qin dares to borrow the road from Zhou to attack Han because it trusts Eastern Zhou. Why don't you give Zhou some land and send a hostage to Chu?' The Qin State will certainly be suspicious of the Chu State, distrust the Zhou State, and will not attack the Han State anymore. Then he said to Qin, ‘Han State forcibly gave land to Zhou State in order to make Qin State suspicious of Zhou State, so Zhou State dared not refuse to accept it.’ Qin would have no reason to ask Zhou to reject the proposal, and thus it could obtain land from Han without arousing Qin's suspicion.“

The lord of Western Zhou was summoned by Qin, but he was unwilling to go. So he sent someone to tell the King of Han, “Qin summoned Western Zhou because it wanted Western Zhou to attack your Nanyang. Why don’t you send troops to Nanyang? The King of Zhou would use this as an excuse not to go to Qin. As long as Lord of Zhou does not go to Qin, Qin will not dare to cross the Yellow River to attack Nanyang."

秦借道两周之间，将以伐韩，周恐借之畏于韩，不借畏于秦。史厌谓周君曰：“何不令人谓韩公叔曰‘秦之敢绝周而伐韩者，信东周也。公何不与周地，发质使之楚’？秦必疑楚不信周，是韩不伐也。又谓秦曰‘韩强与周地，将以疑周于秦也，周不敢不受’。秦必无辞而令周不受，是受地于韩而听于秦。”

秦召西周君，西周君恶往，故令人谓韩王曰：“秦召西周君，将以使攻王之南阳也，王何不出兵于南阳？周君将以为辞于秦。周君不入秦，秦必不敢逾河而攻南阳矣。”