110 Three Hundred Men

A5.23|24|25 

In the twelfth year of Duke Mu of Qin (648 BC), Guan Zhong and Xi Peng of Qi died. 

Jin was struck by drought, people came to Qin for food aid. Pi Bao advised Duke Mu not to aid, but instead to take advantage of the famine to attack the state of Jin. Duke Mu asked Gongsun Zhi, who replied, "Years of famine and harvests are just in the cycle, so we cannot deny them food." Duke Mu then asked Baili Xi, who answered, "Yiwu offended you, but what crime have Jin people committed?" Therefore Duke Mu adopted their advice and gave Jin grains, transported either by boats or vehicles, continuously from Yong to Jian. 

In the fourteenth year, Qin suffered from famine and asked Jin for food aid. The King of Jin discussed the matter with his ministers. Guo She said: "We should take advantage of the famine in Qin and attack, and we will surely have big success." The King of Jin followed his advice. In the 15th year, the State of Jin sent troops to attack the State of Qin. Duke Mu gathered troops and let Pi Bao lead the army to fight in person. On the Renxu day of the ninth month, the Qin army fought against the Jin army led by Yiwu the Duke Hui in Han. The King of Jin broke away from his army and came alone to fight the Qin army. On his way back, his horse got stuck in the mud. Duke Mu and his men chased on fast horses but failed to capture the King of Jin and were instead surrounded by the Jin army. Duke Mu was attacked by the Jin army and injured. At this moment, there were three hundred men rushed over, who had stolen Duke Mu's horse as food at the foot of Mount Qi. Regardless of the danger, they broke through the encirclement of the Jin army, rescued Duke Mu, and surprisingly caught the King of Jin alive. Sometime before, Duke Mu lost a good horse, which was caught and eaten by more than 300 villagers from Mount Qi. The officials arrested them and prepared to execute them according to law. Duke Mu said: "A gentleman will not harm people for the sake of the livestock. I have heard that eating horse meat without wine drinking will harm your body." So he gave them wine to drink and pardoned them. Now, these three hundred people heard that the Qin was attacked by Jin, they all requested to join the Qin army. Therefore, when they saw that Duke Mu was in trouble, they took up weapons and risked their lives to save him, in order to repay the kindness of being pardoned for stealing and eating the horse. After Duke Mu captured the King of Jin and returned, he issued an order to the whole nation: "I will fast and prepare to sacrifice the King of Jin to the Emperor of Heaven." When the King of Zhou the Son of Heaven heard this, he said, "The King of Jin and I have the same surname." He so requested that the King of Jin be exonerated. When Yiwu's sister, Duke Mu's wife, heard the news, she put on mourning clothes, went barefoot to Duke Mu, and said, "I can't even save my own brother, I am such a shame to my royal husband?" Duke Mu said, "I captured the King of Jin, which I thought was a great achievement, but now the King of Zhou the Son of Heaven is begging for mercy for him, and my wife is also sad for him." He then made an alliance with the King of Jin, which promised him to go back home, allowed him to stay in the most luxurious guest room, and enjoy the top-level food service with seven trios of livestock. In November, Qin sent the King of Jin back to his country. Yiwu offered the land of Hexi and sent Crown Prince Yu to Qin as a hostage.The Qin State married a girl from the royal family of Qin to the crown prince Yu of Jin. At that time, Qin's territory had expanded eastward to the Yellow River. 

十二年，齐管仲、隰朋死。

晋旱，来请粟。丕豹说缪公勿与，因其饥而伐之。缪公问公孙支，支曰：“饥穰更事耳，不可不与。”问百里傒，傒曰：“夷吾得罪于君，其百姓何罪？”于是用百里傒、公孙支言，卒与之粟。以船漕车转，自雍相望至绛。

十四年，秦饥，请粟于晋。晋君谋之群臣。虢射曰：“因其饥伐之，可有大功。”晋君从之。十五年，兴兵将攻秦。缪公发兵，使丕豹将，自往击之。九月壬戌，与晋惠公夷吾合战于韩地。晋君弃其军，与秦争利，还而马騺。缪公与麾下驰追之，不能得晋君，反为晋军所围。晋击缪公，缪公伤。于是岐下食善马者三百人驰冒晋军，晋军解围，遂脱缪公而反生得晋君。初，缪公亡善马，岐下野人共得而食之者三百余人，吏逐得，欲法之。缪公曰：“君子不以畜产害人。吾闻食善马肉不饮酒，伤人。”乃皆赐酒而赦之。三百人者闻秦击晋，皆求从，从而见缪公窘，亦皆推锋争死，以报食马之德。于是缪公虏晋君以归，令于国，齐宿，吾将以晋君祠上帝。周天子闻之，曰“晋我同姓”，为请晋君。夷吾姊亦为缪公夫人，夫人闻之，乃衰绖跣，曰：“妾兄弟不能相救，以辱君命。”缪公曰：“我得晋君以为功，今天子为请，夫人是忧。”乃与晋君盟，许归之，更舍上舍，而馈之七牢。十一月，归晋君夷吾，夷吾献其河西地，使太子圉为质于秦。秦妻子圉以宗女。是时秦地东至河。

109 Li Ke, Yiwu and Chong’er

A5.20|21|22

In autumn, Duke Mu of Qin personally led his army to attack Jin State and fought with the Jin army in Hequ. Li Ji of Jin rebelled, Crown Prince Shensheng of Jin was killed in Xincheng, and Chong'er and Yiwu fled.

In the ninth year (651 BC), Duke Huan of Qi convened a meeting of the princes at Kuiqiu. 

Duke Xian of Jin died. He established Li Ji's son Xi Qi as the heir apparent, but his minister Li Ke killed Xi Qi. Xun Xi made Zhuozi the king of Jin, and Li Ke killed Zhuozi and Xun Xi. Yiwu sent people to ask the Qin State for help, hoping that the Qin State could help him return to the Jin State Palace. So Duke Mu of Qin agreed to his request and let Baili Xi lead the army to escort Yiwu. Yiwu said to Qin: "If I become the king of Jin, I am willing to cede eight towns of Hexi the areas west of the Yellow River in Jin to Qin." After Yiwu returned to his country, he became the king of Jin State, but he sent Pi Zheng to reject the Qin Dynasty, broke the agreement, refused to hand over the eight towns of Hexi, and killed Li Ke. When Pi Zheng heard this, he was frightened and conspired with Duke Mu of Qin: "The people of Jin actually do not want to support Yiwu, but want to make Chong'er the king. Now Yiwu has broken his agreement with the Qin State and killed Li Ke. This was all the idea of Lu Sheng and Xie Rui. I hope you can use money and property to summon Lu Sheng and Xie Rui to Qin as soon as possible. Once Lu Sheng and Xie Rui arrive in Qin, Chong'er can return to Jin smoothly." Duke Mu agreed and sent someone to accompany Pi Zheng back to Jin to recruit Lü Sheng and Xie Rui. Lu Sheng, Xie Rui and others suspected that Pi Zheng had a conspiracy, so they suggested that Yiwu get rid of him. Pi Zheng's son Pi Bao fled to Qin and advised Duke Mu: "The King of Jin is incompetent and the people are not close to him. Now is the right time to send troops to attack Jin." Duke Mu said: "If the people of Jin did not support Yiwu, then why did he kill the minister Li Ke? Being able to kill the ministers of Jin shows that he can unite the people. " Duke Mu of Qin did not follow his advice, but instead secretly promoted Pi Bao.

秋，缪公自将伐晋，战于河曲。晋骊姬作乱，太子申生死新城，重耳、夷吾出奔。

九年，齐桓公会诸侯于葵丘。

晋献公卒。立骊姬子奚齐，其臣里克杀奚齐。荀息立卓子，克又杀卓子及荀息。夷吾使人请秦，求入晋。于是缪公许之，使百里傒将兵送夷吾。夷吾谓曰：“诚得立，请割晋之河西八城与秦。”及至，已立，而使丕郑谢秦，背约不与河西城，而杀里克。丕郑闻之，恐，因与缪公谋曰：“晋人不欲夷吾，实欲重耳。今背秦约而杀里克，皆吕甥、郤芮之计也。愿君以利急召吕、郤，吕、郤至，则更入重耳便。”缪公许之，使人与丕郑归，召吕、郤。吕、郤等疑丕郑有间，乃言夷吾杀丕郑。丕郑子丕豹奔秦，说缪公曰：“晋君无道，百姓不亲，可伐也。”缪公曰：“百姓苟不便，何故能诛其大臣？能诛其大臣，此其调也。”不听，而阴用豹。

108 Baili Xi

A5.19 

In the fifth year (655 BC), Duke Xian of Jin destroyed Yu and Guo two states, and captured Lord Yu and his senior official Baili Xi. The Jin State had bribed Lord Yu with jade and fine horses, this is the result. Baili Xi was captured, and the Jin State sent him to the Qin State as a slave of the bribe of Duke Mu of Qin. Baili Xi fled from Qin to Wan and was captured by soldiers guarding the border of Chu. Duke Mu heard that Baili Xi was a virtuous and talented man, and wanted to redeem him with a large sum of money, but he was afraid that the people of Chu would not agree, so he sent someone to say to the people of Chu: "Is my wife’s slave Baili Xi at your place? Please let him be redeemed with five sheepskins." The people of Chu agreed to hand over Baili Xi to Qin. At this time, Baili Xi was already in his seventies. Duke Mu released him and discussed with him the issue of governing the country. Baili Xi declined and said, "I am a minister whose country has been destroyed. What is there to discuss?" Duke Mu said, "Lord Yu did not use you, so his country was destroyed. This is not your fault." Duke Mu insisted on asking him for advice, their discussion went on for three days. Duke Mu was very happy and handed over the state affairs to him, Baili Xi then was known as Minister Wugu the Five Sheepskins. Baili Xi refused with humility and said, "I am not as good as my friend Jian Shu. Jian Shu is a virtuous person but the world does not know it. When I was traveling in Qi State, I fell into a difficult situation and had to beg for food in Qi. It was Jian Shu who took me in.” Therefore, I wanted to serve King Wuzhi of Qi, but Jian Shu stopped me, so I avoided the chaos in Qi and came to the Zhou Dynasty. Prince Tui of Zhou liked cattle, so I tried to see him by raising cattle. When Prince Tui wanted to employ me, Jian Shu stopped me again, and I was able to leave and avoid being killed. So I prepared to serve Lord Yu, but it was still Jian Shu who stopped me. I knew clearly that Lord Yu would not use me, but I yearned for fame and fortune, so I decided to stay for the time being. I followed his advice twice and was able to save my own life. And once I didn’t do it, I fell into the disaster that Lord Yu’s country being destroyed. This shows how wise he is.” So Duke Mu sent someone to invite Jian Shu with a large sum of money and appointed him as a senior official.

五年，晋献公灭虞、虢，虏虞君与其大夫百里傒，以璧马赂于虞故也。既虏百里傒，以为秦缪公夫人媵于秦。百里傒亡秦走宛，楚鄙人执之。缪公闻百里傒贤，欲重赎之，恐楚人不与，乃使人谓楚曰：“吾媵臣百里傒在焉，请以五羖羊皮赎之。”。楚人遂许与之。当是时，百里傒年已七十余。缪公释其囚，与语国事。谢曰：“臣亡国之臣，何足问！”缪公曰：“虞君不用子，故亡，非子罪也。”固问，语三日，缪公大说，授之国政，号曰五羖大夫。百里傒让曰：“臣不及臣友蹇叔，蹇叔贤而世莫知。臣常游困于齐而乞食饣至人，蹇叔收臣。臣因而欲事齐君无知，蹇叔止臣，臣得脱齐难，遂之周。周王子穨好牛，臣以养牛干之。及穨欲用臣，蹇叔止臣，臣去，得不诛。事虞君，蹇叔止臣。臣知虞君不用臣，臣诚私利禄爵，且留。再用其言，得脱，一不用，及虞君难：是以知其贤。”于是缪公使人厚币迎蹇叔，以为上大夫。