The Biography of the Marquis of Rang, Twelfth

Marquis of Rang, Wei Ran, was the younger brother of Queen Dowager Xuan, mother of King Zhao of Qin. His ancestors were from the state of Chu, and his clan name was Mi.

When King Wu of Qin died without a son, his younger brother was established as King Zhao. The mother of King Zhao was originally known as Mi Bazi; after King Zhao ascended the throne, Mi Bazi was honored as Queen Dowager Xuan. Queen Dowager Xuan was not the mother of King Wu. The mother of King Wu was called Queen Huiwen, who had passed away before King Wu. Queen Dowager Xuan had two younger brothers: her elder half-brother (same mother, different father) was the Marquis of Rang, surnamed Wei, given name Ran; her full younger brother (same father and mother) was Mi Rong, known as Lord Huayang. The younger full brothers of King Zhao were Lord Gaoling and Lord Jingyang. Among them, Wei Ran was the most capable; he had held office and wielded power since the reigns of King Hui and King Wu. After King Wu died, the various brothers contended for the throne; only Wei Ran gave his full support, enabling King Zhao to be established as sovereign. After King Zhao ascended the throne, he appointed Wei Ran as general to guard Xianyang. He suppressed the Rebellion of Lord Ji, expelled King Wu’s queen to the state of Wei, and eliminated all of King Zhao’s unruly brothers, his authority shaking the state of Qin. King Zhao was young, and Queen Dowager Xuan personally managed state affairs, appointing Wei Ran to preside over the court.

In the seventh year of King Zhao, Shu Lizi died, and Qin sent Lord Jingyang to the state of Qi as a hostage. A man from Zhao, Lou Huan, came to Qin to serve as chancellor. Zhao considered this disadvantageous to itself, so it sent Qiu Ye to Qin to request that Wei Ran be made chancellor of Qin. As Qiu Ye was about to depart, his retainer Song Gong said to Qiu Ye: “If Qin does not heed your request, Lou Huan will surely resent you. It would be better for you to say to Lou Huan, ‘I will request on your behalf that Qin not be hasty in appointing Wei Ran.’ When the King of Qin sees that Zhao’s request to appoint Wei Ran as chancellor is not urgent, he will not follow your advice. You make the proposal, but if things do not succeed, you will have earned Lou Huan’s gratitude; if things do succeed, Wei Ran will naturally feel grateful to you.” Thereupon Qiu Ye followed this advice. And indeed, Qin dismissed Lou Huan and appointed Wei Ran as chancellor of Qin.

Wei Ran wanted to kill Lü Li, but Lü Li fled to the state of Qi. In the fourteenth year of King Zhao, Wei Ran recommended Bai Qi, sending him to replace Xiang Shou in leading troops to attack Han and Wei. He defeated the allied forces of the two states at Yique, beheading 240,000 men and capturing the Wei general Gongsun Xi. The following year, he also seized the cities of Wan and Ye from Chu. Wei Ran claimed illness and resigned as chancellor, using the visiting official Shou Zhu as chancellor. The next year, Shou Zhu was dismissed, and Wei Ran was again appointed chancellor. Thereupon, the region of Rang was enfeoffed to Wei Ran, and additionally, the city of Tao was granted, with the title Marquis of Rang.

Four years after receiving his fief, the Marquis of Rang served as a general of Qin and attacked Wei. Wei ceded the Hedong region, 400 li in area. He also captured the Henei region of Wei, taking more than sixty cities, large and small. In the nineteenth year of King Zhao, Qin proclaimed itself Emperor of the West, and Qi proclaimed itself Emperor of the East. After a little over a month, Lü Li arrived, and both Qi and Qin reverted to their imperial titles, again calling themselves kings. Wei Ran again served as chancellor of Qin; after six years, he was dismissed. Two years after his dismissal, he again served as chancellor. Four years later, he sent Bai Qi to capture the capital of Chu, Ying, and Qin established the Nan Commandery. Thereupon, Bai Qi was enfeoffed as Lord Wu’an. As for Bai Qi, he was recommended by the Marquis of Rang, and the two had a close relationship. At that time, the wealth of the Marquis of Rang exceeded that of the royal house.

In the thirty-second year of King Zhao, the Marquis of Rang served as prime minister and led troops to attack Wei. He drove off the Wei general Mang Mao, entered Beizhai, and then besieged Daliang. The Wei grand official Xu Jia advised the Marquis of Rang, saying: “I have heard that the high officials of Wei said to the King of Wei: ‘Formerly, King Hui of Liang attacked Zhao, won a victory at Sanliang, and captured Handan; Zhao was unwilling to cede territory, and Handan was later recovered. The people of Qi attacked Wey, captured Gu State, and killed Zi Liang; the people of Wey were unwilling to cede territory, and the old territory was later recovered. The reason that Wey and Zhao were able to preserve their states, keep their armies strong, and prevent their lands from being annexed by the feudal lords is that they could endure calamity and valued not ceding territory. Song and Zhongshan were repeatedly attacked and ceded territory, and their states perished as a result. I believe that the practices of Wey and Zhao can be followed, while the practices of Song and Zhongshan should serve as a warning. Qin is a greedy and violent state, utterly without goodwill. It has devoured Wei, annexed the entire territory of Jin, defeated Bao Yuan, and cut off eight counties. Before the land has been fully incorporated into its territory, its army has again marched forth. When will Qin ever be satisfied! Now it has driven off Mang Mao, entered Beizhai—it does not dare to attack Daliang, but rather seeks to intimidate the king into ceding more territory. The king must not comply. Now if the king turns his back on Chu and Zhao and makes peace with Qin, Chu and Zhao will angrily abandon the king and vie with each other to serve Qin; Qin will certainly accept them. If Qin, backed by the armies of Chu and Zhao, again attacks Daliang, then the state cannot avoid destruction. I hope the king will absolutely not make peace. If the king wishes to make peace, let him cede only a small amount of territory and offer a hostage; otherwise, he will surely be deceived.’ This is what I have heard from Wei. I hope you will consider the matter in light of these circumstances. The Book of Zhou says, ‘Heaven’s mandate is not constant.’ This means that fortunate events cannot occur repeatedly. Defeating Bao Yuan and cutting off eight counties was not due to the excellence of your troops or the ingenuity of your strategy; the favor of Heaven played a large part. Now, driving off Mang Mao, entering Beizhai, and attacking Daliang—this takes Heaven’s favor as a matter of course. A wise man would not do this. I have heard that Wei has mobilized all the elite armored soldiers from its hundred counties to guard Daliang; I estimate no fewer than 300,000 men. To attack the seven-ren-high walls of Daliang with an army of 300,000 men, I believe that even if Shang Tang or King Wu of Zhou were to rise again, they would find it difficult to take. To lightly turn away from the armies of Chu and Zhao, to cross seven-ren-high walls, and to engage 300,000 troops in battle, determined to conquer—I believe that from the opening of heaven and earth to the present day, nothing like this has ever occurred. If you attack but cannot take it, the Qin army will certainly be exhausted, Tao will surely be lost, and all your previous achievements will be thrown away. Now Wei is hesitant; it can be won over by ceding a small amount of territory. I hope that while the armies of Chu and Zhao have not yet reached Daliang, you will quickly use the cession of a small amount of territory to subdue Wei. Wei is hesitant; if it sees that ceding a small amount of territory is beneficial, it will surely desire this, and then you will obtain what you seek. Chu and Zhao will be angry that Wei has gotten ahead of them, and they will surely vie to serve Qin; the vertical alliance will thus be broken, and you can then choose your subsequent course of action. Moreover, when you seek territory, must it necessarily be through military force? By cutting off the land of Jin, the Qin army need not attack, and Wei will surely present Jiang and Anyi. Furthermore, open two roads to Tao, all but taking the former territory of Song, and Wey will surely present Shanfu. The Qin army can be preserved, and you will control the situation; what request cannot be granted, what undertaking cannot be accomplished? I hope you will consider this carefully and not take risks.” The Marquis of Rang said, “Good.” Thereupon he lifted the siege of Daliang.

The following year, Wei betrayed Qin and formed a vertical alliance with Qi, becoming friendly. Qin sent the Marquis of Rang to attack Wei, beheading 40,000 men, driving off the Wei general Bao Yuan, and seizing three counties from Wei. The Marquis of Rang’s fief was increased.

The following year, the Marquess of Rang, together with Bai Qi and the guest-minister Hu Yang, again attacked Zhao, Han, and Wei. They defeated Mang Mao at the foot of Huayang, beheading one hundred thousand men, and seized the Wei cities of Juan, Caiyang, and Changshe, as well as the Zhao city of Guanjin. They then gave Guanjin to Zhao and increased Zhao's military strength, ordering it to attack Qi. King Xiang of Qi, terrified, sent Su Dai to secretly deliver a letter to the Marquess of Rang on Qi's behalf, saying: "I have heard from travelers that 'Qin is about to send forty thousand armored soldiers to Zhao to attack Qi.' I have privately said to our King of Qi, 'The King of Qin is wise and skilled in strategy; the Marquess of Rang is intelligent and well-versed in affairs. Surely they will not send forty thousand armored soldiers to Zhao to attack Qi.' Why is this? The three Jin states (Zhao, Han, and Wei) allied together are Qin's deep and bitter enemies. They have betrayed each other a hundred times and deceived each other a hundred times; this is not without faithlessness, nor without lack of virtue. Now, if you break Qi to fatten Zhao, Zhao is Qin's deep and mortal enemy—this is not beneficial to Qin. This is the first point. Qin's strategists will surely say, 'Break Qi, exhaust Jin and Chu, then subdue whichever of Jin and Chu emerges victorious.' But Qi is a weary state; attacking Qi with the lords of the world is like shooting a crossbow of a thousand jun at a festering sore—Qi is certain to die. How can this exhaust Jin and Chu? This is the second point. If Qin sends few troops, then Jin and Chu will not trust it; if it sends many troops, then Jin and Chu will be controlled by Qin. Qi, in fear, if it does not turn to Qin, will surely turn to Jin and Chu. This is the third point. Qin cuts off Qi's lands to lure Jin and Chu, while Jin and Chu control them with their armies, and Qin will instead suffer attack. This is the fourth point. Thus Jin and Chu use Qin to plot against Qi, and also use Qi to plot against Qin—why are Jin and Chu so clever, while Qin and Qi are so foolish? This is the fifth point. Therefore, if you can secure Anyi and treat it well, you will surely have no trouble. If Qin holds Anyi, then Han must lose Shangdang. To seize the critical points of the world—how does this compare with sending out troops but fearing you may not return? I therefore say the King of Qin is wise and skilled in strategy; the Marquess of Rang is intelligent and well-versed in affairs; surely they will not send forty thousand armored soldiers to Zhao to attack Qi." Thus the Marquess of Rang did not send out troops and led his army back.

In the thirty-sixth year of King Zhao, the prime minister, the Marquess of Rang, proposed employing the guest-minister Zao to attack Qi and seize the cities of Gang and Shou, in order to expand his fief of Tao. At this time, a man from Wei, Fan Ju, calling himself Master Zhang Lu, criticized the Marquess of Rang for attacking Qi by crossing the three Jin states, and took this opportunity to present a treacherous scheme to King Zhao of Qin. King Zhao of Qin then employed Fan Ju. Fan Ju said that the Queen Dowager Xuan was autocratic, that the Marquess of Rang monopolized power among the lords, and that the Lords of Jingyang and Gaoling were excessively extravagant, richer than the royal house. King Zhao of Qin then awakened, removed the Marquess of Rang from his position as prime minister, and ordered the Lord of Jingyang and the others to all leave Hangu Pass and return to their fiefs. When the Marquess of Rang left the pass, his baggage carts numbered over a thousand.

The Marquess of Rang died at Tao and was buried there. Qin then took back Tao and made it a commandery.

The Grand Historian says: The Marquess of Rang was the maternal uncle of King Zhao of Qin. That Qin could expand its territory eastward, weaken the lords, once claim the title of emperor over all under heaven, and cause the lords of the world to bow westward—this was the merit of the Marquess of Rang. When he reached the pinnacle of honor and the fullness of wealth, a single man's words enlightened the king, causing him to lose his position, have his power seized, and die in melancholy—how much more so for those ministers who dwell in a foreign state?

The Marquess of Rang was wise and discerning, adapting without fixed methods. Inwardly, he relied on the Queen Dowager; outwardly, he assisted King Zhao. Four times he ascended to the position of prime minister; twice he was enfeoffed with lands. He crushed Qi, thwarted Chu, broke Wei, and besieged Daliang. A single man's words enlightened the king, and he died in worry and resentment.