Ancient China · Qin Diplomat and Strategist

Zhang Yi 張儀

Attested BC 329 - BC 309

Passages: 25
Chapters: 6
Histories: 3

Overview

Zhang Yi was a Qin Diplomat and Strategist.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 329 to BC 309 BC 329-309
Strongly inferred · Book of Later Han 32, passage 120
BC 310 太子武王立
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passages 8, 54
BC 316 to BC 311 始張儀西并巴蜀之地
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passages 71, 173
BC 328 宣惠王五年
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 45, passage 74
BC 328 to BC 311 惠王
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 84, passage 29
BC 312 秦惠王二十五年明年
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 51

Show 1 more source-backed claim

BC 329 to BC 309 蘇、張、范、蔡之時
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 117, passage 225

Key source chapters

Career and standing

chancellor of Qin 相秦
Held · From Source Date: Text: 宣惠王五年 · Western Year: BC 328
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 45, passage 74
Entered
BC 310 太子武王立 · Banished
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 8
banishment 逐
BC 310 太子武王立 · Suffered · Authority King Wu of Qin (秦武王)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 8

Places and affiliations

Qin
Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 45, passage 74; Records of the Grand Historian 84, passage 29
Polity Qin 秦 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passages 8, 51, 71, 173
Polity Wei 魏 · Relation Went to
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 54
BC 310 太子武王立
At Wei 魏 · Relation Went to
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 54

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With King Huai (懷王)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 84, passages 29, 31, 41
Speech · Speaker · With King of Qin (秦王) · Mode named-source-report Speaker Gongsun Mei (公孫昧)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 45, passages 133-134

Events and relationships

Banished
BC 310 太子武王立 · Political · Banished official · With Wei Zhang (魏章)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 8
Deceived
Diplomatic · Envoy · With King Huai (懷王) · At Chu 楚
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 84, passages 29-31
Expanded Qin
BC 316 to BC 311 始張儀西并巴蜀之地 · Military · Commander · At Bashu, west of the Yellow River, Shangyong 巴蜀、西河之外、上庸 · Mode quotation Speaker Gan Mao (甘茂)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 71
Flourished in warring states horizontal alliance age
Political · Persuader
Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 225
Released
Diplomatic · Prisoner · With King Huai (懷王)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 84, passages 42-43
Went east
BC 310 太子武王立 · Travel · Departing official · At Wei 魏 · With Wei Zhang (魏章)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 54

Show 2 more source-backed claims

Relation Rival of · Person Qu Yuan (屈平)
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 84, passage 44
Relation Intermediary for audience · Person Gan Mao (甘茂)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 51

Assessments and attributes

Assessment eloquent · Mode quotation Speaker Fan Quan (范蜎)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 173
Assessment the world credited the former king rather than Master Zhang · Mode quotation Speaker Gan Mao (甘茂)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 71, passage 71

References in the histories

Search passages

History

25 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 76Volume 65: Dongfang Shuo · 3 passages

客難東方朔曰：「蘇秦、張儀一當萬乘之主，而都卿相之位，澤及後世。 The guest reproached Dongfang Shuo: "Su Qin and Zhang Yi each won an audience with a great king and walked away as chief minister; their good fortune lasted for generations.

夫蘇秦、張儀之時，周室大壞，諸侯不朝，力政爭權，相禽以兵，並為十二國，未有雌雄，得士者強，失士者亡，故談說行焉。 In Su Qin and Zhang Yi's day the house of Zhou was crumbling, the lords ignored the king, might made right, and rival armies carved the realm into a dozen warring states with no clear winner. Strength went to whoever won the talent; ruin to whoever lost it. Of course wandering persuaders flourished.

使蘇秦、張儀與僕並生於今之世，曾不得掌故，安敢望常侍郎乎？ If Su Qin and Zhang Yi were reborn today, they would be lucky to land a clerk's job, let alone a regular attendant-in-waiting like me.

Book of Han, Chapter 117Volume 100a: Afterword and Family History 1 · 1 passage

或譏以無功，又感東方朔、揚雄自諭以不遭蘇、張、范、蔡之時，曾不折之以正道，明君子之所守，故聊復應焉。 Critics mocked his want of deeds; remembering how Dongfang Shuo and Yang Xiong excused their obscurity by the absence of Su or Zhang, yet never rebuked opportunism with the true Way, he felt compelled to answer.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 32Volume 28b: Biography of Feng Yan · 1 passage

流蘇秦於洹水兮，幽張儀於鬼谷。 I would cast Su Qin into the Huan and shut Zhang Yi away in Ghost Valley.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 45House of Han · 6 passages

宣惠王五年，張儀相秦。 In the fifth year of King Xuan Hui, Zhang Yi became chancellor of Qin.

今秦之欲伐楚久矣，王不如因張儀為和於秦，賂以一名都，具甲，與之南伐楚，此以一易二之計也。」 Qin has long wished to attack Chu. Your Majesty would do better to make peace with Qin through Zhang Yi, offer them one great city, prepare our armor, and join them in a southern campaign against Chu. This is the strategy of trading one to gain two."

對曰：「秦王必祖張儀之故智。 Gongsun Mei replied, "The King of Qin will surely follow the old stratagem of Zhang Yi.

楚威王攻梁也，張儀謂秦王曰：『與楚攻魏，魏折而入於楚，韓固其與國也，是秦孤也。 When King Wei of Chu attacked Liang, Zhang Yi told the King of Qin, 'If Qin joins Chu in attacking Wei, Wei will break and submit to Chu; Han is already Wei's ally, so Qin will be left isolated.

曰：「公必先韓而後秦，先身而後張儀。 Gongsun Mei said, "You must put Han first and Qin second, your own interests before those of Zhang Yi.

公之所惡者張儀也，其實猶不無秦也。」 What you truly oppose is Zhang Yi, not Qin itself. Even so, you need not cut ties with Qin entirely."

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 71Biographies of Shu Lizi and Gan Mao · 5 passages

秦惠王卒，太子武王立，逐張儀、魏章，而以樗里子、甘茂為左右丞相。 When King Hui of Qin died, Crown Prince Wu ascended the throne as King Wu. He banished Zhang Yi and Wei Zhang, and appointed Shu Lizi and Gan Mao as left and right prime ministers.

因張儀、樗里子而求見秦惠王。 Through Zhang Yi and Shu Lizi, he petitioned for an audience with King Hui of Qin.

張儀、魏章去，東之魏。 Zhang Yi and Wei Zhang departed and went east to Wei.

始張儀西并巴蜀之地，北開西河之外，南取上庸，天下不以多張子而以賢先王。 At first Zhang Yi merged the lands of Bashu to the west, opened the territories north of the Yellow River, and seized Shangyong to the south. The world did not credit Master Zhang with the abundance of these gains but regarded the former king as worthy.

故惠王之明，武王之察，張儀之辯，而甘茂事之，取十官而無罪。 Thus, though King Hui was discerning, King Wu perceptive, and Zhang Yi eloquent, Gan Mao served them all, holding ten offices without incurring blame.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 84Biographies of Qu Yuan and Master Jia · 9 passages

屈平既絀，其後秦欲伐齊，齊與楚從親，惠王患之，乃令張儀詳去秦，厚幣委質事楚，曰：「秦甚憎齊，齊與楚從親，楚誠能絕齊，秦願獻商、於之地六百里。」 After Qu Ping had been dismissed, Qin wished to attack Qi. Since Qi and Chu had formed a close alliance, King Hui of Qin grew alarmed. He dispatched Zhang Yi, who feigned departure from Qin's service and arrived in Chu bearing lavish gifts, pledging himself as a vassal. Zhang Yi told the king of Chu: 'Qin despises Qi, and Qi has allied itself closely with Chu. If Chu would truly sever its ties with Qi, Qin is willing to cede six hundred li of the Shang and Yu territories.'

楚懷王貪而信張儀，遂絕齊，使使如秦受地。 King Huai of Chu, blinded by greed, believed Zhang Yi. He severed relations with Qi and sent an envoy to Qin to claim the promised territory.

張儀詐之曰：「儀與王約六里，不聞六百里。」 Zhang Yi deceived them, saying: 'I agreed with the king on six li. I never heard anything about six hundred.'

楚王曰：「不願得地，願得張儀而甘心焉。」 The king of Chu declared: 'I do not want the land. I want Zhang Yi — only then will my heart be satisfied.'

張儀聞，乃曰：「以一儀而當漢中地，臣請往如楚。」 When Zhang Yi heard this, he said: 'If one Zhang Yi is worth the Hanzhong territory, then let me go to Chu.'

懷王竟聽鄭袖，復釋去張儀。 In the end, King Huai heeded Zheng Xiu and released Zhang Yi once again.

是時屈平既疏，不復在位，使於齊，顧反，諫懷王曰：「何不殺張儀？」 At that time, Qu Ping had already been estranged and was no longer in office. He had been sent on a mission to Qi, and upon his return, he remonstrated with King Huai: 'Why not execute Zhang Yi?'

懷王悔，追張儀不及。 King Huai was filled with regret and sent men to pursue Zhang Yi, but they could not catch him.

懷王以不知忠臣之分，故內惑於鄭袖，外欺於張儀，疏屈平而信上官大夫、令尹子蘭。 Because King Huai could not distinguish a loyal minister from a false one, he was beguiled within by Zheng Xiu and deceived without by Zhang Yi. He cast aside Qu Ping and placed his trust in Grand Master Shangguan and the Prime Minister Zi Lan.