Overview
King Zhaoxiang of Qin was a ruler.
IdentityHistorical · Male
Life and dates
Attested activity
Family
- Kinship Role consorts · Quantity unspecified
Places and affiliations
- Polity Qin 秦 · Relation Ruled
- At Zhangtai 章臺 · Relation Held audience at
Works and attributed material
Events and relationships
Agreed to five day fast and lodged Xiangru
Apologized and indicated fifteen cities on map
Offered fifteen cities for He bi
Passed bi to consorts and attendants
Diplomatic · Ruler
Received Xiangru at Zhangtai
References in the histories
No matching passages.
Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 81Biographies of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru · 14 passages
秦昭王聞之，使人遺趙王書，願以十五城請易璧。
When King Zhaoxiang of Qin heard of it, he sent a messenger to the king of Zhao offering fifteen cities in exchange for the jade disc.
於是王召見，問藺相如曰：「秦王以十五城請易寡人之璧，可予不？」
The king summoned Lin Xiangru and asked, "The king of Qin is offering fifteen cities for my jade. Should I send it?"
秦王坐章臺見相如，相如奉璧奏秦王。
The king of Qin received Xiangru seated at Zhangtai, and Xiangru presented the jade disc to him.
秦王大喜，傳以示美人及左右，左右皆呼萬歲。
The king of Qin was delighted. He passed the jade among his consorts and attendants, and they all cried, "Long live!"
相如視秦王無意償趙城，乃前曰：「璧有瑕，請指示王。」
Seeing that the king of Qin had no intention of repaying Zhao with cities, Xiangru stepped forward and said: "There is a flaw in the bi; please let me show Your Majesty."
王授璧，相如因持璧卻立，倚柱，怒髪上沖冠，謂秦王曰：「大王欲得璧，使人發書至趙王，趙王悉召群臣議，皆曰『秦貪，負其彊，以空言求璧，償城恐不可得』。
The king handed the jade back. Xiangru took it, stepped backward until he stood against a pillar, his hair bristling with anger as if it would lift his cap, and said to the king of Qin, "Your Majesty wanted this jade and sent a letter to the king of Zhao. The king of Zhao gathered all his ministers to discuss it, and they said, 'Qin is greedy and trusts in its power. It wants the jade on empty promises; the cities will surely never be delivered.'
今臣至，大王見臣列觀，禮節甚倨；
Now that I have arrived, Your Majesty has received me in an outer gallery with very arrogant ritual;
臣觀大王無意償趙王城邑，故臣復取璧。
I saw that Your Majesty had no intention of compensating Zhao with cities, so I took the jade back.
大王必欲急臣，臣頭今與璧俱碎於柱矣！」
If Your Majesty must press me, my head will now be smashed together with the bi against this pillar!"
秦王恐其破璧，乃辭謝固請，召有司案圖，指從此以往十五都予趙。
The king of Qin, afraid he would shatter the jade, apologized and begged him to stop. He called for officials to spread out a map and pointed to fifteen cities that would be given to Zhao.
相如度秦王特以詐詳為予趙城，實不可得，乃謂秦王曰：「和氏璧，天下所共傳寶也，趙王恐，不敢不獻。
Xiangru judged that the King of Qin was only pretending to offer Zhao cities and that in truth they could not be obtained. He then said to the King of Qin: "The He Shi bi is a treasure transmitted throughout the world. The King of Zhao was afraid and had no choice but to present it.
趙王送璧時，齋戒五日，今大王亦宜齋戒五日，設九賓於廷，臣乃敢上璧。」
When the king of Zhao sent the jade, he fasted and purified himself for five days. Your Majesty should likewise fast for five days and arrange the full nine-guest ceremony in court; only then will I dare present the jade."
秦王度之，終不可彊奪，遂許齋五日，舍相如廣成傳。
The king of Qin considered the matter and realized he could not seize the jade by force. He agreed to fast for five days and lodged Xiangru at the Guangcheng guesthouse.
相如度秦王雖齋，決負約不償城，乃使其從者衣褐，懷其璧，從徑道亡，歸璧于趙。
Xiangru judged that even after fasting, the king of Qin would break the agreement and refuse to hand over the cities. He therefore had an attendant dress in coarse clothes, hide the jade, escape by a side road, and carry it back to Zhao.