Before parting with it he fasted for five days.
Lin Xiangru, thinking this was a subterfuge and that Zhao would never really get the cities, declared, “The jade of Bian He is a treasure known throughout the world, but for the fear of Qin the king of Zhao dared not withhold it. To save the jade, the king of Qin apologized and begged him to stop, then ordered the officer in charge to look up the map and point out the boundaries of the fifteen cities to be given to Zhao. If you use force against me, I will smash my head and the jade against this pillar.” With that, glancing at the pillar, he raised the jade and threatened to smash it. I can see you have no intention of giving Zhao those cities in return, so I have taken back the jade. You took the jade and passed it among your ladies to make a fool of me. Yet on my arrival you received me in a pleasure pavilion and treated me with contempt. Why? To show the respect and awe in which we hold your great country. Besides, how wrong it would be to offend mighty Qin for the sake of a piece of jade! So the king of Zhao, after fasting for five days, sent me with a letter and the jade to your court. It seemed to me, however, that if even fellows in homespun can trust each other, how much more can powerful states. We are not likely to receive the cities.’ They were against giving you the jade. When our sovereign summoned his ministers to discuss the matter, they said, ‘Qin is greedy and, relying on its strength, hopes to get our jade in return for empty promises. His hair bristling with fury, he said, “To get this jade, great king, you sent a letter to the king of Zhao. Let me show it to you, sir.” As soon as the king gave him the jade, Lin Xiangru retreated to stand with his back to a pillar. Seeing that the king had no intention of giving any cities to Zhao, Lin Xiangru stepped forward and said, “There is a blemish on the jade. The king, very pleased, had it shown to his ladies and attendants, and all his attendants cheered. The king of Qin sat in his pleasure pavilion to receive Lin Xiangru, who presented the jade to him. If no cities are given, I shall bring the jade back unscathed.” So the king of Zhao sent Lin Xiangru with the jade west to Qin. If the cities are given to Zhao, the jade will remain in Qin. Of these two courses, the better one is to agree and put Qin in the wrong.” “Who can be our envoy?” “If Your Majesty has no one else, I will gladly take the jade and go on this mission. “We cannot refuse.” “What if he takes my jade but will not give me the cities?” “If we refuse Qin’s offer of cities in exchange for the jade, that puts us in the wrong but if we give up the jade and get no cities, that puts Qin in the wrong. To my mind he is a brave, resourceful man, well fitted to be our envoy.” The king thereupon summoned Lin Xiangru and asked him, “Should I accept the king of Qin’s offer of fifteen cities in exchange for my jade?” “Qin is strong. Your only possible way out is to bare your shoulder and prostrate yourself before the axe and block for punishment.’ I took his advice and Your Majesty pardoned me. But if you now fly from Zhao to Yan, for fear of Zhao he will not dare to keep you and will have you sent back in chains. That is how I know, and why I mean to go there.’ Lin said, ‘Zhao is strong and Yan is weak, and because you stood well with our lord, the king of Yan desired your friendship.
He replied, “Once I did something wrong and secretly planned to escape to Yan, but my steward stopped me, asking, ‘How can you be sure of the king of Yan?’ I answered, ‘I met him at the frontier with our king, and he privately grasped my hand and offered me his friendship. Then Miao Xian, the chief eunuch, said, “My steward Lin Xiangru would make a good envoy.” “How do you know?” asked the king. They could neither hit on a plan nor find an envoy to take their answers to Qin. When King Zhao of Qin knew this he sent an envoy with a letter to the king of Zhao, offering fifteen cities in exchange for the jade, The king took counsel with General Lian Po and his chief ministers, who feared that if the jade were sent to Qin they might be cheated and get no cities in return, yet if they refused, the soldiers of Qin might attack. King Huiwen had come into possession of the jade of Bian He, a man of Chu. Lin Xiangru, a man of Zhao, was the steward of Miao Xian, the chief eunuch.
Then he was made a chief minister and was known for his prowess to all the states. In the sixteenth year of King Huiwen, he commanded the Zhao army against Qi and defeated its troops, taking the city of Jinyang. Inscription: Artist's inscription (206 columns in semi-cursive and cursive scripts) Lian Po was an able general of Zhao.
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