The Decline of Yan and the Rise of a Strategist

For centuries, the state of Yan had prided itself on its noble heritage as a Zhou dynasty vassal and its historic role as a northern bulwark against nomadic incursions. Yet by the Warring States period, Yan had become a shadow of its former self—economically stagnant, militarily weak, and frequently humiliated by neighboring powers like Zhongshan. The capital city of Ji witnessed few celebrations until the day Su Qin, a brilliant strategist from the fading Zhou heartland, departed with unprecedented fanfare.

As crowds lined the streets cheering, the significance transcended mere ceremony. For Yan’s officials, this mission represented their first chance in generations to reclaim moral leadership by championing a “righteous alliance” against Qin aggression. The common people saw hope for deliverance from endless border wars. Su Qin himself, standing solemnly in his chariot, understood the deeper transformation—Yan’s ruling elite had finally abandoned petty raids to embrace grand strategy.

The Ceremony of Blood and Steel

At the ten-mile pavilion outside Ji, the farewell rituals revealed Yan’s desperate commitment. King Wen of Yan personally toasted Su Qin with grave instructions: “Success or failure, return swiftly.” But the most dramatic moment came when Queen Yan Ji, robed in green and white, poured wine for each of Su Qin’s hundred guards. After drinking, the warriors slit their palms, mingling blood with liquor as they swore: “We brave death for our country! We protect Lord Wuan!” The emotional display moved even the stoic Su Qin to hidden tears as his convoy crossed into Zhao territory.

Chaos in Zhao: A Palace Coup Changes Everything

Su Qin’s mission coincided with seismic shifts in Zhao politics. The powerful regent Fengyang Jun, who had dominated the court, fell victim to a meticulously planned coup by General Fei Yi—a brilliant commander exiled to the northern frontiers. Exploiting Zhao’s military divide between southern infantry (loyal to Fengyang) and northern cavalry (the kingdom’s elite force), Fei Yi allied with Crown Prince Zhao Yong to storm the capital.

The regent’s brutal end—after slaughtering his own family, he disemboweled himself while screaming accusations at King Su—left Zhao’s aristocracy stunned. King Su’s subsequent consolidation of power, stripping Fengyang’s faction of authority while promoting northern generals, created an opening for Su Qin’s diplomacy. When news arrived that the Yan envoy approached Handan, the skeptical king nearly refused audience until Prince Yong intervened.

The Debate at Falling Goose Terrace

The meeting at Zhao’s Falling Goose Terrace—a hilltop palace built to commemorate victories against the Xiongnu—became a masterclass in persuasive statecraft. Facing Zhao’s hardened ministers, Su Qin dismantled their illusions of security:

“Call yourselves impregnable? Zhao stands at the crossroads of four battlefronts—against Wei, Qin, Han, and Yan—while Xiongnu raids and Zhongshan’s provocations bleed you dry. Like a blind man riding a lame horse toward a cliff at midnight, your stubborn belligerence invites catastrophe!”

His analysis of Qin’s systematic expansion—seizing lands from Chu, Wei, Han, and Zhao itself—forced recognition of the existential threat. Most compelling was his proposed solution:

“Through vertical alliance (合纵), the six eastern states can create an unbreakable chain. Let Zhao be the central link, and Qin’s advance halts at your borders.”

The Birth of an Alliance

After intense debate, King Su endorsed the strategy, appointing Su Qin as Zhao’s chief minister and lead envoy. The inclusion of 15-year-old Prince Zhao Sheng—already a prodigy in statecraft and charioteering—as deputy envoy signaled Zhao’s commitment. Their departure from Handan became a spectacle: twin banners proclaiming Su Qin’s dual titles, elite cavalry from Zhao Yong’s northern armies, and supply wagons laden with gifts for future allies.

As the cavalcade marched south toward Wei and Han, its very splendor served as propaganda. By the time they reached the Yellow River basin, rumors of the coalition had spread like wildfire—proof that Su Qin’s blend of geopolitical insight and theatrical diplomacy had already begun reshaping the Warring States balance of power.

Legacy: The Illusion and Reality of Unity

Though the Six-Nation Alliance ultimately fractured under Qin’s divide-and-conquer tactics, Su Qin’s achievement revealed profound truths. For Yan, it proved that even weakened states could leverage diplomatic ingenuity over brute force. For Zhao, the episode highlighted both the potential of collective security and the dangers of military politicization—a lesson that would haunt them during the Qin conquests.

Most enduring was the model of statecraft displayed: the fusion of cultural pageantry (like the blood oath ceremony) with cold-eyed strategic analysis. Centuries later, Chinese diplomats would still study how Su Qin turned a ceremonial procession into a geopolitical earthquake—one that temporarily checked Qin’s rise and redefined the possibilities of multi-state cooperation.