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Secondary sourceBookcompiled, Han dynasty, from Warring States materials

Zhan Guo Ce

Su Qin · compiled, Han dynasty, from Warring States materials

A collection of Warring States anecdotes that gives an alternative, earlier account of Han Fei's death, in which he slanders a Qin envoy before being executed.

Contains an alternative account of Han Fei's downfall and execution, useful for comparing ancient sources.

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First page of an old printed Chinese edition of Zhan Guo Ce, woodblock-style vertical columns of black characters on yellowed paper, with the title 戰國策卷第一 at the top right, commentary names 鮑彪 and 吳師道 in larger characters, and red seal stamps in the lower right corner.
Zhan Guo Ce (Strategies of the Warring States), compiled by Liu Xiang from materials associated with Su Qin.

About this source

What it is

The Zhan Guo Ce, or Strategies of the Warring States, is an ancient Chinese text of anecdotes about political manipulation and warfare during the Warring States period. It was compiled by the Han dynasty scholar Liu Xiang from earlier materials associated with Su Qin and the School of Diplomacy.

Why it matters

Alongside Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian, this text offers a different early version of how Han Fei died: here he is said to have slandered the Qin envoy Yao Jia and then been executed, rather than poisoned as in the more famous account. Comparing the two versions shows students how ancient sources can disagree even about the end of a famous thinker's life.

Look closer

  • Why might two ancient texts tell different stories about the same death?
  • What does the existence of competing stories suggest about how reliable ancient accounts can be?
  • Who might have had reasons to tell the story one way rather than another?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Han Fei on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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A photo of an open old Chinese bound book in a museum display case, with printed columns of classical text on the left page and handwritten calligraphy on the right page. Below is a placard with Chinese text titled Han Feizi.Book

Secondary source

Han Feizi

Han Fei · c. 3rd century BCE

Book

Secondary source

Guanzi

Traditionally attributed to Guan Zhong; several anonymous authors · Compiled in the early Han dynasty; the received text was edited by Liu Xiang c. 26 BCE

Page from a printed Chinese book with vertical columns of black characters on aged paper. The heading at top right reads 史記序, meaning Preface to the Records. Some characters are damaged or faded, and the page is framed by a thin border.Book

Secondary source

Records of the Grand Historian

Sima Qian · c. 90 BC

Two facing pages of a Chinese woodblock-printed book in vertical columns of classical characters on aged yellowed paper, with red marks and a red seal. The right page is headed with the title 韓非子評林 and volume 卷之八 終, and the left page has the heading 韓非子卷第九 with commentary in smaller double columns.Book

Secondary source

Han Feizi, Ming dynasty woodblock edition, volume 9

Han Fei (text); printed in the Ming dynasty · Ming dynasty, between 1465 and 1620

An open old Chinese woodblock-printed book in a museum display case, with vertical columns of black characters on yellowed paper. A Chinese caption card below reads 呂氏春秋 (Lüshi Chunqiu).Book

Secondary source

Lüshi Chunqiu

Lü Buwei (compiler) · c. 239 BCE

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