by Pu Songling
Jing Ke: The assassin (d. 227 B.C.E.) who failed to kill the King of Qin. The King proceeded to unify China and found the Qin dynasty (221-206 B.C.E.). See Sima (167-78).
General Fan: General Fan Wuqi, a sworn enemy of the King of Qin, was persuaded by Jing Ke to allow his head to be used as part of an offering that would allow Jing to draw near enough to Qin to kill him. The attempt was botched by Jing (cf. Chen Kaige’s film, The Emperor and the Assassin, and Zhang Yimou’s film, Hero), nullifying Fan Wuqi’s sacrifice and rendering Jing contemptible as an assassin.
Yang Jiao’ai and Zuo Botao: Warring States period figures Yang and Zuo were friends who heard that the King of Chu was summoning talented men, so they went to seek their fortune; but harsh snowy conditions proved so taxing to their survival that Zuo gave his own clothing to Yang and hanged himself upon a tree, so Yang could have their food. Yang went on to serve the king, and was rewarded by being made a minister, though never forgetting his debt to Zuo (Zhu 2:843n16).
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