Records on The Warring States Period

Records on the Warring States Period -Library of Chinese Classics Chinese-English
Translated into English by Zhai Jiangyue, translated into Modern Chinese by Zhai Jiangyue

Published by Guangxi Normal University Press, 2008
Library binding book, dimensions 960 x 640, 1/16, 3 Volumes, 1523 pages
ISBN: 9787563368839

Zhan Guo Ce, Records on the Warring States Period, Strategies of the Warring States, Intrigues of the Warring States
The Zhan Guo Ce (literally "Strategies of the Warring States") is a renowned ancient Chinese historical work and compilation of sporadic materials on the Warring States Period compiled between 3rd century to 1st century BCE. It is an important literature in the research of Warring States Period as it accounts the strategies and political views of the School of Negotiation and reveals the historical and social characteristics of the period. It was thought to be composed by Su Qin (d. 284 BCE) and his fellows before obtained by Liu Xiang (79- 8 BCE), a Confucian scholar of the Western Han Dynasty.
The author of Zhan Guo Ce is unknown. The edition extant today was compiled by Liu Xiang. The six versions of written works from the School of Negotiation were discovered by Liu Xiang during his editing and proofreading of the imperial literary collection. Those works of political views and diplomatic strategies from the School of Negotiation were in poor condition, comprised of confusing contents and missing words. Liu Xiang proofread and edited them into the new book under the title Zhan Guo Ce; it was therefore not written by a single author at one time.
The Zhan Guo Ce is also the history of individual kingdoms, documenting the events of Western and Eastern Zhou dynasties and their subject kingdoms, including Qin, Qi, Chu, and Zhao. The contents is made up of mostly the proposals and activities of counselors. Records on the Warring States Period is accomplished in narration and uses many metaphors. The characterization in this book is very accomplished.
Significant contents of Zhan Guo Ce were lost in subsequent centuries. Zeng Gong of the Northern Song Dynasty reclaimed some lost chapters from private collectors, proofread and edited the modern version. It is compiled according to 12 states as The East Zhou, West Zhou, Qin, Chu, Qi, Zhao, Wei I, Han, Yan, Song, Wei II and Zhongshan in 33 books. With the Ce Shu of those states as its master copy, the facts collected are credible with high authenticity and documentary value.