奚谓贪愎？昔者智伯瑶率赵、韩、魏而伐范、中行，灭之。反归，休兵数年。因令人请地于韩。What is meant by being greedy and headstrong? In the past, Zhi Bo Yao led the states of Zhao, Han, and Wei to attack Fan and Zhonghang and exterminated them. After returning, they rested their troops for several years. Then he sent someone to ask Han for land.韩康子欲勿与，段规谏曰：Han Kangzi was reluctant to give it. Duan Gui remonstrated, saying:“不可不与也。夫知伯之为人也，好利而骜愎。彼来请地而弗与，则移兵于韩必矣。君其与之。"You can't not give it. Zhi Bo is a man who is fond of gain and arrogant and headstrong. If he comes to ask for land and you don't give it, he will surely shift his troops to attack Han. Your Majesty should give it to him. 与之彼狃，又将请地他国。他国且有不听，不听，则知伯必加之兵。如是，韩可以免于患而待其事之变。”If you give it to him, he will become complacent and then ask for land from other states. There will surely be states that won't listen. If they don't listen, Zhi Bo will surely send troops against them. In this way, Han can avoid trouble and wait for the situation to change."康子曰：“诺。”因令使者致万家之县一于知铁。Han Kangzi said, "All right." So he ordered an envoy to present a county of ten thousand households to Zhi Bo.知伯说，又令人请地于魏。宣子欲勿与，赵葭谏曰：Zhi Bo was pleased and then sent someone to ask Wei for land. Wei Xuanzi was reluctant to give it. Zhao Jia remonstrated, saying:“彼请地于韩，韩与之。今请地于魏，魏弗与，则是魏内自强，而外怒知伯也。如弗予，其措兵于魏必矣。不如予之。”"He asked Han for land, and Han gave it. Now he asks Wei for land. If Wei doesn't give it, it means that Wei is strengthening itself internally and angering Zhi Bo externally. If you don't give it, he will surely send troops against Wei. It's better to give it to him."宣子曰：“诺。”因令人致万家之县一于知伯。Wei Xuanzi said, "All right." So he sent someone to present a county of ten thousand households to Zhi Bo.知伯又令人之赵请蔡，皋狼之地，赵襄子弗与。知伯因阴约韩、魏将以伐赵。Zhi Bo then sent someone to Zhao to ask for the lands of Cai and Gaolang. Zhao Xiangzi refused to give them. Zhi Bo then secretly made an agreement with Han and Wei to attack Zhao.襄子召张孟谈而告之曰：“夫知伯之为人也，阳亲而阴疏。三使韩、魏而寡人不与焉，其措兵于寡人必矣。今吾安居而可？”Zhao Xiangzi summoned Zhang Mengtan and told him, "Zhi Bo is a man who is friendly on the surface but distant in reality. He has sent envoys to Han and Wei three times, but I was not included. He will surely send troops against me. Where should I settle now?"张孟谈曰：“夫董阏于，简主之才臣也，其治晋阳，而尹铎循之，其余教犹存，君其定居晋阳而已矣。”Zhang Mengtan said, "Dong Eyu was a talented minister of Lord Jian. He governed Jinyang, and Yin Duo followed in his footsteps. The remaining teachings are still there. Your Majesty should just settle in Jinyang."君是曰：“诺。”乃召延陵生，令将车骑先至晋阳，君因从之。The lord said, "All right." So he summoned Yanling Sheng and ordered him to lead the chariots and cavalry to Jinyang first, and then the lord followed.君至，而行其城郭及五官之藏。城郭不治，仓无积粟，府无储钱，库无甲兵，邑无守具。When the lord arrived, he inspected the city walls and the storage of the five departments. The city walls were in disrepair, the granaries had no stored grain, the treasury had no stored money, the armory had no armor and weapons, and the city had no defensive equipment.襄子惧，乃召张孟谈曰：“寡人行城郭及五官之藏，皆不备具，吾将何以应敌。”Zhao Xiangzi was frightened and summoned Zhang Mengtan, saying, "I inspected the city walls and the storage of the five departments. They are all not well - prepared. How can I deal with the enemy?"张孟谈曰：“臣闻圣人之治，藏于民，不藏于府库，务修其教，不治城郭。Zhang Mengtan said, "I have heard that when a sage governs, he stores resources among the people, not in the treasury. He focuses on cultivating the teachings, not on building the city walls.君其出令，令民自遗三年之食，有馀粟者入之仓； Your Majesty should issue an order, telling the people to set aside three years' worth of food. Those who have surplus grain should bring it to the granary. 遗三年之用，有馀钱者入之府；遗有奇人者使治城郭之缮。”Those who have surplus money after setting aside three years' worth of expenses should bring it to the treasury. And those who have extra labor should be sent to repair the city walls."君夕出令，明日，仓不容粟，府无积钱。库不受甲兵。居五日而城郭已治，守备已具。The lord issued the order in the evening. The next day, the granary couldn't hold all the grain, the treasury was filled with money, and the armory was full of armor and weapons. After five days, the city walls were repaired and the defenses were ready.君召张孟谈而问之曰：“吾城郭已治，守备已具。钱粟已足，甲兵有馀。吾奈无箭何？”The lord summoned Zhang Mengtan and asked, "My city walls are repaired, the defenses are ready, the money and grain are sufficient, and there are surplus armor and weapons. But what should I do about the lack of arrows?"张孟谈曰：“臣闻董子之治晋阳也，公宫之垣皆以荻蒿楛楚墙之，其楛高至于丈，君发而用之。”Zhang Mengtan said, "I have heard that when Dong Eyu governed Jinyang, the walls of the ducal palace were all built with reeds, artemisia, and tough plants. The tough plants were as high as one zhang. Your Majesty can take them out and use them."于是发而试之，其坚则虽簵之劲弗能过也。君曰：“箭已足矣，奈无金何？”So they took them out and tested them. Their hardness was even greater than that of the strong bamboo for making arrows. The lord said, "The arrows are sufficient now. But what about the lack of metal?"张孟谈曰：“臣闻董子之治晋阳也，公宫令舍之堂，皆以炼铜为柱质。君发而用之。”于是发而用之，有余金矣。Zhang Mengtan said, "I have heard that when Dong Eyu governed Jinyang, the halls of the ducal palace and the official residences were all built with refined copper as the column bases. Your Majesty can take them out and use them." So they took them out and used them, and there was more than enough metal.号令已定，守备已具。三国之兵果至。至则乘晋阳之城，遂战。三月弗能拔。The orders were set, and the defenses were ready. The troops of the three states really arrived. When they arrived, they tried to scale the walls of Jinyang and started the battle. They couldn't capture the city in three months.因舒军而围之，决晋阳之水以灌之。围晋阳三年。城中巢居而处，悬釜而炊，财食将尽，士大夫羸病。So they spread out their troops to surround it and diverted the water of Jinyang to flood it. They besieged Jinyang for three years. In the city, people lived in nests, cooked with pots hanging, and their property and food were almost used up. The scholars and officials were weak and ill.襄子谓张孟谈曰：“粮食匮，财力尽，士大夫羸病，吾恐不能守矣！欲以城下，何国之可下？”Zhao Xiangzi said to Zhang Mengtan, "The food is scarce, the financial resources are exhausted, and the scholars and officials are weak and ill. I'm afraid I can't hold on any longer. I want to surrender. To which state should I surrender?"张孟谈曰：“臣闻之：'亡弗能存，危弗能安，则无为贵智矣。'君释此计者。臣请试潜行而出，见韩、魏之君。”Zhang Mengtan said, "I have heard that if one can't save the dying or secure the endangered, then wisdom is of no value. Your Majesty should abandon this idea. I ask to try to sneak out and meet the lords of Han and Wei."张孟谈见韩、魏之君曰：“臣闻：'亡齿寒。'今知伯率二君而伐赵，赵将亡矣。赵亡，则二君为之次。”Zhang Mengtan met the lords of Han and Wei and said, "I have heard that when the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. Now Zhi Bo leads the two of you to attack Zhao, and Zhao is about to perish. Once Zhao perishes, the two of you will be next."二君曰：“我知其然也。虽然，知伯之为人也中，粗而少亲。我谋而觉，则其祸必至矣。为之奈何？”The two lords said, "We know it's like this. However, Zhi Bo is a man who is rough-tempered and lacks affection. If our plan is discovered, the disaster will surely come. What should we do?"张孟谈曰：“谋出二君之口而入臣之耳，人莫之知也。“Zhang Mengtan said, "The plan comes out of the mouths of the two of you and enters only my ears. No one else knows."二君因与张孟谈约三军之反，与之期日。夜遣孟谈入晋阳，以报二君之反。The two lords then made an agreement with Zhang Mengtan about the defection of the three - state troops and set a date. At night, they sent Zhang Mengtan into Jinyang to report the defection of the two lords.襄子迎孟谈而再拜之，且恐且喜。二君以约遣张孟谈，因朝知伯而出，遇智过于辕门之外。Zhao Xiangzi welcomed Zhang Mengtan and bowed to him twice. He was both scared and happy. The two lords sent Zhang Mengtan back after making the agreement. They then went to see Zhi Bo and left. They met Zhi Guo outside the camp gate.智过怪其色，因入见知伯曰：“二君貌将有变。”君曰：“何如？”Zhi Guo was surprised by their expressions and went in to see Zhi Bo, saying, "The looks of the two lords seem to have changed." Zhi Bo asked, "How so?"曰：“其行矜而意高，非他时节也，君不如先之。”Zhi Guo said, "Their steps are proud and their expressions are haughty, which is not like their usual manner. Your Majesty should act first."君曰：“吾与二主约谨矣，破赵而三分其地，寡人所以亲之，必不侵欺。Zhi Bo said, "I have made a solemn agreement with the two lords. After defeating Zhao, we will divide its land. That's why I am close to them. They will surely not deceive me. 兵之著于晋阳三年，今旦暮将拔之而飨其利，何乃将有他心？必不然。子释勿忧，勿出于口。”Our troops have been besieging Jinyang for three years. Now we are about to capture it and enjoy the benefits. How could they have other thoughts? It's surely not the case. You can put aside your worries and don't mention it."明旦，二主又朝而出，复见智过于辕门。The next morning, the two lords came to pay their respects again and left. Zhi Guo saw them again at the camp gate.智过入见曰：“君以臣之言告二主乎？“君曰：“何以知之？”Zhi Guo went in and said, "Did Your Majesty tell the two lords what I said?" Zhi Bo asked, "How do you know?"曰：“今日二主朝而出，见臣而其色动，而视属臣。此必有变，君不如杀之。”Zhi Guo said, "Today, when the two lords came to pay their respects and left, when they saw me, their expressions changed and they kept looking at me. There must be something wrong. Your Majesty should kill them."君曰：“子置勿复言。”Zhi Bo said, "You can stop talking about it."智过曰：“不可，必杀之。若不能杀，遂亲之。”君曰：“亲之奈何？”Zhi Guo said, "No, you must kill them. If you can't kill them, then get closer to them." Zhi Bo asked, "How can I get closer to them?"智过曰：“魏宣子谋臣曰赵葭，韩康子之谋臣曰段规，此皆能移其君之计。Zhi Guo said, "Wei Xuanzi's advisor is Zhao Jia, and Han Kangzi's advisor is Duan Gui. These two can change their lords' plans. 君与其二君约：破赵国，因封二子者各万家之县一。如是，则二主之心可以无变矣。”Your Majesty can make an agreement with the two lords: after defeating Zhao, each of these two men will be granted a county of ten thousand households. In this way, the hearts of the two lords will not change."知伯曰：“破赵而三分其地，又封二子者各万家之县一，则吾所得者少。不可。”Zhi Bo said, "If I defeat Zhao and divide its land, and also grant each of these two men a county of ten thousand households, then what I get will be less. No way."智过见其言之不听也，出，因更其族为辅氏。至于期日之夜，赵氏杀其守堤之吏而决其水灌知伯军。When Zhi Guo saw that his words were not heeded, he left and changed his clan name to Fu. On the night of the appointed date, the Zhao army killed the officials guarding the dyke and diverted the water to flood Zhi Bo's army.知伯军救水而乱，韩、魏翼而击之，襄子将卒犯其前，大败知伯之军而擒知伯。Zhi Bo's army was in chaos trying to save themselves from the water. The troops of Han and Wei attacked from the sides, and Zhao Xiangzi led his soldiers to attack from the front. They severely defeated Zhi Bo's army and captured Zhi Bo.
知伯身死军破，国分为三，为天下笑。Zhi Bo died, his army was routed, and his state was divided into three, becoming a laughingstock in the world.
故曰：贪愎好利，则灭国杀身之本也。So it is said that being greedy, headstrong, and fond of gain is the root cause of the destruction of the state and the loss of one's life.
