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2025-04-08Su Zi (《苏子》), the text attributed to Warring States strategist Su Qin:
What it is:
Su Zi is an ancient Chinese text linked to Su Qin (苏秦, 4th century BCE), a famous diplomat and master of Vertical Alliance (合纵) tactics. Think of it as a playbook for persuasion and survival in the cutthroat Warring States era.
Key Themes:
- Diplomatic Strategies: How to rally weaker states against a superpower (like Qin).
- Rhetoric Skills: Su Qin’s legendary persuasion techniques—imagine a salesman winning over kings!
- Political Survival: Navigating betrayal and shifting alliances.
Fun Fact:
The book might be a mix of Su Qin’s ideas and later writings attributed to him (ancient “ghostwriting”). Some parts survive in texts like Stratagems of the Warring States (《战国策》).
Why it matters:
It’s a snapshot of pre-Qin political hustle—charisma, strategy, and realpolitik rolled into one.
But I think Su Qin was influenced by the great scholar Zi Gong (Duanmusi) who lobbied the five states (the stronger the Jin was, the more the Lu disorganized, the Qi destroyed, the Wu survived).