完璧归赵Return the Jade Intact to Zhao

Return the Jade Intact to Zhao（成语 完璧归赵 英文)


When King Huiwen was ruling the State of Zhao, he was fortunate enough to acquire a piece of jade discovered by Bian He of the State of Chu. Hearing this, King Zhao of the State of Qin set a letter to the King of Zhao, offering fifteen cities in exchange for the treasure.The King immediately sought counsel with General Lian Po and his ministers, confessing that he was worried he might thus lose the jade for nothing if the ruler of Qin broke his word and refused to give hime the cities, and on the other hand, if he did not let go the jade, Qin might come to attack Zhao. Much discussion went on, but the matter was not settled. Pending the solution of this problem, King Huiwen looked for a person who could give Qin a satisfactory reply, yet he was not able to find the right man...

The King, then, summoned Lin Xiangru to his presence and brought out the question.

"Shall I give the King of Qin my jade in exchange for his fifteen cities?" asked the prince.

"Since Qin is more powerful than Zhao, it seems you have to comply with the request,"answered Xiangru.

"Suppose he takes my stone without giving me the cities, what is to be done?"

"If Qin offers the cities in exchange for the stone and Zhao refuses, Zhao will be in the wrong. If Zhao gives the jade and Qin does not give the cities, Qin will be in the wrong.Weighing these two situation, I prefer to give consent to Qin's request so that Qin will be put in a position susceptible of going wrong."

"Then, who is eligible for this mission?"

"I know Your Highness can't find the right person. I am willing to be the messenger and escort the jade on Qin. If Zhao gets the promised cities, then I will leave the jade in Qin; otherwise,upon my word, I will bring it back intact."

So,the King of Zhao despatched Xiangru westward to Qin with the jade. On arrival, Xiangru was received by the King of Qin in Changtai Palace. Xiangru offered the jade to the ruler of Qin who was greatly pleased. He showed it round among his palace maids and attendants. The courtiers hailed and applauded.

Seeing that the King of Qin had no intention of giving the promised cities to Zhao, Xiangru stepped forward and said,"The jade has flaws. PLease let me show it to Your Highness." The King of Qin handed the jade over to Xiangru who with the stone in hand retreated a few steps to lean on a column and in great fury addressed the King,"When Your Highness wrote to the King of Zhao expressing your wish to possess the jade our prince immediately called in all his ministers to seek their opinion. The ministers said,'Qin is a greedy state and on the strength of its power and might only wants to get the jade for nothing. We are afraid that we may not be able to get the cities promised by Qin.' So it was their concensus that we should not give you the jade. But, to my mind, not even commoners will ever resort to cheating when making friends, let alone a powerful state. Moreover, it is not worthwhile for Zhao to offend the powerful Qin's friendly feelings merely because of a piece of jade. Having listened to my advice the King of Zhao fasted for five days before he asked me to bring the jade here, and when he sent me off, he even went through a ceremony in the courtyard for the solemn act of giving me the credentials. Just think, why should the King of Zhao do all that? It only shows his double respect for the prestige of a powerful state like yours. Well, now I am here and you receive me in an ordinary palace like this without any protocol, which cannot but be a sign of your arrogance. What is more, you have just passed the jade around among the maids to make me look ridiculous. Since I see that Your Highness has no intention of compensating Zhao with the cities which you definitely promised, I claim the jade back. If Your Highness chooses to put pressure on me to submit it , I will immediately knock both the stone and my head against this column, and break both."

Saying this, Xiangru help up the jade and directed his eyes toward the column,ready to act. Afraud that he was going to smash the jade, the King of Qin made an apology and entreated Xiangru not to do so. Then, he summoned the official concerned to read the map of Qin to Xiangru and mark off fifteen cities to be given over to Zhao.

Being a cautious man, Xiangru had a notion that the King of Qin was only playing a trick, pretending to make Zhao a gift of the cities, but not intending that Zhao should actually obtain them. So he said to the King of Qin seriously,"Heshi Jade is known by all to be a treasure. That Zhao has offered it to Qin is out of fear. Since our King when he sent the jade to you fasted for five days, it is only proper that Your Highness should do likewise and, later, perform a solemn ceremony of reception in the main palace. Only then dare I offer the jade to you." Realizing that after all he could rob it from Xiangru by force, the King of Qin promised to fast and ordered Xiangru to be lodged in the Guangheng Palace Guest House.

Considering again that the King of Qin, although he had promised to fast and might actually do so, was any minute ready to go back on his words and refuse to give the cities, Xiangru asked his attendant to disguise himself as a commoner by putting on a coarse hemp coat and to return to Zhao with the jade by a short-cut.


完璧归赵(chinese idioms)

赵惠文王的时候，得到了楚国的和氏璧。秦昭王听说了这件事，就派人给赵王一封书信，表示愿意用十五座城交换这块宝玉。赵王同大将军廉颇及大臣们商量：要是把宝玉给了秦国，秦国的城邑恐怕不可能得到，白白地受骗；要是不给呢，就怕秦军马上来攻打。怎么解决没有确定，想找一个能派到秦国去回复的使者，没能找到。...

于是赵王立即召见，问蔺相如说：“秦王用十五座城请求交换我的和氏璧，能不能给他？”相如说：“秦国强，赵国弱，不能不答应它。”赵王说：“得了我的宝璧，不给我城邑，怎么办？”相如说：“秦国请求用城换璧，赵国如不答应，赵国理亏；赵国给了璧而秦国不给赵国城邑，秦国理亏。两种对策衡量一下，宁可答应它，让秦国来承担理亏的责任。”赵王说：“谁可以派为使臣？”相如说：“大王如果确实无人可派，臣愿捧护宝璧前往出使。城邑归属赵国了，就把宝璧留给秦国；城邑不能归赵国，我一定把和氏璧完好地带回赵国。”赵王于是就派遣蔺相如带好和氏璧，西行入秦。

秦王坐在章台上接见蔺相如，相如捧璧献给秦王。秦王大喜，把宝璧给妻妾和左右侍从传看，左右都高呼万岁。相如看出秦王没有用城邑给赵国抵偿的意思，便走上前去说：“璧上有个小红斑，让我指给大王看。”秦王把璧交给他，相如于是手持璧玉退后几步站定，身体靠在柱子上，怒发冲冠，对秦王说：“大王想得到宝璧，派人送信给赵王，赵王召集全体大臣商议，大家都说：‘秦国贪得无厌，倚仗它的强大，想用空话得到宝璧，给我们的城邑恐怕是不能得到的。’商议的结果不想把宝璧给秦国。我认为平民百姓的交往尚且不互相欺骗，何况是大国呢！况且为了一块璧玉的缘故就使强大的秦国不高兴，也是不应该的。于是赵王斋戒了五天，派我捧着宝璧，在殿堂上恭敬地拜送国书。为什么要这样呢？是尊重大国的威望以表示敬意呀。如今我来到贵国，大王却在一般的台观接见我，礼节非常傲慢；得到宝璧后，传给姬妾们观看，这样来戏弄我。我观察大王没有给赵王十五城的诚意，所以我又收回宝璧。大王如果一定要逼我，我的头今天就同宝璧一起在柱子上撞碎！”

完璧归赵,比喻把原物完好地归还本人。