Deep in the Song Mountains, where the Wei and Ying Rivers begin, a treacherous valley winds through jagged cliffs and ancient forests thick with tangled vines. The roars of tigers, howls of bears, and cries of apes echo through the dense woods, sending chills down any traveler's spine.
On a mountain path, two figures trudged along—the one in front, with a tall hat and flowing robes, looked like a scholar, while the one behind, carrying a load on a pole, was clearly a porter.
"May I ask, brother, where is the Ghost Valley?" the scholar inquired of a woodcutter chopping firewood by the cliff. "You must be a scholar seeking to study under Master Ghost Valley? That thatched hut by the stream at the valley bottom is my teacher's dwelling. Just follow me."
As they walked and talked, the woodcutter turned out to be Zhang Yi, the senior disciple of Master Guigu, from Yongqiu in the state of Zheng, while the scholar was Su Qin, who lived near Yique on the outskirts of Luoyang. In that era of warring states and rival feudal lords, talent was in high demand, and both Zhang Yi and Su Qin harbored grand ambitions to make their mark on the political stage. Their teacher, Wang Xu, who lived in seclusion deep in the Songshan Mountains at Ghost Valley, was a descendant of a former Zhou royal attendant; as the feudal lords grew powerful and the Zhou court declined, he left Luoyang to retreat from the world. Though Wang Xu cared nothing for fame or fortune, his sharp intellect and vast knowledge drew ambitious young men like Zhang Yi and Su Qin from a thousand li away to study under him. The world, knowing not his true name, simply called him Master Guigu.
After Su Qin performed the rites of a disciple, he joined the other students in listening to Guiguzi's lectures.
Master Guiguzi sat alone at the lectern, his voice deep and measured as he slowly expounded, "The teachings of Guiguzi consist of twelve chapters, including 'Opening and Closing,' 'Reaction,' 'Estimation,' 'Molding,' 'Weighing,' and 'Strategy,' along with seven chapters of the 'Essential Yin Talisman.' Among these, 'Opening and Closing' is the foundation. 'Opening' means to reveal, and 'Closing' means to conceal. If you wish to make your mark amidst the strife of the Seven Warring States, you must first understand 'Opening and Closing.' Among the rulers of the day, though there are differences between the worthy and the unworthy, the wise and the foolish, the brave and the cowardly, their common ailment is an overflow of desires. You may openly lure them with 'profit'—this is 'Opening'; privately inspire them with 'strategy'—this is 'Closing.' In applying the way of 'Opening and Closing,' one must not remain rigid; rather, one should 'move back and forth,' with opening within closing and closing within opening."
Later, Su Qin, wielding the arts of "persuasion and strategy," traveled among six states, forging an alliance against Qin that kept the mighty Qin forces from venturing west through Hangu Pass for fifteen years. Following Su Qin, Zhang Yi, employing the "horizontal alliance" strategy, dismantled the six-state coalition for Qin, defeating them one by one and ultimately laying the foundation for unification. Though Master Guigu lived in seclusion in a remote valley, his teachings spread across the world through the achievements of his students.
Nowadays, people often use "maneuvering and strategizing" or "strategic maneuvering" to refer to tactics of dividing and winning over in politics and diplomacy, as well as to evaluate policies and rhetoric that can shift the balance of power.
Source: *Guiguzi*, Chapter "Bai He First"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "捭阖纵横" came to describe how people use maneuvering and strategizing or strategic maneuvering to refer to tactics of dividing and winning over in politics and diplomacy, as well as to evaluate policies and rhetoric that can shift the balance of power.