Among the Seven Warring States, Qin was the strongest and often bullied weaker states; Zhao was one of those frequently bullied.
At that time, the State of Zhao had a general named Lian Po, who was brave and skilled in battle, having led troops to repel Qin's attacks multiple times, forcing Qin to negotiate peace with Zhao. In a campaign against the State of Qi, Lian Po led his army deep into enemy territory with unstoppable momentum, utterly defeating the Qi forces and capturing Qi's city of Yangjin. This feat made him renowned among all the warring states, and Zhao became the strongest of the other six states besides Qin. King Huiwen of Zhao was greatly pleased and, rewarding him according to his merits, appointed him as the Senior Minister of the Left. It was precisely because of Lian Po that Qin, despite eyeing Zhao covetously, dared not launch a hasty attack. Lian Po, in turn, became quite proud, believing himself to be the most important person in Zhao.
The state of Zhao also had a renowned minister named Lin Xiangru, who, on a diplomatic mission to the state of Qin, successfully safeguarded the He Shi Bi jade and returned it safely to Zhao. The King of Zhao greatly admired him and, to commend his achievements, appointed him as a Senior Grand Master.
A few years later, the Qin army attacked the state of Zhao, killing over twenty thousand Zhao soldiers. King Qin played another trick by sending an envoy to Zhao, inviting the King of Zhao to meet at Mianchi, located west of the Yellow River on the border between the two states. Fearing Qin's military strength and worried that he might be detained as a hostage to pressure Zhao, the King of Zhao hesitated and consulted his ministers. Lin Xiangru said, "If you do not go, it would show weakness to Qin; you must go." Only then did the King of Zhao decide to attend the meeting with Lin Xiangru. General Lian Po escorted them with troops and prepared defenses at the border.
At the banquet, the King of Qin, emboldened by wine, said, "I hear the King of Zhao is fond of music; please play the zither." Unable to refuse, the King of Zhao had no choice but to play. The King of Qin immediately ordered his court historian to write: "At the Mianchi meeting, the King of Qin drank with the King of Zhao and commanded him to play the zither."
The King of Zhao suffered such humiliation that Lin Xiangru could not stand by idly. He stepped forward, stood before the King of Qin, and said, "I have heard that Your Majesty excels at playing Qin music. Allow me to present a fou for Your Majesty to play, as a mutual entertainment." The King of Qin was furious and refused. Lin Xiangru then held the fou, walked forward, knelt, and begged the King of Qin to play. The King of Qin still refused. Lin Xiangru threatened, "The distance between Your Majesty and me is less than five steps; within five steps, I can splatter my blood on Your Majesty." The guards beside the King of Qin raised their swords, ready to kill Lin Xiangru. Lin Xiangru glared angrily, let out a loud shout, and scared them off. The King of Qin had no choice but to casually tap the fou. Lin Xiangru immediately ordered the Zhao historian to record, "At the Mianchi meeting, the King of Qin played the fou for the King of Zhao."
The state of Qin was unwilling to let the matter rest. During the banquet, a Qin minister said to the King of Zhao, "We request that your state of Zhao offer fifteen cities to the King of Qin as a birthday gift." Lin Xiangru immediately retorted, "We request that your state of Qin offer the capital Xianyang to the King of Zhao as a birthday gift." By the end of the banquet, the King of Qin had failed to gain the upper hand. Knowing that General Lian Po had already deployed troops along the border, he had no choice but to let the King of Zhao return. After returning to Zhao, the king believed that Lin Xiangru had preserved Zhao's dignity and had rendered greater service than Lian Po, so he appointed him as Senior Minister, a position even higher than Lian Po's.
Lian Po heard this and was very displeased. He thought, "I have risked my life on the battlefield, while Lin Xiangru merely relies on his glib tongue. Why should his rank be higher than mine?" He said to those around him, "When I see Lin Xiangru, I will make sure he gets what he deserves." When Lin Xiangru learned of these words, he would claim illness and avoid attending court sessions to prevent meeting Lian Po. He also instructed his subordinates that if they encountered Lian Po's men, they must yield and avoid any conflict. When riding out in his carriage, if he saw Lian Po's tall horse or heard that Lian Po was approaching, he would immediately order the driver to turn back or hide in a narrow alley, only coming out after Lian Po had passed.
His subordinates did not understand and asked him, "Your rank is above General Lian's, so why are you still afraid of him? Avoiding him like this only makes him look down on you even more. This is a disgrace to us as well." Lin Xiangru replied, "Who is more formidable, General Lian or the King of Qin?" The subordinates said, "Of course, the King of Qin." Lin Xiangru said, "Exactly. I am not even afraid of the King of Qin, let alone General Lian. But think about it: the reason Qin dares not attack Zhao is precisely because Zhao has Lian Po and Lin Xiangru—one a military general, the other a civil official, like two arms working as one, united in purpose, which makes Qin fear us. If we fight among ourselves, and one of us is injured or disabled, Zhao would lose an arm, giving Qin the perfect opportunity. Tell me, which is more important: personal grudges or the affairs of the state?"
His subordinates were deeply convinced and from then on, whenever they encountered Lian Po's men, they would carefully avoid them. When these words reached Lian Po's ears, he felt extremely ashamed, so he took off his upper garment, bared his shoulders, carried a thorny branch on his back, and had his retainer lead him to Lin Xiangru's house to apologize, asking him to flog him. Lin Xiangru hurried out, threw the thorny branch to the ground, and helped him up with both hands. From then on, the two reconciled, became sworn friends, and worked together wholeheartedly for the state of Zhao.
Lian Po and Lin Xiangru became close allies, uniting the civil officials and military generals within Zhao, which grew increasingly powerful and once served as a protective barrier for other feudal states, deterring Qin from daring to launch military campaigns against Zhao for over a decade.