In 258 BCE, the Qin state accelerated its campaign to annex the six rival states, and warfare grew increasingly frequent. Riding on the momentum of its victory at the Battle of Changping, Qin laid siege to the Zhao capital of Handan, aiming to capture Zhao in one decisive move before swallowing the other five states. Zhao found itself in dire peril, while the other states, fearing Qin's military might, dared not send troops to its aid. At the time, Wei and Zhao shared a border and were also bound by marriage ties, so Zhao sent envoys to Wei to request reinforcements.
For the state of Wei, once Zhao was conquered, Wei would find it difficult to protect itself. However, at that time, the Qin prime minister Fan Ju had once been imprisoned by the Wei prime minister Wei Qi and nearly beaten to death, so he harbored a particular hatred for Wei. He sent Qin forces to attack Wei, leaving Wei unable to even look after its own affairs.
In the state of Wei, there was a nobleman named Wuji, the half-brother of King Anxi of Wei. After King Anxi ascended the throne, he granted Wuji the title of Lord Xinling. Lord Xinling was gentle and respectful, treating talented individuals with courtesy and never looking down on others due to his high status. Over time, scholars from thousands of miles around heard of his name and flocked to him, and his retainers numbered as many as three thousand. Because Lord Xinling was in Wei and had so many talented followers, no other feudal state dared to invade Wei for over a decade.
In the State of Wei, there was a reclusive man over seventy years old named Hou Ying, respectfully called Master Hou, who worked as a gatekeeper at Yimen in Daliang and lived in poverty. Lord Xinling heard of him and brought gifts to seek his friendship. Hou Ying refused, saying, "I have upheld my integrity for decades and will not accept your gifts just because of my humble circumstances." Lord Xinling then hosted a banquet in his honor, inviting many guests. After all the guests had arrived, Lord Xinling personally drove his carriage, leaving the honored left seat empty, to go and fetch Master Hou.
Hou Sheng, without the slightest modesty, lifted his robes and climbed directly into the carriage, taking the seat on the left. As he did this, he observed Lord Xinling, who appeared humble and respectful. Hou Sheng then said, "I have a friend who runs a butcher shop in the marketplace. I would be grateful if you could pass by there so I might visit him." Lord Xinling personally drove the carriage to the bustling market. Hou Sheng got down to see his friend Zhu Hai, deliberately lingering there to chat idly while secretly watching Lord Xinling. Lord Xinling's expression grew even more calm and deferential. At this time, Lord Xinling's hall was filled with nobles and high officials, all waiting for his return to begin the feast. People in the market, seeing Lord Xinling, crowded around to watch. Lord Xinling's attendants muttered complaints under their breath, saying Hou Sheng did not know his place. Hou Sheng stole a glance at Lord Xinling and saw that his expression remained unchanged, still respectful and humble, only then did he take leave of his friend and board the carriage.
At the banquet, Lord Xinling seated Master Hou in the place of honor and introduced him one by one to the other guests, which left them quite bewildered. When the banquet reached its climax, Lord Xinling went before Master Hou and raised a toast to him. Only then did Master Hou say, "What happened today is Hou Ying's repayment to you, my lord. I am nothing but a gatekeeper, yet you, my lord, humbled yourself and personally drove your carriage to pick me up. In full view of everyone, I should not have gone to visit a friend, yet you agreed and even stood waiting for me. I deliberately acted this way to observe your demeanor, and your expression only grew more humble. This made everyone on the street see me as a petty man and you as a noble one—all to enhance your reputation, my lord."
Lord Xinling was deeply impressed, and after the banquet ended, Master Hou became his honored guest. Master Hou then said, "The friend I visited today is a butcher named Zhu Hai, who is very talented but not understood by the world, which is why he hides himself as a butcher in the bustling market." Lord Xinling then went to visit Zhu Hai several times, but Zhu Hai never returned the visits. Lord Xinling was puzzled and wondered why.
At this time, the state of Zhao was defeated in battle, and Handan was in dire peril. The Lord of Pingyuan, Zhao Sheng, who was the younger brother of the King of Zhao and had married the sister of the Lord of Xinling, repeatedly sent letters to the King of Wei and the Lord of Xinling asking for help. The King of Wei ordered General Jin Bi to lead 100,000 troops to rush to Zhao's aid, but the state of Qin sent a messenger to threaten, saying, "It is only a matter of time before Qin takes Zhao. Now, if anyone dares to send troops to help, once Zhao is conquered, Qin will attack that state first." Fearing this, the King of Wei quickly sent someone to stop Jin Bi, using the excuse of supporting Zhao to have his army halt at Ye City, where they waited and watched the situation unfold.
The King of Wei refused to send troops, so the Lord of Pingyuan repeatedly sent messengers to Lord Xinling, reproaching him, saying, "The reason I was willing to form a marriage alliance with your family was because I believed you were a man of noble character and integrity, who would not stand by idly when others faced difficulties. Now Handan is on the verge of falling, yet Wei has not dispatched its army—where has your noble character gone? Moreover, even if you disregard me, can you also ignore your own sister?" Upon hearing this, Lord Xinling worried day and night, and together with his retainers, he exhausted every means to plead with the King of Wei to send troops. However, the King of Wei, fearing the powerful Qin state, refused to listen.
Lord Xinlingjun saw that the King of Wei was resolute in his stance and knew this path was blocked, so he decided to lead his own retainers to go and support the Zhao state, sharing life and death with them. As they passed by Yimen, they encountered Hou Sheng and informed him of the situation. When bidding farewell, Hou Sheng said, "My lord, do your best; I cannot accompany you." After traveling a few li, Xinlingjun grew increasingly uneasy and thought, "Have I not treated Hou Sheng well enough? The whole world knows how I have treated him, yet now that I am about to fight a decisive battle with the Qin army, he did not even offer a parting word. Could it be that I have not done enough?" So he turned his chariot around and went back to find Hou Sheng and get to the bottom of it.
Hou Sheng was already waiting there. When he saw Lord Xinling, he smiled and said, "I knew you would come back." Lord Xinling was surprised. Hou Sheng continued, "Your love for talent is known to all. Yet now, when faced with difficulty, you can think of no better plan than to fight the Qin army head-on. How is that any different from throwing meat to a tiger? If this is the best strategy you can devise, then what purpose do all your retainers serve? You have treated me so well, yet when you were about to leave, I did not see you off. I knew you would feel regret and come back to find me."
Lord Xinling suddenly saw the light, quickly bowed to Master Hou, and asked him for a plan. After everyone else had withdrawn, Master Hou said, "I hear that the military tally of Wei is kept in the king's bedchamber, where his favorite concubine Ruji goes daily. I also hear that Ruji's father was killed, and she sought revenge for three years without success, until you, my lord, sent someone to avenge her. Ruji wishes to repay your kindness, even at the cost of her life, but has found no opportunity. If you simply ask, she will surely agree. Once you obtain the tally, you can command the army, aid Zhao, and repel Qin—a great achievement for the other five states as well."
Lord Xinling followed his advice and indeed obtained the military tally. As he was about to set off, Master Hou said, "Please let my friend Zhu Hai accompany you, my lord. If you go alone with the tally, General Jin Bi may not believe you and might seek confirmation from the King of Wei. If he obeys you, all is well; if not, Zhu Hai can kill him." Upon hearing this, Lord Xinling burst into tears. Master Hou, puzzled, asked, "Why are you crying, my lord? Are you afraid of death?" Lord Xinling replied, "General Jin Bi is an old and experienced commander. If he refuses to comply, he will have to be killed. It is this thought that makes me weep."
When Lord Xinling went to invite Zhu Hai, Zhu Hai said, "I am nothing more than a butcher, yet you, my lord, have visited me several times. I never returned the visits because I believed that those who achieve great things do not get bogged down by trivial formalities. Now that you are in trouble, this is the perfect opportunity for me to repay your kindness." With that, he gladly went along. Lord Xinling then went to bid farewell to Hou Sheng, who said, "I should go with you, my lord, but I am old and frail and cannot make the journey. I will calculate your travel time, and on the day you reach General Jinbi's camp, I will face north and take my own life as a farewell gesture."
Lord Xinling rushed to Ye City, met Jin Bi, and presented the tally as proof to take command of the troops. Jin Bi did not believe it, saying, "Commanding a hundred thousand troops is a grave responsibility—how could the king send you alone to replace me?" Seeing this, Zhu Hai pulled out an iron hammer hidden in his sleeve and struck Jin Bi dead on the spot. That very day, Hou Sheng indeed faced north and died.
Lord Xinling was thus able to lead troops to rescue Zhao, lifting the siege of Handan. After the Qin army retreated, the King of Zhao and Lord Pingyuan personally came to welcome him. Having stolen the military tally to save Zhao, the King of Zhao was deeply grateful and bowed twice to him, saying, "Since ancient times, no one has matched your virtue, my lord." Even Lord Pingyuan admitted that he was inferior to Lord Xinling.