Like many of the pieces included in the Chan-kuo Ts’e, “The Two Wives” is a story within a story. The story’s central character, Ch’en Chen, began his political career in the service of the king of Ch’u and then left Ch’u to enter the service of the king of Ch’in. When a political rival in Ch’in attempts to discredit Ch’en Chen by raising questions in the king’s mind about Ch’en Chen’s loyalty to Ch’in, his defense takes the form of the story of the two wives. The story succeeds in convincing the king, but will strike many readers as morally ambiguous. As you read it, consider your own reaction to Ch’en Chen’s defense. Do you find it convincing? Why or why not?

Ch’en Chen left Ch’u and returned to Ch’in.

“When Ch’en Chen was Your Majesty’s minister,” said Chang Yi to the king of Ch’in, “he constantly used to send news of your country’s affairs to Ch’u. I will not work with him. I urge Your Majesty to send him away and if he goes to Ch’u, to have him killed.“

“He would not dare return to Ch’u,” said the king; but he summoned Ch’en Chen. “We would hear your wishes, sir. Where would you like to go? We should be pleased to furnish your carriage.“

“Your servant would like to go to Ch’u.“

“Chang Yi said you would go to Ch’u and now I discover you will go. Indeed, you could hardly go elsewhere!” said the king bitterly.

“Sire, your servant deliberately chose to go to Ch’u so that he might be in accord with Your Majesty’s and Yi’s plans, and that he might make clear that his heart had never gone to Ch’u,” replied Ch’en Chen.

“Once upon a time a man of Ch’u had two wives, Your Majesty, and another man tried to seduce the elder wife but she rebuked him. He then tempted the younger and she was compliant. Not long after, the husband of the two died and a friend of the tempter asked him which one he would marry. ‘The elder,’ he replied. ‘But the elder repulsed you while the younger gave you her favors. Why would you wed the elder?’ ‘When they lived in the other man’s house,’ was the reply, ‘I wished them compliant; but if one were to be my wife I should wish her to rebuke another such as I,’ Your Majesty.

“Tzu-hsü was faithful to his ruler and all under heaven wanted him as minister. Hsiao-chi loved his family and all under heaven wanted him as son. Sell a concubine to someone in her own lane and she is a good one. Marry a divorced woman to someone in her own hamlet and she is a good woman, indeed.

“Now, the present king of Ch’u is an enlightened ruler, Your Majesty,” continued Ch’en Chen, “and his minister, Chao Yang, is virtuous. Had I been an official in another state and improperly sent news of its affairs to Ch’u, the king of Ch’u would not now take me on as an officer and his minister, Chao Yang, would refuse to work with me. This should make clear whether your servant’s heart has ever gone to Ch’u.”

Chen left and Chang Yi entered. “Where is Ch’en Chen going then?” he asked the king.

“Ch’en Chen is the world’s greatest debater,” replied the king. “He looked us full in the eye and said, ‘I must go to Ch’u’ and thereafter we could do naught. I asked him, ‘If you must go to Ch’u then Yi’s words may in truth be believed?’ ‘Those are not only the words of Yi,’ said he, ‘the veriest man on the street knows this. Tzu-hsü was faithful to his ruler and all under heaven wanted him as minister. Hsiao-chi loved his family and all under heaven wanted him as son. Sell a concubine to someone in her own lane and she is a good one. Marry a divorced woman to someone in her own village and she is a good woman. If I were not faithful to Your Majesty,’ said he, ‘why should Ch’u think I would be faithful? And being faithful but cast out,’ said he, ‘where would I go if not to Ch’u?’”

The king of Ch’in accepted this and treated him well.

Source: J. I. Crump, Legends of the Warring States: Persuasions, Romances, and Stories from Chan-kuo Ts’e, vol. 83, Michigan Monographs in Chinese Studies (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 1998), pp. 144–145. Used by permission.

Questions to Consider