King Zhaoxiang of Qin was determined to make the State of Zhao submit, continuously invading Zhao's borders and occupying some areas. In 279 BC, he once again played a trick, inviting King Huwen of Zhao to meet him in Mianchi (in present-day Mianchi County, Henan, "Mian" is pronounced "miǎn") in the state of Qin. At first, King Huwen of Zhao was afraid of being detained by the Qin, and did not want to go. General Lian Po and Xiangru Lin both believed that if they did not go, it would be seen as showing weakness to Qin.
King Huwen of Zhao decided to take a risk and go ahead. He asked Lin Xiangru to accompany him, and left General Lian Po in the country to assist the crown prince in guarding the state.
For the purpose of preventing unexpected incidents, King Huwen of Zhao also sent General Li Mu with five thousand soldiers to escort, and the Prime Minister, Prince Pingyuan, with several ten thousand soldiers, to be on standby at the border.
On the day set for the meeting, King Zhao of Qin and King Huwen of Zhao met in Mianchi and held a banquet, joyfully drinking and chatting.
After drinking a few cups of wine, King Zhao of Qin, slightly drunk, said to King Huwen of Zhao, "I heard that the King of Zhao is good at playing the se. Please play a tune for everyone to have fun." After saying this, he really ordered his attendants to bring out the se.
King Huwen of Zhao could not refuse, so he reluctantly played a tune.
The official historian of Qin recorded this event on the spot, and read it aloud: "In the year, month, and day of..., King Zhao of Qin and King Huwen of Zhao met in Mianchi, and King Zhao ordered King Huwen of Zhao to play the se."
King Huwen of Zhao turned purple with anger. At this moment, Lin Xiangru took a pot (pronounced "fǒu", a kind of clay instrument used for music), suddenly knelt before King Zhao of Qin, and said, "The King of Zhao has heard that the King of Qin is very skilled in playing Qin instruments. I have here a clay pot, please allow the King to strike it for a bit of entertainment." King Zhao of Qin became angry and ignored him. Lin Xiangru's eyes flashed with anger, and he said, "The King is too disrespectful. Although the military strength of Qin is strong, within these five steps, I can splash my blood onto the King's body!" Seeing Lin Xiangru's fierce attitude, King Zhao of Qin was very startled and finally picked up the stick and struck the pot randomly a few times. Lin Xiangru turned back and told the historian of Zhao to record this event, saying, "On the year, month, and day of..., King Zhao of Zhao and King Zhao of Qin met in Mianchi. The King of Qin struck the pot for King Zhao of Zhao." The ministers of Qin were very dissatisfied because Lin Xiangru had dared to insult the dignity of the King of Qin. One person stood up and said, "Please let the King of Zhao cede fifteen cities to the King of Qin as a gift." Lin Xiangru also stood up and said, "Please let the King of Qin cede the city of Xianyang to Zhao as a gift to the King of Zhao." King Zhao of Qin saw the tense situation. He had previously known that Zhao had stationed a large army nearby, and if a fight broke out, he might not get the upper hand. So he stopped his ministers and said, "Today is the day of celebration between the two kings. Everyone need not say more." Thus, the meeting between the two states at Mianchi ended smoothly. Lin Xiangru made two trips and protected Zhao from humiliation, establishing great achievements. King Huwen of Zhao greatly trusted Lin Xiangru and appointed him as the chief minister, whose position was higher than that of General Lian Po. Lian Po was very unhappy, and privately told his attendants, "I am a general of Zhao and have won many battles. What is Lin Xiangru? Why has he climbed over me? Hmph! When I see Lin Xiangru, I will give him a piece of my mind." This statement reached Lin Xiangru's ears, so Lin Xiangru pretended to be sick and did not attend court. One day, while Lin Xiangru was taking a carriage ride with his attendants, it was fate that he encountered General Lian Po's chariot coming from the opposite direction. He ordered the driver to pull into a small alley to hide, letting Lian Po's chariot pass first. This upset Lin Xiangru's attendants, who criticized him for being too timid. Lin Xiangru told them, "You see, which one is stronger between General Lian and the King of Qin?" They replied, "Of course, the King of Qin is stronger." Lin Xiangru said, "Exactly! All the feudal lords in the world fear the King of Qin. For the sake of protecting Zhao, I dared to scold him face to face. How come I am afraid of General Lian now? Because I thought, the reason why powerful Qin does not dare to invade Zhao is because there are two people like me and General Lian in Zhao. If we two do not get along, Qin will take advantage to attack Zhao. That's why I am willing to tolerate a little."
Someone told this story to General Lian Po, who felt extremely ashamed. He stripped off his upper garment and carried a bundle of thorns, going to Lin Xiangru's home to apologize. When he saw Lin Xiangru, he said, "I am an ignorant man, with limited knowledge and narrow-mindedness. I didn't know you were so tolerant towards me. I really don't have the face to see you. Please punish me." Lin Xiangru quickly helped Lian Po up, saying, "We are both ministers of Zhao. If the General can understand me, I am already very grateful. How can I accept your apology?" Both of them were moved to tears. From then on, the two became close friends.
