黔中 / Qianzhong
黔中 / Qianzhong enters the wiki through 《资治通鉴·周纪》53丨秦惠王用张仪换地皮 as 楚国 territory sought by 秦国. 秦惠文王 proposes exchanging Qin land east of 武关 and around 商於 for Qianzhong.
The source makes Qianzhong the asset against which 楚怀王 prices his revenge. Chu Huaiwang replies that if Qin hands over 张仪, he will give Qianzhong to Qin without requiring the land exchange.
The episode later says Chu Huaiwang releases Zhang Yi partly because he already has Zhang Yi and does not want to actually cede Qianzhong. Qianzhong therefore marks the difference between a stated territorial bargain and the ruler’s real preference for avoiding both land loss and envoy-killing risk.
《资治通鉴·周纪》62丨稷儿，诓你舅舅的“腿”啊 returns Qianzhong as a direct coercive demand after 秦昭襄王 detains 楚怀王 in 咸阳. Qin demands Qianzhong together with 巫郡, and the episode says surrendering the two regions would endanger Chu’s capital position. Qianzhong therefore moves from a proposed exchange asset in Zhouji 53 to one half of a hostage-backed territorial ultimatum.
《资治通鉴·周纪》82丨大秦的核武器：白起来了！ moves Qianzhong from demanded territory to conquered and reorganized territory. In 277 BCE, 白起 takes 巫郡 and Qianzhong from 楚国, and 秦国 “initially administers” Qianzhong as a Qin commandery. The episode explicitly distinguishes Chu’s earlier Qianzhong from Qin’s new Qianzhong commandery.
Connections
- 秦国, 秦惠文王, 楚国, and 楚怀王 - states and rulers in the proposed exchange.
- 张仪 and 可交换功臣 - human asset Chu substitutes for land.
- 武关, 商於, and 欲擒故纵式让利外交 - exchange geography and adjacent returned-land diplomacy frame.
- 巫郡, 咸阳, and 战术信用成本 - Zhouji 62 paired territorial demand after the Wuguan trap.
- 白起, 南郡, and 秦国行政标准化 - Zhouji 82 actual Qin conquest and commandery incorporation.