智瑶 / Zhi Yao
智瑶 / Zhi Yao appears in 《资治通鉴·周纪》04｜豫让 为智瑶复仇 as the defeated Jin power-holder whose failure lets 司马光 state the episode’s 才德之分 lesson. The source says Zhi Yao did not lose because he lacked ability; he lost because his talent exceeded his virtue.
After the Battle of Jinyang, Han, Zhao, and Wei divide Zhi territory. The episode uses Zhi Yao’s death and 赵无恤’s use of his lacquered skull as a drinking vessel to make 豫让’s revenge both a political aftermath and a personal honor story.
《资治通鉴·周纪》84丨防止秦国灭楚竟用这招？ brings Zhi Yao back as a warning example inside 黄歇 / 春申君’s letter. Huang Xie argues that if Qin trusts 韩国 and 魏国 while marching against 楚国, it risks repeating Zhi Yao’s mistake of relying on partners whose incentives can flip once the campaign creates an opening.