In 266 BC, King Zhaoxiang of Qin drove out Wei Ran, who had been abusing his power, appointed Fan Ju as chancellor, and actively pursued Fan Ju’s strategy of “allying with distant states while attacking nearby ones.” The strategy focused the struggle first on neighboring Han and Zhao, while temporarily setting aside the more distant Qi and Yan, and keeping Chu and Wei stable. That way, “every inch gained would be an inch of the king’s, and every foot gained would be a foot of the king’s.”
