乐毅
The General Who Almost Destroyed Qi
A Wei general forced into exile who nearly erased the state of Qi from the map — and whose loyalty endured through every political betrayal.
Yue Yi came from the state of Wei but was forced into exile when the King of Wei, swayed by court slander, drove him out. He went to Zhao, and Zhao recognized his talent. When the state of Yan was forming an alliance to attack Qi, Yue Yi was chosen to lead the coalition. He crossed into Qi and won battle after battle—capturing seventy cities in a single year. Qi was reduced to just two cities. But the King of Yan died, and the new king recalled Yue Yi. Slanders by the general Zou Ji led to Yue Yi's dismissal. Yue Yi fled to Zhao. The story of Yue Yi became one of history's great examples: a general who was indispensable until he became inconvenient, and a talent that one kingdom discarded and another cherished.