渑池之会以后，蔺相如在赵国的声望达到顶峰。赵王认为他在两次外交场合都维护了国家尊严，便拜他为上卿，位次排在老将廉颇之上。
After the meeting at Mianchi, Lin Xiangru’s reputation in Zhao reached its height. The King of Zhao believed that on both diplomatic occasions he had safeguarded the state’s dignity, and appointed him a chief minister, ranked above the veteran general Lian Po.
廉颇是赵国战功最著的将领，攻城野战，多年出生入死。他对此极为不满，公开说：“我为赵将，有攻城野战之大功，而蔺相如徒以口舌为劳，而位居我上。”他还扬言，见到蔺相如一定要当面羞辱他。
Lian Po was Zhao’s most decorated commander, a man who had taken cities, fought in the field, and risked his life for years. He was deeply resentful and said openly: “As a general of Zhao I have won great merit in siege and battle, while Lin Xiangru has done nothing but talk — yet his rank is above mine.” He also threatened to humiliate Lin to his face the moment they met.
蔺相如听到这些话，并没有争辩，而是有意避开廉颇。每逢朝会，他常称病不出；外出时望见廉颇的车马，便引车避匿，绕道而行。
Hearing this, Lin Xiangru did not argue but deliberately kept out of Lian Po’s way. He often pleaded illness and missed court gatherings; when he went out and caught sight of Lian Po’s carriage, he turned his own aside and took another road.
他的门客们看不下去，一起进言：我们离开亲人来投奔您，是因为仰慕您的为人；如今您与廉将军同朝为官，却这样畏避，连普通人都感到羞耻，我们请求告辞。
His retainers could bear it no longer and spoke to him together: we left our families to follow you because we admired your character; now you and General Lian serve in the same court, yet you shrink from him like this — even ordinary people would feel ashamed. We ask to take our leave.
蔺相如挽留他们，反问：“诸位看廉将军比秦王如何？”门客回答：“不如秦王。”蔺相如说：“以秦王之威，我尚且敢在朝堂上斥责他、羞辱他的群臣；我虽然无能，难道偏偏怕廉将军吗？”
Lin Xiangru urged them to stay and asked: “Tell me, how does General Lian compare with the King of Qin?” They answered: “He is not the King of Qin’s equal.” Lin said: “With all the King of Qin’s power, I still dared denounce him in his own court and shame his ministers. I may be a poor man, but would I be afraid of General Lian alone?”
他随即说出真正的理由：强秦之所以不敢对赵国用兵，只是因为文有蔺相如、武有廉颇，两人同在。两虎相斗，势必不能共存；他处处退让，是“先国家之急而后私仇”。
Then he gave his real reason: the only thing that kept powerful Qin from marching against Zhao was that the state had both Lin Xiangru in civil affairs and Lian Po in military command. When two tigers fight, they cannot both survive; his yielding at every turn was “to put the state’s urgency first and private hatred last.”
这番话传到廉颇那里，老将军深受震动。他脱去上衣，露出脊背，背着荆条，由门客引路，亲自到蔺相如门前谢罪，说自己是个见识浅陋的人，没想到将军宽厚到这种地步。
When these words reached Lian Po, the old general was deeply shaken. He stripped off his upper garment, bared his back, loaded it with thorny branches, and had a retainer lead him to Lin Xiangru’s gate, where he begged forgiveness, saying that he was a narrow-minded man who had never expected such forbearance from the minister.
蔺相如扶起他，两人尽释前嫌，结为刎颈之交。此后将相同心，赵国在强秦面前得以安然多年。“负荆请罪”也成为成语，形容主动认错、诚恳道歉。
Lin Xiangru raised him up, and the two let go of all grievance, becoming friends who would die for each other. From then on general and minister worked as one, and Zhao stood secure against powerful Qin for many years. The phrase 负荆请罪 — “carrying thorns to ask for punishment” — became an idiom for admitting a fault and apologizing sincerely.