Chapter 65: The Three Kingdoms Peace Alliance
The Luo army marched so fast that what surprised Chong'er even more was that he was exhausted from sitting in the chariot, but these soldiers were still full of energy.
This is the greatest benefit of "speed is of the essence in war". A marching speed of 30% is certainly valuable, but the most valuable thing is that it can enable the army to engage in battle immediately after a violent march.
Luo Yan was the user of the talisman. He gradually felt the effect of the talisman fade away. When the Luo army rumbled into the camp in chariots, it caused a huge sensation.
…
"Reinforcements have arrived! The Luo army has arrived! We are saved!"
With a loud shout, the numb Jin army's eyes lit up. Hope is something more precious than gold, especially in desperate situations.
"Haotian is above! Long live the Su Wang!"
Following the first person's shout, the entire Jin army shouted in unison, "Long live the Su King! Long live the Su King!"
"The Su King has come to save his people!"
Many soldiers knelt on the ground crying and praying to Ji Zhao.
During the five hundred years of Bang Zhou's rule, under the promotion of the Luo family, Ji Zhao's status became increasingly high, and sacrifices to heaven were offered to both Haotian and Su Wang at the same time.
Ji Zhao had actually gradually gained the status of the supreme god of the Zhou people. This was another reason why the State of Luo excluded the States of Qin and Chu.
Both the Qin and Chu states had their own supreme gods!
…
The most brutal war between the Three Kingdoms took place on the banks of the Ying River, where more than 30,000 Jin troops died on this small piece of land.
This is a scene of hell on earth.
Countless corpses of the Jin army floated on the Ying River. The corpses were piled up on top of each other and even blocked the Ying River. It was impossible to tell whether the streams were blood or water.
There were fallen military flags, flying broken arms and heads, red and white mixed together, broken weapons stuck on the bodies, and some soldiers' bodies were still hanging in the air.
The ground was littered with torn cloth, cloth armor, and bronze fragments. War would destroy everything; this was the most realistic portrayal.
Chong'er stumbled and knelt in the blood and mud. He picked up a pile of blood and mud and cried loudly, "These are all good men of Jin State. It's my fault!
If I return to junior high school, will I still be able to face my countrymen?"
The Jin people who followed them knelt on the ground, crying loudly.
Luo Yan looked at the tragic scene in front of him, took a deep breath, and felt a little powerless. He really wanted to carry the world on his shoulders.
The Luo State has prestige and the ability to whip the world, but in this world even a beggar can rule the world. Only the Luo family does not have the destiny to rule the world.
The knife of extinction of the Luo family has always hung over their heads for four hundred years.
Luo Yan half-knelt beside Chong'er, stroked Chong'er's back, and consoled him: "Duke Jin!
Since ancient times, which capable monarch has not suffered hardships?
Taigong Wang was eighty years old when he assisted King Wu in establishing his rule over the world. His ancestor King Su Bingguo died after serving as regent for only seventeen years.
You are not even as old as King Su, but you have dominated the world and can command the princes. This is just a failure.
There are so many talented people among the children of Jin State. Is it possible that Jin State will never recover?
Now the people of Jin are looking at you, take them home, the future of Jin still needs you!"
Chong'er held Luo Yan's hand tightly with his blood-stained palm and cried, "Prince, I will remember your words.
The blood of the people of Jin has been shed enough, we cannot continue here.
I want to take them back. Their families must miss them terribly.
Chong'er will revive Jin and will never forget the oath he made to Luo Gong."
"well!"
Luo Yan patted Chong'er and sighed, "Let me go to the Qin and Chu camps and persuade them to return. If we sign a non-aggression pact, I'm afraid they won't want to fight anymore."
The Qin State was indeed somewhat unwilling to continue fighting, and the speed at which the Luo State army arrived was beyond Ying Nuo's expectations.
Ying Nuo was a very outstanding general. After he saw the army of Luo State from afar, he said to the King of Chu: "Your Majesty, Luo State has sent almost all its troops to rescue Jin State, and they have dispatched no less than 3,000 brave warriors alone.
You know that these brave warriors are all descendants of the royal family of Luo State. They are brave and good at fighting, and each of them can fight ten people at once.
If you don't want to fight a bloody battle with Luo State, you should prepare to withdraw your troops."
The Brave Warriors are the strongest army in the world, but because they are all children of royal families, their numbers are few. However, the Brave Warriors are usually cooperated with by the elite soldiers of Luo State, which is also the strongest army in the world. There are two armies in Luo State.
This is why Ying Nuo didn't want to fight head-on. He had come from afar with the Qin soldiers, and the current results were already very brilliant. It would be a waste of time if he had to fight a bloody battle with the strong-willed army of Luo.
"But retreating like this is too easy for Jin. Jin should cede land and compensate Qin and Chu for their losses.
Although they have suffered heavy losses, they are not seriously injured. At least half of the army is still intact. If we let them go like this, they will probably be able to recover within ten years. What if he attacks again by then?"
Some people expressed different opinions, which were also very reasonable. If we don't take advantage of this good opportunity to abolish the State of Jin, we will never find it again in the future.
The King of Chu understood that what Ying Nuo said was right. Now that they could not fight any further, he still said unwillingly: "General Ying Nuo, now that our army is so close to Luoyi, why not take one of the Nine Cauldrons away and place it in the capital? This would be a matter of supreme honor!"
Because of events in the past, the people of Chu had a very complicated mentality towards the Nine Cauldrons in the Zhou royal capital. They always felt that taking the Nine Cauldrons away would prove that the destiny was with Chu.
There was a gleam of light in Ying Nuo's eyes. Those were the Nine Cauldrons that represented the mandate given to King Yu. If they could be brought back to Qin, who could say that Qin had no destiny?
But after thinking about the mountains and rivers he had to cross and Luo Guo’s attitude, he gave up this very tempting idea.
He advised the King of Chu: "Your Majesty, Luo State is still strong, this is probably because the Mandate of Heaven is still there!
Now is not the time to seize the Nine Cauldrons, otherwise the Luo Kingdom will definitely fight us to the death."
While everyone was still struggling here, a messenger came with a rumor that Prince Yan of Luo wanted to come to the camp for a chat. King Chu and Ying Nuo frowned at the same time, feeling that something was wrong.
Duke Wen of Luo and Duke Xuan of Luo had both done this before. Those who obeyed and withdrew their troops remained at large, while those who disobeyed were killed on the battlefield.
Amid the complicated looks of the rulers and ministers of Qin and Chu, Luo Yan walked into the military camp. His etiquette was impeccable, and the King of Chu and Ying Nuo also responded with courtesy.
Luo Yan said straight to the point: "I came here not to go to war with Qin and Chu. Luo State has never wanted to be an enemy of Qin and Chu.
The State of Jin was previously rampant, but now it has paid a heavy price. This is the cycle of nature.
However, in this war, the Xia people have shed a lot of blood, and Jin has paid a heavy price. It is time to stop.
The Duke of Jin is willing to sign an alliance with Qin and Chu, and the two sides will maintain peace and their vassal states will pay tribute to each other.
After hearing what Luo Yan said, the King of Chu said indignantly: "Prince, Jin attacked a vassal without any reason, are we going to let him go so easily?
What if Qin and Chu were defeated by Jin?
Will you intercede for the State of Chu?"
Luo Yan said in a deep voice: "I came here for the sake of the Qin and Chu countries.
If Luo State really wanted to wipe out Chu State and Qin State, why would you two be sitting here?
Luo State holds the destiny of Zhou State in its hands, and I'm sure you are aware of this.
The Mandate of Heaven had not yet been lost, but Qin and Chu wanted to test the weight of the Nine Cauldrons. Do they think there will be no punishment for provoking the sacred artifacts of the country?
It is only because the Qin and Chu states have made great contributions in expelling the barbarians for hundreds of years that I am here to persuade the two of you to go back.
If they are unwilling to go back, what good will it do to Qin and Chu when the Mandate of Zhou turns into a sharp blade?
By then, you will surely resent me for not warning you today."
Luo Yan's words made the King of Chu look a little uncertain. He was the monarch of Chu and knew many more secrets than Ying Nuo.
The Qin State was a real bumpkin, while the Chu State had direct descendants from the Luo State serving in the government, so they had more concerns.
Ying Nuo did not see the King of Chu's expression, and said with a smile: "Prince, the Duke of Jin has committed a serious mistake and should be punished.
Before the war, he called the king a barbarian and used this as an excuse to attack him.
It also asked the State of Chu to cede 300 li of land. Now the State of Jin should cede 300 li of land to the State of Chu.
Only by doing this can the king forgive Duke Jin's impoliteness. "
The King of Chu already wanted to withdraw, but when he saw that the conditions proposed by Ying Nuo were not harsh, he thought that Luo Yan would agree.
So he said quickly: "General Ying Nuo is right, Jin should cede 300 li of land.
Qin and Chu are allied countries. I will never forget the help that Duke Qin has given to Chu.
I am willing to give 150 li of land to Qin, just to the west of Hangu Pass."
The Qin and Chu countries reached an agreement in an instant.
In fact, whether Jin was willing or not, Qin and Chu could obtain these lands through war when Jin's strength was weakened.
But why use a knife if you can do it without bloodshed?
The blood of the Qin and Chu people is also extremely precious, not those of slaves that can be consumed at will.
The power of Qin could not pass through Hangu Pass, and the territory of Chu could not cross the Yiluo River and Taishi Mountain. This was the bottom line set by Luo State.
Within the bottom line, it doesn’t matter.
Luo Yan then pondered for a moment and said solemnly, "Then the 150 li of land west of Hangu Pass and the 150 li of land above Hanyang will be ceded to Qin and Chu respectively.
The three kingdoms signed an alliance, agreeing never to raise troops again, to jointly honor the emperor, to repel the barbarians, and to maintain stability among the various kingdoms.
In the name of Lord Haotian, the Luo Kingdom bears witness. If anyone disobeys, the heavens will punish him."
The King of Chu and Ying Nuo sang in unison, "Taiyi Shaohao, the Qin, Chu and Jin countries will stop fighting, respect the emperor, and fight against the barbarians together. If you break this oath, you will fall into the underworld!"
This was a major event for all the nations of China, and historians recorded it on bamboo slips.
The alliance to stop the war was reached, and the armies of Qin and Chu began to slowly retreat, preparing to return to their country.
Looking at the retreating Qin-Chu coalition forces and thinking of the royal family in the country, Chong'er said bitterly: "Now it's time to go back and settle accounts with those traitors!"
What he hated most were these traitorous royal families, even more than the Qin-Chu coalition forces. On the battlefield, life and death were of no consequence, but stabbing one's own people in the back was intolerable.
The armies of Jin, Luo and other countries that followed marched towards Jin in a mighty force.
Faced with the menacing Chong'er, the royal family of Jin felt as if a disaster was imminent.
Previously, they were able to keep Chong'er away by blocking the border cities, not because they were strong, but because the Jin army lacked food and fodder, and the Qin and Chu countries were chasing them.
If the Jin army dared to engage in battle with them, it would surely be strangled by the Qin and Chu countries that followed closely behind.
But now the Jin army had no worries, the army's casualties were far lower than they expected, and with the intervention of the armies of other countries, this battle was like an egg hitting a rock.
There is no shortage of wimps in any force, and almost immediately some people wanted to surrender.
The leader of the royal family who launched this rebellion was Prince Yang, who was the younger brother of the previous Duke of Jin.
Facing these nobles who wanted to surrender, Prince Yang sneered: "Look at your ugly faces now, Chong'er's evaluation of you is absolutely correct.
You call yourselves eagles soaring in the sky, but in fact you are just rats stealing food. You are covered with gorgeous cloth, but inside you are ragged beggars.
Put away those servile thoughts of yours.
More than 50,000 Jin soldiers were killed in the battle!
Those soldiers are eager to eat our flesh and drink our blood. Will Chong'er stop them?
There are countless gold, bronzes, beautiful jade, and cloth among the royal family, all of which Chong'er needs to reward his soldiers. Would he take them from his own treasure house?
Chong'er killed Prince Wu and Prince Lin without mercy. Will he let us go?
What a ridiculous idea!
Face death in Yicheng with peace of mind, and don't harbor any luck.
Whether it is going to heaven or falling into hell, this is the will of heaven, and all mortals have to do is obey it. "
Prince Yang saw it very clearly and understood that Chong'er would definitely not let them go.
The army of the Jin royal family was still considered elite, but facing the soldiers who had just come back from the battlefield and whose hearts were filled with anger and killing, it was simply not enough.
But his open-mindedness does not mean that others are the same. Some people fought stubbornly and personally led their troops to fight against Chong'er.
But it is indeed like an egg hitting a rock.
The Jin army won victory after victory, which was a completely one-sided crushing victory. In a short period of time, they killed all the way to Yicheng.
Looking at the vicissitudes of Yicheng in front of me, although I left it not long ago, it feels like years have passed.
Chong'er turned to Luo Yan and said with some emotion: "Prince, more than ten years ago, it was you who led the armies of Luo and Qi to help me ascend the throne of Jin.
Now it is you who have brought the Luo army to save me from danger. I am afraid that Chong'er will never be able to repay such a great favor in this lifetime.
Chong'er knew that what the Luohou of all generations wished for was for all the countries in the Xia Dynasty to stop fighting and jointly fight against the barbarians.
Chong'er is willing to swear to you in the name of Haotian that he will abide by the alliance to stop fighting throughout his life.
Even if Jin becomes prosperous again, it will never send a single soldier to other countries without a reason."
Luo Yan said solemnly: "With Duke Jin's words, I believe my father will be satisfied.
With such virtue, you will surely become a true overlord. The princes will be grateful for your kindness and will surely obey your orders.
A failure like the Battle of Yilu will never happen to you again.
The Jin State will become strong again, and the Mandate of Heaven of Zhou will be maintained. This should be recorded in the annals of history."
…
After the Battle of Yi and Luo, Jin was greatly weakened, and Qin and Chu were not strong enough to dominate the Central Plains. Under the mediation of Luo, the three countries signed a peace treaty. This was the first equal treaty proposed and observed by a major power in the Spring and Autumn Period. It was not until the death of the noble Luo Yan, who was responsible for the mediation, that the 30-year peace between the various countries began to gradually break down. ——"Global History of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty Volume 3"
The next chapter has an important character appearing. I still need to revise it and will post it this afternoon.
(End of this chapter)
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