Chapter 76: Attacking Yue, Subjugating Wu, and Offering Xi Shi
Before the enthronement letter from the Zhou royal family arrived, the State of Wu had begun an intensive war against Vietnam. This war of annihilation should not have broken out so early, but the fact that Gou Jian had deceived the five cities had leaked out.
Qingji didn't know about this before the city was captured, but after he ascended the throne, he found out that Helu had such a deal with the Kingdom of Yue.
“If the five cities are lost, Wu will have to pay at least twice as many lives if it wants to annex Yue.
How dare Helu make such a deal?
Will the ancestors of the Wu State forgive him?
I am so ashamed to see my ancestors!"
Qingji arranged for people to investigate the situation in the five cities. As a result, the messenger found a large number of Wu army corpses in a valley on the road.
Judging from the way these Wu soldiers died, they were not wearing armor and only carried some bronze swords. They didn't even have shields. They were obviously ambushed and wiped out in the valley. Not even a single person escaped.
Naturally, the messenger did not dare to go any further and immediately returned to Wudu to report the news. This incident made Qingji extremely shocked and angry. He and Sun Wu hurried to the scene and saw that Qingji immediately knew that something had happened in Wucheng.
"This must have been done by the Kingdom of Yue. These soldiers did not wear armor when they retreated. They must have been told by their superiors to leave safely. As a result, the people of the Kingdom of Yue broke their promise and killed them halfway.
These Yue people have completely turned into barbarians and cannot be trusted at all. Helu actually wants to make a deal with Yue, which is simply courting disaster."
Although Qingji fought many battles with the State of Chu, he hated the State of Yue the most.
Sun Wu said in a deep voice: "Sir, judging from the condition of these corpses, the Yue people should not have completely taken over the five cities. At least we can still capture one or two cities as outposts to attack Yue. Otherwise, we will really have to pay with our lives in the future."
When Qingji heard this, he immediately ordered Sun Wu to lead the troops. Gou Jian did not expect that Helu would fail so quickly, and that there were so many capable soldiers in the State of Wu.
In the current situation, we have to race against time. Qingji completely gave up the idea of restoring the situation in the country first and then attacking Yue State. He directly began to draw food, fodder and troops from Wu State.
Qingji said with some fear: "Fortunately, when Changqing attacked Wudu earlier, he took measures to slow down the attack, otherwise there really would not be a large number of soldiers who can fight now."
The conspiracy was exposed, and not only did they fail to seize the natural barrier, but they also provoked an all-out attack from the State of Wu. In Kuaiji City, the ministers of the King of Yue gathered together, all of them were in a panic, and they all accused Doctor Wen of misrule.
Someone immediately said, "Your Majesty, trust and loyalty are the foundation of survival. Yue State was not in danger of extinction. It was only because of the mean words of Doctor Wen that Yue State suffered such a great mistake.
It would be better to hand over Doctor Wen to Wu for punishment, and then hand over all the three cities that Helu had ceded. This would surely calm Wu's anger."
Doctor Wen was in the hall, looking at these shameless people, he was so angry that he almost vomited blood, he said with hatred: "When a powerful country attacks a weak country, it uses the upright way. Yue country is small and weak, if it does not use the treacherous way, it will be destroyed in an instant."
Gou Jian was a monarch who pursued political schemes and conspiracies. He knew that Doctor Wen was right, and he said loudly: "My lords, the Wu army is now approaching our borders and is constantly withdrawing troops to Kuaiji. This is clearly an attempt to destroy our Yue Kingdom in one battle.
"With a powerful enemy at hand, if we lose our composure and attack each other, will we be able to make Wu's 100,000-strong army retreat?"
As soon as Gou Jian said this, the hall suddenly fell silent. Doctor Wen said, "Your Majesty, Wu is pressing on our border. Yue cannot resist at all. We can only ask Chu for reinforcements.
Now there are only two options: defend Kuaiji City and hold out until the arrival of the Chu army; abandon Kuaiji City and use the mountains, rivers and dense waterways in the country to deal with the Wu army. When the Chu army arrives, the Wu army will definitely retreat.
There is another way. If we cannot hold out until the reinforcements from Chu arrive, we have to find a way to let Wu retain the country of Yue. I wonder which noble relative has the greatest treasure in the world and can make Wu retreat. "
The State of Wu was supported by the State of Luo to fight against the State of Chu. Similarly, the State of Yue was supported by the State of Chu to fight against the State of Wu. That is why Doctor Wen had the confidence to borrow troops from the State of Chu.
Doctor Wen's words were clear and logical. He directly analyzed the current situation that the State of Yue was facing and what could be done. Now it was just a matter of which path to choose.
Which method to choose?
The suggestion here is to surrender directly, but there is no point in fighting. Helu is a usurper and has always been on guard against Qingji and those who oppose him in the country. Therefore, when he attacked the Kingdom of Yue several times, he did not dare to use a large army.
But Qingji was different. He killed Helu. Now the Wu Kingdom was unified and could mobilize all of Wu's troops to wear down the Yue Kingdom.
This is why Gou Jian and Doctor Wen resorted to conspiracy and trickery, and even betrayed their friends, in order to seize the five cities.
Because Wu was a big country that was strongly supported by Luo State and was intended to rival Chu State. Once it stabilized, even if Yue State could fight back temporarily, its defeat was inevitable.
So everyone started to discuss the matter, and finally decided to resist first. What if the Wu Kingdom's attack was not strong enough and Kuaiji City could be defended?
If you have the ability to defend the city but are frightened and surrender with all the nobles in the city, and the royal family, the people of the royal capital all fall into the hands of the enemy, wouldn't that make you a laughing stock in history?
King Gou Jian of Yue stood up and looked around at all the nobles in the hall, and said in a loud voice: "Since Duke Wen divided Wu and Yue, for more than 300 years, the people of Wu and Yue have been in constant conflict, but have we ever defeated the people of Yue?
Since Duke Huan of Qi, the State of Wu has been strong for a hundred years and has never destroyed the State of Yue. Is it possible that the State of Yue will perish now?
The Yue people will always stand on Kuaiji, and this time is no exception.
The king issued an order to recruit all the citizens in the city, the wild people and farmers in the suburbs of Kuaiji into the city, and all men over the age of twelve to go up to the city to defend against the enemy, while the women were responsible for the food and drink of the soldiers.
The survival of Yue State depends on this battle. At this moment, the people of Yue should stand with me in the face of national crisis!"
Sun Wu commanded the army. When the Yue people were still unstable, he sent elite troops to fight with them. "Kill one person and you will be rewarded one gold and advance one level!"
In order to seize the most important fortress, Sun Wu asked Qingji for a huge reward. Sure enough, the elite troops of the Wu army bravely took the lead, and the Yue people could not resist at all. They evacuated here, leaving behind a pile of corpses.
For a whole month, Sun Wu led the army of Wu to victory after victory. He was somewhat surprised by the weakness of Yue. He even began to imagine that there must be elite troops in Yue. He could not help but ask the nobles around Wu: "Yue is so weak, why didn't Wu annex Yue in the past hundred years?
Could it be that there are still real elites in the capital of Yue State?"
The Wu nobles on both sides looked at the general and future prime minister in front of them with a somewhat strange expression.
Following Sun Wu in battles during these days opened their eyes and made them understand why the monarch would appoint an unknown person as a general and even entrust him with the important task of prime minister.
The deputy admiringly said helplessly: "General, except for the palace guards, these are the normal soldiers of Wu Yue.
You are the God of War bestowed upon Wu by God, so the Yue people are vulnerable in front of you. We are just ordinary people and cannot accomplish the great cause of annexing Yue. "
The generals of Wu could at least comfort themselves that this was a great general of their country. The nobles of Yue were so angry that they wanted to curse.
It's not that we are not brave, it's just that the general of the Wu State on the opposite side did not play by the rules the whole time.
There are no rules at all. Soldiers fight against soldiers and generals fight against generals. This tradition has never been followed. From the first battle until now, they don't even know what Sun Wu looks like.
This was simply too ridiculous. Three defeats were reported in Kuaiji City in one day. Gou Jian was so angry that he shouted: "Ten thousand troops defended the city, and it was broken in three days.
Even if I released ten thousand wild beasts in the forest, it wouldn't have resulted in this. Could it be that all the Wu soldiers were possessed by Qingji, strong men who could pull four oxen?
It is of no use at all. If we continue to lose, the Wu army will reach Kuaiji. If Kuaiji is taken, the royal city will be taken. There is no point in losing, because the State of Yue will be gone."
The Wu army had a smooth journey, advancing rapidly and defeating the enemy when they were down. Amid the atmosphere of the Yue army's continuous defeat, the Wu army finally arrived at the city of Kuaiji.
The Wu army arrived at the city of Kuaiji, with huge banners standing tall, flags and pennants fluttering, and complete military equipment. Large ships were transporting siege equipment down. Kuaiji City was far from comparable to the capital of Wu. Not only was this capital of Yue small, but also due to Yue's poverty, it had been in disrepair for many years and could not be called a strong city fortress.
Sun Wu led the army and looked at the tens of thousands of soldiers and horses. He couldn't help but feel high-spirited. The Kuaiji City in front of him was just the beginning. His eyes looked towards the State of Chu and the State of Chen and Song.
The art of war was put into practice on the battlefield. The sun shone on his face, and the cold armor reflected a chilly light, which made the soldiers and civilians of Yue State in Kuaiji City feel cold in their hearts.
When Sun Wu really started to attack the city and achieved remarkable results in just a few days, Gou Jian finally understood the pain of the Yue generals.
Facing the doubts of the generals, Sun Wu pointed to Kuaiji and said with a smile: "Generals, please see that Yue will certainly ask Chu for help, and our army has come to fight across the country in a hurry, so the fighting method is completely different from when we besieged Wudu.
The city of Wu is high and strong, but the people in the city are unstable, there is insufficient food and grass, and there is no backup, so a siege is enough.
But the siege of Kuaiji was different. The city of Kuaiji was not high and had been in disrepair for many years. It was even smashed by a single round of catapults. Debris fell and the city gates shook when hit.
In this situation, what matters is every second, and the attacks should be carried out day and night to make the people of Yue run around in a hurry.
Besides, the nobles are always afraid of death, if we force them, we may be able to force them to surrender directly."
The generals all agreed with this. Faced with the fierce offensive of the Wu army, there were heavy casualties in Kuaiji City every day. The farmers and barbarians who were hastily organized were simply not capable of taking on the responsibility of defending the city.
Everyone reached a consensus that it was only a matter of time before the Wu army attacked Kuaiji City, and the Chu army had no time to rescue it.
Gou Jian was filled with great pain. Did he really lose the Kingdom of Yue which had existed for three hundred years in his hands?
If you are unwilling to surrender and Kuaiji City is captured, what should you do now?
The important officials of Yue State followed Gou Jian in a disorderly manner. Doctor Wen knelt down and cried, "Your Majesty! I am willing to live and die with you, and be buried with you for the country of Yue."
However, Gou Jian was unwilling to die like this. His mental toughness was unmatched by few people in the world. He was not completely at the end of his rope yet, so he was unwilling to give up.
Gou Jian sat on the stone steps in front of the palace, looking at the bright moon in the sky, with no expression on his face. After a while, he said quietly, "My lords, the three hundred-year-old Yue Kingdom is about to perish in the hands of you and me, the king and ministers. How can Gou Jian face our ancestors?
Is there anything else we can do now?"
The ministers of Yue looked at each other. Minister Wen saw that Gou Jian seemed unwilling to die for his country, so he hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, if you are unwilling to fight the Wu army to the end, you can only surrender."
Surrender!
As the King of Yue, he asked Qingji for surrender and requested Qingji to preserve the sacrifices of Yue. Even if the sacrifices could not be preserved, the bloodline should be preserved to plan for the future.
This is the tradition of the Spring and Autumn Period. Survival and destruction, and the kingly way of justice, are not necessarily impossible.
Doctor Wen kowtowed heavily and said, "Your Majesty, Qingji raised the army because he was resentful of the Five Cities deception. The Wu army soldiers were killed in the mountains. Your Majesty can put all the blame on me, and I believe this will dispel the anger of Wu.
I have an adopted daughter, named Shi Yi Guang. She is so beautiful that even flowers, insects, birds and beasts are fascinated by her. If I present her to Qingji, I will also give her the famous sword Zhanlu from the State of Yue.
Qingji has always prided himself on being a hero in the world. A beautiful woman and a precious sword must be the only thing he loves in his life. I think we can get him to agree, which will at least save your life."
As soon as Doctor Wen said this, Gou Jian was immediately moved. Beauties, swords, treasures, luxurious carriages and horses, these were all common things that countries asked for surrender. There were many examples of clans surviving because of offering treasures, especially the Xun family in Jin State. Although their country was destroyed, they still sat in the position of Shangqing in Jin State.
Gou Jian asked with some concern: "Is your adopted daughter really a beauty? Can she charm Qingji?"
The sword is just a dead object, the beauty is the most important. Doctor Wen said: "Your Majesty, I am the only one in the world! Don't say that Qingji is brave and lacks wisdom. Even if he is a talented person, everyone will be moved by her."
When Doctor Wen made his promise, Gou Jian showed a hint of joy, then he knelt on the ground with tears streaming down his face, holding Doctor Wen's hand and crying, "Doctor, you are a loyal minister of Yue, but you are sacrificing your life for the country of Yue. Can I just watch you being killed by Qingji?
The mountains and rivers mourn for you, the flowers, plants, birds and animals are indignant for you."
Doctor Wen's eyes flashed with sadness, but he still said calmly: "My wealth was given by the late king and you, and my family property was given by you. Now I return it to you, which is very fair."
Gou Jian sat on the largest stone steps and turned to look at the bonfires everywhere outside Kuaiji City. Countless Wu troops were ready to go.
After gazing for a long time, Gou Jian gradually lost his courage, held Doctor Wen's hand, and said with tears in his eyes: "The country of Yue and my life are all in your hands."
…
Sun Tzu led an army of 30,000 men and no one in the world could stop him. This is how a sage uses the military.
Please put yourself in the shoes of Jiang Qinqin's version of Xi Shi and build up your emotions. Here comes the picture above.
(End of this chapter)
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