Chapter 90: Luo State takes sides, Chu State gets beaten
It is not an easy task to wipe out Zhongshan. The terrain in Taihang Mountains is dangerous and the city is built on the mountain. It is easy to defend and difficult to attack everywhere, so the early preparations must be particularly sufficient.
Especially for the main attacking states of Jin, Yan and Luo, a large number of siege equipment had to be prepared, and all the princes in the Central Plains began to prepare for war. After annihilating Zhongshan, there would be a massive war to expel the barbarians, in order to eliminate all the barbarians in the heart of the Central Plains.
Chong'er had made up his mind that before he died, he must achieve this achievement that would be passed down through the ages.
When the coalition forces had been preparing for a long time and had gradually moved into Taihang Mountains, the result of the Wu-Chu War came. Of course, it could not be concealed at all, especially since a large number of Chu nobles fled along the Han River, which could be seen by everyone in the world.
The State of Wu defeated the State of Chu and even captured the Chu capital Ying in one battle. Decades of accumulation by the State of Chu were wiped out, and the losses were even greater than the previous Battle of Yiluo between the State of Jin and Wu.
This result shocked everyone, even the State of Jin was dumbfounded. Is this little brother of the State of Wu so powerful?
The State of Jin is undoubtedly the most powerful country, but it cannot guarantee a win against the State of Chu. The two sides are just on par with each other, so it still needs to bring its allies along to ensure a win.
Now, Wu, a little brother of Luo, can directly defeat Chu? Is the national strength of Wu and Yue so strong after the unification?
Duke Chong'er of Jin, who had just become the overlord, asked his attendants in disbelief, "Did Wu really conquer Ying, the capital of Chu? That's a big country with a territory of 2,000 miles!"
Is this battle report true? Wu won victory after victory and defeated Chu?"
Several ministers who had previously assisted Chong'er had passed away, but the new recruits were still extremely capable and virtuous people. The thing that Jin State lacked the least was talent.
They simply read the battle report and roughly understood the war situation of both sides, and then directly judged: "Your Majesty, after the unification of Wu and Yue, although the strength of Wu has been greatly enhanced, it is impossible to achieve such a brilliant victory.
It was because Qingji and Sun Wu, the king and his minister, were too powerful and had too keen a sense of war. They took advantage of the chaotic political situation in Chu, the lack of generals, and the presence of mediocre people, and chose the most correct strategic direction, which ultimately led to the current situation.
However, the upper nobles of Chu fled quickly and did not fall into the hands of Wu. So although Wu had gained a great advantage, Chu was only seriously injured.
As long as the State of Chu could borrow troops from the State of Qin, it would be able to quickly restore its country.
However, in the future, Wu and Chu will probably use the line from Dabie Mountain, Panyang Lake to Yingshui as the dividing line to demarcate their respective territories. "
Chong'er was a little hesitant when he heard this and said, "My Lords, Chu is weak now. Should we break the peace treaty and give Chu a severe blow?"
He still had not forgotten the blow that Qin and Chu had dealt him in the past, which knocked him off the throne of overlord. If he had not gone to Luo State to beg for mercy, he would have almost died in the wilderness. What a painful experience it was.
All the nobles of Jin said in unison: "Your Majesty, you can't do this!
Reputation is the foundation of a hegemon, and as a witness to the covenant, if Luoguo breaks the covenant without reason, the Luo family will certainly be dissatisfied. You know how much they value reputation. "
The reputation of the Luo family is the most precious treasure in the world, and it cannot be destroyed by a mere Chong'er. Fortunately, Chong'er did not do so, otherwise Luo Yu would definitely let him know the horror of breaking the alliance.
The State of Jin was just shocked at most, but for the Luo State Academy, this was a feast, a war completely different from the past. The ideas that spread from the academy influenced all aspects of the world, including war.
In fact, since the end of the Wu-Yue War, many people have been wondering why Yue lost to Wu so easily. When it comes to this Wu-Chu War, many people are also thinking about it.
In Yongdu of Qin State, the Queen Mother of Chu and the King of Chu arrived in Qin State smoothly and brought the news of Chu's defeat. The king and his ministers of Qin were all stunned.
300,000 versus 150,000, with a population and territory several times larger than Wu's, and food and weapons far superior to Wu's. No matter how you look at it, the advantage is on Chu's side, right?
How could they be defeated so badly that they even lost the capital?
The Qin king and his ministers began to doubt their lives and wondered whether they could still keep this ally, but they still had to save him.
But when they unfolded the battle report between the two sides, they keenly felt that something was wrong, "Sir, these two people, Qingji and Sun Wu, are indeed not to be underestimated. They seem to be people like King Wu."
In Bang Zhou, King Wu is different from King Su. King Su is omnipotent and clearly blessed by heaven, but King Wu is a human god of war.
In the initial war with the Shang Dynasty, King Wu repeatedly defeated the larger force with a smaller one, eventually forcing the Shang Dynasty to collapse in national strength. He tried his best to fight a decisive battle against the Zhou army at Muye, but in the end, King Wu still won a great victory, and he personally charged into the battle line to crush the Shang Dynasty's morale.
"Sun Wu formulated the strategy and commanded the troops, and at the critical moment, Qingji, who was the bravest among the three armies, charged into the battle. The commanders of the two sides were completely different in level. No wonder the State of Chu was defeated so miserably.
My Lord, please remember that we are going east to help Chu to restore its country. We are forcing Wu to fight a war of attrition with our great national strength. They have come from afar and have no foundation, so they are definitely not our opponents. "
Amidst the shock of the world, the Qin army and the Chu army that had previously protected the nobles in their escape marched down the river, claiming to have sent out an army of 500,000 to recover the Chu territory.
At this time, the benefits of the feudal system implemented by the State of Chu became apparent, and the resistance on the Jianghan Plain was very strong.
The Qin army once again set foot on the land of Chu. The Qin general Gongzi Qian said with a smile: "Queen Dowager, last time Qin and Chu joined forces to defeat Jin. This time, it will be no problem to deal with Wu. Soon you will be able to return to Yingdu City and become the master of Chu again."
The Qin-Chu coalition forces, which changed their war strategy, were still no match for the Wu army, but the losses of the army were within an acceptable range.
Qingji and Sun Wu immediately determined the intention of the Qin-Chu coalition. Qingji gritted his teeth and said, "They want to keep our army in Chu. As the situation develops, our army has come from afar and will certainly be weakened, but the Chu people's strength is endless. What a brilliant strategy."
It is so painful to have such strong power but be restricted by the situation and national strength and be unable to vent.
"Sir, the dispute between the two countries cannot be resolved in one generation. We really have to leave. We sent a letter to Luo State a few days ago, and now the mediation army has arrived."
After Sun Wu finished speaking, Qingji could already imagine the expressions of the Qin-Chu coalition forces when they saw Luo State's mediation.
The somewhat aggrieved feeling in his heart disappeared instantly. Human happiness is always built on the suffering of others.
Seeing the Wu army retreating, the Qin-Chu coalition forces naturally pursued and killed them. The two sides fought all the way to the bank of Yingshui River, and then they met the Central Plains coalition forces!
First, the emperor's royal flag was flying, followed by the flag of Jin State, followed by a series of princes such as Luo State, Qi State, Yan State, etc. Almost all the princes from the Central Plains who had participated in the alliance of Jin State were present.
Dozens of flags of various vassal states were neatly arranged between the mountains and rivers, and under the big banners were countless armored soldiers. It was truly shocking to look at.
The commander of the Qin-Chu coalition, Gongzi Qian, turned green in the face. He stepped forward angrily and asked, "Duke of Jin, Duke of Qi, and Crown Prince, are you going to break the peace treaty?"
Gongzi Qian felt as uncomfortable as if he had eaten a fly. He even wanted to fight a direct battle with the Central Plains coalition forces. Did he really think that Qin and Chu were afraid of the Central Plains?
At this time, Luo Yu was needed to make an appearance. He walked out of the coalition army, bowed to the Queen Mother of Chu and said, "The Regent of Chu, I wish you good health. Prince Qin, I don't agree with what you said. Luo has always been known for its credibility. How could it break the alliance?"
The Queen Mother of Chu looked at the graceful Prince Yu with a light in her eyes, and said repeatedly: "General, the prince said this, there must be some misunderstanding."
"I……"
Gongzi Qian took a deep breath and said slowly, "Prince, please tell me what you want to teach me."
Luo Yu sighed and said, "During the previous meeting, I thought Zhongshan was just a barbarian that could be easily conquered, but I didn't expect that the princes of the Central Plains suffered heavy casualties and failed to capture it.
At this time, all the countries in China should be united and advance and retreat together. Qin, Chu and Wu are all strong and big countries among the countries in China. Do they still need to fight like this and hurt the harmony?
We, the princes of the Central Plains, have come here to mediate the war between your country and the State of Wu, and to invite the three countries to join the coalition forces to wipe out Zhongshan. This is the kingly way of justice. "
Gongzi Qian was furious. When the State of Wu invaded Yingdu, you didn't come out to stop them. Now that our two countries' coalition forces have the upper hand, you come to negotiate peace, right?
"What the prince said is true, but the war between Wu and Chu has been protracted, and now Wu has occupied a large amount of Chu's land. What should we do about this?"
Luo Yu's face turned serious, and he said coldly: "Hanyangping was originally the land of the princesses granted by our ancestors. When did it become the territory of Chu?
If you say this, where does this put the Zhou Dynasty's rites and laws?
It would be better if Wu and Chu used the Yingshui River and Dabie Mountains as the boundary and re-enfeoffed the princes in the middle. This would surely be acceptable to both sides."
The core areas of Chu State, the Nanyang Basin and the Jianghan Plain, are in their hands. As long as these two areas are not lost, they can accept it.
But this was still a great humiliation. A full one-third of the land was ceded, and the State of Wu directly gained a large plain, which greatly enhanced its foundation.
The strength of Chu State is now greatly reduced, and Qin State is at a disadvantage and cannot stand alone. Naturally, it can only grit its teeth and swallow it.
Qingji and Sun Wu were very satisfied that they had achieved their strategic goals, and the Wu State was about to usher in a period of great development.
When they walked out of the place of peace negotiation and looked at the treaty in their hands, the Queen Mother did not think there was anything wrong, but Prince Qian and the new prime minister of Chu were full of anger in their eyes.
Although it was the interests of Chu that were ceded, Gongzi Qian was a man with a long-term vision. He understood that Qin and Chu were one, and that now it was Chu that was being trampled upon, and the next would be Qin.
"The Central Plains countries are going too far!"
The Prime Minister of Chu was even more furious. Qin was just a victim of the Qin's death. Chu was not only insulted, but also lost a large piece of land. "It's been almost six hundred years. What did the Chu people do wrong?
Most High God, when will you shine upon your people?"
The grief and indignation in his words made Gongzi Qian feel even more sympathetic. Although the Qin State was miserable, it was still far worse than the Chu State. The Chu State was beaten time and time again, and basically every time it was the princes of the Central Plains who beat them up.
"Prime Minister, after I returned to the country, I wrote to the king, asking him to expand Bashu and build up the country's strength. The strategy of the great minister to be in a different place is still a wise and insightful idea now."
Yili had always believed that it was impossible for the Qin State to move eastward. It would take at least a hundred years to accumulate national strength and wait until a civil war broke out among the princes in the Central Plains before moving eastward.
After the peace talks, Qingji thanked Chong'er, Luo Yu and Lu Jing. After all, the reason why Wu was able to gain so many benefits was because his allies were stronger than those of Chu.
Of course, there was no need to use Wu to destroy Zhongshan, that was just an excuse.
This war, which lasted for more than half a year, ended with the Chu State ceding land. However, the anger in the hearts of the Chu people was completely ignited. They were determined to take revenge and take back the land that fell into the hands of the Wu State.
While the State of Wu was busy digesting the newly occupied land, it was also preparing for war.
…
The Yingshui Peace Talks were an ultimatum made by the Ji-Jiang Alliance to the Qin-Chu Alliance during the Spring and Autumn Period. The Ji-Jiang Alliance attempted to build a stable system, but this system was maintained by exploiting the Qin-Chu Alliance. As the Qin-Chu Alliance recovered and grew in strength, those fundamental contradictions that could not be eliminated were mixed with human anger, making the entire Zhuxia world like living in the crater of a volcano, with destruction coming at any time. ——"The Rise and Fall of the Zhou Dynasty"
(End of this chapter)
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