In the struggle for supremacy in the northern Central Plains, the states of Jin and Qi reigned supreme, while the state of Qin always sought opportunities to expand eastward. Other smaller states, however, eked out a living, surviving in the cracks between these states.
However, in the south, although the State of Chu was the dominant power, it was not without rivals.
The State of Wu was the second most powerful state in the south, capable of rivaling the State of Chu.
Although the territory of Wu was not as vast as that of Chu, its people were fierce, its resources were abundant, and its population was large. Moreover, apart from Chu, it had no other rivals. Further east lay the sea, giving it a unique advantage for development!
There were frequent frictions between the states of Wu and Chu, but none of them escalated into a major war.
Because both sides knew that the other was not an easy nut to crack.
It will be difficult for the State of Chu to destroy the State of Wu!
It would be difficult for the State of Wu to destroy the State of Chu, because the State of Chu was too large. Even if it were to win every battle, it would be impossible to digest it!
Sometimes Wu would take several counties from Chu in a row, but when Chu, this slow-reacting behemoth, gathered its forces and came back to fight, Wu would have no choice but to spit out the meat it had swallowed!
Therefore, the two sides remained in a stalemate.
As a result, Jiang Ming's artificial flood control directly submerged the main force of the Chu state, including the capital, ancestral temple, and ancestral tombs. The population loss was nearly one-fifth, instantly crippling the Chu state!
While Jiang Ming was heading north to deal with the Northern Xiongnu, the Wu Kingdom seized the opportunity to launch a direct attack, conquering cities and seizing territory from the Chu Kingdom.
Many cities had been in a state of constant change of ownership due to the struggle between the two powerful states of Wu and Chu.
Today it belongs to the State of Wu, tomorrow it belongs to the State of Chu; there is no certainty!
Now the central system of the Chu state has collapsed, and the so-called King of Chu, appointed by the emperor, is a murderer who has now gone to the Yan state to fight with the Hu people. The whole country is in a state of anarchy.
As a result, they surrendered to the State of Wu one after another, and the State of Wu took over 60% of the territory of the State of Chu almost without shedding a drop of blood.
As for that 40% of the land...
Because the State of Chu was always in a "disorganized" state, much like a smaller version of the Great Gan Dynasty.
After the fall of the Chu royal family, each of them returned to their independent state and were not willing to be governed by the Wu state, thus maintaining a confrontational stance.
As for the Wu Kingdom, it had too much territory to digest in a short time, so it couldn't spare the time to launch a campaign against them.
After all, the territory of the State of Chu was larger than that of the Central Plains, and its nearly 6 million people were not easy to manage.
The state of Wu was also very clever; they knew when to stop while they were ahead.
Forty percent of Chu's territory was left as a buffer zone against the Daqian court...
Also, let's see what Jiang Ming means?
During this time, the King of Wu mobilized his army and prepared for war, focusing all his energy on preparing for the "storm" that Jiang Ming was about to unleash.
They chose the same strategy as the Northern Xiongnu Chanyu Yixieer: instead of launching an attack, they used the complex mountainous terrain within the Wu Kingdom to set up layers of checkpoints, digging countless traps for Jiang Ming, just waiting for him to fall into them.
The King of Wu carefully studied and analyzed all the wars that Jiang Ming had launched, including the war against the Northern Xiongnu, and came up with corresponding solutions!
He believed that Jiang Ming's previous defeated opponents were foolish because they only knew one side of the story and not the other; they only knew what happened but not why it happened!
The essence of military strategy lies in adapting to changing circumstances; it cannot be learned by simply copying others.
Therefore, the King of Wu also searched far and wide for capable people and generals, and recruited a large number of generals who were good at fighting in the court!
It can be said that before Jiang Ming took action against the Wu Kingdom, the Wu Kingdom was already armed to the teeth!
Jiang Ming had already sent "informants" to infiltrate the Wu Kingdom to gather intelligence, and they brought back information about Wu's "preparations for war."
Looking at the terrain of the Wu Kingdom on the sand table, Jiang Ming frowned, knowing that defeating the Wu Kingdom might be even more difficult than defeating his own motherland, the Qin Kingdom!
Besides the bravery and skill of its people, the most crucial factor in the state of Wu was its strong cohesion!
In fact, it can be seen as an enlarged version of the "Zhongshan State".
Moreover, the ruler of Wu was far more intelligent than the ruler of Zhongshan...
This can be seen from his troop deployment, as well as his logistical support and troop deployment!
Taking over the Wu Kingdom was by no means an easy task.
Moreover, if we go to war with Wu, and Qin attacks from behind, we will be forced into the awkward situation of fighting on two fronts, which is obviously terrible!
Although the states of Zhao and Wei were able to restrain the state of Qin, continuing this situation indefinitely was not a wise strategy.
Moreover, the terrain of Wu is complex, far from being a flat grassland. As long as the main force is located, a battle can be fought!
Just as Jiang Ming was pondering how to resolve the Wu Kingdom issue in Luoyi City, the Qin Kingdom's envoy arrived!
News of Jiang Ming's successful annihilation of the Northern Xiongnu in the Gobi Desert also reached Xianyang, the capital of Qin.
The old King of Qin realized that he no longer had the strength or resources to bargain with his son!
Previously, the Qin army had suffered greatly from the harassment and plundering of cities and territories by 60,000 to 70,000 Northern Xiongnu cavalry on the northern border of Qin.
The Northern Xiongnu cavalry were brave and skilled in battle, disciplined, and flexible in their tactics, making it extremely difficult for the Qin army to resist!
Fortunately, Jiang Ming wiped out the main force of the Xiongnu in the Great Xianbei Mountains, scaring them into fleeing westward and giving the Qin state a breather!
This clearly shows that Jiang Ming's troops are even stronger than the Northern Xiongnu. If they were to fight against him again, the consequences would be unimaginable!
Despite the natural barrier of Hangu Pass, which could block the westward advance of the Central Plains army.
However, the Northern Xiongnu had already found a way to bypass Qin and advance into Qin. Jiang Ming had wiped out the main force of the Northern Xiongnu and captured their generals. How could he not know how to bypass Qin and attack Qin?
In particular, Jiang Ming is ruthless and vicious; he even killed the emperor. What else is he incapable of doing?
After weighing the pros and cons, Jiang Ming's "father," the old King Qin, also decided to send envoys to Jiang Ming to pledge allegiance and express his willingness to submit to the administration of the Da Gan court.
However, he was unwilling to relinquish his military power.
The reasons given were also quite valid.
The northwest is inhabited by ethnic minorities such as the Qiang, Linhu, and Loufan, and the Northern Xiongnu may also launch a counterattack at any time. Therefore, a large number of soldiers are needed to guard the border, and we hope Jiang Ming can understand.
Jiang Ming's mindset had already changed, and he no longer wanted to make things difficult for his father.
He simply told the Qin envoy that Qin's geographical location was special, so they didn't have to hand over two-thirds of their soldiers, but they had to send his brother Ying Zhuang to Luoyi as a hostage!
The Qin envoy relayed Jiang Ming's message back to Qin.
When the old King of Qin heard this, he was overjoyed. After all, sending a son as a hostage was better than having his own son come to kill him!
Most importantly, it can also quell a brutal war!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com