For the long history of China, there was once a history that everyone must be familiar with, that is, the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States.
King Wu of Zhou destroyed the Shang Dynasty and divided the world into 1,800 kingdoms. The three families were divided into the Spring and Autumn Period before the Jin Dynasty, and then the Warring States Period.
Due to the fact that there are too many princely states in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States, many princely states have had periods of exerting their strength. The term "Overlord's King" comes from the five kinds of monarchs that Bao Shuya referred to as Duke Huan, and the "Spring and Autumn Five Hegemons" later said were the five "Overlords of the Hegemonic Kingdom".
Among them, the Duke of Qi Huan, the Duke of Qin Mu, the Duke of Jin Wen, the Duke of Song Xiang, and the King of Chu Zhuang are the five most recognized "Spring and Autumn Five Hegemons".
On the five overlords on this list, Song Xianggong should be the most controversial, can it be included in the list?
1: The title of the princely state, the Song state is the head of the princely states, as a first-class duke.
The first monarch of the Song Dynasty was the brother of the King of Shang, who was extremely prestigious among the remnants of the Shang Dynasty. In order to prevent the remnants of the Shang Dynasty from rebelling, King Cheng of Zhou enfeoffed the Song Dynasty, drove half of the Shang Dynasty remnants into the Song State, and let The Weizi govern the Song State. Moreover, the Song Kingdom was given the title of a first-class duke, "as a guest of the royal family, not a subordinate", which should be a different country among the eighteen hundred princely states, and it is also a very influential country.
There is no problem for the Song Kingdom to enter the "Five Hegemons" in terms of titles.
2: National strength, number of troops.
The basis for the survival of a princely state is the army, and the number of troops determines the strength of the country. The superpowers of the Spring and Autumn Period were also known as the Land of a Thousand Multipliers (about seventy-five people by one, and about seventy-five thousand by a thousand). Qin, Jin, and Chu were all veteran countries of the Thousand Multiplications, and the State of Qi also reached the Number of Thousand Multipliers during the Qi Huan Gong period. The Song state's troops for the Song state during the confrontation between Hongshui and the Chu army were seven hundred times. Therefore, the Song Dynasty should be counted as the only superpower in these five countries that is not a country of a thousand multipliers.
The Song Dynasty could not be compared with the other four countries in terms of the strength of the country's army.
3: On the comprehensive ability of the monarch.
After the death of Duke Huan of Qi, civil unrest broke out in the State of Qi, and Song Xianggong led the four kingdoms of Weiguo, Cao Guo, and Qiu Guo to fight in the State of Qi, and the Qi people should cooperate with each other and support the Duke of Qi, and Song Xianggong became famous. Later, Song Xianggong wanted to carry out the hegemony of the Duke of Qi Huan, and met an alliance on the border of Cao song, because The State of Huan did not participate in the meeting, he killed the emperor to sacrifice the river god, and went against the road of benevolence and righteousness advocated by him.
Later, Duke Xiang of Song met again in Mengdi in the territory of the Song Dynasty and was imprisoned by King Cheng of Chu. In the end, the border of the State of Chu invaded with the army, and the State of Chu returned to defend. Song Xianggong was able to return to the dynasty.
"Song Xianggong of the Mengdi League"
In order to avenge the imprisonment of the Chu state, Song Xianggong led a military vehicle to confront the Chu army against Hongshui, and the two armies against Song Xianggong still held high the banner of benevolence and righteousness, and waited for the Chu army to cross the Hongshui before starting the war, and was defeated by the Chu army. After this battle, Song Xianggong fell ill and the Song kingdom no longer regained its former glory. Until the later "Warring States Seven Heroes" did not have the name of the Song Kingdom.
Therefore, Song Xianggong of the Song Dynasty was able to be on the list of the "Spring and Autumn Five Hegemons", first of all, his early character image was appreciated by other princely states, and secondly, he quelled the civil strife in the state of Qi, the country of a thousand multipliers. In the end, the influence of the Song State as a first-class duke still existed.
If we talk about national strength and the ability of the monarch, song and song xianggong cannot be compared with the other four kingdoms.
For this personal opinion only, thank you