Qin jin first battle: Qin state against the east for the first time to shine the sword | Qin 015

Duke Degong of Qin was thirty-three years old when he succeeded to the throne, at a time when he was rich and powerful. His brother Duke Wu of Qin had a son named Bai, who failed to succeed his father and was enfeoffed in Pingyang. The Chronicle of History says:

"(Duke Wu of Qin) had a son, named Bai, Bai Buli, and Feng Pingyang. Established his brother Degong. ”

Judging from this record, letting his younger brother Duke De succeed to the throne is like an arrangement by Duke Wu of Qin. After the death of Duke Wu of Qin, he was also buried in Pingyang. His son was sealed in Binh Duong, perhaps simply arranging for him to guard the grave for his father. Another thing is that after the death of Duke Wu of Qin, there were sixty-six people who accompanied him to the funeral. These should all be qin wugong's close associates and important subjects. The person who did this was obviously Qin Degong, even if Qin Wugong was arranged in this way on his deathbed, Qin Degong did not seem to be soft at all in carrying out this matter.

The year in which Duke De of Qin succeeded to the throne was 677 BC, and it was also this year that in the Jin Dynasty, Duke Xian of Jin succeeded to the throne.

Although the matter of his son's succession to the throne in the later period was a bit absurd, it did not prevent him from being a generation of male lords in the Spring and Autumn Period, and it was also during his reign that the jin state greatly increased its national strength and became a big country. Objectively speaking, it may be said that it was he who laid the foundation strength for Jin Wengong to later become the hegemon.

The newly emerging State of Qin should still be an inconspicuous small country for the State of Jin. During this period, however, the situation became delicate. Before this, the development of the Qin state did not seem to have any direct conflict with the eastern countries, they were just fighting for territory between the tribes of Xirong and Xirong. As their strength continues to grow, developing eastward has become their national policy.

"In the first year of the Reign of De, he first lived in the Yongcheng Dazheng Palace. Three hundred prisons are used to honor the temple. Bu Juyong. Descendants drink horses in the river. ”

We should perhaps pay special attention to This sacrifice of Qin Degong in Yongcheng. This was the most important thing during the reign of Duke Degong of Qin. What the Qin people seem to need is the result of divination during this sacrifice: "Descendants drink horses in the river." ”

The descendants of the Qin state will continue to expand their territory to the east, drinking horses to the Yellow River.

What does this mean? This means that conflicts between the Qin state and the eastern countries are bound to occur. The first to bear the brunt was the Jin Dynasty.

During the reign of Duke Degong of Qin, there did not seem to be any direct conflict of interest between him and the Jin State. After all, his reign was too short, even though he was only thirty-three years old and had only been in the service for two years before he died. Whether he died of the plague in the summer of the year after he took the throne is difficult to say. He was succeeded by his son Duke Xuan of Qin.

Extrapolating from the age of Qin Degong, Qin Xuangong should also be very young when he succeeded to the throne. After all, when his father died, he was only in his thirties.

At this time, more than three hundred years have passed since the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty, that is to say, an old princely state like Jin has also been established for three hundred years. With the weakening of the Zhou royal family, the State of Qi and the State of Jin rose to prominence and became two superpowers.

At this time, the State of Qin, which had just entered the stage of history, gradually stabilized its territory and began to advance eastward in the continuous conquest of Xi Rong. No one should be looking at them at this point.

What did several princely states do in those years?

"In the year of Xuan Yuan, Wei and Yan fell into the Zhou Dynasty, and the Prince of Hui and Li Wang. Three years later, Zheng Bo and Uncle Yu killed their sons and entered the Hui King. ”

That is to say, at least Wei Guo, Yan Guo, Zheng Guo, and Yu Guo were busy intervening in the Zhou royal family's struggle for the throne during that time. To put it bluntly, it is to establish its own spokesperson in the Zhou royal family.

The State of Qin did not participate. For the emerging Qin state, they should understand that this trip to muddy waters may not have any practical benefits for them. Consolidate their territory and continue to annex the tribes of Sidon to be more practical to them.

The Jin state under the leadership of Duke Xian of Jin also did not participate. This may be because during this time, he has been busy dealing with the threat of the Gong clan within the Jin State. At this time, he did not seem to need the Zhou royal family to support him. From later, we can see that in the years of the reign of Duke Xian of Jin, he expanded the territory of the Jin state by three times. That is to say, the Duke of Jin should have promoted his territorial expansion plan very steadily, which also began by encroaching on the territory of the small countries around Jin and the various tribes of Xirong. For example, in 672 BC (the fifth year of the Jin Dynasty), the Duke of Jin captured Li Rong and obtained Li Ji and her sister. This also buried the hidden dangers of the Later Jin Dynasty.

Well, we should be able to see where the conflict between Qin and Jin is. The emerging State of Qin was expanding its territory, and the old powers were expanding their territory. The pace of the Qin people's push to the east finally had direct contact with the great powers in the east. This engagement begins with conflict. As a result, the first battle of Qin and Jin broke out.

"(Qin) fought with The Jin Dynasty in Heyang and won the battle."

What was the immediate trigger for this battle? It is not said in the Chronicle of History, nor is it said who provoked it first. Judging from the meaning of this sentence, the State of Qin, as a new princely state, did not shrink back in the face of the old power Jin State. Over the years, they have gone through too many baptisms of war, and they are not afraid to fight. As a result, they really won the battle.

Is this a decisive and significant victory? Doesn't seem to be that counts. The year was also 672 BC. In the face of the emerging Qin state in the West, the Jin state may only regard it as a small state in the Western Rong, and may be defeated by a light enemy. But at the same time, it also means that in many years of war with the various tribes of Xirong, the Qin state has honed its real strength, so that they have the ability to fight with the eastern countries.

The Battle of Heyang should have greatly boosted the morale of the Qin state, and at the same time, this young princely state that had steadily advanced all the way east from the west should also enter the vision of the eastern countries. This was also the beginning of the Qin state entering the great battlefield of the East.

From this moment on, the conflict between the Qin state and the East could no longer be avoided. At the same time, the victorious State of Qin should also realize that it is far from the right time for such a direct conflict to break out with the State of Jin.