During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the State of Chu was always a great power and a great power. Just as the so-called "although the world is big, half into Chu", the Chu state occupied almost half of the territory of the world at that time in its heyday, and this huge volume was enough to make the Chu state proud of the crowd.
And the Chu state is precisely because it has a vast land and a large population, despite the vicissitudes of the Central Plains, the Chu state has maintained its strength in the five hundred years of turmoil, and it is a powerful existence that no country dares to ignore.
But it was such a powerful country that suffered a turmoil in the late Spring and Autumn Period, and its country was almost on the verge of extinction.
However, it was not the state of Chu that hit the state of Chu to this point, the old rival of the state of Chu, the state of Jin, or the state of Qi and Qin, but a new rising star in the late Spring and Autumn Period, the state of Wu.
The war between Wu and Chu was simply a struggle between two countries, but if we think about it carefully, we will find that this war reflects the political pattern of the entire late Spring and Autumn Period.
Stubborn Chu people: from migrant workers to big bosses
In the international pattern of the Spring and Autumn Period, the Chu state was originally a different kind. The State of Chu is located in the Yangtze River Basin, far from the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, where the Civilization of the Central Plains originated.
In the pre-Qin era, the Yangtze River Basin was almost an undeveloped and barbaric land, and the degree of civilization of the inhabitants living here was relatively backward compared with the residents of the Central Plains.
In earlier times, the Sanmiao people were originally inhabited here, and they were known as the "Miao Man Group".
In the era of tribal alliances of Chinese civilization, there were many wars with the Sanmiao people in the Central Plains, which made the Sanmiao as a race almost disappear, and only the scattered tribes that survived still lived here.
During the Xia-Shang-Zhou period, a new ethnic group, the Jingman, was gradually formed, which was once subject to the rule of merchants.
By the end of the Shang Dynasty, Jingman's power had grown so strong that it was widely distributed in the Yangtze River Basin.
By the time of the Zhou Dynasty, Xiong Xuan, the leader of the Xiong clan nobles in the region, chose to submit to the Zhou Dynasty, so he was divided into the State of Chu by the Zhou Dynasty, and his title was only a low-ranking "son".
Since then, the State of Chu has become a vassal state of the Zhou Dynasty, but its status is not very high, and it is despised by the Central Plains countries.
During the Western Zhou Dynasty, due to the gradual development and growth of the Chu state in the Jianghan region, and the area belonged to the closed zone of "Emperor Tiangao Yuan", which made the later Chu Jun reluctant to submit to the Zhou Dynasty.
However, as a vassal state of the Zhou Dynasty, the Zhou Dynasty would never allow anything to challenge its own authority and undermine the ruling order of the Western Zhou Dynasty, and once it appeared, it would inevitably resort to force.
Therefore, during the Western Zhou Dynasty, the Zhou Dynasty army repeatedly rebelled against the betrayal of the Chu State, but the Chu State chose to submit when it was weak, and once it had the opportunity, it would still think of seeking self-reliance.
In the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, due to the gradual decline of the authority of the Zhou royal family and the further expansion of the strength of the Chu state, the Chu state once again turned away from the Zhou Dynasty. During the reign of Xiong Tong, the ruler of the State of Chu, the State of Chu called itself "King" to show that it was on an equal footing with the Zhou Chamber.
Since then, the State of Chu has gradually expanded its territory through continuous external expansion, and by the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period, the State of Chu has become a powerful country with a dominant side.
At this time, the State of Chu was not satisfied with being limited to the Yangtze River Valley, and he hoped to extend his power to the Yellow River Valley in the Central Plains and give color to those Central Plains princes who once despised him.
During this period, the State of Chu actively marched into the Central Plains, dealing a severe blow to the traditional princely states in the Central Plains. However, at this time, the Jin state that had risen from the northern part of the Central Plains gave the Chu state a slap in the face, making the ambitious Chu state suffer an unprecedented fiasco.
After that, the State of Chu had to lie dormant for several years under the restrictions of the State of Jin, until the time of the Chu Zhuang King, the State of Chu revived its mighty style, actively chased the Central Plains, and avenged the revenge of chengpu in the Battle of Wu, and the State of Chu finally achieved the hegemony it had diligently pursued.
However, the good times did not last long, and during the reign of the Chu Communist King, the Jin state made a comeback and once again defeated the Chu army, causing the Chu state to lose its hegemonic position.
In order to completely lock down the State of Chu, the State of Jin united with the princely states of the Central Plains and even the East to build a "circular barrier" to tightly guard the key areas of the Central Plains and suppress the State of Chu.
Among these countries, there is one country that is the old enemy of the Chu State, that is, the State of Wu.
Xiong and Ji surnames, the enemy of the hard to give up
Unlike the State of Chu, the State of Wu was an old vassal state belonging to the ji clan. The founding monarch of the State of Wu was Taibo, who was the uncle of King Wen of Zhou.
The custom of the Zhou Dynasty was originally that the eldest son of the Zhou Dynasty inherited the family business, but the grandfather of The King of Zhou Wen Ji Chang was very fond of the clever Ji Chang, and if it was passed down to Tai Bo, then his beloved little grandson would inevitably have no connection with the family business, but he was not good at speaking, so he was very sad all day.
Taibo saw The King's thoughts, so he left Xiqi under the pretext of collecting medicine, and died all the way to the desolate Wuzhong region, where he took root and multiplied.
After King Wu established the Zhou Dynasty, he sent people to Wuzhong to look for Taibo's descendants, found Zhou Zhang, the nephew of Taibo, who was already the monarch of Wu at that time, and officially crowned him as the King of Wu and ranked as a prince.
Wudi was originally a barbaric land far away from the Central Plains, and the living customs here were relatively primitive and ancient when Taibo arrived, with the tradition of "hair cutting tattoos", and the farming technology was very backward.
The Zhou people are an ancient agricultural tribe living in the Guanzhong region, and their ancestor is the famous "Agricultural God" Houji, whose agricultural technology is relatively advanced.
After the arrival of Taibo, he introduced the agricultural techniques of the Zhou people to the local area, so he was loved by the locals. However, Taibo did not try to influence the cultural customs of the residents of Wudi, but instead cut off his own tattoos in order to integrate into the local area after arriving in Wudi.
The customs of the Wu people have not changed much for a long time, and they are still in their own vein, independent of the Central Plains civilization.
By the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period, the state of Wu had gradually become stronger, and during the reign of Shou Meng, he also claimed to be the king. Out of the need to suppress the State of Chu, the State of Jin actively allied itself with the State of Wu at this time.
During the Shoumeng period, because the Chu state grand master Shen Gongwuchen was exiled to the Jin state, he was later sent to the state of Wu as an envoy, accompanied by a large number of professional soldiers as technical experts to guide the development of the military of the state of Wu, and the military strength of the state of Wu was strengthened at this time.
However, although the State of Chu at that time could not defeat the State of Jin, the State of Wu was still holding hands, so it repeatedly attacked the State of Wu, but because of the backstage of the State of Jin, the State of Wu was not afraid of the State of Chu.
After this, the State of Wu actively operated in the countries of the Central Plains, traveling between Qi Zheng and Wei Jin, which created good conditions for the State of Wu to approach the culture of the Central Plains.
Just as the State of Wu was growing step by step, the State of Chu was in turmoil. In 541 BC, the Duke of Chu staged a coup d'état, killed the King of Chu, Jia Ao, and seized the throne of the State of Chu as King Ling of Chu.
King Chu Ling reigned for only twelve years, after which he was killed by Gongzi Renouncing Disease, who abandoned his illness and became king of Chuping.
The two monarchs of the Chu Dynasty came to power in a coup d'état, and during their reign they either fought foreign wars or killed internally, in addition to being extravagant and extravagant, wasting national strength, and their actions seriously damaged the strength of the Chu state.
And because the two kings of Chu, Lingping, were not righteous in their country, in order to consolidate their position, they vigorously attacked Gongqing Dafu internally. At the hands of King Ping, the doctor Wu Hao and his son Wu Shang were killed, and the second son Wu Shi fled to the state of Wu.
At this time, the state of Wu was during the reign of King Wu, who was the son of King Wu Yu Ming, and the four Brothers of Yu Ming were the third oldest.
The four Yu brothers were the most virtuous of the four brothers, Ji Zha, and the first king wanted to pass on the throne to Ji Zha, but Ji Zha was not affected, so the eldest son Zhu Fan took the throne.
Zhu Fan wanted to pass the throne to Ji Zha, so he stipulated that the four brothers would take the throne in order until Ji Zha became king.
However, after Yu Ming's death, Ji Zha still did not want to become the monarch and went abroad, which was only when Yu Ming's son Yi took the throne.
However, zhu Fan's son Guang was dissatisfied with his ascension to the throne, and he thought that since his uncle was unwilling to be, he should pass it on to himself.
After wu came to the kingdom of Wu, he served Gongzi Guang, and found an assassin for Gongzi Guang, specializing in disguise as a chef to hide the fish intestine sword in the belly of the fish, and then assassinated King Wu successfully, and Gongzi Guang successfully took the throne, which was for King Wu.
After Lu Lu took the throne, he reused the military and used many talents at the same time, including Sun Wu, who was known as the "Saint of Soldiers", and Bo Zhao, who fled from the Chu state.
During this period, King Lu of Wu had been reorganizing his armaments and preparing to attack the Chu state at any time. In 506 BC, under the leadership of the soldier Sun Wu, the Wu army marched westward to attack the Chu state. The Wu army won five battles and five victories, and marched all the way to the capital of the Chu state.
At that time, King Chuping had died, and King ChuZhao was on the throne. In the face of the Wu army's destruction of the city, King Zhao's departure from Benxun County, the State of Chu was almost in a state of extinction.
Qin Aigong's little ninety-nine
After the Wu army broke through the capital of the State of Chu, a doctor named Shen Baoxu of the State of Chu wanted to seek the help of the State of Qin in order to save the State of Chu from the State of Qin.
The State of Qin and the State of Chu basically belonged to the neighboring states with water in their clothes, and the relationship between the two sides had always been relatively harmonious, and the reigning Duke of Qin at that time was still the uncle of King Chu Zhao.
We have always said that Qin and Jin are good, but since the Battle of Kunshan, the relationship between the Qin and Jin states has been broken.
The State of Jin and the State of Chu have always been opposites, and in line with the principle that the enemy of the enemy is a friend, the State of Qin has always actively made good friends with the State of Chu.
The news that the State of Wu had breached the capital of the State of Chu had actually reached the State of Qin early on, and there was a fierce discussion within the State of Qin on whether or not the State of Chu should be saved, and the mainstream opinion at that time was to save the State of Chu, because if the State of Chu did not have the State of Jin, it would have one less enemy, and the State of Qin would have one less helper who could contain the State of Jin.
But at this time, Qin Aigong had not yet made a final decision. After that, Shen Baoxu hurried to the Qin State, and Shen Baoxu ran all the way on foot for more than a thousand miles, and his feet were worn out, until he arrived at lantian in the Qin state and was escorted to Yongcheng by Qin soldiers.
When he arrived at the Qin capital Yongcheng, Shen Baoxu cried and asked the Duke of Qin to send troops to rescue the Chu state, he had thought that the Qin people were in a sense of crisis and gu Nian's nephew's feelings would immediately agree to him.
But unexpectedly, Qin Aigong directly refused, saying that he wanted to have a good discussion, and then Qin Aigong asked Shen Baoxu to rest first.
But Shen Baoxu just wouldn't leave, insisting that Qin Aigong agree, and when Qin Aigong left, he would lie down at the door of the main hall and cry, and this crying was actually seven days and seven nights.
Just when Shen Baoxu was almost unable to hold on, the Duke of Qin summoned him and told him that the State of Qin would immediately send troops to rescue the State of Chu.
Often when we read this story, we will be moved by Shen Baoxu's loyalty and righteousness, but in fact, what moved Qin Aigong was not Shen Baoxu's loyalty.
In fact, long before Shen Baoxu came, The Duke of Qin had already thought of sending troops to rescue the Chu State. Then why didn't Qin Aigong directly save chu guo, but instead watch the honest people cry in this miserable way for seven days and seven nights?
That's because Qin Aigong is not a philanthropist, but a politician, and politicians always have to consider the issue of maximizing interests.
Directly rescue the Chu state, is there any more direct benefit to the Qin state than to harvest an ally? Not really.
Therefore, the Duke of Qin sent people to the Chu kingdom early in the morning to find The King of Chu Zhao, and to show the King of Chu Zhao that the State of Qin was willing to save the State of Chu, but it was necessary for the State of Chu to express it, that is, to contribute to the land of six hundred miles, and the King of Chu Zhao quickly agreed.
It was precisely after receiving a reply from King Chu Zhao that the Duke of Qin ai officially decided to send troops.
As for why he didn't tell Shen Baoxu that he almost cried and died in the Qin Kingdom, it was because Shen Baoxu did not get the king's edict when he came to the Qin Kingdom, and he could not be the lord of anything just by virtue of his sincerity, so there was no point in telling him.
By the time the Qin soldiers came to the Chu State, the Wu State had already occupied the Chu State for more than half a year. It was in this half a year that Wu Bing indulged in pleasure, burned and plundered, and his combat effectiveness seriously declined, and the first battle with the Qin army was defeated. Then, the main forces of the two sides began to confront each other.
But at this time, Wu Guo received bad news: Fu Shu, who had previously returned to China after defeat, established himself as king at home. At this time, King Lu of Wu had no heart to confront the Qin army anymore, and hurriedly led his troops back to the state of Wu, and then put down the fu rebellion.
After the withdrawal of the Wu state, the chu state also turned the crisis into safety. After helping the State of Chu to restore the country, the State of Qin also successfully obtained the land promised by the King of Chu for 600 miles.
The Wu-Chu War actually reflected the political landscape of China in the late Spring and Autumn Period. At that time, due to the long-term struggle for hegemony between Jin and Chu, and since the king of Chu, the State of Chu was on a strategic defensive position in the process of confrontation between the State of Jin, and the State of Chu was suppressed by the State of Jin.
In the process of suppressing the State of Chu, the State of Jin focused on cultivating the State of Wu, a pawn on horseback.
The State of Wu and the State of Chu had a direct conflict of geographical interests, but the State of Wu was relatively weak, and the State of Jin provided weapons technology and military guidance to the State of Wu at any cost, making the State of Wu gradually become a military power and constituting an important force for the State of Jin to restrain the State of Chu.
Since the Battle of Kunshan, the State of Qin and the State of Jin have completely torn their faces, and the two sides have also launched a long-term struggle, but the State of Qin is at a disadvantage. Therefore, after the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period, the relationship between Qin and Chu became closer and closer.
The State of Qin could not allow the State of Wu to destroy the State of Chu, so that the power of the State of Jin would expand unprecedentedly, which would be a devastating disaster for the State of Qin.
All along, because of the fear of the rise of the State of Wu, the State of Chu was also trying to find ways to balance the State of Wu, that is, to support the State of Yue.
During the Wu-Chu War, the State of Chu instigated the State of Yue to attack the State of Wu, but because compared to the State of Wu, the power of the State of Yue was too weak to play much of a role.
However, after the restoration of the Chu state, in the face of the powerful State of Wu, it had to focus on strengthening the antagonism between Wu and Yue. It was in this context that the State of Wu and the State of Yue, as the two great powers of the late Spring and Autumn Period, rose one after another, continuing the final cause of hegemony.
Resources:
"The State of Wu Broke the State of Chu, Why the State of Qin Must Save the State of Chu"
Chu Man in the Shang Dynasty and the Chu State in the Early Western Zhou Dynasty