Bao Wuguang Shang Yang fled to Huayin

  In 340 BC, King Xuan of Chu died and his son, King Wei of Chu, ascended to the throne. In the early years of King Wei's reign, Shang Yang led a 100,000-strong Qin army out of the Xiao Pass and attacked the Chu army at Shangnan, but was defeated by the Chu general Qu Wu.

  In 338 BC, during the second year of King Wei's reign, Duke Xiao of Qin died and his son, Duke Huiwen of Qin, ascended to the throne. King Wei ordered a large army to move to the Luo River and Zhoukou, where they defended against the Wei army. He then personally led an army of 200,000 out of Jingzhou and Xiangyang, marching north to Nanjun and Zhechuan to attack Shang Yang's state.

  Shang Yang led an army of 200,000 out of the Xiao Pass and clashed with the Chu army at Shangnan. He was defeated by Qu Wu and retreated to defend the Xiao Pass. King Wei ordered his army to attack the Xiao Pass while also ordering General Qu Wu to lead an army of 100,000 along the Dan River to attack Shang Yang's hometown of Shangyong (Danfeng).

  Duke Huiwen of Qin heard that King Wei was attacking Shang Yang and gathered his officials to discuss the matter. He said, "King Wei is leading a large army to attack Shang Yang's state. In my opinion, Shang Yang will soon be defeated by the Chu army. If the Chu army defeats Shang Yang, they will surely take over Shangzhou and march all the way to Luonan. The area east of Shangzhou and Luonan, north of the Dan River, and including Shangyong, was already part of Qin during my ancestor Duke Xian's time. If the Chu army defeats Shang Yang and takes over his state, then not only will Shangyong and Xiao Pass be theirs, but also Shangzhou, Luonan, and the surrounding area of 700 li. This would pose a great threat to our Qin state.

  Therefore, I plan to send troops to help Shang Yang defend against the Chu army outside the Xiao Pass. What do you think?" Only then did the old official Gan Long speak up, saying, "Your Majesty must not! In the past, when Shang Yang led the Qin army in a surprise attack on the Chu state's Shangzhou and Danfeng territories, Duke Xiao knew that King Xuan of Chu would surely send troops to punish us. So he gave Shang Yang all 700 li of the Shangzhou territory, allowing him to establish his own state, with the intention of diverting the disaster.

  Now King Wei is following in his father's footsteps and intends to retake the lost territories. If Your Majesty sends troops to confront them, the Chu and Qin armies will surely clash. At that time, the Wei army will take advantage of our weakness and attack Huayin, marching straight towards the capital. Moreover, the Chu state currently has over a million armored soldiers. If they continue to increase their troops and add more generals, with our current military strength, we cannot resist them!

  I hope Your Majesty will reconsider." Duke Huiwen asked, "According to your opinion, how should I handle this?" Gan Long replied, "Shang Yang's actions are truly rebellious. Your Majesty can send an envoy to King Wei to reestablish the alliance between our two states and renew our old friendship.

  At the same time, you can issue a decree stripping Shang Yang of his title and ordering him to hand over his military authority. When Shang Yang sees the decree, he will surely refuse to comply and rebel against us. Your Majesty can then use this as an excuse to send troops to capture Shangzhou and Shangyong, and reestablish our old borders with the Chu state.

  This way, not only will we avoid conflict with the Chu state, but also eliminate the threat posed by Shang Yang. This is a win-win situation, and Your Majesty should make a decision as soon as possible. If you delay, Shang Yang will surely be defeated, and the 700 li of Shangzhou territory will fall into the hands of the Chu state." Duke Huiwen said, "Good!" and immediately sent an envoy to King Wei to reestablish their alliance and renew their old friendship.

  He also issued a decree listing Shang Yang's ten major crimes, stripping him of his title, removing him from office, and ordering him to hand over all military authority. The decree ordered Shang Yang to surrender himself in Xianyang.

  Shang Yang saw the decree, of course, did not want to put down the honor and wealth in front of him, because this was what he had struggled for half his life with a reputation for disloyalty and unrighteousness. Therefore, Shang Yang not only refused to listen but also openly rebelled against the Qin state. Duke Huiwen of Qin issued an order to the entire state of Qin to execute Shang Yang, and led 200,000 troops along with General Sima Cuo to march east on the ancient road of Shangluo, capture Danyang, and take over Shangzhou. When Shang Yang saw this, he sent someone to ask King Wu of Chu for peace talks. King Wu of Chu saw that Shang Yang's words were sincere and hesitated for a long time. Qu Wuyi said: "Shang Yang has ability but no virtue. As a native of the state of Wei, he served as an official in Wei, but when Wei was weak, he betrayed his ancestors and his country, sold out the state of Wei, and defected to the prince of Wei, later cutting off all ties with Wei and currying favor with the state of Wei. When Qin and Wei were at odds, he did not repay the kindness that Prince Wu of Wei had shown him but instead betrayed Wei and defected to Qin, plotting against Prince Wu who had twice saved his life. For the sake of fame and fortune, he was willing to do anything, a truly ruthless and cunning man. After achieving success, he established his own state of Shang and divided the court with the capital city of Xianyang. Now he refuses to obey the king's orders and openly rebels - is this the behavior of a loyal subject? In the past, King Hui of Wei did not use Shang Yang because he saw that Shang Yang had a heart full of treachery and unrighteousness, and said to him 'Have you not heard that benevolence has no enemies, and righteousness can overcome any obstacle?' Unfortunately, Prince Wu of Wei only knew about the wolf's abilities but did not know its true nature. I have heard that in Zhongshan there are wolves that when hungry and cold will beg for food from people, but once they are warm and full, they will harm their masters. This is a lesson from history - Your Majesty should be cautious." King Wu of Chu listened to this and refused Shang Yang's request for peace talks, ordering the Chu army to intensify its attack on Shaoyi Pass.

  A few days later, Wu Qi's 100,000-strong Chu army sailed up the Dan River to arrive at Shangyi, while Shaoguan was also breached by the Chu army. The two armies of Chu converged on Danfeng and attacked Shangyi together. Shang Yang was no match for them, so he led his troops in a hasty retreat northward. Along the way, they were defeated again by Sima Cuo, and under the protection of his bodyguards, Shang Yang escaped to Luonan by climbing over hills. King Huiwen of Qin then dispatched troops to pursue Shang Yang, while Sima Cuo led the Qin army together with Wu Qi's Chu army into Shangyi. The two sides refused to yield to each other, arrayed their forces opposite each other, and were on the verge of engaging in a fierce battle. Just as they were about to clash, King Wuling of Chu and King Huiwen of Qin arrived on the scene, whereupon both sides ceased hostilities and shook hands in friendship. They agreed that from Shangzhou to Danfeng, Chu and Qin would divide the territory equally between them, with the southern part going to Chu and the northern part to Qin. The Qin army set up a pass at Shaoguan, while the Chu army established one at Shangzhou as a checkpoint for trade and human traffic between the two states. Each side stationed 1,000 soldiers to guard the passes. After this, King Wuling of Chu led his troops back to Jingdu, while King Huiwen of Qin returned with his army to Xianyang.

  Shang Yang led the defeated soldiers and generals, fleeing from Luoyang to Tongguan. With tears streaming down his face, he repeatedly begged Wei Gongzi to take him in. Wei Gongzi was moved by Shang Yang's pitiful state. However, General Wei Jia said: "You treacherous villain! You have your day of reckoning. You are a wolf from Zhongshan, and your greed knows no bounds. Isn't it enough that you plotted against our lord? I wanted to kill you, but I didn't want to sully my precious sword." Wei Gongzi listened and left with a flick of his sleeve. Shang Yang had no choice but to lead the defeated soldiers and generals to Huayin, where he gathered his old troops and attempted to make a last stand. Qin Duke Huiwen ordered Sima Cuo and Xiang Shou to lead 200,000 troops to surround and capture Shang Yang. Shang Yang refused to surrender and led his army in battle, but the soldiers turned against him, and he was defeated and captured. He was taken to Xianyang, where Qin Duke Huiwen sentenced him to be torn apart by five horses, a punishment known as "carriage splitting". After his death, a sudden thunderstorm struck, burning Shang Yang's remains. Alas! Although Shang Yang had great merit in the state of Qin, it was all for personal gain and fame, and he abandoned all sense of morality. It is not an exaggeration to call him a wolf from Zhongshan. What is tragic is that his entire family was also executed in the market square of Xianyang.