Chapter 4: Fa Kang's Praise of Qin and Shu's Great General, War in Hanyin, Chu Huai Defeated by Sima
In the spring of 325 BC (the fourth year of Chu Huai Wang and the thirteenth year of Qin Huiwen Gong, the first year of Qin Huiwen Wang), this was the year when Qin Huiwen Wang began to call himself king and prepare to compete for dominance in the Central Plains. Chu Huai Wang ordered Zhaoyang to lead a large army northward, deploying troops in Xiangyang, Nanyang, Fang, and Ye, while he personally led an army of 200,000 elite soldiers with Zhaoyu out of Dangyang, advancing towards Shangyong and Fagong (Hanzhong), claiming to punish the State of Shu for its unrighteous actions in invading Chu during the mourning period of King Huai of Chu in 327 BC. Why did Chu Huai Wang have to go to Fagong (Hanzhong) to attack the State of Shu? It turned out that Hanzhong (now southwestern Shaanxi Province, including the area around present-day Hanzhong City) was part of the territory of the State of Shu at that time and was a necessary passage from Guanzhong to the Sichuan Basin. In the Zhou Dynasty, this area was known as Fagong, with its territory stretching from Lüeyang County to Chenggu County. Therefore, some historical books also referred to it as Fagong. In 770 BC, due to the invasion of the Di and Quanrong tribes, a group of people from Zheng (now Hua County) fled to the southern bank of the Han River in Hanzhong and settled there, which was then called Nanzheng. Later, when the Qin state expanded its territory to eastern Shaanxi, the area around Hua County became part of the Qin state, and since 451 BC, the Qin people had begun building a city in Nanzheng, referring to Hanzhong as their southern Zheng. Later on, after Fagong was defeated by Shu, the territory of Fagong (Hanzhong) became part of the State of Shu. The "Huayang Guo Zhi: Shu Ji" records: "During the reign of King Xuan of Zhou, the Marquis of Shu had control over Fagong."
The Marquis of Shu heard that the King of Chu, Hui Wang, was leading a large army of 200,000 to invade Han (Hanzhong) and punish him. He was so anxious that he couldn't eat or sleep. On one hand, he led the armies of Shu and Ba to rush to Han (Hanzhong), and on the other hand, he sent an envoy to ask for help from King Huiwen of Qin.
King Huiwen of Qin received the letter from the Marquis of Shu asking for help and immediately summoned his officials to discuss the matter. He said: "Now that the King of Chu is leading a large army of 200,000 into Han (Hanzhong) to punish Shu, it's unstoppable. The Marquis of Shu has come to ask me for help, what do you think? Should we rescue him or not?"
One of his officials said: "Han (Hanzhong) is a natural pasture and granary, and it's the only way for Qin to go south to Ba and Shu. It's strategically very important. If Your Majesty doesn't send troops to rescue Shu, the army of Shu will be no match for the Chu army. In one or two months, the entire Han (Hanzhong) will be occupied by the Chu army. Once the Chu army occupies Han (Hanzhong), they will go south and attack Shu together, and the whole of Shu will belong to Chu. By then, it will be even more difficult for Your Majesty to plot against Ba and Shu. Moreover, once the opportunity is ripe, the Chu army will swing west from Han (Hanzhong) and conquer Tianshui, Baoji, and threaten Xianyang, which would put Qin in great danger."
King Huiwen of Qin said: "What you say is very true, I also have this worry. But since the King of Chu, Wei Wang, has been powerful and strong, now that the King of Chu, Hui Wang, is leading a large army, it's hard to stop him. If I lead a large army personally, there will inevitably be a life-and-death battle. At that time, the King of Wei will lead his army to attack our western border, and Qin's army will have to fight against two strong enemies at once, which would not be good."
Another official said: "Your Majesty doesn't need to worry about this. Now the Shu army still has over 100,000 soldiers. Your Majesty can send 100,000 elite troops, together with the Shu army of 200,000, and we can defeat the Chu army. The Chu army may have marched from Fangshan to Ankang for three hundred miles, but this area is all mountains and hills, and it's not convenient to transport grain and grass. Therefore, the Chu army cannot stay in Han (Hanzhong) for long. As long as we confront them, after some time, the Chu army will run out of food and grass, and they will inevitably retreat. At that time, we can take advantage of the situation and defeat the Chu army."
King Huiwen of Qin said: "Good!" He immediately ordered Sima Cuo to prepare 100,000 elite troops (30,000 cavalry and 70,000 infantry) to follow him to Han (Hanzhong) to confront the Chu army.
In the spring of 325 BC, in the third month (the fourth year of Chu Huai Wang), Chu Huai Wang led the Chu army out of An Kang (now Ankang City) and encountered the allied forces of Qin and Shu, numbering several hundred thousand, at Han Yin (now Hanyin County). The two sides faced each other on a flat plain, with their cavalry and infantry formations in place. Chu Huai Wang rode forward and said to Qin Hui Wen Wang, "Is it not you, King Hui Wen?" Qin Hui Wen Wang replied politely, "It is indeed I, and you are King Huai, aren't you? You truly have an extraordinary bearing, even more majestic than your father, King Wei." Chu Huai Wang said, "I am at your service. My late father told me that you were a man of reason, and that our two families had a close relationship through marriage. Why do you repeatedly cause trouble for Chu?" Qin Hui Wen Wang replied, "It is not my intention to cause trouble for Chu. Shu is a neighboring state of Qin, and when they are in difficulty, they come to me for help. Can I ignore their plea? It is only natural that relatives help each other, and neighbors help each other. You should understand this principle! Moreover, our two states have a close relationship through marriage; my queen is a princess from Chu. How could I not know about it?" Chu Huai Wang said, "Shu took advantage of our country's mourning period to launch an attack on us, which was extremely arrogant." Qin Hui Wen Wang said, "That was indeed wrong of Shu, but you have already vented your anger, and Shu's cities of Zi Yang and Suining are already in your possession. Why do you not spare them? Do you want to destroy them completely?" He then gestured for the King of Shu to come forward, but the latter was afraid to approach Chu Huai Wang due to their previous encounter. Qin Hui Wen Wang said, "What are you afraid of? I am here with my trusted general, Sima Cuo." The King of Shu finally rode forward and trembled as he spoke, "King Huai of Chu! Last time it was my fault; please forgive me this time." Qin Hui Wen Wang said, "Is that not settled then? Let us value harmony between our two states!" Chu Huai Wang smiled coldly and said, "A great army has been mobilized, involving the lives and property of hundreds of thousands of people. Can it be resolved with just a few words?" The King of Shu asked, "What do you want to do then?" Chu Huai Wang replied, "We can stop fighting, but Shu must compensate us for our military expenses." The King of Shu asked, "How much compensation do you want?" Chu Huai Wang said, "Hand over the region of Bo Han (Hanzhong) as compensation for our military expenses." Qin Hui Wen Wang said, "Is that not extortion?" Chu Huai Wang sternly replied, "This is a matter between Chu and Shu; what business is it of yours? You are just an outsider meddling in our affairs. I advise you to mind your own business and leave!" Qin Hui Wen Wang said, "I will definitely intervene in this matter today." Chu Huai Wang coldly smiled and said, "We shall see if you have the ability to do so." After finishing speaking, he waved his hand, and the 200,000-strong Chu army divided into two routes, forming their battle lines. Chu Huai Wang personally led one route of 100,000 soldiers (30,000 cavalry and 70,000 infantry) against Qin Hui Wen Wang's 100,000-strong Qin army, while another route of 100,000 soldiers (30,000 cavalry and 70,000 infantry), led by Zhao Xiu, faced the King of Shu's several hundred thousand-strong Shu army. The armies of Qin and Shu also formed their battle lines in preparation for combat.
King Huai of Chu gave the order to beat the drums, and as soon as the war drums sounded, King Huai of Chu and Zhao Ying separately rode their horses and charged forward with their spears. They were heading straight for King Huiwen of Qin and the Marquis of Shu.
King Huai's black horse was galloping like lightning, and in the blink of an eye, he had already reached King Huiwen of Qin. King Huai's long spear struck with a swift and fierce wind, and King Huiwen of Qin hastily raised his twin swords to block it. At that moment, General Sima Cuo of Qin swung his large knife and rode his horse forward, shouting loudly: "Don't hurt my king!"
With a loud clang, King Huiwen's twin swords were knocked out of his hands, and his arms were shaken with pain. He turned his horse around and fled.
At this time, General Sima Cuo's knife was already chopping towards King Huai of Chu, who hastily raised his spear to block it. General Sima Cuo was a famous general of King Huiwen of Qin, skilled in knife techniques, and had the bravery of a lone warrior facing ten thousand enemies.
The clash between General Sima Cuo's knife and King Huai's long spear was intense, with sparks flying everywhere as they exchanged blows. The two men fought for over ten rounds without either gaining the upper hand. The soldiers on both sides watched in awe, their eyes wide with excitement.
When the Chu army saw their king fighting so bravely, their morale soared, and they cheered loudly, raising their spears high. On the other hand, when the Qin army initially saw King Huiwen of Qin unable to withstand King Huai's spear, they were all shocked and frightened. But when they saw General Sima Cuo engaging in a fierce battle with King Huai, they breathed a sigh of relief.
Both sides beat their drums to cheer each other on, and after five more rounds, General Sima Cuo began to tire, his forehead sweating profusely. Although he was skilled in knife techniques, he couldn't match King Huai's strength. As the battle raged on for over ten rounds, General Sima Cuo felt increasingly pressured by King Huai's spear.
King Huai of Chu fought with renewed vigor, letting out a loud roar and striking his long spear towards General Sima Cuo's head. General Sima Cuo raised his knife to block it, but the spearhead struck the blade, causing it to shatter into pieces. The impact sent shockwaves through General Sima Cuo's arm, numbing his hand.
King Huai of Chu launched another attack with his spear, and General Sima Cuo hastily raised his knife to block it. However, the spearhead struck the back of the knife, causing sparks to fly everywhere and sending shockwaves through General Sima Cuo's hands. The knife slipped from his grasp, and he stumbled backward.
King Huai of Chu pressed his advantage, striking again with his spear. General Sima Cuo raised his knife once more, but it was knocked out of his hand, and he fell off his horse, retreating three steps as blood flowed from his palms.
General Sima Cuo knew he couldn't defeat King Huai, so he hastily turned his horse around and fled. King Huai of Chu gave chase, pursuing him on horseback. Three Qin generals rushed out to assist General Sima Cuo, shouting: "Don't worry, General! We're here to help you!"
King Huai's black horse galloped forward like lightning, its momentum tremendous. With a sweep of his spear, King Huai struck down the two generals who were rushing forward to block him. The two men fell off their horses, defeated.
As the battle raged on, another Qin general rushed forward, but King Huai's spear struck him in the chest, knocking him off his horse and killing him instantly.
King Huai of Chu turned his spear around, striking down two more Qin generals who were rushing to assist. The two men fell off their horses, defeated.
The Qin army was shocked into silence, their morale plummeting to an all-time low. On the other hand, the Chu army saw their king fighting so bravely and were inspired to fight even harder. With a loud shout, King Huai of Chu led the charge, his sword flashing in the sunlight as he rode forward.
The three armies of Chu - 30,000 cavalrymen and 70,000 infantrymen - charged forward together, their battle cry shaking the heavens.
Here is the translation:
Furthermore, Zhao Yue rode his horse and held up his spear to directly attack the Marquis of Shu. The Marquis of Shu raised his twin forks and rode over to meet him in battle. This Zhao Yue was a tall and sturdy man, this year being thirty-three (two years younger than King Huai of Chu), his strength may not have been as great as King Huai's, but his spear skills were truly divine. In less than ten rounds, the sound of "ding" rang out, and the Marquis of Shu's left hand steel fork flew out of his hand, scaring him into retreating on horseback.
Two Shu generals rushed over to protect their lord, Zhao Yue let out a loud shout, and with one long spear, swept across thousands of soldiers. The two Shu generals, one wielding a spear and the other a sword, raised their weapons to block his attack. The three clashed in a fierce battle. This Zhao Yue fought against two opponents at once, his long spear flashing left and right, its speed and ferocity unmatched.
Zhao Yue's spear techniques were varied and unpredictable, causing the two Shu generals to dodge and weave, blocking his attacks repeatedly. Just as it seemed that Zhao Yue's spear was about to sweep to the right, the right-hand Shu general hastily raised his sword to block it. The left-hand Shu general saw this and quickly counterattacked with his spear.
But little did they know, Zhao Yue's previous attack had been a feint, intentionally revealing an opening to lure the left-hand Shu general into attacking. As the spear tip approached the right-hand Shu general's chest, it suddenly turned and swept towards the left-hand Shu general. With a swift movement of his body to the left, he dodged both the left-hand Shu general's spear and the right-hand Shu general's sword.
The right-hand Shu general's sword had struck the head of the left-hand Shu general's spear, just as Zhao Yue's spearhead was about to pierce the left-hand Shu general's chest. The left-hand Shu general cried out in alarm, but his body was too slow to dodge, and he was stabbed in the right shoulder. Zhao Yue's long spear lifted him up, and with a flip of his body, sent him tumbling off his horse.
The right-hand Shu general saw this and hastily swung his great sword down towards Zhao Yue. Zhao Yue's long spear met it head-on, and with a loud "ding", the sword was knocked aside. Zhao Yue's spear transformed into an attack, its tip flashing left and right, up and down. With a sudden "peng" sound, one spear thrust pierced the right-hand Shu general's heart.
Although this Shu general wore armor, Zhao Yue's spear had not been able to penetrate his breastplate, but the shockwave it generated was enough to cause him great distress. The Shu general felt his chest tighten, and with a sway of his body, he fell off his horse. Zhao Yue's long spear flashed out once more, striking the Shu general in the face, and with a cry of "ah", he tumbled to the ground, dead.
The Shu army saw this and was immediately stunned into silence, their morale plummeting. On the other hand, the Chu army saw this and let out a thunderous battle cry. Zhao Yue waved his long spear and shouted loudly: "Kill!" With one horse at the forefront, he charged towards the enemy lines, followed by the three thousand iron cavalry and seven thousand infantry of the Chu army, who surged forward to slaughter the Shu army.
Here is the translation:
As for King Huai of Chu, 100,000 Chu soldiers clashed with 100,000 Qin soldiers in a single location. Within this location, there were two separate battles: one between 30,000 cavalrymen from both sides and another between 70,000 infantrymen from both sides. This was a one-on-one showdown, a fight to the death.
The Chu army, inspired by King Huai's bravery, fought with great enthusiasm, killing three Qin generals in succession. The Qin army, on the other hand, had been defeated repeatedly, and their commander, Sima Cuo, who was known as the bravest warrior of Qin, had almost lost his life at the hands of King Huai.
As a result, the morale of the Qin army was low, and they were constantly retreating. Seeing this, King Huai charged forward on horseback, sweeping aside thousands of Qin cavalrymen with his long spear. The Qin soldiers who tried to block him were either killed or severely injured.
The 30,000-strong cavalry formation was torn apart, leaving a huge gap that no one could fill. King Huai's long spear pierced through the ranks, heading straight for King Huiwen of Qin. Sima Cuo saw this and shouted, "Not good!" He swung his large knife with all his might, fighting to protect his king.
The sound of clashing steel echoed through the air as Sima Cuo desperately tried to block King Huai's three consecutive attacks. Earlier, Sima Cuo had already been forced to retreat three steps after being wounded by King Huai, and his palm was bleeding profusely. How could he possibly withstand King Huai's powerful blows now?
This was a testament to the bravery of Sima Cuo, who was willing to risk his life to protect his king. King Huai's attack was fierce, and he shouted loudly as he struck with all his might. Sima Cuo knew that he couldn't resist this blow and shouted, "Your Majesty, please escape!" Using all his strength, he tried to block King Huai's attack.
The two clashed, and Sima Cuo was sent flying three steps backward, his large knife knocked out of his hand and flying a zhang (about 3.3 meters) away. It happened to land on a Qin general who was rushing over to rescue the king, beheading him instantly.
King Huiwen of Qin was frightened and his face turned pale, he hastily patted the horse to escape. At this time, the Qin cavalry saw the situation and rushed to rescue him, causing the Qin army's horse array to suddenly become chaotic. King Huai of Chu wielded a long spear, sweeping left and right, front and back, and the Qin cavalry fell to the ground one after another.
The Chu army saw King Huai of Chu charge into the enemy formation, and 30,000 iron cavalry followed him in a desperate charge, the Qin army's array was already chaotic, unable to withstand the desperate impact of the Chu cavalry, and retreated in disorder. King Huai of Chu held his spear horizontally with his left hand, and drew out the sword of the king of Chu with his right hand, chopping and killing left and right.
This King Huai of Chu swung his sword at the helmet of a Qin cavalryman, cutting off the head of the Qin cavalryman along with his helmet. Several long spears of the Qin cavalry approached, and King Huai of Chu waved his treasured sword, cutting off the long spears of the Qin cavalry.
In an instant, dozens of Chu generals and cavalrymen rushed to King Huai's side to protect him, killing all the Qin cavalry who had rushed to King Huai's side. Hundreds and thousands of Chu cavalrymen swept past the Qin cavalry surrounding King Huai.
The 30,000 Qin cavalry saw King Huiwen of Qin and General Sima Cuo fleeing in retreat, and hastily rushed to King Huiwen and Sima Cuo to protect them. At this time, the Qin cavalry's formation was completely chaotic, unable to withstand the attack of the Chu cavalry. The Chu cavalry took advantage of the situation to sweep away, killing and wounding many Qin cavalrymen, causing a complete defeat.
King Huai of Chu saw the situation and ordered 10,000 iron cavalry to take advantage of the momentum to charge at the Qin army's infantry. The 70,000 Qin infantry were fighting fiercely with the Chu infantry when they were charged by the 10,000 Chu cavalry, causing them to fall in droves.
The front line of the Chu infantry was like a raging tide, rushing forward to kill the Qin army. In an instant, more than half of the Qin infantry were killed or wounded, and their entire line collapsed. The Qin cavalry saw the situation and hastily turned around to rush back and cover the retreat of the infantry.
King Huai of Chu personally led 20,000 iron cavalry to meet them head-on, and the 10,000 Chu cavalry who had charged at the Qin infantry turned around to charge at the Qin cavalry. King Huiwen of Qin saw the situation and hastily ordered his entire army to retreat quickly. The Chu army took advantage of the momentum to sweep away, killing and wounding more than half of the Qin army.
Then, King Huai of Chu personally led an army of 100,000 men, pursuing and killing the Qin army for 40 miles, until they reached Shiquan County (now Shiquan County), where they finally stopped to cook food and rest for a while.
On this side, 100,000 Chu troops and over a million Shu troops clashed. In terms of military strength, the Shu army had several tens of thousands more, but the Shu cavalry was only 25,000, which was 5,000 less than the Chu cavalry. Moreover, the Shu generals were no match for Zhao Yu, who had defeated two Shu generals with his spear. As a result, the morale of the Shu army was low, while the Chu army saw Zhao Yu's consecutive victories over the Shu Hou and the defeat of two high-ranking Shu generals, which greatly boosted their morale.
The two armies clashed, and the most important factor was the morale of the entire army. The difference in morale between the Chu and Shu armies led to the Shu army being defeated by the Chu army, with the Shu army retreating repeatedly and unable to hold its ground. Zhao Yu's long spear was unbeatable, and he swept through the Shu cavalry, killing over a dozen Shu riders. The Shu riders retreated in disarray, and the two armies became embroiled in a chaotic battle.
The Shu cavalry was already at a disadvantage, and after this chaos, they suffered heavy casualties. Zhao Yu saw the situation and assessed the overall situation, then dispatched 10,000 Chu cavalry to attack the Shu infantry from the side. These 10,000 Chu cavalry charged into the Shu infantry formation, and although the Shu infantry was numerous, they could not withstand the left and right attacks of the Chu army's 10,000 cavalry.
Instantly, the Shu infantry formation fell into chaos, and the Chu infantry in front saw this and surged forward to attack the Shu infantry like a tidal wave. The Shu army could no longer resist, and they retreated in disarray, suffering heavy casualties. The Shu Hou saw that his army was defeated and knew that the situation was hopeless, so he hastily ordered his cavalry and infantry to retreat quickly.
The Chu army took advantage of the momentum to pursue and slaughter the Shu army, resulting in over half of the Shu army being killed or wounded. Zhao Yu then led his main force to pursue and kill the Shu army for 40 miles, almost simultaneously joining forces with King Huai of Chu at Shiquan (present-day Shiquan County).
King Hui of Chu saw the arrival of Zhao Yue's large army and Zhao Yue said to King Hui, "The enemy has just been defeated, with more than half casualties. The combined forces of Qin and Shu have only 100,000 left, they are like a frightened bird. If we don't pursue them now, when will we? I've been chasing and killing the Shu army all the way here, so I ordered my soldiers to capture over 10,000 war horses. Now my 10,000 infantrymen have become cavalry!" King Hui was delighted and said, "Well done! You're really something. On my side, we also captured over 10,000 Qin cavalry warhorses. It seems our battle results are equal, haha! What you said is exactly what I wanted to hear. Now the enemy must be cooking not far ahead. If we attack with cavalry now, not only can we catch them off guard, but maybe we can even eat their free food!" Zhao Yue said, "Right! I'll lead 50,000 cavalrymen forward and 50,000 infantrymen will follow behind. Your Majesty can lead the main army to follow after." King Hui said, "Good!" Then he ordered the whole army to bring enough dry rations for one day. Zhao Yue led 50,000 cavalrymen and 50,000 infantrymen in front, while King Hui personally led the main army to follow behind.
At this time, the Chu army was no longer 200,000, but 180,000, with an additional 10,000 wounded soldiers. In the Battle of Han Yin, both the Qin and Shu armies suffered 50,000 casualties each, while the Chu army suffered 30,000 casualties. However, at this time, the Chu cavalry was no longer 60,000, but 80,000. In the Battle of Han Yin, both the Qin and Shu armies' cavalry suffered over 10,000 casualties each, while the Chu cavalry suffered 10,000 casualties, but they captured over 20,000 war horses from the Qin and Shu armies, so the Chu cavalry became 80,000 strong. Half an hour later, the Chu army had finished eating and drinking, everything was ready, and Xiang Yu led 50,000 Chu cavalry and 50,000 infantry to rapidly pursue forward, while King Huai of Chu led 30,000 iron cavalry and a large contingent of troops followed behind, with over 10,000 wounded soldiers escorting the grain carts.
