Chapter 6: The Battle of Ancient City Chu Huai beheads Xi Zhong, Wei army flees in defeat at Mount Xingshan

  In the autumn of 324 BC (the fifth year of King Huai of Chu), King Huai of Chu ordered Zhao Yang to lead an army of 100,000 men to set up defenses in the area of Xuchang (present-day Xuchang City, Henan Province). At the same time, he ordered Tang Mei to lead an army of 100,000 men to set up defenses in the area of Xiangyang and Nanyang. Meanwhile, he led an elite force of 200,000 soldiers (50,000 cavalry and 150,000 infantry) out of Fangcheng (Fangcheng County, Henan Province), proclaiming that they would punish the State of Wei for its unjust actions in 329 BC (the eleventh year of King Wu of Chu).

  King Hui of Wei heard the news and immediately sent a message to King Xuan of Han, asking him to send 100,000 troops to join forces with Wei and attack Chu together. They would then divide the land between them, taking the regions of Fang and Ye from Chu. At the same time, King Hui personally led an army of 200,000 (50,000 cavalry and 150,000 infantry) along with General Xi Shou to engage the Chu forces.

  King Xuan of Han received the message from King Hui and immediately convened a meeting with his officials to discuss the matter. The king said: "Currently, King Huai of Chu is leading an army of 200,000 to attack Wei, seeking revenge for when King Hui of Wei took advantage of Chu's national mourning period to launch a surprise attack on their territory. However, since then, Chu has been very powerful and prosperous under the rule of King Huai. Three years ago, they defeated the state of Shu at Xi Ba, and last year they defeated the combined forces of Qin and Shu at Bao Han (Hanzhong), killing over 190,000 enemy soldiers. The morale of the Chu army is high, and I fear that if we engage them in battle now, we will suffer a defeat.

  Although Wei is not as powerful as it once was, King Hui is still recognized as the leader among the feudal lords, and he is also our neighbor. It would be unwise to offend him, and if we do not comply with his request, I fear that he may cause trouble for us in the future. This is a difficult decision, and I hope that you, my officials, can come up with a good strategy to help me resolve this dilemma."

  One of the officials suggested: "The Chu army is too powerful to be confronted head-on. Your Majesty could lead an army of 100,000 out of Xinzheng to respond to the situation, but do not engage in battle with the Chu forces. Let Wei and Chu exhaust each other first, and then we can take advantage of their weakness and reap the benefits."

  King Xuan of Han followed this advice and led an army of 100,000 out of Xinzheng.

  In early August, the 200,000-strong army of Chu State's King Hui and the 200,000-strong army of Wei State's King met at Gu Chengyi (now ancient city town of Yuzhou City) and Po Hu (now Po Hu Town of Yuzhou City). King Hui of Chu rode his horse forward and said, "Are you not the King of Wei?" The King of Wei replied, "It is I." King Hui of Chu said, "You are the leader of the alliance of all the feudal lords under heaven. How can you take advantage of my country's mourning period to invade our territory and seize our land? Is this the behavior of a hegemon?" The King of Wei said, "What do you know? What is your territory? Xianyang and Xuchang are both territories of Great Wei, which were taken away from me by your father. I am just taking them back now." King Hui of Chu said, "If that's the case, then today I will take it back from you." The King of Wei said, "I'm afraid you don't have the ability to do so." King Hui of Chu was furious and, without saying another word, slapped his horse and charged at the King of Wei with his spear. King Hui's black spearhorse galloped like a wild wind, and in the blink of an eye, he arrived in front of the King of Wei. A dark light flashed towards the King of Wei, who raised his Fang Tianji to block it hastily. The King of Wei was also a man with great strength, known for his bravery in the past when he would convene the feudal lords and ask about the tripod in Luoyang. His Fang Tianji was wielded with divine skill, and his martial arts were not inferior to those of Xi Shou. This was a head-on collision between two powerful forces, and all that could be heard was a loud crash, with sparks flying everywhere. King Hui's spear had struck the fork of the King of Wei's Fang Tianji, causing it to deform. The King of Wei stumbled backward, his hands shaking slightly. King Hui saw this and thrust his spear forward again. The King of Wei raised his Fang Tianji to block it, but it was knocked off by King Hui's spear. The King of Wei wielded his Fang Tianji to counterattack, but King Hui parried it with his spear. The two clashed again, and the King of Wei's Fang Tianji was sent flying, revealing that his strength was no match for King Hui's spear. King Hui let out a loud roar and thrust his spear downward, striking the King of Wei's helmet. The King of Wei hastily raised his Fang Tianji to block it, but it was knocked off again. The King of Wei's horse whinnied in fright as he retreated five steps. King Hui struck again with his spear, piercing through the King of Wei's defenses and reaching him. The King of Wei let out a loud cry and turned pale with fear, his body leaning backward as he raised his Fang Tianji to block the spear. King Hui lifted his spear and struck with all his might, causing the King of Wei's hands to shake in pain. His Fang Tianji flew out of his hands and fell to the ground with a clang. Some soldiers from the Wei army rushed forward and retrieved the Fang Tianji, only to find that it had been shattered, with bloodstains on the handle. The King of Wei was terrified, his soul shaken, and he hastily retreated back to his army without bothering about the pain in his hands. He was still able to engage in a fierce battle with King Hui for ten rounds, which was more than what Qin's King Huiwen could do. King Hui saw this and clamped his legs together, pursuing the King of Wei closely as he raised his spear to strike. The King of Wei's horse was no match for King Hui's black spearhorse, and the tip of the spear was about to reach the back of the King of Wei's head. Just then, three riders rushed out from the Wei army, shouting in unison, "Do not harm our king!" Two long spears and a large sword were thrust forward from either side to block King Hui's spear. The one wielding the large sword was General Xi Shou of the Wei army, while the other two wielded long spears and were high-ranking generals of the Wei army. In reality, King Hui did not intend to kill the King of Wei but wanted to capture him alive. The Chu army let out a thunderous roar, and Zhao She saw that General Xi Shou and the two high-ranking generals had rushed forward and shouted, "You cannot bully us with your numbers!" He then slapped his horse and charged forward, wielding his spear to attack the incoming generals.

  King Hui of Chu saw the situation and swept his long spear to the left and right, making a "ding-dong" sound. This was the sound of spears colliding with each other. Two Wei generals on the left had their spears knocked away three steps, while the main general, Xi Shou, had his large knife knocked away half a step.

  At this time, Zhao Yu arrived and caught General Xi Shou's knife. In an instant, five people formed two groups, with King Hui of Chu fighting against two opponents, all using long spears. King Hui of Chu swung his spear to the left, and the Wei general on the left raised his spear to block it hastily. However, the spear suddenly swept to the right, and the Wei general on the right saw this and quickly raised his spear to parry.

  A "ding" sound was heard, which was the sound of spear handles colliding with each other. The Wei general on the right was hit so hard that he almost fell off his horse, and his spear almost flew out of his hand. The Wei general on the left saw this and raised his spear to stab at King Hui of Chu.

  King Hui of Chu used the recoil from the spear collision to deflect the attack to the left, then stabbed forward with his spear. The Wei general on the left hastily dodged and raised his spear to block it with both hands. King Hui of Chu pressed down on the spearhead and swept it forward, almost hitting the chin of the Wei general on the left.

  The Wei general was so frightened that he hastily retreated backward. Just as King Hui of Chu was about to attack again, the Wei general on the right raised his spear to attack. King Hui of Chu swung his spear to the right and hit it squarely on the spear handle of the Wei general on the right, causing him to stumble backward three steps.

  King Hui of Chu then swung his spear to the left with great force, and the Wei general on the left raised his spear to block it with both hands. A "ding" sound was heard as the spear was knocked to the ground, and the Wei general's palms were shattered. He retreated several steps, and King Hui of Chu took advantage of this to stab forward with his spear.

  The spear hit the throat of the Wei general on the left, who fell off his horse and died. The Wei general on the right raised his spear to rescue him but was met with a "ding" sound as his spear was knocked out of his hand by King Hui of Chu's spear. King Hui of Chu then followed up with another stab, hitting the heart of the Wei general on the right.

  The spearhead struck the head of the Wei general on the right, causing it to split open. In just five rounds, two high-ranking generals of the Wei army were killed by King Hui of Chu's spear.

  On this side, Zhao Ying and Xi Shou clashed, their weapons flashing in the sunlight. Xi Shou was a top general of Wei, wielding a massive rhino-headed sword. In the tenth year of Chu's King Wu, when the Chu army invaded Wei, the king sent Xi Shou to lead an army against them. The two armies met at Lu Mountain, where Xi Shou beheaded three brave generals of Chu, and no one in the Chu army could match him. King Wu was forced to retreat back to Fang City.

  That year, Xi Shou was only 22 years old; now he is 38, a year older than King Hui of Chu, in his prime and at the height of his strength. His swordsmanship has improved even further since then.

  Just as King Hui shouted "Zhao Ying, retreat!" and charged towards Xi Shou on horseback, Xi Shou saw that the king's arm was stronger than his own, and his martial arts skills surpassed those of Zhao Ying. As the king's spear struck, Xi Shou naturally did not dare to be slow, using both hands to wield his sword in defense.

  The sound of clashing steel echoed through the air as the spear hit the sword, creating a spark that flew off the blade. The sword was dented, and Xi Shou's body involuntarily retreated, his massive sword flying out of his hands. His arms felt numb.

  King Hui took advantage of the situation and struck again with his spear. Xi Shou hastily raised his sword to block it, but the force of the blow sent his left hand sinking down and his right hand rising up, causing him to stumble backward on horseback.

  The king struck again, this time aiming at Xi Shou's left side. Xi Shou used both hands to hold his sword at an angle, trying to deflect the blow, but it was too powerful, and his sword was knocked aside once more. His arms felt a searing pain.

  King Hui struck again, this time with all his might, aiming at Xi Shou's right side. Xi Shou tried to raise his sword in defense, but he was too slow, and the spear hit him squarely on the horse's back. The sound of the impact echoed through the air as Xi Shou fell off his horse, screaming in agony.

  The horse's backbone had been broken, and it collapsed to the ground, its legs thrashing wildly before going still. The Chu army erupted into cheers, their morale soaring to new heights.

  Five Wei generals charged out of their formation, rushing towards King Hui and Xi Shou in an attempt to rescue their commander. But they were too late; King Hui swept his spear downward, striking Xi Shou with a loud crash, sending him flying over a dozen feet before he crashed to the ground, dead.

  The Wei army was thrown into disarray as their commander fell, and the Chu army took advantage of the situation to launch a fierce counterattack.

  When Wei's general, Wu Zixu, saw the five cavalrymen rushing towards him, he let out a loud shout and charged forward to intercept the two generals. King Huai of Chu saw the three Wei generals charging towards him and clamped his legs together, urging his horse, Wushuang, to gallop forward. He swung his spear horizontally, striking down the two generals in front of and behind him. The first general tried to block the blow with his spear but was knocked off his horse and landed on top of the second general, who had been charging from behind. Both men were thrown back more than 20 feet and died instantly. The third general turned around and fled, but King Huai chased after him, his horse galloping like lightning. In an instant, he caught up with the fleeing general and stabbed him in the back with his spear, piercing through to the front of his armor. King Huai lifted the general's body off the ground and flung it into the Wei army formation. The general's body flew out of the spear and struck down two cavalrymen in front of him, causing the Wei soldiers to stare in shock, their faces ashen. The Chu army cheered and shouted like thunder. The two Wei generals who had been fighting against Zhao Yue saw what happened and did not dare to continue fighting. They hastily retreated back to their own lines. King Huai drew his sword and led the charge of 60,000 Chu cavalrymen towards the Wei cavalry. The 140,000-strong Chu infantry followed close behind, charging forward like a raging tide. King Huai rode at the forefront, his left hand grasping his spear and his right hand holding his sword as he charged straight for the Wei king. Zhao Yue followed closely behind him, charging into the enemy formation. When the Wei king saw King Huai approaching, he hastily retreated, but his soldiers rushed forward to protect him. The Wei cavalry was thrown into chaos. The Chu generals also charged forward, striking down the Wei soldiers. King Huai severely injured the Wei king and killed the Wei general, Xi Shou, as well as five other high-ranking generals. The Wei army formation had already collapsed, and no one could withstand King Huai's and Zhao Yue's attacks. The Wei cavalrymen fell one after another, and a path was cleared through the enemy lines. The Wei generals shouted, "The Wei king must escape quickly!" but their soldiers were unable to hold back the Chu army. In an instant, hundreds of Wei cavalrymen fell to the ground. King Huai swept his spear and sword across the battlefield, while Zhao Yue used his long spear to strike down the enemy soldiers. No one in the Wei army could withstand them. The Wei king fled in panic, with King Huai pursuing him closely, his spear and sword at the ready. The Wei cavalrymen protected their king as they hastily retreated from the battlefield, but the Chu generals and cavalrymen launched a fierce attack, throwing the Wei cavalry into disarray. Zhao Yue and the other generals charged forward, striking down the enemy soldiers on both sides, as if they were charging through an empty space. King Huai swept his spear across the battlefield with one hand and struck down the enemy soldiers with his sword in the other. The Wei cavalrymen gradually dwindled in number, and after half an hour of fierce fighting, their numbers had been reduced from 50,000 to 20,000. The Chu army still had more than 40,000 men left. How could there be such a huge difference? Was it not because of the difference in morale and leadership between the two armies? The Wei generals were killed by King Huai as soon as they engaged in battle, causing their soldiers to lose all will to fight. When the Wei king saw King Huai approaching, he fled in panic, throwing his army into chaos. Without their leaders, how could the Wei soldiers withstand the attacks of the Chu generals? It was only natural that they suffered heavy casualties and were defeated.

  At this time, King Huai of Chu stopped his horse and looked around, then said to Zhao She: "You lead 15,000 cavalrymen, divide into three routes from the side and back to attack the Wei army infantry." Zhao She ordered two generals to each lead 5,000 cavalrymen, and the three routes charged at the Wei army infantry. Suddenly, the three routes of Chu army cavalry launched a fierce charge against the Wei army infantry from the side and back. The 150,000 Wei army infantry were already disheartened, and being beaten by the 15,000 Chu army, they could not withstand it. Being charged by the three routes of Chu army iron cavalry, they immediately fell down in disorder, and the 150,000 Chu army on the front line killed them like a raging tide. The Wei army suffered heavy casualties, and soon more than half were dead or injured. The King of Wei escaped from the battlefield, looked back, and ordered his troops to retreat. The Chu army took advantage of the situation and pursued for one mile before stopping. The Wei army fled towards Mount Xing, abandoning countless grains and supplies. In this battle outside the ancient city, the Chu army killed more than 120,000 Wei soldiers (more than 30,000 cavalrymen and 90,000 infantrymen), captured 30,000 war horses, and obtained 120,000 sets of armor and weapons, as well as countless grains and supplies. The Chu army lost 50,000 soldiers (10,000 cavalrymen and 40,000 infantrymen). However, they gained 30,000 war horses, so the Chu army's cavalry increased to 70,000. King Huai of Chu ordered his troops to cook meals and rest on the spot. One hour later, the army set off rapidly towards Mount Xing, pursuing and killing the Wei soldiers.

  The Wei army fled to the top of Xian Mountain (present-day Xinzheng County, 30 miles southwest) and set up camp, hoping to use the small hills to block the Chu army. The King of Wei felt severe pain in his hands, which had been injured earlier, and upon inspecting his troops, he found that only 800,000 remained (200,000 cavalry and 600,000 infantry). Just as the Wei army finished their meal, a messenger rushed in to report to the King of Wei: "The Chu king has led his army to pursue us towards Xian Mountain and has already arrived at Zhangzhuang, ten miles from Xian Mountain." The King of Wei immediately ordered his troops to prepare for battle. A general said to the King of Wei: "Our army has just suffered a defeat, morale is low, and if we engage in battle with the Chu army now, our strength will be vastly inferior. If the Chu army surrounds Xian Mountain, we will be in danger." The King of Wei replied: "I am aware of this, but after some time, the King of Han will arrive with his army, and the Chu army, having fought continuously, will surely be exhausted. At that time, we can join forces with the King of Han's army and defeat the Chu army." Half an hour later, the Chu king arrived at Xian Mountain with his army, but the King of Wei did not engage in battle, instead relying on the mountain to defend himself. The Chu king ordered his army to surround Xian Mountain and was about to set up camp when a messenger suddenly reported: "The King of Han is leading 100,000 troops to reinforce the Wei army and has already arrived at Tangzhuang, ten miles away, and is advancing towards Xian Mountain."

  King Hui of Chu heard the report and ordered the whole army to retreat one mile and form an array. He then said to Zhao She, "Although the allied forces of Wei and Han are as many as 180,000, the 80,000-strong Wei army has just been defeated and their morale is low, with no great generals. Our army has just won a victory and our morale is high. Therefore, the 150,000-strong Chu army can defeat the 180,000-strong allied forces of Wei and Han." King Hui continued, "Our army has many cavalrymen, which is an advantage. We can charge at the enemy infantry, and this will also increase our chances of winning."

  King Hui of Chu ordered the 40,000-strong Chu army infantry to form four lines, with 16,000 cavalry divided into four teams standing on both sides of the infantry. They prepared to attack the Han army's infantry from the front and two flanks, while he led 24,000 cavalry to confront the 25,000 Han cavalry.

  Zhao Ying arranged the 40,000-strong Chu army infantry in four lines, with 10,000 cavalry divided into two teams standing on both sides of the infantry. They prepared to attack the Wei army's infantry from both flanks; he led 20,000 cavalry to confront the 20,000 Wei cavalry.

  Before long, King Xuan of Han arrived with a force of 100,000 (25,000 cavalry and 75,000 infantry). When King Hui of Wei saw that King Xuan had brought a large army, he also led all his troops down from the mountain. However, they were blocked by Zhao Ying's forces.

  King Huai of Chu rode forward on horseback and said, "Is the one who has come King of Han?" The King of Han also rode forward on horseback and said, "It is indeed!" King Huai of Chu said, "The struggle between Chu and Wei has nothing to do with you. Why do you want to be hostile towards Chu?" At this time, the King of Han was secretly thinking: Originally, I thought that the armies of Wei and Chu would engage in a fierce battle, even if the army of Chu won, it should have suffered some losses. Unexpectedly, the army of Wei was so defeated. If I had known earlier, I shouldn't have led my troops to come here. Therefore, he couldn't answer for a moment.

  King Huai of Chu saw that the King of Han didn't respond and became furious. He urged his horse forward, and with a loud shout, he charged towards the King of Han, brandishing his long spear. The King of Han was greatly startled and turned his horse around to flee back to his camp. A general from the state of Han rushed out of the camp, shouting, "Don't harm my king!" and swung his sword at King Huai of Chu.

  King Huai of Chu swung his spear once, and with a loud clang, the general's sword was knocked aside. King Huai of Chu struck again, and with another loud clang, the general's sword fell to the ground. The general was greatly frightened and turned his horse around to flee, but King Huai of Chu struck him in the back with his spear, knocking him off his horse, and he died on the spot.

  Two more generals from the state of Han rushed forward, but King Huai of Chu charged at them, brandishing his spear. In a single exchange, one of the generals' spears was knocked flying over six feet away, and he fell off his horse without making a sound. The other general thrust his spear at King Huai of Chu, who struck it down with his own spear. Then, with another swing of his spear, the general's head was smashed to pieces, and he fell off his horse, dead.

  At that moment, the Chu army roared to the sky, and King of Han saw this, his morale was completely gone, and he hastily ordered the main force to retreat back to Xinzheng. King Hui of Chu also did not pursue, allowing the Han army to withdraw. When King Hui of Chu saw the Han army retreating far away, he immediately ordered General Zuo to lead 20,000 iron cavalry to attack the Wei infantry. The King of Wei saw that the King of Han had retreated with his main force and was greatly shocked, hastily ordering the entire army to retreat quickly. Zhao She saw this and ordered the Chu soldiers to launch a full-scale attack, while King Hui's 20,000 iron cavalry also charged from the side. King Hui of Wei saw that the situation was already lost, and under the guard of over 10,000 horses, he escaped back to Yangdi, the rest of the Wei army scattered and fled, a small number escaped, most did not escape, either being beheaded or surrendering their arms. Zhao She's Chu army killed more than 20,000 Wei soldiers, captured 30,000, obtained 5,000 war horses, 50,000 sets of armor and weapons, and a large batch of grain and fodder.

  The ancient city, the battle of Xing Mountain, King Huai of Chu took back the ancient city and Xing Mountain from King Hui of Wei, winning a great victory. A total of 150,000 Wei soldiers were killed (35,000 cavalry and 110,000 infantry), 30,000 were captured, 35,000 war horses were seized, 1.8 million armor and weapons were obtained, and countless grains and grasses were obtained. The Chu army lost 55,000 soldiers (12,000 cavalry and 43,000 infantry), but gained 35,000 war horses, making the Chu cavalry grow to 80,000. King Hui of Wei's 200,000-strong army had only 15,000 cavalry escaped back to Yang Jun, and the rest were all eliminated. From then on, the State of Wei never had the ability to confront the State of Chu head-on again. Later, King Huai of Chu ordered the Chu army to occupy Yu Zhou (now Yuzhou City, Henan), Xiangcheng (now Xiangcheng County, Henan), and Lushan (now Lushan County, Henan) of Wei. To avenge the king of Han for sending troops to assist the Wei army, he also ordered the Chu army to occupy Ruzhou (now Ruzhou City, Henan), Yichuan (now Yichuan County, Henan) and other places of the State of Han, and established Xincheng Prefecture in Yichuan, governing Yichuan, Ruzhou, Yu Zhou, Xiangcheng, Lushan and other places.