Chapter 8: Suppressing the Powerful Chu and the Horizontal and Vertical Alliances, King Wei of Luoyang Abdicates on the Platform

  King Huiwen of Qin had been in a state of anxiety since his defeat at the hands of King Huai of Chu. He retreated to Longnan and fell ill for three months, constantly thinking about how to strike back and avenge his previous humiliation.

  One day, he asked Zhang Yi, "I am always thinking about revitalizing Qin and dominating the Central Plains. However, King Huai of Chu is too strong, and it's difficult to defeat him in battle. Is there any way to defeat the Chu army and remove this thorn from my side?"

  Zhang Yi replied, "A skilled fighter may be able to defeat one person, but not two. If three people join forces, they can certainly defeat him. This is one method of defeating a skilled fighter. Another method is to have someone else fight him in succession, wearing him out until he becomes exhausted and then striking the final blow."

  King Huiwen asked, "What exactly are you trying to say?"

  Zhang Yi explained, "If Qin and Chu were to engage in battle, Qin would not be able to defeat Chu. However, if Qin, Wei, and Han were to form an alliance, Qin could then defeat Chu. The position of hegemon is coveted by all, and everyone openly or secretly strives for it. If each of these aspirants were to challenge King Huai of Chu, he would become exhausted from running around.

  "The king of Wei wants to regain his former glory as a hegemon, the king of Qi wants to become a hegemon, and even the king of Yue wants to become a hegemon. However, they all know that they cannot defeat King Huai of Chu in single combat, so they will secretly plot against him.

  "Although King Huai of Chu appears to be at the height of his power, his situation is actually deteriorating. In my opinion, we should form an alliance with Han, Wei, and Shu. Although any two of these states allied with Qin would not be enough to defeat Chu, if all four were to unite, they could certainly do so. If Yue were also to join the alliance, there would be no doubt about defeating Chu.

  "Currently, the armies of Han, Wei, and Shu have all been defeated by Chu, and their lands have been invaded. This has created a willingness among them to ally with Qin and jointly oppose Chu. Therefore, if I were to persuade them, they would naturally agree."

  King Hui of Chu returned to the capital of Chu after wearing a crown, and King Huiwen of Qin continued to instigate and provoke Yue and Song to oppose King Hui of Chu. Later, in the eighth month of autumn this year, Qin sent troops to attack Wei and Han, attempting to force Wei and Han to surrender and join the military alliance of Qin. The king of Yue, without strong, began to move his army northward, launching a military provocation against the Chu army in Huai Bei. The ruler of Song, Yuan, also proclaimed himself king, attacking Wei in the west, Qi in the east, and Chu in the south, occupying 300 miles of land in Huai Bei, Chu. King Hui of Chu heard the news and ordered the Chu army in Yi Chuan to assist Wei and Han in attacking Qin, and the Qin army retreated back to Guan Nei; he also ordered the Chu army in Huai Bei to build an earthen wall at Guangling and establish Zhao Guan to prevent the northern advance of the Yue army. He then ordered the Chu armies in He Ze and Ji Ning to move southward, and the Chu army in Xuzhou to move westward, and the two armies joined forces to attack the capital of Song, Shang Qiu, defeating the Song army at Yu Cheng and Xia Yi, killing more than 50,000 soldiers. The ruler of Song, Yuan, was greatly frightened, and immediately cancelled his royal title and sought peace with King Hui of Chu, returning the 300 miles of land he had occupied in Huai Bei, and promising not to invade Chu again.

  (This chapter has over 5,000 words, and here is just a selection of about one-seventh)