Chapter 6: The Battle of Ancient City - Chu Huai Beheads Xi Qiang, Wei Army Flees in Disarray at Mount Xingshan

  In the autumn of 324 BC, in the fifth year of King Huai of Chu, King Huai ordered Zhao Yang to lead an army of 100,000 north to Xuchang (present-day Xuchang City, Henan Province) to set up defenses. At the same time, he ordered Tang Mei to lead an army of 100,000 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), along with Zhao Wei, out of Fangcheng (Fangcheng County, Henan Province). They claimed to be going to punish the State of Wei for its unjust actions in the eleventh year of King Wu of Chu (329 BC), when Wei took advantage of Chu's mourning period to launch a surprise attack on Chu and seize the territories of Yuzhou, Gucheng, and Xianshan (thirty miles southwest of Xinzheng County, Henan Province). When King Hui of Wei heard the news, he immediately sent a message to King Xuan of Han, asking him to send troops to join forces with Wei and divide the territory of Chu between them. At the same time, he personally led an army of 200,000 soldiers (50,000 cavalry and 150,000 infantry), along with General Xi, to confront the Chu army. When King Xuan of Han received the message from King Hui of Wei, he immediately summoned his civil and military officials to discuss the matter. The king said: "Now that King Huai of Chu is leading an army of 200,000 to attack Wei, seeking revenge for the time when King Wu of Chu was defeated by Wei during the mourning period. But now King Hui of Wei has asked me to send troops to assist him. Since King Wu of Chu defeated the Qi army at Xu State, Chu's military strength has been growing stronger day by day. Three years ago, King Huai of Chu defeated the Marquis of Shu in the west, and last year he 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'm afraid that if we engage in battle with them now, we will suffer a defeat. Although Wei is not as strong as it was in the past, King Hui is still recognized as the leader of the feudal lords, and he is also our neighbor. It's not good to offend him, and if we don't follow his request, I'm afraid he will cause trouble for us in the future. This is a difficult situation, and I hope that you, my officials, can come up with a good strategy to help me out of this predicament." 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 avoid engaging in battle with the Chu army. Let the Wei and Chu armies fight each other first, and when they are exhausted, we can take advantage of the situation and reap the benefits." Therefore, King Xuan of Han 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 Yuzhou City) and Po Hu (now Yuzhou City). King Hui of Chu rode forward on his horse and said, "Are you not the King of Wei?" The King of Wei replied, "I am." King Hui of Chu said, "You are the leader of the alliance of all the feudal lords under heaven. How can you lead your army to invade my country on the day of mourning for my father? This is an act of unrighteousness and shamelessness that a hegemon would not do!" The King of Wei said, "What do you know? What is your territory? Xianyang and Xuchang are all territories of Great Wei. They 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, he rode his horse forward, brandishing his spear. This King Hui's black steed galloped like a wild wind, and in the blink of an eye, it arrived at the side of the King of Wei. A dark light flashed towards the King of Wei, who raised his Fang Tian Ji 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 summon the feudal lords and ask about the tripod in Luoyang. His Fang Tian Ji was wielded with divine skill, its power not inferior to that of Xiangzi. This was a head-on collision between two powerful forces, and all that could be heard was the sound of their weapons clashing, with sparks flying everywhere. King Hui's spear had struck the fork of the King of Wei's Fang Tian Ji, causing it to deform. The King of Wei stumbled backward, his hands trembling slightly. King Hui saw this and thrust his spear forward again. The King of Wei raised his Fang Tian Ji to block it, but it was struck by King Hui's spear on the handle near his left hand. The King of Wei's left hand felt a slight numbness, and his long halberd tilted to one side. King Hui swung his spear horizontally, while the King of Wei wielded his Fang Tian Ji to block it. Again, there was a loud crash as their weapons met, but this time the King of Wei's Fang Tian Ji was knocked open, revealing that its power was not equal to King Hui's spear. King Hui let out a loud roar and thrust his spear downward with great force. The King of Wei hastily raised his Fang Tian Ji to block it horizontally, causing his horse to whinny in fright. With three consecutive thrusts of his spear, King Hui forced the King of Wei to retreat five steps on horseback. Suddenly, King Hui's long spear pierced through the defensive line of the King of Wei's Fang Tian Ji and reached his side. The King of Wei let out a loud cry and was so frightened that he broke out in cold sweat. He hastily raised his Fang Tian Ji to block the spear, but King Hui lifted his spear with great force and struck it again. The sound of their weapons clashing was deafening, and the King of Wei's hands were shaken by the impact, causing his Fang Tian Ji to fly out of his grasp and fall to the ground with a clang. Some soldiers from the Wei army rushed forward to retrieve the Fang Tian Ji and saw that it had been split open, with bloodstains on the handle. The King of Wei was so frightened that he forgot about the pain in his hands and hastily retreated back to his army. Not bad, he could still 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, urging his horse forward in pursuit. He raised his spear and thrust it straight at the King of Wei. His black steed galloped faster than the King of Wei's horse, and the tip of his spear was about to reach the King of Wei. However, just as he was about to be captured, three warriors from the Wei army rushed forward to rescue their king. One of them wielded a large sword, while the other two wielded long spears. The one with the large sword was General Xī of the Wei army, and the other two were high-ranking generals. In reality, King Hui did not intend to kill the King of Wei but wanted to capture him alive. On the Chu side, a loud shout rose up like thunder as Zhaoyi saw General Xī and the two generals rush forward. He shouted loudly, "You shall not bully us with your numbers!" and then rode his horse forward, brandishing his spear at the incoming warriors.

  King Hui of Chu saw the situation and swept his long spear to the left and right, making a loud clanging sound. The two Wei generals on the left had their spears knocked away three steps, while the main general on the right had his large knife knocked away half a step.

  At this time, Zhao Ying arrived and caught the main general's knife. In an instant, the 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 loud "clang" sound was heard, which was the sound of the spear handles colliding. 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 stabbed forward with his spear. King Hui of Chu used the recoil from the spear collision to deflect the attack and counterattacked, stabbing 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 Wei general's chin, which frightened him into retreating hastily.

  King Hui of Chu was about to attack again when the Wei general on the right raised his spear to attack. King Hui of Chu swung his spear to the right, striking the Wei general's spear handle, causing both of his hands to bleed. The Wei general retreated three steps with his horse.

  King Hui of Chu swung his spear to the left with great force, and the Wei general on the left raised his spear to resist it with both hands. A loud "clang" sound was heard as the spear was knocked to the ground, and both of his palms were shattered. He retreated several steps with his horse, and King Hui of Chu stabbed forward with his spear, hitting the Wei general's throat.

  The Wei general on the left fell off his horse and died. The Wei general on the right raised his spear to rescue him, but King Hui of Chu swung his spear to the right, knocking the Wei general's spear out of his hand. King Hui of Chu followed up with another attack, stabbing the Wei general in the heart.

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

  On the side of Zhao and Xi, guns and swords clashed, and it can be said that they were evenly matched. This Xi was a top general of the Wei state, wielding a large knife with a rhinoceros-shaped head. In the tenth year of Chu's King Wu, when the Chu army invaded Wei, the king of Wei sent Xi to lead an army to counterattack the Chu forces. The two armies clashed at Lu Mountain, and Xi beheaded three brave generals of the Chu army in succession. No one in the Chu army could match him, and King Wu of Chu had no choice but to retreat back to Fangcheng. That year, Xi was only 22 years old, and now he is 38 years old, one year older than King Hui of Chu, in his prime and at the peak of his physical strength, with a knife technique that has improved even further compared to 16 years ago.

  Just then, King Hui of Chu shouted loudly: "Zhao, retreat!" He spurred on his horse, and it galloped towards Xi. The long spear was swung, striking Xi's head. Xi saw the king of Wei flee in defeat, and two generals were killed in an instant. Earlier, when he rushed up, he had also received a blow from King Hui's spear, and knew that King Hui's arm strength was greater than his own, with martial arts skills surpassing those of Zhao.

  Now seeing King Hui's spear strike, Xi naturally did not dare to slacken off. With both hands swinging the knife, he parried, and a loud "ding" sound was heard. The knife edge flashed with fire sparks, and this spear struck right on the knife edge. The knife edge was dented, and Xi's body involuntarily retreated, his large knife being knocked open by one step. His hands felt numb.

  King Hui saw this and struck again with a loud "ding" sound! This blow had the force of a thousand pounds, striking Xi's left hand down and his right hand up, causing the large knife to tilt, and both man and horse retreated one step. King Hui struck again with a spear to the left, and Xi parried with both hands, but the large knife was knocked open by one step, and his hands felt numb.

  King Hui struck again with a spear to the right, and Xi's large knife was knocked askew to the lower left side. At this time, no matter what, he could not block this heavy blow from the right below. Xi's body hastily retreated to the rear right, and with a loud "hong" sound! The spear struck the horse's body, and Xi let out a mournful cry as he fell to the ground, throwing him onto the ground, and the large knife also fell.

  It turned out that the horse's backbone had been broken, and it had collapsed. The horse fell to the ground, kicked its hind legs several times, and died. The Chu army shouted loudly, their morale reaching a peak. The Wei army saw this, and five great generals rushed out of the Wei formation, hastily rushing towards King Hui and Xi, trying to rescue their commander Xi.

  Too late! Only to see King Hui sweep his spear down, with a loud "peng" sound! Xi was swept away by more than ten feet, and died on the spot.

  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 Yu saw what was happening 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 torrent. 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 Yu 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 several high-ranking Wei generals, including General Xi. The Wei army formation had already collapsed, and no one could withstand King Huai's and Zhao Yu's attacks. The Wei cavalrymen fell one after another, and a path was cleared through the enemy lines. A Wei general shouted, "The Wei king must escape quickly!" but his 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 Yu used his long spear to strike down the enemy. No one in the Wei army could resist their attacks. The Wei king fled in panic, with King Huai and his soldiers hot on his heels. The Wei cavalrymen protected their king as they desperately tried to escape from the battlefield, but the Chu generals and cavalrymen launched a fierce counterattack, throwing the Wei cavalry into disarray. Zhao Yu and the other generals took advantage of the fact that there were no high-ranking officers left in the Wei army and charged forward, killing indiscriminately. King Huai swept his spear across the battlefield with one hand and struck down the enemy with his sword in the other, cutting down anyone who stood in his way. 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. What was the reason for such a huge disparity? Was it not due to 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 heart. 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 reined in his horse and surveyed the situation before ordering Zuo to lead 15,000 cavalrymen to divide into three routes and attack the Wei infantry from the sides and rear. Zuo ordered two generals to each lead 5,000 cavalrymen on the three routes to charge at the Wei infantry. As a result, the three routes of Chu cavalry suddenly launched a fierce attack on the Wei infantry from the sides and rear. The 150,000-strong Wei infantry was already disheartened and could not withstand the attacks by the 15,000-strong Chu army. When the three routes of Chu cavalry charged at them, they immediately fell into chaos and were killed or injured in large numbers. As the situation became chaotic, the 150,000-strong Chu army on the front line launched a frenzied attack like a raging tide, inflicting heavy casualties on the Wei army. Before long, more than half of the Wei army had been killed or injured. The King of Wei fled from the battlefield and ordered his troops to retreat after taking a glance at the situation. The Chu army took advantage of their momentum to launch a pursuit for about one li before stopping. The Wei army retreated towards Mount Xingyang, abandoning countless supplies and equipment. In this battle outside the ancient city, the Chu army killed over 120,000 Wei soldiers (including more than 30,000 cavalrymen and 90,000 infantrymen), captured 30,000 horses, and seized 120,000 sets of armor and weapons as well as countless supplies and equipment. The Chu army lost 50,000 men (including 10,000 cavalrymen and 40,000 infantrymen). However, they gained 30,000 horses, which increased their cavalry strength to 70,000. King Huai of Chu ordered his troops to cook meals and rest on the spot. An hour later, the army set off hastily towards Mount Xingyang to pursue and attack the Wei army.

  The Wei army fled to the top of Xian Mountain (now thirty miles southwest of Xinzheng County) 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 is now 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 been defeated, morale is low, and if we engage in battle with the Chu army now, our strength will be greatly inferior. If the Chu army surrounds Xian Mountain, it will be dangerous." The King of Wei replied: "I know this, but after a while, the King of Han will arrive with his army, and the Chu army will be exhausted from continuous battles. 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 and instead defended the mountain. 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 arrived at Tangzhuang, ten miles away, and is advancing towards Xian Mountain."

  King Huai of Chu heard the report and ordered the whole army to retreat one mile and form an array. He 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 Huai continued, "Our army has many cavalry, which is an advantage, and we can charge against the enemy infantry, so we have more chances of winning." Then, King Huai ordered Zhao She to lead a large army of 70,000 (30,000 cavalry and 40,000 infantry) to fight against the 80,000-strong Wei army, while he himself led an army of 80,000 (40,000 cavalry and 40,000 infantry) to fight against the 100,000-strong Han army.

  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. Meanwhile, 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 of Han arrived with a force of 100,000 (25,000 cavalry and 75,000 infantry), and when King of Wei saw that King of Han had brought a large army, he also led all his troops down from the mountain, but was 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, they should have suffered heavy losses. Unexpectedly, the army of Wei was so defeated. If I had known it would be like this, I shouldn't have led my troops to come here. Therefore, for a moment, he couldn't answer.

  King Huai of Chu saw that the King of Han didn't respond and became enraged. He urged his horse forward, and with a loud whinny, the horse galloped forward like the wind. With his long spear in hand, he charged straight at the King of Han. The King of Han was greatly shocked and quickly turned his horse around to flee back to his formation.

  A general from the state of Han rushed out of the formation, shouting, "Don't harm my king!" He swung his sword towards 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 with his spear, and with another loud clang, the general's sword fell to the ground.

  The general was greatly shocked and turned his horse around to flee. King Huai of Chu struck him in the back with his spear, and he fell off his horse, dying instantly. Two more generals from the state of Han rushed forward, but King Huai of Chu charged at them on horseback, swinging his spear.

  In just one exchange, one of the Han generals had his spear knocked out of his hand and was thrown off his horse, dead without making a sound. The other general thrust his halberd at King Huai of Chu, who swung his spear once, knocking the halberd to the ground. With another swing of his spear, King Huai of Chu struck the general's head, shattering it, and he fell off his horse, dead with one cry.

  At that moment, the Chu army roared to the sky, and King of Han saw this, his will to fight was gone, and he hastily ordered the main force to retreat back to Xinzheng. King Hui of Chu also did not pursue, letting the Han army withdraw. When King Hui of Chu saw the Han army retreating far away, he ordered General Zuo to lead 20,000 cavalrymen 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 a general retreat. Zuo saw this and ordered the entire Chu army to launch an all-out attack, while King Hui's 20,000 cavalrymen also charged from the side. King Hui of Wei saw that the situation was hopeless and escaped back to Yangdi under the protection of over 10,000 horsemen. The rest of the Wei army scattered in all directions, with a small number escaping, but most were unable to escape, either being killed or surrendering their arms. Zuo's Chu army killed more than 20,000 Wei soldiers, captured 30,000, obtained 5,000 war horses, and seized 50,000 sets of armor and weapons, as well as a large quantity 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 beheaded (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 light and heavy. The Chu army lost 55,000 soldiers (12,000 cavalry and 43,000 infantry), but gained 35,000 war horses, making the Chu army's 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 Prefecture (now Yuzhou City, Henan), Xiangcheng (now Xiangcheng County, Henan), and Lushan (now Lushan County, Henan) in Wei. To avenge King Han's dispatch of 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 in Han, and established Xincheng Prefecture in Yichuan, governing Yichuan, Ruzhou, Yu Prefecture, Xiangcheng, Lushan and other places.