Chapter 7: The defeat of the Wei army at Bozhouling, and the escape to Kaifeng; the Battle of Heze, where Chu Huai defeated the Qi forces.

  In this battle, the 80,000-strong Chu army killed 35,000 Wei soldiers (7,000 cavalry and 28,000 infantry), together with the 10,000-strong garrison of Weixing County, totaling 45,000. They also captured 7,000 war horses, 40,000 sets of armor and weapons, and a large quantity of grain and fodder.

  After reorganizing his troops, Xiangyang had all the grain, fodder, armor, and weapons transported back to Weixing County. He then converted 7,000 infantrymen into cavalry by having them ride on the captured war horses, thus creating an army of 47,000 cavalrymen.

  He then ordered 30,000 cavalrymen to return to Xiangling (now Xuchang) to report to King Huai of Chu, while he himself led a force of 50,000 Chu soldiers (17,000 cavalry and 33,000 infantry) to defend Weixing County and intercept any reinforcements from Wei. The Wei army, which had regrouped at Zhaozhu, now had only 63,000 men left (18,000 cavalry and 45,000 infantry), of whom 3,000 were wounded, so they did not dare attack Weixing County again and could only wait for the arrival of the Qi army.

  King Huai of Chu then ordered his 80,000-strong army to attack Ningling City. The 10,000-strong garrison of Ningling County had no way out and surrendered. King Huai conquered Xiangling and Ningling in three days, killing over 30,000 enemy soldiers, capturing 10,000, gaining 7,000 war horses (thus adding another 7,000 cavalrymen), 40,000 sets of armor and weapons, and a large quantity of grain and fodder.

  At this time, the Qi army had just left Jinan and arrived at Pingyin County. The Chu army, having won victory after victory, gained an additional 20,000 brave soldiers.

  In this battle, the Chu army killed 80,000 Qi soldiers (10,000 cavalry and 70,000 infantry), captured 30,000; obtained 10,000 war horses, 110,000 sets of armor and weapons, and a large batch of grain and fodder. The Qi Wei Wang was so frightened that he never dared to confront the Chu Huai Wang again. The brilliant victory of the Chu army made the villagers in this area enthusiastically join the army, and the Chu army gained more than 30,000 new soldiers. At this time, the Chu army was no longer the 2 million (600,000 cavalry and 1.4 million infantry) that had just left Xuchang, but a 3 million-strong army (850,000 cavalry and 2.15 million infantry). The Chu Huai Wang ordered Zhao Yang to lead an army of 100,000 (30,000 cavalry and 70,000 infantry) to garrison Xiangling (Yueyang), Heze, and Jining, while he himself led an army of 200,000 (55,000 cavalry and 145,000 infantry) to escort a large batch of grain and military supplies. On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, they returned to the capital of Chu.

  In this battle, the Chu army killed 80,000 Qi soldiers (10,000 cavalry and 70,000 infantry), captured 30,000; obtained 10,000 war horses, 110,000 sets of armor and weapons, and a large batch of grain and fodder. The Qi Wei Wang was so frightened that he never dared to confront the Chu Huai Wang head-on again. The brilliant victory of the Chu army made the villagers in this area enthusiastically join the army, and the Chu army gained more than 30,000 new soldiers. At this time, the Chu army was no longer the 2 million (600,000 cavalry and 1.4 million infantry) that had just left Xuchang, but a 3 million-strong army (850,000 cavalry and 2.15 million infantry). The Chu Huai Wang ordered Zhao Yang to lead an army of 100,000 (30,000 cavalry and 70,000 infantry) to garrison Xiangling (Yueyang), Heze, and Jining, while he himself led an army of 200,000 (55,000 cavalry and 145,000 infantry) to escort a large batch of grain and military supplies. On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, they returned to the capital of Chu.

  In the spring of 325 BC (the fourth year of Chu Huai Wang and the thirteenth year of Qin Huiwen King), Qin Huiwen King finally became king, just as he was about to ask for the tripod of the Central Plains. However, in that same year, during the battle of Baohan, he joined forces with Shu State but was still defeated by Chu Huai Wang and forced to flee. The following year, Wei Hui Wang and two years later, Qi Wei Wang suffered the same fate. It wasn't until then that Chu State truly reached a power that shocked the world. Within just five years, Chu Huai Wang expanded his territory by 3,000 miles, establishing new counties such as Wuguan (later renamed Bazhou), Hanzhong, and Xincheng, expanding Xu State to Heze, and Xuchang to Qi County. During the reign of Chu Wei Wang, a new county called Qianzhong was also established (which at that time was only half the size of the one during Chu Huai Wang's reign). On the surface, Qin Huiwen King, Qi Wei Wang, and Wei Huiwen King all treated Chu with respect, addressing him as "Chu Huai Wang" this and "Chu Huai Wang" that. However, behind his back, they were all secretly colluding with each other, seeking opportunities to join forces and launch a surprise attack on Chu Huai Wang, hoping to knock him off the stage of the world's overlord. Thus, the horizontal and vertical alliances' persuaders finally emerged.

  (This chapter has over 5,000 words, and here we only excerpt one-seventh of it)