Bao Wuguan Shang Yang fled to Huayin, contending for hegemony with Chu Huai Wang who had just ascended the throne.

  In 340 BC, King Xuan of Chu died and his son, Xiong Shang, succeeded him as King Wei of Chu.

  The next year, Shang Yang led a hundred thousand Qin soldiers out of the Xiao Pass to attack the Chu army at Shangnan but was defeated by the Chu general Qu Wu.

  In 338 BC, in the second year of King Wei's reign, Duke Xiao of Qin died and his son, Huiwen Jun, succeeded him as Duke Huiwen of Qin.

  King Wei ordered a hundred thousand soldiers to move to Luo River and Zhoukou to prevent the Wei army from advancing southward. He then personally led two hundred thousand Chu soldiers out of Jingzhou and Xiangyang to attack Shang Yang's state in the north.

  Shang Yang led twenty thousand soldiers out of the Xiao Pass to fight against the Chu army at Shangnan but was defeated by Qu Wu and retreated back to the Xiao Pass.

  King Wei ordered his army to attack the Xiao Pass while also ordering Qu Wu to lead a hundred thousand soldiers along the Dan River to attack Shang Yang's hometown, Shangdu (Danfeng).

  When Duke Huiwen of Qin heard that King Wei was attacking Shang Yang, he gathered his officials and said: "I think Shang Yang will soon be defeated by the Chu army. If the Chu army defeats Shang Yang, they will surely attack our state. I want to lead an army to resist the Chu army outside the Xiao Pass. What do you all think?"

  Gan Long stepped forward and said: "Your Lordship must not! In the past, Wei Yang (Shang Yang) attacked the Chu state's territory of Shangzhou and Danfeng, and Duke Xiao knew that King Xuan would surely send an army to punish him. Therefore, he gave Shang Yang seven hundred li of land in Shangzhou to establish his own state, with the intention of diverting the disaster.

  Now King Wei is following in his father's footsteps and wants to recover the lost territory. If Your Lordship leads an army against him, the Chu and Qin armies will surely clash, and the Wei army will take advantage of our emptiness to attack Huayin and point directly at Guanzhong. Moreover, the Chu state currently has over a million soldiers, and if they add more troops and generals from Jingzhou and Xiangyang, our current military strength is not enough to resist them."

  Duke Huiwen said: "What should we do according to your view?"

  Gan Long said: "According to my humble opinion, Shang Yang's rebellion is a great crime. Your Lordship can send an envoy to King Wei to renew their alliance and at the same time issue a decree to strip Shang Yang of his title and order him to hand over his military power. Shang Yang will surely rebel, and Your Lordship can use this as an excuse to send an army to take Shangzhou and Shangdu, and re-establish the border with Chu. This way, not only will the Chu and Qin states turn their hostility into friendship, but we will also eliminate the great threat of Shang Yang. This is a win-win situation."

  Duke Huiwen said: "Good!" He then sent an envoy to King Wei to form an alliance and issued a decree listing Shang Yang's ten crimes, stripping him of his title, and ordering him to hand over his military power and surrender in Xianyang.

  Shang Yang refused to listen and openly rebelled, leading his army against the Qin. Duke Huiwen of Qin issued a decree throughout the state, ordering the execution of Shang Yang, and led 200,000 troops east along the Shangluo Ancient Road, capturing Danyang and taking over Shangzhou. When Shang Yang saw this, he sent someone to ask King Wei of Chu for peace, but was refused. The next day, 100,000 Chu soldiers under the command of Zixu arrived at Shangyi along the Dan River, and also broke through Shaoyin Pass. The two armies joined forces at Danfeng and attacked Shangyi. Shang Yang was unable to resist and led his army in a chaotic retreat northwards, where they were defeated by Sima Cuo. Under the protection of his personal guards, he escaped over the hills to Luonan. Duke Huiwen of Qin then split his forces to pursue Shang Yang, while Sima Cuo led the Qin army into Shangyi along with Zixu's Chu army. The two sides faced off against each other, refusing to give in, and were on the verge of engaging in a fierce battle when King Wei of Chu and Duke Huiwen of Qin arrived just in time to call off the fighting and make peace. They agreed that from Shangzhou to Danfeng, Chu and Qin would divide the territory equally between them, with the south going to Chu and the north to Qin. The Qin army set up a garrison at Shaoyin Pass, while the Chu army set up a garrison at Shangzhou, each with 1,000 soldiers. After this, King Wei of Chu led his troops back to Jingdu, while Duke Huiwen of Qin led his army back to Xianyang.

  Shang Yang led the defeated soldiers and generals, fleeing from Luoyang to Tongguan. With tears streaming down his face, he repeatedly begged Wei Gongzi to take him in. Wei Gongzi was moved by Shang Yang's pitiful state. However, General Wei Jia said: "You treacherous villain! You've finally gotten what you deserved. You're a wolf from Zhongshan, and your greed knows no bounds. Isn't it enough that you plotted against my lord? I wanted to kill you, but I didn't want to sully my precious sword." Wei Gongzi listened and left with a flick of his sleeve. Shang Yang had no choice but to lead the defeated soldiers and generals to Hua Yin, where he gathered his old troops and attempted to put up a last-ditch resistance. Qin Duke Xian ordered Sima Cuo and Xiang Shou to lead an army of 200,000 to surround and annihilate Shang Yang. Shang Yang refused to surrender and led his troops in battle, but they were defeated, and he was captured and taken to Xianyang. He was sentenced to death by being torn apart by five horses, and after his death, a sudden thunderstorm struck, burning his remains. Alas! Although Shang Yang had great merit for the Qin state, it was all for personal gain and fame, and he abandoned all sense of morality. It's not an exaggeration to call him a wolf from Zhongshan. What's tragic is that his entire family was also executed in Xianyang.

  In 336 BC, the fourth year of King Wu of Chu and the third year of Duke Huiwen of Qin, King Wu of Chu ordered General Qu Wuzi to lead an army of one hundred thousand men from Chu to defeat the Wei army at Yuzhou and Gucheng, expanding their territory to Xianyang Mountain. Then, General Qu Wuzi also defeated the Han army at Pingdingshan, Ruyang, and Ruizhou, expanding their territory by over three hundred miles.

  In the fifth year of King Wu of Chu (335 BC), he led a large army northward to attack Wei, ordering thirty thousand men from Zhoukou, Luhe, Fang, and Ye to converge on Xuchang and defeat the Wei army. The king of Wei asked for help, and then ordered ten thousand men from Yangdi and Gongyi and another ten thousand men from Daliang to go south and rescue Xuchang. The Marquis of Han also sent ten thousand men from Zhengzhou and Xinzheng to go south and support the Wei army in rescuing Xuchang.

  In August, the Wei army that marched south from Yangdi and Gongyi was defeated by General Qu Wuzi at Xianyang Mountain and Yuzhou, and retreated back to Yangdi. The Wei army that marched south from Daliang was intercepted by the Chu army marching north from Zhoukou, while the ten thousand Han soldiers who marched south from Handu were defeated by the Chu army marching north from Fang and Ye.

  In September, King Wu of Chu led the main force of the Chu army to defeat the main force of the Wei army at Xuchang East and Taikang. In October, the Chu army captured Xuchang, and the remaining Wei soldiers retreated hastily back to Daliang. The Battle of Xuchang that year resulted in the deaths of nineteen thousand Wei soldiers and over five thousand Han soldiers, with the capture of Xuchang by the Chu army, which put pressure on the capital city of Han.

  In the sixth year of King Wu of Chu (334 BC), Duke Huiwen of Qin saw that the Chu army had defeated the Wei and Han armies at Xuchang, expanding their territory by five hundred miles, and that the state of Wei was greatly weakened. He then ordered Sima Cuo and Xiang Shou to lead twenty thousand Qin soldiers in two routes from Xianyang eastward into the area west of the Yellow River.

  Xiang Shou defeated the Wei army at Hancheng, while Sima Cuo fought a great battle against the famous Wei general Wei Huo at Tongguan but was unable to win. He then retreated back to Huayin and faced off against the Wei army at Tongguan.

  Wei Huizong Wang retreated back to Xuchang after a crushing defeat, realizing that the Chu army was much stronger than Wei. The defeat at Xuchang led to Qi's army attacking Wei's Puyang from the west, Zhao's army attacking Wei's Hebi from the south, and Qin's army pressing in from the west of the Yellow River. In 334 BC, Chu Weiwang gathered an army of 400,000 at Xuchang and marched towards Wei's capital Daliang. Wei Huizong Wang was terrified and ceded Puyang to Qi, promising to hand over the Hegemonic Crown to Qi Weiwang and recognize him as the supreme ruler of China. He also asked Qi to withdraw its troops.

  Wei then ceded Hebi to Zhao and several cities west of the Yellow River to Qin, leading to the withdrawal of both armies. Wei Huizong Wang then announced that he would abdicate his position as Hegemon and hand over the crown to a new ruler at Xuzhou the following spring. However, in private, he told Chu Weiwang: "I was defeated at Xuchang and I acknowledge your military prowess. I wanted to hand over the Hegemonic Crown to you, but Qi Weiwang pressured me into giving it up next spring at Xuzhou. If you want to become the new Hegemon, come and take it from me then.

  Chu Weiwang was convinced by Wei's words and withdrew his troops, saving Daliang from destruction.

  In the spring of 333 BC, during the seventh year of King Hui of Chu's reign, King Huiwen of Wei convened a grand assembly of all the feudal lords at Xuzhou and announced his abdication of the hegemonic crown. He said: "The hegemonic crown is for those who have the ability and virtue to possess it. Today, facing the turmoil in the world, the state of Wei has no more power to shake the four directions, so I will present the hegemonic crown to the most powerful and virtuous ruler among you, to lead all the feudal lords and bring blessings to the world. If anyone thinks they are worthy, come forward and take the hegemonic crown from me." After finishing speaking, he took off the hegemonic crown, and all the feudal lords looked at each other in dismay, but no one dared to step forward to accept it.

  The states of Qin, Zhao, Yue, and Song had always been eyeing the hegemonic crown, but they knew that only Qi and Chu were qualified to take it. King Hui of Chu was a wise man, so he kept his army stationed around Xuzhou, waiting for an opportunity to strike. King Wei of Qi wanted to step forward and seize the crown, but he feared that the Chu state would attack.

  King Huiwen of Wei saw this and said: "Gentlemen, you are all being modest and polite! Alas, I am no longer worthy of wearing the hegemonic crown. Today, among all the feudal lords, King Wei of Qi is the most virtuous and powerful, his army is invincible, so I recommend him as the new hegemon. If anyone disagrees, come forward and compete with the Qi army!" After finishing speaking, he held out the crown with both hands, and King Wei of Qi stepped forward to accept it, saying: "I have no ability or virtue, how can I lead all the feudal lords and become the hegemon? It's all thanks to the prestige of the king of Wei. In my opinion, the two kings should coexist and rule the world together, let's see who dares to disobey!"

  Although many of the feudal lords were dissatisfied, they were afraid of the power of the Qi army, so they remained silent. King Hui of Chu saw that Qin and Zhao were not speaking up, so he stepped forward and said loudly: "Wait! In the Battle of Maling, the Qi army was defeated by the Wei army, how can it be the strongest in the world? Sun Bin's clever strategy won against the Wei general Pang Juan, but this doesn't mean that the Qi army is invincible!"

  King Huiwen of Wei hastily said: "King Hui of Chu is right! The true strongest army in the world is indeed the Chu army! In the Battle of Xuchang, the armies of Wei and Han were defeated and surrendered." King Wei of Qi was furious, his face turned green with rage, and he shouted: "How dare you, King Hui of Chu! You are being arrogant and rude, do you think my Qi army is afraid of your Chu army?"

  King Hui of Chu replied: "Not at all! Let's have a one-on-one duel, either single combat or a battle between our armies. If the Qi army can defeat the Chu army, then you can take the crown and leave!" The states of Qin and Zhao cheered in unison, and their rulers, King Huiwen of Qin and King Wuling of Zhao, shouted loudly: "Agreed! Let the strongest be the hegemon, one-on-one!"

  The Duke of Qi was enraged, and he turned his army around, took up a long sword, mounted a white horse, and galloped forward. The King of Chu saw this and jumped onto a black steed, holding a long spear, and charged forward. The two armies clashed on the open plains.

  The King of Chu grew more courageous as the battle raged on, and the Duke of Qi could only defend himself without being able to counterattack. Just then, the King of Chu struck with his spear, and the Duke of Qi raised his sword to block it. With a loud clang, the Duke of Qi stumbled backward.

  The King of Chu's long spear reached the Duke of Qi's throat, causing him to break out in cold sweat. The Qi army hastily sent out three generals, led by General Kuang Piao (the father of Kuang Zhang), who shouted, "Do not harm our king!"

  General Wei Wu from the Chu army charged forward on horseback, swinging his sword and engaging the three Qi generals. Two Qi generals blocked General Wei Wu, while General Kuang Piao swung his sword at the King of Chu.

  The King of Chu saw this and changed his spear's thrust to a sweep, striking with a loud clang and blocking General Kuang Piao's sword. General Wei Wu raised his sword and struck down two Qi generals, then charged towards General Kuang Piao.

  The Duke of Qi retreated in defeat, but the King of Chu did not pursue him. General Kuang Piao engaged General Wei Wu in a fierce battle for thirty rounds, but was ultimately defeated and also retreated.

  In an instant, the various lords were shaken. The Duke of Qi was even more enraged and humiliated, so he led his army of 100,000 men to form up in array. The King of Chu waved his long spear, and his army of 100,000 men marched out in formation.

  The various lords saw this and retreated one after another. Suddenly, the war drums of the Chu army sounded, and the King of Chu pointed with his spear, charging forward on horseback and killing his way into the Qi army. The 100,000-strong Chu army surged forward like a raging torrent, and General Wei Wu's long sword danced in the air as Qi soldiers fell one after another.

  Not a single soldier among the 100,000-strong Qi army could withstand the attack of the Chu army. After about half an hour of fighting, the Qi army was unable to resist the Chu army's assault, and the Duke of Qi led his army in a disastrous retreat.

  The "Xu State King" ended like this, and Qi Wei Wang didn't even have time to take over the hegemonic crown before being defeated by Chu Wei Wang. The various national marquises dispersed, and Qi Wei Wang was unwilling to accept defeat, so he returned to the capital of Qi, Zibo, and led 300,000 troops south to attack the Chu army, also making an appointment with the Wei, Song, and Yue states to send troops and jointly attack the Chu army in Sui County and Huai Bei. Wei Hui Wang agreed verbally but actually held back his troops and waited for the outcome. The ruler of Song saw that 300,000 Chu troops had gathered in Xu State and didn't dare to send troops to attack the Chu army. The king of Yue led 200,000 Yue troops out of Guangling to help Qi Wei Wang attack the Chu army in Huai Bei, and the great army arrived at Yancheng. When Chu Wei Wang saw this, he immediately ordered Shou "Chun" with 100,000 Chu troops to attack Guangling, leading 200,000 Chu troops east and south, defeating the Yue king's army at Yancheng and Huai'an, then joining forces with Shou "Chun"'s 100,000 Chu troops to attack the Yue army in Guangling, killing tens of thousands of Yue soldiers. The king of Yue led his remaining troops back to Gusu. At this time, the 300,000 Qi troops took advantage of the main force of the Chu army going south to Guangling and divided their troops into three routes to capture Lin Yi and Zao Zhuang, directly taking Xu State. The 100,000 Chu troops in Xu State defended the city, but the 300,000 Qi troops attacked for a month without success. After Chu Wei Wang defeated the Yue king's army, he led his troops north to join forces with Qi Wei Wang's 300,000 Qi troops and engage in a decisive battle at Xu State. The Chu army won three battles in a row, defeating the Qi army from Xu State to Lianyungang, killing 150,000 Qi soldiers, recovering Lin Yi and Zao Zhuang, and advancing to Shan Dong Jun County, also capturing Pei County to Ji Ning and the entire Wei Shan Lake, expanding Sui Shang by 200 li. Just as Chu Wei Wang was preparing to lead his troops north to Tai'an and Laiwu, the army of Da Liang Wei gathered at Xu Chang. When Chu Wei Wang heard this news, he stopped attacking Qi Guo and ordered 200,000 Chu troops to garrison Xu State and Sui Shang, leading 200,000 troops day and night to hurry back to Xu Chang. Wei Hui Wang heard that Qi Wei Wang's army was defeated at Xu State and the Chu army was rushing over, so he hastily ordered his troops to retreat back to Da Liang.

  In the 8th and 9th years of King Wu of Chu, the Chu army repeatedly launched attacks on Wei, capturing several counties west of Xuchang to Taikang. When Qin Duke Huiwen saw that the Chu army had defeated the Qi army and was marching north to attack Wei, he took advantage of the situation to launch a series of attacks on the Wei army in the western river valley. King Hui of Wei, unable to withstand the Chu army's northern advance and protect his capital Daliang, was forced to cede the land west of the Yellow River to Qin and make peace with them. From then on, all the land west of the Yellow River belonged to Qin, and Tongguan was also occupied by the Qin army.

  In the 10th year of King Wu of Chu, he launched an attack from Fangxi and defeated the Shu army, expanding his territory to Ankang. In the same year, he again launched an attack from Qianzhong and defeated the Shu army at Bayu, expanding his territory to Yuzhou (Chongqing).

  In the 11th year of King Wu of Chu, he suddenly fell ill and died, and his son Xiong Xuan succeeded him as King Hui of Chu. During King Wu's 11-year reign, he expanded his territory by nearly a thousand miles, making Chu the largest state in terms of territory, with an area of over 5,000 miles. The state had a population of over 3 million and an army of over 1 million soldiers.

  At that time, Qin was bordered to the east by Hancheng, Tongguan, and Shaoxi, with a territory of 2,500 miles and a population of 7 million people, as well as an army of 600,000 soldiers. The southern part of Jiangsu and Anhui were still under the control of Yue, which had an army of over 400,000 soldiers, roughly equal to that of Han.

  The Shu state extended south to Bayu and north to Hanzhong, with an army of over 300,000 soldiers stationed in Chengdu and Hanzhong. The Qi state, which had just risen to power and sought to dominate the other states, was defeated by Chu and retreated.

  At that time, Chu was the strongest state, dominating all the other vassal states. However, due to Qin's rapid rise, it posed a threat to both Qi and Chu, while Wei, although no longer as powerful as before, still had considerable strength. Therefore, King Hui of Chu still did not have the power to truly dominate the other states, and the responsibility for competing with them fell on his shoulders.