Zhang Guying beheaded a rhino in the ancient city of Chu, and the Wei army fled in defeat at Mount Xian.

  In the autumn of 324 BC, in the fifth year of King Huai of Chu, King Huai ordered Zhao Yang to lead 100,000 Chu soldiers to march north to Xuchang (present-day Xuchang City, Henan Province) and set up defenses. At the same time, he ordered Tang Mei to lead 100,000 Chu soldiers to set up defenses in the area of Xiangyang and Nanyang. Meanwhile, he led Zhao Yue with 200,000 elite troops (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 the eleventh year of King Wu of Chu (329 BC), when it took advantage of Chu's mourning period to attack the Chu army and seize the territories of Yuzhou, Gucheng, and Xianshan (thirty miles southwest of Xinzheng County, Henan Province).

  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 divide the land of Chu into two parts, Fang and Ye. At the same time, King Hui personally led General Xi and 200,000 troops (50,000 cavalry and 150,000 infantry) to fight against the Chu army.

  King Xuan of Han received the message from King Hui and immediately summoned his officials to discuss the matter. The king said: "Now, King Huai of Chu is leading 200,000 troops to attack Wei, seeking revenge for the time when King Hui of Wei took advantage of Chu's national mourning to launch a surprise attack on Chu. However, since then, Chu has been very powerful and prosperous. Three years ago, King Huai defeated the Marquis of Shu at Xi Ba, and last year he defeated the combined forces of Qin and Shu at Bao Han (Hanzhong), killing over 190,000 enemies. The morale of the Chu army is high, and I'm worried that if we fight against them now, we will be at a disadvantage.

  Although Wei is not as powerful 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 decision, and I hope you can come up with a good strategy to help me.

  One of the officials suggested: "The Chu army is very powerful, and it's not possible to confront them head-on. Your Majesty can lead 100,000 troops out of Xinzheng to respond to the situation, but don't engage in battle with the Chu army. Let Wei and Chu 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 100,000 troops 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, "I am." King Hui of Chu said, "You are the leader of the alliance of all the vassals 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 land? The Xian Mountains and Xu Chang are all part of the great Wei State's territory, which was taken from me by your father. I am just taking it back now that he is gone." King Hui of Chu said, "If so, 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 forward with his spear. His black horse galloped like a wild wind, and in the blink of an eye, he arrived at the King of Wei's side. A dark shadow swept towards the King of Wei, who raised his square heaven halberd to block it hastily. The King of Wei was also a man of great strength, known for his bravery in the alliance of vassals and his ability to lift the tripod cauldron in Luoyang. His square heaven halberd was wielded with divine skill, and his martial arts were not inferior to those of Xī. 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 halberd, 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 halberd to block it, but his left hand sank downward, and his long halberd tilted. King Hui swung his spear horizontally, and the King of Wei slanted his halberd to block it. King Hui struck again, and the King of Wei wielded his halberd to kill him. The sound of their weapons clashing echoed through the air once more. The King of Wei's square heaven halberd was knocked open, revealing that his strength was not as great as King Hui's spear force. Suddenly, King Hui let out a loud roar and thrust his spear downward with all his might. The King of Wei hastily raised his halberd to block it horizontally, but the impact sent shockwaves through his horse, causing it to whinny loudly. Clang! Clang! Clang! King Hui struck three times in succession, forcing the King of Wei and his horse to retreat five steps. With a whooshing sound, King Hui's long spear pierced through the King of Wei's defensive line and reached his side. The King of Wei let out a loud cry and broke into a cold sweat as he hastily raised his halberd to block the spear. He lifted it high, but King Hui struck again with all his might. The impact sent shockwaves through the King of Wei's hands, causing him to drop his halberd, which fell to the ground with two loud clangs. Some soldiers from the Wei army rushed out and retrieved the King of Wei's halberd, only to find that it had been shattered, 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 as he thrust his spear straight ahead. His black horse galloped faster than the King of Wei's steed, and the tip of his spear was about to reach the King of Wei. However, it turned out that King Hui did not really want to kill the King of Wei but rather capture him alive. On the Chu army's side, a thunderous roar erupted as Zhaoyu saw the main general of the Wei army, Xi, and two other high-ranking generals charge forward. He let out a loud cry, saying, "You cannot bully us with your numbers!" and then charged forward on his horse, 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 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 She 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 clanging 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 to the left, then counterattacked with a thrust of his own spear. The Wei general on the left hastily dodged and raised his spear to block, but King Hui's spearhead pressed down and swept forward, almost hitting the Wei general's chin. The Wei general was so frightened that he hastily retreated backward.

  King Hui of Chu was about to attack again when the Wei general on the right raised his spear to attack. King Hui swung his spear to the right, striking the Wei general's spear handle with a loud crash. The impact sent shockwaves through the Wei general's arms, causing him to retreat three steps along with his horse.

  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 resist. A loud clanging sound was heard as the spear was knocked to the ground, and the Wei general's hands were severely injured. He retreated several steps along with his horse before King Hui stabbed forward with a single thrust of his spear, hitting the Wei general right in the throat. The Wei general fell off his horse and died.

  The Wei general on the right raised his spear to rescue his comrade, but King Hui swung his spear to the right, causing the Wei general's spear to fly out of his hand with a loud crash. King Hui then followed up with another thrust of his spear, striking the Wei general in the heart and splitting open his skull.

  In just five rounds, both high-ranking generals of the Wei army were killed by King Hui of Chu's spear.

  On the side of Zhao and Xi, guns and knives 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 towards Xi's head. Xi saw the king of Wei flee in defeat, and two generals were killed in an instant. Earlier, when he had 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, and both hands feeling numb.

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

  King Hui struck again with his spear towards the right, and Xi's large knife was knocked to the left lower side. At this time, no matter what, he could not block this heavy blow from the right lower side. Xi's body hastily retreated to the rear right, and a loud "hong" sound was heard! The spear struck right on the horse's back, 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 fallen. The horse kicked its hind legs several times before dying. The Chu army's roar was like thunder, and their morale reached 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 downwards, and with a loud "peng" sound, Xi was swept away more than ten feet, dying 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. The general's body was lifted off the ground as King Huai flung it towards the Wei army formation. The general's body flew through the air, knocking down two cavalrymen in the process.

  The Wei soldiers were stunned, their faces pale with fear. Meanwhile, the Chu soldiers cheered and shouted triumphantly. The two Wei generals who had been engaging in a fierce battle with Zhao Yu saw what was happening and retreated hastily.

  King Huai drew his sword and led the charge against the Wei cavalry, with 60,000 Chu soldiers following close behind. The 140,000-strong infantry of the Chu army surged forward like a raging torrent, attacking the Wei army from all sides. King Huai rode at the forefront, his left hand grasping his spear and his right hand holding his sword as he charged towards the Wei king.

  Zhao Yu followed closely behind him, charging into the fray. The Wei king saw King Huai approaching and turned to flee, but his soldiers rushed forward to protect him. However, they were quickly thrown into disarray by the Chu army's attack. The Chu generals also joined in the battle, striking down the Wei soldiers.

  King Huai severely injured the Wei king and killed several high-ranking officials, including General Xi. The Wei army was leaderless and unable to withstand King Huai and Zhao Yu's onslaught. Their cavalrymen fell one after another, creating a path for the Chu army to advance. The Wei generals shouted for their king to flee, but it was too late.

  The Chu soldiers continued to press forward, striking down anyone who stood in their way. The Wei king fled in panic, with King Huai and his men hot on his heels. The Wei cavalrymen tried to protect their king, but they were no match for the Chu army's ferocity. In the end, the Wei army was defeated, with over 3,000 soldiers killed or wounded.

  The battle lasted for half an hour, during which time the Wei army lost more than half of its men. The Chu army, on the other hand, still had over 40,000 soldiers remaining. This was a testament to the difference in morale and leadership between the two armies. The Wei generals were killed early on in the battle, leaving their soldiers without direction or motivation.

  As for King Huai, he fought bravely throughout the battle, striking down anyone who dared to stand in his way. His men followed his example, fighting with all their might to emerge victorious.

  At this time, King Huai of Chu reined in his horse and surveyed the situation before saying to Zhao She: "You lead 15,000 cavalrymen, divided into three routes, to attack the Wei army infantry from the sides and rear." Zhao She then ordered two generals to each lead 5,000 cavalrymen, attacking the Wei army infantry on three fronts. The three routes of Chu cavalry suddenly launched a fierce attack on the Wei army infantry from the sides and rear. These 150,000 Wei infantry were already disheartened due to low morale, and having been beaten by the 15,000-strong Chu army, they could not withstand this attack by the three routes of Chu iron cavalry. In an instant, they fell in droves, becoming a chaotic mess. As soon as they became disordered, the 150,000-strong Chu army at the front launched a frenzied attack like a raging tide, inflicting heavy casualties on the Wei army. Before long, more than half of them had been killed or wounded. The King of Wei fled from the battlefield and ordered his troops to retreat as he looked back. The Chu army took advantage of their momentum to pursue and slaughter for one li before stopping. The Wei army escaped towards Mount Xing, abandoning countless grain and supplies. In this battle outside the ancient city, the Chu army killed over 120,000 Wei soldiers (over 30,000 cavalrymen and 90,000 infantrymen), captured 30,000 warhorses, and seized 120,000 sets of armor and weapons as well as countless grain and supplies. The Chu army lost 50,000 soldiers (10,000 cavalrymen and 40,000 infantrymen). However, having obtained 30,000 warhorses, the Chu army's cavalry was now increased to 70,000 strong. King Huai of Chu ordered his troops to cook meals and rest on the spot. One hour later, the army hastily departed 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, it will be dangerous." 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 his entire army to retreat one li and form a battle array. He then said to Zhao Ying, "Although the combined forces of Wei and Han are as many as 180,000, the 80,000-strong Wei army has just suffered a defeat and their morale is low. Moreover, they have no great generals, while our army has just won a victory and our morale is high. Therefore, the 150,000-strong Chu army can defeat the combined forces of Wei and Han." King Hui continued, "Our army has many cavalrymen, which is an advantage. We can use them to charge at the enemy infantry, and this will also increase our chances of winning."

  King Hui then ordered Zhao Ying to lead a force of 70,000 (30,000 cavalry and 40,000 infantry) to attack the 80,000-strong Wei army, while he himself led a force of 80,000 (40,000 cavalry and 40,000 infantry) to attack the 100,000-strong Han army.

  King Hui ordered his 40,000 infantrymen to form four lines, with 16,000 cavalrymen divided into four teams standing on either side of the infantry. They were preparing to attack the Han army's infantry from both sides and two flanks. He himself led 24,000 cavalrymen to attack the 25,000 Han cavalry.

  Zhao Ying, on the other hand, ordered his 40,000 infantrymen to form four lines, with 10,000 cavalrymen divided into two teams standing on either side of the infantry. They were preparing to attack the Wei army's infantry from both flanks; he himself led 20,000 cavalrymen to attack the 20,000 Wei cavalry.

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

  King Hui 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 Hui of Chu said, "The struggle between Chu and Wei has nothing to do with you. Why do you want to make an enemy of Chu?" The King of Han was thinking to himself at this time: Originally, I thought the armies of Wei and Chu would clash head-on, even if the army of Chu won, they should have lost half their strength. Unexpectedly, the army of Wei was so defeated. If I had known it would be like this, I shouldn't have led my troops here. Therefore, for a moment, he couldn't answer.

  King Hui 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 forth like the wind. With his long spear in hand, he charged straight at the King of Han. The King of Han was greatly startled and turned his horse around to flee back to his formation.

  A general from the Han army rushed out, shouting, "Don't harm my king!" He swung his sword towards King Hui of Chu. King Hui of Chu swung his spear once, and with a loud clang, the general's sword was knocked aside. King Hui 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 Hui of Chu struck him in the back with his spear, and he fell from his horse, dying instantly.

  Two more generals from the Han army rushed over, but King Hui of Chu charged forward on horseback, swinging his spear. In just one exchange, one of the Han generals' spears was knocked flying two zhang away, and he himself was thrown off his horse. He didn't even have time to cry out before he died.

  The other Han general thrust at King Hui of Chu with his halberd, but King Hui of Chu struck it down with his spear. Then, with a sweep of his spear, the general's head was smashed, and with a groan, he fell from 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 Huai of Chu also did not pursue, allowing the Han army to withdraw. When King Huai of Chu saw the Han army withdrawing 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 Huai'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, while the rest of the Wei army scattered and fled, a small number escaped, but 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, and 1.8 million sets of armor and weapons were obtained, as well as countless grains and grasses. 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 escape back to Yang Jun, while the rest were annihilated. From then on, the State of Wei never again had the ability to confront the State of Chu head-on. Later, King Huai of Chu ordered the Chu army to occupy the Wei state's Yu Prefecture (present-day Yuzhou City, Henan), Xiangcheng (present-day Xiangcheng County, Henan), and Lushan (present-day Lushan County, Henan). In retaliation for the Han king sending troops to assist the Wei army, King Huai also ordered the Chu army to occupy the Han state's Ruzhou (present-day Ruzhou City, Henan) and Yichuan (present-day Yichuan County, Henan), and established a new city called Xincheng Prefecture in Yichuan, which governed Yichuan, Ruzhou, Yu Prefecture, Xiangcheng, and Lushan.