Chapter 3: The Battle of Huaiyin and Shouchun, King Xuan of Chu Establishes His Authority, Competing for the Throne, Shang Yang Betrays His Alliance

  In the 28th year of King Xuan of Chu, that is, in 342 BC, there were still more than a dozen small countries between Huai North and Si Shang. King Xuan of Chu led 300,000 Chu troops to advance eastward to Huai North, while King Wei of Qi led 200,000 Qi troops southward to Si Shang. The king of Yue, also named Hou, led 200,000 Yue troops out of Guangling (Yangzhou) and marched northward to Huai North. Even the ruler of Song, Jun Yan, led an army of 100,000 eastward to Xuzhou. The four armies clashed in a fierce battle for control of the thousand-li fertile land of Huai North and Si Shang. King Xuan of Chu assessed the situation and first fought against the 200,000 Yue troops of King Hou in Huai North, defeating them greatly in Huai'an and Yancheng, Jiangsu Province. The king of Yue led his defeated army back to Guangling. King Xuan of Chu then marched northward, defeating the Song army and Qi army in Xuzhou, capturing Xuzhou, and forcing Jun Yan to flee with his remaining troops to Shangqiu. Next, the Chu army clashed with the Qi army in Zaozhuang and Linqu, with both sides holding their ground for several months and each having victories and defeats. Finally, the Chu army concentrated its superior forces and defeated the Qi army greatly in Zaozhuang, then again defeated them in Linqu, forcing the Qi army to retreat eastward. The Chu army captured the coastal areas of Rizhao, Shandong Province, and Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province. The battle for control of Huai North and Si Shang ended with a complete victory for the Chu army, and except for several small countries in Shandong Province, more than a dozen small countries in Huai North and Si Shang were incorporated into the territory of Chu.

  When Chu Xuanwang was at war with the armies of Qi, Yue and Song in Huai Bei, Wei Yang ignored the alliance between Chu and Qin and led 200,000 Qin soldiers to take advantage of the fact that the main force of the Chu army had gone east. The Qin army split into two routes, one going out of Luo Nan and the other going out of Shang Lu Gu Dao, and the two armies merged in Shang Zhou. They drove away hundreds of Chu soldiers stationed in Dan Jiang area southwest of Shang Zhou, and then they marched eastward to capture Dan Feng and Shao Xi Guan (Wu Guan), which were guarded by thousands of Chu soldiers. A large army was sent to garrison Shang Luo, Dan Feng and Shao Xi Guan. The area north of the Dan River, west of Shao Xi and the entire Shang Lu Gu Dao were incorporated into Qin's territory.

  When Chu Xuanwang heard the news, he ordered 100,000 Chu soldiers to be stationed in Huai Bei, Xu Zhou and Si Shang, and led 200,000 Chu soldiers back to Jing Zhou. Chu Xuanwang sent an envoy to ask Qin Xiao Gong: "Chu and Qin have been allies for generations, with a close relationship like brothers. In the past, I sent troops to help Qin defeat the three Jin states and gave your father Xian Gong the 700-li land from Luo Nan to Ling Bao. It was agreed that Shang Zhou and Shang Lu Gu Dao would be jointly owned and managed by Chu and Qin. Now you take advantage of my eastward march, send troops to Shang Luo, drive away my garrison in Shang Zhou, Dan Feng and Shao Xi, what is the reason? Are you trying to tear up the alliance between Chu and Qin and become enemies with Chu?"

  Duke Xiao of Qin wept and said, "All these are the deeds of Wei Yang behind my back. I can only blame myself for giving him the command of 200,000 troops in the past, and now it's too late to regret." The envoy from Chu returned to Jingdu and reported to King Xuan of Chu. As soon as the envoy left, Duke Xiao of Qin immediately sent a messenger to Wei Yang, saying, "You have great merit in Qin, and I wanted to share the rule of Qin with you. Now that King Xuan of Chu has sent an envoy, he will surely send troops to punish us. What can we do? I will give you 700 li of land in Shangzhou, Loshan, and Danfeng, and appoint you as a marquis, enfeoffing you as Marquis Wei. You can establish yourself independently and don't need to return to Xianyang." Wei Yang didn't know what was going on, but he followed the order and established himself as Marquis Wei, changing his name to Wei Yang. He then ordered his soldiers to build a large-scale city from Shangluo to Shannan, blocking the ancient road from Shangzhou to Shannan, and reinforcing the Xiaoxi Pass. He stationed 100,000 troops in Shannan and Xiaoxi, and another 100,000 troops in Shangzhou and Loshan, recruiting soldiers and preparing for war. King Xuan of Chu was furious and wanted to send troops to punish Wei Yang, but just then a messenger arrived from the front line, reporting that King Wei of Qi was gathering his army and marching south to Sishui, while King Huiwen of Wei was leading his army south to Zhoukou. King Xuan of Chu put aside his plan to attack Wei Yang for the time being and ordered General Qu Wu (the father of Qu Yuan) to lead 100,000 Chu soldiers to guard Shannan and Zhechuan, then moved his army to Zhoukou and Fuyang, and another 100,000 troops to Xuzhou and HuaiBei. The armies of Wei and Qi heard the news and dared not march south. The next year, King Xuan of Chu fell ill and died at the end of the year, after reigning for 30 years. Before his death, he still remembered the land in Shangzhou that belonged to Chu.

  Before the death of King Xuan of Chu, the territory of Chu State extended east to Linyi, Xuzhou, Huaibei and Yancheng in Shandong Province, bordering with Yue State at Guangling; north to Zhoukou, Fangxian and Ye County in Henan Province; west to Nanyang, Shangyang and Bazhong, Sichuan Province. The territory was over 4,000 li wide, with a population of more than 20 million people.

  King Xuan of Chu reigned for thirty years, expanding the territory by nearly one thousand li north of Huai River and Si River, but losing the territories of Yuzhou, Gucheng, Danfeng, Shaoxiguan Pass and the ancient path of Shangzhou, totaling several hundred li.

  One year after King Xuan of Chu died, Duke Xiao of Qin passed away due to illness. His son, Huiwen Jun, succeeded him as Duke Huiwen of Qin, who declared himself king thirteen years later.

  Before his death, Duke Xiao of Qin expanded the territory of Qin State by over 2,000 li, with a population of five million people, extending east to Huayin and north of Luoyang in Guandong, and northwest to Lingbao, as well as southeast to Shangluo and Danfeng in Shaanxi Province. However, the territories of Shangzhou, Luonan and Danfeng, with a circumference of over 700 li, became the private fiefdom of Wei Yang.