Chapter 4: The army of Chu defeats the Qin army at the Battle of Changing, breaks through Wuguan, and Shang Yang flees to Huayin.

  In 340 BC, King Xuan of Chu died and his son, King Wei of Chu, succeeded him. In the first year of King Wei's reign, Shang Yang led a hundred thousand Qin soldiers out of 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, Duke Huiwen of Qin, succeeded him. 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 Xiao Pass to fight against the Chu army at Shangnan, but was defeated by Qu Wu and retreated back to Xiao Pass. King Wei ordered his army to attack Xiao Pass while also ordering Qu Wu to lead ten thousand soldiers along the Dan River to attack Shang Yang's hometown of Shangyong (Danfeng).

  When Duke Huiwen of Qin heard that King Wei had sent troops to attack 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 take over Shangzhou and Luonan. I want to lead an army to resist the Chu army outside Xiao Pass. What do you all think?"

  Gan Long came forward and said: "Your Majesty must not! In the past, Wei Yang (Shang Yang) attacked Chu's Shangzhou and Danfeng territories, and Duke Xiao knew that King Xuan of Chu would surely send troops 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 away from Qin. Now King Wei is following in his father's footsteps and wants to recover the lost territories. If Your Majesty leads an army against him, the Chu and Qin armies will surely clash, and the Wei army will take advantage of the situation to attack our Huayin and point directly at Guanzhong. Moreover, the current strength of the Chu state is over a million armored soldiers, and if they add more troops and generals from Jingzhou and Xiangyang, our current military strength cannot match theirs."

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

  Gan Long said: "According to my humble opinion, Shang Yang's actions are treasonous. Your Majesty can send an envoy to King Wei to renew their alliance, and at the same time issue a decree stripping Shang Yang of his title and ordering him to hand over his military power. Shang Yang will surely rebel, and Your Majesty can use this as an excuse to send troops to take over Shangzhou and Shangyong, and re-establish the borders between Chu and Qin. This way, not only will the Chu and Qin states turn their hostility into friendship, but we will also eliminate the threat of Shang Yang."

  Duke Huiwen said: "Good!" He then sent an envoy to King Wei to propose 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 Shang Commandery. 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 frantic 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 stop them from fighting. They agreed that from Shang Commandery to Danfeng, Chu and Qin would divide the territory equally between them, with the south going to Chu and the north going to Qin. The Qin army set up a garrison at Shaoyin Pass, while the Chu army set one up at Shang Commandery, each with 1,000 soldiers. After this, King Wei of Chu led his troops back to Jingzhou, 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 our 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 Huayin, where he gathered his old troops and attempted to put up a last-ditch resistance. Qin Wengong ordered Sima Cuo and Xiang Shou to lead 200,000 troops to surround and capture Shang Yang. Shang Yang refused to surrender and led his army in battle, but the soldiers turned against him, and he was defeated and captured. He was taken to Xianyang, where Qin Wengong sentenced him to be torn apart by five horses, a punishment known as "carriage splitting." After his death, a sudden thunderstorm struck, burning Shang Yang's remains. Alas! Although Shang Yang had great merit in the state of Qin, it was all for personal gain and fame, and he abandoned all sense of morality. It is not an exaggeration to call him a wolf from Zhongshan. The tragic thing is that his entire family was also executed in Xianyang, their bodies left exposed in the marketplace.