Huai Chu Xuan Wang established his prestige, competing for the king's crown, Shang Yang broke his promise and 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 Jiangsu's Huai'an and Yancheng. 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 out for several months and 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. The Qi army retreated eastward, and the Chu army captured the coastal areas of Rizhao, Jiangsu, Lianyungang, etc. The battle for Huai North and Si Shang ended with a complete victory for the Chu army, and except for several small countries in Shandong, 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 three states of Qi, Yue and Song in Huainan, Qin Xiaozi ignored the alliance between Chu and Qin, and led 200,000 Qin troops to take advantage of the fact that the main force of the Chu army had gone east. They divided into two routes, one going out of Luoshui in the east, and the other going out of Shangluo Ancient Road in the east. The two armies merged in Shangzhou, drove away hundreds of Chu soldiers stationed in Danjiang area southwest of Shangzhou, and then led their troops to take Danfeng and Shaoshi Pass (Wuguan), which were guarded by thousands of Chu soldiers. They also sent a large army to garrison Shangluo, Danfeng and Shaoshi Pass. The area north of the Dan River, west of Shaoshi, and the entire Shangluo Ancient Road were all incorporated into Qin's territory.

  Chu Xuanwang heard the news and ordered 100,000 Chu soldiers to be stationed in Huainan, Xuzhou and Pixian, while leading 200,000 Chu soldiers back to Jingzhou. He sent an envoy to ask Qin Xiaogong: "The two states of 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, Duke Xian, 700 miles of land from Luoshui to Lingbao. It was agreed that Shangzhou and the ancient road of Shangzhou would be jointly owned and managed by the two states. Now you take advantage of my eastward expedition, lead troops out of Shangluo, drive away my garrison in Shangzhou, Danfeng and Shaoshi, what is the reason? Are you trying to tear up the alliance between Chu and Qin, and deliberately make enemies with Chu?"

  Here is the translation:

  Duke Xiao of Qin heard this and shed tears, saying: "All these were done by Shang Yang behind my back. I can only blame myself for giving him command of 200,000 troops in the first place. Now it's too late to regret." The envoy from Chu returned to the capital of Jingzhou and reported to King Xuan of Chu. As soon as the envoy left, Duke Xiao of Qin sent a messenger to Shang Yang with an urgent message: "You have great merit for Qin, and I originally wanted to share the rule of Qin with you. But now that King Xuan of Chu has sent an envoy to question me, he will surely send troops to punish us. What can we do? I hereby grant you the territory of Shangzhou, Luonan, and Danfeng, a total of 700 li, and appoint you as a marquis. You may establish your own state and need not return to Xianyang." Shang Yang did not know what was going on, but he accepted the title of Marquis Shang and established his own state. He then ordered his soldiers to build a large city from Shangluo to Shangnan (in present-day Danfeng County), blocking the ancient road from Shangzhou to Shangnan, and reinforcing the Xixia Pass. He stationed 100,000 troops in Shangyue and Xixia, and another 100,000 in Shangzhou and Luonan, and began to recruit more soldiers and prepare for war. King Xuan of Chu was enraged and wanted to send troops to punish Shang Yang, but just then a messenger arrived from the front lines, reporting that King Wei of Qi was gathering his army and marching south towards Suiyang, while King Huiwen of Wei was also marching south towards Zhoukou. King Xuan of Chu put aside his plan to attack Shang Yang for the time being and ordered General Qu Wu (the father of Qu Yuan) to lead 100,000 troops to guard Shangnan and Zhechuan, then moved another 100,000 troops to Zhoukou and Fuyang, and yet another 100,000 to Xuzhou and Huaiyin. The armies of Qi and Wei heard this 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 thirty years. Before his death, he still remembered the ancestral lands of Shangzhou in 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 Xunyang, Shangyang and Ba and Qian in 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 to Huayin and Luonan in Guandong, north to Lingbao, as well as Shangluo and Danfeng in southeastern Shaanxi Province. However, the territories of Shangzhou, Luonan and Danfeng, totaling 700 li around, became the private fiefdom of Qin Pi.