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

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  In the 28th year of King Xuan of Chu, which was 342 BC, there were still more than a dozen small countries between Huai North and Si River. King Xuan of Chu led 300,000 Chu troops to advance north of Huai, while Qi Wei Wang led 200,000 Qi troops south of Si River, and Yue Wang Zhi Hou also led 200,000 Yue troops from Guangling (Yangzhou) to advance north of Huai. Song Jun Yan also led an army of 100,000 to advance east to Xuzhou. The four armies clashed in a fierce battle for the thousand-mile fertile land of Huai North and Si River.

  King Xuan of Chu assessed the situation and first fought against Yue Wang Zhi Hou's 200,000 Yue troops in Huai North, defeating them greatly at Jiangsu's Huaian and Yancheng. Yue Wang led his defeated army back to Guangling.

  King Xuan then led his army north to Xuzhou, defeating the Song army, and captured Xuzhou. Song Jun Yan led his remaining soldiers to retreat to Shangqiu.

  The Chu army then clashed with the Qi army in a great battle at Zaozhuang and Linyi, with both sides holding out for several months with victories and defeats. In the end, the Chu army concentrated its superior forces at Zaozhuang and defeated the Qi army, and then again defeated the Qi army at Linyi. The Qi army retreated eastward, capturing the coastal areas of Shandong Rizhao and Jiangsu Lianyung.

  The battle for Huai North and Si River ended with a complete victory for the Chu army. Except for a few small countries in Shandong, more than a dozen small countries in Huai North and Si River were incorporated into the territory of Chu.

  When Chu Xuanwang was at war with Qi, Yue and Song in the north of Huai, Qin Xiao did not care about the alliance between Chu and Qin, and led 200,000 Qin soldiers to take advantage of the main force of the Chu army's eastward march from Lankou. The troops were divided into two routes: one went east out of Luoshan, and the other went east out of Shangluo Ancient Road. The two armies merged in Shangzhou, drove away hundreds of Chu soldiers stationed in the southwest of Danjiang, and then led the army to take Danfeng and Shaohu (Wuguan) guarded by thousands of Chu soldiers. A large army was sent to garrison Shangluo, Danfeng and Shaohu. The area north of Danjiang, west of Shaohu, 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 Huai Bei, Xuzhou, and Pixian, leading 200,000 Chu soldiers back to Jingzhou. Chu Xuanwang sent an envoy to ask Qin Xiaogong: "The two countries of Chu and Qin have been allies for generations, like brothers who share their hearts. In the past, I sent troops to help Qin defeat the three Jin states and gave you the 700-mile land from Luoshan to Lingbao. It was agreed that Shangzhou and the ancient road of Shangzhou would be jointly owned and managed by the two countries. Now you take advantage of my eastward march and send troops to drive away my garrison in Shangzhou, Danfeng, and Shaohu. What is your reason? Are you trying to tear up the alliance between Chu and Qin and deliberately make enemies with Chu?"

  Duke Xiao of Qin heard this and shed tears, saying: "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. Now it's too late to regret!" The envoy from Chu returned to the capital of Chu, Jingzhou, and reported to King Xuan of Chu. As soon as the envoy left, Duke Xiao of Qin sent a messenger to Wei Yang, saying: "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, it is certain that he will send troops to punish us. Alas! I will give you the 700-li territory of Shangzhou, Luonan, and Danfeng, and appoint you as a marquis. You can establish yourself independently and do not need to return to Xianyang again." Wei Yang did not know that this was a ruse, and he accepted the title of Marquis of Shang and changed his name to Shang Yang. He then ordered his soldiers to build a large-scale city wall from Shangluo to Shangnan, which was the first large-scale city in history (located in present-day Danfeng County). He also blocked the ancient road from Shangluo to Shangnan and reinforced the Xianyang Pass. With an army of 100,000, he stationed himself in Shangyin, while another army of 100,000 was stationed in Luonan, and he recruited more soldiers and prepared 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 line, reporting that King Wei of Qi was gathering his troops to march south to Suiyang, while King Hui of Wei was also marching south to Zhoukou. King Xuan of Chu temporarily put aside his plan to attack Shang Yang and ordered General Qu Wu (the father of Qu Yuan) to lead 100,000 Chu soldiers to guard Shangnan and Zhechuan, then moved his troops to station 100,000 in Zhoukou and Fuyang, and another 100,000 in Xuzhou and Huaiyin. The armies of Wei and Qi heard the news and dared not march south. In the following 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 land of Shangzhou in Chu.

  Chu Xuanwang died before the Chu state's territory was east to Shandong province's Linyi, Xuzhou, Huaibei, Yancheng to Guangling and bordered with Yue state. North to Henan province's Zhoukou, Fang, Ye, west to Xunyang, Shanyang and Ba, Qian. The land was over 4,000 miles wide and had a population of over 20 million people.

  Chu Xuanwang reigned for 30 years, expanding the territory by nearly 1,000 miles in Huaibei and Sishang, but lost Yuzhou, Gucheng, Danfeng, Shaoxiguan and Shangzhou's ancient roads of several hundred miles. After Chu Xuanwang died, Qin Xiaogong died a year later due to illness, and the crown prince Huiwenjun ascended to the throne as Qin Huiwen Gong. Thirteen years later, he began to be called king.

  Before Qin Xiaogong died, the Qin state's territory was over 2,000 miles wide with a population of 5 million people, expanding to Guandong's Huayin and Luonan in the north to Lingbao, as well as Shanxi province's Shangluo and Danfeng, a thousand miles of land. However, Shangzhou, Luonan and Danfeng, with a circumference of 700 miles, became Qin Pi's private fiefdom.

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