Chapter 17 16 Qi Huan Gong Jiuhe princes

Although Qi State lost a battle at Changshao, this did not affect Qi Huangong's subsequent hegemony.After more than ten years, the Yan State in the north (the capital is in today's Beijing) sent envoys to ask for rescue soldiers, saying that Yan State was invaded by a nearby tribe, Shan Rong, and lost the battle.Duke Huan of Qi decided to lead the army to rescue the country of Yan. In 663 BC, when the army of the Qi State arrived in the State of Yan, Shan Rong had already robbed a group of people and treasures and fled back. The armies of Qi and Yan joined forces and pursued northward.Unexpectedly, they were led into a lost valley by the enemy.That lost valley is like the sea, with no edge or edge, and it is impossible to find the original path.

It was Guan Zhong who came up with an idea.He said to Duke Huan: "Maybe horses can recognize the way. Why don't you find some old local horses and let them walk in front of you, maybe you can get out of this place." Duke Huan of Qi ordered some old horses to lead the way.Sure enough, these old horses led the men and horses out of the Valley of Misery. After Duke Huan of Qi helped Yan State defeat Shanrong, Xing State was also invaded by another tribe, the Di people.Duke Huan of Qi drove away the Di people again with his troops, and helped Xing Guo rebuild the city wall.Then, the Di people invaded the state of Wei again, and Duke Huan of Qi helped the state of Wei rebuild its capital on the south bank of the Yellow River.Because of these few things, Duke Huan of Qi's prestige increased.Only the state of Chu in the south (with its capital in the northwest of Jiangling, Hubei today) not only refused to obey the state of Qi, but also opposed it, and wanted to compare with Qi state.

The state of Chu is in the south of China, and has never been in contact with the princes of the Central Plains.At that time, the princes of the Central Plains regarded Chu as a "barbarian".However, the people of Chu State reclaimed the land in the south, gradually conquered some nearby tribes, and gradually became a big country.Later, he simply called himself the king of Chu and ignored the emperor of the Zhou Dynasty. In 656 BC, Qi Huan agreed with the armies of Song, Lu, Chen, Wei, Zheng, Cao, and Xu to jointly attack Chu. When King Cheng of Chu heard the news, he also gathered his troops to resist.He sent an envoy to see Duke Huan of Qi and said: "Our king asked me to ask, Qi State is in the north, Chu State is in the south, and the two countries have never communicated. What are you running here for?"

Guan Zhong questioned and said: "Although our two countries are far apart, they were both sealed by the emperor of Zhou. When the prince of Qi was granted the title, he once received an order: if anyone disobeys the emperor, the state of Qi has the right to punish. Your Chu state originally Every year, I pay tribute to the emperor Baomao (a green grass used to filter wine), why not pay tribute now?" The envoy said: "We didn't pay tribute to Baomao, this is our fault, and we will definitely pay tribute in the future." After the envoy left, the coalition forces of Qi State and the princes moved forward again, until they reached Zhaoling (now Yancheng County, Henan, Zhaoyin shao).

King Cheng of Chu sent Qu Wan to inquire again.In order to show his military power, Duke Huan of Qi asked Qu Wan to get in the car together to see the original soldiers and horses.Qu Wan saw that the army was neat and tidy, with strong soldiers and strong horses. Qi Huangong said to Qu Wan arrogantly: "Look, who can resist such a powerful army?" Qu Wan smiled lightly, and said: "Your lord assists the emperor, speaks morally, and helps the weak, and people admire you. If we rely on force alone, then although our national strength is not strong, we can use Fangcheng (built by Chu State) The Great Wall is built from the north of the southern city of Henan to the northeast of Biyang), and the Han River is used as a moat. Even if you bring more troops, you may not be able to fight in."

Hearing what Qu Wan said, Duke Huan of Qi was quite tough, and he might not be able to easily defeat Chu State, and since Chu State had admitted its mistake, it was considered a face by agreeing to pay tribute to Baomao.In this way, the princes of the eight countries of the Central Plains and Chu State signed an alliance at Zhaoling together, and each returned home. Later, there was a dispute in the Zhou royal family, and Duke Huan of Qi helped Prince Ji Zheng consolidate his position.After the crown prince ascended the throne, he became King Xiang of Zhou.In order to repay Duke Huan of Qi, King Zhou Xiang specially sent envoys to send the sacrificial meat from the Taimiao to Duke Huan of Qi, which is considered a generous gift.

Duke Huan of Qi took this opportunity to meet the princes in Kuiqiu (now east of Lankao, Henan) in the Song Dynasty to entertain the emperor's envoy.And a covenant was made, the main content is: repair water conservancy, prevent floods, and do not use neighboring countries as waterholes; neighboring countries should not be prohibited from buying food when there is a famine; all princes in the alliance must be friendly after signing the covenant. Treat each other. This was the last time Duke Huan of Qi met with the princes.There have been many such large gatherings, which were called "Nine Heroes" in history.

In 645 BC, Guan Zhong died of illness.Two years later, Duke Huan of Qi also died.When Duke Huan of Qi died, his five sons robbed the throne, and civil strife broke out in Qi, and Prince Zhao fled to Song.The hegemony of Qi State also came to an end.