Chapter 56 Wang Jian destroys Chu

After the death of Lord Chunshen, the state of Chu State went from bad to worse.In 228 B.C., King You of Chu died, young and childless, and his younger brother took over the throne. If the burden is indeed the son of King Chu Kaolie, the throne of Chu State will be passed back to the Xiong family, which is probably unexpected by Lord Chunshen again. In the same year, King Jingmin of Wei died, and Prince Wei falsely ascended the throne. In 226 BC, an anti-Qin rebellion broke out in Xinzheng, the old capital of South Korea, and was suppressed by the Qin army.Han An, the last king of South Korea, was implicated and executed by Ying Zheng.

In the same year, Qin State sent Wang Ben to attack Chu and took more than ten cities. In 225 BC, Wang Ben attacked Wei and surrounded Daliang.The Daliang defenders resolutely resisted the war, and Wang Ben led the Yellow River to irrigate the Daliang. Three months later, the city wall broke down, Wei pretended to leave the city and surrendered, and the Wei State declared its demise.The Qin army continued to advance eastward and attacked Lixia (now Jinan, Shandong Province), and established Dang County in the eastern part of the original Wei State. In this way, among the six kingdoms in Shandong, Han first perished, Zhao survived in Dai, Yan retreated to Liaodong, and now Wei was wiped out, leaving only Chu and Qi.

Qin State put the main attack direction on Chu State. Over the years, the Qin army has conquered cities and conquered territory, and is invincible. A young general named Li Xin stands out and becomes Yingzheng's favorite general. According to people in the Tang Dynasty, Li Xin was a descendant of Lao Tzu. Since Lao Tzu's son Li Zong, there were many soldiers in the family, which can be said to be a military family.Li Xin himself was brave and good at fighting. He once led thousands of troops to go deep, pursued Yan Wangxi to Liaodong, defeated the Yan army in Yanshui (now in Liaoning Province, now called Taizihe), and forced Yan Wangxi to kill Prince Dan to seek peace.

Before attacking the state of Chu, Ying Zheng held a military meeting before the imperial court. He first asked Li Xin: "I want to destroy the state of Chu in one fell swoop. How many troops do you think we need?" Li Xin opened his mouth and answered, "Two hundred thousand people are enough!" Two hundred thousand people, in the Spring and Autumn Period and even the early Warring States Period, that was a considerable number of troops.However, since the middle period of the Warring States period, the scale of wars has continued to expand. In a single battle, it is not uncommon for one side to use 400,000 to 500,000 troops.After hearing this, Ying Zheng admired Li Xin's courage, but was also a little worried, so he asked veteran Wang Jian, "I want to hear your opinion."

Wang Jian stroked his gray beard and said slowly: "The old minister thought that it would be impossible without 600,000 people." This number startled Ying Zheng.At that time, the total armed forces of the Qin State were only a million people, and it was his bottom line to use 300,000 to 400,000 people to attack Chu. Unexpectedly, Wang Jian opened his mouth and asked him for 600,000 yuan at once. Ying Zheng pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "General Wang is probably too old and too cautious in handling things. It is General Li who is brave. This time, I will leave the important task of attacking Chu to General Li!"

Wang Jian said: "It all depends on the king's decision." A few days later, Wang Jian typed a resignation report, claiming to be sick, and asked to go back to his hometown of Pinyang to recuperate. Knowing that Wang Jian was feeling uncomfortable, Ying Zheng followed suit and approved his resignation.At the same time, he sent Li Xin as the general and Meng Tian as the deputy general, leading an army of 200,000 to attack Chu. Li Xin was really brave and divided the 200,000 troops into two groups.He led one way to attack Pingyu (now Pingyu, Henan Province); he ordered Meng Tian to lead the other way to attack Sleeping Hill (now Shenqiu, Henan Province).The Qin army's momentum was like a rainbow, and both groups of troops defeated the resistance of the Chu army and successfully captured the city.

The victory came so easily, Li Xin concluded that the Chu army had no fighting spirit, and continued to divide and plunder.He ordered Meng Tian to attack the city father, and he himself led the army to attack Yanying, defeated the Chu army several times in a row, and flattened the land of Yanying. Then, Li Xin marched westward, preparing to go to Chengfu to meet Meng Tian. Li Xin overlooked one thing. The state of Chu has a vast land and rich resources, and it has dominated the south for hundreds of years. The Yanying area is the ruling center of the state of Chu, and its mass base is very good.On the surface, he flattened the resistance of the Chu army, but failed to wipe out the vital strength of the Chu army.

In fact, under the leadership of General Xiang Yan, the Chu army had already been broken into pieces and hidden in remote mountainous areas.When Li Xin's army left, Xiang Yan quietly gathered his troops, using the Chu people's familiarity with the terrain, followed them, and chased them for three days and three nights. Taking advantage of Li Xin's unpreparedness, Xiang Yan suddenly launched a night attack.Hundreds of thousands of Chu troops surrounded 100,000 Qin troops, quickly broke through the defense of the Qin army, broke through two camps in a row, and killed seven captains of the Qin army.

Li Xin was also calm in the face of danger, and commanded the remaining Qin army to fight a bloody road, escaped from the encirclement and fled back to Qin. As soon as Li Xin retreated, Meng Tian couldn't support him alone, so he had to take the initiative to retreat.200,000 people attacked Chu, but they failed in vain and returned home. Knowing that he was wrong, Ying Zheng scolded Li Xin, and then went to Pinyang to see Wang Jian, and apologized in person: "I didn't listen to your opinion. Li Xin really lost his teacher and humiliated the country. The responsibility is all on the widow. Now Chu Under the leadership of Xiang Yan, the army has grown in momentum, clamoring to march westward to Wuguan and conquer Xianyang. Although you are not in good health, don't you have the heart to leave me alone?"

Wang Jian quickly coughed twice, and said: "The old minister is old, sick and confused now, I'm afraid he can't take on such a big responsibility. Your Majesty, please hire another wise man!" Ying Zheng said: "Okay, okay! Stop pretending to be sick and confused with the widow. With your body, you can have a few more sons. Besides, if you are confused, is there anyone in Qin who understands? The widow came here today to apologize to you sincerely, so you should give the widow a face and don't refuse anymore." Wang Jian knew that acting like a baby must be done in moderation, especially when facing a leader like Ying Zheng, so he said simply: "Okay, if the king wants me to go, then I will go. But the conditions must be agreed first, 600,000 people, Not one less."

Ying Zheng said: "You don't need to say this, even if the widows are crowded, 600,000 people will be squeezed out for you." Wang Jian said: "That young man Meng Tian is not bad, the old minister wants him to be his assistant." Ying Zheng said, "No problem." Wang Jian said again: "Li Xin is actually a good boy, I hope the king will not abandon him just because of one failure, that would be a pity." Ying Zheng said: "The widow intends to order Wang Ben to attack Daidi and Liaodong, pacify the north, and give Li Xin a chance to commit crimes and make meritorious deeds. How about letting him go with Wang Ben?" Wang Jian bowed solemnly and said, "This is exactly the wish of the old minister." In this way, Wang Jian set off with an army of 600,000.This is the largest troop dispatch in the history of the Qin State, and it can also be said to be a gamble related to the fate of the Qin State - anyone with a discerning eye can tell at a glance that although Qin State has already occupied half of the Central Plains, if the 600,000 people If it fails, the Qin army will lose more than half of its troops, and the remnants of the Three Jin and Yan Kingdoms are likely to take the opportunity to rebel. The Great Qin Kingdom, which has been painstakingly established since Qin Xiaogong, will face the most severe test. Ying Zheng personally went to Bashang to bid farewell to Wang Jian. The so-called Bashang is a highland in the eastern suburbs of Xianyang, named after the Bashui flows through here.Later generations of literati and poets often regarded Bashang as a "sacred place of farewell", and left many famous sentences similar to "Baling hurts farewell". Of course, the farewells in Baling in later generations are mostly between friends, brothers or lovers, so the affection is deep and touching.When Ying Zheng saw off Wang Jian, he was also reluctant to part with him, and said a lot of nasty sweet words.Why?Because he entrusted the fate of the entire Qin State to Wang Jian, an old man, so why not be nervous! Wang Jian fearfully listened to Ying Zheng's instructions, and was about to board the car. Suddenly, he took Ying Zheng aside and said, "The old minister has one more request." Trembling, Wang Jian took out a map made of silk, pointed it to Ying Zheng, and said, "Here, here, and there, these fields, forests, ponds, and houses, the old minister has been looking at them for many years. If you want to use it for the elderly, please give it to the old minister." A trace of displeasure flashed across Ying Zheng's face, and he said, "Oh, are you still worried about living a poor life in the future?" Wang Jian said: "I'm not worried. But according to the laws of the Qin State, no matter how great the military exploits are, you can't be named a marquis. I want to take advantage of the fact that the king is treating me well now, and quickly ask for something more for future generations." Ying Zheng laughed, patted Wang Jian on the shoulder, and agreed to his request. Only then did Wang Jian feel relieved to send troops eastward. From Xianyang to Hangu Pass, he wrote five letters to Ying Zheng, not to report the progress of the march, but to ask Ying Zheng for more fertile land and beautiful houses. Even Meng Tian couldn't stand it any longer, and said bluntly, "General, isn't your approach a little too much?" Wang Jian smiled: "You have known me for many years, what kind of person do you think I am?" Meng Tian said: "The old general abides by the law and uses his troops like a god. He is a role model for us... However, this time you went to the Chu Kingdom, it seems that you are not thinking about fighting. You are always thinking about asking the king for this or that, which makes me hard to understand. .” Wang Jian said: "You don't know about this. Think about it, all the troops that Qin can mobilize are in my hands. I am a gentleman and open-minded, without any selfish distractions, but when faced with a shrewd person like the king , if I don’t ask him to order this or that every few days, and show a greedy look, can he rest assured?” Only then did Meng Tian understand Wang Jian's good intentions. From ancient times to the present, what worries rulers most is not that their ministers are greedy for money and lust, but that their ministers have different intentions and are difficult to control.What's so great about being greedy for money and lustful?This is human nature, as long as it is within a certain range and not too much, it will be easy to solve.Compared with it, a person who is not greedy for money and not lustful is scary-does he have greater ambitions?Is he building an image for himself and buying people's hearts? Wang Jian, who has been immersed in the officialdom for decades, undoubtedly knows this well, so he does not hesitate to destroy his feathers to gain the peace of mind of Yingzheng. This kind of advanced political wisdom is naturally beyond the understanding of ordinary people. On the part of Chu State, they heard that the Qin army was making a comeback, and that they were coming out in full force, so they naturally mobilized all the forces that could be mobilized to fight. It was the final showdown between the two nations, with an unprecedented force of more than one million troops facing each other.Under the leadership of Xiang Yan, the Chu army fought against the enemy and their morale was high.However, when they lined up to meet the Qin army's attack, the Qin army on the opposite side did not make any movement. At first Xiang Yan thought that Wang Jian was planning some kind of trick, so he strengthened his defenses and stood ready.But after waiting for a few days, Qin Jun still did not move.Xiang Yan sent someone to investigate, and the information he got made him laugh. It turned out that as soon as the Qin army encountered the Chu army, they began to build defensive positions.In just a few days, dozens of camps and a long wall have been built.In this battle, it seemed that the Chu army was here to attack, and the Qin army was here to defend. The roles were completely reversed. "After all, I am old and have no fighting spirit at all!" Xiang Yan thought so. Anyone who knows a little bit about the art of war knows that victory is more important than longevity.Especially when the 600,000 troops are fighting abroad, not to mention the huge amount of military rations and salaries that are consumed every day. Over time, domestic economic production will also be severely affected, and the princes and opposition forces from all directions will also be ready to move, which is extremely unfavorable for Qin. But Wang Jian not only settled down, but also put on a posture of fighting a protracted war.Xiang Yan challenged several times, but he just kept on sticking to the fortifications, without any intention of fighting back. After playing a few times, Xiang Yan also felt dull.In such things as fighting wars, it is a matter of vigorous efforts, then decline, and exhaustion.The Chu army had been struggling to defend their home and country, but their morale was quietly lowered by Wang Jian's treatment.The soldiers had nothing to do, began to hunt birds, gamble, and even sneaked out of the barracks to find women.Xiang Yan turned a blind eye to this, but from the bottom of his heart, he already believed that Wang Jian, a bad old man, was just here to make soy sauce, so there was no need to take it too seriously! What is Qin Jun doing at this time? According to Wang Jian's arrangement, Qin Jun was doing three things every day. First, eat well; Second, sleep well; Third, take a hot bath. The first two things are fine, but the third thing is really a great enjoyment at that time. Every day, Wang Jian went to various camps with his rice bowl in hand, had meals with the soldiers, chatted with them, told a few jokes, and encouraged them to take a good rest and not think about war. It went on like this for several months.One day, Wang Jian suddenly sent someone down to see what the soldiers were doing, and the reward was: "They are throwing stones in a competition to see who can throw the furthest." Wang Jian laughed loudly and said, "You guys can fight now." He had already received the information. After Xiang Yan confronted him for several months, he finally couldn't hold back and was about to lead his army to the east and detour to the Qin army's flank to look for fighter planes. Wang Jian secretly mobilized an elite army to follow Xiang Yan's army.The same tactics that Xiang Yan used against Li Xin are now being used by Wang Jian against Xiang Yan. It can be said that he treats him as he does. Taking advantage of the unpreparedness of the Chu army, the Qin army launched a surprise attack and defeated the Chu army in one fell swoop.Taking advantage of the victory, Wang Jian pursued and defeated the Chu army in Qi County (now Suzhou, Anhui Province), killing Xiang Yan. In the spring of the second year (223 B.C.), Wang Jian and Meng Tian attacked Shouchun again and captured King Chu of Chu.The old overlord of the Spring and Autumn Period, the huge Chu State that had brought trepidation to the countries of the Central Plains for hundreds of years, finally died. It is worth mentioning that when Xiang Yan died in battle in Qi County, his son Xiang Liang was lucky enough to recover his life from the battlefield.After the fall of the Chu State, Xiang Liang wandered the rivers and lakes with a nephew who was only nine years old, and lived in Wuzhong (now Suzhou, Jiangsu Province). The child's name is Xiang Yu.