With the development of society and the progress of history, the areas surrounding the Central Plains have gradually developed. In addition to Qin's dominance in the west, a country large enough to dominate has also emerged in the south - Chu. As the name suggests, the State of Chu was established in the land of Jingchu in the south. In ancient times, wars between clans continued, old clans died and new clans emerged. A strong and stable ethnic group needs a long period of integration to form, let alone develop and grow into the highest form of rule of a "state". The Chu State was also a country that was finally formed after a long period of development based on the long-term integration of ancient ancestors and the formation of an ethnic group with a common language, economic life, culture and psychological quality in the Jingchu area.
The State of Chu arose in the early Spring and Autumn Period and was located in the south of the Central Plains. The ancestors of the Chu State can be traced back to Zhuanxu, the grandson of the Yellow Emperor. Zhuanxu is one of the "Five Emperors", also known as the Gaoyang family. Therefore, Qu Yuan, a Chu native, said in his "Li Sao": "The emperor Gaoyang's descendants are here." Zhuanxu was passed down from generation to generation, and successively gave birth to titles, volumes, and Chongzhang. Li. As the great-grandson of Zhuan, Chongli served as Huozheng of Emperor Ku Gaoxin and was in charge of religion. Chong and Li were originally two surnames, but they were merged into one due to the development and integration of the clans. Chongli was in charge of Huozheng and had the ability to make fire and store it to illuminate the world, so he was given the name "Zhurong", which means "Great Ming" and "Bright and Upright". During the Gonggong rebellion, Chongli was appointed by Emperor Ku to quell the rebellion, but his execution was ineffective and he failed to kill all the rebels. This angered Emperor Ku and led to his death. After Chongli's death, his younger brother Wu Hui took over his position and was still Huozheng and was still called "Zhurong".
Wu Hui's son was named Lu Zhong, and Lu Zhong gave birth to six more sons, namely: Kunwu, Shenhu, Pengzu, Huiren, Cao, and Jilian. The names of several sons are related to the land they were granted. Ji Lian, whose surname was Mi, was the ancestor of the Chu royal family. His descendants were scattered in various cities or went to remote areas. There are few records in history books and it is impossible to know in detail. However, taking the fate of other branches of the ethnic group as a reference, the descendants of Kunwu and Pengzu also prospered for a time, but were destroyed by Shang Tang and Shang Zhou successively. It was also normal for the various ethnic groups of Chu's ancestors to migrate southward amid frequent tribal wars and the constant squeeze of the powerful Shang Dynasty.
Until the end of the Shang Dynasty and the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, one of Ji Lian's descendants was called Wu Xiong. On the one hand, Wu Xiong was attached to the Shang Dynasty, which was already in turmoil at that time. On the other hand, it strongly supported the emerging Zhou Dynasty and made suggestions for Jichang, the Western Bo. Later, under Zhou Wen He became a senior official in the king's court. Such honor has greatly improved the status of the ethnic group and has become the political capital on which Chu State relies for its survival and development for a long time in later generations.
Xiong Yi, a descendant of Wu Xiong, lived during the reign of King Cheng of Zhou Dynasty. Xiong Yi himself had meritorious service, and his ancestors were also meritorious ministers, so he was rewarded by King Cheng with a fiefdom located in the south, with his capital in Danyang, which is now Zigui, Hubei. This was the original prototype of the Chu Kingdom. In fact, the symbolic significance of this reward is far greater than the actual significance, which means that the existence of Chu State as a vassal state has been recognized by the Emperor of Zhou. In addition to Xiong Yi, those who also served King Zhou Cheng at that time were Lu Gong Boqin, Wei Kangshu Zi Mou, Jin Hou Xie, Qi Taigong Lu Ji and others. This also initially reflects the distribution of princes with King Zhou Cheng as the center. . Although the area of Xiong Yi's fiefdom was not large, it was of extremely high quality. First of all, it was located at a strategic intersection at the junction of three provinces, and the geographical conditions were superior. Secondly, the terrain was flat and the land was fertile. It can be said that the geographical advantage was extremely favorable for the survival of Chu State. Development creates important prerequisites.
However, the Chu State and the Zhou Dynasty were not monolithic. The reason was that the Zhou Dynasty always treated the Chu State as a "barbarian small state". Although it recognized its existence, it did not give corresponding respect and political status. The king of Chu State was only called to do some chores when the emperor met with the emperor, but was not able to attend the princes. This was undoubtedly a humiliation for Chu State, so it was natural for Chu State to be dissatisfied with the Zhou Dynasty. The Zhou Dynasty also adopted a policy of caution and suppression against the rapidly rising Chu State, and even sent troops to plunder and conquer the Chu State several times. However, the power of the Chu State was gradually growing, and it was no longer Wu Xia Amen. Instead of suffering any losses when facing the Zhou Dynasty's crusade, it also won many times, defeating the Zhou Dynasty until it was unable to fight back. Not only did it lose its "six divisions", but also the king (King Zhao of Zhou) all died as guests.
When Ji Xie, King of Zhou Yi, ruled the world. During this period, because the Zhou royal family entered a stage of decline, the vassal states had a disloyal heart, and the unbalanced development of the vassal states led to many attacks on each other. Xiong Qu, the controller of the Chu State and a descendant of Xiong Yi, also developed his own power at this time. He sent troops to attack small neighboring countries and expanded his land to the Jianghan River Basin. Through a series of policies, he gained the support of the people. The expansion of Xiongqu allowed Chu State to occupy Yong, Yangyue, Hubei and other places, which were the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. These places were rich in grain and copper mines, which provided a strong guarantee for the growth of Chu State's economic and military strength.
The increasing power of Chu State made Xiong Qu more and more confident. He was dissatisfied with the titles given to him by the Zhou Dynasty, so he named his eldest son Xiong Wukang King of Judan, his second son Xiong Hong as King of E, and his youngest son Xiong Qu. Those who held the title of King of Yue Zhang all had their own titles and were distributed in the remote areas of Chu State along the Yangtze River.
After King Zhou Li came to the throne, he was very tyrannical. Xiong Qu was worried about the safety of Chu State, so he gave up these self-proclaimed titles. After Xiong Qu's death, his eldest son Xiong Wukang succeeded to the throne. Wu Kang died early and Xiong Zhihong ascended the throne, but his younger brother Xiong Yan killed him and usurped the throne. Xiong Yan gave birth to Xiong Yong. In the sixth year of Xiong Yong's reign, King Zhou Li was punished by his countrymen for his cruelty and cruelty, and finally had to flee. Since this year, Chu State has a clearer historical chronology.
Four years later, his younger brother Xiong Yan succeeded him. He died ten years later and was succeeded by his eldest son Xiong Shuang. After Xiong Shuang's death, his three brothers fought against each other for the throne. In the end, Ji Liu won for Xiong Shuang. After Xiong Lian's death, Xiong Jie succeeded him, and then Xiong Yi succeeded him, namely Ruao.
During this period, King Zhou Xuan was in charge of the Zhou Dynasty. The Zhou Dynasty and Chu State were constantly at war with each other winning and losing. It can be seen from one thing that Chu State has entered the focus of King Zhou Xuan's policy. This is that King Zhou Xuan moved Shen Bo to Xie Yi and established Shen State to prevent Chu State from invading. The establishment of the State of Shen indeed played a role in containing the State of Chu.
After the death of King Zhou Xuan, his son King Zhou You came to the throne. He was the faint king who single-handedly concocted the famous "Beacon Fire Play on the Princes" in history. From the moment he broke his trust in the world, his tragic fate was doomed. Twenty years after Ruo Ao came to the throne, that is, in 771 BC, King Ji Gongni of Zhou You died in the Quan Rong rebellion. The Zhou royal family moved eastward, and the Western Zhou Dynasty perished. The Eastern Zhou era began, but the world was in chaos, and the Zhou royal family was gradually declining. .
Seven years later, Ruo Ao also died, and Xiong Kan succeeded him, known as Xiao Ao. He died in the sixth year, and Xiong Zhen succeeded him as Wei Mao. After Fu Mao died, his younger brother Xiong Tong killed his son and usurped the throne. After Xiong Tong came to power, he established himself as King Wu of Chu. At this time, the Chu State had developed for many years under the diligent rule of Ruao Ao and Fu Mao, and its army and horses were strong. It can be said that what King Wu of Chu took over was a rising southern country that had initially possessed the capital to unify Jiangnan. King Wu carried out political governance internally, conducted conquests externally, and continuously expanded its territory, making the Chu State further prosperous. During his 51-year reign, it can be said that he was the longest reigning monarch in Chinese history. At this time, the Chu State was in an unprecedented stable situation, laying a solid foundation for political, economic and other aspects. The foundation of the great nation of the Spring and Autumn Period.
The era when King Wu of Chu took over the Chu Kingdom was both the best era and the worst era for all the vassal states. The Zhou Dynasty turned from prosperity to decline, and its control over the princes gradually weakened. The princely states could wait for opportunities to develop and strengthen themselves, and even take advantage of the Zhou Dynasty. However, different countries have different geographical advantages, people and other factors, which have led to serious imbalances in development between each other. Big countries annex small countries, and strong countries annex weak countries. As a king, you must never take it lightly and lead your country to survive and develop in a turbulent environment.
Countries are also not at peace within themselves. The development and expansion of a country will bring corresponding power differentiation, and the uneven distribution of interests will lead to the growth of internal conflicts. When conflicts cannot be reconciled, kin killings will occur. In this way, power and power are completed. Shuffling and redistributing profits. The price is that the country is unstable and stagnant amid intense internal strife. For example: in the state of Jin, the five princes were killed; in the state of Lu, Gongzi Hui killed Duke Yin of Lu; in the state of Zheng, Duke Zhuang defeated Duan Yu Yan; in the state of Qi, Gongsun Wuzhi, Lian Shi, and Guan Zhifu killed Duke Xiang of Qi.
On the other hand, the internal political situation of the Chu State was relatively stable. King Wu of Chu had centralized power and had capable people to help him, and the economy and culture were developing steadily. External expansion is not radical and impatient, and the territory occupied is fully digested, making it truly an effective component of productivity.
As for the title "Wu", "Posthumous Law Interpretation" says: "Strong and straightforward is called Wu." It fully reflects the personality characteristics and governing style of King Wu of Chu. This title was not given by the Emperor of Zhou, but by King Wu. In the thirty-fourth year of King Wu's reign, Chu soldiers marched to follow the country. There are three reasons why I chose Suiguo: First, Suiguo is stronger among the small countries surrounding Chu State, and conquering Suiguo can deter other small countries; secondly, Suiguo is arrogant and arrogant, tempting it to show off its force, which can make Suiguo a deterrent. The surrounding small countries felt uneasy, which created an effect of alienation, which made it easier for Chu to win over and encroach on them in the future; thirdly, Suiguo also had the surname Ji, and attacking Suiguo would destroy the prestige of the Zhou Dynasty.
When the Chu army approached Sui, Sui sent his young army to negotiate with King Wu, pleading that he was not guilty. The King of Chu responded, saying that the Chu State wanted to do its best to stabilize the Central Plains, and hoped that the king of Sui State could ask for a title in front of the Emperor of Zhou to seek a title for the King of Chu. The young master of Sui State agreed, and the King of Chu immediately withdrew his troops. After the young master returned home, he urged Sui Jun to pursue him on the grounds that Chu's army was in disarray and disorder. Minister Ji Liang dissuaded him, saying: "The Kingdom of Chu is facing the destiny of the country, and a disorderly army is a strategy to lure the enemy. Why should the princes be impatient? It's a small country. Being able to withstand a big country lies in the fact that a small country has a moral code and a big country has no conduct. The moral code means being loyal to the people and trusting in God. People in the court have the people in their hearts; sacrificing to the wizards is justified. But now the people are cold and discouraged, and the wizards are talking nonsense. How can the country survive? succeed?"
Sui Jun asked: "The cattle and sheep used for sacrifice are fat and of high quality, and the grains are abundant. How can they not be loyal?" Ji Liang replied: "The people are the masters of the gods. The wise kings in ancient times all put the people first, and then took care of them." Gods, when offering sacrifices, they say "cattle and sheep are fat", which means the people are prosperous; "full grains" means no disaster; "wine is sweet and beautiful" means people's hearts are innocent. But now people's hearts are in chaos, and gods have no master. Even if How can a king be blessed if he is rich? If the king cultivates good politics, promotes harmony, and is friendly to friends, then he can avoid disaster." Sui Jun accepted the advice and did not pursue the Chu king. Don't dare to do it again. However, the request of the king of Sui was severely rejected by the Emperor of Zhou. King Chu's wish was frustrated. Out of anger, he prided himself on being the king and named him "Wu".
However, Chu's road to hegemony was not smooth sailing. In the eighth year of Duke Huan of Lu (704 BC), King Wu of Chu held an alliance meeting in Shenlu. Among the surrounding countries, only Sui and Huang did not come. On the one hand, King Wu sent Zhang Zhang to condemn Huang Guo, and on the other hand, he sent troops to conquer Sui personally. Sui Jun did not listen to the good general's advice, but instead adopted the young master's superficial words and rashly sent troops. The two nations of Chu and Sui fought between Han and Huai. The Sui army was severely defeated, the king fled, and his young army was captured. He had to stop the war and sue for peace, and signed a city-wide alliance with the Chu state. After this, the name of Chu country spread all over the world.
A year later, Ba sent an envoy to Chu, saying that he was willing to help Chu get to know Deng, hoping that this would lead to good relations with Chu. The Chu State then sent an envoy to Deng along with the Ba State envoy. However, they were robbed and killed in the territory of Deng State, and both of them were killed. The state of Chu held people accountable, but the state of Deng refused to admit his mistakes. So Chu State and Ba State jointly sent troops to attack Deng State. Deng's army failed to attack the Ba army three times. The general of the Chu army, Dafu Doulian, hid the Chu army among the Ba army. He pretended to be defeated and lured Deng's army to pursue him. When his lone army penetrated deeply and encircled him, Deng's army was defeated.
In the eleventh year of Duke Huan of Lu (701 BC), Chu defeated the conspiracy of the five small states of Yun, Sui, Jiao, Zhou, and Liao to jointly attack it. Qu Xia and Dou Lian, without reporting the situation to the King of Chu or asking for reinforcements, divided their troops into two groups. The former resisted the four-nation coalition, while the latter raided the capital of Yun State, won a complete victory, and successfully fought against the two. The country and the country of Zhen concluded an alliance. The following year, in order to retaliate against the state of Jiu, the State of Chu attacked the state of Jiu. Taking advantage of the state's impatient, frivolous and greedy mentality, it adopted the strategy of luring the enemy and broke through the city of the state of Jiu.
However, the victory of Chu State did not last forever. Two years later, Qu Xia, who had made many achievements in battles before, led his troops to attack Luo State. The continuous victories in the past numbed his mind and made him arrogant and self-willed. After the army crossed the river At that time, he was not on guard and was attacked and defeated miserably. He was hanged in a deserted valley to thank the people. This defeat severely dampened the spirit of the Chu State and hit its national strength. As a result, the Chu State was in a state of recuperation and stopped its expansion in the next few years.
In the fourth year of Duke Zhuang of Lu (690 BC), Chu State had been recuperating for ten years, and its agriculture, handicrafts, and military strength were all steadily increasing. Especially in terms of armaments, efforts were made to develop halberd soldiers, and a new combat formation - "Jing formation" was developed using the characteristics of halberds as a spear and weapon complex that can both stab and cut. In the same year, Suihou, under pressure from the Emperor of Zhou, apologized and admitted his mistake for acknowledging the self-proclaimed king of Chu. This angered King Wu and caused a military disaster.
The King of Chu was seventy years old, and he still wanted to lead his army to conquer the country in person. Before leaving, he suddenly felt uneasy, so he asked his wife Deng. She sighed and said that King Wu was old and was not going to die soon. The uneasy feeling was due to the call of his ancestors. He led the army to go on an expedition. It's a blessing. King Wu refused and insisted on conducting the expedition himself. He fell ill and died under a tree on the way.
The Chu army did not announce the mourning secretly, but still marched towards Suiguo in large numbers, surrounding Suiguo with water. Knowing that he was outmatched, Sui Jun had no choice but to sue for peace again. The leading general Qu Zhong met him in the name of King Wu at the place where the Han River turned for an alliance, and then returned to the army. It was not until the Chu army returned to the territory that news was announced, the whole country mourned, and King Wen of Chu succeeded him.
King Wu reigned for more than fifty years and managed the Chu State from a local power to a great power that could dominate one area, intimidate the princes, covet the Central Plains, and even shake the Zhou Dynasty. Under his leadership, the Chu State won many battles, annexed territory, and became a veritable overlord in the Jiangnan region.
