King Wen of Chu was named Xiong Kui. Like Nai's father, he was also a very accomplished king and played a decisive role in the growth and development of Chu.
At the beginning of King Wen's accession to the throne, because the country was rich and the people were strong, the military was strong, and he was assisted by a group of loyal ministers and good generals, there was little pressure to govern. In addition, he came to the throne in middle age, had been in power for many years, and was freed from a cautious life. Therefore, he did not work hard to manage, but indulged in pleasure and immersed in comfort. For example, he once went on a safari in Yunmengze with his dog and bow, and never returned for three months; another example is that he recruited Danyang beauties to fill his harem, indulged in sex, indulged in beauty, and ignored the government affairs. , allowing the state affairs to be neglected.
So the veteran Taibao Shen and the general Wu Quan went to the palace to remonstrate, and wanted to whip King Wen as a punishment on the grounds of the late king's death. King Wen asked the Taibao to be generous and change the punishment method on the grounds that he had been given the rank of a prince since he was born, and at this time he was the king of a country, so he could not bear the humiliation of whipping. But Taibao Shen refused to obey, and King Wen had no choice but to lie on the pillow mat and suffer the punishment. Taibao Shen didn't actually hit him. He held a thorn whip and raised it high, then lowered it gently. He stopped after only a few blows.
King Wen thought that it was an unnecessary punishment to be punished under the watchful eye of the late king's heroic spirit, and he felt uneasy in his heart. He said that he had already received the name of whipping, and it would be more pleasant to be beaten for real. Taibao Shen replied: The villain should be made to suffer the pain of flesh and blood, while the gentleman should be made to feel ashamed and humiliated in his heart. Otherwise, what is the use of the pain of flesh and blood? If the king still does not wake up, the ministers will really feel unworthy of their entrustment to the late king, and will have no choice but to die to apologize. After saying this, they will commit suicide and intend to throw themselves into the river. King Wen was in a hurry to save the country, so he killed the dogs, broke the bows, and sent away the beautiful women, focusing on repairing the government and consolidating the people's livelihood in order to repay the ambition of the late king. A good story about "receiving remonstrance after being whipped" was left behind.
After King Wen ascended the throne, he made a strategic decision to move the capital from Danyang to Ying. The significance of this move is that it reflects the continuity of Chu's foreign expansion ideas. After the use of foreign troops during the King Wu period, Chu State has become unrivaled in the land south of the Yangtze River. Finding a way to compete in the Central Plains is its inevitable choice in the new stage. Now that the strategic center of gravity has shifted north, it is necessary to find a new base camp and at the same time maintain control of the inherent territory in the south. Therefore, moving the capital became a major decision to adapt to Chu State's new national conditions and solve Chu State's development needs.
Yingcheng has an excellent geographical location, with the Yangtze River as a screen in the south, the Bashu land in the west, Wujun and Kuaiji in the east, and the Central Plains in the north. It is connected by land and water in all directions. If you enter, you can enter the Central Plains, and if you retreat, you can defend one side. Moreover, the terrain is high, ensuring water collection without worrying about floods. It is an excellent place to develop people's livelihood and ensure stability in the rear area. King Chu Wen's decision to move the capital ensured the prosperity of Chu for nearly four hundred years. There have always been different opinions about the exact location of Ying City. One theory is that it is located in the south of Jiangling, Hubei Province, another is located in the west of Yicheng, Hubei Province, and some believe that it actually belongs to two places, but both are called Ying.
I prefer that its capital be located in the southern part of Jiangling, Hubei. But this is also my own subjective opinion.
King Wen followed the footsteps of the previous kings in annexing foreign countries and marched into the Kingdom of Shen. The State of Shen, with Zhou as its surname, was also a fiefdom of Emperor Zhou. As an important town for Emperor Zhou to suppress the State of Chu in the Chu region south of the Yangtze River, King Chu Wen almost went through many twists and turns and finally destroyed Shen. Since Deng State was located between Chu State and Shen State, it was a must-pass for King Wen of Chu's army. In addition, Queen Wen's Queen Mother, Deng Man, the concubine of King Wu, was from Deng State. Therefore, when King Wen's troops passed by Deng State, the king of Deng State held a banquet. Entertain King Wen. The nobles of Deng State urged the monarch to take this opportunity to get rid of King Wen, but the monarch refused and believed that such an unjust act could not be carried out, so he let the tiger return to the mountain. Soon after King Wen returned to the country, he sent troops again to destroy Deng.
The Chu army was invincible. On the one hand, it relied on the strong national power and abundant military equipment. On the other hand, it also relied on the strict management of the army. There is a story that illustrates this point. On the way to the Chu Kingdom's expedition against Deng, King Wen ordered two princes, Ge and Ling, to go out for reconnaissance. They met an old beggar in the wild, so they robbed and bullied him. When King Wen heard about this, he wanted to kill them both.
The princes and nobles tried to dissuade him, thinking that the death penalty was too harsh for such a trivial matter. But the old beggar shouted outside the camp gate that the Chu army was conquering Deng because of its cruelty. However, the young master of Chu wantonly bullied the old and weak. Doesn't it mean that the Chu army was even more unethical? King Wen lamented that the crusade against the cruel rebels would not be considered as peace for the people if he himself was also cruel. If he bullied the elderly by relying on his physical strength, he would not be able to educate future generations. If he doted on his children, neglected public affairs for private purposes, and ignored the law, he would not be able to govern. The country; it is absolutely unacceptable to protect your children and harm the state affairs. King Wen beheaded his two sons to correct military law.
The Chu State's attack on the Shen, Deng, and Lu States was an inevitable move for it to clear its borders and open up the Central Plains to dominate. At that time, the layout of the Central Plains became clearer. Under the governance of Guan Zhong, Qi State had undergone reforms, its productivity had been greatly improved, and its economic and military strength had become increasingly strong. Diplomatically, it formed a diplomatic alliance with medium-sized countries such as Song, Chen, and Zheng, forming a powerful military force. If Chu wants to take over the Central Plains, Qi and its allies are a presence it cannot ignore. And if you want to fight against it, you must eliminate as much as possible all factors that are unfavorable to you. Although the small countries surrounding Chu State cannot pose a threat to it in terms of strength, Chu State is not strong enough to compete with powerful opponents without ignoring them. Annexing these small countries can not only eliminate worries, but also strengthen its own strength. It can also take advantage of the geographical advantages of these small countries as its own, so the Chu State must attack and destroy them.
King Wen of Chu took all the land east of the Han River into his territory, and took advantage of the discord between Xi and Cai to annex it. This incident in Chinese history has transcended the connotation of simple historical facts and expanded to the cultural level. Mrs. Xi's tragic fate also caused people from later generations to sigh and chant her repeatedly.
Chu State could finally face the Central Plains directly. King Wen chose Zheng State as the first target of attack. The reason was that Zheng Ligong's restoration was "deferred to Chu", in order to issue a declaration to all the princes in the Central Plains headed by Qi State. The Chu State's attack on Zheng was the first time that this large southern country had a head-on confrontation with the princes of the Central Plains, and it officially kicked off the struggle between Qi and Chu for hegemony in the Central Plains.
In the tenth year of Duke Zhuang of Lu (684 BC), when the Chu State was ambitious and making final preparations to march into the Central Plains, an inadvertent opportunity came to King Wen. There was a conflict between the Xi State located in the Huai River area and the Cai State located in the Ru River area. The reason is that the two kings of Xi and Cai both married the daughters of the king of Chen. The king of Cai married the eldest daughter, and the king of Xi was about to marry his youngest daughter, who was later known as Xi Gui. When Xi Gui was getting married, she passed by Cai State. The king of Cai State thought that Xi Gui was his wife's sister, so he did not entertain Xi Gui according to the courtesy of his wife, and behaved in a rather frivolous manner, which really angered the king of Xi Guo.
The king of Xi State decided to retaliate, so he sent people to visit King Chu Wen and asked King Chu Wen to send troops to attack Xi State. Xi State asked Cai State for help, which would provide Chu State with an excuse to attack Cai State. This played into King Chu Wen's wish, so he quickly agreed to Xi Guo's request.
The Chu State immediately marched in and defeated the Cai State army in Xindi in September of that year, and captured the king of Cai State, Xianwu. For King Chu Wen, the significance of this battle was not only to defeat Cai Guo, but also to release a political signal that Chu State was determined and capable of marching into the Central Plains. In the "Spring and Autumn Annals" compiled by Confucius, this incident was regarded as a watershed for the Chu State to become a powerful country. From this year on, the Chu State was officially included in the record. The original text said: "Chu defeated the barbarians. Beginning to reach the country."
The king of Cai was humiliated by being captured, and he learned that the initiator of this incident was the king of Xi, and the cause was Mrs. Xi Gui. He hated it in his heart and deliberately planned revenge. It happened that the King of Cai knew that King Chu Wen liked women, so he took the opportunity to boast to King Chu Wen about Lady Xigui's peerless beauty, which actually made King Chu Wen swayed and yearned for her even before he met her.
Seeing that King Wen was moved, the king of Cai State further encouraged and instigated the king of Chu, making the king of Chu decide to take action. The King of Chu used the excuse of a hunting tour to "accidentally" pass by Xiguo with his army. The king of Xiguo didn't know why, but he was very happy. He hosted a banquet and asked Mrs. Xi to come out to meet her. When the King of Chu saw Xi Gui's true appearance, he realized that Cai Hou's words were true. The next day, in the name of thanking him, he deceived the king of Xi Guo out of the palace, set up an ambush and killed him, then invaded the palace and raped Mrs. Xi. The captives returned home.
Xi Gui had an appearance that would overwhelm the country, just like a peach blossom in full bloom, which fascinated King Wen of Chu and named her "Mrs. Peach Blossom". Xi Gui stayed in King Wen's palace for three years and gave birth to two sons for King Wen, one named Xiong Ke and the other Xiong Yun. Xiong Yun became King Cheng of Chu later.
Although she has many children and many blessings, Mrs. Xi does not feel happy because she can never forget her original identity as the wife of Xi Guo and the painful experience of the destruction of her country and her family. For three whole years, Mrs. Xi did not say a word to King Chu Wen. King Chu Wen asked her why she was like this, and she replied that she was a woman who could not serve one husband in life, and could not sacrifice for one master in death. At this point, what else could she say? King Chu Wen was well aware of his inner resentment, so he used Cai Guo to calm his mood. In the fourteenth year of Duke Zhuang of Lu (680 BC), Chu sent troops and completely turned Cai Guo into his vassal.
The story of "Mrs. Peach Blossom" has a long history. While people lament its sad and moving character, they also have different thoughts and opinions on the fate of Mrs. Xi. Wang Wei of the Tang Dynasty wrote in his poem "Mrs. Xi": "Don't let yourself be favored by the present, so that you can forget the kindness of the past. Looking at the flowers brings tears, which is not what the King of Chu said." In Wang Wei's eyes, the King of Chu was greedy for beauty. To commit unjust acts, destroy people's families through cruel means, and even think that the grace of today's glory and wealth can make Mrs. Xi forget the past is undoubtedly unethical and stupid. Although Mrs. Xigui is in the Chu Palace, she always misses her old friend. Although she can't help herself, she sticks to her inner loyalty in despair and grief. She is really a model of loyalty and fidelity. In fact, after Mrs. Xi killed Cai in Chu State and avenged the king of Xi State, she committed suicide and followed her husband.
However, another poet of the Tang Dynasty, Du Mu, had a different view on this. He said: "The slender palace has new peach blossoms, and the pulse is silent for several springs. What is the fate of death? Pity the man who fell from the building in Jingu." Du Mu secretly said Madam Xixi's beauty caused disaster and ruined the country and family, but he did not immediately commit suicide as a thank you, but chose to live an ignoble life. It is really sad and hateful.
However, both Wang Wei and Du Mu seemed to have ignored the fundamental reasons for the destruction of Chu and Cai. King Wen of Chu aspired to the Central Plains, and Xi and Cai were the thresholds that the Chu State had to cross to move towards the Central Plains. The areas of Ru River and Huai River where the two countries were located were the choke points for the Chu State to send troops northward and eastward, so they had to seize the opportunity. . After the Chu State destroyed Xi and Cai, they used the two places as important towns, specially appointed officials to guard and manage them, and elevated their status to areas directly under the central government, which shows the strategic status of the two places.
Therefore, no matter what excuse is used, Xi and Cai will definitely be in the pocket of Chu, and this fate will not change. And "Mrs. Peach Blossom" is nothing more than an additional harvest from King Chu Wen's strategic decision-making. Her existence can only be a small footnote that was forcibly brought to the forefront, and will not become the reason that determines the general trend of history. This can be regarded as Mrs. Xi's. Another tragedy.
The last battle in King Chu Wen's life did not end perfectly. As early as the period of King Wu, Chu State had conquered Quan State and sent people to manage it. However, Quan State rebelled. After the incident subsided, King Wu moved it and sent another official, Yan Ao, to manage it. Later, when the Chu State and the Ba State jointly attacked the Shen State, Yan Ao was at odds with the generals of the Ba State. The Ba State army then attacked the residence of the powerful people under Yan Ao's rule. Yan Ao fled and was executed by King Wen. His tribe then united with the Ba State. Together they fought against the Chu State, even reaching the vicinity of the capital.
In the eighteenth year of Duke Zhuang of Lu (676 BC), Chu sent troops to calm the situation, but was defeated. King Wen fled back in panic. However, the city guard Wei Quan believed that the monarch's defeat and escape was an insult to the country's prestige, and refused to open the door to let him go. The King of Chu had no choice but to send his troops to attack Huang Guo, and defeated Banshi. On the way back home, King Wen of Chu fell ill and died. After the body returned to China, Wanquan buried it in the royal mausoleum, then committed suicide and followed King Wen, living up to his reputation as a loyal minister throughout his life.
King Chu Wen reigned for fourteen years and basically realized King Wu's ambition of "wanting to observe the politics of China". He conquered the Xi, Cai, Shen, and Deng kingdoms, and opened the Chu Kingdom's broad road to the Central Plains. His decision to move the capital provided a strong prerequisite for the prosperity of the Chu State and the prosperity of the people for hundreds of years, and gave the Chu State a head start in future hegemony, reflecting the foresight of a great monarch. Gu Yuegao of the Qing Dynasty said: "Chu marched southward, moved from Danyang to Ying, and took Jingzhou to establish its foundation. King Wu took Luo and Wei, and took the land of Ying and Ying, and established Xiangyang as the gateway. When he reached Mieshen, he moved north to compete with the Central Government. Xia." accurately summarizes the development trajectory of Chu State under the rule of King Wen, and is also the achievement and legacy left by King Wen of Chu who worked hard to govern and struggled throughout his life.
