To introduce the fall of King Chu Ling, we must first talk about his successor, King Chu Ping. King Chu Ping is the young master Qiji mentioned above, the youngest son of King Chu Gong and the younger brother of King Chu Ling.
Unlike his elder brother, the young master has good moral character despite illness and has a graceful demeanor. When Qiji was on a visit to Jin, he passed by Zheng. The king of Zheng led three officials, Zipi, Zichan, and Zi Taishu, to greet him. Qiji strictly observed etiquette and avoided meeting the king of Zheng. He could not withstand repeated persuasion from the people of Zheng before he agreed. He also paid homage to the King of Zheng in the manner of an audience with King Ling of Chu. Qiji also met Zipi, Zichan and Zi Taishu with the etiquette of meeting a foreign official, and respectfully presented them with gifts. People in Zheng were surprised and respected Qiji's words and deeds.
What's even more commendable is that Qiji made three stipulations to his followers, prohibiting random horse racing to damage Zheng's fields; prohibiting casual cutting of trees to make fire; and prohibiting asking for water and rice from Zheng people. Violators will be severely punished. When the people of Zheng State saw that the young master Qiji was like this, they vaguely felt that this man had the aura of an emperor, and that he would be the one to replace King Ling of Chu in the future, so they were very enthusiastic and considerate towards Qiji.
Another person who must be mentioned is the doctor Shen Wuyu. Shen Wuyu is a rare loyal minister in the Chu Ling Dynasty. When King Ling of Chu was still Ling Yin, he often went out hunting under the banner of the king. Shen Wuyu was extremely angry about this and cut off these banners with his sword. After King Ling of Chu built Zhanghua Terrace, he liked to bring in those who had escaped after being convicted of crimes. However, Shen Wuyu forced his way in and wanted to capture his servants, but he was sent to King Ling of Chu. Shen Wuyu cited the Book of Songs to defend himself, saying that the whole world is not the land of the king, and it is an inherent system for subordinates to obey their superiors. King Wen of Zhou stipulated that any escaped servants must be recaptured. So King Chu Ling pardoned Shen Wuyu for breaking into the monarch's palace and asked him to take away his servants.
The reason why King Chu Ling got himself into such a tight situation was not a result of one day's work, but "it was hard to get back". In the tenth year of King Ling of Chu, King Ling wanted to send the young master Qiji to the newly annexed Cai Kingdom area. When asked about his plan, Yu Shen was speechless. Shen Wuyu disagreed. He cited the example of Wei Zhuanggong sealing Prince Yuan in Quedi, which led to his being deposed. Wise and capable ministers cannot be bestowed outside, and incompetent villains cannot be allowed to live in the palace. However, King Ling of Chu disagreed. He believed that the capital was an important place and was tightly guarded. Even if someone had evil intentions, he would not be able to do anything. Shen Wuyu also used the regicides of vassals of Zheng and Song as examples to remind King Chu Ling of the threat posed by vassals to the king.
After annexing Chen and Cai, King Chu Ling finally gained enough confidence and decided to attack Wu again, which had not received any benefits before. He led an army to surround Xu State as a threat. At this time, King Ling of Chu's self-aggrandizement was at its peak. He asked You Yin Zige: "Our previous kings have been serving the Zhou Dynasty, but they have never received corresponding rewards. If I now ask the Emperor of Zhou to give the Wang Ding to the Chu Kingdom, will he Will you agree?" Zige replied that Chu was once a remote country, so it was often despised, but now it has a strong army and strong horses, and the Emperor of Zhou will not turn a blind eye. King Ling also asked what would happen if he asked Zheng for the land of his ancestors that they had captured. Zige replied that Zheng would return it without hesitation.
The doctor analyzed his father's criticism of Zi Ge, thinking that although he was in a high position, he blindly flattered him, which made the country's fate worrying. Zi Ge sneered and said that he had already sharpened the knife in his hand, and he was just waiting to use it against King Chu Ling. It can be seen that King Chu Ling was on the verge of betrayal and separation, but he was still unaware of this.
King Ling of Chu not only lacked sympathy for his ministers, but also frequently killed them, confiscated their property, confiscated their land, and even sentenced them to death, which finally ignited the fuse of the conflict. A group of scholar-bureaucrats who had been deprived of their wealth and status united to stage a mutiny and captured the two cities of Gu and Xi in Chu State.
Cai Guo, who was destroyed by King Ling of Chu, was also moved by people. Some old ministers took this opportunity to want to restore the country. Doctor Cai Guo made a plan to Wu and led King Chu Ling's three younger brothers to overthrow King Chu Ling. In the name of Prince Qiji, he recalled Ziqian and Zixi, who had been forced into exile due to the persecution of King Ling of Chu, and forced them to unite with Qiji. And with the help of Qiji's identity as "Chen Caigong", he assembled a powerful army. This army fought all the way to the capital of Chu. Because there were people everywhere who had been persecuted by King Chu Ling, the rebels not only encountered little resistance, but continued to grow. Cai Wei, the guard of Yingdu, had a grudge against King Ling of Chu for killing his father. After the collapse of Cai's kingdom, he lived in the Chu Ling Dynasty to work for him in order to survive. When the rebels arrived, he predictably offered up the city.
Prince Qiji sent people into the palace and killed the two sons of King Ling of Chu, Prince Lu and Prince Ban. The three younger brothers of King Ling of Chu proclaimed themselves in order of eldest and youngest. Ziqian was the eldest and was crowned king; After the internal interests were coordinated, the remaining forces of King Chu Ling were divided. Ziqian sent Guan Cong to sneak into King Chu Ling's military camp in Qianxi to spread the news, saying that those who returned to the capital first to join the new king would keep their original status and salary. If you persist, you will be punished. As a result, the people in the camp became disorganized, and the soldiers fled back to the capital.
When King Chu Ling heard the bad news, he was shocked and fell down from the car. At this time, the morale of the army was weakened, and the number of troops in the army continued to decrease. Only a few people such as You Yin Zige were still with King Ling of Chu. King Ling of Chu asked Zige for advice. Zige suggested that King Ling should wait until he returned home. King Ling refused, believing that the people's grievances should not be touched. Zige also suggested that King Ling seek help from the princes. King Ling said that he had already betrayed his relatives and could not count on the princes. Zige also suggested that King Ling flee abroad. King Ling said that his blessings had been exhausted and he could no longer receive the treatment of a human king. Zige had no choice but to leave King Ling to make a living on his own.
King Ling became a lonely man and wandered in the mountains. Shen Hainian, the son of the former doctor Shen Wuyu, took him in because King Ling of Chu was kind to his father. Not long ago, King Chu Ling, who felt bored, hanged himself under a tree, ending his absurd and sinful life.
In that era, many kings committed suicide. Most of them are caused by events at home and country.
Prince Qiji served in the new dynasty, but he was not happy because he contributed the most to this coup. As "Chen Cai Gong", it is his prestige that unites people. As the main force of the rebels, Chen and Cai's troops were basically his private armed forces. Under such circumstances, both emotion and reason should dictate that he abandon his illness and continue to ascend to the throne. As a result, all the benefits went to his two brothers, but he himself had to live under others, waiting to be dispatched.
Guan Cong was well aware of Master Qiji's resentment, and he suggested that Ziqian take advantage of Qiji before he gained momentum, and attack him first to avoid future troubles. Ziqian couldn't bear it, but Guan Cong had no choice but to sigh and said that Qiji would not bear to attack you. So Guan Cong packed his bags and left Chu.
Young Master Qiji quickly took action. He took advantage of the lingering ghost of King Chu Ling to make a fuss about the legitimacy of the new king. Because no matter how foolish King Chu Ling is and how deserving he is of his crimes, the new Prince of Chu will still be a treasonous and usurping king. Even if he has the support of people, deep down in his heart he still cannot escape the consequences of his identity. Shadow, this gives Qi Ji an opportunity to take advantage of. On the one hand, Qiji took advantage of the opportunity before people knew that King Chu Ling was dead to spread rumors that King Chu Ling was leading an army to fight back. On the other hand, he dispatched his cronies to scream loudly in the middle of the night that King Chu Ling was back. This made people panic, and Prince Qian and Ling Yin Zixi, who lived deep in the palace, found it even more difficult to sleep peacefully.
Finally one day, Qiji felt that the heat had come, so he sent his men to spread rumors with great force, saying that King Chu Ling led his army to fight back. They also made people pretend to be frightened and ran to the palace to report Ziqian and Zixi and told them to think of a way to deal with it. The two were already panicked and helpless, so they both committed suicide. The young master Qiji won a great victory and ascended the throne as King Ping of Chu.
The young master abandoned the quick soldiers and made dangerous moves, which achieved miraculous results. After taking office, he fulfilled his previous promises, restored the autonomy of Chen and Cai, and allowed the country that had been sick to the bone to recuperate and restore political order and economic production. His skill in stabilizing people's hearts was further demonstrated. He dressed up a prisoner as the Ling King, killed him and threw him into the water, completely erasing the Chu Ling King from people's hearts and thus ushered in a new era.
King Chu Ping did not become the savior of Chu, although in the early days of his accession to the throne, he did behave like a wise king. However, as if it were a nightmare flowing in the blood of this family, King Chu Ping's short-lived sagacity was like a reflection of Chu's glory, unable to stop the country from sliding into the bottomless abyss.
In the first few years of King Chu Ping's reign, he indeed showed his demeanor as a prince when he abandoned his illness. He gradually gathered the lost people's hearts and recalled people who had fled and been displaced, allowing them to settle down and resume production. Select loyal people, pardon the guilty, and make the political atmosphere in the country clear.
In terms of diplomacy, King Ping of Chu was extremely low-key and almost gave up Chu's international status. Among them, the State of Jin became the biggest beneficiary, occupying a dominant position. The Jin State assembled a large army on the border to strengthen its prestige, and soon gathered many allies for an alliance to establish its own status and send a political signal to the Chu State. King Ping of Chu ignored all these matters.
The increasingly powerful Wu State was also restless. Taking advantage of the uncertain order of the Chu State and no time for foreign affairs, it sent an army to annex the territory and captured Zhou Lai. Ling Yin Ziqi requested to take action on this, but King Chu Ping was not impulsive, but firmly based on practicing "internal strength". He said that he had just ascended to the throne and the country was not yet stable, so it was not appropriate to expand abroad now. It is necessary to appease the people, perform sacrifices frequently, and consolidate national defense. If we send troops rashly and lose, the country will be in danger of being overthrown.
King Ping of Chu "rested his people for five years" and sent officials to various places to garrison the fields and raise troops. Help the weak, help the poor, provide help to the old, young, orphans and widows, and gradually correct the country that has been off track for a long time. At the same time, train the army, accumulate strength, hide your strength and bide your time, waiting for the situation to change.
Of course, King Chu Ping was not always gentle. He showed a tough side when dealing with arrogant and indulgent bureaucrats who relied on their merits. Ling Yin Ziqi played an important role in supporting King Ping, and used this as capital to act recklessly, seeking personal gain for himself and disregarding the country. King Ping of Chu reluctantly sentenced him to death as a warning to others.
It has to be said that King Chu Ping's choice was sober and wise. The Chu State he took over was like a terminally ill giant, with a tall body but no substantial flesh and blood filling it. Under such circumstances, if force is used blindly, the already dying country will be unable to recover. Only by slowly adjusting and smoothing the country's context from the inside out can the development speed be further promoted. It can be said that the early reign of King Chu Ping was successful. He prevented the Chu State from falling into ruin and becoming a vassal of other countries, and preserved the possibility of the Chu State to rise again and compete in the Central Plains again as a great power.
However, since ancient times, many kings have been foolish, and King Ping of Chu was not immune to this. King Ping of Chu did not have a good eye for recognizing people. He favored the fawning minister Fei Wuji and appointed him as the prince's young master. Prince Jian, the son of King Chu Ping, was born to a local woman when King Chu Ping had not yet ascended the throne and was still in charge of the land of Chen and Cai as Prince Qiji. Prince Jian did not like his "young master" because he noticed that Fei Wuji had bad conduct. In the second year of King Ping of Chu (527 BC), the official Chao Wu made meritorious service and was granted the title of Cai. Fei Wuji was afraid that Chao Wu would be favored and would threaten himself, so he sowed a relationship between Chao Wu and the Cai people, making it difficult for Chao Wu to gain a foothold. Don't run away. King Chu Ping reprimanded Fei Wuji for this, but Fei Wuji argued that Chao Wu had evil intentions, so he fled the fiefdom.
Prince Jian recognized Fei Wuji's ugly face and gradually distanced himself from him. Instead, he got closer to another teacher of his - Wu She. Fei Wuji saw this and felt hatred in his heart, so he made a vicious plan. He suggested to King Chu Ping that Prince Jian was of age and should arrange a marriage for him. King Chu Ping agreed and appointed Fei Wuji to implement it. So Fei Wuji went to Qin to seek marriage. After the matter was completed, he reported it to King Ping of Chu and tried his best to exaggerate the beauty of Qin women. Under his instigation, King Ping of Chu actually included the women of Qin into his account. This behavior laid the foundation for the enmity between King Ping and his son, which eventually led to civil strife in Chu.
In the same year, Fei Wuji once again advised King Ping of Chu, saying that the Jin State occupied the Central Plains and relied on geographical advantages to rule the princes. The Chu State was located in a remote place and therefore could not dominate. The land of the father of the city should be strengthened so that the prince could build a garrison. Further expansion of territory to the south enabled the Chu State's national power to continue to rise. King Ping of Chu followed his advice.
After Prince Jian was transferred from the capital, Fei Wuji became more and more unscrupulous. He continued to slander King Chu Ping, saying that Prince Jian was very dissatisfied with King Chu Ping for forcing him to marry a Qin woman who was promised to him, and now there is no one to guard the border. Internally, he collaborated with his teacher Wu She, and externally, he secretly communicated with the states of Jin and Qi, intending to rebel. King Chu Ping was frightened and angry, so Wu She confronted him. Wu She was outspoken, saying that King Chu Ping had listened to his sycophants and wrongly blamed Prince Jian. Now he is making more mistakes. King Ping of Chu was furious, imprisoned Wu She, and sent people to kill Prince Jian.
The envoy sent by Sima Fenyang did not want to see Prince Jian die unjustly, so he informed him in advance that Prince Jian escaped successfully and went to the Song Dynasty. When Sima Fenyang returned to court, he faced the questioning of King Chu Ping. He bluntly stated that he had informed the news in advance, and said that King Chu Ping asked him to serve Prince Jian as he would serve King Ping, and that he was just carrying out King Ping's original order. King Ping of Chu had no choice but to send him back to the border town to continue serving as an official.
Fei Wuji still refused to give up and once again told the King of Chu that Wu She's two sons were far away in the border areas. Your Majesty had arrested their father, which would be detrimental to the country. He could recall them and arrest them all. Wu She's two sons were hesitant after receiving the order. His elder brother Wu Shang asked his younger brother Wu Zixu to escape as soon as possible, saying that he was resourceful and capable of revenge in the future, and he must return home to find the last chance for his father. So Wu Zixu fled the country of Wu, and Wu Shang was executed together with his father after returning to the capital.
Prince Jian's mother contacted the State of Wu, led the Wu State's army to capture the city where she lived, and fled to the State of Wu with her jewelry and fine jewelry.
The Chu State experienced this series of turmoil and its vitality was severely damaged. The people's resentment against King Ping of Chu's mediocrity gradually grew, and people talked a lot. Ling Yin Zi often was ordered to build the capital, but he heard the voices of the people saying that the reason for building the city wall was because the country was already involved in internal and external troubles. In such a situation where the people were losing their hearts internally and facing enemies externally, it would be useless to build the city walls high. .
In the ninth year of King Ping of Chu (520 BC), the Chu State launched troops against the Wu State, but was counterattacked. Instead of having any effect, it was attacked by the Wu army and lost two cities and counties. The Chu State was in ruins.
