Chu State suddenly retreated and attacked Shu State. Before Huai State could react, the war was over. Chu State deployed heavy troops in Shu State and put up a tight defensive posture against Huai State.
If the Huai State wanted to attack, they could only attack by force. The Chu State was fortified layer by layer. Even if the Huai State captured the Shu State, it would suffer heavy losses and the gain would not be worth the loss.
After seeing that Chu's defense could not be broken, Huai decisively ended the war. As Chu State annexed Shu State and withdrew its troops for defense, Qi State and Jin State also ended their alliance and returned to their countries.
Although the Huai State did not lose anything in this war, the goal of severing the relationship between the Chu State and the Yue State failed.
Therefore, in order to suppress the Yue State, Wang Jin deployed troops on the Wuyue border but did not attack, forcing the Yue State to recruit a large army to defend the border. As a result, the Yue State had to bear a heavy burden.
The Marquis of Yue felt aggrieved when he saw that Huai State was using this method to consume Yue State's strength, so he asked his ministers if there was any way to prevent Huai State from stationing large troops on the border and threatening Yue State.
The doctor Wen Jie said: "Your Majesty, the Huai State is powerful and can support the army to be stationed for a long time. Our country is poor. Why don't you let your son go to the Huai State as a hostage and prepare generous gifts to pay tribute?"
Sending protons and claiming vassalage and paying tribute was already a gesture of becoming a vassal state, but if the situation in Yue State were not like this, it would probably be completely consumed by Huai State.
The ministers of the State of Yue immediately agreed, so the Marquis of Yue issued an edict to send his son.
"Father, what do you want to see me for?" Yunchang asked with a bow.
The Marquis of Yue looked at his thirteen-year-old son, feeling very reluctant to part with him. However, for the sake of the country's interests, he still said: "The Huai army is stationed on the border. Our country, the country of Yue, can only fight against them. The country of Huai is thousands of miles away. I can only travel three hundred miles across the country, how can I afford the energy consumption?"
"Father, if you don't let your son lead the army and conquer the Huai Kingdom, we will definitely defeat the Huai army and solve this dilemma." Yunchang said confidently.
Seeing his majestic son, the Marquis of Yue laughed loudly and said, "My son, the Huai Kingdom is thousands of miles away and wears two hundred thousand armor. Let's not talk about whether you can defeat those Huai people. Even if you defeat the Huai army on the border, They can summon more armies in a blink of an eye, how should I, the country of Yue, respond?"
Yunchang was speechless for a while.
Seeing his son's dejected look, the Marquis of Yue continued: "My son, there is no need to be depressed. The Huai Kingdom has been established for three hundred years, and all the kings of the past dynasties have worked hard. Only in this way can the Huai Kingdom be prosperous today. However, although the Huai Kingdom is strong, it is not as good as the other countries in the Central Plains." We are not on good terms with the Chu State, and although our Yue State is not as good as them now, it does not mean that we will be inferior to them in the future!"
"I understand!" Yunchang recovered quickly.
"I asked you to come here today because I have something for you to do." Yue Hou said.
Yunchang asked, "Father, what's going on?"
"I am ready to surrender to the Huai Kingdom, pay tribute, and send protons to the Huai Kingdom!"
"What!?" Yunchang's face suddenly became confused.
Didn’t you just want to defeat the Huai Kingdom? Why did he have to surrender so quickly?
"What, do you feel that you are so lonely that you are crazy and confused?" Yuehou glanced at his son, and then said: "When the Huai Kingdom is strong, don't think about resisting, even if it is something more humiliating. , as long as the country of Yue can be prosperous, I will do it!"
"The purpose of letting you go to Huai State now is to convince Huai State that we have no intention of going against Huai State. The more humble, flattering and ingratiating we are, the safer the country will be!"
Yue Hou said sternly.
"Father, I understand!" Yunchang said.
"As long as you understand, when you arrive in Huai Kingdom, remember not to worry about your face. I will ask people to give you more rare treasures, so you can present them to the king of Huai Kingdom and the nobles to please them!"
"Here!" Yunchang said with his hands raised.
Next, the Marquis of Yue first wrote an extremely flattering letter of credence and handed it to Yunchang. Then he took out various treasures from the treasury, loaded them on the carriage, and asked Yunchang to take them away with him.
Yunchang led a delegation of hundreds of people to the Huai Kingdom. As soon as they arrived in Wu, they were captured by the Huai Kingdom.
The soldiers stopped him. When they learned that Yunchang was the prince of Yue and was going to pay tribute to Huai, he immediately reported it.
After the news was reported at all levels, it was quickly sent to Huai'an.
In the main hall of the Huai Kingdom, Wang Jin handed over the credentials sent by the Yue Kingdom to all the ministers: "The Marquis of Yue sent the credentials, requesting to become a vassal state of our Huai Kingdom, making our Huai Kingdom our ally, and sending Prince Yunchang to Huai'an as an ally. Proton, what do you think, gentlemen?"
"Your Majesty, the Yue State is so ambitious that it took advantage of the war between the Huai State and the Jin State last time to unite with the Chu State to attack Wu. It is not credible. This must be a delaying strategy of the Yue State!" Xu Yong said directly.
"Doctor Xu's words are serious. The State of Yue has signed a letter of credence to declare itself a vassal, and has brought the prince with a large amount of jewels as a pledge. It seems very sincere from me!" Dr. Yang Jue said.
"Your Majesty and your ministers also agree with what Doctor Yang said. It is a common practice in all countries to send a prince as a hostage and declare a minister with a certificate of credence among the Fang Kingdoms of Zhou Dynasty. If we, the Huai Kingdom, do not agree, then the other vassal states of the Huai Kingdom will Worried, by then the influence of our Huai State will decline, and Fang State, which Bang Zhou wants to surrender to us, will also hesitate because of our attitude." Gongyang said.
"Your Majesty, I think I should accept it." Xiang Qing said respectfully: "Other countries send hostages, most of whom are not favored. However, the Yue State sent the prince as a hostage. It is obviously a sign of sincerity to our Huai State, and the prince is a hostage. , this is also beneficial. As long as we influence Yunchang and let him get close to our Huai Kingdom, after he ascends the throne and becomes the Marquis of Yue, he will naturally be close to Huai and dislike Chu."
"As long as the Crown Prince of Yue is friendly to us, Chu's plan to unite with Yue to deal with us will be in vain!"
The ministers came and debated, and most of the officials agreed to let Yue become a vassal state. After all, this method is much more convenient than sending out a large army for conquest, and it is subtle. As long as successive generations of monarchs are close to Huai State, Chu State's plan will basically go bankrupt.
Wang Jin thought for a while and felt that it made sense, and immediately said: "In that case, let's agree!"
After getting Wang Jin's consent, Yunchang immediately left for Huai'an under the escort of the Huai army. Along the way, Yun Chang saw the old land of Wu State. He saw neat roads, luxuriant farmland, and network-like rivers, creating a prosperous scene. Very surprised. Yunchang almost couldn't believe it when he learned that this place was built just over ten years ago and had such a scene.
Soon everyone crossed the river by boat and then headed north from Weiyang. When he arrived here, he found that the Huai Kingdom was actually more prosperous than the Wudi. Even the canal under his feet was dug by the Huai Kingdom, which completely shattered his pride. broken.
