After Wu Zixu returned to Chu State, he reported to Helu how he had entered Zheng State and forced Nang Wa to die. Helu was only concerned about the whereabouts of Nang Wa and had no intention of attacking Zheng State, so he asked Wu Zixu to withdraw his troops from Zheng State.
There was no objection. After hearing the report, he asked Wu Zixu to continue searching for the whereabouts of King Zhao Zhao of Chu.
Bo Chu was puzzled and asked: "Your Majesty, the King of Chu may have fled to another country. What's the point of spending so many troops and horses searching for him?"
Helu smiled and said: "The forces in various parts of the Chu State don't want to fight back every day. Once the King of Chu appears, they will gather together. We search for the King of Chu everywhere. No matter whether we can find it or not, it is a deterrent. The local forces of the Chu State
They don't dare to act rashly. As time goes by, they will slowly lose their spirit. By then, Chu will be ours."
Bo Pi flattered him and said, "Your Majesty is wise."
After Wu Zixu rested for two days, he continued to wander around with his troops and horses, inquiring about the whereabouts of King Zhao of Chu.
One day, his friend Shen Baoxu sent him a letter to the effect:
"You are a native of Chu. In order to avenge your private life, you led Wu to destroy Chu. You dug up the king's tomb and whipped his body, demolished the ancestral temple and destroyed the country. What's more, the sky is angry and people are resentful. After your revenge, you stationed troops in the Chu land and refused to retreat."
I once promised that Chu would be destroyed. I also said: 'Encourage it! If you can overthrow it, I will definitely be able to revive it.' I wrote it to you and encouraged it together."
After Wu Zixu finished reading the letter, he felt irritable and asked about Shen Baoxu's situation. It turned out that when Yingdu fell, Shen Baoxu fled into the mountains with a group of ministers. Wu Zixu thought that Shen Baoxu was a man who had a strong sense of family and country.
As a senior official of the Chu State, he definitely could not tolerate the result of destroying Chu. It would be useless to say anything. So he said to Shen Baoxu's messenger: "I am busy with military affairs, so I will not write a reply. Please bring a message back.
In a word, 'My day is setting and I have a long way to go, so I am going backwards and doing the opposite.'"
The messenger brought the message back to the mountains, and Shen Baoxu read it with two meanings. The so-called "I have a long way to go" is a metaphor used by Wu Zixu, saying that he has a great hatred accumulated in his chest and has not avenged it for many years, just like a man walking a long road.
At the end of the day, a person is still far away from his destination. The second sentence, "I went against the grain and tried to do it in reverse" means that his hatred has been accumulated for too long, so he goes against common sense and takes this extraordinary action.
This obviously meant self-justification. Shen Baoxu could naturally understand Wu Zixu's mood, but he did not accept his apology without any regrets.
Shen Baoxu recalled the scene when he and Wu Zixu met on the way to the Song Dynasty. At that time, the two said something like this:
Wu Zixu said: "I will overthrow Chu."
Shen Baoxu said: "If you can overthrow it, I will certainly be able to revive it."
At that time, Wu Zixu had no soldiers, no money in his pocket, no home, and was as frightened as a lost dog. Shen Baoxu thought that he was blinded by hatred and said big words. Therefore, he also said boldly: "
If you can overthrow it, I will certainly be able to build it up." Unexpectedly, many years later, Wu Zixu would turn the impossible into a reality. Shen Baoxu thought that he should also fulfill his original bold words.
Shen Baoxu thought that the mother of King Zhao of Chu (Gongzizhen) was the princess Meng Ying of Qin, so there might be a glimmer of hope for him to go to Qin, so he took two servants and slept in the open for more than ten days, and finally arrived at Qin.
.
After hearing Shen Baoxu's request, Duke Ai of Qin expressed sympathy, but was unwilling to send troops. He politely said: "Chu is so powerful, how could it be defeated by Wu in such a short period of time? Wu can destroy Chu.
, which shows that its strength is not inferior to that of Chu State. Even if I take action, I may not be able to save Chu State. Let me think about it carefully and discuss it with my ministers."
Shen Baoxu knelt on the ground with a plop and burst into tears. As he cried, he chanted: "Qin will not save Chu, and the Chu general will be doomed. The prince of Chu, Zhen Zhen, is also a descendant of Qin. Now his country has been destroyed and his family is ruined, and he is wandering abroad. Who is it?"
Can it be saved? Who can save it?"
Duke Ai of Qin persuaded Shen Baoxu a few words, but Shen Baoxu didn't listen at all, and just knelt down and cried. Duke Ai of Qin was upset, so he asked the soldiers to pull him up. Shen Baoxu was pulled up, and as soon as the soldiers let go, he hugged him
He stayed on a pillar in the court hall and continued to cry. The soldiers pulled him away, but he hugged the pillar tightly and refused to let go. When Qin Aigong saw that he was crying miserably, he couldn't bear to use force. He waved his hand and told the soldiers to hold him back.
He dragged him out of the court to finish his work.
After Shen Baoxu was pulled out of the court, he hugged a pillar outside and refused to let go. He cried: "I am a loyal minister of the Chu State, and I came to ask for help for the Chu State. If the Chu State cannot be restored, I will stay in the Qin court."
Hold on to the pillar and die, hold on to the pillar and die, hold on to the pillar and die..."
The soldiers reported back to Qin Aigong, and Qin Aigong said: "Let him cry. When he is tired of crying, he will go back naturally. Leave him alone."
Shen Baoxu just hugged the pillar of the Qin court and cried. The ancients described it: "Weeping day and night, seven days and seven nights, without stopping the sound."
On the seventh day, when the ministers of the State of Qin went to court, Duke Ai of Qin heard that Shen Baoxu was still holding the pillar and crying, but the cry was weak, as if he was about to die. Duke Ai of Qin sighed: "Although Chu State is not moral,
But with such loyal ministers, it seems that they cannot be destroyed. I think we should help the Chu State."
The minister of Qin also said: "The territory of Chu State is vast. Although it was temporarily destroyed by Wu State, Wu State cannot swallow the entire Chu State. As long as we send troops, the local forces of Chu State will join forces with us to attack Wu State.
At that time, even if we don't get the land of Chu State, we can still make Chu State surrender to Qin. This is a profitable thing."
Duke Ai of Qin then decided to send troops. He ordered people to take Shen Baoxu back to the inn and serve him well with wine and meat until he regained his strength. At the same time, he selected Zipu and Zihu as generals and prepared to send 500 military vehicles to the Chu Kingdom.
Shen Baoxu slept in the inn for a day and a night, and when he woke up, he regained his strength. He heard that the people of Qin were ready to go out for war, so he volunteered to find Zi Pu, the general of Qin, and asked to be a vanguard for the Qin army. Zi Pu was in need.
Of course, someone who is familiar with the situation in Chu is highly desirable.
When the Qin army entered Chu, Zipu discussed with Shen Baoxu and sent people to follow the country to find King Zhao of Chu, asking him to come forward and call on local forces from all over Chu to assemble to cooperate with the Qin army to attack Wu.
In less than ten days, the remaining forces from all over the Chu State gathered one after another. Zixi and Ziqi, the senior officials of Chu State, brought these troops to join the Qin State army. Qin and Chu joined forces and attacked Yingdu, the capital of Chu State.
come over.
In early June of 505 BC, the allied forces of Qin and Chu met at Yu Ji and the army of Wu's pioneer Fugai. The two armies faced off. Shen Baoxu, Zixi and Ziqi first led the Chu army to attack. Since Fugai entered Chu,
After winning consecutive battles without encountering an opponent, he did not pay attention to the Chu army at all. He personally went into battle and fought with Shen Baoxu. When the two were fighting, Fugai suddenly discovered that a large number of Chu troops were coming from behind.
The Qin army couldn't help but be shocked, how could the Qin army appear? Just when he was panicking, the Qin army had already rushed to the front. This sudden change not only made Fugai timid, but also panicked the Wu soldiers.
Wu's army had never fought against Qin. They soon discovered that Qin's army was more powerful than the armies of the princes they had encountered before. The black flags, black armor, and ferocious charge made Wu's army unable to withstand the battle.
After a while, Wu's army gradually became exhausted and began to retreat.
Shen Baoxu wanted to restore the country and urged his troops to advance desperately. Under his leadership, the Qin and Chu armies pressed against the Wu army with overwhelming force. Fugai saw that the situation on the battlefield had reversed and had to order a retreat. The order had just been issued.
, the retreat turned into a rout. The soldiers of the Wu army fled for their lives, and the Qin and Chu armies took advantage of the situation to pursue them. The Wu army was defeated.
Fugai fled back to Yingdu, met with Helu, and reported: "Qin's army is very powerful. We really can't resist it. What should we do?"
Helu was panicked when he heard that Qin had sent troops. He had already heard that Qin's army was different from other princes in combat effectiveness and was much more brave. He looked at Sun Wu and wanted to hear Sun Gaosen's idea.
Sun Wu said: "We have been staying in Chu for a long time in order to find the King of Chu (King Zhao of Chu), but we have never been able to find him. The forces in various parts of Chu have long been secretly preparing to move. Now, Qin has intervened again. In this way
Come, Chu will counterattack and Qin will reinforce us. We have to face two opponents with the strength of one country. I think it is impossible to annex Chu."
Helu urged impatiently: "It's urgent now. Please tell Mr. Sun the solution directly."
Sun Wu reiterated his old words and said: "I once proposed that Prince Sheng be the king of Chu, just because I was worried that we would not be able to swallow up the Chu Kingdom. Based on the current situation, I think it is better to make peace with Qin and promise them to restore the Chu Kingdom."
Sun Wu talked and talked and finally made a peace. This was equivalent to having no idea. Helu kept his head in silence and did not express his position. Wu Zixu frowned at the side. But he knew in his heart that what Sun Wu said did make sense. He thought for a while,
Without waiting for Helu to ask him, he agreed with Sun Wu's opinion.
Bo Chu stood up and said, "I don't agree. Fugai was defeated for a while. But our main force has not yet entered the battle. Don't just listen to one side of the story. Our army is made of flesh and blood. Isn't the Qin army? They can be powerful.
Where to go? I ask the king to give me a troop of soldiers and horses, and I will go to fight tomorrow."
Helu was very happy when he saw Bo Pi volunteering to fight, so he agreed to his request.
On the second day, Bo Pu led 300 military chariots to fight. In the afternoon, Bo Pu put himself in a prison car and came back. It turned out that he, too, was defeated and returned.
Sun Wu said to Wu Zixu privately: "Bo Pu is arrogant and rude, and he is very selfish. He has interests in front of him but loyalty in the back. He will definitely harm you in the future. It is better to take this opportunity to get rid of him."
Although Wu Zixu also knew about Bo Pi's problem, he couldn't bear it. Instead, he excused Bo Pi and said: "Bo Pi has made meritorious deeds before, but he failed this time, but his merits cannot be wiped out. Let him take the blame and make meritorious deeds."
Sun Wu stopped talking. Helu didn't want to hold Bo Pi accountable, and Wu Zixu also wanted to protect him, so he let Bo Pi go.
Three days later, the Qin and Chu allied forces surrounded Yingdu. The Wu army relied on the high walls and deep trenches of Yingdu to hold on. Fugai's army lived near Yingdu, echoing the city.
One night, a general from the front came quickly to report that Fugai had taken advantage of the night and Qiaopin had escaped with his troops. Helu quickly called Wu Zixu to discuss it. Wu Zixu said: "Fugai must have returned to Gusu City.
, he will definitely seize the throne when he returns."
Helu said: "What can we do? Qin and Chu are constantly attacking the city. If we withdraw, we will be completely defeated."
Wu Zixu said: "Your Majesty, take the people back. Leave this to me and General Sun. As long as we are here, we can hold on for a while."
Helu said: "Then I will go back first, and you two will stay here for a while."
Speaking of Fugai, he left the battlefield and rushed back to the state of Wu at a rapid march. As soon as he entered the state of Wu, he spread the news everywhere that Helu had been defeated by Qin and Chu and was now alive or dead. According to Wu
According to the rules of the country, if the elder brother is not on the throne, the throne will be inherited by his brother. The people of Wu did not know the truth, so some people began to support him.
Fugai arrived at the gates of Gusu City and outside Chenbing City, and asked Helu's son, Prince Bo, and the generals assisting the prince, Zhuanyi and Feili, to let him enter the city. However, Prince Bo and the other three refused to open the city, and ordered the army to stand ready.
Fugai then ordered an attack on the city. Prince Bo and others defended the city while sending envoys to Helu for help.
On the way to the Chu State, the envoy met Helu who was on his way to the Wu State. As soon as the envoy told him about Fu Gai's rebellion, Helu immediately sent people to the Chu State and ordered Wu Zixu and Sun Wu to abandon the Chu State and return to the army.
Counterinsurgency.
Wu Zixu received the order and sighed: "Shen Baoxu said it casually back then, but he didn't expect it to become what he is today. He has become famous."
Sun Wu said: "Shen Baoxu is not an ordinary person. That is to say, if he were replaced by others, he may not be able to succeed."
News of the civil strife in Wu soon spread. After King Zhao of Chu heard about it, he decided to return to Yingdu. Shen Baoxu, Ziqi, Zixi and others welcomed him into the military camp, and then discussed the recapture of Yingdu and the aftermath. At this time,
Shen Baoxu wrote another letter to Wu Zixu, to the effect that: "You claimed to destroy Chu, and I promised to restore Chu, but I refused to break the promise. Your revenge has been avenged, and my wish has been fulfilled. You and I can let it go. You retreat,
I also ask the Qin State to withdraw its troops. From now on, each of us will defend our territory and not invade each other so as not to harm the people. Please be considerate, my brother."
After Wu Zixu read this letter, he ordered the Wu soldiers to pack their bags. Before leaving, they plundered the Chu State's treasury, captured more than 10,000 people, and then evacuated the Chu State with these trophies.
After Wu Zixu and Sun Wu's troops entered the Kingdom of Wu, they joined Helu's troops. Helu issued an order:
"Fugai falsely conveyed the king's orders and had evil intentions. Whoever captures this person will be given a heavy reward. Anyone who surrenders voluntarily will let his past be forgotten. If he continues to follow Fugai and commits evil, his whole family will be punished."
As soon as the order was issued, Fugai's soldiers turned against each other one after another. Seeing that the situation was over, Fugai had no choice but to abandon his troops and flee to other countries.
Helu returned to Gusu City and began to confer great titles on meritorious officials. Wu Zixu and Bo Pei were promoted to high positions and received heavy rewards. Sun Wu only accepted rewards and did not want to be granted titles.
After the reward was over, Sun Wu resigned from Helu, saying that he would go into seclusion in the mountains and study the art of war. Helu tried to persuade Sun Wu to stay, but Sun Wu did not change his intention to leave. Helu was very reluctant to leave, so he sent Wu Zixu to persuade Sun Wu to stay.
Wu Zixu went to Sun Wu's mansion and saw that the door was locked. When he inquired, he heard that Sun Wu had just left the city and went to the river. Wu Zixu hurried to the Yangtze River.
Sun Wu was about to get on the boat when he saw Wu Zixu running towards him, so he stopped. When Wu Zixu came to him, he first said: "General, I am here to see you off. Sun is very grateful. If you come to persuade me to stay, there is no need. Sun wants to go."
Determined.”
Wu Zixu said: "General Sun's talents and strategies are unprecedented in ancient and modern times. You have established extraordinary achievements for the state of Wu and have laid a foundation. It is a pity to retire at this time."
Sun Wu said: "The Kingdom of Wu is a place of right and wrong. Every household is suspicious, and there are snobbish people like Bo Pu surrounding it. General Wu has a strong temperament and will inevitably be angered in the future. I cherish the general's talent, so I would like to remind him before leaving:
If you regret it in the future, it is better to leave as soon as possible."
Wu Zixu knew that there was no more persuasion, so he said sincerely: "These days, the soldiers have listened to the general's teachings, and they have benefited a lot. I am grateful. Everyone has their own ambitions, and I dare not force it. The soldiers will obey the general's instructions and be careful."
, it’s no problem as expected.”
Sun Wu knew that Wu Zixu valued fame, so he smiled calmly and said nothing more. After bowing, he turned around and got on the boat. Wu Zixu stood on the shore, watching Sun Wu's small boat, going further and further away, gradually disappearing among the mountains and rivers.
Saw it……
Let’s talk about King Zhao of Chu. He also made great achievements when he returned to the capital of Ying. Shen Baoxu was naturally the first to do so, but unexpectedly, Shen Baoxu said to King Zhao of Chu: "Your Majesty, I am old. I am crying about the restoration of Qin to Chu.
For myself and only for the Kingdom of Chu. Now that my wish has been fulfilled, I have no worries anymore. Please allow me to return to my hometown and spend my remaining years among the mountains and fields."
King Zhao of Chu said: "Doctor Shen's loyalty to the country, trust to his friends, and firmness of loyalty are rare in ancient and modern times. If you don't serve in the court, it will be a blessing to my court."
Shen Baoxu said: "There is no shortage of great talents in Chu. It's a pity that there are many who are buried and few who are of great use. Your Majesty, I have no use anymore. Before I leave, I would like to ask your Majesty a question and ask your Majesty to think about it."
King Zhao of Chu said: "You can just say it."
Shen Baoxu said: "When it comes to talents, Wu Zixu can be regarded as one. He is a native of Chu, but he is an enemy of Chu. Why is this? Your Majesty, please think deeply."
King Chu Zhao was stunned and wanted to say something, but saw Shen Baoxu bending down, bowing deeply, and then retreated.
After Shen Baoxu left, King Chu Zhao used two cities and a large amount of gold and silver as a thank you gift, and sent away the Qin generals Zi Pu and Zi Hu. He also signed an alliance with them, expressing his willingness to be a vassal of the Qin State and pay tribute every year.
.The troops of Qin State will not withdraw until this point.
Another month later, Fugai came to surrender to the state of Chu. He only said one thing, and King Zhao of Chu accepted him. Fugai said: "My lord, do you know why Helu hurriedly transferred Wu Zixu and Sun Wu back?"
Wu State? That’s because I returned to Wu State first, preparing to seize the opportunity to seize the throne and claim the throne, so Helu had no choice but to abandon Chu State. He rushed back to Wu State just to deal with me."
King Chu Zhao said with a smile: "That's right. I've heard about this. Thanks to you, Chu State can be restored to the state, and you are indispensable. I will grant you the land of Tangxi."
Fugai thanked King Zhao of Chu and then went to Tangxi. From then on, people called him the Tangxi clan.