The battle of Wu Chu and Bai Ju, the swan song of the military sage Sun Wu who sealed the seal of the gods

In the late Spring and Autumn Period, with the signing of the Army-Annihilation Alliance, the struggle between Jin and Chu came to an end. The emerging Wu Kingdom began to move to the center of the stage. In the eyes of the Central Plains princes, Chu and Wu were both barbarians. In the Central Plains, people generally wear their hair tied up in the right fold, in the Chu State, their hair is left loose and in the left fold, and in the Wu State, their hair is broken and tattooed. Generally speaking, the princes of the Central Plains are rarely willing to deal with Chu and Wu. Later, Qu Wuchen, a nobleman of the Chu State, defected to the Jin State because he was greedy for Xia Ji's beauty, and his three tribes were exterminated by the Chu State. Wu ministers presented to Jin the strategy of uniting Wu to control Chu, and helped Wu learn chariot warfare and infantry warfare, thus the rise of Wu state.

Chu State’s continuous eastward expansion put Wu State under great threat. Wu was Chu’s natural enemy. Wu State had relatively developed shipbuilding and metallurgy since ancient times, and used bronze and iron tools. It is good at shipbuilding, and iron smelting is also relatively developed. Wu Gou's name is known all over the world and its benefits. Mo Xie, a famous general in ancient times, is a representative of Wu's weapons. With the addition of Wu Chen, Wu Zixu, and Sun Wu, the Kingdom of Wu burst into bright light. Chu's eastward expansion made the small countries named Shu in the Jianghuai area begin to approach Wu. Wu and Chu began to compete around these small countries.

In 584 BC, the Wu army took advantage of the Chu army to send troops to the Central Plains and captured the city of Zhoulai. Zhoulai, now Fengtai County, Anhui Province, is a confluence point of the upper source tributaries of the Huaihe River. They captured Zhoulai and controlled Zhongli. (today's east of Linhuaiguan Town, Fengyang County, Anhui Province) allowed Wu State to occupy a strategic advantage and control the Huaihe River area. And the princes of the Central Plains began to face up to and accept the state of Wu. In 575 BC, the Chu army and the Jin army were defeated in the battle of Yanling. Wu State also captured Chu State's Chao (now Chao County), Jia (now Wuhu Xilugang), Li (Wuwei County), and Hui (Digang in the west of Wuhu). cities.

In 570 BC, the State of Chu launched a large-scale attack on the State of Wu, preparing to destroy the State of Wu in one battle. It dispatched its most elite troops to form three hundred troops, and three thousand were trained as vanguards. They were commanded by the fierce general Deng Liao. Contributed to the heart of the Wu Kingdom, it is said that the armor is made of gourd plates and alum water. It is a special equipment for water warfare. The dangers of the Yangtze River are not a concern. Being trained is also called Pilian. It is also a special armor for water warfare, second to the group armor. Zhufan, the son of Wu State, Yuji and Yiwei set up an ambush at Taihu Lake and defeated the Wu army.

Wu and Chu. There were constant attacks and counterattacks around the Huaihe River Basin and Jiangbei. From the Battle of Zhoulai in 584 BC to 69 years, there were constant wars, ten large-scale wars. Wu Quan won six times, Chu Quan won once, and each other won or lost three times. . These battles eventually led to the decisive battle between Wu and Chu, the Battle of Baiju.

The Battle of Baiju was a military operation conducted by Sun Wu, a master of military art, with the famous general Wu Zixu as a staff officer. The biggest geographical obstacle between Wu and Chu was the Dabie Mountains, Tongbai Mountains and numerous rivers. At that time, the Dabie Mountains and Tongbai Mountains were undeveloped virgin forests and difficult to pass through. There are three passes between Dabie Mountain and Tongbai Mountain. "Zuo Zhuan" calls them Ming'e, Zhiyuan and Datun. This is the so-called three passes of Yiyang. Ming'e, now called Pingjing Pass, is one of the nine famous fortresses in the world. It is the key point in the war between Huai and Han. There is a saying that "the shape wins and controls Huainan, and the key point controls the tail of Chu". Zhiyuan, now known as Wusheng Pass, is one of the ten most powerful passes in the world. It is the geographical equinox of the north and south of China. It is known as a military geomantic treasure land that "green separates Henan and Chu, air pressure separates Songheng, and its neck strangles the three rivers." The large tunnel is now called Wuyang Pass, also called Huangxian Pass. These three passes are all located at the junction of Henan and Hubei today. They were the paths used by the mountain people to communicate with each other at that time, and could not accommodate large armies marching in and out. The mountains along the way are rugged and thorny, and it is basically no man's land.

There are many rivers, but the State of Chu is located in the upper reaches. "Mozi, Lu Wen" discusses the battle between Chu and Yue on the river. In the past, the Chu people and the Yue people fought in boats on the river, and the Chu people followed the river. , retreat against the current, advance when you see advantages, retreat when you see disadvantages. The Yue people advance against the current and retreat with the current. They advance when they see advantages and retreat quickly when they see disadvantages. The Yue people therefore took advantage of the situation and defeated the Chu people urgently. Although the navy of Wu was superior to the Chu army, it had no geographical advantage. Moreover, both sides of the river were mostly undeveloped areas and there were no roads for large troops to use. Therefore, the navy could only be used as a partial division and not as the main force.

Therefore, if Wu wants to attack Ying, the capital of Chu, there are four attack routes.

1. Use the navy to go upstream and reach the capital of Ying.

2. From Yulou (now Huoqiu County, Anhui) to Jifu (Gushi County, Henan), cross Aimenguan (now the pass at the junction of Lihuang County, Anhui and Macheng County, Hubei) to Baiju (Macheng) County) and then cross the Han River via Yun (Anlu County, Hubei Province) to reach Yingdu.

3. Go westward against the Huaihe River, pass through Huangchuan (Henan) and Xian (Gushi, Henan) and cross the three passes of Yiyang. Arrive at Sui (Suixian County, Hubei Province), cross the Han River and reach the capital of Ying.

4. From the north bank of the Huaihe River, pass through the Great Wall of Chu, (Nangcheng, Henan) to Lu (Nanyang, Henan), then follow Xiang, cross the Han River to reach Yingdu

The first road is unless Chu The army is all fools, and it is basically impossible to attack against the current. The fourth way is that due to war needs, the Chu army concentrated most of its border defense forces in the Shenlu area of ??Fangcheng. When Chu was strong and Wu Ruo was strong, they took the initiative to fight decisively in the area where the Chu army was concentrated, as if they were sent to the door to let the Chu army wait for work. There are only second and third paths left. Based on the actual situation, Wu State began preparations for this battle.

Wu State was the first country to implement a standing army system in the Spring and Autumn Period. The army was professionalized and 30,000 people were selected from across the country. They basically had to bring their own three days of rations while fully armed, and they could also Guaranteed to march at least 100 miles every day. First of all, we must train a force that can compete for hundreds of miles. And among this army, strong men were selected to prepare heavy armor as the vanguard of the front army in the battle, and those who were good at archery were to support the rear army, and commanded the advance, retreat, attack and retreat with flags. If a worker wants to do his job well, he must first sharpen his tools. This is Sun Wu's five years of hard work in Wu State, training an army that can dominate the world.

At that time, all countries implemented wartime mobilization of unified militia. At the beginning of the war, a mobilization order was issued to assemble into an army. When there is no war, we are farmers, farming at home, and training intensively during leisure time. Spring hunting is called sou, summer hunting is for seedlings, autumn hunting is for deer, and winter hunting is for hunting. Cooperate with military training and exercises in Sou, Miao, Yi and Hui. As the scale of wars became larger and larger in the late Spring and Autumn Period, the mobilization of hundreds of thousands of people each time was unbearable for countries that mainly focused on farming. Wu State did not join the ranks of army expansion, but began a policy of elite troops under the auspices of Sun Wu. Wei Liaozi said: "There is a man who has raised a hundred thousand people, but the world can't match him, who is called Duke Huan. There is a person who has raised a crowd of 70,000, but the world can't match him, who is called Wu Qi. There is a person who has raised 30,000 people, but the world can't match him, he is called Wu Qi. , Who is called Wu Zi? This army is in the hands of Sun Wu. The world is so big, where can it not go?

The Wu State has an elite army that can control the world, and then it begins to strategically control the Chu State. Prepare. So Wu Zixu started the three-point strategy of exhausting Chu. Wu Zixu said that if Chu is in charge of the masses and is obedient, it will not be able to cope with the disaster. If one of the three divisions arrives, they will all come out; If it comes out, Chu will be defeated. It must be defeated urgently, and it will be defeated by multiple forces. After it is defeated, it will be defeated by three armies. This kind of guerrilla strategy evolved to paralyze the enemy. Because the state of Chu was large and the state of Wu was small, Wu's military expedition had to prevent neighboring countries from taking advantage of the opportunity to attack. This kind of three-point exhaustion of Chu just eliminated these threats.

In December 512 BC, the Wu army went north with one-third of its troops to destroy Chu's younger brother Guo Zhongwu, and flooded the Xu state. Chu army Sima Shen Yinxu came to rescue, but the Wu army retreated, and the Chu state had to settle in Yi (Hao County, Anhui). The remnants of Xu State settled in Yang (Taihe County) Wu State's Zhu Yong and Bai Yu (these two people were the losers of Wu State's royal family). Unexpectedly, the Wu army attacked Yi (Hao County) with a third of the army. , when the Chu army went to rescue, they avoided the Chu army and went south to capture Chu's Yi (Huoshan, Anhui) and Liu (Liu'an County). Shen Yinxu had to return to rescue, but the Wu army retreated, but attacked Xian (Henan) with one force. Guangshan), Shen Yinxu had to go to save Xian, but Wu Jun attacked Yang (Taihe) and killed Zhu Yong and Buyu. Chu army Sima Shen Yinxu went crazy and let Wu Jun lead him around for almost 2 years, and finally Zhong Wu. , the State of Xu was destroyed, Zhu Yong and Buyu were killed, and they could not even see the face of the Wu army.

In 510 BC, the State of Wu sent troops to the State of Yue, defeated the Vietnamese army, and ensured the safety of the rear. In 508 BC, the state of Tong (Tongcheng, south of Shucheng, Anhui) attacked Chu and sent troops to attack Wu. Tong, Sun Wu ambushed Gongzi Fan in Shujiu (Shucheng, Anhui), and then used Tongren's boat to attack Zichang's navy. All Chu's navy boats were captured, and Gongzi Fan was captured. After this battle, the Dabie Mountains All of Edom was owned by the State of Wu. At that time, the time was ripe for a war with Chu.

In 506 BC, the State of Cai (Shangcai, Henan) and the State of Tang (Suizhou, Hubei) were located in the northeast of Chu. Because the prime minister of Chu, Zi Chang, was insulted, he asked Wu for help and began to attack Chu with thirty thousand troops. Sun Wu was the general, Wu Zixu was the deputy, and Gongzishan was the vanguard. . King Wu Helu's younger brother Fu Gai wanted to be the vanguard, but King Wu did not agree. Fu Gai led 5,000 of his subordinate troops to accompany him (this Fu Gai was a troublemaker in the battle of Baiju).

The Wu army planned to be divided into two parts, the north and the south. The main force was led by King Helu of Wu in the south, starting from Qian (northeast of Huoshan County, Anhui), crossing the Yuzhang area at the junction of Anhui and Hubei today, passing through Qingtai Pass, Songzi Guan, maneuvered in Baiju (Baizi Mountain, Jiushui area). The elite special forces led by Sun Wu went to rescue Cai with great fanfare.

In 506 BC, Sun Wu led with great fanfare. The Northern Route Army advanced towards Cai State. Zi Chang, the prime minister of Chu State, was afraid that the Chu army was weak and retreated to the west, preparing to join the Chu army in Shendi, Fangcheng, led by Shen Yinxu. However, the Wu army retreated to Zhoulai (Fengtai, Anhui). After landing, they quickly marched to the southwest of Chu State and easily captured Wusheng Pass, Pingjing Pass, and Wuyang Pass. They entered the hinterland of Chu State and approached the capital of Ying.

The Prime Minister of Chu State heard the news. After that, they rushed towards the capital of Ying like crazy and established a defense line on the west bank of the Han River, preparing to block the Wu army's attack. However, during the Spring and Autumn Period, they marched no more than 30 miles a day and reached Chu on the west bank of the Han River. The army did not dare to fight across the river, and after the rapid march, the army's number was also serious. Prime Minister Zichang discussed with Sima Shen Yinxu, and Prime Minister Zichang was stationed on the west bank of the Han River. Sima Shen Yinxu marched towards Fangcheng, picking up the stragglers along the way. The Chu border guards gathered in Fangcheng, attacked Zhou Lai, burned Wu's ships, and then followed the Wu army's attack route to seize Wusheng Pass, Pingjing Pass and Wuyang Pass, cut off the Wu army's return route, and encircle the Wu army at The east bank of the Han River.

The literati of the past dynasties were full of enthusiasm for this plan and thought it was a perfect plan. In fact, there was only one possibility for this plan to succeed, and that was that Wu Jun would fight on the east bank of the Han River every day. Poker, playing Landlord with nothing to do, waiting for Sima Shen Yinxu for a month. This is a fantasy plan. The west bank of Han River is about 400 kilometers away from Fangcheng, and it is about 500 kilometers from Fangcheng to Zhou. Zhou comes to Wusheng Pass, Pingjing Pass, and Wuyang. It is about 400 kilometers, and then advances 300 kilometers to attack Wu Jun from behind. It is such a grand plan, even if it is difficult for the modern U.S. military to execute it, it can be said to be a nonsense battle plan that can only be imagined in a novel. A changed battlefield will only harm others and yourself.

Sima Shen Yinxu left with his wishful thinking, but the battlefield had new changes. Wu Jun was on the east bank of the Han River. Due to the small number of people, Unable to take both the left and right sides into consideration, they moved southward. This was an aboveboard plan. After a period of preparation, the Chu army mobilized troops from all over the country. The number of people is now about 100,000, while the Wu army on the opposite side is estimated to be only 10,000. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. For a commander who often fights, Prime Minister Zichang knows very well that if the Wu army can retreat safely. First, if you dare not fight with ten times more people, it is estimated that your descendants will be unable to hold their heads up, and they will all be men without eggs. Second, the agreement with Sima Shen Yinxu to attack together is a big joke. Third, Wu Jun went south. The movement is getting farther and farther away from Wusheng Pass, Pingjing Pass, and Wuyang Pass, and entering the triangle area of ??Han River, Jiang River, and Qingfa River, which is the best time to encircle and annihilate. No matter from which aspect, we should cross the river to pursue.

So there is a record in Zuo Zhuan that Wucheng Heiweizi often said that it is better to fight quickly. Emperor Shi said to Zichang: Chu people are evil but like Sima. If Sima destroys Wu's boat in Huaihe and blocks the entrance to the city, he will be able to conquer Wu alone. The son must fight quickly, otherwise it will be inevitable.

If the fish doesn’t take the bait, it’s because the temptation you gave is not enough. This record is confusing and extremely unreasonable. Because a fighter plane that even a fool understands appeared, Wuchenghei was created. Emperor Shi persuaded the commander Zichang to march. This was a God-given opportunity to make meritorious deeds. But can the Chu army really win a complete victory after crossing the river?

In the records of ancient Chinese literati, only Zuo Sima Shen Yinshu was a smart man, and the other commander-in-chief Zichang, the doctor Wucheng Hei, and the doctor Shi Huang were all fools. This is the annoying thing about Chinese literati. We can only imagine the scene at that time from historical events. Wu Jun revealed a fatal flaw. Commander Zichang understood that Dr. Wu Chenghei and Dr. Shi Huang also understood that as a general who had experienced hundreds of battles, the generals on the front line had all seen this flaw. If Zuo Sima and Shen Yinshu were at the scene, they would also They will definitely agree to cross the river to pursue, and the doctor Wu Chenghei and the doctor Shi Huang are the representatives.

Once the cross-river pursuit began, Commander Zichang immediately faced the task of outflanking and annihilating the Wu army. However, the Wu army moved too fast and often broke out just when the flanking encirclement was about to be formed. They crossed the Qingfa River in danger and embarrassment, then crossed the river, and moved in circles along the river bank towards the Dabie Mountains. According to Zuo Zhuan, it was recorded in the Jihan Dynasty, from Xiaobie to Dabie. It is obvious that the Wu army first moved south along the Han River, and then moved east toward Xiaobie (now northeast of Hanchuan, Hubei). The consequence of this movement is that the main force of the Wu army is getting farther and farther away from the original support points of Dahongshan, Tangguo and Sanguan. There is a large gap in the direction of the three passes of its retreat. If the Chu army inserts in this direction, there is the possibility of cutting off the Wu army's retreat and suppressing the Wu army in the areas of Han River, Jiang River and Qingfa River. This means that by moving like this, the battlefield situation will be extremely unfavorable to Wu's army. Wu's right wing is exposed and the retreat is in danger of being cut off. This is a dangerous and exciting game. In this chasing game, Sun Wu defeated the surrounding troops on the flanks three times and achieved a victory that did not affect the overall situation in the eyes of the Chu army. The chase continued, and the Wu army led by Sun Wu Like a bullfighter, he led the mad bull of the Chu army into the predetermined battlefield, the Baiju area.

Once entering the Baiju area, the Wu army, led by King Helu of Wu, who was waiting for work in front, quietly watched the feast that was automatically delivered to their door. That's why there is a strange record in Zuo Zhuan: Zichang, the commander-in-chief of the victorious pursuit, unexpectedly wanted to escape alone. Zuo Zhuan records that Zichang knew what was going to happen and wanted to run away. Emperor Shi said: "If you want to find something, if you find it difficult to escape, where will you go?" The son must die, and the first sin must be extinguished. Everyone understood that the Chu army was definitely doomed. Everyone in the Chu army knew it, and so did the Wu army. Understand that the Chu army fell into the trap that Wu Jun had designed long ago. That's why the commander-in-chief Zichang abandoned his army and fled.

At this time, Fugai, a bad-looking troublemaker, came out to disrupt the situation. How to arrange a perfect final battle? When the Wu army was not fully prepared, Fugai saw the opportunity to make a contribution and asked the King of Wu for a battle. He refused, so he led his 5,000 private soldiers to attack the Chu army. , the Chu army was already frightened and collapsed at the first touch. Fu Gai pursued him relentlessly. Seeing that there was nothing he could do, King Wu ordered the entire army to move out. A battle of annihilation turned into a battle of defeat. The chase lasted more than 200 kilometers in one breath. The rivers such as Qingfa Shui (today's Jinshui in Anlu City, Hubei Province) that originally blocked the Wu army's retreat became a nightmare for the Chu army. Emperor Shi died in battle, and Zi Chang abandoned his army and fled to Zheng. The Chu army who lost their commander-in-chief left countless lives beside each river. They would often start their next escape before they had time to eat the prepared meals, which shows the misery of the Chu army.

Shen Yinxu left Hanshui for about ten days. In more than ten days, he traveled about 400 kilometers and was still about 400 kilometers away from his destination Zhoulai. He finally understood what a whimsical plan he was executing. Fortunately, he no longer needed to continue to speculate. His new destination of action was clear. He was to quickly return to Yingdu to support the army. There were no troops at home to stop the Wu army.

Regretful and anxious, Shen Yinxu began to march with maximum intensity. After forced marching for more than 350 kilometers, he finally encountered the Wu army in Yongxi (now southwest of Beijing, Shanxi, Hubei Province). It was just pity for the soldiers of the Chu army who served under him. They didn't fight a single battle and ran more than 700 kilometers. Wu Jun's vanguard Fu Gai's troops were caught off guard by the sudden and fierce counterattack of Shen Yinshu's troops and were defeated. . But after the main force of the Wu army arrived, Sun Wu commanded the troops to quickly surround Shen Yin's garrison. Although Shen Yinshu rushed left and right and fought bravely, he was injured in three places and still could not break out of the siege. Finally, Shen Yinshu saw that the situation was over, so he ordered his subordinates to cut off his own head and report it to the King of Chu. There would no longer be an organized Chu army on the road to Yingdu, and Yingdu was exposed in front of the Wu army without any defense.

Wu State sent more troops in October and entered Yingdu, the capital of Chu State, on November 29th. In less than two months, 30,000 troops defeated a large country that could mobilize 500,000 troops. The kings and ministers of Wu State spent six years of planning and planning, so that the initiative in the war was always in the hands of Wu State. Wu Jun's move was meaningful. The plan was well prepared. First, there were year-round attacks and harassments. When the Chu State was a little numb, they suddenly bypassed the Dabie Mountains and carried out a surprise attack from the side of the Chu State. The target was directly at Yingdu, the capital of the Chu State (today's Jingshan District, Jingzhou, Hubei Province), trying to pass through the long distance. The strategic surprise attack destroyed Chu's war potential in one fell swoop.

This is Sun Wu’s art of war that uses detours instead of straight forward. Sun Wu was originally from Qi, and his military book is an exploration and summary of the laws of war. Here is a summary of the valuable experience of the Pingyin battle between Qi and Jin that year, and in Bai Ju It was further developed during the war. Nearly three hundred years later, Hannibal, the truly great military strategist in the West, also made a similar strategic move. He crossed the Alps and entered Italy, unexpectedly delivering a heavy blow to the Roman army. Then, he deliberately exposed his flaws and mobilized the Chu army into the Baiju area, the planned combat area. Therefore, if you are good at moving the enemy: if you shape it, the enemy will follow it; if you give it, the enemy will take it. Everything is a vivid example for future generations of military strategists.

However, when King Wu entered Yingdu, the capital of Chu, he was dazzled by the victory and did not listen to Sun Wu's suggestion to continue to attack the Chu army. Fugai, because of his eagerness for success, did not listen to military orders, and was not punished or punished. As for the reward, Fu Gai himself knew everything and finally returned to the country early to rebel. Wu Zixu whipped the king of Chu to death and was blinded by hatred. Cai, Tang, Fugai, and Gongzishan were all busy snatching wealth and lost the best opportunity to make the final blow to Chu.

This battle is a classic example of how to win with less. It's the perfect blend of strategy and tactics. Moreover, it changed the law of war in which battlefields were dominated by chariots, and ushered in the glorious years of infantry. Later, Wu Qi's Wei soldiers learned from Wu Jun's elite military thinking.

There is a man who can raise thirty thousand people but no one in the world can match him, who is called Wu Zi? It's a pity that the military sage Sun Wu only has this battle example.