The Rise and Fall of Hegemony in the Late Spring and Autumn Period (Chinese History Series)

Wu Zixu's happy revenge and Yue King Goujian's ultimate comeback. These historical stories have been well-known and popular for thousands of years, and the historical reality behind them is the climax of the war in the late Spring and Autumn Period: the competition between Wu and Chu and the bloodshed between Wu and Yue. These two life-and-death games were the natural result of the evolution of the strategic layout of the princes and states in the context of the struggle for hegemony between Jin and Chu throughout the Spring and Autumn Period. They were also a landmark event in the transformation of the nature of ancient wars from "competition for hegemony" to "annexation." The Wu-Chu War was, to a certain extent, a fight between the agents of Chu and Jin. During the war, the Wu army avoided the real and attacked the fictitious, showed off the enemy's appearance, and used continuous combat tactics, etc., Which meant the comprehensive establishment of a new form of warfare in which "the army relies on deception, moves with advantage, and uses division and combination to change". In the Wu-Yue War, we can also see Chu's "Gonghuo". As for Fu Chai's victory first and then loss in the life-and-death contest between Wu and Yue, it cannot simply be attributed to him being seduced by the beauty Xi Shi, but because he made serious mistakes in strategic judgment and decision-making. He was untimely obsessed with the illusory glory of the "overlord" and failed to shift his strategic focus to mergers and expansion in time. "Ten years of gatherings, ten years of lessons", hiding one's strength and biding one's time, lying on the salary and tasting courage, King Gou Jian of Yue had the last laugh. His unconventional approach helped him complete an almost impossible task and ultimately win the war. But what he did can be said to have no bottom line in morality, no rules in the game, and he would do anything to achieve his goals. Today, we can admire his will and perseverance, but we really cannot compliment his ruthlessness and utilitarianism. This book gives a vivid and interesting interpretation of the history of these two important wars in the late Spring and Autumn Period. Shu Chong points out that the war played a key role in the transformation process from the Spring and Autumn Period to the Warring States Period. The essential difference between the Spring and Autumn and Warring States wars is that in terms of nature, the Spring and Autumn War was a struggle for hegemony, while the Warring States War was a merger. The Wu-Chu War and the Wu-Yue War were a reflection of the war for hegemony and a preliminary test of the war of annexation. They are attached to the overall strategic pattern of the Jin-Chu struggle for hegemony, and they change the trajectory of Chinese history according to their own logic.