Quick Read East Zhou Li Guo Zhi

Author: (Ming) Feng Menglong / (Qing) Cai Yuangang compiled / Feng Chang adapted
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-20
Features: King You of Zhou fell in love with Bao Si and lost his kingdom. King Ping succeeded and moved the capital to Luoyang, marking the Eastern Zhou period. The royal family gradually declined, and the feudal lords governed independently. In the early Eastern Zhou, Zheng and Qi were the strongest. Qi's Duke Huan, with Guan Zhong as his prime minister, became the first hegemon. After Duke Huan's death, Chu and Song vied for dominance, with Chu emerging as the dominant power in the Central Plains. Duke Wen of Jin, after nineteen years of exile, revived his kingdom and defeated Chu's army at the Battle of Chengpu, establishing hegemony. Later, Duke Mu of Qin and Duke Zhuang of Chu were also among the Five Hegemons of Spring and Autumn. Qin and Jin alternated between alliance and conflict, while Chu and Jin engaged in a prolonged struggle for dominance, leaving states like Zheng, Wei, and Song caught in the middle, uncertain whether to align with Jin or Chu. In the south, the state of Wu rose under Wu Zixu as prime minister, conquering Chu and Yue at one point. King Goujian of Yue, after enduring hardships and plotting vengeance, eventually avenged his nation and overthrew Wu. The division of Jin among Zhao, Han, and Wei marked the beginning of the Warring States period, forming a seven-way struggle for dominance. Initially, Wei and Qi were the strongest, but after Qin implemented the Shang Yang reforms, it suddenly emerged as a formidable power. Su Qin formed alliances, while Zhang Yi pursued a policy of dividing and conquering. Qin adopted a strategy of "friendship with distant states and warfare with nearby ones," while the six remaining states, plagued by internal strife, gradually weakened. Meng Changjun, Pingyuanjun, and Xilingjun, despite their efforts to attract talented individuals and save their nations, were unable to turn the tide. Qin first overthrew the Zhou dynasty, and by the time of Qin Wang Zheng, it had successively conquered Han, Zhao, Wei, Chu, Yan, and Qi, unifying the empire and establishing the Qin dynasty.