Quick Read Lедовство Восточной Zhou Dynasty Legends

Author: Feng Menglong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
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 ruled 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 the Jin state. The Battle of Chengpu decisively defeated Chu and established Jin's 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; Chu and Jin engaged in prolonged struggles for over a century, leaving states like Zheng, Wei, and Song caught in the middle, uncertainly aligning with one side or the other. 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 revenge, 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 situation of seven major states vying for dominance. Initially, Wei and Qi were the strongest, but after Shang Yang's reforms in Qin, the state of Qin suddenly emerged as a force to be reckoned with. Su Qin formed alliances through the vertical policy, while Zhang Yi promoted alliances through the horizontal policy. Qin adopted the strategy of "far alliances and near attacks," while the six states, due to internal conflicts, gradually weakened. Meng Changjun, Pingyuanjun, and Xilingjun, despite their efforts to attract talent and save their nations, were ultimately powerless to turn the tide. Qin first overthrew the Zhou dynasty. By the time of Qin King Zheng, Qin had successively conquered Han, Zhao, Wei, Chu, Yan, and Qi, unifying the empire and establishing the Qin dynasty.