Chapter 18 Revere the King and Expel the Barbarians
In the eighth year of the Marquis of Shang's rule, the third month.
For the first time in over twenty years, the Shang Kingdom took the initiative to declare war on the Jing Kingdom.
Nearly the entire Shang forces were mobilised for this battle.
The Xuan Bird Battalion comprised twenty thousand iron cavalry, supported by five hundred chariots.
When news of this reached the Jing Kingdom, there was an uproar.
Four years earlier, when the Shang Kingdom had only five thousand cavalry and three hundred chariots, it had dealt the Jing Kingdom a crushing defeat.
Now their forces had doubled in size. Could the Jing Kingdom withstand such an assault, given its current strength?
The answer was a clear yes!
They certainly had the capacity to fight.
Since the fourth year of the Marquis of Shang’s reign, four years had passed.
The Shang Kingdom was developing—could the Jing Kingdom remain unchanged?
Across the realm, no country had failed to adopt Zhang Yang’s cavalry archery tactics, promoting cavalry within their own armies.
Situated northwest of the Heng State, the Jing Kingdom bordered northern nomadic tribes.
Relations between the Jing Kingdom and their northern neighbours had always been amicable.
Having confirmed the superiority of cavalry archery, the Gongsun Clan led military reforms throughout the Jing Kingdom.
Their approach was even more radical than Zhang Yang’s.
The Jing Kingdom completely abandoned chariots, promoting cavalry archery nationwide.
When the Shang Kingdom issued their challenge to war, the Gongsun Clan immediately assembled a cavalry force of 100,000 strong!
This included 60,000 troops from the Jing cavalry and 40,000 borrowed from the various northern nomadic tribes.
One hundred thousand cavalry, blotting out the sky and darkening the sun!
This was the Jing Kingdom’s confidence!
When news of the Jing Kingdom unleashing one hundred thousand mounted troops spread, every kingdom in the realm was left utterly bewildered.
One hundred thousand cavalry!
Since ancient times, Great Heng had never fielded so many mounted soldiers.
Even the northern nomadic tribes had never mustered a force that large.
In an instant, the previously doubtful lords of various states found themselves hesitating.
The Shang Kingdom had only twenty thousand cavalry.
The Jing Kingdom boasted one hundred thousand.
Though the Shang Kingdom had the peerlessly brave Commander Zhang, he was, after all, just one man.
If they could hold him back with death squads, there might still be a chance to turn the tide of this war.
In the eighth year of the Marquis of Shang’s reign, in October,
the Shang Kingdom and the Jing Kingdom clashed in a decisive battle at Yin River on the northwest Nanyang Plain.
The Shang Kingdom fielded twenty thousand cavalry and five hundred chariots.
The Jing Kingdom deployed one hundred thousand horsemen!
The battle raged so fiercely that the sky darkened and the earth trembled.
In the end, the Shang Kingdom won at a terrible cost, dealing a devastating blow to the Jing Kingdom’s hundred thousand iron cavalry.
The Xuan Bird Battalion suffered four thousand dead.
The five hundred chariots lost two hundred.
Infantry casualties exceeded ten thousand.
The Jing Kingdom suffered over thirty thousand casualties, many of whom were from northern nomadic tribes.
Of Jing’s own sixty thousand troops, more than ten thousand were lost.
After the battle, Zhang Yang led his battered yet victorious army northward, capturing twelve cities south of Tianshui.
Ultimately, they halted at Tianshui.
Stretching east to west for two thousand li (approximately 620 miles), Tianshui passed through sixteen feudal states.
Following this campaign, the Shang Kingdom’s cities numbered nearly seventy, officially surpassing Jing to become the foremost feudal state in the realm!
The military prestige of the Shang Kingdom was beyond question.
News of their victory spread to all corners, striking fear into every feudal lord across the lands.
If the Jing Kingdom’s hundred thousand iron cavalry could still be defeated,
could anyone within Great Heng — be it people or states — possibly stand against the Shang Kingdom?
The tenth year of the Marquis of Shang’s reign, early spring.
The Royal Palace of the Shang Kingdom.
Inside the palace, the halls were filled with tributes from all corners of the realm.
Lady of Shang, her complexion as radiant as a peach blossom, picked up a string of pearls and exclaimed happily, “Grand Marshal, these are tributes sent from the State of Bifang.”
With that, Lady of Shang stepped forward a couple of paces and picked up a piece of jade ornament. She added, “And this is a tribute from the State of Nanshan.”
Zhang Yang stood beside her, taking in the various tributes from different countries displayed throughout the palace.
The State of Bifang lay five hundred li (about 155 miles) east of the Shang Kingdom.
The State of Nanshan was situated seven hundred li (roughly 217 miles) to the southeast.
Both states were small, with territories barely a hundred li across, each boasting only two or three cities.
Naturally, the size of their lands was of little consequence.
What matters most is that, according to the rites of Great Heng, these Feudal States ought to have paid their respects to the Son of Heaven of Great Heng and presented their tributes to him.
Yet now, these lords send their tributes to the Shang Kingdom instead of the Son of Heaven of Great Heng.
That is the crucial point!
It means that, in their minds, the status of the Shang Kingdom has already surpassed that of the Son of Heaven of Great Heng.
Zhang Yang smiled and said, “Congratulations, my lady.”
The Lady of Shang looked at Zhang Yang with eyes full of tenderness, her red lips parting as she spoke from the heart, “If it weren’t for Lord Zhang, the Shang Kingdom might have already perished.”
“The Shang Kingdom owes its present-day glory largely to the Grand Marshal.”
After a brief pause, the Lady of Shang spoke gently, “This year, thirty-five Feudal States have brought tributes.”
“Since the founding of the Shang Kingdom, there has never been so many vassal states coming to pay tribute.”
“This, too, is thanks to the Grand Marshal’s efforts.”
"What reward does the Grand Marshal desire~~~"
Zhang Yang pondered seriously before shaking his head.
He said, "I hope to keep this reward for the time being."
The Lady of Shang looked puzzled. "Why is that?"
Zhang Yang sighed. "In the war two years ago, although the Shang Kingdom gained territory south of Tianshui, the core strength of the Jing Kingdom was not destroyed."
"After that battle, even though the Jing Kingdom lost twelve cities south of Tianshui, the Gongsun Clan proved to be formidable."
"Following the battle, they tore up the agreement, held all the northern tribal leaders hostage, and with just fifty thousand cavalry, swept across the major tribes in northwest Jing Kingdom, expanding their territory by a thousand miles."
At this, Zhang Yang could not help but admire the ruthless ambition of the Gongsun Clan.
The battle at Nanyang was a grudging victory for the Shang Kingdom.
They destroyed more than twenty thousand northern nomads.
Out of forty thousand troops, over half were casualties.Originally, the Jing Kingdom had 60,000 cavalry, and the northern tribal coalition had over 40,000 cavalry.
Unless the Jing Kingdom had lost its mind, it definitely wouldn’t have dared to resort to underhanded tactics.
But after the Shang Kingdom’s fierce charge and slaughter, the military balance between the two sides shifted dramatically.
The Jing Kingdom was left with nearly 50,000 cavalry, while the tribal coalition had only just over 10,000.
The Gongsun Clan immediately sensed an opportunity.
They formed alliances and schemed to persuade some tribal leaders to defect, then swallowed up the northern tribes one by one.
Afterwards, the Gongsun Clan led 30,000 cavalry to sweep through the major northern tribes.
That battle elevated the Gongsun Clan’s prestige in the Jing Kingdom to its peak!
It also revived the Jing Kingdom’s international reputation, which had just plummeted to its lowest point.
Zhang Yang said, “The Jing Kingdom’s momentum over these two years has been very strong; it remains a core threat to the Shang Kingdom.”“The Shang Kingdom and the Jing Kingdom are bound to clash.”
“That battle will decide the future survival of both nations.”
“I hope to receive this reward only after we have thoroughly defeated the Jing Kingdom.”
Lady of Shang listened thoughtfully.
The animosity between the Shang and Jing Kingdoms had deep roots.
With two great powers so close to each other, conflict was inevitable.
She wholeheartedly agreed that a war between the two kingdoms was unavoidable.
After considering for a moment, she said seriously, “Very well, I will follow the Grand Marshal’s plan.”
“The Grand Marshal, what do you believe should be the future direction of our nation?”
Zhang Yang’s eyes scanned the many tributes within the palace, a faint smile curling his lips. “Lady of Shang, are you curious just how important the Son of Heaven is?”Lady of Shang was momentarily stunned before quickly regaining her composure. Her pupils contracted sharply, revealing a mix of barely concealed shock and eager anticipation.
Nervously, she asked, “Grand Marshal, what do you mean?”
Zhang Yang’s gaze grew colder. He had not forgotten he still had an enemy — the current Son of Heaven of Great Heng.
Bowing his hands, Zhang Yang said, “At present, the prestige of our Shang Kingdom is at its peak; the various states paying tribute to us are proof of this.”
“Our ancestors in Shang were the younger brother of the Grand Ancestor of Great Heng. Lady, it is only right that you serve the Son of Heaven, standing in his stead to oversee the vassal states.”
A brilliant light sparked in Lady of Shang’s eyes as boundless ambition surged within her. To stand in the Son of Heaven’s place to oversee the vassals!What a magnificent display of power, what overwhelming dominance this was.
Even the ancestors of the Shang Kingdom through the generations would not have dared to dream of such a grand feat.
The Lady of Shang said firmly, "What must I do?"
Zhang Yang responded resolutely, "Revere the King and expel the barbarians!"
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