Before the Zhou Royal House's investiture had even arrived, preparations for war against Yue began in Wu State at a feverish pace. This war of annihilation should not have broken out so soon, but Goujian's earlier scheme to swindle away the Five Cities had been exposed.
Qingji had known nothing of this before the city fell, but after ascending the throne, he learned that Helü had actually struck such a bargain with Yue State.
"With the Five Cities lost, Wu State will have to pay at least twice as many lives to annex Yue State.
How could Helü dare make such a bargain?
Would Wu State's ancestors forgive him?
He should be ashamed to face his forebears!"
Qingji sent men to investigate the situation in the Five Cities, but the messengers discovered a large number of Wu soldiers' corpses in a mountain hollow along the way.
Judging by the condition of the dead Wu soldiers, none had worn armor. They had carried only a few bronze blades and swords, without even shields. They had clearly been ambushed in the hollow and wiped out to the last man, with not a single person escaping.
Naturally, the messengers dared go no farther and immediately returned to the Wu Capital to report. Shocked and enraged, Qingji hurried to the scene with Sun Wu. One look told him that something had happened to the Five Cities.
"This must have been Yue State's doing. These soldiers withdrew without armor, so someone in authority must have promised to let them leave safely. Instead, the people of Yue broke faith and slaughtered them along the way.
These people of Yue have become utter barbarians. They cannot be trusted at all. Helü actually wanted to bargain with Yue State-it was like bargaining with a tiger for its hide."