Wiping out Zhongshan was no easy task. The terrain within the Taihang Mountains was treacherous, and its cities were built against the mountains, making every position easy to defend and hard to attack. Preparations therefore had to be especially thorough.
This was particularly true for Jin State, Yan State, and Luo State, which would lead the assault. Vast quantities of siege equipment had to be prepared. All the lords of the Central Plains began preparing for war. After Zhongshan was destroyed, an immense campaign to drive out the Barbarians would follow, clearing them entirely from the heartland of the Central Plains.
Chong'er had already made up his mind. Before he died, he would claim this achievement that would endure through the ages.
After lengthy preparations, just as the allied forces gradually began advancing into the Taihang Mountains, news arrived of the outcome of the Wu-Chu war. In truth, it could hardly have been concealed, especially with so many Chu nobles fleeing along the Han River in full view of the world.
Wu State had crushed Chu State and even taken its royal capital, Ying, in a single battle. Decades of Chu State's accumulated wealth had been swept away, and its losses were even greater than Jin State's in the earlier Battle of Yi-Luo.
The outcome shocked everyone. Even Jin State was dumbfounded. Was their little brother Wu State really this fierce?
Jin State was indisputably the strongest state, but even it dared not claim it could reliably defeat Chu State. The two were roughly evenly matched, and Jin still needed to bring its allies along to ensure victory.
Yet now Wu State, a junior ally of Luo State, had simply knocked Chu State flat? Had the unification of Wu and Yue made it that powerful?
Duke Chong'er of Jin, who