xymnovel Chapter 15 The Shoulder of the Arrow King
Chapter 15 The Shoulder of the Arrow King
Zheng Bo Wusheng served as a minister in the Zhou court since the time of his father, Duke Wu, and was in charge of the royal government.
At the beginning of his reign, his mother, Wu Jiang, favored his youngest son, Shu Duan, and helped him vie for the throne.
Under his mother's protection, Shu Duan became increasingly arrogant. He was first enfeoffed in the capital and called "Grand Uncle of the Capital". Later, he ordered the western and northern borders to belong to him, openly expanding his power and plotting rebellion.
Duke Zhuang of Zheng remained calm and simply said, "Those who commit many unrighteous acts will surely perish." Uncle Duan became even more arrogant, preparing his troops and armor, and agreed to coordinate with his mother to launch a surprise attack on Xinzheng.
Upon hearing the news, Duke Zhuang of Zheng ordered his troops to attack. The people of Jingyi rebelled against Shu Duan, who fled to Yan.
Duke Zhuang pursued the rebels to Yan and decisively defeated them. Shu Duan fled to the state of Gong and lived in exile thereafter.
Duke Zhuang of Zheng moved his mother, Wu Jiang, to Chengying, vowing, "I will not see her again until I reach the Yellow Springs."
He regretted it afterward and followed the advice of the doctor Ying Kao Shu. He dug a tunnel and found a spring, where he met his mother again. Mother and son were as before.
This is the story of "Duke Zhuang of Zheng defeating Duan at Yan". After this battle, Duke Zhuang of Zheng completely consolidated his throne, and there were no more obstacles in the country.
After that, the State of Zheng grew stronger and stronger, quelling the rebellions of Song and Wei in the east, defending against the Northern Di in the north, and subjugating Chen and Cai in the south, thus becoming the leader of the Central Plains states.
Several years ago, the allied forces of the five states of Song, Lu, Wei, Chen, and Cai attacked Zheng. Duke Zhuang of Zheng held firm and did not come out. When the allied forces ran out of food and retreated, he suddenly attacked and defeated them.
After that, he defeated the allied forces of Song, Wei and Cai in Dai and took the opportunity to annex the Dai Kingdom.
Then, Zheng launched a preemptive attack on the State of Chen, forcing the Marquis of Chen to form a marriage alliance with Zheng. It also allied with the State of Qi, jointly invading the State of Cheng and defeating the Northern Di. For a time, Zheng's power shook the Central Plains, and none of the other states dared disobey it.
After King Huan of Zhou came to power, he was determined to restore the authority of the Zhou dynasty. He had long been unable to tolerate the arrogance of Duke Zhuang of Zheng, and finally issued an edict to strip Duke Zhuang of his position as a minister.
Duke Zhuang of Zheng was not to be outdone. From then on, he stopped paying homage to the king and would send troops across the border every now and then to harvest wheat in the Zhou king's territory.
"If he fails to pay homage once, his title will be stripped; if he fails to pay homage twice, his territory will be reduced; if he fails to pay homage a third time, the six armies will be mobilized against him." Duke Zhuang of Zheng's rudeness thoroughly enraged King Huan of Zhou.
He issued an edict to mobilize the armies of the states of Chen, Cai, and Wei, and appointed Guo Gong Linfu and Zhou Gong Heijian as his left and right commanders, personally leading the royal army to attack the state of Zheng.
When the news reached the State of Zheng, Duke Zhuang of Zheng laughed and said, "The Zhou Dynasty has fallen to such a state, yet it still dares to attack me?" He sent generals such as Ji Zhong and Gao Qumi to lead the army to meet the enemy, and the two armies faced off at Xuge.
Inside Liang Jun's tent, Zhang Quzhuo stood silently before the map. Zhao Fengchun sat to the side, gently waving a feather fan, his expression also not good.
“Zheng Bo is a hero of our time,” Zhang Quzhuo said. “The combined forces of Song, Wei, Chen, and Cai are no match for him. Chen, Cai, and Wei came with the emperor this time, and their morale was not high to begin with.”
Zhao Fengchun nodded. "The Emperor has divided his forces into three routes. The left army, led by Zhou Gong Heijian, is attached to the Chen army; the right army, led by Guo Gong Linfu, is attached to Cai and Wei; and the central army is under his own command. The three routes are too far apart. If the Zheng people concentrate their forces to break through one route first, the other two routes will not be able to come to the rescue in time."
"What does Your Majesty intend to do?"
"I'll stay with the central army; we'll see what happens when the fighting starts." Zhang Quzhuo put away the map. "The Liang army only has eight hundred men; they can't worry about that much. If we can hold the central army, we'll have done right by the Emperor."
Zhao Fengchun gently shook his feather fan and said nothing more.
The autumn insects chirped incessantly outside the tent, and the cool night breeze blew in, making the candlelight flicker. This battle was likely to end badly.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the two armies arrayed themselves at Xuge.
Zheng Jun had 300 chariots and 12,000 armored soldiers, all in well-organized formation.
Duke Zhuang of Zheng personally led the troops to the front lines, with Ji Zhong and Gao Qumi standing on his left and right respectively. The battle flags fluttered and the spears and halberds were like a forest.
On the royal army's side, Duke Guo Linfu led the right army and the armies of Cai and Wei in the left flank, Duke Zhou Heijian led the left army and the army of Chen in the right flank, and King Huan of Zhou personally led the central army in the center.
Liang Jun's eight hundred men were lined up in front of the central army. Zhang Quzhuo held his halberd across his horse, his face expressionless.
King Huan stood on his chariot, holding a yellow battle-axe, his armor gleaming in the sunlight.
Looking at the Zheng army opposite him, he was full of vigor and high spirits. Turning to his guards, he said, "The rebellious Duke of Zheng! Today, I, the King, will personally lead the expedition and bring him here to be punished!"
Guo Gonglinfu was over seventy years old, with white hair, and his body swayed as he rode his horse.
His right wing was fairly well-organized, but the attached Cai and Wei armies were filled with soldiers whispering amongst themselves, showing no will to fight. Guo Gong shouted "Silence!" several times, but to no avail.
Zhou Gongheijian was indeed steady, but the morale of the Chen army under his command was even lower.
The State of Chen had recently been defeated by the State of Zheng, and the soldiers' fighting spirit vanished completely upon seeing the flags of the Zheng army on the other side.
Zhou Gong frowned, knowing in his heart that this was not a good omen, but since the emperor had already given the order, he dared not say anything more.
Duke Zhuang of Zheng stood on the high slope, looking at the royal army's deployment opposite him, and couldn't help but laugh.
He pointed to the left and right flanks of the royal army and said to Prince Yuan beside him, "Dividing the army into three routes without supporting each other, the Zhou king is coming to his death. Yuan, which route do you think we should attack first?"
Prince Yuan stepped forward, carefully examined the royal army's formation, and pointed to the right flank, saying, "That's the Chen army. Chen was just defeated by us, and their soldiers are afraid of Zheng, so their morale is at its lowest. Once the Chen army collapses, the Cai and Wei armies on the left flank will also flee. The central army will be left isolated, which will make things much easier."
Duke Zhuang of Zheng was overjoyed and patted Prince Yuan on the shoulder, saying, "Good! Issue the order to attack the right flank first, specifically targeting the Chen army!"
As the war drums sounded, Zheng's army surged out like a tidal wave.
Three hundred chariots advanced side by side, followed closely by armored soldiers, their battle cries shaking the heavens and the earth.
Zhang Quzhuo, positioned in front of the central army, saw from afar that Zheng's main force had not charged towards the central army, but had instead turned to the right flank.
His brow furrowed sharply. The right flank was led by Chen Jun, and he knew that Chen had been defeated by Zheng.
"Damn it," he muttered, gripping the long spear in his hand tightly.
Before he finished speaking, the right wing was already in chaos.
Zheng Jun's chariots moved as if they were in an empty field, directly piercing into Chen Jun's formation.
When Chen's soldiers saw Zheng's army charging towards them, they turned pale with fright, dropped their weapons, and ran away.
The officers shouted to stop them and even swung their swords at several deserters, but they couldn't stop them at all.
Fear spread like a plague; as the front ranks fell, the rear ranks followed suit, and in no time, the entire Chen army completely collapsed.
Zhou Gong, his black shoulder stomping his feet in frustration on the chariot, shouted, "No retreat! No retreat!"
But his voice was drowned out by the crowd. The scattered Chen soldiers surged backward like a tide, breaking up the formation of Cai and Wei's troops on the left flank.
When Guo Gonglinfu saw the Chen army in defeat, he hurriedly ordered the Cai and Wei armies to meet the enemy.
But when Cai and Wei's soldiers saw that Chen's army had fled, they lost all will to fight.
I don't know who shouted "We've lost" first, and then it got out of control.
Cai Jun fled, and Wei Jun followed suit. Guo Gong Lin Fu was so angry that he beheaded several deserters, but it was no use.
In less than half an hour, the left and right flanks of the royal army collapsed, leaving only the central army exposed to the Zheng army.
King Huan's face turned deathly pale.
He stood on his chariot, watching his army crumble like a tide, his yellow battle-axe trembling in his hand.
He never expected this to happen. He was the emperor, he led six armies, and he also had the allied forces of Chen, Cai, and Wei. How could he have been defeated like this?
"Where is the Duke of Guo? Where is the Duke of Zhou? What are they doing!" he shouted angrily.
But no one answered him.
Guo Gong Lin Fu was swept away by the crowd and his chariot was pushed about by the fleeing soldiers.
Zhou Gong Heijian did not flee; he was still gathering the remaining troops in the formation, but with only a few hundred men left, he was unable to mount an effective resistance.
Zheng Jun surrounded the central army.
The chariots flanked from both sides, while the infantry pressed forward from the front. Although King Huan's central army was numerous, it was scattered by the routed troops on the left and right flanks and was unable to mount an effective resistance.
Seeing that both flanks had collapsed, the armored soldiers in the central army panicked, and their formation began to crumble. Some began to retreat but were stopped by officers, but more and more tried to escape.
At this critical moment, Zhang Quzhuo made a move.
"Liang Jun, come with me!" He brandished his long spear, his voice like thunder.
Eight hundred Liang soldiers shouted in unison and followed closely behind. They charged toward the southern flank, where the Zheng army was closing in and their formation was not yet stable.
Zhang Quzhuo charged at the forefront, sweeping his long spear across the ground, and a Zheng general fell from his horse.
Ge Tou hooked the armor of another Zheng soldier, pulled and dragged him away, sending him flying and knocking down several of his companions.
Liang's chariots followed closely behind, their long spears like a forest and their shields like a mountain, like a sharp knife piercing the flank of Zheng's army.
Liang's soldiers had fought against the Rong people for many years and were experts in both mountainous and plain warfare.
They cooperated seamlessly and fought fiercely, catching Zheng's army off guard and creating a large opening.
Zhang Quzhuo was covered in blood, his long spear swung like the wind, each strike hitting a vital point.
His chariot was splattered with blood, indistinguishable between the enemy's and his own.
"Zhang Quzhuo, the Duke of Liang of the Great Zhou Dynasty, is here! Who dares to step forward!" He roared, his voice echoing across the land.
When Zheng Jun's soldiers saw the figure covered in blood, with no survivors under his spear, they all retreated.
When Duke Zhuang of Zheng saw the banner with the character "Liang" charging into the enemy ranks as if they were in an empty field, his expression changed drastically.
"Who is that?" he asked the young master Yuan beside him.
"Liang Bozhang removes the turbidity," said Gongzi Yuan.
"So it was him!" Duke Zhuang of Zheng was first surprised, then remained silent for a moment before saying, "Duke Liang is brave and cannot be defeated by force. Issue the order to avoid the Liang army and focus on attacking the central army. Have Ji Zhong go around from the left and have Gao Qumi flank from the right."
Zheng Jun waved his command flag, and the main force bypassed Liang Jun, continuing to besiege Huan Wang's central army from both sides.
Zhang Quzhuo broke through the flank of the Zheng army, only to find that less than three hundred Liang soldiers were following behind. The rest had either died in battle, been scattered, or were still fighting bitterly behind.
He reined in his horse, his face covered in blood, and looked toward the central army.
King Huan's banner swayed precariously among the crowd, seemingly on the verge of collapsing.
The royal army's central command was in complete chaos; soldiers were fighting independently, officers couldn't find their units, and units couldn't find their officers.
"Your Majesty!" Zhao Fengchun, covered in blood and with his feather fan nowhere to be seen, spurred his horse to his side. "We can't hold them off! The Emperor's banner is retreating; we can't hold out much longer!"
Zhang Quzhuo gritted his teeth and was about to charge back when he suddenly heard a chorus of exclamations coming from the direction of the central army.
"The king has been shot with an arrow! The king has been shot with an arrow!"
The shouts were heart-wrenching and echoed across the battlefield.
Everyone heard it. The royal army's soldiers panicked even more, while the morale of the Zheng army soared.
Zhang Quzhuo reined in his horse, turned around abruptly, and saw that the banner of King Huan swayed violently before falling backward.
Zheng general Zhu Dan stood on the chariot, still holding a bow in his hand.
In the midst of the chaos, he came face to face with King Huan's chariot. He saw a man in magnificent armor holding a yellow battle-axe standing on the chariot, and without saying a word, he nocked an arrow and fired.
The arrow struck King Huan squarely in the left shoulder with tremendous force; the arrowhead pierced through the armor and embedded itself in the flesh.
King Huan screamed in agony, his body jerked backward, and he fell heavily off the chariot, crashing to the ground.
The guards on either side hurriedly helped him up, but the yellow battle-axe had fallen somewhere.
King Huan's face was deathly pale, an arrow lodged in his left shoulder, blood gushing out. He was in so much pain he couldn't utter a complete sentence, only trembling as he said, "Retreat...retreat quickly..."
The guards lifted him onto an oxcart, wrapped his wounds in his clothes, and fled north in a panic.
The central army's flag fell, and the soldiers, seeing the emperor flee, lost all will to fight and scattered in all directions.
The battlefield was littered with abandoned weapons, flags, and chariots; the royal army had completely collapsed.
Zhang Quzhuo watched this scene, and his long spear slowly lowered. He was covered in blood, his armor riddled with knife marks and arrow holes, and the spear in his hand was chipped, with dark red bloodstains hanging from its tip.
We've lost. Utterly lost.
"Chun, gather the Liang army and retreat!" he shouted, his voice hoarse.
Zhao Fengchun blew the horn, and the mournful sound of the horn echoed across the battlefield.
Upon hearing the commotion, Liang Jun fought and retreated, moving towards Zhang Quzhuo's direction. Zhang Quzhuo covered the rear, wielding a long spear, and repelled Zheng Jun's pursuit several times.
Each time Zheng Jun caught up, he charged forward, sweeping away a swath of weapons, and Zheng Jun retreated. This was repeated several times, until Zheng Jun no longer dared to get too close.
Duke Zhuang of Zheng watched from the high slope as the banner with the character "Liang" slowly receded, remaining silent for a long time.
The generals around him all volunteered to fight and pursue the Liang army. Duke Zhuang of Zheng shook his head and sighed deeply.
"Liang Bo is fierce and cannot be pursued. Today he has wounded the emperor, which is enough. If we continue to pursue him, it will only make things worse." He looked at the battlefield and ordered, "Order the troops to retreat."
The Zheng army withdrew, and cheers shook the heavens and the earth. Duke Zhuang of Zheng rode his horse and inspected the battlefield.
He looked at the Zhou army's flags and weapons scattered on the ground, at the corpses lying haphazardly, his gaze complex. They had won, but he knew in his heart that after this battle, the Zhou emperor would never be able to hold his head high again.
Among the feudal lords of the land, who would still respect the emperor?
He suddenly felt a little lonely.
Zhang Quzhuo led Liang's army to withdraw from the battlefield, walking more than ten miles in one go before stopping.
He dismounted, his legs buckling, and he nearly collapsed to his knees. The blood on his armor had dried and was hard, making it uncomfortable to rub against his skin. He leaned against a tree, panting heavily.
When Zhao Fengchun returned after counting the number of people, his face was ashen, and his moon-white robe had turned grayish-brown with several holes in it.
"Your Majesty, of the eight hundred Liangjia soldiers, two hundred and thirty-seven have died in battle, one hundred and one hundred and twelve are seriously wounded, not counting the minor wounded." His voice was low. "Less than five hundred are still capable of fighting."
Zhang Quzhuo closed his eyes and remained silent for a long time.
Many of the fallen soldiers were old men who had fought alongside him from the Liang Kingdom.
Some of them were teenagers he personally recruited and trained, but now they can never go back.
He opened his eyes and asked, "Where is the Emperor?"
"I heard he was carried by guards towards Luoyi," Zhao Fengchun said. "General Zhu Dan of Zheng shot the emperor quite hard with that arrow, and the emperor was seriously injured. But he should be out of danger."
Zhang Quzhuo paused for a moment.
Zhu Dan's arrow did not strike the emperor's shoulder, but it struck the last vestige of dignity of the Zhou dynasty.
From now on, which of the feudal lords in the land will still respect the emperor? Who can guarantee there won't be another Duke Zheng?
"Your Majesty, which way should we go?" Zhao Fengchun asked.
"Go after the emperor."
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
"In the fifth month of summer in the first year of Duke Yin's reign, Duke Bo of Zheng defeated Duan at Yan." — *Chunqiu Tongyi*
"The king seized power from the Duke of Zheng, and the Duke of Zheng refused to attend court. In the autumn, the king, along with other feudal lords, attacked Zheng, and the Duke of Zheng defended against them. The king commanded the central army; Guo Gong Linfu commanded the right army, with people from Cai and Wei under his command; Zhou Gong Heijian commanded the left army, with people from Chen under his command." — Zuo Zhuan
"At the Battle of Xuge, the Duke commanded his two defenders, 'When the banners are raised, the drums sound!' Cai, Wei, and Chen all fled, and the king's army was thrown into chaos. The Zheng army joined forces to attack, and the king's army suffered a great defeat. Zhu Dan shot the king, hitting him in the shoulder, but the king was still able to lead his troops. Zhu Dan offered to join the army. The Duke said, 'A gentleman does not wish to be superior to many, let alone dare to offend the Son of Heaven. If we can save ourselves, and the state does not fall, that would be enough.'" — *Zuo Zhuan*