Interpreting the story behind "Danyang War" from the idiom "Going to Qin Chu"

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In the early history of China, due to the vicissitudes of time, history and frequent wars, many ancient famous historical figures, ancient famous place names and major historical events were simply described, lacking accurate and detailed historical records, which made many historical issues have been in doubt for thousands of years and are still vague.

For example, the Battle of Danyang in Qin Chu during the Warring States Period has been mentioned in many historical books, but I don't know where it is, which has caused historical disputes for thousands of years. The focus of the debate mainly includes two aspects: one is the dispute about the place name of Danyang, and the other is the dispute about the specific place where the battle of Danyang in Qin Chu took place. Because there are two places that are considered to be the specific places where the battle of Danyang in Qin Chu took place, namely Jingziguan and Guanya.

According to Records of the Historian-Chu Family, "When Zhou Chengwang was a city, Chu Jun was given a land of fifty miles, surnamed Zhou, and lived in Danyang". The word "ju" was used very fastidiously, which conveyed too much information, indicating that Danyang, where Chu Jun lived at that time, was called Guo Du, but it was actually a village of only fifty miles in Fiona Fang. At best, it's a tribe, far from the real country.

Although there are clear records in history, Danyang, the former capital of Chu and Danyang, the old capital of Chu, can't find the exact location of Danyang.

So because of this "Danyang", the origin of Chu is controversial in Baokang, Zigui, Danxi, Zhijiang, Dangtu, Xixia and Laohekou.

The grassroots thought that Danyang, the capital of Chu, should be in northwest Hubei. According to Zuo Zhuan's Twelve Years of Zhao Gong, You Yin Zige answered the question of King Chu Ling, saying that "Xiong Yi, my former king, was founded in Jingshan", and the word "bi" here can be interpreted as "avoidance". Jingshan is in western Hubei, so Danyang, the capital of Chu State, must not be in Zigui, nor in southern Shaanxi, nor in southwest Henan.

The Battle of Danyang in Qin Chu during the Warring States Period was a famous battle. The victory or defeat of this campaign is not only related to Qin Chu's national luck, but also produced the idiom "Sooner or later" which has a far-reaching impact on later generations. Therefore, there are two places that are considered to be the places where the battle of Danyang took place, namely Jingziguan and Guanya.

Jingziguan Town, belonging to Xichuan County, Nanyang City, Henan Province, is located in the northwest of Xichuan County, at the junction of Henan, Hubei and Shaanxi provinces. Known as "one foot in three provinces" and "Jingziguan in three provinces with crow". Danjiang River passes through the territory and is the water source of "South-to-North Water Transfer Project".

Jingziguan ancient town has a long history, rich commercial culture, and beautiful ancient cultural relics. Since ancient times, land and water are connected, and it is a fortress for north-south traffic. In ancient times, there was the "Danjiang Passage" for waterway transportation and the "ancient road for business" for land transportation.

Since 304 BC, this place has been under the jurisdiction of Chu, and the king of Chu sent Prince Jing to guard this place, so this place was named "Jingzikou" and later evolved into Jingziguan.

In the early Spring and Autumn Period, it belonged to Tan State, and in the late period to the early Warring States Period, Jingziguan belonged to Chu three cities.

Guanya Town is located at the junction of Zhuxi County in Hubei Province and Pingli County in Shaanxi Province. This pass is saddle-shaped, with Shanbaozhai in the south, Drum Tower in the north, Zhuxi in the east and Pingli in the west. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, it was a fortress for Qin Chu to fight.

It is located 40 miles west of Zhuxi County, Hubei Province. This used to be the dividing line of Qin Chu.

Guanya now retains the site of Chu Great Wall, which is located at the junction of Jiangjiayan Town, Zhuxi County, Hubei Province and Chang 'an Town, Pingli County, Shaanxi Province, and 346 National Road passes through it.

The Great Wall of Chu was built in the Warring States Period, which was a defense facility built by Chu State to resist the invasion of Qin State. However, due to the age, most of the city walls have already collapsed and no longer exist, leaving only a small relic nearby.

Now it is the dividing line between Shaanxi and Hubei provinces, and it is said that the starting point of this section of the Great Wall of Chu is at the junction of Shaanxi and Hubei, and the end point is Biyang County, Henan Province, stretching for hundreds of kilometers. National Highway 346 passes through the entrance of Chengguan and enters Hubei Province from Shaanxi Province.

Guanyakou is one of the most dangerous passes of the Great Wall of Chu, with two mountains and a straight line in the middle. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, it was a military fortress contested by governors. As the saying goes, "one person's strength is above ten thousand people."

The Guanmen Building is tall and magnificent, the arched doorway is solemn, and the watchtower and battery still stand in the pass.

In the Spring and Autumn Period, Qin Chu maintained a long-term marriage alliance in order to contain the powerful Jin State, which lasted until the mid-Warring States Period, and was broken by the reform of Qin State. In the twenty-second year of Qin Xiaogong (340 BC), the Qin Dynasty sealed Wei An to Shang and Yu.

This place was originally Chu State, which had a great influence on the geographical situation of Qin Chu. The two countries used to be bounded by the East Qinling Mountains, with Lan Guan in Qin and Wu Guan in Chu. However, after Qin seized the land of merchants, Qin was able to monopolize the risk of Wu Pass, and the commercial area east of Wu Pass also became an important forward base for attacking Chu. Obviously, it was a serious provocation that the King of Chu named Wei as the land of business and Henan, which laid the fuse for the future battle of Danyang, Qin Chu.

In this way, geographically, Qin has formed a condescending favorable situation for Chu. According to the retreat of Wuguan, the country can be closed to the outside world, while the advancement takes the land of commerce as a springboard and goes down along the fresh water and Hanshui River.

In order to deal with the attack of Qin, Chu actively joined forces with Qi to fight against Qin. In the second year of Zhou Nanwang, the twelfth year and sixteenth year (3 13 BC) of Emperor Huiwen of Qin, Zhu Cui commanded an army stationed at Qilu border and south of Han and Wei, and sent three doctors and nine armies to the north to besiege Quwo and Yuzhong east of Hanguguan.

If Qin wants to defeat the powerful Chu state, it must try its best to disintegrate the Qi-Chu alliance and break it one by one. Therefore, the State of Qin sent Zhang Yi as an envoy to Chu and used this important strategic base as bait to persuade Chu Huaiwang to give up the alliance between Chu and Qi. The king of Chu was tricked into giving up his alliance with Qi, while Qin refused to hand over the land where the merchants were located.

In the third year of Zhou Nanwang, the thirteenth year of Qin Huiwen and Wang, and the seventeenth year (3 12 BC), the battle of Danyang broke out, and the Chu State was defeated. More than 80,000 soldiers were killed, and more than 70 people, including general Qu Jian and general Bi Jiang, were captured.

Subsequently, Qin took the opportunity to capture six hundred miles of Chu Hanzhong and set it in Hanzhong County. Unwilling to fail, Chu Huaiwang threw all his troops into the country and attacked Qin again. Qin Jun fought fiercely with the Chu army in Lantian, and finally defeated the Chu army. At the same time, Han and Wei cooperated and took advantage of the emptiness of Chu to capture Deng in Chu (now Xiangfan North, Hubei Province). Being attacked on both sides, he was forced to retreat, so he had to cut off two cities and make peace with Qin.

In this battle, Qin dealt a heavy blow to the main force of Chu army, expanded its sphere of influence, and eliminated the direct threat of Chu State to Qin State. This is the general course of the battle of Danyang in Qin Chu.

The Battle of Danyang in Qin Chu was an important battle for hegemony in Qin Chu at the end of the Warring States Period. The outcome of this war has completely changed the national conditions of Qin Chu and China. If Qin Chu and China were evenly matched before the Battle of Danyang, then after the Battle of Danyang, the State of Qin became stronger, while the State of Chu began to weaken and was quickly destroyed by the State of Qin.

When studying the battle of Danyang, we have to pay attention to the idiom story of "going to Qin and going to Chu", because this idiom story can reveal the eternal mystery of "the battle of Danyang" from one side.

It is estimated that all primary school students have heard this idiom story, and they all know that it is Jingziguan, one of the places where the Battle of Danyang in Qin Chu took place during the Warring States Period. Because it is located between Qin Chu and occupied by Qin Chu from time to time, the local people dare not offend Qin or Chu in order to survive, so they have to change their minds.

When Qin Jun made a phone call, he planted the flag of Qin State and put on the clothes of Qin people. When the Chu army comes in the evening, he puts on the flag of Chu and the clothes of Chu people.

Of course, it is also said that the battle of Danyang took place at the junction of Jiangjiayan Town in Zhuxi County, Hubei Province and Chang 'an Township in Pingli County, Shaanxi Province.

Because it is in the gap between Qin Chu and the buffer zone, and because it is in the forefront of the war, the war is often cruel and fierce.

In the battle, the Qin people occupied the Chu land in Guanya in the morning, but in the evening, the Chu people regained the lost land. So many times, people living in Guanya have to live in a chaotic state in order to survive.

No matter the battle of Danyang, it happened in Zhuxi Pass in Hubei Province or Jingziguan in Xichuan, Henan Province. However, the battle of Danyang mentioned by Qin Chu from the idiom "Dynasty" is true.

Although the idiom "Dynasty in Qin Dynasty" doesn't mention the specific location of "Danyang War", the idiom story of "Dynasty in Qin Dynasty" shows from one side that there is a pass on the border of Qin Chu and that it is located. Then Jingziguan and Guanya may be the places where the battle of Danyang took place. Due to the long history and lack of detailed historical records, it is actually difficult for us to be sure now.