With the development of society and the progress of history, the areas around the Central Plains have gradually developed, in addition to the hegemony of Qin in the west, the south has also risen a large enough to dominate - the state of Chu. As the name suggests, the state of Chu is a state established in the land of Jing Chu in the south. In ancient times, there were constant wars between clans, the old clans died out, and new clans arose. It takes a long time for a strong and stable ethnic group to be formed, let alone grow into the supreme form of "state". The state of Chu is also a country that was finally formed after a long period of development on the basis of the formation of ethnic groups with a common language, economic life, culture and psychological quality in the Jingchu region after a long period of running-in by the ancient ancestors.

The state of Chu arose in the early Spring and Autumn Period and was located in the region south of the Central Plains. The ancestors of the state of Chu can be traced back to the grandson of the Yellow Emperor. Zhuan is one of the "Five Emperors", also known as Gaoyang, so Chu Qu Yuan said in his "Lisao": "Emperor Gaoyang's Miao descendant." "The following generations have been passed down from generation to generation, and the scale, volume, and chongli were born in turn. Chongli, as the great-grandson of Yuan, served as the Huozheng of the Emperor Gaoxin clan and was in charge of religion. Chong and Li were originally two surnames, but they were merged into one due to the development and integration of the clans. Chongli served as Huozheng, with the ability to take fire and store fire to illuminate the world, so he was also given the name "Zhurong", which means "Daming" and "Righteousness". Chongli was appointed by the emperor to quell the rebellion in the Gonggong rebellion, but the implementation was not effective and did not drive out the rebels, which angered the emperor and caused him to be killed. After Chongli's death, his younger brother Wu Hui took over his position, still Huozheng, still known as "Zhurong".

Wu Hui's son was named Lu Zhong, and Lu Zhong gave birth to six sons, namely: Kunwu, Shenhu, Peng Zu, Huiren, Cao, and Ji Lian. The names of the sons are related to the land they have enclosed. Ji Lian's surname is Mi, he is the ancestor of the Chu royal family, and his descendants are scattered in various cities or go to remote areas, and there are few records in the history books, so it is impossible to know in detail. However, taking the fate of other branches of the ethnic group as a reference, the descendants of Kunwu and Peng Zu also flourished for a time, but they were destroyed by Shang Tang and Shang Xuan. It was also normal for the ancestors of Chu to migrate southward amid the frequent tribal wars at that time and the continuous squeeze of the powerful Shang Dynasty.

Until the end of the Shang Dynasty and the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, one of Ji Lian's descendants was called Mane Xiong, who was attached to the Shang Dynasty that was already in turmoil at that time, and on the other hand, he vigorously supported the emerging Zhou Dynasty and gave advice to Xibo Jichang, and later became a veteran minister in the court of King Wen of Zhou. Such glory has greatly improved the status of the ethnic group, and has become the political capital on which the Chu State relied for survival and development for a long time in later generations.

Xiong Yi, the descendant of the bear, lived in the era when King Zhou became king. Xiong Yi himself has meritorious deeds, and his ancestors are meritorious ministers, so he was rewarded with a fief by King Cheng, located in the south, and the capital is set in Danyang, which is now Zigui, Hubei, which is the original prototype of the Chu State. In fact, the symbolic meaning of this reward is far greater than the practical meaning, which means that the existence of Chu as a vassal state was recognized by Zhou Tianzi. In addition to Xiong Yi, there were also Lu Gong Boyu, Wei Kang Shuzi Mou, Jin Hou Xie, Qi Taigong Lu Ling and others who served King Zhou Cheng at that time, which also initially reflected the distribution of princes centered on King Zhou Cheng. Although the fief obtained by Xiong Yi is not large, the quality is extremely high, first of all, it is located at the strategic artery of the junction of the three provinces, and the geographical conditions are superior; Secondly, the terrain is flat and the land is fertile, which can be said to be extremely advantageous, which creates important prerequisites for the survival and development of the Chu State.

However, the Chu and Zhou dynasties were not monolithic, because the Zhou dynasty always treated the Chu state as a "barbarian small state", and although they recognized their existence, they did not give them corresponding respect and political status. The monarch of Chu was only called to do some chores when the Son of Heaven met with him, but he was unable to attend the princes, which was undoubtedly a humiliation for the Chu State, so it was natural for the Chu State to be dissatisfied with the Zhou Dynasty. The Zhou Dynasty also adopted a policy of vigilance and suppression against the rapidly rising Chu State, and even sent troops to plunder and conquer the Chu State several times. However, the fledgling state of Chu is growing, and it is no longer Wuxia Ameng, not only did not suffer losses in the face of the crusade of the Zhou Dynasty, but also won repeatedly, beating the Zhou Dynasty to the point that it had no power to fight back, not only lost the "six divisions", but even the monarch (King Zhao of Zhou) was "killed".

When Ji Xie, the king of Zhouyi, ruled the world. During this period, because the Zhou royal family entered a stage of decline, the vassal states had a heart of disobedience, and the uneven development of the vassal states led to a lot of crusades against each other. The controller of the Chu State, Xiong Qu, a descendant of Xiong Yi, also developed his own power at this time, sent troops to attack the surrounding small countries, expanded the land to the Jianghan Valley, and won the support of the people through a series of policies. The expansion of Xiongqu enabled the Chu State to occupy Yong, Yangyue, Hubei and other places, that is, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, which were rich in grain and copper ore, which provided a strong guarantee for the growth of the economic and military strength of the Chu State.

The enhancement of the power of the Chu State made Xiong Qu's confidence more and more sufficient, and he was dissatisfied with the title given to him by the Zhou Dynasty, so he named his eldest son Xiong Wukang as the king of Ju Kang, the second son Xiong Hong as the king of E, and the youngest son Xiong Zhiqi as the king of Yuezhang, all of which belonged to the independent name and were distributed in the remote areas of Chu along the Yangtze River.

After King Zhou Li ascended the throne, he was very tyrannical, and Xiong Qu was worried about the safety of the Chu State, so he gave up these self-styled titles. After Xiong Qu's death, his eldest son, Xiong Wukang, succeeded to the throne. Wu Kang died early, and Xiong Zhihong ascended the throne, but his younger brother Xiong Yan killed him and usurped the throne. Xiong Yan gave birth to Xiong Yong. In the sixth year of Xiong Yong, King Zhou Li was attacked by the Chinese people for his tyranny and unreasonableness, and finally had to flee. Since this year, the state of Chu has had a relatively clear historical chronology.

Four years later, he was succeeded by his younger brother Xiong Yan, who died ten years later and was succeeded by his eldest son, Xiong Shuang. After Xiong Shuang's death, his three brothers killed each other in order to compete for the throne, and in the end, Ji Yi won, it was for Xiong Yi. After Xiong Yi's death, Xiong Yu succeeded him, and then Xiong Yi succeeded him, that is, Ruo Ao.

During this period, the Zhou Dynasty was ruled by King Xuan of Zhou. The Zhou Dynasty and the Chu State were constantly at war, and they won and lost each other. It can be seen from one thing that the state of Chu has entered the center of gravity of King Xuan of Zhou's policy, that is, King Xuan of Zhou moved Shen Bo to Xie Yi and established the state of Shen to prevent the invasion of Chu. The establishment of the Shen State did play a role in containing the Chu State.

After the death of King Xuan of Zhou, his son King Zhou You ascended the throne, and he single-handedly concocted the famous "Beacon Opera Princes" in history. Twenty years after Ruo Ao ascended the throne, that is, in 771 BC, the king of Zhou You, Ji Gongne, died in the rebellion of the dog Rong, the Zhou royal family migrated eastward, and the Western Zhou perished, and the Eastern Zhou era began, but the world was in chaos, and the Zhou royal family was gradually declining.

Seven years later, Ruo Ao also died, and Xiong Kan succeeded him, known as Xiao Ao. Died in six years, Xiong Wei succeeded him, and it was for the sake of the worm. After his death, his brother Xiong Tong killed his son and usurped the throne. After Xiong Tong ascended the throne, he established himself as the king of Chuwu. At this time, the state of Chu had been developing for many years under the hard work of Ruoao and Wei Mao, and the soldiers were strong and strong. What King Wu of Chu inherited can be said to be a rising southern country, which already has the capital to dominate Jiangnan. King Wu carried out political governance internally and external conquest, and constantly expanded his territory, so that the state of Chu could be further strengthened. During his 51-year reign, it can be said that he was the longest-reigning monarch in Chinese history, and the state of Chu at this time was in an unprecedented stable situation, laying the foundation of the Spring and Autumn period in all aspects of politics and economy.

The era when King Wu of Chu took over the state of Chu was both the best and the worst era for the various vassal states. The Zhou Dynasty turned from prosperity to decline, and its control over the princes gradually weakened, and the vassal states could wait for opportunities to develop and strengthen themselves, and even take advantage of the Zhou Dynasty. However, due to differences in geographical advantages, people, and other factors, the development of various countries has been seriously unbalanced, with large countries annexing small countries and strong countries swallowing weak countries. As a monarch, he will never dare to take it lightly and lead the country to survive and develop in a turbulent environment.

The development and expansion of the country will bring about the corresponding differentiation of power, and the uneven distribution of interests will lead to the breeding of internal contradictions. The cost is that the country is in turmoil and stagnation amid intense internal strife. For example: the five marquis of the Jin Kingdom were killed; Lu Guo, the son of Hui killed Lu Yingong; Zheng Guo, Zhuang Gongke, Duan Yu Yan; Qi State, Gongsun Ignorance, Lian Cheng, and Guan Zhi's father killed Qi Xianggong.

On the other hand, the internal political situation of Chu was relatively stable, and King Wu of Chu was centralized, and his subordinates also had capable people to help, and their economic and cultural development was stable. External expansion is not radical and impatient, and fully digests the occupied territory so that it truly becomes an effective component of the productive forces.

As for the name "Wu", it is said in the "Explanation of the Law": "Gang Yi is straightforward and said to be martial. It fully reflects the personality characteristics and governing style of King Wu of Chu. This title was not given to Zhou Tianzi, but was self-appointed by King Wu. In the thirty-fourth year of King Wu, the soldiers of Chu entered the country. There are three reasons why Suiguo was chosen: first, Suiguo is relatively strong among the small countries around Chu, and capturing Suiguo can deter other small countries; Second, the arrogance of the Sui State and the temptation to show off its strength can make the surrounding small countries feel uneasy and form a divisive effect, which will facilitate the Chu State to win over them and encroach on them in the future; The third is that Suiguo also belongs to the surname Ji, and to attack Suiguo is to destroy the prestige of the Zhou Dynasty.

When the army of Chu approached Suiguo, Suiguo sent his young master to negotiate with King Wu and argue that he was not guilty. The king of Chu responded, saying that the state of Chu intended to stabilize the Central Plains, hoping that the monarch of Suiguo could ask for help in front of Zhou Tianzi and seek a title for the king of Chu. After the young master returned to China, on the grounds that the Chu army was scattered and the army was not in order, he strongly persuaded Suijun to pursue, but the minister Ji Liang dissuaded: "The Chu State is facing the destiny of heaven, and the chaos of the army is a strategy to lure the enemy, why should the prince be anxious?" Small countries can resist big countries because small countries have the right way and big countries can't. There is a word that refers to being faithful to the people and believing in God. The people of the court think of the people; Sacrificing to the witch envoy is justifiable. However, now that the people are frozen, and the witch envoy is talking nonsense, how can the country succeed? ”

Sui Jun asked, "How is it that the cattle and sheep used for sacrifice are fat and of high quality, and the grain is abundant?" Ji Liang said: "The people are the lords of the gods, and the ancient sages and kings all put the people first, and then they took care of the gods, and when they sacrificed, they said that 'cattle and sheep are fat and strong' means that the people are rich; when they say 'the grain is full', it means that there is no disaster, and that 'the wine is sweet and beautiful' means that the people are innocent." But now the hearts of the people are in turmoil, and the gods have no owner, even if the king is rich, how can he be blessed? If the prince cultivates politics, promotes harmony, and is friendly to the country, he can avoid trouble. Suijun adopted the admonition, did not pursue Chu Jun, repaired politics internally, and forged national defense externally, and Chu did not dare to commit it again in the short term. However, the request of the monarch of Suiguo was sternly rejected by Zhou Tianzi, and the wish of the king of Chu was disappointed, and under the indignation, he respected himself as the king and was called "Wu".

However, the road to hegemony of Chu was not all smooth sailing, in the eighth year of Duke Lu Huan (704 BC), King Wu of Chu held an alliance in Shenlu, and among the surrounding countries, only Sui and Huang did not come. On the one hand, King Wu sent Xue Zhang to condemn the Huang State, and on the other hand, he sent troops to conquer Sui. Suijun did not listen to the advice of the good general, but adopted the shallow words of the young master and rashly sent troops. Chu and Sui fought between Han and Huai, and the army was defeated, the monarch fled, and the young master was captured, so he had to stop fighting and sue for peace, and signed an alliance with Chu under the city. After this, the name of Chu moved everywhere.

A year later, Pakistan sent an envoy to the country, saying that he was willing to help Chu get acquainted with Deng, hoping to make peace with Chu. The state of Chu then sent envoys and envoys from Pakistan to Deng. However, they were robbed and killed in the territory of Deng, and both of them were poisoned. Chu State was held accountable, and Deng Guo refused to admit his mistake. So the state of Chu and the state of Pakistan jointly sent troops to attack the state of Deng. The Deng army failed to attack the Pakistani army three times, and the Chu army general Dafu Dou Lian hid the Chu army in the ranks of the Pakistani army, and lured the Deng army to pursue by deception, and after its lone army went deep into the encirclement, the Deng army was defeated.

In the eleventh year of Duke Lu Huan (701 BC), the state of Chu thwarted the conspiracy of the five small states of Yun, Sui, Jiao, Zhou, and Tate. Qu Bin and Dou Lian, without reporting the situation to the king of Chu and without asking for reinforcements, divided their troops into two routes, the former resisted the alliance of the four countries, and the latter raided the capital of Yun, won a complete victory, and successfully concluded an alliance with the two states and the two countries. In the following year, in order to take revenge on the Hangguo, the Chu State crusaded against the Hangguo State, taking advantage of the impatience and frivolity of the Hangguo and the greed for small profits, and adopted the strategy of luring the enemy to break through the city of the Hangguo.

But the victory of Chu did not last forever, two years later, the previous meritorious Qu Fang led the army to attack Luo, the past successive victories paralyzed his heart, so that he became arrogant, arrogant, self-serving, when the army crossed the river without vigilance, was raided, defeated, hanged in the barren valley to thank the countrymen. This defeat seriously dampened the spirit of the Chu State, hit the national strength of the Chu State, and caused the Chu State to be in a state of recuperation for the next few years and stopped its expansion.

In the fourth year of Lu Zhuang Gong (690 BC), at this time, the state of Chu had been recuperating for ten years, and agriculture, handicrafts, and military strength were all steadily rising. In particular, in terms of armament, we vigorously developed halberd soldiers, and developed a new combat formation, the "Jing Formation," by using the characteristics of halberds as spears and ge-complexes that can both stab and slash. In the same year, Suihou was forced by Zhou Tianzi to apologize and admit his mistake for acknowledging the self-proclaimed king of Chu, which angered King Wu and caused a military disaster.

The king of Chu was seventy years old, and he still had to lead the army to fight in person. Before leaving, he suddenly felt uneasy, so he asked Mrs. Deng, Mrs. sighed that King Wu was at the end of his age, and his life was short, and he felt that his uneasiness was called by his ancestors. King Wu did not obey, insisted on the expedition in person, and died of illness under the tree on the way.

The secretary of the Chu army did not mourn, but still drove towards Suiguo in a big way, and surrounded Suiguo to the ground. Suijun knew that he was invincible, so he had to sue for peace again, and the leading general Qu Chong met with him in the name of King Wu in the place where the Han River turned, and then returned to the army. It was not until the return of the Chu army to the territory that the news was released, the whole country was mourned, and King Wen of Chu succeeded to the throne.

During his reign of more than 50 years, King Wu transformed the state of Chu from a local power into a great power capable of dominating one side, intimidating the princes, coveting the Central Plains, and even shaking the Zhou Dynasty. Under his leadership, the state of Chu won many battles, annexed territory, and became a veritable overlord in the Jiangnan region.