Although Qin was unexpectedly defeated in the Battle of Handan in front of the joint forces of Zhao, Chu, and Wei, he continued to actively go abroad.
Qin conquered Eastern Zhou in 256 BC.This marks the end of the history of the Zhou Dynasty, which began in the 11th century BC.
Battle of Kagai
During the Battle of Handan, Shinryokun, who disobeyed the orders of King Anxi of Wei and went to the rescue of Zhao on his own accord, was unable to return to Wei and remained in Zhao.
Because Shinryokun showed respect to those who were called sages regardless of their status, many sages gathered under Shinryo-kun. Expectations for Shinryokun continue to grow.
In the midst of this situation, King Syou of the Qin State thinks that now that Shinryokun is leaving Wei, it is a good opportunity to destroy Wei.Then a full-scale invasion of Wei begins.
Concerned about this situation, King Anki of Wei sent a messenger to request Prince Shinryokun to return. In 247 BC, Shinryokun finally returned to the Wei state for the first time in about 10 years. It is said that at this time, King Anki cried with joy. He then gave the seal of superior general to Shinryokun and ordered him to intercept the Qin army.
Shinryokun, who was to lead the Wei army, informs other countries that he has become a general and requests a relief army to fight against the Qin army, which boasts overwhelming military power. The Chu, Han, Zhao, and Yan nations dispatched reinforcements and vowed to fight together against the Qin Dynasty for the highly popular Prince Shinryokun.
Shinryokun is amazing…
In this way, Shinryokun, who led the combined forces of the five countries, clashed with the Qin army in the land of Kagai!
At this time, King Shou of Qin no longer existed, and his son, King Soujyo, succeeded him. He was the father of the future First Emperor.
King Soujyou ordered General Mougou to invade Wei. Mougou was active in defeating the Han Dynasties of Seikou and Keiyou in 249 BC, and in 248 BC he defeated the Thirty-Seven Castles of Wei.
However, he was no match for Shinryokun, who led the combined army. After overwhelming the Qin army with his military strength and forcing it to flee, Shinryokun continued to pursue the Qin army. And he efeated it at Kankokukan.
Qin, which has been defeated by Shinryokun, believes that it will not be able to defeat Wei unless Shinryokun is eliminated. Therefore, they sent agents to Wei’s territory and spread false rumors such as the following.
It seems that the person who rules the kingdom of Wei is not the King of Wei, but Shinryokun. Someday, Shinryokun will become king.
Believing this rumor, King Anki of Wei took away the generalship from Shinryokun and began to alienate him.
Rumors are scary. That kind of story seems to have happened to Hakuki as well…
Shocked by this, Shinryokun shut himself up at home, claiming he was ill, and started living a life full of alcohol and women. In 243 BC, he passed away due to alcohol poisoning.
In the same year, King Anki also passed away, and his child King Keibin ascended the throne.
What kind of person is Shinryokun?
Shinryokun achieved great fame during the Sengoku period as a humble man of character.
In order to invite the gatekeeper Kouei, who was poor but famous as a wise man, as a guest, Shinryokun drove his own horse-drawn carriage to pick him up, and without hesitation he seated him in the upper seat at the banquet. He tries to welcome the wise man with a humble attitude, regardless of the other person’s social status.
His reputation quickly spread throughout the world, and it is said that more than 3,000 diners flocked to Shinryokun. In his later years, he was shunned by King Anki due to a misunderstanding and died of alcohol poisoning, but his reputation remained unchanged even after his death.
It is said that Gaozu (Liu Bang), who established the Former Han Dynasty, worshiped Shinryokun and had him perform a ritual every time he passed through the Great Liang.
