Men of lofty ideals can do it. This sentence is derived from Pu Songling's couplet, which is a call to the spirit of persisting in the pursuit of goals. Courage and determination are like a broken kettle, just like the ambition of the Chu State. In history, there is a Yue king Goujian, who successfully swallowed Wu with 3,000 Yue Jia, although this story is exaggerated, but it contains a certain true basis. Now, let's take a strategic review and see how Gou Jian used 3,000 Yuejia to achieve the final counterattack.
After the defeat of Gou Jian in Huiji Mountain, in order to prevent the fall of the Yue Kingdom, he took the initiative to choose to become a slave in the Wu State, sacrificing his personal freedom to preserve the foundation of the Yue Kingdom. However, in the state of Wu, the military power of the Yue state was stripped away, leaving only an army of 3,000 men to maintain law and order. This was the starting point of the original 3,000 Yuejia. The next process can be divided into several stages.
The first stage was Gou Jian's three years as a slave in the state of Wu. During this period, the Yue Kingdom basically lost its combat effectiveness, and the 3,000 Yue armor was just a decoration, mainly used to maintain law and order. It was a difficult time, but it also laid the groundwork for later plans.
The second stage is the nine years since Gou Jian returned to China. During this time, the Vietnamese army actually exceeded 3,000 people, and Gou Jian adopted the strategy of "hiding troops from the people". After returning to China, he first repented and bore his sins, and then, through hard work, carried out large-scale construction and laid a solid economic foundation. He encouraged the return of the exiled Vietnamese people, arranged for the cultivation of the land, and encouraged childbearing. These measures increased the hidden military power, and the grain reserves also provided the basis for fighting the state of Wu.
The third stage is the secret training of soldiers. The 3,000 Yue Jia does not refer to the actual number of people in battle, but refers to the two parts of the Xi Yue Nu sword and bow and crossbow, that is, the 6,000 people of the core strength of the Vietnamese army. Under the guidance of Gou Jian, secret training was conducted, which included a Vietnamese female swordsman and crossbowman. These trainings laid the foundation for the strength of Tunwu later.
The fourth stage is the moment when the attack is really launched. In 482 BCE, Fu Cha went north to Huangchi to join the alliance, taking with him most of the elite of Wu and giving the Yue army the opportunity to attack. Gou Jian gathered all his military forces, and nearly 50,000 people launched an attack. In this battle, the Vietnamese army defeated the state of Wu, forcing it to sue for peace. A few years later, Gou Jian attacked again and eventually destroyed the state of Wu.