【Chinese Civilization 720HD】 The Sword of King of Yue / Episode 02

In our previous episode, we introduced the bronze sword of King Goujian of Yue, found in the Zhengling area of Hubei province. Who was it that produced this unparalleled weapon? In the year 494 BC, China was in its spring and autumn period. King Fucai of Wu defeated King Goujian of Yue in battle and took him hostage. King Goujian was forced to serve three bitter years of penal servitude in the Kingdom of Wu. After Goujian was released, he began to build up his own country, taking a sip of bile with every meal so as to never forget the shame to which he had been put by his enemy. Under the counsel of his advisors, Fan Li and Wen Zheng, King Goujian undertook a decade-long campaign of strengthening and preparation, after which he finally undertook an attack on the Kingdom of Wu. This is the famous story King Goujian of Yue, whose self-imposed hardships to strengthen his resolve, led him to victory against his enemies. What weapons did King Goujian of Yue use in his campaign against the Kingdom of Wu? According to legend, there was once seven old wows in Mount Qinxi. An old man named Ouyezi decided to serve his country by constructing a sword-casting workshop. After he finished his first sword, dark clouds gathered, and seven golden dragons emerged from each of the seven wows and began soaring around the magnificent weapon. Furthermore, they spouted water from the wows upon the sword, where it immediately turned different colors. Ouyezi picked up the sword and hit an enormous rock with it, splitting it nearly in half. For the rest of his life, Ouyezi produced a series of five magnificent swords for the giving each of them a name that would be remembered throughout history. Furthermore, he passed on his sword-casting techniques to future generations of Yue casters. With such a magnificent arsenal of weapons, King Goujian of Yue had little difficulty in defeating his old foe, the King of Wu Fucha, who hung himself after the humiliating defeat. According to scholars, this bronze sword with the inscription, for the personal use of King Goujian of Yue, matches the description of it in historical record, and it is not far-fetched to think that it might have been one of the mythical swords produced by Ouyezi. However, how was it that the sword of the King of Yue ended up in a mausoleum for the nobles of the Kingdom of Qu? From the bamboo tablets found in the tomb itself, we know its owner was a man named Hua. It is possible that this is the great noble Xiao Hua, who served in the court of King Huai of Qu. History records that during King Huai of Qu's reign, Xiao Hua was sent to the Kingdom of Yue to stir up trouble there, so as to create an opportunity for the King of Qu to attack and conquer Yue. In reward for such an important service, King Huai of Qu gave the sword of the King of Yue to Xiao Hua as a war trophy, and the fabled weapon would become a funerary object of the latter's mausoleum. This is a plausible explanation of the sword's final destiny. However, history also records the tight relationship between the Kingdoms of Qu and Yue from the reign of King Yuncheng onwards. Indeed, King Xiao of Qu had married Yue King Guojian's daughter. It is quite possible that the king would have presented his magnificent sword as a dowry, and that this might explain how it found its way into the Kingdom of Qu. The Kingdom of Qu could have then presented the sword as a gift to Xiao Hua, whom it would have accompanied to his tomb. This explanation is also perfectly plausible. Regardless of how this magnificent sword may have made it to the tomb, it remains an invaluable historical source for historians researching the relations between the Kingdom of Qu and Yue during the spring and autumn period. A final question remains, however. How is it possible that after being interred for over 2,000 years, this magnificent sword has remained sharp to this day? Do join us in solving this final riddle in our next episode!