The Battle of Yanling () was fought in 575 BC between the states of Chu and Jin at Yanling during the

Spring and Autumn period The Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 770 to 476 BC (or according to some authorities until 403 BC) which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou period. The period's name derives fr ...

of ancient China. On the Jin side, Xi Qi () commanded the right wing whilst

Luan Shu Luan may refer to: Places * Lu'an, a city in Anhui, China * Luan County, Hebei, China * Luan River, Hebei, China Other uses * Luan (surname), a Chinese surname * Luan (mythology), a legendary bird in Chinese mythology * Trees in the genus ''Sh ...

() commanded the center with

Han Jue Han Jue (; died after 566 BC), posthumously known as Han Xianzi (), was the fifth head of the House of Han and a Jin politician and general. He was the son of Ziyu of Han.司马贞·史记索隐 “万生赇伯，赇伯生定伯简，简生舆， ...

() on the left . Prior to the battle, Shi Xie wanted to avoid battle on the basis that external enemies are necessary for internal peace. The Chu army had the numerical advantage but with the exception of the King's personal guard, it was in poor condition. The Chu army was also commanded by

Zifan Hu Yan (715–629BC) was a Di tribesman who served as a minister and general of Jin during the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history. Hu Yan assisted Prince Chong'er (posthumously the " Wen Duke") during his long exile, his usurpation of ...

() and Zichong (), who hated each other. Following Luan Shu's advice, the Jin army took a defensive posture instead of going on the offensive. By dawn the Jin armies were deployed behind a marsh and ditch, which impeded Chu troops. Fen Huang, a Jin officer, pointed out that the best Chu troops in the center were bogged down by the marsh, leaving the flanks to be held only by badly disciplined 'wild tribes of the south'. Jin

chariot A chariot is a type of cart driven by a charioteer, usually using horses to provide rapid motive power. The oldest known chariots have been found in burials of the Sintashta culture in modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, dated to c. 2000&nbs ...

s then charged both Chu flanks, scattering the enemy. They then proceeded to attack the center, which contained the Chu King commanding his troops. Although the Chu King's life was endangered a couple of times, Jin officers let him escape as a sign of respect. However, he was wounded by an arrow and his army was driven back.Imperial Chinese Military History: 8000 BC –1912 AD, Marvin C Whiting(Writers Club Press), pp 44–45

References

575 BC Yanling Yanling 6th century BC in China Military history of Henan Chu (state) Jin (Chinese state) {{China-hist-stub