Chu Destroys Lai, 538 BCE

Background

In the Spring and Autumn period this area belonged to Wu and was called Laizhu Yi, its stronghold being Gucheng. The Kangxi edition of the Lishui County Gazetteer (卷之一·邑纪) opens by quoting the Tukao — "Gucheng was built by Wu" — and notes that the site lies south of present-day Gaochun. Chu and Wu contended for the land between the Huai and the Yangtze, and Chu campaigned against Wu.

Time and place

The gazetteer dates the entry to the seventh year of King Jing of Zhou, a guihai year:

周景王七年癸亥，楚伐吴，灭赖，即濑。赖子舆榇从之，灵王以其臣椒举言，释焉。遂迁赖于鄢，迁许于赖。将城之，会水至，始罢。赖既灭，吴迁其邑于陵平山下，名曰陵平。

Translated: In the seventh year of King Jing of Zhou, a guihai year, Chu attacked Wu and destroyed Lai — that is, the Laishui. The viscount of Lai followed with a coffin borne before him; King Ling, on the advice of his minister Jiao Ju, released him. Lai was then moved to Yan, and Xu was moved to Lai. A walled town was to be built there, but the work stopped when the waters rose. Lai having been destroyed, Wu moved its settlement to the foot of Lingping Mountain and named it Lingping.

The gazetteer adds that "Lai is the present Laishui", and cites the Spring and Autumn Annals, fourth year of Duke Zhao of Lu, for the campaign. The sexagenary year corresponds to 538 BCE.

What happened

The Chu army attacked Wu and destroyed Lai. The viscount of Lai followed the Chu army with a coffin borne before him; King Ling of Chu released him on the advice of his minister Jiao Ju, then moved Lai to Yan and Xu to Lai. Chu intended to wall the place, but the work stopped when the waters rose.

Consequences

Lai having been destroyed, Wu moved this settlement to the foot of Lingping Mountain and renamed it Lingping. When the gazetteer discusses the origin of the name Lishui, it begins from the sound shifts between Lai, Laishui and Lishui; this is the earliest entry in the chronological chapter.

Dating basis

This entry predates the establishment of Lishui County in 591 CE, the eleventh year of the Kaihuang era. At that time Lishui did not yet exist as a county: what is recorded here concerns the Lishui area and its predecessor Liyang County. The BCE year is a later reconstruction, not a figure given in the source.

Uncertainties

The dating is disputed within the gazetteer itself. The compiler notes that the Junji gives the fifth year of King Jing and the Tukao the fourth, that both are wrong, and that the old gazetteer is followed. This entry follows the old gazetteer, and the conversion to 538 BCE rests on that choice, so the confidence level is set to medium. The gazetteer also places Lingping Mountain "in present-day Liyang", which is not within the present Lishui District; this entry only repeats the gazetteer's statement.