The main generals of the two countries arrived at their respective positions, and the final stage of the Battle of Changping began.
The Qin army drove out of the valley and set up camp on the west bank of the Dan River, ready to fight to the death with the Zhao army.
Immediately afterwards, Wang He led a large number of Qin troops towards the valley north of Danshui.
The river valley to the north of Danshui is a standard pocket-shaped valley with a narrow valley mouth and surrounded by mountains on three sides. To the south are high mountains, to the north is the 100-mile stone Great Wall, to the west is the high Hanwang Mountain (at that time, Hanwang Mountain had not yet been named), and beyond Hanwang Mountain is the camp where the Zhao army was stationed.
After crossing the mountains in the south, there is the territory that the Qin army has already conquered; the pass behind the Baili Stone Great Wall in the north is one of the land routes over the Taihang Mountains to the heartland of Zhao State, and Lian Po originally set up a checkpoint here; there was also a fortress of the Zhao army on the Hanwang Mountain in the west.
After Zhao Kuo replaced Lian Po as the commander of the Zhao army, in order to fight the Qin army, he withdrew all the Zhao troops that were defending separately and conducted drills according to his understanding. He also replaced all the middle and lower-level generals left by Lian Po. The positions of the Zhao army on the Baili Stone Great Wall and Hanwang Mountain were abandoned.
Zhao Kuo was well-versed in military books, so he naturally knew that training soldiers was the first step for a general. Now these generals and soldiers were still Lian Po's soldiers, not his own. If he wanted to command the army freely, he had to first train these generals and soldiers and make them accustomed to obeying his command style.
Changing generals before a battle is a taboo, and large-scale changes in military personnel before a battle are also a taboo, which will greatly affect morale. But King Zhao and Zhao Kuo were very in sync at this time, and both believed that their actions were very correct.
According to later records, the Qin army deployed more than 600,000 troops on the battlefield, and the Zhao army deployed more than 400,000 troops on the battlefield. According to the ancient tradition of boasting, even if this number is true, the number of civilians who provided logistics support has also been included.
The Qin army was engaged in long-term operations, and the actual number of soldiers, according to the most demanding logistical ratio, was only about 300,000 at most; while the Zhao State had a short supply line and relied on the Shangdang people for transportation and logistics, so the number of soldiers was also approximately 200,000 to 300,000.
Lian Po relied on the solid fortress to fight and retreat, and retreated to the east bank of the Dan River to avoid the battle. After the Qin army attacked many times, the Qin army suffered heavy losses.
Everyone knows that a strong fortress occupying a favorable terrain can defeat many enemies alone. The Qin army had to replace Lian Po because of the heavy casualties and inability to advance. According to later speculation, at least half of the Qin army's nearly 200,000 casualties died in the assault on Lian Po's fortress.
Zhao Kuo roughly estimated the current strength of both sides and speculated that the number of elite soldiers of the Qin army might be slightly less than that of the Zhao army. He had just led a group of people to the battlefield, and the elite soldiers of the Qin army must have been injured, so his side was stronger in terms of combat power.
The governor of Shangdang County offered the city voluntarily. Zhao is the righteous party and the people are on my side.
The two armies were equal in number. Half of my soldiers had just joined the battlefield, while the Qin army had been exhausted from fighting for a long time. Our army was well rested and had the upper hand in terms of combat power.
Zhao had sufficient food and grass, while Qin not only had a long supply line, but had also been fighting a three-year war, so its food and grass were definitely insufficient. Therefore, the logistical advantage was on our side.
Zhao Kuo deduced that, given the great advantage his side had, Qin could neither drag the situation on nor attack by force, and would certainly find a way to bypass the solid defense line and attack Zhao's position from the side.
When Zhao Kuo completed the reorganization of his army, a spy reported that the Qin army commander Wang He was leading a large number of Qin troops northward.
Zhao Kuo spread out the map and was very excited.
He had just guessed that the Qin army, which had been unable to capture the Zhao army for a long time and had low morale, would make a desperate attempt to attack the Zhao army camp from the side, and the Qin army did just that!
Zhao Kuo's deputy general did not agree with the commander's inference.
He pointed at the valley map and said, "The Qin army entered the valley north of Danshui, just like entering a pocket. Although they can bypass our position from the Baili Stone Fortress, they were attacked during the march and could easily be blocked by our army in the pocket. Wang He is a veteran general, how could he make such a mistake?"
Zhao Kuo slammed the table and said angrily: "He didn't make a mistake, he just looked down on me!"
The deputy general was speechless.
Zhao Kuo said excitedly: "If the commander of the Zhao army is still Lian Po, he will never dare to go deep into the enemy's territory alone! He must think that this is my first time leading an army, so he dares only defend and not go out to fight him!"
Deputy General: “…” He was somewhat convinced.
Indeed, if it were an ordinary young general who went to the battlefield for the first time, he would definitely be afraid of the veteran generals of the Qin army. Even if he knew the opponent's intentions, he would strengthen his position and defend it, and would not dare to send troops to defeat the Qin army easily.
Even if the Qin army went around to the north, it would not be easy to capture the Zhao army's position. As long as they held on, even if they failed, it would be difficult to make mistakes. So generally speaking, young generals would choose decisions that would make fewer mistakes.
Zhao Kuo took a deep breath, suppressed the anger of being looked down upon, and said: "The commander is the commander of the Qin army. As long as we kill the commander of the Qin army, the Qin army will be exhausted and will surely fall without a fight!"
Zhao Kuo's military arguments were always reasonable. The deputy general was persuaded, and he withdrew, selecting his troops and generals to prepare for departure.
At the main position of the Qin army, Bai Qi sat in the main tent, looking at the map in front of him in silence.
There are several small stones on the map, representing the military strength of the Qin and Zhao armies.
The Zhao army's pebbles were all crowded in the camp on the east bank of the Dan River, looking like a group of pigs and sheep waiting to be slaughtered.
Half of the Qin army was sent to the Baili Stone Great Wall, but before that, a small number of Qin soldiers had already sneaked into the Baili Stone Great Wall to repair the barriers and transport food and grass.
While Zhao Kuo was withdrawing his troops and training them to prepare for an attack on the Qin army, the Qin army had already found the fortifications abandoned by the Zhao army and were secretly stockpiling food and fodder inside.
These grains and grass are enough for Wang He's army to eat for ten days. In these ten days, the Qin army will be able to complete the encirclement.
"Lord Wu'an, the Zhao army has set out! According to the spies' report, it is the commander-in-chief Zhao Kuo who is leading the troops personally!" A subordinate entered the tent to report.
"Yeah." Bai Qi responded and swept the stones representing the Zhao army towards the northern valley of Danshui.
The stones of the Qin army, which were originally in the northern valley of Danshui, were mixed together with the stones representing the Zhao army.
"Light cavalry, set off." Bai Qi picked up a few stones representing the Qin army and placed them on Hanwang Mountain between the northern valley of Danshui and the original main position of the Zhao army.
The subordinates took the order and withdrew.
About 5,000 light cavalry set out and climbed up Hanwang Mountain. Relying on the original position of the Zhao army on Hanwang Mountain, they piled up earth and cut trees on the spot to repair the barriers.
Zhao Kuo led the main force of the Zhao army to attack, but also left some people in the original main position to guard the logistics and supplies. Bai Qi guessed that Zhao Kuo might have left half of his people to deal with emergencies.
The strategic purpose of the 5,000 highly mobile light cavalry was to hold their ground and block Zhao Kuo when Zhao Kuo discovered something was wrong and was about to cross Hanwang Mountain to return to the position on the east bank of Danshui, and wait for Bai Qi to continue to send reinforcements to Hanwang Mountain.
"General, it's my turn to set off!" Sima Jinxing, the deputy general who came to the Changping battlefield with Bai Qi, rushed in.
Bai Qi glanced at him with dissatisfaction.
Sima Jin immediately put on a serious expression, stood up straight and waited for orders.
"Go and seal the bag." Bai Qi said as he grabbed a few larger stones and placed them on the "mouth" of the bag in the northern valley of Dan Shui.
This Qin army of less than 30,000 people was the most elite veterans selected by Bai Qi. They were armed with the best iron weapons and concentrated almost all the bows and crossbows of the Qin army. They would seal the "mouth" of the river valley tightly and would never let the Zhao army return by the original route.
Sima Jin even forgot to say "obey the order" and ran away excitedly.
Bai Qi's eyebrows twitched and he swallowed the scolding.
He had scolded Sima Jin many times, but to no avail.
Not only Sima Jin. All the deputy generals who have followed him for a long time are similar.
Bai Qi was notorious outside the Qin State, and even children stopped crying. But within the Qin army, the veterans who had followed Bai Qi for a long time would smile at him, knowing that Bai Qi would not be angry.
Bai Qi was given the title of Wu'an Jun. The reasons for the title of Wu'an Jun in different dynasties were different. The reason why Bai Qi was given the title is clearly recorded in history books: "He was able to raise soldiers, win battles, and make the people gather together, so he was called Wu'an."
In addition to being invincible in battle, he was also able to comfort the soldiers and the people, and treated ordinary soldiers and the people of Qin very well. So after he was unjustly killed by the King of Qin, the people of Qin secretly built a temple for him.
Bai Qi is now beginning to worry that if he continues to win battles and is still loved by soldiers and the public, it may cause many people to be jealous of him.
But he can use laws to severely punish the soldiers and civilians, allowing them to be arrogant and domineering for no reason, and he can't even pretend.
Once, Bai Qi tried to pretend to be angry for no reason, but a row of his lieutenants grinned at him and asked him if he wanted to drink some wine to change his mood.
Bai Qi was speechless. He turned around, leaving the group of giggling lieutenants behind and walked away, not wanting to pay any attention to them.
Now he could only try to make himself more and more withdrawn, with less and less expression on his face, and not have any personal relationship with any colleagues or subordinates except on the battlefield. The new soldiers were finally afraid of him, but the group of old subordinates still refused to change their ways.
Bai Qi felt helpless when he thought of this.
He continued to look down at the map, thinking about what else he needed to add, and put this boring worry aside.
"The only unexpected change in this battle was that Zhao Kuo discovered in time that Wang He was a bait and broke through the Hanwang Mountain."
Bai Qi talked to himself.
He said that the inference spoken out loud was the most difficult part of a battle.
"If the five thousand cavalry are defeated before reinforcements arrive, and the Zhao army returns to the fortress..."
Bai Qi pondered for a while, holding a stone between his fingers and tapping the map gently.
One, two, three...
"Bluster, making Zhao Kuo think that the main position has been lost."
"Then let go the soldiers he asked for help and spread the false news that the King of Zhao will send Lian Po to support him."
"If these are not successful, then there will be no quick victory."
"If we cannot win quickly..." Bai Qi pondered, "I should ask the king for peace."
If we cannot achieve sufficient results in the war, we should quit while we are ahead and seek greater benefits through peace talks.
Bai Qi never thought that he was truly invincible, but rather that he had made thorough preparations before the battle so as not to fight a battle that would deplete Qin's soldiers and food but would not bring him sufficient benefits.
However, although Bai Qi had prepared for the worst, he did not think it would come to this.
He looked down on Zhao Kuo.
Zhao Kuo was a few years older than King Zhao and had just turned thirty.
Bai Qi joined the army at the age of fifteen. At the same age as Zhao Kuo, he had already been in the army for fifteen years and had made many achievements. Zhao Kuo was the son of Zhao She, a general of the State of Zhao, but he was only known for his military theory and had never been to a barracks.
With Zhao Kuo's status and position, even if the King of Zhao did not let Zhao She continue to lead the army as the main general, it would be easy for Zhao Kuo to enter the barracks as a deputy general. The King of Zhao did not like old generals, but he was quite caring towards young generals.
Zhao Kuo had a reputation, status, and connections, so why did he never have any military achievements? Of course, it was because he wanted to follow the example of his father Zhao She and be the main general when he went out on his first expedition.
When Bai Qi learned about Zhao Kuo's experience, he immediately discussed with Yinghou Fan Ju and decided that Zhao Kuo had to be the main general of Zhao in the Battle of Changping.
Zhao She did become famous in one battle. But before he became a general, he fled to Yan State and served as a local official in Yan State.
This experience gave Zhao She a tenacious spirit, and since local officials in the Warring States Period would also serve as generals, he already had military experience.
Afterwards, Zhao She returned to Zhao State and was recommended by Pingyuan Jun Zhao Sheng to be in charge of Zhao State's taxation. He traveled all over Zhao State on foot and became not only familiar with the geography but also had a better understanding of people's livelihood.
This experience enabled Zhao She to take advantage of the geographical location, be more tolerant towards the people and soldiers, and know how to rally the people's hearts and morale.
Zhao Kuo was different from Zhao She. His experience was just boasting in the study and among scholars. He had been living a life of luxury since he was a child. He had never suffered any hardship and had no chance to get along with people of much lower status than him.
Such people, if they encounter the slightest setback or are frightened, will give up on themselves and hide in their shells. Then, when they are almost trapped to death, they will try to break out in a panic like a desperate dog, completely losing their composure.
However, no matter how much Bai Qi looked down on Zhao Kuo, when hunting a weak hare, he still had to pull the bowstring to its full extent and shoot an arrow. He would think of all possibilities and make the most comprehensive response possible.
In order to pursue the Qin army's main general Wang He, Zhao Kuo led the entire Zhao army to attack, leaving only a small part of the troops to guard the baggage.
The Qin army fought and retreated, seemingly defeated, but their formation was not in the slightest disarray.
The veteran generals in the army immediately noticed something was wrong and asked Zhao Kuo to withdraw his troops.
Zhao Kuo hesitated.
He was familiar with military books, and seeing this situation, he knew that the Qin army might be deliberately luring the enemy deep into their territory. However, the Qin army's main general Wang He was right in front of him, and the Qin army was already retreating step by step. As long as he beheaded Wang He, even if there was an ambush, his side would win.
After much thought, Zhao Kuo was unable to give up the juicy bait of "Wang He, the main general of the Qin army".
He gave the order: "The commander of the Qin army is in front of us, so the other Qin soldiers are nothing to be afraid of! The bravest will win when two meet on a narrow road! As long as we capture and kill the commander of the Qin army, the ambush will be solved!"
"When two men meet in a narrow road, the braver one wins" was Zhao She's answer to King Huiwen of Zhao when he asked him whether he could fight in the Battle of Yanyu. It was in the Battle of Yanyu that Zhao She became famous.
Zhao Kuo used his father's words to motivate the generals. The generals were convinced and no longer hesitated. They followed Zhao Kuo to continue attacking Wang He.
The Qin army continued to suffer casualties and retreated faster and faster, finally retreating to the vicinity of the Baili Stone Great Wall and entering a fortress that had been built long ago.
Wang He took off his helmet, wiped the blood off his face, and breathed a sigh of relief.
He counted the troops. More than half of the Qin army he brought out as bait had been killed. But the remaining Qin soldiers showed no fear, and some even looked happy.
"We successfully retreated to the fortress and did not let Wu'an Jun hold us back. We have won this battle!" said the generals beside Wang He happily.
Wang He sighed: "Yes."
Fighting with General Bai makes you feel good. As long as you try your best to complete the tasks assigned by General Bai, you just need to wait for the moment of victory.
"Hey, General, are these potatoes?" Someone found a pile of food that he had seen before but had never eaten before in a corner while cleaning the fortress. "Did the Zhao army leave food here?"
Wang He took a closer look and said, "Yes, it's potatoes. I heard from spies that potatoes are poisonous when they sprout or turn green. After Zhao Kuo arrived in Changping, he forbade Zhao soldiers to eat poisonous grass roots to avoid accidents on the battlefield. So when transporting supplies, the potatoes were discarded."
The soldier said: "General, these potatoes haven't sprouted or turned green. Should we..."
Wang He said, "After roasting, feed it to the horse first. If the horse is fine after eating it, let me have a taste. Lian Po, that old bastard, was sitting on the high wall eating roasted potatoes and scolding me. I have long wanted to taste what he was eating!"
The soldier immediately said, "General, let's eat the food we haven't eaten before. What if it's really poisonous?"
Wang He refused his subordinates' kindness. He just wanted to taste the potatoes that Lian Po, the old man, was eating with great pleasure. As long as he ate a little, it would be fine even if it was poisonous. Wang He had eaten many slightly poisonous animals and plants during his march.
The Qin army, which had suffered more than half casualties, happily roasted the potatoes that the Zhao army had discarded. The Zhao army at the fortress looked up at the solid stone wall with a look of panic.
Seeing the renovated Zhao army's former fortress, even ordinary veterans could tell from their own marching experience that something was wrong with the current situation.
Zhao Kuo's expression was a little confused.
The commander of the Qin army actually retreated into a fortress, and this fortress looked like it had just been renovated. It was obvious that the commander of the Qin army might be heading here.
It's impossible that the Qin army commander used himself as bait
Zhao Kuo's IQ was fine, but he lacked experience. This strange situation finally made him realize the truth.
The Qin army could not let the main general be a bait. If the main general was used as bait, who would organize the attack
Wang He was really in front of them, and a general who had met Wang He on the battlefield recognized him. So Wang He was no longer the commander of the Qin army
If Wang He is not the main general, then who is the main general of the Qin army
who is it?!
A terrible name emerged in Zhao Kuo's mind, a name that made his hands and feet numb and cold sweat break out on his forehead just thinking about it.
"General! General! We must leave here quickly!" said the deputy general anxiously.
Zhao Kuo came to his senses and said, "Yes, yes, we must leave here and return the same way!"
The deputy general said: "There must be Qin troops waiting along the original route. We should climb back to the camp from the eastern mountain. Our baggage is all in the camp! If that man comes, we will have to return to the camp to defend it!"
Obviously, not only Zhao Kuo, but all people with brains have guessed that if the original Qin army commander Wang He could be used as bait, then the Qin army commander could only be that person.
Although they had guessed it, they dared not even say the name of "that person". Just thinking of that name in their minds made them tremble.
Zhao Kuo said in panic: "Yes, climb over the mountain! Hurry up!"
Zhao Kuo was hoping for the best. Their march was very fast, and the mountain was so high that the Qin army certainly had not had time to set up a siege on the mountain!
The Zhao army hurriedly ran towards the east mountain, and on the top of the mountain, they were attacked by the Qin army's rolling logs and hurling stones. The Zhao army that ran to the front was crushed into the mud by the rolling logs and hurling stones before they saw the Qin army's flag.
"The Qin army is already on the mountain? How come it's so fast?!" the deputy general was surprised.
Zhao Kuo became frightened when he saw the rolling logs and boulders falling continuously.
He could not see how many people were on the mountain, nor could he judge in his mind how many people were on the mountain. He only saw rolling logs and boulders falling from the top of the mountain like a blanket, and the soldiers were turned into meat paste without any resistance, as if this was not a battle between two armies, but a battle against the power of heaven and earth.
Attacking from the foot of the mountain to the top, just looking up at the high mountain top will give you this feeling of frustration.
The Zhao army had experienced a lot and was accustomed to this kind of fear, but they still charged up the mountain in wave after wave.
This was the first time Zhao Kuo had experienced such horror. It was the first time he had seen countless people turn into a mass of flesh and blood without any struggle. He could not help but feel a strong sense of despair.
We can’t fight on the mountain anymore! We can’t win!
His fear told him so, so he sounded the call and ordered the Zhao army to stop charging up the mountain.
"Go back! Go back the same way from the valley entrance!" Zhao Kuo roared, "The valley is flat, and we have many people. We will definitely be able to break their encirclement!"
The deputy generals disagreed with Zhao Kuo's judgment.
Even if the Qin army on the mountain set out at the same time as them, since one was on a flat road and the other was on a mountain road, it would definitely take them much longer to travel than them.
They guessed that the enemy must have used highly mobile troops such as cavalry, and that the number of troops would not be too large, and the time it would take to prepare on the mountain would not be too long. Even if the Zhao army used human lives, ten for one, they could still defeat the enemy's position.
But Zhao Kuo would not listen to the deputy general's advice.
He ordered the entire Zhao army to attack and fell into the Qin army's trap, which has proven to be a wrong decision. Compared with the fear of facing the Qin army and death, the fact that he made a huge mistake as soon as he entered the battlefield was even more difficult for him to accept.
Now his deputy generals all opposed his decision, which made him quite angry and embarrassed.
So Zhao Kuo insisted on his own way and ordered the Zhao army's rear troops to become the vanguard and break out from the original route.
When Zhao Kuo first arrived at the frontline, he replaced the middle and lower-level generals who were older and would not listen to him. The current middle and lower-level generals were either his retainers or those who were too inexperienced to disobey his orders. Therefore, even if the experienced generals in the army disagreed with Zhao Kuo's judgment, the Zhao army still withdrew from the mountain, returned along the original route, and broke out from the valley entrance.
Sima Jin had already set up the crossbow formation and was waiting for the Zhao army to arrive.
When Sima Jin saw the figure of Zhao Jun, a malicious smile appeared on his face.
"Raise our Wu'an Jun's flag." Sima Jin laughed loudly, "Raise the flag higher so the Zhao people can see it clearly!"
The Qin soldiers all laughed along with the general.
They lowered Wang He's flag and replaced it with the flag of Bai Qi, the Marquis of Wu'an, which they then waved high.
When the Zhao army arrived at the mouth of the valley, they saw the flag of Wu'an Jun from afar before they were within the range of the Qin army's crossbows.
At this moment, the Zhao army's advance stopped strangely, and almost all the generals and soldiers held their breath.
Despair slowly climbed up to their hearts, like a big hand, holding their hearts in its palm and gradually tightening them.
Even illiterate soldiers could understand the pattern of the flag, because it was their nightmare, and they secretly looked at the flag before setting out, praying that they would not encounter it.
"Bai Qi..." I don't know who shouted out this name first.
The Zhao army's formation was in disarray.
Some soldiers who were on the battlefield for the first time dropped their weapons, squatted down with their heads in their hands, and were emotionally broken and unable to accept this reality.
Zhao Kuo got the news and rushed over from the middle section on horseback.
He whipped the collapsed soldiers on both sides with a horse whip and shouted, "So what if Bai Qi! Bai Qi is old! He is almost fifty years old this year! My father is Ma Fu Jun Zhao She! Ma Fu Jun Zhao She who is feared by the King of Qin! My soldiers are not allowed to be afraid of Bai Qi!"
Amid Zhao Kuo's angry roar, the chaos of the Zhao army was curbed.
Ma Fujun, who once defeated the Qin army under almost impossible circumstances, is a legend. His reputation in the hearts of the soldiers is probably higher than that of Lian Po, who had a better record but also had wins and losses.
The Zhao soldiers' panicked and confused emotions were calmed down, and they picked up their weapons again and held them tightly.
After the reforms of King Wuling of Zhao, the people of Zhao wore Hu clothing, rode and shot arrows, and martial arts became popular. The individual quality of Zhao soldiers was considered to be the best among the seven kingdoms.
Zhao Kuo gave them hope.
They looked at Zhao Kuo with hope.
These low-level soldiers of Zhao believed in Ma Fujun, so they believed that they did not have to be afraid of Ma Fuzi, Bai Qi, the Wu'an Jun of Qin.
They waved their weapons, roared loudly, and rushed towards the Qin position with courage renewed by renewed hope.
Then, he fell in the hail of arrows.
This time during the battle with the Qin crossbow formation, there was no look of despair on the faces of the Zhao soldiers until the moment of their death.
Just like when they attacked the position of Hanwang Mountain with only 5,000 light cavalry, and one Zhao soldier after another fell under the boulders and rolling logs, they did not despair.
The people of Zhao were warlike; they were not afraid of the Qin army or Bai Qi.
In the main tent of the Qin army, messengers kept coming in and out, bringing intelligence and taking away orders.
Bai Qi sat at the table, his brows furrowed, his expression somewhat solemn.
All the news from the front is good news.
Zhao Kuo was even more useless than he thought. He first attacked the position on the mountain, but after failing to capture it for a short time, he turned around and broke out from the river valley; after being blocked by crossbows at the river valley, he turned his troops again and broke out from the mountain.
Zhao Kuo's wavering decision gave the troops on the mountain and at the mouth of the river valley sufficient time to strengthen their positions and wait for reinforcements, thus alleviating the pressure on Bai Qi to command the Qin army to encircle the city.
Later, Zhao Kuo attacked Wang He again. Wang He had also rested and was defending his position in the fortress.
After Zhao Kuo failed to capture the city after a long siege, he set up camp in the valley and switched from attack to defense.
In Bai Qi's eyes, Zhao Kuo made mistakes in every step. But he never expected that Zhao Kuo would be so stupid!
Bai Qi originally thought that Zhao Kuo would lead half of the Zhao army to attack, and the other half would stay on the east bank of the Dan River. This would not only protect the position and baggage, but also provide reinforcements when Zhao Kuo was besieged.
It is impossible for a normal general to completely ignore his retreat and logistics when pursuing an enemy.
The light cavalry that Bai Qi sent to the mountain was a "suicide squad". He originally thought that this cavalry would be swallowed up by the two-sided attack before the Qin army reinforcements arrived.
Who would have thought that Zhao Kuo actually took away all the main forces of the Zhao army. The Zhao army went out in full force, leaving only a small number of logistical non-combat personnel in the original positions.
Bai Qi only sent two elite troops to block Zhao Kuo's retreat, and used the rest of his forces to attack the Zhao army fortress on the east bank of the Dan River.
He wanted to first capture the Zhao army fortress without a commander, annihilate part of the Zhao army, and then slowly devour Zhao Kuo's besieged army.
Now the Qin army marched straight into the Zhao army's original position and encountered basically no resistance.
The Zhao Kuo army surrounded by Bai Qi was actually the main force of the Zhao army?! How could the Qin army take in so many people?!
The Qin army could rely on the main roads to block the Zhao army of hundreds of thousands with very few troops. Similarly, the Zhao army could also rely on these narrow roads to resist the Qin army's offensive.
In other words, the Qin and Zhao armies were now in a stalemate. The Zhao army could not break through, and the Qin army could not defeat the Zhao army.
Zhao Kuo's stupid move actually held Bai Qi back.
Bai Qi had fought for decades, and this was the first time he encountered such a situation. He could not think of a solution for a while.
Bai Qi was depressed and aggrieved, so he had to write a letter back to Xianyang, asking the emperor to find a solution.
Now the Zhao army and the Qin army are in a stalemate, and Bai Qi cannot move a single soldier. The outcome of the next war will depend on what happens outside the battlefield - whether Zhao's reinforcements arrive first or Qin's reinforcements arrive first.
Both Zhao and Qin had used up almost all their elite forces, and it was difficult for either side to send reinforcements. However, Zhao still had the veteran general Lian Po to provide support, while Qin could not even send out generals to support it.
Bai Qi was trapped in the Changping battlefield, and other generals had to guard the borders between Qin and other countries to prevent other countries from taking the opportunity to launch a sneak attack on Qin.
He had no idea who else the King of Qin could send to support him.
After delivering the letter, Bai Qi sighed helplessly.
His brilliant record in life would not leave a stain in such a stupid place, right
The King of Zhao received the news that Zhao Kuo's entire army was besieged a few days earlier than the King of Qin.
The young King of Zhao immediately felt a buzzing in his head, felt at a loss, and almost fainted.
King Zhao was actually mentally prepared for Zhao Kuo's defeat.
Zhao Kuo was defeated, and it was nothing more than Bai Qi. Although he was defeated, Shangdang was not Zhao's territory, so Zhao did not suffer much loss. Zhao Kuo, a young man, could fight with Bai Qi for a few moves, and he could basically be listed as a famous general.
In order to prevent Zhao Kuo from losing too badly, the King of Zhao mobilized almost all of Zhao's elite soldiers except those guarding the border. If they couldn't win, they would run away. As long as they returned to Zhao, would the Qin soldiers, who were running out of food, dare to chase them into Zhao
But King Zhao never expected that Zhao Kuo's entire army would be surrounded!
If the entire army is wiped out, not only will Zhao be short of manpower, but there will also be no one to farm next year, and there will probably be a famine!
The King of Zhao fainted for a while, and hurriedly called Pingyuan Jun and Pingyang Jun to the palace to discuss the matter.
Pingyuan Jun and Pingyang Jun were at their wits' end, so they asked the King of Zhao to summon all the high-ranking officials he could to discuss the matter.
Lin Xiangru was also among them.
He looked around but didn't see Lian Po.
After Lian Po was called back to Handan by the King of Zhao, he clearly expressed his dissatisfaction with the King of Zhao, who dismissed Lian Po from all his official positions and reduced him to a penniless person.
In just one month, almost all the guests in Lian Po's house left. The "Records of the Grand Historian" records that "When Lian Po returned from his post at Changping, he lost his power, so all his guests left", which was very sad.
Lian Po couldn't stay in such a deserted home, so he now lived and ate at Zhu Xiang's house, letting the good-tempered Zhu Xiang serve him, an old man with a weird temper who was even disliked by his own children.
Lin Xiangru thought that the King of Zhao would summon Lian Po after Zhao Kuo's defeat. Who could compare with Lian Po in understanding the Battle of Changping? If someone was to be sent to rescue Zhao Kuo, Lian Po could be the only one!
Lin Xiangru said: "Your Majesty..."
Before he could finish his words, the King of Zhao interrupted him impatiently, "If Lin Qing wants to recommend Lian Po to atone for his sins, then don't say anything. If Lian Po couldn't even beat Wang He, how could Zhao Kuo fight against Bai Qi? I heard that he still has a lot of complaints. Let him reflect on himself at home!"
Lin Xiangru was so excited that he wanted to refute, but he was so excited that he kept coughing and couldn't speak.
King Zhao looked at Lin Xiangru's frail appearance and felt guilty: "Lin Qing is not in good health, go back and recuperate first."
Lin Xiangru covered his coughing mouth and retreated hunched over.
Seeing this, Pingyuan Jun Zhao Sheng said, "I will send Lin Qing away."
King Zhao waved his sleeves and said, "Go ahead."
Zhao Sheng chased after him and found Lin Xiangru leaning against a tree and coughing. He asked worriedly, "Lin Qing, are you okay?"
Lin Xiangru coughed and said, "The state of Zhao is in trouble."
Zhao Sheng, who supported the king of Zhao in taking over Shangdang and promoted the Battle of Changping, clenched his fists and said, "Is there no hope for this matter?"
Lin Xiangru smoothed his chest and took a deep breath. "Now the Qin and Zhao armies are at a stalemate. Whoever's reinforcements arrive first will have the chance to win. The reinforcements that were put together temporarily are a motley crowd. Apart from General Lian, who else can lead these reinforcements?"
Zhao Sheng sighed and said, "Lian Po was replaced by the emperor on his own accord, and Zhao Kuo was appointed as a general by the emperor on his own accord. If Lian Po is sent to rescue Zhao Kuo, wouldn't that be a loss of face for the emperor? Don't mention Lian Po, change someone else. I'm worried that the emperor will vent his anger on you!"
Lin Xiangru's eyes were filled with sorrow and his voice was sad: "Is the reputation of the King of Zhao more important than the State of Zhao?"
Zhao Sheng sighed deeply again and gritted his teeth and said, "Don't try to persuade him. I will go and persuade him privately! I will call Zhao Bao and together with him, we will surely be able to convince His Majesty!"
Lin Xiangru bowed and said, "I'll leave it to Lord Pingyuan."
Zhao Sheng supported Lin Xiangru and said, "I'll take you back first."
Lin Xiangru shook his head: "No, I can still walk, I will go back by myself. Lord Pingyuan, please go back and persuade King Zhao as soon as possible." Zhao Sheng nodded: "Be careful."
Lin Xiangru turned and left, staggering with alternate deep and shallow steps.
He thought that Lord Pingyuan and Lord Pingyang might be able to persuade King Zhao, but could the Zhao army in Changping wait
"Your Majesty, Qin is indeed unable to send any more soldiers or generals!" Fan Ju calculated the accounts for the King of Qin and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Perhaps we can take advantage of the siege of the Zhao army and accept the peace talks from Zhao! I believe they must be more anxious than us!"
The old King Qin, who was already over sixty years old, looked at the empty table in silence.
After a long while, he said word by word: "No, Qin still has soldiers and generals who can be recruited."
Fan Ju and other important officials of Qin State raised their heads and looked at their king in confusion.
"Sir, you will assist Lord Anguo in supervising the country." The King of Qin said in a calm tone, as if what he said was not very important. "I will set off immediately and go to Yewang in person."
"I will confer a higher rank on the people of Yewang! Conquer all men over fifteen years old! Go and personally aid Wu'an Jun!"
"Records of the Grand Historian" records that "the king went to Henei and granted the people one level of nobility each, and sent all those aged fifteen and above to Changping."
Henei County was first established in the Han Dynasty. The "Henei" mentioned by Sima Qian was Yewang at that time, which was just captured by the Qin army the year before.
After the Qin army conquered Yewang and Shangdang, the local people had not yet realized that they were Qin citizens, and the Qin State had not yet recruited soldiers and collected grain in the local area.
Fan Ju and An Guojun both climbed up from their cushions and came before the King of Qin.
"Your Majesty, the battlefield is dangerous, think twice!"
"Father, your body is more important than anything else! Although I am not talented, I am willing to go to Yewang to recruit soldiers for you!"
The old King of Qin looked at his most trusted minister and the crown prince, who he was not very satisfied with, and said, "No, only I can go. I have made up my mind, Xianyang will be handed over to you."
He stood up, waved his sleeves, and took a step forward.
The black robe billowed behind him like rolling black waves.
"Prepare the carriage!"
"promise!"
Fan Ju and An Guojun crawled and turned around, looking up at the King of Qin who was about to set off for Yewang as soon as he received the news from the front line.
"Your Majesty! Wait, I'll take you there!" Fan Ju ignored etiquette, lifted up his robe, got up, and chased after the King of Qin.
An Guojun came to his senses, got up and ran out of the door.
Other important officials also quickly stood up and escorted the King of Qin away from Xianyang and went to the front line to support the Battle of Changping.
While Pingyuan Jun and Pingyang Jun were still persuading King Zhao, King Qin had already arrived at Yewang.
When King Zhao learned the news, Qin's reinforcements had already arrived at the Changping battlefield.
At that time, transportation was not well developed and information was not smooth. The Zhao army was besieged in Changping, and it was very difficult to transmit information. Therefore, the King of Zhao only knew that the Qin reinforcements had arrived, but he did not know that the general leading the Qin reinforcements was actually the King of Qin himself. He did not even know that the Qin soldiers were actually recruited from the vicinity of Yewang Shangdang.
But he didn't need to know this. He only needed to know that Qin's reinforcements had arrived at the battlefield, but he was still hesitating whether to send Lian Po to rescue, and he hadn't even decided where to mobilize the troops.
The troops that Zhao could mobilize now could either be used to defend against the Xiongnu or the Yan State. The King of Zhao had not yet figured out which side would be less dangerous.
He actually didn't hesitate for long, not even ten days. But Qin's actions were too fast, so fast that it was unbelievable.
The King of Zhao was very scared. Qin was able to gather reinforcements so quickly. Could it be that Qin could send more troops in the future
His desire to continue fighting gradually faded, and he considered peace talks with the State of Qin.
The royal family and important officials in the court were speechless. When Lian Po retreated, we wanted to negotiate, but the King of Qin just perfunctorily gave us the green light. Now that the Qin army is about to win, how could they agree to negotiate? What bargaining chips do we have that are more powerful than these 300,000 or 400,000 Zhao troops to make Qin negotiate!
King Zhao was at a loss: "What should we do then?"
At Zhu Xiang's home.
Lian Po was like a big naughty kid, holding a bag of stones and hitting the chickens in the chicken coop, making their feathers fly.
"Lian Po, do you think Zhao still has a chance of winning?" Lin Xiangru, who was sitting behind him, asked with a dejected expression.
Lian Po smashed the chicken while saying, "How can we win? Right now the Zhao army is like being in a city without walls and lacking food and grass. The Qin State has not even gathered enough reinforcements to besiege the city. Even if we finally gather reinforcements, they will only be meat in the Qin Army's mouth!"
"If I were Bai Qi, I would just surround the enemy but not fight." Lian Po said as he laughed, "Why bother fighting? It would be better to just starve the Zhao army to death! Hahahaha, why bother fighting! We've already lost! All lost!"
Lian Po laughed and threw the stone in his arms forward, then burst into tears.
"Three hundred thousand or four hundred thousand people! Three hundred thousand or four hundred thousand people! Surrender, surrender quickly, as many as can survive will be the best!"
"Lin Xiangru, go find the King of Zhao and ask him to surrender!"
"Zhao Kuo deserves to die, but those 300,000 or 400,000 people cannot die!"
Lin Xiangru wiped Lin Xiangru's tears with his sleeve and choked up, saying, "I'm afraid there are less than 300,000 or 400,000 people still alive."
Zhu Xiang leaned against the wall of the chicken coop, silently looking at the sky and thinking about Changping.
According to historical records, starting from the time when Lian Po took over the army, the State of Zhao deployed a total of 450,000 troops on the battlefield.
It is said that the Qin army lost 200,000 men in this battle. Given the Qin army's fighting power, even if it was a one-for-one battle, the Zhao army should have lost 200,000 men. Lian Po was defeated before, and later Zhao Kuo's army starved to death or died while trying to break through the siege.
Later, the results of archaeological excavations on the ancient battlefield of the Battle of Changping also proved that the number of Zhao soldiers who surrendered in this battle was estimated to be at most hundreds of thousands.
"Records of the Grand Historian" records that "they used deception to kill them all" and "in total, 450,000 people were beheaded and captured", which means that in this war, a total of 450,000 people died in the State of Zhao.
Later generations said that they buried alive, mistaking "昬杀" for "坑杀". "昬杀" means killing innocent people such as prisoners of war and civilians, with corpses piled up like mountains. Bai Qi did not have time to dig a pit for burying alive.
Bai Qi beheaded countless people, but he felt guilty about the killing of surrendered soldiers at Changping, because he was "blackmailing".
Bai Qi originally agreed to give these surrendered soldiers a chance to live, tricking them into laying down their weapons, and then killed them all.
Some people say that Bai Qi did this because he wanted to share the credit with the Qin army.
In fact, after the unearthed "The Book of Lord Shang" and Qin bamboo slips, it can be seen that the Qin Dynasty had very strict requirements for beheading military merits. Only the heads of enemy soldiers with titles could be promoted to their own titles.
Moreover, the Book of Lord Shang states that “there are meritorious soldiers who beheaded people and captured prisoners”; the Strategies of the Warring States records that the Qin soldiers who went to receive the reward “held heads in their left hands and held prisoners in their right hands”. These can prove that although it is not explicitly stated, prisoners of war can also be considered as military merits.
In the late Qin Dynasty, prisoners of war were mostly used for land reclamation and labor. The Qin Dynasty had already understood the importance of labor, so it was normal to use prisoners of war as military merit.
Therefore, as long as the Qin State wanted to keep the prisoners of war, the soldiers would be credited with "capturing prisoners."
Zhu Xiang knew very well that the main reason why Qin killed the prisoners was that it could not afford to feed them. The land in Shangdang was barren, and it was not worth the cost to feed the prisoners. Moreover, Shangdang was very close to Zhao State, and if the Zhao prisoners were not well fed, they would easily escape.
Everyone who studies agriculture is inevitably familiar with the history of famine.
Contrary to the popular impression that Qin attacked the six states because it was strong, Qin actually started the war immediately after it encountered famine.
In the 27th year of King Zhao of Qin, there was an earthquake and famine. The King of Qin sent Bai Qi and Sima Cuo to attack Zhao and Chu. For several consecutive years, Chu was forced to move its capital. In the 38th year of King Zhao of Qin, there was a great famine in Shangjun, and Qin attacked Wei.
This was even more obvious when Qin Shi Huang conquered the six kingdoms. During his reign, there was a five-year famine. So during these five years, Qin Shi Huang hurriedly swept the world.
After the middle of the Warring States Period, the Qin State, which was capable of fighting, would fight whenever there was a disaster, just like the nomadic people on the grassland encountering a snowstorm.
Many historians have analyzed that when Qin Shihuang was in power, the Qin Dynasty had already laid the groundwork for its demise, which is a speculation based on this historical fact.
Qin Shi Huang unified the six kingdoms to divert domestic conflicts caused by famine, and used war to reduce population and rob neighboring countries of food. But when Qin Shi Huang unified the economically developed regions at the time, there was no place to rob even if he fought more wars, and domestic conflicts gradually accumulated, and if he changed the emperor, it would immediately erupt.
Zhu Xiang learned from the caravans and refugees that although Qin had not encountered famine in recent years, the harvest was not very good.
Dujiangyan was built between 256 and 251 BC, and it is now 260 BC; Zhengguo Canal was built during the reign of Qin Shihuang. These two water conservancy projects that could greatly increase the grain production of Qin State have not yet been built. At this time, the grain production of Qin State may not be much better than that of Qin Shihuang, who suffered five consecutive years of famine.
Ah, my Jia Zhenger is so awesome that he sent troops to unify the six kingdoms after years of famine!
Zhu Xiang shook his head vigorously to shake off the magical idea that suddenly popped up in his mind.
He patted his robe that was covered in dust from leaning against the wall and walked towards Lin Xiangru and Lian Po.
"Mr. Lin, Qin cannot afford to support hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war, and it is impossible to send them back to Zhao. Wouldn't that mean that this war was fought in vain? They will certainly kill the prisoners." Zhu Xiang said, "Please recommend me to meet the King of Zhao. I want to persuade him to offer the city in exchange for the prisoners. These hundreds of thousands of Zhao people are much more important than a few cities. I am willing to go to Changping in person to persuade Bai Qi."
Convince the King of Qin.
Zhu Xiang thought to himself that the King of Qin should have arrived in Changping.
Lin Xiangru grabbed Zhu Xiang's sleeve and asked, "Are you sure you can convince Bai Qi?"
Zhu Xiang said: "We have to give it a try after all."
King Zhao will definitely agree.
Because he didn't care about his life as a commoner, the King of Zhao asked him to take the city map to exchange for prisoners of war, and let him stay in Qin as a hostage, and then break the agreement after the prisoners of war were exchanged.
But it didn't matter, Zhu Xiang didn't want to exchange the city for prisoners of war. He only needed the King of Zhao to agree to let him go to Changping with enough food to sustain the Zhao army for two months, and his success rate in persuading the King of Qin would be very high.
Of course, the bargaining chip he used to persuade the King of Qin to release the prisoners of war was not just to provide food for the Qin State.
He could help Qin, which would weaken Zhao's national strength and the prestige of the King of Zhao more than killing these prisoners.
Use your own life.
I, who had accumulated a good reputation among the common people of Zhao, was killed by the King of Zhao after saving more than 100,000 people of Zhao. Even if the people were ignorant, I'm afraid they couldn't tolerate this King of Zhao, right
(End of this chapter)