During the Spring and Autumn Period, Duke Mu of Qin was an ambitious monarch who wanted to come out of the narrow Guanzhong region and dominate the Central Plains. However, the eastward road was always blocked by the Jin State.
Later, when Duke Mu of Qin learned that Duke Wen of Jin, who dominated the princes, was dead, he felt that this was a good opportunity to expand his territory, so he decided to send Meng Ming as a general, with Xi Qishu and Bai Yibing as deputy generals, to lead the Qin army to attack zheng.
To the great disappointment of Duke Mu of Qin, the Qin army was ambushed by the Jin army in 627 BC at The Jiankun Mountain (in present-day luoning county, henan, east of Hangu Pass) and the entire army was destroyed, and all three Qin generals became prisoners of the Jin army, and later fled back to the Qin state in a panic.
Dressed in white, Qin Mugong personally ran to the outskirts to meet the remnants of the defeated soldiers. To people's surprise, when Meng Mingshi and the other three defeated generals pleaded with Qin Mugongcheng with trepidation, he cried bitterly and said, "I didn't listen to baili xi and uncle Jian, which caused the three generals to be humiliated, what crime do you have?" I'm to blame for all this!
Then Qin Mugong cheered up the three generals: "I must not cover up your great virtue because of your small mistakes." Don't be discouraged, think single-mindedly about how to take revenge, we will eventually be ashamed! ”
In 626 BC, Meng Mingshi and three other generals led 400 military vehicles to attack the Jin state again to avenge the defeat of Kunshan. However, this battle was again defeated due to the preparation of the Jin army.
After Meng Mingshi fled back to the Qin State, he got into the prison cart himself, saying that this time there was no reason for the monarch to be exempted from his guilt again.
Unexpectedly, Qin Mugong once again comforted Meng Mingshi and said, "We have lost two battles in a row, and I can't blame you for this, this is my crime!" I only pay attention to soldiers and horses, and I do not care about national politics and the difficulties of ordinary people. The rise or fall of a country is not a matter of one person, winning a battle is not the credit of one person, and losing a battle is not your fault alone. ”
Qin Mugong ordered Meng Mingshi to continue to be in charge of the army. Meng Mingshi and the other three generals were grateful to Mu Gong from the bottom of their hearts for their tolerance and generosity, and they were more energetic and self-motivated, stepping up the training of the rear soldiers and horses, and making every effort to strengthen their combat readiness.
In 624 BC, the third year of the Battle of Kunshan, Meng Mingshi and others led an army across the Yellow River and confronted the Jin army for the third time.
The generals of the Qin army fought against the enemy and were determined to win, and after they crossed the river, they burned all the ferries and decided to fight the Jin army to the death.
Because the three armies of the Qin State used their lives, high morale, and fought bravely, the result was a big defeat for the Jin army, and the Jin army shrank in the city and did not dare to fight.
Qin Mugong personally came to Kundi, where the Qin army had suffered heavy losses three years ago, ordered the bones of the fallen soldiers to be collected and buried, and solemnly mourned and sacrificed for three days.
He also scolded himself: "At the beginning, I refused to listen to the words of the two elders, Bai Lixi and Uncle Jian, which caused disasters to the Qin Kingdom, and in the future, you must remember my mistakes and respect those elders who have insight into the world!" ”
The tribes of the small western countries and the Western Rong, hearing that the Qin state had defeated the overlords of the Central Plains, rushed to pay tribute to the Qin state, and at once more than twenty small countries and tribes were annexed to the Qin state.
In this way, the State of Qin expanded its territory by thousands of miles and became the leader of Xi Rong. Zhou Xianggong also sent his ministers to the Qin state, gave Qin Mugong twelve golden drums, and named him the hegemon of the West.
These historical facts are scattered in the Zuo Zhuan "Thirty-two to Thirty-three Years of the Duke of Qi", "Wen Gong to the Third Year", and "History of Qin Benji".
Meng Mingshi and three other qin generals went out on two expeditions to humiliate the division and even destroy the entire army, And Mu Gong not only did not kill them, but continued to trust and reuse.
What is particularly valuable is that Qin Mugong had the courage to take responsibility in the face of defeat, weeping bitterly and openly examining himself, while showing great tolerance for the generals who fought with three members.
You must know that at that time, he was still in a slave society, and As the king of a country, Qin Mugong could openly do self-criticism without fearing people's words, and continue to use the generals of the defeated army, which was not only a kind of open mind and foresight, but also a superb strategy for command.
I am afraid that not every king can do it without "hiding his great virtue" from "hiding his great virtue" and dare to admit his mistakes to himself. Of course, Mu Gongneng repeatedly forgave and reused the three generals, but also saw that although the three generals were defeated, they were not mediocre, so they gave full trust to continue to retain.
Trust is a kind of pressure, which is more effective than coercion. Mu Gong blamed himself, and it was his great wisdom to give the three generals trust and encouragement. Because of this, the three generals felt it in their hearts and were determined to repay them with death. This cannot but be said to be a clever command strategy of Qin Mugong.
It was precisely because Qin Mugong was able to comprehensively examine and use talents and fully trust them that Meng Mingshisan would finally win the victory. If the King of Chu defeated and died like the King of Chu did with Ziyu, how could he avenge the snow and hatred? These five words are an important reason why Qin Mugong can achieve hegemony, and it is no wonder that Sima Qian gave him a very high evaluation.