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Text: He Xunci
Editor|He Xunci
Preface
In Chinese history, the Warring States period was full of wars and disputes. Among them, the Battle of Changping became a key battle during the Warring States Period, and Bai Qi, a famous general of the Qin State, showed outstanding military talent in this battle.
In the Battle of Changping, the two armies of Zhao and Qin, which were supposed to be unable to hold out, were reversed because of Bai Qi's timely support. This has sparked curiosity as to whether the entire credit for the victory can really be attributed to Bai Qi.
The rise of the white rise
Bai Qi, also known as Gongsun Qi, was a heroic general of the Qin State during the Warring States Period, and his life carried the historical mission of the powerful rise of the Qin State. His birthplace, Yiyi, coincided with the time when the Qin State was undergoing a change of law, which brought unprecedented strength to the Qin State.
At that time, the state of Qin was at a moment of great ambition. King Zhaoxiang of Qin made a grand plan to advance eastward into the Three Jin Dynasty and eventually seize the entire world. However, such an ambitious undertaking faces a serious challenge – a shortage of talent and soldiers.
In order to solve this problem, King Zhaoxiang of Qin decided to continue the principle of the Shang Dynasty reform and further implement the military merit system. This means that as long as there is outstanding military merit, regardless of the background, there is a chance to be promoted.
The formulation of this policy has provided a new mechanism and incentive for cultivating and attracting more military talent.
During this period, Bai Qi rose to prominence and became an outstanding general of the Qin State. With his outstanding military talent and outstanding military record, he quickly won the favor of King Zhaoxiang of Qin. The Qin State urgently needed a heroic general like Bai Qi to lead the army to the east and realize the country's grand strategy.
Bai Qi's military talent and strategic vision played a pivotal role in the historical process of Qin's rise. He was not only a brave and fearless warrior, but also a commander who was good at strategizing. His rise is also a successful example of Qin's military reform and military merit system.
Bai Qi excelled in many battles with his outstanding military talent and superb command art, he was well versed in the art of war, good at using tactics flexibly, and won victory after victory for the Qin State. This made King Qin Zhaoxiang appreciate his talent and achievements, and regarded him as the best in the army.
And the battle of Yique became an important chapter in Bai Qi's life. Using clever tactics, he successfully defeated the combined forces of Han and Wei and became famous in one fell swoop. Bai Qi's outstanding performance laid a solid foundation for Qin's subsequent strategic layout.
Bai Qi's command style is unique, he is good at using troops, employing clever tactics, and delivering precise strikes against enemy forces.
In the Battle of Yique, he used the tactics of avoiding the real and attacking the weak, first the weak and then the strong, and in view of the wait-and-see posture of the Han and Wei armies, he adopted a surprising winning strategy, successfully divided the enemy army, and finally gained control of the battle situation.
The victory in this war not only demonstrated Bai Qi's personal bravery and resourcefulness, but also established Qin's unshakable prestige in the region. King Zhaoxiang's overall strategic plan was progressed more smoothly with the victory of the Battle of Changping.
Bai Qi's military talent and outstanding performance made him an indispensable force in the Qin state. He was not only brave on the battlefield, but also showed remarkable wisdom at the strategic level.
With the defeat of the Han and Wei coalition forces in the Battle of Yique, Bai Qi did not stop, but led the army eastward. His military talent and excellent command were once again displayed in the process of capturing the Wei city, creating extremely favorable conditions for the Qin state to go out of the east of the country.
In close cooperation with Sima Cuo, Bai Qi conquered the city of Weiyuan, a battle that once again highlighted his prowess at the strategic level. Bai Qi is good at analyzing the situation and accurately judging the strength and situation of both the enemy and us, so that every military action can achieve twice the result with half the effort.
Bai Qi's series of victories completely changed the military landscape in the region. After successive defeats, Han and Wei had to sue for peace with Qin. Bai Qi's prestige spread throughout the land and became an indispensable pillar of the Qin army.
Bai Qi showed outstanding military talent on the battlefield many times, and with his proficient military skills and excellent command art, he defeated the enemy army one after another and won prestige in the army.
His bravery and determination left a mark on the battles of Korea, Wei, and Chu, but it was the Battle of Changping that really brought his strategic vision to its peak.
Battle of Changping
The Battle of Changping was the most glorious battle in Bai Qi's life. The background is that the state of Zhao is under siege by the state of Qin and is facing heavy pressure. In order to stabilize his position, Zhao sent Lian Po, a veteran, to lead the army to garrison Changping, building three solid lines of defense, buying precious time for Zhao.
However, the Qin state was not willing to be helpless, and Wang Yi led the Qin army to attack several times in an attempt to destroy the defense line of the Zhao army. With his excellent defensive tactics, Lian Po made the Qin army repeatedly hit a wall and fell into trouble.
The Battle of Changping became the pinnacle of a positional war, and the two armies of Qin and Zhao faced each other on the plain of Changping, which lasted for a long time.
In order to deeply attack the internal affairs of the Zhao State, the Qin State designed to let the rumors reach the ears of Zhao Wangxin, the king of the Zhao State, saying that Lian Po was not good for the Zhao State. King Zhao believed that it was true, so he decided to replace Lian Po with Zhao Kuo and become the new commander of the Zhao army.
Zhao Kuo is not an experienced veteran, but an eloquent Wenchen, who has no experience in battle formations at all.
As soon as Zhao Kuo went to the front, the Qin State immediately sent Bai Qi, and Bai Qi lived up to expectations. He used the trick of luring the enemy to retreat to lure the Zhao army into pursuit.
While the Zhao army was in hot pursuit, the white Qin army launched a surprise attack. They bypassed the front of the Zhao army, quickly crossed the mountains, reached the rear of the Zhao army, and successfully captured the defense line of the Bailishi Great Wall. This unexpected change of tactics left the Zhao army surrounded on all sides.
Zhao's grain route was cut off by the Qin army, and the situation became more and more serious. King Zhaoxiang of Qin personally supervised the war, mobilized the resources of the whole country, and did not hesitate to seal the conscripts to fight against the Zhao State with all his national strength.
The three-year-long war became a bitter war of attrition. The Zhao army suffered losses in the constant wars, and the economic strength of the Zhao state also declined sharply.
Bai Qi was good at skillfully exploiting the contradictions within the enemy army, which made Zhao Jun gradually fall into a desperate situation in his schemes. As the new commander, Zhao Kuo tried to change his strategy many times in an attempt to get out of the predicament, but in the face of Bai Qi's exquisite tactics, his efforts failed again and again. Bai Qi's military strategy enabled the Qin army to firmly grasp the initiative in the battle.
In the Battle of Changping, while relentlessly looking for a way to break through, Zhao Kuo was finally shot by the Qin army when he could not escape.
This sudden attack caught the Zhao army by surprise, and Zhao Kuo's death also greatly demoralized the Zhao army. In this fierce battle, the 450,000 Zhao troops finally chose to surrender in the face of the irresistible might of the Qin army.
However, in order to ensure that the Zhao army would not rebel, Bai Qi resorted to harsh measures. He coldly ordered all 450,000 Zhao troops to be killed, leaving only a handful of young soldiers to return to Zhao.
Although this cruel decision ensured the victory of Qin in Zhao, it also made the cruelty and tragedy of the Battle of Changping deeply engraved in the memory of history.
The victory in the Battle of Changping not only greatly boosted the prestige of the Qin State, but also greatly damaged the vitality of the Zhao State, which profoundly affected the pattern of the entire Warring States Period. Bai Qi became a famous general of the Qin State with his outstanding performance in the war, and made great contributions to the rise of the Qin State during the Warring States Period.
In the Battle of Changping, Bai Qi did play a decisive role, but was the victory due solely to his personal resourcefulness and courage?
Multiple factors
In addition to Bai Qi's outstanding talents, the victory in the Battle of Changping also involved the interaction of many factors.
Before the outbreak of the Battle of Changping, the internal problems of the Zhao army became a significant drawback, especially with Zhao Kuo, a representative of the idiom "talking on paper", as the main general.
Before the war, Zhao had sent an army led by Lian Po, who built three solid lines of defense with his excellent defensive skills and tactical vision, laying a solid defensive foundation for Zhao.
However, after the outbreak of the war, due to the tactics of the Qin State, Zhao Kuo was promoted to the main general, replacing Lian Po, who had an excellent defense.
Zhao Kuo's leadership style and strategic adjustments were inappropriate, resulting in chaos and disorderly command throughout the army. His misjudgment of the battle situation and lack of actual combat experience made Zhao's army face internal and external difficulties in the Battle of Changping.
As the chief general, Zhao Kuo failed to understand and conform to the actual situation of the army, and his command method of talking about troops on paper and detaching theory from reality made Zhao's army lose its original stability and execution.
This internal problem became the fatal weakness of Zhao in the Battle of Changping, providing Qin with strategic advantages, which eventually led to the rout of Zhao's army.
The second is the logistics problem of the Zhao army, Bai Qi is well versed in military strategy, and accurately chose the key part to cut into the rear of the Zhao army, cutting off the grain route of the Zhao army.
This led to the gradual lack of food in the long confrontation, the morale of the Zhao army was low, and the physical strength was gradually depleted. Faced with the threat of starvation, the combat effectiveness of the Zhao army dropped sharply, creating extremely favorable conditions for the Qin state to fight.
This effective logistical strike made it difficult for the Zhao army to sustain a protracted war, further weakening its resistance in the Battle of Changping. Logistical problems became a major constraint in the battle situation, which ultimately contributed to the victory of the Qin state.
The last decisive factor was the personal supervision of King Zhaoxiang of Qin, who actively mobilized the resources of the whole country, took measures to seal the conscripts, and mobilized the national strength of Qin to participate in the siege of Zhao. This decision of King Zhaoxiang of Qin demonstrated his outstanding military leadership and grasp of the battle situation.
King Zhaoxiang of Qin personally participated in the war, which not only showed his great concern for the safety of the country, but also showed his decisiveness and determination as a monarch.
He mobilized the country's resources and recruited the younger generation of conscripts, providing solid support for the country's armament. This decision effectively increased the size of the Qin army and provided a reliable backing for a protracted siege of Zhao.
In addition, Qin was able to mobilize Bai Qi and other outstanding generals to participate in the battle in a timely manner, demonstrating Qin's superb ability to coordinate operations at home and abroad.
Bai Qi's strategic intelligence and military skills played a key role in the Battle of Changping, and King Zhaoxiang of Qin ruled the overall situation, making it possible to coordinate operations at home and abroad.
These factors intertwined and together contributed to Qin's victory in the Battle of Changping. The wise leadership of King Zhaoxiang of Qin and the orderly mobilization of resources throughout the country, as well as the outstanding talent of generals such as Bai Qi, eventually put Zhao in a desperate situation and achieved a major strategic victory for Qin.
Author's point of view
The victory of Changping was not only the result of Bai Qi's personal resourcefulness and bravery, but also the result of the combined action of many factors.
Therefore, although Bai Qi is indispensable, the full credit for the victory cannot be attributed to him personally. The victory in this battle was the result of the teamwork of the whole team, and it was a comprehensive manifestation of military resourcefulness and many factors.
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