The Battle of Changping, the decisive battle that shocked ancient and modern times, is undoubtedly the most thrilling scene of the Warring States Period. Qin and Zhao fought fiercely on the Long Plain, and the two sides invested unprecedented troops, and the scene was extremely tragic. In the end, the Qin army overwhelmed the main force of Zhao with its brave and skilled elite army, and Zhao suffered an unprecedented heavy defeat and almost lost the strength to contend with Qin.
This decisive battle not only laid the foundation for Qin's unification of the world, but also changed the fate of the parties involved. As the mastermind and brave general of Zhao State, the encounter between Lian Po and Lin Xiangru is destined to undergo earth-shaking changes. But history books are vague about it, and seem to deliberately avoid the topic, and even many history teachers tend to keep silent when they give lectures. What is the reason why they avoid talking about the later experiences of these two Zhao figures?
First of all, let's talk about Lin Xiangru, as an important advisor of the Zhao State, Lin Xiangru was already famous before Changping, he was known for his sharp insights and proficient in the art of war, and he was also a household name for the story of the guilt of Jing and the plea.
In the years before the Battle of Changping, Lin Xiangru leaned towards the government and the opposition, and repeatedly performed miraculous feats. For example, in the Michi Alliance, he won the dignity of Zhao with his eloquent words; For example, in the army, he often gave advice and guidance to Lian Po. The two can be regarded as irreversible friends, and they have also achieved a model of harmony. Of course, people's expectations for Lin Xiangru are increasing day by day.
With the fiasco of Zhao in the Battle of Changping, Lin Xiangru's future also fell into a trough. The most embarrassing thing is that when Zhao Kuo was about to defect and the army's morale gradually dispersed, Lin Xiangru once strongly opposed letting Zhao Kuo command the army. It's a pity that the young and vigorous King Zhao Xiaocheng turned a deaf ear, listened to the slanderous rumors of a group of cronies, and insisted on replacing the old strategist Lian Po, and Zhao Kuo was in charge of the army. As a result, you know and I know, the Zhao State was almost completely defeated by the Qin army, and the mass grave was the thrilling testimony of that year.
Regarding what happened to Lin Xiang after this, there is no mention in the history books. It is rumored that after the news of the fiasco in the Battle of Changping came, Lin Xiangru, who was over the age of six, fell to his knees and was grief-stricken. Zhao turned a deaf ear to his advice, which eventually led to a catastrophe, and he inevitably hated the king. I heard that King Zhao Xiaocheng personally issued an order and imprisoned him for a period of time. Later, for some reason, Lin Xiangru was released into the field by King Zhao.
Lin Xiangru, who was once beautiful, became a poor man with no food and clothing, and was forced to sell literature in his hometown to make a living. The mastermind of the smash hit in the past actually started his "second life" - the pastoral poet.
Legend has it that Lin Xiangru wandered alone in the crops of his hometown in his later years, reciting poems and enjoying the joy of mountains, forests and streams. Occasionally, someone bought a poem from him to support his livelihood. Although he lived a poor life, he lived a fairly free life.
What's even more ironic is that after Qin Shi Huang unified the world, when he heard that Lin Xiangru was old and helpless, he sent an envoy to Xianyang, wanting to give him a high-ranking official position. Who knows, the envoy searched all over the Zhao Kingdom, and he didn't even see a shadow like Lin Xiang. It is only rumored that he has passed away by a stream in his hometown, and such a former national scholar and famous minister has gone away in such an unwilling way, which makes people sigh.
There is another way of saying it. Although Lin Xiangru was exiled, he still condescended to the ranks of the civil officials of the Zhao State, but his status was lowly and his life was hard. However, he has lost his former glory, and he can only spend the rest of his life in chaos. No matter which statement is true, it can't help but make people deplore this once powerful strategist.
Let's take a look at what happened to Lian Po, as a famous general of Zhao State, Lian Po was known as the "Hundred Miles Hanging Capital" back then. Among the famous generals of Zhao State, he is undoubtedly the absolute leader, known as "Marshal Zhao". It is precisely because of his repeated miraculous feats that Zhao was able to stand alone in the world and shock the princes.
Helplessly, the years are ruthless, and the military revolution has no family. In the Battle of Changping, although the defeat of the Zhao army had nothing to do with Lian Po, King Zhao Xiaocheng was angry and expelled him from the barracks. Although Lian Po was a first-class general of Zhao State, he was repeatedly snubbed and excluded by the king of the dynasty.
What's even more ridiculous is that at the critical moment, King Zhao Xiaocheng once again ignored Lin Xiangru's dissuasion, and entrusted the national army to Zhao Kuo, who had little seniority. After twists and turns, King Zhao completely lost confidence and no longer used Lian Po to command the Zhao army. Lian Po's mentality, it can be imagined, must be stunned and painful.
Perhaps because of his unwillingness, Lian Po finally left his hometown and went to the Wei State. There, he still pinned his hopes on King Zhao to reactivate himself, and for a time he had the luxury of returning to military power. But Zhao's door had already been completely closed to him, and all Lian Po was waiting for was an afterthought and suspicion.
For example, someone slandered King Zhao, saying that Lian Po was already old, and his body was abnormal every time. King Zhao actually refused, and no longer considered using him. This is undoubtedly a great shame for a generation of male masters. Lian Po, who had no hope of making a comeback, finally died in a remote town in Wei State, miserable and miserable.
The ending of the two is too bleak and deplorable. As the powerful generals and advisers of the Zhao State, they were once the most striking figures in the entire Warring States Period. But fate is such a trick on people, in a blink of an eye, they fell from the peak of their lives to the bottom, and they didn't even have a place to live, and finally they were brutally abused and humiliated.
It's no wonder that many history teachers are secretive and avoid talking about it when they talk about it. After all, it is really heart-wrenching to describe the embarrassing death of a former hero, and it is something that a teacher and educator does not want to see. They prefer to omit it rather than leave the students in the shadow of this sad history.