In ancient Chinese history, Han Xin and Bai Qi were both well-known military strategists and commanders. They were active in different eras and made outstanding contributions to the country and the nation. Han Xin once helped Liu Bang dominate the world with his outstanding military talents, thus opening the foundation of the Han Dynasty; Bai Qi was the greatest military strategist of the Qin State, and his strategy and tactics were called the "ancestor of the soldiers" by later generations. Although the two giants of history have never competed on the battlefield, their military talents and achievements are highly sought after and respected by future generations. So, between these two "military gods", who has higher military attainments? What are the unique features in comparison?
1. Han Xin and Bai Qi had very different beginnings in their military careers
It is said that back then, Han Xin was born recklessly, and his family background was not prominent. His father, Han Yannian, was a poor commoner who made a living from fishing to support his family. Han Shin has shown extraordinary courage and courage since he was a child, and while fishing in the river, he once jumped into the raging river alone to rescue a companion who had fallen into the water, a heroic act that made everyone around him look sideways.
Entering his youth, although Han Xin's family was poor, he was quite accomplished in hussar archery. At that time, martial arts and mounted archery were popular in the Huaiyin area, and young and middle-aged men all studied them, and Han Xin was extremely talented in this area, coupled with his diligence and eagerness, he soon became a well-known local shooter and rider. This experience tempered Han Xin's extraordinary skills and courage, and laid the foundation for his later military career.
However, Han Shin's fate was unexpected. After the outbreak of the peasant uprising at the end of the Qin Dynasty, Xiang Yu recruited troops in the Huaiyin area, and although local youths enthusiastically enlisted, Han Xin's family was too poor to pay the fees, so he could only take care of the housework nearby. Until one day, Xiang Yu's confidant Gong Xiang passed by here and accidentally saw the young Han Xin's bravery, so he recognized the hero and took the initiative to invite Han Xin to join the army. In this way, a poor young man who could only fish suddenly broke out of his shell and became a fierce general of the Chu army.
In contrast, Bai Qi's background is completely different. He was originally a descendant of the nobles of the Chu State, and his ancestor was Bai Gongsheng, the grandson of King Chu Ping. During the Warring States Period, although the Baiqi family had fallen, it was still a brave family in its bones. Since he was a child, Bai has received a strict military education, learned the art of war and strategy, and bathed in martial courage. When he was still young, Bai Qi gathered a group of followers in his hometown, robbed houses, and ran rampant in the township.
Second, each has its own emphasis on military talents
Although Han Shin came from a humble background, his military talents were extraordinary. He is good at witty judgment and good at winning by surprise. During the Warring States Period, Han Xin broke through the siege several times with his elite division, and repeatedly performed miraculous feats. Among them, the most talked about is his brave move to save Zhao from Wei and Wei.
At that time, the Qin State wanted to destroy the Zhao State, so it sent heavy troops to besiege the Zhao capital Handan. King Zhao was in a panic all day long and urgently begged for help. After Han Xin learned the news, with the ambition of saving the country and the people, he rushed to Handan. But once upon a time, the Qin army was personally led by Bai Qi, and the crowd was coming, and Han Xin and other Chu troops fell into the crisis of being besieged layer by layer.
In the face of heavy encirclement, Han Xin was not timid, but wise and foolish, pretending to be the Qin army to pass unimpeded, and took advantage of the weakness in the middle of the night to rescue the embarrassed King Zhao. At dawn the next day, the Qin army knew the plan and hurriedly pursued it, but it was too late. Han Xin's elite soldiers and strategized so that the Qin army had no way to start, and finally the whole army was annihilated. This stroke of genius not only turned the tide, but also laid the foundation for the struggle between Chu and Han.
In contrast, Bai Qi's military talent focuses on strategizing, and he knows the strategy of the military book in his mind. He was born in a family of martial arts and bravery, and he knew the way of military use since he was a child. When he was more than ten years old, Bai Qi went out with the army and tempered his outstanding command skills in countless battles. He is especially good at adapting measures to the enemy's conditions, calculating subtlely, and can often instantly gain insight into the whole situation of the battle and formulate exquisite strategies.
In history, Bai Qi has won countless victories, the most popular of which is the Battle of Changping. In that year, the Qin army invaded Zhao State, and Bai Qinai personally commanded the troops, forcibly crossed the Yellow River all the way, and went straight to the heart of the Zhao army. Because of overestimating the strength of the Zhao army, King Shi of Zhao insisted on fighting to the death in Changping. Unexpectedly, Bai Qi had already seen through the battle situation, laid a net, and finally besieged the 450,000 army of the Zhao army, captured the history of King Zhao alive, turned the tide of the war in one fell swoop, and dominated the Warring States. This exquisite deployment all demonstrated Bai Qi's outstanding military talent.
Third, the military philosophies of the two men are very different
Although Han Xin and Bai Qi were both rare military geniuses in the world, they were very different in their military concepts. Han Xin advocated benevolence and virtue in the use of soldiers and served the public with virtue throughout his life. He was well versed in the principle of "being close to the people and loving the people", regarded his soldiers as relatives, and showed more pity to his enemies.
Once, Han Xin led his army eastward and encountered stubborn resistance from a strong army. Han Xin did not want to be killed or injured in vain, but ordered people to shout "Han Xin has arrived", and when the soldiers on the other side heard this, they were all afraid. Seeing this, Han Xin ordered his subordinates to raise their flags and shout, "I am ordered by heaven, virtue is in people, do not hurt soldiers." Sure enough, the opponent's army gradually lost heart, and finally disarmed and surrendered. It can be seen from this that although Han Xin is extremely powerful, he also attaches great importance to serving the public with virtue.
In contrast, Bai Qi's concept of using troops is completely different. He regarded killing as a daily routine, and his marches were often marked with brutality. As long as the enemy does not surrender, Bai Qi will definitely go on a killing spree, and the walking dead will be all over the battlefield. According to historical records, when Bai Qi attacked Zhao that year, the Zhao army fought desperately, and the two sides fought fiercely for several months. In the end, Bai Qi took advantage of the victory to pursue, the army pressed the border, and the Zhao State was terrified. Zhao Wangshi had no choice but to lead tens of thousands of his family members to flee to the mountains. After Bai Qi found out, he personally led the elite to pursue, and as a result, the Zhao Wang's family had no survivors. Such acts of undue cruelty are truly outrageous.
However, looking at the endings of the two, there are many similarities. Although Han Xin used his troops benevolently, he was eventually killed by Liu Bang, which shows that although he has extraordinary virtue, he cannot get rid of the cloud of power struggle after all. Bai Qi was loyal to the Qin State and was brave and loyal all his life, but in the end he was assassinated at the hands of Qin Shi Huang, which is quite sad. The final fate of the two reflects the dark side of the game of thrones.
Fourth, the final achievements are famous
Although Han Xin and Bai Qi came from very different backgrounds and had different military philosophies, in the end, they both left a strong mark in history with their outstanding military talents.
Since Han Xin was recommended by Xiao He as a general under Liu Bang, he has made outstanding contributions all the way and made great contributions to Liu Bang's domination of the world. After the Battle of Pengcheng, there was a huge disparity in strength between Chu and Han, and Liu Bang's army was defeated and retreated, and the situation was bleak. At this time, Han Xin galloped to the aid of elite soldiers, sacrificing his life to protect Liu Bang's integrity, so that the Han army gradually gained the upper hand.
Later, he fought a series of victories, defeated the acting king Wu Anjun, captured the Wei capital Handan, defeated the Zhao king Beishan Yu, etc., and the victory of one battle after another laid the foundation for Liu Bang's final victory over Xiang Yu. It can be said that without the assistance of Han Xin, a military wizard, Liu Bang would have been difficult to balance Xiang Yu in that epic battle with his small strength back then.
The most important thing is that in the final decisive battle of Haizhuling, Han Xin led the elite army to join Chen Fan and attack Xiang Yu's camp, which made Xiang Yu fall into a situation where he was helpless, and finally killed himself in Wujiang. Since then, the Han Dynasty has dominated the world, and Liu Bang's foundation has been immortalized. Han Xingong was a great achievement, was named Xiangguo, and later generations respected as the "Lord of Hanxing".
Keeping pace with Han Xin is the famous general Bai Qi of the Qin State. During the Warring States Period, Bai Qi, with his superb military command skills, swept away strong enemies for the Qin State many times, making it finally unify the six countries. In particular, Bai Qi's pro-unified army attacked Zhao and killed King Zhao, which cleared the last obstacle for Qin Zhaoming's military prestige.
After that, the soldiers of the Qin State were invincible in Liuhe. Although Bai Qi was only a general, he made an indelible contribution to the unification of the Qin State. His military wisdom and military exploits, known as the "Soldier Immortal" and "the Ancestor of the Soldier" by later generations, not only went down in history, but also had a far-reaching influence, laying a solid foundation for ancient Chinese military theory.
Fifth, between the virtual and the real, the two heroes
Throughout the military careers of Han Xin and Bai Qi, although their backgrounds are vastly different, they eventually became unparalleled military wizards in the world and made outstanding contributions to the country and the nation. However, in terms of military philosophy and command style, the two men showed stark differences.
Throughout his life, Han Xin advocated serving the public with virtue and treating soldiers as relatives. He has repeatedly performed miraculous feats, but he has never shown the courage of his wife, but has embodied humanized care everywhere. Once, Han Xin led an army to attack Baling, and after several cities, he found that there were many old and weak women and children among the captives. This humanitarian demeanor is truly admirable.
In contrast, Bai Qi's military style is even more stern and decisive. He regarded the slaughter as nothing, and as long as the enemy did not surrender, he would definitely go on a killing spree. In that year, Bai Qi went on an expedition to Longxi and was met with stubborn resistance from the local Qiang people. Bai Qinai ordered the Qiang people's houses and crops to be burned, and killed thousands of Qiang people, before he broke the foundation of the enemy. This style of conduct is really suspicious.
However, it is undeniable that Bai Qi was the most outstanding military strategist of the Warring States period. With his extraordinary strategy and decisiveness, he cleared out strong enemies for the Qin State many times, and finally realized the grand wish of the unification of the six countries. It was thanks to the blessing of Baiqi that the Qin State was able to dominate the world, thus opening a new era of Chinese civilization from division to unification.
In contrast, although Han Xin's military exploits were also magnificent, he still served himself after all, and could only be regarded as creating the foundation of the Han Dynasty. Moreover, Han Xin's ending is really emotional. He devoted his life to serving the Lord, but in the end he was murdered, which is really sad. As the saying goes, life is impermanent, even if it is a hero of the horse leather shroud, it is inevitable that the fate will be impermanent in the end.