At this historical stage of the Warring States, the seven warring states of Qin, Wei, Korea, Zhao, Chu, And Yan were fiercely contested. In the early Warring States period, the State of Wei rose rapidly after Li Wu's change of law and became the hegemon of the Seven Heroes of the Warring States. However, for the State of Wei, it faced the challenge of the State of Qi in the middle of the Warring States Period. In the Battle of Guiling in 353 BC, the Wei army led by Pang Juan was annihilated by the Qi army led by Tian Ji and Sun Zhen, and the Wei general Pang Juan was also captured by the Qi army, which undoubtedly made the hegemonic position of the Wei state begin to waver. After the Battle of Guiling, the State of Qi decided to take advantage of the victory to pursue, that is, to unite the large armies of the Song and Wei states, and in 352 BC besieged the southern Wei town of Xiangling (襄陵, in present-day Sui County, Henan). On this basis, the Battle of Xiangling officially broke out.
One
First of all, as far as the historical background of the Battle of Xiangling is concerned, it is necessary to talk about the Battle of Guiling. In 353 BC, the Wei army attacked the State of Zhao and besieged the capital of the State of Zhao, Handan. The State of Zhao asked the State of Qi for help, so the Battle of Guiling broke out. In the Battle of Guiling, the Qi commander Tian Ji took the advice of the military master Sun Zhen and set up an ambush at Guiling, annihilating the Wei army's forward troops in one fell swoop and capturing the Wei commander Pang Juan. However, after the Battle of Guiling, the State of Qi still released Pang Juan, the commander of the Wei army. Moreover, the Battle of Guiling did not inflict heavy damage on the main forces of the State of Wei. Therefore, for the State of Wei, it had the strength to confront the State of Qi again, and the State of Qi also hoped to expand the results of the battle, that is, to inflict a heavy blow on the State of Wei. On this basis, the Battle of Xiangling officially broke out.
Two
At the Battle of Xiangling, King Wei of Qi not only sent his own troops, but also demanded that the Song and Wei states in the Central Plains also send troops, thus encircling Xiangling (襄陵, in present-day Sui County, Henan), a major town in the southern part of the Wei state. For Xiangling, a place where soldiers and families must fight, Wei Guo was naturally unwilling to give up. Moreover, Xiangling was in the area of present-day Sui County, Henan, which belonged to the western border of the Song Dynasty, located in the hinterland of the Huanghuai Plain, which was very suitable for large-scale operations of infantry such as Wei Wupao. As we all know, during the Warring States period, Wei Wupao was an elite unit trained by Wu Qi and maintained a leading position in combat capability. Therefore, Wei Wuzhu quickly repelled the first wave of attacks by the Qi, Song, and Wei forces. For Sun Bing, the military commander of the State of Qi, setting up ambushes and encircling and annihilating them was a means he was good at, but frontal large-scale combat was not Sun Bing's strength.
Three
What is more crucial is that for Sun Zhen, this time it was the combined forces of the three countries of Qi, Song and Wei that commanded the three countries, which undoubtedly increased the difficulty of victory. Correspondingly, after the Battle of Xiangling entered a state of stalemate, King Hui of Wei forced the Korean army by means. Among the Seven Heroes of the Warring States, the comprehensive strength of Korea is relatively weak, but the bows and arrows and swords of Korea are the most elite of the Seven Heroes of the Warring States. For the Korean army, the combined forces of the State of Qi, the State of Song, and the State of Wei launched an attack behind them, and the Wei State of Wei wushu also continued to exert pressure on the front. As a result, in the Battle of Xiangling, the combined forces of the three countries of Qi, Song and Wei were rapidly defeated, and the State of Wei achieved the final victory.
Four
Finally, as far as the results and effects of the Battle of Xiangling are concerned, according to the records of historical materials such as the "Records of History" and the "Warring States Policy", after the Battle of Xiangling, King Hui of Wei used the results of this battle to force the Zhao state to make an alliance with zhangshui in the following year after the Battle of Xiangling, and even more required the twelve princely states of Sishang Song and Lu to come to see the State of Wei. Moreover, after temporarily allying itself with the State of Qi and the State of Zhao, the State of Wei immediately focused its attention on the land of Hexi, that is, to attack the State of Qin with all its might. In 350 BC, the Wei army attacked the State of Qin and besieged Dingyang, forcing the Qin monarch Qin Xiaogong to meet and reconcile with King Hui of Wei at Tong. Thus, in general, through the victory at the Battle of Xiangling, the State of Wei gained a relatively favorable external environment, and to a certain extent, consolidated its position as the hegemon of the Central Plains. However, the rise of the State of Qin and the State of Qi was already unstoppable, and the decline of the State of Wei was also a matter of time. What do you think about that?
Text/Sentimental History
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