Great deeds of ancient celebrities

Bearing a thorn to plead guilty

During the Warring States Period, there were seven great powers: Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei and Qin. They were historically known as the "Seven Heroes of the Warring States Period". Among these seven countries, Qin is the most powerful. Qin often bullied Zhao. Once, King Zhao sent Lin Xiangru, a subordinate of a minister, to the State of Qin to negotiate. Lin Xiangru met the King of Qin and won a lot of face for Zhao with his wit and bravery. When King Qin saw that Zhao had such talents, he no longer dared to underestimate Zhao. King Zhao saw that Lin Xiangru was so capable. He was first named "Doctor" and then Shangqing (equivalent to the later prime minister).

The king of Zhao valued Lin Xiangru so much that he made Lian Po, the general of Zhao, angry. He thought: I fought desperately for the State of Zhao, wouldn't my merit be as good as Lin Xiangru's? Lin Xiangru has such great abilities with just one mouth, but his status is higher than mine! The more he thought about it, the more unconvinced he became, and he said angrily: "If I meet Lin Xiangru, I will embarrass him in person and see what he can do to me!"

Lian Po's words reached Lin Xiangru's ears. Lin Xiangru immediately ordered his men to be polite and not to quarrel with Lian Po's men in the future. He went out by himself in a carriage. As soon as he heard that Lian Po was coming from ahead, he would ask the coachman to drive the carriage into a small alley and wait for Lian Po to pass before leaving.

Lian Po's men were even more complacent when they saw Shang Qing giving in to their master like this. When they saw Lin Xiangru's men, they laughed at them. Lin Xiangru's men couldn't stand this anger, so they said to Lin Xiangru: "You have a higher status than General Lian. He scolds you, but you avoid him and give in to him. He will treat you less and less! If this goes on, , We can't stand it."

Lin Xiangru asked them calmly: "Compared with General Lian, who is more powerful?" Everyone said, "Of course King Qin is more powerful." Lin Xiangru said: " That's right! I'm not afraid when I see King Qin. Am I still afraid of General Lian? You know, the reason why Qin dares not attack Zhao is because the two of us are like two tigers. When a fight breaks out, one person will inevitably be injured or even die, which will give Qin a good opportunity to attack Zhao. Think about it, which is more important, national affairs or personal dignity?"

< p> Lin Xiangru's men were very moved after hearing these words. When they saw Lian Po's men in the future, they were cautious and always gave way to them.

Lin Xiangru’s words later reached Lian Po’s ears. Lian Po was extremely ashamed. He took off one sleeve, exposed his shoulder, carried a thorn stick on his back, and went straight to Lin Xiangru's house. Lin Xiangru hurriedly came out to greet Lian Po. Lian Po knelt down in front of Lin Xiangru, holding the thorn stick in his hands, and asked Lin Xiangru to whip him. Lin Xiangru threw the thorns on the ground, hurriedly helped Lian Po up with both hands, dressed him, took his hand and asked him to sit down.

Lin Xiangru and Lian Po became very good friends from then on. These two people, both civil and military, worked together to serve the country, so Qin did not dare to bully Zhao. "Bearing under a thorn to apologize" has become an idiom, which means to apologize to others and admit mistakes.

Arguments on paper

In the 19th year of King Zhao Huiwen (280 BC), after Le Yi defeated Qi, King Huiwen ordered Zhao She to be his general and attack Maiqiu of Qi (today's Qi). Northwest of Shanghe, Shandong). Zhao Jun had attacked the isolated city of Maiqiu many times before, but due to sufficient food and grass in Maiqiu and the help of Mohist disciples among the defenders who were good at defending the city, they were unable to capture it. King Huiwen was very angry and ordered Zhao She to capture Maiqiu within a month.

As soon as Zhao She arrived at Maiqiu, he ordered an attack. Zhao Kuo believed that it would be difficult to capture Maiqiu within a month using a hard attack. Judging from various signs, although Maiqiu's food has not been completely eaten up, it is definitely running out. Zhao Kuo hoped that his father would understand the situation first and suspend the attack to avoid unnecessary losses caused by hard attacks. But one month was too short. Zhao She did not listen to Zhao Kuo and ordered an attack on the city. Zhao Jun lost many people but failed to capture Maiqiu. Zhao Kuo told Zhao She that there were Mohist disciples among the city defenders, and they were very defensive against Zhao Jun's attack, so that Zhao Jun failed to return after attacking for several years. And this time Zhao Junlan is no different from the previous Zhao Jun. He is no better at fighting than them, and he has no more means of attacking the city than them. If he attacks hard like the previous Zhao Jun, he will definitely have to pay the same painful price as before. cost. Moreover, people in the city often come out to attack Zhao Jun at night. There were also many guerrilla groups composed of Mohist rangers outside the city harassing Zhao Jun. If this continues, a month will pass quickly. Zhao She then asked the captured prisoners about the situation in the city, but the prisoners did not tell them. Zhao Kuo fed these prisoners every day and was very polite to them. He also gave them food to take back to the city to feed their families. So someone among the prisoners quietly told Zhao Kuo that there was not much food in the city and it was all controlled by the Qi army. The people have long been out of food and have begun to eat people. Zhao Kuo asked how long the Qi army could hold on. The prisoner said he could hold on for a few more months. So Zhao She followed Zhao Kuo's advice, stopped the attack, and released all the prisoners back. After the prisoners returned, they said that the Zhao army was very polite and did not insult them. They also fed them and asked them to bring food back. Some people in the city wanted to come out and surrender to Zhao She. General Qi saw that the prisoners had brought turmoil to the city, so he locked them all up. Both soldiers and civilians complained about this. Zhao She asked the Zhao army who was besieging the city to use trebuchets to throw grain into the city.

After Zhao Jun threw grain into the city every day, he returned to the camp to rest without saying anything to the city. After a few days of this, the Qi army guarding the city sent representatives back to Zhao She and told Zhao She that if the Zhao army wanted to fight, they would attack and stop throwing away food. Zhao She asked him to go back to the city and wait, but he did not attack. He only continued to throw food into the city after a few days. After a few days of this, the Qi generals who defended the city sent representatives to Yan to choose a day for a decisive battle with Zhao She, but Zhao She listened to Zhao Kuo's advice and refused to meet him. A few days later, Maiqiu's men killed the Qi generals guarding the city and surrendered. Zhao Kuo's method worked, and Zhao She secretly admired that his son was better than himself. King Huiwen was very curious about Zhao She's ability to capture Maiqiu in less than a month with few casualties. Zhao She told him that this was Zhao Kuo's method, and King Huiwen rewarded Zhao She and Zhao Kuo heavily.

In the 29th year of King Zhao Huiwen (270 BC), King Huiwen relied on force to bully Qin and refused to fulfill the previous city-changing agreement with Qin, which made Qin very angry. Hu Yang, the commander of the Qin faction, attacked Zhao's Yanyu (now Heshun, Shanxi) through the Shangdang area of ??the ally South Korea. Yanyu is located in the west of Taihang Mountain. Through the tunnel in Taihang Mountain, you can reach Handan, the capital of Zhao State, and it is a very important military stronghold. Hu Yang was a famous Qin general who came from Bai Qi's sect and had many military exploits before. When Yan Yu was in danger, King Huiwen asked Lian Po. Lian Po believed that the road was far, dangerous and narrow, and it would be difficult to save him. King Huiwen asked Lin Xiangru again. Lin Xiangru thought that Yan Yu was difficult to save, so it was better to set up defenses in Wu'an near Handan, wait for work in leisure, and annihilate the Qin army that was advancing alone. King Huiwen didn't want to lose the strategic stronghold of Yanyu, so he asked Zhao She. Zhao She thought that Yanyu must be saved. If Yanyu is lost, even if the invading Qin army is annihilated in Wu'an, Yanyu will definitely be occupied by the nearby Shangdang Han army. Losing Yanyu will still cause the same danger to Handan. Although the road between Yan and Yu is long and dangerous, the two armies fighting here are like two rats fighting in a hole. The brave one wins when they meet on a narrow road. King Huiwen admired Zhao She's courage very much and ordered Zhao She to be his general to rescue Yanyu.

Zhao She is about to leave and talks to Zhao Kuo. Zhao Kuo believed that Hu Yang was a famous general of the Qin army that Bai Qi valued, and he was good at using troops. Although the Zhao army was strong, it was not sure of victory. Fighting with courage, the Qin army was also very brave, and the Zhao army had only half a chance of winning. Zhao She asked Zhao Kuo what he thought. Zhao Kuo said that the Qin army used the Han road to attack Zhao, and South Korea was worried about being taken advantage of by the Qin army. The Qin army attacked South Korea in consecutive years. Although it forced South Korea to become his ally, South Korea was capricious. This time the Qin army went deep into South Korea and must be wary of South Korea's rebellion. The Qin and Han armies actually had concerns about each other. The Qin army attacked Zhao from afar, and the advantage was to fight quickly. The Zhao army should make the Qin and Han armies suspicious and distract the Qin army from Zhao. If the Qin army is made afraid of the environment it is in, then the Qin army will be easily defeated. The Zhao army once again showed that it would set up defenses in Wu'an, giving the Qin army the illusion that the Zhao army was waiting for work to attack the Qin army, diverting the Qin army's attention, and then quickly launching a surprise attack, which could annihilate the Qin army in one fell swoop. Therefore, Zhao She sent people to sneak into Lanyu and told the Zhao army guarding Lanyu that a large army had been sent to rescue him. The siege of Lanyu would be lifted within a month, and he must be guarded. On the one hand, he selected wise, brave and resourceful people in the army to sneak into the vicinity of Yan and Han. He first disguised himself as the Qin army and attacked the Korean army, and then disguised himself as the Korean army to attack the Qin army. This repeated process made the Qin and Korean armies suspicious. The Qin and Han armies had no trust at all and were suspicious of each other. After Zhao Jun's secret instigation, friction gradually broke out. Zhao She left Handan to the west and stopped advancing at Wu'an. He ordered his soldiers to build fortifications and sent an order to the army. Anyone who gave military advice died, and no outsiders could peep into his intentions. In the army, there was a guest from Pingyuan Jun who offered to rescue Yan Yu. Zhao She immediately beheaded him. From then on, no one in the army dared to say anything about saving Yan Yu. Hu Yang sent someone to pretend to be an envoy and asked to see Zhao She, but Zhao Kuo saw through it and Zhao She pretended that the road was dangerous and difficult to save. I'm afraid that before the reinforcements arrived, Yanyu would have been defeated by the Qin army. At that time, if the Qin army attacks the Zhao reinforcements who have come from afar, the Zhao army will be defeated and Handan will be in danger. This is losing the big and protecting the small, and the gain outweighs the loss. The spies of the Qin army pretended that Yan Yu could not be saved. They were distraught and urged Zhao She to save Yan Yu. Zhao She refused and ordered someone to help him down. Qin army spies reported back to Hu Yang. The conflict between the Han army and the Qin army became more and more serious. The Qin army had to allocate troops to prevent the Han army from cutting off its return to the west. However, the Zhao army was unable to attack the enemy. The Zhao army in the city also claimed to fight with the Han army. The army attacked the Qin army from a pinch, and Hu Yang was overwhelmed with these troubles. When Hu Yang heard that Zhao She had indeed set up defenses in Wu'an to stop the Qin army, instead of coming to rescue Yan Yu, he was very happy and rewarded the spy heavily. In order to capture Lanyu as soon as possible, Hu Yang withdrew the Qin army stationed at the commanding heights of Beishan to guard against Zhao's reinforcements and engaged in the battle to capture Lanyu, leaving only a few lookout posts in Beishan. After Zhao She learned that Hu Yang had withdrawn the Qin army from Beishan, he immediately ordered his general Xu Lihuo to quickly lead the army's good shooters to seize the commanding heights of Beishan. After Xu Li arrived at Beishan, Hu Yang heard that Zhao's reinforcements had arrived and immediately rescued Beishan. However, Xu Li captured the commanding heights of Beishan first and then shot at Hu Yang from a high position. Zhao She led his army to cover up the enemy from behind. The Zhao army of Yan Yu also came out of the city to attack, and the Han army also came out to rob and kill the retreating Qin army. The Zhao army won a great victory, and the famous Qin army general Hu Yang died in battle. It took Zhao She exactly one month to save Yan Yu.

King Zhao Huiwen gave Zhao She the title of Lord of Mafu (the land of Mafu is in the northwest of Handan, Hebei today. One of Zhao She's descendants takes Ma as their surname), and made Xu Li the captain of the country. Zhao She then took the same position as Lian Po and Lin Xiang. Zhao Kuo was therefore established as his heir.

Zhao Kuo likes to talk about military science, and he also writes books and has many disciples in the army. After Zhao She's death, King Huiwen granted Zhao Kuo the title of Ma Fujun, and all the generals in the army respectfully called Zhao Kuo Ma Fuzi (it is wrong to interpret Zhao Kuo as the son of Ma Fujun Zhao She as the explanation that Zhao Kuo is called Ma Fuzi) .

After the death of King Huiwen, his son King Xiaocheng came to the throne. Qi Anpingjun Tiandan came to vote and worshiped him as prime minister.

In the fourth year of King Xiaocheng (262 BC), Feng Ting, the guard of Han Shangdang (the area east of Qinshui in southeastern Shanxi today, including Jincheng, Lingchuan, and Gaoping), could not resist the Qin Dynasty. In the attack of the army, I am willing to dedicate Shangdang to the State of Zhao. The State of Zhao accepted it and named Feng Ting Lord of Huayang, ordering him to continue to guard the party. Seeing that Han Shangdang had returned to Zhao, King Qin Zhao was very angry. Due to Zhao's intervention, the Qin army temporarily stopped its attack on Han Shangdang.

In the sixth year of King Xiaocheng (260 BC), Qin ordered Wang Lu, the chief of Zuo Shu, to attack Han Shangdang again. Zhao sent General Lian Po. When Lian Po arrived at Zhao Shangdang (today's Yushe, Heshun, Changzhi and other places in Shanxi Province, adjacent to Han Shangdang in the south), Qin Zuo's commander Wang Lu had already captured Han Shangdang. Therefore, Lian Po garrisoned Changping (now north of Gaoping City, Shanxi Province) to connect with the Qin army.

Previously, when King Xiaocheng was discussing the rescue of Shangdang generals, Lin Xiangru recommended Lian Po. However, Tian Dan believed that Lian Po was a cavalry commander and was good at fighting in the plains, but was not good at fighting in a mountainous environment like Shangdang. Moreover, Lian Po rarely won against the Qin army. He and Zhao Kuo, who defeated the Qin army, were generals. King Xiaocheng asked Lin Xiangru again, but Lin Xiangru insisted on recommending Lian Po instead of Zhao Kuo. At that time, Lin Xiangru was in power in the State of Zhao.

After the Qin army took possession of Han Shangdang, Wang Hao established a strong fort and organized the army in a strict manner to avoid conflict with the Zhao army. Lian Po was lax in running the army (this also paved the way for Zhao Kuo to change generals before the battle, which caused chaos in the army.) The soldiers competed for merit. In April, General Pi saw that the Qin army was quiet and thought that the Qin army was afraid of Zhao, so he attacked the Qin army's sentries. The Qin army fought back hard and killed Qie, which led Lian Po to attack Qin on a large scale, and the Battle of Changping broke out.

In June, the Qin army fell into the Zhao army, captured the second village and killed the fourth lieutenant. In July, Zhao Jun built a barrier and defended it. Qin attacked the fortress again, captured the second lieutenant, defeated the formation, and captured the western fortress. Lian Po waited for Qin with a strong wall, but the Qin army was still able to continuously encroach on the Zhao army and continuously break through the Zhao army's camps. The Zhao army was in a disadvantageous situation and many of the soldiers fled, but Lian Po could not stop him. Zhao Shangdang is in a hurry.

When the news reached Zhao State, the ministers discussed it a lot, and Lin Xiangru complained about his illness. (Why can Zhao Kuo only talk on paper? It’s not because Lin Xiangru didn’t give Zhao Kuo a chance. A good minister of the court has the important task of selecting talents. And Zhao Kuo, who had such excellent written test scores, interview scores, and military exploits---used at that time Military merit is subject to the title of title. Merit is determined by how many enemy heads the enemy has. However, Zhao Kuo has always been a "strategist", which means he has no military merit. The later Han general Li Guang was also awarded because he did not get the enemy's heads. He could not be made a marquis. It was a beautiful era when Zhao was fighting every day, but Lin Xiangru did not give him the opportunity to lead troops on expeditions-Zhao Kuo had never been an independent general, and most of his military exploits were gained by being a "strategist" In other words, he doesn't have much experience in commanding the army. Of course, he only lets Zhao Kuo play at the critical moment. Of course, this is only one of the reasons, and there are deeper reasons. Speaking of. )

If the Qin army takes Zhao Shangdang, it will completely control the strategic area of ??Hedong. Going north can take Zhao's old capital Jinyang (today's southwest of Taiyuan, Shanxi), and going west across the Taihang Mountains can directly threaten Zhao's capital Handan. Since Qin occupied the Shangdang area in South Korea and would attack Zhao's Shangdang, the situation was very unfavorable to Zhao. Among the ministers, some insisted on using Lian Po, some suggested that Zhao Kuo should be used to replace Lian Po, some suggested that Tian Dan should be used to replace Lian Po, and some suggested that Lin Xiangru should be used to replace Lian Po. King Zhao Xiaocheng believed that the Qin army had occupied Han Shangdang and was encroaching on Zhao Shangdang. It was impossible to hold on and the Qin army must be driven out of the Shangdang area. King Xiaocheng planned to use Zhao Kuo as his general, but he wanted to hear Wang Zhujun Leyi's opinion.

Although Le Yi is ill at home, he is very aware of the situation outside. Le Yi believes that judging from King Qin Zhao's strategic deployment, there must be a decisive battle between Qin and Zhao, and the Shangdang area is the first battlefield for the decisive battle between Qin and Zhao. Lian Po was an excellent general known for his courage. His strengths were in fortified battles and plain field battles that could determine the outcome in a short period of time, rather than protracted battles like the Battle of Shangdang. Lin Xiangru was an excellent debater, but leading troops to fight was not what he was good at. The minister's suggestion to replace Lian Po with Lin Xiangru was a complaint against his inability to recommend Lian Po. Tian Dan had the experience of holding on to Jimo in Qi State and finally counterattacking Yan State and regaining Qi State. He was a person who could be reused. Le Yi said that if he was not seriously ill and unable to do anything, he would be willing to join the party for King Xiaocheng, but he couldn't. Le Yi suggested that King Xiaocheng replace Lianpo with Zhao Kuo as the general in the Shangdang area and Tian Dan as the general in the Handan area, and transfer Lianpo back to prevent Yan, Qi and Wei from attacking Zhao while the decisive battle between Zhao and Qin was in Shangdang. Le Yi further explained the reason for this. Zhao Kuo was in the army when he was young. He had rich military experience, including experience in sieges and field battles. He was also famous for defeating the famous Qin general Hu Yang in Yanyu and Zhao She. The army respected his father and son. Moreover, Zhao Kuo had profound military theories, and many generals of the Zhao army studied military science from him. They all admired him, regarded him as their authority, and were able to obey his orders. Zhao Kuo has the same style as his father Zhao She. He manages the army in a strict and orderly manner. He deeply cares about the emperor's kindness and can be trusted. The decisive battle between Qin and Zhao Shangdang is bound to be a huge battle. Le Yi believes that there are four people in Zhao who are capable of commanding such a huge battle, Zhao Kuo, Tian Dan, Li Mu and himself. (Without Lian Po) At this time, the Xiongnu invaded the northern border of Zhao State in a large scale. Li Mu was under great pressure and could not escape at all. Le Yi fell ill and was unable to go on the expedition. Tian Dan was originally from the Qi State and had not been in the Zhao State for a long time. Although he held a high position, the ministers still regarded him as an outsider. I am afraid that many senior generals in the army were dissatisfied.

Tian Dan can only sit in command, but cannot go out to fight. As for Wei Ranju Tao's huge threat to Handan, Tian Dan can be used to resist it. Zhao Kuo came from a public background and had a reputation like his father, so he was the most suitable person to command the Shangdang war zone. Although Le Yi himself could not lead the troops to fight in person, it did not hinder him from being a good military advisor to King Xiaocheng. King Xiaocheng believed that Le Yi's insights were very profound, and the arrangements for Lian Po, Tian Dan and Zhao Kuo were all in their proper place. So Zhao Kuo was appointed as general to lead the army to rescue Shangdang.

After Zhao Kuo returned home, he prepared to go to war. His mother asked Zhao Kuo to ask King Zhao for permission to settle down. In the past, after Zhao She and Zhao Kuo returned from victory and received rewards from King Zhao, they would mostly distribute them to the generals. The father and son did not value money. Zhao Kuo was puzzled and asked his mother. Kuo's mother said, "You will command no less than one million troops in this expedition, and half of Zhao's army is at your disposal. This cannot help but worry King Zhao." Moreover, the Shangdang area is naturally dangerous and can stand on its own. If you hold a heavy army here, over time, someone will inevitably slander King Zhao. In the decisive battle between Qin and Zhao, Bai Qi, Lord Wu'an of Qin, will definitely fight with you. The victory or defeat should be between the two brothers. If we fail, my family will not survive. If he wins, he will be so powerful that he will be feared by King Zhao. You and your son have been famous for a long time and have been envied by others. You often ask for rewards from the King of Zhao, buy family property, and seek titles for your children; but you have to go out alone, leaving all your children in Handan, to show that you will return home if you love your family. Kings never like generals who are greedy for fame. Your father is so honest that his officials often reject him. It's really helpless for you to beg for money and pollute yourself. In such a huge battle, it is actually difficult to distinguish the winner from the loser. It all depends on the focus of the judge, so King Zhao must not doubt it. (This King Zhao Xiaocheng has the true heritage of his father, King Zhao Huiwen. He is an expert in internal fighting and an outsider in external warfare. Of course, the Zhao Kingdom after experiencing the "Dune Rebellion" planned by King Zhao Huiwen behind the scenes is no longer that person. The State of Zhao during the reign of King Wuling of Zhao——It was at that time that the State of Zhao could not unite its rulers and ministers as one, which led to the "Sand Dune Rebellion"... Now it is even more difficult. In other words, Zhao Kuo has been suppressed for a long time. "Xue Zang" was hindered by Lin Xiangru, a powerful minister. The deeper reason was the infighting between the powerful ministers and the Duke of Zhao, but their infighting was taken advantage of by King Zhao. This is also the reason why Pingyuan Lord Zhao Sheng was unsuccessful--- - Because they are all people who can threaten the throne of King Zhao, and they are also members of the young faction that emerged during the Hu Fu Cavalry and Shooting Reform - Zhao Kuo's father, Zhao She, fled the State of Yan to avoid the "Sand Dune Rebellion" , who also went to Yan State was Le Yi---this is why Le Yi always said good things to Zhao Kuo. They were family friends.) Zhao Kuo followed his mother's words. Kuo's mother demoted Zhao Kuo to King Xiaocheng and persuaded King Zhao not to make Zhao Kuo a general, in order to test King Zhao's determination to appoint Zhao Kuo. Seeing that King Zhao was determined to use Zhao Kuo, he induced King Zhao to promise that no matter whether Zhao Kuo wins or loses, he has nothing to do with his family. King Zhao agreed.

After Zhao Kuo arrived in Changping, he strictly enforced military discipline and dismissed many of the generals used by Lian Po. Lian Po is good at using brave soldiers as generals, but most of them are not good at planning and commanding. After Zhao Kuo reorganized the Zhao army, (Zhao Kuo's problem came out. He was a commander who changed his mind before the battle. The morale of the army was originally unstable. He also added a general on the battlefield. This is a sign of the army's inexperience) If he fights Wang Lu again, Wang Lu will be disadvantaged. When King Zhao heard that Zhao Kuo had arrived in Changping, he urgently transferred Bai Qi, Lord Wu'an.

Zhao Kuo saw that the Qin army's assembly and deployment had changed greatly, and he knew that Lord Wu'an had arrived in the army.

In August, Bai Qi saw that Zhao Kuo was gradually losing ground, so he proposed a decisive battle with Zhao Kuo. King Xiaocheng ordered Zhao Kuo to seize the opportunity, defeat Bai Qi as soon as possible, and then go east to deal with Wei Ran. Therefore, Zhao Kuo agreed to a decisive battle.

Bai Qi is in the west and Zhao Kuo is in the east. Fifty miles west of Baiqi is the deep and wide Qinshui River, and ten miles east of Zhao Kuo is the Danshui River with a wide bed but shallow water. To the south of the two armies were Taihang and Wangwu, which were occupied by the Qin army, and to the north were several passes in the Taihang Mountains, which were divided between Qin and Zhao. This rectangular battlefield is located in the Shangdang Basin.

Zhao Kuo ordered the Zhao army stationed in Pilao on the west bank of Qinshui River (now northeast of Yicheng, Shanxi Province) to wipe out the Qin army along the Qinshui River, control Qinshui River, and attack Bai Qi's army with Zhao Kuo's army to the east. The Zhao army stationed in Jinyang was ordered to go south to Linfen and Anyi to protect the Pilao army and deter the empty Qin mainland in Hexi.

The decisive battle has begun. Zhao Kuo led his army to attack Bai Qi's army, and Bai Qi's army retreated westward. We are about to retreat to the east bank of Qinshui River. Suddenly, Zhao Kuo discovered that there were Qin army camps along the east bank of Qinshui River. This is the camp that Bai Qi ordered the Qin army stationed at Guanglang on the east bank of Qinshui River (now northwest of Duanshi, Shanxi Province) to set up overnight. Bai Qijun entered the backwater formation and defended with all his strength. Zhao's Pilao garrison was blocked by Wang Lu and failed to complete Zhao Kuo's order to control the Qinshui coast and cross eastward to attack Bai Qi's army. The defenders of Jinyang were blocked by Qin general Sima You and were unable to move south to complete the support for the Pi Lao army. Although Zhao Kuo's army repeatedly broke into the Qin army's backwater formation, the Qin warships in the Qinshui River immediately cooperated with the Qin army on the shore to eliminate the Zhao army that entered the Qin village. These warships were sent by King Zhao of Qin who was based in Yewang (now Qinyang, Henan). Zhao Kuo and Bai Qi fought a face-to-face war of attrition on the east bank of Qinshui River, and it was difficult for the two armies to determine the outcome. Zhao Kuo could not destroy Bai Qi's army, nor could he get rid of them. Since the Qin army formed a backwater formation, it was meaningless for the Zhao army to break through them. After breaking through, they faced a wide and deep Qinshui, with Qin's warships on the water. Zhao Kuo wanted to retreat to Changping, but as soon as he made a move, Bai Qi's army entangled him tightly. Zhao Kuo understood that Bai Qi wanted to completely annihilate his Zhao army. When a large army fights, food is the key. Bai Qi's army had the Qin ship on the Qin River to replenish supplies, but Zhao Kuo's army could only eat the small amount of food he carried with him. Zhao Kuo had no choice but to order a group of Zhao troops to cut off the rear and cover the retreat of the army eastward.

But just as they were approaching Changping, a camp appeared in front, and a huge Qin army blocked the way back. This is the reinforcement sent by King Qin Zhao from the Ye King, with the purpose of cutting off Zhao Kuo's retreat route and food route. After the Bai Qi army behind them eliminated the Zhao army that was performing a cover mission, they attacked again and attacked Zhao Kuo with the Yewang army who blocked Zhao Kuo. The only way for Zhao Kuo was to cross Danshui and retreat eastward to Lingchuan. When Zhao Kuo retreated to the Danshui River, something unexpected happened. The alchemy water that was not deep suddenly became as wide and as deep as Qinshui. Zhao Jun, who had no boats to cross the river, was cut off from the last road by the Dan River that suddenly widened. It turns out that the water in Dan River was brought by King Zhao of Qin from the Yellow River. There are many ships of the Qin army in the Dan River. On the east bank of the Dan River, there were troops sent by the King of Qin from Yewang to block the rescue of the Zhao army in Lingchuan. In fact, the Zhao army in Lingchuan did not dare to come to the rescue.

Zhao Kuo was tightly surrounded by the Qin army. The Zhao armies in Changping, Jinyang, and Pilao moved desperately towards Zhao Kuo, and the Ye Wang Army, Sima Geng Army, and Wang Lu Army sent by King Qin Zhao also tried their best to block it. The situation in the entire Hedong battlefield is one of rush and blockage. As long as the Qin army is broken through all the way, the Qin army will lose everything. King Qin Zhao asked Ranghou to step up his attack on Handan from Tao State, so that Zhao State could not mobilize troops to rescue Changping.

The biggest problem Zhao Kuo faced was the lack of food. The small amount of food they carried with them had long been eaten up, and the food route was cut off. The war horses were also killed, and everything that could be eaten was eaten. In the end, Zhao Kuo had no choice but to order the disabled, sick, weak, and old people in the army to be fed. Zhao Kuo once sent some brave and decisive soldiers from the Zhao army to assassinate Bai Qi, and Bai Qi was injured. After being trapped for forty-six days, Zhao Kuo selected a man who looked like him in the army, wore his armor, and used his banner to lead an army to raid Jincheng (today's Jincheng, Shanxi), while he himself led an army to break out of Changping. The Qin army shot to death those who resembled Zhao Kuo, thinking that Zhao Kuo was dead. The Qin army surrounded Zhao Kuo's army and shouted to the Zhao army that Zhao Kuo was dead, and urged the Zhao army to surrender quickly. So Zhao Kuo pretended to surrender. Bai Qi discovered that although Zhao Jun surrendered, he was still not in disorder. He suspected that he was pretending to surrender, fearing that Zhao Jun would repeat it. Bai Qi wanted to disarm Zhao Jun first and then kill them all. So he pretended to accept Zhao Jun's vote. Zhao Kuo told his generals that the Zhao army was not defeated and their fighting spirit was still intact, and Bai Qi would not sincerely accept the surrender. The Qin army's acceptance of surrender must also be false. After the Qin army disarms the Zhao army, it will attack the Zhao army again. Zhao Kuo planned to take advantage of the opportunity of being close to the Qin army to take action first when the Qin army surrendered. When surrendering, the Zhao army suddenly launched an attack on the Qin army. The two armies fought again, resulting in numerous casualties. The Zhao army was ultimately defeated due to exhaustion. Bai Qi chose a young man from Zhao State captured near Changping to report a false letter to Handan to cause chaos in Handan. When Handan heard that Zhao Kuo had surrendered, there was a great earthquake. Qin's spies in Handan took the opportunity to exaggerate the atmosphere of Zhao Kuo's defeat and confuse people's minds. Those who were not good to Zhao She and Zhao Kuo asked the King of Zhao to destroy the Zhao Kuo clan. Because Zhao Kuo's mother made an appointment with King Zhao before Zhao Kuo went to war, King Xiaocheng did not break his promise. Tian Dan didn't believe it (Tian Dan himself was a master of psychological warfare, and he had played a trick on Le Yi like this back then), so he tortured the Zhao boys who reported the news, only to find out that these boys were outsiders and did not witness Zhao Kuo's surrender with his own eyes. The messengers were not killed by the Qin army, but reported the news to Zhao according to the Qin army's instructions. Tian Dan killed the young man and asked the spies to investigate the actual situation of the Changping Battle. Soon, the spies reported to Tian Dan that Zhao Kuo faked his surrender and eventually died in battle. Zhao Kuo's entire army was killed in the battle. Although the losses were heavy, the Qin army was consumed in greater numbers. Therefore, Tian Dan stabilized Zhao's people and hunted and killed those who deceived and spread rumors. King Xiaocheng asked about the battle of Changping, and Le Yi said that although Zhao Kuo died, the Zhao army was not defeated. Zhao Kuo's deployment was appropriate, but it was a pity that the Zhao Pilao and Jinyang armies failed to complete their mission. Although the Zhao army suffered slightly greater losses, the Qin army consumed almost the same amount of manpower and material resources. The pattern of confrontation between Qin and Zhao has not changed. Zhao Guo's biggest loss was the loss of Zhao Kuo. Although the Qin army was temporarily able to occupy Hedong, it was already weak and would inevitably be driven away. King Xiaocheng gave it to Zhao Kuo's family and the general of Yilingchuan. (Strategically, Zhao Kuo’s tactics consumed most of Qin’s troops. In this way, in the upcoming Battle of Handan, Qin had no choice but to retreat in despair. In other words, the international situation at that time, Zhao Guo's greed for the land of a Dang County was originally a losing move - it was a good thing done by Pingyuan Jun Zhao Sheng; looking at the Hantan battle alone, Zhao Guo lost first and then won, and this loss first means losing in Changchun. The Battle of Ping. But without the consumption of the Qin army's strength in the Battle of Changping, how could there be a small victory in the Battle of Handan?)

All of Zhao's troops. After the battle, Bai Qi sent people to search for Zhao Kuo's body, but found only Zhao Kuo's sword and armor. Bai Qi was extremely sad, buried him in rich clothes, and took Zhao Kuo's sword for his own use. Zhao Kuo grew up, was beautiful, strong and powerful, and had an outstanding personality.

After the war, Bai Qi met with King Zhao of Qin to discuss Zhao Kuo. Bai Qi said, I used 500,000 men to surround Zhao Kuo's 200,000 troops, and only then did I completely annihilate Zhao Kuo's army with more than half of his casualties. This is something that has never happened before in my history of using troops. There was no food in his belly, but he used people to satisfy his hunger and kept his fighting spirit unremitting. This was Zhao Kuo's skill. In the Battle of Changping, the Qin army lost more than half of its elite troops, and its outstanding generals suffered numerous casualties. In fact, the Qin army was not victorious and the Zhao army was not defeated. The only difference is that Zhao Kuo is dead and I am still alive. King Zhao of Qin said that in the great battle of Changping, Qin lost 600,000 and Zhao lost 700,000. Qin could be said to have a small victory. However, Zhao Kuo's death and Wu'an Jun's survival can be described as a great victory. Afterwards, Fan Ju called King Zhao of Qin, and there was a huge battle in Changping. It was King Qin who won the victory. King Qin smiled but did not answer. Three years later, in the fiftieth year of King Zhao of Qin (257 BC), King Zhao killed Bai Qi. Qin general Zheng Anping surrendered to Zhao, and Shangdang returned to Zhao.

Zhao Kuo became the laughingstock of the ages because of his defeat, which cost the lives of more than 400,000 soldiers and the future of Zhao. His deeds became the idiom of "talking on paper", but this was unfair to him.

Another Zhao Kuo in history: appeared in the "Trouble in the Lower Palace" in the Spring and Autumn Period, and was the younger brother of Zhao Shuo. He was executed in this disaster of the Zhao family.