2500 years ago, Chinese civilization reached an unprecedented turning point. In the late Spring and Autumn period, the authoritative position of the Zhou emperor as the co ruler of the world had long been lost, and the pace of strength and weakness between various feudal states greatly accelerated. In the Warring States period, monarchs of various countries carried out reforms and reforms, pursuing the strategy of enriching the country and strengthening the military, and successively proclaimed themselves kings, intending to annex the world and pacify the world. The pattern of numerous feudal states vying for supremacy on the Chinese territory has shifted towards a situation where seven warlords stand side by side to determine their own power. The fierce competition in the Central Plains and constant wars, with cities being contested, cities being filled with killing, territories being contested, and fields being filled with killing, often puts various countries at a critical juncture of life and death. The history of the Warring States period is a history of competing for national strength and competitive military, during which strategists and guerrillas roamed and played various roles, presenting a mysterious historical picture of wind and rain.
During the Warring States period, war engulfed the land of the Central Plains. After hundreds of years of mutual warfare since the Spring and Autumn period, most of the vassal states had been eroded and disintegrated, gradually disappearing into the smoke of annexation wars. The seven most powerful countries at that time stood out, known as the Seven Heroes of the Warring States period. During the Spring and Autumn period, the most powerful state of Jin was divided into three countries: Wei, Zhao, and Han. In the early Warring States period, Wei was the most powerful and relied on its formidable soldiers to become the first hegemon of the Warring States period. Qi was also a strong country during the Spring and Autumn period, bordering the seaside with abundant resources. After the Tian family replaced Qi, they strengthened their invasion of countries such as Lu Wei and further expanded their territory. During the Spring and Autumn period, Chu, another superpower that could only compete with Jin, continued to expand its territory after entering the Warring States period, with its territory ranking first among all countries. The state of Yan is the weakest among the seven major powers, but due to its location in the north and not in a four battle zone, it has suffered less impact, but it has also expanded its territory in the northeast. South Korea was the weakest in the Three Jin Dynasty and China, but it occupied a fertile land in the Central Plains with a developed economy. After the destruction of the Zheng Kingdom, its strength further strengthened. Zhao, which had long been in conflict with nomadic tribes, merged with Dai Kingdom in the north after being dressed in Hu clothing, cavalry and archery, greatly expanding its territory. After more than 200 years of hard work in the remote western frontier, the state of Qin finally completely conquered the fierce nomadic tribes in the surrounding areas, unified the northwest plateau, and achieved partial annexation victories in the Seven Xiongs. As the territory continued to expand, the mode of war in the Cold Weapon Age quietly changed. The situation where aristocrats fought until they reached the point and bowed politely no longer appeared. Instead, they worked hard to eliminate the enemy’s living forces. As a result, civilians began to be conscripted into the military, and the number of people became the most basic winning factor. For this reason, countries established huge armies of tens of thousands or even millions.
Professor Chen Xiangling from the National Defense University of the People’s Liberation Army of China: After the Spring and Autumn period, we said that iron was invented, and with iron, people could cultivate more land. With more land, the Zhou royal family could ignore your call. What control did I use in the past? I used land to control you, but now I can’t control it anymore. So, wars broke out between feudal lords. After the outbreak, with the frequent occurrence of wars, more soldiers were needed, which promoted the development of military personnel.
Shao Bei: During the Warring States Period, it implemented a system of conscription by household (because of the registered residence registration system). That is to say, the range of conscription was that men were registered in registered residence. Generally speaking, 15 to 60 years old had to go to military service.
During the Spring and Autumn period of the Western Zhou Dynasty, nobles enjoyed burying chariots and horses. Many chariot and horse pits were discovered throughout the country, varying in size depending on the status of the nobles. This was because chariots were the most important tool of war at that time, and the number of chariots was evaluated based on national strength. In the Warring States period, in order to be mobile and flexible, tanks were also modified, with reduced rules and shorter legs. The horses driving were also covered in armor, providing more rigorous protection. Car soldiers were the main component of the military forces of various countries during the Spring and Autumn period. During the Warring States period, charioteers still existed, but their importance relatively declined and gradually gave way to infantry and cavalry. The position of infantry in the military power composition of various countries underwent significant changes. In the early days, infantry were always following behind tanks, assisting in attacks and providing logistics. However, during the Spring and Autumn period, the State of Jin discovered that infantry was more flexible than chariot soldiers during battles with Rong and Di, and began to establish its own specialized infantry team, known as Xing. But at that time, infantry was still embellished. As the scale of the war expanded, ordinary people became organized households and enlisted at an age. For them, the complex skill of driving chariots was difficult to master for a while. In addition, the war began to adopt tricks, and the places quickly expanded from vast plains to mountains, rivers, and dangerous places. Car soldiers in mountainous areas lack the mobility and flexibility of infantry, and are highly susceptible to terrain limitations. Infantry, on the other hand, are commonly equipped with powerful crossbows with long-range shooting capabilities, which can fire neatly arranged car formations from a long distance in a short period of time. In the late Spring and Autumn period, especially during the Warring States period, newly formed independent infantry from various countries had become an important combat force at that time. Moreover, during the Warring States period, various countries established fortresses on the border and transportation routes, took advantage of the dangers of mountains and rivers, and won the benefits of combat. Instead of fighting decisive battles on the plains and wide rivers like before, bulky tanks gradually withdrew from the battlefield.
Professor Chen Xiangling from the National Defense University of the People’s Liberation Army of China: Chinese infantry began to slowly develop and grow. When charioteers gradually withdrew from the historical stage in the late Spring and Autumn period, they began to rise in the Warring States period. Cavalry began to rise, especially in nomadic tribes. With cavalry, infantry did not have an advantage in fighting against cavalry.
The need for speed and flexibility in war stimulated the rise of cavalry, which in turn promoted the development of speed and flexibility. Horses were tamed as riding tools for a long time. During the Warring States period, the nomadic tribes living in northern China were already skilled in archery and agile in their movements. The state of Zhao, which borders multiple ethnic minorities, suffered greatly from the invasion of the Hu cavalry. Although the Warring States had excellent weapons, its clumsy chariots and slow infantry were only targets of attack in front of the Hu cavalry, coming and going like flying birds and leaving like a string. In the early days of the Central Plains, people did not know how to ride horses. Horses were only used for driving. In the late Spring and Autumn period, some people began to ride horses, but they were able to ride them freely and fight without mastering this skill.
In 307 BC, King Wuling of Zhao was deeply saddened and ordered Hu Fu to ride and shoot, wear Hu people’s clothing, and learn the combat methods of horseback riding and archery. The court and the public were in a state of uproar, and conservative ministers strongly opposed it. King Wuling remained unmoved and fully obeyed the opposition leader, Gongzi Cheng, to wear a short sleeved Hu Fu with him and promote Hu Fu riding and shooting from top to bottom. Zhao quickly trained a powerful cavalry force, expanding everywhere, and incorporated cavalry from the northern nomadic tribes of Lin Hu and Lou Fan, greatly enhancing their combat effectiveness. Leap to become a powerful country in the Warring States period, second only to Qin. It can be seen from this that at that time, whoever could master powerful cavalry could stand out in the battle for supremacy. During the Warring States period, although cavalry was initially only mixed with military vehicles, it was quickly developed into a separate unit that cooperated with infantry in combat. As a result, large-scale field and encirclement warfare by infantry and cavalry replaced the assault warfare dominated by chariots in the Spring and Autumn period. Due to unprecedented speed and mobility, cavalry quickly became the main force in warfare in various countries in the Central Plains region, becoming the key force determining war. Afterwards, the coordinated use of the three types of troops, namely chariots, infantry, and cavalry, became the basic form of coordination among the various branches of the Cold Weapon Age in China.
Professor Chen Xiangling from the National Defense University of the People’s Liberation Army of China: Whether it’s infantry or cavalry, they all have a common characteristic, which is that their mobility becomes stronger. Although infantry may move slower, they can still run, and their mobility is still very easy. This is what we mean by the transformation of China’s form of warfare, which is a shift from the past of chariots fighting in formation to field warfare, developing towards the direction of field warfare.
Although war horses are produced in the north, copper resources are abundant in the south. Fanyang, a famous copper mining area in the state of Chu, was mentioned in the Spring and Autumn Annals of Zeng Bofu and Jin Jiangding to conquer the south and seize the copper resources produced in Fanyang. This is Tonglu Mountain in Daye City, Hubei Province, one of the famous copper mining areas in China. It was once part of the territory of Chu during the Warring States period and was the largest copper mining area in Chu during the Warring States period. After more than thirty centuries of continuous mining, people today have established modern mining and refining plants here. Although it has undergone multiple dynasties, its attributes as an important mining and refining base have never changed.
Chen Shuxiang, a researcher at the Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, is currently leading an archaeological team here to conduct archaeological excavations on the topic of the transformation of smelting technology from the Spring and Autumn period to the Warring States period. For thousands of years, basic mineral resources such as iron and copper have been the most important strategic resources for all countries. Having abundant mineral resources and advanced smelting technology means that it may become a superpower that dominates the region. During the Warring States period, smelting technology was rapidly developing, and Chu State had abundant mineral resources. In the past decade, archaeological teams have discovered seven ancient copper smelting sites in Tonglu Mountain. However, the iron smelting site has never been found.
Researcher at Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology – Chen Shuxiang: When was the earliest iron artifact in the state of Chu? We have not yet found a smelter, and the early iron smelting is still a mystery. From now on, we are discovering and filling in sections of Tonglvshan. For example, if you talk about a whole area, what we see now is the iron smelting plant of the Han Dynasty and the smelting plant of the Western Han Dynasty. We did not find this copper smelting plant of the Western Han Dynasty in the past few decades, so in this region, it fills a big gap.
This is a cultural heritage worker at the Hubei Provincial Museum who is repairing a bronze artifact from the Warring States period. The increase in iron content has made its corrosion more severe than other bronze artifacts from the same period. As early as the Shang Dynasty, people knew that iron was tougher and had better properties than copper. However, at that time, iron smelting technology had not yet been mastered. Basically, meteorite iron was embedded on the edges of copper weapons. In the Western Zhou Dynasty, iron smelting began to appear, but the quality was not high. During the Warring States period, it was an era where bronze weapons and iron weapons coexisted. At that time, important iron smelting handicraft sites had already been established in various countries. After the discovery of iron, ancient people began to expand smelting furnaces, strengthen blast equipment, improve smelting technology, and invented the technology of carburizing steel. The rapid development of iron smelting technology in the late Warring States period led to the continuous upgrading of weapons, and a large number of steel weapons emerged. The texture of weapons held, such as spears, swords, and halberds, became sharp and tough, greatly improving their killing power. During that period of fierce war, countries with weak military strength but advanced technology and huge mineral resources were often the first choice for being annexed by the Seven Heroes. In the 1960s, a Yue King Goujian sword was unearthed in Wangshan, Jiangling, Hubei. The owner of the tomb was a lower ranking official of the Chu state. After analysis by current smelting experts, the casting process of this sword is very advanced. During the Warring States period, Wu and Yue had unparalleled sword casting techniques, but the state of Yue was destroyed by the state of Chu. The advanced casting techniques of the state of Yue led to a qualitative change in Chu’s weapons during that period. Today’s archaeological excavations have proven that, in addition to the handheld weapons, the copper crossbows of the Warring States period were very mature in terms of structural principles and production techniques. South Korea’s powerful bows and crossbows are even more famous worldwide. According to historical records, the bows and crossbows made in South Korea can shoot up to 600 steps away. While weapons are rapidly developing, defense equipment is also constantly improving. Qi’s smelting technology is also very advanced, and the sturdy armor is well-known worldwide. These iron armor pieces unearthed in Linzi, Shandong, although they have rusted and cannot be separated as a whole, restoration shows that the armor design at that time was very reasonable. It could protect most parts of the soldier’s body, and the demand for weapon innovation also created a large number of skilled craftsmen and inventions. In Mozi’s hometown of Tengzhou, Shandong, the Mozi Memorial Hall displays Mozi’s inventions and creations, many of which are the most advanced weapons and equipment at that time. The increase in the number of troops, changes in the source of troops, and advances in weapons and armor have made war more brutal, and also made commanding battles increasingly an art. Military strategists made significant progress during the Warring States period, and military science became one of the fastest-growing disciplines during that period.
Shao Bei: The reason why the Warring States period is called the Warring States period is that its typical characteristic is that war is the main focus, and the purpose of war is to win. Because winning is inevitable, it has given rise to various tactical warfare methods. In other words, it is an era where military thinking has greatly developed.
Excellent generals have the magical power to turn corruption into magic on the battlefield. Chen Xiangling, a professor at the National Defense University of the People’s Liberation Army of China, has been studying “The Art of War”, which is known as the treasure trove of Chinese soldiers, since becoming a professional soldier. The Art of War by Sun Tzu, written 2500 years ago, was not only revered by Chinese military scholars and commanders throughout history, but also translated into multiple languages and widely circulated around the world. At West Point Military Academy in the United States, it was even designated as a philosophy of war.
Chen Xiangling: “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu is mainly about the philosophy of war. As Sun Tzu’s starting point, how can we achieve the maximum battlefield effect with minimal investment? Therefore, he proposed the idea of “subduing soldiers without fighting”. Other ideas such as the use of force, such as the concepts of emptiness and reality, unity and righteousness, can guide our war today.
The National Defense University of the People’s Liberation Army of China is the highest military academy in China. Those who come here to study are outstanding in the contemporary military, many of whom will become commanders of the future military. “The Art of Parent Child War” is a compulsory course for them. The Art of War by Sun Tzu, which emerged during the Spring and Autumn period, focused on strategy. In the Warring States period, a large number of military strategists with more practical skills and experience were born. Wu Qi, Le Yi, Bai Qi, Sun Bin, and others became outstanding figures and stepped onto the historical stage. Among them, Wu Qi emphasized the training of soldiers, and the Wei State Warriors he founded became the most powerful special forces during the Warring States period. And on par with him was a military strategist known as Sun Bin by later generations, who demonstrated extraordinary combat capabilities. Sun Bin, a native of Qi, is said to have studied military strategy together with Pang Juan, the powerful general of Wei at that time, like Guiguzi. Later, Pang Juan was eager to make achievements and seek fame by going down the mountain. He made an agreement with Sun Bin that once he achieved fame, he would strongly recommend him to share wealth and honor. Pang Juan became the general of King Hui of Wei and was highly valued, but he knew in his heart that his talent was far inferior to that of Sun Bin, and he always felt uneasy. So they sent someone to invite Sun Bin to the state of Wei, but falsely accused him of having an affair with the state of Qi in front of the Wei king. They dug out his knee bone to prevent him from escaping. The disabled Sun Bin endured humiliation and finally took the opportunity to escape back to the state of Qi when Pang Juan relaxed his guard. After arriving in the state of Qi, Sun Bin was treated kindly by the Qi general Tian Ji.
This is the Trent Terrace Site located in Linzi, Shandong. According to local archaeologists, it was once a racecourse in the state of Qi, and the famous story of Tianji’s horse racing took place here. Tianji’s horse racing strategy came from Sun Bin, and his true intention was to recommend Sun Bin to King Wei of Qi.
Han Weidong: Sun Bin had an idea for him to use Tian Ji’s inferior horse against Qi Wei Wang’s superior horse. In the first round, Tian Ji lost, in the second round, he used his superior horse against Qi Wei Wang’s medium horse. In the second round, Tian Ji won, and in the third round, he used his medium horse against Qi Wei Wang’s inferior horse. Tian Ji won another round, and Tian Ji won over Qi Wei Wang. King Qi Wei felt very strange, and at this point, Tian Ji recommended Sun Bin to King Qi Wei. King Qi Wei hoped to learn through dialogue with Sun Bin that he was indeed a person with high literary and military skills, especially military talent. So he worshipped Sun Bin as a military advisor, who later laid the foundation for the military strength of the Qi state.
This former horse racing field is now the starting point for the great Chinese military strategist Sun Bin to truly step onto the historical stage. The next two most classic battles of the Warring States period are about to unfold, which are the battles of Guilin and Maling, which are widely discussed by later generations. This is also a war between two people. Sun Bin is from the state of Qi, and Pang Juan is from the state of Wei. Their different choices will ultimately lead them to meet on the battlefield. In the Battle of Guilin, Sun Bin created a classic military tactic of besieging Wei and saving Zhao. The Qi army not only lifted the siege of Zhao, but also defeated the Wei army led by Pang Juan. In 342 BC, Wei attacked South Korea, and South Korea sought help from Qi. Qi once again appointed Tian Ji as the general and Sun Bin as the military commander to send troops to save Korea. At the Battle of Maling, Sun Bin met with a 100000 strong army led by Crown Prince Shen and Pang Juan of the State of Wei. He adopted a strategy of gradually reducing the number of military stoves in the camp, reducing them from 100000 to 50000 and then to 30000 within three days, creating the illusion of a large number of Qi soldiers fleeing. This led to Pang Juan’s reckless advance and only led a few elite troops to chase after him. Eventually, he was besieged by Sun Bin on Mount Maling, and Pang Juan died in the war, causing the State of Wei to collapse.
This is the Maling Mountain in Linyi, Shandong. The jungle is dense and the terrain is steep. Huang Xinzhong, who comes from a military background, is now an associate researcher at the Linyi Institute of Historical Archaeology in Shandong. He has been conducting archaeological discoveries and investigations here for more than 30 years and believes that this is the location of the Battle of Maling back then. When Pang Juan arrived at that place, he saw a mulberry tree with peeled skin and words on it. It was composed of ants, and he believed it was fate, so he drew his sword and committed suicide. Later, there was another theory that when he took fire and looked at it, he shot Pang Juan to death with all his crossbows. In fact, archaeological discoveries so far have not been able to provide strong evidence to convince people that this mountain forest was the battlefield of the past. The battles of Guilin and Maling, between Sun Bin and Pang Juan, may have been too classic, too legendary, and filled with enmity and feud, too dramatic. In later generations, there have been many doubts about the process of these two battles, and the creator of the classic battles, Sun Bin, has become an eternal mystery. For thousands of years, many people believed that Sun Bin and Sun Wu, the author of Sun Tzu’s Art of War, were the same person, and the legendary “Sun Bin’s Art of War” did not even exist.
On April 10, 1972, the Linyi District Health Bureau was preparing to build an office building on Yinque Mountain. While clearing the foundation, two ancient tombs were unexpectedly discovered. This discovery was later rated as one of the top ten archaeological discoveries of the 1970s. These are two common tombs from the Western Han Dynasty. The exact name of the tomb owner is still unknown. But this is not important. What is important is that archaeologists were surprised to discover a book called “The Art of War by Sun Tzu” while cleaning up bamboo slips in ancient tombs. What is even more shocking is that in addition to this, there is also a book on war called “The Art of War by Sun Bin”, which has been lost for over 1700 years. Although it is incomplete after being cleared, the content clearly records Sun Bin’s strategy to capture Pang Juan, as well as his Q&A with King Qi Wei and Tian Ji. The words “Sun Tzu said” at the beginning of the article are completely different from the “Sun Wu’s Art of War” unearthed from the same tomb. The reappearance of the two military books has solved the eternal mystery of whether Sun Wu and Sun Bin are the same person, and whether their military books are one or two.
Professor Chen Xiangling from the National Defense University of the People’s Liberation Army of China: “The Art of War of Sun Bin” mainly provides some specific combat principles at the level of campaign. Of course, these principles are also mentioned in “The Art of War of Sun Tzu”, such as the use of extraordinary tactics. So how can we use extraordinary tactics? Sun Tzu did not mention them further. But Sun Bin told you, what is uniqueness? Strange is unique to me. This is uniqueness. It is said that he has developed and enriched some aspects of Sun Tzu’s Art of War, especially in the field of military use, which has developed his thinking.
During the Warring States period, there was a more mysterious figure waiting to be deciphered, who was Guiguzi. Legend has it that Guiguzi was Laozi’s disciple and he possessed multiple disciplines. His students, in addition to Sun Bin and Pang Juan of the Military Academy, also had another group of people who were also influencing the political situation of the entire Warring States period. They were known as the Political Strategists. During the Spring and Autumn period, only Chu dared to claim the title of king, while other vassal states still honored the title of Emperor Zhou. Even powerful vassals dared only claim the title of hegemon. During the Warring States period, rulers of various countries could no longer restrain their ambition to claim the title of king. In 344 BC, King Hui of Wei took the lead in claiming the title, followed by rulers of Qi, Qin, Wei, and Han. In 323 BC, Wei, Han, Zhao, Yan, and Zhongshan launched the Five Kingdoms Prime Minister, and the rulers of Zhao, Yan, and Zhongshan were unwilling to fall behind and used the title of king. The title enjoyed by Emperor Zhou was finally widely adopted by various countries. As various vassal states proclaimed themselves kings, the war of annexation became even more intense. After the middle of the Warring States period, strategists from various countries came up with strategies and strategies on how to win allies and expand outward. They came up with strategies and strategies from both the vertical and horizontal perspectives, and the political strategists found their way on the political stage. Zhang Yi and Su Qin are representative figures among them, and it is said that they are also students of Guiguzi. Zhang Yi was born into a collateral branch of the Wei clan and formulated a diplomatic strategy for King Huiwen of Qin. Initially, he went to the state of Chu to lobby the King of Chu, but was not highly valued by the King of Chu. It was not until 329 BC that Zhang Yi went to the state of Qin to promote the strategy and was highly valued by King Huiwen of Qin. He became the prime minister of Qin and, in order to disrupt the alliance between Qi and Chu, in 313 BC, Zhang Yi went on a trip to Chu to talk about King Huai of Chu. If Chu could sever ties with Qi, Qin would offer 600 miles of land for business. The land of Shangyu was one of the gateways for Qin to attack the Central Plains, and its strategic position was extremely important. King Huai of Chu could not resist the temptation and could not wait to break off diplomatic relations with Qi. However, when the envoy of Chu went to receive the offered land, Zhang Yi said that he had agreed with King Huai of Chu for six miles, not six hundred miles. King Huai of Chu was furious upon hearing the news, but at this time, Chu had already broken off diplomatic relations with Qi and could only launch a solo attack on Qin, resulting in a great defeat. The State of Qin acquired the Hanzhong area of Chu, eliminating Chu’s threat to Qin. From then on, Qin’s power extended to the Central Plains, and Zhang Yi’s strategy of linking up achieved significant success, making Qin’s strength even stronger.
Professor Chen Xiangling from the National Defense University of the People’s Liberation Army of China: As a strategist, what kind of soft power does he use? Through this soft power, he borrows contradictions, without contradictions. I create contradictions, create a favorable situation through contradictions, and finally provide a good situation for the military to fight on the battlefield. So, the true victory in this war still depends on the military. This is a fundamental difference between them, so although they have played a huge role with the help of soft power, what really needs to be relied on to solve the problem is to rely on military strategists to win on the battlefield.
Like Zhang Yi, Su Qin was another outstanding strategist on the political stage of the Warring States period. He once served as the prime minister of the six states, and his cooperative strategy received positive responses from many vassal states. However, he also had a secret identity as a spy for the Yan state, and he was engaged in the death of one of the Five Realms of War, using his life as a cost to transmit false information to the enemy and lure them into being deceived. Suqin, who came from the state of Yan to the state of Qi, successfully lobbied King Lin of Qi Min to join forces with Yan, Han, Zhao, and Wei to attack Qin. However, Suqin’s real goal was to destroy the state of Qi. At this time, the weak state of Song became an important pawn of Suqin, because the state of Song was coveted by foreign powers. If Qi was lured to destroy the state of Song, it would inevitably provoke other countries. Suqin achieved this, making Qi a target of criticism after the destruction of Song. In 285 BC, Yan general Leyi led a coalition of Qin, Zhao, Han, Wei, and Yan to attack Qi. The situation in Qi was critical, and when the horn for the five states to attack Qi sounded, Suqin’s identity was also exposed. Thirty years ago, the state of Qi launched an attack on the state of Yan during the Rebellion of the Son, almost causing the state of Yan to be destroyed. Today, in the state of Qi, Su Qin issued the last secret spy to King Zhao of Yan, who was thousands of miles away, as a farewell and conclusion. When Su Qin was in poverty and destitution, he received the courtesy of King Zhao of Yan in the state of Yan and died for his confidants. Eliminating the state of Qi was Su Qin’s reward to King Zhao of Yan. Su Qin was ultimately killed by King Min of Qi’s chariot, and Le Yi, the commander of the Five Route Alliance, led his army to drive straight into and conquer the capital of Qi, Linzi. This war lasted for five years in the state of Qi, capturing more than seventy cities one after another, with only Jimo and Ju still holding their ground. In 279 BC, King Zhao of Yan passed away. After King Hui of Yan succeeded to the throne, he no longer trusted Leyi and replaced him with a cavalry robbery. Leyi left the state of Zhao, and the governor of Jimo, Tian Dan, seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack. Tian Dan gathered over a thousand cows in the city, dressed in colorful dragon patterns, tied a sharp knife to his feet, and tied a reed filled with oil to his tail. At night, he lit the cow’s tail and let them run wildly. Five thousand soldiers followed closely behind and killed the Yan army. The Yan army woke up in sleep, shocked to see the strangely shaped fire cows, and suffered heavy casualties. Qijie also lost his life. Tian Dan pursued with victory and quickly recaptured more than seventy cities. He supported King Xiang of Qi to succeed and restored the state of Qi. Although Qi was able to recover, its strength was severely damaged and it was unable to compete with Qin.
Professor Chen Xiangling from the National Defense University of the People’s Liberation Army of China: Su Qin and Zhang Yizhen. Everything they did during their time was different from what we, as diplomats today, do. In terms of diplomacy, we talk about politics, economy, military diplomacy, and its independent territory. In other words, what the strategists did at that time was, in layman’s terms, the driving force behind the war. He made the other party make mistakes and prepared for the future war.
Suqin fulfilled his mission at the cost of his life, but the political situation did not go as Suqin had hoped. Yan did not rise, but Qin became the strongest country among the seven great powers, becoming increasingly strong. Qin accelerated its pace of annexing the six countries and defeated the Chu army in the Battle of Chusha; The Battle of Yique defeated Han and Wei, and paved the way for the Qin army’s eastward advance; The Battle of Yan and Ying won a large territory of Chu State; In the Battle of Huayang, Zhao Wei and the allied forces were defeated, and several cities of Wei and Guanjin of Zhao were captured.
In 263 BC, the State of Qin continuously captured the cities of South Korea and cut off the transportation between Shangdang County and the mainland of South Korea. South Korea wanted to offer the Shangdang County to Qin for peace, but Fengting, the governor of Shangdang County, was unwilling to surrender to the State of Qin. Therefore, he offered the seventeen cities of Shangdang County to the State of Zhao. The State of Zhao gladly accepted and sent General Lian Po to guard Changping. It was obvious that the State of Qin would not give up. In 262 BC, Wang Xuan was sent to attack Changping. Both Qin and Zhao mobilized nearly a million strong armies in Changping, building fortifications along the mountainous areas of more than 50 miles left and right of Changping City, and engaging in a standoff. The mountain, which was once used by Lian Po to store grain, was designated as the Big Grain Mountain by later generations, and a statue of Lian Po was erected for future generations to admire. Such a large-scale battle competes for comprehensive national strength and logistics supply, which is the lifeline of the entire army. At that time, Lian Po adopted a resolute defensive strategy, and no matter how the Qin army challenged them, they could only hold on and the Qin army was helpless. Thus, the two sides held each other for three years. But in response to this war, there was still an invisible front between Qin and Zhao. Qin successfully used a counter plot, which made King Xiaocheng of Zhao think that Lian Po’s inability to defend was cowardice. Therefore, he sent Zhao Kuo to replace Lian Po as the general. Upon receiving the news, Qin immediately secretly appointed Bai Qi as the superior general.
Professor Chen Xiangling from the National Defense University of the People’s Liberation Army of China: Let’s make a comparison from these three people, it’s a war, it’s a kind of wise battle of generals, and maybe everyone’s strength is similar. It depends on my intelligence, who has a better plan. As for Lian Po, his strategy and final procrastination tactic are very good, and he is very suitable for the state of Zhao. But King Zhao did not judge the situation very well. This Zhao Kuo lacks experience, talks on paper, and cannot withstand the temptation of the other party. In layman’s terms, it means how to mobilize the other party, how to find weak families, and how to strike them. He (Lian Po) is very good at using it.
Changping is located in present-day Gaoping City, Shanxi Province. It is said that many villages here have evolved from the Qin army’s camps in the past. It was on the outskirts of these camps that the Qin army built a strong defense line. After Zhao Kuo arrived at the front line, he changed the strategy of Lian Po’s defense and launched a large-scale attack on the Qin army. Qin general Bai Qi pretended to retreat, allowing the Qin army to defend the fortress and lure the enemy deeper. As a result, Bai Qi sent troops to raid the rear of the Zhao army, cutting off their retreat and food supply routes. He also ordered cavalry to penetrate the Zhao army and divide the main force of the Zhao army into two isolated units. At this moment, Zhao Kuo finally realized that the situation was extremely dangerous, and hundreds of thousands of troops were helpless like trapped beasts. Zhao Kuo organized the remaining Zhao army into four breakout forces, taking turns to attack the Qin barrier and break through with all their might. The most tragic defeat in history was thus staged. In September 260 BC, the four breakouts of the Zhao army were all unsuccessful. The Zhao army, which had been out of food for 46 days, began to slaughter each other in extreme fear and despair, using humans as food. In despair, Zhao Kuo personally led the army to fight, but was shot and killed by the Qin army. The Zhao army suffered a great defeat, with 400000 people surrendering to Qin. Bai Qi buried them all alive and only released 240 young prisoners of war, allowing them to spread the power of Qin after returning to Zhao.
Professor Chen Xiangling from the National Defense University of the People’s Liberation Army of China: After this battle, the support of Zhao’s power was basically destroyed. It can be said that Zhao did not pose a huge threat to the later Qin state. The process of unifying the six states in Qin was very pleasant in the future. This was a turning point in the unification of the six states in Qin. Although he decided the battle ahead of time, he won, which greatly compressed the process of unifying the six states.
Over two thousand years ago, this war has been passed down through word of mouth and historical records. In Sima Qian’s “Records of the Grand Historian,” the Battle of Changping was the most detailed battle of all the wars launched by the Qin army, with detailed records of the process and details. However, the specific location of the war, due to its age, has been submerged in the dust of history. Until the end of the last century, an old man’s inadvertent discovery uncovered this mystery. In May 1995, Li Zhuhai, a farmer from Yonglu Village in Gaoping County, and his son Li Youjin discovered numerous remains and dozens of Zhao Dynasty knives and coins under one foot of soil while cultivating land. They then reported to the cultural relics department.
Tian Guisheng: Big brother, he contracted a piece of land at that time and planted some fruit trees in this place. In spring, he wanted to clean up and build the land. When he came, he wanted to shovel this place and level the ground. When he was shoveling the land, suddenly bones came out, and he didn’t take it seriously at that time. He continued to shovel, and the more he shoveled, the more bones came out.
More than two thousand years have passed since the war, but today’s facts continue to provide people with real evidence, demonstrating the brutal massacre of the past. In 2014, the local government built the Changping War Memorial Hall here. Unlike other collections, there are only layers of white bones here, confirming the description of the brutal and brutal behavior of the Qin army in historical books, telling the story of the brutality and cruelty of the war of that year. The Warring States period was a period of China’s transition from the Great Schism to the Great Unification. This was a historical torrent that could not be changed by manpower. It was vast and mighty, with those who followed it prospering and those who rebelled falling. Those who were in it had no choice but to stand at the forefront of the tide, achieve their own great achievements, or be helplessly submerged by the torrent. The Battle of Changping was the final decisive battle before the unification of the Qin Dynasty. Since then, the six states have no longer had the strength to compete with the Qin state, leading to a turning point in history. The trend of unification has become increasingly evident, and the Qin state is unstoppable and unstoppable. The unification of the six states is just around the corner.
90 Seconds of History: The Debate of Haoshui
The blue waves roam freely, with beautiful silk and gauze fins. Along the banks of the Haoshui River, Zhuangzi and his friend Huishi are full of interest. Zhuangzi looked at the schools of fish swimming freely in the water and sighed, saying that the leisurely and carefree nature of these fish oils must be very joyful. Huishi was a famous debater during the Warring States period. Upon hearing Zhuangzi’s words, Huishi immediately retorted, “If you are not a fish, how can you know the happiness of fish?” Zhuangzi said, “If you are not me, how can you know that I do not know the happiness of fish.”. Huishi said I’m not you, so I don’t know how you feel. If you’re not a fish, naturally you don’t know the joy of fish. Zhuangzi said, “Now let’s go back to the original statement. You asked me, ‘Where did you know the happiness of fish?’ It was because you already knew that I knew the happiness of fish that you asked me. I knew the happiness of fish on the surface of the Haoshui River.”. This is the famous debate that occurred over 2000 years ago on the Haoshui River. Zhuangzi was trapped in reality and admired the freedom of fish schools. In terms of perception, Zhuangzi was obviously very detached, but in the debate, he lost.