Zhao Guowen had Lin Xiangru, and Wu had Lianpo. The two of them formed a pair of wings for King Zhao, so that other countries did not dare to act recklessly. However, Pingyuan Lord Zhao Sheng should actually be regarded as a civil servant, especially because he recruited talents and was open-minded. His house was equivalent to the country's institution for appointing talents. In this way, isn't the balance that King Zhao of Zhao Kingdom wants to achieve about to be broken?
The rise of Zhao She at this time was not only a tacit understanding between Pingyuan Lord Zhao Sheng and King Zhao Huiwen, but also balanced the civil and military situation of Zhao to a great extent.
Zhao She had a high reputation during the Warring States Period, and some people even listed him in the list of the top ten famous generals of the Warring States Period. These ten famous generals are Zhao She, Lian Po and Li Mu of Zhao State, Bai Qi and Wang Jian of Qin State, Sun Bin and Tian Dan of Qi State, Sun Wu of Wu State, Wu Qi of Chu State and Le Yi of Yan State.
As for Zhao She, it has been mentioned before that he offended Pingyuan Lord Zhao Sheng because he was not afraid of the powerful and strictly enforced the law. Not only was he not punished, but he was appreciated by Pingyuan Lord because of his well-reasoned and well-founded rebuttal. Not long after, at the Mianchi meeting, Zhao She was ordered to lead thousands of armors to protect King Zhao in the midst of danger. From that time on, King Zhao had a special regard for Zhao She, especially his calmness, composure, and resourceful strategies when leading troops, which left a deep impression on King Zhao's heart.
After hearing about the situation of the Mianchi meeting, Pingyuan Lord Zhao Sheng trusted Zhao She even more. Because he knew that King Zhao would promote Zhao She sooner or later, so instead of waiting for King Zhao to promote him, he might as well take the initiative to recommend him. In this way, he can not only reflect his ability in selecting talents, but also gain the favor of King Zhao and Zhao She.
In the war-torn Warring States period, the most important thing was military power, and everything revolved around military affairs. Whether it is political intrigue or economic reform, the ultimate goal is to win the war.
Therefore, King Zhao Huiwen did not want Zhao She to be included in the civil service line. What he needed was a pair of balanced wings. He has seen through some clues that Zhao She has unusual military talents. Perhaps he can become another general of Zhao after Lian Po. Let Zhao She become a general, not only can he use his military talents to defend Zhao State, but also prevent Lian Po from monopolizing military power, and can also prevent the situation of civil prosperity and military decline.
So, in the 19th year of King Huiwen (280 BC), King Zhao appointed Zhao She as a general. Zhao She had always wanted to join the army, but Lord Pingyuan, who made him prosperous, was kind to him and even handed over the responsibility of national taxation to him. At that time, Zhao She could not find any reason to reject Zhao Sheng. of good intentions. Since it was King Zhao who gave the order this time, he was naturally happy to do it. Despite this, after he became a general, he did not forget his roots. Instead, he learned and applied the methods he learned when he was a civil servant in running the army: he was strict and gentle with his subordinates, and any rewards he received must be distributed to his subordinates. This method is extremely effective in running an army. Since then, Zhao She began his early military career, and was gradually realizing his wish of "Why don't men take Wu Gou and collect the fifty states in Guanshan".
At the right time, Tian Dan not only achieved his own fame and great cause through the Battle of Jimo, but also revived the Qi State. Although the Qi State still failed to recover, at least it was not in danger of subjugation.
Historical records record that Zhao She and Tian Dan once had a conversation because of their relationship with Zhao and Qi, in which they mainly expressed their respective views and opinions on war tactics. Tian Dan believed that Zhao She's approach of marching to fight was not advisable. He believed that Zhao She often sent hundreds of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of troops to the battlefield, which was a waste of national power. In the past, a war could be fought with 20,000 to 30,000 troops. If too many troops were used, many young and middle-aged men would be unable to work. Participating in production and transportation, leaving countless fertile fields deserted, the logistics of the war became a big problem, and ultimately it was difficult to win the war.
Zhao She did not admit defeat at all and sneered at Tian Dan's remarks. Zhao She believes that time has changed, and today's world has long been far away from the era when ancient emperors fought with 20,000 to 30,000 troops. Even the small vassal states in society at that time were as numerous as the stars in the sky. Their longest city wall was not enough to reach 300 feet, and their population was even more difficult to reach 300 families.
He also used the example of sword-making to support his point of view. He said that the famous swords of Wu and Yue are famous all over the world. However, a peerless sword is not only about its sharp edge, inappropriate weight and length, but also the length of the sword. What's more, it has a good configuration. If Wu Yue's sword is tested on a living creature, it will definitely cut off its muscles and bones and extinguish the fire of life; if it is tested on a metal, it will definitely chip gold and break silver; but if it is tested on a stone pillar, the sword will break. If it is broken into several sections; if it is hit with a stone, the sword will be broken into pieces and become useless. The reason why a sword is good is that it has a strong back, a comfortable hilt, a sharp and thin tip, and it must be equipped with a good sword ring, sword sword and sword tandem. The thirty thousand horses in ancient times can only be used as the back or the edge of the sword in today's wars. However, to win a war, more sword rings, sword hilts, sword sabers, sword tangs, etc. are inevitably needed. After a battle, it is definitely not possible for 30,000 troops to succeed. In today's world, the Zhou royal family has declined, etiquette has been lost, and the country has been divided into seven powerful forces. The average city is thousands of feet long and contains tens of thousands of households. As strong as Qin, it even has millions of armors and thousands of chariots. Just imagine, who in the world dares to lead 30,000 soldiers to fight against him?
After a few words, Tian Danmo dared not argue and was sincerely convinced. On the one hand, Tian Dan sincerely appreciates Zhao She's talents, but on the other hand, he is deeply worried about the future fate of Qi.
Tian Dan, who had always set his sights high, admired Zhao She endlessly. However, before Zhao She became famous, he was just a little-known ordinary general and had never participated in any major wars. The greatest sorrow for a general is that he is obviously very talented, but he cannot encounter a war that is enough to make him famous. Just as a thousand-mile horse does not meet Bole, the relationship between war and a general with excellent intelligence and strategy can also be seen as the relationship between Bole and a thousand-mile horse. However, there were many bole during the Warring States Period, so many talents were able to rise to the top and show off their talents; and the word "war" in the Warring States Period further showed the frequent occurrence of wars. Therefore, at this time, Zhao She could be said to have everything ready and only needed the east wind.
This trend is coming soon.
In the nineteenth year of King Zhao Huiwen (280 BC), Zhao She, under the orders of King Zhao Huiwen, led an army of more than 100,000 to attack Qi's Maiqiu (now northwest of Shanghe, Shandong). Maiqiu was originally an isolated city, surrounded on all sides by the Zhao army. It could be said that there was no way to go from heaven to earth, but the Zhao army could not attack it for a long time.
It turned out that Maiqiu City had long heard the news of the incoming Zhao army, so the King of Qi prepared sufficient food and grass for Maiqiu at all costs. In addition, the Mohist disciples who were the best at defending the city at that time were hiding in Qi State, improving their bows and crossbows, strengthening their cities, and improving their morale. Therefore, although the Zhao army attacked bravely and suffered heavy losses, it has been difficult to break through Maiqiu City. The battle report reached King Zhao Huiwen, which made him very angry. He decided to make a desperate move and ordered Zhao She to capture Maiqiu within a month, otherwise he would be punished by military law.
Zhao She also felt the great responsibility, so he had the desire to make achievements as soon as possible. So as soon as he arrived at Maiqiu, he ordered his soldiers to attack. At this time, Zhao Kuo came out to prevent Zhao She from advancing. Zhao Kuo is the son of Zhao She. At the time, it seemed that both father and son were geniuses, and they were a perfect match to be able to join the army and fight on the battlefield together. Therefore, Zhao Kuo's status in the army, both public and private, was higher than that of ordinary generals. Zhao Kuo saw that his father was about to attack Maiqiu by force, so he bluntly advised Zhao She that not only would it be difficult to break through the city within a month, but it would also be very likely to lose troops and generals and suffer greater losses. As the saying goes, "In the art of military use, the whole country is the best, and the breaking of the country is second; the whole army is the best, and the breaking of the army is second; the whole brigade is the best, and the breaking of the brigade is second; the whole army is the best, and the breaking of the soldiers is second; the whole army is the best , breaking the army is the second. Therefore, winning a hundred battles is not a good thing; subduing the enemy's troops without fighting is a good thing. Therefore, the first is to attack the enemy, the second is to attack the enemy, the second is to attack the enemy, and then to attack the city. Attack the city The law is a last resort." ("Sun Tzu's Art of War: Attack No. 3") Attacking by force should be the last option and definitely not the first option. To conquer Maichu in the shortest time, you can only outwit, not defeat. Zhao Kuo judged that although Maiqiu's food had not been completely eaten up, there was definitely not much, because the soldiers on the city had become sallow and thin, and some were even exhausted. Therefore, at this time, it is best to first understand the reality of McCull's situation, suspend the attack, and then formulate the simplest and most feasible method.
Zhao She didn't know what Zhao Kuo said, but for the time being, he had not thought of a better way to break the city, and Zhao She had no conclusive evidence to prove whether there was really a lack of food in the city. Therefore, although Zhao She agreed with Zhao Kuo's conclusion, he could not listen to Zhao Kuo's words and ordered an attack on the city.
