However, from early morning to evening, for a whole day, there was no actual movement by the Qin army, only a small number of soldiers feigning attacks. With this strategy, one can tire out the Korean army, and the other can divert the attention of both parties, especially the Wei army. The Wei army did not expect that South Korea would take action against the Qin army without waiting for them. At this moment, seeing that the Qin army had surrounded Que Yu, Wei could only think of a way to rescue South Korea. Unexpectedly, at this moment, the Qin army actually attacked the Wei army.
The time Bai Qi chose to attack was exactly at midnight. In fact, Bao Yuan had expected this battle, but he expected that the Qin army would take advantage of the darkness to cover up and kill the Korean army who was in a superior position and equipped with strong bows and crossbows. But he didn't expect that under the cover of night, Bai Qi would lead the Qin army to sneak around to the side of the Wei army. Gongsun Xi originally planned to take advantage of the anxious situation between the Qin army and the Korean army to either attack from two fronts and catch the Qin army off guard, or to take time off and sit on the mountain to watch the fight between tigers and tigers. Unexpectedly, the Qin army ignored the 10,000 feint troops guarding the pass in South Korea and turned to attack the Wei army, which was far stronger than the South Korean army.
Bai Qi's strategy made the Wei army unable to guard against it. Just when Gongsun Xi thought he was sure of victory, the Qin army took advantage of the darkness to surprise the Wei army. By the time Gongsun Xi suddenly realized it, it was too late. The Qin army's formation was complete, and the Wei army was caught off guard and soon fell into a bloody and bitter battle. Gongsun was pleased to see that the situation was over, so he led his army to fight and retreat, and rushed towards the Korean army's camp.
While the Wei army was defeated, the Korean army on the other side endured extremely bad weather, because it was raining at the time. For the combat army with extremely poor communication conditions at the time, the disadvantages of the defenders were even more obvious. . At this time, the Korean army finally discovered that the Qin army was actually attacking the Wei army. However, the Han army did not dare to send troops rashly because they did not know how many Qin troops surrounded them. Secondly, Baoyuan was still doubting whether the previous communication between Qin Jun and Gongsun Xi was true. If so, could this be a strategy to lure the enemy deeper? For the third time, the Qin army and the Wei army fought in equal numbers, and even the Wei army was slightly better. It is still unclear who will win and who will lose.
So Bao Yuan stood directly between the Qin army and the Wei army, sitting back and watching the Qin army attack the Wei army as if watching the fire from the other side.
But it didn't take long for Bao Yuan to realize that he was completely wrong. Originally, he expected that no matter how weak the Wei army was, it could last for ten days and a half. If he then attacked quickly, he would definitely be able to reap the benefits. But before he could figure out how many Qin troops were outside the pass, Gongsun Xi's defeated army swept in like a wave and headed straight for the violent Korean military camp.
Just when Bao Yuan was hesitating whether to let the Wei army enter the pass, the Wei army had already swarmed in. Suddenly, the two armies crossed each other and became chaotic. The various formations that were originally set up had no effect at this moment, and those strong bows and crossbows also lost their effect in an instant, because the ones coming in front were their own allies.
Qin Jun was waiting for this opportunity. Before the enemy could catch their breath, the Qin army temporarily put down the Wei army and attacked the Han army with lightning speed. Bai Qi believed that the morale of the Wei army was in chaos at this time, and the only thing to worry about was the Korean army.
In an instant, two people were sighing. One person is Bao Yuan, who laments that the Wei army was defeated so quickly and that the Qin army arrived at just the right time; the other person is Gongsun Xi, who laments that Bai Qi is a general who is well versed in the art of war and has unpredictable opportunities. It's really amazing.
Seeing that the Qin army was killing everyone, the Han army could only watch the enemy as if they were in a deserted territory. The Korean army was in a state of defeat, and any further resistance would be a useless sacrifice. So Bao Yuan decided that instead of being slaughtered by the enemy, it would be better to return to Yanshi and make further calculations. At that time, the coalition forces of Wei and South Korea had more than 100,000 troops left. But Bai Qi would not miss such a great opportunity. His consistent style in war is not to gain or lose a city or a place, but to eliminate the enemy's effective strength. Therefore, in order to hunt down the enemy as quickly as possible, Bai Qi directly ordered the troops to take off their bulky armor and jackets, discard all their food, grass and baggage, and only carry the swords for killing people and the belts for harvesting heads.
Suddenly, the hundreds of miles from Queyu to Yanshi were filled with the defeated troops of Han and Wei. Behind them was the frightening Qin army. At this time, the Qin army actually marched shirtless in the pouring rain. This made the men of the Three Jin Dynasties, who always boasted of their bravery in combat, frightened by the brutality of the Qin army. The allied forces of South Korea and Wei were even more defeated.
The allied forces of Han and Wei saw that the troops running behind fell one by one. It was not an option to continue like this. The Qin army would kill them step by step. So they also imitated the Qin army, taking off their shirts and armor, throwing away their heavy chariots, food and grass baggage, and finally went into battle lightly, running like flying to their death.
In the past, when Wu Qi was alive, he was invincible in the world because of his creation of Wei Wuzu. The soldiers of the Wei Dynasty have always been famous for their swiftness in combat and their movements as fast as the wind. They are also proud of the world for their extremely powerful armored chariots. Unexpectedly, at this time, Wei Jun abandoned all the means he had used to save his life in order to escape. If Wu Qi knew something under the spring, I don't know what he would think.
The Korean and Wei armies believed that since they had thrown away everything they could throw away, their escape speed would definitely not be weaker than that of the Qin army. Unexpectedly, it rained heavily at that time and the river swelled. The allied forces of South Korea and Wei saw the other side separated by several feet, but could not cross.
The name of the river is Yishui. Yishui is innocent, but the Korean soldiers suffered. The heads of 240,000 Korean soldiers were removed by the Qin army, leaving only their bodies floating along the river. In an instant, blood flowed into a river.
Bai Qi then pursued the victory, and his 100,000 troops suffered almost no damage. After capturing 240,000 enemy heads, he also seized a large number of strategic materials abandoned by the enemy along the way. Using these supplies, Bai Qi led an army of 100,000 people and fought non-stop towards the cities of South Korea and Wei. Although Bai Qi didn't care about the gains and losses of a city or a land, the final result and highest purpose of the war was to obtain land and resources.
The Qin army was invincible along the way and successfully captured the enemy's five cities. For a while, Bai Qi's reputation attracted the attention of the world.
In the battle with Que, Han and Wei lost one-third of their elite troops and five cities, and Yique was also occupied by the Qin army. At this point, the doors of South Korea and Wei were wide open, and they were always worried about the fate of their countries.
Since the founding of Qin, it has been suppressed by other countries led by Wei in the Hangu Pass area. It was not until general Sima Cuo occupied Shuzhong that the Qin army was able to open up another channel to enter the Central Plains. Compared with Sima Cuo, Bai Qi's achievements this time are indeed worse than those of Sima Cuo. He only used a mere 100,000 troops, and they were not the main force of the Qin army. This not only made Empress Dowager Xuan and Wei Ran very happy, but also made King Qin Zhaoxiang look at him with admiration. It also made the people of the world realize that Qin had produced another peerless general and that all the countries were in danger.
Because of Bai Qi's great achievements, both the Empress Dowager Xuan and King Qin Zhaoxiang believed that Bai Qi was a man of great potential and could be used in great ways. Therefore, the State of Qin named him "Guowei". Since then, Bai Qi has actually become the supreme commander of the Qin army. A declining aristocrat, starting from a small soldier, grew into a world-renowned commander of the Qin army in just one or two decades, which was unique in the Warring States Period. It was precisely because of Shang Yang's reform of the military title system that Bai Qi benefited and Qin became strong and prosperous.
Bai Qi became famous in the battle with Que. King Qin Zhaoxiang decided that instead of fighting for the palace and causing chaos in Qin, it was better to let Bai Qi give it a try and let Qin gradually become stronger and defeat the six eastern countries.
At this time, Bai Qi was focused on making military exploits for himself and working hard for Qin. So within a few months, Bai Qi crossed the Yellow River and captured a large area of Han and Wei lands east of Anyi (now Xia County, Shanxi).
Bai Qi was once again promoted to an official position and took up the position of Shang Yang in the past: "made in Daliang". Daliang Zao can enjoy 300 towns, 300 taxes, and Qin Army meritorious service level 20. Bai Qi has reached the 16th level. He is only one step away from the position of Marquis held by Wei Ran.
How could Bai Qi, who had made great military exploits, be willing to succumb to Wei Ran?
In 292 BC, when the Wei army had just experienced a major setback and was severely weakened, Bai Qi led his troops to attack Wei on a large scale. Wei had not yet recovered from the trauma of the war, and could only watch the Qin army capture Puban in one go. (Today's Puzhou Town, Yongji County, Shanxi) and other 61 large and small cities.
In 291 BC, Bai Qi made a concerted effort to capture Wei's Yuandi (now southeast of Yuanqu, Shanxi). Immediately afterwards, when various countries jointly attacked the Chu State, Bai Qi took advantage of the situation and captured the Wandi of the Chu State.
In 290 BC, Sima Cuo was promoted to Zuo Geng, and his status was no longer as good as that of Bai Qi, but he was convinced by Bai Qi. Under Bai Qi's dispatch, Sima Cuo led his army to capture Wei's Zidi (southeast of today's Jiyuan, Henan). At the same time, taking advantage of the great loss of South Korea's national power, he captured South Korea's Dengdi (now west of Meng County, Henan).
Through these three years, it can be seen that Qin has undergone tremendous changes.
First, Qin's national power has greatly increased, while Han and Wei have continued to weaken. Under the situation of one and the other, Qin mainly targeted these two countries.
Second, there were changes in power within the Qin State. Although Bai Qi became the supreme military commander of the Qin State, which seemed to have greatly strengthened the power of Wei Ran and Queen Mother Xuan, in fact, Bai Qi's series of conferments were all for worshiping the King of Qin. As a result, in his heart, King Qin has become his master.
Third, Qin's strategic direction is in a period of change, from fighting for one city and one land to destroying the enemy's effective forces and capturing the city on the way.
Since then, among the generals of the six eastern countries, there are really only a handful of people who dare to directly challenge Bai Qi. The kings of South Korea and Wei saw that Qin was at the height of its power, and if this situation continued, it would surely lead to the destruction of the country. So they agreed to sign a humiliating treaty with Qin. Han ceded Wu Sui (the area north of the Yellow River southeast of today's Yuanqu, Shanxi) to Qin for 200 miles. Wei was not weak and also ceded 400 miles of Hedong (now southeast of Shanxi). The land was given to Qin. This year is 290 BC.
At this point, when Wu Qi of the Wei State was still alive, the land west of Hexi that had been conquered with so much hard work was all in the hands of the Qin people. Even the land of Hedong, the inheritance of their ancestors, was also divided to the Qin State. In addition, even the always arrogant Chu State negotiated peace with Qin in 285 BC. Of course, more of this is due to Zhang Yi, but without the confidence Bai Qi gave Qin on the battlefield, Zhang Yi could only return without success, no matter how eloquent Zhang Yi was.
Since then, the three borders of Qin have been determined. Among the six eastern countries, only Qi and Zhao can rival Qin. At this time, Bai Qi handed over the task of dealing with Wei, South Korea and Chu in the east to Sima Cuo, while he himself was mainly responsible for dealing with Zhao, the most powerful opponent in the east at that time. What a hero King Wuling of Zhao was when he entered the Qin Dynasty alone. Unfortunately, due to civil strife, King Wuling of Zhao died young. From then on, Zhao fell behind Qin, and later fell under Qi. Although Zhao State is not as good as many countries in terms of comprehensive national strength, when it comes to military strength, Zhao State is undoubtedly second to none among the six eastern countries.
However, just when Bai Qi was gearing up to use troops against Zhao, border troubles broke out all over the northwest border, among which King Yiqu was the most powerful.
The Qin State could not bear the disturbance. Empress Dowager Xuan advocated a diplomatic solution, while Bai Qi and Wei Ran advocated using military means to completely relieve the Qin State's worries. Facts have proved that Queen Mother Xuan was right in the end. Queen Mother Xuan charmed King Yiqu with her beauty. Not only did she finally strangle him, but she also completely conquered Yiqu State and completely relieved Qin's major trouble.
At that time, a political concept was generally popular in the Qin State. As long as the goal can be achieved, no matter what means are used, it is reasonable. Obviously, Empress Dowager Xuan achieved her goal - to destroy Yiqu State and stabilize the rear. However, for the Qin State, the demise of Yiqu State was just the disappearance of a political power, but the cavalry of Yiqu State still needed to be cultivated from scratch, so Bai Qi decisively took on this task.
At that time, the elite cavalry established by the Qin State in the bitter cold land of the northwest had extremely strong individual qualities, and their equipment far exceeded that of ordinary cavalry. The crossbow machine used by Qin Qi must be pedaled and can be wound with the help of the whole body. Its range can reach about three hundred meters and it is very lethal. Although this kind of strong bow and crossbow requires a lot of effort and is inconvenient to use, the importance of cavalry is speed. The Qin army's cavalry only needs to make a tactical sprint to reach the enemy. When the troops are in close combat, the Qin army will have the advantage. .
At this time, the Qin State was in full bloom. While Bai Qi was building strength for Qin in the northwest, King Qin Zhaoxiang was not idle either, because Fan Ju had already arrived at Qin. The Qin State adopted a strategy of establishing distant relations and attacking closely, and formed an alliance with the Qi State by proclaiming themselves emperors in the east and west. Although this method is called alliance, it is actually using a false name to stabilize Qi.
At that time, the Song State began to continuously expand its territory, which was understandable at the time. However, the Song State's national strength was not strong. Under such circumstances, it went to the tiger's mouth to seize food and Qi State's sphere of influence. For this reason, Qi State was very resentful towards Song State.
The King of Qin saw this clearly, so he sent people to the State of Qi to lobby the King of Qi, so that the State of Qi could attack the State of Song and regain the territory of the State of Qi. The King of Qi really fell into the trap.
In 286 BC, King Qi Min decided to send the Qi army to attack the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty was destroyed by Qi's cavalry. King Yan of the Song Dynasty fled to the Wei Kingdom and eventually died in a foreign land. If Qi State stops here, perhaps such a result can strengthen Qi State's national power to a great extent. It's a pity that at this time, King Qi's ambitions were swollen due to his continuous victories, and he thought that he was already invincible. The King of Qi thought that instead of waiting for the Qin State to become stronger, it was better to strike first: attack the Chu State in the south, attack the Three Jin Dynasties in the west, and take advantage of the situation to destroy the two weeks in the east and west; prepare to kill Lord Mengchang at home. These are what King Qi Tiandi wants to do most right now.
Suddenly, Qi became the target of public criticism. In the past, Gou Jian, the king of Yue, lay down on his firewood and tasted gall, and finally defeated the state of Wu. The current King Yan Zhao also saw the opportunity and prepared to defeat the Qi army and attack the Qi country.
Under the painstaking planning of King Yan Zhao, the famous general Le Yi united Qin, Wei, Han, and Zhao in 284 BC and conquered more than 70 cities, including Linzi, the capital of Qi. King Qi was eventually killed by the Chu army . The state of Qi was in chaos from then on, and it was not until 279 BC that the state of Qi was restored through Tian Dan's efforts. In this way, Qin has achieved its goal, and only Zhao in the world can compete with Qin.
But Qin was not the only beneficiary of the five-nation joint attack on Qi, nor was it even the biggest beneficiary. Because through this operation, Zhao State directly seized Qi State's prosperous land between the rivers (today's Beijing-Tianjin-Tangshan triangle), providing strong logistical support for its military strength.
The State of Zhao has countless elite soldiers and generals. If the State of Qin wants to realize its desire to attack and destroy the State of Zhao, it needs further planning. This time, King Qin Zhaoxiang, Queen Mother Xuan, Wei Ran, etc., whether they were the old aristocrats of Qin or the emerging dignitaries, all set their sights on Bai Qi. Bai Qi lived up to expectations. After he returned from the northwest, he led elite troops and strong generals. Starting from 282 BC, he led his troops to invade the territory of Zhao three times. He stormed the cities of Lin, Qi, Shi and Guanglang. Twenty thousand Zhao cavalry were beheaded. lost heavily. Seeing that the final decisive battle between Qin and Zhao is about to take place. King Zhao Huiwen decided that instead of fighting the Qin army to the death, it would be better to ask for peace from Qin and then attack Chu, Wei or South Korea. However, how could Qin be willing to let Zhao go at this time?
As the saying goes, God's calculations are worse than those of man. When the Qin army, led by Bai Qi, was preparing to bloodbath the Zhao State, the Chu State launched an attack. In order to avenge his father, King Huai of Chu, in 281 BC, when Qin and Zhao were locked in a stalemate and Bai Qi was unable to escape, King Qingxiang of Chu sent envoys to join Qi, Han and other countries in an attempt to jointly attack Qin. .
King Qingxiang of Chu was a newborn calf who was not afraid of tigers. He did not understand the true strength of Qin. Just as he was preparing to attack the Qin army, King Zhaoxiang of Qin had already taken action in advance. Because Sima Cuo knew Shuzhong very well, Sima Cuo took on the important task of attacking Chu this time. He sent troops from Longxi and added 100,000 troops in the Ba and Shu areas, nearly 10,000 large ships, and more than 6 million dendrobium rice. He went down the river and captured Qianzhong County, the rear area of Chu State, in one fell swoop. At that time, Bai Qi was posing a great threat to the northern region of Chu in the Guandong region. Seeing that Chu's situation was over, other countries terminated their alliances with Chu.
After conquering central Guizhou, Sima Cuo divided his army into two armies: one army left Wuxia from the east of Bajun to attack Yingxi, and the other army set off eastward from Wuguan to capture the Hanbei and Shangyong areas of Chu State and entered Tongbai Mountain. Two armies surrounded Chu State. When the King of Chu learned about Qin's attack on Chu, he was shocked. He hurriedly gathered hundreds of thousands of troops from the capital and rushed to Yan (the capital of Chu State, southeast of today's Yicheng, Hubei Province) overnight to prepare for Qin's attack.
Sima Cuo adopted roundabout tactics. Under his leadership, hundreds of thousands of soldiers crossed mountains and ridges, passing through the three major areas of today's Minshan Mountains, Motianling Mountains, and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, and then passed through Longxi to Bashu, then to Yunnan-Guizhou, and then turned to Yunnan-Guizhou. When we arrived in Hubei, we experienced many difficulties and obstacles during the march, including high mountains, steep waters, and wild beasts. It is amazing to be able to achieve such a large-scale strategic detour. When the Qin army suddenly appeared in the rear of the Chu army, the Chu army was immediately confused.
At this time, Bai Qi was also given an important task by King Qin Zhaoxiang, because King Qin knew that although Chu seemed weak, it was not a problem to gather hundreds of thousands of troops and horses. Another strategy of King Qin was to make peace with Zhao. Only in this way could the Qin army be freed from worries. This led to the Mianchi meeting mentioned above. Zhao had no other choice but to temporarily unite with Qin.
