King Zhaoxiang of Qin Yingji, Lord Wu'an Baiqi, and Prime Minister Fan Ju, these three figures who influence the political situation and influence the Qin Dynasty, are having a fierce debate in the main hall, and the focus is the current Shangdang issue.
As early as Pingyuan Jun Zhao Sheng arrived outside the gate of Shangdang City, Qin's powerful intelligence organization informed King Qin of the surrender of Feng Ting of South Korea to Zhao. After hearing the news, King Qin was shocked. Shangdang is the key for Qin to attack Zhao and gain the initiative in the war. Whether it succeeds or not has a huge bearing on it. Zhao Guo is not an easy person to fight with. If the Qin army wants to seek a decisive battle with it, it must grasp all the favorable factors. Now that Zhao has won Shangdang, it has obviously increased the difficulty for Qin to attack it.
The situation was so serious and urgent that King Qin Zhaoxiang had no choice but to summon all the ministers of the court into the palace to discuss countermeasures together.
Wang Hao, the commander of Zuo Shu, was brave in battle but also had a bad temper. Seeing that everyone was deep in thought and no one spoke, he said first: "In my opinion, there is no need to discuss it. Anyway, the Qin army will eventually fight against the Zhao army." , if we don’t attack it now, when it gains a firm foothold in the future, the Qin army will be passive. The key to the Qin army’s attack right now is Shangdang. As long as this place is captured, Zhao Jun’s advantage will turn into a disadvantage. Now Zhao The Qin army took the lead in taking action, and the Qin army justly dealt with the Zhao army, so that others would not underestimate the Qin soldiers." ("Historical Records: Biography of Bai Qi and Wang Jian")
How could King Qin Zhaoxiang not know that the Qin army was already on the verge of firing? A battle with Shangdang is inevitable, but Shangdang is very important to Zhao State, to Qin State, to the three Jin areas and even to the entire Central Plains. Therefore, this battle can only be won but not defeated. In order to have a complete plan, the Qin army must choose suitable generals and use the most effective strategies and tactics.
Wang Hao had a good relationship with Fan Ju, and because he was a very talented general, he was highly regarded by Fan Ju. Fan Ju saw that Wang Hao usually kept silent, but now he took the initiative to speak. It seemed that he wanted to get this huge credit. However, Fan Ju and Bai Qi had little contact. Fan Ju even regarded him as his biggest political enemy, so instead of letting Bai Qi take the credit, it was better to recommend Wang Lu. In this way, Wang Hao could thank him from the bottom of his heart, and at the same time, he could also attack Bai Qi.
Therefore, Fan Ju spoke: "Wang Lu's bravery is well known in the Qin army. Even in other countries, Wang Lu's name is heard like thunder. In my opinion, Wang Lu is the best candidate for this expedition to attack the Shangdang. The king can send him he goes."
After hearing Fan Ju's words, Wu'an Lord Bai Qi's face suddenly darkened. Fan Ju asked Wang Lu to lead the army, which was obviously to make himself empty, so that he had no ambition but could not display it. It would be fine if the Qin army won, and at most they would not get half of the credit; but if they were defeated, it would be a matter of great concern to Qin's great foundation for eternity, and it would be too late to look back at that time.
King Qin Zhaoxiang was also worried. When he saw Bai Qi's unkind expression, he softened his words and said: "Wang Lu is still young and there will be more places for him to show his talents in the future. In my opinion, only when Bai Qi, Lord Wu'an, takes action can he be able to It’s absolutely foolproof. The battle at Shangdang is related to the success or failure of Qin’s future strategic plan, so we must not take it lightly.”
Fan Ju smiled, and then said: "How can you kill a chicken with a sledgehammer? Lord Wu'an has been fighting for years, and he is already exhausted. Why don't you, king, give Lord Wu'an a chance to have a good rest for the sake of his outstanding military achievements?" Give young people a chance and reserve talents for Qin’s future.”
After listening to these words, the underlying meaning was naturally clear to Bai Qi. He is a soldier. If a soldier does not participate in the war, it will be a lifetime of sorrow, but Fan Ju lets him rest. If Wang Lu wins, Qin will no longer need Bai Qi to take action. This is not to enshrine Bai Qi like a god but to discard him like waste. Therefore, Bai Qi finally couldn't help but argue: "Bai Qi will keep the Prime Minister's concern in mind. It's just that the Prime Minister has been in the court for a long time, and he doesn't understand the war as clearly as I and other soldiers. The Zhao State's military strength is so strong. The two countries of Korea and Wei are absolutely incomparable. Zhao State has more famous generals such as Zhao She and Lian Po, and even Bai Qi is only in the middle of the pack compared to them. Therefore, for this expedition, it must be me, Bai Qi, who has the talent of Wang Lu. Of course I know it well, but this battle is of great importance. Wang Lunda can be my deputy general and accompany the army. When the time comes, Bai Qi will definitely give him some opportunities to kill generals and make meritorious deeds."
Fan Ju boasted that his eloquence was unparalleled in the world, but he didn't expect that Lord Wu An, who usually didn't talk much, actually said a lot of truth at this time, which surprised Fan Ju. Of course, since Fan Ju is determined not to let Bai Qi take the lead, he will never give up halfway. So, Fan Ju continued: "Wu'an Lord, you don't have to be so modest and cautious. You only know one but not the other. Zhao She has defeated our army before, and even the elite of our army were defeated by him. However, according to I know that Zhao She actually died of illness a few months ago, and he no longer poses any substantial threat to the Qin army. Although Lian Po is still alive, according to Yi Chen, he has never fought head-on with the Qin army. The reason why he would only fight against the vulnerable troops of Qi and Wei was probably because he was afraid of the Qin army. Lord Wu'an could just laugh it off. With Wang Lu's intelligence, it was not difficult to defeat the Zhao army. Lord Wu'an was great You can rest assured.”
Seeing that Fan Ju did not give up, Bai Qi also secretly competed with him. He knew that only by calming down at this moment could he convince Fan Ju, who was known for his eloquence.
Bai Qi pondered for a while and said in an orderly manner: "How could Bai Qi not know what the Prime Minister said? However, the Prime Minister only knew one but not the other. Zhao She was indeed dead, but Zhao She and Lian Po, One is good at attacking the city and the other is good at defending the city. If Zhao She is sent here, it will actually be a good thing for the Qin army. But Zhao will not sit still and wait for death. Since Zhao She is dead, Lian Po will definitely come. If Lian Po comes, the Zhao army will be unable to retreat under his leadership. According to the current state of the Qin army, they can only seek a quick battle with Zhao. Once Lian Po comes, the original encounter will turn into a It is a war of attrition. No one can predict how long it will take if it continues like this. And our army is deeply alone, thousands of miles away from its own hinterland. Hundreds of thousands of troops are in front of us to eat and drink. Our country’s national strength It is bound to be difficult to support. Although the national power of our country, Great Qin, is stronger than that of Zhao, several other vassal states in the east are eyeing them. Once they come to their senses, they will add insult to injury. Even if the Zhao army is defeated by the Qin army, the Qin army will The army will also suffer damage by consuming too much manpower and material resources, which is something no one wants to see." ("Historical Records: Biography of Bai Qi and Wang Jian")
Speaking of this, King Qin Zhaoxiang naturally understood the seriousness of the situation, and also understood that Bai Qi was not alarmist. The scenario he said was very likely to happen, and it was exactly what King Qin didn't want to see. But what Fan Ju said is not unreasonable. Let's listen to how Fan Ju further explains it.
Fan Ju naturally understood Bai Qi's worries, but Fan Ju said disapprovingly: "Wu An Jun is too ambitious and has destroyed his own prestige. Anyone with a little knowledge knows that this Lianpo is just a false name and is definitely not the opponent of our great Qin army." . Take a step back and say, if this matter is really what the general said, then the general will not be able to go. Think about it, everyone, Wu'an Jun is famous all over the world for nothing. The generals of the country must all be restrained, and no one dares to take the title of commander. The same is true for Lian Po. If he knew that Bai Qi was leading the army, he would be even more able to use his own strengths and be unable to retreat."
King Zhaoxiang of Qin also knew that Fan Ju's words could be described as nonsense. Bai Qi's analysis is reasonable and well-founded, but there is no way. Compared with Fan Sui, King Qin Zhaoxiang does not trust Bai Qi enough. Because Bai Qi was a member of Wei Ran before, and although he gradually broke away from Wei Ran's camp, he was not a confidant promoted by the King of Qin himself. A man who is known as the God of War can maneuver on the battlefield and win thousands of miles away, but he does not understand the turmoil in the court. When the monarch needs him, he is a guest, but he must know how to advance and retreat, otherwise his achievements will overwhelm the monarch and arouse the monarch's suspicion.
So King Qin Zhaoxiang naturally stood up and said seriously: "I love you, please be patient and calm. In my opinion, both Wu Anjun and the Prime Minister are right. But the two evils should be weighed, whichever is the lesser. For the time being, just as the Prime Minister said, Send Wang Lu to test the strength of the Zhao army first. If the Zhao army is really powerful but the Qin army is defeated, Lord Wu An will be able to flex his muscles at that time!"
No matter how good Bai Qi was in warfare, he was no match for Fan Ju's eloquence in politics; similarly, no matter how outstanding Bai Qi's military exploits were, he would be jealous of the monarch. In the end, Bai Qi could only obey the orders of King Qin Zhaoxiang.
In 262 BC, the Qin Zuo concubine Wang Lu was ordered to lead 300,000 Qin troops to attack Shangdang. Feng Ting, the governor of Shangdang County, struggled for two months. During this period, the Qin army never relaxed its fierce attack on Shangdang. Pingyuan Lord Zhao Sheng arrived at Shangdang in name only and did not bring many troops. If the two sides fought, the outcome would be determined. So he could only go to the city and wait for reinforcements to arrive. Unfortunately, the Zhao army's reinforcements did not arrive. Feng Ting had no choice but to take the remaining defeated soldiers of the Shangdang and the fleeing people to flee to Zhao. It was not until this time that Zhao General Lian Po came to aid Shangdang with 200,000 troops. However, it was too late, and Shangdang had already fallen into the hands of the Qin army. When Feng Ting and Lian Po met in Changping (today's Gaoping, Shanxi), Lian Po learned that Shangdang had been lost.
The generals of Zhao State discussed and decided to build a fortification in Changping to confront the Qin army.
At this point, the Qin army finally got the two favorable conditions of time and place that Bai Qi said. Shangdang fell into the hands of the Qin army, realizing Bai Qi's dream wish, and a war was about to break out.
