In the thirty-third year of the First Emperor's reign, shortly after Meng Tian expelled the Xiongnu from Henan, the censor Wang Lu reported that the Ling Canal had been fully opened.
The First Emperor recalled the disastrous defeat in Xiou five years ago and was still very sad. The Qin army had never been defeated so miserably.
Qin Shihuang's three tragic victories over Baiyue
In 219 BC, just two years after Qin Shihuang destroyed the six kingdoms and unified the Central Plains, Qin Shihuang ordered the mobilization of 500,000 troops. Under the leadership of Tu Sui, he officially launched the first war against Baiyue.
"In the twenty-eighth year of Qin Shihuang (219 BC), he sent Wei Tu Sui to form five armies with 500,000 soldiers. One army fortified the territory of Tan City, the other guarded the fortress of Jiuyi, the other guarded the capital of Panyu, and the other guarded the fortress of Jiuyi. In the boundary of Nanye, one army has a surplus of dry water." ——"Huainanzi·Human Lessons"
According to historical data, the Qin army was divided into five routes. The first route marched eastward from present-day Jiangxi to capture Dongou and Minyue; the second and third routes captured South Vietnam; the third route passed through Changsha and followed Qitian Ridge to Panyu; The Fourth and Fifth Routes entered Guangxi and attacked Xiou. The first Qin army successfully captured Dongou and Minyue, and established Minzhong County in this area. However, the conquests of the other four Qin armies did not go so smoothly. Although the Baiyue region is primitive, it has a will to resist that is no less than that of the armies of the Six Nations. In addition, the Baiyue region also has the geographical advantage of local warfare. The tropical climate and the crisscrossing mountains and rivers completely make the Qin army lose its ability to fight in large groups. As a result, he was forced to fight guerrilla warfare with the Baiyue army.
At the same time, the Qin army had been stationed in the Baiyue area for a long time, and its body was not adapted to the tropical climate. Coupled with injuries and diseases, the Qin army was in difficulty for a while.
In 218 BC, the war between the Qin army and the Baiyue army entered a stalemate. The Qin army suffered heavy casualties. The general, Tu Sui, became violent and killed local residents indiscriminately. This seemingly small move aroused the resistance of the Baiyue people more and more. In order to take revenge, the Baiyue army attacked the Qin camp at night and assassinated the Qin general Tu Sui with poisonous arrows. At the same time, the Baiyue army also destroyed the Qin Dynasty's grain roads, causing the Qin army to lose its source of supplies, and the two sides entered a stalemate again. stage.
This battle was the first battle in which Qin conquered Baiyue, and it was also the most intense battle recorded in history. After this battle, the Qin army of 500,000 was reduced sharply to 200,000, and the Qin army suffered heavy losses. After the news came back to Xianyang City, Qin Shihuang was furious. This was a rare defeat in Qin's war of foreign conquest.
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Qin Dynasty’s Three Conquests of Baiyue and Their Impact (2)
Time: 2021-06-24 Author: Pinyou Classroom
Keywords: Qin Dynasty, Baiyue, high school history, knowledge points, reading
Before the Qin Dynasty, what is now Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi and northern Vietnam were all within the scope of Baiyue. If we want to talk about the Central Plains Dynasty's enlightenment on the land of Baiyue, we have to mention the Qin Dynasty's three conquests of Baiyue, which is also recorded in Jia Yi's "Guo Qin Lun".
At the same time, the Qin army had been stationed in the Baiyue area for a long time, and its body was not adapted to the tropical climate. Coupled with injuries and diseases, the Qin army was in difficulty for a while.
In 218 BC, the war between the Qin army and the Baiyue army entered a stalemate. The Qin army suffered heavy casualties. The general, Tu Sui, became violent and killed local residents indiscriminately. This seemingly small move aroused the resistance of the Baiyue people more and more. In order to take revenge, the Baiyue army attacked the Qin camp at night and assassinated the Qin general Tu Sui with poisonous arrows. At the same time, the Baiyue army also destroyed the Qin Dynasty's grain roads, causing the Qin army to lose its source of supplies, and the two sides entered a stalemate again. stage.
This battle was the first battle in which Qin conquered Baiyue, and it was also the most intense battle recorded in history. After this battle, the Qin army of 500,000 was reduced sharply to 200,000, and the Qin army suffered heavy losses. After the news came back to Xianyang City, Qin Shihuang was furious. This was a rare defeat in Qin's war of foreign conquest.
At that time, of the four Qin armies that attacked Xiou and Nanyue, only the one led by Ren Xiao advanced smoothly and reached Lingnan. But later, Tu Sui's army was defeated and the Qin army had to retreat across the board. As a result, the Qin army led by Ren Xiao also fell short.
The First Emperor then ordered Ren Xiao to come to see him and asked: "Why do you think our army defeated Baiyue last time?"
Since Ren Xiao retreated, he has been thinking about how to occupy and consolidate the land of Baiyue. Before going to war, he had discussed countermeasures with his general Tu Sui. Tu Sui insisted that the people of Baiyue were disobedient to the king and difficult to control, so they must use The bloody policy shocked them! However, Ren Xiao disagreed with him and once advised him to focus on attacking people's hearts, implement a moderate policy in the Baiyue land, and convince people with virtue, but Tu Sui refused to listen.
In the end, Ren Xiao and the Qin army marched smoothly, but Tu Sui was defeated and died.
At this time, the First Emperor once again brought up the past. Ren Xiao thought for a moment and replied: "I think that the last defeat was not because our army was not brave enough, nor because the number of troops was insufficient, but because of the wrong strategy. The land of Baiyue is far away from the Central Plains. It is remote, and its people have been born in the mountains since childhood. They advocate freedom and have been dissatisfied with the king for a long time. If they attack and kill by force, they will definitely arouse their resistance!"
The First Emperor thought for a while and said: "In the last attack, the intensity of resistance of the people of Baiyue, especially the people of Xiou, was indeed beyond my expectation. Their soldiers actually preferred to die rather than surrender. This is unprecedented among the Six Kingdoms. met!"
"The people of South Vietnam are different from the six countries. The Central Plains people have been invading them for a long time. They are full of hostility towards the Central Plains people. The more repressive the policy is, the more they will arouse their resistance. Only a gentle policy can influence them."
The First Emperor felt challenged in his heart, and he demanded unconditional obedience from all the people in the world. If he did not obey, he would be dealt with according to law. He asked a little angrily: "I, the Great Lion of Qin, should not be defeated under any circumstances! The strength of the enemy can only determine half of the outcome of the war, and the other half is in our own hands!"
Ren Xiao heard the displeasure of the First Emperor and said quickly: "Our own mistake lies in the lack of preparation! First, the soldiers were not well prepared, and they did not expect that the miasma in Xiou was so severe that it led to the epidemic of plague in the army; second, the logistics prepared In short, the roads in Xiou are rugged and the supply of food and grass is already difficult. They have been cut off by barbarians several times, and everyone in the army is in danger! It can be said that our army was not defeated at the hands of the enemy, but because we underestimated the enemy and did not advance in advance. The situation was expected to be complicated.”
Only then did the First Emperor feel that Ren Xiao had understood the key points of his analysis, and said: "Now that the Ling Canal has been built, the supply of food and grass is no longer a problem, and the imperial doctor has also found a way to deal with the miasma! Last time, our army lost more than half of its troops, and the general Tu Sui died in battle. , our great Qin army has lost all its power! I must avenge this shame and humiliation!"
Ren Xiao knew that the First Emperor was going to go on an expedition again, so he quickly bowed down and said, "If Your Majesty orders the general to go on an expedition again, the general will definitely fulfill his mission and revive the power of our Qin army!"
So Qin Shihuang learned from the pain. After three or four years of confrontation between the two sides, Qin Shihuang once again sent troops to Baiyue, preparing to launch a second war of conquest. This year was 214 BC. The First Emperor ordered that more than 100,000 prisoners in the prison be added to the Qin army stationed in the south of Chu. A total of 300,000 troops were assembled to build Lingqu grain channels. After the logistics supplies were fully guaranteed, Ren Xiao and Zhao Tuo Under his leadership, he went south to attack Baiyue.
Because both sides had experience in fighting for the first time, the Qin army moved much faster. In this attack, the Qin Dynasty was not blind. Instead, it learned the lesson of the disastrous defeat of Qin General Tu Sui, and strategically adopted the strategy of "sending all the deceased, son-in-laws, and Jia people" to follow the army.
Whenever the Qin Army occupied a place, some immigrants would stay here, so that the Qin Army would have no worries during the offensive process, and it would also allow the Qin Army to replenish manpower. At the same time, a large number of merchants would join the Qin Army. Conducting trade in the occupied areas also provided sufficient reserves for the army's food and wages.
Zhao Tuo also experienced the first attack on Baiyue. He knew that Tu Sui's massacre policy offended the local indigenous people and triggered strong resistance. He discussed with Ren Xiao: "Baiyue soldiers were born in the mountains and forests, and they are brave and good at fighting." , advocate freedom, even more than the Huns cavalry! Moreover, they have a strong desire for revenge. Last time, the general Tu Sui designed to kill their leader, so they vowed to take revenge and killed Tu Sui!"
Ren Xiao was very happy to see that Zhao Tuo's opinions coincided with his own, and asked: "This attack should draw on the experience of the previous attack and learn lessons. What strategies does General Zhao have to defeat the enemy?"
"The general believes that we should respond with gentleness this time and treat the prisoners and the residents of Baiyue well. This will greatly reduce the resistance of the Baiyue soldiers."
Ren Xiao said: "General Zhao's words are reasonable. The prisoners captured this time must be treated well and then released. In this way, if they pass it on to ten and pass it on to hundreds, they will surely know the benevolence and righteousness of our great Qin. There is no need to surrender." Harm!"
At this time, Jie Jun, the leader of the Xiou Army, had died of illness. Although the soldiers of Xiou were all brave, facing the well-equipped and numerically superior Qin army, they suffered heavy casualties after several years of confrontation, with only 23 out of 10 survivors.
Under such advantageous conditions, and the Baiyue army had less than ten thousand people after the first war, the Qin army encountered little resistance on the Baiyue battlefield. Wherever the army passed, it was overwhelming and was quickly defeated. Overcoming the resistance of the Xiou tribe, they quickly occupied the Xiou area (the current Guijiang River Basin and Xijiang River Basin, that is, the current Guilin, Wuzhou, Hezhou and Yulin areas, all belong to Guangxi Province).
After the Qin army entered the land of Baiyue, Ren Xiao ordered the Qin army to treat the captured Baiyue soldiers kindly and not to kill them. After entertaining them, they all were released. There is nothing wrong with the residents of Baiyue Land.
At first, the soldiers in Baiyue thought that the Qin army would massacre them like last time when it invaded again, so they hated the Qin army very much. However, as soon as the battle began, the Baiyue soldiers discovered that the Qin army did not massacre them, but surrounded them and forced them to surrender. Some of the soldiers were forced to surrender, but were released by the Qin army soon after. After they came back, they all said that the Qin army not only did not kill them, but also gave them food and clothing and treated them well.
Slowly, the reputation of the Qin army's benevolence and righteousness spread. When the soldiers of Baiyue heard that the Qin army treated the residents of Baiyue well, they all gave up resistance and rushed to join them.
In just half a year, the Qin army occupied the entire territory of Baiyue. Ren Xiao and Zhao Tuo ordered the Qin army not to invade the local residents in the slightest, and to treat Han and Baiyue people equally.
The First Emperor then appointed Ren Xiao to guard the territory of Baiyue. In order to prevent the Baiyue people from rebelling, the 300,000 Qin troops did not withdraw for the time being, and Guilin County, Xiang County, and Nanhai County were established there. After that, all those who were convicted and should be exiled were sent there to guard.
The so-called Three Expeditions to Baiyue refers to the third war launched by the Qin Dynasty in the Baiyue area. It was Zhao Tuo's attack on Ouluo in 210 BC. However, the purpose of this attack was mainly to appease the people. According to historians, the so-called third war is actually a continuation of the second war.
When Baiyue was included in the territory of the Qin Dynasty, my country's land area rapidly increased by more than one million square kilometers. Civilization collisions and exchanges continued to occur among various ethnic groups, which promoted the integration of the Chinese nation and also provided opportunities for the development and development of Baiyue, Guangdong and Guangxi regions. The construction laid the foundation for later dynasties to pay more and more attention to the Baiyue and Guangxi regions, and slowly established economic and trade routes and related tax systems, which had a profound impact on China's maritime culture.
After the establishment of the county system in Baiyue, a large number of immigrants poured into the Baiyue area and intermarried with the locals, which combined the Baiyue culture and the Central Plains culture, eventually forming the unique culture of Guangdong and Guangxi.
At the same time, the opening of Xindao and Lingqu can further strengthen the connection between Baiyue area and the mainland, break the original blockage, and play an extremely important role in the development of Baiyue area.
However, there are advantages and disadvantages in the end. The Qin Dynasty defeated Baiyue and lost more than 300,000 soldiers. In the process of building the Xindao Ling Canal, countless civilians were invested. Coupled with the resources consumed in the war, the Qin Dynasty's national power was depleted. serious. At the same time, in order to prevent the resurgence of the Baiyue resistance, the Qin Dynasty invested a lot of military power in the Baiyue area. This move also severely restricted the Qin Dynasty's military deployment, leaving the Qin Dynasty without sufficient military strength to suppress the uprising and rebellion in its final years. During the rebellion at the end of the Qin Dynasty, under the control of Zhao Tuo, there was no movement among the 300,000 Qin troops in the Baiyue area. It can be said that this had his own selfish motives, but on the other hand, it also greatly strengthened the control of the Qin army. Control of the Baiyue region.
Qin's three conquests of Baiyue ultimately had more advantages than disadvantages. After the Baiyue area was included in the territory of the Qin Dynasty, subsequent dynasties paid more and more attention to the Baiyue area. By the Han Dynasty, the entire Baiyue area was included in the Kyushu of Yangzhou. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Jiaozhou was renamed, and in the Jin Dynasty it was again assigned to Yangzhou. After the Southern Han Dynasty, it was again assigned to Jiaozhou. Since then, the Baiyue area has been placed in the Yangzhou and Jiaozhou prefectures for a long time, truly integrating into the Chinese nation and providing a huge contribution that cannot be ignored for the development of the Chinese nation.
