In the last year of the Qin Dynasty, Zulong Qin Shi Huang died, the world was in chaos, the masses were divided, and in just a few years, the seemingly powerful and invincible Qin State collapsed violently. But what is very strange is that until the fall of the Qin Dynasty, the Qin army led by Zhang Handan, who fought against the rebel army, composed of prisoners and prisoners, where did the Qin Tiger and Wolf Division that destroyed the unification of the Six Kingdoms go? And Qin Shi Huang conquered Lingnan's 500,000 troops, why didn't he return to the Central Plains?
Map of the situation in which the Qin state conquered Lingnan
There is a saying on the Internet that "the first emperor's will and testament". It is said that when Zhao Tuo was on the Southern Expedition, Qin Shi Huang specifically told Zhao Tuo that Lingnan was a newly occupied land, and the army must always guard it, even if there was a danger of capsizing in the Huaxia region, it was not allowed to return to help, otherwise Lingnan would no longer be owned by China. However, the first emperor's will is only found in the TV series, and it is not recorded in the history books, it should be made up by posterity. The reason why Lingnan's 500,000 troops did not return to help was mainly due to:
Zulong Qin Shi Huang
First, the Qin army in Lingnan had a heart for self-reliance.
After the death of Tu Juzhan, the commander of the 500,000 Qin army who conquered Lingnan, Ren Hu served as the commander, and When Ren Hu saw the chaos in the world at the end of Qin, his first thought was not to return to the Central Plains, but to cut off traffic and establish Lingnan on his own, and even Ren Hu also said the words "Qin Wudao".
Before Ren Hu could carry out his plan, he died of illness, and the commander of the army was succeeded by the deputy commander Zhao Tuo. Zhao Tuo continued to implement Ren Huo's ideas, killing the Qin officials who refused to submit to him, and cutting off communication with the Central Plains, and establishing himself as king in Lingnan.
Zhao Tuo
Second, many people think differently, and these 500,000 Qin southern expedition troops are not all composed of old Qin people.
The main component of the Lingnan Army was the people of the Six Kingdoms who were wiped out. Including the commander Zhao Tuo, he was originally a person from the State of Zhao, not from the State of Qin.
At this time, just over a decade after the destruction of the Six Kingdoms, the people of the Six Kingdoms who formed an army of 500,000 did not have deep feelings for the Qin State, and even many people still harbored a vendetta against the Qin State. Therefore, for the chaos at the end of Qin and the crisis of the fall of the Qin state, many people in the Lingnan army not only had no plan to rescue, but even secretly applauded and rejoiced.
The Qin army
Third, logistical conditions are limited.
These 500,000 troops are not all soldiers, but drag their families and mouths, and Lingnan at this time belongs to the newly conquered region, not only the environment is harsh, the indigenous rebellion is continuous, and the property is extremely backward. Even if Zhao Tuo really led this southern expedition army north to aid the Central Plains, without the support of the Central Plains, Zhao Tuo's army would not have enough logistics to supply the army to cross thousands of miles to reach the Central Plains.
Zhao Tuo established the State of South Vietnam
Fourth, once they went north, the Lingnan army was in danger of being cut off from the back road and retaliating against their families.
The Lingnan region was a newly expanded land that had just been occupied for a few years, and due to the war and the occupation of their homeland, the local natives harbored a bitter hatred for the army of the Southern Expedition. Once the main force of the Lingnan army moved north, the families of the Lingnan army were bound to be retaliated against by the natives. This also made it impossible for the Southern Expeditionary Army to go north without scruples.