Zhao Kuo, a tragic figure remembered by history as "talking on paper", seems destined to be equated with military defeat. However, the truth of history is often more complex than we think. In that Warring States Period, Zhao Kuo once had a brilliant victory, a victory that was enough to change our perception of him. This victory not only showed his superior military theory, but also revealed his cunning side. In this little-known battle, Zhao Kuo used his wits and stratagem to capture a city that was considered impregnable at a very small cost. How exactly was this victory achieved? And how did Zhao Kuo use his military talents to turn the tide in a difficult situation? Can these strategies and methods provide us with a new perspective for re-examining this historical figure?
Zhao Kuo, a general who has been misunderstood in the long river of history, his military talent is actually far beyond ordinary people's imagination. As the son of Zhao Hao, a famous general of Zhao State, Zhao Kuo has been immersed in a strong military atmosphere since he was a child. He was not only familiar with military books, but also good at combining theory with practice, showing extraordinary military talent.
The foundation of Zhao Kuo's military theory stems from his in-depth study of various art of war during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. He is not only proficient in "The Art of War", but also widely dabbled in classic military books such as "Wu Zi" and "Liutao". On the basis of these art of war, Zhao Kuo formed his own unique military thinking. He attached great importance to the principle of "knowing oneself and knowing one's enemy," believing that only by fully understanding the situation of both the enemy and the enemy could the best strategy be formulated.
In his understanding of The Art of War, Zhao Kuo showed insight beyond his contemporaries. He attached great importance to the idea of "going to the army to fight and plotting", and believed that the most clever way to use troops was to surrender without a fight. This philosophy was fully embodied in his later Battle of the Wheat Hills. Zhao Kuo also paid special attention to the use of "potential," believing that the strength of an army lies not only in its number and equipment, but also in how it uses factors such as terrain, time, and people's will to create a favorable battlefield situation.
On the actual battlefield, Zhao Kuo showed an excellent ability to translate theory into practice. He is good at flexibly applying the art of war according to specific situations, rather than rigidly applying theories. For example, in a skirmish against Wei, Zhao Kuo skillfully used the strategy of "showing the form to the left and attacking the right", successfully confusing the enemy army and winning more with less. This victory made Zhao Hao impressed by his son's military talents.
Zhao Kuo's military talent is not only reflected in the use of tactics, but also in his unique views on military management. He particularly emphasized the importance of military discipline, believing that only a well-disciplined army can display its greatest combat effectiveness on the battlefield. Under his leadership, the Zhao army not only improved its combat effectiveness, but also strengthened its military morale.
In addition, Zhao Kuo also attaches great importance to intelligence work. He believes that accurate intelligence is the basis for developing the right strategy. Before each campaign, he sends out elite scouts to gather detailed information about enemy forces. This emphasis on intelligence laid the foundation for him to develop the right strategy in the later Battle of Wheat Hill.
It is worth mentioning that Zhao Kuo's military talent is not limited to conventional tactics. He is also good at psychological warfare and strategic warfare. In a border conflict with Yan, Zhao Kuo skillfully exploited the arrogance of the enemy generals and set a subtle trap. He deliberately showed that the army was exhausted, lured the Yan army to advance lightly, and finally annihilated the invading enemy in one fell swoop.
Zhao Kuo's military talents had already begun to emerge when he was young. However, it was these talents, combined with his self-confidence and ambition, that landed him in the later Battle of Changping. However, if we deny Zhao Kuo's military talent just because of the Battle of Changping, it is undoubtedly a partial generalization. In fact, in the Battle of McHill, Zhao Kuo will show his true military talent and prove his strength with a brilliant victory.
The Battle of Maiqiu took place in the late Warring States period, a turbulent era of division and hegemony. Among the Seven Kingdoms, Qi, Chu, Qin, and Zhao were the most powerful, and the competition between them became more and more intense. In this magnificent historical drama, the dispute between Zhao and Qi in the lower reaches of the Yellow River became increasingly prominent.
In 284 BC, the conflict between Zhao and Qi reached its peak. A series of clashes broke out between the two countries over strategic points in the lower reaches of the Yellow River. Among them, Maiqiu City, located at the junction of Zhao, Yan and Qi, became the focus of the wrestling between the three kingdoms. Although the city of Wheat Hill is not large, its geographical location is extremely important, controlling the key passage to the hinterland of the Qi Kingdom.
Maiqiu City originally belonged to the Qi State, but it had fallen into the hands of the Zhao State during the wars of the previous years. In order to regain the lost territory, the Qi State invested a lot of resources to strengthen the city defenses and sent elite troops to garrison it. This move of Qi Guo aroused the vigilance of Zhao Guo. King Huiwen of Zhao believed that if the Qi State continued to strengthen the defense of Maiqiu City, the path of Zhao's eastward expansion would be blocked in the future.
After careful consideration, King Zhao Huiwen decided to launch a large-scale attack to capture Maiqiu City in one fell swoop while the Qi State was still unstable. He gathered an army of 100,000 men and prepared to launch a fierce assault on the city of McHill. However, King Zhao Huiwen underestimated the strength of Qi's defenders and the defensive capabilities of Maiqiu City.
Qi had already received information about Zhao's attack, and King Xiang of Qi personally supervised the battle and mobilized a large amount of grain, grass and reinforcements to support Maiqiu City. More importantly, the state of Qi invited famous disciples of the Mo family to come and assist in the defense. The Mo family is known for their superb tricks and fortifications, and their addition has greatly improved the defense capabilities of McHill City.
The disciples of the Mo family carried out a comprehensive transformation of the defense system of Wheat Hill City. They fortified the city walls, designed a complex system of trenches, and also installed advanced crossbow machines on the city walls. These crossbows not only have a long range and great power, but also can be quickly reloaded, which greatly improves the efficiency of defending the city. In addition, the disciples of the Mo family also set up multiple mechanisms in the city to deal with enemy forces that might break through the city walls.
When Zhao Jun came to the city of Wheat Hill, he found that the situation in front of him was very different from what he expected. The city that was thought to be easy to take is now like a beast with open fangs, ready to devour the incoming enemy at any time. The first wave of the Zhao army's offensive suffered a heavy defeat and heavy casualties.
The continuous assault not only did not make progress, but consumed a large number of troops and resources of the Zhao army. King Zhao Huiwen was greatly annoyed when he learned of the battle at the front, and he believed that it was the incompetence of the generals that caused him to be unable to attack for a long time. So, he ordered the removal of the coach and sent the famous general Zhao Hao to Maiqiu instead.
After receiving the order, Zhao Hao immediately set off for the front line. However, when he reached the city of McHill, he couldn't help but feel tricky about the situation in front of him. The morale of the defenders inside the city was high and there was plenty of food and grass, while the Zhao army outside the city was exhausted and demoralized.
Just when Zhao Hao was struggling with how to solve this dilemma, his son Zhao Kuo made a bold suggestion. Zhao Kuo believes that continuing to attack will only increase casualties, and that it is necessary to change the strategy and adopt the method of outwitting. He proposed to first understand the reality in the city and then formulate specific countermeasures.
Zhao Kuo's suggestion attracted Zhao Hao's attention. As an experienced general, Zhao Hao was well aware of the risks of a strong attack in such a situation. He decided to take his son's advice, pause the offensive, and instead look for a breakthrough.
In this way, the Battle of Wheat Hill entered a new phase. Zhao Kuo began to use his talents, using various strategies to break down the defenses of Maiqiu City. This battle will not only test Zhao Kuo's military talents, but will also determine Zhao's influence in this region. The outcome of the Battle of Wheat Hill will have a profound impact on the entire Warring States pattern.
In the Battle of Maiqiu, Zhao Kuo showed his extraordinary military talent and clever tactical use. In the face of the impregnable McHill City, Zhao Kuo did not adopt a conventional strong attack strategy, but used a series of exquisite tactics to finally capture the fortified city at the lowest cost.
First of all, Zhao Kuo used the strategy of "encircling three ques". He ordered the Zhao army to set up a tight encirclement on the east, south, and west sides of Wheat Hill City, but deliberately left a gap in the north. This seemingly negligent arrangement is actually an elaborate trap. Zhao Kuo speculated that the besieged Qi army would instinctively want to find a breakthrough, and this seemingly weak northern defense line became their first choice. Sure enough, the Qi army tried to break through from the north several times, but each time they were ambushed by the Zhao army and suffered heavy losses. This strategy not only depleted the Qi army's troops, but also greatly damaged their morale.
Secondly, Zhao Kuo implemented a series of psychological tactics. He sent spies to spread rumors that Zhao had allied with Qi's old enemy, Yan, and that the Yan army was heading towards Maiqiu City. The news caused a great panic in the city, and the defenders began to waver. At the same time, Zhao Kuo also ordered the soldiers to make all kinds of noises at night, so that the defenders in the city could not sleep peacefully and were in a tense state for a long time. This constant psychological pressure greatly weakened the Qi army's will to fight.
Third, Zhao Kuo created the strategy of "grain siege". He ordered his soldiers to scatter grain near the city wall, and then sent people to spread the news that this was because the Zhao army had enough food and grass, so they didn't care about the waste of food. This move not only hit the morale of the Qi army, but also caused contradictions within the defenders. Some soldiers began to question the need to hold on, believing that it was better to surrender than to wait until they ran out of ammunition and food.
Fourth, Zhao Kuo skillfully used espionage tactics. He sent a group of agents who were proficient in the Qi dialect to infiltrate the city of Maiqiu, and these agents not only collected a lot of valuable information, but also caused a lot of chaos in the city. They spread rumors, stirred up contradictions within the defenders, and even secretly sabotaged some of the defenses. These actions greatly weakened the defenses of Wheat Hill.
Fifth, Zhao Kuo made full use of the contradictions within the Qi State. Through the intelligence gathered by the spies, he learned that there was a rift between the defenders of Wheat Hill City and the King of Qixiang. Zhao Kuo immediately sent someone to secretly contact the guard, promising him a high-ranking official to lure him to betray the Qi State. Although the defender did not openly defect in the end, his indecision seriously affected the effectiveness of the defense.
In addition, Zhao Kuo also made many innovations in tactics. For example, he invented a new type of siege vehicle that not only resisted arrows, but was also quickly disassembled for easy transportation. This greatly improved the mobility and siege efficiency of the Zhao army.
Zhao Kuo also paid special attention to the psychological offensive against the defenders. He ordered his soldiers to light a large number of torches at night, creating the illusion of a large number of troops. At the same time, he withdrew most of his troops during the day, giving the defenders the illusion that the Zhao army had retreated. This tactic of alternating light and dark left the defenders exhausted, eventually leading to a serious error in judgment.
During the siege, Zhao Kuo was also good at making use of the time of day. He noticed that every evening, there would be a brief gap in the city's defenses when the guards changed their guards. Therefore, he specially chose this time period to launch a small attack, which achieved results many times, and gradually broke the confidence of the defenders.
The combined use of these tactics made the originally impregnable Machill City gradually become crumbling. Zhao Kuo's strategies not only reflect his deep understanding of the Art of War, but also demonstrate his military ability to be flexible and adapt to local conditions. These tactical innovations of his have provided valuable experience for later generations of military strategists.
As time passed, the situation inside McHill became more and more tense. The morale of the defenders was declining, and food and grass were running low. Zhao Kuo knew that the decisive moment was coming. He began to prepare for the final general assault, preparing to take the once formidable fortified city in one fell swoop.
As the siege enters its third month, the situation in McHill is becoming increasingly severe. Zhao Kuo's series of tactics had already achieved remarkable results, and the defenders of the city were exhausted, short of food and grass, and demoralized. Zhao Kuo realized that the time was ripe for a final general attack.
Before launching the general attack, Zhao Kuo once again showed his superb tactical talent. He first sent a small elite force to pretend to defect to the Qi army. The unit claimed to have defected to Cheng because they were dissatisfied with the harsh treatment of the Zhao generals. Although the Qi army guards were wary, they had to accept reinforcements from unknown sources in the current predicament. Zhao Kuo's strategy laid the groundwork for the subsequent general offensive.
On the eve of the general attack, Zhao Kuo ordered the whole army to extinguish all torches, plunging the entire Zhao army camp into darkness. This unusual move aroused the vigilance of the Qi army, who thought that the Zhao army might be preparing for a night attack, so they stayed up all night and waited for the battle. However, this is exactly what Zhao Kuo wants. His real intention was to allow the Qi army to exhaust his physical strength in a tense wait all night.
At dawn the next day, Zhao Kuo gave an order, and all units of the Zhao army began a full-scale attack. At the same time, earth-shaking war drums sounded around the city wall, and countless Zhao soldiers rushed to the city wall like a tide. Although the Qi army had been prepared for a long time, after a night of intense waiting, the soldiers were exhausted.
Zhao Kuo's siege tactics were extremely exquisite. He divided his army into small groups, each of which was tasked with attacking a section of the wall. These groups cooperated with each other and attacked in turn, leaving the Qi army exhausted. At the same time, he also specially arranged an elite unit to deal with the various organs set up by the disciples of the Mo family. This force is made up of mechanically proficient soldiers who are able to quickly identify and decompose the Mo family's defenses.
In the fierce offensive and defensive battle, Zhao Kuo personally led a death squad and climbed the city wall in the rain of arrows. His courageous actions greatly boosted the morale of the Zhao army, and many soldiers rushed to follow him and charge into battle. At the same time, the elite of the Zhao army, which had previously "surrendered", also launched a surprise attack in the city, opened the city gates, and created a breakthrough for the main force.
Seeing that the situation was not good, the defenders of the Qi army immediately organized troops to put up stubborn resistance. He ordered the disciples of the Mo family to activate the last defensive mechanism, hoping to stop the Zhao army's attack. The mechanism designed by the disciples of the Mo family did cause a lot of trouble for the Zhao army, and many Zhao soldiers were injured by these delicate devices during the siege of the city.
However, Zhao Kuo had already prepared. The force he sent to deal with the agencies played a key role. They quickly identified the weaknesses of the Mohist organs and carried out targeted sabotage. As a result of their efforts, the Mohists' proud defense system gradually collapsed.
The battle reached a fever pitch, with heavy losses on both sides. At this moment, Zhao Kuo once again showed his military talents. He noticed that the main force of the Qi army was concentrating on the east of the city, so he immediately adjusted his tactics and ordered most of his troops to feint to attack the east gate, while he led the elite to quietly go around the west gate. When the Qi army was fully defending the east gate, the troops led by Zhao Kuo had successfully broken through the defense line of the west gate.
This tactical adjustment was a turning point in the battle. The Zhao army drove straight from the west gate and smashed the Yellow Dragon. The Qi army suffered from the enemy on its belly and back, and its positions were in chaos. Zhao Kuo seized this favorable opportunity and ordered the whole army to launch a general attack. The morale of the Zhao army was like a rainbow, and the momentum was like a bamboo, and it soon took control of most of the area in the city.
Seeing that the general trend had gone, the Qi army defenders had to make the decision to surrender. When Zhao Kuo's banner was planted on the highest tower of Maiqiu City, this offensive and defensive battle that lasted for months finally came to an end. Zhao State won the final victory in this battle, not only capturing the strategic location of Maiqiu City, but also capturing a large number of Qi soldiers and capturing rich booty.
The victory in the Battle of Maiqiu not only consolidated Zhao's position in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, but also made Zhao Kuo famous in the first battle and became a newly rising military genius of Zhao. The experience and lessons of this battle have had a far-reaching impact on the military strategy of later generations.
The victory in the Battle of Maiqiu not only changed the balance of power between Zhao and Qi, but also had a profound impact on the entire Warring States pattern. The outcome of the battle shocked the vassal states, triggering a series of political, military, and diplomatic changes.
First of all, the status of Zhao has been significantly improved. Before the Battle of Maiqiu, although Zhao was one of the Seven Heroes, it had always been considered inferior to Qi, Qin and other powerful countries in terms of military strength. This victory not only demonstrated the military strength of Zhao, but also greatly increased Zhao's prestige among the vassal states. As a result, the king of Zhao, Zhao Xiaocheng, was able to have more confidence in dialogue with other vassal states at the court meeting, and also had more leverage in diplomatic negotiations.
Secondly, the strength of the State of Qi has been dealt a serious blow. The fall of Maiqiu City not only deprived the Qi State of an important strategic stronghold, but also lost a large number of elite troops and excellent generals. King Qi Xiang had to adjust the national strategy and devote more resources to military construction to make up for the losses caused by this defeat. This change in the distribution of resources has affected the economic development of Qi and indirectly weakened the overall national strength of Qi State.
Third, Zhao Kuo's military talent has been fully affirmed. As a young general, Zhao Kuo's strategic vision and tactical application in this battle made him a rising star in Zhao's army. King Zhao Xiaocheng praised Zhao Kuo and not only promoted him to general, but also gave him a large amount of gold and silver treasures and fiefs. The rise of Zhao Kuo also triggered a series of personnel changes in Zhao Guojun, and a group of young and promising generals began to be reused.
Fourth, the victory at the Battle of Maiqiu changed the military strategy of the Zhao state. A series of innovative tactics used by Zhao Kuo in this campaign, such as "besieging three queyi" and "grain siege", were widely studied and adopted by the Zhao military. Zhao began to attach importance to tactical innovation and flexible use, and no longer stuck to the traditional frontal confrontation. This shift in strategic thinking enabled the Zhao army to win numerous victories in subsequent wars.
Fifth, the impact of this battle on the Mo family cannot be ignored. The defense system designed by the disciples of the Mo family was finally breached in this battle, which forced the Mo family, who had always been proud of their skills, to reflect on their own skills. Many Mohist disciples began to study how to improve and strengthen the defense system, which promoted the advancement of defense technology during the Warring States period. At the same time, some Mohist disciples also began to think about how to use their techniques for offense, not just defense.
Sixth, the victory at the Battle of Wheat Hill triggered a new round of alliances and counter-alliances among the vassal states. Sensing Zhao's growing strength, Qin began to seek alliances with Han, Wei, and other states to counterbalance Zhao. In order to make up for the losses caused by the defeat, the Qi State took the initiative to improve relations with the Yan State, hoping to find new allies in the north. This complex diplomatic activity made the political situation of the Warring States period even more delicate.
Seventh, the course of the Battle of Maiqiu was recorded in detail and became an important material for later generations to study the military history of the Warring States Period. Many military strategists and historians have conducted in-depth research on this battle and summed up many valuable strategic and tactical ideas. These ideas not only influenced the subsequent military development of the Warring States, but also had a profound impact on the military system after the unification of the Six Kingdoms by Qin.
Eighth, the campaign also had an impact on the development of military equipment during the Warring States period. The new siege vehicle used by Zhao Kuo in the campaign attracted the attention of other vassal states, and many countries began to develop similar equipment. At the same time, in response to this new type of weapon, the design of the fortifications began to change, the walls became taller and thicker, and the defenses became more complex.
Ninth, the victory at the Battle of Maiqiu greatly improved the self-confidence and cohesion of the people of Zhao State. There was jubilation throughout the kingdom of Zhao, and the celebrations continued for months. King Zhao Xiaocheng took the opportunity to implement a series of reform measures, such as reducing taxes and rewarding agricultural production, which further strengthened Zhao's national power.
Finally, the victory at the Battle of Maiqiu laid the foundation for Zhao's subsequent expansion. In the following years, Zhao continued to expand outward, conquering many cities of Qi and greatly expanding its territory. This expansion not only strengthened the Zhao state, but also changed the geopolitical pattern in the middle of the Warring States period, laying the groundwork for later historical development.