During the Warring States Period, the heroes were divided, and the smoke of gunpowder was everywhere. In this era of change, a general named Bai Qi was born and shocked the world with his amazing military talents. From a white body to the head of the four famous generals of the Warring States Period, Bai Qi used nearly 40 years of military career to compose a heart-wrenching war epic. He led the Qin army to conquer all directions, attacking cities and plundering land, and was invincible. Five wars, which changed the pattern of the Warring States; In more than 70 battles, there was no defeat. His legendary story amazed later generations, and even ruthless characters like Su Qin's younger brother Su Li became his "brain-dead fan". However, in the end, this war machine could not escape the tragic fate, and came to the end of his life in the suspicion of the Qin monarchs. How powerful is Bai Qi?
During the Warring States Period, the Seven Heroes competed for hegemony, and the war was raging. In this world of great contention, the state of Qin rose to become one of the most powerful vassal states.
At this time, a young man named Bai Qi appeared. He came from an ordinary background, his family was ordinary, and he was an ordinary Qin citizen. However, this seemingly ordinary young man has extraordinary ambitions and talents.
At that time, the Qin State implemented a military merit system, and as long as you made meritorious service on the battlefield, you could get knighthoods and rewards. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Without saying a word, he resolutely joined the army and began his military career.
Bai Qi, who has just joined the army, is not a high-ranking general. He was just an ordinary soldier, following the army to fight east and west. However, his performance was particularly remarkable. Every time he fought, he charged forward and was extremely brave.
Bai Qi's bravery was quickly appreciated by his superiors. Step by step, he rose from a small soldier to a squad leader, then to a centurion, and then to a thousand. Every promotion was earned by him with real military exploits.
As Bai Qi rose in rank, he began to have the opportunity to command larger-scale operations. In the process, he showed amazing military talent. Not only is he brave, but he is also good at using tactics, and he can win every battle.
Bai Qi's reputation gradually spread among the Qin army. The soldiers all said that if you fight with Bai Qi, there is no battle that you can't win. King Qin heard about Bai Qi's deeds and was also impressed by this young general.
Finally, Bai Qi got the opportunity to lead the troops independently. He led the Qin army and the combined forces of Wei and Han to start a major battle at Yique. In this battle, Bai Qi showed his might, and he used surprise attacks to catch the Wei and Han coalition forces off guard. In the end, Bai Qi defeated the enemy army in one fell swoop, killing 240,000 enemies.
The victory in the Battle of Yique made Bai Qi famous. Since then, he has become the main general of the Qin State, frequently going on expeditions and performing miraculous feats. Three attacks on the state of Chu, captured the capital of Chu Yingcheng, and killed 150,000 enemies. In the Battle of Huayang, he marched more than 1,000 miles in 8 days and killed 150,000 Wei and Zhao allied troops. In the Battle of Chencheng, 9 cities in Korea were linked, and 50,000 enemies were killed.
Every time Bai Qi goes on an expedition, he will make the enemy country fearful. His name became synonymous with the invincibility of the Qin army. From an ordinary soldier to the head of the four famous generals of the Warring States, it took nearly 40 years for Bai to start.
In the past 40 years, there have been more than 70 large and small battles, and they have never been defeated. The brilliance of his achievements is rare in the history of the Warring States. According to statistics, in the nearly 250 years of war in the Warring States period, the death toll was about 2 million, of which about 1 million were killed by Bai Qi, accounting for half.
The rise of Bai Qi not only changed his own fate, but also changed the pattern of the entire Warring States. Under his leadership, the Qin army was invincible, laying a solid foundation for the later unification of the Six Kingdoms.
Bai Qi's military career can be described as a wonderful war epic. Each of his expeditions is like a thrilling drama, which is breathtaking.
Let's first take a look at Bai Qi's first big drama - the Battle of Yique. In 293 BC, the combined forces of Qin and Wei and Han launched an earth-shattering battle at Yique. Bai Qi was already the main general of the Qin State at this time, and he was confident and strategic.
As soon as the battle began, Bai Qi showed a superb tactical level. He sent a surprise army, went around the rear of the enemy army, and launched a surprise attack. The Wei-Han coalition army was suddenly in a mess, and the formation was in chaos.
Bai Qi seized this opportunity and led the main force to launch a fierce attack. The Qin army rushed to the enemy like a tide, and the Wei and Han coalition forces were defeated and retreated. In the end, Bai Qi defeated the enemy army in one fell swoop, killing 240,000 enemies. This battle established Bai Qi's military status and greatly increased Qin's influence in the Central Plains.
The victory at the Battle of Ique catapulted Bai Qi to fame, but it was only the beginning of his brilliant achievements. In 280 BC, Bai Qi once again swung his army south and launched a military campaign against the state of Chu.
The state of Chu has always been a fierce rival of the state of Qin, with a vast territory and strong troops. But under the leadership of Bai Qi, the Qin army was like entering a no-man's land. They drove straight in, all the way like a bamboo, and went straight to Yingcheng, the capital of Chu State.
Bai Qi showed amazing talent in siege warfare. He skillfully used the terrain and set up multiple offensives, making the Chu army unguardable. In the end, the Qin army broke through Yingcheng, killed 150,000 Chu troops, and captured the king of Chu. This battle greatly damaged the vitality of the Chu State, and it has been slumped ever since.
The victory of the three attacks on the Chu State made the name of Bai resounding all over the world. But he didn't stop there. In 273 BC, Bai Qi led the Qin army to launch the Battle of Huayang, this time against the combined forces of Wei and Zhao.
In this battle, Bai Qi once again showed his military talents. He used the tactics of blitzkrieg, led the army to march more than 1,000 miles in 8 days, and unexpectedly killed the Wei and Zhao coalition forces.
Before the enemy could react, Bai Qi's army was already under the city. In the face of the menacing Qin army, the Wei and Zhao coalition forces were caught off guard and were soon defeated. In this battle, Bai Qi killed another 150,000 enemy troops, further consolidating the hegemony of Qin.
Bai Qi's record continues. In 264 B.C., he launched the Battle of Shencheng. This time the opponent was Korea, and Bai Qi showed superb siege ability.
He adopted the tactic of besieging the city and sending reinforcements, first capturing several small cities in Korea and then luring Korea reinforcements to come to the rescue. When Korea reinforcements arrived, Bai Qi had already set up an ambush and annihilated it in one fell swoop. In the end, Bai Qilian conquered 9 cities in Korea and killed 50,000 enemy troops.
However, Bai Qi's most brilliant record is the Battle of Changping. In 260 BC, the states of Qin and Zhao fought a protracted war in Changping. The battle lasted for two full years and was the most tragic war of the Warring States period.
In this battle, Bai Qi once again showed his superb military talent. He adopted the tactics of protracted warfare, constantly depleting the strength of the Zhao army. At the same time, he also sent people to infiltrate the Zhao army and drive a wedge between the monarchs and ministers of the Zhao State.
In the end, the Zhao army ran out of food and grass, and the army's morale was discouraged. Bai Qi seized the opportunity and launched a general attack, defeating the Zhao army in one fell swoop. In this battle, Bai Qikeng killed 450,000 Zhao troops, setting the most tragic war record during the Warring States Period.
The victory in the Battle of Changping made Qin the undisputed overlord of the Warring States. And Bai Qi, also known as the "human slaughter", has become an existence that terrifies the enemy.
From the Battle of Yique to the Battle of Changping, Bai Qi used one victory after another to write his legend of "conquering everything". Every time he went on an expedition, it was a wonderful military textbook, showing his superb strategic and tactical level.
Bai Qi is not only a brave general, but also a military strategist who is proficient in the art of war. In each of his battles, he demonstrated great military wisdom and tactical use.
Let's take a look at Bai Qi's performance in the Battle of Yique. In the face of the strong lineup of the Wei-Han coalition army, ordinary generals may choose to be tough and tough. But Bai Qi found a different way, he sent a surprise army and quietly went around the rear of the enemy army.
The task of this wonder army is not simple. Not only did they have to pass through enemy lines, but they also had to launch a surprise attack at the right time. Bai Qi's grasp of the timing can be described as just right. Just when the Wei and Han coalition forces were engrossed in the frontal battlefield, the surprise soldiers suddenly came out and caught the enemy by surprise.
The enemy army was attacked on the back of the enemy, and immediately became a mess. Bai Qi seized this golden opportunity and commanded the main force to launch a fierce attack. The Qin army was like a tiger descending from the mountain, unstoppable. In the end, Bai Qi defeated the enemy in one fell swoop with a combination of surprise attack and main force onslaught.
In the battle of the three invasions of Chu, Bai Qi showed superb siege skills. Yingcheng, the capital of the Chu State, was impregnable, and ordinary siege tactics were difficult to achieve. But Bai Qi has a clever plan.
He first sent a small force to harass outside the city to lure the Chu army out of the city to meet the battle. At the same time, he secretly sent elite troops to ambush various key roads outside the city. When the Chu army left the city, these ambushed troops suddenly came out, cutting off the retreat of the Chu army.
The Chu army, which had been cut off from retreat, suddenly fell into chaos. Bai Qi took the opportunity to command the army to launch a general attack and break through Yingcheng in one fell swoop. This combination tactic of luring the snake out of the hole and encircling Wei to save Zhao fully demonstrated Bai Qi's military wisdom.
In the Battle of Huayang, Bai Qi used the tactics of blitzkrieg again. He led the Qin army to march for more than 1,000 miles for 8 consecutive days, and unexpectedly appeared in front of the Wei and Zhao coalition forces. This rapid march not only caught the enemy by surprise, but also kept his own army in the best fighting condition.
When the Wei and Zhao coalition forces were still shocked by the sudden appearance of the Qin army, Bai Qi had already launched a fierce attack. Before the enemy could react, they were already crushed. This combination of speed and suddenness allowed Bai Qi's lightning tactics to be brought to the extreme.
In the Battle of Shencheng, Bai Qi showed superb siege tactics again. He first captured several small cities in Korea, and then deliberately slowed down the pace of the offensive to lure Korea reinforcements to come to the rescue.
When Korea reinforcements arrived, Bai Qi had already set up an ambush. He hid his main forces in the mountainous areas with complex terrain and waited for the opportunity. When the Korea reinforcements entered the preset encirclement, Bai Qi gave an order, and ambushed the enemy regiments.
Korea's reinforcements were quickly annihilated. Without the support of reinforcements, other cities in Korea were lost. This tactic of besieging the city and sending reinforcements not only eliminated the enemy's living forces, but also played a role in deterring other cities.
But Bai Qi's most wonderful tactical use was the Battle of Changping. In this two-year war, Bai Qi showed superb protracted fighting ability and psychological tactics.
In the face of Zhao's strong defense, Bai Qi was not in a hurry. He adopted the tactics of protracted attrition, constantly harassing the Zhao army and cutting off its supply lines. At the same time, he also sent people to infiltrate the Zhao army, spread rumors, and drive a wedge between the monarch and the minister of Zhao.
This combination of protracted warfare and psychological warfare gradually put Zhao Jun in a predicament. When the Zhao army ran out of food and grass and the army's morale was weakened, Bai Qi launched a general attack. In the end, he not only defeated the Zhao army, but also created an amazing record of killing 450,000 soldiers.
Bai Qi's use of these tactics all reflects his superb military wisdom. He is good at flexibly using various tactics according to different battlefield situations. Whether it is a surprise attack, siege and reinforcement, or blitzkrieg or protracted war, Bai Qi can use it freely.
What's even more commendable is that Bai Qi is not only proficient in various tactics, but also can organically combine different tactics. For example, in the Battle of Yique, he combined surprise attacks with the onslaught of the main force. In the Battle of Changping, he combined protracted warfare with psychological warfare. The flexible application and organic combination of this kind of tactics is precisely the best embodiment of Bai Qi's military talent.
Bai Qi's life can be described as an interweaving of glory and tragedy. His military career was brilliant, but it ended in tragedy. This once powerful Warring States famous general, in the end, was forced to a dead end by the monarch he was loyal to.
Let's turn the clock back to 257 BC, when Bai Qi had just finished the Battle of Changping. This protracted war ended with the killing of 450,000 soldiers in a pit, setting the most tragic war record during the Warring States period. This battle brought Bai Qi's prestige to the peak, but at the same time, it also planted a bane for him.
Bai Qi's prestige is getting higher and higher, which makes Qin Wang Yingzheng feel uneasy. A high-ranking general is a potential threat to any monarch. Ying Zheng began to secretly guard against Bai Qi, but on the surface he still entrusted him with important tasks.
In 256 BC, the state of Qin again launched an offensive against the six eastern kingdoms. Bai Qi was appointed commander-in-chief and led his army to attack the state of Zhao. This should have been another opportunity to make a career for nothing, but the development of things was unexpected.
Bai Qi led the army to Handan, the capital of Zhao State, thinking that he could easily take it as before. But this time, Zhao's defense was unusually tenacious. Bai Qi tried a variety of siege methods, but he couldn't break through Handan.
The war was at a stalemate, and the Qin army had been under the city of Handan for months. At this time, the king of Qin sent an order, requiring Bai Qi to immediately capture Handan. Bai Qi knew that the defense of Handan was strong, and a strong attack would only increase casualties, so he wrote to the king of Qin and asked for the withdrawal of the army.
Qin Wang Yingzheng did not take Bai Qi's suggestion, but was very dissatisfied with his performance. He thinks that Bai Qi is old and has lost his previous sharpness. So, Ying Zheng made a decision, he sent Wang Jian to replace Bai Qi's position, and ordered Bai Qi to hand over the military power.
This is undoubtedly a huge blow to Bai Qi. He fought on the battlefield all his life and made great achievements, but he was deprived of military power in his later years. Bai Qi was unwilling, but as a loyal minister, he still obeyed the monarch's orders and handed over the military power.
But it doesn't end there. Ying Zheng's defense and suspicion of Bai Qi became deeper and deeper. He feared that Bai Qi would become dissatisfied with his deposition and become a potential threat to the Qin state. So, he decided to get rid of this veteran who was a great achiever.
In 257 BC, Bai Qi was recalled to Xianyang. He set out on his way home full of trepidation, not knowing what awaited him. When Bai got up and went to Du You, he was greeted not with a commendation, but with an edict.
The edict said that Bai Qi had killed 450,000 soldiers in the Battle of Changping, which was a heinous crime and should be punished. The king of Qin gave Bai Qi three choices: one was to commit suicide in Du You, the second was to be tortured in Xianyang, and the third was to be tried in Zhao.
After reading the edict, Bai Qi suddenly fell into an ice cellar. He never expected that he would end up like this in the end of his life fighting for the country. He understands that no matter which path he chooses, only death awaits him.
Bai Qi fell into deep despair. He recalled his life, growing step by step from an ordinary soldier to a general of the Qin State, and made great achievements for the Qin State. But now, instead of being rewarded, these credits have become his crimes.
In the end, Bai Qi chose to commit suicide in Du You. He drew the sword he wore with him and looked at his own reflection on the blade. This once powerful Warring States famous general, but now he wants to end his life in this way.
Bai Qi raised his sword and let out a final scream at the sky. He said: "I have done so much credit for the Qin State, but in the end I ended up like this. I'm innocent! With that, he plunged his sword into his own throat.
In this way, a generation of famous generals Bai Qi, when he was 65 years old, ended his life in this tragic way. His death is not only a tragedy for one person, but also a microcosm of that era. In the game of power, even a hero like Bai Qi cannot escape the fate of being suspected and sacrificed.
Bai Qi's death caused a huge shock at the time. Many people feel sorry and angry for what happened to him. Later historians also gave great sympathy to Bai Qi's ending, believing that this was a big mistake by King Yingzheng of Qin.
Bai Qi's life is a legendary heroic epic, but it is also a tragic tragedy of life. His talents made him one of the most outstanding military strategists of the Warring States period, but his high achievements also led to his tragic end. The story of Bai Qi has become a classic case for later generations to discuss the relationship between monarchs and ministers and the balance of power.