In the previous article, we mentioned the reasons why King Zhao Xiaocheng insisted on accepting Shangdang County and the means they prepared to use to deal with Qin State's accountability - to fight a protracted war with Qin State. So the question is, since the Zhao monarchs and ministers have already decided to fight a protracted war with Qin, why did they choose to change their generals halfway? If the Zhao army was always led by Lian Po, would the " Battle of Changping" between Qin and Zhao be a different scene? Will the notorious "talking general" Zhao Kuo also have a different life? For thousands of years, King Xiaocheng's change of generals before the battle has become one of the most criticized decisions by later generations. Today, let us try to explore the reason why King Xiaocheng insisted on changing generals.
1: According to historical records, he fell into the Qin State's alienation plan
and Qin Yinghou sent a rich man to Zhao to rebel against him, saying: "The only thing Qin hates is that he is afraid of the horses and his subordinates, Zhao Kuo, and the incorruptible people are easy to fight with." , and surrendered. "... King Zhao took Kuo as his general and replaced Lian Po. Lin Xiangru said: "The king used his name to envoy Kuo, and he was like a glue pillar with a drum and a harp. Kuo's disciples can read his father's biography, but they don't know how to merge and change." King Zhao didn't listen, so he was killed.
This is a passage recorded in "Historical Records. Zhao Shijia " and "Historical Records. Qin Benji " respectively. It not only concisely states the fact that King Xiaocheng fell into the trap, but also points out Zhao Kuo's plot from the side. Unbearable. And Lin Xiangru's sentence "Kuo Tu can read his father's biography, but he doesn't know about the merger" even laid the foreshadowing that "Zhao Kuo will be defeated", and then Sima Qian quoted Zhao She's worries and the prophecy of Zhao Kuo's mother to solidify it. The basis for defeating Changping. After reading through it, everything develops so real and natural. But I want to ask, should Zhao Kuo really be responsible for the defeat of Changping? Is King Xiaocheng's insistence really just a simple trap?
2: Lian Po’s Dilemma
In the forty-seventh year, Qin sent Zuo Shuchang Wang Lu to attack Han and take Shangdang. The people of Shangdang left Zhao. The Zhao army was in peace, and the party and the people were controlled by the army. In April, Lu Yin attacked Zhao. Zhao sent General Lian Po. Zhao's soldiers attacked Qin's soldiers, and Qin's soldiers killed Zhao Pi's general Qie. In June, he captured the Zhao army and captured two Zhang and four lieutenants. In July, the Zhao army built a fortification and defended it. Qin attacked the fortress again, captured the second lieutenant, defeated the formation, and captured the west fortress wall. Lian Po built a strong wall to wait for Qin. Qin challenged him several times, but Zhao soldiers could not move out. King Zhao thought he would give in.
According to historical records, since the Zhao army took over the Shangdang, the Qin army took advantage of the opportunity to attack Zhao, and immediately had a fierce military conflict with the Zhao army. Lian Po, who was known for his good defense, also chose to attack Zhao after several unfavorable battles. All the developments of the strategy of strengthening the walls and clearing the country were exactly as expected by the king of Zhao. But at this time, King Zhao Xiaocheng suddenly blamed Lian Po for not coming out despite repeated defeats. This change in attitude is undoubtedly fatal to Lian Po. After all, for a general who is known for his good defense, he is suddenly required to become good at field combat and to ensure victory. How can there be such a thing in this world? Is there anything more difficult than this? In this way, the situation of Lian Po who was on the front line at that time naturally became embarrassing and subtle. King Zhao's "number of concessions" foreshadowed the inevitable change of generals on the battlefield, but it was not yet determined who would replace Lian Po in a short period of time. That's all.
3: King Zhao’s helplessness
So, why did King Zhao Xiaocheng, who had already prepared for a protracted war, suddenly accuse Lian Po of being stubborn when everything was developing according to the script? The reasons may be as follows:
First, King Zhao, who had just been immersed in the joy of winning the land, had doubts about his decision to accept the land after seeing the ferocity and determination of the Qin army. In addition, he was famous for his good defense. The Lian Po formation is also called the angry The Qin army broke through several times, and the strategy of strengthening the wall and clearing the field could no longer guarantee that Zhao State could retreat unscathed. Based on this, King Zhao naturally hoped that the battle of Changping could be fought quickly, so as not to affect the whole Zhao State in one move. Drag down.
Secondly, the State of Zhao is a family-style centralized state, and the descendants of the clan also have the right to participate in the governance of the country. The country is bound to be full of criticism and dissatisfaction with the decision-making of King Zhao. After all, the idea that Zhao was inferior to Qin had already been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people as early as when King Huai of Chu destroyed Zhao but Zhao did not dare to stay and attributed it to Qin. Now that Zhao is at fault for accepting the party, it is Zhao's fault. One can imagine the pressure from public opinion. With the general situation being like this, King Xiaocheng, who was young and energetic and wanted to achieve self-realization, naturally hoped to defeat Changping. In this case, Lian Po, who was good at guarding, no longer met the expectations of King Zhao.
Thirdly, the Battle of Changping is ultimately about comprehensive national strength. It has not been a year since the war began. " There are advantages in Ba, Shu, and Hanzhong in the west, and the solidity of Yao and Han in the east. The fields are fertile, the people are prosperous, and there are thousands of tanks. Take advantage of, fight for a hundred Qiang Qin, which had thousands of miles of fertile fields and abundant reserves, felt the pressure of the war. Even the shrewd and capable King Zhaoxiang of Qin had to personally mobilize young people over the age of 15 across the country to participate in the battle. Qin is like this, being in "the land of the four wars, with no fertile fields and warehouses inside; there are heroes outside, waiting for opportunities." Zhao's situation will naturally be more difficult than that of Qin. In such an era of broken etiquette and music, King Zhao naturally did not want to harm the whole country because of Changping. Therefore, his desire for a quick victory was naturally more urgent.
Four: Zhao Kuo’s Opportunities and Challenges
History gave Zhao Kuo the opportunity to leave his name in history, but fate played a joke on him that will last forever. Not to mention why Qin State targeted Zhao Kuo as the target of the alienation plan, but King Zhao really fell in love with this young general who was good at talking about military affairs. Therefore, whether intentionally or unintentionally, Qin State's alienation The plan was thus foiled by King Zhao. The core of the strategy that determines who will win becomes Ma Fuzi Zhao Kuo.
Lin Xiangru said that Zhao Kuo "You can only read his father's biography but don't know about the changes. " This is really the biggest misunderstanding of Zhao Kuo. As the son of a general, Zhao Kuo is undoubtedly a qualified inheritor of the mantle, and the reason why he was defeated by Changping was not due to lack of strength, but because of a mismatch of expertise. Because his heritage dictates that he is not good at field combat. And all of this has to start with Ma Fujun Zhao She.
According to historical records, Zhao She was one of the few generals in the history of Zhao State who commanded large-scale battles and was able to defeat Qin. His most glorious personal battle was "阏与", and in this battle, Zhao She She won by relying on "unexpected tactics", and the same was true for the Battle of Maiqiu.
From this, we have basically found the reason why King Xiaocheng replaced Lian Po with Zhao Kuo - for " I have learned the art of war since I was young and talked about military affairs, and no one in the world can do it. I have never talked about military affairs with my father. , "Luxury cannot be difficult. " Zhao Kuo, King Xiaocheng is naturally full of hope and expectation. Because when the situation develops into a "confrontation and peace", everyone can see that the matter has reached a point where it is difficult to give up. And since the Qin army is no match for the upright decisive battle, why not see if Zhao Kuo, who is known for his "strange tactics", has any means to bring him back to life? What's more, looking at the Zhao State at that time, there was indeed no more suitable candidate than Zhao Kuo, because at this time, the Zhao State had already experienced the phenomenon of replacing generals with talents. Otherwise, King Xiaocheng at the beginning of his accession to the throne would not have to spend the cost of the city to pay Qi Guo "purchased" Tiandan .
And in King Xiaocheng's imagination of I think you can do , Zhao Kuo, who was also young and energetic and eager to make achievements, confidently embarked on the battlefield and walked towards the fate full of malice.
