Zhao Jingrui Fortune-telling _ Introduction to Zhao

Did southwest Shandong belong to Zhao for a time in ancient times?

To be exact, the northwest belongs to Zhao. See the figure below:

Zhao lived from 403 BC to 228 BC, and his territory was roughly in the north and middle of Shanxi and the west and south of Hebei. Its capital is Handan (the capital is in Jinyang, now southeast of Taiyuan, Shanxi, and later moved to Handan, Hebei).

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Four ministers of Jin state

During the Spring and Autumn Period, Zhao moved to the State of Jin during the reign of Emperor Wen of Jin and died in the sixth century. Zhao Shu once fled with Zhao Shu's son Zhong Er. Later, Zhong Er became the overlord of a generation, and Jin Wengong and Zhao Shu held high positions. His descendants, (the prototype in the Yuan drama "The Orphan of Zhao"), and are ministers with thighs and arms.

Jin is a humble and weak country, and its main power is in the hands of Zhi Bo, Han Kang and Wei. In the first 456 years, the four clean-ups expelled the gold from the public and set up the gold to mourn the public.

The downfall of Zhi Zhi

Zhao Xiangzi's father, Zhao Jianzi, and his mother's handmaid. In the first 454 years, Zhi Bo led the Han and Wei families to besiege Jinyang (now South Jinyuan Town, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province). Xiangzi successfully held the city, and finally joined the Han and Wei families to destroy Zhi Bo. In the first 453 years, Zhao, Wei and Han carved up the territory of the official.

After Zhao Xiangzi's death, his younger brother Zhao became the monarch. After Huan Zi's death, Zhao Huan, the grandson of Xiangzi's younger brother Zhao Bolu, was offered as his adopted son. Xianzi's son Zhao Ji later succeeded to the throne, that is, Zhao Liehou, the founding monarch of Zhao State.

Three clans divided into Jin

In 437 BC, Jin Aigong died, and his son Jin Yougong succeeded to the throne, having no authority over Zhao, Wei and Han. In the first 403 years (the 23rd year of King Weilie of Zhou, that is, Duke Liegong of Jin 17), the royal family of Zhou officially recognized Han, Zhao and Wei as vassals, juxtaposed with Jin Wengong. Sima Guang, a historian of the Song Dynasty, said in "Capital Tongzhi Jian" that in the early years of the Warring States Period: "Wei Si, Evonne and Han Qian were doctors of the Jin Dynasty, and they were governors at first."

[Edit this paragraph] The situation facing Zhao.

Zhao, the seven heroes of the Warring States, is not the most powerful in terms of territory, population and strength. Both Chu Fang and Jia Wan are strategically located in the south, which can be attacked and defended. Qi Xiong ranked first in the wealth of the eastern countries during the Warring States period, with sufficient food. Wei Tiejia infantry dominated the seven countries and attacked Zhao several times, occupying Handan for three years in a row. Qin has a dangerous terrain and should be good at using troops. Only Yan Guo and Han are inferior in strength. And Zhao is located at the crossroads of various countries, which can be said to be a land of contention! There are Xiongnu in the north, Qiangqi in the east, fierce Wei in the south and the country of tigers and wolves in the west. In the face of such a harsh environment, Zhao seems to have only the strength to cope, but in fact, Zhao was so weak only before the reform of King Wuling of Zhao.

[Edit this paragraph] Khufu rides and shoots.

King Wuling of Zhao is a gifted, courageous and ambitious monarch, and there are still many buildings in Handan to commemorate King Wuling of Zhao. During his reign, he carried out the far-reaching "Khufu riding and shooting". Soldiers all over the country have changed the traditional wide combat uniforms into tight-fitting ones, and changed the traditional army structure with infantry as the main body into cavalry and crossbowmen as the main body. Imagine how much resistance there would be if the national army changed into costumes and services that are regarded as border races in today's reality. But King Wuling of Zhao did it, believing that this reform is very important for Zhao's future vertical and horizontal seven countries.

[Edit this paragraph] Building the Great Wall in the North

Building the Great Wall is considered to be the best defensive measure against the frontier clan. On the one hand, it counteracts the advantage of rapid mobility of border cavalry; On the other hand, give the infantry a reliable front. If Zhao wants to cross the seven kingdoms, he must relieve his worries-the intrusion of Xiongnu, so as to free up his hands to dominate the south. ?

But the problem is that repairing the Great Wall is recognized as a measure that consumes manpower and financial resources. Qin built the Great Wall with nearly a million guilty people, which caused great public outrage. The repair of the Great Wall in the Ming Dynasty also cost a lot of money. However, with a population of more than one million, Zhao built a project that surprised future generations. There was no riot in history ... The construction after Qin's reunification only connected the Great Wall of the Three Kingdoms.

[Edit this paragraph] Fighting against Xiongnu

Resisting the Huns has always been a necessity after the reunification of the Central Plains. Meng Tian, a general of the State of Qin, led an army of 300,000 and fought for two years. He used a lot of manpower, and the Han dynasty led nearly a million troops to pacify the Huns, which greatly damaged the national strength. Mu only led 50,000 infantry and 65,438+10,000 archers to subdue Xiongnu, and most of the soldiers were border people.

[Edit this paragraph] Fight against foreign enemies

The famous "Battle of Changping" broke out between Qin and Zhao in history. The main obstacle to the eastward expedition at the end of Qin was Zhao, and the two countries won and lost each other. Zhao became the main target of Qin. Why don't you say, Lian Po rate resistance, qin shall not enter. The two armies were deadlocked, and Zhao was short of food, so he could neither borrow food from Qi nor borrow soldiers. Zhao Wang can only choose a decisive battle. Replacing Lian Po with Zhao Kuo marked Zhao's transformation from strategic defense to strategic attack. History has always denied the appointment and dismissal of Zhao Kuo, so I won't comment here, but my point is that Zhao Kuo is not a young general who can only talk on paper. (explain later). ?

As a result, it was clear to everyone that Zhao's main force was surrounded and reinforcements could not beat the encirclement. Finally, 400,000 soldiers of Zhao were raped and killed. What I want to say is that Zhao died before and after 50 thousand, while Qin died more than half of it, which was about 300 thousand (the total strength of Qin was about 600 thousand). It was only after seeing Zhao's tenacious fighting capacity and skillful individual tactics that he moved his heart. ?

It can be seen that in the 46 days when Zhao Jun was surrounded by soldiers, there was no supply of grain, grass and equipment, and there was no support from reinforcements. All soldiers in the army eat human corpses. Every day, Qin Zhi's light soldiers (similar to death squads) attack day and night. Psychologically and physically, it is not easy to reach the limit and persist for 46 days. Under what circumstances can the combat effectiveness of an army be tested? It is manifested when there is no foreign aid, no self-sufficiency and no strong opponent, not in its successive victories. ?

After the war, Yan thought Zhao was weak, so he led 600,000 troops to attack Zhao. As a result, Zhao was defeated and captured several cities. Analysis: The Yan army was defeated three times, and the first division was unknown. The relationship between Yan and Zhao was always good, and there was almost no war between the two countries, so Yan Bing was puzzled by the attack on Zhao by the Yan king. The second Yan army divided its troops in many places, hoping to seize the land of Zhao in the shortest time by virtue of its military superiority, and was defeated by Zhao. The command ability of the generals of the third army is not as good as that of Zhao, and the combat effectiveness of the army is limited, even worse than that of the people temporarily organized by Zhao. Zhao Sheng also has three reasons: after the defeat of Changping, the whole country was indignant, and Sun Tzu's Art of War said: Mourning soldiers will win. After Er Changping was defeated, Zhao organized a new army to attack Handan in the shortest time, which was quite effective. General Sanzhao's command art is quite skillful, and it may be difficult to deal with Qin, but it is more than enough to deal with Yan, and Zhao Min is martial. Temporary organizations have fighting capacity, and Yanjun's victory is in sight. ?

When the Yan army attacked Zhao, almost every city was stubbornly blocked, which created conditions for Zhao's main force to divide the Yan army. Finally, under the overwhelming attack of the Zhao army, the Yan army was defeated. In the end, the prince had to give protons and cut land in exchange for the capture of nearly 300,000 Yan Jun. From this, we can also see the strength of Zhao's combat power.

[Edit this paragraph] Battle of Handan

After winning the battle, Qin Changping accepted Zhao's request for peace. Reason: Although the State of Qin won the battle of Changping, more than half of the soldiers died and the domestic food consumption was almost the same. Qin was unable to further occupy Handan and destroy Zhao. Two foot soldiers have been fighting outside for a long time and their morale is low. The front line is too long and it is difficult to supply. In addition, the newly occupied land is prone to chaos and rebellion may occur at any time (the consequences will be chaotic). All three Wei Chu were ready to move, and their flanks were quite unsafe (which was also the reason for the later Qin Dynasty). Therefore, Qin accepted the request. ?

Zhao later had differences on land division, so I won't say the details. In the end, Wang Zhao decided not to fulfill the peace treaty and actively prepared for war. All this eventually led to the outbreak of the Qin-Zhao-Handan War. Qin was furious and attacked Zhao with all his strength. Among them, I think there are three reasons why Leitian didn't go to war: First, Qin won the battle of Changping, and I appreciate the tenacious fighting will of the people of Zhao. This is different from the tenacity of the pool. Qin Bing's tenacity is that he can win titles and land by inducements, while Zhao Bing's tenacity stems from his innate national temperament and martial tradition. Second, the soldiers of Qin suffered heavy casualties, especially the elite troops (light soldiers, cavalry, chariots and crossbowmen) who mastered the skilled combat technology. At this time, most of the main forces of Qin were just the lower class people with limited combat effectiveness. It is even more dangerous for the safety of the flank. If Qin attacks Zhao, it may be surrounded by Wei-Chu allied forces at any time. Third, I am quite dissatisfied with the obedience of the king of Qin to Fan Xiang. However, the confident King of Qin believed that Qin Jun was invincible, even though he ordered 600,000 troops to attack Zhaohandan. ?

Zhao's preparation for Qin Jun's attack can be said to be the acme. Because of the loss of Zhao's elite troops, Zhao was unable to carry out field operations and turned to guarding the city, and hoarded a lot of food and equipment for this purpose. At the same time, diplomacy is also actively carried out. Out of guilt for Changping's defeat, Zhao Zhi and Ping Yuanjun also actively lobbied Wei Chu to organize the defense of Handan. ?

The war began. ...

In January of the forty-eighth year of Qin Dynasty, Qin Jubing was about 500,000, and the soldiers were divided into three ways. Sima Geng led the army to attack Zhao Taiyuan on the left, and took it, so that the main force of North Zhao could not go south; On the right, about 100,000 troops were sent to Nanyang to reject the Wei-Chu Coalition; The middle route army, about 300 thousand people, went straight to Handan and Zhao. In July and August, the only strategic barrier that Zhao An and Pillau could rely on was breached by Qin. In October, soldiers surrounded Handan, which was the seventh year of Zhao's reign. ?

Regarding the attack on Zhao from January to August in the forty-eighth year of Qin Dynasty, Zhao adopted the following strategies: strengthening the wall and clearing the wild, giving up fields and satellite cities, and concentrating the defenders and grain from all over the country to fully defend the capital Handan. At this time, Zhao's elite soldiers had been killed in the battle of Changping, and there were about 300 thousand to 400 thousand foot soldiers in Handan. Among them, most of the soldiers are old people around 40 years old (40 years old in ancient times) or weak children between 13 and 18 years old. The young and strong foot soldiers do not exceed 1 00000, including Wang Zhao's guard infantry and a small number of cavalry, about10000 to 20000. These constitute the main force of Zhao's surprise attack on Qin Jun day and night. Garrison commanders Lian Po, Gong Wei and Ping Yuanjun Zhao Sheng were the actual supreme commanders of the Battle of Handan. At the same time, due to the battle of Changping, the people of Handan, Zhao, lost their children, husbands and fathers, so they United as enemies and swore to defend Zhao. ?

Qin Jun takes the tomb of five generals as the general, with an army of about 300,000. Based in Wu 'an, it surrounds Handan and Qin Jun and has a large number of siege equipment. At the gate of Handan, the tomb of the Fifth Doctor of Qin looked at the fertile land around Handan, which was completely destroyed by Zhao people. The tomb thought: in the 29th year, the King of Qin took the capital of Chu Ying, and in the 32nd year, he took the girder. The main force of Zhao was killed last year. At this time, Zhao Handan's defenders were just old, weak and sick, and they could capture them in just a few months. But when he saw the magnificent and generous wall of Handan and the soldiers of Zhao standing on the wall, he found that Zhao's face clearly showed an expression of never giving in and never taking revenge. I feel uneasy in my heart This year is forty-nine years for King Qin Zhao and seven years for Zhao Haoqi Cheng Xiao. ?

In autumn and October of the forty-ninth year of Qin Dynasty, the tomb of five generals led an army to attack Handan City, and Qin crossbowmen shot hundreds of thousands of arrows at Handan City to cover the infantry's siege. The infantry was divided into two teams, one with a ladder on its shoulder, the other pushing two thumbs up to the gate of the capital of Zhao, and the three armies attacked the capital of Zhao day and night. But a month later, Qin Jun killed five field officers alone, with nearly 20,000 casualties. Instead of stopping to rest, he turned to launch a small-scale attack to capture Zhao Zhi. On the contrary, Zhao repeatedly attacked elite infantry and even a small number of cavalry constantly raided Qin's barracks around Handan, causing heavy casualties to Qin. On the contrary, Qin Jun guards day and night, and the soldiers are slack. ?

The situation on the front line in Handan soon reached Qin, who was very angry. This Wu Anjun is too ill to go. On the one hand, he ordered the tomb to gather troops to capture Handan as soon as possible, and on the other hand, he organized reinforcements. ?

In the 48th year of Qin Dynasty, in the cold wind in December, those who received the letter launched the second large-scale siege war against Handan, the capital of Zhao, but they suffered heavy casualties under Zhao's bows and crossbows, and the foot soldiers were in an unfavorable situation. Zhao sent troops to attack it, and Qin was dozens of miles away. There are about 5000 casualties in this battle. ?

In Handan, Zhao Zhi, the wounded are all over the city, but the morale of the soldiers is still high. In the cold winter, Zhao Sheng, a plain army, accumulated food and clothes in the house and scattered Zhao Min, saving his family. General Lian Po and Jia Shangcheng personally directed the bidding, and Ping Yuanjun Zhao Sheng also went. Zhao Wei, Lian Po ordered the weak to build the city, while the strong took turns to stop the city every battle, and ordered the good shooters to gather and shoot Qin. During this period, some elites often went out of the city, and many of them didn't come back (died in battle), but Qin also suffered heavy casualties. ?

In the first month of the forty-ninth year of Qin Dynasty, 100,000 reinforcements came to Handan with a large number of soldiers to prepare food and grass and the final order of the king of Qin. The five doctors' tombs adjusted their forces to launch the third attack on Handan, which was also the largest since the attack on Zhao. ?

In the first month of the forty-ninth year of Qin Dynasty, General Wang Bi came to Handan with a hundred thousand soldiers and a large number of soldiers to prepare food and grass. The Five Heroes' Mausoleum adjusted its forces and prepared to attack Handan for the third time, which was also the largest attack since the attack on Zhao. It is believed that the tomb has already known the discontent of the king of Qin and the omen of replacing it with Wang Bi, so it is certain that Wang Lingjun's third attack is quite fierce. ?

The war broke out in the first month, which was still the winter in the north. At this time, Handan has been besieged for nearly four months, and the loss of troops and food supply in the city has become a crisis, and people's hearts are more fragile in winter. But under the guidance of Lian Po and Yue Cheng, Zhao's morale is still high. At the same time, Qin Jun's morale began to rise after being reinforced. After more than a month of fighting, Zhao resisted the attack to the death and won. Qin Jun suffered heavy casualties, and his foot soldiers complained bitterly. The king of Qin was not good at bullying, so he was spared, and Wang Bi took the place of general. Later, Wang Bi led the army to attack Handan for nearly five months, but it was still not captured. In October, after the king of Qin killed Bai Qi, he ordered Zheng Anping to lead 50,000 troops to support Wang Bi. At this time, when the situation in Handan City was the most critical, the food and grass had already been cut off, and everyone was "cooking with bones" and "eating easily", and Zhao Jun was still indomitable. At the same time, the diplomatic war between Ping Yuanjun and Zhao Sheng came into play. By the beginning of December, 100,000 troops of the Eighth Wan Chu Army in Wei Jun had reached the periphery of Handan, and the State of Qin was constantly sending more troops to Fencheng (the land of Hedong) to show unity, and the war between the two sides was imminent. In December of the same year, Xin commanded the Wei-Chu allied forces and launched a powerful offensive against Qin Jun. Wei Jun attacked the west, Chu Jun attacked the east, and Zhao Jun was attacked on three sides, and the whole line collapsed. Wang Bi led Qin Jun's main force to retreat to the west for hundreds of miles, only taking a break when entering Fencheng. About 20 thousand people in Zheng Anping's department in the south of Handan were besieged by Zhao. Zheng Anping's department was far away from the main force, and there was no hope of breaking through, so he had to surrender to Zhao. When the allied forces of the Three Kingdoms attacked Fencheng, Qin Jun was defeated and forced to retreat to Hexi for confrontation. The allied forces seized the opportunity to recover the land 600 miles east of the river, which was very shocking. ?

After losing the battle of Changping, Zhao lost nearly 400 thousand troops. Since then, the combat troops can be divided into these parts: the county garrison is the representative to defend against Xiongnu and Yan, the standing army of about 50,000 people in wartime can be expanded to100,000 people, and Jinyang garrison (the old capital of Zhao) is the right wing of Zhao, the springboard to attack Qin flank and the gateway to North Zhao, and the standing army of about 70,000 people. Zhongmou (including Tunliu) garrison left-wing resistance outpost and Wei fortress, standing army of 30 thousand people. Zhao's defense center in Handan was divided into Wu 'an garrison and Wucheng garrison because of repeated wars in Handan. Generally speaking, the standing army in Handan is about100000. Because of its strategic position, Handan has become one of the cities with the most frequent wars and the most complete military defense. The battle of Handan, Zhao was in danger, but under the command of excellent generals of Zhao, with the tenacious resistance of Zhao soldiers and the support of Zhao people, it was all resolved one by one. It can be seen that Zhao's unique temperament, different from the six countries, is more solemn and stirring, strong and unyielding, and United. ?

As for the battle of Handan, I think it is as tragic as the battle of Stalingrad and the battle of Berlin. Qin directly and indirectly used about 650,000 troops against Zhao, including 450,000 troops against Handan. More is the strength comparison between the two sides. As mentioned earlier, after the battle of Changping, Zhao's strength and national strength were greatly reduced, and there were only 100,000 combat troops in Handan. Surprisingly, Qin Jun can keep its capital intact under constant siege and attacks. The battle of Handan was not so much a victory for Zhao as a victory for Zhao Min. Under Zhao's democratic rule, the people of Handan paid a heavy price for defending Handan. "Hundreds of thousands of Zhao died, but Handan was only spared by the city" is so tragic. Imagine that before the war, troops and grain from all over Zhao gathered in Handan, and the people of Zhao joined forces to build the city day and night and sharpen their knives. What a spectacular sight. This shows how important it is for a country, a nation and an army to have a generous and sad temperament, a martial tradition and an atmosphere of unity and forge ahead.