The Battle of Changping during the Warring States period is known as the watershed of the Seven Heroes of the Warring States Period and is an important battle in Chinese history. This battle was a heavy blow to Zhao Guo, but is it fair and reasonable to blame Zhao Kuo for the defeat? If Li Mu was sent at that time, would he be able to change the tide of the war?
First of all, from a tactical point of view, Bai Qi and Li Mu were both famous generals at that time, each with their own strengths. Bai Qi is good at encirclement and annihilation, while Li Mu is good at using surprise soldiers, but in a terrain like Changping, encirclement and annihilation is obviously more advantageous. However, victory was not inevitable, as Li Mu was also likely to adopt surprise tactics, such as a sneak attack on the rear of the Qin army, to achieve strategic objectives.
Secondly, in terms of national strength, both Zhao and Qin have been overdepleted, but withdrawing troops is not an option for both sides. If Li Mu can't win quickly, Zhao Guo may change generals again. Therefore, even if Li Mu went to war, he needed to take into account the protracted nature of the war and the decline of Zhao's national strength.
In addition, the temple factor cannot be ignored. The disparity in determination and strategy between the Zhao and Qin monarchs made it difficult for Zhao to gain the upper hand diplomatically and militarily. Li Mu's defeat was also closely related to political factors within the Zhao state, and the monarch's ability and decision-making had a crucial impact on the outcome of the war.
In addition, diplomatic factors also influence the direction of the war to a certain extent. Qin's diplomatic tactics made it difficult for Han Wei Chu to fully support Zhao, further weakening Zhao's combat power.
To sum up, although Li Mu was an outstanding general, it was not easy to defeat the Qin army led by Bai Qi. The outcome of the war was affected by many factors, and Li Mu's ability alone may not be able to turn the tide of the war. Wars are complex and changeable, and the outcome of wars depends on a combination of factors.
In the long course of history, every war has its own unique background and internal logic, and in order to fully understand the outcome of a war, many factors need to be taken into account. Therefore, whether or not the Qin army led by Bai Qi can not be judged simply by Li Mu's personal ability, but should be comprehensively considered in the political, military, diplomatic and other factors at that time.