King Wuling of Zhao during the Warring States period was one of the monarchs of the Zhao Kingdom. He implemented Hufu cavalry and archery, reformed the military system, and made Zhao a military power at that time. However, fate made people, and King Wuling of Zhao deposed the crown prince because of his love for beauties, which eventually led to civil strife, and he was trapped and starved to death. So, assuming that King Wuling of Zhao lived another ten years, would Zhao State have the strength to annex Qin? To answer this question, we need to analyze the contrast of strength between Zhao and Qin at that time from multiple perspectives.
From an economic point of view, the Qin State has been very strong in economic strength after the Shang Dynasty reform. The policy of rewarding farming and warfare stimulated the peasants' enthusiasm for production, which led to the great development of agricultural production in the Qin State. In contrast, Zhao's economic strength, although also improved, was still inferior to Qin's overall strength.
Looking at the military aspect, King Wuling of Zhao implemented Hufu cavalry shooting, which greatly improved the cavalry combat effectiveness of Zhao. However, the army of the Qin State was also very strong in combat after the reform of the Shang Dynasty. Moreover, the Qin State was strategically located and had natural barriers such as Hangu Pass, which gave the Qin army a certain advantage in the war.
As for the political aspect of Zhao, due to the turmoil caused by the abolition of the crown prince, although King Wuling of Zhao finally stabilized the situation, this undoubtedly weakened the political stability of Zhao. After the Qin State changed the law in the Shang Dynasty, the political system tended to be stable, and the centralization of power was strengthened.
Through the analysis of several aspects, I concluded that even if King Wuling of Zhao lived for another ten years, it would be difficult for Zhao to have the strength to annex Qin. Of course, this does not mean that Zhao does not have the potential to become a great power. If King Wuling of Zhao can continue to implement reforms and stabilize the domestic political situation, then step by step, start with the annexation of weak countries, establish a good cooperative relationship with Qin Xian, and not face hostility with them. Then plan a surprise attack, launch a surprise attack from the weakest point of the Qin state, that is, unite with the Yiqu people at that time, and launch a surprise attack on the two routes of Xiaoguan or Wushui (now Qingshui River), and maybe have a chance to defeat the Qin state once.
In short, history is history after all, and King Zhao Wuling did not cut into the bottom in terms of reform after all, which caused him to be strong, but only temporary, and could not last long. Compared with the Qin State, the reform is very comprehensive, and several generations of Qin kings have not given up the reform, the contrast between the strength of the Zhao State and the Qin State is naturally obvious, and the only one who can achieve unification is the Qin State, which can be regarded as the Qin State advancing with the times. What do you think, guest officer? If you have any ideas, you can share them in the comment area.
List of high-quality authors