There are many battles in history that ended in failure, but a few generals were able to lead an army of 200,000 to attack the enemy, and only 7,000 survived. Despite the heavy losses, they survived the mecca and were eventually reused, which is rare.
Li, a young general at the end of the Warring States Period, obeyed the orders of King Yingzheng of Qin, and resolutely went out to conquer the Chu State.
In the confrontation with Xiang Yan, a famous general of the Chu State, General Li suffered a crushing defeat, and the original 200,000 Qin soldiers returned with very few. This period of history is interpreted by most people as a young and frivolous and incomprehensible person, but the courage and determination he showed are equally worthy of our respect and memory.
It turned out that the crux of the problem did not lie with Li Xin, but with his direct leadership, King Yingzheng of Qin. When Li Xin was young, he had already become a high-profile young general in the Qin State.
King Yingzheng of Qin had a clear wish, and he was determined to eradicate the Six Kingdoms and dominate the world. It was at this time that Li Xin was promoted by the King of Qin and gained deep trust. After Qin captured Han Wang'an, made him a prisoner, and successfully eliminated Korea, Qin sent Li Xin to attack Zhao's Taiyuan and Yunzhong regions.
At the same time, the veteran general Wang Jian led 100,000 soldiers to Zhangshui and Yecheng. The two armies, one old and one young, fought together and finally succeeded in destroying the Zhao State. In this battle, Li Xin performed well, so he came to prominence.
After Korea and Zhao were annexed one after another, Dan, the crown prince of Yan, realized that he could not resist the power and momentum of Qin on his own. Although attempts were made to deal with the crisis by forging alliances with the states of Qi and Chu, this did not solve the current problem.
After careful consideration, Prince Dan decided to adopt the strategy of "fighting against the water" and sent Jing Ke to assassinate the King of Qin under the pretext of offering pictures and Fan Yuzhi's head. However, both Prince Dan and Jing Ke underestimated King Qin's caution and ability.
Jing Ke's assassination attempt was unsuccessful, and he ended up in a different place. As a result, the Yan State endured all the wrath of King Yingzheng of Qin and suffered an unprecedented attack.
Wang Jian fought the first battle against Jicheng, forcing King Yan and Prince Dan to flee to Liaodong. Although the capital of the country fell, King Yan and Prince Dan were still alive, and King Qin naturally would not stop there, because this was the perfect time to eliminate the Yan Kingdom.
And Li Xin only led thousands of Chu troops to force Yan Taizi Dan to Yanshui, which is now the Taizi River. Yan Wangxi was helpless, so he could only listen to the advice of his ministers and ** his own prince Dan.
After this campaign, Li Xin's prestige gradually spread, and Qin Shi Huang praised him for his bravery and courage, and he was deeply trusted by the Qin king. It may be because the Qin State has won several battles with the Chu State, giving the Qin King the wrong signal that the Chu State is weak and is just a plaything in his hands.
When King Yingzheng of Qin was considering attacking the state of Chu, he was very appreciative of the reputation of the young general, believing that it made the state of Qin full of talents. However, he realized that the veteran Wang Jian was old and no longer as brave as the younger general.
Therefore, he asked Li Xin about the number of troops needed to attack the state of Chu, and Li Xin replied that it did not exceed 200,000. King Qin again asked Wang Jian the same question.
The two wise and brave generals had a huge disagreement on the calculation of the number of troops needed to attack the Chu State. The king of Qin believed that he could defeat the state of Chu with the smallest number of troops, so he ridiculed the older Wang Jian for his timidity, but approved of the judgment of the young general Li Xin.
In the end, the King of Qin sent Li Xin and Meng Tian on the expedition, and the wordless sarcasm of Wang Jian made Wang Jian feel helpless. He understands that he is despised because of his advanced age.
Wang Jian resigned and returned to his hometown due to ill health, but he foresaw the strength of the Chu State and the large number of troops. It turned out that the 200,000 troops led by Li Xin and Meng Tian could not compete with Xiang Yan of the Chu State.
Li Xin's defeat made the Qin king deeply realize that Wang Qian's battlefield experience and accurate assessment of the country's forces were unmatched.
Li Xin had to apologize to Wang Jian and ask him to go out of the mountain again. Under the personal leadership of Wang Qian, 600,000 soldiers successfully captured the state of Chu. Li Xin was able to become a prestigious general, and his strength was not groundless.
According to historical records, his march route was accurate.
The sudden rebellion of Changping Jun of Chu became an important reason for the defeat of Li Xin's 200,000-strong army. Changping Jun was the son of King Kaoli of Chu, but his mother was the daughter of King Zhaoxiang of Qin, making Qin and Chu originally a country of in-laws.
Changpingjun was praised for pacifying Jianghan, but in this campaign, his betrayal caused Li Xin's army to lose momentum and eventually led to the rout of the 200,000-strong army.
Li Xin led his army to attack the state of Chu, launching an offensive from south to north and from southeast to west, and successively occupied Yan, Ying, and Chengfu of the state of Chu. This series of victories boosted the morale of the Qin army, and they planned to capture Shouchun, the capital of Chu, in one fell swoop.
At this time, Changping Jun, who was sent to Yingchen, suddenly launched an uprising and captured Yingchen as the prince of Chu. However, Yingchen was originally the place where Li Xin hoarded grain and grass, and it was also his way out.
Changping Jun's betrayal cut off Li Xin's retreat, lacking supplies, and there were fierce battles with Yan generals ahead. Li Xin fell into the dilemma of attacking back and forth.
Xiang Yan pursued closely and stared closely at Li Xin's army, so that he went through a lot of hardships before desperately returning to Qin. Changping Jun was a relative and the authentic son of the Chu state, but the Qin king Yingzheng placed him in an important position to assist Li Xin and Meng Tian.
Ying Zheng's decision-making mistake made the original son of Chu lead the army to the homeland, and Li Xin's 200,000 army went out, but he was defeated and returned.
He misjudged the strength of the Chu State, did not listen to the advice of the old ministers, and insisted on making the young Li Xin a general. He also saw the wrong person, and Changpingjun rebelled in the rear, putting Li Xin in a dilemma, which eventually led to the annihilation of 200,000 troops.
As the king of the country, he is a symbol of the faith of the people, and he carries the burden of the entire Qin state on his shoulders, and he must be foolproof and flawless in order to win the trust of the people.
200,000 lives represent the grief of 200,000 families and 200,000 mothers who lost their sons, and King Qin could not afford and could not bear such a responsibility.
Li Xin, a young courtier, was able to persevere despite his defeat, thanks to his young age and outstanding exploits. This is also the reason why he was able to be reused after almost losing 200,000 troops.