How did Qin general Bai Qi trick Zhao into surrendering 400,000 soldiers? (whole process)

The Battle of Changping was a large-scale field battle during the Warring States Period in China. The battle lasted for three years and ended with the victory of the Qin army and the defeat of the Zhao army. The Qin army killed 450,000 Zhao soldiers in this battle, which was considered by later generations to be a turning point in the Warring States period. After the war, other vassal states no longer had the strength to resist the Qin army. Qin's war to unify China was only a matter of time.

In 262 BC (the 45th year of King Qin Zhaoxiang), the State of Qin sent troops to attack the wild king of South Korea. The wild king surrendered to Qin. Sangdang County in South Korea was cut off from its home country. King Huanhui of Han was afraid of the Qin army's attack, so he decided to take the initiative to dedicate Shangdang County to Qin to stop the war. The governor of Shangdang County was unwilling to surrender to Qin. King Huanhui of Han then sent Feng Ting to replace Shangdang County Governor to carry out matters related to the surrender to Qin. After Feng Ting took office, he was unwilling to surrender to Qin. He led his troops to offer the county to the State of Zhao, intending to use the power of the State of Zhao to fight against the powerful Qin and preserve South Korea. King Zhao Xiaocheng was overjoyed and accepted it happily. He named Feng Ting Lord Huayang and still the governor of Shangdang County. He sent Pingyuan Lord Zhao Sheng to lead 50,000 Zhao troops to take over Shangdang.

In 261 BC, the Qin State sent troops to attack Goushi and Lun in South Korea to frighten King Huanhui of Han; it also sent Wang Lu, the chief of the Zuo Shu, to lead troops to attack Shangdang, intending to annex them in one fell swoop. Zhao Guo sent Lian Po to lead 200,000 troops to rescue the Shangdang. Lianpo garrisoned in Changping, using the Baili Stone Great Wall from Danzhu Ridge to Ma'an Valley as the main defensive position. He divided his troops and marched 32 kilometers forward to build a forward defense at the Kongcang Ridge line, and sent General Qie to continue to search and meet the enemy. . At that time, Fengshi, Lun, and Shangdang had been captured by the Qin army. Feng Ting led the remaining troops and returned to Lian Po's army. The first encounter between Wang Lu's army and Lian Po's army took place in the Yuxi Valley west of Kongcang Ridge. In the melee, the forward of the Qin army killed Zhao Pi's general Qie. After an unfavorable first battle, the Zhao army defended the Kongcang Ridge defense line. The Qin army attacked and advanced to break through the defense line and occupied the Zhao army's strong fortress. Zhao Jun was forced to retreat towards Changping and built a long defense along the Danhe River west of the Great Wall. The Qin army once again attacked the Zhao army's position. Zhao Jun was defeated and retreated eastward into his old pass, holding on to the Hundred-mile Stone Great Wall. The Great Wall was built on the watershed between Danzhu Mountain and Ma'an Valley. The southern slope facing the Qin army was steep. The base of the Great Wall is 4 meters wide, with fortresses built at intervals. It stretches for hundreds of miles along the mountains. There is only a natural pass in the middle called Guguan, which is the only way for north-south transportation. The city gates are integrated with the Great Wall. Zhao Jun deployed defenses along the entire Bailishi Great Wall, with Gu Pass as the key defense area. Resist the Qin army from a high position. The Qin army's attack was frustrated and Zhao Jun was invited to go out to the Great Wall for a decisive battle. Zhao Jun refused to fight. Under the command of Lian Po, the Zhao army successfully contained the Qin army's offensive with strong fighting. The Qin army made no progress in its offensive for more than a year. Due to the long logistics supply line, the Qin army was unable to sustain itself. King Zhaoxiang of Qin listened to the advice of his ministers and took advantage of the opportunity of the Zhao State to send envoys to Xianyang for peace talks to show his goodwill towards Zhao so that other vassal states did not dare to support Zhao State. At the same time, he used counterintuitive tactics to make King Zhao Xiaocheng change generals before the battle and revoked the incorruptible rule. With considerable command power, Zhao Kuo, who was good at talking on paper but had no actual combat experience, was appointed as the highest military commander on the Changping front line.

In the summer of 260 BC, Zhao Kuo took over more than 400,000 Zhao troops on the Changping front. At the same time, Qin also secretly sent Wu'an Jun Baiqi to the Changping front line to take over Wang Lu's command of the Qin army. After Zhao Kuo arrived at the front line, he immediately changed Lian Po's original military subordinates and defensive strategy. Zhao Kuo reduced his troops and prepared to attack the Qin army proactively, hoping to annihilate the Qin army in one battle and regain Shangdang. In response to Zhao Jun's movements, Bai Qi relied on Changping City on the east bank of the Dan River and built an 18-kilometer main position along the natural high hills on the east bank of the Dan River. The right wing extended to the north bank of the Xiaodongcang River to resist Zhao Jun. The main attack. Another 25,000 men were arranged to cut off the retreat of the Zhao army attacking from Shi Chang Wall after the decisive battle began; another 5,000 cavalry were deployed to block the connection between the Zhao army staying at Shi Chang Wall and the main force of the Zhao army attacking. Zhao Kuo, knowing little about the Qin army, commanded the main force to attack the Qin army stationed in front of the old pass. In accordance with Bai Qi's general order, the Qin army faked defeat shortly after the engagement and fled along the road leading directly to Changping City, luring the main force of the pursuing Zhao army to the preset battlefield. Zhao Kuo was completely unaware of the Qin army's plot and commanded the entire army to storm the Qin army's positions. The Qin army resisted tenaciously and the Zhao army was unable to break through. At this time, the main force of the Zhao army attacking the Qin army was already 12 kilometers away from the old pass. The 25,000 Qin troops who were waiting on the north bank of the Xiaodongcang River suddenly attacked and cut off Zhao Jun's retreat. 5,000 cavalry troops also arrived in front of the old pass, so that the Zhao army who stayed at the old pass did not dare to attack to support. In this way, Zhao Jun was completely divided into two sections. The main force of the Zhao army's attack lost its logistical support; the troops left behind were guarding the food and baggage but were unable to reinforce the decisive battle.

The Qin army seized the favorable situation and sent troops to attack the Zhao army from both wings. The Zhao army divided its forces and fought, unable to win, and was compressed into a narrow strip by the Qin army. Facing the dangerous battle situation, Zhao Kuo ordered his troops to build fortifications and wait for reinforcements. The Qin army took advantage of the situation and surrounded the Zhao army in front of the main position. The news that the Zhao army was surrounded by the Qin army in the wild was reported to Handan. King Zhao Xiaocheng wanted to join forces to resist Qin, so he sent envoys to seek help from the neighboring states of Chu, Wei and so on. However, because the envoys from the State of Zhao came to Xianyang for peace talks and were favored by King Qin Zhaoxiang, all the princes and states saw it, so they were unwilling to save Zhao. King Zhao Xiaocheng had no choice but to send his own troops to the Changping front line for rescue. On the Qin side, after receiving the news that the main force of the Zhao army was surrounded, King Qin Zhaoxiang rushed from Xianyang to Hanoi County near the front line. He gave all the county residents a first-level title and ordered all men in the county over the age of fifteen to go to the expedition. Support the Changping front line and block Zhao's reinforcements. As a result, the besieged Zhao army was unable to receive assistance and supplies. In September, after being trapped for 46 days, Zhao Kuo was shot dead by the Qin army when he broke out. The Zhao army was sick, hungry, and had no fighting strength, so they all surrendered to the Qin army. The Qin army counted the number of prisoners and found that there were nearly 400,000 prisoners. The Qin army also suffered more than half of its casualties in this battle, and was still frightened by the large number of prisoners. Bai Qi then falsely promised that he would take the strong and healthy among the surrendered troops back to Qin, while the old, weak, disabled and young would be released to Zhao. Zhao people have no doubts. As a result, nearly 400,000 weak Zhao prisoners were all killed by the Qin army without any precautions. Only 240 young Zhao people were released by the Qin army to the State of Zhao. The Battle of Changping ended with the disastrous defeat of the Zhao army and the overall victory of the Qin army.