The thousand-year-old family began with King Wu's conquest of King Zhou.

Chapter 40 The Death of Bai Qi

At this critical moment, Zhang Ruotuo and Bai Qi led a charge to attack Handan and destroy the Zhao state in one fell swoop. However, things went wrong at this crucial juncture.

Ying Ji actually ordered Zhang Ruotuo, who had already besieged Handan, to withdraw his troops, and also ordered Bai Qi to immediately lead his army back to Xianyang.

Zhang Ruotuo was unwilling, but he had no choice but to obey orders and withdraw his troops back to Qin. After returning to Xianyang and making some inquiries, he learned...

King Zhao originally wanted to cede territory to beg for mercy, but Ying Ji initially disagreed. Upon seeing this, King Zhao decided to resort to underhanded tactics and sent the envoy Su Dai to Qin to sow discord between Fan Ju and Bai Qi.

Su Dai said to Fan Ju, "If Bai Qi and his apprentice were to destroy the Zhao state, it would be a certainty that they would be appointed as one of the Three Dukes. At that time, your position as Prime Minister would probably be subordinate to those two."

Fan Sui suffered a lot in the state of Wei in his early years. He was almost beaten to death and even had urine sprayed on him. He endured humiliation for a long time before finally rising to become the prime minister of Qin. Therefore, what he feared most was losing power.

Su Dai's words struck a chord with Fan Ju, who then whispered in Ying Ji's ear, "Your Majesty, although the Battle of Changping was a great victory, the entire Qin army was mobilized, with all males over fifteen years old on the front lines. The fields are barren, the granaries are empty, and the people are utterly exhausted. If we were to launch another direct attack on Handan, while Zhao could be destroyed, our Qin army would suffer heavy casualties. Although Han, Wei, Chu, and Qi are weak, if they were to launch a coordinated attack while we are weakened, Qin would be in grave danger. It would be better to temporarily accept Zhao's offer of territory in exchange for peace, allow ourselves to recuperate for several years, and wait until our national strength is restored before launching an eastward campaign."

Upon hearing this, Ying Ji felt it was time to rest, so he agreed to a ceasefire and urgently ordered Bai Qi and Zhang Ruotuo to lead their troops back to the capital.

After learning the whole story, Zhang Ruotuo sat for a long time under the eaves of his own residence.

He wasn't angry, he didn't curse, he just sat there whittling a wooden hairpin.

The hairpin was made for my son, and he's been trying to make it for three years without success. It's not that he's bad at it; it's just that he always gets distracted while he's making it.

His father, Zhang Jujiu, also loved carving wooden hairpins, as did his grandfather, Zhang Liu. This craft has been passed down for three generations, with each generation carving slowly and meticulously, as if reminding themselves that some things cannot be rushed.

However, in the Zhao state, having just suffered the defeat at Changping, anti-Qin sentiment was particularly high.

The ministers all opposed ceding territory, but King Xiaocheng of Zhao finally stood firm. Not only did he refuse to cede territory, he also invited people from all over the country to prepare to fight Qin to the death.

Ying Ji felt he had been tricked and immediately flew into a rage, saying, "I gave him face, but he didn't want it."

Ying Ji's voice was deep, but all the civil and military officials in the hall could hear the fire burning within it. "Issue an order for Bai Qi and Zhang Ruotuo to set out immediately and attack Handan."

When the military order was delivered to Bai Qi's residence, Bai Qi was watering vegetables in the courtyard. He took the bamboo slip, read it from beginning to end, then put it on the stone table and continued watering the vegetables.

The messenger stood by, bewildered. Bai Qi finished watering the last plot of land, put down the water ladle, and said something that stunned the messenger: "Handan cannot be attacked again."

The officer opened his mouth, but Bai Qi didn't say another word. He turned around, went into the house, and closed the door.

Ying Ji was not giving up and sent people three more times. The first time, Bai Qi claimed to be ill. The second time, Bai Qi claimed to be ill. The third time, Bai Qi didn't even open the door. Ying Ji finally understood that Bai Qi would not fight this battle.

Zhang Ruotuo volunteered for the mission.

He knelt in the hall, still in his armor, his voice hoarse but steady without wavering: "Your subject is willing to go."

Ying Ji looked at the old general, his heart filled with mixed feelings. Bai Qi was a war god whom he had personally promoted, but when it came to the crucial moment, the war god simply stopped moving.

On the contrary, this son of a military family was willing to go. His father had fought for the Qin state his whole life, and now his son was coming to fight this battle that no one believed in.

"Granted," Ying Ji said. "With Lord Jingning as commander-in-chief and Wang Ling as deputy commander-in-chief, we will immediately dispatch troops to Zhao!"

When the army marched east out of Hangu Pass again, it was already late autumn.

Zhang Ruotuo, mounted on his horse, glanced back in the direction of Xianyang, but uttered no grand pronouncements.

From the withdrawal of troops to the King of Zhao's change of heart, less than half a year passed. Half a year was enough for Handan to repair its city walls, stockpile sufficient provisions, and negotiate with reinforcements.

Bai Qi is right, the opportunity has been lost.

But he still came. Because the king's command was paramount, because he was a Qin general, and even more so because his ancestor had said he had to fight this battle, otherwise the Zhang family would be finished!

……

Zhang Ruotuo's advance was unstoppable, and his troops reached the outskirts of Handan.

Beneath the walls of Handan, Zhang Ruotuo reined in his warhorse, gazing at the city he could have easily conquered half a year ago.

Handan City truly lived up to its reputation as a formidable city, with its high and formidable walls. Coupled with the united hatred of the people of Zhao at this time, it was clear that this battle would not be easy!

At this moment, Wang Ling rode closer and said, "General, the royal army has already besieged Handan, but the morale of the Zhao army is quite high, and our army's attempts to probe have failed several times."

"I know, let's surround it first."

"promise!"

The siege lasted for eight months, but not only did it make no progress, it also resulted in the loss of a large number of Qin soldiers.

The soldiers and civilians of Zhao in Handan were determined to fight the Qin army to the death. Lord Pingyuan, Zhao Sheng, brought out all his gold, silver and valuables to reward the soldiers. The nobles of Zhao also set aside their airs and ate with the common people and defended the city with them.

Although food supplies in Handan were becoming increasingly scarce, morale was rising. The blood debt from Changping was still hanging in the mourning halls of every household, and no one dared to mention the word "surrender" again.

Meanwhile, the envoy from Zhao arrived in Wei after traveling day and night.

Lord Pingyuan's wife was Lord Xinling's older sister, and this relationship played a crucial role at a critical moment.

Lord Xinling, Wei Wuji, overruled objections and persuaded the King of Wei to send 100,000 reinforcements. On the Chu side, Lord Chunshen, Huang Xie, also led his army north to join forces with the Wei army. The two reinforcements marched in a mighty torrent toward Handan.

When Zhang Ruotuo received the urgent report from the scout in his tent, he was writing a battle report for Xianyang.

He put down his pen, finished reading the military report, remained silent for a moment, and then continued to finish writing the unfinished bamboo slip.

Wang Ling paced anxiously beside him: "General, the Wei-Chu allied forces number no less than 200,000, and with the garrison in Handan, the enemy's strength is now greater than ours! If we continue the attack, our army may be attacked from both sides!"

"I know." Zhang Ruotuo finished writing the last word, handed the bamboo slip to the messenger, and said, "Send it back to Xianyang. Tell the king that Handan is difficult to capture urgently, and I request to withdraw temporarily and devise another plan."

The messenger received the order and left.

Zhang Ruotuo stood up, walked to the map, and slowly traced the Taihang Mountains from Handan: The Wei-Chu allied forces are moving north, our flanks are exposed, and if we do not retreat in time, it is only a matter of time before we are surrounded.

He wasn't Bai Qi; he didn't possess that unpredictable military talent. But he had a keen eye for situations. Retreating was the best option, and also the most difficult.

The Qin army began an orderly retreat.

Zhang Ruotuo personally led his troops to cover the rear, transferring the grain and supplies first, while the infantry retreated in three alternating waves.

When the Wei-Chu allied forces arrived, the main force of the Qin army had already withdrawn from the outskirts of Handan. Lord Xinling looked at the neat camp left behind by the Qin army's retreat; the stoves were extinguished, the tents were dismantled, and not even a single extra arrow was left.

He couldn't help but sigh, "Zhang Ruotuo's military tactics are measured and skillful, living up to the name of a descendant of Bu Yi Gong."

He did not order a pursuit because his goal was to relieve the siege of Handan, not to engage in a decisive battle with the main Qin army.

In Xianyang Palace, Ying Ji received Zhang Ruotuo's military report. He panicked and once again ordered Bai Qi to lead the army into battle. Bai Qi refused to go to war again. Ying Ji suppressed his anger and sent General Wang He to replace Zhang Ruotuo as commander-in-chief to continue the attack on Handan. However, they were soundly defeated by the Wei-Chu allied forces.

Upon hearing this, Bai Qi couldn't help but say, "The king didn't listen to me back then, and now the royal army has suffered a crushing defeat. What was the point?"

When these words reached Ying Ji's ears, his long-suppressed anger finally erupted.

Ying Ji served as the nominal King of Qin for forty-one years. He finally took power, but now a minister he personally promoted dares to disobey his orders time and time again and even makes sarcastic remarks. Isn't this a challenge to his authority as the King of Qin?

Therefore, Ying Ji ordered that Bai Qi be stripped of all his titles and rewards, demoted to an ordinary soldier, and exiled to Yinmi.

At this moment, Fan Ju stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, you have exiled Bai Qi to Yinmi and demoted him to a common soldier. I fear he harbors resentment, and if he were to defect to another country, the consequences would be dire!"

After hearing this, Ying Ji thought it over and over and finally decided to kill him. Just as Wang He and Zhang Ruotuo were leading their troops back to the capital, he sent an envoy to Bai Qi with a sword, ordering him to commit suicide.

This war god, who expanded the territory of Qin by thousands of miles and whose fearsome reputation was renowned, thus perished.

It was late autumn when the army retreated from Hangu Pass.

Zhang Ruotuo, mounted on his horse, glanced back in the direction of Handan. The city still stood there, and the Zhao-character banner atop the city walls still fluttered in the wind.

But he had no mind to think about those things now; his face was still filled with sorrow because Bai Qi was dead, and his master was dead.

The person who taught him military strategy, how to recognize people, and how to read situations is no longer here.

Whenever he thought of this, Zhang Ruotuo couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. "Your Majesty, does Lord Wu'an have any intention of rebelling?"