Warring States - Biography of Li Mu

Li Mu (? -288 BC) was a general of the State of Zhao in the late Warring States period, stationed in Yanmen Commandery in the north of Zhao for a long time, mainly defending against the entry of the Xiongnu. Yanmen Pass was the gateway from Yanmen Commandery to the hinterland of Zhao through the Yue Gou Zhu Mountain.
The strategy adopted by Li Muzhen in guarding Yanmen County is to boost morale and make the enemy soldiers proud. He set up officials to collect taxes and use them for military expenses. Soldiers have superior living conditions and are rewarded with slaughtering cows every day. He taught his soldiers to practice their combat skills, including horseback riding, shooting, formation, offensive and defensive tactics, warning with beacon fires, and collecting enemy information, all of which he was proficient in. But he also ordered that it was strictly forbidden for soldiers to engage in combat with the Xiongnu. If any enemy invaded, immediately pack up military horses and supplies and retreat into the camp. If anyone dares to capture the enemy, they shall be executed immediately. After several years, there was no damage to the military and civilians at the border. The Xiongnu thought that Li Mu was cowardly and afraid to fight; Li Mu's soldiers also believed that taking the defensive position was due to fear of the enemy. After learning about it, King Zhao blamed Li Mu. But Li Mu, as always, did not confront the Xiongnu. In a fit of anger, King Zhao recalled Li Mu and asked someone else to take over.
The new leader abandoned Li Mu's strategy and sent troops to confront every invasion by the Xiongnu. Not only is it difficult to defeat the enemy, but also many materials have been lost and many soldiers have been injured or killed. The Xiongnu became increasingly rampant, causing the border people to be unable to cultivate livestock. King Zhao had to send Li Mu to garrison at Yanmen again. Li Mu refused to go due to illness, and the King of Zhao repeatedly urged him. Li Mu said, "If I am used, I will still follow the previous method." The King of Zhao nodded in agreement.
After Li Mu returned to office, he still couldn't hold out and rewarded his soldiers. The soldiers expressed their determination to fight to the death against the Xiongnu. Li Mu felt that the conditions were ripe, so he selected 1300 chariots, 13000 warhorses, 50000 brave soldiers to charge forward, 100000 skilled archers, and trained the people to drive out livestock for grazing. The Xiongnu were overjoyed to see the abundance of cattle, sheep, and horses everywhere. We dispatched a small force to invade and plunder. Li Mu immediately sent troops to confront. He pretended to retreat and deliberately abandoned many military funds and soldiers. The Xiongnu led a large army to invade the state of Zhao on a large scale. Li Mu lured the enemy deep and divided the army into two branches, flanking and attacking from both sides with lightning speed and fierce force. The soldiers unleashed their pent up fighting spirit after years of fighting, causing the enemy to collapse and the Xiongnu Chanyu to flee in panic. Li Mu pursued the victory and defeated over 100000 Xiongnu cavalry. He took advantage of the situation and eliminated the barbarians (a country established by ancient northern tribes), defeated the Donghu (an ancient northern tribe located east of the Xiongnu, hence the name), and subdued the Linhu (also a northern tribe located north of present-day Zhangjiakou). The Xiongnu suffered a great defeat and dared not invade the borders of Zhao for more than ten years.