Li Mu

During the Warring States period, the stars shone brightly, and various divine operations earned the admiration of future military strategists. Among them, there was a big shot (Li Mu) whose achievements crushed many people. When the Xiongnu ravaged the border, Zhao was helpless, but he killed 100000 Xiongnu in one battle, and for more than ten years, the Xiongnu dared not invade the border. When the state of Qin suppressed the state of Zhao to fight, he 'even failed'. Other generals could not become famous generals of their time in their lifetime of warfare, but he ranked among the "Four Great Generals of the Warring States" in two battles. Why is Li Mu so powerful? We can see Li Mu's military ideology from the battles of Zhao defeating the Xiongnu and Fei.
Li Mu has long been responsible for the security of Yanmen County and is very familiar with the cultural customs and geographical terrain of this area. During the era of cold weapons, these two factors were very important and often determined the outcome of wars, which also influenced Li Mu's combat strategy. Others' combat strategies often involve head-on confrontation, but due to the lack of mobility, General Zhao suffered frequent defeats. However, Li Mu's combat strategy was different. When he encountered the Xiongnu, he ran away and strictly prohibited soldiers from counterattacking them. Those who violated the policy were executed immediately (those who dared to capture the enemy were executed). However, Li Mu still has a series of measures at the border, as follows:
1: Vigorously developing people's livelihoods: Li Mu urged the people to resume production, but as soon as they saw soldiers lighting beacon fires, they had to retreat to the fortress. The good thing about this is that the border people can find employment. The people have accumulated private capital through grazing, farming, and trading, and have provided a continuous source of tax revenue for the Li Mu shogunate. Money may not solve all problems, but it can solve most problems. At the very least, rewarding soldiers and purchasing weapons is not a problem. Li Mu's border troops are served with beef every day, and they have also started to dress up their troops. Excellent tanks and fierce horses continue to emerge, greatly enhancing the combat effectiveness of the army.
2: Provoking soldiers' bellicose emotions: At that time, there was a record of "hitting several cows per day to feast the soldiers", which means that soldiers have beef to eat every day. Why did Li Mu allow soldiers to eat beef every day when ancient cows were important survival materials? How did this cow come about? There are two sources, the first is to purchase from the people, and the second is to plunder the Xiongnu. If it is the former, it proves that the livestock industry of the people was very developed at that time, but there is no historical record that the livestock industry in Yanmen was developed; If it's the latter, then it's very interesting. Kill a few Xiongnu and you can grab some cattle and sheep to fill your stomach. How can soldiers not increase their fighting spirit? Based on the currently unearthed cultural relics, there is no evidence to prove that Yanmen had a developed livestock industry, so I am more inclined towards the latter. The latter has many impacts, such as soldiers accumulating rich practical experience, Li Mu gaining further understanding of the terrain, and soldiers' high combat morale.
But when Li Mu met the Xiongnu, he ran away, which was very unsatisfactory. The Xiongnu believed that Li Mu was timid, border soldiers believed that Li Mu was afraid of war, and the King of Zhao repeatedly reminded Li Mu to pay attention to public opinion. However, Li Mu remained unmoved, to the extent that the King of Zhao recalled him. Subsequently, the Xiongnu frequently went south to plunder, while the Zhao Kingdom suffered repeated defeats and heavy casualties. Under duress, King Zhao went to ask Li Mu to be reinstated. But Li Mu was not convinced, so he pretended to be sick. This is on par with Li Yunlong. You want me to defend my country, and you want me to raise money and soldiers on my own. The key is to be eager for victory, and let you, the King of Zhao, occupy everything. This is unreasonable.
The King of Zhao repeatedly ordered Li Mu to be reinstated, and at this point, Li Mu began to demand autonomy. He demanded that the King of Zhao allow Li Mu to use his own methods, otherwise he would not be appointed. Under duress, King Zhao agreed to Li Mu and gave him the autonomy he wanted. Afterwards, Li Muguan resumed his original position and restored a series of policies during his tenure. The Xiongnu encountered 'Li Paopao' again, border soldiers were rewarded again, and the people began to resume production. After a long period of pretending to be a grandson, Li Mu finally decided to turn over and become a father. He selected 1300 chariots, 13000 excellent warhorses, 50000 warriors, and 100000 archers, and began planning a major strategic action.
Li Mu first had the people take their cattle and sheep to graze, using a piece of fat meat to attract the attention of the Xiongnu. After the Xiongnu discovered it, they sent a small army to invade. Li Mu deliberately showed weakness and left thousands of people behind for the Xiongnu. As soon as the Xiongnu tasted the sweetness, they couldn't help but personally mount their horses and lead a large army to invade the state of Zhao. But Li Mu had already set up a encirclement, luring the enemy deep and flanking the Xiongnu on both sides, defeating them in one fell swoop and killing more than 100000 soldiers. Subsequently, they began to expand their military achievements, defeating the Eastern Hu and subduing the Lin Hu. They fled alone to the far north of the desert and dared not offend the border of Zhao for more than ten years. Li Mu became famous in the Battle of Qin and served as the Prime Minister, indicating the degree of recognition of Zhao towards this war.
In 233 BC, the state of Qin launched a massive invasion and marched forward with great fanfare, with its troops heading straight towards Handan. Zhao has already experienced the 'Battle of Changping', casting a shadow over the country. Le Cheng fled, Lian Po defected to Wei, Tian Dan, and Zhao She have all passed away. There are countless famous generals that Zhao can handle. In this situation, the situation in the state of Zhao was very pessimistic. The King of Zhao quickly recalled Li Mu from Yanmen and appointed him as the Grand General to be responsible for the Zhao army's counterattack.
Li Mu led the border troops to confront the central army of Zhao and engaged in a standoff with Qin in Yi'an. Li Mu analyzed the situation and believed that Qin had experienced consecutive victories and high morale, so it was not wise to compete with them at this time. Therefore, he chose to temporarily avoid the sharp edge, clear the field, and refuse to fight. The Battle of Changping is still vivid in my memory. Qin general Huan Ge wanted to replicate Bai Qi's victory, lure Zhao to assist Feixia, and then launch a surprise attack after Zhao's army left the fortress, annihilating Li Mu's army in one fell swoop. As a result, the state of Qin fell out of favor, and Li Mu did not go to assist Feixia. Instead, he launched a wave of encirclement against Wei to save Zhao, directly attacking the Qin headquarters and taking away Qin's supplies.
For the military, losing supplies is a dead end. Isn't that how Zhao Kuo died? Therefore, the Qin general decisively returned to rescue the Qin army's headquarters, but was ambushed by Li Mu on the way, resulting in a major defeat for the Qin state. There is not much description of the results of this battle, but after the war, Li Mu was awarded the title of "Wu'an Jun", which shows that his contributions are still significant. Both battles brought great glory to Li Mu, but later due to various reasons, he died in political struggles, and a generation of famous generals fell from grace. Although Li Mu died, his military ideology will never become outdated. Jiang Lang summarized Li Mu's military ideology from these two wars.
Li Mu's Military Thought
1: Waiting for fighter jets
Trading is a game of waiting, and patience is an important skill. Patience is essential in both military and economic fields, and Li Mu's greatest skill is waiting for fighter jets. He never takes the initiative to fight, he is always a snake in the dark, not moving, and if he moves, he will take your life. When the Xiongnu underestimated Li Mu, Li Mu killed more than 100000 Xiongnu people in one fell swoop; When Qin was eager to win, Li Mu dealt a great blow to Qin. Many famous generals from all over the world have lost to the pursuit of quick success and instant benefits, not to mention Zhao Kuo, who is a typical example. An excellent general must possess a mentality of enduring loneliness and confusion.
2: Create fighter jets
Waiting is not a problem, but the experts will create fighter jets while waiting. Li Mu constantly showed weakness, which was to eliminate the vigilance of the Xiongnu, and to seize the psychological loophole to break through the Xiongnu. During the battle against the Qin army, Li Mu was not led by the nose. Instead, he chose to "surround Wei to save Zhao" and ambushed the Qin army when they returned. This has a great impact on the victory of battles, and flexible creation of fighter jets and the use of strategic strategies are also essential elements.
3: Enhance one's own strength
There have been countless strategies in history, but 'building walls high, accumulating grain widely, and slowly proclaiming oneself king' are very useful. Breaking through ten thousand laws with one force, in the face of powerful strength, any conspiracies and tricks appear so pale and powerless. Li Mu placed great emphasis on improving his own strength. During his time at Yanmen, he vigorously increased the treatment of soldiers and introduced advanced equipment and warhorses. These series of measures were all aimed at enhancing his own strength. When there is a power gap between one's own strength and the enemy's strength, one can use strong force to crush the opponent. Car wheel battles and refueling tactics are strategies derived from one's own strength.