The Biographies of Bai Qi and Wang Jian, Thirteenth

Bai Qi was a native of Mei County. He was skilled in military affairs and served King Zhao of Qin. In the thirteenth year of King Zhao’s reign, Bai Qi served as the Left Chief of the Common People, leading troops to attack the Han city of Xincheng. That same year, the Marquis of Rang, Wei Ran, served as Chancellor of Qin and recommended Ren Bi to be the commandery governor of Hanzhong. The following year, Bai Qi served as the Left Geng, attacking Han and Wei at Yique, beheading 240,000 men, capturing their general Gongsun Xi, and taking five cities. Bai Qi was promoted to State Marshal. He crossed the Yellow River and seized the region east of Anyi in Han, advancing as far as the Gan River. The next year, Bai Qi became the Grand Chief of Works. He attacked Wei, conquered it, and captured sixty-one cities, large and small. Another year later, Bai Qi, along with the Visiting Minister Sima Cuo, attacked the city of Yuan and captured it. Five years after that, Bai Qi attacked Zhao and captured the city of Guanglang. Seven years later, Bai Qi attacked Chu, capturing the cities of Yan and Deng, among five cities. The following year, he attacked Chu, seized the capital Ying, burned the tombs at Yiling, and then advanced eastward as far as Jingling. The King of Chu fled Ying, escaping eastward to relocate his capital to Chen. Qin established the territory of Ying as the commandery of Nan. Bai Qi was promoted to Lord Wu’an. Lord Wu’an then conquered Chu, pacifying the commanderies of Wu and Qianzhong. In the thirty-fourth year of King Zhao, Bai Qi attacked Wei, captured Huayang, drove off Mang Mao, captured the generals of the Three Jin, and beheaded 130,000 men. He engaged with the Zhao general Jia Yan and sank 20,000 Zhao soldiers into the Yellow River. In the forty-third year of King Zhao, Bai Qi attacked the Han city of Xingcheng, captured five cities, and beheaded 50,000 men. In the forty-fourth year, he attacked the Nanyang Taihang road in Han and severed it.

In the forty-fifth year, Bai Qi attacked the Han city of Yewang. Yewang surrendered to Qin, and the road from Shangdang to the Han capital was cut off. The commandery governor of Shangdang, Feng Ting, deliberated with the people, saying: “The road to Zheng (the Han capital) is already severed; Han surely cannot treat us as its people anymore. The Qin army draws near day by day, and Han cannot respond to us. It would be better to submit Shangdang to Zhao. If Zhao accepts us, Qin will be enraged and will surely attack Zhao. When Zhao suffers the calamity of war, it will surely become close to Han. If Han and Zhao unite as one, they can resist Qin.” Then he sent a messenger to inform Zhao. King Xiaocheng of Zhao discussed this with the Lord of Pingyang, Zhao Bao, and the Lord of Pingyuan, Zhao Sheng. The Lord of Pingyang said: “It is better not to accept it. If we accept it, the calamity will be greater than the gain.” The Lord of Pingyuan said: “To gain a commandery for nothing is advantageous to accept.” Zhao accepted Shangdang, and thereupon enfeoffed Feng Ting as the Lord of Huayang.

In the forty-sixth year, Qin attacked the Han cities of Goushi and Lin, and captured them.

In the forty-seventh year, Qin sent the Left Chief of the Common People, Wang He, to attack Han and seize Shangdang. The people of Shangdang fled to Zhao. Zhao’s army encamped at Changping to pacify and hold the people of Shangdang. In the fourth month, Wang He then attacked Zhao. Zhao sent Lian Po to command the army. Zhao soldiers encroached on Qin scouts, and the Qin scouts killed the Zhao deputy general Jia. In the sixth month, Qin forces breached the Zhao positions, captured two fortresses, and took four commandants prisoner. In the seventh month, Zhao troops built fortifications to hold their ground. Qin again attacked their fortifications, captured two commandants, broke their formation, and seized the western fortifications. Lian Po held his fortifications and waited for the Qin army. The Qin army repeatedly challenged them, but the Zhao troops did not come out to fight. The King of Zhao repeatedly rebuked Lian Po for this. Meanwhile, the Qin Chancellor, the Marquis of Ying, Fan Ju, sent someone with a thousand catties of gold to Zhao to carry out a counter-espionage scheme, saying: “What Qin detests, and fears alone, is that Ma Fu’s son, Zhao She’s son Zhao Kuo, would be made general. Lian Po is easy to deal with, and he is about to surrender.” The King of Zhao, already angry that Lian Po’s army had suffered many casualties and repeated defeats, and moreover was holding his fortifications and daring not to fight, and hearing the words of the Qin counter-espionage, then sent Zhao Kuo to replace Lian Po in commanding the army to attack the Qin forces. When Qin heard that Ma Fu’s son had become general, it secretly sent Lord Wu’an, Bai Qi, to be the Supreme General, while making Wang He the deputy general as a commandant, and ordered that anyone in the army who dared to leak that Lord Wu’an was the commander-in-chief would be executed. When Zhao Kuo reached the army, he immediately dispatched troops to attack the Qin army. The Qin army pretended to be defeated and fled, deploying two ambush forces to cut off the Zhao army. The Zhao army pursued the victory, chasing straight to the Qin fortifications. The Qin fortifications were strong, and the Zhao army could not breach them, while the Qin ambush force of 25,000 men cut off the Zhao army’s rear, and another 5,000 cavalry cut off the passage between the Zhao fortifications. The Zhao army was split into two parts, and the grain supply route was severed. Then the Qin army sent out light troops to attack the Zhao army. The Zhao army fought unfavorably, so they built fortifications and held their ground, awaiting reinforcements. The King of Qin, hearing that the Zhao army’s grain supply route had been severed, personally went to Henei, granted the people a rank of nobility each, conscripted all males aged fifteen and above to go to Changping, and intercepted Zhao’s reinforcements and grain transport.

By the ninth month, the Zhao army’s soldiers had been without food for forty-six days, and they were secretly killing and eating each other’s flesh within the camp. They came to attack the Qin fortifications, intending to break out. They divided into four groups, charging back and forth four or five times, but could not get out. Their commander, Zhao Kuo, sent out elite soldiers and personally fought in close combat. The Qin army shot Zhao Kuo dead with arrows. Zhao Kuo’s army was defeated, and 400,000 soldiers surrendered to Lord Wu’an. Lord Wu’an calculated: “Previously, Qin had already captured Shangdang, but the people of Shangdang were unwilling to submit to Qin and instead turned to Zhao. The Zhao soldiers are fickle. If I do not kill them all, I fear they will cause trouble.” Then he used deceit to bury them all alive, leaving only 240 young ones to be sent back to Zhao. In total, 450,000 men were beheaded or captured. The people of Zhao were greatly shaken.

In the tenth month of the forty-eighth year, Qin again pacified the commandery of Shangdang. The Qin army divided into two routes: Wang He attacked Pidao and captured it; Sima Geng pacified Taiyuan. Han and Zhao were terrified, and sent Su Dai with lavish gifts to persuade the Qin Chancellor, the Marquis of Ying, saying: “Has Lord Wu’an captured Ma Fu’s son?” The Marquis of Ying said: “Yes.” Su Dai then said: “Is he about to besiege Handan?” The Marquis of Ying said: “Yes.” Su Dai said: “If Zhao is destroyed, then the King of Qin will become king under Heaven, and Lord Wu’an will be ranked among the Three Dukes. Lord Wu’an has conquered and captured over seventy cities for Qin, pacified Yan, Ying, and Hanzhong in the south, and captured Zhao Kuo’s army in the north. Even the merits of the Duke of Zhou, the Duke of Shao, and Grand Duke Jiang would not surpass these. Now if Zhao is destroyed and the King of Qin becomes king, then Lord Wu’an will surely become one of the Three Dukes. Can you be content to be his subordinate? Even if you do not wish to be his subordinate, originally it would be unavoidable. Qin once attacked Han, besieging Xingqiu and trapping Shangdang, but the people of Shangdang all turned back and submitted to Zhao. It has been a long time that the people of the world are unwilling to be subjects of Qin. Now if Zhao is destroyed, the northern lands would go to Yan, the eastern lands to Qi, and the southern lands to Han and Wei. Then the people you would gain would not be many. Therefore, it would be better to take advantage of this opportunity to demand territory and not let this merit be attributed to Lord Wu’an.” Thereupon, the Marquis of Ying spoke to the King of Qin, saying: “The Qin army is weary. Please allow me to agree to Han and Zhao ceding territory and suing for peace, and temporarily rest the soldiers.” The King of Qin followed his advice, took the Han city of Yuanyong and six cities of Zhao, and made peace. In the first month, all military operations ceased. When Lord Wu’an heard of this, from then on he had a rift with the Marquis of Ying.

In the ninth month of the same year, Qin again dispatched troops, sending the Fifth Grandee, Wang Ling, to attack Handan of Zhao. At that time, Lord Wu’an was ill and could not go on campaign. In the first month of the forty-ninth year, Wang Ling attacked Handan with little success, and Qin sent additional troops to aid Wang Ling. Wang Ling’s army lost five commandants. Lord Wu’an recovered from his illness, and the King of Qin wanted to send Lord Wu’an to replace Wang Ling in commanding the army. Lord Wu’an remonstrated, saying: “Handan is truly not easy to attack. Moreover, the allied relief forces from the various lords are arriving daily, and those lords have resented Qin for a long time. Now although Qin defeated the Zhao army at Changping, the Qin dead also exceed half, and the state’s interior is empty. To cross mountains and rivers to contend for another state’s capital, if Zhao responds from within and the lords attack from without, Qin’s army will surely be defeated. This cannot be done.” The King of Qin personally ordered him, but he refused to go; then he sent the Marquis of Ying to invite him. Lord Wu’an ultimately refused to go, and thereupon claimed illness.

The King of Qin sent Wang He to replace Wang Ling in commanding the army, besieging Handan for eight or nine months without being able to capture it. The state of Chu sent Lord Chunshen, Huang Xie, and the Lord of Wei, Prince Xinling, Wuji, leading armies of several hundred thousand to attack the Qin forces, and the Qin army suffered heavy losses. Lord Wu'an said, "The King of Qin did not listen to my plan—now what of it?" When the King of Qin heard this, he became enraged and forcibly tried to employ Lord Wu'an, but Lord Wu'an then claimed to be seriously ill. The Marquis of Ying went to invite him, but he would not rise. Thereupon, the King demoted Lord Wu'an to a common soldier and exiled him to Yinmi. Lord Wu'an fell ill and could not set out. After three months, the feudal lords attacked the Qin army, and the situation grew urgent; the Qin forces repeatedly retreated, and messengers arrived daily. The King of Qin then sent men to escort Bai Qi away, not allowing him to remain in the city of Xianyang. After Lord Wu'an set out, he went ten li west of Xianyang's western gate, reaching Duyou. King Zhao of Qin, together with the Marquis of Ying and the assembled officials, discussed the matter, saying, "Bai Qi, in his exile, is still sullen and dissatisfied, harboring resentment." The King of Qin then sent an envoy to present him with a sword, ordering him to commit suicide. Lord Wu'an, holding the sword and about to cut his own throat, said, "What crime have I committed against Heaven to come to this?" After a long pause, he said, "I was destined to die. At the Battle of Changping, the soldiers of Zhao who surrendered numbered several hundred thousand; I deceived them and buried them all alive—this alone is a capital offense." Then he killed himself. When Lord Wu'an died, it was in the eleventh month of the fiftieth year of King Zhao of Qin. He died not because of any crime of his own; the people of Qin pitied him, and in every village and town they made offerings to him.

Wang Jian was a man from the eastern village of Pinyang. In his youth, he was fond of the art of war and served the First Emperor of Qin. In the eleventh year of the First Emperor, Wang Jian led troops to attack Yanyu of Zhao, breached it, and captured nine cities. In the eighteenth year of the First Emperor, Wang Jian led troops to attack Zhao. After a little more than a year, he subdued Zhao; the King of Zhao surrendered, and all the territory of Zhao was pacified and established as commanderies. The following year, Yan sent Jing Ke to assassinate the King of Qin, who then sent Wang Jian to attack Yan. King Xi of Yan fled to Liaodong, and Wang Jian then pacified the capital of Yan, Ji, and returned. The state of Qin sent Wang Jian's son, Wang Ben, to attack Chu, and the Chu army was defeated. On the return, they attacked Wei; the King of Wei surrendered, and thus the territory of Wei was pacified.

After the First Emperor of Qin had destroyed the three Jin states, driven out the King of Yan, and repeatedly defeated the Chu army, the Qin general Li Xin, young and brave, strong and vigorous, had once pursued the Crown Prince Dan of Yan all the way to the Yan River with only a few thousand troops, ultimately defeating and capturing him. The First Emperor considered him worthy and brave. So the First Emperor asked Li Xin, "I wish to take the state of Chu. By your estimate, how many men are enough?" Li Xin said, "No more than two hundred thousand." The First Emperor asked Wang Jian, and Wang Jian said, "Not even six hundred thousand will do." The First Emperor said, "General Wang is old—how timid! General Li is resolute and bold; his words are correct." Thereupon, he sent Li Xin and Meng Tian with two hundred thousand men to attack Chu to the south. Wang Jian's advice was not adopted, so he claimed illness and resigned, returning to Pinyang to retire. Li Xin attacked Pingyu, and Meng Tian attacked Qinqiu, heavily defeating the Chu army. Li Xin then attacked Yanying and captured it, after which he led his troops westward to join Meng Tian at Chengfu. The Chu army took advantage of the situation to pursue them, for three days and three nights without stopping, heavily defeating Li Xin's army, breaching two fortified camps, killing seven commandants, and the Qin forces fled.

When the First Emperor of Qin heard this, he flew into a rage and personally drove in his carriage to Pinyang. Upon seeing Wang Jian, he apologized, saying, "Because I did not adopt your plan, Li Xin has indeed brought disgrace upon the Qin army. Now I hear that the Chu army is advancing westward day by day. Although you are ill, could you bear to abandon me?" Wang Jian declined, saying, "Your old servant is weak and confused; I hope Your Majesty will choose another capable general." The First Emperor again apologized, saying, "Enough, General, do not decline further!" Wang Jian said, "If Your Majesty is compelled to use me, nothing less than six hundred thousand men will suffice." The First Emperor said, "Let it be as you propose." Thereupon, Wang Jian led an army of six hundred thousand, and the First Emperor personally saw him off at Bashang. Before setting out, Wang Jian requested a large grant of fine fields, beautiful houses, gardens, and ponds. The First Emperor said, "General, just go—why worry about poverty?" Wang Jian said, "As a general for Your Majesty, even with achievements, I will ultimately not be enfeoffed as a marquis. So while Your Majesty still regards me, I also take this opportunity to request gardens and ponds as an estate for my descendants." The First Emperor laughed heartily. After Wang Jian reached Hangu Pass, he sent back five successive messengers to request further grants of fine fields. Someone said to him, "General, such requests are excessive." Wang Jian said, "Not so. The King of Qin is harsh and suspicious, trusting no one. Now he has entrusted the entire army of Qin to my command. If I do not repeatedly request fields and houses to secure my position as a foundation for my descendants, would I not give the King of Qin reason to sit and suspect me?"

Wang Jian indeed replaced Li Xin in attacking Chu. When the King of Chu heard that Wang Jian had come with additional troops, he mobilized the entire army of Chu to resist the Qin forces. After Wang Jian arrived, he fortified his camp and did not engage. The Chu army repeatedly challenged him, but the Qin forces never came out. Wang Jian had his soldiers rest and bathe daily, improved their food to comfort them, and personally ate with the soldiers. After a long time, Wang Jian sent someone to ask what games the troops were playing. The reply was, "They are competing in throwing stones and long jumping." Then Wang Jian said, "The soldiers can be used." The Chu army, having challenged repeatedly without response from the Qin forces, withdrew eastward. Wang Jian took advantage of this to lead his troops in pursuit, ordered his elite soldiers to attack, and heavily defeated the Chu army. They pursued as far as south of Qi County, where they killed the Chu general Xiang Yan, and the Chu army then fled in defeat. The Qin forces, following up their victory, pacified the various cities of Chu. After a little more than a year, they captured King Fuchu of Chu, finally pacifying the entire territory of Chu and establishing commanderies. Then they marched south to subdue the chieftains of the Hundred Yue. And Wang Jian's son, Wang Ben, together with Li Xin, broke through and pacified the territories of Yan and Qi.

In the twenty-sixth year of the First Emperor of Qin, when he fully unified the world, the Wang and Meng families had the greatest achievements, and their fame was handed down to later generations.

By the time of the Second Emperor of Qin, Wang Jian and his son Wang Ben were already dead, and the Meng clan had also been exterminated. When Chen Sheng rebelled against Qin, the Second Emperor sent Wang Jian's grandson, Wang Li, to attack Zhao, besieging the King of Zhao and Zhang Er in the city of Julu. Someone said, "Wang Li is a famous general of Qin. Now, leading the powerful Qin army to attack the newly established state of Zhao, he will surely take it." A retainer said, "Not so. Generals who serve for three generations are sure to fail. Why is that? It is because they have killed too many, and their descendants will suffer misfortune. Now Wang Li is already the third generation of generals." Not long after, Xiang Yu came to the aid of Zhao, attacked the Qin army, and indeed captured Wang Li, whose army then surrendered to the feudal lords.

The Grand Historian says: As the saying goes, "A foot may be too short; an inch may be too long." Bai Qi could foresee the enemy as if by divine insight, adapt to circumstances, and devise endless stratagems; his might shook the world, yet he could not cope with the disaster brought by the Marquis of Ying. Wang Jian, as a general of Qin, pacified the six states; in his time, Wang Jian was a senior veteran general, and the First Emperor treated him as his teacher, yet he could not assist Qin in establishing virtuous governance or consolidating the foundation of the state; he merely went along with the times to seek acceptance until his death. When his grandson Wang Li was captured by Xiang Yu, was this not only fitting? Each had his own shortcomings.

Bai Qi and Wang Jian were both skilled in the use of arms. Succeeding each other as generals of Qin, they broke through Qi and pacified Chu. Zhao employed the son of the Lord of Mafu, Zhao She, namely Zhao Kuo, and thus the Zhao army was buried alive at Changping. Chu put Li Xin in difficulty, and Wang Jian finally set out from Bashang. Wang Ben and Wang Li appeared in succession, but after three generations, there was no good name.