Huo Qubing is really good at fighting. However, Huo Qubing's tactics can only lead an army alone to defeat the three armies bravely. He can be a general, but not a commander-in-chief. The commander-in-chief must not only make strategic considerations for the entire war situation, but also political considerations. As long as the general achieves absolute victory in one city or one place, it has nothing to do with the tactics used, let alone the crisis of the battlefield situation. As long as everything is within your expectations. And being able to win and the benefits of winning are enough to make up for your losses. Then for the general, the battle can be fought.

From Huo Qubing’s limited military career, we can see that all of Huo Qubing’s tactics were very risky. If his army, including himself, were not brave, he would not be able to win on the battlefield at all. At the same time, large-scale military attacks are mainly based on surprise attacks, not frontal battlefields. It doesn't matter as far as individual merit is concerned. But for an excellent strategist and commander-in-chief of the three armed forces, this style of play cannot be achieved once and for all. Just like the differences between Zhuge Liang and Wei Yan regarding Ziwu Valley's clever strategy, in Wei Yan's view, Ziwu Valley's sneak attack on Chang'an was completely feasible tactically. But Zhuge Liang considered more political and strategic gains and losses. Huo Qubing is generally a figure like Wei Yan, and his tactics can be said to be very good. But strategically, it is difficult to match those great strategists and true commanders-in-chief. Sima Qian also pointed out this.

Except for some reasons such as birth, Huo Qubing was not favored by Sima Qian. What's more, Huo Qubing was not the benevolent general in Sima Qian's mind. In Sima Qian's view, Huo Qubing did not care about the lives of his soldiers in order to attack and win on the battlefield. If the goal is not achieved, the means will be used, let alone the cost. Sima Qian even more recognized the Confucian creed that the benevolent are invincible. Huo Qubing was unable to do this. We can actually start from Huo Qubing’s childhood background. Although Huo Qubing was not born into the royal family, he was considered to have grown up among the palace nobles. His military and political experience did not start at the grassroots level. The Confucian generals conceived by Sima Qian, benevolent and invincible generals, are all selected and trained among soldiers at all times and in all countries. Without this kind of person who has been fighting at the grassroots level all year round as a soldier and sharing the joys and sorrows with his generals and military leaders, it is naturally difficult for him to put the lives of soldiers first.

Putting the names of soldiers first does not mean that you cannot fight, nor does it mean that you dare not fight. Rather, this kind of general often thinks more about the battlefield and chooses a combat method that can effectively defeat the enemy's attack and reduce casualties as much as possible, but Huo Qubing does not consider all of these. The person who kills the enemy and captures the head of the Xiongnu is the first achievement.

But this is also the advantage of Huo Qubing. Which feudal emperor would not like this kind of general who advocates pragmatism and consequentialism. When I wanted to talk to you about how to achieve maximum victory in this war, you kept telling me how to reduce casualties. When the two cannot be achieved at the same time. As a feudal emperor, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty would definitely choose generals who would cause heavy casualties to the enemy. Rather than choosing to sacrifice huge casualties to the enemy in exchange for minimal losses to oneself. Don't be dissatisfied, all feudal kings who expanded their territories essentially thought so.

And as a nobleman, Huo Qubing yearns for merit and honor as much as anyone else. He would also falsely report his meritorious service to a certain extent, not only because of his vanity, but also because Huo Qubing dared to add these much needed credits to his soldiers. The Huns often reported how many thousands of troops they claimed to have destroyed after their victory. In fact, the number of thousands claimed is often much higher than the actual number.

In fact, there are no such people. But Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty tolerated this. Because no matter how many thousands, Huo Qubing can always win the biggest victory. Never like some so-called Confucian generals who are timid and miss opportunities.