(140 BC-117 BC)

A famous general and strategist in the Western Han Dynasty. A native of Pingyang, Hedong (now southwest of Linfen, Shanxi). The nephew of Wei Qing, a famous general in the Han Dynasty. Good at riding and shooting. In the sixth year of Yuanshuo (123 BC), Huo Qubing was appointed by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty as the captain of Piao Yao. He followed Wei Qing to attack the Xiongnu in Monan (south of the present-day Mongolian Plateau Desert). He annihilated more than 2,000 people with 800 people and was awarded the title of Champion Marquis. In the second year of Yuanshou (121 BC), he was appointed as a general of hussars. In spring and summer, he led troops to attack the Xiongnu tribe that occupied Hexi (today's Hexi Corridor and Huangshui River Basin) twice, and wiped out more than 40,000 people. In the autumn of the same year, he was ordered to welcome King Hunxie of the Xiongnu who led his troops to surrender to the Han Dynasty. At the critical moment of the partial surrender, he led his troops into the Xiongnu army, killed the rebels, and stabilized the situation. King Hunxie was able to lead more than 40,000 people. Return to Han. From then on, the Han Dynasty controlled the Hexi area and opened up the road to the Western Regions. In the summer of the fourth year, he and Wei Qing each led 50,000 horses across the desert (today's Mongolian Plateau Desert) to attack the Xiongnu. After Huo Qubing defeated King Zuo Xian's troops, he took advantage of the victory and pursued it, going more than 2,000 miles deep and annihilating more than 70,000 people. Later he was promoted to Grand Sima and shared military power with Wei Qing. He used his troops flexibly, paid attention to strategy, did not adhere to ancient methods, was brave and courageous, and won every battle, winning the trust of Emperor Wu. He died of illness in the sixth year of Yuanshou (117 BC).

Heroes do not care about their origins

Huo Qubing was born into a legendary family. He is the child of Wei Shao'er, a slave girl from Princess Pingyang's mansion, and Huo Zhongru, a petty official from Pingyang County. The clerk did not dare to admit that he had an affair with the princess's slave girl, so Huo Qubing could only be born as an illegitimate son. An illegitimate son whose father dared not admit it, and whose mother was a slave girl, it seemed that Huo Qubing would never get ahead, but a miracle finally happened to him.

About when Huo Qubing was just one year old, his aunt Wei Zifu entered the harem of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and was soon named Madam, second only to the Queen. Huo Qubing's uncles Wei Changjun and Wei Qing were also promoted to the rank of servant. The fate of the Wei family has changed since then - at this time, I am afraid no one thought that it was not just Wei Qing and Huo Qubing whose fate was changed, but also the offensive and defensive changes between Han and Huns over the years.

Emperor Liu Che of the Han Dynasty was an emperor with great martial arts achievements in Chinese history. At that time, the Han Dynasty had unstable borders and was constantly invaded by the Huns. As a nomadic people, the Huns almost regarded the Han Dynasty, which relied on farming, as a storehouse for their own needs, and they burned, killed, and looted everything. Faced with such a situation, the countries within the Great Wall have been unable to fundamentally change since the Qin Dynasty. They rarely win, and more often they can only hope to buy temporary peace with marriage and a large amount of "dowry" property. Relatively peaceful.

The talented Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty hoped to change this situation, and he soon found a like-minded person around him. He was Wei Zifu's younger brother Wei Qing.

In the fifth year of Yuanguang (130 BC), Wei Qing paid homage to the Chariot and Cavalry General, and he and three other generals each led an army out of the fortress. During this troop dispatch, three of the four armies were defeated. What was especially outrageous was that veteran Li Guang was captured by the Huns and managed to escape with great difficulty. On the contrary, Wei Qing, the "cavalry slave" who went out to lead troops for the first time, came out of Shanggu and attacked Dragon City, killing 700 enemies and becoming a true "Dragon City Flying General". Wei Qing's military genius impressed Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. From then on, he went on many campaigns with great success.

Born out of the blue

While Wei Qing was making great achievements, Huo Qubing also gradually grew up. Under the influence of his uncle, he was good at riding and shooting since he was a child. Although he was young, he disdained Yu stayed in Chang'an City like other princes and grandsons, indulged in sex and enjoyed the shelter of his elders. He longed for the day when he would kill the enemy and achieve meritorious service.

In the sixth year of Yuanshuo (123 BC), the Battle of Monan. Huo Qubing, who was under 18 years old, volunteered for military service, and Emperor Wu named him Captain Piao Yao to accompany the army on the expedition.

On the battlefield, Huo Qubing relied on his bravery and 800 cavalry to gallop hundreds of miles in the vast desert to find traces of the enemy. As a result, his original "long-distance raid" won the first battle and defeated the enemy. There were more than 2,000 people. One of the two uncles of the Xiongnu Chanyu was killed and the other was captured alive. But Huo Qubing and others returned intact. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty immediately named him the "champion lord" and praised his bravery to win the three armies.

Huo Qubing’s first battle, with such dazzling results, announced to the world that the most dazzling generation of Han family generals had been born.

The God of War is Invincible

In the spring of the second year of Yuanshou (121 BC), Huo Qubing was appointed as a hussar general and led 10,000 elite troops to attack the Xiongnu alone. This is the Hexi War.

The 19-year-old commander-in-chief Huo Qubing lived up to expectations, dashed across the desert thousands of miles away, and fought a beautiful roundabout battle. In six days, he fought against the five Xiongnu tribes, advancing all the way, and fought a head-to-head life-or-death battle with the Huns Luhou and King Zhelan in Gaolan Mountain. In this battle, Huo Qubing was defeated miserably, with only 3,000 elite soldiers remaining from 10,000. The Xiongnu suffered heavy losses - King Luhou and King Zhelan were both killed in battle, Prince Hunxie, Prime Minister, and Captain were captured, killing 8,960 enemies. The Xiongnu sacrificed to Tianjin and became Han Trophies of the army. After this battle of blood and fire, no one in the Han Dynasty doubted young Huo Qubing's ability to lead the army. He became a military model and the embodiment of martial spirit in the Han army.

In the summer of the same year, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty decided to pursue the victory and launch a battle to regain Hexi.

In this battle, Huo Qubing became the commander-in-chief of the Han army, while veteran general Li Guang and others only served as his supporting troops. What makes people laugh or cry is that Gongsun Ao and other "old horses" who often traveled in the desert who cooperated in the battle were not as good as Huo Qubing, the son of Chang'an two years ago. They actually got lost in the desert and did not play their due role in assisting. The veteran Li Guang's troops were surrounded by the Xiongnu King Zuoxian. Huo Qubing once again went deep alone and won another victory. In the Qilian Mountains, Huo Qubing's troops killed more than 30,000 enemies and captured five Xiongnu princes, as well as 59 Xiongnu princes and 63 Xiongnu generals.

After this battle, the Xiongnu had to retreat to the north of Yanzhi Mountain, and the Han Dynasty regained the Hexi Plain. The Xiongnu who once did whatever they wanted on the head of the Han Dynasty and caused countless deaths in the Han Dynasty finally sang a lament: "The death of my Qilian Mountains will make my six animals unable to rest; the loss of my Yanzhi Mountain will make my women colorless."

From then on, the Han army became more powerful, and the 19-year-old Huo Qubing became a god of war that frightened the Huns.

The thing that really made Huo Qubing like a god was "Hexi's surrender", which happened in autumn.

After the two battles in Hexi, the Xiongnu Chanyu wanted to deal harshly with King Hunxie who had been defeated repeatedly. After the news leaked, King Hunxie and King Xiutu wanted to surrender to the Han Dynasty. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty did not know whether the surrender of the two Xiongnu kings was true or false, so he sent Huo Qubing to the Yellow River to accept the surrender. When Huo Qubing led his troops to cross the Yellow River, a mutiny broke out among the Xiongnu troops. Faced with this situation, Huo Qubing personally rushed into the Xiongnu camp with only a few soldiers, faced King Hunxie directly, and ordered him to kill the mutinous soldiers. We can never guess what King Hunxie is thinking at this time. At that moment, he had every opportunity to take Huo Qubing hostage or kill him for revenge. As long as he did this, the Chanyu would not kill him but would reward him. However, King Hunxie gave up in the end, and the momentum of this young man who dared to take risks alone and was not afraid of life and death suppressed him. Huo Qubing's momentum not only suppressed King Hunxie, but also suppressed more than 40,000 Huns. In the end, they did not continue to expand the rebellion.

The surrender of Hexi ended successfully, but today we can only imagine with admiration how that nineteen-year-old boy stood in the enemy's camp when the situation was confusing and dangerous. With just one expression and one gesture, he subdued 40,000 soldiers and 8,000 rebels outside the tent.

On the territory of the Han Dynasty, the four counties of Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan and Dunhuang were added. The Hexi Corridor was officially incorporated into the Han Dynasty. This was the first time in Chinese history that foreign invaders had surrendered. It not only made the Han people proud and proud of themselves after suffering from the Huns for hundreds of years, but also gave them the confidence to be strong.

Sealing the Wolf to Juxu

In the fourth year of Yuanshou (119 BC), in order to completely eliminate the main force of the Xiongnu, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty launched the unprecedented "Mobei War".

At this time, Huo Qubing had become the trump card of the Han army without any doubt.

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had great trust in Huo Qubing's ability. In the pre-planning of this war, Huo Qubing was originally arranged to fight Shanyu. However, due to intelligence errors, the game became Wei Qing's and Huo Qubing failed to meet his most desired opponent. , but ran into King Zuoxian's tribe.

However, this battle can be regarded as the pinnacle of Huo Qubing. In the process of searching for the main force of the Huns in Mobei, Huo Qubing led his troops to attack for more than 2,000 miles. With a loss of 15,000, he annihilated more than 70,000 enemies and captured three Hun princes and eight generals. Thirteen people. Probably because he was eager to meet the Xiongnu Chanyu, Huo Qubing, who "sought defeat alone", pursued him all the way to the Kent Mountains in present-day Mongolia. It was here that Huo Qubing paused temporarily and led his army in a ceremony to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth - the heaven-sacrifice ceremony was held at Langjuxu Mountain, and the earth-sacrifice Zen ceremony was held at Guyan Mountain. It is a ritual and a determination.

After sealing the wolf to Xu, Huo Qubing continued to lead his army to pursue the Xiongnu in depth, and fought all the way to Hanhai (now Lake Baikal, Russia) before returning to the army. Starting from Chang'an, we rushed all the way to Lake Baikal, and won great victories along the way in an almost completely unfamiliar environment. What an achievement!

After this battle, "the Huns fled far away, and there was no royal court in the south of the desert." Huo Qubing and his "Self-conferring the Wolf to Live in Xu" have since become the highest pursuit and life-long dream of Chinese soldiers of all ages. This year, Huo Qubing was only twenty-two years old.

Even if you die, you can still smell the fragrance of your chivalrous bones

After completing such an unparalleled feat, Huo Qubing also reached the pinnacle of his life: the Great Sima Hussar General. However, only two years later, in the sixth year of Yuanshou (117 BC), the 24-year-old hussar general Huo Qubing passed away.

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was very sad about Huo Qubing's death. He mobilized the armored troops and formed a formation along Chang'an to Maoling Huo Qubing Cemetery. He also ordered Huo Qubing's tomb to be built to look like the Qilian Mountains to demonstrate his miraculous achievements in defeating the Huns.

Huo Qubing was given the posthumous title of Marquis Jinghuan.

Huo Qubing was born as a slave and grew up in Qiluo, but he never indulged in wealth and luxury. He put the safety of the country and his achievements before everything else. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty once built a luxurious mansion for Huo Qubing, but Huo Qubing refused to accept it, saying: "The Xiongnu are not destroyed, why do we have a family?" These eight short words, because they came from Huo Qubing's mouth, are meaningful and meaningful. It is shocking and engraved in the hearts of the soldiers who have defended their homes and countries throughout the past dynasties.

Huo Qubing rarely talks but does more, and never talks empty words. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty once wanted to teach Sun Wu the art of war in person. He replied: "In war, you should adapt to changes, and the situation has changed. The ancient art of war is no longer suitable."

Huo Zhongru did not want to be the father of Huo Qubing in the womb. Wei Shao'er has never told him his life experience. After he made great achievements, he finally understood the cause and effect. Just after he became a hussar general, he came to Pingyang (today's Linfen, Shanxi), knelt down to his father Huo Zhongru, who had abandoned him that year, and said: "Qubing didn't know that he was the son of an adult earlier, and he didn't fulfill his filial piety." Huo Zhongru was worthy of his filial piety. Dare to respond, he replied: "I have to trust the general, this is the power of heaven." Later, Huo Qubing bought a farmhouse for Huo Zhongru, who had never fulfilled his father's responsibilities for a day, and took Huo Guang, the stepmother's son, to Chang'an to cultivate him into a useful resource.

The young general Huo Qubing was not a perfect man. He once shot Li Gan and also defended Yan Jun. However, no matter how serious he is, he is still the god of war. All soldiers yearn to become his subordinates and follow him to kill the enemy and perform meritorious service. He led troops to formally attack the Xiongnu four times in his life, and returned with great victory every time. He destroyed 110,000 enemies and surrendered 40,000 enemies. He opened up new territories and expanded the territory. His military exploits were even more spectacular than those of his uncle Wei Qing. For the entire world military history and Chinese history, Huo Qubing is a legend that will shine through the ages.

Huo Qubing's tomb still stands next to Maoling. The stone statue of "Horse Trampling the Huns" in front of the tomb symbolizes his immortal contributions to the country. Thousands of years later, the world still thinks of the peerless demeanor of the young general Huo Qubing. They are fascinated by his spirit, wisdom and courage, and their blood boils with enthusiasm for his ambition to protect his family and country without any desire for luxury.

Huo Qubing was very good at using cavalry groups to maneuver in deserts and grasslands. He could command the cavalry to conduct short-range surprise attacks. You can also command the cavalry to carry out long-distance, large-scale frontal attacks, use the cavalry to fight mobile warfare, and also use the cavalry to fight encounters, showing good tactical literacy and superb battle command art.

Thirdly, the cavalry led by Huo Qubing, whether they were the "Qingyongqi" of 800 people, or the army of 10,000 or 50,000 people, were all carefully selected outstanding soldiers. For example, during the Battle of Mobei, "Anyone who dares to fight deeply is a hussar." Not only are they highly skilled in martial arts, but they are also brave in combat and equipped with excellent equipment. Therefore, Huo Qubing's troops are likely to be one of the elites of the Han army, and their combat effectiveness is far stronger than "the soldiers and horses of all the veteran generals." In addition, under Huo Qubing's command, there were also some Xiongnu captains who surrendered to the Han Dynasty. They were familiar with the Xiongnu roads and could guide the Han army to advance without losing their way. They could also help the Han army to feed on the enemy, allowing them to "lightly" "The vastest desert", give full play to its advantages of maneuverability, flexibility and speed to capture and create fighter opportunities.

Huo Qubing was personally trained and promoted by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. His favor towards Huo Qubing seemed to exceed that of all ministers. Of course, there are factors of nepotism and personal feelings, but the most fundamental reason is that Huo Qubing has a strong spirit of loyalty to the emperor and the country and a spirit of hard work and progress. When Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty built an exquisite residence for Huo Qubing and asked him to go and inspect it, Huo Qubing said the eternal saying "The Xiongnu has not been destroyed. There is no place for home". In a sense, Huo Qubing was able to make many extraordinary achievements precisely because of his noble character of forgetting his family for his country.

The fundamental reasons for Huo Qubing’s victory

1. It is the development and utilization of national strength. From Emperor Gaozu to Emperor Jing, the Han Dynasty had long accumulated reserves and enriched its treasury, which was one of the prerequisites for Emperor Wu to change his marriage to war. After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty succeeded to the throne, he changed his previous compromise policy of forbearance and peace, gave up "peace", and took tough offensive operations to completely eliminate the Xiongnu intrusion. After more than ten battles with the Xiongnu, the threat of the Xiongnu was basically resolved. The Han Dynasty also took back the Hetao area occupied by the Xiongnu, opened up official fields in the border areas, repaired the Great Wall, and stationed 100,000 troops. A thriving scene of peace and prosperity appeared on the frontier.

2. It is the establishment and consistent implementation of the strategic thinking of proactive attack. After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, it always faced military threats from the powerful Xiongnu. Although the "peace and marriage" policy had been implemented since the early Han Dynasty, countless gifts of property could not satisfy the greed of the Xiongnu nobles. During the reign of Emperor Wen, the Xiongnu invaded twice on a large scale, with their troops approaching Chang'an. The capital was in danger and the whole court was frightened. After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty succeeded to the throne, he changed his previous compromise policy of forbearance and peace, gave up "peace", and took tough offensive operations to completely eliminate the Xiongnu intrusion.

3. It is the correct application and performance of large-corps surprise operations in tactics:

1) The construction and use of cavalry. The period of Emperor Wu was an important stage in the history of China's military system when the major transition from using both chariots and cavalry to cavalry as the main body of combat was completed. The large-scale use of cavalry groups, rapid maneuvers, and long-distance attacks were one of the main reasons why the Han army defeated the Huns in the early stage. The development of cavalry in the Han Dynasty can be roughly divided into stages by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Previously, both cavalry and chariots were equally important. After that, cavalry completely replaced chariots, and then became the main force of the Han Dynasty army.

2) Raid operations Use of tactics. Huo Qubing's combat strategy can be said to be an innovation in the Han army's tactical concepts. His operations can be described as roundabout and deep, interspersed with encirclement, completing the roundabout and interweaving at the fastest speed, encircling the Huns, and carrying out devastating attacks on them starting from the weakest link. In the two battles in Hexi, his troops gave up their baggage and supplies, traveled lightly and quickly, ate on the spot, and took advantage of the Xiongnu's unstable foothold to quickly launch a decisive battle with the main force. He completely annihilated him in one fell swoop and cut off the right arm of the Huns. The so-called eating on the spot is to plunder the Huns' rear areas to replenish military supplies. This strategy not only solved its own supply problem, but also hit the Huns' production capacity to the greatest extent. The Xiongnu's economy was greatly destroyed, allowing the Han Dynasty to establish its absolute superiority over the Xiongnu economically and militarily.

The Xiongnu troubles were a nightmare in ancient China during the Qin and Han dynasties.

However, after the three battles of Monan, Hexi, and Mobei, the Xiongnu troubles finally basically disappeared from Chinese history. This time the Han Dynasty advanced north to the edge of the desert, occupied the entire Hexi Corridor and parts of Qinghai and Xinjiang, and established the Western Region Protectorate. The living space of the Han people expanded on a large scale for the first time, taking almost all the marginal bases of the Huns and Huns.

The admiration and love that descendants have for General Huo Qubing is not only the memory and sorrow for the young hero, but the more important essence is actually the admiration and yearning for the martial spirit. Therefore, the battle fought by Huo Qubing was the most soul-stirring in the war history of the Han nation. His victory was not only a complete victory in several foreign wars, but also became a spiritual monument. The entire Han nation was proud of it. It inspired and inspired a generation. For a generation of Han children, his heroic words, "The Huns are not destroyed, why should we take care of our family!" has made countless temperamental men's blood boil. Because of this, Huo Qubing has become the idol of ancient scholars and generals. People have praised him, respected him, and loved him, which has lasted for thousands of years since ancient times.