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Li Mu made great contributions to border defense throughout his life and was praised as a good general on the northern border of Zhao State.

The main reason why most famous generals in later generations were unwilling to follow Li Mu’s example is probably Li Mu’s tragic ending.

Especially when the monarch of the time is not wise enough, such a talented person could suffer death when he had made outstanding military achievements. How could ordinary people dare to follow his example?

"The grassland cavalry that Zhao State once relied on as its Great Wall was completely annihilated by the attack of Qin State."

"From then on, Zhao's borders no longer had a strong enough defense force to resist the Xiongnu."

"Not only that, the war also led to the decline of the Warring States national strength."

"Zhao State will never be able to organize a strong cavalry force again."

"The loss of cavalry made the confrontation between Zhao and the Xiongnu in the north particularly difficult. We could neither defeat them nor defend ourselves."

"Coupled with the Xiongnu's predatory and brutal nature, the production and life of the people on the border fell into chaos, and the economy of the entire Zhao State could not recover for a long time."

"Li Mu's talent is comparable to that of Qin's great general Bai Qi, who never lost a battle in his life."

"However, famous generals in later generations often prefer to take Bai Qi as a role model. Why are the generals unwilling to follow Li Mu's example? This brings us to Li Mu's tragic ending."

"When Li Mu was a general, he used his talents to turn Yanmen Pass into an iron wall in order to fight against the Xiongnu."

"At this time, Yanmen Pass was like a barrier, which not only made the Xiongnu dare not cross the line, but also frightened them."

"While resisting the Xiongnu, the Zhao army led by Li Mu also repeatedly repelled the attacks of the Qin army of 100,000."

"When Yan State attempted to launch a surprise attack on Zhao State, we forced Yan State to sign a surrender treaty instead."

"Li Mu led the Zhao soldiers to turn the tide time and time again, saving the Zhao State from near extinction after the Battle of Changping."

"When Li Mu first entered Yanmen Pass, because Zhao had limited troops and insufficient food and grass, he adopted a defensive stance for a long time."

"When Li Mu was patrolling at Yanmen Pass, he saw the Xiongnu people driving their horses to the river to bathe, and Li Mu immediately came up with a plan."

"He ordered more than a hundred mares in his army to be released as well, and then drove the mares to the shade of trees on the other side of the river. After the Xiongnu's male horses spotted the mares, they quickly crossed the river and ran to Li Mu's side."

"In this way, Li Mu obtained many good horses from the Xiongnu."

"In addition to his great talent, Li Mu also gained considerable power."

"When he was stationed at the border, Li Mu had the power to appoint and dismiss officials in the border area, as well as the economic power."

"Because he led troops to fight, Li Mu had considerable military power, which was mainly reflected in the number of troops."

"Li Mu is a man of great talent and power. It can be said that he is powerful enough to establish his own kingdom."

"If such a talented general met a wise monarch, he would naturally have nothing to worry about, but Zhao's court is dominated by foolish and powerful officials."

"Although there were good ministers like Lian Po and Lin Xiangru, they were ultimately victims of powerful officials."

"Li Mu is no exception. He is such a talented general, but he doesn't know how to hide his edge."

"The treacherous officials in the court became jealous and slandered Li Mu in front of the king, causing the king to suspect Li Mu. In the end, Li Mu was killed."

"If Li Mu was just a man of great talent and power but with a smooth personality, and was able to socialize with the powerful officials in the court, perhaps he would not have been killed."

Su Shi: Li Mu was the general guarding the northern gate of Zhao State.

They were stationed in Dai and Yanmen all year round, responsible for defending against the nomadic Xiongnu in the north.

As a general guarding the border, Li Mu held great power.

First, Li Mu had the autonomy to appoint subordinate officials;
Second, Li Mu had the right to collect local commercial taxes and use them as military expenses.

Therefore, Li Mu gave his soldiers very generous treatment and was able to kill several cattle every day to entertain his soldiers.

Li Mu pursued a passive defense strategy, requiring strict training of the army while improving the material living standards.

Use beacons with caution and give full play to the role of reconnaissance.

When the Huns invaded, they held their fortresses and were not allowed to take the initiative to fight.

Li Mu's avoidance of battle caused ridicule from the Xiongnu, and King Xiaocheng of Zhao also believed that Li Mu was timid by nature and did not dare to fight a decisive battle with the Xiongnu.

King Xiaocheng of Zhao once blamed Li Mu for adjusting the established strategy, but the latter did not respond, so the angry King Zhao directly dismissed him.

What King Xiaocheng of Zhao did not expect was that the northern border army of Zhao, which had changed its commander, took the initiative to attack when the Huns invaded, but was repeatedly defeated.

Not only did it cause heavy casualties, it also greatly undermined the stability of agricultural production in the north.

As a last resort, King Xiaocheng of Zhao invited Li Mu to come out of retirement and take charge of military affairs in the north.

After some refusal, Li Mu took office and restored the original strategy of holding on.

Li Mu's stubborn attitude made the Huns take him lightly.

At this time, the Zhao army's soldiers had not achieved any military merit for a long time and their desire to fight was very strong.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Li Mu stepped up preparations for war.

Li Mu sent the Zhao army to graze on a large scale in the wild to lure the Xiongnu to come and plunder, and then pretended to retreat.

Eventually, they succeeded in luring the Xiongnu Chanyu to launch a massive attack and engage in a fierce battle with the Zhao army.

Li Mu used the tactics of surprise attack and flanking on both sides to win a great victory, successively conquering the tribes of Qianlan, Donghu, Linhu and others. As a result, for more than ten years afterwards, the Xiongnu dared not enter the border city of Zhao.

In the late Warring States period, the State of Zhao had many geopolitical issues besides the Xiongnu.

On the one hand, the expansion of the Qin State in the west was growing, and frictions with the Zhao State continued;

On the other hand, Zhao State and Yan State to its northeast were also at frequent wars.

In the first year of King Daoxiang of Zhao, Zhao State carried out personnel changes on the Yan-Zhao front and ordered Le Cheng to replace Lian Po as the chief commander.

This decision directly led to internal strife among the Zhao generals. Le Cheng was forced to leave by the furious Lian Po, who then fled to Wei.

The departure of the two generals forced Li Mu to take on more responsibilities. In the second year of King Daoxiang of Zhao, Li Mu took over the position of chief general on the Yan-Zhao front and captured Wusui and Fangcheng for Zhao.

In addition, Li Mu also went to Qin as the prime minister of Zhao and brought back the crown prince of Zhao who was held hostage there.

After briefly taking charge of the war against Yan, Li Mu was involved in the war on the western side of Zhao and became the mainstay of the Qin-Zhao front.

At this time, Qin's eastward expansion was unstoppable. In the ninth year of King Zhao Daoxiang, Qin's general Wang Jian attacked Zhao and captured nine cities in a row.

In the second year of King Qian of Zhao's reign, the Qin general Huan Xi led Qin soldiers to attack Zhao again and killed the Zhao general Hu Zhe.

In the same year that Hu Zhe was killed, Li Mu was appointed as the general and defeated Huan Qi at Yi'an, thus reversing the defeat of Zhao on the Qin-Zhao front.
The following year, Li Mu repelled Qin's offensive in Fei and was named Wu'an Jun by the King of Zhao.

In the fourth year of King Zhao's reign, Li Mu resolved the Qin army's offensive against Fanwu and formed a military deterrent against the states of Han and Wei in the south.

In the seventh year of King Qian of Zhao, the Qin general Wang Jian came to Zhao again. Zhao sent Li Mu and Sima Shang as the main generals to resist Qin. Li Mu once again demonstrated his military talent, winning battles one after another and even beheading his old enemy Huan Xi.

After Wang Jian's failed campaign, he used a counter-espionage strategy to make King Qian of Zhao believe the rumors that Li Mu and Sima Shang had evil intentions, which led to Li Mu being executed by King Qian of Zhao.

In the second year after Li Mu's death, Wang Jian captured Handan, the capital of Zhao State, and captured King Qian of Zhao, thus leading to the demise of Zhao State.

"But Li Mu is a man who sticks to his principles, just like a general who fights on the battlefield."

"Because he had been away from the court and the monarch for a long time, he had to rely on his own planning and arbitrary decisions in the battles at the border."

"It can be said that Li Mu had his own way of fighting the Xiongnu."

"When resisting the Xiongnu, Li Mu sometimes used the tactic of preserving strength and waiting for an opportunity to strike, but this tactic was doubted by people at home."

"The King of Zhao also ordered Li Mu to go to battle, but Li Mu insisted on his principles. He thought it was not appropriate to attack at this time and resolutely refused to attack."

"It can be seen that Li Mu is a very stubborn and individual person."

"If he wants to go to war, he also needs the monarch to ensure that his conditions for going to war are met, otherwise he will claim illness and refuse the King of Zhao."

"Although such a character would cause dissatisfaction from the King of Zhao, he was still relatively open-minded after all. However, the two kings who came after him were actually incompetent rulers."

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"This gives Qin an opportunity to alienate Li Mu and Zhao."

"When the King of Zhao ordered Zhao Cong and Yan Ju to replace Li Mu, Li Mu took the safety of the State of Zhao into consideration."

"For the sake of the greater good, I would rather give up the chance to protect myself and refuse to accept this order."

"Among all the kings of Zhao, King Wuling of Zhao was a relatively outstanding one."

"During his reign, he worked hard to govern the country and promoted a series of reforms such as wearing Hu clothing and riding and shooting, which eventually brought the weak Zhao back to life."

"Although King Huiwen of Zhao did not do much afterwards, he was able to maintain his legacy successfully."

"But by the time of King Xiaocheng of Zhao, the morale of the country was declining, and Li Mu happened to live during the reign of King Xiaocheng of Zhao."

"During this period, the foolish King Xiaocheng of Zhao favored treacherous officials in the court, while loyal and honest people were gradually marginalized in the court."

"During this period, the domestic order in Zhao was very chaotic because other vassal states were also planning to expand their territories."

"In the diplomatic process with other vassal states, Zhao State easily trusted these vassal states."

"Zhao had many precedents of military rebellion, and although King Wuling of Zhao carried out relevant reforms, he still failed to completely solve the problem."

"In the most recent mutiny, Lian Po, a veteran of three dynasties, attacked Le Cheng of the same dynasty in a rage."

"After that, it became difficult for the king of Zhao to truly trust generals who were not surnamed Zhao. This was an important reason why Zhao was willing to be alienated by its enemies."

"During the Warring States Period, Qin was determined to unify and dominate. Wang Jian knew that it would be difficult for Qin to defeat Zhao if Li Mu was not eliminated. So he reported to the King of Qin that he would use a counter-espionage strategy against Zhao."

"The King of Qin first sent two Qin people to sneak into Handan, the capital of Zhao, and let these two people bribe Guo Kai, who had framed Lian Po, and let Guo Kai spread the rumor that Li Mu and Sima Shang colluded with the Qin army to rebel."

"Guo Kai happened to be a close confidant of King Xiaocheng of Zhao. As a result, King Zhao believed the rumor without hesitation and deprived Li Mu and Sima Shang of their military power without hesitation."

Lu You: The State of Zhao during the Warring States Period was at a time of great change.

In order to strengthen the national strength, King Wuling of Zhao decided to carry out a unique reform.

He was no longer obsessed with those gorgeous court robes, but resolutely implemented the policy of wearing Hu clothing and riding and shooting.

This reform was like a fashion revolution. The soldiers of Zhao State changed into Hu clothing that was convenient for combat, rode horses, and learned horse riding and archery techniques.

This reform laid a solid foundation for the brilliant military achievements of Li Mu, a famous general of the State of Zhao.

Li Mu led the Zhao army in the Dai and Yanmen areas and successfully encircled and annihilated the main force of the Xiongnu cavalry of 100,000. It was truly amazing!

This battle was not only the first large-scale battle against the Huns in recorded history, but also a classic example of infantry annihilating cavalry in the history of pre-Qin wars. It is simply a legend on the battlefield!

The reason why Li Mu was able to achieve such brilliant results was that he was stationed at the border for many years, had many dealings with the Xiongnu cavalry, and was well aware of their characteristics.

The Hun cavalry is highly mobile, but once they engage in hand-to-hand combat, the casualty rate is very high.

Li Mu's strategy was extremely brilliant. He adopted the tactic of retreating in order to advance.

On the one hand, he slaughtered pigs and sheep to reward the soldiers, and personally taught them archery and horse riding to cultivate the trust of the soldiers;
On the other hand, when the Hun army attacked, he chose not to attack but to retreat instead, building strong defenses and waiting for the opportunity.

In this way, the Huns invaded again and again but returned empty-handed, as if they were bewitched by the mysterious power of Zhao.

However, the King of Zhao mistakenly thought that Li Mu was afraid of fighting, so he recalled him and appointed other generals to garrison.

The result is predictable. The Zhao army suffered heavy casualties and repeated defeats in the confrontation with the Xiongnu cavalry.

The King of Zhao had no choice but to recall Li Mu. He was so sad that he could not even cry!

After several years of training and preparation, the combat effectiveness of Li Mu's Zhao army was greatly improved.

He believed that the time was ripe to annihilate the Huns, so he carefully selected a multi-service attack corps.

There were 1.3 cavalry, 1300 chariots, 5 infantry, and 10 archers, with a total force of 20.

It's so powerful and exciting!
Everything was ready, and Li Mu began to implement his strategy of luring the enemy.

He placed cattle and sheep all over the mountains and fields. Sure enough, the Hun cavalry rushed towards these delicacies like hungry wolves.

Li Mu pretended to be defeated and fled, deliberately abandoning livestock to make the Xiongnu cavalry believe it, and he personally led 100,000 cavalry deep into Zhao territory.

At this time, the Xiongnu Chanyu's army arrived, but they saw the chariot formation carefully arranged by Li Mu and were immediately thrown into chaos.

Li Mu decisively gave the order to fire, and thousands of arrows were fired at once, like a downpour!

At the same time, he personally led the cavalry and elite infantry to attack from the flank, forming a pincer attack.

In this situation, the Hun cavalry without stirrups were simply seeking their own death.

After a fierce hand-to-hand combat, except for the personal guards of the Xiongnu Chanyu who broke through, the other 100,000 cavalry were all annihilated. It was really applauded!
After the victory, Li Mu pursued the victory, destroyed the La State, defeated the Donghu, and became famous, like an ancient superhero!

He defeated the Qin army again in Fei, demonstrating his outstanding military talent and becoming one of the most outstanding generals in the late Warring States Period.

Li Mu's success lies not only in his military strategy, but also in his ability to flexibly use multiple arms to coordinate operations.

It created a classic example of infantry annihilating cavalry, which had a profound impact on military tactics in later generations.

The art of war is all about deception; Li Mu's wisdom and courage are the best interpretation of this principle.

In that distant Warring States Period, King Wuling of Zhao's reforms and Li Mu's military achievements.

Like bright stars, it shines in the sky of history and illuminates the military path of future generations.

Whether it is the fashion of wearing Hu clothing and riding and shooting, or Li Mu's tactics, they are both indelible marks in history. (End of this chapter)