40 replies to this topic

[Yun]

How exactly did he die?

He died of illness in 116 BC, at a relatively young age. Wei Qing, his uncle, died in 105 BC.

Edit: I have just read today that he was about 24 when he died. Anyone can verify this?

[Liu Bei]

He died of illness in 116 BC, at a relatively young age. Wei Qing, his uncle, died in 105 BC.

Edit: I have just read today that he was about 24 when he died. Anyone can verify this?

In Han Wu Da Di, Huo Qubing died of diseases about 24.
Huo Qubing had a lot of good military common senses.

[Wujiang]

Huo Qubing had a lot of good military common senses.

I sure hope you are joking.
I see absolutely no 'common sense' in this strategies. Relatively speaking, his capture of Hexi look more like Xiongnu raids
If Han Wu Da Di is your only source...well... read the beginning of this thread again.

[Borjigin Ayurbarwada]

Don't even follow the show Han Wu Da Di in military matters, its full of mistakes.

Here are just some of them:

Jin Mi Di isn't the brother of the Chan Yu, he was the crown prince of Xiu Tu Wang. And he is probably captured when Xiu Tu Wang's tribes were either routed or submitted.

There wasn't any secret pass that the xiongnu crossed that threatened the emperor.

Long Chen isn't northwest of ordos as the map on the show depicts, it is near the Orkhan.(but it might have been another city which I just misread)

Li Guan didn't die in battle nor was there any vanguard that was sacrificed,(Wei Qing only despatched 5,000 cavalry to skirmish with 10,000 Xiongnu forces) the whole Mo Bei battle in the TV series was completely made up.

Wei Qing only annihilated 19,000 xiongnu, not 49,000.

Zhao Po Nu never went on a campaign with Li Ling, his 20,000 cavalry was destroyed by 80,000 xiongnu forces and he was captured more than a decade before Li Ling's campaign(Li Ling isn't even the major hotshot, Li Guan Li was, Li Ling is nothing more than a vanguard force)

Li Guan Li didn't turn 70,000 force against the xiongnu. He only brought around 20,000 in his daring raid. The rest probably returned home after his initial victory south of the desert.

[Whsie]

Huo Cho Bing was rated the second best general (first was Xian Yu who fought Gaozu and 3rd was Wei Ching) according to some article at Sina. Also, Huo was one of the 2 best young leaders(Lishimin-TangTaizong was the other).

[DaMo]

Don't even follow the show Han Wu Da Di in military matters, its full of mistakes.

Li Guan didn't die in battle nor was there any vanguard that was sacrificed,(Wei Qing only despatched 5,000 cavalry to skirmish with 10,000 Xiongnu forces) the whole Mo Bei battle in the TV series was completely made up.

Yes, I noticed that.
I wonder why they took such a liberty. Perhaps the exact means by which he committed suicide were not known, so they assumed he pulled a suicide attack?

[Genghis_Khan]

he struck me as being bold to the point of becoming reckless in his military decisions.

cool photo of Lin dan..
but why didn't put ah bian as the avatar ?? hehe..

[fireball]

He died of illness in 116 BC, at a relatively young age. Wei Qing, his uncle, died in 105 BC.

Edit: I have just read today that he was about 24 when he died. Anyone can verify this?

There was a little fact for those who can't read Chinese: Qubing's name meant "get rid of illness". Generally, when parents named a child this kind of names, it meant the child was sickly. I guess his health was not that good from the beginning.

[Hou Yi]

Part 2

Huo compared favourably with other army officers. General Su Jian (苏建) fled back alone after being defeated in battle; former General Zhao Xin (赵信) surrendered to the enemy when he was surrounded, while other officers scored negligible victories. In view of the fact that his merits topped the whole army, Han Wudi (Emperor) set the precedent by conferring the title of "Duke Champion" (冠军侯) on him.

Appointment of talented personnel was one of the key contents of Emperor Han Wu's way of administration. In his eyes, Huo Qubing, who could score a remarkable victory in his first expedition, was a rare army officer who could be given important appointments. In the spring of 121 BC, the Emperor boldly appointed this new taltent from the military circle as "general of the cavarly" (骠骑 将军), and ordered him to attack and capture Hexi with a 10,000 men cavalry.

Hexi was the region in today's Hexi Corridor and was the vital communication line leading to the Western Region from the heartland of China. Since Emperor Wen's reign, this line had been occupied by Xiongnu and was separately administered by Prince Hunxie (浑邪王) and Prince Xiutu (休屠王). Compared to Wei Qing's battle of recovery of Hetao (Henan) and the 3 battles in The South of Gobi Desert, the battle to recover Hexi presented a different set of difficult problems.

Firstly, the 2 Xiongnu princes possessed an elite cavalry of nearly 100,000 men with whom it was difficult to deal. Secondly, this area was most suitable for a nomadic life as it had an abundant supply of water and grass, with warm winter and cool summer. Besides, its strategically important position would impel Xiongnu to fight stubbornly and desperately. Thirdly, the Han cavalry could not move freely in this area as its terrain was complicated. So whether this great and difficult military mission (campaign) could be accomplished or not was a fairly serious challenge to the young 20-year-old Huo Qubing. Huo took the challenge bravely, and made decisions as demanded by circumstances, thus materialising Emperor Han Wu's war plan.

Huo led his troops out from Longxi, passing through Jincheng (today's northwestern part of Lanzhou in Gansu) and Lingju (presently the western part of Yongdeng in Gansu), crossed Wusao Mountain, Wuli Mountain and Hunu River and pushed deep into the enemy's territory. After 6 days of fighting, he wiped out 5 Xiongnu tribes with one vigorous effort. After that, moving non-stop, his contingent penetrated fearlessly further in, crossed Yanzhi Mountain (today's Dahuang Mountain in Shandan, Gansu, which was used by Xiongnu to symbolise its glory, raced over 1000 li and engaged in a surprised hand-to-hand comabt with the troops of Prince Hunxie and Prince Xiutu. The Han army scored a total victory in the brief encounter at the foot of Gaolan Mountain (outside the Zhangye Fortress in Gansu). Altogether, Xiongnu lost over 8900 soldiers. Prince Zhelan (折兰王) and Prince Luhu (卢胡王) was killed. Prince Hunxie's son, the Prime Minister, palace guards and others were taken prisoner. The golden figure (used by Prince Xiutu to offer sacrifices to Heaven) was also captured by Huo. Prince Hunxie and Prince Xiutu was forced to flee to fluster with his remnant troop.

I'm confuse about this part. In battle of Hexi in 121 BC, how many troops does Huo go out with and how many people did he kill? According to Imperial Chinese Military History: 8000 Bc - 1912 Ad By Marvin C. Whiting,Huo went with 10,000 men and killed or capturing 18,000 Xiongnu.
http://books.google....qubing &f=false
http://books.google....pturing&f=false


However, according to Qwika, Huo actually kill 9000 while kiwipedia says Huo kill 8000.
http://wikipedia.qwi...56;�去病
http://www.kiwipedia...huo-qubing.html

To make things complicated,A Global Chronology of Conflict By Spencer C. Tucker and wikipedia claim that in battle of Hexi, Huo went out with 100,000 troops not 10,000.
http://books.google....of hexi&f=false

General Huo Qubing led a Han army totaling at around 100,000 troops into the Hexi Corridor.^[38]
http://en.wikipedia....r#Hexi_Corridor

Any idea about the actual number?

Edited by Hou Yi, 17 June 2012 - 08:20 PM.

[Hou Yi]

Nobody can answer my questions?

Edited by Hou Yi, 24 June 2012 - 09:01 PM.