Chapter 33 32 Zhao Wuling Wang Hu Fu rides and shoots

When the state of Chu was being bullied by the state of Qin, the state of Zhao in the north was struggling.King Wu Ling, the monarch of Zhao State, has far-sightedness and courage, and tries every means to reform the country. One day, King Zhao Wuling said to his courtier Lou Huan: "We have Qi State and Zhongshan (ancient country name) in the east, Yan State and Donghu in the north, and Qin State, South Korea and Loufan (ancient tribe name) in the west. We want to If you don’t work hard, you will be wiped out by others at any time. If you want to work hard, you have to reform. I think the clothes we wear, long robes, coats, work and war are inconvenient. ethnic minorities) with short jackets with narrow sleeves and leather boots on their feet, they are much more flexible. I plan to imitate the customs of the Hu people and change the clothes, what do you think?"

Lou Huan agreed and said, "We can imitate the Hu people's clothes and learn their fighting skills, can't we?" King Zhao Wuling said: "That's right! We fight with infantry, or with horse-drawn carts, but we don't know how to fight on horseback. I plan to learn how the Hu people dress, and I want to learn how the Hu people ride horses and shoot arrows." As soon as this argument spread, many ministers opposed it.King Zhao Wuling discussed with another minister, Fei Yi: "I want to use Hufu riding and archery to reform our country's customs, but everyone opposes it. What should I do?"

Fei Yi said: "If you want to do big things, you can't hesitate. If you hesitate, you can't do big things. Since your majesty thinks that this is good for the country, why should you be afraid of everyone's ridicule?" King Wuling of Zhao was very happy to hear that, and said: "I think those who laugh at me are some stupid people, and reasonable people will agree with me." When he went to court the next day, King Wuling of Zhao first came out wearing Huren's clothes.The ministers were shocked when they saw him wearing a short jacket with narrow sleeves.King Zhao Wuling told everyone about the change of Hufu, but the ministers always felt that this matter was too embarrassing and unwilling to do so.King Wuling of Zhao has an uncle, son Cheng, who is a very influential veteran of the Zhao state and has a very stubborn mind.When he heard that King Wuling of Zhao wanted to change his clothes, he simply pretended to be sick and would not go to court.

King Zhao Wuling made up his mind to carry out reforms.He knew that in order to implement this new method, he first had to get through the thinking of his old uncle, so he personally went to find Young Master Cheng, and told him repeatedly the benefits of wearing a Hu suit and learning how to ride and shoot.Young Master Cheng was finally persuaded.King Zhao Wuling immediately rewarded the son with a set of Hu clothes. When the ministers saw that Young Master Cheng was also wearing Hu clothes, they had nothing to say, so they had to change accordingly. Seeing that the conditions were ripe, King Zhao Wuling officially issued an order to reform the clothing.After a few days, the Zhao people, rich and poor, high and low, all wore Hu clothes.Some people felt a little uncomfortable at first, but later found it much more convenient to wear Hufu.

King Zhao Wuling then ordered everyone to learn horseback riding and archery.In less than a year, a strong cavalry force was trained.In 305 BC, King Wuling of Zhao personally led cavalry to defeat the neighboring Zhongshan, and subdued Donghu and several neighboring tribes.In the seventh year of Hufu riding and shooting, Zhongshan, Linhu, and Loufan were all subdued, and a lot of land was expanded.King Zhao Wuling intends to compete with Qin. King Wuling of Zhao often leads troops to fight abroad and leaves domestic affairs to his son.In 299 BC, he officially passed the throne to his son, King Zhao Huiwen.King Wuling changed his name to Lord Father (meaning the father of the king).

In order to defeat the state of Qin, Master Zhao decided to go to the state of Qin to inspect the terrain and observe the character of King Qin Zhaoxiang after arranging domestic affairs. He dressed up as an envoy of the State of Zhao, and went to the State of Qin with a few subordinates. When he arrived in Xianyang, Master Zhao's father visited King Qin Zhaoxiang as an envoy and reported to him about King Zhao Wuling's succession to the throne. After King Qin Zhaoxiang received the fake "envoy", he felt that the attitude and behavior of the "envoy" were both generous and majestic, not like an ordinary person, and he felt a little suspicious.A few days later, King Qin Zhaoxiang sent someone to invite him again, only to find that the "envoy" had left without saying goodbye.In the guest house, there was one of Zhao Guolai's subordinates.King Zhaoxiang of Qin asked him to ask him, only to find out that the person he met was the famous Master Zhao's father.King Qin Zhaoxiang was taken aback, and immediately asked General Bai Qi to lead his elite troops to chase after him overnight.When the pursuers arrived at Hangu Pass, master Zhao's father had been out of the pass for three days.