The breathtaking "Terracotta Warriors"
About 25 kilometers northeast of Xi'an out of the city, the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang appears in front of you.
To the north is the Weishui River coiled like a silver belt, and to the south is the beautiful Lishan Mountain. There are mountains and rivers, the mountains and rivers are connected, and the bells and spirits are beautiful. It is really a geomantic treasure land given by God.
Starting from the throne of Qin Shihuang, the Qin throne, a huge project began, that is, the construction of the imperial mausoleum at the northern foot of Lishan Mountain. It took 37 years for this project to be completed. Exactly in the 37th year, Qin Shihuang "scheduled" to die.
We can’t help but wonder, maybe Qin Shihuang had a premonition? No wonder, at such a young age, he couldn't wait to build his own underground palace as soon as he came on stage.
Da Qin deserves to be called Da Qin, and Ying Zheng deserves to be called the First Emperor. More than two thousand years later, his handiwork still amazes the world. According to the unearthed pits 1-4 of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, there are a total of more than 8,000 terracotta warriors and horses, with different expressions and full personalities. Some are strong and sturdy, some have thick eyebrows and big eyes, some are smiling, or some are reserved. They can be described as a thousand people. Thousands of faces, no one alike. The wrinkles on the forehead reflect age, and the expression represents a certain language. Such a vivid depiction of the ancient Chinese is both a precious historical material and a masterpiece.
What Qin Shihuang wanted was a real "underground combat force."
Pit No. 1 is the main force of mixed chariots and cavalry, Pit No. 2 is the mobile unit, Pit No. 3 is the headquarters, and Pit No. 4 has not yet been completed due to the peasant uprising of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang. Historian Mr. Yuan Zhongyi vividly divided the physical characteristics of the soldier figurines into three categories. Those with chubby cheeks were Qin soldiers born in Guanzhong, those with round faces and sharp jaws were soldiers born in Bashu, and those with high cheekbones and thick beards were soldiers from Long. Eastern soldiers.
These soldiers from different regions were the army after Qin unified the world. Among them, you can find people from the Six Kingdoms who were destroyed by Qin, as well as people from the northern nomads such as the Xiongnu.
These faces are rich and colorful, with large mustaches and sunken shapes under high cheekbones, special expressions with convergent cheeks and extended cheeks, and armored soldiers with long cheeks and raised eyes... these specific His face can be called a vivid gene pool after the Qin Empire completed its great cause of unification.
I think these faces should convey a lot of information to us. If we study them in depth, we will definitely find more unknown secrets. Those terracotta warriors and horses have strong physiques and powerful weapons. They often wear helmets and hair, short brown clothes, leggings, thin-soled shallow shoes, and tight shoelaces. They look high-spirited, resolute, brave, and full of self-confidence; they have a military posture. Uniform and uniform, they are an army of tigers and wolves who are absolutely obedient.
This is not only true for people, but also for horses. The shape of the majestic pottery horse is similar to the size of a real horse. It is well-made, strong and plump, and has a vivid expression.
Pit No. 1 is a rectangular military formation dominated by infantry, which is the main force of the Qin army. Those lightly-armed infantry figurines are mostly crossbowmen. They carry arrows on their backs and hold crossbows. They can alternately shoot at the enemy from a long distance at any time. However, due to their lack of protection ability, when the soldiers are in close contact, they quickly retreat to the center or evacuate to the two wings. The main force behind him made room. The second pit is mainly composed of chariots and cavalry, supplemented by infantry and crossbows. The mixed curved military formation is a mixed rapid armed force of multiple arms. Pit No. 3 is the headquarters for commanding the three armies. Pit 4 is an unbuilt arsenal.
Some military experts have analyzed and marveled that these large formations are within small formations, and large camps are within small camps. There are camps within camps, and formations within formations. Through organic cooperation, they form an ever-changing system that can be divided and combined. , an extremely powerful curved formation.
The huge layout and spectacular group portraits present a powerful deterrent.
If a worker wants to do his job well, he must first sharpen his tools. The great power of the Qin army has an important source of power-weapons. The weapons of the Qin army are quite exquisitely made, the most typical ones being the "Qin Crossbow" and the "Qin Arrow". The crossbows equipped by the Qin people have very large arrows, very long range, and great power.
Qin arrows are mostly triangular arrows (with three sharp edges). When they hit the target, the sharp edges of the edges form a cutting force, and the arrows can penetrate the armor and reach the human body.
"Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals" records: "Wule's work name." This means that the maker of the utensils must engrave his name on it. Qin's military industry management system is roughly divided into four levels, from Xiangbang, Engineer, Cheng, and then to each craftsman. Each level of responsibility is responsible. For any quality problem, the person responsible can be found through the name engraved on the weapon.
Numerous arsenals can produce high-quality weapons in large quantities according to unified standards. Qin's pyramid-style four-level management system is undoubtedly the fundamental guarantee.
The "twenty-level military merit system" built a huge empire
The Qin Empire had the best military commanders of the same period (such as Qin Shihuang), and had the best military commanders of the same period. The God of War (such as Meng Tian and Wang Jian) ??possesses the most advanced weapons and equipment of the same period, and has the most disciplined tiger and wolf divisions of the same period.
Qin Shihuang’s goal is very clear, "Everywhere the Qin army goes is our Qin territory, and its people are all our Qin people, without exception." In destroying the six kingdoms and fighting the Huns, , and in the second half of the victory over Baiyue, the Qin army even entered an invincible state of being invincible and invincible.
When the Qin people began to gain influence from the west, they were deeply influenced by the barbarian customs. Most of the people they ruled belonged to the barbarian tribes, so the people's customs were strong and fierce. Zhu Ji, a man from the Warring States Period, once said to the King of Wei: "The customs of Qin are the same as those of Rong and Di. They have the heart of tigers and wolves, are greedy and violent, love profit but have no faith, and do not know etiquette and virtue." "Huainanzi" also believes that the customs of Qin are He is "greedy, vicious, strong, keen on profit but lacking in benevolence, justice and morality".
Originally, the people of Qin had a tradition of practicing martial arts. In the middle of the Warring States Period, the emergence of Shang Yang strengthened this tradition to a certain extent.
The most important military achievement of Shang Yang's reform was the "twenty-level military merit system." That is to say, twenty levels of titles are established, and each level has a different name. The order from bottom to top is: Gongshi, Shangzao, Hairpinao, Bugeng, Dafu, Guandafu, Gongdafu, Gongcheng, Wudafu. , Zuo Shu Chang, You Shu Chang, Zuo Geng, Zhong Geng, Right Geng, Shaoshang Zao, Da Shang Zao, Si Chao Shu Chang, Da Shu Chang, Guannei Hou, Chehou.
The title is almost reflected by military merit. For example, if a soldier beheads an enemy, he or she will receive a reward of one level. If the army led by a military officer can complete the prescribed tasks, the military officer will be awarded a rank of nobility. According to regulations, the army can capture more than 8,000 enemy heads in siege and more than 2,000 enemy heads in field battles. Even if the number stipulated by the state is reached, generals and officials at all levels can be awarded a first-level knighthood...etc., the regulations are specific. , everyone knows that it is highly operable.
This incentive mechanism of using the enemy's head to claim credit will make all the Qin army keen on war. This kind of "target assessment" is very clear and practical, so every Qin soldier who goes to the battlefield will open his blood-red eyes and pounce on every enemy like bloodthirsty. Because theoretically, every soldier on the battlefield has the opportunity to accumulate merit from the first-level public servant to the twentieth-level Chehou.
In the Qin Empire, which was based on farming and war, title was an important symbol of a person's status and was closely linked to political status and economic status. If you want to live a good life, you can get one hectare of farmland and nine acres of homestead from the country for each additional level of title. If you want to honor your ancestors, you can also exchange for the corresponding official position according to the level. For example, if the title is the first-level sergeant, it can be an official of 50 stones. If the title is the second-level superior, it can be an official of 100 stones. If the title is a fifth-level doctor, he can be a county captain and be rewarded with 6 slaves, etc. Those with titles also have the right to make those without titles serve them as their "concubines". Each level of title can apply for a concubine from the country...
Not only that, there are more and more attractive desires. stimulation. For example, if you have committed a crime, asylum can also be provided. If they commit the same crime, those below the rank of official will be sentenced to four years, while those above are only sentenced to three years.
Those who commit crimes with titles above the first level will only be demoted, while those with titles below the first level will be deprived of their titles...Those who have made military exploits can still enjoy the respect of the world even if they die. The Qin Empire was known for its strict laws, and for all living beings, such "conversions" were very popular.
With the "twenty-level military merit system" as the backing, all the fame and wealth of the entire empire have been specifically quantified. Bai Qi, the Qin general and war god who rose from a small soldier to a general and was later named Wu'an Lord, is an excellent role model. His rise has become the biggest source of motivation for all Qin soldiers on the battlefield.
For an ordinary citizen, fame, fortune and wealth can all be gained on the battlefield, so why not fight to the death? For the Qin Empire, this is undoubtedly the best war mobilization order. Everyone is eager for war, how can it not win?
The military order is like a mountain, and we will march forward to the death; when the order is stopped, the troops advance with the sound of drums.
The "twenty-level knighthood" rule is very direct and clear. Whether you are awarded a knighthood depends entirely on how many heads you can retrieve from the enemy's neck after a battle. This is called "first rank". "Gong" (the head is the head). It is not difficult to understand why on the battlefield, when the Qin army saw the enemy, it would be like a hungry wolf seeing its prey. It would have green eyes and rush towards him screaming.
"Historical Records" even records that the Qin army killed each other in order to compete for the enemy's heads on the battlefield.
The Great Qin Empire was a huge chariot. Both the king and the people were tied to this high-speed chariot. War, to some extent, has become everything in the Qin Empire.