At the end of the Warring States Period, Li Mu was the only good general that Zhao relied on to prop up the crisis, and was known as "Li Mu died and Zhao died". In 229 BC, the prince of Zhao fell into the trap of Qin, listened to rumors and seized the relieving power of Li Mu, and soon killed Li Mu.
Li Mu was the most outstanding general of the six eastern countries at the end of the Warring States Period, and was deeply loved by the military and civilians, with high prestige. In a series of operations, he repeatedly struck without damage, showing superb military command art.
In particular, the battle of Zhao against Xiongnu and the battle of Fat, the former is a typical example of a large infantry regiment destroying a large cavalry regiment in the history of China War, and the latter is an example of panic. His innocent murder made Zhao self-destruct the Great Wall and made all future generations lament.
Extended data:
In 229 BC, due to years of wars, earthquakes in the north and widespread famine, Zhao's national strength was quite weak. Ying Zheng, king of Qin, took the opportunity to send general Wang Jian to personally lead the main force south to Jingxing, and Yang Duanhe led the ranks in Hanoi, leading hundreds of thousands of troops into Handan, the capital of Zhao. The Prince of Zhao appointed Li Mu as the general, Sima Shang as the lieutenant, and devoted all his forces to resisting Qin Jun's invasion.
Wang Jian knew that Li Mu could not be defeated and Qin Jun could not win quickly on the battlefield, so he let the king of Qin do the same trick again, sent spies into Handan, the capital of Zhao, bought the prince of Zhao who framed Lian Po, and let him spread rumors that Li Mu was colluding with Sima Shang and was ready to betray Zhao.
Hearing these rumors, Zhao, at a loss, immediately appointed imperial clan and Yanju, who had been defected by Qi people, to replace Li Mu and Sima Shang. Li Mu, who has always adhered to the principle of "being away from home, but his life will not be affected" and attached great importance to the right of independent action, did not serve the country, the army or the people after receiving this order. The prince of Zhao secretly set a trap to catch Li Mu and kill him, while Sima Shang was abandoned.
It took only three months for Zhao to wage war and kill innocent and loyal soldiers. In 228 BC, Wang Jian took the opportunity to attack, defeated Zhao and pacified Dongyang. Zhao Cong died and Yanju escaped. After Qin Jun captured Handan, Zhao moved to Yanzhou. Jia, the son of Zhao, escaped and was called Wang. In 222 BC, the Qin Dynasty perished, his son Jia was captured, and Zhao finally perished.