The Qin Empire, Book Three: Golden Spears and Iron Horses, Part Two

Qin appointed Fan Ju as chancellor and pursued a strategy of befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones. Under Bai Qi's command, Qin won a decisive victory at the Battle of Changping. The Six States began to decline, and Qin established its dominance. As Qin's armies advanced east, the Son of Heaven of Zhou and his court in Luoyang greeted them in a panic. At the Battle of Yiyang, the hundred-man commander Bai Qi first made his mark. King Wu of Qin marched on Luoyang, where he died suddenly while attempting to lift a massive cauldron. Bai Qi then led a small, isolated force on a perilous journey into Yan to bring back Prince Ying Ji, who had been held hostage. He forged an alliance with generals and soldiers including Gan Mao and Wei Ran, and together they crushed Prince Ying Li's coup attempt. They enthroned Ying Ji, who became known to history as King Zhao of Qin.

Ying Ji's mother, Queen Dowager Xuan, restored order and purged the court of turmoil. She appointed her kinsman Wei Ran as chancellor and personally took charge of the government to stabilize Qin. King Min of Qi sought to dominate the realm and urged the Six States east of the mountains to destroy Qin. At this critical moment, Queen Dowager Xuan appointed Bai Qi as general. He fought across the Central Plains and routed the allied forces of the Six States. He then waged successive campaigns against Wei and Han and launched a surprise attack on Chu, making Qin the preeminent power of the Warring States era. Meanwhile, Yan secretly formed an alliance with five other states and launched a massive invasion of Qi. Tian Dan held out against Yan at Jimo for six years, then used the Fire Ox Formation to smash the Yan army…