Battle of Changping - Aftermath

Aftermath

Bai Qi ordered the captured soldiers to be executed, presumably by being buried alive; the local population was hostile to Qin rule and he was afraid the captured soldiers would revolt. 240 of the youngest soldiers were released to spread terror in Zhao. Sima Qian claimed over 450,000 Zhao soldiers were killed during and after the battle. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang later built a temple over a collection of some of the human remains, and bones continue to be discovered on the site.

Prior to the campaign, Zhao was one of the most powerful of the Warring States. The campaign addressed the immediate Qin threat as three years of war had financially and domestically exhausted both states. However, Zhao never recovered from the defeat, which allowed Qin to gain military dominance over the other states. In 230 BC, Qin would use this dominance to unify China.