Bai Qi Bái Qǐ , also known as Bo Qi , ( ; died 257 BC ) was a military general of the State of Qin during the Warring States period of Chinese history . Born in Mei ( now Mei County in Shaanxi Province ) , as commander of the Qin army for more than 30 years , Bai Qi was responsible for the deaths of a total over 890 , 000 enemy soldiers , earning him the nickname " Ren Tu " ( 人屠 " human butcher " ) . He seized more than 73 cities from the other six Warring States in the Warring States Period and to date no record has been found to show that he suffered a single defeat throughout his military career . Career . He was promoted from Zuo Shu Zhang to Da Liang Zao by King Zhaoxiang of Qin . He had commanded wars against the states of Han , Wei , Zhao and Chu , seizing large areas of territory . In 278 BC , he led the Qin army to capture Ying , the capital city of Chu . As a reward , he was given the title Lord Wu ' an ( 武安君 , literally : " lord of martial peace " ) . During the Battle of Changping in 260 BC , he succeeded Wang He as the commander of Qin army , and soon defeated the Zhao army commanded by Zhao Kuo . The Zhao army was split into two parts and its supply lines and retreat route cut off by Bai Qi . More than 400 , 000 Zhao soldiers , including the Shangdang people who surrendered after Zhao Kuo was shot dead by Qin archers , were slain on the orders of Bai Qi . Bai Qi wanted to end Zhao once and for all , as the Zhao troops were psychologically affected by the Battle of Changping . But the prime minister of Qin , Fan Sui , who was persuaded by a talker from Zhao , feared Bai Qi ' s rising power , and recommended the king to stop the attack on pretext that the Qin troops ought to be rested and to accept a ceded territory negotiation . Bai Qi hence stopped the attack and on his return journey to the State of Qin , he fell ill . In 257 BC , Qin started to besiege Handan , capital of Zhao . Because Bai Qi was ill the Qin king had used another prominent general , Wang Ling ( 王陵 ) who subsequently lost the battle . After about four months , when Bai Qi seemed to have recovered , the king asked Bai Qi to return to his post as commander . But Bai Qi held a different opinion , he argued that Qin had no longer enough resources on such long - range war , and the other states would soon attack Qin since Qin had been contrary to the negotiation . However , the king insisted on continuing the attack . Bai Qi refused the command of the king with an excuse of his illness . The king , therefore , had to use Wang He ( 王齕 ) , another prominent general of Qin , instead of Bai Qi , as the commander . This decision did not help the Qin army in the battle at all . Chu and Wei soon sent troops to assist Zhao . After more than five months of continuous defeat at Handan , Qin had suffered major losses . The king asked Bai Qi to become commander again . Bai Qi once more used that he was sick to refuse the request . In Zhan Guo Ce , his true intentions was revealed when he states that he would rather be executed by refusing the King ' s order , rather than losing his long undefeated fame on the battlefield . Having been refused several times , the King become angry , removed all titles from Bai Qi and forced him to leave Xianyang , the capital of Qin . In addition , Fan Sui , persuaded the King of Qin that Bai Qi would join another state as a general and become a threat to the State of Qin . Convinced by Fan Sui ' s information , the King of Qin then forced Bai Qi to commit suicide in Duyou ( 杜邮 ) . Popular culture . Bai Qi is noted in Chinese history as a symbol of brutality rather than for his military talent . The traditional Tofu dish of Gaoping , today ' s Changping , called Bai Qi meat is well known . Some stories have been written about Bai Qi suffering for his brutal actions . Bai Qi is one of the 32 historical figures who appear as special characters in the video game " Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI " by Koei . He has the highest military leadership statistics of all the characters .