▁the ▁size ▁of ▁their ▁forces ▁at ▁Ch ang ping , ▁with ▁the ▁Z ha o ▁number ing ▁ 4 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁the ▁Q in ▁number ing ▁ 5 5 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁Unable ▁to ▁break ▁the ▁st alem ate , ▁Q in ▁began ▁using ▁sp ies ▁station ed ▁within ▁Z ha o ▁to ▁spread ▁rum ours ▁about ▁L ian ▁Po ▁being ▁old , ▁cow ard ly ▁and ▁in comp et ent . ▁ ▁King ▁X ia och eng ▁believed ▁the ▁rum ours , ▁and ▁decided ▁to ▁dismiss ▁L ian ▁Po ▁and ▁replace ▁him ▁with ▁Z ha o ▁Ku o ▁( <0xE8> <0xB6> <0x99> <0xE6> <0x8B> <0xAC> ), ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁the ▁late ▁Z ha o ▁She , ▁despite ▁ob jections ▁from ▁ch an cell or ▁Lin ▁X i ang ru ▁and ▁Z ha o ▁Ku o ' s ▁own ▁mother . ▁ ▁Z ha o ▁Ku o , ▁an ▁ar rog ant ▁young ▁man ▁with ▁great ▁philosoph ical ▁knowledge ▁of ▁military ▁strateg ies ▁but ▁no ▁real ▁combat ▁experience , ▁immediately ▁revers ed ▁all ▁of ▁L ian ▁Po ' s ▁strateg ic ▁arrang ements ▁upon ▁arriv ing ▁at ▁the ▁front line . ▁ ▁He ▁led ▁the ▁Z ha o ▁army ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁protection ▁of ▁L ian ▁Po ' s ▁def ensive ▁structures , ▁and ▁sought ▁to ▁act ively ▁eng age ▁Q in ▁in ▁pitch ed ▁batt les . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁King ▁Z ha ox i ang ▁of ▁Q in ▁secret