Chapter 1005 That’s all
Chapter 1005 That’s all
Zhao Shi spoke passionately about traveling hundreds of miles to provide assistance, but he was just talking.
In fact, he just walked a few miles and set up a camp on the road, that's all.
However, the location of the county city of Rile is indeed very critical. It is one of the two major nodes of the Hexi Corridor together with Shandan (now Shandan). Stationing troops here can effectively block reinforcements from the six counties of Zhangye, Jiuquan, Dunhuang, Jinchang, Xihai and Gaochang.
The terrain is like this. Unless you cross the desert, you can't avoid Xijun.
This is actually a major flaw in Liangzhou's terrain.
The corridor was too narrow, and the counties were lined up in a row. When the enemy attacked from the west, it was still okay as they could fight back step by step. But if they came from the north and south, they would be easily cut off, making it difficult to operate efficiently, and they would not be able to fully mobilize their forces, so they had to fight on their own.
Not to mention, the Qilian Mountains also divide Liangzhou into two parts. When the political center is set up in the north of the Ling Mountains, the south of the Ling Mountains naturally has a centrifugal tendency. It would be better to set up a new state and live separately.
To the east of Xijun is Wuxing County, which is experiencing a brief period of chaos.
Yanzhi Chang Ji Yan suddenly took action, imprisoned the prefect Song Xiu, and sent a letter to all counties, asking them to submit to Daliang.
The other seven counties had different reactions. Some rebelled directly, some waited and watched, and some cursed but did nothing.
In the end, there were less than a thousand cavalrymen heading east, and they were intercepted by troops from the powerful Liangzhou families Beigong and Jia. Only dozens of people escaped into Guzang City in a panic.
Zhang Jun had recently been disturbed by the defeats of Dong Guang and Song Ji. He was furious when he heard the news and ordered the execution of the entire family of generals Jia Qian and Xin Tao to warn those who had evil intentions.
When more than a hundred heads of the Jia and Xin families were hung on various city gates, the defenders were certainly intimidated, but their morale also plummeted because they knew that too many people outside the city had launched a rebellion.
As expected, rumors began to spread in the city and people became panic-stricken.
On April 22, smoke and dust filled the sky and a large army gathered at the northern foot of the Qilian Mountains, southeast of Guzang.
The miscellaneous Hu soldiers who were fighting outside the city fled one after another, and then looked at this army with fear.
The core was the 5,000 Hun cavalry of the Jin tribe. After the fall of Liu Han, Jin Zhun integrated the remnants of the Jin, Qiao, Huyan, and Tuge tribes to form the new Jin tribe.
In addition, there were Tuge (descendants of Jin Midi) from various counties in Guanzhong, Lushui Hu from Anding, Di Qiang, and Xianbei, with a total army of 30,000 cavalry.
After crossing the Yellow River, the Lushui Hu and Xianbei tribes in Wuwei came to surrender together. A mighty force of two or three thousand cavalrymen, all under the command of Jin Zhun, drove cattle and sheep, rushed westward, rushed to the southeast of Guzang, successively conquered Cangsong and Yici counties, and completely removed the eastern barrier of Guzang.
Afterwards, Brigadier General Jin divided his troops into two.
The miscellaneous Hu cavalry gathered along the way besieged Guzang City, killed the messengers and cut off external aid.
The Guanzhong Hu cavalry that followed him marched southward in large numbers and attacked the flank and rear of Hongchiling.
That afternoon, he climbed a mountain to overlook the battlefield so that he could better mobilize his army.
At this time, the sound of killing coming from the south resounded throughout the valley.
A large flag with the word "Gold" was flying high, and several infantry and cavalry armies were lined up in the wide river valley.
A rough count showed that there were almost 20,000 people.
If nothing unexpected happens, they will be regular units such as the Left and Right Jinwu Guards, the Left and Right Yulin Guards, the Right Cavalry Guards and even the Heiliang Right Camp.
Jin Zhun found a large bluestone and prepared to sit down and watch the battle.
Dou Yuzhen, the commander of Huangbaicheng, was very perceptive. He wiped the stone with his sleeve and invited Jin Zhun to take a seat.
For some reason, he was not afraid of the emperor and was even a little jealous that he spent the night with the Khatun. But when he saw Jin Zhun, he felt as if he was facing a poisonous snake.
It’s really evil!
Liang Aguang, Lu Songduo and Jin Yu were also watching the fight.
Among the group of Hu people, there was another person who was quite conspicuous, that was the Yinmi Town General Yang Dan.
Most of the soldiers under his command were Di Qiang and Xiongnu, with some from the Yang clan. The entire army, numbering two to three thousand people, followed him.
Unlike others, he was not afraid of Jin Zhun.
Jin Zhun didn't want to talk much with this guy because Yang Dan was quite crazy.
Jin Zhun even suspected that he was sick, and there was no need for a normal person like him to bother with a madman.
"Du Jin's attack is very fierce." Yang Dan's mouth curled up slightly, not sure whether it was admiration or sarcasm, perhaps the former.
People like Jin Zheng have already formed their own faction in the court.
In the Zhenxi General's Mansion in Chang'an, there were dozens of staff members from Guandong and Guanxi, and hundreds of guests from the Jin family. I also had a wide range of friends in the army, and I also knew many poor scholars...
In the past, people always said that someone depended on someone else, but now Kim Jong-un is the towering tree that people can depend on.
Aren't all the people present, including Jin Zhun, under his control on a daily basis?
Therefore, Jin Zhun did not just sit there and watch. He sent his top general Ping Xian to lead 3,000 elite cavalry, pass by the Liangzhou military camp, cross the mountain and rush into Lingnan, preparing to attack the enemy troops from the front and back with the southern army.
The battle has been going on for a while.
What is surprising is that the Liangzhou soldiers are still holding on and have not shown any signs of defeat.
Under the big banner with the word "Gold", command flags were constantly raised and messengers were running back and forth.
The soldiers of the Left and Right Jinwu Guards rushed forward like waves, but the soldiers of Liangzhou stood still.
The Right Cavalry Guards charged quickly to cover the retreat of the palace soldiers.
After the Left and Right Jinwu Guards reorganized themselves, they launched a second charge, but the enemy formation remained as strong as before.
The cavalry of the Pingxian army arrived at the right time and launched an attack from the side and rear. Arrows rained down like rain. The Liangzhou army formation finally began to waver.
The left and right Jinwu Guards took the opportunity to suppress the attack and launched the third and most likely final charge.
Under the banner of Jinzheng, several more command flags were raised.
The left and right Yulin Guards also joined the battle.
The left and right Jinwu Guards were in the center, the left and right Yulin Guards came out from both wings, and the Heiliang Right Camp was in the back to provide support.
It was not known whether they were Xin Yan's troops or some other powerful family's private soldiers, but they galloped wildly on horseback and engaged in a fierce battle with the cavalry of the Liangzhou Army.
For a time, the battlefield was filled with the sound of killing, and countless men were furious, sacrificing their lives wantonly in this remote and desolate valley.
Jin Zhun's second cavalry unit joined the battlefield.
General Jin Ming of Caobi Town seized the opportunity and led 3,000 cavalrymen to rush into the battlefield. They poured in from a gap in the Liangzhou army and then tried their best to squeeze in, constantly expanding the gap and creating chaos. In an instant, they had thrown the enemy's rear formation into chaos.
Under such a siege, the Liangzhou army finally could not hold on any longer. The two large formations in the rear were the first to collapse, followed by the most elite front army formation. A total of 9,000 people were defeated and fled in all directions.
"Dong Guang lost." Jin Zhun stood up and watched silently.
"It is said that the horses of Liangzhou are the best in the world, but that is a bit exaggerated." Yang Dan said, "I think the infantry of Liangzhou are more resistant to hard fighting. They were beaten three times by the left and right Jinwu Guards before they collapsed."
"The Jinwu Guards have never fought against the Liangzhou Army before." Lu Songduo shook his head and said, "When did the Central Plains have so many spear throwers? When charging, the short spears whistled and pierced through the iron armor. You haven't seen this before? There are no such soldiers in Lingnan, only in Wuwei, Dunhuang, Jiuquan and other counties. Big shields taller than people, whistling spears, strong bows and big horses, this is Zhang Jun's old foundation. It was destroyed in one battle. What a pity."
While they were talking, the remaining soldiers from Liangzhou on the battlefield had been divided and surrounded, with groups of them dropping their weapons and kneeling on the ground.
The two armies of Dong Guang and Song Yi, which represented the strongest military force in Hexi, were destroyed.
The Left and Right Yulin Guards were the first to rush to Hongchiling. The more than a thousand enemy troops left in the camp had no fighting spirit and surrendered.
It didn't take long before someone presented the heads of Dong Guang and Song Yi, and the war was settled.
"Let's go to Guzang." Jin Zhun stopped looking and stood up and gave the order.
On the night of the 23rd, Jin Zhun's large banner appeared outside Guzang City.
During the day on the 24th, the Right Cavalry Guard, acting as the vanguard, also arrived outside the city.
The soldiers carried the heads of Dong Guang and Song Yi on spears and walked in a circle outside the city.
On the 25th, more than 6,000 prisoners were taken outside the city, and their cries and wails shook the sky.
Gu Zang was greatly frightened.
******
After more than ten days of trekking, Yin Dan, the governor of Liangzhou, finally arrived in Chang'an.
Shao Xun had been staying here for many days and was about to set out on a journey westward. When he heard that the envoy from Liangzhou had arrived, he met him by the pond in Luziyuan.
Yin Dan sat on the Hu bed with great respect, and said eloquently: "I have heard that those who govern the world should stabilize the frontiers and bring the distant lands into harmony; those who are loyal should support the royal family and be ranked among the nobles."
"Since the Yongjia period, the Central Plains has been in chaos. Zhang Xiping was a man of integrity and righteousness, and he had great virtues and talents. He used the Helong area, which was a great pillar of the country, to employ virtuous people, to govern the people, to remove the most ruthless people, and to comfort our troops. As a result, the scoundrels and bandits fled. This achievement can be praised by the sun and the moon, and can be praised--"
"Zhang Xiping has made contributions in defending one place." Shao Xun played with the white jade wine glass in his hand and asked, "But what are Zhang Jun's contributions?"
A pair of white and tender hands took the wine glass and poured him some wine.
After doing all this, Jin Yuehua sat quietly beside Shao Xun.
Jin Yuehui sat on the other side, lowering her head shyly.
The girl was not very old, but she was not short. When she knelt there straight, her breasts were prominent, her slender waist was gripped, and her originally flat and tender belly was slightly bulging, which slightly destroyed the beauty, but also washed away the immaturity and naivety on the girl's face, adding a bit of maturity to her charm.
Shao Xun really enjoyed watering this new, tender and tight bud.
Yin Dan did not dare to look at the two sisters for too long. After hearing Shao Xun's question, he continued, "My master is a trustworthy person in the family. He protects the desert and keeps the peace. He inherits the spirit of his father and grandfather and pacifies Hexi. When he works diligently, he is always afraid of failure. When he works diligently, he is often afraid of being immoral. The twelve counties and three camps in Liangzhou have become more civilized and the people are happy. This is the merit of protecting the territory and the people."
"Since you have made great contributions, why don't you change your flag and serve as an official in the court?" Shao Xun asked in return.
"As a minister guarding the screen, I dare not leave easily." Yin Dan replied.
"In the final analysis, I still can't let it go." Shao Xun sneered, "I have already arrived in Chang'an and sent out 500,000 soldiers. How can I retreat because of your words? I am not in a hurry. My men have already captured Jincheng and are approaching Hongchi. Jin Zhun has defeated Song Ji and is shaking the desert. The loyal men in the twelve counties and three camps are all trying to extricate themselves; the lost ones are all in panic. Why should I be in a hurry? If Zhang Jun is not in a hurry, just stay in the city, and I will be able to see him within a month."
Yin Dan listened and remained silent.
"Loulan beauty, I accept it." Shao Xun said, "But I like Liangzhou warriors more. If Zhang Jun knew the opportunity, he would surrender now. It is his credit to preserve the vitality of Liangzhou, and he is still a rich man. If he resists stubbornly, it will be a serious crime. Haven't you heard of the punishment of the axe? That's all. In this world, there is no one who is worthy of my condescending and repeatedly begging for mercy. The opportunity has been given, who can I blame if I can't seize it?"
After saying this, he waved his hand and signaled the messenger to leave.
Yin Dan had no choice but to bow and leave.
Emperor Liang’s words were very clear.
He took Liangzhou and surrendered, and his whole family was safe.
He resisted stubbornly to the end, but you can't blame him for not keeping his word.
After returning to the inn, Yin Dan thought about it and was worried about missing the opportunity, so he immediately wrote a letter and asked someone to send it back by express horse.
Jingzhao prefect Zheng Shida was ordered to select fifty riders to escort the letter along the way to ensure that it was delivered to Wuwei city safely and quickly.
(End of this chapter)