When a famous humanities master was translating and annotating "Zi Zhi Tong Jian", he had a small misunderstanding and exclaimed that a trap that could accommodate five thousand people was unimaginable. Even masters sometimes get confused.
The ancient Chinese were not very sensitive to numbers, especially historians and poets who were "liberal students". "Flying down three thousand feet" is not really three thousand feet; "even three or four" is not necessarily strictly 30% to 40%; "tens of people", "more than a thousand people"... I have done this more than once In this book, the story is more realistic than that of the historian (who makes me a rigorous science student), such as "the corpse is lying on the pillow for five hundred miles". Through calculation, it can be seen that this is also a "flying stream down three thousand feet" type of record.
Both "Zi Zhi Tong Jian" and "Ten Kingdoms Spring and Autumn" have records of this classic battle. We looked at the original text and found that the original text did not clearly state the number of traps. The original text said "a large bamboo pole was dug outside the city." If the historian They are "three thousand feet", "three or four", "several"... It's quite straightforward, but in this key place, the historian simply omits it, not mentioning one, nor how many there are. So this confused the humanities master and mistakenly thought it was "cutting a big hole".
In fact, if we look further back, the original text also records that "the hole was drilled from the trench to reach the axis of the machine." This can be used as indirect evidence to prove that there is not "one" big pit, but multiple holes, so it is necessary to "pierce the hole." "Da Zhen", like an armored chain horse, each large pit is connected by some kind of mechanical connecting shaft, which can be opened at the same time.
Xu Zhixin, the defeated general of Southern Chu, fled back in embarrassment and was beheaded by Ma Xiguang in public display.
The Southern Han Dynasty took advantage of the victory and attacked Zhaozhou (now Pingle County, Guangxi).
For a long time in the past, Nan Chu maintained a crushing advantage over the Southern Han Dynasty and frequently invaded and occupied the land of the Southern Han Dynasty. The Southern Han Dynasty was in an awkward situation. To the south was the sea and to the north were two powerful vassals - Huainan and Nanchu. Under the constant invasion of Huainan and Nanchu, the territory of the Southern Han Dynasty became the word "one", like a pitiful caterpillar, winding and narrow, lying obediently in the coastal areas of today's Guangdong and Guangxi, the northern part of Guangdong and Guangxi The area was divided between Huainan and Nanchu.
So when Liu Hongxi's proposal was rejected, the first question he asked was "Can Nanchu invade southward?" Afraid of being bullied. When the Ma brothers fell into internal fighting, the Southern Han Dynasty finally sensed an opportunity to turn around, and frequently made northern expeditions, constantly encroaching on the land of Southern Chu, and eventually occupied the entire Lingnan territory.
While Ma Xiguang was busy fighting the war in the south, Ma Xi'e once again paid tribute to the Later Han Dynasty, offering 1,500 taels of silverware, and still expressed his intention to create "two Chu states, one pool and one lake".
The Later Han Dynasty once again expressed its basic political position of "One Chu State" and once again made efforts to mediate. It advised Ma Xi'e to consider the brotherhood and the way of monarch and ministers, and stop trying to split the country. The "Lang independence elements" will definitely not It will end well.
A word to wake up the dreamer. That's right, what about dividing the country, declaring Langdu, and two Chu states... Why don't I just annex that thing in Tanzhou? Easy to solve, perfect!
Ma Xi'e gathered all the strong men in the territory, known as the "Jingjiang Army", and built 700 warships, preparing for a showdown with Tanzhou Ma Xiguang.
His wife Yuan Shi was quite virtuous and dissuaded her: "Brothers who kill each other will be laughed at by outsiders no matter whether they win or lose!"
"A woman's opinion!" Ma Xi'e was too lazy to explain to his wife, and insisted on going his own way, marching south.
After receiving the news that the Langzhou Corps was marching southward, Ma Xiguang cried again and said his classic saying:
"Langzhou, my brother, cannot fight with you. You should give way to the country."
Zhang Shaodi had long ago advised him to either give up his position as soon as possible or kill Ma Xihe while attending the funeral. But Ma Xiguang did not accept it, and now he shouted that he was willing to give up his position.
Regardless of whether he speaks from the bottom of his heart, Liu Yanxin, Li Honggao and other core leaders of the "support Guangdong faction" will not agree. Therefore, they appointed Wang Yun, the governor of Yuezhou, to take command, and Liu Yanxin personally served as the supervisor and went out to meet the enemy.
Wang Yun was the son of Wang Huan, the founding hero of Southern Chu. Together with Xu Dexun, Li Qiong and Qin Yanhui, he was known as the "Four Founding Generals". Together with Gao Yu and Tuoba Heng, he was also known as the "Six Founding Generals of Chu". Historical commentary said: "Qiong is brave, Yu is plotting, virtue and authority are known, Yanhui is determined with fruit, Huan is wise and courageous, and Heng is generous and straightforward. They are all talented generals and ministers of the generation."
On August 18, 949 AD, the two sides encountered each other on Pushezhou (now a small island in the Xiangshui River in Xiangshui, Changsha City). The tiger father had no dog sons. Wang Huan's son Wang Yun was possessed by the god of war. He was as wise and brave as his father. He defeated the Langzhou Corps in one fell swoop and captured 300 warships.
Ma Xihe fled in embarrassment, and Wang Yun pursued him. Ma Xi'e was about to be captured alive. At this most critical moment, Ma Xiguang sent people to rush over and delivered "Cantonese-style quotations":
"Don't hurt my brother!"
Wang Yun gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, so he could only pay attention to Ma Xi'e, whose life was hanging by a thread, and let the tiger go back to the mountain.
Ma Xi'e escaped, sitting in a small broken boat, and returned to Langzhou in despair. When Yuan saw the tragic situation of the defeated army, she couldn't help crying loudly, "A disaster is coming, I can't bear to see it with my own eyes!" Then he committed suicide by throwing himself into a well.
After achieving a temporary military victory, the Ma Xiguang Group continued to isolate Ma Xihe diplomatically, so they continued to pay tribute of gold and silver to the Later Han Dynasty, hoping that the Later Han Dynasty would adhere to the basic international political principle of "one Chu country".
At that time, General Guo Wei of the Later Han Dynasty had just put down the "Three Rebels in the West", and then extended his favor to the world, forcing Liu Chengyou to receive a large reward nationwide. Ma Xiguang of Nanchu was also awarded the title of Taiwei.
Ma Xizhan, the military governor of Guizhou Jingjiang Army, saw the intensification of the conflict between the two brothers and sent envoys several times to dissuade him, but neither brother accepted it. Ma Xizhan was so anxious that he cried bitterly, but it didn't help. When the civil war officially broke out and the Battle of Pushezhou began, Ma Xizhan believed that the demise of the Chu Kingdom was just around the corner. He was so worried and angry that he developed sores on his back, and then died of illness.
Medical issues touch on my knowledge blind spot. At that time, many people were so worried and angry that they would get sores on their backs and then die of the disease. I don’t know what kind of disease this is.
Ma Xizhan's death still did not awaken Ma Xi'e and Ma Xiguang, and the civil war in Southern Chu intensified.
In June 950 AD, Ma Xi'e made a comeback. He colluded with the barbarian tribes near Chenzhou, Chuzhou and Meishan to jointly attack Tanzhou.
Chenzhou, Chuzhou, and Meishan are all to the west of Tanzhou and are the junction of Nanchu and Nanzhao. They belong to the "Jizhou". In principle, they are Chinese territory, but in reality they are ethnic minority autonomous regions. They are the strategic buffer between the Central Plains and Nanzhao. zone. When the Central Plains was strong, this area was obedient and obedient. But once the Central Plains fell into chaos, they would harass the borders, and more often than not, they were used as mercenaries by the surrounding feudal lords.
