Hexi, also known as the "Hexi Corridor", is located east of the Western Region, west of the Yellow River, north of the Qilian Mountains and between the Badain Jaran Desert. It is a narrow strip running from northwest to southeast. Because it is located to the west of the Yellow River and shaped like a long and narrow corridor, it is named Hexi Corridor. The Hexi Corridor is about 2,000 miles long from east to west, nearly 400 miles at its widest point from north to south, and only 40-50 miles at its narrowest point.
Since ancient times, the Hexi Corridor has been an important transportation route connecting the Central Plains and the Western Regions. In the second year of Yuan Shou, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Huo Qubing defeated the Huns in one fell swoop and established the four counties of Jiuquan, Wuwei, Zhangye and Dunhuang, which were known as the "Four Hexi Counties" in history. The Han Dynasty controlled and operated the Hexi Corridor through national policies such as "immigration to the border area" and "immigrant settlement".
From then on, Hexi was under the rule of the Central Plains Dynasty until the Northern Song Dynasty...
At the beginning of the Northern Song Dynasty, Xixia rose, and the Hexi Corridor was ruled by Dangxiang Qiang. In the first year of Baoyuan of the Northern Song Dynasty (1038), Li Yuanhao established the Xixia Dynasty, with its capital at Xingqing Prefecture (later changed to Zhongxing Prefecture) at the foot of Helan Mountain. Liangfu, Ganzhou, Suzhou, Guazhou and Shazhou. After the Mongol army invaded, Hexi was under the rule of Mongolia again.
Xiliang Mansion, also known as Liangzhou, enjoys the title of "the strategic center of the world and the national vassal guard". During the Sixteen Kingdoms period of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Qianliang, Houliang, Southern Liang and Northern Liang were established here. The capital of Great Liang in the early Tang Dynasty was established here. It has been governed by counties, states and prefectures. Li Yuanhao founded the Xixia state, and Xiliang Mansion became the rear area of Xixia. It was the center of politics, economy, industry, agriculture, commerce, and transportation, and was also the retreat place of Xixia.
To the west of the Yellow River, on the official road leading to Xiliang Mansion, there are rotting corpses everywhere. Wild dogs and wild beasts wander among the corpses. The buzzing of flies is constant, and the stench is unpleasant and nauseating.
The fertile fields on both sides of the official road are overgrown with weeds, half as high as a man. Bodies, swords, guns, and arrows were scattered among them. The Mongolian army burned, killed, and looted. The place was in ruins, and the devastation of war was everywhere. The blood and tears of countless orphans and widows were everywhere.
The sound of "swish" was endless, crossbow arrows whizzed towards them, and a dozen wild dogs and beasts fell down wailing. The rest dispersed in a crowd, running around and hiding in the waist-high sage grass.
Two Song army scouts came on horseback. Hundreds of dragon and tiger riders came with strong bodies. Their quivers were full. They stood on horseback and looked at the tall city wall of Liangzhou City in the distance.
Hexi is a hundred miles uninhabited, wild animals are rampant, and the situation is unknown. 200 people from the Song Army's former scout camp were forced to travel together.
"It's finally here!"
Fan Jianliang looked at the surrounding scene and shouted strangely.
After returning from Xixia Lingzhou, he enthusiastically recommended himself and joined the ranks of the Hexi army.
It is also sad to say that Fan Jianliang's family of four brothers, plus his parents, grandparents, nephews and nieces, basically rely on Fan Jianliang, an officer in the martial arts hall, to support himself. The reason why I went to Hexi was to make more military exploits, get more rewards from land grants, and let my family live a good life.
"I heard that Liangzhou is a fertile land. How could it be like this? Even Jiangli County is a hundred times better than this!"
Liu Hong's eyes widened and he shook his head repeatedly.
Like Fan Jianliang, he was a graduate of the first phase of Jinling Lecture Hall. He was fortunate enough to participate in the Lingzhou City Battle, and then volunteered to join the ranks of the Hexi Army.
"What's weird? It's fine even if you don't spread salt on the ground!"
Yang Da was expressionless and snorted coldly.
Because he reinforced Xixia Lingzhou and encouraged troops to attack the Mongolian camp, he and Huang Xi and other generals had no credit. Even the chief general Cao Youwan continued to serve as deputy capital commander. Compared with Zhang Zhongxia who was promoted from deputy general to commander, and deputy commander Wu Feng who was promoted to commander, one can imagine the frustration in Yang Daquan's heart.
In Hexi, what I have seen and heard in the past year and more is that besides killing, there is still killing when it comes to the Mongolian army.
"General, what should we do with such a rotten place? It's a waste of effort, a waste of people and money. It's not done!"
Liu Hong shook his head repeatedly with disgust on his face.
"Do you want to be the emperor? Just execute the military orders! If you keep talking nonsense, go back to Lizhou West Road!"
Yang Daquan scolded Liu Hong and he quickly shut up, not daring to say anything again.
The use of troops in Hexi was the emperor's personal decree. Who dares to make a mistake? He just said it casually.
"General, you said that our army has arrived. Will the gates of Liangzhou City be opened and the people are eating pots of pulp to welcome our army into the city?"
Fan Jianliang looked at the vast sky around him and said proudly.
"I'm going to offer you two beauties and a number of slaves. I'll give you a beating on your legs and shoulders. I'll give you big fish and meat. What do you think?"
Yang Daquan glanced at his subordinates angrily.
"It's getting late, go grab two tongues and find out what's going on in Liangzhou City!"
As a scout battalion officer of the former army, he could not let the army have a dark look and not even know the military situation in Liangzhou City.
"That's perfect!"
Fan Jianliang laughed loudly and shouted:
"Brothers, be careful! Remember, don't disturb the people, Qiu has done nothing wrong!"
All the cavalry took orders one after another and followed Fan Jianliang and Liu Hong to beat their horses away.
"This guy loves money as much as his life. He doesn't look like a graduate of a martial arts hall!"
Looking at Fan Jianliang's back as he rode away, Yang Daquan shook his head helplessly and frowned tightly.
Why did the famous Xiliang Mansion become so dilapidated?
The closer we get to Liangzhou City, the more dilapidated villages there are. Without exception, there are broken walls and corpses everywhere. The soldiers are filled with righteous indignation. Suddenly, Fan Jianliang reined in his horse, drew his bow and arrow, aimed at the grass beside the official road, and shouted angrily.
"Whoever comes out quickly, or I will shoot!"
"No, no, no, military master, don't fire arrows!"
The knights of the Song Army loaded their crossbows with arrows and were ready to go. Several beggars with unkempt hair and ragged clothes ran out shivering from the grass.
"There are clearly a few people left, why haven't they come out yet?"
Fan Jianliang's arrow was aimed at an old man with a sallow complexion and thin muscles in the lead.
"General, those are the old man's daughter and daughter-in-law. They have never seen the world and dare not meet strangers."
The unkempt old man had an apologetic smile on his face and never called the women at home to come out.
"Old man, who are you, and why are you hiding in the grass? Aren't you afraid of being eaten by wild beasts?"
Liu Hong came up and asked pleasantly.
"General, who are you? Are you not an officer?"
The old man asked Fan Jianliang in confusion.
"Am I asking you, or are you asking me? Tell me quickly!"
Fan Jianliang's eyes widened, and the bowstring made a "squeaking" sound.
"Master Jun, please don't! The old man's surname is Li. He is from Lijiazhuang outside Xiliang Prefecture. His home is right next to this official road!"
Old Li pointed at the ruined village, nodded and bowed.
"Didn't the Tatar army retreat? Why are you still hiding?"
Fan Jianliang put away his bow and arrows and asked on his horse.
"The Tatars have withdrawn their troops?"
Old Man Li was taken aback, looked at his son next to him, and turned around with an apologetic smile on his face.
"The Tatars retreated. How did the general know about it?"
The Tatar cavalry came and went like the wind, and large armies and small groups came and went. Who knows what the situation will be like?
"Genghis Khan is dead and the Tatar army has retreated. Do you want me to explain it more clearly?"
Fan Jianliang hung his bow back on his horse.
"...Genghis Khan...is dead?"
The shock on the faces of Old Man Li and his son was even worse, and their voices trembled.
"Yes, Genghis Khan is dead, and the Tatar army has withdrawn! Why, don't you know?"
Liu Hong looked at Old Man Li and others, and shook his head secretly.
When the Mongolian army conquered Xixia, what had happened to these people? They had been exposed to the cold and the heat for a long time, and they had become like this, neither human nor ghosts.
"General, you are the officers and soldiers of the imperial court? Is Zhongxing Mansion still there?"
"Old man, we are the officers and soldiers of the Song Dynasty. We came here from Lanzhou to capture Liangzhou City. Zhongxing Mansion is still there, and Lingzhou City is also there. With our officers and soldiers of the Song Dynasty, we can't lose it!"
Fan Jianliang on the side shouted loudly on the horse.
"Song Jun? Are you telling the truth?"
Old Man Li's eyes widened with disbelief.
Can anyone defeat the ferocious Tatar cavalry?
"Why, can't I, the Song Dynasty border army, do it?"
Fan Jianliang's eyes widened and he was very dissatisfied.
"Believe it! Believe it! These robbers, damn them, they will have this day too! Bah!"
Old Man Li's son smiled at first, then said viciously, and spit on the ground.
"Second brother, don't talk nonsense!"
Old man Li quickly scolded his son, turned around, and was respectful again.
"General, are you the official army of the Song Dynasty, not the Han army of the Tatar army?"
It seems that he still does not believe that the Song army can defeat the Tatar cavalry.
"Old man, please stop guessing. We are indeed the official army of the Song Dynasty. I, the Emperor of the Song Dynasty, married a princess of the Great Xia Dynasty. We are the ones who help defend Lingzhou City and Zhongxing Mansion. We came to Hexi to drive away the Tatar army. , helping Emperor Xia manage this place!"
Liu Hong had a quick mind and immediately came up with a lot of clichés.
He was more than one level ahead of Fan Jianliang in grasping the emperor's military intentions.
Anyway, sooner or later, the land west of Hexi, including the entire Xixia, and the Western Regions, would become the territory of the Song Dynasty.
"That's it! Don't worry, everyone, our Song Dynasty official army is different from the Tatar army. We are here to make you live a good life!"
Fan Jianliang reacted and quickly explained loudly.
Although these people are Xixia people, they are actually Han people who will govern the place in the future and have to appease them.
"It turns out that Emperor Song and Emperor Xia are one family, that's great!"
Old Man Li nodded repeatedly, and the smile on his face finally became sincere.
"General, if you want to attack Xiliang Mansion, you must be careful. There are hundreds of Mongolian troops in the city, but they are very brutal!"
Old Man Li's words refreshed Fan Jianliang's spirits.
"Old man, please tell me carefully what you know!"
It turned out that the Mongolian army had withdrawn and Hexi was in ruins, so I searched for things. Only now did I know that there were still Mongolian troops guarding it.
"General, there are Mongolian troops not only in Liangzhou, but also in Suzhou and Ganzhou, but their numbers are not large."
Old man Li and his son told them everything they knew, and then Fan Jianliang understood the general outline of Liangzhou City.
There are probably more than a thousand Mongolian cavalry in Liangzhou City, and Suzhou is estimated to have about the same number. Shazhou and Ganzhou have been destroyed. They were massacred by the Mongolian army. There should be no garrison left.
"General, the guard of Liangzhou City is called Ouzhahui. Generations of his family have been officials. His grandfather was Odaochong, the Prime Minister of Great Xia. The Tatar army arrived at Xiliang Mansion, and Ouzhahui opened the door. After the city surrendered, he continued to serve as his city garrison. The eight thousand garrison soldiers in the city all went with the Tatar army to attack Lingzhou and Zhongxing Prefecture. In addition to about three thousand garrison soldiers, there were also more than a thousand Tatar cavalry in the city. , ferocious. You must be careful!"
Probably because he felt that Liu Hong and Fan Jianliang were nice people, so they called them "old father-in-law". Old Man Li took the trouble to remind Liu Hong and others.
"Don't worry, father-in-law! We have fought against the Tatar army in Lingzhou City. Others are afraid of him, but we are not afraid!"
Liu Hong was calm and composed, laughing.
"General, you are brave! General, you still have to be careful!"
Old Man Li was secretly shocked. It seems that these Song soldiers are all desperadoes who are not afraid of death.
"My husband, this house is in such a state of ruin. How can we live in it? When winter comes, we will freeze to death!"
Liu Hong was soft-hearted and couldn't bear to look at the charred rubble in the wormwood pile.
Can people live in this fox hill, dog cave and pile of rubble?
"General, get used to it! We always dig holes in the ground, with traps around them. Sometimes we can hunt two wild dogs and fight tooth festivals."
Old Man Li's words made Liu Hong and Fan Jianliang face each other, feeling uncomfortable in their hearts.
This shitty world has forced the people to become like wild beasts, living in caves, which is sad.
"Brothers, take out all the dry food you have!"
Liu Hong greeted the scouts around him. Everyone took out all the dry food and gathered in a pile.
"Old Zhang, you have too much Bodhisattva heart."
Fan Jianliang whispered in Liu Hong's ear and took out all his dry food.
"Officers who come from the Jinling Martial Arts Hall will never lose the face of the General Office."
Liu Hong said softly, which made Fan Jianliang feel comfortable.
This kid can talk, has bright eyes, and can do things. No wonder the generals like him.
"Old man, take it! Count as many times as you can!"
Liu Hong stuffed the dry food into Old Man Li.
"Sister, fellow villagers, please come out and kowtow to the military master!"
Old Man Li called out his daughter, daughter-in-law, and fellow villagers in the grass, and together they kowtowed to Liu Hong and others.
"Is this still a human being? How did these people become like this..."
Looking at the ghost-like, skinny Xia people standing up in the grass behind the wall, Fan Jianliang and others were horrified and frightened. The eyes of Liu Hong and many scouts turned red.
It is better to be a peace dog than a person in troubled times. What kind of disaster happened to these poor people?
"No need! No need! Folks, please live well!"
Liu Hong helped Old Man Li up, mounted his horse with Fan Jianliang, and was about to leave, then stopped his horse.
"Old man, I will go to Liangzhou City to investigate in a few days. By that time, our army may have entered the city. If you need anything, just ask me. Remember, my name is Liu Hong, and I am the deputy general of the former army's scout camp! Remember! Living!"
"General, remember! You are unfamiliar with this place, so why not let my Erlang lead the way for you?"
Old Man Li shouted loudly and stopped Liu Hong.
These Song soldiers were affectionate and righteous, and he believed them from the bottom of his heart.
Liu Hong and Fan Jianliang looked at each other, and Liu Hong nodded.
With these people who are familiar with the place leading the way, it will certainly be easier to get twice the result with half the effort.
"Thank you very much, father-in-law!"
Liu Hong clasped his fists in thanks and asked Li Er to get on the horse, and the group rode away.
"I've never seen such good officers and soldiers before!"
Old Man Li's eldest son shook his head and muttered.
"Not only good, but also very powerful! With these people, the villagers may have really had a good life!"
Old Man Li was filled with emotions just like his son.
Marching on a hot day, there is nothing wrong with this autumn alone, and it is already a strong army.
