The building boat crosses Guazhou in the snowy night, the iron horse disperses in the strong autumn wind
Dashan Pass, hence the name San Pass, is located at the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains. Since ancient times, it has been the "throat of Sichuan and Shaanxi" because it strangles the transportation between the north and the south. It is a battleground for military strategists. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, Liu Bang "built plank roads openly and visited Chen Cang secretly" passed through here. During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao's western expedition to Hanzhong and Zhang Lu also passed through this place. .
The pass of Dashan Pass is about 1,200 meters above sea level. The deep valley below the pass is steep, and there are cliffs on both sides. It is known as the "line of sky". It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. It can be said that one man can defeat the pass and ten thousand men cannot open it. Dashan Pass guards the mountain road between Sichuan and Shaanxi. Dashan Pass cannot be used in the north, so it cannot control Hanzhong, Ba, and Shu; Dashan Pass cannot be used in the south, so it cannot control Guanzhong. If you want to enter Hanzhong or even Sichuan from Guanzhong, you have to pass through Dashan Pass.
After many battles between the Song and Jin Dynasties, Dashan Pass was lost and recovered. After some simple repairs, Wang Shixin of the Song Army led 3,000 elite troops here to guard the throat of the border between Song and Jin Dynasties.
In early winter, it is early in the morning, and the banner with the word "Song" is opened and fluttering, which is very eye-catching. Standing at Dashanguan Pass and looking around, you can see mountains, lush ancient trees and numerous peaks. The river under the ridge is rushing and the scenery is endless.
But all of this, the Song soldiers on the wall of Dashanguan Pass turned a blind eye. Although it was freezing cold, none of them dared to take it lightly. They all opened their eyes wide and looked around, wary of the slightest sign of trouble.
Since the beginning of autumn, there has been an endless stream of people fleeing from Jinjing, and there are many people who have frozen to death and starved to death on the way. Lizhou and Lizhou followed the emperor's will and allowed the people to flee to the Song Dynasty, so there were no Song troops to stop them at the checkpoints along the way.
The Mongolian army's offensive in Jin territory was fierce. Hundreds of trebuchets and tens of thousands of Mongolian troops attacked Fengxiang Fucheng with all their strength. It was only a matter of time before they could break Fengxiang Fucheng.
The Mongolian army's offensive is so fierce, no one knows whether the Mongolian army will follow the trend and go south to attack Dashan Pass.
Suddenly, a sergeant pointed to the valley to the north and shouted loudly.
"Look, what is that?"
All the troops were shocked and stood on the wall together, looking to the north.
In the river valley, countless Jin people dragged their families with them, panicked, and fled southward one after another like frightened animals.
"The fleeing Jin people seem to be different from usual. There are a lot more people."
The stocky sergeant frowned and spoke in Shu dialect.
"The Jin people cannot defeat the Tatars, but it is these poor people who suffer."
A tough and lean sergeant shook his head and sighed. He seemed to have an accent from Guanzhong, Shaanxi Province.
"It was not the same ten years ago. We couldn't defeat the Jin people, and as a result, Shukou was ruined. Fortunately, the emperor trained troops and made firearms, and the people of Shukou only lived a good life for a few days."
The young officer spoke with a Huainan accent. He was calm and courageous. Needless to say, he was a graduate of the Jinling Martial Arts Hall.
The officer looked at the Jin people who were hurriedly fleeing south, and frowned slightly.
"Gao Fu, you and Zhang Yixiao go down and bring two common people up. I want to question you."
The two sergeants went down and soon brought up two civilians, one old and one young, who seemed to be father and son.
"Husband, where are you from? Why are you two alone? Don't you have any women?"
The officer asked the sergeant to bring water for the two common people to drink.
"Back to the military master, the old man is from Fengxiang Mansion. The Tatar army invaded and everyone in the family died. Only the old man and his son escaped with their lives. The Tatar army is about to go south. If the old man doesn't escape, I'm afraid his family will die."
The wrinkles on the old man's face seemed to be telling the cruelty and injustice of fate.
"The Tatar army is going south?"
The officer was taken aback and asked quickly:
"How is the Tatar army? Has it gone south?"
"Back to the general, there are tens of thousands of Tatar troops and hundreds of trebuchets attacking the city. How can Fengxiang Mansion be able to defend it? The old man also heard that the Tatar army went south yesterday, so he took his son to escape overnight to see if he could escape. A life.”
The old man said nonchalantly, with pain in his eyes.
"Old man, didn't you say that the Jin army defeated the Tatar army in Dachangyuan and Huihuigu? Why did they even lose Fengxiang Mansion?"
the officer asked nervously.
I heard that Monk Wanyan Chen, a fierce general of the Jin army, led hundreds of fine cavalry and defeated eight thousand Mongolian troops in Dachangyuan, Gansu Province. The Mongolian army's offensive was severely frustrated, and they also suffered successive defeats in the attacks on Qingyang, Weizhou, Tongguan and other battles.
Why did the situation change so quickly? In the blink of an eye, the Mongolian army destroyed Fengxiang Mansion, the Jin people's important town in Shaanxi, and the army moved south?
"The Tatar army is like wolves and tigers. How can the army stop it? General, you should be more careful."
After the old man finished speaking, he and his son left.
The officer thought for a moment and then strode into the barracks.
"General, I just heard from the fleeing Jin people that the Mongolian army has moved south. I wonder what the general's plan is?"
The officer reported to Wang Shixin, the commander of Dashan Pass, who was looking at the map at the table.
The officer's name was Lu Wenhuan, the cousin of Lu Wende, the commander of Lizhou West Road, and he had just graduated from the Jinling Martial Arts Hall.
"Lu Wenhuan, what do you think we should do?"
Wang Shixin raised his head and asked the officer.
These officers who came from the Jinling Martial Arts Hall were the emperor's treasures and he did not dare to neglect them.
"General, the gate wall in the river valley is completely destroyed and has not been repaired. Although it is easier to defend and harder to attack, it is too far away from the post road, making it difficult to attack and easy for the enemy to pass."
Lu Wenhuan's words made Wang Shixin smile.
The young officer was questioning his motives for not building the border wall.
"Lu Wenhuan, Dashan Pass changed hands repeatedly and was damaged by Jin soldiers. It was never repaired, so we simply didn't want it."
Wang Shixin looked at Lu Wenhuan and said softly:
"You keep an eye on the outside. If my prediction is correct, the Tatar army is about to arrive."
The emperor knew things well and asked him to give way and not make unnecessary sacrifices. However, he would not be afraid if the Mongolian army came to attack.
Lu Wenhuan walked out thoughtfully. After eating, he was taking a nap in the barracks when he was awakened by the sergeant's scream.
"General, there is enemy situation!"
Lu Wenhuan was startled and immediately stood up and looked north.
On the river valley post road, the fleeing people were running wildly. They were either moving forward or fleeing into the woods beside the road. They were panic-stricken and everyone was in panic.
Behind them, ferocious knights came on horseback. They were full of rage, holding scimitars or holding bows and arrows. They drove the Jin people like animals. They shot and killed without mercy.
"It's the Tatar cavalry! Go to...general..."
The sergeant's words came to an abrupt end. Beside him, Wang Shixin, the commander of Dashan Pass, was already watching.
"General, do you want to light up the smoke?"
the sergeant asked quickly.
"Don't panic, just wait and see."
Since autumn, the two roads in Lizhou have been fortified and cleared, so there is no need to disturb them. Besides, there is Fengzhou Wuxiuguan behind them. They will light up the beacon and notify the garrison of various military states.
The Mongol army came in droves, filling the entire valley as far as the eye could see. The knights had ferocious expressions, their quivers were full of wind and frost, and there was a sea of men and horses, which made the faces of the Song troops on the wall change.
"General, I'm afraid there are tens of thousands of troops!"
"Shiver, I'm scaring you! Light up the smoke!"
Wang Shixin scolded the sergeant, looked solemn, and shouted.
The Mongolian army has at least 30,000 to 40,000 cavalrymen alone, and with the infantry, the number is probably around 60,000 to 70,000.
"General, the Tatar army is not here to attack our Da San Pass, right?"
Lu Wenhuan asked anxiously.
The Song army gathered at the pass and did not deploy troops on the surrounding slopes, which was undoubtedly a bit risky.
"What, do you want to surrender or run away? If anyone dares to escape from the battlefield, he should decide what to do."
Wang Shixin said coldly with a cold face.
"Don't worry, General. I'm just asking, and I will never embarrass you!"
Lu Wenhuan's face turned red and he quickly explained.
Wang Shixin smiled coldly and looked at the Mongolian army coming along the valley for a moment. In the blink of an eye, like a tide, it had already covered the collapsed wall in the valley.
"It's a pity that the military orders are so heavy!"
It's about a mile from the wall to the river valley post road, and it's not easy to hit with small cannons.
Wang Shixin shook his head angrily.
The valley was crowded with infantry and cavalry, and the Mongolian army moved forward along the river, following the dragon, endlessly.
Seeing that the Mongolian army marched southward without attacking Dashan Pass, the sergeants breathed a sigh of relief.
"General, where are the Tatar army going, Mianzhou or Xingyuanfu?"
Lu Wenhuan couldn't help but ask again.
"Pass Fengzhou, then Wuxiuguan, and go straight to Xingyuan Mansion. Or go straight to Mianzhou, and then go east to Xingyuan Mansion."
Wang Shixin frowned and replied in a low voice.
Wu Xiuguan, can you achieve peace if you want peace?
The emperor still had an open mind and changed the name to "Jianwu". If we want peace and prosperity for the country and the people, doesn’t it have to be based on force?
"General, how do you know that the Tatar army is going to Xingyuan Mansion?"
Another officer asked curiously.
"How do I know? I don't know. The emperor said it. Do you believe it?"
Wang Shixin said it angrily.
"Look at you, you are all as timid as rats, how can you still fight? As soon as the Tatar army arrived, they scared you so much that you wish they would leave. After this battle, you all go home and farm!"
Wang Shixin's cynicism made the soldiers of the Song Army behind the gate blush.
"General, I don't want you to look down on people like this. How do you know your brothers don't have the guts if you haven't fought before?"
"General, it's not too late to say this after I've beaten you!"
"General, the Tatar army is crossing the border. You say whether to fight or not, brothers will listen to you!"
Their pride was hurt, and the soldiers of the Song Army who were guarding the pass started shouting.
"You said, don't regret it when the time comes! When the fight actually breaks out, don't be scared to the point of peeing!"
"Don't worry, General, you will never let anyone look down upon you!"
The soldiers enthusiastically asked for battle, and Wang Shixin felt calmer.
In the past few years, seeing Ma Zhong, Lu Wende, Cao Youwen and others making military exploits repeatedly, but he couldn't even win a fight, which made him feel aggrieved.
"General, the Tatar army is going to Xingyuan Mansion. Are there any preparations there?"
Lu Wenhuan asked again subconsciously.
"The emperor is in charge of Xingyuan Mansion, do you think he is ready?"
Wang Shixin felt that he had talked too much, and his face was stern.
"The Tatar army may come back. I keep my eyes open, but I can't let them pass easily!"
The reason why the war-free card was hung was the emperor's intention, and it also meant to confuse the Mongolian army. Once the Mongolian army was in trouble and wanted to withdraw from here, he didn't want to miss the opportunity again.
"Lu Wenhuan, early tomorrow morning, if the Tatar army has not come yet, you will take the rangers to Qinzhou to see the movement of our reinforcements. Remember, be careful along the way and don't get ambushed by the Tatar rangers! "
There is an emperor in Hanzhong, so the Mongolian army will definitely not be able to pass through Hanzhong. Now, just wait for Qin Gong and Song's army to arrive, and all parties will attack together, closing the door and beating the dogs.
The Mongolian army rolled forward. In the middle of the march, Kuoduan turned back and looked at Dashanguan in the high mountains, his eyes full of unwillingness.
"Marshal, are you going to let these thieves go like this?"
When he thought of the Mongolian envoy being killed by the Song people, Kuo Duan felt that he couldn't hold him and wanted to run away.
"Soldiers are valuable and quick! There are only two or three thousand Song soldiers in Dasan Pass, and there is nothing on it. What will happen if we capture it? The gain outweighs the loss!"
Liu Heima was comforting the irritable Kuo Duan.
We have to attack everywhere. Wouldn’t it be exhausting to death?
"Although I say this, seeing these guys up there makes me feel uncomfortable!"
Kuo Duan said angrily and slapped the horse on his crotch.
"Liu Heima is right. Hanzhong is rich. There are mountains of gold, silver and jewels. There are beauties with silk and tea leaves. You can have whatever you want. You'd better go straight to Hanzhong!"
Torre didn't look back, smiled coldly, and continued to move forward.
In the early winter of the second year of Jianwu of the Song Dynasty (1231), after the Mongolian army captured Fengxiang Mansion, an important town in the Jin Kingdom, Wo Kuotai convened the Mongolian kings and ministers to discuss going south to destroy the Jin Dynasty. With the Western Route Army as the main force, Tuo Lei led 70,000 people, heading south from Fengxiang, intending to take advantage of the Song Dynasty's border with Hanzhong, cross the Han River north, march into the hinterland of Henan, and threaten Bianliang City, the southern capital of the Jin people, from behind.
The cloud of war once again enveloped the northwest frontier of the Song Dynasty.
