Xiongnu and Han Kingdom, October of the second year of Jiaping, Pingyang.
It has been snowing heavily for several days, and it has been falling for three days.
The whole Pingyang was very quiet against the backdrop of white snow. Because of the heavy snow, the roads were blocked, and the usual drills and labors were suspended.
In the Xiongnu Palace in Pingyang, almost all the Xiongnu and Han dignitaries gathered in the capital.
Because they knew that at this time, the Huns and Han Kingdom had unknowingly fallen into a very dangerous situation.
The Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong, who was sitting in the middle, frowned and glanced at the Xiongnu and Han clans, generals and ministers present, and then slowly spoke.
"A few days ago, the Jin captive Liu Yan surrendered Zhongshan and Changshan counties to the Qingzhou bandits. As a result, all the Bing and Hebei passes fell into the hands of the Qingzhou bandits."
"Now that Liu Yan has surrendered, Liu Kun is not far behind."
"When next spring comes, I'm afraid the Qingzhou thieves will come from the north!"
"Do you have any good ideas to deal with this?"
After hearing the words of the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong, all the Xiongnu dignitaries present looked at each other, and no one easily spoke first.
Not long ago, Jinyang City, which was successfully attacked due to the traitorous general Linghu Ni, was lost due to the counterattack of Tuoba Xianbei and Liu Kun. Moreover, in the subsequent Battle of Blue Valley, the commander-in-chief Liu Can lost his troops and generals, completely losing the initiative. right.
Today's Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong is extremely violent and no one wants to speak out easily.
However, not all people are like this. Chen Yuanda, the highly respected Xiongnu 'virtuous' official, was the first to speak.
"Your Majesty, the Qingzhou thieves conquered Jizhou and Youzhou within one year, and now they have surrendered to Liu Yan. They already own nearly half of the richest people in the world. However, although our dynasty has many elite soldiers and generals, they can only occupy less than two states." , if we don’t expand the territory and expand the people, when the thieves in Qingzhou are fully established, they may not be their opponents!”
After hearing the words of Chen Yuanda, the imperial censor, Liu Cong felt a burst of disgust in his heart.
Of course he knew what Chen Yuanda said. What Liu Cong wanted most now was for someone to tell him what to do, rather than telling him what he already knew.
If it weren't for Chen Yuanda's proficiency in political affairs and his reputation, which could help the Xiongnu Han Dynasty win over many Jin people for his own use, the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Yuan would not have wanted him to participate in this court meeting.
However, Liu Cong barely managed to deal with him.
"Your Majesty, the civil strife in Tuobasuolu has just ended. It is when they are at their weakest, and they will definitely have no time to take care of Jinyang. As long as they surprise Jinyang with a strong army, they will definitely be able to attack Jinyang quickly!"
Hanoi King Liu Can said unwillingly.
He was very ashamed and annoyed when he lost the city of Jinyang before, and he wanted to recapture Jinyang to avenge his shame.
Just listen to Liu Can continue to speak.
"First take Jinyang, and then ask the Qiang, Tiefu and other tribes to help us capture Yanmen. In this way, as long as we hold the pass, none of the Qingzhou thieves can even think of entering Bingzhou!"
Today's Fen River Valley is divided into two parts by the Xiongnu Han Kingdom and Liu Kun. As long as both sides have sufficient troops, they have the opportunity to threaten the other side's hinterland.
However, Liu Kun was too weak, and this two-way access became exclusive to the Huns and Han.
Once the powerful Han Kingdom of Qingzhou occupied the northern part of Bingzhou, it could go south to threaten the Xiongnu Han Kingdom.
"What Ah Can said makes sense!" After hearing this, the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong nodded very seriously, and then said solemnly.
In fact, the words of Hanoi King Liu Can had already been discussed with the Huns Emperor Liu Cong.
In other words, the regrouping of troops to attack Jinyang was actually the original intention of the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong.
Some Huns courtiers who were good at catering immediately understood the meaning and echoed Hanoi King Liu Can's suggestion one after another.
These people began to say that Jinyang was of great importance and should be captured as soon as possible.
"Your Majesty, although Jinyang is important, there is no need to rush to get it!"
Amid the discussion in favor of taking Jinyang first, King Liu Yao of Zhongshan expressed his opposition very calmly.
"In that case, does King Zhongshan have a better way?" the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Yao said very kindly.
One of the main purposes of his today's court meeting is to get the support of powerful Xiongnu factions like Zhongshan King Liu Yao. Otherwise, the troops of Pingyang headquarters, which had just suffered a defeat, would not be able to quickly defeat Jinyang.
"Your Majesty, although Jinyang is important, since Emperor Guangwen raised his troops, Jinyang has been in dilapidated condition inside and outside. There are not even ten small towns left, the fields are barren, and the Jin army is all haggard. Even if it is won, Jinyang doesn’t have much reinforcement at all, but instead divides its troops to garrison the city!”
Liu Cong, Liu Can and his son looked at each other and could only listen to Liu Yao continue talking.
"Moreover, even if Jinyang is captured, Yanmen County, the real key to Beiguan in Bingzhou, may not be captured quickly!"
"If we can get Jinyang but not Yanmen, we still can't control Fenhe River and Pingchuan!"
"Then continue to send troops to the north to attack Yanmen. We have more than 100,000 strong men and tigers. How can we still not take down a small Yanmen County!?" Liu Can, the king of Hanoi, said unconvinced.
Zhongshan King Liu Yao shook his head slightly.
"I heard that the poverty in Yanmen County is not much better than that in Jinyang. If we defeat the Qingzhou bandits and capture Yanmen County, it will take at least half a year."
"The army has been depleted tremendously in the past six months, and after reaching impoverished places like Jinyang and Yanmen, there is no replenishment at all!"
"If you ask me, the best way out is to gather at least 100,000 troops and march straight into the pass!"
The Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong knew that his brother's long-cherished wish was to occupy Guanzhong, but Liu Cong always felt that the Bingzhou area was the homeland of the Xiongnu. If he could not stabilize the foundation first, he would probably not even be able to survive a setback in Guanzhong. There is no way out.
However, after what Liu Yao said, the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong had to admit that after spending a lot of effort to capture Jinyang, the Xiongnu Han Kingdom not only did not gain much benefit, but also suffered losses due to several battles. Thousands of tribal soldiers.
If it were to happen again, even if it were a victory, I'm afraid there would be another loss.
The Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong was not afraid of losing people's lives, but he was afraid of losing people's lives in vain without any benefit.
In that case, the extra-large 'robber group' of the Huns and Han Kingdom would have lost its original purpose of existence.
"King Zhongshan, Bingzhou is the heart of the country. Why do you sacrifice your heart for distant gains?"
"Your Majesty, I feel that there are three benefits in trying your best to capture Guanzhong!" Liu Yao, the king of Zhongshan, said loudly.
Since the Xiongnu Han Kingdom conquered Luoyang, Wang Mi, Shi Le, Zhao Gu and other foreign generals were defeated one after another. The Xiongnu Han Kingdom, which originally had sufficient troops, suddenly had many more directions to defend, and the more than 100,000 Xiongnu and Hu troops were also somewhat weak. Not enough.
Everyone present knew that the next direction of the Xiongnu and Han Kingdom must be decided today.
Otherwise, when the Qingzhou Han Kingdom in the east absorbs the land and population of nearly five states, what a terrifying force it will be. Even in terms of the number of troops, it will exceed the five Xiongnu tribes of the Xiongnu Han Kingdom and their The Qiang, Hu, Di, Tiefu, Jie, etc.
"The first advantage is that there are 800 miles of Qinchuan in Guanzhong, and the emperors of Qin and Han ancestors established their businesses because of it, but the annexation of the state is only 300 miles of valley, not as far as Guanzhong."
"The second benefit is that there are internal conflicts among the Jin royal officials in Guanzhong, and half of the Qiang, Di, and Xianbei people. As long as we get Guanzhong, we can not only recruit millions of Jin people for our use, but also hundreds of thousands of Di and Qiang people."
"The third benefit is that after taking Guanzhong, Your Majesty can move the capital to Chang'an. Chang'an is the old capital of the Han Dynasty. Nowadays, there are many descendants of the Han clan in various places. If Your Majesty returns to the old capital, it will be in line with the prophecy and win the hearts of all people in the world! "
After Zhongshan King Liu Yao said these words, the generals and officials in the palace all started talking in low voices.
Today's Huns and Han Kingdom have a strong military force. Not counting the nearly 100,000 of the original five Xiongnu tribes, there are still more than 100,000 Qiang, Hu and Di people.
In the west and south of Guanzhong, there are still a larger number of Qiang, Hu, and Di people who serve the Xiongnu-Han Kingdom. If Guanzhong is captured, these Qiang, Hu, and Di people can be moved to Chang'an and completely become Xiongnu-Han. The backbone of the country.
At this time, the Hun Emperor Liu Cong was already moved, but his son Liu Can, King of Hanoi, spoke unconvinced.
"Since we want to take Guanzhong, don't we also need a hundred thousand soldiers, and then also have a huge supply of food and grass?"
Liu Yao, the king of Zhongshan, showed great patience towards this nephew who was more than arrogant and never wise enough.
"After taking Guanzhong, although there is a shortage around Chang'an, the surrounding Di and Qiang tribes have a lot of savings. As long as Your Majesty can appease them, invite them as honored guests, and let them contribute some grain and grass to support military supplies, it will not be a problem at all."
After hearing this, Liu Cong couldn't help but secretly applaud.
All of a sudden, the Hun monarchs and ministers in the entire palace began to have a heated discussion on whether to take Jinyang from the north or Guanzhong from the west.
Today's Xiongnu and Han Emperor Liu Cong has long lost the arrogance he had when he just defeated Luoyang and captured Emperor Jin, and quickly returned to his original shrewd and powerful nature.
After several discussions, the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong overturned his original plan in his mind and instead supported the strategy of taking Guanzhong from the west.
"Since we are taking Guanzhong from the west, we cannot succeed without a hundred thousand strong soldiers!"
"If all the 100,000 troops go to Guanzhong, Pingyang and Luoyang will probably have their own weaknesses."
Hu Yanyan, the cavalry general, opened his mouth and said.
The significance of Pingyang and Luoyang is extraordinary. If any of them fails, the prestige of the Xiongnu and Han Kingdom will be greatly affected.
"Heavy snow blocks the mountains and rivers. Even if the Qingzhou thieves know that we are attacking Guanzhong, it will be difficult for them to attack!"
After hearing this, the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong said very proudly.
All the generals in the palace were surprised when they heard this.
Hu Yanyan, the cavalry general, asked immediately.
"Does Your Majesty mean to attack Guanzhong in winter?"
When the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong heard this, he immediately nodded solemnly in response.
"Yes, that's exactly what I planned!"
The Hun generals in the palace all murmured when they heard this.
Although today's Tuge Huns still claim to be Huns, they are very different from the Huns led by Shanyu such as Maodun, Laoshang, and Jun Chen.
Although these five Huns are still familiar with riding and shooting, their habits have changed a lot to adapt to the grassland and desert.
Most of their combat time was concentrated in late autumn and early winter. Once heavy snow and severe cold hit, these Xiongnu and Han soldiers would often return to their bases and wait until spring warms up next year to attack again.
Especially in recent years, these Xiongnu and Han soldiers have become masters one by one. In addition, the Jin army is extremely weak, and they have become even more slack.
This is also one of the reasons why in recent years, once they faced Tuoba Xianbei on the grassland, the Huns and Han Kingdoms were often better equipped, but they were always defeated in fierce battles.
Even the cavalry general Hu Yanyan, who was accustomed to the hardships of battle, was a little in disbelief.
"Your Majesty, it's snowy and cold in winter, and our soldiers have been fighting for many years. I'm afraid they can no longer endure the hardships!"
This year, the Xiongnu and Han Dynasties first attacked Central and Henan, and then Luoyang, Hanoi, and Jinyang. Most of the soldiers did not have much time to spare.
The Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong said slightly dissatisfied when he heard this.
"How can the descendants of Maodun be afraid of wind, snow and severe cold? The Arctic sea can still fly across the sea, and the thin ice in Guanzhong doesn't matter!"
After hearing these words from the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong, Liu Yao, the King of Zhongshan below, already understood what he was thinking.
Zhongshan King Liu Yao glanced at Liu Cong inadvertently and sneered secretly in his heart.
The reason why the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong suddenly decided to send troops continuously in winter regardless of the fatigue of his soldiers was that he agreed to conquer Guanzhong.
Their original purpose is nothing more than wanting to conduct the expedition themselves, lest military power be lost.
Otherwise, if the Xiongnu and Han Dynasty attack Guanzhong after the spring warms up, the Qingzhou bandits will definitely attack. In that case, the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong will have to sit in Pingyang to guard.
Without the Xiongnu Emperor Liu Cong leading the army, the most prestigious person was the Zhongshan King Liu Yao.
Once Liu Yao leads the army to capture Chang'an in Guanzhong and recruits hundreds of thousands of Qiang and Hus in Guanzhong, I am afraid that the Xiongnu and Han Kingdom will only know the king of Zhongshan and no emperor.
Sure enough, the next words of the Hun Emperor Liu Cong immediately confirmed Liu Yao's guess.
"In this expedition to Guanzhong, I decided to lead the expedition myself and sleep in the ice and snow with the soldiers. I will not turn back until I take Chang'an!"
=·=·=·=·=·=·
Bingzhou, Jinyang.
During the reign of Emperor Wu of Jin Dynasty, Jinyang once had 50,000 registered residents, making it the most important town.
By the time Liu Kun was appointed as the governor of Bingzhou, there was no one left out of ten.
Now, after being occupied twice by the Huns and Tuoba Xianbei, the population in Jinyang City is even less dense than when Liu Kun first arrived.
Liu Kun, the governor of Jin Bingzhou, came from Yangqu in the wind and snow, his hair and beard covered with white snow, looking blankly at Jinyang City like an ice sculpture.
"Your Majesty, all the people in the city have been evacuated!"
A guard hurriedly rode up to report.
Liu Kun sighed softly and said to his nephew and nephew next to him.
"When I came to Jinyang, there were still more than a thousand people in the city. After years of hard work, there are now less than a hundred. I am really ashamed of the people of Bingzhou!"
Upon hearing this, his wife and nephew Cui Yue immediately consoled him.
"Uncle, it is impossible to merge with the state now. It is still possible to abandon Jinyang and enter Guanzhong!"
