The Wei State, which occupied eleven states in the Central Plains, succeeded the Zhou State and prospered for more than two hundred years. It witnessed many changes in the long river of time, and many people living in this land grew old, became ill, and died.
During this long period of time, the world was peaceful. Except for occasional natural disasters, there were few human disasters. The Wei Dynasty, which succeeded the Zhou Dynasty, continued this peace. In Zhao Chuanting's lifetime, his two sisters married Liang Liang respectively. , the king of Qi further consolidated the peace in the northwest.
People are accustomed to such a peaceful world and have forgotten about wars. They only heard about small-scale wars on the borders of the five countries of Yue, Wu, Yan, Liang, and Qi, and they were nothing more than talk items after dinner.
Later, an uprising broke out in the Yan State, and many people watched the scene with even greater joy. When they heard that their own troops had invaded Fenzhou, many people were excited, as if they wanted to witness in their generation the expansion of the Wei Dynasty, which had been dormant for hundreds of years.
However, when the butcher's knife of the beacon fire fell on their heads from the north, they still did not change their view. The small country of Zu'er in the north was difficult to compare with the wealth of the Central Plains. What's more, the Wei State had strong soldiers and horses, how could it lose?
When the military front spread, a series of defeats accumulated in people's minds, and the two-hundred-year-old confidence of the Central Plains Power was gradually shattered.
The prosperous and peaceful era fell into a gray and bleak situation in a few months.
The army of the State of Yan cut through the waves and rushed outside the capital of the State of Wei without any hindrance. The trembling people waited until hundreds of thousands of troops, including soldiers and horses from the four countries, cheered and cheered, as if they had seen the destruction of the other side, and were dejected. leave.
However, when hundreds of thousands of Wei troops were wiped out and the capital city was breached, everyone could not sleep that night. Listening to the hysterical fighting on the city wall and the sound of galloping horses in the streets outside, it was a thrilling feeling.
Soon, the emperor, known as the King of Bears and Tigers, died.
The whole of Luyang fell into the hands of the Yan army, which they despised.
During this period of time, many wealthy gentry and wealthy households were robbed by the Yan army, but no harm was done to the people. As a result, many wealthy gentry and wealthy families began to sell their properties in and outside the city and fled one after another.
However, when they left with real money, horse teams rushed to the states with letters of surrender, which embarrassed them. Some of them were unhappy and called on the states and counties to rise up to resist, but such voices had no effect. The reason The family power behind Long Qiao, the Minister of Household Affairs, and Yuan Feng, the Minister of War Affairs, had a certain influence in various states.
They prefer peace in the Central Plains and peace in the family.
After all, the Yellow Turbans are still wreaking havoc. From the mouth of the King of Xia, I learned that the outbreak of the Yellow Turbans was all caused by Zhang Jiao, the national master of the Yan State. In the near future, the other party will stop all religious activities and come to Luyang. An audience with King Xia of Yan Kingdom.
As they passed through Ganzhou, the Taiping Taoist believers who had been wreaking havoc everywhere surrendered one by one. The bandits who took advantage of the situation were attacked by these Yellow Turban believers. In just a few seconds, the war-torn Ganzhou and Linzhou returned to peace.
From here to Yangzhou, and up to Guangjizhou, this is the second state that the Yan army passed through in the south. There are four counties and thirty-six counties. Almost as soon as the surrender letter came, they chose to surrender.
No one knows better than them how powerful the army under the command of King Xia of Yan State is. Shangzhou, which is across the river from Yan State, has surrendered. It was once the bridgehead of King Xia of Yan State. , the nearby states and counties have long been conquered, all the soldiers and horses have been killed, and there is no other way to go but to surrender.
To the west, Huizhou, which is closest to Luyang, was doubtful because of the death of Master Zhao Guang. Then an old Huizhou general named Meng Tuo came back with the Tiefeng Yijie Army, and the entire Huizhou surrendered soon after.
The soldiers and horses from the Four Kingdoms who had been invited were fleeing like crazy along the prefectures and counties until they entered Meizhou in the northwest of the Central Plains. News of Emperor Wei's death also spread here. The remnant soldiers who retreated to Liang State took this with them. The horrifying news rushed to the capital of Daliang - Xidu.
Mid-August.
The air is dry, and the sky in the northwest seems to be covered with a thin layer of sand and fog.
The breeze blows, and the dark-skinned shepherd exposes his skinny chest and lets the wind blow on it. He watches the flocks of sheep moving and eating the grass, with a smile on his calloused face.
Not far away, two children with pigtails ran over happily and picked up little figures on a pile of soft soil. Soon after, the sound of fast horses sounded on the road, making the two children stand up and pay attention. looking at.
Several sturdy knights, holding swords and bows, walked along the official road around the bend at the foot of the mountain, and rushed forward, crossing a small river flowing southward. A simple and magnificent city in the distance gradually appeared in the field of vision.
The Western Capital of Daliang.
The city has experienced several wars but has not been overthrown. It is mottled with traces of wind and rain erosion, as well as the dirt left by war and blood. It has merged with the years and turned into a symbol of this ancient city.
Its role is undoubted. While it blocked the seventy-six countries in the Western Desert, it also blocked the trade between the east and west. The northwest is barren. It only collected taxes from the trade on both sides, which was enough to keep it standing for more than three hundred years. .
It connects trade between the east and west. There are a large number of Hu people from the Western Regions in the city, as well as Xirong people in the north. The buildings here are completely different from those in the Central Plains to the east. Most of the buildings are made of rocks made of bones and loess rammed into meat. They have a strong Western style. From time to time you can still see felt awnings and roofs.
Pedestrians come and go in the uneven streets, and the sound of silk and bamboo from the Central Plains is also mixed with the long tone of Hu.
Going along the long street, at the end is the magnificent imperial city, extending inward, with a domed hall, where many civil and military ministers in white and purple robes are discussing national policies and talking about the conflicts between states. .
As a young emperor, he argued vigorously with ministers and leaders of various tribes, and then gave opinions. However, every time, the emperor wearing a golden crown and red robe would look at his mother, the Empress Dowager Zhao Xifeng. .
"Queen Mother, what do you think of what I just said to the ministers and tribal leaders?"
The military system of Daliang is different from that of other countries. Most military units are composed of tribes, while civil servants are promoted individually by Daliang and participate in governing the country.
But as an emperor, he naturally has his own army.
On the side, the gray-haired Empress Dowager Liang laughed, and the golden hairpin on her head trembled with laughter. She looked at the red-faced tribal leaders arguing below and shook her head: "People are selfish, and everyone has their own interests." Of course, tribes will seek benefits for their own tribes, but such a system is not good for the emperor. Daliang has experienced five civil strife in three hundred years, so this system needs to be changed."
"Yes." The young emperor nodded, looking away at the arguing crowd below with a hint of pain, and then faced outside the hall, looking at the golden sunshine, "... On this point, I She agrees with the Queen Mother, and has been following the example of my uncle from the Central Plains, slowly changing the military system, and turning the tribes into a complete army, instead of what they are now."
"Well, you have to think carefully and be cautious, and don't be like the emperor of Yan who broke up his family."
Zhao Xifeng paused for a moment with the crested golden staff in his hand, "In this regard, you can learn from your uncle, your mother's younger brother. He is the Lord of the Central Plains, the King of Bears and Tigers, and his soldiers and horses are extremely majestic."
The gray-haired old woman had some excitement on her face. It had been many, many years since her marriage and she had not been back to the Central Plains. Her brother's appearance had become blurry in her memory.
Everything we know is from letters home and from information passed on by the post office.
"What the Queen Mother said is that my uncle has recruited an army of 400,000 people this time to besiege Yan's lone army from all sides. I want to learn more about this idea and strategy."
The twenty-five-year-old emperor's voice was slightly hoarse and low. He turned to look at Zhao Xifeng calmly, and then spoke to the tribal leaders arguing below to ask them to stop.
The debate below is about how many gifts the Wei State in the Central Plains should give back to them after the victory of the 45,000 troops sent out this time, and how to distribute them. After all, there are 45,000 people. In addition to the emperor's 5,000, the other four Wanjun was formed from warriors drawn from various tribes.
The young emperor Tuoba Kui stood up and raised his hands.
"Haha, don't argue anymore. Let's wait until our warriors bring back the gift from the Emperor of the Central Plains. Then we can argue. If we can't argue, I will set up a powerful platform. Each of you will send warriors to fight. Whoever wins will get more. a little."
"Then listen to your Majesty!"
"Hmph, when the time comes, let's see who is the strongest warrior!"
A group of civil servants looked at the tribal leaders who were wearing animal skins like they were drinking blood. They shook their heads and turned away with a sigh. They all admired the knowledge of the Central Plains. If they were to serve as officials there, it would be much better than here. Less.
At the same time, outside the city, among the soldiers and horses returning from the Central Plains, several captains with fast horses rushed into the Western Capital covered with stars and moonlight, and then rushed into the imperial city, and the sound of shouting spread.
"Central Plains Urgent Report——"
In the main hall of Daliang Imperial City, the court meeting was ending. They did not pay much attention to the war in the Central Plains. The northwest was barren, and most of them relied on taxes to collect property, then feed many tribal people, and also competed with the Xirong people in the north. Grab some grassy pastures.
Their folk customs are tough, but they may have many things to deal with.
"Today's court meeting will end here. When the war in the Central Plains is over, I will ask my uncle in the Central Plains to give you some more gifts." Tuoba Kui's voice was gentle, and he simply waved his sleeves. The queen mother Zhao Xifeng opened her eyes. Eyes, with a loving smile, nodded: "The Central Plains is a vast land with rich resources and rich financial resources. If you leaders want to go to the Central Plains to see the colorful world in the future, I can also send you to see it, just to say hello."
Her younger brother is the hero of the Central Plains, and the leaders of each tribe know these things.
Just as everyone laughed and bowed their hands in response, the sound of horse hooves galloped outside the palace, and several unkempt generals rushed in and worshiped on the ground.
"Your Majesty, the Queen Mother... our more than 40,000 warriors in Daliang... were defeated by the Yan State. General Xi Feng and General Li were beheaded by them..."
The sad voice echoed in the hall, ringing extremely clearly in everyone's ears, like a thunder exploding, deafening. Emperor Tuoba Kui pursed his lips tightly and turned his head to look at his mother, Zhao Xifeng. The latter was stunned for a moment, as if something was stuck in her throat.
She asked softly: "What happened next?"
"The last general and others escaped back...I heard rumors on the way...Luyang was captured, Emperor Wei committed suicide, and nine states in the Central Plains have surrendered..."
Upon hearing the news of her brother's death, it was like a bolt of lightning exploded in the mind of the Empress Dowager Liang.
The golden phoenix staff in her hand was thrown out and hit in front of the generals. She gritted her teeth and glared in her eyes.
"Nonsense!! How could the great country of the Central Plains... be destroyed so easily! You must have been defeated, trying to excuse yourself and making excuses! Drag me out and chop you down!"
"Queen Mother! (Queen Mother)" Tuoba Kui interrupted her, and the tribal leaders and civil servants below also stood up.
The old woman knew that she had lost her composure. She nodded, turned and left the hall. Soon after, more precise news came back, which was exactly the same as what those generals had said.
"Ah!" She closed her bedroom and cried loudly.
In Qi State, reaching the Xirong Grassland in the north, the King of Qi State who also received the news was also shocked by the news. He was timid and cautious by nature. If the Queen hadn't blown the whistle and asked him to send troops to help her brother, He was unwilling to use troops, let alone 45,000 men.
The Qi State was sparsely populated, and in the autumn and winter of last year when Xirong went south, he was even more reluctant. However, the Wei State in the Central Plains was a big country, and they were related by marriage. His prince even called Zhao Chuanting his uncle. How could he not help?
Now that the news came that Zhao Chuanting was dead and nine of the eleven states of Wei had surrendered, he became so nervous that he couldn't sleep for several days.
"Damn... they are all soldiers who have fought in hundreds of battles. What if they take revenge on me? What if Yan State unites with Xirong and attacks Qi State from the north and south?"
When he thought of this, he became a little nervous.
And when his queen heard the news of her brother's death, she smashed everything in the palace. She set up a mourning hall for Zhao Chuanting and asked her husband to raise troops to avenge his brother!
Yue country.
The emperor grasped the news and his hands shook slightly unconsciously. He was such a ruthless person. He killed 400,000 people forcefully. Who dared to touch his edge?
He frowned, pinched the paper tightly, and his eyes were sinister.
Regarding the turmoil in the Central Plains, the news that the army came out from the north defeated 400,000 enemies, captured the capital of Wei in half a day, and forced the Wei Emperor to death, is pouring into various countries crazily, and continues to ferment in various states.
There are no examples of this kind of victory over more with less, but to do it in such a terrifying way and in a short period of time is frightening.
The figure of the Emperor of Wu dismissed the court meeting and walked alone among the gardens of the harem. Thinking of sending troops to assist Wei, he was worried about how he would respond if the other party pursued him.
On the other side, he was also weighing in his mind whether his army could resist and for how long.
After a few uneasy days, an envoy from the State of Yue came over...
…
at the same time.
Another news is spreading quietly in the northwest.
In the hands of King Xia of Yan State, there is a magic of immortality that can rejuvenate youth.
I will continue writing later, and finally I have dealt with the background plot in a general direction.
(End of chapter)
