In August of the fourth year of Emperor Qianyou's reign in the Northern Han Dynasty, troops from Hunan Province went south to attack Ma Xichong, the puppet king of Chu who had usurped power. Tanzhou commander Xu Wei and other generals resisted him. They fought in Yiyang, but were defeated and lost thousands of troops.
The false king of Chu, Ma Xichong, was originally promoted to the throne by his generals, but he had no moral ability and became dissolute. He was trapped in Changsha's arrogant soldiers and it was difficult to control him. He was also afraid of being forced by the powerful soldiers and feared that he would be harmed. He added axes and axes and secretly sent guests to serve Invite troops to the Tang Dynasty.
Ma Xi'e, the king of Hengshan who was also supported by the same audience and occupied Hengzhou to spy on Changsha, also asked for help from the Southern Tang Dynasty, hoping to help him regain Tanzhou.
The Ma brothers have presented themselves one after another, adding another name to their list of teachers. There is no better time. This time, Bian Hao, the commander-in-chief of the Tang army, who had already received the instructions from the Tang emperor, commanded 30,000 soldiers and came to Changsha from Yuanzhou to the west.
The Tang army passed Liling on the fifth day. After hearing the news, the puppet Chu King Ma Xichong immediately sent an envoy to reward the army. On the tenth day when they approached Changsha, Ma Xichong immediately sent a letter to the Tang camp to ask for his life. He led the Hunan generals in front of the city. They were defeated at the sight of the dust. The soldiers of the Tang army were able to roll up their armor and enter Changsha City without losing a single soldier. .
Next, Bian Hao issued a proclamation, declaring Ma's crime, and sent troops and horses to various states. At that time, there was a famine in Hunan, and Bian Hao ordered a large-scale grain supply from Ma's warehouse to provide relief. The Chu people, who were in dire straits and were in dire straits, were so happy that they did not resist the Tang army's invasion.
Therefore, when Bian Hao entered Chu, he was as powerful as a broken bamboo, and he was invincible. The land was all in his hand. The land south of Lingnan is temporarily out of reach, but Beilang Prefecture and Nanheng Prefecture are right in front of us. We send out documents to appease them and send troops to frighten them, hoping that they will surrender. More importantly, it is to count the military achievements, count the income, and report the victory to Jinling to claim credit.
While Bian Hao was sweeping across Hunan, Liu Renfan, deputy envoy of Wuchang Jiedu in the Southern Tang Dynasty, also led thousands of naval troops to capture Yuezhou.
Good news came one after another. The monarchs and ministers of the Southern Tang Dynasty who were far away in Jinling couldn't help but rejoice at the news that Hunan had been "pacified". After his fame and great achievements were accomplished, Li Jing, the Lord of the Tang Dynasty, felt comfortable and held a banquet in the Turtle Hall of the Tang Palace, where hundreds of officials congratulated him, singing and dancing.
Seeing that the land of Hunan really fell so easily, Li Jing, who was originally trembling and suspicious, immediately stood up, straightened his body, and raised his voice loudly. A polite official said that since the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty had never visited a temple in the suburbs, he asked for this invitation. Li Jing only replied with one sentence: "As long as the world is one family, then thank you."
The official Wei Cen advised the banquet and said: "I have traveled to Yuancheng and enjoyed its customs. When your majesty decides on the Central Plains, I will ask Wei Bo for envoys." Li Jing agreed.
Taking Chu in one fell swoop seemed to have settled the world. The arrogant changes in the Southern Tang Dynasty's monarchs and ministers were somewhat beyond the expectations of others.
Amidst all the praise and praise, it’s not like no one sees the hidden worries.
Chili Lang Gaoyuan said: "I took advantage of the chaos in Chu, and it was easy to get it. I look at the talents of the generals, but I'm afraid it will be difficult to defend them!"
Situ Zhishi Li Jianxun said: "This is the beginning of the disaster!"
As for Han Xizai, almost bursting into tears, he reminded Li Jing that generals in Chu should be under strict orders to be careful and vigilant, to love themselves and act prudently, and to use the old events of "Ping Min" as a warning to prevent the Chu land from being lost again.
However, in this environment where everyone is celebrating, how could such unusual remarks get Li Jing's attention, and instead make him unhappy. Under such circumstances, it was Feng Yansi who probably recalled the embarrassment of destroying Fujian but not being able to defend it, and losing his blessed and prosperous land. He also offered advice to Li Jing, but in a more tactful way.
Li Jing then issued an edict to reward the troops of Chu and Tang for defeating him, and at the same time, he gave some instructions. In order to stabilize Hunan, he moved all the Ma family members to Jinling with Bian Hao and surrendered.
After the Tang army captured Chu and swept through Hunan, the dark clouds that had been gathering over the north for a long time were finally about to rain.
Since the beginning of autumn, the Khitan troops in Tan and Ji have intensified their intrusion into Youzhou and the vast area in its south, robbing food and killing people.
In response to this, the King of Yan sent out thousands of cavalry under his rule, riding against cavalry, and maneuvering against maneuvering, to fight and tremble with the Khitan cavalry in the Yan land. The Han army was not spared, and the Cang and Hebei front lines were also its key areas of attack. On the order of the imperial court, the commander of the northern defense line, He Fujin, also ordered each commander to send cavalry to fight.
Amidst the cruel flashes of swords and swords, people in various states risked their lives to harvest corn and wheat. Both the Han army and the Yan army suffered a lot of casualties. They had just escorted some of the food and the officials and the people had suffered a lot.
Of course, the Khitans did not gain much benefit and suffered a lot as well. In the month-long fighting, the Han army and the Yan army rarely abandoned everything and united to fight against the enemy. They had a determined will to fight and cruel methods. Ma Quanyi and Li Jun of the Han army and Zhao Siwan of the Yan army became famous.
Zhao Siwan was an unruly, ruthless, murderous person, and was hostile to the Han court, but he still played some role in fighting the Khitan. He led his subordinates, Ji Miandu, to kill more than 700 Khitan cavalrymen, without taking any prisoners. He also actually staged a "Hungry Hungry Meal of Hulu Meat", but later said that the "smell of Hulu" was too strong. The Khitan soldiers from far and near were frightened when they heard about Zhao.
But no matter what, the purpose of the Khitans' harassment was basically achieved.
In early September, the Khitan Emperor Yelu Ruan summoned 100,000 internal and external soldiers and started from Linhuang Mansion in Beijing to officially launch the southern expedition. Due to the long-standing disputes with the Khitan nobles, even if the troops were finally launched, Yelu Ruan had to force his way through.
Therefore, from the moment the troops moved south, there was an aura of disharmony lingering among the Khitan army. The nobles and even ordinary soldiers complained that even with the mobility of the Liao army, the marching speed was extremely slow. Yelu Ruan urged the tribesmen to advance several times, but with little effect. In the end, it was only through the urging of the imperial army that the army was able to increase the speed.
By the end of September, the 100,000 Khitan army had reached Wende County in Wuzhou and set up camp in Huoshen Lake, west of Wende, which was only a little over 200 miles away from Youzhou City.
A hundred thousand troops surrounded the camp for more than ten miles, with people shouting and horses neighing, and a section of the Pishi Army firmly protecting the imperial tent. Yelu Ruan, the Lord of the Liao Dynasty, temporarily stationed here, intending to organize the army and stabilize people's hearts. What he had seen and heard along the way also made him feel something was wrong. The Pishi Army was a member of the imperial army. They were always elite and had strict military discipline. He was not worried. He was only concerned that the soldiers from various tribes who had been summoned really needed to be comforted.
On the day he arrived at Huoshen Lake, Yelu Ruan ordered the earth to be built to build an altar, and led the entire army to pay homage to his father, King Yelu Bei of Dongdan, hoping to bless the success of the southern expedition. This is not a good choice. If it were Taizu Yelu Abaoji or Taizong Yelu Deguang, it might still have some effect. But after taking care of it, it seems to be barely stable.
A middle-aged general with a bitter look on his face and dressed in aristocratic armor came on horseback, galloping lightly in the huge Southern Expedition camp. His eyes swept around and landed on the surrounding Southern Expedition soldiers, and the worried look in their eyes obviously worsened.
This person's name was Yelu Wuzhi, a famous Khitan official. He played a major role in the peace talks between Yelu Ruan and his mother and son when Yelu Ruan went north to seize the throne a few years ago, which enabled the smooth transition of the Khitan regime.
After Yelu Ruan came to the throne, considering his merits and talents, he was put into more use. This time, with the stable position of the right Pishi, he accompanied him on the southern expedition.
However, at this time, Yelu Wuzhi was filled with worries and was very worried. His worries came precisely from the Khitan soldiers who were participating in the expedition.
He still remembered that when he was young, he went on an expedition with Taizu, and all the soldiers were happy to hear the battle, cheering for joy, and sharpening their armor and swords, fearing to fall behind others. Even during Taizong's time, he was still active in raiding the Central Plains from the south.
But now, no matter where they are, they all have blank faces, unsteady thoughts, and even worse, they are complaining. As a discerning and wise person, Yelu Wuzhi can deeply understand the gap between them.
Since the time of Taizong Yelu Deguang, the Khitan people have been fighting for nearly ten years. All the tribes have been trapped here, and the national power has been greatly damaged. In the battle to destroy the Jin Dynasty, the battle of Luancheng was a huge defeat, and the army collapsed, which caused particularly great damage to the Khitan military strength.
The empires on the grasslands are not like the Central Plains. In terms of resilience, they are far inferior to agricultural civilizations. That is to say, with the supplements of the Bohai Sea and the Hanzhou County along the Great Wall, in the past few years, the Khitan's strength can be restored to its current level.
Under such circumstances, from Yelu Wuzhi's point of view, the top priority is to recuperate, recharge, appease the people, and ease internal conflicts. It is not the behavior of a wise man to rashly mobilize troops and start a fight again, especially such a large-scale mobilization of troops.
The emperor's conflicts with the domestic nobles due to administrative reasons became more and more serious, and the nobles and even the people were unwilling to fight. There is internal disharmony and the army has no fighting spirit. Since ancient times, no one has ever been able to win a battle without having the military spirit attached.
Although Yelu Wuzhi can understand some of Yelu Ruan's thoughts and considerations, he is not optimistic about this southern expedition from the bottom of his heart.
In Yelu Wuzhi's view, this is almost a gamble, a gamble involving huge bets on the fate of the country. If it succeeds, the profit may not be as expected; if it fails, the situation will be over.
And this time the enemy, the Han Dynasty occupying the Central Plains and Hebei, is obviously not so easy to deal with. Their emperor was still the commander-in-chief of the "Defeat of Luan City", and he was not unprepared. He built many fortresses in Younan, deployed a large number of Han troops, and used his national strength to mobilize another two to three hundred thousand troops. A large army is not impossible.
The march was delayed and the best opportunity to attack was missed. Although Yelu'an Tuan has greatly disturbed the northern part of the Han Dynasty, the Han Dynasty this year is not like the previous two years, where natural disasters continued. It is conceivable that in southern Hebei and the Central Plains, a large amount of food has been stored in the warehouse and will soon be turned into military rations. , which gave the Han court the confidence to send troops.
There is also the Yan army occupying Youzhou, which is also a strong force. The Khitan people have owned its city for ten years, and they are well aware of its expansion and reinforcement, and its strength. With such a nail stuck in your throat, what should you do after the battle?
in addition......
With more and more unfavorable factors swirling in his mind, Yelu Wuzhi subconsciously speeded up, almost jumping on top of his horse.
Although he knew that he might still be unable to persuade him, he still planned to make further suggestions to His Majesty the Emperor. Now, it's still too late to stop.
