Since ancient times, if you want to enter Yanmen County and pass the Yanmen Fortress, you must first pass through Pingcheng County (later known as Datong).
Pingcheng County is the first line of defense guarding the northern fortress.
There is Shitou Mountain in the west (that is, Hongtao Mountain in later generations), and Baideng Mountain in the east (that is, Cailiang Mountain in later generations).
Between the two mountains, there is a river coming from the north.
Pingcheng County is right on the riverside of Shankou.
It can be said that there are mountains, water, grass and sheep.
In the early years of the former Han Dynasty, Han Wangxin was unsuccessful in fighting the Huns at Yanmen. He privately sued for peace with the Huns many times, which was suspected by Emperor Gaozu.
King Xin of Han was afraid of being killed, so he simply rebelled and surrendered to the Huns.
At the same time, he also gave his capital Mayi (later Shuozhou) to the Xiongnu, and agreed with the Xiongnu to go south to attack Taiyuan together.
Emperor Gaozu personally led his army to the north to meet the attack. He won consecutive battles, so he began to underestimate the enemy and rushed into Pingcheng with light troops. Finally, he was besieged by Maodun on Baishan Mountain.
The historical siege of Baishan Mountain happened here.
Nowadays, Baishan Mountain is still there, and Pingcheng County, which has been operated by the Han Dynasty for hundreds of years, has long become a place where barbarians raise cattle and sheep.
Pingcheng is located in a dangerous location, and it guards the throat between the north and the south. Xie Guini likes to stay here in summer and autumn.
First, it can prevent blind people from sneaking in to graze.
It's okay to take refuge and rely on him, but if you want to go south to herd without calling him "sir", that's not okay.
Secondly, whether they are smuggling salt from Hedong County or smuggling iron and grain from somewhere to the grassland, the caravans basically have to pass through here.
Xieguini can get a lot of benefits from it - the middlemen make the difference, and you can really make money just lying down.
In the early morning at the end of July, the sun has not yet risen. On the mountain pass north of Pingcheng, thin summer fog floats on the grass in layers and has not dissipated.
The mist spread flat on the ground like wool.
Horse hooves wetted by the mist tramped on the grass, accompanied by the tinkling of horse bells, breaking the tranquility of the mountain pass.
The barbarians guarding the mountain pass were awakened, climbed up, listened carefully, and found that they had heard correctly.
A small boss hurriedly ran forward a few steps and shouted first in nonsense, and then in blunt Chinese:
"Who's in front?"
The jingling of horse bells stopped, and then a voice came from the other side:
"Cavalry, tea, brown sugar, spirits, soap."
Just ten words, concise and clear, made the little boss look happy and quickly sent a few people to check.
After a while, the Hu people came back with a Han man:
"It's a horse team, bringing a lot of good things."
"Okay, okay! Quick, quick, go and report to the Lord right away."
The little leader sent someone to report the news in the direction of Pingcheng, and at the same time personally led the cavalry to a valley to wait.
Not all Han caravans came from the south.
In the past few years, a special caravan would come from the north every year, carrying the most precious tea and brown sugar, men's favorite spirits, and women's favorite soap.
It is said that they set out from the distant Liangzhou, entered the grassland, and walked thousands of miles before arriving at Yanmen.
Whenever this time comes, it is the happiest time for the tribe, comparable to a festival.
This caravan only comes once a year, and each time it stays for as long as a month or as short as half a month, it has to leave in a hurry.
But this is enough.
At the beginning, Xie Guini led tens of thousands of string-controllers left by Fulohan to join Kebineng.
In this process, his strength was partially weakened by Ke Bineng.
When escaping to Budugen, another part was lost.
Then Qin Lang defeated the coalition forces of Ke Bineng and Bu Dugen, and lost another part.
Over the years, Xie Gui Ni's tribe has really been celebrating the New Year with Wang Xiaoer, and every year has been worse than the last.
It wasn't until he was granted the title of King Guiyi by the State of Wei, and he led his tribe back to Yanmen, and also gathered some small tribes, that the population decline trend was slightly stopped.
Even so, there are only ten thousand warriors in the whole clan who can mount a horse and control the string.
This shows how much the tribal population has suffered over the years.
But it was precisely because the Xieguini tribe had a small population that Wei Guo was assured of allowing him to graze cattle in Yanmen.
The tribe has a small population, so the transaction does not take much time.
Xie Guini was a little surprised when he learned that a caravan was coming from the north.
He immediately sent men and horses to the mountain pass to protect the caravan into Pingcheng.
This year's cavalry seems to be much larger than in previous years, so naturally it brings much more goods.
Xieguini couldn't help but be a little curious::
"You came half a month earlier this year than in previous years, which is rare."
When the steward heard Xie Guini's question, he had a somewhat helpless look on his face and sighed:
"The leader doesn't know. According to past habits, we will indeed have to stay at the foot of Yinshan Mountain for at least half a month."
"It's just different this year. Feng Langjun from Liangzhou led his army across the desert and wanted to use Daoyin Mountain to go south."
"At first, Kebineng not only agreed, but even sent troops to help. But later, for some unknown reason, the two sides ended up fighting."
"Now the whole Yinshan army is in trouble, and there is chaos everywhere. Who dares to stay there?"
At this point, the steward sighed again, "It's just that we can't take this goods back, right? So we had to come to Chief Xie Guini."
When Xie Guini heard this, he was first surprised and then happy:
"Is there a fight over there in Yinshan?"
Of course he knew that the Han and Wei people were fighting in Guanzhong.
Because last month, Bingzhou mobilized a lot of troops and sent them to Guanzhong.
Bi Gui of Taiyuan in the south also sent people to Yanmen to let Xie Gui Ni bring out some horses, cattle and sheep to support Guanzhong.
However, Xie Guini did not know the specific situation as to what the situation in Guanzhong was like.
All that can be found is basically bits and pieces of information.
Some say that the Han people are powerful, while others say that the Wei people won.
But these are not what Xie Guini is concerned about.
Anyway, no matter who wins, people will be watching Yanmen, right?
Now, except for myself, there is no decent tribe near the Handi Pass.
Even Kebineng, who is far away in Yinshan, is not a person who is willing to submit to others.
So when he heard that Ke Bineng was fighting with the Han people, Xie Guini was a little surprised, but he felt that it was reasonable.
The most important thing is that Xie Gui Ni is happy to see this matter come to fruition.
Because the master and his uncle were killed by him one after another, he and Ke Bineng really had a blood feud.
"How was the fight over at Yinshan? Who won?"
Xie Guini asked anxiously.
The steward shook his head and smiled bitterly:
"Chief Xieguini is trying to make things difficult for me. If there is a military disturbance, we can't escape in time. How can we dare to inquire?"
"Anyway, when we left, we only heard that Feng Langjun and Ke Bineng were fighting fiercely, and both sides suffered casualties."
Hearing this, Xie Guini nodded and agreed:
"Yes, Ke Bineng should not be underestimated. The Han army came across the desert and fought hard with Ke Bineng in Yinshan Mountain. It is already considered very powerful."
"Yes, yes!" The steward nodded repeatedly and agreed, "In other words, it is in Yinshan. If it were really in Liangzhou, haha..."
"Haha!" Xie Guini looked at the steward and also smiled:
"Speaking of which, you guys came early this time. We haven't taken much of the fur in our hands. As for the wool, we haven't started shearing it yet..."
When the steward heard this, he immediately smiled and said:
"It's okay, it's okay, we can wait."
Xie Gui Ni had some free time and said slowly:
"What I mean is that you brought too much goods this year. If the price is the same as in previous years, we may not have enough fur and wool to exchange with you."
"So I hope the price of goods this year will be lower."
"Chief Kebineng, you are taking advantage of others' danger!" The steward immediately called out to Qu Lai, "We haven't sold much of our goods in Yinshan."
"I originally wanted to come here to see if I could get my money back, but if you do this, our trip will be in vain! Not only will our trip be in vain, but we may also end up paying back our money!"
Xie Guini shook his head and said:
"Now besides me, I'm afraid no one can buy so many of your goods. Besides, you came here this time to avoid the war."
"Who can protect you now except me? So the price of your goods should be lower."
Every tribe on the steppe would welcome a caravan going to the steppe.
There is even a tacit agreement among some tribes not to touch the caravans that come and go, even if they are fighting to the death.
Because the caravan can bring them supplies that are scarce in the grassland.
If you were in the Mainland, if you encountered such natural and man-made disasters while doing business, you would probably lose your blood.
Even though the steward loudly said in front of Xie Guini that this trip was in vain, he knew in his heart that it was impossible to lose money.
It just depends on how much you earn.
Not to mention that this is the farthest distance the caravan can travel. Even if there are other places to go, autumn is coming soon. If we don't sell out quickly, will it be possible to keep it for the New Year?
The steward gritted his teeth and had no choice but to lower the price according to Xie Guini's explanation.
"Chief Xie Gui Ni, you can lower the price for other things, but I have a novelty here. If you like it, you have to give me more in exchange."
"If it doesn't work out, I'd rather take it back than sell it."
Upon hearing this, Xie Guini immediately asked curiously:
"What is it?"
"You can't see any benefit from this thing during the day. I'll show it to you only at night."
When Xie Guini saw what the other party said, he became more and more curious.
The steward smiled mysteriously, but he would only take it out at night.
Waiting until night, I saw a sudden "bang" sound on the top of Pingcheng.
And then there’s “whoops!”
Then, a brilliant firework appeared over Pingcheng.
It looks extremely bright in the dark night.
When Xie Guini saw the fireworks, he was so frightened that he almost knelt down:
"Could it be that this is a gift from ghosts and gods? It can actually summon a star pendant!"
"Hahaha……"
The caravan steward laughed.
In the night, General Guan was standing on a hilltop, staring south.
The mountain wind blew up her cloak, making a loud noise, but her tall and straight body remained motionless like a stone sculpture.
When a bright firework exploded in a certain direction, General Guan couldn't help but narrowed his eyes slightly.
After a while, the second flower took off and opened again...
This signal means that the tent where Xie Gui Ni is now located is in Pingcheng.
A smile finally broke out on General Guan's cold face, and his smile was like the bright fireworks in the night sky.
"Come here, please pass the order. We will prepare food at three o'clock tonight and set off at five o'clock so that the whole army will be ready."
"promise!"
"Let Shi Bao come to see me."
Shi Bao quickly climbed up from the bottom of the mountain:
"General, you are looking for me."
"How's it going in the army?"
"General, there are still 8,643 people in the army who have not followed up. Currently, there are 1,412 people in the army who are unable to go into battle due to overwork or illness."
There were 26,000 men at the time of departure. Even if there were one person and three cavalry, the non-combat attrition would reach 10,000 people.
"No problem, let them follow slowly and wait for the stragglers. Tell the soldiers that when they enter Pingcheng tomorrow, they will not be allowed to eat meat."
Shi Bao licked his lips, and when he heard General Guan's words, he almost swallowed his saliva.
In the past few days, I have only had one hot meal in three days, and I have already become extremely hungry, let alone eating meat.
"If you can't defeat Xie Guini quickly, then you can wait and continue to eat solid food."
"Here!"
Shi Bao raised his chest and responded loudly.
Apart from anything else, even if it’s just for tomorrow’s hot soup and meat, you have to work hard!
It's still dark, the same mountain pass, the same early morning, the same mist.
The little Hu leader guarding the mountain pass is still sleeping.
The wine given to him by the caravan steward was very strong.
Although he only drank two bowls, he was still a little dizzy last night.
The faint sound of horse hooves came from the distance of the mountain pass.
A conscientious Hu man was awakened and muttered:
"What tribe doesn't have eyes?"
Don't blame him for being so unwary.
Because the past few years have been too comfortable.
Ever since Ke Bi was able to escape, there was no tribe nearby that dared to cause trouble for Master Xie Guini.
So he simply thought it was an enemy attack.
The sound of horse hooves came closer, like muffled thunder.
"No! This is...at least tens of thousands of horses!"
After all, he has lived on horseback since he was a child. Just hearing the sound of horse hooves, the barbarian minions can react.
Thinking of this, he was so frightened that he lost all sleep and broke out in cold sweat.
He quickly stood up, without even arranging his clothes, and ran to find the leader.
"People are coming, lots and lots of people!"
The leader was shaken awake by his life and opened his hazy eyes. He was very angry when he got up and cursed when he opened his mouth:
"What are you doing so early in the morning?"
The little guy gestured and pointed to the north:
"Someone, someone, many, many..."
"What……"
Before he finished speaking, the leader felt the ground shake.
"Where do all these cavalry come from?"
"Enemy attack?"
The leader quickly got up, but the hangover was a bit severe, making his head feel like it was exploding.
He held his head and groaned a few times before standing firm.
By the time he hurriedly gathered the people below, the sound of horse hooves had already shaken the mountain top as if it was about to collapse.
The sun rose, and the first ray of sunlight penetrated the mist, allowing the leader to finally see clearly the enemy rushing towards the mountain pass.
Like a long dragon, like a torrent, black and overwhelming.
"No!"
The leader let out a shrill scream.
This must be a dream!
It must be that he is still awake from the wine he drank last night.
How could an enemy attack at this time?
The enemies have begun to divide their forces and move around various intersections.
Some people even rushed up a low hillside, preparing to dive from a high position.
"I'll go back and tell the adults!"
The leader turned around and ran away.
After taking the outpost easily, Guan Ji continued to lead the army out of the mountain pass without stopping, heading towards the real destination.
At this time, Xie Gui Ni was truly hungover.
Last night he saw something called fireworks. They were so beautiful that he couldn't keep his mind still. He drank a lot of wine out of joy.
An hour later, Guan Ji led the army and rushed to the river bank outside Pingcheng.
Before the barbarians on this side understood what was going on, all the tents had been washed to pieces.
Raising the telescope and looking at the dilapidated city walls of Pingcheng, there were many places where a horse could pass by. Guan Ji smiled slightly and then ordered:
"Cross the water!"
On weekdays, members of the Xiegui Ni tribe have to travel between the two sides of the strait, so there is naturally a place to cross the water.
When the Han army was crossing the water in batches, the barbarians in the city finally came to their senses.
"Sir, the enemy is attacking, the enemy is attacking, my lord!"
The bodyguard shook him awake and returned to the mud.
Only after Xie Guini regained some of his consciousness did shouts of killing begin to sound outside the city.
Without unified command, some of the Hu people ran backwards, trying to run back to the city.
Some tried to stop them without overestimating their own strength, but the Han soldiers who rushed up raised their sharp sabers and slashed them down, knocking them off their horses.
Pingcheng, which had become a pen for cattle and sheep, naturally had no way to stop the Han army's cavalry. Those with superb riding skills directly found a low place and jumped over it.
Those who don’t have confidence will just rush towards the city gate that they don’t have time to close.
Someone wanted to close the city gate, but suddenly a group of people rushed out from inside and chopped down the barbarians at the gate.
Then, the cavalry rushed directly into the city...
Xieguini, who didn't even have time to put on his clothes and was only wrapped in a leather robe, was supported by his bodyguards and mounted on his horse, rushing to the street.
But there were cries everywhere, black smoke rising in some places, and even many cattle and sheep running into the streets.
Seeing this chaos, even if Xie Guini was completely awake, he might not be able to organize a strong resistance.
He was in a daze and was escorted out of the city by his personal guards, and then he finally came to his senses.
He murmured as if sleepwalking:
"Who? Who is it?"
"I don't know! It looks like there are Han people and barbarians coming from the north. I don't know where the enemy is."
The leader who originally ran back to report the news followed his master out of the city and provided some useful information.
"North? That's not a sneak attack by the Wei people."
Xie Guini perked up, and at the same time glanced at Pingcheng behind him, his expression immediately became depressed.
There are already enemy cavalry coming around from the east along the opposite bank.
"Quickly, go to Yanmensai!"
The terrain of Yanmen Fortress is difficult and the enemy's cavalry cannot climb over it. As long as it can be blocked for a while, Taiyuan in the south can provide timely support.
Xie Guini didn't dare to stay any longer, so he slapped the horse's butt hard and fled south for his life.
