Zhang Yuan, Zhao Mingxiu and others left Zhiluo Town and headed northwest along the Huashui (Hulu River) Valley. They used Ziwu Mountain (also known as Ziwu Ridge) as a base to hide their whereabouts and wait for the hunting target to come to their door automatically.
Ziwu Mountain was called Qiaoshan before the Tang Dynasty. Because the mountain stretches continuously and runs north-south, it coincides with the original meridian. The ancestors used to call the north "Zi" and the south "Wu", so this section of the mountain is called Ziwu. ridge.
According to legend, the Xuanyuan Huangdi clan originated from Qiaoshan and the upper reaches of the Beiluo River, and then gradually developed and expanded. "Historical Records: The Chronicles of the Five Emperors" records that the Yellow Emperor died and was buried in Qiaoshan. Three thousand years ago, the Zhou people moved south from the Loess Plateau and established the Zhou Dynasty with their capital in Guanzhong. From then on, the Loess Plateau began to be gradually occupied by northern nomads.
The Loess Plateau is close to Guanzhong and can be regarded as the northern gate of the Guanzhong region. Without control of the Loess Plateau, the Central Plains Dynasty will have no danger to gain control. The Loess Plateau has become the focus of competition between the Central Plains Dynasty and the northwest nomads. In 272 AD, the Qin people conquered Yiqu and occupied the Loess Plateau. In order to consolidate their rule, they built the Great Wall here to resist the invasion of nomadic people from the northwest.
Ziwu Ridge is located in the hinterland of the Loess Plateau, between the Jinghe River and the Beiluo River. It is an important path crossing the Loess Plateau from north to south. The Qin Dynasty built a straight road on the ridge of the Ziwu Mountains, starting from Yunyang in the south and reaching Jiuyuan in the north. There were beacon tunnels, piers and passes along the way. The main pass villages from north to south include Wuting Village, Xinglong Pass, Aihaodian, Diaolingguan, Jinsuoguan, etc. are regarded as the earliest military highways in China.
In Chinese history, before the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty, the Central Plains dynasties were able to firmly control the Loess Plateau whenever they were in their prime. Once they lost control of the Loess Plateau, the Central Plains dynasty would either come to an end or settle in a corner of the south.
By the Northern Song Dynasty, the Northeast had lost the natural barrier of the "Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun" against the northern nomads. If the Loess Plateau in the Northwest, which could serve as a buffer zone, was lost, the Northern Song Dynasty would soon lose its control over the Central Plains. . Therefore, the competition for the Loess Plateau was extremely fierce between the Northern Song Dynasty and the Western Xia Dynasty, and by Li Yuanhao's time, it had become increasingly fierce.
It is a pity that the monarchs and ministers of the Northern Song Dynasty did not understand the power of it in the end. They just wanted to get by at the time and found various excuses to compromise with Xixia, losing their absolute control over the Loess Plateau. For more than eighty years after that, they died of exhaustion on the thousands-mile-long border from east to west, becoming the first Central Plains dynasty to die not from internal strife but from foreign aggression.
The Northern Song Dynasty, from its founding to its demise, well implemented the national policy of emphasizing culture and suppressing military force, which greatly prevented the tyranny of military men, but also restrained the hands and feet of military generals. It was difficult for military generals to perform in the face of the ever-changing battlefield. Subjective initiative, from now on, the attack is insufficient but the defense is sufficient. In addition to being passively beaten, it means losing the battle.
In view of this, the Northern Song Dynasty took great pains to resist the invasion of the brave and capable cavalry of the Western Xia Dynasty. On the Loess Plateau, a military defense line of nearly three thousand miles, there was one fire for five miles, one pier for ten miles, one fort for thirty miles, and one hundred miles. In this city, nearly 500 castles and fortresses were built. The expenditure of manpower and material resources was so huge that from an economist's point of view, it would be better to make up one's mind, learn from the Tang Dynasty, and slap the Xixia regime to death with one slap. right? (These are superficial words, they can be taken seriously, but they must not be taken seriously.)
Ziwu Ridge is such an important military area. Are Zhang Yuan and Zhao Mingxiu thinking about setting up an ambush here? Are their brains rusty?
Probably not. Across Ziwu Ridge from east to west, Qingzhou Prefecture is only a few dozen miles away.
Who dares to say that people who have traveled thousands of miles will not feel happy and excited when they approach the door of their destination. It is human nature to be careless, forget the danger, and relax our vigilance.
Zhang Yuan, Zhao Mingxiu and others should think so. Can they really get what they want?
That's not necessarily true. Judging from what Fan Zhongyan did when he came to the northwest from the capital, he can be called a master in defensive warfare.
At the beginning of the founding of the Northern Song Dynasty, Xixia declared itself a tributary to the Song Dynasty. The border areas were mainly trade and there were few military conflicts. However, the appearance of party member Li Yuanhao changed the original situation. In 1038, Li Yuanhao led the party members to found the Daxia Kingdom. In order to draw a clear line between it and the Northern Song Dynasty, he ordered all men in the Daxia Kingdom to become bald within three days. Violators would be punished with death. Emperor Zhao Zhen (Song Renzong) of the Song Dynasty probably didn't know about such determination. Otherwise, he wouldn't always think about subduing others without fighting, shaking hands with Xixia Li Yuanhao, and making peace and good neighborliness.
Before the founding of the country, the Dangxiang people fought everywhere and expanded their territory. The cavalry was brave and good at fighting, and they had full wings. In 1040, the Western Xia army suddenly launched a large-scale attack on the border towns of the Northern Song Dynasty. The Song Empire was caught off guard. The soldiers of the Song Dynasty had been without war for more than thirty years and their armaments were lax. In the Battle of Sanchuankou, the Song army was defeated miserably. Most of the hundreds of miles of Guancheng fortresses were looted or occupied by the Xixia army. At this point, Fan Zhongyan returned home as expected and came to the northwest to put out the fire.
As soon as Fan Zhongyan arrived in the northwest, he did not hold a big banquet or shout slogans, but conducted on-site inspections non-stop. He suddenly discovered that the defense in the Yanzhou Prefecture area of the Northern Song Dynasty was very lax, there were many problems in the army, and ethnic relations were terrible... All signs were not conducive to the Song army's deep operations behind enemy lines.
It is not conducive to take the initiative to attack, and Xixia Li Yuanhao likes to take the initiative to attack, so why not wait for work and defend for offense.
I saw that many soldiers in the army came from the south. They had been guarding the border for too long and missed their hometown. Their fighting spirit was not high. In order to improve the fighting spirit of the soldiers, Fan Zhongyan recruited soldiers from the local area. These newly recruited soldiers were not only familiar with the mountains and terrain, but also had high morale because they were defending their own homes. They really killed two birds with one stone.
Seeing that the command system in the army was strict and rigid, Fan Zhongyan quickly selected 18,000 soldiers and divided them into six groups, letting each general command 3,000 people. This eliminated the problem of soldiers and generals not knowing each other in the past, and the army's combat effectiveness was greatly improved. Get promoted quickly.
This is not enough. Considering that since the decline of the Tang Dynasty, the people on the northwest border, whether they are Han people or people from ethnic minorities such as the Qiang, have long been bullied and squeezed by the regime established by the Han people. The ethnic groups in the border areas The relationship has become extremely acute and complex. Fan Zhongyan used a pragmatic style and treated each other with sincerity, comforting them spiritually and supporting them financially. All based on stabilizing the border, easing relations with ethnic minorities in border areas and digesting conflicts. Within the authority, if he thinks of it, he will implement it; if it is outside the authority, he will ask the court to give him the opportunity to implement it. These include the sale of alcohol, which has been changed from a national patent to the participation of all frontier people, and also includes the equalization of land to allow the families of some local soldiers to develop camps. In this way, the people in the border areas benefited a lot, and the soldiers also produced while fighting. Not only did the army's supply problem be solved, but the families of the soldiers also received some economic income accordingly.
I wonder if such a pragmatic official, who is knowledgeable and has a mission, when he sees Ziwu Mountain, what he thinks of is the national majesty supported by the Qin Emperor, Han Wu, Tang Zong and Song Zu due to their cultural and martial arts. Shouldn’t he? It is the joy that a wanderer feels when he finally reaches home.
When he came to the bank of the Hulu River, Bai Yutian looked at the rolling mountains on the other side. He was so happy that he got off his horse and walked with Fan Zhongyan. He said, "Sir, can you get through these mountains today?"
Fan Zhongyan turned his head and took a look at the large group of people. Seeing that everyone was tired and exhausted, he said cheerfully: "Since Yanzhou Prefecture escorted me on the road, we have rested at night and rushed at dawn. We must be tired all the way. We are resting here today. Next, I’ll go to Ziwuling tomorrow morning and rush to the Gyeongju government office for dinner. How are you?”
The little captain Wu San stepped forward and said: "Sir, before I escort you into the gate of the Qingzhou government office, the soldiers must be tired. It's still early, so why don't you go up to the mountain? On the ridge We can spend the night in their camp and have a better rest."
Fan Zhongyan glanced at Bai Yutian and said, "Boy, you were so worried along the way. Why didn't you say anything?"
Bai Yutian smiled and replied: "Sir, please forgive me for being stupid, I really don't know what to say."
Fan Zhongyan smiled and said: "If you are stupid, we may not be able to get here. If you have anything to say, just say it."
Bai Yutian said: "Sir, as far as the public is concerned, it would be best to spend the night in the camp on the ridge tonight. But privately, I am looking forward to staying here for a night to see if I can settle some affairs. resentment."
Wu San said: "Brother Bai, I have been ordered by the emperor to come to the northwest to guard the border. What I am doing is all official business and there is no private matter."
Bai Yutian smiled and replied: "Brother Wu is absolutely right, I am confused."
Wu Sanchao and Fan Zhongyan said politely: "My lord, your safety should come first. We will worry about other matters later when we have the opportunity."
Fan Zhongyan smiled slightly and said, "Bai Yutian, are the private matters you are talking about beneficial to the family and the country?"
Bai Yutian said politely: "Reporting to your lord, for those who care about their country, if they have no worries about their family affairs, their patriotism should be stronger."
Fan Zhongyan laughed and said: "Okay, let's take a rest here today to put an end to family worries and pray for patriotism."
Bai Yutian saluted and said, "Thank you for your consideration."
Wu San was unhappy and said: "Bai Yutian, you..."
Fan Zhongyan patted Wu San on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Wu San, the rivers and lakes of the common people are, to put it more harshly, the world of officials. Handling the affairs of the rivers and lakes well is a strategy for governing the world. Bai Yutian's move did not Nothing inappropriate, just calm down and have a good night’s rest, and we’ll be on our way at dawn tomorrow.”
Wu San politely said: "I accept my order from my humble position."
Fan Zhongyan said loudly: "I'm not going to hurry today. Let's rest by the Calabash River." He led his horse towards a crowded place.
Everyone took the order and led their horses to follow him, with lots of laughter and joy.
Seeing that everyone was happy, Fan Zhongyan said: "Bai Yutian, it's rare for everyone to be in a happy mood. Why not play a song to drive away the miasma in the mountains and forests, and hope that the mountain roads will be clean and people will feel at ease."
Wushan Taoist agreed: "Boy, you must listen to what the adults say!"
Bai Yutian put a smile on everyone's face and said: "Then I'm going to start a section. Don't plug your ears and not listen."
Several braver soldiers said in unison: "Master Bai, please sing."
Bai Yutian happily got on the horse and sang loudly:
"There are many passes and mountains, and the danger lies in the ground;"
"A fierce adviser is the one who is in danger;"
"He who is afraid of danger is the one who has danger in his heart."
...
