Chapter 10: Winning the Central Plains, Section 62, The Smoke Rises Again in Western Xinjiang. After Nie Xiao and Baili Yang returned, the situation was relatively chaotic, but under the armed intervention of Pang De, Ma Chao and others, the original Huangzhong and Caohan Qiang tribes returned to Nie Xiao, and the Qiang tribes such as Burndang, Burn He, Dangfang, and Sister Le who hurriedly entered the western Xinjiang because of their hasty preparations and miscalculation of the situation, saw the iron cavalry in the north swarming and immediately withdrew from the western Xinjiang.

After a long winter, Tang Xiao, the commander of the Qiangqu and Linghu of the Qiangqu, gathered more than 60 tribes again, and about 20,000 horsemen attacked the Hehuang area.

This time, their troops were divided into two routes, all the way from Longqi and Shugu in the east of the West Sea, along the banks of the Huangshui River, all the way from the direction of the Great and Small Elm Valley to cross the Yellow River, from north to south to kill the hinterland of Jincheng County.

In a short period of time, the three cities of Linqiang, Anyi, and Poqiang on both sides of the Huangshui River fell, and the Huangzhong region fell into the hands of the enemy again.

Nie Xiao retreated with the Huangzhong Qiang Iron Cavalry, and asked for help from Liangzhou Assassin Shi Jia Xu, Zhengxi General Pang De, and Huqiang General Ma Chao.

Han Yi, the Taishou of Jincheng County, and Yang Qiu, the Governor of the West, were on both sides of the Huangshui, close to Huangzhongqiang, but Nie Xiao did not dare to ask them for help.

In the Battle of Yicheng that year, after Nie Xiao betrayed Han Sui and defected to Li Hong with the Huangzhong Qiang Iron Cavalry, Han Sui hated the Huangzhong Qiang tribes to the core.

Soon after he was defeated and returned to Jincheng County, under his instruction, the Qiang commanders such as Chang Chang and Mo Rope led their troops to move to Huangzhong and annexed the tribes of Beigong Boyu, Li Wenhou and Nie Xiao.

Now that Han Sui is dead, Xiliang has surrendered to Hebei, and Nie Xiao has come back with the Huangzhong Qiang Iron Cavalry. Far from abating, the hatred between the two sides has deepened.

After Ma Chao returned to Longxi, he borrowed troops from Baimaqiang and Shenlangqiang again, and when the imperial court worshiped him as the general of Huqiang, he was also allowed to temporarily recruit 3,000 troops to guard the border fortress, so his strength was restored to a certain extent.

However, Baima Qiang's handsome Lei Biao and Shenwolfqiang's handsome Yufeng lent troops to Ma Chao on the condition that Ma Chao asked them to help them attack the Zhongcunqiang, Mitang Qiang, Prison Sister Qiang and Wuwuqiang tribes living in the Xitian Mountains from the direction of Caohan and Baishi in Longxi.

Since the June thunder of Baimaqiang and the northwest rain battle of Wolf Qiang and the Death Wing City, the strength of the Qiang people living in the Minshan area has been greatly reduced, and they have been humiliated and oppressed by other Qiang people.

More than ten years later, Lei Biao, the son of June Thunder, and Yu Feng, the son of Northwest Yu, have grown up, and they want to revive the Qiang tribes such as Baima and Ginseng Wolf, and the opportunity is just around the corner, just after Han Sui's death, the western Xinjiang is out of control today.

The Baimaqiang and Shenwolf Qiang in the Minshan area believe that now is the opportunity to make a comeback. Zhong Cunqiang and Mi Tang Qiang of the West Leaning Mountain also had the same idea, and they thought that now was the best opportunity to enter the hinterland of Longxi Kou and plunder Xiliang.

After the beginning of spring, Zhong Cunqiang Hao Shuai Li Cai and Mi Tang Qiang Hao Shuai Cha united dozens of tribes and gathered more than 8,000 horsemen to fight into Longxi.

Zhang Ming, the Taishou of Longxi, Ma Chao, the general of the Qiang Protector, and Baili Yang, the leader of the Qiang tribe of Caohan, hurriedly met the battle. The Han army focused their attention on Huangzhong, and did not expect that the Qiang people in the western mountains would also take advantage of the chaos to invade, and they were in a hurry for a while, and retreated again and again.

At this moment, Nie Xiao's request for help made the Han army even worse. In desperation, Ma Chao, the general of the Qiang Protector, sent someone to urgently inform Lei Biao and Yu Feng, and asked the two marshals to lead the army to support and resist Zhong Cun, Mi Tang and other Qiang cavalry, and at the same time asked Han Yi and Yang Qiu of Jincheng to quickly support Nie Xiao.

Han Yi and Yang Qiu ignored it and refused to send troops on the grounds that the Qiang Qu Shuai in Hexi threatened the Yellow River, such as the Hongri of Dangqiang, the iron head of Yunnan Naqiang, and the storm of Shen Diqiang.

Ma Chao was furious. The armies of Han Yi, Yang Qiu and others were on the front line of Yunwu, Jincheng, and Zhiyang, and were only more than two hundred miles away from Huangzhong, while the armies of Hongri, Tietou, and Storm had retreated to the area of the Tianqiong Desert after being defeated by Han Yi at the end of last year, and it was impossible to threaten Jincheng in a short time.

Ma Chao thought that Han Yi was ignoring Xiliang's safety and announcing his personal vendetta. The relationship between the two is becoming increasingly strained.

Pound, the general of the expedition to the west, led 3,000 men and horses to rush to support. The two sides fought fiercely in Anyi City. In early April, Pang De ambushed the Qiang people in the Luodu Valley on the north bank of the Huangshui River, and killed the Qiang Xiaoshuai and more than 600 Qiang pawns.

This battle dealt a severe blow to the arrogant Qiang people, shocked Tang Xiao, and eased the tense situation in the Huangzhong region.

At the same time, Lei Biao and Yu Feng crossed the Wangqu Valley in the southwest of Longxi with 5,000 iron horses, and rushed to Di Dao to meet Ma Chao.

The two sides fought a battle in Great Xia in Longxi, and each suffered damage. Li Cai took the Qiang horse and retreated to Caohan. Pang De and Ma Chao held off the invading Qiang in the south and west of Western Xinjiang, respectively, but before they could catch their breath, a large army of the Qiang people in Hexi appeared on the north bank of the Yellow River.

Hongri, Tietou, Storm and Li Kan's son Li Fei and Ma Chang, Ma Play's son, roared with an army of 30,000.

Wuwei County Taishou Zhang fled back to Jincheng in embarrassment. This time, it was Han Yi's turn to ask Pang De and Ma Chao for help. Pound was too busy to take care of himself.

Nie Xiao was now bent on retaking Huangzhong, and he ignored Han Yi. Ma Chao didn't dare to go north. At this moment, the Han army in Western Xinjiang was attacked from all sides, and the Qiang people were powerful, once Lei Biao and Yu Feng turned their faces and did not recognize people, Longxi would not be able to keep it.

He thought so to himself, but it really happened. Li Cai made an appointment with Lei Biao in private, and Lei Biao couldn't hold it back for a long time, so the two hit it off and joined forces to raid Ma Chao.

Ma Chao, Jiang Feng, and Baili Yang were defeated and fled. The Qiang attacked Di Dao. Di Dao is the seat of the county of Longxi, if Di Dao is lost, Longxi will not be protected, and Hanyang County will be attacked by the Qiang people.

Ma Chao personally rushed to Jincheng to borrow troops from Han Yi. Now the Qiang people in Hexi are still on the north bank of the Yellow River, and Han Yi still has a Yellow River natural danger in his hands, and the situation is far better than that of Longxi, but Han Yi does not borrow it.

Ma Chao sneered, if Longxi is lost, the Qiang people will go directly north to kill Jincheng and cut off your retreat, and then you will be besieged by the Qiang people from all sides.

Ma Chao spoke very smartly. A few days before he finished speaking, Zhang Ming, Baili Yang and Jiang Feng were driven out of Di Dao by the Qiang people, and Longxi was lost.

Pound was shocked when he heard the news, and hurriedly ordered all his troops to retreat quickly. The sudden deterioration of the situation in western Xinjiang was completely unexpected by Xu Rong.

He took Jia Xu's letter, looked up to the sky and sighed,

"As expected, Ma Chao finally broke off the Western Xinjiang."

"Ma Chao originally wanted to use the Qiang people, but he was used by the Qiang people, which also can't blame him." Xun You said helplessly,

"The Western Xinjiang where Han Sui died was originally like this, which we had expected a long time ago, but we didn't expect the situation to deteriorate so quickly."

"Before Ma Chao left Chang'an, I warned him that after Han Sui's death, the situation in Western Xinjiang might get out of control, and asked him not to deal with Bai Ma Qiang and Shen Wolf Qiang anymore, but he just didn't listen." Xu Rong shook his head angrily,

"The thunder in June, the rain in the northwest, and the fox in the snowy mountains all died at our hands, and twenty or thirty thousand Qiang people died under the city of Yicheng, how can this enemy Qiang not take revenge?"

"Wenhe (Jia Xu), can Ling Ming (Pang De) stop the Qiang people?" Xun You asked worriedly.

"If ......" Xu Rong paused for a moment and smiled bitterly,

"If Han Yi, Yang Qiu, Cheng Yin and others can still keep their promises and be loyal to the imperial court, then Xiliang still has more than 30,000 troops, and they can still stick to the front line of Jincheng and Yuzhong. When the Qiang people in Hexi Hongri, Tietou, and Storm meet with Tang Xiao in the West Sea, Lei Biao in Minshan, and Li Cai in the West Leaning Mountain, we can retreat to the front line of Yicheng and Shangqi (today's water) to block them. If Han Yi and other Western Liang generals defect and join forces with the Qiang people, then we will have to draw men and horses from the Kansai battlefield to defend Guanzhong. Xun You's expression was solemn and speechless for a long time.

In mid-April, Taiwei Xun You and General Xu Rong jointly went to the imperial court to report on the military situation in Western Xinjiang and put forward countermeasures.

Judging from the current situation, the situation in western Xinjiang is powerless in the short term, and can only do everything possible to stop the enemy, and it is expected that the armies of Xiliang will retreat to the front line of Yicheng and Shangqi around June.

For this reason, Xun You and Xu Rongjuan asked the eldest princess to immediately issue an order to the Liangzhou Assassin Mansion to immediately withdraw the hundreds of thousands of people in Hanyang County to Guanzhong.

After these hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated to Guanzhong, some of the strong men could be temporarily recruited as private husbands to transport grain, grass and ordnance to the Xiliang army, while some of the old and weak women and children needed relief from the imperial court.

The Xiliang battlefield has begun, and a large amount of grain, grass, ordnance and people are needed. Xun You and Xu Rong suggested that the eldest princess should issue an order to immediately stop rebuilding Chang'an and invest the limited manpower and material resources on the Xiliang battlefield to ensure the safety of Guanzhong and the smooth progress of the Luoyang War.

As for the solution to the crisis in Xiliang, Xu Rong believed that the only way to do this was to requisition the Hu cavalry outside the Saiwai again, and let the Hu iron cavalry attack Hexi, threatening the old nest of the Qiang people in Hexi, and forcing them to withdraw their troops and return to help.

However, the Central Plains War the year before last and the Guanzhong War last year, the imperial court requisitioned and transferred a large number of livestock.

Up to today, the Hu tribes outside the Saiwai know the current situation of the Han Dynasty, and the deterrent effect of the Han on them has been greatly reduced.

The ambitions of the Hu people will swell because of the decline of the Han Dynasty, and then there will definitely be people who will try to break free from the shackles of the Han Dynasty and try to conquer the desert.

If we go to transfer troops again today, it is equivalent to telling the Hu tribes that the Han Dynasty is not only declining, but also relying on their help to survive, and then trouble will follow.

Some tribes will refuse to send troops for various reasons to accumulate strength. Even if some tribes were willing to send troops, they rushed all the way to Hexi to fight, which was extremely costly, and the imperial court could not immediately compensate them, which was a blow to their strength.

If their strength is weak, they will become the target of others to attack and devour, and in the case that the Han is no longer able to protect them, they may become the first victims of desert strife.

Without them, we will not be able to control the desert, and the consequences will be severe. We must ensure that there are enough controllable horsemen in the desert, otherwise the desert will be chaotic.

The Xiongnu Iron Cavalry was originally the most loyal army of the Han Dynasty, but last year's Battle of Guanzhong greatly damaged their vitality, and the balance of power in the desert was broken, so we can no longer recruit tribes loyal to the Han Dynasty, such as the Xianbei people shooting ink ci and the Karasuma people Loulu.

We have to recruit as many tribes as possible that may cause harm to the Han Dynasty, such as the Xianbei people Kirby Xiong, Tuoba Tao, Karasuma people Badun, and so on, but the recruitment of these tribes requires the general to come forward in person.

Today, the general is commanding a large army to attack Luoyang in the Central Plains, and there is no time to go north to the desert to lead Hu cavalry to attack and kill Hexi, and the possibility of the imperial court solving the crisis in the western Xinjiang in the short term is too small, and the battle of Luoyang has become difficult.

In mid-April, Xun You and Xu Rongshu told Jia Xu, Ling Ru and other Xiliang officials to arrange for the evacuation of the people of Xiliang as soon as possible.

The letter told Pang De, Ma Chao, Han Yi and other Xiliang generals that they must put the community first, give up personal grievances, and work together to tide over the difficulties.

Xu Rong urgently summoned Huaxiong and asked him to station troops on the front line of Chencang and Yicheng to support Xiliang at any time. Urgently summoned He Feng, and stationed heavy troops at the exits of various plank roads in Guanzhong to prevent Zhang Lu's sneak attack in Hanzhong, and at the same time asked him to select scouts and go south to explore the terrain of Hanzhong.

Shi Chenwei, the head of the general's mansion, and others were urgently summoned, and asked them to draw up a strategy for attacking Hanzhong and plan all preparations for attacking Hanzhong.

When the time is ripe, they will rush south to Hanzhong. In mid-April, Jinyang. In early April, the Tiger General Lei Zi wrote a letter to the imperial court.

He spent a winter among the Hu tribes in the western and central deserts, but few Hu leaders were willing to send troops to attack Hexi.

Xianbei people are loyal to the court, and they agreed without saying a word. The Xianbei people suffered great losses in the Guanzhong War last year, and they were afraid of the Qiang people in Hexi, so they did not agree.

Tuoba Tao and Tuoba Raccoon Dog politely refused under the pretext that they suffered a small snowstorm in winter and suffered serious losses to their livestock.

Mu Tao and Mu Li were attached to Tuoba Tao because of their weak strength, but Tuoba Tao did not agree, so the two of them naturally did not dare to come forward.

Xianlingqiang's storm sand fought a battle with the Qiang people in Hexi last year and lost, and they were all Qiang people, more or less friendly, so they didn't agree.

So many Hu tribes were reluctant to send troops, and Lei Zi was worried about the safety of the desert, so he gave up his troops at the foot of Yin Mountain and went west to Liangzhou.

In his recital, he said that the Qiang people in Hexi were strong, and the tribes in the desert were worried about whether they could conquer and occupy Hexi.

Now that we have failed to implement the strategy of entering Hexi, the army cannot effectively contain the Qiang people in Hexi from the Tianqiong Desert, which may have a great impact on the situation in Xiliang, please inform Xiliang quickly.

After Lei Zi's letter was sent to Jinyang, Xian Yufu, Zhang Yan, Zhang Liao, Huangfu Li and others immediately had a premonition that the situation in Xiliang was not good, and several people hurriedly discussed countermeasures, but before the countermeasures could be figured out, Xiliang was already in a mess.

The eldest princess urgently summoned Taifu Yang Biao, Prime Minister Cai Yong, Imperial Historian Liu He, Left Che Cavalry General Xian Yufu, Right Guard General Zhang Yan, Dasi Nong Li Wei, Shangshu Ling Cui Yan, and Zhongshu Jian Tian Chou to Phoenix Pond to discuss matters.

Several ministers watched Xun You and Xu Rong's joint recital several times, and their mood was extremely heavy.

"Before the Battle of Guanzhong, the general had repeatedly written to the imperial court and Lord Xu Rong, demanding that the Xiliang army must be retained. We left the Xiliang army, but killed Han Sui, the commander of the Xiliang army. Our soldiers are committed to carrying out the orders of the generals. The eldest princess looked grim and her tone was extremely angry,

"Now that the general's worries have become a reality, Xijiang has not only become a burden to the imperial court, but also the biggest obstacle to the great cause of Zhongxing."

"Han Sui's death was purely accidental." Zhang Yan sighed and thought of her stepfather, Zhang Niujiao. In the Great Battle of Gall that year, the Yellow Turban Army also lost the whole battle because of Zhang Niujiao's accidental arrow.

"Everyone in the court knows what Han Sui means to Western Xinjiang. Under his control, Western Xinjiang was stable for more than ten years, but at the same time, it also allowed the Qiang people to recuperate for more than ten years. This trade-off will become more and more obvious over time. Zhang Yan advised,

"Your Highness, even if Han Sui does not die, there will still be chaos in the western frontier in the future, and the imperial court will still do its best to pacify it. For us, the western frontier is a lesson and an unforgettable lesson, so we must take precautions against the future of the northern frontier as early as possible, take precautions for a rainy day, and quietly strangle the crisis brought about by this change in strength. ”

"How to strangle?" The eldest princess's pale face showed a trace of pain,

"I can't split the general in two, can I?" Zhang Yan had no choice but to smile bitterly. The eldest princess discussed with several ministers the suggestions put forward by Xun You and Xu Rong, and the results were very different.

The four ministers Yang Biao, Cai Yong, Liu He, and Cui Yan believe that it is necessary to withdraw the people of Xiliang into Guanzhong, but it is not necessary to stop the construction of Weiyang Palace, especially at this critical moment when the fate of Sheji is concerned, it is even more necessary to grit your teeth and persevere.

This year, no matter what, the Son of Heaven and the imperial court must be moved to Guanzhong to revitalize Tianwei. Xian Yufu, Zhang Yan, and Tian Chou admitted that moving the Son of Heaven and the imperial court to Guanzhong at this moment would be beneficial to defending the western frontier and attacking Luoyang, but Guanzhong was too dangerous, and once the western frontier failed to hold and the Qiang people roared in, things would be out of control.

In addition, when the war broke out in Western Xinjiang, how could the imperial court's wealth be supported? The east wall can only be demolished to make up the west wall, and the construction of Weiyang Palace will be stopped first.

The eldest princess agreed with Yang Biao and other ministers, but she was worried about the safety of Guanzhong and hesitated.

"Master Li, what is your opinion?" Li Wei holds the power of wealth and endowment. Whether the Son of Heaven and the imperial court can move into Guanzhong this year depends on listening to Li Wei's words.

Li Wei thought about it for a long time, and finally put forward a compromise opinion, stop the construction of Weiyang Palace and repair Liyang Palace.

Liyang is now the Wannian City in Guanzhong, located on the north bank of Weishui, more than 100 miles away from Chang'an, is a big city of 10,000 households.

In the past, before the Qin State established the capital Xianyang, it had been the capital of Liyang for 35 years. Before Gaozu Liu Bangding was the capital of Chang'an, he also used it as the capital for two years.

The Liyang Palace is not large in scale, and it has been well preserved so far, and it can be used as long as it is slightly repaired. In this way, the Son of Heaven and the imperial court could move to Guanzhong as scheduled, and once Guanzhong was threatened, the Son of Heaven and the imperial court could immediately move to Hedong by boat, and the imperial court temporarily saved a huge amount of expenses.

"That's it." The eldest princess did not hesitate at all, and immediately passed the decree,

"Change the city of ten thousand years to Liyang, before the Weiyang Palace is not repaired, the Son of Heaven and the imperial court temporarily live in Liyang City."

"Send all the concerts of Xun You, Xu Rong, and Lei Zi, as well as the views and countermeasures of the imperial court on the situation in Western Xinjiang, to the general, and ask the general to make a decision immediately." In April, Yanzhou, Chen Liu, and the general went to Yuan.

In the big tent, *** is clear. Li Hong crossed his arms and stood in front of the huge map, contemplating.

There has been no breakthrough in the Yingchuan battlefield, and the army has not yet severed the connection between Luyang and Luoyang, and has not completed the final encirclement of Luoyang.

The time for the two main armies of Lu Yi, Yang Feng, Yushi, and Zhao Yun to attack Luoyang in early May is getting closer and closer, and the Yingchuan battlefield must immediately come up with a feasible attack strategy.

Yan Liang once asked Zheng Bao to lead his army up the Rushui River and attack Guangcheng Pass, but Yuan Xi had heavy troops in Guangcheng Pass, and scouts were densely scattered on both sides of the Rushui River.

Zheng Baoshang did not get close to the pass before he exposed his tracks, only to be ambushed by the rebels and returned in a crushing defeat. At the same time, Yan Liang also seconded Jiang Wu's iron cavalry to attack Wancheng.

The rebels were heavily guarded by the iron cavalry in northern Xinjiang, especially the gallop road that could reach Wancheng directly, and many obstacles were set up on the rivers and mountain roads through which the gallop passed.

Jiang Wu was discovered as soon as he arrived in Kunyang with the iron horse, the army's traces were exposed, and the long-distance attack failed, so he could only return in a huff.

Yan Liang couldn't make a plan, so he set up another plan. In mid-April, he ordered Xu Huang to withdraw across the Rushui River, preparing to lure the main rebel force to the city of Yangzhai to encircle and annihilate him.

However, what made Yan Liang cry and laugh was that Kuai Yue, the rebel commander on the battlefield on the Western Front, stood on the Rushui River embankment and thought for a while, and then ordered the army to withdraw to Luyang and stop fighting.

The rebels retreated on all fronts, Yuan Xi and Wen Ping led the army to defend the front line of Guangcheng Pass and Luyang to protect the safety of the Chi Road, and Kuai Yue sat in Luyang City, and the defense line was impeccable, leaving the Northern Xinjiang Army at a loss.

Yan Liang was anxious, and designed again, letting Zhang Xiu take the initiative to give up Yingyang City on the battlefield on the southern front, lure Yuan Tan in, and then surround Yuan Tan with the main force, trying to use Yuan Tan as a bait to mobilize the rebels in the direction of Luyang to attack Yang Zhai.

Zhang Xiu gave up Yingyang City, but scared Yuan Tan away, Yuan Tan didn't even want Linyingcheng, and withdrew to Runan with the army.

Yan Liang had nothing to do, and told the general Li Hong that this section of the galloping road from Luyang to Guangchengguan passed through the mountains and mountains, and the army had no way to stop the waist and cut off, so it could only attack Luyang.

Li Hong disagreed, and said to think of a way again, don't worry.

"General, how to reply to the imperial court about the affairs of Western Xinjiang?" Fu Gan walked behind Li Hong and said softly,

"Lord Xianyu has sent a letter urging me again." The letter from the imperial court arrived three days ago, but Li Hong never responded.

The war situation in Western Xinjiang is tense, and the longer the time drags on, the more unfavorable it will be for the Xiliang Army.

"What do you think?" Li Hong asked in a low voice.

"Lord Xu Rong made it very clear in the letter, and the eldest princess and the important ministers of the court also knew it very well in their hearts, so they didn't say anything, and sent the letters from Lord Xu Rong and Lord Lei Zi over for the general to deal with at his discretion." Fu Gan also lowered his voice and said,

"Now, the wind and sand are reluctant to move, the gait is even more daring to move, Liu Bao can't move, Loulu can't move, and Tuoba Tao obviously won't train an opponent for himself. If Budu wins Hexi, his strength will increase, and it will only be bad for him, but not good. They are enemies, and Tuoba Tao can't be guarded against, so we can only recruit Kirby Bear. ”

"If you were Kirby the Bear, would you be willing to go on an expedition to Hexi, which has no benefit to you?" Li Hong asked again,

"From Wuhou Qinshui to Hexi, it is possible to cross the entire desert and travel thousands of miles?"

"If I have the heart to conquer the desert, this is the best chance to make a name for myself. If I can defeat the Qiang people in Hexi, my name will resound in the desert from now on. This is the opportunity I have always dreamed of. Fu Gan smiled slightly,

"Although Murong Feng gave Kirby Xiong an army, he failed to help Kirby Xiong build a great feat, and what Kirby Xiong needs most is meritorious service."

"What the big boss didn't give him, can I give it to him?" Li Hong looked up at the deep night sky outside the tent, and suddenly remembered Murong Feng.

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