Chapter 16 Sejong Chapter 16 The End of the Troubles in Central Asia
Chapter 2141 Sejong Chapter 16 The End of the Troubles in Central Asia
After the victory, it is natural to pursue the enemy and expand the results. This is the benefit of the winner. However, there were some twists and turns during the pursuit, but the final result was great and the victory was brilliant. It can almost declare the second YSL.
The plot of the Eastern Expedition failed.
The YSL Eastern Expeditionary Army, which numbered more than 160,000 people before the decisive battle, lost more than half in the fighting and subsequent pursuit. The rest mainly fled to two directions. One was the initial gathering place of jihadists from all over the country, the city of Amol;
About 20,000 people fled along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea to the city of Gorgan in the Hyrcanian region to take a breather.
The other direction is the Khorasan area southeast of the Caspian Sea. This wave of people is dominated by the Ghaznavid Army, and it is also the main target of the Anxi Three Kingdoms Allied Forces to pursue and eliminate. It can be said that they are pursued and beaten fiercely.
What is less satisfying is that during the pursuit, Ghaznavid generals continued to organize the defeated soldiers along the way, resist and retreat. Although Mahmud left, his messengers kept running back and forth.
On the retreat route, convey the Sudanese military orders, assemble, stop chaos, and resist the enemy.
Although it was embarrassing to be routed for hundreds of miles, by the time Mahmud withdrew to Tusi City (Mashhad), the capital of Khorasan, the number of defeated soldiers and the original city defenders combined together, there were already enough troops at his disposal.
It has grown to more than 30,000 people.
Khorasan is a word that appears frequently in Chinese historical records. It is located in the northeast of the Iranian Plateau and the southeast of the Caspian Sea. It is a strategically important area connecting West Asia and Central Asia. It is also a place of prosperity.
The land was annexed by the rising Ghaznavid dynasty. The city of Tus is a holy place for Shiite pilgrimage.
When the pursuing Han army attacked Tusi City, they were already exhausted from the days of fierce fighting and pursuit, and were only supported by one breath. Therefore, they could only reluctantly fight against Tusi City.
The symbolic attack was withdrawn, and even under the orders of Mahmud, the defenders went out of the city to counterattack, causing the Anxi Han army to suffer a defeat with hundreds of casualties.
After the war, there was a period of silence. The YSL Eastern Expeditionary Army, with an actual strength of more than 200,000, was finally able to escape the battlefield alive, with less than 70,000 people. The rest were either killed, captured, or missing.
Compared with the soldiers below who were excited and complacent about defeating the YSL coalition forces and enjoying the rewards from the three kings and the captured trophies as a matter of course, the upper echelons of the Anxi Three Kingdoms found it difficult to be truly happy and smile with joy.
Behind it, there is some bitterness concealed.
There is no doubt that this battle was a great victory, and judging from the result, it is a magnificent martial arts feat worthy of praise in any era. But equally, as the winner of this battle, the winner is
The price is also extremely expensive.
Not to mention the loss of materials and national power, there is nothing more expensive and laborious in the world than fighting. What really makes the three countries feel heartache is the loss of military power.
Not to mention the casualties of those servant armies. During the fierce battle, they were the first to waver and were defeated by the crazy jihadists. Their casualties were insignificant and even affected the overall war situation for a time.
The loss of the strength of the Han people in the Three Kingdoms was a bit debilitating. Added up, there were tens of thousands of people killed in direct combat. Many of them were killed in close combat by MSL with their lives.
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It can be said with certainty that such heavy casualties have never been as serious as this time in any major or small war against YSL civilization since Liu Min defeated the Black Khan. How many Han people were there in the Three Kingdoms? The Han army
How many elites are there, and how many people are there in the ysl world? How many such consuming battles can the Three Kingdoms afford?
Among the three kingdoms, Beiting State naturally suffered the greatest losses. The operations in the Haidong region were in ruins, MSL was in great turmoil, Ming City was almost destroyed by the war, and the Haidong Han troops under Beiting State were reduced by 70%.
Almost half of the more than 10,000 Han troops who died in the battle were from the Beiting Kingdom. They suffered injuries and heartache. Such a result was unacceptable to the King of Beiting, Liu Wengong, and his soldiers.
Therefore, even if Liu Min gave him great compensation in the subsequent sharing of prisoners and spoils, Liu Wengong could not see a trace of joy on his face, and even cried loudly at the celebration banquet. Everyone knew that he
The one who cried was naturally the death of his brother Liu Wentao and thousands of Beiting Han troops.
Of course, Liu Min has already had a will as strong as steel and as strong as iron stone. Although he apologized, he would not apologize to Liu Wengong for the strategic decision-making. And this cry bitterly also caused a rift between Anxi and Beiting.
The illusion of that "close and intimate" relationship was exposed, which also prompted Liu Wengong to completely change Beiting's development strategy after the war.
Before the end of the war, Liu Min, as the commander-in-chief of the Three Kingdoms, could not care about the internal disharmony. The war started, the war was won, and the Khorasan area was counterattacked. For Liu Min, giving up the war was no longer a consideration.
within.
Continuing the war became his only option, and Mahmud, who had retreated to Tus City, was still his first hunting target. However, before that, he had to spend time replenishing his troops, supplying equipment, and resting and recovering.
Things have entered the second stage of this "War between Han and Yi": the stalemate.
In fact, in the winter and spring of the 11th to 12th year of Yongxi's reign, both sides were licking their wounds and recuperating, just like two injured beasts that, although they escaped briefly, may bite each other again at any time.
However, in this process, the Three Kingdoms Allied Forces were more comfortable. They profoundly implemented the strategy of "feeding the enemy with food" and carried out burning, killing and looting in the Khorasan area without any burden. As for the Ghaznavid Army,
, the burden is much heavier. On the one hand, they have to deal with the guerrilla looting of the Han cavalry, on the other hand they have to defend the city, and they also have to replenish their strength to cope with the next war. Obviously, it is impossible to cover everything.
Starting from the stalemate stage, the war has actually evolved into the Ghaznavid dynasty challenging the Anxi Three Kingdoms Allied Forces. The other YSL forces were unable to provide much effective help to Ghazni for a while. Although there were still jihadists coming from the east, but
The only real threat is the Eastern Expeditionary Army that fled to the Gorgan area and regrouped. But with Mahmoud's fiery and orderly situation in Tus City, the chaotic situation in Gorgan, internal constraints, and
This makes it difficult to have any substantial impact on the threat to the Han people.
In February of the twelfth year of Yongxi's reign, after a not-so-brief period of rest, war broke out between Han and Iran again. King Liu Min of Anxi mobilized another 150,000 troops from all walks of life and marched southward, aiming directly at the city of Tus.
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But this time, the main actors on the Han army became Anxi and Kangju. As for the Beiting army, which suffered heavy casualties in the battle of Mingcheng, they could only act as auxiliaries. Both kings can understand
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And Liu Wengong, the king of Beiting, was not a deserter. He still had the most basic responsibilities. The dignity belonging to the Han people and the glory belonging to the Han army must also be maintained. Of course, these are false, and the fundamental reason is that,
The losses last time were too great and needed to be replenished, and the Khorasan region was much richer than Haidong. During the previous plundering, the Beiting army was particularly active.
At the same time, the quality of the 150,000-strong army was not as good as before. Nearly 100,000 people were servants, many of whom were formed and converted on the spot. After the battle of Mingcheng, the top brass of the Han army basically put away their arrogance.
At least I am more vigilant about the huge casualties of the Han army. Field battles are just that. City battles have to rely on cannon fodder from the river, Persia, and Arabia. They can be used up, reduce unstable factors, and facilitate control.
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At that time, under the coordination of Sultan Mahmud, the number of regular troops in Tusi City increased to more than 60,000. With a little mobilization, an army of 100,000 could be formed. Of course, its organization and combat effectiveness
, compared to before, it is also different. A battle of the intensity of the Mingcheng Battle cannot be withstood in a short period of time.
On the other hand, the Ghaznavid army had more things to worry about. This was the defender's natural disadvantage. Therefore, in the early, middle and late stages of the Battle of Tucheng, there was not much that the Ghaznavid army could do to defend the city.
The main task was to strengthen the walls and clear the fields, defend the city, contact reinforcements, and at the same time send a partial division of elite cavalry to go north to light fire behind the Allied Forces of the Three Kingdoms to distract the attention of the Han army and reduce the pressure on the battlefield in front of Tusi City.
What needs to be mentioned is that during the entire Han-Iraq war, at least the territory of Anxi Kingdom has been unstable. Not to mention the Haidong area, which can be called corrupt, while in the Hezhong area, various rebellions and turmoils have emerged one after another.
This is a normal thing. The previous domestic stability of the Anxi Three Kingdoms was based on the strength of the Han army and strict internal control and suppression. When the main army and even most of the servant armies were devoted to external operations, the internal situation
The commotion is understandable.
Of course, victory can often suppress many conflicts. After the Three Kingdoms Allied Forces won a complete victory in the Battle of Mingcheng, the rear was established. At least the endless rebellions were much less frequent. The hostile elements did not use their brains and were completely indiscriminate in causing chaos.
when.
The instigation and instigation from the Ghaznavid Army and the Jihadists still had the effect of promoting chaos for some Hezhong people who suffered from "religious oppression". It did have a certain adverse impact on the Han army's operations, but it was ultimately limited.
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After all, the Han army did not rely on logistical supplies as much as expected in a short period of time. The method of supporting war with war, as long as there are things to plunder, food, grass, and clothes to plunder, the Han army can be driven.
The tank continued to move forward.
In the city of Tus, another bloody battle broke out between Han and Yi. This city with a profound historical heritage and a strong religious atmosphere inevitably turned into a flesh and blood mill, and what was lost was the current and former believers in Allah. msls.
The offensive and defensive changes were just like the offensive and defensive battles of Ming City. The fighting up and down the city of Tus lasted for almost a month. As the Sultan of Ghaznavids, Mahmud made a very risky move. He stayed in the city. In this way, Ghaznavid soldiers were inspired and the believers were called upon to unite and jointly resist the invasion of the Han people.
The effect was remarkable. Under Mahmoud's personal supervision, the defenders of Tus City showed great fighting strength and willpower, and fought fiercely with the "Han Army" attacking the city. As for casualties and so on, the war During this period, human life is the least valuable thing.
The defenders of Tusi City fought hard, and the Allied Forces of the Three Kingdoms also found it difficult to attack. After testing the defense strength of Tusi City, the three kings Liu Min did not dare to use their precious Han troops to attack the city, and relied only on cannon fodder. It is also difficult to capture a city, at least a big city like Tus is not so easy to capture.
The factors that contributed to the change in the war situation did not appear on the battlefield of Tus City, but broke out in the upper reaches of the Jihun River, two thousand miles away from the battlefield. A 20,000-strong Ghaznavid army attacked from the northern town of Balihei and crossed After crossing the Jihun River, they raided the Han army's forts and strongholds along the river. In just fifteen days, Ercheng, Yuecheng and Chicheng on the north bank of the Jihun River fell one after another, and even the choke point Iron Gate Pass was captured.
This Jihun River area belongs to Kangju State, but if this area falls, it is not just Kangju State that is threatened. Chicheng, to the north of Tiemenguan, is Qisha City, and further north is the important Central Asian town of Samatan. This is seven River basin, the core transportation line on the Silk Road.
If Samadan is captured, then the power of the Three Kingdoms of Anxi will be cut off from the waist, which is a fatal threat. Therefore, when the battle report from the direction of Jihun River reached the front line of Tus City, everyone from Liu Min to Many high-level officials from the Three Kingdoms clearly realized that Tusi City could not be taken, and the war in Khorasan could not continue.
A battle of retreat began. First, King Liu Ye of Kangju led his army back east to aid Qisha City, and then the entire coalition army retreated. The Ghaznavid army in Tus City clearly noticed the movement of the Han army, and Mahmoud returned. They sent troops out of the city to pursue them, but under the calm and orderly command of Liu Min and others, they failed to gain any advantage. Instead, they were ambushed several times and suffered heavy losses, so they did not dare to pursue them again.
Before the evacuation, Liu Min ordered his people to plow the northern part of Khorasan, and then withdrew to the east of the sea. Along with it, he sent troops to the west, captured the city of Gorgan, and put an end to the Arab jihadists from West Asia. Their enthusiasm was completely extinguished, and at the same time it extended its tentacles deep into the southern shore of the Caspian Sea.
King Kangju Liu Ye led his army, and after a hard journey back to the army, they finally rushed back to the country that summer. Before the fall of Qisha City, the Ghaznavid army fled very quickly and did not fight fiercely with Liu Ye's army.
Originally, if they slipped away, they would slip away. After nearly a year of fighting, the entire Kangju Army was exhausted. However, the enemy attempted to use the cover of the summer heat to occupy the northern bay of the Jihun River and not move away. This completely destroyed the situation. This angered Liu Ye.
So, after a short rest, Liu Ye moved his troops south to regain the lost ground. As the three cities and strongholds on the north bank were restored one after another, and as the last Ghaznavid army invaded by the north was shot dead in the Jihun River, it was also announced that
With the end of the fifth Han-Iraq war.
The impact of this protracted war was profound and significant. The changes in the territories of the various countries were not major, but it established a new pattern in Central and Western Asia. To a certain extent, it can also be said to have affected the entire Dashi region.
historical development.
The Eastern Expedition suffered insignificant losses, the holy war craze was stopped, and the Ghaznavid dynasty also suffered heavy losses, but it proved with facts that a rising dynasty is not so easy to deal with.
After such a war, the Ghaznavid Kingdom at least firmly established its position as the "leader", and the name of Mahmud, the hero and the British Lord, was widely spread in the ysl world. At least, he was the first to be able to
The food prince who had back and forth with the brutal Han people.
Of course, the cost of this battle is also heavy. It will take at least ten years to recover, which will greatly affect its development process.
In contrast, the Three Kingdoms of Anxi defeated YSL's conspiracy to come back again, achieved impressive results one after another, and plundered a large amount of wealth from the Khorasan region, severely damaging the Ghaznavid dynasty and greatly weakening its war potential.
But its own casualties, especially the Han military force that was the foundation, suffered the most serious losses since the feudal state. This is a matter that affects the ruling power and cannot be taken lightly. This battle also made the top leaders of the Three Kingdoms put away their
This kind of arrogance and arrogance is not obvious but is rooted in the bones. At least he truly realizes that those big cannibals and ysl people are not all sheep to be slaughtered.
The most far-reaching impact on the Three Kingdoms is that it was from the beginning of this war that the close relationship between the Three Kingdoms that had continued from the "Anxi Dudufu Era" began to become clear. Politically and militarily, the Three Kingdoms
Started to become more and more independent.
For the first time, the top leaders of the three countries have truly thought deeply and seriously about their respective future development, instead of blindly limiting themselves to the almost politically correct strategic framework of "Western Expedition".
In fact, from the beginning of Emperor Shizu's enfeoffment, there have been differences and even conflicts in core interests among the three countries, and the differences in core interests have also destined their differences in strategic development.
In the past, due to blood relations, historical origins and the threat of YSL forces, the three countries had to live together and make do. However, after the "Five Great Wars", it was obviously not feasible to make do. In the following ten years, the three countries were indeed strategically engaged.
In terms of development, each one goes its own way.
The Beiting Kingdom completely withdrew from the Hezhong area and concentrated on domestic management. While developing northward, it actively communicated with the empire and strengthened ties in all aspects.
In the Anxi Kingdom, Liu Min also made a major decision. He moved the capital from Suiye to Hezhong City (the former capital of the Samanid Dynasty, Puhualuo, today's Bukhara). After all, the Anxi Kingdom at that time was already a country.
A large Central Asian country that spans the Seven River Basin and covers thousands of miles, the royal city of Suiye is located in the eastern border. Although it has many conditions, it is indeed not suitable to be the capital of the New Anxi Kingdom.
After moving the capital, Liu Min settled down and continued his reform and development. He and his officials in Anxi made some profound and solid plans for the country. The conquest of the ysl world did not happen overnight.
While cultivating internal strength, the basic national policy of expansion cannot be given up. Still the same, fighting for natural development, it is difficult for Anxi to single-handedly challenge the entire ysl world. However, Liu Min has focused his business on the coast of the Caspian Sea and the Persian region in the southwest.
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As for King Liu Ye of Kangju, he already had objections to his sixth brother Liu Min. The two brothers lived together as a gang, but they were at odds with each other and had many conflicts. After the family was completely separated, they became much closer.
Backed by Anxi and the Han Dynasty, Liu Ye gathered the strength of Kangju to focus on the "Afghanistan" region, and tried his best to compete with Ghaznavids for the upper reaches of the Jihun River and its northern areas. They were also facing these two countries, but they fought separately.
After that, the pressure faced by the Ghaznavid dynasty increased instead of decreasing.
The demise of the Kingdom of Khotan was exactly what Liu Ye did casually during his struggle with the Ghaznavid dynasty. Liu Ye would always remember that he was forcibly stopped by the emperor's second brother. Therefore, under Taizong
After the emperor died, he was already ready to take action.
The real action came after the death of Yuchi Baoxiang, the late king of Khotan, and the reduction of pressure on the Western Front (Mahmud went south to conquer India to gain confidence). As for the attitude of the central empire, whether it was Kangzong, Liu Wenpeng or
Still at the moment, Liu Wenji and Liu Ye, the emperor's uncle, didn't care at all about their attitudes.