The specific location of Liaoquan Shouchuo was in Jintang County in later generations. It was a Shouchuo city set up by the Tang Dynasty in the Hexi Corridor and belonged to the Jiankang Army.
The history of building a city here is very long. At the end of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, during the period of Juqu Mengxun, king of Northern Liang, and Li Xin, king of Xiliang, a war broke out here.
By this time, although the Central Plains Dynasty did not control Hexi, the status of Liaoquan Shouchu continued unabated.
When the Uighurs in Ganzhou were weak, this was an important pass to stop the Guiyi Army and the Suzhou Long Family from attacking Ganzhou.
When the Uighurs in Ganzhou were strong, this was their logistics base for their westward operations and their occupation of Suzhou.
"General, just now Liaoquan Guards captured a few horses that rushed out of the city. They must be going to Ganzhou to report the news. We can't catch up!"
A knight from the Murong family flew over to report. Murong Nobunaga looked at the wisp of smoke and dust going away bitterly and just wanted to curse.
It was a full 240 to 50 miles from Suzhou to Liaoquan. Murong Nobunaga led more than 700 riders, traveling day and night, sleeping only three or four hours a day, and chased for six days and six nights. Finally, he finally
He caught up with Renyu Khan of Ganzhou Uighurs, but the opponent retreated into Liaoquan to defend the city.
At this time, Liaoquan Guards, managed by the Uighurs from Ganzhou, had abundant supplies. There were more than 300 semi-permanent soldiers in the city, and with the hundreds of cavalry of Ganzhou Renyu Khan who had just escaped, he had a good army at once.
defensive capabilities.
"It's one hundred and forty miles away from Liaoquan Shou to capture Ganzhou. Even if the Uighur reinforcements arrive non-stop, it will still take several days. Why don't we surround this place first and wait for the envoys and the army to arrive before we make a decision!
"
Li Cunhui suggested that after running more than two hundred miles in six days, even an iron man could not bear it.
The cavalry protruding from the city of Liaoquan must be the new force guarding the city. They cannot catch up anyway. The most important thing now is to surround Ganzhou Renyu Khan.
Murong Nobunaga nodded subconsciously, and suddenly found that Zhang Liecheng beside him was also nodding. As soon as their eyes met, they quickly moved away, almost feeling embarrassed.
Murong Nobunaga felt a little disgraced when he remembered that his stepfather Zhang Erlangjun, whom he did not want to admit, had scolded him all over the place.
He and Zhang Liecheng each still had thirty military sticks, and Li Cunhui still had twenty military sticks to fight. Now he did not dare to be willful.
"Surround us first! Commander Ma is right behind us. Let's attack when he comes!"
....
Under Suzhou City, the Ganzhou Uighurs who were on the verge of extinction became tenacious in the end. Under the organization of Zuo Dayehu, more than 3,000 Ganzhou elites guarded the head of a pontoon bridge and launched a bloody battle with the Guiyi Army.
Zhang Zhao used armored cavalry to charge three times, but he was unable to overwhelm these Ganzhou soldiers who fought hard. In the end, he had to let the armored cavalry dismount and form a square formation with the heavy infantry to attack.
Under the heavy fire of the Guiyi Army's strong bows and crossbows, these Ganzhou soldiers were delayed until early the next day, that is, around ten o'clock in the morning, before they were defeated.
After defeating these Ganzhou soldiers, Zhang Zhao could not even enter Suzhou City, so he asked Luo Tongda to lead more than a thousand troops to control Suzhou, and sent troops to make forced landings in Jiuquan and Fulu counties.
Then he sent an envoy to Dunhuang to inform Suzhou of the great victory, and asked his father-in-law Cao Yuanzhong to find a way to mobilize a thousand people to stabilize Suzhou no matter what.
This little possession would make a mouse cry when he sees it!
After asking Zhang Zhao to take away more than a thousand outstanding young people, the Guiyi Army could mobilize only two thousand people, which was already the limit. If they drew more, spring plowing would not be possible.
Luo Tongda was left with a thousand men, seventy or eighty were sacrificed, and more than six hundred could not be taken away due to various injuries. Zhang Zhao quickly took the remaining more than three thousand people and chased them towards Ganzhou.
However, his speed would not be too fast, because he asked Ma Shacai and Murong Nobunaga to lead nearly a thousand cavalry to chase Ganzhou Renyu Khan.
They have three horses per person, and they have three to four thousand mules and horses at once. Now Zhang Zhao cannot guarantee one person and two horses. Many times he can only lead the horses.
Liaoquan was guarding the city. As soon as Ma Shacai arrived, the Guiyi army began to attack the city.
Ma Shacai and Murong Nobunaga had about a thousand cavalry in total, which was more numerous than the defenders guarding the city, and they had a huge psychological advantage.
Especially the cavalry from the Guiyi Army. The highest military achievement these people imagined was to capture the Khan of the Uighurs in Ganzhou.
Now that they saw the power of throwing the sky right in front of them, everyone launched a frenzied and desperate attack.
But after all, it was because of the lack of siege equipment and the fact that Ganzhou Renyu Khan, who was almost frightened to death while guarding the city, became violent.
He gave tens of thousands of acres of fertile land directly controlled by the royal family as a reward. Most of the people guarding the city were Renyu Khan's confidants, and many were even directly affiliated with the Yao Geluo family.
So he fought desperately, and Murong Nobunaga braved the rain of arrows and climbed to the top of the city several times, but was finally driven off.
Seven days later, Zhang Zhao personally led an army of 3,000 people and finally arrived at Liaoquan to guard the enemy.
At the same time, the Ganzhou Uighurs also mobilized all their troops from across the country. Among the more than a dozen tribes near Ganzhou City, all men over the age of 15 and under 45 were recruited, and they were given control of 17,000 men.
The rest of the tribes scattered throughout Ganzhou are still mobilizing.
Then, only five hours later, Zhang Zhao was not ready to attack the city. Seventeen thousand Uighur cavalry, led by Yao Geluo Tongli, arrived at Liaoquan, five miles east of the city.
Gu Ye
Zhang Zhao then asked Hu Jile to lead 300 cavalry to guard the city, and he personally led 4,000 men and 17,000 Uighur cavalry to confront each other by the Zhangye River.
Zhangye River is later known as Gansu Black Water. It was also called Weak Water in ancient times. It is the second largest inland river in my country and the largest in Gansu.
It originates from the glaciers of the Qilian Mountains and finally flows into the Juyan Sea. The famous Xixia Heishui City in the Tomb Robbers Notes is located on the lower reaches of the Zhangye River.
Such rivers formed by the melting of mountain glaciers generally have a particularly large difference in water volume between the wet season and the dry season.
It is now in the final stage of the dry season. The entire Zhangye River is wide and shallow. There are many sandy areas along the river, and many of them are exposed riverbeds during the wet season.
Such a river naturally cannot serve as a barrier between the two armies, so the armies led by Zhang Zhao and Yao Geluo Tongli simply did not confront each other across the river, but formed a confrontation close to the Zhangye River.
The terrain here is Zhangye River on the right, Heli Mountain on the left, Zhang Zhao is to the west, and behind is the Liaoquan guard where Renyu Khan of Ganzhou was trapped. The army camped on a hillside of Heli Mountain, blocking Ganzhou.
The entry and exit point for the Uighur army to Liaoquan to guard the capture.
The Uighurs in Ganzhou are to the east. They came from Ganzhou (Zhangye) with a large army and did not set up camps. These Uighurs were not very good at setting up camps.
The troops of nearly 20,000 people set up some scattered tents on the plain between Heli Mountain and Zhangye River.
"Ma Shacai, let me tell you, if you attack fiercely for five or six days, if we send out two thousand people to storm Liaoquan to defend the city, can we win it in one day?" In Zhang Zhao's camp, an emergency military meeting began.
Now Zhang Zhao has two choices. One is to leave a thousand men to guard the mountain pass, and lead the remaining 3,000 men to storm Liaoquan to defend the city.
Strive to break through the defense of the city and capture Renyu Khan within one day, and then force the Ganzhou Army in the east to retreat to Ganzhou City or even surrender.
The second option is to launch a surprise attack while the Ganzhou Army on the opposite side is not yet stable. As long as this Ganzhou Army is defeated, then this battle may be completely resolved even by the Ganzhou Uighurs.
However, both methods are dangerous. To defend Liaoquan, first of all, can it be captured in one day? Secondly, can the defending troops withstand the fierce attack of the Ganzhou Army?
Although a large part of these Ganzhou troops had average combat effectiveness in Zhang Zhao's opinion, they still numbered 17,000 to 8,000, and their morale was still very scary.
Taking the initiative to attack is also risky. If something unexpected happens, he will be stuck in the middle. If the attack fails, he will immediately run the risk of being attacked from both sides.
"Liaoquan Guards Castle is tall but quite short, so it is not difficult to capture it in one day.
But this mountain pass is not dangerous. Whether we can withstand the attack of 17,800 Uighur cavalry, the general will consider it very difficult. If the mountain pass cannot stop the Uighur cavalry, then we will be in danger."
Ma Shacai thought for a while and replied, they couldn't defeat them after six days. They had been chasing them non-stop for six or seven days. They were already exhausted. When they were hungry, they could only eat dry food. There was no place to sleep.
Not showing full strength.
"Military envoy, if you can give a certain two thousand men, Yan Jin will fight to the death to defend this mountain pass for you. Without two thousand men, it will indeed be more dangerous!"
Yan Jin said, this mountain pass is quite open, and there is no city gate to use. It is really impossible to defend it without two thousand people.
For a time, Zhang Zhao and all the generals in the room were in trouble. No matter from which aspect, there were risks.
But we have to make a decision quickly. The most terrifying thing is not making a wrong decision, but not making a decision. Zhang Zhao still knows this law.
"Military envoy, from my point of view, it is not advisable to attack the defensive city and launch a surprise attack now!"
Zhang Zhao looked up and saw that the person speaking was Pei Yuan. The wound on this kid's head had just healed, and he ran to Zhang Zhao's side impatiently.
"Then tell me why it's not advisable? And what do you think should be done?"
Let's discuss it. As long as there is no arrogance, Zhang Zhao can agree to everything.
"The military envoy, I have heard the name of Yao Geluo Tongli in Liangzhou. He is the half-brother of Renyu Khan and has always been quite powerful in Ganzhou.
Today, he sent all his troops to come, but he did not send an envoy to see the envoy at the first time. His intention is already clear!"
"Are you saying that Yao Geluo Tongli might have other thoughts?" Zhang Zhao asked. He really hadn't thought in this direction just now.
"This is inevitable!" Pei Yuan said categorically: "If Yao Geluo Tongli is a loyal minister and the monarch is surrounded and is in danger, the most important thing to do is not to defeat the enemy, but to send envoys to communicate with each other while suppressing the army.
Use the method of peace to rescue your Majesty.
For example, when Bai Deng, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, was besieged, if any clan clamored for a decisive battle with the Xiongnu, they would definitely be disobedient."
Zhang Zhao thought for a while and realized that there was some truth to this. Thinking back then, Chang Kaishen was detained by Marshal Zhang in Xi'an. He Jingzhi and others who clamored to use force to deal with Zhang Yang definitely had evil intentions, and those who were eager to rescue Chang Kaishen,
He is focused on finding a middleman to reconcile.
"So, do you think Yaogeluo Tongli might be waiting for us to storm Liaoquan to defend the capture, and then use it as an excuse for Renyu Khan's revenge to fight us again?"
"It is bound to be the case. As soon as we divide our troops, the Ganzhou Uighur army will begin to attack the mountain pass. By then, it will be useless even if we capture Renyu Khan.
The Hu people respect the strong, so a khan captured by an old enemy will have his own prestige greatly reduced! As long as he defeats us, Yao Geluo Tongli will usurp the throne, which is nothing!"
"What do you think we should do?" Zhang Zhao asked directly. He now felt that he really lacked such a shameless counselor who could make suggestions and understand the place.
