Chapter 233 The Han Riders Out of Absolute Territory
Compared with Guo Jin's army in the Western Regions, which was prosperous and powerful outside the region, and followed by thousands of people, the Hexi Army on the other hand was more generous and heroic. Of course, it was also more difficult and dangerous.
Wang Yansheng led tens of thousands of Hexi cavalry, starting from Suzhou and moving north to Yanze. With fearless courage, he overcame difficulties and obstacles, crossed the quicksand of the desert, penetrated thousands of miles into the Liao border, and arrived at Yanran Mountain, directly threatening the northwest of the Liao Kingdom.
Road recruitment department.
This is hundreds of years later, the army from the Central Plains is showing off its power in Mobei, and the Han Dynasty's mysterious flag is flying outside the territory. The Liao Kingdom is vast, thousands of miles from east to west, but it is sparsely populated. Although the far northwest has always been under the rule of ownership, its rule is weak.
, control capabilities are limited, and local tribes have great autonomy.
In recent years, the Han Dynasty has sent out a large number of small operations to bribe, mobilize, and divide the tribes under the rule of the Liao Kingdom, which has played a certain role. However, only Mobei is beyond the reach of the whip. As for the Moxi area, even if there are not too many small operations,
, after so many years of vicissitudes, control is also weakening.
Therefore, the Liao State set up the Northwest Route Recruitment Department to strengthen its influence on the vast northwest region. Most of the troops used in the Western Expedition came from the tribes in the northwest.
In the Western Regions, there were several bloody battles, and the final result was that the Liao court was enriched, but the strength of the tribes in the northwest region was weakened. Therefore, the local tribes were dissatisfied with the Liao center.
This time, the Liao Kingdom mobilized armed forces across the country to prepare for the Han army. The response in the northwest was relatively slow and even negative. After Yelu Xian succeeded to the throne, Emperor Ping Wang Yelu Longxian served as the recruiting envoy on the northwest road to strengthen their
While Yiline exerted influence in the country, it also intended to appease the northwest tribes. Yelulong was intelligent, gentle in temperament, and had certain political talents. Yeluxian believed that this imperial uncle could realize his political intentions.
However, after Yelulong took office, he faced the second outbreak of the Han-Liao War before he could introduce some policies to appease the people and appease the tribes.
When receiving Yelvxian's mobilization order, Yelvlongxian was quite helpless. Before he was familiar with the situation in the northwest and consolidated his power, he transferred 10,000 horsemen from the local border troops and tribes and sent them to the east.
Acting by force will inevitably further destabilize the situation and alienate the local tribes. However, due to its remote location and sufficient depth, under normal circumstances, it would be difficult for the Han-Liao War to affect the northwest Liaoning region.
The vast desert and the rolling Yin Mountains are their best protection. Even at the beginning of the war, Yang Ye led the army and swept through the forts and strongholds arranged by the Liao Kingdom along the Yin Mountains. It did not make the Liao army and tribes in the northwest feel a little nervous. The war
It seems that they are still far away.
However, changes often occur unexpectedly, and the surprise brought by the Han army to the North Liaoning Road was even more sudden. Of course, this suddenness also required a lot of hard work and experienced many difficulties and dangers.
Wang Yansheng led the army, and it took him a full month to get out of the desert. The 10,000 cavalrymen who set out lost nearly 2,000 people during the march. Even if there were guides to guide the way, they would deviate from the route several times and even lose their way.
They have encountered storms, fallen into quicksand, and walked on the edge of life and death.
When they entered the northwest Liaoning border, all the camels, mules and horses accompanying the army were exhausted, and many of the army horses were killed to satisfy their hunger. The drinking water was almost exhausted, and a lot of ordnance was also lost.
Precisely because they withstood all these hardships, the soldiers of Hexi who marched north were very tenacious, as if they had crossed the abyss of death, saw hope again, and their morale was even higher. In addition, the fourth prince, Duke Zhao Liu Fang also
In the army, I endured this hardship together with the soldiers and endured all the hardships.
Originally, Liu Fang still maintained his previous style, joining the army incognito and only revealing his identity on the way. This had a huge motivating effect on the soldiers who went on the expedition.
When this army, which had gone through many hardships and dangers out of the desert, penetrated deep into Mobei, it achieved its first success after only a short adjustment. The Yefu tribe operating in the south of Yanran Mountain became the first target of the attack.
The Yefu tribe was a large tribe in the northwest of Liaoning, but it could not withstand the divine soldiers descending from the sky. The Han army, which was as devilish as gods, consisted of more than 20,000 men, and was easily defeated. Countless people died, and countless people fled.
Through this battle, the Han army obtained a large amount of supplies.
Afterwards, Wang Yansheng's army rested for a while, ignoring the remnants of Yefu's tribe, and quickly led his people across Yanran Mountain to Woluduo City. This city was the ancient Uighur King's City and served as the residence of the Prince of Zubu established by the Liao Dynasty.
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It was another surprise attack. The Zubu tribe operating in the northeast of Yanran Mountain was defeated without much resistance. King Zubu failed to escape and was trapped in Woluduo City and was captured by Liu Fang.
By this time, the tribes in northern Liaoning had just realized that the war was not far away from them, it was just that the Han army's sword had been placed on their necks.
Facing this sudden Han army, King Yelu Longxian of the Liao Kingdom, who was staying in Zhenzhou on the northwest road, could no longer bear to be shocked! He could only summon the nearby garrison and troops in a hurry to concentrate his forces.
, to resist the Han army.
Of course, the surprise attack by Wang Yansheng's army was not fatal. They crossed the quicksand and crossed Yanran, attacked the Yefu tribe and the Zubu tribe. After arriving at Xiawoluduo City, they were already exhausted and in urgent need of rest.
For Yelu Longxian, the greater threat came from the south, where there was also a murderous Han army from Yang Yebu on Yulin Road.
After the plan to take the initiative and go deep into the grassland was approved by the imperial court, Yang Ye, who had already prepared well, led the attack without any delay.
Due to the dangerous nature of the expedition, Yang Ye only brought 10,000 cavalry this time and concentrated on using camels, horses and livestock. Their journey also required crossing the desert. Although it was not as dangerous as the Hexi Army, it was still very difficult.
After leaving the north, they faced the Dadan tribe. As early as when Yang Ye went north for the first time, one of the Dadan people saw the opportunity and fled north. Because they were moving fast, they did not suffer much loss.
However, they never expected that the Han army would be so unrelenting and dare to cross the border to pursue them, but they were also caught off guard. However, this time, Yang Ye only eliminated one of them, and did not gain much, and only basically replenished it.
Supplied some drinking water and food to maintain the consumption of the army.
When Wang Yansheng crossed the Yanran Mountains and came to the east, Yang Ye led the army and was fighting against the nine coalition forces of Dadan. Yelu Longxian was also focused on the south and was thinking about how to repel Yang Ye's army.
Therefore, when the Yefu tribe was destroyed, the Yubu tribe was severely damaged, and both the west and south sides faced the attack of the Han army, the northwestern Liaoning route, which should have been safe and sound, faced the greatest crisis and faced the danger of life and death.
Speaking of which, since the Khitan unified Mobei, the northwest region has not encountered war for many years. Even if there has been, it has only been some minor disturbances. Most of them have sent troops to fight with the Khitan as servants.
But this time, the situation was different from any other time. The Han cavalry arrived at their doorstep, sharpening their swords at them. The tribes in the northwest were just like the nomadic tribes who lived in the pastures of this land hundreds of thousands of years ago.
, facing a strong blow from the Central Plains Empire. If it cannot withstand it, it will fall into ruin or even perish like the various tribes in the past.
Facing the dangerous situation, Yelu Longxian did not have many options. The main reason was that the 10,000 cavalry previously deployed to the eastern battlefield greatly weakened the strength of the northwest.
In addition, although there are many local tribes, their hearts are not unified, and when the military disaster comes, they all have their own thoughts. It is even more difficult to form a joint force. In other words, under the threat of the Han army, the remaining tribes have to gather together.
Under the banner of the Liao Army, we fought against the Han Army.
Fortunately, before Yelv Longxian took office, Yelvxian sent 3,000 soldiers from the Zuopishi Army to follow him westward. The original intention was to protect Yelvlongxian and frighten the tribes in the northwest, but he never expected that he would become the backbone of the resistance against the Han army.
strength.
At the suggestion of his subordinates, Yelulong first reduced his troops, took in the dispersed tribesmen, and reluctantly gathered an army of less than 30,000 people. This had exhausted the potential of the northwest.
However, although the Saibei tribe is brave and can be a warrior on horseback, the tribes are not unified. It is debatable how much strength they can exert when they are temporarily concentrated.
The Liao army adopted the method of shrinking defense, which also gave the Han army more opportunities to adjust its preparations. The Hexi and Yulin armies were able to join forces in the absolute area outside the fortress. This was also the meeting of the two brothers Liu Fang and Liu Min. The sixth prince, Wei
Wang Liumin also ignored Yang Ye's dissuasion and insisted on fighting. Along the way, he won the recognition of many soldiers with his strong style and skillful riding and shooting. In the battle with Dadan tribes, he personally shot and killed three soldiers.
Famous enemy soldier.
By mid-May, the Han army united and advanced to Liao Zhen Prefecture. In this Mobei, urban warfare basically did not exist, and the northwest tribes were not good at it. Facing the invading Han army, they could only fight in the field.
Therefore, King Yelu Longxian of Liaoping also led the tribal coalition to attack. The two sides met on the banks of the Tulla River east of Yanran Mountain and west of Wugu Mountain.
The Liao army had less than 30,000 troops, and the Han army only had more than 16,000 troops. However, in terms of military appearance, equipment, spirit, and momentum, the Han army had an advantage.
This was a large-scale frontal cavalry battle, in which the decisive role was played by Zhao Gong Liu Fang. He led thousands of cavalry in a circuit of more than 300 miles and crossed the Turula River twice, when the Liao army suddenly appeared.
From the rear, the Liao army unexpectedly launched a fatal blow.