The Hexi Corridor, which is now Liangzhou, was once a nomadic land for the Yuezhi before the rise of the Xiongnu.
Maodun, a great leader of the Xiongnu clan, was sent to the Yuezhi as a hostage by his predecessor Shan Yutouman, his father, in order to secure the stability of the Xiongnu clan.
Later, the Xiongnu became increasingly powerful and started a war with the Yueshi. Maodun took the opportunity to steal good horses and fled back to the Xiongnu.
Later, Maodun succeeded to the throne as the Xiongnu Chanyu, and raised all the troops of the clan to attack the Yueshi, and the Yueshi were defeated.
After decades of continuous attacks on the Yuezhi, the Xiongnu finally forced the once powerful Yuezhi out of the Hexi Corridor.
Most of the Yuezhi people migrated westward.
The remaining small number of people fled into the Han territory and included the Han people.
Emperor Xiaowen was in power at that time. After careful consideration, the Han Dynasty placed them in the Luepan Mountain area within the Great Wall, which is rich in water and grass, vast and sparsely populated.
Later, the Yuezhi City was built next to Luepan Mountain, allowing the Yuezhi to surrender to the Hu and gather them to live there. At the same time, they were asked to help the Han defend against the Huns in the north.
To the north of Yuezhi City is the grassland.
To the west is Xiaoguan. After passing Xiaoguan, it leads to Tianshui in the south and Liangzhou in the west.
Yang Tiao was originally from a local wealthy family and had always been on good terms with the Hu people. When he heard that the Han Dynasty was attacking Longyou, he raised his clan's troops to respond.
At that time, Anding County was in turmoil, and officials in many places fled, let alone anyone to take care of Yang Tiao.
So Yang Tiao hijacked the local officials, entered Yuezhi City, and defended the city.
Later, the Wei army came from Guandong to help, and there was panic in Yuezhi City.
But I didn't expect that the Wei army was severely defeated at Longyou. Even the Wei Emperor who came to Guanzhong in person finally left Chang'an in despair.
Yang Tiao and others were greatly encouraged.
Later, the Han army occupied Xiaoguan and sent people to respond, which finally made Yang Tiao completely calm down.
The only thing to worry about is that during the period of Emperor Xiaowu, the Han Dynasty vigorously suppressed the Xiongnu, and Yuezhi City began to gradually lose its value.
This city was built hundreds of years ago. Due to lack of repairs, not only the city walls are short, but they are also dilapidated.
In view of the fact that the city was difficult to defend and was too far away from Xiao Pass, Zhao Guang suggested that Yang Tiao lead his army to move westward, but Yang Tiao refused.
The reason is very simple. In Yuezhi City, he is considered a local snake.
But if you leave your hometown, you have to take orders from others.
Besides, Yang Tiao believed that in order to control stability, the Han army would definitely not give up the important place of Yuezhi.
Zhao Guang had nothing to do with Yang Tiao's stubbornness, so he had to provide some supplies. At the same time, he made an agreement with him to echo each other. If there was any disharmony, he must send someone to report it early.
The arrival of cold winter has made the communication between Yuezhi City and Xiaoguan increasingly blocked.
Both Zhao Guang of Xiaoguan and Yang Tiao of Yuezhi City had a certain contempt for the Wei army because of the Wei army's defeat in Longyou.
Coupled with the severe cold in Anding's winter, everyone felt that the Wei army would have to wait until next spring at the earliest before it would have a chance to send troops again.
Therefore, not only Yang Tiao, but also Zhao Guang was not prepared enough for the Wei army.
Before the news of Linjing's pacification came, Xiahou Ba had already led three thousand fine cavalry to a place thirty miles away from Yuezhi City.
At this time, the defenders of Yuezhi City still knew nothing about the arrival of the Wei army.
When the sentinels sent by Xiahou Ba learned that Yuezhi City had no response to his arrival, they were overjoyed. They first ordered the army to dismount and rest, but at the same time they were not allowed to light up the fire, so as not to expose the target.
When it got dark, he picked out three hundred elite soldiers who dared to die. At the same time, he promised generous favors and profits, and personally led the way.
At one time, a school officer tried to dissuade him, saying, "The general's status is very valuable, but the Yuezhi Yang thieves are just robbers. Why should the general put himself in danger? Why don't we besiege the city first, and then attack the city after the general arrives with his army?"
Xiahou Ba said, "Otherwise, Yuezhi has been in disrepair for a long time, the city wall is short, the defenders in the city are insufficient, and there is no defense. It is the right time to break it."
By the time we arrived at Yuezhi City, it was already the third watch.
Not only were the people in the city already asleep, but the soldiers of the Yang family at the top of the city were also hiding in the corner, lighting a fire to keep warm.
Xiahou Ba led 300 elite soldiers to the damaged corner of the city wall. He took off his armor and wore thick woolen clothes. He took the lead, dug a ridge with a sharp blade, and climbed up.
Yuezhi City was built in the former Han Dynasty and the early Han Dynasty. It was built with rammed earth and was not covered with bricks. In addition, the city wall was not high. Xiahouba quickly climbed to the top of the city and looked at the fire.
The Wei army who quietly climbed up to the top of the city made a sneak attack and killed the sleeping soldiers who were sitting by the fire to warm themselves up, and then opened the city gate.
The Wei troops who had been waiting outside swarmed in.
At this time, the Yang family clan soldiers on patrol finally discovered something unusual.
"kill!"
Xiahou Ba still took the lead and rushed straight towards the Yang family clan soldiers patrolling the city.
Prepared or unprepared, and the Wei army was elite, how could the Yang family's clan soldiers be able to resist?
This patrolling garrison suffered heavy casualties after just one encounter. In the end, they finally alerted the garrison in the city at the cost of no one surviving.
Seeing that the defenders were alarmed, Xiahou Ba ordered all the battalions to quickly enter the city on the spot. At the same time, he also ordered people to light torches and set fires everywhere to create chaos.
For a moment, the city was ablaze.
There is a Yacheng in Yuezhi City, which is where the direct descendants of the Yang family live.
The movement in the outer city did not disturb this place for the time being, so Yang Tiao was still sleeping.
Some soldiers patted the door of his house anxiously and shouted loudly, "Zong chief, chief, it's not good, the Wei army has entered the city!"
Yang Tiao was awakened by the concubine next to him, but he was still lying down. He said sleepily, "Wei Jun? What Wei Jun? Isn't the Wei Jun far away in Xinping County?"
"Zong Zong, it's true! This Wei army came out of nowhere, and the city gate was lost for no reason. Now the city is in chaos. Zong Zong, please get up quickly!"
Hearing the words of the soldiers outside the door, Yang Tiao woke up with a start. Under the service of his concubine, he hurriedly put on his clothes and opened the door.
"What's going on? Where are the people guarding the city tonight?"
The soldier said with anxiety on his face, "It's gone, it's all gone, the city is in chaos now, it's all Wei troops! Chief, what should we do?"
Yang Tiao noticed that the shouts of death outside were getting closer.
Not far away, fire lit up the night sky. It was unclear whether it was the house that burned down or the torch held by the Wei army.
Under the illumination of lamps and candles, one could clearly see that the blood on Yang Tiao's face quickly faded.
It was not that he had never imagined the scene of the Wei army approaching the city.
But what he envisioned was to discover the enemy early, notify the Han army in Xiaoguan in time, and defend the city.
At the worst, even if Yuezhi City cannot be defended, they can still lead the tribe to retreat to Xiao Pass before the Wei army arrives.
It's not like this situation where we don't even know where the Wei army came from or when they entered the city.
"How many more people can we gather?"
Yang Tiao woke up quickly. He suppressed the panic in his heart and asked the soldiers sternly.
"Back to the clan leader, except for those guarding Yacheng, there is no way to contact the guards outside."
"That means there are only a hundred people?"
Yang Tiao dared to lead troops to fight against Wei, so naturally he would not be useless. After a brief panic, he quickly made a decision.
He made a decision immediately, "Go quickly and gather all the clan members in Yacheng, pack your things, and obey my orders at any time."
Then he turned back to the house and asked the concubine in the house to help put on the armor, then took the sword and went to join the tribesmen in Yacheng.
Along the way, when he met a servant who was running around and shouting, he stabbed him to death with his sword. At the same time, he kept giving orders, "Hurry and gather in the open space in the middle of Yacheng!"
In the center of Yacheng, the soldiers had already protected dozens of Yang family members, young and old, waiting in the open space.
Yang Tiao also refused to explain to them and directly asked the general guarding Yacheng, "Where did the Wei thieves come from?"
"Returning to the clan leader, the people in the south are the brightest. There are shouts of killing from the east and west, but there is no movement in the north."
"Okay, let's go from the north immediately."
Yang Tiao said decisively without missing a moment.
"Zong head, what if there is an ambush in the north?"
Some elders asked hesitantly.
"How can Wei thieves be fully prepared when they attack the city at night?" Yang Tiao retorted, "Leave quickly! If you don't leave, it will be too late!"
After saying that, he ordered his soldiers to clear the way and led the tribesmen out of the city in panic.
A woman held the corner of Yang Tiao's clothes and said, "Alang, Silang hasn't come here yet. I don't know where he is now..."
Yang Tiao turned around and said angrily, "How can one person harm the entire clan? Anyone who doesn't come will be left to his own fate!"
After that, he urged everyone to speed up their pace.
In the dark night, some people couldn't keep up with the team and stumbled around without knowing where they were. At first, they were worried about the Wei soldiers and only dared to call in a low voice.
When I got to the back and heard that there was no response to me, I felt anxious and couldn't care about anything else, so I shouted loudly.
Although Xiahou Ba successfully entered the city, he could only lead his men all the way to the center of the city because he was not familiar with the main roads in the city.
At the same time, he also ordered his soldiers to continuously throw torches, causing chaos and increasing momentum.
Along the way, soldiers from the Yang family kept appearing. Some were defeated and some tried to resist, but they were all killed by Xiahou Ba.
When he and his men rushed to the gate of Yacheng, he saw that the gate was wide open, the lights were brightly lit inside, and figures flashed from time to time. There was not a single guard on Yacheng, and it looked very chaotic.
Xiahou Ba was overjoyed. The defenders of Yuezhi City turned out to be a mob!
Then he shouted, "Thieve Yang, please accept your fate!"
Unexpectedly, after he rushed into Yacheng and was searched, he learned through interrogation that Yang Tiao had already escaped from the north gate.
Xiahou Ba was so anxious that he quickly sent people to chase him.
It's just that Yuezhi City was originally set apart by the former Han Dynasty for the settlement of the Hu people who came to surrender, and it was surrounded by grazing areas. After Yang Tiao entered the city, he was able to collect a lot of horses.
These horses helped him a lot at this time.
Someone in the Yang family who did not know how to ride a horse or fell behind fell behind the city and was captured by the Wei army.
After questioning, Xiahou Ba learned that after Yang Tiao left the city with his cronies and clan members, he rode towards the west.
Cao Zhen, who was leading the army, was extremely happy to learn that Xiahou Ba attacked Yuezhi City at night.
He said to the general who came to greet Xiahou Ba, "Therefore, General Xiahou Yuan conquered the west with five hundred in three days and one thousand in six days. He marched in the middle of the pass. You led the army to rush towards the Yuezhi and defeated the Yang thieves lightly. This is quite the legacy of your father."
When Xiahou Ba was praised by Cao Zhen, instead of being happy, he looked ashamed, "It is the last general's fault that he could not capture Thief Yang in this battle."
"The Yang thief is just a thief. He escaped without harming the overall situation. What I am happy about is that Zhong Quan has the style of a general. It seems that the Wei Dynasty will have one more general."
Cao Zhen didn't care about Yang Tiao's escape, but praised Xiahou Ba greatly.
