Since ancient times, if you want to enter Yanmen County and pass the Yanmen Fortress, you must first pass through Pingcheng County (that is, Datong in later generations).
Pingcheng County is the first line of defense guarding the northern fortress.
There is Shitou Mountain (that is, Hongtao Mountain in later generations) in the west, and Baideng Mountain (that is, Cailiang Mountain in later generations) is in the east.
Between the two mountains, there is a river coming from the north.
Pingcheng County, just beside the river at Shankou.
It can be said that there are mountains, water, grass and sheep.
In the early years of the former Han Dynasty, King Xin of Han was at a disadvantage in the battle with the Xiongnu at Yanmen. He privately sued for peace with the Xiongnu many times, which was suspected by Emperor Gaozu.
Han Wangxin was afraid of being killed, so he simply launched an army to rebel and surrendered to the Huns.
At the same time, he also gave his capital Mayi (later Shuozhou) to the Xiongnu, and agreed with the Xiongnu to go south to attack Taiyuan together.
Emperor Gaozu personally led his army to the north to meet the attack. He won consecutive battles, so he began to underestimate the enemy and rushed into Pingcheng with light troops. Finally, he was besieged by Maodun on Baishan Mountain.
The historical siege of Baishan Mountain happened here.
Today, Baishan Mountain is still there, and Pingcheng County, which was operated by the Han Dynasty for hundreds of years, has long become a place where barbarians raise cattle and sheep.
Pingcheng is located in a dangerous location, and it guards the throat between the north and the south. Xieguini likes to stay here in summer and autumn.
This can prevent unsighted people from sneaking in to graze.
It's okay to take refuge in him, but if you want to go south to herd without asking him to be an adult, that's not okay.
Secondly, caravans that smuggled salt from Hedong County or smuggled ironware and grain to the grassland basically had to pass through here.
Xieguini can get a lot of benefits from it. The middlemen make the difference, so you can really make money just lying down.
In the early morning at the end of July, the sun has not yet risen. On the mountain pass north of Pingcheng, thin summer fog floats on the grass in layers and has not dissipated.
The mist is like wool, spreading flat on the ground.
Horse hooves wetted by the mist trampled on the grass, accompanied by the tinkling of horse bells, breaking the tranquility of the mountain pass.
The barbarians guarding the mountain pass were awakened, climbed up, listened carefully, and found that they had heard correctly.
A small leader quickly ran forward a few steps, shouting first in nonsense, and then in blunt Chinese:
“Who’s in front?”
The jingling of the horse bells stopped, and then a voice came from the other side:
“Cavalry, tea, brown sugar, spirits, soap.”
Just ten words, concise and clear, which made the little boss look happy, and he quickly sent a few people to check it out.
After a while, the Hu people came back with a Han man:
“It’s a horse team, bringing a lot of good things.”
"Okay, okay! Quick, quick, quick, go and report to the Lord right away."
The little leader sent someone to report the news in the direction of Pingcheng, and at the same time he personally led the cavalry to a valley to wait.
Not all Han caravans came from the south.
In the past few years, every year a special caravan comes from the north, carrying the most precious tea leaves and brown sugar, men's favorite spirits, and women's favorite soap.
I heard that they set out from the distant Liangzhou, entered the grassland, and walked thousands of miles before arriving at Yanmen.
At this time, the tribe is the happiest, comparable to a festival.
This caravan only comes once a year, and each time it stays for as long as one month or as short as half a month, it has to leave in a hurry.
But this is enough.
At the very beginning, Xie Guini led tens of thousands of string-controllers left by Fulohan to join Kebineng.
During this process, his strength was partially weakened by Kebineng.
While escaping to Budugen, another part was lost.
Then Qin Lang defeated the coalition forces of Kebineng and Budugen, and lost another part.
Over the years, the tribe of Xie Gui Ni has really been celebrating the New Year of Wang Xiaoer, and every year is worse than the last.
It was not until he was granted the title of King Guiyi by the State of Wei, and led his tribe back to Yanmen, and also gathered some small tribes, that the population decline trend was slightly stopped.
Even so, there are only about ten thousand warriors in the whole clan who can mount a horse and control the string.
This shows how much the tribal population has suffered over the years.
But it was precisely because the Xieguini tribe had a small population that the State of Wei felt free to let him graze in Yanmen.
The tribe has a small population, so the transaction does not take much time.
Xie Guini was a little surprised when he learned that a caravan was coming from the north.
He immediately sent men and horses to the mountain pass to protect the caravan into Pingcheng.
Since the size of this year’s cavalry seems to be much larger than in previous years, the goods they brought will naturally be much larger.
Xie Guini couldn’t help but be a little curious::
“You came half a month earlier this year than in previous years, which is rare.”
The steward was relieved to hear Gui Ni’s question. There was a look of helplessness on his face, and he sighed:
“The leader doesn’t know. According to past habits, we will indeed have to stay at the foot of Yinshan Mountain for at least half a month.”
“It’s just that this year is different. Feng Langjun from Liangzhou led his army from Liangzhou through the desert, hoping to use the Daoyin Mountains to go south.”
“At first, Kebineng not only agreed, but even sent troops to help. Later, for some unknown reason, the two sides ended up fighting.”
“Now the entire Yinshan Mountains are in chaos, and there is chaos everywhere. Who dares to stay there?”
At this point, the steward sighed again, "It's just that we can't take this goods back, right? So we had to come to Chief Xie Guini."
When Xie Guini heard this, he was first surprised and then happy:
“Is there a fight over in Yinshan?”
There was a fight between the Han and Wei people in Guanzhong, of course he knew about it.
Because last month, Bingzhou mobilized a lot of troops and sent them to Guanzhong.
Bi Gui of Taiyuan in the south also sent people to Yanmen and asked Xie Gui Ni to bring out some horses, cattle and sheep to finance Guanzhong.
However, Xieguini did not know the specific situation as to what the situation in Guanzhong was like.
What I can find out is basically bits and pieces of information.
Some said that the Han people were stronger, while others said that the Wei people won.
But these are not what Xie Gui Ni is concerned about.
Anyway, no matter who wins, people will be watching Yanmen, right?
At present, there is no decent tribe near the pass in Han Dynasty except myself.
Even Kebineng, who was far away in Yinshan, was not a person who was willing to submit to others.
So when I heard that Ke Bi Neng was fighting with the Han people, Xie Guini was a little surprised, but I thought it was reasonable.
The most important thing is that Xie Gui Ni is happy to see this matter come to fruition.
Because the master and his uncle were killed by him one after another, he and Ke Bineng had a bloody feud.
“How was the fight over at Yinshan? Who won?”
Xie Guini asked anxiously.
The steward shook his head and smiled bitterly:
“Chief Xieguini is embarrassing me. If there is a military disturbance, we can’t escape in time. How can we dare to inquire?”
“Anyway, when we left, we only heard that Feng Langjun and Ke Bineng were fighting fiercely, and both sides suffered casualties.”
Hearing this, Xie Guini nodded and agreed:
"Yes, Ke Bi Neng should not be underestimated. The Han army came across the desert and was able to fight Ke Bi Neng at Yinshan Mountain. It is already considered very powerful."
"Yes, yes!" The steward nodded repeatedly and agreed, "That is, in Yinshan, if it were in Liangzhou, haha..."
“Haha!” Xie Guini looked at the steward and also smiled:
“Speaking of which, you guys came early this time. We haven’t confiscated much of the fur in our hands. As for the wool, we haven’t started shearing it yet..."
When the steward heard this, he immediately smiled and said:
“It’s okay, it’s okay, we can wait.”
Xie Gui Ni had some free time and said slowly:
“What I mean is that you brought too much goods this year. If the price is the same as in previous years, we may not have enough furs and wool to exchange with you.”
“So I hope the price of goods this year can be lower.”
"Chief Kebineng, you are taking advantage of others' danger!" The steward immediately called out to Qu, "We haven't sold much of our goods in Yinshan."
“I originally wanted to come here to see if I could get my money back, but if you do this, our trip will be in vain! Not only will our trip be in vain, we may even end up paying back our money!”
Xie Guini shook his head and said:
“Now except me, I’m afraid no one can buy so many goods from you, and you came here this time to avoid the war.”
“Who can protect you now except me? So the price of your goods should be lower.”
Every tribe on the grassland will welcome the caravan going to the grassland.
There is even a tacit agreement between some tribes not to disturb the caravans that come and go, even if they are fighting to the death.
Because the caravan can bring them supplies that are scarce in the grassland.
If you were to go to the Mainland and encounter such natural and man-made disasters while doing business, you would probably lose your blood.
Even though the manager loudly said in front of Xie Guini that this trip was in vain, he was very clear in his heart and it was impossible to lose money.
It just depends on how much you earn.
Not to mention that this is the farthest distance the caravan can travel. Even if there are other places to go, autumn is coming soon. If we don’t sell out quickly, is it possible that we still keep it for the New Year?
The manager gritted his teeth and had no choice but to lower the price according to Xie Guini's words.
"Chief Xie Gui Ni, I can give you some other things, but I have a novelty here. If you like it, you can give me more things."
"If it doesn't work out, I'd rather take it back than sell it."
Upon hearing this, Xie Guini immediately asked curiously:
"What is it?"
"You can't see any benefit from this thing during the day. I'll show it to you only at night."
Xie Guini became more and more curious when he saw what the other party said.
The steward smiled mysteriously, but he would only take it out at night.
At night, I saw a sudden "bang" sound at the top of Pingcheng.
Then it’s “咻”!
Then, a brilliant firework appeared over Pingcheng.
Looks extremely bright in the dark night.
When Xie Guini saw the fireworks, he was so frightened that he almost knelt down:
"Could it be that this is a gift from ghosts and gods? It can actually summon a star drop!"
"Hahaha……"
The caravan steward laughed.
At night, General Guan was standing on a hilltop, staring south.
The mountain wind blew her cloak and made a violent noise, but her tall and straight body was as firm and motionless as a stone sculpture.
When a bright firework exploded in a certain direction, General Guan couldn't help but narrowed his eyes slightly.
After a while, the second flower took off and opened again...
This signal means that the current tent of Xie Gui Ni is located in Pingcheng.
General Guan’s cold face finally broke into a smile, which was like the bright fireworks in the night sky.
“Come here, please pass the order. Let’s make food at the third watch tonight and set off at the fifth watch so that the whole army can be ready.”
“No!”
“Let Shi Bao come to see me.”
Shi Bao quickly climbed up from the bottom of the mountain:
“General, you are looking for me.”
“How is the situation in the army?”
"General, there are still 8,643 people in the army who have not followed up. Now there are 1,412 people in the army who are either overworked or sick, so they cannot go into battle."
There were 26,000 men at the time of departure. Even if there were one man and three cavalry, the non-combat casualties would have reached 10,000.
"No problem, let them follow slowly and wait for the stragglers. Tell the soldiers that when they enter Pingcheng tomorrow, they will not be allowed to eat meat."
Shi Bao licked his lips, and when he heard General Guan's words, he almost swallowed his saliva.
These days, I only have one hot meal every three days, and I’m already very hungry, let alone eating meat.
“If you can’t defeat Xieguini quickly, then you can wait and continue eating solid food.”
“Here!”
Shi Bao raised his chest and responded loudly.
If nothing else, even if it’s just for tomorrow’s hot soup and meat, you have to work hard!
It’s still dark, the same mountain pass, the same early morning, the same mist.
The little leader of the Hu people guarding the mountain pass is still sleeping.
The wine the caravan steward gave him was very strong.
Although he only drank two bowls, he was still a little dizzy last night.
The faint sound of horse hooves could be heard from far away from the mountain pass.
A conscientious Hu man was awakened and muttered:
“Which tribe does not have eyes?”
Don’t blame him for being so unwary.
Because the past few years have been too comfortable.
Ever since Kebi was able to escape, there is no tribe nearby that dares to cause trouble for Lord Gui Ni.
So he simply thought it was an enemy attack.
The sound of horse hooves came closer, like muffled thunder.
"No! This is... at least tens of thousands of horses!"
After all, he has lived on horseback since he was a child. Just by hearing the sound of horse hooves, the barbarians can react.
Thinking of this, he was so frightened that he lost all sleep and broke out in cold sweat.
He quickly stood up, without even arranging his clothes, and ran to find the leader.
“Someone is coming, many, many people!”
The leader was shaken awake by his life force. He opened his hazy eyes and became very angry when he got up. He cursed when he opened his mouth:
“What are you doing so early in the morning?”
The little guy gestured and pointed to the north:
“There are people, there are people, many, many…”
"What……"
Before he finished speaking, the leader felt the ground shaking.
“Where did so many cavalry come from?”
“Enemy attack?”
The leader quickly got up, but the hangover was a bit severe, making his head feel like it was exploding.
He held his head and groaned a few times before standing upright.
By the time he hurriedly gathered the people below, the sound of horse hooves had already shaken the mountaintop as if it was about to collapse.
The sun rose, and the first ray of sunlight penetrated the mist, allowing the leader to finally see clearly the enemy rushing towards the mountain pass.
Like a long dragon, like a torrent, black and overwhelming.
"No!"
The leader let out a shrill scream.
This must be a dream!
Must be because I still haven’t woken up from the wine I drank last night.
How could an enemy attack at this time?
The enemy has begun to branch out and move around various intersections.
Some people even rushed up the hillside, preparing to dive from high altitude.
“I’ll go back and tell the adults!”
The leader turned around and ran away.
Having captured the outpost easily, Guan Ji continued to lead the army out of the mountain pass without stopping, heading towards the real destination.
At this time, Xie Gui Ni is a real hangover.
Last night he saw something called fireworks. They were so beautiful that he couldn't keep his mind at ease. He drank a lot of wine out of joy.
An hour later, Guan Ji led the army and rushed to the river bank outside Pingcheng.
Before the Hu people on this side understood what was going on, all the tents had been washed to pieces.
Hold up the telescope and look at the dilapidated city walls of Pingcheng. There are many places where a horse can pass through. Guan Ji smiled slightly and then ordered:
“Cross the water!”
On weekdays, tribesmen who had to go back and forth between the two sides of the river would naturally have a place to cross the water.
While the Han army was crossing the water in batches, the barbarians in the city finally came to their senses.
“Sir, the enemy is attacking, the enemy is attacking, my lord!”
The bodyguard tried his best to shake him awake and return him to the mud.
Only after Xie Guini regained some consciousness, shouts of killing could already be heard outside the city.
There was no unified command among the Hu people, and some ran back, trying to run back to the city.
Some people tried to stop them without knowing their own strength, but the Han soldiers who rushed up raised their sharp sabers and slashed them down, knocking them off their horses.
The Pingcheng, which had become a cattle and sheep pen, naturally had no way to stop the Han cavalry. Those with superb riding skills simply found a low place and jumped over it.
Those who have no faith will rush towards the city gate that has not had time to close.
Some people wanted to close the city gate, but suddenly a group of people rushed out from inside and chopped down the barbarians at the gate.
Then, the cavalry rushed directly into the city...
Xie Guini, who had no time to put on any clothes and was only wrapped in a leather robe, was carried by his guards onto his horse and rushed to the street.
But I saw cries everywhere, black smoke rising in some places, and even many cattle and sheep running into the streets.
Seeing this chaos, even if Xie Guini was completely awake, he might not be able to organize a strong resistance.
He was in a daze and was escorted out of the city by his personal guards, and then he finally regained consciousness.
He murmured as if sleepwalking:
“Who? Who?”
“I don’t know! It looks like there are Han people and Hu people coming from the north. I don’t know where the enemy is.”
The leader who originally ran back to report the news followed his master out of the city and provided some useful information.
“North? That’s not a sneak attack by the Wei people.”
Xie Guini perked up, and at the same time glanced at Pingcheng behind him, his expression immediately became depressed.
The enemy's cavalry has already circled around from the east along the opposite bank.
“Let’s go to Yanmensai!”
The terrain of Yanmen Fortress is so dangerous that the enemy's cavalry cannot climb over it. As long as it can be blocked for a while, Taiyuan in the south can provide timely support.
Xie Guini did not dare to stay any longer, so he slapped the horse's butt hard and fled south for his life.