Hangu Pass was once an ancient battlefield with neighing war horses and clanging armor and weapons. Millions of corpses lay buried and blood flowed in the pestles. It is said that I rode a green ox here to leave the pass and became an immortal and ascended. It added a bit of humanistic color. He went to Luoyang in the east and Luoyang in the west.
The throat to Chang'an has always been a battleground for military strategists.
This pass is located on the plateau in the west, bordering Juejian in the east, Qinling Mountains in the south, and the Yellow River in the north. It is located on the "Old Zhou-Qin Road" and is close to the bank of the Yellow River. The pass is in a valley and is as deep and dangerous as a letter, so it is called Hangu Pass.
The Yellow River rushes down, with a winding course. The Zhongtiao Mountains on the north bank are lofty and long, and the Qinling Mountains on the south bank are dangerous and undulating. The ancient road connecting Guanzhong and Luoyang runs through Juejian, heading west from Hangu Pass, and the other side stands on the bank of the Yellow River.
There is a Tongguan.
The two passes are sandwiched between each other, forming a natural chasm. Whether leaving or entering the pass, it is as difficult as climbing to the sky.
…
Zuo Wuwei walked through the valley, flags fluttering, and marched quickly. When the army arrived at Hangu Pass, Cheng Yaojin issued orders one after another. The cavalry guarded the rear, the infantry rushed forward, and the crossbowmen were in the center to deter the pass.
At the same time, the siege equipment such as ladders and arrow towers were assembled one by one.
However, before the siege equipment was assembled, the gates of the city gate were already opened, and the defenders filed out and surrendered...
Cheng Yaojin was not surprised.
Now that Li Ji is approaching Guanzhong with hundreds of thousands of Eastern Expedition troops, he is a powerful force that can influence the situation in Chang'an. Since Li Ji has never expressed his stance, neither Donggong nor Guanlong dare to take the initiative to provoke Li Ji.
of anger.
Now that the Eastern Expedition army wants to enter the pass, it can only let it enter the pass.
Since there is nothing to stop him, why risk irritating Li Ji and pushing him to the East Palace to hit an egg with a stone...
Zuo Wuwei successfully entered Hangu Pass, disarmed the defenders and expelled them, ordered them to return to Guanzhong, and then took over the defense of Hangu Pass.
I made a fire to cook in Guanxia, and after dinner, I rested on the spot.
Early the next morning, a brigade of soldiers was left to defend the city pass, while the rest of the troops set off and marched straight to Tongguan.
…
The Yellow River surged from the north, roaring, and hit the foothills of the Qinling Mountains. It was blocked and turned eastward along the terrain, running wildly between the Qinling Mountains and the Zhongtiao Mountains.
The river flows south and flows through Tongguan Mountain, so it is called Tongguan.
North of Tongguan, on the other side of the Yellow River, is the famous "Fenglingdu". Hundreds of years later, there will be a girl with bright eyes, white teeth and a beautiful bell who will stay at the ancient ferry at night and listen to others talking about the legend of "The Condor Hero".
A heart turns and lingers, and feelings arise secretly...
Tongguan and Hangu Pass are hundreds of miles apart. They rise in the morning and arrive in the evening. On the loess plateau on the north bank of the Yellow River, there were two Tongguans built in the Han Dynasty and the Sui Dynasty. This is because during the Sui Dynasty, rainwater fell on the hills ten miles south of Tongguan in the Han Dynasty.
A new road was washed out on the plateau. If the army marched through it, they could avoid Hantong Pass and follow the forbidden ditch. Tongshui went all the way south, bypassing Hantong Pass and entering the middle of the pass. Therefore, a new city gate was built here to guard the new road.
Tongguan is located at the ferry of the Yellow River. It is the key to entering and exiting the Three Qin Dynasties. It is also the east gate of Guanzhong. Its strategic position is even greater than that of Hangu Pass.
In fact, since the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Hangu Pass has been gradually abandoned, and Tongguan "has one man in charge of the pass", shouldering the important task of sealing off the pass...
Zuo Wuwei rushed all the way, crossing valleys, climbing hills and mountains, and arrived at Tongguan along the narrow passage that could only accommodate one car. However, this time the defenders defending Tongguan did not take the initiative like Hangu Pass.
The city surrendered and gave way to the city gates. Instead, the city gates were closed tightly, and the troops and horses were lined up and ready to stand ready.
After all, Tongguan is the last barrier to enter Guanzhong. As long as you cross Tongguan, it is a smooth river. With the brave elite of Zuowu Guards, if you want to intercept it, you must use several times or even ten times the force to guard the pass without the authorization from the high-level officials of Guanlong.
Military generals dare not abandon the pass without authorization.
Of course, I don’t dare to start a war without authorization…
Cheng Yaojin led the army to Guanxia, and when he saw Guanxia approaching, he asked those around him: "Who is the guard general of Tongguan?"
One of the deputy generals said: "It should be Huaihua General Xue Hu Wu Ren."
Cheng Yaojin naturally recognized this person, chuckled, and said disdainfully: "It turns out he is a lackey of the Changsun family... He sent people to Guanxia to shout, telling Xue Hu and Wu Ren that those who know what they are looking for should quickly abandon their weapons and surrender, and withdraw from the city pass.
Otherwise, once my commander launches a fierce attack with all his troops, I will shut them down and kill them without mercy!"
"Here!"
The deputy general received the order and quickly sent two soldiers with loud voices to take off their armor, drop their swords, and go to the pass to shout.
Not long after, the soldiers returned and reported: "To the commander-in-chief, Xue Hu and Wu Ren can't hold on. I kindly ask the commander-in-chief to wait for half a day until the order from Chang'an arrives before making a decision."
Obviously, Zuo Wuwei suddenly accelerated across Hangu Pass and arrived at Tongguan. This move greatly exceeded the expectations of the upper echelons of Guanlong and failed to give the Tongguan general the order to respond in time. In the absence of an order, the Tongguan general responded.
They did not dare to specialize in fighting or retreating. They were afraid of provoking Li Ji and causing him to completely surrender to the East Palace. They were also afraid of easily trapping Tongguan in his hands, which would lead to the isolation of the pass.
Cheng Yaojin sneered: "When we are marching and fighting, how can we allow him to do whatever he says? Give the order, the whole army will line up, and after ten drums, if the defenders still stay behind closed doors, attack immediately!"
"Here!"
The order was issued, and the morale of the Zuowu guardsmen, who had been driven crazy by the rapid march in the past few months, was greatly boosted, and they quickly formed an array. Amidst the howling of "Woooo", the crossbowmen, shield bearers, and spearmen all took their positions.
Troops were mobilized on both wings, and siege equipment such as ladders and arrow towers were quickly assembled.
The war drums "rumbling" sounded, and the murderous aura stirred up the wind and clouds, shaking the surrounding areas.
The clan troops who followed Zuo Wuwei were all frightened, and quickly gathered their troops and moved aside, fearing that their actions would be misunderstood by Zuo Wuwei and be attacked. In front of them was the Tongguan City Tower, and behind them were deep valleys, ravines, and the Yellow River waterway.
Once Zuo Wuwei launches a strong attack in other areas, there will be no one in the world who can match him...
Above Tongguan, guard Xue Hu Wu Ren looked down with a stack of arrows. Amidst the rumbling war drums, the left military guards were clearly lined up and filled with murderous intent. Countless ladders and arrow towers have begun to be assembled. They will be assembled in a short time. They are all soldiers.
Climb the city wall along the ladder, and the crossbowmen will climb up to the archery tower and shoot at the gate from above. A fierce battle will break out.
The garrison at Tongguan was only five thousand, while the Zuowu Guards at Guanxia had tens of thousands, and they were all brave elites who were good at fighting. The contrast in military strength and combat power was extremely different. Once a war started, there would be no victory but defeat.
However, Tongguan tightly controls the throat of Guanzhong and is the key to the Three Qin Dynasty. Once Tongguan is captured by Cheng Yaojin, hundreds of thousands of Eastern Expedition troops will unstoppably enter Guanzhong and attack Chang'an, which will play a decisive role in the current war situation. Until now, Li Jizhi
His position is still unknown. If he is allowed to enter Guanzhong under such circumstances, it will eventually lead to the failure of Guanlong's "military remonstrance". How can he, Xue Hu Wu Ren, shoulder this responsibility?
Coming down from the arrow stack and hiding behind the parapet, Xue Hu and Wu Ren were sweating profusely and asked anxiously: "Is there any news from Chang'an?"
Last night Zuowu guards occupied Hangu Pass without bloodshed, and camped under the pass that night. The news had already reached Tongguan. Xue Hu and Wu Ren were not sure whether to fight or surrender, so they could only send people to Chang'an overnight to ask the senior officials of Guanlong for help.
Clear answer.
However, until now, the news has not been reported back...
The deputy general also looked anxious and shook his head and said: "No news has arrived yet... General, I'm afraid it will be too late to wait for Chang'an's order. Whether to fight, surrender, advance or retreat, you have to make up your mind quickly, otherwise you won't wait until Zuo Wuwei
We started to attack the city, but it was too late."
Xue Hu and Wu Ren were pacing back and forth anxiously, undecided.
If we fight, there is no doubt that the outcome will be unbeatable. Zuo Wuwei is a powerful army of the Tang Dynasty. Among the hundreds of thousands of Eastern Expedition troops, it belongs to the first rank. The tyranny and scruples of combat power are only comparable to a few armies such as Youtun Wei.
.The five thousand soldiers and horses above Tongguan are all a mob. Once the war breaks out, the fall of the city gate is almost certain.
If he were demoted, it would be equivalent to handing over the throat of Guanzhong. Without knowing the decision of Guanlong's senior officials, he would most likely be charged with an extremely serious crime.
After all, the strategic position of Hangu Pass has long been far less important than Tongguan...
"Dong dong dong" The sound of war drums under the city suddenly became intensive. The captain leaned over the arrow stack, looked down, and exclaimed: "General, Zuo Wuwei has begun to attack the city!"
Xue Hu and Wu Ren were shocked. He looked around hurriedly and saw the formation of the Zuowu Guards at Guanxia. The shield bearers and crossbowmen formed cross formations and arrived at the place where the arrow was shot. The crossbowmen drew their bows and set up arrows.
The shield bearers raised their large shields, while the rear formation slowly moved forward carrying ladders, crash carts, arrow towers and other siege equipment.
As soon as these siege equipment arrives at the city, the crossbowmen will fire thousands of arrows to suppress the defenders with firepower and cover the army's attack on the city.
The captains around him all turned pale and urged: "General, make a decision quickly!"