An encounter in the wilds of Fengyang City in Youfu ended with Wei's defeat.
Limited by the in-depth penetration of the lone army, the Han army only covered the area for more than ten miles before withdrawing its troops and returning.
But the battle was fruitful.
In the battle, they beheaded more than a thousand armored soldiers, killed more than 2,000 other soldiers, and captured nearly 3,000 prisoners. After the battle, they cleaned up the battlefield and harvested nearly 1,500 black armored heads, as well as countless weapons such as swords, spears, arrows, crossbows, and steel chariots.
The only thing that was not captured was grain.
The county soldiers led by Xu Miao, the governor of Yongzhou against the Wei Dynasty, did not participate in the war.
When the Wei army's front army Fei Yao and the central army Xiahou Ba's formation collapsed, Xu Miao asked the county soldiers to escort the grain away first, so that the Han army could not catch up.
In this way, Wei Yan had to return to Anding County.
First, he was burdened by the war gains.
The nearly three thousand prisoners had to consume a lot of food and soldiers to guard them every day; and the captured baggage greatly affected the marching speed.
Under such circumstances, it is not suitable to march to Guanlong Road again.
After all, so far, the Han army has not had the habit of slaughtering prisoners.
On the other hand, although the Wei army was defeated, it was not completely wiped out.
This is the territory of the Wei Dynasty, and the military system of the Wei Dynasty has very strict restrictions on the soldiers. It is not difficult for Fei Yao, Xiahou Ba and others to gather the defeated troops after the war. Even if they are separated or disabled and retire, the available troops are still there.
No less than fifteen thousand people.
And the depressed morale caused by defeat will not last long.
It was impossible for Fei Yao not to send someone to inform Wei Da Sima Cao Zhen who was guarding Chencang City about the war going on here.
After Cao Zhen learned about it, he would definitely send troops and horses to help in the battle.
With reinforcements, the morale of the defeated soldiers will inevitably rise.
Under such circumstances, if the Han army did not return to Xiaoguan as soon as possible, all previous efforts would be wasted and it would end in "victory first and defeat later".
However, Wei Yan has never been a peaceful person.
After he led the army to escort the prisoners and escort back to Xiaoguan, relying on the vigor of the victory, he besieged Chaona City in Anding County with more than 10,000 people. He left Wu Ban to guard Xiaoguan, and let Wu Yi lead the army to fight with Xiaoguan.
Set up camp in the middle of Chaona County and ask Cavalry Governor Zhao Guang to inspect the surrounding area.
In a mutually dependent manner, Wei Jun was faced with a choice again.
If he doesn't come to fight, he will be trapped until he surrenders in despair to the defenders in the city!
Because the general guarding the court now is Hu Zun, who came from Gaofeng County.
Although he comes from a wealthy family in Anding County and is highly respected by the people in the county, the soldiers and horses under his command come from a variety of sources. Some are from Jing and Hezhou, some are county soldiers from the county, and many are from the county.
Xianbei Beggars Tribe.
If there had been no war, Hu Zun Shang would have been able to suppress it.
If they are besieged for several months, they will inevitably break out into conflicts under the pressure of external worries.
After all, not everyone is willing to live and die with the Wei State. Not everyone is willing to resolve the prejudices between the "Central Plains, Border Territories, and Hulu" and live in harmony.
If the Wei army comes to fight, then Wei Yan will surround the point to provide reinforcements.
One more battle, one more victory, and the confidence of Wei Wei in defending Anding County will be completely defeated.
Naturally, there is another possibility.
Cao Zhen, the commander-in-chief of the rebellion against the Wei Dynasty, sent reinforcements and approached Xiaoguan to block the grain road in a way of "surrounding Wei and rescuing Zhao".
If this is the case, Wei Yan will abandon the siege of Chaona City, return and join forces with Wu Yi's tribe to confront the rebel forces of Wei.
Because the prime minister's original strategic purpose of sending his troops out of Xiaoguan was achieved: to contain the main force in Guanzhong against the Wei Dynasty and cut off the possibility of Guanzhong rushing to aid Liangzhou.
In fact, it was just as he expected.
Cao Zhen, who has been on the battlefield for a long time, has a good strategic vision.
He would never allow Anding County to fall into the hands of the Han army.
Therefore, he called back from Beidi County. General Wei Ping, who had been demoted to captain because of the failure of Xiaoguan, came to Anding County with more than 10,000 horses to guard with Fei Yao.
Inevitably, after the troops and horses of his headquarters were transferred again, Cao Zhen could no longer maintain the layout of Chencang City as horns with each other.
He also allowed Prime Minister Zhuge Liang to successfully leave Dashan Pass and set up camp on the south bank of the Wei River.
In response to the general Zhao Yun's troops in Yi County, he frequently sent small groups of soldiers and horses to test and attack, and occasionally went deep into the enemy's territory to harass the grain roads or to see if there was an opportunity to capture the people before returning.
However, the Wei army had already fortified its walls and cleared the country, and the harvest was almost meager.
Generally speaking, in the Guanzhong battlefield, the Han and Wei sides fell into a moment when the enemy and we were evenly matched.
No one dares to make any tampering to avoid showing any weaknesses and being exploited by others.
As far as Wei was concerned, Fei Yao's defeat did not damage Guanzhong's vitality.
Moreover, it is now the cold winter season. If we hold the city and defend it, there will be no loss to the people's livelihood or the soldiers. As long as we hold on until the beginning of spring, the Han army will definitely stop and go back because of the supply of food and fodder.
Fighting or not fighting has little impact.
The only thing that had changed was the war in Liangzhou. Cao Zhen could only wait for the news.
As far as the Han Dynasty is concerned, Wei Yan won the first battle and captured a lot, which can be said to be a gain from sending troops. Now it is inevitable that he will be in confrontation again.
Anyway, according to the strategic plan made before the troops were sent out, they would not participate in the war in Liangzhou.
Therefore, both Han and Wei unanimously set their sights on Jincheng and Xiping counties in Liangzhou.
Among them, Xiping County was analyzed from Jincheng County during the Jian'an period of Emperor Xian. The common name for it is "Hehuang Valley".
However, the entire Hehuang Valley is not a large alluvial plain.
It is composed of the valleys of the Huangshui River system and a section of the Yellow River Valley west of Jishi Gorge about 200 kilometers long; they can be called "Huangshui River Valley" and "River Valley" respectively.
The Huangshui River Valley accounts for seventy-eight percent of the territory of Xiping County.
The north and south sides are sandwiched by the Laji Mountains and the Daban Mountains. The Huangshui River originates from the northeast corner of the West Sea (Haiyan County), flows eastward from the middle, and flows into the river at Siwang Gorge. If you look at the shape
, the Huangshui River Valley is very similar to a leaf. The tributaries winding down from the mountains on both sides are veins with the Huangshui River, and together they irrigate this leaf into fertile soil.
The climate is mild and humid, which can meet the needs of farming.
This is also the reason why the Qiang tribes that thrive here are all semi-agricultural and semi-nomadic.
The Qiang people living here often occupy a river valley or a fertile ravine on a tributary of the Huangshui River to farm and herd, establish tribes, and rule the roost.
This is both an advantage and a disadvantage.
The advantage is that the Qiang tribe does not have to live a typical life of living for water and grass like the Xianbei, Xiongnu and other nomads in the Hetao Plain. The grain stored through farming every year enhances their ability to withstand natural disasters.
The disadvantage is that the Qiang tribes in each river valley form their own system and govern each other independently. Whether it is annexation through war, blood fusion, or alliance to resist foreign enemies, it is almost impossible.
This living condition is also one of the reasons for the frequent rebellions in the Huangshui River Valley.
When the Central Plains dynasties ruled this area, they usually adopted the method of "coining some and suppressing others", treating them differently to prevent them from uniting, so as to maintain the authority of the government. However, they often failed to control the balance during execution, which led to
Some of the suppressed Zhongqiang could not bear it anymore and enlisted their tribesmen to raise the flag of rebellion.
As a result, many Zhongqiang who were watching on the sidelines joined the rebellion half-heartedly out of a speculative profit mentality.
And many local Han people are right-wing and will not give up this opportunity to sow their own ambitions.
The Xiqiang rebellion is difficult to eradicate, it is neither accidental nor inevitable.
Since the Han army captured the land of Longyou and was eyeing Liangzhou, in order to concentrate its forces and energy against the Han army, some wise people in the Wei state also began to think about ways to appease the Qiang tribe.
The Dukes of Gungun in the Luoyang Temple of the Wei Dynasty decided to reduce the tolls on the passes in the four counties of Hexi, and gave up the benefits of the Silk Road so that they would not join the Han Dynasty.
After Guo Huai, the protector of the Shu army during the Wei expedition, was transferred to Jincheng County, he established his trust through kindness and power to Zang Fu.
For those who refuse to submit, send troops to attack them; for those who lead the people to submit, they should ask the elders to show mercy to the young, declare benevolence and righteousness, and make all the Qiang people obey.
However, Pang Qiao and Yang Feng, who grew up in Liangzhou, were quite different.
They have great prestige among the Qiang and Hu tribes in Liangzhou. The reason is that the belief they uphold in their hearts is "righteousness".
"Righteousness" in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.
If people are kind to me, I will kill myself to repay them.
Even if people are not kind to me, I will go where justice is.
The same is true for the Qiang tribe.
After the two of them came to take up the post, they first visited the leaders of each Qiang tribe one by one and asked them what they wanted. Then they came to find Guo Huai, who was in charge of the military affairs of Jincheng and Xiping counties.
Given two options.
First, if the Wei State is willing to provide food, fodder, and supplies, they can recruit 30,000 to 50,000 Qiang people to fight for the Wei State.
But with this kind of conscription law, loyalty cannot be guaranteed.
If the war is won, these Qiang people will definitely seize the spoils of war as soon as possible, and they will not hesitate to draw swords against Paoze.
If the war shows signs of decline, beware of them escaping before the battle, or preparing to defect before the battle.
Just like every Qiang rebellion in Liangzhou, every tribe saw benefits and forgot its righteousness, and the trees fell and the hozens scattered.
On the other hand, Yang Feng could recruit 3,000 to 5,000 Qiang people as "Huangzhong righteous followers", who would fight for the Wei state until death.
The premise is that the Wei State must resettle these Yi Cong family members in fertile river valleys and no longer impose taxes.
Moreover, Pang Pang dared to guarantee with his wealth and life that as long as the Wei State could hold the Han army out of the Huangshui River Valley and prevent the Han army from threatening the pastures and fields of the Qiang tribes, the Qiang tribes would never rebel.
Of these two options, Guo Huai prefers the latter.
Soldiers are more valuable than their elite.
Compared with the unstable rabble, the presence of three to five thousand righteous soldiers from the Qiang is more reassuring.
Moreover, he also leads the captain of the Qiang Protector. If he can recruit Yi Congqiang, he can enrich the Qiang Protector Camp.
However, the tax exemption involves the military system of Wei State, which is not something he can decide.
Fortunately, Wei Da Sima Cao Zhen thought highly of him.
When he reported the matter, Cao Zhen replied with only a few words, saying: "Bo Ji, please let go and take action. In the future, just inform me of such matters, and I will take care of them in the court."
Such trust made Guo Huai grateful.
There is also no need to worry about the Qiang tribes in the Huangshui River Valley being in turmoil when the Han and Wei dynasties compete.
He led more than 30,000 troops and horses and came to Jishi Gorge on the bank of the river to confront the army led by Li Yan.
So he sent General Hao Zhao to lead more than 5,000 people from his headquarters and set up camp on the bank of the river to prevent the Han army from going down the river to find a way into the Huangshui Valley. He ordered General Yang Feng to lead the Huangzhongyi from Qiang to the east of Laji Mountain
Lu Gaokou and Hao Zhao were at odds with each other. He led his headquarters and the Liangzhou Haoyou private troops led by General Yin Feng, and pressed forward step by step toward Jishi Gorge.
It was difficult for Li Yan to make any progress.
The terrain with ravines and crisscrosses is not conducive to the spread of the army.
The troops put into the battlefield by both sides each time were only two to three thousand.
Guo Huai, who can be called a good general for a while, was very well-organized. Whenever the two sides fought fiercely, he would personally lead the army to guard the rear, and from time to time, he would let the elite Wei army come out to help the soldiers returning from the battle.
Let each of your soldiers and horses fight for no more than one hour.
Rather than saying it was a fierce battle, it was better to say that he was honing the battle experience of each unit of the Wei army.
Li Yan had no idea about this.
If he beats the drum to urge the soldiers to come forward and seize the opportunity to seize the camp, Guo Huai will let the ballistas and thunderbolt chariots that have been set up on the earth platform to smash into the Han army's formation! He will use crossbow arrows and stones to divide the Han army into two ends.
, and took advantage of the situation to eat up the front of the Han army.
However, if Li Yan did not urge the battle, he would not be able to enter the Huangshui River Valley and capture Xiping County.
After the war had been in a stalemate for more than half a month, he finally agreed to Jiang Wei's suggestion and Liao Hua's request for orders.
Jiang Wei's plan was to attack in a different way.
Still taking the wrong approach.
He planned to lead his headquarters from Tumen Pass at the head of the river to the West Sea where Huawaishaodang Qiang inhabited, and attack Xiping County from Mucheng Valley or Shui Valley (Riyue Mountain area).
The reason is that his tribe is mainly composed of Qiang people, who are accustomed to walking on the roads here.
And for those who have had interactions with the Han Dynasty, another Shaodang Qiang king who surrendered to the Wei State, Zhu Yi, lives in Linqiang County behind Riyue Mountain.
Even if Zhu Yi didn't dare to take the risk, he would take a detour and attack, which would scatter the defenders against Wei here.
Li Yan did not agree with this suggestion at first.
The journey is too far, and it will be difficult to supply food and fodder; and when Jiang Wei marches to Mucheng Valley, both his troops and his troops will be tired and tired, leaving Ni Wei to wait for his work.
Liao Hua's request for help took a different approach.
He planned to lead his headquarters westward along the river and conquer the entire river valley.
Then they set up farming on the spot and continuously provided grain and fodder for the Han army to attack Xiping County.
The first time you hear about this method, you will feel disgusted. After all, Liao Hua's underlying intention is that he is not optimistic that the Han army can capture Xiping County in a short period of time.
But it is doable.
The Huangshui Valley and the Heshui Valley are separated by Laji Mountain, so it is difficult for Ni Wei to support it.
Even if the counter-Wei forces come to support, the brave will win if they encounter the Han army on a narrow road, which is definitely better than being unable to advance or retreat here.
Moreover, Liao Hua was a talented person who learned and general strategies, which made people more trustworthy.
He came from a wealthy family in Miannan, Jingzhou, and served as the chief clerk of the Marquis of Guan in his early years. Later, Lu Meng attacked Jingzhou and the Han army was defeated, so he was forced to join Sun Wu. However, he deceived Sun Wu and carried his mother day and night behind his back.
Rush to Shu.
He can be said to be both wise and brave, loyal and courageous.
Moreover, during his tenure after entering the Shu region, he often supervised the military and administration of the region and served as the imperial guard for the imperial court.
Let him lead the army alone, and even if the battle fails, he will not return defeated.
Li Yan refused earlier because he planned to wait for the news that Ma Dai and Shaodang Qiang King Mangzhong were attacking Hexi, so that the Haoyou private soldiers led by Wei Yinfeng could retreat hastily so that they could concentrate their forces to break through Guo Huai's chokepoint.
.
But after half a month of fighting against Guo Huai, he gave up this delusion.
Even if the private troops of the Hexi heroes retreated, it would be difficult for the Han army to break through the obstruction with Guo Huai's generals and the troops of Hao Zhao and Yang Feng who had not yet joined the war.
In this case, let Jiang Wei try to disperse the forces of Wei Wei.
Also let Liao Hua go and attack.
Anyway, the river valley will be conquered sooner or later.
Regardless of whether Ni Wei would send troops to support him or not, Liao Hua would gain something by going here.
Coincidentally, one day after Jiang Wei and Liao Huacai set out with their troops, Gao Xiang's troops stationed in Daxia County sent a military report.
Gao Xiang's troops marched towards Siwang Gorge.
Because when Zheng Pu of Longyou marched into Jincheng County, he sent people to ask him to help him.
