Five Dynasties River Mountains Fengyue

Fan Zhi is not only proficient in government affairs, but also a role model in morality. Other officials are not like that. Their ability may be good, but it is difficult to compare with Fan Zhi in terms of ethics.

In memory of the old man's kindness, after his death, Emperor Shi ordered to posthumously honor the Shang Shu Ling and posthumously confer the title of King of Han on the merits of his "Zuo Ming prospered the country and rectified the country".

Became the second civil servant of the Great Qin Kingdom except Li Gu.

.......

After Li Fang left, Emperor Shi asked Zhao Shijian to help him draft several edicts, most of which were in response to the situation in Hexi.

In the north, Li Jilong and Meng Xuanzhe have returned, and new generals have been replaced. The northern border is peaceful, Liaodong is stable, and many things are becoming more orderly.

"If Li Jilong, Dong Zunhui, and Fu Zhao wish them to go to Hexi, what do you think?" Emperor Shi asked.

Zhao Shijian replied while writing: "How would I know."

Looking at the charming Zhao Shijian, Emperor Shi said, "Why don't you give me another one."

Zhao Shijian looked up without speaking, and continued to write her imperial edict.

"Li Fang's words are reasonable, but the envoys I sent to the Guiyi Army have already figured out that they really want the Central Plains, and they don't need a hundred thousand troops." Emperor Shi said to himself, "Sixty thousand... ....

The population there is not large, as long as the Lotus Fort is built along the way, the situation can be pacified. What is needed is time and money, and it also needs to relocate people to fill the border, which is not a good thing.

What happened to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty back then, I can't do much worse now. "Emperor Shi paced back and forth: "The capital of the Western Han Dynasty is still in Chang'an. It is more convenient to send troops to the northwest, and now the waste will be even greater. "

"Then don't do it..." Zhao Shijian felt sorry for him.

"It can't be left to future generations." Emperor Shi looked at Zhao Shijian with a rare warmth in his eyes.

"Isn't it said that future generations will have their own blessings..." Zhao Shijian said.

Emperor Shi grinned, "I'm afraid that their fortune will be poor. I'm not afraid that if I don't have a good reputation, future generations might...

They have not gone through thousands of sails, they may cherish their wings in pursuit of fame, they may not be able to see clearly when they advance and retreat, and they do not know how to have lofty aspirations and insight into the details, but they are arbitrary.

As far as history is concerned, many times it seems that there are many opportunities, but in fact they are very few. Once you miss it, it will be a pity for thousands of years. I seized the opportunity well. "

Zhao Shijian looked up at him for a while, then lowered his head and continued to write: "In my heart, you are the most enlightened king and lord of all time."

"What? I didn't hear clearly, please say it again."

Zhao Shijian stopped talking, she knew Shi Congyun best, so he must have heard it clearly.

.......

In the winter of the ninth year of Kangding, Emperor Shi announced his decision to use troops against Hexi next year during a great dynasty, and one stone caused a thousand waves.

Some people agree with it, and many people oppose it.

Those who agree are either the emperor's confidantes, or to please and agree, and there are many generals in the army who are eager to make meritorious service.

And there is nothing wrong with those who oppose it. They are indeed thinking of the world and the people. The Qin State has been fighting continuously for these years, and it has hardly stopped. The waste is huge, and the people are also war-weary.

In the past, we conquered Jingchu, Shu, Southern Han, Northern Han, and Southern Tang, not to mention the war against Liao for more than two years. After that, the battle of Huangzhou, the chaos in Liaodong, and the battle of Dangxiang in Hetao did not stop. .

Now it is necessary to send 20 troops and recruit [-] civilians as a logistics supply army to launch the largest battle of Hexi since Ping-Liao, and there are many opposition voices.

Some people said that the people were exhausted and the treasury was wasted. Some people said that Emperor Shi didn't understand the people's sentiments and wanted to make great achievements, and argued that he should not send troops on the grounds that the land in Hexi was barren.

Maybe what they said was right or maybe it wasn't. In short, there were all kinds of voices. Emperor Shi didn't refute it, but no one could really stop him from making up his mind.

It is precisely because of Emperor Shi's prestige and great achievements that he has the prestige to suppress these differences of opinion and continue to use troops.

So at the end of that year, the imperial court made a plan to send troops to the northwest.

The emperor's guidance for the history of this war is "to fight fast and advance slowly, and fight steadily and steadily", with the greatest goal of controlling the Hexi Corridor.

Emperor Shi resisted all opinions, acted decisively, and set the tone for the matter. This time, he really wanted to "suffer the people", especially the people in Guanzhong and Bashu.

……

In the tenth year of Kangding, two princes and two princesses were born. The most important thing is that the emperor, with Zhao Kuangyin's transfer envoy to the northwest, began to dispatch grain and grass in Guanzhong, Bashu, and conscripted [-] people to transport grain and grass, repair roads, and prepare to provide support for the army's westward expedition. .

In May, Emperor Shi built a general platform and appointed generals. With Li Jilong as the commander, Dong Zunhui and Fu Zhaoyuan as deputy, he led an army of [-], entered Guanzhong from the west of Daliang, and left Pinghexi in the northwest.

This time the army was very special, among which artillerymen accounted for ten battalions, and two battalions of special musketeers participated in the war. This is an important research and development achievement of the confidentiality department in the past 20 years.

After more than ten years of improvement, the current musketeers have formed four battalions, with more than two thousand guns, most of which are flintlock guns, but they have not been tested in actual combat.

Before departure, Emperor Shi personally poured wine for Li Jilong and others to see him off, and walked alongside him on the banks of the Bian River, exhorting: "The affairs in Hexi are of great importance, and they are related to the country's constitution. Don't be careless. Remember to consider the long-term and not be short-sighted.

But when it comes to war, you can adapt to the situation, and you don't need to ask for instructions. This heavy burden is entrusted to you. "

Li Jilong and other generals bowed their hands and responded seriously to the emperor's entrustment, and then the army moved out to start the westward expedition.

Chapter 562: The Battle of Ganzhou

The autumn is crisp and the geese are flying. Emperor Shi cruises along the banks of the Yellow River with little yellow flowers, all the way westward to Luoyang and Guanzhong. The Yellow River is majestic.

Emperor Shi couldn't calm down for a long time, and then drove around to inspect Luoyang and Guanzhong. Over the years, Luoyang has recovered a lot under the successive management of Li Gu, Shen Yilun and others, and under the radiation of Luoyang, it has become more and more vigorous and has achieved The potential of the capital city.

Emperor Shi couldn't hold back his desire to move the capital anymore. Kaifeng is not suitable to be the capital of a great country in the world. The capital should have three conditions: a fortress, a granary, and a transportation hub. Kaifeng can be used as a granary and a transportation hub, but first of all it does not have a fortress When the national power is strong and the flowers are flourishing, it can still intimidate all directions. Once the national power is weak and the power declines, it will immediately become a fatal flaw.

Just like if the Western Han Dynasty hadn't been established in Guanzhong and the dangers of Qinguan, the Tang Dynasty would have been difficult to survive the early stage if it hadn't been for the dangers of Guanzhong.

There is really no insurance in Kaifeng.

However, the conditions in Youzhou were immature at this time. The condition for the Ming and Qing Dynasties to use Youzhou as the capital to control the north was the opening of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in the Yuan Dynasty, and water transportation could go directly to Youzhou from the south of the Yangtze River.

The Grand Canal opened by the Yuan Dynasty transported north and south, laying the foundation for the Ming and Qing Dynasties to establish Beijing as their capital, and at the same time sending themselves away.The Ming army marched northward along the Grand Canal, completing the first Northern Expedition in history and sending away the Yuan Dynasty.

Today, transportation to the north is still difficult. After years of wars, if Emperor Shi dared to build canals like the Yuan Dynasty, he might become the second Yang Guang.So Youzhou was also removed from his shortlist.Only Luoyang, Chang'an or Jinling are left.

After inspecting Luoyang, he continued to look westward at Guanzhong, and then focused on checking the logistics and supply work of the Hexi army.

Return to Daliang before winter sets in.

This year, both Xiao Huanghua and Princess Duan from Dali became pregnant.

By winter, most things had come to an end, and the implementation of the new tax law encountered the greatest resistance in the Central Plains, involving many high-ranking officials and wealthy families.

Emperor Shi asked Dali Temple and Yushitai to investigate the matter, and found out that there were cliques colluding, and the highest one even involved the new prime minister Lu Duoxun and his confidant general Li Chuyun.

This incident made Emperor Shi furious. He had issued repeated orders in the court before, explaining the importance of the matter and the importance of the country's affairs. Unexpectedly, there were still some people who were self-interested and disregarded the overall situation as obstacles.

In a rage, Emperor Shi ordered a group of officials to dismiss Li Chuyun from the military title he had previously conferred on him. However, considering that Li Chuyun was indeed one of the best generals under his command, and his eldest son Li Jilong was still fighting in Hexi, in order to appease the Li family. He married Li Chuyun's second daughter as his concubine.

Lu Duoxun was sent to Huangzhou as an official, and a large number of officials were investigated at the same time.

This incident aroused many voices of opposition in the court, for various reasons, such as the Han Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty as an example, the analysis of pros and cons, the immutable law of the ancestors, and even oblique reminders in the memorabilia Threatening the emperor for thousands of years, history is like iron, offending too many people, what will the historian write about him, and how will future generations write about him, are you not afraid of being scolded by future generations?The story of Sima Qian being tortured in the Western Han Dynasty was also used as a side note.

Seeing this, Zhao Daijian almost cried out of anger, while Emperor Shi comforted her. This was the pressure he was afraid that future generations would not be able to withstand, and his prestige was enough to enforce it now.

A few months later, there were also rumors among the people that the Emperor Shi had been ungrateful, and that Jiangshan had begun to liquidate the heroes and former generals before his butt was hot, and there were many critics.

There were whispered discussions in the streets and alleys. Once Emperor Shi went to the Li family in private clothes, and he heard people talking about the Li family's affairs in the middle of the road. The people felt that Li Chuyun had made great achievements in the war and did not do evil. He should not be treated like this , the emperor is not the old lake painted.

There are also people who defend the emperor, thinking that Li Chuyun must have some unknown moral corruption.

Most ordinary people don't understand the stakes. There are no scientific values, and science and education are not popularized. They only look at this complicated world with the simple Confucian concept of governing the country by virtue, and they must justify themselves even if they apply it mechanically.

Morality itself is a convention established in daily life to protect the common interests of the majority of people, and it itself is to guarantee the interests of the majority of people.

But here it became the biggest shackle.

This is the so-called rule of virtue instead of rule of law.

The result is that too much change will soon lose the soil of the grassroots, and without the support of the grassroots, any major reform must be difficult to succeed.

This time, Emperor Shi forcibly implemented it with the prestige of the Southern Conquest and the Northern War for so many years, deterring the government and the public with his own power.

Emperor Shi was quite open about this matter, he just tried his best to do it, whether it succeeds or not, it can be regarded as an confession to himself, he worked hard, taking care of so many wives is already busy enough, he has no time to care about the common people in the world.

......

In the tenth year of Kangding, two princes and a princess were born.

In the spring, the battle in Hexi made new progress. After entering the Hexi Corridor at the beginning, the army fell ill due to the unacclimatized climate. When it was recuperating, it was attacked by the Tubo tribes and suffered some losses.

After a month of rest, the offensive resumed, and the progress was rapid, defeating the enemy one after another, and continuously marching towards Ganzhou.

In contrast, after losing Fan Zhi, Emperor Shi felt more and more isolated in many things. In the past, the old man often hated him. There were right and wrong, but the old man really had no selfishness. What kind of money is left to future generations? When he died, the money for the funeral was rewarded by Emperor Shi to his family.

In contrast, many people in today's court are against the emperor not for the benefit of the country, but for their own selfishness and collusion.

And because of the drastic reforms in the past few years, Emperor Shi's prestige is also rapidly depleting, and he eagerly hopes that there will be some turning points in the Northwest War.

So I wrote to Li Jilong in Hexi many times.

.......

Finally, in August of the tenth year of Kangding, Li Jilong successfully led his army through the Hexi Corridor and joined forces with the Guiyi Army in Guazhou.

During this period, they swept through the Tubo and Uighur tribes in the river valley, beheaded more than [-] people, captured countless cattle and sheep, and most importantly captured the Uighur Khan.

In the fierce battle of more than a year, the most dangerous and legendary battle is the battle of Ganzhou.

After Li Jilong and others captured Ganzhou, they rested in the local area. Later, they discovered that the Uyghur army was operating near Ruoshui, and they bought local people as guides.

At that time, the Qin Army's army was divided and garrisoned along the way, and with casualties, the main force arriving in Ganzhou was only about 5000.

Li Jilong led more than 2 people to go to the Uighurs for a decisive battle, leaving only 3000 people to guard Ganzhou City.

As a result, after a long journey to the Ruoshui River Basin, they found that the main Uighur army could not be found at all!It was only then that they discovered that they had been deceived by the locals. Uighur Khan came to divert the tiger away from the mountain with one hand. His previous combat experience let him know that he could not defeat the Qin army head-on, so he had to resort to other means.

At that time, the Ganzhou Uyghur Khan Yeluo Hemi Liye was leading his [-] to [-] Uyghur tribal army to attack the empty Ganzhou.

Ganzhou is not a golden city. Facing more than ten times the enemy, the [-] Qin army defenders in the city fought hard under the leadership of Zhao Kuangyin. In particular, the four battalions of Musketeers were left in the city, which became the key to the victory or defeat.

In the battle of defending the city, the two thousand musketeers displayed unimaginable power, repelling the attacks one after another, causing huge casualties to the Uighur army, and did not take down the city for three consecutive days...

Chapter 563: Battle of Ganzhou + Alliance of the Western Regions + Southern Expedition

On the fifth day, the Uighur army was even timid to fight because of too many casualties, and they dared not launch an attack all day and delayed for a day.

The heavy casualties brought by the two thousand musketeers had already frightened the Uyghur army. On the sixth day, they could only deter the army from continuing to attack the city by killing their own people, but it still didn't work, and the city was not captured.

Soon, they will regret the one-day delay, and understand what every second counts and what speed is the most important thing to do.

On the eighth day, Ganzhou City was still impenetrable, and the Uighur Khan had no chance.

In the afternoon of the same day, Li Jilong's main force came back to help. The Uighur army who was attacking the city found that the flags behind them covered the sun, and the sound of horseshoes shook the sky, and the army was in chaos.

The Qin army began to attack after shelling.

The first wave of offensive easily entered the Uyghur camp, causing the overall collapse of the Uyghur army's front in one fell swoop, and the defenders in the city also left the city one after another.

Even the Uighur Khan was captured by a military academy of the Qin army among the rebellious army.

The Uighur army, which was attacked from the front and rear, was subsequently disbanded, and the Qin army chased and killed more than [-] people. This became the biggest turning point in the entire Hexi War, and it was also the battle with the greatest victory.

After this battle, most of the young and strong Ganzhou Uighurs were killed, and the main force suffered heavy losses. The strength of the strongest and most united Ganzhou Uighurs in Hexi declined sharply. Since then, no one has been able to compete with the Qin army in the Hexi Corridor.

There are still harassing enemies, but this kind of sporadic resistance can no longer affect the overall situation, nor can it affect the advance of the Qin army.

With 3000 people besieging Ganzhou, blocking the [-] Uyghur army, and killing and injuring many musketeers, the sound shook the northwest. Zhao Kuangyin also made great contributions.

Afterwards, the army continued westward without hindrance, and there were no obstacles except sporadic resistance along the way. The settlements and cities along the way offered their cities and surrendered one after another, and they reached Guazhou without fighting any battles along the way.

When the Qin army was fighting in the east, the Guiyi army also led by Cao Yangong regained the surrounding lost ground, and then welcomed the Qin army into the city in Guazhou. The completion of the two armies' meeting meant that the Hexi Corridor was completely opened up.

After more than a year since then, the Battle of Hexi came to an end, and the craftsmen of the follow-up secret department also began to build the Lotus Fort along the way, firmly controlling the Hexi Corridor.

Then the army marched westward, controlling Yangguan and Yumenguan, and guarding the north and south sides of Tianshan Mountain respectively, shaking the countries in the Western Regions.

The entire Hexi War basically came to an end, and all strategic goals were achieved.

Tens of thousands of troops from the Central Plains defeated the Tibetans. After the Ganzhou Uyghurs arrived at Yumen Pass, the Western Regions also quickly got the news. Ten days later, the Khotan Kingdom at the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains and the Xizhou Uyghur forces occupying the eastern part of the Western Regions all sent envoys to ask for a visit.

In fact, the Uighur Khan of Xizhou had sent the eminent monk Fayuan to present treasures such as Buddha teeth, glazed vessels, and amber cups to Emperor Shi more than ten years ago, and he continued to pay tribute thereafter, showing a close relationship with the Central Plains.It's just that Emperor Shi was busy fighting at that time, and the road was blocked, so he just dealt with it and didn't pay attention to it.

Now when their envoys came to see them, they quickly talked about what happened at the beginning to show their friendship, and at the same time expressed their willingness to regard the great country of the Central Plains as their ancestor.

Presumably Ganzhou Uighurs and Tubo tribes were wiped out for more than a year, which shocked the Western Regions and reminded them of the fear from the East.

Li Jilong and the others only gave vague answers to appease them for the time being. How to arrange the strategy of the Western Regions, whether to attack or defend, whether to clear up thousands of miles or appease the prisons, still needs to be decided by Emperor Shi.

On the other hand, the envoys from Khotan had a much lower profile. Not only did they bring a lot of tribute, they also directly expressed their willingness to become a vassal state of the great Central Plains country.

At first, Li Jilong and others didn't understand why Khotan's attitude was so low.

After inquiring, I learned that the Khotan Kingdom was also in danger at this time.

About 20 years ago, Musa Khan, the Karahan Kingdom in the west of the Western Regions, declared Islam as the state religion. A religious war broke out between the Buddhist Khotan Kingdom and the Islamic Karahan Dynasty, which has lasted for 20 years.