Chapter 181 Absurd Times (5k)
The Gaoche people who remained in the besieged city of Dunhuang were completely unprepared. Even the commander-in-chief, Zuo Xian Wang Yi Fu, was not at the gate of Dunhuang at this time. Yi Fu was leading his troops to patrol Yumen.
The Gaoche people were not well organized to begin with, and they initially wanted to rely on the Gaoche defenses in the camp to hold out, but they received torches thrown into the camp by the cavalry.
The flames ignited the tall carriages, one after another, and the tall carriage people were forced to leave the camp surrounded by thick smoke.
Armored cavalry were useless in this kind of battle, so Su Ze did not send them into battle. Instead, he asked Hou Jing to take the rangers and wait at the downwind side of the camp.
The Gaoche people who escaped from the camp were unarmed and naturally became the targets of the cavalry.
Su Ze rode his horse on the mound, watching the battle situation with his clairvoyance. A falcon flew overhead, circling around the burning camp.
The river was stained with blood and charred corpses were scattered all over the ground.
This is the cruelty of war. The success of a general is the result of the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers. A successful general leaves behind many more soldiers.
But looking back at Dunhuang, if there had not been our support, the tragic situation after the fall of Dunhuang would have been several times worse than it is today.
Once on the battlefield, mercy is the most luxurious emotion, and only victory can keep you alive.
Putting aside these messy thoughts, Su Ze looked at the data submitted by the system again.
To be honest, Su Ze was not satisfied with this battle. Despite such a surprise attack and advantage, the battle did not end until dusk.
But Su Ze changed his mind and realized that crossing the Dangjin Pass and attacking Dunhuang would make them top-notch elite soldiers no matter what era they were in.
This is Su Ze's family background. Most of the grassroots officers are blue-green followers accumulated by Su Ze. They are repeatedly trained in various [military buildings] and are well-paid with treatment far higher than that of the soldiers in the prefectures and counties.
Looking at the city of Dunhuang not far away, the battle was won no matter what. As long as we can get Dunhuang, the cost along the way will be worth it.
-
The battle finally ended before sunset, and Su Ze was checking the results through the system.
Su Ze defeated the besieging army and captured the herds of livestock near Dunhuang City.
Su Ze asked Li Cunzhen to hold his token and sit in the basket to enter Dunhuang City. After the Dunhuang City defender Linghu Qiu checked the token, he immediately ordered the city gate to be opened to welcome Su Ze into the city.
However, Su Ze did not enter the city. Instead, he stationed his army outside the city by the Ganquan River and invited Dunhuang defenders such as Linghu Qiu to go outside the city.
Linghu Qiu finally met the legendary General Su.
Su Ze sat in the tent, officers were moving around, and all kinds of military affairs were handed over to Su Ze's desk.
Su Ze quickly finished his official business and ordered the cook to slaughter the Gaoche people's livestock as a reward for the entire army.
After Linghu Qiu entered the tent, Su Ze greeted him warmly:
"I heard that if it weren't for General Linghu's vow to defend the city, Dunhuang City would have been captured long ago. I am so lucky to have a loyal minister like General Linghu!"
Su Ze naturally admired people like Linghu Qiu very much.
Loyalty is a very important quality. Linghu Qiu's loyalty to the Wei Dynasty means that as long as Su Ze is still the General Protector of the Qiang of the Wei Dynasty, Linghu Qiu will not betray him.
In times of chaos, a general who can defend an isolated city can definitely be entrusted with the rear, even if he lacks ability.
After all, most of the time, defending a city only requires the ability to maintain its status quo.
Su Ze attached so much importance to Linghu Qiu that Linghu Qiu was somewhat touched.
With his background, he was neither up nor down in the Northern Wei system.
The history of the Linghu family in Dunhuang can be traced back to the Five Liang period.
During the Former Liang period, Linghu Qiu's ancestor Linghu Ya, with his outstanding diplomatic skills, persuaded Wang Mo to give the Emperor's Sword to Liang Gong Zhang Gui, and entrusted him with the task of "conquering and cutting off" Longxi, allowing Zhang Gui to dominate Hexi.
When Li Hong established Western Liang, he appointed Linghu Yi as the Right Chief Clerk, Linghu Qian as the Prefect of Jinxing, and Linghu He as the Prefect of Wuwei.
However, since Emperor Xiaowen standardized surnames, the upward path for local tyrants like the Linghu family was basically cut off. They gradually degenerated from being a family of civil and military gentry in Liangzhou to the class of military lords and generals.
No, that is to say, the Linghu family still has a great influence in the Dunhuang area, and every governor of Dunhuang has tried to win over their family to rule Dunhuang.
If you don't go up, no matter how hard you try, you will only be the military commander of Dunhuang in this life and there will be no possibility of promotion.
Su Ze ushered Linghu Qiu to his seat, and then humbly asked: "My army has just crossed the Qilian Mountains, and we don't know much about the situation in Hexi. I would like to ask General Linghu to guide me."
Hearing this, Linghu Qiu quickly stood up and saluted Su Ze respectfully: "General Su is a famous general of our Great Wei State. I am just a warrior from a border county. What can I teach you?"
The Dunhuang officers present all looked at Su Ze with admiration.
Qilian Mountain is the sacred mountain of Hexi. The so-called Hexi Corridor, this long and narrow corridor, is built along the Qilian Mountain.
The ice and snow on the Qilian Mountains melted and turned into rivers that flowed into the Hexi Corridor, nourishing the area and forming a belt-shaped oasis, which gave rise to cities such as Dunhuang, Zhangye, and Wuwei.
Su Ze was actually able to lead his men across the Qilian Mountains!
In the eyes of the people of Dunhuang, the army led by Su Ze was already a heavenly army!
But Su Ze still said: "I am not familiar with the geography of Hexi, please ask General Linghu to explain it to me."
Su Zedu was so respectful to the wise that Linghu Qiu could only say, "Then I can only show off my skills in front of an expert."
"General, the siege of Dunhuang has been lifted, but the Gaoche army is still near Yumen Pass."
"The one who led the troops to besiege Dunhuang this time was Yi Fu, the Left Wise King of Gaoche. His royal tent is also in Yumen at this time."
Su Ze nodded. The reason why the Gaoche people besieging the city were so vulnerable was also related to the absence of their main general.
In fact, Su Ze’s best strategy was to pursue the victory and immediately rush to Yumen to defeat the Gaoche main force.
But the current situation is that the troops and horses that crossed the Dangjin Pass suffered heavy losses, especially the cavalry horses, and they urgently need to replenish their horses in order to restore their combat effectiveness.
The reason why the Hexi Corridor is called a corridor is because the entire Hexi is so long!
From Dunhuang to Yumen Pass, it doesn't seem far on the map, but in reality it would take five days for a cavalry to walk there.
It took Su Ze thirty days to set out from Xiping City and reach Dangjin Pass and cross the mountain pass. Now the entire army is extremely exhausted.
That's why Su Ze decided to rest by the Ganquan River first, select good horses from the Gaoche people's war horses to reinforce the march, and deal with the Gaoche captives.
Linghu Qiu continued, "General Su, Yumen Pass is completely different from the Central Plains Pass. Defending Yumen Pass depends on water."
"water?"
Linghu Qiu said: "To the south of Yumen is the Qilian Mountains, and to the north is the Gobi Desert. Whether it is for business or marching, they must replenish water at Yumen, so there is Yumen Pass."
Su Ze nodded. Unlike Yumen and Tongguan, which occupied the power of mountains and rivers and were important passage nodes in themselves, this pass had no high mountains or natural barriers around it. However, relying on the control of water sources, Yumen was also a dangerous pass in the world.
If the Yumen Pass was not breached, the army would not be able to replenish water, which would undoubtedly be fatal to the ancient army.
Go around it? From Yumen to the north, it's all Gobi Desert, with no grass growing.
The defense of Yumen Pass was strengthened once more during the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty also built Jiayu Pass to the north of Yumen Pass, blocking the route around the Gobi Desert.
However, Yumen Pass also had a problem. Since guarding Yumen Pass required controlling the water source, a large number of troops were required for its defense.
During the Tang Dynasty, the Yumen Army stationed at Yumen Pass had a total of 7,000 troops. Even including the families of the soldiers, there were a total of 2,000 regular troops.
One of the reasons why Yumen fell was that Liangzhou was unwilling to send troops to guard Yumen, so the Gaoche people took advantage of the opportunity.
After understanding the situation at Yumen Pass, Su Ze also knew why Yi Fu wanted to inspect Yumen in person. For the Gaoche people, guarding Yumen and blocking reinforcements from Liangzhou was more important than besieging the isolated city of Dunhuang.
After Su Ze understood the situation in Yumen, he humbly asked Linghu Qiu:
"What is the military strategy of General Linghu?" Linghu Qiu said immediately: "My method is to trap the Gaoche people. Liangzhou will raise troops in the east of Yumen, and we will march to the west of Yumen. The carrying capacity of Yumen Oasis is limited. Although there is water, there is not enough food. As long as we trap the Gaoche people, they will surrender sooner or later."
Su Ze looked at Linghu Qiu. This was a way of giving him a taste of his own medicine. Linghu Qiu must have some personal grudges. He had been besieged by the Gaoche people for several months, and now he had to besiege the Gaoche people.
But if you think about it carefully, Linghu Qiu's method is the best one. However, there is still a problem. This method of siege on both sides requires the cooperation of troops from Liangzhou.
Linghu Qiu saw Su Ze's idea and volunteered, "I can carry a water bag across the Gobi Desert to Zhangye to report the news and ask the Yuan governor to send troops."
Su Ze nodded and said, "Good, then please ask General Linghu to set off immediately. After our army has rested, we will go to Yumen to hold back the Gaoche people."
The two of them were chatting happily, and it was only then that Su Ze realized that the person who should have appeared in the military camp was not there.
"Where is the governor Yuan?"
Linghu Qiu said awkwardly: "After the siege of Dunhuang City was lifted, the governor of Yuan believed that it was his piety that moved the Buddha, so the generals and divine soldiers descended from the sky to save Dunhuang, so..."
"So what?"
"So the prefect of Yuan County gave up his life in the temple and became a novice monk after shaving his head."
"what?"
Su Ze already knew how outrageous these people in the Northern and Southern Dynasties were, but he didn't expect them to be so outrageous.
I led the troops over mountains and across rivers to rescue Dunhuang, but you, Yuan Rong, the governor of Dunhuang, didn't come to express your gratitude to the troops. Instead, you thought it was the result of your chanting of Buddhist scriptures and copying Buddhist scriptures?
Why are you sacrificing yourself in a temple? Are you cosplaying as Emperor Wu of Liang here?
No, the first time Xiao Yan sacrificed himself in Tongtai Temple was in 527 AD. It seems that Xiao Yan was a scholar.
Su Ze asked with a strange look on his face: "Yuan County Magistrate sacrificed himself in the Buddhist temple, what about the situation in Dunhuang?"
Linghu Qiu said helplessly: "In the past, people below us acted as agents. In the past, we could go to Dunhuang when there was nothing wrong. After a few days, the officials and people in the city can collect money and redeem Yuan Junshou. The redemption money will be used to build Mogao Grottoes outside the city."
Well, the temple economy has formed a closed loop, and the Yuanrong County Magistrate is also well versed in Internet strategies.
"What if you don't redeem it?"
Linghu Qiu's expression became even weirder. He said, "If you don't redeem me, I'll just continue to be a novice monk..."
Su Ze nodded and said, "That's fine. Let the governor of Yuan devote himself to Buddhism. Commander Linghu will return to the city and ask the governor's office to send all official business to my tent. I will handle the affairs of Dunhuang."
Linghu Qiu wanted to dissuade Su Ze, but doing so was against the rules and he was afraid of being criticized.
But thinking about it, the county magistrate had given up his life for the temple, so it seemed that there was nothing wrong with Su Ze doing this. Besides, he had just rescued Dunhuang City and his reputation was high, so it would be better to let him handle the government affairs.
Thinking of this, Linghu Qiu could only cross his arms and say, "Yes!"
Since Yuan Rong had given up his life to become a novice monk, Su Ze was too lazy to see him again. Next, he sent people to investigate the situation in Yumen, handled the government affairs of Dunhuang, met with local nobles and representatives of the Gaochang, Ganliang and Western Armies, and restored the combat effectiveness of the army and supplemented and reorganized the army.
As for the Gaoche people who besieged the city, Su Ze implemented the policy of killing one person from each team. The remaining Gaoche soldiers were distributed by Su Ze to the military commanders in Dunhuang City, and they were asked to escort these Gaoche people to Dangjinshankou to build a mountain road.
In later generations, when the Tang Dynasty and Tubo were fighting for Hexi, the Tubo minister Shang Qixiner was able to lead 7,000 troops and cross the Dangjin Pass intact. At that time, Tubo must have built a road.
As long as this road is repaired, there will be one more road between Hexi and Hehuang. This road will be of great use whether it is a trade route or a military route.
After the road is completed, Su Ze also plans to have these Gaoche soldiers build stone forts north and south of Dangjin Mountain Pass so that they can completely control this passage.
As for the families of the Gaoche people, Su Ze was not polite and rewarded them to his own soldiers and the soldiers who had made meritorious contributions in defending the city. The livestock of the Gaoche people were also swallowed up by Su Ze.
The lower-level tribes of the Six Garrisons were those snatched back from the grasslands by the successive strong emperors of the Northern Wei Dynasty. These people could be brought back to enrich the Xihai County.
This was the rule during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Even being able to be enslaved was considered lucky. Compared with the massacres carried out at will during the Sixteen Kingdoms period, the Northern Wei Dynasty was considered a civilized and progressive dynasty.
-
"What! Su Ze's reinforcements crossed the Qilian Mountains! They lifted the siege of Dunhuang? Our troops in Dunhuang were completely wiped out!?"
Upon receiving the news, Gaoche Zuoxian King Yi Fu almost fainted.
Only a small force was left in Dunhuang, but most of his clansmen and livestock remained in Dunhuang.
There are seven thousand people crowded in Yumen Pass. If these people need food and drink, the resources in Yumen are simply not enough.
The most important thing is that his way back has been cut off. Once the army gets to know this news, the morale of the army will probably be immediately shaken.
Thinking of this, Yi Fu immediately said, "Come here! Shut up this guy who is spreading rumors and misleading people, and kill him!"
Then Yi Fu ordered his trusted followers to send scouts to the army to suppress those who spread the news and prohibit discussion of Dunhuang affairs.
But Yi Fu also knew that such news could not be kept secret for long. He could only stabilize the morale of the troops first and then think of a way to break out.
Yi Fu also knew very well that the army was his foundation. Only by stabilizing the army would he have the opportunity to choose whether to fight or surrender.
In the following days, Su Ze did not rush to attack Yumen. He only sent cavalry to cut off and snipe the scouts sent by Yi Fu to inquire about the situation. Then he led the cavalry to circle around Yumen, showed his military strength, and then withdrew to Dunhuang.
Yi Fu breathed a sigh of relief. Su Ze was not in a hurry to fight with him. It seemed that he had suffered heavy losses and was not well prepared.
But he also knew that the oasis near Yumen could not support so many troops, and Su Ze had Dunhuang to rely on for supplies. The result would inevitably be that Su Ze would become stronger and stronger, while he would become weaker and weaker.
But he couldn't win the battle, and he couldn't afford to delay either. Yi Fu was in a dilemma and could only retreat to Yumen Pass and wait for an opportunity.
-
In Luoyang City, at Princess Chenliu's residence.
A woman dressed in black walked through the long corridor of the princess's mansion, and the maids made way for her to greet her. She was a newly promoted female historian in the mansion, who was deeply trusted by Princess Chenliu and was summoned every day.
[An ordinary female messenger] was an attendant introduced to Princess Chenliu by Su Ze. After Su Ze left Luoyang, Princess Chenliu found that she was very useful and recruited her as a maid in the Princess's Mansion, responsible for handling some affairs of the Princess's Mansion.
Princess Chenliu was strict in her administration of the palace. Anyone who made a mistake would be publicly punished by her, but she would always deal with the matter based on the facts. After the punishment, she would still reuse the person, and would even reward him or her if he or she had made a contribution.
Just considering this matter, 99% of the princes' and princesses' palaces in Luoyang have already surpassed this. No matter whether it is the personal maids or the guards in the palace, they are all willing to die for Princess Chenliu.
Some old maids in the palace said that Princess Chenliu had the elegance and grace of her great-grandmother, Empress Dowager Feng, the Empress Dowager Wenming of Wei and grandmother of Emperor Xiaowen.
"Your Highness, the imperial edict promoting General Su has been sent to Hezhou."
Princess Chenliu nodded slightly. Her "investment" in Su Ze could be said to be reckless. Not only You Zhao, but also several ministers in the Secretariat who could influence Su Ze's promotion, she had prepared expensive gifts for them all. Although only You Zhao's suggestion worked in the end, that's how politics works. As long as redundant investment can generate some returns, the entire investment will not be a loss.
Princess Chenliu asked lazily, "Is there any news from the palace?"
The female historian bowed her head and said, "Li Shengui, the son of the General of the Cavalry, has been going to and from the Forbidden City more often recently, and he even stayed in the palace a few days ago."
"There is news in the palace that the Queen Mother wants to appoint Li Shengui as the General of the Wuwei Army and the Minister of the Imperial Household."
The Huangmen is the palace gate that separates the outer court from the inner court. It is called the Huangmen because it is painted yellow.
The Huangmen Shilang was the official in charge of the Huangmen. Because his office was in the inner court, it was a position in the Menxia Province and was particularly important in the Northern Wei Dynasty.
Princess Chenliu couldn't help laughing and said, "Wuwei General is also a general of miscellaneous title, while Jieshi Huangmen Shilang is an official of the imperial court. It's a pity that my son Su is fighting in the frontier, and he is not as good as General Li's son who is serving the Queen Mother in the palace. If he had known this, he should not have been sent to Hezhou. With his ability, my sister-in-law would definitely give him a promotion."
Lu Zhu had become immune to Princess Chenliu's vicious words. The female historian was also a professional egret messenger and was serious and there was silence in the boudoir for a long time.
Princess Chenliu just felt bored. After Su Ze left Luoyang, she didn't even have anyone to talk to.
"Send this news to Hezhou. Li Shengui is in favor. I'm afraid there will be changes in the palace."
Happy 520!
(End of this chapter)