The Romance of the Famous Marshals of the Early Tang Dynasty Li Jichuan

Chapter 4 Famous Commanders and Famous Generals

Master Huitong continued: "In the second year of the Northern Qi Heqing Dynasty (563), Yang Zhong of the Northern Zhou Zhuguo led 10,000 infantry and cavalry to set out from the northern front; Da Xiwu, the general of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, led 30,000 infantry and cavalry, set out from the southern front, and agreed to meet under the city of Jinyang and attack the city together.

On the battlefield of the Northern Front, Yang Zhong successively broke through more than 20 cities in the Northern Qi Dynasty and broke through the key passes of the Shanling Mountains, and the military power was greatly shaken. Rouran Wooden Pole Khan, hearing the good news of successive victories on the northern front, personally led 100,000 cavalry to join Yang Zhong, drove together, and killed Jinyang City.

Emperor Wucheng of the Northern Qi Dynasty, Gao Zhan, learned of the border warning of the Northern Qi Dynasty and personally led the army from the capital Yecheng to Jinyang. and Duan Shao, the assassin of Bingzhou, guarded Jinyang City together.

The Northern Wednesday army of 10,000 troops from the southern front, and the combined forces of the Northern Zhou army and the Rouran army totaling 110,000 from the northern line came to Jinyang City together, in order to prevent the situation that Jinyang City was besieged. Emperor Wucheng of the Northern Qi Dynasty, Gao Zhan, appointed Sikong Hu Lüguang as the commander-in-chief of the southern front, led 30,000 infantry, reinforced Pingyang City, and held Pingyang City together with the original 3,000 garrisons in the city, blocking and killing the 30,000 troops led by the Northern Zhou general Da Xiwu who went to Jinyang City. ”

Sun Anfu interjected and asked: "What the master said, Sikong Hu Lvguang, but is it the Governor of the Fallen Eagle?" ”

Master Huitong replied, "This is the person. ”

Sun Anfu said: "I heard my father say that Sikong Hu Luguang is the number one marksman in Northern Qi. ”

Master Huitong replied: "Sikong Hu Luguang, when he was seventeen years old, was famous for his accurate archery skills in the Northern Qi Dynasty. Personally train the soldiers' archery skills, select a thousand soldiers with good archery skills, and form a magic arrow team. In the blocking battle of Pingyang City, Sikong Hu Luguang appointed the old monk as the vanguard, led 5,000 infantry, including the Divine Arrow Team, as the vanguard, and set off overnight to aid Pingyang City. ”

The vanguard arrived at Pingyang City two days earlier than the Northern Zhou army, and after entering the city, they strengthened the city wall overnight and built bows and arrows, rolling logs, stones, rockets and other tools to defend the city.

At noon on the third day, Sikong Hu Luguang led the main force of 25,000 infantry to arrive at Pingyang City, when the main force took vigorous steps, lined up in a neat square formation began to enter Pingyang City, the reconnaissance cavalry of the Northern Zhou Dynasty happened to rush to Pingyang City, and witnessed the main force enter Pingyang City, and in the evening, the 30,000 troops led by the Northern Zhou General Da Xiwu killed under Pingyang City.

Da Xiwu, the general of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, heard the report of the reconnaissance cavalry that the main force of the Northern Qi Dynasty had entered Pingyang City, gave up the original plan of attacking the city overnight, and camped three miles away from the city.

Early in the morning of the fourth day, Da Xiwu led the Northern Zhou army to attack the city, and the morale of the Northern Qi reinforcements was high, repelling the attacks of the Northern Zhou army again and again. In the following days, the Northern Zhou army used various siege methods, but was never able to capture Pingyang City.

At that time, it snowed heavily for dozens of days in a row, more than 1,000 miles from north to south, and a few feet of snow on the flat ground. The Northern Zhou and Rouran coalition armies were dominated by cavalry, and heavy snow slowed down the advance of the Northern Zhou and Rouran coalition armies. On December 29, the combined forces of the Northern Zhou and Rouran approached Jinyang City.

On the first day of the first month of the third year of the Northern Qi Heqing Dynasty (564 years), Emperor Wucheng of the Northern Qi Dynasty Gao Zhan ascended the northern city of Jinyang, the soldiers were bright and bright, the military appearance was neat, and the decline of more than 20 cities was swept away before, and the morale was high.

The Northern Zhou army, with infantry as the vanguard, rushed down from the west mountain, and set up a siege position more than two miles away from the city.

The generals of the Northern Qi Dynasty asked for battle to go out of the city to kill the enemy, and Duan Shao, the assassin of the state, said: "The Northern Zhou and Rouran coalition forces came from afar and fought more than 20 battles, and they are already a tired division, and the offensive force is very limited; Our army only needs to wait for the battle, consume the morale of the Northern Zhou and Rouran coalition forces, and when the Northern Zhou and Rouran coalition forces are relaxed, our army will suddenly attack fiercely and will definitely be able to defeat the Northern Zhou and Rouran coalition forces. ”

The Northern Zhou infantry shouted and rushed to the north city of Jinyang, when they were about to reach the city gate, and the state assassin Shi Duan Shao gave an order, ten thousand arrows were fired in unison, and the charge of the Northern Zhou infantry was repulsed, after the defeat of the Northern Zhou army, the gate of the north city of Jinyang was still closed, and the Northern Qi army did not take advantage of the situation to go out of the city to fight, after three failed charges, the Northern Zhou army gradually relaxed and lazy, some sat on the ground, some put down their swords and guns, and took off their coats to enjoy the coolness.

Suddenly, the gate of the north city of Jinyang was opened, and Duan Shao, the assassin of the state, led five thousand elite soldiers to rush out of the city gate, and the earth-shattering war drums came into the ears. The Northern Zhou army was wandering around, and the elite soldiers of the Northern Qi Dynasty had already done their best to kill, shouting to kill for days, and the Northern Zhou soldiers were caught off guard and retreated. Yang Zhong couldn't stop it, and only hoped that the Rouran soldiers would come forward to help in the battle, so that the Northern Qi soldiers could be killed. Seeing that the defeat of the Northern Zhou army was decided, the Khan of Rouran Wooden Pole led the army to flee to the West Mountain, refusing to participate in the battle, and the Northern Zhou army was isolated and helpless, and was immediately defeated and fled back to Guanzhong.

Rouran Wooden Pole Khan led the Turkic army to escape quietly from the back slope of the West Mountain, out of the plug, the Wooden Pole Khan indulged the Rouran soldiers to loot, from more than 700 miles north of Jinyang, people and animals were looted. Duan Shao, the assassin of Bingzhou, led 5,000 elite soldiers and chased after the Rouran soldiers from a distance, but he did not dare to get close to fight.

The news of the defeat and flight of Yang Zhong's army on the northern front reached Pingyang City, and the Northern Zhou general Da Xiwu saw that there was no hope of breaking through the city, so he withdrew his camp. Sikong Hu Luguang ordered the old monk to lead the leading troops out of the city to pursue, chased straight to the border of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, captured more than 2,000 Northern Zhou soldiers, and returned victorious.

The 100,000 cavalry led by the Rouran Wooden Pole Khan did not participate in the war, and only 10,000 Northern Zhou troops actually besieged Jinyang City, and 30,000 Northern Zhou troops attacked Pingyang City, Pingyang City became the main battlefield, Pingyang City won a great victory, Emperor Gao Zhan of Northern Qi Wucheng awarded a meritorious award, Sikong Hu Luguang was promoted to Situ, and the old monk was crowned as a general of Jinwu.

In the battle of Jinyang, Emperor Gao Zhan of Wucheng of the Northern Qi Dynasty led the army to Jinyang City, which boosted the morale of the soldiers, and it snowed heavily for dozens of days in succession, weakening the power of the cavalry of the Northern Zhou and Rouran coalition forces.

Xu Gai interjected and asked, "Are these two good generals that the master said are the three heroes of Northern Qi?" ”

Master Huitong replied: "Exactly, the third is Gao Changgong, the king of Lanling, the fourth son of Gao Cheng, Emperor Wenxiang of Shizong of Northern Qi, and the grandson of Emperor Xuan, who has participated in few battles. When Gao Wei, the queen of the Northern Qi Dynasty, talked about the victory of Bishan with the king of Lanling, the king of Lanling said a wrong word, and was hated by Gao Wei, the queen of the Northern Qi Dynasty, and caused a great disaster for him, and Gao Wei, the queen of the Northern Qi Dynasty, suspected that the Lanling King who had military power wanted to replace him and be the sixth emperor of the Northern Qi Dynasty, and one day in May of the fourth year of Wuping of the Northern Qi Dynasty (573 AD), the 32-year-old King of Lanling was killed by Gao Wei, the queen of the Northern Qi Dynasty, with a cup of poisoned wine. Gao Changgong, the king of Lanling, ranked last in his military talent and military exploits among the three heroes of the Northern Qi Dynasty. ”

Sun Anfu said with a smile: "Looking at it this way, these two good generals are indeed the most capable generals in Northern Qi." ”

Master Huitong said: "But they all have obvious shortcomings, and Duan Shao, the assassin of the state, led five thousand elite soldiers to chase after him, and did not get close to the fight, so he was more resourceful than he could, but he lacked courage." ”

Sun Anfu interjected and asked: "It is rumored that for this matter, Hu Luguang called Duan Shao, the assassin of Bingzhou, Duan Shao, Duan Po, is it true?" ”

Master Huitong replied: "Hu Luguang heard that Duan Shao, the assassin of Bingzhou, did not chase and kill the Rouran army, but only chased after the Rouran soldiers from a distance, as if sending the Rouran army out of the fortress, so he sneered: 'Duan Assassin Shi should be renamed Duan Po, so as to be worthy of sending female guests'." ”

Master Huitong continued: "Compared with the shortcomings of Duan Shao's lack of courage in the history of the assassination of Bingzhou, the shortcomings of Hu Luguang's many words are fatal. In his later years, relying on his military talents and outstanding military exploits, he looked down on those civil officials in high positions, and because of some trivial things, he repeatedly slandered Shangshu's right servant Zu Ting, and Mu Tipo, the son of Lu Lingxuan, the queen of the Northern Qi Dynasty, and formed a grudge with the two.

Lu Lingxuan, the nurse of Gao Wei, the queen of the Northern Qi Dynasty, conspired with Zu Ting, the right servant of Shangshu, and partnered to frame Hu Luguang, who suspected that Hu Luguang had a rebellious heart, and Zu Ting provoked in front of Gao Wei, the queen of the Northern Qi Dynasty, and instructed the Prime Minister's Mansion to falsely accuse Hu Luguang of rebellion.

In June of the third year of Wuping (572), Gao Wei, the queen of the Northern Qi Dynasty, lured Hu Luguang to the palace and killed him at the age of 58. Gao Wei, the queen of the Northern Qi Dynasty, issued an edict saying that Hu Luguang rebelled and beheaded the Hu Luguang family. ”

Sun Anfu sighed and said: "I can't imagine that this little problem has brought a catastrophe to Hu Luguang. ”

Master Huitong said: "Generals with military power should be cautious in words and deeds. ”

Sun Anfu then asked: "In the master's opinion, when Xu Gongzi becomes an adult, will he be like Duan Shao and Sikong Hu Luguang?" ”

Master Huitong replied: "Duan Shao and Sikong Hu Luguang are famous generals, and in a few decades, Xu Gongzi will become a famous handsome." ”

Sun Anfu then asked: "What is the difference between a famous handsome and a famous general?" ”

Master Huitong replied: "The military talent of a famous marshal is much better than that of a famous general, and there must be no obvious mistakes in military affairs, and the most important thing is that he must have commanded large-scale battles and achieved great military achievements. ”

Sun Anfu then asked: "What kind of combat exploits are considered extraordinarily great military exploits?" ”

Master Huitong replied: "During the period of Duan Shao and Hu Luguang, it was a great feats to destroy a country. ”

At this time, the door of the square battle room opened, and the housekeeper Sun Dayou came to Sun Anfu's side lightly, and said quietly: "The major halls that Zen Master Huiyuan has led Xu Gongzi to see are walking towards the square battle room. ”

Xu Gai hurriedly asked: "Master, today's matter, when outsiders ask, how should the little nephew respond?" ”

Master Huitong groaned.

Sun Anfu said: "Let's just say, the master said, Xu Gongzi should learn more skills." ”

Master Huitong said: "According to Sun Xian's nephew. ”

As soon as the words fell, Zen Master Huiyuan took Xu Maogong's little hand and walked into the square room, and the housekeeper Xu Quan followed behind and gently closed the door.

Master Huitong asked Xu Maogong: "Young Master Xu, after seeing the major halls in the temple, which one do you think is good?" ”

Zen Master Huiyuan let go of Xu Maogong's little hand and stood aside.

Xu Maogong replied: "I think all the major halls are good, the best is the Tianwang Palace, the Maitreya Buddha is so tall and big. ”

Xu Maogong walked quickly to Master Huitong and asked with a smile, "Master Huitong, can I touch the head of that Maitreya Buddha?" ”

Xu Gai said: "Mao Gong, don't talk nonsense in front of Master Huitong. ”

Master Huitong said to Xu Gai: "Xu Xian's nephew, Xu Gongzi is only twelve years old, and he has no taboo words. ”

Sun Anfu asked Xu Gai in a low voice: "Brother Xu, if there is nothing to ask, let's leave?" Xu Gai smiled and nodded.

Sun Anfu stood up, clasped his fists and saluted: "Master Huitong, the little nephew has been bothered for a long time, so I will leave." ”

Xu Gai also stood up, hugged his fists and saluted: "Thank you Master Huitong for your advice, and the little nephew will leave." ”

Xu Maogong bowed and said, "Master Huitong, my grandson has taken my leave." ”

Master Huitong stood up, pulled Xu Maogong and said: "I wanted to invite the staff and distinguished guests to have a fast meal before leaving, but I felt that the children were not used to eating fast, so I was not reluctant." ”

Master Huitong turned around and instructed Zen Master Huiyuan: "Senior Brother Huiyuan, send the staff and distinguished guests out of the temple on behalf of the old monks." ”