Chapter 54 Fishing in troubled waters

At the beginning of 383 AD, the former Qin Emperor Fu Jian ordered the general Lü Guang to lead an army of 100,000 to the west from Chang'an to pacify the countries of the Western Regions.

Lü Guang led his army through Gaochang (in present-day Turpan, Xinjiang), crossed the desert for 300 miles, and reached the Yanqi Kingdom in the Western Regions at the end of the same year. Seeing such a large and powerful army, the Yanqi Kingdom and its affiliated states asked for surrender, but its close neighbor Qiuzi Kingdom was unwilling to surrender because of the unwillingness of the Western Regions powers, and resisted with its dependent states.

Lü Guang gathered the army in the south of Yancheng, the capital of Qiuci (now Kuqa, Xinjiang), set up a camp every five miles, built a deep ditch and high base, besieged Yancheng, and put on clothes and armor for the wooden people, and listed them in the camp, as a suspicious soldier to confuse the Qiuci army, Lü Guang led the army to attack the city from time to time, and shocked the king of Qiuci Bochun. King Bo of Qiuci knew that he was not the opponent of the Central Plains army, so he moved all the people outside the city into the city, relying on the thick walls of the city and resisting stubbornly.

In July 384 A.D., the king of Qiuci, Bochun, confronted Lü Guang's army for more than half a year, and then asked for help from the state of Hu with a lot of money. Knowing the stakes of the cold lips and teeth, the Hu Kingdom united with the Wensu Kingdom, the Weitou Kingdom and other countries in the Western Regions, and raised a total of 700,000 soldiers and horses to rescue Qiuzi.

When Lü Guang heard the news, he knew that the coalition forces were mainly cavalry, and his own infantry was the majority, so he ordered the troops of each battalion to be assembled, practice the tactics of hooking and locking, and select elite cavalry as mobile forces to replenish the gaps in the army formation at any time.

Soon, Lü Guang led the army to defeat the Western Regions coalition army, beheading more than 10,000 people, the king of Qiuci Bochun was shocked, abandoned the city overnight and fled, Lü Guang immediately led the army to occupy Yancheng. More than 30 countries in the Western Regions were afraid of Lü Guangwei's name, and all of them sent envoys to pay tribute and attach themselves to the former Qin.

In March 385 AD, Lü Guang saw that all the countries in the Western Regions were pacified, and the Western Regions were vast and rich in products, so he had the intention of separating the Western Regions in his heart, so he feasted the soldiers and asked for advice. However, all the generals were homesick and did not want to stay in the Western Regions. Lü Guang had no choice but to give up, so he ordered more than 20,000 camels to be loaded with treasures from the Western Regions, drove more than 10,000 horses, and returned to the east.

In September of the same year, Lü Guang led a large army to Yihe (present-day Annan, Xinjiang). Yang Han, the Taishou of Gaochang in Liangzhou, learned that Lü Guang led the army to return eastward, so he rushed to Guzang and suggested to Liang Xi, the assassin of Liangzhou: "Lü Guang pacified the Western Regions, and his morale was strong. The land west of the river, a radius of 100 miles, there are more than 100,000 soldiers, according to Liangzhou is enough to protect itself, if Lu Guang crosses the quicksand, its power is difficult to stop. The terrain of Gaochang Valley Pass is dangerous, and the lord should send troops to defend it and control the water source, so that Lü Guang can be controlled by the lord. If you think that the mouth of Gaochang Valley is too far, sending troops to defend Yiwu Pass can also prevent Lü Guang from returning to the east. Once Lu Guang passes through Yiwu Pass, the big thing will go! ”。 As soon as the words fell, Liang Xi's subordinate Zhang Tong also said: "Lü Guang is very intelligent, and his soldiers are eager to think about it, and his power is strong, and the lord can support the clan Fu Luo who guards the border pass as the emperor, so as to use the royal prestige to restrain Lü Guang." ”

However, Liang Xi pondered for a long time and said: "Wait and disperse first, the stakes are high, let me think twice before acting!" ”

Seeing that his eyes were indecisive, the two men did not make a decision, said no more, and got up to leave.

At this time, Lu Guang also received the news of Fu Jian's fiasco in Weishui and the chaos in the Central Plains, and heard that Yang Han persuaded Liangzhou to assassinate Shi Liang Xi to prevent him from returning to the east, so he did not dare to trade in. Then the generals were convened to discuss, and the general Du Jin analyzed: "Liang Xi is so elegant and unresourceful, he will not adopt what Yang Han said, and it is not worth worrying." The general should take advantage of his hesitation to quickly march his troops and seize Liangzhou, and then make plans. If he does not win, he will be willing to accept his sin. ”

Lu Guang pondered for a moment and said: "What the general said is very true, now that the Central Plains is in chaos, the country does not know its survival, and we return to the Central Plains without knowing life and death. ”

Without further ado, Lü Guang immediately ordered a march to Gaochang. On the way, all the counties of Dunhuang and Jinchang (now Dingxi, Gansu) surrendered, and the soldiers went to Gaochang, Yang Han knew that Liang Xiyong was stupid, and also surrendered the city.

When Lü Guang led his army to Yumen Pass, Liang Xi, the assassin of Liangzhou, woke up like a dream, and wrote a letter to reproach Lü Guang for not receiving the edict and withdrawing the army without authorization, and ordered his son Liang Yin to lead 50,000 troops to Jiuquan to stop Lü Guang. Lü Guang even spread the word to Liangzhou, condemning Liang Xi not only did not go to the national disaster and share the worry of the defeat of the country in the Weishui War, but instead intercepted the expeditionary army that returned to China and plotted against him. And ordered Du Jin to be the vanguard, and personally led a large army into Jiuquan, defeated Liang Yin and captured him, and the Hu tribes near Jiuquan also attached themselves to Lu Guang. Seeing that the general situation was gone, Gu Zang's guard general Peng Luo captured Liang Xi and surrendered to Lü Guang. Lü Guang ordered Liang Xi to be killed, and led his army into Guzang (present-day Wuwei, Gansu), claiming to be the assassin of Liangzhou.

In February 386 AD, Lü Guang had just pacified the entire territory of Liangzhou, and Zhang Dayu, the son of Tianxi, the last state of the former Liang, raised troops in Yuji (now Gulang Tumen Town, Gansu), proclaimed himself King of Liang, captured Changsong, and coerced Guzang. Lü Guang sent his general Du Jin to attack, but was defeated by Zhang Dayu. Zhang Dayu took advantage of the victory to march into Guzang (now Wuwei, Gansu), and had the potential to restore the country.

Zhang Dayu's advisor Wang Mu advised him: "Lu Guang's soldiers are well fed, and the city is strong, and it may be difficult to win the attack on Guzang." It is better to march to the west of Lingxi, train the troops and accumulate food, and then return to the division to the east, and in less than a year, you can return to the country. ”

Zhang Dayu said with a smile: "I am the prince of Liangwang, this time I am still Guzang, the great cause of recovering the country is just around the corner, now I am retiring from Lingxi, how can I not let the people of Liangzhou laugh, my family has its own prestige in Liangzhou, you can go to Lingxi, persuade the generals to return to obedience, after I restore the country, I will not treat the generals badly!" ”

After Zhang Dayu finished speaking, he sent Wang Mu to Lingxi to lobby the guards from all over the country to raise troops. Sure enough, many guards from all over Lingxi raised troops to respond to Zhang Dayu, and the leader of the Xianbei Bald Hair Department Bald Si Fu also sent his son Bald Xi Yu to lead troops to help, Zhang Dayu's department grew to more than 30,000 people, and marched to Yangwu in the west of Guzang City.

In April of the same year, Zhang Dayu personally led the army to feint to attack the west of Guzang City, and ordered Wang Mu and Bald Xi Yu to lead 30,000 troops to attack the south of Guzang City. Lü Guang saw through his plan to attack the east and west, and personally led a large army to the south of the city, defeated Wang Mu and Bald Xi Yu, and killed Bald Xi Yu and more than 20,000 people. Zhang Dayu had no choice but to lead the remnants to flee to Guangwu. Guangwu Shou captured Zhang Dayu and sent him to Guzang, where Lü Guang ordered him to be beheaded.

In September of the same year, the news of the killing of the former Qin Emperor Fu Jian reached Guzang, and Lü Guang sighed and ordered the three armies to mourn, and called himself the general and the pastor of Liangzhou. It is known as Houliang in history.

At the end of 386 AD, several of Lü Guang's subordinates rebelled in the counties of Liangzhou, and agreed to jointly crusade against Lü Guang. Lü Guang also subdued the Xianbei Fuqu tribe and the bald tribe in Liangzhou, and since then Liang has been stable.

Because Houliang and Western Qin were in the northwest together, the two countries attacked each other, fought against each other constantly, and held each other for several years.

At this time, the Central Plains was the simultaneous existence of the Qin after Yao Chang, the Yan after Murong Chui, the Western Yan of Murong Yong, the Qiu Chi of Yang An, the Qin before Fu Deng, and the Liyang of Zhai Liao.

If you know the origin of this powerful country, what is the chaos in the Central Plains, and look at the next chapter.