When the former Qin was busy destroying the former Yan, collecting the former Liang, the Ping Dynasty, and the expedition to the Western Regions, the Eastern Jin Dynasty was not idle for a moment. In the face of the powerful Former Qin, although he no longer dared to go on the Northern Expedition, the Eastern Jin Dynasty understood that once the Former Qin unified all parts of the north, it would inevitably move southward, and a major war was inevitable, a matter of life and death.

In the first month of 376, the fourteen-year-old little emperor Sima Changming was in charge and appointed Xie An as the supervisor of the Zhongshu and the secretary of the book, and the Eastern Jin Dynasty opened the era of Xie An's rule.

Although he was not the direct commander of that war, I believe that Xie An's rise to power was a key factor in the victory of the Eastern Jin Dynasty in the war that determined the course of Chinese history. There are famous ministers who rule the country, and then there is everything that follows, including certain seemingly accidental and inevitable events and factors.

Compared with Wang Meng, Xie An did not defeat the martial arts of attack, but in terms of governing the country, he was also outstanding and not inferior. During his reign, Xie An selected a large number of civil and military talents such as Xu Miao, Fan Ning, Xie Xuan, and Huan Yi. At the same time, with the principle of governing the country frugally, we should reform the tax system, reduce the salaries of officials, eliminate redundant personnel, put an end to waste, and stop all errands and expenses that are not important for militaristic affairs. These measures lightened the burden on the people, enabled the Eastern Jin Dynasty to come out of the shadow of the failure of the Huanwen Northern Expedition, and began to increase its national strength, laying a solid material foundation for the later decisive battle.

In terms of alleviating the contradictions between the domestic gate valve clans, Xie An appointed Huan Chong as the assassin of Jingzhou, Huan Hei (Huan Wenzi) as the assassin of Jiangzhou, Wang Yun (the queen's father) as the assassin of Xuzhou, and Xie Xuan as the assassin of Yanzhou and Lingguangling. The power of Fangzhen in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River was held by the three major families of Huan, Xie and Wang, and the major clans of the Eastern Jin Dynasty compromised and conceded with each other, the interests were coordinated, the situation of the Huan family's dominance was eased, and the court and Fangzhen were united and harmonious.

Strong national strength and unity from top to bottom are precisely the prerequisites for victory in the war. Fortunately, before the Southern Expedition of the Former Qin, the Eastern Jin Dynasty completed both material and psychological preparations for war. For a country, this is the most difficult step, and it is precisely under Xie An's leadership that it has been successfully achieved.

Of course, military preparation is equally important. At that time, in order to resist the great threat of the former Qin, under the recommendation and order of Xie An, Xie Xuan, who was in charge of the Jiangbei War, formed an army that was famous in Chinese history - the Beifu Army.

[Beifu Army]

Beifu Army, also known as Beifu Bing, was founded by Xie Xuan in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the main body of the army is the northern refugees, because Xie Xuan guards the Jingkou is also called Beifu, its army is named, and it is the backbone of the Eastern Jin Dynasty to resist the invasion of the Northern Hu people. At first, it was controlled by the Xie family, but later with the development of the political situation, its military leaders changed hands several times, and eventually became the main force of the Southern Korean army. When the commander of the army was passed to Liu Yu, it set a precedent for multi-arms coordinated operations, and the combat effectiveness of the Beifu Army reached its peak, known as the strongest army in ancient China.

The combat effectiveness of an army is determined by a variety of factors, and the strength of the Beifu Army is also contributed by a variety of factors. The main points are as follows:

First, the main body of the army is the northern refugees, in addition to the survivors who cannot escape all the way, it also includes the remnants of the beggar army and the northern rebel army. These people crawled out of the sea of blood in the corpse mountain under the background of the Wuhu chaos, and they have a deep blood feud with the northern Hu people, dare to fight, brave and tenacious, and are the only remaining essence of the northern Han people.

Having seen how relatives and friends are killed, they naturally know how to pick up a knife and fight for it.

Second, when Xie Xuan formed the "Beifu Army", he did not simply recruit displaced people and then train them himself, but integrated them into an army by recruiting the leaders of the displaced army.

After the big waves and sand, he was still able to lead a group of brothers to survive under the fast horse scimitar Hu Ren Iron Horse, and naturally had his extraordinary courage and wisdom. It can be said that the Beifu Army is the essence of the essence of the Han people in the north.

Third, with an excellent commander, in addition to the founder Xie Xuan, in its later history, the Beifu Army has Liu Gaozhi, Liu Yu, Wang Zhenxi, Tan Daoji and other famous generals, especially during the period of Liu Yu's commander, the combat power of the Beifu Army reached its peak, creating the myth of infantry defeating cavalry. Wang Fuzhi said: "Yuzhi is meritorious in the world, and he is fierce in Cao Cao."

Fourth, under the influence of the special background of the times, the tremendous pressure brought about by foreign invasions, and the wanton trampling and massacre made the Han people feel the danger of extinction of the country and the species. At that time, the northern Han people had no choice but to either join the rebel army and kill the Hu people, or they fled alone and were killed by the Hu people. So they can only unite to survive and resist the slaughter of the Hu people together. This has cultivated the strong character and habits of this army, from generals to soldiers, and its combat effectiveness is naturally not bad.

In short, the Beifu Army is an army formed by fierce soldiers (the essence of being eliminated from the battlefield for a long time), excellent generals (the elite of the commanders of the rebel army), outstanding commanders (Liu Yu and others), plus the unity and courage given by a specific historical period.

Wait like a lamb to slaughter or take up arms to fight your way out?

They are the ones who have made their choices, and the crisis of the nation has given it a mission that must be strong.

What the former Qin had to face turned out to be such a Western Jin Dynasty.

However, Fu Jian did not know that in the joy brought by the successful elimination of Qianliang and Daiguo, Fu Jian believed that wherever the army came, the southeast would be the leader.

In fact, this is an unsolvable war, and in China, any regime that has pacified the north, whether it is a Chinese or a foreign race, will inevitably go south in order to dominate the world, but the outcome is unpredictable, and the success or failure is different.

This is the blood that Qin Shi Huang injected into our veins, and it is also his eternal monument. The impact was so great that it still exists today.

In February 378, in order to seize Xiangyang, a strategic place in the northern part of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and open up the southward passage, Fu Jian officially sent troops to the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

The former Qin army was divided into four routes, one way was to conquer the southern general Fu Pi, who rode 70,000 horses, out of Wuguan (now southwest of Shang County, Shaanxi), and went straight to Xiangyang; All the way is Jingzhao Yin Murong Chui and Yangwu general Yao Chang, leading an army of 50,000 to take Nanyang (now Nanyang, Henan), through Nanxiang (now southeast of Danjiangkou, Hubei), and then to Xiangyang; One route led 40,000 troops led by the leading general Gou Chi, the right general Mao Dang, and the strong crossbow general Wang Xian, and the troops went south from Wudang (now southeast of Yunxian County, Hubei); One route was led by the general Shi Yue, who led 10,000 elite cavalry, and the troops went out of Luyang (now Lushan, Henan). The four-way army will attack Xiangyang in order to win a battle.

After the war began, in order to respond to the attack of Xiangyang, Fu Jian ordered Yanzhou Assassin Shi Pengchao, Hou General Ju Nan, Right Forbidden General Mao Sheng, and Luozhou Assassin Shi Shao Bao to lead 70,000 cavalry to the Huainan area of the eastern front, attacking Huaiyin (now southwest of Huaiyin, Jiangsu) and Xuyi (now northeast of Xuyi, Jiangsu), so as to create a flanking attack on the east and west of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

In the face of the menacing Former Qin army, the Eastern Jin Dynasty adopted the strategy of dividing troops and holding on, and on the eastern front, Xie Andu supervised the military of Yang, Henan, Xu, Yan, and Qing Prefectures with Shangshu and servants, and led heavy troops to defend Jiankang to ensure the safety of the Jianghuai region, below the Jiujiang River and the Jingshi Jiankang; On the western front, Jingzhou thorn Shi Huan Chong supervised the military of Jing, Jiang, Liang, Yi, Ning, Jiao, and Guangzhu to defend the Jianghan region, ensure the safety of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and prevent the Qin army from going down the river.

The prelude to the Battle of Xiangshui and the battle for Xiangyang and Huainan broke out.

[Battle of Yangyang]

In April 378, Shi Yue, a former Qin general, took advantage of the unpreparedness of Zhu Xu, the defender of Xiangyang, to successfully cross the Han River with 5,000 cavalry and successfully capture the outer city of Xiangyang. Zhu Xu panicked and led his army to retreat to the inner city of Xiangyang and continued to resist stubbornly. The armies of the former Qin then marched forward and besieged Xiangyang.

Here Zhu Xu is the one who later shouted "The Qin army is defeated", and was serving as the assassin of Liangzhou at that time, guarding Xiangyang. Although he was later captured and surrendered, that shout was enough to prove Zhu Xu's loyalty to the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

At that time, the hero Guo Jing had not yet been born, and there was no "Wu Mu's Testament" for guidance, let alone a martial arts master who could take the head of a general in a million troops to help in the battle. However, Zhu Xu is not guarding Xiangyang alone, he still has a helper, that is, his mother Han.

After receiving the news of the Qin army's attack, Han led his maidservants and female comrades who served as servants in the city to build a tooth city in the city (that is, the inner city where Zhu Xu retreated). After the Qin army broke through the outer city, the defenders of the Eastern Jin Dynasty were able to hold on to this tooth city and continue to resist, and the people of Xiangyang called it "Lady City". This wall not only gave the soldiers a barrier of resistance, but also gave them the spiritual strength to hold on to the siege that lasted for a year.

All the people of this city are soldiers, and they are united in hatred of the enemy.

When Fu Jian reused the general Zhu Xu, he should really check his family tree and resume, with such a heroic mother, how could Zhu Xu be embarrassed to be a soft bone.

Then there was a long offensive and defensive battle, the mighty Qianqin Fourth Route Army besieged Xiangyang, but it was frustrated by the blunt troops under the fortified city, and it was attacked from April to December of that year, without progress. Although Zhu Xu was trapped in the city, he often sent troops to wait for opportunities to sneak attack, and repeatedly succeeded, and he was very happy to defend the city.

More than 100,000 troops attacked a lonely city, but the battle became like this, the courtiers of the former Qin naturally had many impeachments, Fu Jian was also a little unable to sit still, and issued an edict to reproach the commander of Xiangyang, Fu Pi, and gave a sword, "Those who are not quick in the spring, you can cut yourself, and it is not enough to see me in person." ”

Thousands of troops and horses killed him, but he couldn't even defeat a lonely city, so Fu Pi naturally had no face to see Fu Jian. From the first month of 379, the army of the governor of Fu Pi stepped up the attack on Xiangyang. At this time, although the reinforcements from all walks of life in the Eastern Jin Dynasty did not dare to rescue, Zhu Xu was paralyzed because of the repeated defeat of the former Qin army, and his defense began to relax.

Even so, the former Qin army still did not conquer Xiangyang, until there was an accident within the defenders, and the turning point appeared.

In February 379, Li Bohu, the governor of Xiangyang in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, sent his son to secretly communicate with the Qin army and became the former Qin internal response. Fu Pi ordered all his troops to take the opportunity to storm on, and with the cooperation of the Qin army and the traitors, they finally conquered Xiangyang on March 6 and captured the Eastern Jin garrison general Zhu Xu.

Spring is already in full swing!

The battle for Xiangyang ended with the victory of Qianqin, and after the bitter battle, Fu Pi finally picked up Fu Jian's face from the ground, although it was already a little dirty, but as long as it was coated with some fat powder, it could still be hung up.

After the war, Fu Jian praised Zhu Xu, who was holding on to Xiangyang, and thought that such a person was loyal and courageous, and appointed him as the secretary of the Duzhi Shangshu. However, he killed Li Bohu on the grounds that he was a traitor inside and out.

This is an unbelievable result, after all, if there is no Li Bohu to rebel and respond internally, Former Qin may not really be able to capture Xiangyang. Kill him, who will dare to report to Qianqin in the future?

The loyal and righteous should be respected, but villains also have the use of villains, such as Wu Sangui and others in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, which are pivotal in troubled times. When Fu Jian lamented the number of loyal ministers and righteous men in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, he never thought that he was also contributing to their existence.

The only explanation is that Fu Jian firmly believes that he will be able to dominate the universe, and he does not need the existence of such a villain at all, but wants to use the head of such a person to declare the importance of loyalty to his subordinates! The world is about to be in control, and you will be loyal and righteous in the future, not despicable traitors.

[Battle of Huainan]

On the eastern front, in August 378, the former Qin army Peng Chao and Ju Nan launched attacks on Pengcheng (present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu) and Xiapi (present-day northwest of Suining, Jiangsu) respectively, and the Battle of Huainan broke out.

As in the case of Xiangyang, the siege of Pengcheng was also protracted due to the resolute resistance of the Jin army, and Peng Chao had not been able to conquer it until the end of the Battle of Xiangyang. Later, Xie Xuan used a strategy to make Peng Chao withdraw from the siege and rescue all the defenders, so that the former Qin army was able to occupy Pengcheng.

During this period, due to the siege of Pengcheng and the cut off of internal and external news, Xie Xuan's reinforcements were unable to get in touch with the defenders of Pengcheng after they arrived at Sikou (ancient Surabaya into Huaikou, southwest of present-day Huaiyin, Jiangsu). A general named Tian Hong volunteered to go and tell the news, but unfortunately, although Tian Hong sneaked all the way, he was still captured by the Qin army. After some persuasion, Peng Chao rewarded Tian Hong with a lot of property, "When I arrived in Pengcheng, I told the defenders that 'the reinforcements have been defeated', and there will be everything in glory and wealth." After speaking, Peng Chao glanced at the Jin army general who was holding the gold, silver and jewelry and nodding vigorously, his eyes were full of contempt.

However, when Tian Hong came to the city of Pengcheng, looking at the uncertain defenders on the city wall, he suddenly shouted loudly: "Reinforcements are coming, you must hold on." ”

This was a sentence at the cost of his own life, but it brought hope and courage to the defenders of Pengcheng, who resisted until Xie Xuan's arrival.

It is worth mentioning that the reinforcements led by Xie Xuan are the Beifu Army, and Tian Hong is just one of the most ordinary grassroots officers.

Knowing that he was going to die, he still chose to fight for the country. Warriors, unparalleled warriors! Perhaps, such a person has never heard of the so-called "Kong said to be benevolent, Meng said to take righteousness" since he was a child, but he interpreted it with actions.

We should remember every brave man who fought hard in times of national and national crisis.

After Peng Chao occupied Pengcheng, he joined forces with the people who had already conquered Xiapi and Huaiyin, and went south to attack Xuyi. The troops of the former Qin Western Front, which occupied Xiangyang, also raised 20,000 troops to the east under the leadership of Mao Dang and Wang Xian to support Peng Chao and Zhu Difficult.

In May 379, Peng Chao and Ju were difficult to conquer Xuyi. Subsequently, the 60,000-strong army of the former Qin besieged San'a (present-day Baoying, Jiangsu), and its troops were less than 100 miles away from Guangling (present-day Yangzhou, Jiangsu), the hinterland of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

Xie Xuan, who had just completed the task of rescuing Pengcheng, was once again ordered to lead the army from Guangling to rescue San'a.

On May 25, Xie Xuan defeated Peng Chao and Ju Difficult, the Former Qin army retreated to Xuyi, the Former Qin offensive on the Eastern Front was contained, and the Former Qin was defeated.

On June 7, Xie Xuan attacked Xuyi, Peng Chao and Ju Nan were defeated again, retreated to Huaiyin, and the former Qin was defeated.

Subsequently, Xie Xuan ordered the general to lead the water army to ride the tide and burn the Huaihe bridge erected by the Qin army at night.

Immediately, Xie Xuan led the army to pursue, and the two sides fought again in Junchuan (now six miles north of Xuyi), Peng Chao and Ju Yan were only spared, and the former Qin army was defeated four times.

The battle for Huainan was the first time that the Beifu army participated in the battle after it became an army, and in the first battle, it defeated more than 100,000 troops of the former Qin with weak troops, and won many battles, so that the former Qin army, which had always been invincible, suffered heavy losses. After the war, Peng Chao committed suicide, and it was difficult to reduce his post to the people, and the elite soldiers of the former Qin suffered heavy casualties, and the morale of the army was seriously frustrated. After this war, the morale of the Jin army was greatly boosted, and it laid confidence for the later victory in the Battle of Weishui.

After continuous counterattacks, the Jin army recaptured Huaiyin and other important military sites, stabilizing the situation in the Huaishui area. However, the Eastern Jin Dynasty failed to recover the military town of Pengcheng, and the conditions for the Former Qin to move south on the Eastern Front were still in place.

Okay, let's take a look at the person who made the Eastern Jin Dynasty qualified to win the Battle of Huainan and even the later Battle of Weishui through political reform - Xie An, why should the people in the world look at him?

It's a must to be handsome, and not only that.