Huan Wen had already been inspired by the Northern Expedition, and in order to realize his lofty ambition of being able to see people and not being able to see people, Huan Wen did not mind risking his own life.

After the victory of the Western Expedition to the Han Dynasty, the Eastern Jin Dynasty did have a good opportunity for a long time to go on the Northern Expedition, during which it also organized two Northern Expeditions, but the leader of the Northern Expedition was not Huan Wen.

At that time, the situation in the north was extremely chaotic, and in 349, the Later Zhao Emperor Shi Hu died, and in order to compete for the throne, Shi Hu's sons successively swung their butcher knives at their own brothers, and Later Zhao fell into civil strife. After a series of bloody killings, Ran Min won and established the Han regime - Ran Wei. Since then, the Han people in the Central Plains and the Hu people who moved inward have engaged in a bloody battle related to the survival of the nation. During this period, Ran Min had sent an invitation to the Eastern Jin Dynasty to march into the Central Plains in the name of Emperor Ran Wei. Qianyan, who was far away in Liaodong, also took the opportunity to go south, eliminating Ran Wei in 352 and chasing the Central Plains.

Huan Wen, who guards Jingzhou, does not have the leisure elegance of "piano, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine and tea", and is never willing to jump out of the desire for fame and fortune to be a leisurely spectator in the troubled times of the crowd. The sentiment of "laughing at the wind and clouds" is not something that everyone has or is willing to have. In the years after the fall of the Han Dynasty, Huan Wen repeatedly wrote to the imperial court to request the Northern Expedition, and actively deployed troops to prepare for war.

However, every time his Northern Expedition was about to be executed, there was always another friendly army that raised the banner of the Northern Expedition and took the lead in attacking, leaving Huan Wen aside.

If the Northern Expedition succeeds again, Huan Wen's prestige will not only resound in the streets and alleys of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, but will even gain eternal life in the hearts of the people. The Sima family was founded by the army to seek power and usurp the throne, and for Huan Wen in a similar situation, he had to guard against it, and he didn't dare not guard against it. At that time, the scene was the glory of the Sima family, and it was also a nightmare, and he did not want the scene to reappear. The meritorious Huan Wen was not only not reused, but was suppressed by the Eastern Jin Dynasty family and the imperial court (Sima Yu in power).

In 349, after Huan Wen wrote several petitions to the Northern Expedition, Chu 裒 (chǔ poú) led an army to the Northern Expedition.

In the first battle of Daibi, the Later Zhao army defeated the general Wang Gong of Chu and captured him, and the Northern Expedition failed. More than 200,000 remnants of the Jin Dynasty who defected to the Northern Expeditionary Army fell into a desperate situation, isolated and helpless, and were slaughtered by the Later Zhao cavalry, and Chu Li died of shame.

In 350, after several letters requesting the Northern Expedition, Huan Wen decided to follow the practice of the Western Expedition to the Han Dynasty and pay homage to his cousin. The army entered Wuchang and went down the river to drive the Northern Expedition. However, Sima Yu dissuaded Huan Wen's actions, because he wanted to "think about Ningguo and then go out of the picture", because Huan Wen's move was an "abnormal move". Because the imperial court had already sent Yin Hao to lead the army to the north, there was no spare strength to support Huan Wen's military operations. Huan Wen immediately retired and returned to the town, watching Yin Hao's success or failure.

Yin Hao is a celebrity, treating money as dung and fame as floating clouds. The government and the opposition are highly respected, and the people of the time are praised: if you go out, you will prosper in Jiangdong, and if you go into seclusion, the world will die. Yin Hao is a hermit, and under his fame, he decisively gave up his low-hanging fame and fortune, and lived in seclusion in the barren mountains and deep forests for ten years. Of course, the result is greater fame. Sima Yu once wrote to Yin Hao: If you don't come out to be an official again, why will you put the world in the world?

Under the sky of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, if the earth was without Yin Hao, it probably wouldn't rotate anymore .......

The reason why Sima Yu used Yin Hao was to use Yin Hao's fame to compete with Huan Wen, who had a great reputation after the Western Expedition. But Huan Wen was not optimistic about Yin Hao, because he had an unpleasant play with Yin Hao when he was a child, and Yin Hao always picked up toys that he was tired of playing with. And commented on Yin Hao's leading troops: "Ah Yuan (Yin Hao) is virtuous and eloquent, and he is a servant to the envoy, which is enough to punish a hundred people, and the court uses it against his talents." "Obviously a civilian official who governs one side, but he wants to lead the troops to the war, how can he do it well?

Yin Hao's Northern Expedition ended with Yao Xiang, the forward general, who defected on the way to the army, which lasted two years, and the two sorties were defeated, with losses of troops and generals, labor and money, and other achievements. At Huan Wen's strong request, Yin Hao was deposed as a concubine.

No wonder Yin Hao would rather live in seclusion! Let's go back to live in the barren mountains and deep forests, but don't call it seclusion.

The failure of the two Northern Expeditions greatly dealt a blow to the authority of the central government of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and the forces of Chu Li and Xie (Yin Hao's Northern Expedition, with Xie Shang as the general of Anxi) were seriously weakened.

If you want to take it, give it first. Not every battle has to be fought to break the bloodshed, because soldiers, national affairs, the place of death and life, and the way of survival, those who are incompetent in their positions cannot prevaricate. Therefore, the purpose of fighting is to protect the officers and men of the three armed services from the burden of incompetence of one general.

The victory of the Western Expedition also made Huan Wen understand that only war and victory were the only way for him to break through the confinement of the gate lord clan and then obtain higher power, otherwise, he would always be under the heavy blockade of the Eastern Jin Dynasty gate lord family, and he would rely on others to breathe.

After a long wait, Huan Wen finally ushered in his own Northern Expedition. However, time flies, the situation in the north has calmed down, Former Yan has entered the Central Plains, and Former Qin has also arrived in Guanzhong, and the opportunity for his Northern Expedition has passed.

But the Northern Expedition still has to continue, even if all the favorable external conditions are no longer available, as long as the dream of restoring the rivers and mountains is still there.

Sortie!

This is the style of the Wei and Jin dynasties.

In April 354, outside the city of Chang'an, Bashang.

The warm breeze of early summer swept through Huan Wen's cold face, which did not bring him some warmth, and Huan Wen, who was standing on a horse in battle armor, stared at the towering Chang'an city wall in the distance, his face was solemn, his expression was complicated, and he did not say a word. Although Fu Jian only had 6,000 old and weak people left in the city, there were 30,000 elite Qin troops led by Lei Qiao'er wandering outside the city, and Fu Chang's defeated troops were gradually gathering and joining up with Lei Qiao'er. The thick and ancient Chang'an City seems to be a decisive battle, but it seems to be indestructible. Huan Wen glanced back at the high-spirited but exhausted Jin soldiers in the barracks, and he couldn't make up his mind to attack.

This is Huanwen's first Northern Expedition, the Northern Expeditionary Army has 40,000 cavalry, Liangzhou Assassin Shi Sima Xun, the former Liang Qinzhou Assassin Wang Zheng each led an army to attack the western part of the former Qin, in response to the Northern Expedition.

After the victory of the partial division in conquering Shangluo and capturing Guo Jing, the assassin of Jingzhou in the former Qin, in April 354, the main force of Huan Wen fought a fierce battle with the former Qin prince Fu Chang in Lantian County. In this battle, the former Qin Fusheng participated in the battle, and his people were very brave, just like Changshan Zhao Zilong possessed, riding alone to break through the formation, killing dozens of Jin army generals before and after, and the soldiers of the Northern Expeditionary Army were all heartbroken. But under the leadership of Huan Wen, the Jin army still achieved a final victory. At the same time, Huan Chong also defeated the former Qin Prime Minister Fu Xiong in Bailuyuan. Huan Wen then marched to Chang'an and garrisoned Bashang.

It was a battle that had a profound educational significance for future generations, and Fu Sheng's performance in the battle taught us that ferocity, if used in the right place, can also be called heroic. …… Huan Wen also told us with his actions: although he is frightened, as long as he unites, he can still defeat his opponent, even if he is a demonic existence.

At that time, Chang'an, the capital of the former Qin Dynasty, was in danger, the situation of the Jin Army's Northern Expedition was very good, the people of Sanfu were like a tide, and the people were countless people who ate pot pulp. There are even older people looking at the banner of the Jin Army, and the old tears are rampant: "I don't want to see the officers and soldiers again today!" "The military and civilian family, the scene is touching and the morale is uplifted.

After a long time, life is too happy, comfortable and rich, we are all brothers, and we are compatriots everywhere. It is impossible to understand the feelings of those who are living under the iron hooves of foreign races when they see the army of the motherland. "The tears of the bereaved people are in the dust, and the south looks at the king for another year" is the most tragic cry of the times. The arrival of Huan Wen gave hope to those remnants of the Western Jin Dynasty: the enslavement of foreign races will not last forever, and "we" will fight back after all.

However, the Huanwen garrison did not cross the Bashui to attack Chang'an, but instead confronted the former Qin army.

Tens of thousands of troops, thousands of miles deep, overcoming thorns and thorns, bloody battles, and suddenly stopped when they were about to succeed, which is incomprehensible and leads people to reverie.

So many people gave an explanation: Huan Wen's Northern Expedition was to gain prestige rather than to recover Guanzhong, and after several victories, the purpose of the Northern Expedition had been achieved, and he had no intention of marching again.

At that time, a man named Wang Meng came to Huanwen's military camp, and there is a detailed description of his arrival in the history books, as follows:

"Huan Wen entered the customs, and was suddenly browned, while talking about the things of the world, as far as lice are concerned, there is no one around. Wen Cha was different, and asked: "I am ordered by the Son of Heaven to lead 100,000 sharp divisions, and the rod is righteous to fight against rebellion, and to eliminate the remnants of thieves for the people, and the three Qin heroes have not arrived, why not?" Meng said: "The public is not thousands of miles away, deep into the Kou realm, Chang'an is close at hand and does not cross the Ba water, and the people have not seen the public heart, so they are not here." "Wen Moran has no reward.

"Silence without reward" has become the biggest lever for the impure motives of the Huanwen Northern Expedition, which has aroused the criticism of people at that time and modern people for thousands of years. It is precisely because of Huan Wen's stagnation that the "Three Qin Heroes" have doubts and a wait-and-see attitude towards the outcome of the war, and "those who have not arrived" have become a matter of course. After all, before the Northern Expedition could not be sure of victory, no family was willing to put the rise and fall of the family in the hands of the Jin army that suddenly appeared, even if they were "their own people". Shenzhou Lu Shen has been sinking for many years, who is not a hurried passer-by?

There is actually such an explanation for the reason why Huan Wen stopped marching:

First, the defenders of Chang'an City are not alone, the defeated army of Fu Chang and Fu Xiong who are outside the city plus Lei Qiaoer's 30,000 elite soldiers, the number of troops is not less than that of the Jin army, and even above the Jin army. It is highly likely that the defenders were Fu Jian's bait, and as the commander-in-chief, Huan Wen had to consider the situation of being attacked by the Qin army outside the city when he could not be attacked for a long time.

Second, even if Chang'an can be quickly conquered, under the current situation, it may lead to a situation in which the Northern Expeditionary Army is surrounded by the surrounding Qin troops after conquering Chang'an, resulting in a situation of being trapped in an isolated city. You must know that the strength of the Qin army, which was waiting for an opportunity outside Chang'an City, was not weaker than that of the Jin army.

Third, Huan Wen was waiting for the arrival of another Northern Expeditionary Army, at this moment, Sima Xun was rushing from the Meridian Valley to attack Chang'an, Huan Wen was waiting for the appearance of a two-sided attack, and then the two sides joined forces to besiege Chang'an, and then cut off the food and grass of the Chang'an defenders and forced them to fight. This is more certain than Huan Wen fighting alone.

It is a pity that the halt of the offensive pace of the Northern Expeditionary Army created time for the former Qin to lay out a counterattack. During the confrontation between the two sides, the situation on the battlefield changed. Although Sima Xun broke through Chen Cang, he was defeated by Fu Xiong, who took the initiative to attack, in the Meridian Valley, causing Huan Wen's strategic attempt to attack from both sides to fail. Subsequently, the Fu Xiong army with the momentum of victory, defeated Huan Wen again in Bailuyuan, the Northern Expeditionary Army lost tens of thousands of people, and the morale of the Huan Wen army was frustrated. When the wheat was ripe, he sent troops to harvest the wheat near Chang'an, which caused Huan Wen's plan to eat the enemy failed, and the Northern Expeditionary Army ran out of grain and grass, and fell into the dilemma of lack of food.

In June 354, Huan Wen, who had lost the opportunity, returned south with more than 3,000 families in Guanzhong. The former Qin army pursued the victory, repeatedly defeated the Jin army, and when it reached Tongguan, the Jin army suffered tens of thousands of casualties. After Huan Wen retreated, Sima Xun, who was in charge of the response, retreated to Hanzhong, and the former Liang Wang retreated to Luoyang.

In the battle against the pursuers of the former Qin, the Northern Expeditionary Army shot and wounded the former Qin prince Fu Chang, and soon after, Fu Chang died of an arrow wound, which was also an unexpected gain for Huan Wen.

This was the end of the First Northern Expedition.

Huan Wen won first and then lost, losing tens of thousands of soldiers, but it brought people the hope of defeating the northern army and recovering the Central Plains. It also made Qianqin realize that the Jin army was majestic and not under him; The great military might of the Jin army can also destroy the withering and decaying.

That year, when the two armies collided again, the story of "grass and trees are soldiers" spread.

Wang Meng, who expressed his opinions and complaints to Huan Wen, did not advance and retreat with Huan Wen, share glory and disgrace, when Huan Wen was defeated and retreated, Wang Meng chose to stay, waiting to find a master who really belonged to him, and performed a legendary story that was not inferior to Huan Wen in the slightest. The advisors who belong to the king do not want to be the staff of the general. We'll talk about that later.

Among the civilians brought back by Huan Wen, there was an old woman who was Liu Kun's maidservant, and when she saw Huan Wen, she burst into tears: "Gong is very similar to Liu Sikong." This made Huan Wen, who has always known himself as Liu Kun, overjoyed, and was busy asking. The old woman replied, "The face is very similar, and the hatred is thin; The eyes are very similar, and the hatred is small; It must be very similar, and hate the red; The shape is very similar, and the hatred is short; The voice is very similar, and I hate the female. Huan Wen was greatly disappointed and unhappy for many days.

Perhaps, if Huan Wen's Northern Expedition was successful, the old woman's words would not be so mean. At that time, Liu Kun did not have the strength of Huan Wen at this time.

Huan Wen's Second Northern Expedition was started by the Qiang rebel general Yao Xiang.

In fact, Yao Xiang was very aggrieved in his heart, although he was a general of Later Zhao before, but after the fall of Later Zhao, he surrendered to the Eastern Jin Dynasty with his father Yao Yizhong, loyal to the master, and had no second heart. During Yin Hao's Northern Expedition, Yao Xiang was the first to lead the army as a vanguard, the first to receive the enemy, the first to throw his head and spill blood, and the whole army followed up if he won and picked the fruits of victory together; If you lose, you will be cut off and blocked, and use your blood and life to pave the way home for others. Yao Xiang has no regrets.

As the commander of the Northern Expeditionary Army, Yin Hao, a famous man, did not trust Yao Xiang, and Yin Hao, who had always been very particular about doing things, did not pay attention to it at all, not only sent troops to attack Yao Xiang, but also sent assassins to assassinate him many times, but after the assassination failed, he still let Yao Xiang be his own forward general, which was extremely strange, and the secret was unknown. It is said that some Assassins later could not stand Yin Hao's methods, and when they arrived at Yao Xiang's military camp, they told Yao Xiang that Yin Hao had sent him to carry out the assassination mission, and Yao Xiang treated the Assassins like old friends.

…… Yao Xiang, a Qiang person, is so open, a celebrity Yin Hao, such a relative!

In 353, during the Northern Expedition, Yao Xiang turned against the Jin Dynasty, quickly defeated Yin Hao's Northern Expeditionary Army, and established a base in Xuyi (xūyí) across the Huai River region. In 354, Yao Xiang occupied Chenliu, and his sphere of influence could already directly threaten the safety of Jiankang. After learning that the rebel general Zhou Cheng of the Eastern Jin Dynasty occupied Luoyang, in 356, Yao Xiang led his army to attack Luoyang, attempting to use Luoyang as a foundation, and then occupy the Guanyou region in order to map the world.

Under the severe situation, the east promoted Ren Huan Wen to be the governor of the capital, the governor of the two states of Hebei, and led the army to crusade against Yao Xiang.

Huanwen's Second Northern Expedition begins.

In August 356, the Northern Expeditionary Army arrived in Yishui, and Yao Xiang, who had besieged Luoyang for a long time but had not yet conquered, immediately withdrew from the siege and led his troops to meet Huanwen.

In the battle of Yishui, Huan Wen saw through Yao Xiang's plan to surrender, and came to the battle in person, wearing armor to supervise the battle. The Jin army marched forward in formation, defeated Yao Xiang, beheaded thousands, and Yao Xiang only led more than 1,000 people to escape. Subsequently, the rebel general Zhou Cheng surrendered to the Jin army, and the Northern Expeditionary Army regained Luoyang.

At that time, it was rumored in the army that Yao Xiang was dead. When the people of Xu and Luo heard this, they all looked north and wept.

At that time, Hongnong Yang Liang defected to Huan Wen from Yao Xiang, and made the following evaluation of Yao Xiang, who was defeated and fled: The gods are comparable to Sun Ce, but they are brave and brave, and they are afraid to be above Sun Ce.

In 357, Yao Xiang was killed by the former Qin general Deng Qiang at the age of twenty-seven.

After recovering the old capital Luoyang, Huan Wen paid homage to and repaired the mausoleum of the first emperor, and wrote to the Eastern Jin Dynasty several times, asking for the return of the capital to Luoyang.

Judging from the situation at that time, with the passage of time, the older generation of the remnants of the Central Plains gradually died out, and the younger generation did not have the pain of losing the country, and the "people" advantage of the Northern Expedition was fading, and this march into Luoyang was the best and last opportunity. Former Qin was enduring Fu Sheng's harsh governance; The Murong clan of Qianyan was internally unstable, and Murong Jun was exhausted in the Youyi and Hebei areas; After several years of recuperation, the Eastern Jin Dynasty has greatly increased its national strength, which is a good time to return to the capital.

However, the monarchs and ministers of the Eastern Jin Dynasty in Jiankang City have long forgotten the oath of "only to die and be ashamed of the snow world" when they crossed to the south.

The big mansions in the south of the Yangtze River have been built, and the industries in various places have already been fruitful, and the monarchs and ministers of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, who are fully adapted to the life in Jiangdong, are bent on peace and do not dare or want to return to their hometowns. It is believed that moving the capital to Luoyang is "driven to a poor and barren land...... Leave the grave and abandon the karma...... A country of peace and happiness, a land of chaos".

In short, the good days have passed, except for Huan Wen, everyone doesn't want to leave.

Huan Wen could only sigh in vain: "Forever rooted in Nanzhui, abolishing Shenzhou in the Dragon Desert, making the five-foot boy cover his mouth and sigh!" ”

In desperation, Huan Wen returned south with Zhou Cheng and more than 3,000 civilians.

This was the end of the Second Northern Expedition.

Due to the expansion of Qianyan, the four prefectures of Si and Qing were immediately regained, and the results of the Northern Expedition could not be preserved.

The Second Northern Expedition recovered Luoyang, drove away Yao Xiang, and achieved the expected results, and Huan Wen's prestige was greatly enhanced. "The World Says New Words" contains: "When Jianwen was raising the army, he tried to enter the court with Huan Xuanwu, and he gave way to each other. Xuanwu had no choice but to take the lead, because he said: "Bo is also stubborn, and he is the precursor of the king." Jian Wen said: "The so-called 'no small and no big, from the public to the step'", it happened at this time. Huan Wen's prestige has reached the point where he can be compared to Sima Yu, Emperor Jianwen, who was in power at the time. It is a humble statement, but it is also a portrayal.

The success of the Northern Expedition deepened the imperial court's fear of Huan Wen, the second Northern Expedition ended in the twelfth year of Yonghe (356), and the imperial court only crowned Huan Wen as the Duke of Nanjun because of his merits in the fourth year of Shengping (360 years), Huan Wen did not control the court, nor did he gain control of Yuzhou and Xuzhou, which laid the groundwork for Huan Wen's third Northern Expedition.

It is undeniable that the pursuit of higher power is one of the purposes of the Huanwen Northern Expedition. The generals who are strong and stubborn for the motherland on the battlefield also dream of becoming generals and marquises. Throw a pen from Rong and look for a marquis. This is not Huan Wen's fault, but his motivation.

It is only when the fundamental interests are related to the heroic power of the wilderness that the power of the wilderness will burst out.

The loss of the results of the Second Northern Expedition also made Huan Wen deeply aware of the helplessness of insufficient national strength. The glorious results of tens of thousands of soldiers fighting bloodily, but because of the lack of follow-up strength, they were handed over, which was the direct reason for Huan Wen's later implementation of "soil breaking".

The war between countries is, in the final analysis, a competition of comprehensive national strength!