Xie Ai used three battles to establish himself as a famous general in the history of the Sixteen Kingdoms, which can be downplayed but not erased.

[Battle of Guangwu]

Here's how things went.

Because Zhang Jun had surrendered to Later Zhao before, when Zhang Chonghua succeeded to the throne, Former Liang was considered a vassal state of Later Zhao, and the newcomer was newly established, and he did not dare to offend this powerful neighbor. So, after all the ceremonies were completed, Zhang Chonghua put a stamp on Shi Hu to report his situation and also express his friendly feelings.

The support of the Eastern Jin Dynasty could not be counted on, and it was extremely difficult to even communicate with each other, but there were strong enemies on the side, and submission became the main way for Qianliang to protect himself. After Shi Hu got the news, he thought that this was a good opportunity to annex Qianliang and unify northern China, so he sent troops.

Qianliang's stamp, in exchange for Shi Hu's friendship, but an army of 100,000 tigers and wolves.

In 347, Shi Hu appointed Ma Qiu as the assassin of Liangzhou, led the army to attack Liangzhou, and even went down to Wujie and Jincheng, and the troops pointed directly at Guzang, the capital of Qianliang. Former Liang commander Pei Heng Chen Bing Guangwu, deep ditch and strong wall, stay and do not enter. The people of Liangzhou are flustered, and the situation is not optimistic.

Sima Zhang Tan suggested to Zhang Chonghua: "The survival of the country lies in the soldiers, and the victory or defeat of the soldiers lies in the generals." …… The main book Xie Ai, both civil and military, can be used to Yu Zhao. ”

Xie Ai entered the office with Confucianism, and his background was average, and he was unknown before Zhang Tan's recommendation. However, it is precisely this situation that makes an obscure master book go to the front of history and become a world-famous general, known at the time: Han Xin of Qianliang.

At that time, Zhang Chonghua was not sure of Xie Ai's ability, in fact, he had never even heard of this person, so he summoned him and asked him. "Seven thousand beggars and soldiers, for His Royal Highness to swallow the king, Ma Qiu, etc." At the critical juncture when the soldiers of Later Zhao were pressurized, the soldiers who poured the country were only exchanged for a confrontation situation, and the people in the country were panicked and could not live all day. The crisis is like this, and there are still people who dare to speak like this, strong, strong, strong.

Zhang Chonghua was overjoyed when he heard this, appointed Xie Ai as the backbone general, and allocated 5,000 infantry cavalry to go out of Guangwu to resist Ma Qiu.

did not meet Xie Ai's requirement of 7,000, it may be that Zhang Chonghua really had no soldiers to send in his hands, and the main force was all taken by the person named Pei Heng to build a wall to engage in a confrontation; It may also be tempting, after all, in the face of Ma Qiu's tens of thousands of troops, the gap between five thousand and seven thousand will really be so big?

After defeating Hou Zhao, if you can do it with 7,000 people for Xie Ai, then you can actually do it if you give him 5,000 people.

In the face of an enemy with a huge disparity in strength, the only possibility of victory lies in the fact that the soldiers can overwhelm the other side in terms of military morale, hold the heart of death in battle, move forward with indomitable spirit, and fight bloody battles to the end, so that it is possible to win the battle.

The way to make a soldier's bravery so effective is to make them believe in victory.

The night before the battle, two owls broke into the camp of Shay'ai, and after two calls, they left. Soldiers were left all over the ground in terror.

When someone in the family is dying, the aura of death emanating from the body will attract the owl to come. In other words, whoever the owl rests on the eaves of the house will soon die. Therefore, the folk custom is that the owl is an ominous symbol that comes with death.

On the eve of the decisive battle, there was an owl chirping in the army, which was naturally an ominous sign.

Xie Ai took the opportunity to encourage the soldiers: "When gambling, the one who wins the owl (owl) wins." Now that the owl is coming to us, it just indicates that this battle will be won! ”

The panicked expressions of the soldiers were suddenly swept away, and the morale of the whole army was boosted and their fighting spirit was high. The Lord will be right when it comes to gambling, and it is indeed the winner who wins.

The story of Xie Ai and the owl should be a coincidence, but it is this coincidence that has established Xie Ai's status as a famous general, a general who is good at seizing opportunities and using coincidences to boost morale, and is above the mediocre.

In fact, there are also famous generals who make coincidences, for example, before going out to cast a large handful of copper coins engraved with ×× Tongbao on both sides, and make a wish in front of the whole army before going to war. Then it was spilled, and the result was ......, sure enough.

Rather than the weapons in their hands, the soldiers believed in the power of the heavens. Those who are good at using soldiers will skillfully take advantage of this belief of soldiers.

The situation before the Guangwu Army was still the same as yesterday, and there was no difference between yesterday and the day before yesterday. After a long confrontation between the two armies, the men and horses on both sides will be slack, thinking that fighting is to come to the enemy's position to light a fire and cook, and then wait for the sun to set. No matter how heroic they were, how elite they were. As time goes by, the soldiers are tired, and the impact of time on both the enemy and the enemy is the same.

The 5,000-step cavalry brought by Xie Ai has not been worn out by time, and with the confidence brought to them by the owl, they are eager to fight and have high fighting spirit.

It should be a surprise attack, before the enemy can make an effective response, Xie Ai waved his troops straight forward, suddenly attacked, disrupting the enemy's deployment, Pei Heng's army, which was already ready for battle, immediately followed, laid the victory, and beheaded more than 5,000 people.

After this battle, the Later Zhao offensive came to an immediate end.

It was Xie Ai's first expedition, and he won cleanly, neatly and beautifully.

In the rear not far away, Zhang Chonghua's face bloomed with a smile, and he deeply felt that he had the wisdom to know people, and in times of crisis, he was able to recognize the hero in the recklessness, so he won a great victory and named Xie Ai as Fu Lubo. This is the place where his grandfather Zhang Yu was once canonized, and now he is actually taken out to canonize the hero, which shows that Xie Ai was rewarded grandly.

However, it soon came to the bridge section of "rabbit dead dog cooking" that we are familiar with, although the "rabbit" of Hou Zhao was still there at that time, even more ferocious than the tiger, but the powerful people of Qianliang couldn't wait.

All the favors and nobles hate their sages, and they slander them together, which is out of Jiuquan Taishou.

All the honors were canceled, and the capital did not let Xie Ai stay, this was the result of Xie Ai's first battle. Fortunately, the "rabbit" is not dead, so Xie Ai is still alive.

[Battle of the Long Peak]

The first defeat did not arouse Shi Hu's alarm, and in 347, Shi Hu ordered Later Zhao Zhengxi's general Sun Fudu and general Liu Hun to lead 20,000 cavalry, together with Ma Qiu's troops, to invade Liangzhou again. Ke Daxia, the longest city (now Gansu Tianzhu).

After getting the news, Zhang Chonghua decisively activated Xie Ai, with Xie Ai as the envoy and the general of the military division, led 30,000 foot cavalry, and marched to Linhe, Ma Qiu also refused with 30,000 foot cavalry.

The Battle of the Long Peak broke out.

This is the most classic battle in Xie Ai's life, if the battle of Guangwu is somewhat opportunistic, seizing the fruits of other people's labor (the confrontation is long and even tired), the battle of Changji is completely the perfect embodiment of Xie Ai's military ability.

At that time, Xie Ai rode in a chariot (consisting of wheels, axles, chariots, umbrella covers, etc.), wearing a white turban (without armor) and beating drums. Its image is completely a Zhuge Liang who lacks a feather fan on the battlefield.

At this time, Ma Qiu was fully armed, and when he saw his opponent dressed up like this, he was furious: "Ai is a young scholar, the crown is like this, and I am light." Immediately ordered the elite troops in his army, the Black Lance Dragon Army, to attack Xie Ai, his army was so powerful and fierce that even the soldiers around Xie Ai were stunned and stupid, and they were in a mess, and some people advised Xie Ai to hurry up and get on the horse, so that he could flee for his life when the situation was unfavorable.

Xie Ai got out of the car, sat down on a chair (Hu bed), calmly deployed defense, his expression was calm, and his movements were detached. After Zhao Jingrui, who was attacking, saw that the enemy's main general was acting like this, he thought that there was an ambush on the side, so he was afraid and did not dare to continue to move forward. At this time, Xie Ai's subordinate general Zhang Mao was ordered to go up the river, outflank in a roundabout way, and attack from behind the Hou Zhao army.

In the battle of Changji, the generals under Ma Qiu's command Du Xun and Ji Yu were killed, and after the capture of the Zhao army of 13,000, Ma Qiu fled back to Daxia alone.

Soon after, Ma Qiu's attack on the former Liang town of Caohan suffered another setback. Three consecutive failures made Ma Qiu sigh: "I used my troops to conquer the city and conquer the city, and I did not succeed." and Dengqinlong, it is said that there is a conquest without a war. How can he realize that the south attacked the enemy pool, broke the army and killed the general; The city is the longest, and the horses do not return; and the siege of this city (Caohan), the wounded soldiers were defeated. Praise from the sky, not human also. ”

The Central Plains are invincible, but they come to Liangzhou but lose their troops, which is God's favor for them, not human power can change it. Ma Qiu, a famous general of Later Zhao, has lost confidence in annexing Qianliang.

After Shi Hu got the news of the defeat, he sighed: "I relied on a brigade to pacify Kyushu, but now I can't pacify Liangzhou with Kyushu's troops, they are really talented." ”

After the war, Zhang Chonghua rewarded meritorious deeds, promoted Xie Ai to the left long history of Taifu, entered the county of Fulu, 5,000 households, and gave 8,000 horses.

The name of Xie Ai is known as Liangzhou.

[Battle of the Sacred Birds]

In May 347, after the unwilling defeat of Maqiu assembled, Zhao had more than 80,000 troops south of the Yellow River, together with 20,000 reinforcements from Shihu, and launched an attack on Qianliang again. The vanguard of the department, Wang Zheng, captured Jinxing and Guangwu, and the army crossed the Hongchi Ridge until Quliu, and advanced to Guzang, the capital of Qianliang.

Ma Qiu once again was mighty, menacing, and Liangzhou was terrified.

Zhang Chonghua listened to the advice of Don't Drive Suo Yao, appointed Xie Ai as the envoy and the governor of the military and the general of the guard, led the infantry and cavalry of 20,000, and set out again to resist the Hou Zhao army.

With the previous two successive victories, Zhang Chonghua at this time was convinced by Xie Ai and entrusted him with the important task of conquest. After sending troops, Xie Ai really lived up to his trust, defeating Ma Qiu's forward Wang Zheng before Shenniao (now Wuweinan) and forcing back the Zhao army. Subsequently, the Hui army crusaded against more than 10,000 tribes of Siguzhen who had rebelled, beheaded more than 1,000 people, captured 2,800 people, and captured more than 100,000 cattle and sheep, winning a complete victory.

Since then, although Ma Qiu has more than 100,000 troops in possession of Caohan, he no longer has the ambition and courage to attack Qianliang. Until he surrendered to Fu Hong and was killed.

As a person who can offer Fu Hong to "march into Guanzhong", he has also fought with Murong Ke a lot, although he has been defeated every time, but it is enough to prove that Ma Qiu is by no means a mediocre talent, Xie Ai can be defeated repeatedly with weak troops, is he not a famous general?

In fact, on the list of famous generals of the Sixteen Nations, with only three defeats of Ma Qiu, Xie Ai's ranking is ahead of Huan Wen.

After the war, Xie Ai was slandered by Zhang Chonghua's brother Zhang Zuo and the head of the inner chamberlain, Zhao Chang, and was demoted to Jiuquan Taishou again.

In November 353, Zhang Chonghua died. In December, Zhang Zuo usurped the throne, deposed Zhang Yaoling, and killed Xie Ai.

Perhaps, this is the fate of famous generals.

Since then, there have been many civil strife in Qianliang, and there is no good general in the country.

During his tenure in Jiuquan, Xie Ai built the Jiuquan Bell and Drum Tower, which was used for patrolling, reporting time, and alarming. Later generations have a poem that sighs: "The smoke of the five cool beacons has been dispersed, and I still see Xie Ailou." ”

Jiuquan Bell and Drum Tower is still there.

What that building shows is the ambition of a generation that will remain undiminished after being demoted to the edge and the loyalty of protecting the family and defending the country.

He is the author of "Xie Ai Ji", which is lost.