The beginning of Ran Min's most exciting story is actually the prelude to his tragic ending. While "Killing Hu Order" called on the Han people in the world to kill Hu Yi, it was also doomed to the inevitable reality that the Hu people in the world would attack Ran Min in a group.

The bell of destruction was rung during the defeat of the First Battle of Xiangguo.

After successive victories against the Zhuhu coalition forces, Ran Min's army quickly expanded to 300,000 men, and his confidence grew. In October 350, Ran Min went out to attack Xiangguo.

In the initial stage of the war, the army of Ran Wei was victorious, and in a short time the army came to the city of Xiangguo and surrounded it. Then there was the protracted siege battle (more than 100 days), the Ran Wei army exhausted its initial sharpness in the siege and siege, but Shi Yuan waited for reinforcements in the resistance and peace (he had gone to the emperor to ask Ran Min for peace), and the balance of victory began to tilt towards Later Zhao over time. In March 351, under the multiple effects of the three-way siege of Shi Yuan, Qianyan, and Yao Yizhong, as well as the surrendered Hu soldiers taking advantage of the opportunity to rebel (Ran Min reused the Hu people to surrender in this battle), the Ran Wei army suffered a crushing defeat. There were more than 100,000 people in the army that followed Ran Min on the expedition, and there were only more than ten horsemen who finally fled back to Yecheng with Ran Min!

There is no doubt that this was a fiasco, and the losses were self-evident, and it is not an exaggeration to describe that there is no piece of armor left. The impact is also extraordinarily huge, it is said that Ran Min has returned to the Yecheng Palace for many days at that time, and the people of Yecheng still think that their Emperor Majesty has died in battle and are panicked, so Ran Min had to go out of the palace in person to appease the people - to prove that he is still alive, it can be regarded as calming the hearts of the people and the army.

These are just the immediate effects of this failure, and the subsequent side effects are more serious and far-reaching. directly ruined the future and fate of the Ran Wei Empire.

After this battle, the foundation on which Ran Min relied to build the country was exhausted, and it began to shake at all. Although he was victorious in the ensuing counterattack (in April 351, Ran Min defeated the pursuing Liu Xian), the decline caused by the defeat remained unchanged, and Ran Wei was in danger of losing his country and was exhausted to cope.

The increase in national power is cumulative over time, especially in the era when building a house (the emperor's palace) is enough to bring down a country, and the fragile national economy makes it necessary for the state to act cautiously and without allowing for the slightest sloppiness. For example, Cao Cao, when Zhou Yu burned down his 830,000 army, he also burned all his dreams of dominating the world. Unbelief? I don't know if you still remember the allusion of "Delong Wangshu"? Even if the person who is no longer looking at Shu is the one who dominates the world, how can he be the hero who dominates the world? There is also Liu Bei, the savings that Rong Ma has saved in his life are wiped out due to the defeat of Yiling, where is there any confidence in reviving the Han Dynasty! The body and mind are broken, and all thoughts are lost! In the TV series "New Three Kingdoms", Liu Bei before his death had a perfect expression of these two idioms. Who is the opponent of the heroes of the world? Cao, Liu. The sorrow is the same.

As for Ran Min, of course, he is stronger, after all, youth is the biggest capital,...... It's just starting all over again! However, it is still like a grasshopper after autumn, no matter how it jumps, it can't change the ending that will perish. I sigh here: I have the intention to kill the thief, but I can't return to the sky! The recovery of the fragile national economy after being destroyed is extremely slow, and the loss of strength makes it impossible for Ran Min to regain his glory, irreversibly falling from the peak to the end.

More than that, in the spirit of taking advantage of your illness to kill you, the Eastern Jin Empire took advantage of the fire to rob, and desperately dug up the corner of Ran Wei when the Ran Wei army and the Zhuhu coalition army were fighting. In August 351, the Eastern Jin Dynasty, in the name of imperial orthodoxy, wantonly "received" Ran Weizhou County. Ran Min's Xuzhou Thorn Shi Zhou Cheng, Yanzhou Thorn Shi Wei Tong, Yuzhou Mu Ran Yu, and Jingzhou Thorn Shi Lehong all returned to the Eastern Jin Dynasty with castles. Gao Chong, the general of Pingnan, and Lü Hu, the general of the conquest, arrested the Zheng family of Luozhou, and returned to the Eastern Jin Dynasty with Sanhe. These have made the Ran Wei regime even worse!

It should be regarded as the fault of the bad news. After the defeat of the Battle of Xiangguo, even the people of Yecheng thought that Ran Min had died in battle, not to mention the states and counties outside Yecheng. The limitations of communication tools (at that time, the spread of rumors mainly relied on street discussions) gave the Eastern Jin Dynasty enough opportunities to take advantage of: Ran Min is dead, and you still don't take refuge in me, who are you waiting to be loyal to?

If it were placed now, a phone call would be, perhaps, Ran Min's situation would be much better later.

Let's take a look at the many subsequent changes of Hou Zhao as the victorious side!

After winning the Battle of Xiangguo, Shi Yuan took advantage of the victory to march (that was necessary) and sent the general Liu Xian to lead an army of 100,000 to pursue Ran Min until the city of Yecheng. However, the battle was defeated, and in that battle, Ran Min poured out of the city, using all his remaining strength, and killed more than 10,000 people of Liu Xian in the first battle to relieve the siege of Yecheng. After the re-battle, Liu Xian pursued and eliminated more than 30,000 of them, and Liu Xian fled back in embarrassment.

In the counterattack on the line of life and death, Ran Min and his army once again proved the might and strength of the Han army with their strength.

Once a nation regains its position, it is reluctant to give up no matter what, and for the sake of this self-esteem, they can abandon their lives, which is called national cohesion. I think this is the reason why Ran Min and his soldiers are so brave!

After the battle, Liu Xian, who fled back in embarrassment, killed Shi Yuan and surrendered to Ran Min.

You read that right, it was Kill Shi Yuan who surrendered to Ran Min. At that time, Ran Min was very happy when he learned the news, sealed Liu Xian with a lot of official positions, and then led his troops home. Ran Wei, who had just lost 100,000 troops, needed time to heal. Judging from Liu Xian's capriciousness later, Ran Min really should have taken advantage of the victory to pursue. What is there for a man who kills his own monarch and surrenders to the enemy country to be trusted? Unless, the strength does not allow him to attack Xiangguo again, then this will be the best ending.

Need to make a final explanation to the Later Zhao Shi clan, when Liu Xian killed Shi Yuan and surrendered to Ran Min, at the same time Liu Xian killed Le'an Wang Shi Bing (Shi Hu Shuzi), Taibao Zhang Ju, Dazai Zhao Lu, etc., and the Later Zhao Shi clan was completely wiped out.

Shi Hu's fourteen sons all died. Of these, two were executed by Shi Hu himself; six killed each other; five were exterminated by Ran Min; One defected to the Eastern Jin Dynasty (Shi Kun) and was beheaded in the market (when Shi Kun defected to the Eastern Jin Dynasty, he was directly invited by the Eastern Jin Dynasty regime to the entrance of the vegetable market, beheaded and displayed to the public, without interrogation, let alone courtesy). Shi Hu, who has made countless sins in his life, finally got his due retribution from his children and grandchildren.

The Shi family is over, the historical performance continues, and there are very few scenes in the future stories that belong to the Qian people, and they retreat to the corner of the stage, waiting for the last chance to make a cameo.

About Liu Xian, he later became the emperor, but we don't need to know a lot about him, and the brief biography is complete. You just need to know that he is a general under Shi Yuan, and he is very favored, but after all, he turned against Shi Yuan.

It didn't take long for Liu Xian to turn against Ran Min again. After another failed attack on Ran Min and fled back to Xiangguo, Liu Xian became emperor himself.

Don't wonder Liu Xian's actions, those who killed the monarch and usurped the throne, surrendered and rebelled, do we expect him to pay attention to anything like loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness? It's ridiculous to ourselves!

In the feudal era, especially when the heroes rose together, the top leaders often relied on the "emperor" to rebuild their personal prestige and status that they had lost due to the defeat of the war, and to improve the morale of the soldiers who were sluggish due to the defeat. This is especially true for Liu Xian, who killed the monarch and usurped the throne. is already unjustifiable, and if there is no resounding name (such as the emperor) to suppress the field and lower the younger brother, then the life of the eldest brother will be considered to be over! Of course, the most important thing is that you have to live an addiction to being an emperor when you die! Destruction is imminent, even if you know that you can't see tomorrow's sun, you have to refresh yourself in a dragon robe today. For example, Wu Sangui, such as Li Zicheng, are all like this. As for Liu Xian, even his name is called "Xian", how can he not show it well when he has the opportunity?

Liu Xian, who became the emperor, continued Hou Zhao's previous policy towards Ran Wei: attack! There is no need for the word "continuous", Ran Min was fed up with him and did not give Liu Xian more opportunities.

In February 352, Liu Xian attacked Changshan County of Ran Wei. Ran Min rescued with 8,000 soldiers, defeated Liu Xian and chased to Xiangguo, Liu Xian's general Cao Fuju opened the city gate to meet Ran Min, and Ran Min conquered Xiangguo, the capital of Zhao State. After decades of evil in the Central Plains, Zhao finally settled down and completely perished.

Those who are longer than betrayers finally die of betrayal. About Liu Xian, that's the end of it.

After the elimination of Hou Zhao, at least, theoretically we should think that Ran Min cleared the Central Plains, and the subsequent story should also be on the right track: recuperation, enriching the country and strengthening the army, the Northern Expedition, the Southern Expedition, and the domination of the world. However, history is really like a stage play, and the finale always comes at the end! While Ran Min was trying his best to fight for life and death with the remnants of Hou Zhao, the former old enemy, Qian Yan, took the opportunity to go south, followed by billowing smoke and dust and blood rain in the sky.

Before Shi Hu died, Ran Min was trained as a general, and his main task was to defend Qianyan on the northern border of Later Zhao. It should be said that Ran Min's ability to work is undoubted, although Qian Yan has always been eyeing him, but he has never got any opportunities. Later, Ran Min was busy fighting for power and profit in the internal strife of the Later Zhao royal family, so he couldn't take care of Qianyan. If you are not careful, Qianyan's army will come in, and it is unstoppable!

Liantai was in Hebei, and after the fall of Later Zhao, it belonged to the sphere of influence of Ran Wei, and Qianyan was in Liaodong, in the north of Hebei. This is not the first time that Qianyan has invaded the Central Plains (he has fought with Ran Min before), but this time, here they are, and they don't want to go again.

The encounter between the two sides was premeditated, and when the life-and-death war between Ran Wei and Hou Zhao was in full swing, Qianyan took the opportunity to go south. Two dogs strive for a bone and a third runs away with it! Obviously, Qianyan is the fisherman who wants to make a profit. Judging from the later development, Qianyan, a fisherman, did a really good job.

For Qianyan's southward movement, Ran Min didn't know, after the pacification of Hou Zhao, the world was initially decided, and there was still a lot of work waiting for Ran Min to do, such as: Let the people of Yecheng eat a full meal!

Don't laugh, at that time, it was a difficult business to have enough to eat, just like those children's shoes who have no car, no house, no savings, and are three years old but have just graduated to ask for a wife. What else can you talk about besides?

At that time, Ran Min's situation was difficult, and the continuous war made the entire Ran Wei in the operation of the war machine, and after stopping, he realized that everyone went to war, and no one farmed. This is even more true in Yecheng, the national capital, where the hungry people touch Ran Min's heartstrings.

Ran Min divided the military rations!

He distributed the army's rations to the people of Yecheng, and then took his most elite 8,000 warriors out of Yecheng to "swim and eat"!

However, unfortunately, the whereabouts of Ran Min's army were discovered by Murong Ke, so the net was opened, and Ran Min collided with the 140,000 cavalry led by Murong Ke.

Swim food, while "swimming" while eating, or where there is food to eat, commonly known as: to eat. When Ran Min took his army out of the city to "swim for food", he should have said something like this: "Brothers, leave the food for the people, and my brother (I) will take you to ask for food!" ”

The emperor got to the point of asking for food, which shows at least two problems, one of which is that Ran Wei is so poor that he can't open the pot; Second: Ran Min is a good emperor, maybe not good enough to deal with the situation, but the emperor who is willing to save rations for the people is indeed worthy of support. This may be the reason why the soldiers and civilians of Ran Wei swore not to surrender after the destruction of Yecheng City!

Okay, let's take a look at Ran Min's final battle.

When: April 352

Location: Liantai (now northeast of Wuji County, east of Shijiazhuang, Hebei)

Campaign Name: Battle of Liantai

The warring parties: Ran Min VS Murong Ke

Cause: On the way to "Youshi", Ran Min's 8,000 infantry army encountered Murong Ke's 140,000 cavalry heading south. Subsequently, Ran Min's army was surrounded.

This is the second duel between Ran Min and Murong Ke, a battle of life and death. It was not Murong Ke's cavalry that took the lead in attacking, but Ran Min's infantry with less than 10,000 people. Today, it is difficult for us to imagine how the Han army of Ran Min, who was hungry, relied on two legs to attack Murong Ke's 140,000 cavalry. However, they did it, and in the face of mortal death, Ran Min and the eight thousand warriors under his command burst out with shocking courage.

The general Dong Yan and the cavalry general Zhang Wen advised Ran Min in the preparation stage of the battle, "The Xianbei people take advantage of the momentum of victory, the edge is sharp, and the enemy is outnumbered, so they should take refuge for the time being." When they are proud and slackened, they will increase their forces and attack. ”

It should be said that this is a more scientific suggestion, and the enemy is outnumbered, and it really should not be overwhelming. However, in Ran Min's previous battle, which time was not won with less? Ran Min in the victory didn't think he needed to dodge, or rather, knowing that he couldn't be defeated, Ran Min would rather choose to fight and die.

"I want to use these soldiers to pacify Youzhou and kill Murong Jun. Now that I have met Murong Ke and avoided him, what should people say about me! ”

Well, then go to fight!

Ran Min's initial tactics were correct, first, to place the troops in a dense area of mountains and forests that were not conducive to the deployment of cavalry; secondly, it made people walk rumors among Murong Ke's army to disturb the morale of the army; Finally, the cavalry was dragged down by taking advantage of the fact that the infantry was more durable and flexible than the cavalry (the cavalry was bulky and not conducive to protracted battles).

Murong Ke's method is simple, luring Ran Min's army to the plains with repeated defeats and retreats, and then encircling and annihilating them!

The final battle began, and Ran Min, who was trapped in the middle of the plan, rode a Zhulong horse, held a spear and halberd, and more than 300 strong soldiers and soldiers under his command, all of whom fought bravely and were not afraid of death. The result was earth-shattering, Ran Min and his 8,000 Han army won ten battles and ten victories in an encirclement composed of 140,000 Xianbei cavalry!

What kind of battle should that be? Eight thousand ragged and hungry infantry attacked the 140,000 well-armed Xianbei cavalry!

What a strange people, cowardly and slaughtered; Be tough and mighty to the world.

Murong Ke, who was almost poor in donkey skills, came up with his last killer weapon - Tiefu Tu!

Tiefutu, people and horses are wearing heavy armor, three people are together, connected by a leather rope, people go further, move the horse one step, show no hesitation. It has extremely strong offensive and defensive capabilities. Historical records: The elite is very special, and the direction is unstoppable.

It was an early morning, and the morning dawn rushed into the battlefield where the corpses were pillowed, and the silence and serenity of the early morning were tinged with terror and hideousness. Ran Min's battle was victorious, but the more and more Xianbei troops fought and his soldiers became more and more tired, Ran Min fell into a panic for the first time, and he could not see any hope of victory. So, Ran Min decided to break through. After eating up all the food stocks, like the previous ten battles, Ran Min and his army headed to the battlefield and attacked their enemies.

The battle was extremely fierce, Ran Min and his 8,000 warriors broke through the Xianbei people's defense line after defense, however, when they were extremely tired, they were greeted by a heavily armored cavalry, Tiefutu, and then, tore apart the battle formation of Ran Wei's army.

Ran Min, defeated.

However, the Ran Wei soldiers did not disperse, and in the process of covering the breakthrough of Ran Min and the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs, they were exhausted and mechanically waved the already broken swords in their hands to slash at the enemy, and did their last effort to fight until the last man! Throughout the campaign, Ran Wei had no captured soldiers, let alone surrendered soldiers.

Since then, the "Iron Floating Massacre" has become a nightmare for Han soldiers, causing endless trauma and shadows in their hearts. For a long time, lingering.

From the Tang Dynasty to the Five Dynasties, there are records of tens of thousands of Han soldiers annihilated by the "Iron Floating Massacre", and it was widely used in the Liaojin Dynasty and invincible! Until Yue Fei's appearance!

After paying countless blood and learning the lessons of countless failures, in 1140, Yue Fei's army (Yue's army) fought a decisive battle with the Tiefutu army led by Jin Wushu, and the Tiefutu army was annihilated, and it officially withdrew from the stage of history. In that year, nearly 800 years have passed since the appearance of the "Iron Floating Massacre".

Ran Min was captured on the way to break out, in fact, the encirclement had already been highlighted at that time, but Zhu Longma, who was sitting down, died suddenly due to excessive fatigue,...... After all, the two-legged Ran Min can't outrun the four-legged Xianbei Jingqi. It is said that at that time, Zhu Long's horse suddenly stopped while running, and then stood, no matter how Ran Min scolded and whipped, the horse was like a clay sculpture, motionless.

Heaven will kill me, not a crime of war!

It should be said that after being captured, Ran Min showed the courage that a Han king should have. Although he did not cut the prime minister like Xiang Yu, after all, he did not put on a green coat and hat to pour tea and wine for Yidi's bureaucrats, let alone wear a servant's costume to lead a horse and set stirrups for the king of the Hu people.

The decisive death makes people admire and sigh, and the unyielding life makes people surrender even more!

Ran Min is unyielding!

After Murong Ke captured Ran Min, he went to Jiji (jì) City (today's Jinji County) to present to the lord of the country, Murong Jun. Left and right ordered Ran Min to bow down, of course Ran Min refused. Naizhi: "Why don't you worship my lord?" Ran Min replied: "An Youzhong Dynasty Son of Heaven worships Ruyi Dihu!" Murong Jun laughed at Ran Min: "You are a slave, how can you claim to be the emperor in vain?" Ran Min said angrily: "The world is in turmoil, Er Cao Yidi birds and beasts are still called emperors, and I am a hero in Middle Earth, why can't I be called an emperor!" "Yes, you beast-like barbarians can still be called kings and emperors, but Chinese heroes like me want to be slaves forever?

Murong Jun was furious, whipped three hundred, and then sent to Longcheng (now Chaoyang, Liaoning), Suxiao, Haomiao (to sacrifice prisoners to the ancestors, to celebrate the glorious victory), and then, beheaded Ran Min in the containment of the mountain. During the entire process of sacrificing the prisoners, Ran Min scolded more than once,...... Hehe, while Murong Jun was greeting his ancestors, Ran Min was also greeting his ancestors. The difference is that one takes special care of men and one takes special care of women.

After the death of Ran Min, the grass and trees around the mountain were all withered, the locusts rose in a big way, and from May to December, the sky did not fall with rain. Murong Jun was shocked and sent people to sacrifice and posthumously named Ran Min as the "King of Martial Mourning". On that day, it snowed heavily and made people knees.

"Wu Mourning Heavenly King" is the nickname given to him by Ran Min's enemies, a martial character, a title of Heavenly King, which reflects the deep fear of the Hu people for Ran Min.

The defenders of Yecheng resisted the Xianbei army for more than 100 days, and in August 352, Yecheng fell and Ran Wei perished. The desperate ministers of Ran Wei had some of them hanged themselves, and some of them fled to ......the Eastern Jin Dynasty. However, none of them surrendered to Qianyan.

Ran Min's nickname in the Ran Wei regime was known many, many years later from the epitaph of his descendant Ran Hua, who was called "Ping". Historically, the emperor's nickname was strictly set: Bu Gang Zhi Ji Ping! It turned out that Ran Min, who relied on 8,000 Han troops to sweep the Central Plains, was not his force, but "Bu Gang Zhi Ji"! After all, I omitted this great point, after all, Ran Wei's short life doomed him to be inconspicuous.

When Ran Min occupied Yecheng, he rescued more than 200,000 Han girls who had been looted by the Qiang people and helped them find their lost families, but when Ran Min let these Han girls go home, more than 50,000 chose to stay because they were homeless. Ran Wei perished, bad luck came again, and the Xianbei army that went south used them as military food, and they were eaten clean in one winter. After the Xianbei army left, the broken bones and wreckage outside Yecheng piled up like a mountain .......