Soon it was summer, and after months of rectification, calm gradually returned to Hexi. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

At this time, a conflict broke out between the two Yans, who had been at peace with each other.

Nearly seven years have passed since Murong Yong defeated the former Qin Emperor Fu Pi to ascend the throne in October 386.

During this period, Murong Yong managed carefully, so that the weak Xiyan could survive with difficulty.

The Western Yan ruled the central area, around the area of present-day Shangdang in Shanxi Province.

The origin of the name of Shangdang is that its terrain is very high: "on the top of Taihang Mountain, the terrain is the highest and the sky is the party", and got its name.

Because of its dangerous terrain, it has always been said that "if you can get the party, you can look at the Central Plains".

At present, under the rule of Murong Yong, Xiyan controls a large area of territory in central and southern Jin, which can be said to have geographical advantages.

It guards Puban in the west, can cross the Yellow River in the west, and enters the Guanzhong in the west, and can protect itself when retreating.

According to Yanmen Pass in the north, it borders the Tuoba Department.

To the east and south are the Taihang Mountains and the Yellow River, which are separated from the Luoyang area of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the northern plain of the Houyan River, respectively.

Since Murong Yong ascended the throne, he was also ambitious at the beginning, and he used troops abroad several times to try to expand his territory.

In 387 A.D., he took advantage of the fight between the former Qin Fu Xuan, Lan Chun and the later Qin Yao Chang, and sent troops to Hexi, trying to win the chestnut in the fire, but was defeated by Yao Chang.

After learning Yao Chang's power, Murong Yong didn't dare to get involved in Guanzhong again.

To the north was originally Xiyan's friendly neighbor Tuoba Jue, who was not only his secret ally, but also strong and not suitable for provocation.

To the east is the mortal enemy Murong Trai, as the former Yan clan, how could Murong Yong not know that Murong Trai was powerful?

Therefore, after thinking about it, he set his sights on the Luoyang area of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, where the defense was relatively weak.

However, at that time, it was Zhu Xu, a famous general of the Eastern Jin Dynasty who had been stationed in Luoyang for a long time, and in the end, Murong Yong still did not get a bargain.

After hitting a wall many times, Murong Yong recognized the facts, and completely gave up his desire to expand outward, only wanting to defend Xiyan.

Especially in the year before last, when Murong Chui eliminated Zhai Zhao, Murong Yong no longer had the intention of attacking the outside world, but focused all his energy on building the Taihang Heavenly Insurance.

Similarly, for Murong Chui.

On the southern front, after eliminating Zhai Zhao, Houyan had taken control of the area south of the Yellow River, greatly expanding the depth of defense on the southern front.

Moreover, because the Eastern Jin Dynasty has no intention of launching a large-scale northern expedition at present.

Therefore, seizing the roof of Taihang and reversing his strategically unfavorable situation has become Murong Chui's top priority.

Moreover, after the elimination of Zhai Zhao, Houyan no longer had the containment of fighting on both sides of the southern front.

As a result, the elimination of Xiyan was naturally put on the agenda of the Later Yan monarchs.

Unexpectedly, when Murong Chui proposed a plan to attack Western Yan, it was opposed by most of the Later Yan ministers and generals.

The opinions of these people mainly say that since Murong Yong founded the country, most of them have been recuperating.

However, Hou Yan fought for many years, so that the soldiers were tired and complained, so it was better to rest for a year.

Although most people did not approve of the crusade against Xiyan, Murong De, the king of Fanyang, strongly agreed with this proposal.

"The three ancestors of Murong Diao, Murong Hao, and Murong Jun accumulated virtue and left favors for the people of Yanzhao, so the local people are still reciting their kindness."

"Your Majesty's accession to the throne is on the one hand because of Your Majesty's holy martial arts, and on the other hand, it is because the people of Yan Zhao are willing to be the subjects of Great Yan."

"Now, Murong Yong usurped the throne and incited the people, causing the ignorant to confuse their names, so they should be removed first to set the record straight."

"In the past, Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu's crusade against Su Mao did not take into account the fatigue of hundreds of officials, how could he not have a benevolent heart? It's a reason why you can't miss it. ”

"There is a saying in the art of war that 'soldiers are used as a last resort', does Your Majesty still have time to calm down in the situation at this time?"

"Situ's meaning, I completely agree!"

"And you and my brothers are of the same heart, and their profits are gold, so I have decided to choose a day to go to Xiyan."

"Besides, I have entered the twilight of my life, and my days are numbered."

"Therefore, I must take advantage of the fact that I can still ride a war horse, take out the remaining wisdom in my head, destroy Murong Yong, and not leave the traitor to my children and grandchildren!"

So, in the summer of the eighteenth year of Taiyuan (393 AD), that is, when Wei Shuo was busy rectifying Hexi, Hou Yan began a general mobilization to crusade against Western Yan.

……

Whenever a big war is about to start, it must be the rangers of all parties who are active first, and for a time the hinterland of Taihang Mountain is full of enemies and horses.

The weather was clear, the clear blue sky was slightly cloudy, and a small river meandered far downstream.

Not far from both sides of the river, there is a village, scattered with a few mountain families, but there are a few fields on the periphery.

In the distance, flags flashed, and a group of heavily armed Hulu cavalry galloped in, bringing the sound of "muffled boom" in unison.

In the middle of the procession, a flag embroidered with the word swallow is fluttering in the wind.

No sooner had the cavalry turned the ridge than they saw a small village in the valley.

So, sixteen iron hooves quickly stepped through the grass of the wilderness, and reached the head of the village like a whirlwind amid the neighing of the war horses.

The leading rider was tall and large, with black and shiny skin, a face full of horizontal flesh, and a frightening beard, which looked very fierce and vicious.

Each of these horsemen was dressed in armor, carrying a black bull-horned bow diagonally on his back, and a pot of black-feathered arrows hung on the right side of his horse.

The leader, Hu Qi, let out a long breath, and his voice was as ugly as a broken gong.

"Everyone was tired after running for most of the day, but there happened to be a village here, so we could finally take a break."

"Brothers, how about we go in and have fun?"

The other knights were eager to hear this, and their faces showed a hint of cruelty and greed.

The leader Hu Qi looked at the outermost family in the village in front of him for a long time with a serious face, and finally said coldly: "Everyone should move quickly, and don't forget to sweep away the traces in the end, and don't let the Xiyan people know our traces for the time being." ”

A knight next to him was already itching at this time, and said in a sand voice: "No problem, don't worry, boss!" ”

"It's not the first time we've come out, and we still understand these rules."

"Now that the brothers are exhausted, you better hurry up and give the order."

"This time we go to Xiyan, let's go to the front station, don't do some oil and water, how can we get ourselves right?"

Immediately, a group of rangers rushed into the small mountain village, and they not only robbed the village of things, but also smashed all the things that could not be taken with them, such as locusts crossing the border.

When Hu Qi left, he also set a fire by the way.

Suddenly, a fire was already burning in the valley, and the smoke caused by it rose in a curling manner, just like the smoke of war that was permeating the land of the state at this moment.

……

Since the end of July 393 AD, the same thing has happened everywhere in the border area where the Western Yan and the Later Yan meet.

Countless women have been taken captive, men have been killed, villages have been destroyed, and elderly and children have been slaughtered.

At this time, Murong Chui had decided to pull out the nail of his Xiyan first, and he personally led tens of thousands of horses from Zhongshan to Yecheng south.

After arriving in Yecheng, Murong Chui felt that his troops were insufficient, so he ordered the troops of Sizhou, Jizhou, Qingzhou, and Yanzhou to be requisitioned, with a total strength of 70,000.

After all the troops were assembled in place, Murong Chui sent Murong Kai, the king of Taiyuan, to the west from Fukou, and Murong Nong, the king of Liaoxi, to the west from Huguan, while he himself personally led the main force of the army from Shating.

In August, Murong Chui sent Murong Zhan, the king of Danyang, and Zhang Chong, the general of Longxiang, to lead the division from Jingcheng Pass to the west to attack Murong Yong's younger brother of Western Yan and Murong You, the Duke of Wuxiang, who was stationed in Jinyang.

Pinggui, the general of Zhengdong, attacked Shating (southwest of Linzhang County, Hebei Province), where Duan Ping, the general of the east of Xiyan Zhendong, was stationed, thus starting the prelude to a full-scale attack on Xiyan.

As soon as the battle began, the Houyan army was like a rainbow, advancing at full speed, and the offensive did not lag.

Originally, Xiyan set up one hundred and ten outposts along the line of Taihang Mountain, and each outpost garrisoned twenty or thirty people.

As a result, as soon as the Yan army arrived, it was like a wind and clouds, and all the outposts were swept away in an instant.

The military intelligence of Houyan's large-scale invasion was soon reported to the desk of Murong Yong, the lord of Western Yan.

Murong Yong was shocked when he heard the news, and sent a special envoy to Hexi to ask for help, and at the same time ordered Shangshu to order Diao Yun and the general Murong Zhong to lead an army of 50,000 to garrison Luchuan (Turbidity River in Shanxi Province), and put the main force on the defense of Fukou.

At this time, Murong Yong of Xiyan had a total of 100,000 troops, while Murong Chui himself only had 70,000 foot cavalry, which did not have an absolute advantage in numbers.

Moreover, Murong Chui's troops have been fighting for many years and are relatively tired, if Murong Yongcuo is able to put it in place, it is not without a chance of winning.