With the arrival of Liu Yao's reinforcements in Guzang, coupled with the sufficient preparation of grain, grass and ordnance, the Liaodong Army finally opened its fangs and started the Hexi Campaign. Pen fun and pavilion www.biquge.info

The importance of the Hexi Corridor is self-evident, and it is an important passage connecting the Great Jin Dynasty and the Western Regions. Only by taking the Hexi Corridor can Liaodong be expected to return to the Western Regions, and it can also compress the Tuyuhun tribe on the West Sea Plateau to curb the other party's ambitions for expansion.

In the spring of the third year of Taixing, the new Liangzhou assassin Shi Gaoxu sat in Guzang and was responsible for pacifying the place.

Beigong Chun and Liu Yao each commanded the seven-compartment infantry cavalry to advance to Zhangye in two ways, intending to completely defeat the Hexi resistance forces and recover the entire Hexi Corridor in one fell swoop.

Since the beginning of the spring, the Liaodong Army has been frequently mobilized, and the Dunhuang Hexi family is also not to be outdone, and in order to ensure the safety of Zhangye, the Yin and Suo families have exhausted all methods.

First, 30,000 soldiers and horses were mobilized to defend Zhangye, and later 20,000 cavalry were invited from Tuyuhun and Xianbei in Hexi to help.

In early March, the Liaodong Army set out from Guzang, passed through Fanhe and Lijing, and entered Xijun, where the local defenders were almost immediately defeated, completely unable to resist the Liaodong Army.

On the 17th, Beigong Chun commanded more than 20,000 infantry and cavalry coalition troops, broke 10,000 Hexi Xianbei cavalry in Xijun, killed more than 7,000 people, captured 2,000 people, and escaped less than 1,000 people, while the Liaodong army itself lost less than several hundred people.

Five days later, the Liaodong Army, mainly composed of Sanxiang cavalry, with the assistance of 20,000 Qiang people, once again broke more than 10,000 Tuyuhun cavalry.

On the 23rd, the main force of the Liaodong Army approached the city of Zhangye.

Although Beigong Chun surrounded Zhangye City, because most of his subordinates were cavalry and lacked siege equipment, he had to wait for the arrival of the follow-up Liaodong Army.

It was not until a few days later that Liu Yao's follow-up infantry and a large number of siege equipment arrived safely in Zhangye.

As the most important city in the middle of the Hexi Corridor, Zhangye's defense force is still very strong, and the surrounding city walls are nearly four zhang high.

In order to defend Zhangye, the Hexi family deployed 30,000 defenders in the city.

At the same time, the Hexi family also realized that the situation was critical, and on the one hand, they continued to ask for help from Tuyuhun and Hexi Xianbei, and on the other hand, they asked the Zhangye defenders to hold on and wait for help.

It's just that after seeing the strong combat power of the Liaodong Army, Hexi Xianbei has lost the courage to continue to be the enemy, not to mention supporting Zhangye at the moment, they can't wait to stay away from the Liaodong Army.

Ten miles east of Zhangye, it is the temporary headquarters of the Liaodong Army.

On this night, Beigong Chun and Liu Yao were gathering generals at all levels in the big tent to discuss the plan to attack Zhangye.

At this time, the Liaodong army gathered near Zhangye had reached more than 60,000 people, of which 20,000 belonged to the cavalry team composed of Qiang people.

Beigong Chun looked at the generals at all levels in the big tent, stood up and said loudly: "The main road leading to the Western Regions in the Guanzhong of the Hexi Corridor is the military, political, and economic center of the northwest, and the Silk Road, which has huge economic interests, runs through it. ”

"The Hexi Corridor starts from Wusheling in the south, reaches Yumen Pass in the north, and is between the Tengger Desert, the West Mountain (Qilian Mountain and Altun Mountain) and the East Mountain (Mamane Mountain, Heli Mountain, Longshou Mountain) in the east, with a length of about 1,000 kilometers and a width of several kilometers to nearly 100 kilometers.

"You must be very clear that Liaodong intends to rebuild the overland Silk Road, and this Hexi Corridor is the top priority. Therefore, I will not say more about the importance of this battle, and I only emphasize one point here, no matter how much the price is paid, we must capture Zhangye as soon as possible, and then recover the entire Hexi Corridor, so as to complete the important mission entrusted to us by Da Sima. ”

"No! Please rest assured that his subordinates will live up to the expectations of the lord! All the soldiers stood up and shouted.

"Excellent! Next, the specific combat mission will be assigned by the army! ”

"Next, I will introduce the specific combat missions deployed. In the battle of Zhangye, Governor Liu Yao was fully responsible for commanding 20,000 foot soldiers to serve as the main attack, Governor Chundu of Beigong and Captain Fu Hong each led the three-compartment cavalry as a reserve, and the remaining 20,000 Qiang cavalry were responsible for covering the safety of the rear and two wings of the army to prevent a sneak attack by the enemy. ”

"At the same time, the cavalry will take on the task of intercepting the enemy, and if it perceives that the enemy wants to break through, it must go to intercept and destroy the enemy."

"Ladies and gentlemen, let me add that taking Zhangye is the first step in recovering the Hexi Corridor, and the next step is to recover Jiuquan, Dunhuang and the two counties, as well as the entire Western Regions."

There is no doubt that everyone is not worried about how to conquer Zhangye and recover the Hexi Corridor, and the real difficulty lies in how to take the Western Regions next. Beigong Chun has been guarding the northwest for many years, and he is a native of Liangzhou, so he naturally knows how complicated the situation in the Western Regions is. In the future, if the Liaodong Army boldly enters the Western Regions, will it cause a backlash from the indigenous forces?

"Let's all go down and prepare, and strive to take Zhangye within two days!" In the end, Beigong Chun concluded.

The next day, the Liaodong Army's attack on Zhangye officially began, and at first the Liaodong Army's crossbowmen concentrated dozens of ballistas and bed crossbows to launch a fierce bombardment on Zhangye City.

The defenders deployed by the Hexi family in Zhangye also launched a counterattack with the advantage of the home field, and the two sides had a fierce confrontation around Zhangye.

Under the devastating blow of the crossbowmen of the Liaodong Army, only more than half an hour later, the defenders in the city could no longer support it, and the defenders with heavy casualties had to stop counterattacking and retreat in the city to survive.

At the same time, the six-compartment sword and shield soldiers, under the cover of crossbowmen, launched a fierce attack on Zhangye. Although Zhangye has a strong city, the Liaodong Army has rich experience in attacking the city, how can the Liangzhou soldiers resist! Under the cover of sharp bed crossbows, the Liaodong infantry soon occupied large swaths of the city walls and began to fight for the city gates.

Suddenly, in a huge cheer, the gate of Zhangye City was finally opened.

At the moment when the city gate opened, the Liaodong army outside the city quickly crossed the moat and broke into the city, and engaged in a fierce street battle with the defenders.

At the critical moment of the Zhangye war, Tuyan led 20,000 Tuyuhun cavalry to the battlefield, trying to take advantage of the Liaodong Army's unpreparedness to carry out a sneak attack.

The three-compartment Liaodong iron cavalry, plus 20,000 cavalry belonging to the Qiang nationality and 20,000 Tuyuhun cavalry started a duel.

And as soon as those Qiang people heard that they were going to fight Tuguhun, there was no need for Beigong Chun to mobilize, and they were already excited.

The hatred between Tuyuhun and the Qiang people is as deep as the sea, and every Qiang person is eager to tear the Tuyuhun people into two pieces.

Especially since Tuyan succeeded to the throne, he relied on his courage and good fighting to launch a bloody war of conquest against the surrounding Qiang tribes.

Before the Liaodong Army entered Qinzhou, I don't know how many Qiang people died in the hands of Tuyan, and now there is a chance to take revenge, how can those Qiang people not die hard?

Beigong Chun looked at the menacing Tuyuhun cavalry opposite, and the corners of his mouth showed a trace of disdain. If it was on the plateau, Beigong Chun might still be afraid of one or two, but now that he has spit out the plateau, it is equivalent to the shark leaving the sea and can no longer do evil.

"Kill!" Beigong Chun shouted loudly and raised his gun to take Tuyan, who was brave and brave, and was not afraid to wave his knife to meet him.

The two of them are going to meet good talents and chess opponents, and they are dark and inseparable.

Although Tuyan was brave, he could not save his subordinates from the rout. The battle was beyond his expectations, and he didn't expect the whole battle to be one-sided.

The Tuyuhun cavalry that went down the plateau did not even have the slightest strength to fight back in front of the powerful Liaodong army.

This huge gap in technology and tactics made Tuyan feel deeply powerless.

As a result, the Liaodong Army not only easily conquered Zhangye, but also defeated 20,000 Tuyuhun cavalry in one fell swoop, and in the end, only Tuyan escaped.

The first battle of Zhangye completely shocked the rebel forces, and originally Tuyuhun and Hexi Xianbei also planned to take advantage of it, but who knew that the advantage was not taken, but tens of thousands of soldiers and horses were lost under the city of Zhangye. Even Tuyan was stabbed in the arm by Beigong Jun's shot, if it weren't for the desperate rescue of the guards, I'm afraid that even he would have to explain himself on the battlefield.

At the same time, those who belonged to the Qiang were also taken aback, and they could no longer afford any other thoughts, only thinking about attaching themselves to Liaodong.

And because of the defeat of Tuyuhun, an old enemy for many years, it also made the Qiang people full of good feelings towards Liaodong, and made many Qiang people make up their minds to take refuge in Liaodong.

When the news of Zhangye's loss reached Dunhuang, the entire Hexi family was in mourning.

Yin Yuan regretted his choice more and more, but he couldn't help but regret it when he got to this point, so he could only continue to walk hard. (To be continued.) )