At the critical moment of the Battle of Bingzhou, the Jin army under the jurisdiction of the Northwest Governor of the Great Jin Dynasty was driving the Xianbei people from Hexi to the ground. According to the plan of the General Staff Military Administration, after the Jin army has eliminated nearly half of the Hu people in the Bingzhou area, it will conduct a half-month rest to replenish troops and ammunition, and then deploy the next stage of operations according to the actual situation.

During this period, from the time the Military Department was preparing to start the campaign to recover the Hexi Corridor, the importance of the Hexi Corridor was self-evident, and she was the main passage connecting Liangzhou Dajin and the Western Regions. After taking the Hexi Corridor, the Jin army would be able to further control the Western Regions, and at the same time compress the Tuyuhun tribe around Qinghai to curb the ambition of the other side to expand into the Western Regions.

Zhang Liang, the assassin of Liangzhou, sat in Guzang, and was actively deploying troops and generals, preparing to completely defeat Hexi Xianbei and lay the Jin army's advantage in the battle against Hexi in one fell swoop. The logistical support problem, which had previously affected the situation on the battlefield in the northwest, has been completely resolved with the opening of the main artery of the highway between Guzang and Chang'an.

When the Jin army was actively deploying troops in the northwest battlefield, Bald Hair Maru was not idle, and in order to ensure the victory of the Hexi Campaign, Bald Hair Maru used all means to support this war. Now, the number of Xianbei people gathered in the Hexi Corridor has reached 100,000.

On March 15, the Jin army set out from Guzang, marched north along Gushui, and entered the plains of Gushui, Xuanwei and Yongchang, cutting off the connection between Zhangye, Dunhuang and Xianbei in Hexi. At this time, the entire Hexi Corridor is under the jurisdiction of Hexi Xianbei. The Jin army took the lead in entering the front line of Xuanwei and Gushui, which were garrisoned by bald hair and Tuijin, that is, the former Jin Huqiang Lieutenant Station. Zhangye and Dunhuang were completely isolated.

On the 17th, Zhang Liang commanded the Jin army to defeat the 10,000 cavalry of the Xianbei people in Xuanwei, killing more than 7,000 people, capturing 2,000 people, and less than 1,000 people escaped, while the Jin army's own losses were only a few hundred.

Five days later, the Jin army, with 10,000 dragoons as the main force, and with the assistance of 20,000 Qiang, defeated the main force of the cavalry army belonging to Bald Tuijin with more than 30,000 people. And on the 23rd, the troops came to the city of Zhangye.

Merely. Cavalry units that lack heavy weapons and are not good at sieges. Unable to conquer Zhangye City, which was heavily garrisoned by the enemy. had to wait for the arrival of the follow-up Jin army. The follow-up infantry carried a large number of artillery, and the speed of the march was certainly not as fast as that of the cavalry, and it only arrived in Zhangye in April.

As the administrative center of the Xianbei people in the Hexi Corridor, Zhangye's defense force is still very strong. The walls of the city around it. Up to ten meters. Xianbei deployed 30,000 defenders here. However, even so, the Xianbei guard general bald Tui Jin did not have the confidence to resist the attack of the Jin army.

Of course. The leader of Hexi Xianbei, Bald Hair Wumaru, also realized the critical situation of Zhangye, and he was trying to find a way to ask Tuoba Xianbei for help. It's just that after seeing the powerful firepower of the Jin army, Tuoba Liuxiu, who is still spinning at the foot of the Great Wall, has long lost his arrogance, not to mention letting him support others, he himself is thinking about how to ease the relationship between the Great Jin.

Ten miles east of Zhangye, it is the temporary headquarters of Zhang Rail. On the evening of April 10, as the governor of the Northwest Theater, he convened the leaders of the Qiang people, the Tuyuhun father and son, and the generals of the Jin army to hold a pre-war meeting, at this time the Hu-Han coalition army gathered in Zhangye had reached 80,000 people, of which the main force of the Jin army was 30,000, the Qiang cavalry was 40,000, and the Tuyuhun cavalry was 10,000.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Hexi Corridor, including the Western Regions west of Jiayuguan, has been the inherent territory of China since ancient times, and since the Three Kingdoms at the end of the Han Dynasty, the Central Plains have been in turmoil so much that we have lost a lot of territory. Now, the war between the empire and the Hu people is a good time to recapture these territories in one fell swoop. ”

"Before the start of the war, His Majesty the Emperor specially issued an order to our Northwest Army, asking us to wait for the next battle, we must defeat Hexi Xianbei, occupy as much land as possible, and recapture the lost land doubled. Now, the battle in the Shangdang area is coming to an end, and other battlefields in the north are also actively preparing, once we win, we will completely restore the glory of the peak of the Han Dynasty. ”

"Therefore, in this battle, we must defeat our opponents and regain more land, preferably the entire Western Regions. I hope that all the generals will do their best in this battle! Zhang Liang said solemnly. Expanding the territory of the country is undoubtedly the supreme ideal of every soldier. This time, the Northwest Governor's Mansion will not only recover the territory occupied by the Xianbei people, but also occupy more land to enhance the influence of the Great Jin Dynasty in this strategic place in the Western Regions.

"Please rest assured that the subordinates will live up to Your Majesty's expectations!" Everyone replied loudly.

"Excellent! Next, the specific combat mission will be assigned by the army! Zhang Liang said with satisfaction.

"Now, let's deploy the specific combat missions for the next stage. In the battle of attacking Zhangye, Captain Ma Xian led 20,000 infantry soldiers of the Xiang Army as the main attack, and Captain Wu Yong led 10,000 Xiang Army cavalry as a reserve. The Qiang cavalry and Tuyuhun cavalry were responsible for covering the rear and flanks of the army to prevent them from being attacked by the enemy. At the same time, you will also be tasked with intercepting the enemy's escape, and if the Xianbei break through, you must destroy the other party. ”

After capturing Zhangye, in addition to leaving a Jin army to guard Zhangye, Wu Yong and Tuyan continued to sweep several surrounding areas. And our main operational direction will be shifted to Jiuquan. The General Staff and Military Administration ordered us to take the entire Western Regions by moving west at the right time. "Joining the army will introduce you to the next operational deployment of the Northwest Army.

There is no doubt that everyone is not worried about conquering Zhangye and recovering the Hexi Corridor, this is not a problem at all. The real difficulty lies in how to take the Western Regions. Zhang Liang is not young when he comes to Liangzhou, of course he knows that the situation in the Western Regions is very complicated, if the Jin army makes a move against the Western Regions, will it cause other countries in the west to interfere? Although the task is arduous, if it is successful, it will naturally be a great credit.

"That's it for the specific combat mission, let's go down and prepare! The battle in Zhangye must be over within two days! Finally, Zhang Liang concluded.

The next day, the attack on Zhangye in the northwest battlefield officially began, and the Jin army concentrated ten artillery battalions and launched a fierce bombardment of Zhangye. The defenders of the Xianbei people in Zhangye also launched a counterattack with the advantage of their home field, and the two sides engaged in an exciting artillery battle. However, the artillery of the Great Jin, both in quantity and quality, far exceeded the artillery of the Xianbei people.

At the beginning, the Great Jin artillery dealt a devastating blow to the Xianbei people. The artillery battle lasted only more than half an hour, and the Xianbei people in the city could not support it, and the Xianbei people, who suffered heavy casualties, had to stop the shelling. And the Jin artillery also began to take the next step, providing fire support for the infantry offensive.

The Sanxiang infantry army, totaling more than 9,000 people, carried out a fierce attack on Zhangye under the cover of artillery. Although the city of Zhangye is strong, it is far from being compared with those fortified cities in the Great Jin Dynasty. After using fire to suppress the defenders on the city walls, the Great Jin Infantry Army blasted the gates of Zhangye.

In a loud bang, Zhangye's city gate was blown to pieces, and then the Jin army quickly broke into Zhangye City, and after learning that the city was broken, Bald Tui Jin immediately ordered a tragic street battle with the Jin army. It was clear that the Xianbei people did a good job in defense, and they knew that the Xianbei people were no match for the Jin army in close combat conditions.

Therefore, in every street and every room, a large number of archers were arranged. At the beginning, the Jin army was caught off guard by Xianbei archers, and for a time suppressed the Jin army's offensive.

After Zhang Liang, who was in command of the rear, learned about it, he quickly ordered the artillery to move forward to provide more direct fire support for the infantry troops. Once it encounters the resistance of the Xianbei people, it directly destroys the target, which greatly reduces the loss and accelerates the progress of the attack. It also caused huge casualties to the Xianbei people.

For this situation, as long as it is not involved in the Han people, the Jin army soldiers generally turn a blind eye, and over the years, with the rebellion of the Hu people in various places, everyone in the Great Jin Dynasty understands that their hearts must be different within our clan. Therefore, any Hu people encountered by the Jin army along the way were not within the protection of the Jin army.

As the intensity of the Jin army's attack increased, the bald Tui Jin in the city also realized the danger, and he led more than 20,000 Xianbei people out of the city that night in an attempt to break through.

Fortunately, Zhang Liang had already prepared, and the 50,000 Hu coalition troops pursued and killed the Xianbei people who broke through. After a night of fighting, nearly 30,000 Xianbei cavalry were annihilated, and only the bald Tui Jin fled with more than 2,000 people.

After conquering Zhangye, Zhang Liang left Ma Xian to lead the cavalry army and 20,000 Qiang cavalry to continue to sweep away the remnants of the Xianbei people in Zhangye County. And he himself led the main force of the Northwest Army to continue to advance westward, preparing to recover Jiuquan County and Dunhuang County.

This battle was beyond the expectations of Hexi Xianbei, who did not expect that the whole battle would be one-sided. The Xianbei people don't want to defeat the Jin army, but they don't even have the strength to fight back, and this kind of technical and tactical gap is not something they can change at all.

This battle also greatly deterred the Qiang and Tuyuhun people who fought with the Jin army, and the Tuyan father and son originally planned to take advantage of it, but now they have long lost such thoughts. In addition, Tuyuhun and his son have always had plans to establish an independent kingdom in Qinghai, and then they have to consider whether once they build a country, it will also cause a backlash from the Great Jin. Although they occupied the geographical advantage of the plateau, when they thought of the terrifying combat power of the Jin army, Tuyuhun did not have enough confidence.

The Qiang people who also attached themselves were also taken aback, but it also greatly strengthened the opponent's determination to submit to the Great Jin, and after this battle, many Qiang people in the northwest region were ready to surrender to the Great Jin. (To be continued......)