Yan Wu, the commander of the Jiannan Xichuan Army (Jiannan Xichuan Jiedu envoy, ruled in present-day Chengdu, Sichuan), also conquered Yanchuan (now Zhangxian County, Gansu) and annihilated 80,000 enemies.

However, the Tubo besieged Liangzhou (now Wuwei, Gansu), and the Tang Dynasty's Hexi army could not resist it, and Liangzhou was lost.

In the first year of Yongtai (765), Tubo asked for peace talks again, and Li Yu sent the prime minister Yuan Zai and Du Hongjian to swear an oath with the Tibetan envoys.

However, soon, the 200,000 horses of the Tubo army, led by Shang Jiexi, Zanmo, Shang Xi Dongzan, and others, attacked Liquan (now Liquan, Shaanxi) and Fengtian (now Qianxian, Shaanxi). The Tang army could not resist, and the Tibetans entered Fengxiang (now Fengxiang, Shaanxi), and the Beijing division Chang'an was under martial law.

In the third year of the Great Calendar (768), 100,000 Tubo attacked Lingzhou (now southwest of Lingwu, Ningxia), but were defeated by the Tang general Bai Yuanguang, and the Tang army captured thousands of horses and sheep.

In the ninth year of the Great Calendar (774), Li Yu sent the supervisor (counselor) Wu Yan to Tubo to repair, and Tubo also sent envoys to Chang'an, but they did not trust each other.

As a result, Guo Ziyi tunbing Bizhou (bīn, present-day Bin County, Shaanxi), Li Baoyutunbing Gaobi, Ma Xuantunbing Yuanzhou (present-day Guyuan Yuanzhou District, Ningxia), Li Zhongchen Tunbing Jingzhou (present-day Jingchuan, Gansu), Li Zhongzhongtunbing Fengxiang (present-day Fengxiang, Shaanxi), and Zang Xi asked Tunbing Weibei (north of the Wei River) to defend themselves

Prepare for the invasion of Tibet, etc.

From this part of the facts, we find some characteristics of the war and peace between the Tang Dynasty and Tibet during this period:

First, the war between Tibet and the Tang Dynasty was uncertain, and the overall relationship was tense. The two sides swore many oaths, but they were all broken by the provocations of the Tibetans, and the conflicts and battles that broke out reached a total of thousands.

Second. Tibet pressed forward step by step, and basically grasped the initiative in the war.

The war between the two sides took place in present-day Qinghai, Gansu, and even Sichuan, Shaanxi, and other places. The Tibetans gradually occupied the territory west of the Hexi Corridor of the Tang Dynasty. And many times led the war to Chang'an or nearby.

Third, under the command of Guo Ziyi and other generals, the Tang army achieved some victories, ensuring the relative stability of the Guanzhong region, but there was no hope of recovering the lost territory. The Tang Dynasty's territory shrank dramatically and lost control of the western and western regions of the Longyou River.

The New Tang Dynasty Book? The Turkic Biography records that the great historian of the Tang Dynasty, Du You (735-812), talked about what he believed to be the fundamental way to relieve the Tibetan invasion (the development of agricultural reclamation. active defense), which is indeed insightful.

Du You believed: "The Qin State wiped out the six eastern countries with just a few places in the middle of the country. Right now. In the Tang Dynasty, countless wealth from all over the country was transported to Beijing every year, so why did there still be strong enemies outside and troubles inside? Because, the Qin State practiced 'farming and warfare-oriented'. Of the 100 people, 50 are farmers. 50 people in the army. Therefore, the Qin State quickly became rich and powerful.

Now, out of 100 people, only 10 are engaged in farming, and the rest are engaged in handicrafts or business.

Moreover, in terms of water conservancy, the Tang Dynasty was also much inferior to the Qin and Han dynasties. During the Qin and Han dynasties, the Zhengguo Canal could irrigate 4 million mu of fertile land, and the Baiqu could irrigate 450,000 mu.

During the reign of Li Zhi Yonghui (650-655), the combined irrigation area of these two canals was only 1 million mu.

In the early years of the Li Yu calendar (766-779). It was reduced to 6,000 acres! With the labor force scattered, water conservancy deserted, and grain production declining, it is not so easy to become rich and strong.

It is now west of Tongguan (in the north of present-day Tongguan County, Shaanxi). East of Longshan (also known as Liupan Mountain, at the junction of present-day Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia) and south of Dun (fū) Fang (located in present-day Fuxian County, Shaanxi).

There are already hundreds of thousands of households in more than a dozen prefectures north of Zhongnan (in the southwest of present-day Xi'an, Shaanxi).

The population and products of Tibet are far inferior to those of the Central Plains. If we really restore the water conservancy and richness of Zhengguo Canal and Baiqu, recruit peasants to cultivate, accumulate strength in the fields, and then repair the cities and fortresses in dangerous places, and recover the Hehe and Longxi areas just around the corner, will it still be today's passive defense and self-defense? ”

His suggestion is good, but it's a pity that the Tang Dynasty was made miserable and riddled with holes by the division of feudal towns and the dictatorship of eunuchs, and he really couldn't take care of such a distant place.

Since then, the Tang Dynasty and Tibet have been at war and have won and lost each other, and the advantage is basically in Tibet.

Over the decades, the Hexi Corridor and the Western Regions eventually fell completely into the hands of the Tibetans and the Hui. Until the fall of the Tang Dynasty, this threat could not be eliminated.

In particular, the vast areas of the Western Regions were not under the control of the central government for nearly 1,000 years. The territory of the Song Dynasty reached the Hexi Corridor at the westernmost time.

The territory of the Yuan Dynasty was vast, but the Chagatai Khanate was set up here, and the Yuan Dynasty did not directly control it. The westernmost point that the Ming Dynasty could control could only reach present-day Hami, Xinjiang.

It was not until Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty defeated Geldan and Qianlong of the Junggar Department that he quelled the rebellion of Daxiao and Zhuo, and established the Ili General District (equivalent to today's provincial-level political region) in today's Xinjiang.

It can be regarded as putting this place, which belonged to the central government as early as 60 BC and was under the jurisdiction of the two Han Dynasty, Wei and Jin, Sui and Tang dynasties, and never interrupted, into the territory!

At this time, the Tang Dynasty had a love-hate relationship with Hui and Tibet. But in any case, with the addition of Hui Hui, the process of counterinsurgency work has indeed accelerated; Although the Tibetans were strong, they only threatened Guanzhong for a short time and did not affect the overall situation of counterinsurgency.

Chang'an, Luoyang, I'm back

With the help of Hui Hui's troops, Li Heng stepped up preparations and deployments for the general attack on the Anshi rebels. On the 23rd day of the eighth month of the leap month in 757, the Tang government rewarded the three armies, and the battle to attack Chang'an and recover the Beijing division was about to begin.

On 12 September, the commander-in-chief (marshal) Li Yutong led a total of 150,000 soldiers (claimed to be 200,000) from the Shuofang Front, the Hui and the Western Regions, and set out from Fengxiang to prepare for the eastward expedition.

On the 27th, the Tang army advanced to the vicinity of Xiangji Temple (southwest of present-day Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi).

Set up a formation east of the Feng River. According to the deployment, Li Siye is the front army, Guo Ziyi is the middle army, and Wang Sili is the rear army. The rebels of 100,000 men were deployed in the north of the Tang Army.

The rebel general Li Guiren went out to challenge, the Tang army lost and the formation retreated slightly, and the rebels took the opportunity to snatch the Tang army's ordnance baggage. At this time, Li Siye, the former army general, stepped forward and said to Guo Ziyi: "Today's matter. Unless we fight to the death and fight the enemy to the end, our army's hope of victory in the future will be even more slim. After saying that, he immediately took off his armor and went into battle shirtless,

Standing in front of the battle with a long knife in hand. And shouted: "Death to those who stand in my way!" "He rushed and killed, invincible, and killed more than a dozen enemy soldiers.

The Tang Army's position immediately stabilized. The soldiers of the former army were also armed with long knives, advancing like an impregnable wall. When Li Siye was fighting, his lieutenant general was besieged by the rebels.

The Tang army warrior Wang rarely fought hard and rescued the deputy general from the chaos, but he was shot in the eyebrows by the rebels.

It was rare for the king to ignore the pain. He pulled out the arrow and ripped off his drooping eyelids. Bloody, he still fought with the rebels, this kind of desperate spirit. It greatly boosted the morale of the Tang army.

During the fierce battle, it was reported that the rebels had an ambush in the east, and Li Yu immediately sent back his elite troops to attack his ambush.

The Hui people relied on the speed of the horse and the knife, and laid the victory in one fell swoop in the state of stalemate between the two sides. played a key role.

Under the attack of the Tang army and the Uighur army, the rebels were defeated. During the six or seven hours of fighting (noon to unitary), the rebels were wiped out by more than 60,000 people. It was a shocking battle and a hand-to-hand fight

, which directly determined the fate of the Tang Dynasty and changed the direction of history. The Tang army, which won a great victory, thus gained the right to continue to survive and recover the two capitals.

The remnants of the rebels withdrew into the city of Chang'an, and if the Tang army took advantage of the victory to pursue, it was very likely to destroy this rebel army.

However, the indecisive Li Yu gave up this opportunity on the grounds of "fatigue of soldiers". Guo Ziyi's deputy (Shuo Fang's left wing soldier and horse envoy) Gu Huaien suggested to Li Yu:

"A traitor will abandon the city and flee. I asked to take 200 cavalry in pursuit. I will definitely tie up Li Guiren, Tian Qianzhen, An Shouzhong, and Zhang Tongru to see you. Li Guiren, An Shouzhong and others are all brave thieves in the world, who once made great achievements in war and are now defeated. This is the opportunity that God has given us. Why not?

If they want to escape, and then collect the people, it will become a big problem for us, and it will be too late to regret it.

Why do you have to wait until tomorrow? Although the later whereabouts of the rebels were told by Fugu Huaien, the commander-in-chief of the prince really lacked the ability to command a large army and command battles.

He was unable to grasp the opportunity of the war, and he could not follow the advice of a wise and brave general like Fugu Huai'en, which caused the enemy to easily escape the fate of total annihilation.

In this way, the process of counterinsurgency has been virtually prolonged. We really can't figure out what this prince is thinking, that is, the army is really tired, and everyone is not afraid of tiredness or death, what are you afraid of?

Besides, if Fugu Huaien only asks to bring 200 people, what adverse effects will it bring, and how much loss will it have if it fails? This often reminds us of the Three Kingdoms period, when Zhuge Liang did not listen to Wei Yan's plan to enter Chang'an from the Meridian Road. Li Yu's limited level, we can see it very clearly at once

, compared with the heroic deeds of the ancestor Li Shimin who completely defeated Song Jingang with a hungry stomach, there is a world of difference. It seems that when the time and place are in place, people will play a key role.

The rebels abandoned Chang'an and fled to Shaanxi County, and the results of the Battle of Xiangji Temple were not maximized. The next day (September 28, 757), Li Yu recovered the empty city of Chang'an.

Even so, the love of success quickly diluted some regrets. This is still a huge victory since the beginning of the strategic decisive battle.

The men, women, and children of Chang'an City cheered Li Yu and his team, whimpering and cheering, rejoicing that the precarious and turbulent life had ended, and that they had been free from the ravages of the rebels' barbaric iron hooves.

Many people shed tears and said, "I didn't expect to see the government army again today!" Li Heng heard the good news in Fengxiang, and the ministers congratulated the emperor.

Li Yu pacified the people in Chang'an for three days, and then led his army eastward.

Before leaving, he left Li Ju (a descendant of Li Feng, the 14th son of Tang Gaozu Li Yuan) as the commander of the Chang'an Military Region (left behind in Xijing) and waited for his father to return to Beijing.

After recovering Chang'an, Ye Hu asked Li Yu to fulfill his promise (to allow Hui to plunder), but Li Yu's theory was able to delay it temporarily. He said: "Now that Chang'an has just been recovered,

If the looting starts immediately, then the people of Luoyang will inevitably help the rebels defend the city together after knowing about it, and Luoyang will be difficult to overcome. Please wait until Luoyang is recovered, and then fulfill the agreement. ”

The Hui side agreed. As a result, Fugu Huaien led the reinforcements of Huifu, Nanban, and Dashi to the south around Chang'an.

They did not enter the city, and Chang'an avoided an unprecedented catastrophe. The people and sergeants of Chang'an happily praised Li Yu as the true leader of the Han and ethnic minorities (Zhenhua and Yizhizhu).

Li Heng was also glad that he had chosen the right successor, and he said happily: "I'm not as good as him."

It can also be seen from this that Li Yu's handling of the Hui issue has achieved relatively satisfactory results in all aspects. On October 23, Li Heng finally returned to Chang'an, where he had been absent for nearly two years.

The people greeted outside the city gate, and the procession stretched for more than 20 miles, dancing and jumping, shouting long live the mountains, and crying with joy endlessly.

Li Heng's personal prestige has also reached the highest, and there is no suspense about Li Yu's succession.

How did the people of Chang'an City know that when they had just driven out the rebels, a behind-the-scenes deal almost wiped them out.

Guo Ziyi and others led the army to pursue the rebels, chased to Tongguan and killed 5,000 enemies, and recovered Huayin (now Huaxian County, Shaanxi) and Hongnong (now Lingbao, Henan).

On the eighth day of October, the Tang army defeated the rebels at Wuguan (southeast of present-day Danfeng, Shaanxi) and recovered Shangluo County (the county was governed in present-day Shangzhou, Shaanxi). Under the flanking attack of the Tang army and the Hui army, the rebels were surrounded in front and back, beaten on the left and right, and were completely defeated. Li Heng and Tang Jun haven't been so proud for a long time.

At this time, An Lushan was dead, and his son An Qingxu abandoned Luoyang and retreated to Ye County (now north of Anyang, Henan).

On October 18, the Tang army entered the eastern capital of Luoyang. At this point, both capitals have been recovered, and the counterinsurgency war has achieved a major victory.

Luoyang was the main target of the Tang Dynasty to compete with An Lushan and Shi Siming. An Lushan and Shi Siming both occupied Luoyang successively and lost Luoyang. Their gains and losses in Luoyang are also the turning point for them to turn from prosperity to decline.

After recovering Liangjing, Li Mi once again coordinated the father-son relationship between Li Longji and Li Heng. He has insight into various political relationships and the psychology of politicians, so that he can make appropriate arrangements accordingly.

After several mutual concessions and temptations, Li Longji happily went back to become the "emperor".

Because he knows that even if his son really gives way, those heroes will not be willing, who is willing to be demoted to another level? The result of the transfer of power is likely to cause another turmoil, not to mention that he is already old, and his prestige and energy are much less than before.

The Tang Dynasty was temporarily settled, but the common people were far from being at peace. Hui wanted to make an unsuccessful raid in Chang'an, but he couldn't hide for a while. After the Tang army recovered Luoyang, the people had to suffer endless suffering again. (To be continued......)