PFC Chapter 338: Legend on the Silk Road
Chapter 338: Legend on the Silk Road
[A national hero who recovered four thousand miles of mountains and rivers with his own strength, but few people know his story. Historical trivia and historical figures]
This is a passionate legend on the Silk Road. A little-known national hero achieved extraordinary feats by his own efforts and recovered more than 4000 miles of mountains and rivers that had been lost for a hundred years.
This event is still recorded in the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang. This man was Zhang Yichao, the leader of the Guiyi Army, who was born in Tibet and ended up in the Tang Dynasty.
During the Tang Dynasty, the Hexi Corridor was rich in grain and an important region for foreign trade in the Central Plains. However, in 755 AD, the prosperous and powerful Tang Dynasty experienced an unprecedented catastrophe - the An-Shi Rebellion.
At that time, there were no soldiers left to defend the Guanzhong area. In order to quell the rebellion, the imperial court transferred the soldiers stationed in Hexi and Longyou areas to the front line.
However, this also gave Tubo an opportunity to take advantage of the situation and more than 10 prefectures and counties in Hexi and Longyou, with a population of one million, were all swallowed up within a few years.
In 781 AD, Shazhou finally fell. The Central Plains dynasty never received any official news from the Hexi Corridor again, and the people of the Tang Dynasty ruled by Tubo began a miserable life of slavery. The Zizhi Tongjian records that all Tang people who were able to work had to have a slave mark tattooed on their faces.
The young and strong were forced to farm and herd, while the old had their eyes gouged out and their limbs cut off cruelly, and then abandoned in the wilderness to die.
After the Anshi Rebellion was quelled, separatist regimes of local warlords emerged one after another in the Tang Dynasty, the central government was slow to be stabilized, and the imperial court was still unable to recover the Hexi and Longyou regions.
Those people who had hoped to return to their homeland countless times had their hopes dashed time and time again. In 799 AD, Zhang Yichao was born into the richest family in Shazhou.
It was because of this strong family background that the Zhang family was not invaded by the Tibetans. During his growing years, Zhang Yichao personally experienced the brutal rule of the Tibetans and saw too many deaths and separations.
Although he was born under the rule of Tubo, he yearned for the legendary Tang Dynasty and especially admired the famous general Guo Ziyi.
Therefore, on the one hand, he studied military tactics to improve his combat capabilities, and on the other hand, he accumulated strength and was determined to return the Hexi Corridor to the Tang Dynasty.
Later, King Langdarma of Tibet banned Buddhism, not only forcing monks to return to secular life and marry, but also forcing them to become hunters and butchers. Anyone who disobeyed was slaughtered.
King Langdarma was assassinated by a monk in 842. His death directly led to a fight for the throne between his two sons, which led to a long-lasting melee between the generals.
In 846, the passionate Li Chen ascended the throne and became Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. Taking advantage of the internal turmoil in Tubo, he sent the Jiedushi of Hedong directly to attack and defeated the enemy in Yanzhou in 847, and sent the Jiedushi of Fengxiang again in 848. This time, he won a great victory and recovered three states and seven passes.
Zhang Yichao, who was already 49 years old, finally saw the opportunity. He and his friends started an uprising in Shazhou and successfully occupied the Shazhou area.
Zhang Yichao was ready to send the victory news to Chang'an, but the two places were thousands of miles apart, and the route also had to pass through more than 10 prefectures and counties controlled by Tubo. It was very difficult to accurately send the news back to the Tang Dynasty.
So 10 groups of messengers were selected and set out from 10 different directions. Although Zhang Yichao's cavalry received the response of many people and quickly formed a powerful force, in order to return the entire Hexi Corridor to the Tang Dynasty, he had to fight from Dunhuang all the way to Ganzhou and Liangzhou.
Moreover, Tubo immediately organized a large army to counterattack after its defeat, so it seemed almost impossible for Zhang Yichao to take over a dozen states and counties on his own.
However, after years of studying military tactics, Zhang Yichao was already prepared for combat in various scenarios.
So he set up an ambush, lured the enemy deep into his territory, pretended to be defeated, led the Tibetan army into the encirclement, and then led the Tibetan army to attack directly. The Tibetans suffered another great defeat. Zhang Yichao's reputation spread throughout the Hexi region.
In the past 50 years, 10 out of the original 9 groups of messengers had lost contact. It was a monk named Wuzhen who completed the mission after arduously bypassing the desert.
After reading the document, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was very excited. He praised Zhang Yichao and others for their loyalty, bravery and meritorious services, and promoted him to the position of Defense Envoy of Shazhou.
At the same time the documents arrived in Chang'an, Zhang Yichao had already recovered other states and counties one after another.
Every time he fought in a place, he would restore the Tang Dynasty's system, language and culture, so that more and more people would join the rebel army.
Zhang Yichao's power continued to grow, and he eventually conquered all regions except Liangzhou. In 851, he sent a second mission to send all the information about the 11 states to Chang'an. At this point, the Hexi Corridor, which had been occupied by Tubo for nearly a hundred years, was almost completely returned to the Tang Dynasty.
In order to show his loyalty, Zhang Yichao left his brother Zhang Yitan in Chang'an as a hostage, and the court officially conferred titles on Zhang Yichao and others. From then on, this righteous army against Tubo was called the Guiyi Army.
The geographical location of Liangzhou is very important. After the defeat of Tubo, all the remaining troops were concentrated here. In order to completely achieve the goal of recovery, Zhang Yichao personally led 858 cavalry to Liangzhou in 7000. Tubo had been cultivating Liangzhou for many years and would never give up easily.
Therefore, this war was a life-and-death battle for Zhang Yichao. After three years of war, the city of Liangzhou was already piled with bones, and the Tubo troops were finally exhausted.
At this point, more than 4000 miles of land in Hexi and Longyou were all returned to the country. The people of Hexi praised Zhang Yichao's heroic deeds: "Hexi had been occupied for more than a hundred years, and the land was sunken and the news of the geese at Xiaoguan was cut off. Thanks to the general, he opened the way back and made the world happy with his heroic spirit."
Zhang Yichao continued to lead his troops to attack the heartland of Tubo, and fought all the way to the Qinghai Lake area, completely reducing the threat posed by Tubo to the Central Plains dynasty.
After that, Tubo repeatedly colluded with other ethnic groups to cross the border, but they were severely defeated by Zhang Yichao every time. He once took the initiative to attack before Tuyuhun invaded, and beat Tuyuhun so hard that he fled in embarrassment.
Zhang Yichao then led his troops in pursuit for more than 1000 miles, and even captured three prime ministers of Tuyuhun alive in their territory. He then beheaded them on the spot as a display of public responsibility, and returned in triumph after seizing 3000 livestock.
The Hexi region became increasingly stable under Zhang Yichao's management, and the economy and production began to develop rapidly at that time.
However, at this time, news suddenly came that his brother had died in Chang'an. The 69-year-old Zhang Yichao once again made a surprising decision. He wanted to use his loyalty to prove to the Tang Dynasty that no matter where he was born, he was a convert to Chinese culture.
Zhang Yichao then took his family to Chang'an and was recruited by the court as the commander of the Shenwu Army. He eventually passed away five years later at the age of 5.
A 855cm long painting of Zhang Yichao leading his troops on a journey is still preserved in Cave 156 of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang.
[The best general of the Northern Song Dynasty, one mistake led to the loss of an important opportunity to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. Historical trivia and historical figures]
He was a clear stream during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Although he destroyed the hostile regime with his own hands, he won the admiration of his opponents for his just actions and saved the people from brutal massacres.
However, he was wise throughout his life, but was confused for a while, which caused the Northern Song Dynasty to lose an important opportunity to recover the lost territory, which became the biggest regret of his life. Let's find out in this video.
Cao Bin, the best general of the Northern Song Dynasty, was born in 931 in Zhending (now Lingshou County, HEB Province). He served in the Later Han regime of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms as the Chengxuanshi. Later, Cao Bin's aunt married Guo Wei, the Privy Councilor of the Later Han Dynasty, who established the Later Zhou Dynasty and proclaimed himself emperor in 951. The 20-year-old Cao Bin thus became a relative of the Later Zhou Dynasty and was recalled to the capital by Guo Wei, serving in Yang Ye's army.
It was precisely because of Cao Bin's status as a relative of the emperor that some ministers treated him with special courtesy. Not only did Cao Bin not put on airs as a relative of the emperor, but he was even more respectful to these ministers.
In 954, Chai Rong succeeded to the throne of the Later Zhou Dynasty and became Emperor Shizong of Zhou. At that time, Zhao Kuangyin was a general of the imperial army, and many officials were eager to establish a relationship with him. During this period, Cao Bin was a close confidant of Chai Rong, mainly in charge of tea, wine and other supplies.
Zhao Kuangyin once asked Cao Bin for wine, but Cao Bin did not try to please him. Instead, he directly rejected Zhao Kuangyin's request, believing that public property should not be given away at will.
Zhao Kuangyin therefore admired Cao Bin's impartiality and selflessness and invited him to banquets many times. However, Cao Bin never visited him unless it was official business.
Later, he was appointed as the commander of Tongguan, and then promoted to the envoy of Xishanggemen. In 958, he was ordered to go on a diplomatic mission to Wuyue, and the monarch of Wuyue had great respect for his character.
When he was about to return to the court, he was given a large amount of money and property. After repeated refusals, Cao Bin had no choice but to accept it.
However, after returning to the court, he registered all of them and handed them over to the government. Chai Rong once gave these properties back to him, so Cao Bin distributed them all to his relatives and friends.
One day when he was appointed as the military commander of Jinzhou, he was discussing matters with other generals in the wild when the messenger came to deliver a letter. However, Cao Bin was dressed very plainly and did not look like a royal relative at all. The messenger had to confirm several times before he dared to deliver the letter.
During the chaotic era of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, emperors changed frequently and people did not dare to imagine what their fate would be tomorrow.
Therefore, most kings and ministers were only concerned about how to make money, but Cao Bin was definitely a rare clear stream at that time.
In 960 AD, Zhao Kuangyin launched the Chenqiao Mutiny, seized control of the Later Zhou regime, and changed the country's name to the Great Song. Cao Bin returned to Zhao the following year, and Zhao Kuangyin asked him why he had deliberately alienated him.
Cao Bin replied: "As a close relative of the Later Zhou, I must be an upright official, so I dare not make friends rashly to avoid criticism."
Zhao Kuangyin was very satisfied with his answer, so he entrusted him with important military tasks and appointed him as the Left Shenwu General in 963.
Although Zhao Kuangyin established the Song Dynasty, the Later Shu, Northern Han, and Southern Tang regimes still existed at that time. Zhao Kuangyin therefore issued an edict to attack Shu in 964. Cao Bin, the chief eunuch, once ordered the generals to restrain their subordinates and resolutely prohibit the killing of civilians.
Zhao Kuangyin specially issued an imperial edict to commend him for this. However, after the fall of Hou Shu, some generals began to plunder the people constantly and ignored Cao Bin's persuasion. As a result, the old generals of Hou Shu quickly gathered more than 100,000 people to fight against the Song army.
Although Cao Bin quelled the war, it also caused a lot of unnecessary losses. After returning to the court, all the generals were punished, and only Cao Bin was rewarded by Zhao Kuangyin.
In 974, Zhao Kuangyin decided to launch an attack on Southern Tang. However, the main purpose of this attack was to fight for a complete Southern Tang. He not only wanted to obtain the land of Southern Tang, but also to win the hearts of the people of Southern Tang.
Cao Bin then took over as commander-in-chief in October 974 AD, and adopted a strategy of besieging Nanjing without attacking, forcing Li Yu, the ruler of Southern Tang, to surrender as soon as possible.
After a year of siege, the consumption of the outer main forces and internal supplies of the Southern Tang had become very serious. Cao Bin therefore decided to launch a general attack on Nanjing in November 975.
However, Cao Bin knew very well that the generals were very angry after a year of military operations, and would certainly massacre the city on the day the city was captured. What Zhao Kuangyin wanted was not a dead city.
Cao Bin pretended to be sick on the day of the deployment. Later, the generals came to visit him, but they were very confused when they saw Cao Bin, because the commander in front of them did not look sick at all.
Cao Bin then told everyone that he was suffering from a mental illness. He was worried that the soldiers would burn, kill, rape and loot when the city was broken. In this way, he would not be able to complete the emperor's order and would feel guilty towards those innocent people.
Everyone was very moved by Cao Bin's words, so they expressed their willingness to follow his words and made three rules at Cao Bin's request: in addition to prohibiting the harm of the people in the city, they must not be disrespectful to the monarch of Southern Tang.
The next day, Nanjing was captured by the Song army, and Li Yu of the Southern Tang was sent to Kaifeng Prefecture. Cao Bin did something outside the Southern Tang court that moved everyone.
He knew very well that Li Yu would live a life of dependence after arriving in Kaifeng, and the salary given by the state was not high, so he asked Li Yu to take as much gold and silver as possible before leaving, and organized a special transportation team for him.
Otherwise, once the Southern Tang was taken over by the Song army, these properties would not be able to be moved. However, Li Yu, who had already lost his country, did not do so, and only took away some daily necessities.
The Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun were ceded to the Khitan by Shi Jingtang of the Later Jin Dynasty in the Five Dynasties. This was not only a great humiliation for the Central Plains dynasty, but also allowed the Khitan to advance southward unhindered and at the same time unite with the Northern Han regime to deal with the Central Plains.
Cao Bin once followed Zhao Kuangyin to attack Northern Han in 968 and won several battles, but failed due to the assistance of Khitan.
In 976 AD, Zhao Guangyi succeeded to the throne. After taking the throne, he was still prepared to destroy the Northern Han Dynasty and discussed it with Cao Bin who worked in the Privy Council.
Cao Bin made a very detailed analysis of this and believed that the Song Dynasty could completely defeat the Northern Han with its current military strength.
Zhao Guangyi decided to lead the army in person, and led the main forces including Cao Bin and Pan Mei to besiege Taiyuan of Northern Han. At the same time, based on the experience of Taizu's failure, he sent troops to defend against the Khitan reinforcements at Shiling Pass.
In this battle, the reinforcements sent by the Khitan suffered a great defeat. The Northern Han envoys in the army were captured by the Song army and then escorted to the city of Taiyuan and beheaded.
When the Northern Han learned that there was no hope of reinforcement, chaos broke out internally, and its monarch Liu Jiyuan had no choice but to open the city and surrender, thus the Northern Han was destroyed.
Cao Bin's analysis and suggestions played a crucial role in the victory of this battle.