A few days ago, Ding Yuan and Pei Ye of Taiyuan, in the name of the governor of Bingzhou and the prefect of Taiyuan, asked Wang Rou to lead the Huns' Zhonglang general to go south to rescue Taiyuan.
But Wang Rou just read these sincere letters and left them alone.
Because the system of protecting the Xiongnu Zhonglang General was independent of Bingzhou, even Ding Yuan, the governor of Bingzhou, had no order to ask him to send troops.
But later, Dong Zhuo used the name of the Kansai court to challenge Wang Rou and asked him to send troops to help Ding Yuan, but he still couldn't do it.
Why?
It's not that Wang Rou is so domineering and arrogant that she doesn't even listen to the court's orders, but that he really can't escape.
As one of the most important officials in northern Xinjiang, the most important responsibility of the Hunszhonglangjiang is to supervise, manage and even control the southern Huns.
It has been nearly 200 years since the Southern Xiongnu moved inland, almost becoming an external vassal of the Han Dynasty. During this process, the Han Dynasty also formed a certain degree of management over the area where the Southern Xiongnu was located.
The shogunate of the generals who protected the Huns was the most important institution.
Originally, the Protecting Xiongnu Zhonglang Shogunate was just an empty supervisory organization at the beginning, but as the organization became increasingly complete, the Protecting Xiongnu Zhonglang would gradually begin to have the power to manage the people of the southern Xiongnu.
Of course, this struggle for the right to govern the herdsmen did not happen overnight. The Han Dynasty, represented by Hu Xiongnu Zhonglang, and the Shanyu of the Southern Xiongnu and the nobles of various tribes fought over this issue for more than a hundred years.
At the beginning, when the Southern Xiongnu first took shelter under the wings of the Han Dynasty, they were weak and needed the protection of the Han Dynasty, so the Great Chanyu's power was not strong either.
But with the collapse of the Northern Xiongnu, the Southern Xiongnu began to gain unprecedented advantages in politics, manpower, and material resources. At that time, the Southern Xiongnu had almost 400,000 people and 100,000 people who controlled the strings, making them the strongest in northern Xinjiang after the Han Dynasty.
power.
At that time, the Southern Xiongnu wanted to inherit the power of the original Xiongnu Empire, mix the north and the south, and merge into one country, but the Han Dynasty did not agree.
Conflicts between the two sides gradually arose, and the Southern Xiongnu rebelled several times, but were suppressed by the Han Dynasty.
It was also the several counter-rebellion wars against the Southern Xiongnu that made it impossible for them to become an independent country like the Xiongnu during the Han Dynasty or the Northern Xiongnu before that, and could only be a vassal of the Han Dynasty.
At this point, the shogunate, the general who protected the Xiongnu, officially participated in the management of the 100,000 southern Xiongnu tribes in the Meiji area.
The Han Dynasty adopted dual management of the Southern Xiongnu. That is to say, while retaining their original tribal organization, the tribesmen were also managed by the line management of the Han Dynasty's guardians and generals.
If a criminal case occurs between herder tribes, the jurisdiction that should have belonged to the tribal chiefs is now under the control of the shogunate.
It's just that different people follow different laws. If the Han people under their rule break the law, they will be punished according to the Spring and Autumn Annals. If the Huns break the law, they will be punished according to the traditional customs of the tribe.
But there is a special situation, that is, after the Huns enter the army, they will be implemented according to Han law. Because the Han Dynasty loves to use southern Xiongnu soldiers to fight foreign wars, and in order to unify management, they all follow Han law. Their military laws include:
"Those who send troops to evade with orders, those who are forbidden to ride horses when going on an expedition, those who return without military orders before going out, those who graze and hunt during the camp, and those who do not lead their armored soldiers to rescue when friendly forces invade, will all be punished with animal punishment."
Later, when the Southern Huns soldiers were used to participate in internal operations, a few more items were added:
"Those who lose their horses when going on an expedition, those who are good at selling armor, bows and arrows to the locals, those who refuse to advance when encountering the enemy, those who kill civilians indiscriminately, those who mistreat captured people, those who engage in soldiers and looting, those who regard good people as lowly, and those who kill indiscriminately, will be severely punished.
.”
It can be said that the Southern Xiongnu were strictly managed by the Han Dynasty.
These people naturally resisted, but every resistance resulted in failure, followed by a round of more intense control.
In this process, the general who protected the Xiongnu Zhonglang also fully controlled the economy of the southern Xiongnu.
Up to now, most of the food, clothing and other supplies of the Southern Xiongnu are transported from the mainland. For example, in the Meiji area, tens of thousands of business travelers stay all year round, all belonging to the powerful families of Taiyuan.
These people brought salt, brocade, and cattle and sheep fur from the Southern Huns. The huge trade exchanges made Meiji City a pearl on the grassland.
But now this pearl on the grassland is covered with blood. This is why Wang Rou has no time to send troops south.
It turns out that the current Xiongnu Chanyu Qiangqu is a little unable to suppress Xiutugehu below.
The cause of this incident is related to the Taishan Army's march south.
Xiutugehu is one of the traditional royal clans of the Xiongnu. They used to herd cattle in the Yunzhong area, and many of these tribes were in the Yanbei area. During the chaos in the Daibei grassland before, Xiutugehu suffered a lot of losses.
After the Taishan Army came later, they quickly captured Pingcheng. However, Xiutugehu, who stayed nearby, knew that the Taishan Army was strong, so he evacuated the pasture.
After that, the Taishan Army captured Yanmen Pass and quickly entered the Han basin area. These Xiutu Gehu knew that something was wrong.
Because according to the traditions of the Han people in the past, the Huns would definitely be conscripted at this time. However, the various tribes in Xiutu were already frightened by the combat power of the Taishan Army. An incident that happened before only added to their "Taishophobia".
That is, the Tuoba tribe, which had risen to become the regional hegemon, was quietly destroyed by the Taishan Army. How could they dare to provoke the Taishan Army?
And sure enough, soon the news spread from Bingzhou that the Huns Zhonglang General would send reinforcements.
Now Xiitu Gehu couldn't sit still. They began to make noises and unite many tribes, and began to oppose sending troops.
In fact, the various ministries under the Southern Xiongnu royal court had deep conflicts with the Han Dynasty, especially the shogunate who protected the Xiongnu Zhonglang.
This matter is said to be an unjust case on their part.
About ten years ago, the new Shanyu Tu Teruo chased the Zhonglang general Zang Min out of Yanmen to attack Xianbei Tanshihuai. After that, he returned with a great defeat. Shanyu also died that year.
Later, his son Huzheng was Shanyu, but the next year he was killed by Zhang Xiushan because of a disagreement with Zhonglang General Zhang Xiu.
This is an injustice. You must know that not to mention a great chanyu, even a county magistrate of Qianshi would not commit suicide without permission. In addition, Huzheng’s father died for the Han Dynasty, and his father died for the Han Dynasty. He shed blood and worked hard for his life, and in the end his son was killed.
Do you think this is unjust or not?
Therefore, the Han Dynasty also realized that the problem was serious and quickly drove Zhang Xiu back to the court and executed him to pay for his crime.
But the hatred and humiliation of the Huns were buried like this.
And another point is that the current Chanyu Qiangqu was not elected by the Huns, but was established by Zhang Xiu after he killed Hu Zheng.
Even after Hu Zheng died, the Han people did not determine the legal status of the new Chanyu according to past traditions.
As a vassal of the Han Dynasty, the Southern Xiongnu needed Zhonglang's generals and soldiers to mourn the death of the old Chan and the establishment of a new Chan, offer wine and rice as sacrifices, and divide the troops to protect them.
Then he entrusted the new chanyu with a seal, a royal crown, three robes of crimson robes, a sword for the boy, and a crimson belt. He also gave four thousand pieces of silk, and ordered them to be rewarded to all the kings, including the Duke of Gudu and below. .
It can be said that after this set of procedures, Shanyu was recognized by the Han Dynasty and the Huns.
But the current Qiangqu did not follow this process, so although he is a Chanyu, many tribes do not recognize him.
Xiutu Gehu took advantage of this to connect various tribes. For example, among the four noble clans of the Xiongnu, the Huyan, Lan, Xub and Qiulin clans all opposed sending troops.
These four tribes are all descendants of the Chanyu who have been intermarrying with each other for many years, and they have deep prestige within the Xiongnu.
So when these people all opposed sending troops, the pressure was put on Shanyu Qiangqu. But Qiangqu couldn't handle this, so he put the pressure on Wang Rou.
At this time, Wang Rou was having a headache about this matter.
Wang Rou actually wanted to save Taiyuan very much. Not only did the emperor order him to save it, but he also wanted to save Taiyuan for personal reasons.
He himself is from Taiyuan County, and his clan members and sangzi are all there. How can he just sit back and watch?
But he also understood that the current turmoil among the Southern Huns was not false. If these people were forced to send troops at this time, a great chaos would be right in front of them.
Because of this, Wang Rou was very worried. He used to be a Confucian general of Yan Ranruo, but now his face was swarthy, his beard and hair were gray, and his face was haggard that was visible to the naked eye.
His current thinking is that if the Huns really cannot mobilize, he can only use the shogunate's three thousand cavalry, which includes the shogunate's generals, officials, soldiers, servants, and vassals.
But this small amount of troops cannot solve the dilemma at all. Didn’t Gai Xun, the general of Liao Dynasty, take 3,000 cavalry away before, and then what? Now he has died at Yanmen Pass.
Wang Rou didn't want to die like this. He had great ambitions when he was young. When he was still in office, he and his younger brother Wang Ze went to visit Guo Tai, a famous scholar in the same county. Guo Tai said that he would have a prosperous official career in the future, and everything would go smoothly.
So like Wang Yun, he also gained fame through Guo Tai's guidance. But he is different from Wang Yun, that is, his family background is better than Wang Yun. When Wang Yun wanted to be the leader to head-on the eunuch group, he Wang Rou has successfully become a filial and honest man.
After that, he served as a minister for three years, was exiled for three years, and returned to the court as a servant for three years. Then, when he was thirty-five years old, he was appointed as the prefect of Jiuyuan in northern Xinjiang.
After many years of his military career, his clothes were stained with dust, the blood in his hands became thicker and thicker, his official position became bigger and bigger, and his demeanor became sophisticated and smooth.
It can be said that everyone who has come into contact with Wang Rou will sigh that Wang Shuyou is a person who is not arrogant or impetuous when encountering problems, is far-sighted, and is a talented person who serves as a public servant.
It was precisely because of his talent in civil and military affairs that he attracted a group of strong generals to serve them in northern Xinjiang.
But now that the situation has reached this point, he decided to use some tricks.
While protecting the Xiongnu Zhonglang General's shogunate, he quietly ordered several warriors:
"You all are ready. When the people from the Hun Royal Court arrive, I will raise my glass and you will rush out and kill those people."
Yes, Wang Rou has decided to use force to trap and kill those who oppose sending troops, such as Xiutugehu, Huyan, Lan, Xubu and Qiulin.
Since you won't listen no matter what you say, we can only destroy you. This Xiongnu soldier, Wang Rou, is holding them hostage.
He had even made a plan to kill the Qiangqu Chanyu along with him if he didn't cooperate. Anyway, he could easily establish another Chanyu like this.
After making up his mind, Wang Rou even helped Luan to divine the bad luck, and the result was positive. So he did it without any hesitation.
Now he has told these people to come to the shogunate to accept his adjustment. When these people come in, he will send them away.
In the dark monastery, Wang Rou's face was sinister and determined, and she no longer looked as graceful and kind as before.
At this time, there was a commotion outside the shogunate, and suddenly some staff rushed inside and shouted:
"General, please stop slaughtering the rebels."
Wang Rou was shocked:
"What?"
For a moment, the shogunate was in chaos, everyone exclaimed.
The Hongmen Banquet became a banquet for soldiers.
In the tenth month of the second year of Taiwu, Xiu massacred all Hu rebels and killed Wang Rou, the middle man and general who was protecting the Xiongnu. He also joined forces with the Hu from the left of the southern Xiongnu and killed his chanyu.
King Youxian, the son of Chanyu of Qiangqu, succeeded him in Fuluo and established him as Chanyu. He slaughtered all the barbarians and established Xubu Guduhou as Chanyu. They attacked each other.
After being defeated in Fuluo, he led thousands of his troops to the south and went south to Loufanguan to join the Bingzhou army.
Originally, he wanted Ding Yuan to support him and fight back again, but at this moment, Ding Yuan could no longer care about this down-and-out shanty.
Because the battle at Yangquyikou has reached a critical moment.
…
On October 20, outside Yikou Pass, there was the Taishan Army camp.
There were candles and sparks in the tent, and a horse whip hit the word Yikou on the map.
Then Xu Huang, the vanguard general of the Taishan Army, looked around at the generals present and said in a muffled voice:
"All of you here are fierce generals on the battlefield. I don't know how many tough and bloody battles I have fought with the king, so I never doubt your courage, nor do I doubt that this Yikou Pass will be captured by us in the end. But I
I have to say, this time, I don’t care what means you use, and I don’t care about your casualties, I just want Yikou Pass.”
All the generals in the tent sang in unison, and they were about to start the night attack on Yikou Pass according to the scheduled schedule.
But at this moment, an urgent cry came from outside the tent:
"Captain, the king's messenger is here."
Xu Huang took a deep breath and quickly led the generals out of the tent to greet him, only to see that the envoy was Han Hao, the general of the Taishan Army's collision team.
Due to his outstanding military exploits in the Suppression System, this man was recently promoted to the Cross Collision System as a team leader. When he came, he was accompanied by a young mountain man.
After that, Han Hao and Xu Huang discussed secretly for a while. When Xu Huang came out again, he said to the generals:
"The original plan remains unchanged, we attack Yikou Pass at night."
The generals, who had been waiting anxiously for a long time, sang together and then filed out of the camp.
That's how the war broke out.
…
Under the Yikou Pass, the lights were bright, and the Taishan Army attacked fiercely as soon as they came up.
What was unexpected was that the Han army at the pass turned out to be very tenacious. Within an hour, the Taishan army launched three fierce attacks, but they were all defeated by the Han army at the pass.
Because the road in front of the pass is steep, most of the siege equipment of the Taishan Army could not be used at all. They could only use the most primitive method, carrying ladders, braving arrows, and desperately attacking ants.
However, the Han troops who had closed the gate were condescending, smashing them with huge rocks and hitting the ladder with bumping poles. There was a cry from below, the ladder was knocked down, the ladder frame fell apart, and dust flew up.
But the dark night cast a protective color on everything, and everyone was full of blood. No matter what, they were instantly covered with blood and flesh, and the level of tragedy was the most severe since the Taishan Army entered Bingzhou.
However, as time passed, the Taishan Army climbed up the pass defense and came into close contact with the Han Army. At this time, Xun Ling, the guard guarding the first pass wall, was shaken. He realized that the first line of defense could no longer be defended, so he prepared to withdraw to the back.
.
At this moment, a military flag rushed down from the mountain behind and rushed directly in front of Xun Ling.
Then before Xun Ling had time to explain, a cold light flashed and his head flew out.
Everyone was shocked because the murderer was Xun Cheng, the chief of police, and he was also Xun Ling's uncle.
The officials glanced at Xun Cheng, whose face was bloody, said nothing, and went back to kill him with their swords.
A moment later, the Taishan Army outside the pass rang out the golden sound.