Chapter 245 The changes in history, the great wave swept over
The Wei State, which occupied the eleven states of the Central Plains, succeeded the Zhou State, and prospered for more than two hundred years, witnessing many changes in the long river of time, many Many people who live on this land grow old, get sick and die.
During this long period of time, the world was peaceful. Except for occasional natural disasters, there were few human disasters. The Wei Dynasty, which inherited the Zhou Dynasty, continued this peace. In Zhao Chuanting's lifetime, his two sisters , married the kings of Liang and Qi respectively, further consolidating the peace in the northwest.
People are accustomed to such a peaceful world and have forgotten about wars. They only heard about small-scale wars on the borders of the five countries of Yue, Wu, Yan, Liang, and Qi, and they were nothing more than talk after dinner.
Later, an uprising broke out in the Yan State, and many people watched the scene even more happily. When they heard that their own troops had sent troops to invade Fenzhou, many people rejoiced, as if they were going to witness a hundred years of silence in their generation. The Wei Dynasty opened up territory and expanded its territory.
However, when the butcher's knife of the beacon fire fell on their heads from the north, they still did not change their view. The small country of Zu'er in the north was difficult to compare with the wealth of the Central Plains. What's more, the Wei State had strong soldiers and horses, how could it lose?
When the military front spread, a series of defeats accumulated in people's minds. The two-hundred-year-old Central Plains power's self-confidence was gradually shattered.
The prosperous and peaceful era fell into a gray and bleak situation in a few months.
The army of Yan State cut through the waves and rushed outside the capital of Wei State without any hindrance. The trembling people waited for hundreds of thousands of troops, and even soldiers and horses from the four countries. They cheered as if they had seen each other. Disillusioned, he left dejectedly.
However, when hundreds of thousands of Wei troops were wiped out and the capital city was breached, it was difficult for everyone to sleep that night, listening to the hysterical fighting on the city walls and the sound of galloping horses in the streets outside. A thrilling feeling.
Soon, the emperor, known as the King of Bears and Tigers, died.
The entire Luyang fell into the hands of the Yan army, which they despised.
During this period of time, many wealthy gentry and wealthy households were robbed by the Yan army, but they did not harm the people. As a result, many gentry and wealthy families began to sell their properties outside the city and fled one after another.
However, when they left with real money, horse teams rushed to the states with letters of surrender, which embarrassed them. Some of them were unhappy and called on the states and counties to rise up and resist, but such voices It had no effect, because the family forces behind it, such as Long Qiao, the Minister of Household Affairs, and Yuan Feng, the Minister of War, had a certain influence in various states.
They prefer the Central Plains to be peaceful and the family to be fine.
After all, the Yellow Turbans are still wreaking havoc. From the mouth of the King of Xia, I learned that the outbreak of the Yellow Turbans was all caused by Zhang Jiao, the national master of the Yan State. In the near future, the other party will stop all religious activities and come to Luyang. An audience with King Xia of Yan Kingdom.
They passed through Ganzhou, and the Taiping Taoist believers who had been wreaking havoc everywhere surrendered one by one. The bandits who took advantage of the fire were attacked by these Yellow Turban believers. In just a few seconds, the war-torn Ganzhou and Linzhou returned to peace.
From here to Yangzhou, up is Guangjizhou. This is the second state that the Yan army passed through in the south. There are four counties and thirty-six counties. Almost as soon as the surrender letter came, they chose Submission.
No one knows better than them how powerful the army under the command of King Xia of Yan State is. Shangzhou, which is separated by a river from Yan State further up, has surrendered to the whole state. It was once the king of Xia of Yan State. The bridgehead, since the landing, the nearby states and counties have long been conquered, all the soldiers and horses have been killed, and there is no other way except surrender.
To the west, Huizhou, which is closest to Luyang, was suspicious because of the death of Zhao Guangshi. Then an old Huizhou general named Meng Tuo came back with the Tiefeng Yijie Army, and the entire Huizhou surrendered soon after.
The soldiers and horses from the Four Kingdoms who had been invited were fleeing like crazy along the prefectures and counties until they entered Meizhou in the northwest of the Central Plains. News of Emperor Wei's death also spread here. The remnant soldiers who retreated to Liang State took this with them. The horrifying news rushed to the capital of Daliang - Xidu.
Mid-August.
The air is dry, and the sky in the northwest seems to be covered with a thin layer of sand and fog.
The breeze blows, and the dark-skinned shepherd exposes his skinny chest to let the wind blow on it, watching the flocks of sheep moving and eating the grass, a smile on his calloused face.
Not far away, two children with pigtails ran over happily and picked up little figures on a pile of soft soil. Soon after, the sound of fast horses sounded on the road, making people laugh. The two children stood up and stared.
Several sturdy knights, holding swords and bows, walked along the official road around the bend at the foot of the mountain, and rushed forward, crossing a small river flowing southward. A simple and magnificent city in the distance gradually appeared in the field of vision.
The Western Capital of Daliang.
The city has experienced several wars but has not been overthrown. It is mottled with traces of wind and rain erosion, as well as the dirt left by war and blood. It has merged with the years and turned into the texture of this ancient city. symbol.
There is no doubt about its role. While it blocks the seventy-six countries in the Western Desert, it also blocks the trade between the east and west. The northwest is barren, and it only collects taxes from the trade on both sides, which is enough for it to stand. It has not failed for more than three hundred years.
Connecting trade between the east and west, there are a large number of Hu people from the Western Regions in the city, as well as Xirong people from the north. The buildings here are completely different from those in the Central Plains to the east. Most of the buildings are made of rocks made of bones and loess rammed into meat. It has a strong Western style, and you can still see felt awnings and roofs from time to time.
Pedestrians come and go in the uneven streets, and the sound of silk and bamboo from the Central Plains is also mixed with the long tone of Hu.
Going along the long street, at the end is the magnificent imperial city, extending inward, with a domed hall, where many civil and military ministers in white and purple robes are discussing national policies, saying Conflicts between states.
As a young emperor, he argued vigorously with his ministers and leaders of various tribes, and then gave his opinions, but every time, the emperor wearing a golden crown and red robe would look aside. His mother, the Empress Dowager Zhao Xifeng of Daliang.
"Queen Mother, what do you think of what I just said to the ministers and tribal leaders?"
The military system of Daliang is different from that of other countries. Most military units are composed of tribes, and civil servants They were promoted by Daliang alone and participated in governing the country.
But as an emperor, he naturally has his own army.
On the side, the grey-haired Empress Dowager Liang laughed, and the golden hairpin on her head trembled with laughter. She looked at the red-faced tribal leaders arguing below and shook her head: "People's hearts are selfish, and each tribe will of course seek benefits for their own tribe. However, such a system is not good for the emperor. Liang has experienced five civil strife in three hundred years. This system must be changed."
< br>"Yes." The young emperor nodded, looking away at the arguing crowd below with a hint of pain, and then faced outside the hall, looking at the golden sunshine, "...this point , I agree with the Queen Mother, and have been following the example of my uncle in the Central Plains, slowly changing the military system, and turning the tribes into a complete army, instead of what they are now."
"Well, you have to think carefully. Be careful and don't be like the emperor of Yan who broke up his family."
Zhao Xifeng paused the crested golden staff in his hand, "You can learn from your uncle on this point. The younger brother of the Queen Mother, he is the Lord of the Central Plains, the King of Bears and Tigers, with extremely powerful soldiers and horses.”
The gray-haired old woman had some excitement on her face. It had been many, many years since she got married and she had not been back to the Central Plains. Her brother's appearance had become blurry in her memory.
Everything we know is from letters home and from information passed on by the post office.
"What the Queen Mother said is that my uncle has recruited an army of 400,000 this time to besiege Yan's lone army from all sides. I want to learn more about this idea and strategy."
< br>The twenty-five-year-old emperor's voice was slightly hoarse and low, and his eyes calmly turned to look at Zhao Xifeng. Then, he spoke to the quarreling tribal leaders below to ask them to stop.
The debate below is that after the victory, 45,000 troops were sent out. How many gifts should the Wei State in the Central Plains give them in return, and how to distribute them. After all, 45,000 people, except the emperor Five thousand of them, and the remaining 40,000 were formed by warriors drawn from various tribes. The young emperor Tuoba Kui stood up and raised his hands.
“Haha, don’t argue anymore. It’s not too late to argue when our warriors bring back the gift from the Emperor of the Central Plains. If we can’t argue, I will set up a powerful platform and you will each send your warriors to fight. Whoever wins will get more."
"Then it will be up to your Majesty!"
"Humph, it will all depend on who is the bravest!"
One. The ministers looked at the tribal leaders who were wearing animal skins like they were drinking blood. They shook their heads and turned away with a sigh. They all admired the knowledge of the Central Plains. If they were officials there, they would be much better than here. of.
At the same time, outside the city, among the soldiers and horses returning from the Central Plains, several captains with fast horses rushed into the Western Capital covered with stars and moonlight, and then rushed into the imperial city, and the sound of shouting spread.
"Central Plains Urgent Report——"
In the main hall of Daliang Imperial City, the court meeting was ending. They did not pay much attention to the war in the Central Plains. The northwest was barren and most of them relied on taxes. Collecting property, and then feeding many tribesmen, they also competed with the Xirong people in the north for some pastures rich in water and grass.
They have strong folk customs, but they may have many things to deal with.
"Today's court meeting will end here. When the war in the Central Plains is over, I will ask my uncle in the Central Plains to give you some more gifts." Tuoba Kui's voice was gentle, and he simply waved his sleeves. Queen Mother Zhao Xifeng on the side opened her eyes and nodded with a loving smile: "The Central Plains is rich in resources and has strong financial resources. If you leaders want to go to the Central Plains to see the colorful world in the future, I can also send you to see it. Just to say hello. The greeting thing.”
Her younger brother is the hero of the Central Plains, and the leaders of each tribe know these things.
Just as everyone laughed and bowed their hands in response, the sound of horse hooves galloped outside the palace, and several unkempt generals rushed in and worshiped on the ground.
"Your Majesty, the Queen Mother... our more than 40,000 warriors in Daliang... were defeated by the Yan State. General Xi Feng and General Li were beheaded by them..."
With sadness The sound echoed in the hall, ringing extremely clearly in everyone's ears, like a thunderous explosion, deafening. Emperor Tuoba Kui pursed his lips tightly and turned his head to look at his mother, Zhao Xifeng. The latter was stunned for a moment, as if something was stuck in her throat.
She asked softly: "What happened next?"
"The general and others escaped back...I heard rumors on the way...Luyang was captured, Emperor Wei committed suicide, and nine states in the Central Plains had surrendered..."
Hearing the news of my brother's death was like a bolt of lightning. The Empress Dowager Liang's mind exploded.
Throwing the golden phoenix staff in her hand, it hit the generals in front of them. She gritted her teeth and glared in her eyes.
"Nonsense!! How could the great country of the Central Plains... be destroyed so easily! You must have been defeated, trying to excuse yourself and looking for excuses! Drag me out and chop them down!"
"Mother! (Queen Mother)" Tuoba Kui interrupted her, and the tribal leaders and civil servants below also stood up.
The old woman knew that she had lost her composure. She nodded, turned and left the hall. Soon after, more precise news came back, which was exactly the same as what those generals had said.
"Ah!" She closed her bedroom and cried loudly.
As for Qi State, which reaches the Xirong Grassland in the north, the King of Qi State who also received the news was also shocked by the news. He was timid and cautious by nature. If the Queen hadn't blown the wind, he would have sent troops. He was unwilling to use troops to help her brother, let alone 45,000 men.
Qi State is sparsely populated, and in the autumn and winter of last year when Xirong went south, he was even more reluctant. However, Wei State in the Central Plains is a big country, and they are related by marriage, and his princes are still If you want to call Zhao Chuanting uncle, how can he not help?
Now that the news came that Zhao Chuanting was dead and nine of the eleven states of Wei had surrendered, he became so nervous that he couldn't sleep for several days.
"Damn... they are all soldiers who have fought in hundreds of battles. What if they take revenge on me? What if Yan State unites with Xirong and attacks Qi State from the north and south?"
When he thought of this, he became a little nervous. So sad.
And when his queen heard the news of her brother's death, she smashed everything in the palace. She set up a mourning hall for Zhao Chuanting and asked her husband to raise troops to avenge his brother!
The country of Yue.
The emperor grasped the news and his hands trembled slightly unconsciously. He was such a ruthless person. He killed 400,000 people forcefully. Who dared to touch him?
He frowned, pinched the paper tightly, and his eyes were sinister.
About the turmoil in the Central Plains, the army that came out from the north defeated 400,000 enemies, captured the capital of Wei in half a day, and forced the Wei Emperor to death. News is pouring into various countries crazily and continues to spread in various countries. States ferment.
There are not many examples of this kind of victory over more with less, but it is so terrifying to do it in such a short time, it is frightening.
The figure of Emperor Wu dismissed the court meeting and walked alone among the gardens of the harem. Thinking of sending troops to assist Wei, he was worried after all about how he would respond if the other party pursued him.
On the other side, he was also weighing in his mind whether his army could resist and for how long.
After a few days of anxiety, an envoy from Vietnam came...
...
At the same time.
Another news is spreading quietly in the northwest.
In the hands of King Xia of the Yan Kingdom, there is the art of immortality that can rejuvenate youth.
I will continue writing later, and finally I have dealt with the background plot in a general direction
(End of this chapter)