Chapter 460: Meeting in Chang'an!
Surrender without a fight!
This was a huge blow to the imperial court.
That is Hulao Pass, the most critical pass in the important town of Xingyang, a place that military strategists must fight for. According to the court's estimation, as long as they defend the city, they can easily hold off the princes from Guandong for a year or two!
result……
When the court officials looked at each other, it seemed as if there were countless words hidden before their eyes, which were the passing of human hearts.
Confidence is the most important thing to maintain a regime, especially in ancient dynasties. The defense of a city can change the fate of a dynasty.
The most famous is the Ming Dynasty.
Baozong was defeated, and the generals did not open the city gates, thus delaying the speed of the Oirat army and the Ming Dynasty was preserved.
The most crucial step for Emperor Taizong of Ming, Zhu Di, to capture Nanjing was to keep the city gates open. Otherwise, he would have been alone and deep in the city, where the walls were high and thick, and the outcome would have been uncertain.
Similarly, during the reign of Chongzhen, the Ming Dynasty might have been able to defend against Li Zicheng's attack and wait for Wu Sangui's arrival, but the city gates were directly opened, and the Ming Dynasty was destroyed.
Most importantly, Liu Dan no longer believed in the generals and officials on the front line. He glanced at the officials with a cold eye and slowly said, "The rebels in Guandong are coming aggressively, and Hexi is also unstable.
When the Chu and Han were contention in the past, Emperor Gao led the heroes to confront the overlord Xiang Yu in Xingyang, while the Marquis Wu Mu of Huaiyin swept across the northern princes, and finally encircled Xiang Yu in Xiangying and established his rule over the world.
Marquis Xingyang is my brother-in-law and will never surrender, but I am worried that he cannot fight against the rebels in Guandong.
Now I want to follow the example of Emperor Gao and lead the army to confront the rebels in Guandong in Xingyang, and then send generals to Hexi to defeat the Western Regions coalition forces, so as to relieve the worries of Guanzhong. The defense of Wuguan Pass is the top priority. In the past, Emperor Gao broke through the pass and destroyed Qin from Wuguan Pass. I don't want to repeat the same mistake. "
Guanzhong is easy to defend but difficult to attack, but the passes in the east are even more difficult to break through. The passes facing the Hexi Corridor are not strategic, so we must first defeat Hexi before we can focus on the east.
Liu Dan's military talent was worthy of the trust of the ministers. The court officials, who were full of thoughts and worries, agreed to the emperor's plan.
The next day, an express messenger arrived in Chang'an after a journey of 800 miles and rushed straight to the imperial palace. Liu Dan's eyelids twitched and he had a bad premonition.
"Your Majesty, the Marquis of Xingyang took over the defense of Henan County with the golden seal. The rebels from Guandong attacked Xingyang day and night. Civil strife broke out in Xingyang. The governor of Henan County killed the Marquis of Xingyang and said that for the sake of justice, we must raise troops and surrender the city to the rebels from Guandong. Xingyang was lost, and the rebels from Guandong attacked Luoyang!"
"boom!"
"Henan County..."
When the princes of Guandong wrote to the emperor for the first time, Liu Dan placed his important ministers in the key positions leading from Guandong to Guanzhong. He did not expect that they would betray him. It was as if he was hit by a heavy hammer. Liu Dan sat on the ground in despair, unable to recover for a long time.
…
Xingyang.
Countless troops passed through here, including infantry and cavalry. After incorporating the rebels and refugees from the Kanto Uprising, they had become regular imperial field armies both in terms of quality and quantity.
Such legions were only recruited by the emperor in the event of a large-scale expedition because the cost of maintaining them was too high.
The best thing about the coalition forces of the Guandong princes is that their goal is extremely clear. This is a battle of peace. For the rebels and refugees, this is a battle of revenge. Most people only need to provide food and there is no need to provide military pay.
Los and others looked at the endless stream of soldiers. They couldn't see the end of them when they looked up, and the end of them when they turned around. Their high morale and pure spirit were rarely seen in the world, and they all felt a little emotional.
The situation of the Jingnan Army was so good that even the Jingnan princes were a little surprised, especially the defense line of the important town of Xingyang.
Many of the princes who participated in the Jingnan Campaign were prepared for a tough battle here. Some had even proposed opening up a second battlefield and reversing the route taken by Marquis Wu Mu of Huaiyin.
Or he could have led the cavalry directly from Liaodong in a detour of a thousand miles and attacked Guanzhong along the route of the Huns' invasion that year, but was stopped by Yinghou Luos and Luhou Lu Chan.
“The human heart.”
This is what the two said when they were persuading everyone. In the end, the important town of Xingyang was really taken in ten months, which was amazing.
"The governor of Henan surrendered so quickly. The imperial army has no intention of fighting at all. The Xingyang defense line that Xiang Yu, the leader of the army, could not break through is as fragile as a piece of paper. It's just like a dream."
Luo Si and Lu Chan looked at each other, smiled, and said to everyone with a smile: "My lords, does the victory or defeat in this world depend on the strength of the city?
Look at Hulao and Xingyang, such easy-to-defend and indestructible cities, but they could have been used to block the attack, but they surrendered directly. This is why strong cities cannot be relied upon.
The same principle applies to a sharp sword and a strong armor.
Can't you see clearly the demise of the tyrannical Qin Dynasty?
The general trend of the world lies in the support of the people. The tyrant has lost the people's hearts, and we have gained the people's hearts, so victory lies with us.
The princes are united, the soldiers are willing to obey orders, the people support us, the trend of the world is under our control. Who can stop the surging river?
Who will stop it? "
Los's words were both inspiring and a secret warning. If you don't pay attention to the people's hearts, Liu Dan's fate now will be your fate in the future.
"Ying Hou, you are right!"
No one knew that a similar conversation had taken place in the four Hexi counties. The news of the uprising in the four Hexi counties shocked the kings of the Western Regions.
It was not until now that I understood what Luo Shi said when he went to war, "Half of the troops of the Western Regions Protectorate should be left behind to guard against the restless countries such as Wusun and Dayuan. The Temple Army should also be left behind. We don't need so many troops to attack Hexi. People's hearts are with me, so naturally some people will lead their troops to surrender.
I will lead my army from the Western Regions to the East, in the name of obeying the will of Heaven and pacifying the rebellion, and I will mobilize 100,000 troops to follow me into Guanzhong!"
…
The nobles in Chang'an all had their own information channels. They might not be very clear about the specific war situation between the imperial court and the princes from Guandong, but they generally knew which cities the princes from Guandong had captured. This was especially true since the princes from Guandong fought openly to create public opinion and mental pressure.
"The disloyal and rebellious beasts have breached Hulao Pass!"
Some people deliberately slandered the Jingnan Army.
"The treacherous traitors from outside the Great Wall have entered Xingyang!"
The news changed drastically in just a few days. "Go to Luoyang to stop the rebels. They are burning, killing, looting, and committing all kinds of evil. They are not a righteous army at all. How has Your Majesty treated the people of Chang'an over the years? Isn't it worth trusting?"
People's hearts are like water, and it is very easy to incite them. Many people in Guanzhong have begun to believe it. If it were not for the Luo family on the opposite side with such high prestige and credibility, they would probably have spontaneously taken up arms and joined the army by now. The most important thing is that the situation in Guanzhong is not as serious as that in Guandong. After all, Sang Hongyang lived in Guanzhong, so he did not dare to do so.
"Rebels from Guandong have occupied Luoyang!"
The situation changes three times a day. The strong cities and dangerous passes are like paper. Liu Dan doesn't care about anything now. He directly recruits able-bodied people from Guanzhong and collects food and military supplies from the people to supplement the army and form a large army. He wants to personally go into the battlefield to compete with the princes in Guandong!
After the Guandong lords captured Luoyang, they were greatly encouraged and occupied it. "After taking Luoyang, Nanyang is within reach, and Hedong is within easy reach. This is the momentum of the countries in the past. Guanzhong cannot stop it!"
Yes, Guanzhong cannot be stopped, this is the consensus of everyone. In the past, the attacks of various countries on Qin failed because of the lack of unity among the people, otherwise Qin would have been unstoppable. Now the princes in Guandong are united and have already arrived in Luoyang. In terms of manpower, material resources, and the court are all doomed.
"Gentlemen, a journey of a hundred miles begins with a single step. You must not become arrogant at this moment. We have not yet completely won the victory."
"There are three routes before us now. One is to enter Guanzhong from Luoyang along the ancient Xiaohan Road. One is to enter Guanzhong from Nanyang via Wugu Pass. The other is to enter Jinzhong and then cross the river."
These three routes each have their own advantages and disadvantages. Hangu Pass has lost its former power of being able to hold off ten thousand with one man blocking the way, but it is still a famous dangerous pass. Entering Nanyang is too risky, and no one knows what the Han royal family members in Nanyang will do.
"Divide the troops!"
An unexpected voice sounded, and everyone looked over with confusion on their faces, "We have too many troops. No matter which direction we go, it will be a waste. We can't take advantage of our large number of soldiers and generals at all."
Everyone's eyes lit up. Yes, the Guandong coalition now occupied 70% of the world's population, with large numbers of soldiers and generals. Even if they were divided into three groups to attack the pass, they could be fully rotated. Without many twists and turns, the coalition was quickly divided into three. After a short rest, they took out the last of their food reserves and set out on the journey again.
The princes of Guandong, who were pursuing a quick victory, had no time to organize the restoration of production. Now was the time to fight for their lives. The same was true for Guanzhong. Liu Dan didn't care what to do next year if he didn't plant spring seedlings this year. He forcibly conscripted the people of Guanzhong, and a large amount of corvee and military service were imposed on them. Both sides sharpened their knives to the fastest speed, wanting to stab the other side to death with one blow.
The first battle to attack Hangu Pass was bloody and brutal. The army that entered Nanyang quickly joined forces with a part of the Han royal family to defeat another wave. Then the combined forces attacked Wugu Pass. In front of the pass, blood and flesh were flying, and the shouts of killing shook the earth. The morale of the Guandong coalition forces was high, while the defenders inside the pass were wavering between surrender and confrontation.
"The princes of Guandong have breached Hangu Pass!"
"The princes of Guandong have breached Wuguan and are attacking Lantian!"
"The princes of Kanto have crossed the river!"
News spread like wildfire across Guanzhong: "The Western Region coalition forces have invaded Longxi County!"
The continuous news was like the last straw that broke the camel's back, and Liu Dan's mentality completely collapsed.
"The Jingnan Army has arrived outside Chang'an City!"
In Changle Palace, Liu Dan angrily killed the envoy who tried to persuade him to surrender, and roared angrily, "I will never surrender. Put on my armor. I will fight this group of traitors to the death!"
————
At dawn on April 15th year of Yuanzheng, all the princes came to Mount Li outside Han and swore an oath.
The princes of Guandong were delighted and said, "How impressive! The people of the Western Regions are! How impressive! The people of the Eastern Lands are!
The Han royal family, the kings and dukes, the heroes and heroes, the merchants, the craftsmen, the farmers, all rejoice. "
The princes beat the third drum, offering sacrifices to the Su Wang Shang Huang, and said: "The emperor now uses treacherous words, cuts himself off from heaven, cuts himself off from earth, cuts himself off from the people, destroys the three principles, deviates from human morality, causing the people to lose their homes and suffer. Therefore, we must now issue a joint order to carry out heaven's punishment, obey our ancestors, rise up and show our power, and deter tyranny. This must not happen again, and it must not be done for a third time!"
After the oath was taken, the princes gathered 500,000 soldiers, 50,000 armored soldiers, and 100,000 horses, and deployed their troops at Mount Li.
Please give me a monthly ticket.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
