Author: Xu Yunhui
(A group of pictures of "The Thirteen Generals of the Great Han")
(1) Preamble
In March 76 AD, inside the Yumen Pass, the birds and flowers were fragrant and the wind was warm, and the Guotai people were happy to be on the border; outside the Pass, it was a fierce storm of ice and snow, and the iron horse Jingo was in a hurry. A Han army that had just broken out of the siege of the Xiongnu cavalry forced itself to endure the wind and snow and hunger and torture, and supported each other to march. In this tired division, the thirteen soldiers who "wear their clothes and describe themselves as withered" are particularly eye-catching. When the majestic Jade Gate Gate appeared in their field of vision, tears of happiness and excitement suddenly welled up in their eyes.
The commander of these thirteen brave soldiers was Geng Gong, a large soldier saved by the Han Court from the siege of the Xiongnu.
(2) The car master is famous
Geng Gong (耿恭), also spelled Bozong, was born into a family of famous generals of the Eastern Han Dynasty. From an early age, he was determined to inherit and carry forward the fine tradition of his ancestors of Shangwu and serving the country, so he practiced both culture and martial arts, and when he became an adult, he was "generous and strategic, and had a handsome general." ”
After Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty expelled the Xiongnu from the Western Regions, he set up a capital in present-day Luntai, Xinjiang, to administer 36 small states in the Western Regions. In the last years of the Western Han Dynasty, the Northern Xiongnu took advantage of Wang Mang's usurpation of power in the Central Plains and made a comeback to dominate the Western Regions. The small countries in the Western Regions could not bear the tyranny of the Xiongnu and repeatedly requested the Eastern Han Dynasty to return to the Western Regions. However, at this time, the Eastern Han Dynasty was first built, and everything was in ruins to be rebuilt, and the people's livelihood was withered, and there was no time to look west. Some small countries were disappointed, and simply had milk, that is, the mother defected to the Xiongnu and attacked the tiger to disturb the border pass. The eastern Han Dynasty border was full of wolf smoke and war clouds.
With a keen sense of military smell, Geng Gong has been collecting all kinds of materials in the Western Regions and studying them in detail, taking precautions to do a good job for the future Western Regions.
The opportunity soon came: in 74 AD, the Cheshi state rebelled against the Han and surrendered to the Xiongnu, at this time, the Eastern Han Dynasty, after decades of "Guangwu Zhongxing", had recovered its vitality and had the strong national strength to expedition to the western regions. Therefore, Emperor Ming of Han appointed Dou Gu as the commander-in-chief, Liu Zhang, and others as deputy commanders, and led a large army to put down the rebellion. Liu Zhangping was extremely appreciative of Geng Gong's military talents, so he "asked Gong to be Sima (equivalent to the current chief of staff)." Geng Gong gladly accepted the invitation and embarked on a journey from then on.
Geng Gong and the Imperial Court's Western Expeditionary Army marched out of Dunhuang to "attack the Car Division", chased the Xiongnu all the way to the Tianshan Mountains, and then defeated the Xiongnu in the battle, took advantage of the victory and marched westward, taking the two countries before and after the Che Division, and breaking the rebel army.
The Han Dynasty took advantage of the situation to re-establish the Western Regions Capital Protectorate and restore the system of lieutenants (the chief of the stationary division Tuntian). Geng Gong was appointed lieutenant colonel of the Fifth Colonel, stationed at Jinpucheng (金蒲城, in modern Jimsar, Xinjiang), guarding the throats of the Tianshan Mountains to the Northern Xiongnu, and fighting with guan, a lieutenant of his own school stationed in the former state of Liuzhongcheng (劉中城, in present-day Lukeqin Town, Yanshan County, Turpan, Xinjiang).
In order to divide and disintegrate the hostile forces and consolidate the rear defense, after Geng Gong took office, he extended an olive branch to the nearby Wusun state and sent an emissary to send a letter to "show Handway." "Everyone in the kingdom of Wusun rejoiced, and sent envoys to offer famous horses", and took the initiative to send the prince as a hostage to serve the Han court. Geng Gong's friendly attitude towards Wusun made the small countries around him hesitate to wait and see take a reassuring pill and began to move closer to the Han Court. Under the powerful military shock of the Han Dynasty's Western Expeditionary Army, the sunshine of peace once again shrouded the sky over the Western Regions.
(Xiongnu leader)
(3) Defend Jinpu
A few months later, in the spring, the Western Expeditionary Army was ordered to return to Guanguan. In the vast land of the Western Regions, only the garrison of only a few hundred men and horses led by Geng Gong and Guan Yu and the Protectorate of the Western Regions with only a few hundred guards remained, like the fat flesh on three deserts, which made the Thieves' immortal Xiongnu salivate. As a result, 20,000 wolf-like Xiongnu cavalry took the opportunity to counterattack the Cheshi, and the Cheshi was facing the disaster of destruction.
Geng Gong urgently sent three hundred cavalry to aid the division, and at the same time sent Fan Qiang to Dunhuang to collect the winter clothes. Fan Qiang's idle move later became a key figure in saving the soldier Geng Gong.
The three hundred cavalry of the chariot division fell into the siege of the Xiongnu cavalry halfway through, and all of them were martyred. The Xiongnu took advantage of the situation to attack the Hou kingdom of Cheshi and kill the king of Cheshihou, encircling Jinpu City.
Geng Gong was not afraid of danger, and led hundreds of Han troops to fight with the Xiongnu's 20,000 iron horses. He was well aware that the Xiongnu people were superstitious about the gods, so he ordered the soldiers to smear poison on the arrows, which made people shout: "The Han army has the help of the arrow god, and anyone who is shot by the arrows of the Han army will be killed!" ”
The Huns were suspicious and began to attack the city cautiously. Geng Gong ordered the archers to "fire a strong crossbow to shoot it", and the Xiongnu cavalry that was hit by the arrow was poisoned by the arrow, and the part that was shot was immediately red, swollen and festering, and everyone was frightened and colorless, and retreated in a hurry. That night, "the sky was stormy", Geng Gong took advantage of the Xiongnu's horror and undecided, led his troops to take advantage of the heavy rain, sacrificed their lives and forgot to live at night to attack the Xiongnu military camp. Twenty thousand Xiongnu cavalry were caught off guard, and were "shocked" by hundreds of Han troops, and the corpses were strewn across the field, shouting "Han Bing God, really terrible!" "Runaway.
Geng Gong knew that the Xiongnu were only temporarily fleeing, and the battle below would be even more brutal. In order to hold the Western Regions for a long time, Geng Gong decided to abandon jinpucheng, which was not easy to hold, and move westward, holding on to Shule City (present-day Qitai County). Shule City is located in the northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains, facing a deep stream and abundant water. The terrain is dangerous, and it is a north-south passage to guard the Tianshan Mountains. After Geng Gong led his troops to arrive, they recruited thousands of local militiamen, actively repaired the city fortifications, and tried every means to hoard grain and materials. The Han army united in will, fought with the same enemy, and prepared to meet the Xiongnu invasion.
(4) Geng Gong worships the well
Two months later, the Xiongnu forwards approached the city. Taking advantage of the unstable foothold, Geng Gong led thousands of militiamen to face the blows and killed "Hu Riding Away." "The Xiongnu army attacked shule city, and the Han army held it to the death, severely damaging the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu changed their tactics and "embraced the stream under the city." ”
This poisonous plan to draw salaries from the bottom of the cauldron succeeded, the reserve water of Shule City was gradually exhausted, and the scorching heat and sun in the middle of summer made the defenders thirsty and impatient, and the hearts of the army began to waver. Geng Gong, with his rich geographical knowledge, concluded that there must be abundant groundwater in the city, so he dug wells at different locations. The soldiers firmly believed in Geng Gong's judgment, and worked hard day and night like rain for many days, but they "walked through the well for fifteen inches without water" and fell into the desperate situation of "drinking the dung juice of the horse".
Geng Gong calmly encouraged the soldiers: "The great Han Kingdom is prosperous, and there are gods to help!" I will never go to the end of the road! He solemnly sorted out his uniform, "Bow to the well and pray for the officials." Suddenly, a well "spring of water rushed out", and the crystalline water column rushed to the blue sky, and the multicolored colors appeared in the sunlight. The Han army roared with joy, and the fatigue was washed away by the clear well water.
The soldiers on the upper floors drank enough water, deliberately splashed water on each other, and also poured large buckets of well water under the city. The Xiongnu saw that the Han army had come back to life, and their morale was high, and they believed that there were gods secretly helping the Han army, so they withdrew in gray. Shule City turned the crisis into safety.
(5) Sticking to isolated cities
At the same time that Shule City was besieged, the Western Regions Capital Protectorate was besieged by the combined forces of the small states of Yanqi and Guizi, which surrendered to the Xiongnu, and hundreds of generals were completely annihilated. Liuzhong City, where Guan's pet was stationed, was also besieged by the Xiongnu and was in danger. The two countries rebelled and surrendered to the Xiongnu again, and served as the vanguard of the counterattack on Shule City.
There is no way out of the sky. During the siege of Shule City again, The Queen Of The King and Queen Of Cheshi secretly sent emissaries from time to time to inform Geng Gong of military information, and repeatedly risked the danger of "giving grain and pay". It turned out that Madame Wang was a "Han Chinese of the past", whose blood was thicker than water, and could not bear to sit back and watch her compatriots being slaughtered, so she risked death to save each other. Unfortunately, Madame Wang's rescue is only a drop in the bucket. Shortly after she left the barracks, Geng Gong fell into the desperate situation of "eating and being poor".
In order to survive, they set up fire to boil destroyed armor and crossbows, and pulled out the leather and animal tendons inside to fill their hunger. They and Geng Gong "died and lived together" and inflicted great casualties on the Xiongnu. Because of the fierce fighting. The defenders suffered heavy casualties, from thousands of militia and hundreds of regular troops to only "a few dozen remaining." ”
The Xiongnu admired Geng Gong's bravery and loyalty, "if you want to surrender", they sent emissaries to the city and shouted: "General Geng, if you lead your troops to surrender, shan Yu will make you the king of the White House, and find you a good wife!" ”
Geng Gong had a plan in mind and lured the Xiongnu envoys to the city in a hanging basket to interview the conditions. Before the messenger could speak after ascending the tower, he was killed by Geng Gong's "hand." In order to boost morale and deter the Xiongnu, Geng Gong hung the body of the emissary on the city tower and burned it into coke. Shan Yu was ashamed and angry, "It is more beneficial to surround the soldiers." Under the strict defense of Geng Gong and the surviving soldiers, Shule City was always impregnable, and no matter how the Xiongnu attacked, they could not go down. ”
(6) Wang Shi rescued
When the Xiongnu launched a large-scale counterattack and besieged the city, the Han court coincided with the death of Emperor Ming, so they used the national mourning as an excuse to "save the troops", resulting in the destruction of the Western Regions Capital Protectorate, and the siege of Geng Gong and Guan Yu. After Emperor Zhang of Han ascended the throne, he received a letter of distress from Guan Yu, "a meeting of the public secretaries of the Zhao Dynasty" to discuss whether troops should be sent to the rescue. Most of the courtiers opposed the dispatch of troops on the grounds that the land in the western region was barren, the property was scarce, the small countries were numerous, it was not easy to manage, and it was like a chicken rib, so it was better to give up. Geng Gong guan pet, life and death have a destiny. Fire in the distance, near the water is difficult to save.
Situ Bao Yu tit-for-tat and urged immediate troops to rescue. His reasoning was loud and clear: "When the imperial court was most difficult in the western region, it sent Geng Guan town to guard the border city. At this time, the border city was in danger, and if the imperial court abandoned the border guards, 'the outside would indulge in barbaric violence, and the inside would injure and kill the subjects.' 'In the future, when the Xiongnu invade the territory again, who will His Majesty send to fight?' Moreover, Geng Guan's second general had already fought to the point where there were dozens of men left. There were only a few dozen people in this area, but they were able to resist the siege of the Xiongnu for more than ten days, which proved that the soldiers were doing their best to serve the country! Your Majesty, are you willing to give up these Han soldiers who have repaid the country with their lives? ”
Emperor Han Zhangdi burst into tears and made up his mind: "Send troops!" ”
The imperial court adopted Bao Yu's suggestion and formed a nearby aid army with Dunhuang and Jiuquan Taishou as the main generals, leading the troops of the "three counties of Zhangye, Jiuquan, Dunhuang and Shanshan (i.e., Loulan, a small han state in the western region), combined with more than 7,000 people, and attacked the Xiongnu besieging Liuzhongcheng separately.
The Aid Western Army traveled day and night, and with lightning speed, it suddenly descended on the former kingdom of Cheshi, defeated the Xiongnu, and "beheaded 3,800 people, and obtained more than 3,000 people, 37,000 camels, donkeys, horses, cattle, and sheep." The Xiongnu were beaten to the point of disillusionment and fled the western region. The former country of the cheshi saw that the situation was not good, and once again surrendered to Han.
The commander of Liu Zhongcheng, Guan Pet, was already plagued by illness, and after hearing the good news of the Han army's heavenly arrival, he closed his eyes in relief and passed away. After the Aid Western Army drove the Xiongnu out of the Western Regions, it was estimated that Geng Gong, who was guarding the city of Shule north of the Tianshan Mountains, had already been completely annihilated, "so he wanted to lead the troops back." ”
At the critical moment, Fan Qiang stepped forward. After he went out with the army, he always believed that the old boss Geng Gong was still holding the isolated city, and repeatedly asked the team to continue to move north to rescue Geng Gong. Aiding the Western Army, "the generals did not dare to go forward, but divided the troops into 2,000 men and the Qiang, and greeted them from the north of the mountain." Fan Qiang's troops braved heavy snow as deep as Zhangyu and rushed to Shule City with difficulty.
Inside Shule City, Geng Gong led 25 surviving soldiers to see death as if they were returning home, and when they prepared to destroy the city, they died with the enemy army. At night, I overheard the noise of people outside the city, only to hear someone shouting: "General Geng, I am Fan Qiang, and the imperial court rescue soldiers have arrived!" "The generals in the city opened the gates, and the reinforcements and the defenders" wept together. At dawn, they set out on their way home together.
The Xiongnu were not willing to fail, and pursued the Han army like mad dogs. The Han army fought the enemy to the death in the snow and wind, "and fought and walked." The 26 defenders of Shule City "died along the way" due to hunger and cold or were wounded, and when they returned to Yumen Pass, "only thirteen people remained." This is the famous "Thirteen Heroes Return to the Jade Gate".
After Protecting the Western Regions, Zhonglang "washed and changed clothes" for them, and the above table highly summarized and praised the deeds of the thirteen heroes: "Geng Gong stubbornly defended the isolated city with a single soldier, and when the Xiongnu rushed, tens of thousands of people, for more than a month, their hearts were exhausted. Digging mountains into wells, boiling crossbows for food, out of the hope of death and lifelessness. Thousands of ugly people were killed and injured before and after, and all the pawns were loyal and brave, and they were not ashamed of the big Han. The righteousness of the festival has never existed in ancient times! ”
After Geng Gong returned to Beijing, Bao Yu played Geng Gong 's feast on Su Wu, and it was advisable to be rewarded by The Lord." Geng Gong was worshipped as a knight lieutenant, three assistants were promoted, and the remaining nine soldiers were all added to the Royal Forest Army and received due honors.
A year later, Geng Gong was appointed as Ma Fang's deputy, leading 3,000 men and horses to fight against the Qiang rebellion in the west, and successive battles were won. Later, he was impeached for offending Ma Fang, "sitting in prison, exempted from official duties and returned to the county, and died at home." ”
(vii) Epilogue
The significance of the Han Dynasty's rescue of the great soldier Geng Gong is far-reaching, and it is revealed to people and posterity at the time: although there are many Han and Han people, no one can give up! Although the territory of the Great Han is very large, it is not an inch more than an inch! The Great Han always has the determination and strength to defend the integrity of the territory and the dignity of the people! Chen Tang's famous saying of the Western Han Dynasty, which is still evocative to this day, has always been a serious warning of the Chinese nation to the pretenders and invaders, both in ancient times and today: "Those who commit crimes against the strong Han will be punished from afar!" ”
【About the author】Xu Yunhui, male, graduated from the Department of Chinese of Yunnan Normal University in 1984 and is now a senior lecturer at Baoshan No.1 Middle School Education Group in Yunnan Province. He has published two monographs and published more than 500,000 words in literary journals at or above the provincial level.
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