(The Woman Who Told History – No. 752) Man is incomparable, and the sea is incomparable. Today I want to talk about the legend of an ugly man, although this person is extremely ugly and lame, he is both literate and martial, and he has made great achievements for the Tang Dynasty. Most notably, he broke the tradition of ugly people who have always been inferior, but was extremely confident. When An Lushan rebelled, Tang Xuanzong pointed out to the general and asked, Who is willing to fight against An Lushan for the sake of Decay? A lame general took the lead and stood up to Xuanzong and said, I'm going to take the first rank of An Lushan! So did Tang Xuanzong really send him to conquest An Lushan? Was he really capable of killing An Lushan? The result? This issue is broken down.
One: Mao Sui volunteered himself and became a famous general's attendant
The man who claimed to take the first rank of An Lushan was named Feng Changqing (690–756), a native of the Puzhou Yi clan (蒲州猗氏; present-day Yishi County, Shanxi). He grew up poor, his parents died early, and he grew up with his maternal grandfather. Later, his grandfather committed a crime and was exiled to Anxi (present-day Kucha, Xinjiang), where he followed. Although he lived in poverty, he read a lot of books with his grandfather and had great ambitions. After his grandfather's death, he was left alone and alone, so he decided to support himself.
Feng Changqing first went to join the army, and once threw himself into the army under the command of Fu Mengling, the envoy of Jiedu in the four towns of Anxi. Later, he was not willing to be a small soldier, so he tried to find a way to get closer to some prominent figures. At that time, he admired the famous Tang General Gao Xianzhi, so he decided to defect to him. Because Gao Xianzhi was also a general promoted by the Envoy of Anxi Jiedushi, Meng Lingzhi, he was then serving as the deputy capital of Anxi and the envoy of the four towns. Therefore, Feng Changqing still had the opportunity to meet and get to know him.
Gao Xianzhi once sent an army, and there were more than thirty attendants around him, all of whom were brightly dressed and majestic, which made Feng Changqing very envious, so he also wanted to be an attendant of General Gao Xianzhi. So he volunteered himself and wrote a passionate letter to Gao Xianzhi to promote himself.
Gao Xianzhi was touched by his self-recommendation letter, but after seeing him in person, she was disappointed. Because Feng Changqing looked so ugly.
Shi Zai was not only thin and thin, but also squinting, lame, and short on his feet, so Gao Xianzhi did not accept him.
This is also understandable, because Gao Xianzhi is too handsome, he is not only handsome and handsome, but also excellent in martial arts, imposing, to that station, Ji Yu Xuanang, simply a male god. If he had a clown-looking retinue to follow, wouldn't he have made a big fuss about the scenery?
But Feng Changqing was not discouraged and submitted the book again the next day. Gao Xianzhi told him that the attendants were enough, and you didn't have to bother me anymore! In the face of this, the average person estimated that he would be dead-hearted, but Feng Changqing, who had a stubborn personality, openly accused Gao Xianzhi, saying, "I admire the general Gao Yi and am willing to serve you, so I have the courage to introduce myself, why do you want to refuse?" Judging people by their appearance will make mistakes, and in the next thought, you should still think about it. ”
But Gao Xianzhi still did not accept him. So he waited at gao Xianzhi's door every day, soft and hard. Fortunately, Gao Xianzhi had a good temper, otherwise he would have been beaten out of the stick earlier. In the end, Gao Xianzhi had no choice but to let him become one of his attendants.
Second, Feng Changqing's talent began to emerge because of a successful letter, and his name shocked the whole army
In the early years of Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao, the various departments of DaXi rebelled, and the rebels made a large area from the north of Montenegro to Shanye City into a miasma. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, was furious and ordered Anxi Jiedu to send fu Mengling to quell the rebellion. So Fu Meng Lingzhi sent Gao Xianzhi to lead 2,000 elite cavalry to attack the rebels, and was defeated. This gave Feng Changqing a chance to show his talent, but not to show his strength, but to show his literary talent.
Because Feng Changqing also witnessed the whole course of the war, he privately wrote a good report on the war in the account, which detailed the location of the garrison and the strategy and tactics of defeating the enemy, and also wrote down the local terrain and landforms very clearly, even specific to where there is a well hole, a pool of spring water, etc., which is not only detailed and well-organized, but also beautifully written. Gao Xianzhi looked at it and was greatly surprised, really genius also! Adopt now.
After returning to the army, the old doctor Meng Lingzhi came out to greet the generals of Gao Xianzhi. Judges Liu Xian and Du Gujun asked Gao Xianzhi, "General Gao, who wrote the good news that you sent earlier?" Do you even have such talents in your account? Gao Xianzhi replied, "It was written by my attendant Feng Changqing, how?" Is that good news written? Liu Xian and the others greatly appreciated, "Cow people! The general has this person to help, it is my Great Tang luck also! At that time, they gave up their seats to Feng Changqing and talked to him, and they all thought that he was a wizard. Since then, Feng Changqing's name has shocked the whole army. He was also awarded the post of Commander of Diezhou for his merits in quelling the Rebellion of Daxi. After that, he also awarded the posts of town general, Guo Yi, and Fold Chong with military merit.
3. Feng Changqing made great military achievements in the conquest of the Great and Small Buru State
Since then, Feng Changqing has done a good job under Gao Xianzhi, rising step by step, and he has become very heavy with Gao Xianzhi, and has almost become his right and left arm. In the sixth year of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang 's reign ( 747 ) , Feng Changqing accompanied Gao Xianzhi in attacking the small state of Bolu ( in present-day northwestern Kashmir ) that was dependent on Tubo. In December of the same year, Gao Xianzhi replaced Fu Meng Lingzhi as the envoy of the four towns of Anxi for his military achievements. Feng Changqing, because of his meritorious service in battle, was appointed by Gao Xianzhi as a recorder of the Qingwang Palace to join the army, and he was given a purple goldfish bag as a judge. Soon, he added a doctor who was in charge of the warehouses and tuntian of the four towns of Anxi. Feng Changqing was also conscientious and conscientious in his work, and he was quite accomplished, after which Gao Xianzhi went out on expeditions and often ordered Feng Changqing to be the envoy to stay.
If you think that Feng Changqing is a green leaf that is used to foil Gao Xianzhi, then you are wrong.
Feng Changqing is a text
military
The all-rounder, even if he was separated from Gao Xianzhi, could still be alone.
A few years ago, Feng Changqing had accompanied Gao Xianzhi to break the small Bolu Kingdom, and this time it was time for Feng Changqing to make a great deal of power.
A few years after the Kingdom of Xiaobolu was destroyed by Gao Xianzhi, the State of Great Bolu (present-day Baltistan, Kashmir), which bordered it, launched another rebellion, so in the twelfth year of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (753), Feng Changqing was ordered to personally lead a large army to attack the Kingdom of Great Bolu. Because at that time, Gao Xianzhi was reappointed as the envoy of Hexi Jiedushi, and Feng Changqing had already served as the envoy of Anxi Jiedushi. When the Tang army entered the city of Bodhisattva Lao (around present-day central Kashmir), because the vanguard troops had won many victories, Feng Changqing wanted to take advantage of the victory to pursue, and defeated the enemy with a single blow.
However, at this time, Duan Xiushi, who rebuked Houfu Guoyi, calmly entered the advice, and he said: "Thieves and soldiers, bait me, please prepare left and right, search its mountains and forests." "Meaning, the enemy may have been defeated, deliberately luring me deep into its hinterland and then ambushing us. He suggested that Tang Jun carefully search the mountains and forests next to him to see what tricks the enemy was playing. Although Feng Changqing was conceited, he still humbly adopted his suggestion, sent troops to search in the forest, and sure enough, found the ambush troops, so the Tang army was not soft, and fought hard, defeating the Dabo Law Army. After this war, the Great Bury State was forced to surrender to the Tang Dynasty.
During His tenure as envoy to Anxi Jiedu, Feng Changqing used both military and diplomatic means to quell the rebellion of the Gelulu tribe in the Altai Mountains to the north, and to reconcile with the Arab forces west of the Onion Ridge to the west, and the situation in the western region became increasingly stable. Due to the management of Feng Changqing, the Tang Dynasty re-established harmonious relations with the ethnic minorities in the Western Regions, laying a good foundation for the participation of ethnic minority armies in the suppression of rebellion in the Tang Dynasty in the later stages of the Anshi Rebellion.
Fourth, Feng Changqing ruled the army strictly and killed Zheng Deyi with a staff.
Feng Changqing acted decisively, rewarded and punished clearly, and governed the army extremely strictly. When he was the envoy, he dealt with one thing very harshly.
Gao Xianzhi's nursing mother has a son named Zheng Deyi, who grew up with Gao Xianzhi since childhood, and can also be said to be a milk compatriot, and the two are as close as brothers. At that time, Zheng Deyi served as a general, although his official position was much lower than that of Feng Changqing, Feng Changqing was equivalent to a big housekeeper in a large region, and Zheng Deyi was only equivalent to a big housekeeper of a family, but the family he was responsible for was more special, it was Gao Xianzhi's family, plus his relationship with Gao Xianzhi was not ordinary, so he was very self-righteous, flying in the army, and did not look at the ugly-looking Feng Changqing at all.
Every time Feng Changqing returned from an errand, all the generals went to see him, but Zheng Deyi was very arrogant and did not perform military salutes. Presumably, he would secretly scold Feng Changqing in private: "This little stinky kidnapper!" Once he even rode past Feng Changqing's side on horseback, as if he hadn't seen the chief. In ancient times, this was a crime, a contempt for military rules. So Feng Changqing prepared to clean up Zheng Deyi to zhengjun wei.
On this day, Feng Changqing sent someone to summon Zheng Deyi, and after closing the door, he said to Zheng Deqing: "Although I Feng Changqing was from a humble origin, I also followed General Gao for a long time. Why is it so rude, bullying me, ignoring military rules and state law? When the arrogant Zheng Deyi still wanted to defend himself, Feng Changqing said angrily, "Imaro will have to die temporarily to suppress junrong!" ”
So Ling left and right zheng deyi sixty times, because the shot was too heavy, zheng deyi was beaten to death.
When Mrs. Gao Xianzhi and her nursing mother heard the news, they cried loudly and went to report to Gao Xianzhi. But Gao Xianzhi was also helpless, who let him be arrogant and rude? Therefore, he did not blame Feng Changqing, and of course Feng Changqing did not apologize. This matter Feng Changqing may have done too much to beat people to death; but first of all, Zheng Deyi is also too disrespectful to others, and good villains are also your superior leaders, and you look down on people when you look ugly? And where did your status come from? You are Gao Xianzhi's brother, and Feng Changqing is also Gao Xianzhi's brother, why don't you understand this truth? Later, Feng Changqing killed two more generals who had committed crimes, so that his prestige in the army was completely established.
Fifth, exert self-confidence to the extreme, Feng Changqing volunteered to go to the counterinsurgency of An Lushan
In the fourteenth year of Tianbao (755), An Lushan launched a rebellion, first targeting the eastern capital Luoyang. Tang Xuanzong panicked, because after decades of prosperity, Tang Had been sending troops to fight foreign countries at every turn, and he was no longer accustomed to hearing about internal rebellions. Therefore, Li Longji hastily summoned ministers such as Yang Guozhong and others to discuss the matter.
At that time, Feng Changqing, who was the envoy of Anxi Jiedushi, happened to be ordered to enter the dprk to do business, and had not yet left Chang'an. Tang Xuanzong also summoned him to the Huaqing Palace for advice. The emperor was very angry at the rebellion of his son An Lushan, and after he scolded An Lushan for being ungrateful, he asked, Who can go on a crusade against An Lushan for the sake of An Lushan? Without waiting for others to answer, Feng Changqing took the lead in standing up and said, "The subject is willing to go!" "It is estimated that Yang Guozhong, who was on the side at the time, would secretly laugh, look at your little look, thin as a hemp pole, or a small kidnapper, even walking is not good, and you still want to sacrifice ugliness?"
The words below Could Seal Changqing shocked Tang Xuanzong and all the people. He said, "An Lushan led 100,000 troops, and he invaded my Central Plains, which was too arrogant!" The Central Plains have been peaceful for a long time, and people do not know the war, which is indeed not a trivial matter. However, things have gone against the grain, and the situation has changed.
I asked myself to rush to Luoyang, Tokyo, open the treasury, recruit xiao yong soldiers, carry horse sticks and horse whips to cross the river, and it would not be long before I could take the first rank of An Lushan and hang it on the gate!
(The subject asked the horse to go to Tokyo, open the treasury, recruit Xiao Yong, pick up the horse to cross the river, and count the days to take the head of the reverse Hu hanging under the que.)
As soon as Feng Changqing's bold words came out, Tang Xuanzong immediately turned from worry to joy and "strong words." He soon made a decision, and Ren Feng Changqing was appointed as Fanyang Jiedu, to Luoyang to defend and attack An Lushan. In addition, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang also appointed his sixth son Li Huan (李琬) the Prince of Rong as a marshal, and the right Jinwu general Gao Xianzhi as a deputy marshal to fight thieves in the east.
Feng Changqing did not stop, and soon arrived in Luoyang. He acted vigorously and recruited soldiers and horses as soon as he arrived in Luoyang. Sure enough, within a few days, sixty thousand soldiers were recruited. But Feng Changqing misjudged the situation at that time. First, he underestimated the strength of An Lushan, who had been preparing for rebellion for a long time, and his soldiers were all heroic and good at war; at the same time, he also overestimated his own strength. Because there had been no war in the Central Plains for a long time, the people had lost their vigilance, and although he had recruited 50,000 or 60,000 people, most of them were nomads, hired workers, and so on, and their combat effectiveness was very poor. Although there were many people, ostensibly the Tang Dynasty army,
In fact, it is a miscellaneous army
。 In this way, Feng Changqing took this miscellaneous army and began the defense of Luoyang.
In order to prevent the rebels from crossing the Yellow River and attacking Luoyang from the north, Feng Changqing ordered the demolition of the Heyang Bridge, the only passage on the Yellow River, and held firm at Luoyang. But soon, the Yellow River froze, and An Lushan's army successfully crossed the Yellow River, and the soldiers pointed directly at Luoyang. At this time, Luoyang had no danger to defend, and Feng Changqing led his army into Wulao (Tiger Prison Pass) to block the rebels. An Lushan soon captured Chen Liu (Kaifeng) after crossing the river, and the elite of the rebel army was not expected by Feng Changqing. An Lushan then attacked Xingyang and then attacked Luoyang to the west.
Feng Changqing wanted to fight the rebels to the death in Wulao. However, as soon as the battle began, Feng Changqing knew the strength of the rebels. In the face of An Lushan's Tiger and Wolf Division, the tens of thousands of Tang army's men appeared to be very amateurish, and they collapsed with one blow, and tens of thousands of horses fled west like a tidal wave. Feng Changqing's army retreated until it reached Kwai Garden, east of Luoyang City, before finally gathering some troops and beheading nearly a hundred enemy troops, but the main force of the enemy army soon attacked again, fought again, and lost again. Therefore, Feng Changqing then collected his troops and fought with the rebels inside the upper east gate of Luoyang, and was defeated again. On December 12, Luoyang fell, and the rebels burned and plundered.
The defense of Luoyang ended in a crushing defeat for the Tang army. Feng Changqing retreated to Gushui and ran west to Shaanxi Commandery (陕郡, in modern Sanmenxia, Henan), where he met Gao Xianzhi. He informed Gao Xianzhi of the battle situation, and the two felt that it was difficult to confront the rebels at present, so they decided to retreat to Tongguan.
The An Lushan rebels soon pursued tongguan, and because Gao Xianzhi led the crowd to resist, the rebels were unable to attack. Later, due to Feng Changqing's repeated military defeats, he was stripped of his official position by Tang Xuanzong, and he could only serve in Gao Xianzhi's army as an ordinary sergeant. Gao Xianzhi's overseer was called Bian Lingcheng, who was tyrannical and interfered many times in military affairs, and Gao Xianzhi thought that he did not understand the military and did not obey much, which made Bian Lingcheng resentful. Therefore, Bian Lingcheng added fuel to the emperor the defeat of Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing's troops, and framed them for withholding military grain, etc., "Changqing shook the crowd with thieves, and Xianzhi abandoned Shaanxi for hundreds of miles, and stole the grain of the soldiers." ”
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was furious and sent Bian Lingcheng to behead Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing on January 24, 756.
When Bian Lingcheng arrived at Tongguan, he first summoned Feng Changqing and read to him the holy decree to behead him. Feng Changqing said: "Changqing is therefore immortal, he cannot bear to defile the country, he is killed by thieves, his rebellion is ineffective, and his death is willing." "Feng Changqing wrote a statement of kindness in advance, which showed his bold loyalty to the imperial court and hope"
His Majesty beheaded his subjects under the city and admonished the generals", but also proposed some strategies for the imperial court to attack An Lushan, and before dying, he was still worried about the safety of the Tang Dynasty.
After Feng Changqing handed the watch to Bian Lingcheng, he did not complain and killed with his head held high. Then Bian Lingcheng beheaded Gao Xianzhi again. Before gao Xianzhi died, he looked at the corpse of his old partner Feng Changqing and said, "Changqing, you went from poor to prominent, I promoted you, you acted on my behalf as a jiedushi envoy, and I died here with you today, which is also destined." The Gemini constellation of the Tang Empire "Gao Feng Combination" that shook the western region fell together.
The killing of Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing was a great mistake of the Tang Dynasty, and this erroneous disposition of Tang Xuanzong was simply self-destructive, causing the Tang Dynasty to lose two famous generals with great combat experience, causing the hearts of the army to waver, and also causing serious adverse effects on the pacification of the Anshi Rebellion. Facts have proved that the strategy of Feng Changqing and Gao Xianzhi to return to Baotongguan is very correct, and if this plan is implemented, the Anshi Rebellion will never be fought for 8 years, causing a serious decline in the Tang Dynasty.
Judging from Feng Changqing's life, he was first of all unfortunate, his family was poor, and he was extremely ugly and disabled; but he was also lucky, through his own efforts, he met the famous general Gao Xianzhi and made great achievements for the Tang Dynasty; but in the end, because of too much self-confidence and even conceit, he led to the tragedy of his own killing.
However, when the country was in trouble, he stepped forward and volunteered to resist the rebels, and his spirit was admirable enough!
（
）
References: Old Book of Tang, New Book of Tang, etc.