Introduction: Since the Han Dynasty opened up the Western Regions, successive dynasties have stationed troops and set up management institutions in the Western Regions. Due to the key geographical location of the Western Regions and the economic value of the Silk Road, it continues to attract the attention of nomadic regimes. From the Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty and the nomadic regime in the western region, the game has not stopped, and many heroic deeds that can be sung and wept have occurred in this land for the sake of national interests. "Thirteen warriors entering the Jade Gate" and "White-haired Turtle Zi" are among the famous events, and in this article we will tell in detail about the thirteen warriors entering the Jade Gate that occurred shortly after the Eastern Han Dynasty reopened the Western Regions. The loyalty of the soldiers to the motherland and the love and righteousness of the hardships and hardships among the robes have touched this generation of people.
After Wang Mang usurped the throne and established himself, his rule was unpopular, and Green Forest Chimei and other rebel armies rose one after another. During this turbulent period of dynastic change, the administration of the Western Regions Capital Protectorate was useless. The Northern Xiongnu seized the opportunity to occupy the area again, which lasted until the Eastern Han Dynasty restored the Western Regions Capital Protectorate. In 45 AD, shortly after the establishment of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the western states were dissatisfied with the cruel exploitation of the western region by the Xiongnu and sent emissaries to Luoyang. This time, the Eighteen Kingdoms of the Western Regions were very sincere, and sent princes from various countries to request the Eastern Han Dynasty to send troops to restore the Western Regions Capital Protectorate for protons. Since the Eastern Han Dynasty had just ended its turbulent period, it still needed some time to recuperate to recover. Therefore, after refusing the request of the countries in the Western Regions, the Han Dynasty once again sent troops to the Western Regions 30 years later.
The historical background of the thirteen warriors returning to the Jade Gate
Nearly 30 years after the proton request of the Eighteen Kingdoms of the Western Regions, in 73 AD, Ban surpassed the Western Regions. With his wisdom and bravery, Ban Chao led thirty-six men to attack and kill more than 100 envoys of the Xiongnu, forcing the submission of Shanshan and Khotan to the Han Dynasty. The following year, the Eastern Han Dynasty rebuilt the Western Regions Capital Protectorate on this basis, and the town guarding the Western Regions was Geng Gong and Guan Yu, who were appointed as lieutenants of the Peng Dynasty. After the Han Dynasty army defeated the Xiongnu forces in the western region, in addition to leaving 3,000 troops to defend the western region, most of the army returned to Jiuquan.
The Western Regions were a rich land, and during the reign of the Northern Xiongnu, they continuously provided the Xiongnu with countless cattle, sheep, food, and war horses. The so-called from frugality to luxury, from luxury to frugality. The Xiongnu, who were accustomed to having such a large profit on a regular basis, were willing to give up the Western Regions, so the Xiongnu simply wanted to drive the Han Dynasty forces out of the Western Regions before the Han Dynasty had completely completed its control of the Western Regions. Therefore, the Xiongnu took advantage of the opportunity of the Han Dynasty army to return to Jiuquan and quickly sent troops to capture cheshi, killing the queen of cheshi and besieging Jinpu City, where the Han army was stationed. It should be known that there are only a few hundred brothers of Geng Gong in Jinpu City, and jiuquan's reinforcements are still thousands of miles away. Geng Gong and other generals could only fight the enemy alone and defend the territory of the Han family.
While vowing to resist to the death, Geng Gong sent emissaries to the capital Luoyang to request support
The Control of the Army in the Eastern Han Dynasty was still very strict, so although the Han Dynasty army was in Jiuquan, it could not send reinforcements without the will of the capital. Geng Gong's envoy Fan Qiang had no choice but to come to the capital Luoyang to ask for reinforcements, but just in time for the death of Emperor Hanming and the succession of Emperor Zhang of Han. Therefore, for the time being, it was impossible to take into account the war in the western region, and half a year had passed since the dust settled. The emperors and courtiers of the Han Dynasty were all considering whether Geng Gong and other generals were still alive. Can sending reinforcements make a difference? In the end, a decision was made: Bai Geng Bing was made the general of The Expedition to the West, in charge of border affairs. Qin Peng commanded six thousand troops and rushed to the western region to rescue the trapped soldiers.
Geng Gong was the nephew of Geng Yi, the twenty-eighth general of Yuntai. In the past six months, there have been countless fierce wars, and Geng Gong has retreated to Shule City. At this time, Chen Mu, the capital of the Western Regions, had already been killed in battle, and Geng Gong and others had also suffered heavy losses and only a few dozen people remained. During this half-year campaign, Geng Gong and other soldiers faced a desperate situation several times: in order to break through Geng Gong took advantage of the thunderstorm night of lightning and thunder, he led hundreds of soldiers to raid the Xiongnu camp of tens of thousands of people. Only then did he take advantage of the enemy's paralysis to flee to Shule City and hold on to Shule City. In shule city, Geng Gong recruited warriors, and the ranks grew to thousands.
When the Xiongnu could not conquer for a long time, they cut off the water source of Shule City, and Geng Gong had to dig a well to get water. In the historical records, this experience is very mythical, and Geng Gong, who could not play with water, gushed out of the spring after the worship. The people of Shule were saved, and the Huns had to retreat again.
The Book of Later Han records that the Xiongnu then held the stream under the city. In the city, there was no water for fifteen wells, and the officials were thirsty and thirsty, and drank the dung of the horses. Gong Yang sighed: "I heard that the general of the second division of the past drew his sword and stabbed the mountain, and the flying spring gushed out; now the god of Hande, how can he be poor?" "He dressed up and bowed to the well again, and prayed for the servants." There is a spring of water running out, and everyone is called long live.
Reinforcements rushed thousands of miles to save The Robe Ze, and the thirteen warriors returned to the Jade Gate
Six thousand Han generals went out of the Jade Gate in the snow and wind to save The Robe Ze, thousands of miles away. The first attack was liuzhongcheng in the cheshi state closest to the Han dynasty, and the Xiongnu were killed and 3,000 captured. Although victorious, Yanagi's Guan's favored forces had been completely destroyed. It should be known that although Shule City is not far from Liuzhong City, it needs to hike over the Tianshan Mountains. If Geng Gong's troops had been killed, the rescue army would have basically been completely annihilated under the siege of the Xiongnu. Under these circumstances, two thousand warriors voluntarily risked their lives to follow Fan Qiang over the Tianshan Mountains to Shule City to rescue Geng Gong. As shown in the following figure:
Two thousand soldiers braved the wind and snow and gave up all their supplies to cross the Tianshan Mountains on foot to shule city. The reinforcements were victorious and Geng Gong's division met, and at this time there were 26 soldiers including Geng Gong. Thousands of miles from Shule City to Yumen, the Han Dynasty army without materials had to cross the Tianshan Mountains and fight the Huns. On the way back to China, there are constantly soldiers who fall, and with the support of their belief in returning home, they continue to march towards the motherland. When only thirteen people were left when they arrived at the Pass with the Jade Gate, the Han Dynasty version of the operation to save the big soldier Ryan was completed.
brief summary:
In the spirit of not abandoning and not giving up, the soldiers of the Han Dynasty paid a huge price to save Geng Gong and others. This spirit was admired by the countries of the Western Regions, and also made the Xiongnu afraid. It was inspired by this spirit that the Han Dynasty continued to attack the Xiongnu. Eventually, the Northern Xiongnu were driven away, and the Western Regions returned to the territory of the Central Plains Dynasty.
I am the emperor of history, welcome your attention; if there is a flaw, the axe is right.