Zhang Qian, Ziwen, was an outstanding diplomat, traveler, explorer of the Han Dynasty in China, and pioneer of the Silk Road.
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In 139 BC, he sent an envoy to the Western Regions, and in 126 BC, he returned to the Han Dynasty and was awarded the title of Taizhong Dafu for his merits. In 123 BC, he accompanied Wei Qing to participate in the Battle of Mo nan and was awarded the title of Marquis of Bowang for his merits. In 121 BC, he was relegated to the rank of shuren for the sin of "later period". Zhang Qian was extremely depressed, struggling for twenty years, going around and finding nothing.
For a capable and restless person like Zhang Qian, there is always an opportunity.
The opportunity came in 119 BC, and this opportunity was still related to the fight against the Huns.
At this time, after the victories in the Battle of Hexi and the Battle of Mobei, the Xiongnu lost the Hexi Corridor, and there were "no Xiongnu in Jincheng (Lanzhou), Hexi and Nanshan to Yanze (present-day Lop Nur)".
Although the Xiongnu were beaten very badly, they did not give up their opposition to the Han Dynasty, and they relied on the manpower and material resources of the Western Regions to negotiate with the Han Dynasty. Zhang Qian, who was in desperate need of merit, suggested to Emperor Wu of Han that the State of Wusun be co-opted and the Xiongnu's right arm cut off.
Why woo Wusun, decades ago Wusun and the Xiongnu were good teammates and jointly drove out the Yue clan. However, the times changed, after the Xiongnu became strong, they monopolized the land of the Hexi Corridor of Wusun's hometown, and Wusun, who was dependent on the Xiongnu, was dissatisfied with his monopoly on the Hexi Corridor, and after Wusun occupied the Ili River Valley, he no longer paid tribute to the Xiongnu, and the Xiongnu Right Sage King used troops against Wusun many times.
Emperor Wu of Han was supportive of anything that could be used to attack the Xiongnu, so He ren Zhang Qian was made a general of Zhonglang, leading more than 300 retinues, carrying tens of millions of gold coins and silk and other treasures, cattle and sheep, and sending a second mission to the Western Regions.
The main destination of this mission to the Western Regions was, of course, the State of Wusun. This journey was easier than the first mission to the Western Regions, because the Xiongnu were defeated by the Han Dynasty and became in decline, unlike before they were able to fully control the Western Regions.
After arriving in Wusun after sleeping in the wind, Zhang Qian found that the State of Wusun was in civil strife, and there were three forces in the State of Wusun at this time.
Before talking about the civil unrest, let's talk about the arrogance of The leader of Wusun, Kun Mo Hunt. Here Kun Mo belongs to the noun, equivalent to the emperor of the Han Dynasty, shan Yu of the Xiongnu, are the titles of the supreme ruler of the tribe, and hunting is his name.
Hunter, King of the Wusun Kingdom in the Western Han Dynasty. Around the third year of the reign of Emperor Wen of Han (161 BC), Wusun moved west to the area of the present-day Ili River and Lake Issyk-Kul, both in Chigu City.
The cause of Wusun's civil unrest was the death of prince flea, and before flea died, Hunter Promised his son to pass the throne to Flea's son Junsu Jing.
Flea's younger brother Dalu was dissatisfied with his father's arrangement, remembering that the soldiers killed Junsu And succeeded to the throne. Fearing that his grandson would be killed, Hunter Jiaojing handed over more than 10,000 cavalry in his hand to Junsu Jing to protect himself.
Thus the State of Wusun became a three-way force.
Hunter Arrogant, King Wusun, with more than 10,000 cavalry in his hands.
Taisun Junshu Jing, the successor of the name of Wusun, had more than 10,000 cavalry in his hands.
Dalu, the Prince of Wusun, had more than 10,000 cavalry in his hands.
The three forces were thus deadlocked, and of course the titular king was still a hunter.
Zhang Qian found Hunter Jiaojing and began to persuade, the content is nothing more than the Xiongnu brutality, bullying you, it is better to join forces with our Han Dynasty to fight back.
As with the result of the first envoy, Wusun did not agree.
There were two reasons why Wusun did not agree this time, the first was the internal civil strife in Wusun, and the hunters were arrogant and had the leisure to deal with the Xiongnu. The second is that Hunter Jiaojing has doubts about whether Han is strong, after all, the road is far away and there is no way to verify it.
Although it still did not achieve its goal, the mission still achieved great results:
First, Zhang Qian's deputy envoys visited the states of Dawan, Kangju, Dayueshi, and Bactria in Central Asia, expanding the political influence of the Western Han Dynasty, enhancing mutual understanding, and loosening the Xiongnu's control over the countries of the Western Regions.
The second is to lead the envoys of the Wusun State to inspect the Han Dynasty and promote the completion of the mission.
In 115 BC, Zhang Qian and his party returned to Chang'an with dozens of Wusun emissaries. After Zhang Qian returned to the imperial court, he was given the title of Great Order, and his titles were ranked among the nine secretaries.
After the emissaries of Wusun saw the strength of the Central Plains Dynasty, they immediately returned to explain to King Wusun. King Wusun was willing to ally with the Han Dynasty.
In 105 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty married Xiao Jun, the daughter of Liu Jian, the King of Jiangdu, as a princess to Kun Mo, and after The death of Xiao Jun, the Han Dynasty married Princess Jieyou, the daughter of Liu Peng of Chu, to Cen Qi, the King of Wusun. These two peaces played a positive role in consolidating the friendly relations between Han and Wusun, making Wusun an important force for Han to contain the Xiongnu in the West, and developing economic and cultural exchanges between the two sides.
Unfortunately, Wusun's friendship with Han was not seen by Zhang Qian.
In 114 BC, Zhang Qian died of illness.
Zhang Qian, the great pioneer of China, did not expand the territory by force, but connected China with the western region and promoted exchanges between China and the world.
On the doorpost of the Zhang Qian Memorial Hall in Chenggu County, Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province, there is a pair of Yang Lian representing Zhang Qian's life: "One victory over a thousand armies, two out of ten thousand years." ”
Friendly reminder: There are three articles about Zhang Qian, and this is the third issue.