In August 263, Sima Zhao, who held the power of the State of Wei, decided to launch a war against Shu Han and sent Zhong Hui, Deng Ai, and Zhuge Xu to attack Shu. The Shu generals Jiang Wei and Liao Hua led an army to use the dangerous road of Jiange (present-day Jiange, Sichuan) as a barrier to block the main force of the Wei army. In this battle, the specific route of the Wei army's advance was: Deng Ai on the west road attacked Jiang Wei in Tuntian, Zhuge Xu on the middle road was responsible for cutting off Jiang Wei's rear road, and Zhong Huijun on the east road was mainly responsible for attacking the cities of Hanzhong. After Jiang Wei engaged Deng Ai in Puzhong, he flew to Zhuge Xu and went straight to the east road to resist the main force of the Wei army. After occupying most of the strongholds in Hanzhong, Zhong Hui's army advanced to the outside of the Jianmen Pass, it was blocked by the Shu army that returned to reinforcements, and the stalemate was held.
In this regard, Deng Ai adopted a pedantic strategy, and when the main forces of the Wei and Shu armies were facing each other at Jiange, he led his elite troops to detour through Yinping (northwest of present-day Wen County, Gansu), crossed more than 700 miles of desolate and uninhabited areas, chiseled mountains and opened roads, and raided Jiangyou (present-day jiangyoubei, Sichuan). In the hinterland of the Shu Han Dynasty, Mianzhu broke through Zhuge Zhan, captured Fucheng (涪城, in modern Mianyang, Sichuan), and marched into Chengdu. Later, liu chan surrendered to the Wei army because of Deng Aibing's troops. In November 263, the Shu Han Dynasty officially collapsed, beginning the prelude to the end of the Three Kingdoms Era. From this, it is very obvious that looking back at the Battle of Wei and Shu, Deng Ai's smuggling of Yin Ping can be called an important step to break the deadlock. So, the question is, where is Deng Ai's smuggling of Yin Ping today? How dangerous is the terrain?
One
First of all, for yinping in the Three Kingdoms period, it was mainly in Wen County, Longnan City, Gansu Province. Wen County, which belongs to Longnan City, Gansu Province, is named after the county because of the ancient Wenzhou script, located in the southernmost part of Gansu Province, at the junction of Sichuan Province and Shaanxi Province, located in the Qinba Mountains, and is the southern gate of Gansu. Wenxian is located in the West Qinling Mountains and the South Qinling Mountains, which is a strong area of new tectonic movement, with complex geological structure, large undulating surfaces, rocky dew, and gullies. The whole territory is of the landform type of medium and high mountains and river valleys.
As a result, to this day, Wen County also has an important geographical location because it is located at the junction of Gansu, Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces. During the Three Kingdoms period at the end of the Han Dynasty, Wen County, because it was located at the junction of Shu Han and Cao Wei, could also be said to be a place where soldiers and families had to fight.
Yinping is also known as The Yinping Ancient Road. As early as the sixth year of Han Gaozu (201 BC), the Western Han Dynasty established Yinping Province in the area, which belonged to Guanghan County. In the second year (108) of the Yongchu Dynasty of the Han Dynasty, emperor Yong changed the northern capital of Guanghan to the capital of the Guanghan vassal state, ruling Yin Pingdao. In the 20th year of Jian'an (215), after Cao Cao captured the land of Hanzhong, he changed the state of Guanghan to Yinping Commandery. Therefore, for Yinping County, it was once the territory of Cao Wei.
In the spring of the seventh year of Jianxing (229), Zhuge Liang sent Chen Shi to attack the two counties of Wudu (around present-day ChengXian County, Gansu Province) and Yinping (around present-day Wen County, Gansu Province). Guo Huai of Yongzhou led troops to rescue him, and Liang went out to Jianwei (present-day Xihe County, Gansu Province), where Guo Huai retreated and obtained the second county. As a result, from 229 AD, Yinping County became the territory of the Shu Han Dynasty. For Yinping County, nature includes the Yinping Ancient Road.
Two
The seat of government of Yinping Commandery was located in the northwest of present-day Wen County, Gansu (鸪依坝). The Yinping Ancient Road passes through the county seat of Wenxian County, then through the Sky Ridge in Qingshan County, and then passes through Tangjiahe, Yinping Mountain, Mazhuanguan, Jingjun Mountain, and finally reaches Jiangyouguan (Nanba Township) in Pingwu County. Among them, as far as Jiangyouguan is concerned, Shu Han is guarded by someone, and this person is Ma Mi. According to historical records such as the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Ma Mi (born and died unknown) was a defender of the Shu Han River Oil Pass.
In the sixth year of Jing Yao (263), Sima Zhao sent people to attack Shu Han, and Deng Ai led an army to smuggle across Yinping, sending his general Tian Zhang to take the lead in attacking Jiangyou (江由, southeast of present-day Pingwu, Sichuan). Ma Miao led an army to ambush Tian Zhang, but was defeated by Tian Zhang, and then surrendered. In this regard, in the author's opinion, if Ma Mi can hold Jiangyou Pass, the army led by Deng Ai will undoubtedly be trapped on the Yinping Ancient Road. However, it is likely that because Ma Mi had not fought for a long time, he could not resist at all in the face of the sudden Deng Ai, and finally surrendered to Cao Wei.
Further, considering that the Yinping Ancient Road is relatively long and the road is difficult, deng Ai is already exhausted after smuggling into Yinping, and even nine deaths. According to the introduction, the total length of the Yinping Ancient Road is about 265 kilometers, which is already a relatively long ancient road in the Three Kingdoms period at the end of the Han Dynasty.
Three
According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms and other historical sources, the total length of the Yinping Ancient Road is 700 miles, while the ancients took 360 steps as a mile, and the current One Hua Li is about equal to 1.33 miles in the Three Kingdoms period, which coincides with the measurements of the ancients after calculation. The Yinping Ancient Road is rugged and long, and in addition to the locals walking, it is basically a need for war. For example, after Deng Ai, the general Fu Youde during the Ming Dynasty also led an army through this place.
For the Yinping Ancient Road, Chen Shou recorded in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms:
In the winter of October, Ai Ziyin Ping Road traveled seven hundred miles to no man's land, chiseled mountain passages, and built bridge pavilions. The mountains and valleys are high and deep, and the grain transportation is about to be scarce, and it is on the verge of danger.
In October 263, Deng Ai led an army of 30,000 from Yinping Province. From Yinping to Jiangyou, the mountains were dangerous and inaccessible, so the Shu Han did not fortify here. Deng Ai's army climbed the trail all the way, chiseled the mountain to open the way, and built a bridge pavilion. From this, it is very obvious that for Deng Ai's 30,000 troops, they not only need to advance in the rugged mountain road, but also undertake the work of digging mountain roads and even building bridges, which also highlights the ruggedness of the Yinping Ancient Road from another angle. In other words, we often say that shu dao is difficult, and it is difficult to go to the blue sky. However, for Shu Dao, after all, there are still walkways for passage. However, for the Yinping Ancient Road, there is no plank road that has been repaired in advance, which requires Deng Ai to start from scratch.
At that time, for Deng Ai, "the mountains are high and the valleys are deep, and it is extremely difficult." And the grain transport will be scarce, and it will be in danger." Faced with the dangerous place where the road could not be opened, Deng Ai took the lead, "wrapped himself in felt, pushed down, and the soldiers climbed the wooden edge cliff, and the fish went through." After passing through more than seven hundred miles of uninhabited land and overcoming all kinds of unimaginable difficulties, the Wei army finally passed through the Yinping Dangerous Road and reached Jiangyou.
Four
Finally, in this regard, in the author's opinion, this means that Deng Ai's 30,000 troops are likely to suffer heavy losses when they pass through the Yinping Ancient Road. As for the soldiers who did not lose their lives, it is estimated that they are also scarred. Moreover, in order to meet the grain and grass supply of the army, Deng Ai's 30,000 troops also needed to carry military food ropes, leaving 3,000 people to camp every hundred miles. Because the road was too difficult and the grain transportation was not good, the Wei army was in trouble many times.
On this basis, there are relics left by Deng Ai along the Yinping Ancient Road, such as Deng Ai's whetstone, the place where soldiers shake their shoes when they rest - Shoe Soil Mountain, Deng Ai's sealed Yinhe Mountain, and the falling clothes ditch where their clothes are lost. To a certain extent, if deng ai had not smuggled yinping, the place name yinping would not have such a high degree of attention and popularity. Since Deng Ai opened the Yin Ping Dao, this place has become a place where ancient warriors must fight. Above the Sky Ridge is Zhuge Liang's Kong Ming Temple, which has fallen into disrepair and has collapsed, leaving only the ruins of the broken wall.
Back at the Battle of Wei and Shu, after Jiangyou fell, Liu Chan sent the Wei general Zhuge Zhan (Zhuge Liang's son) to resist Deng Ai, and Zhuge Zhan's subordinate Huang Chong advised: "It is advisable to move quickly and take risks, so that the enemy can not be brought to the ground." However, Zhuge Zhan hesitated and was seized by Deng Ai. Zhuge Zhan's overseers went to Fucheng and fought with the Wei army, Deng Ai defeated Zhuge Zhan's forwards, and Zhuge Zhan was forced to retreat to Mianzhu. Eventually, in the Battle of Mianzhu, Zhuge Zhan and other Shu Han generals were killed, which led to Deng Ai's army approaching Chengdu. In this regard, in the author's opinion, Deng Ai's army is undoubtedly a tired division after passing through the dangerous Yinping Ancient Road. However, Deng Ai was still able to continue to pass the barrier and attack Chengdu, which was undoubtedly an important reason why Deng Ai could become a top general in the Three Kingdoms and even in ancient times.