Have you ever heard of the "Battle of Suiyang"? The battle may not be as well-known as the Battle of Chibi, but it is by no means inferior in brutality and strategic significance. The Anshi Rebellion, a civil war that greatly damaged the vitality of the Tang Empire, and the defense of Suiyang was a key part of it. What choice did a general who had high hopes from the emperor make in the face of an enemy army several times his size? How did he come to his tragic end?
Speaking of the Anshi Rebellion, many people may first think of the rebellion of An Lushan and Shi Siming, but what is less known is that there are many marginal but critical battles in this troubled world. What we are going to talk about today is a battle that took place in 755, that is, the fourteenth year of Tianbao in the Tang Dynasty.
That year, An Lushan took up the flag of rebellion, triggering the Anshi Rebellion that shocked the entire empire. He gathered 180,000 troops from the three towns of Pinglu, Fanyang and Hedong, and quickly broke through the eastern capital Luoyang, with a momentum like a rainbow. An Lushan divided his troops into three routes, rushing to Guanzhong in the west, suppressing Suiyang in the east, and going south to Nanyang, in an attempt to control the entire North China to the Central Plains in one fell swoop.
At this time, Tang Xuanzong took a fancy to a person, and he was Lu Jiong. Lu Jiong was appointed as the Assassin of Dengzhou, the Taishou of Nanyang, and the envoy of Shannan Jiedu, shouldering the important task of preventing the rebels from moving south. Lu Jiong's military talent was once appreciated by Ge Shuhan, and Tang Xuanzong also had extremely high expectations for him.
Lu Jiong's army was stationed in Yexian County, Henan Province, which was the only place to pass on the road to Nanyang, and its geographical location was extremely important. Lu Jiong built a strong defensive line here and deployed an army of 50,000. You know, the Luoyang defense line before here, the 60,000 people temporarily recruited by Feng Changqing, were broken in six days. On Lu Jiong's side, although there are only 50,000 people, they are all well-trained regular troops, and there are still troops on the way.
The good times didn't last long, and Lu Jiong's military talent didn't seem to meet Tang Xuanzong's expectations. In March, the rebels arrived in Yexian County, led by two generals, Wu Lingxun and Bi Sichen. One of these two people is An Lushan's henchman, and the other is a former Turk, and their strength and popularity are not as good as Lu Jiong.
When the battle began, the Tang army, which had an advantage in quantity and quality, could have won a complete victory. But Lu Jiong unexpectedly gave an order prohibiting the attack. Although Wu Lingxun and Bi Sichen on the opposite side were few, they fought fiercely and gradually approached the city wall of Ye County. Lu Jiong's army, under his command, has never been able to effectively exert its due combat power, and the situation has gradually become passive.
As time passed, the rebels' offensive became more and more fierce, but the Tang army lost many good opportunities to counterattack because of Lu Jiong's conservative strategy. The morale of the soldiers was also gradually weakened by the days of defense. Seeing that the originally solid line of defense was in jeopardy, the pressure in Lu Jiong's heart was increasing day by day.
At this time, an even more shocking news came: Lu Jiong chose to commit suicide at the critical moment of the war. This was undoubtedly a huge blow to the entire Don Army. A general who was pinned on by the emperor finally embarked on such a road of no return because of continuous setbacks on the battlefield and great pressure in his heart.
Lu Jiong's death was a great spiritual blow to those soldiers who were still holding on. And it is a heavy blow to the situation on the battlefield. After his death, the rebels became even more unscrupulous, the defense line of the Don army began to loosen, and the situation was out of control.
This battle is not just a simple military confrontation, it reflects the changes of an era and the internal contradictions of a dynasty. Lu Jiong's life can be said to be full of drama and tragedy. From a general valued by the emperor to finally choosing to end his life because he couldn't bear the pressure of failure, his mental journey in the middle was full of endless bitterness and helplessness.
And the outcome of this battle also directly affected the course of the Anshi Rebellion. If Lu Jiong can persevere, perhaps the direction of history will be different. But there are no ifs in history, only ironclad facts in front of us. Lu Jiong's defeat also reflected the corruption and incompetence within the Tang Empire, which eventually led to the decline of a generation of powerful empires.
Lu Jiong's life and the story of the defense of Suiyang not only saw the tragedy of a general, but also saw the epitome of an era. History always inadvertently gives us too much enlightenment. Lu Jiong's story tells us that no matter how strong a person's ability is, it is difficult to change the situation of the battle single-handedly; The strength of a dynasty cannot withstand the double attack of internal corruption and external pressure.