Han Shizu

Chapter 2141 Sejong Chapter 16 The End of the Troubles in Central Asia

After the victory, it is natural to pursue the enemy and expand the victory. This is the welfare of the victor. It's just that there were a few more twists and turns during the pursuit, but the final result was great and the victory was brilliant. It could almost declare the failure of YSL's second eastern expedition.

The YSL Eastern Expeditionary Army, which numbered more than 160,000 people before the decisive battle, lost more than half in the fighting and subsequent pursuit. The rest mainly fled in two directions. One was the city of Amol, the initial gathering place of jihadists from all over the country. There were about 20,000 people who fled along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea to the city of Gorgan in the Hyrcanian region. Fang had to breathe.

The other direction is the Khorasan area southeast of the Caspian Sea. This wave of people is dominated by the Ghaznavid Army, and it is also the main target of the Anxi Three Kingdoms Allied Forces to pursue and eliminate. It can be said that they are pursued and beaten fiercely.

What is less satisfying is that during the pursuit, Ghaznavid generals continued to organize the defeated troops along the way to resist and retreat. Although Mahmud left, his messengers kept running back and forth. On the retreat route, convey the Sudanese military orders, assemble, stop chaos, and resist the enemy.

Although it was embarrassing to be routed for hundreds of miles, by the time Mahmud withdrew to Tusi City (Mashhad), the capital of Khorasan, the number of defeated soldiers and the original city defenders combined, there were already enough troops available for him to call upon. Climbing to more than 30,000 people.

Khorasan is a word that appears frequently in Chinese historical records. It is located in the northeast of the Iranian Plateau and the southeast of the Caspian Sea. It is a strategically important and prosperous place connecting West Asia and Central Asia. It has also been around for a long time. The land was annexed by the rising Ghaznavid dynasty. Tus City is a holy place for Shiite pilgrimage.

When the pursuing Han soldiers attacked the city of Tusi, they were already exhausted from the days of fierce fighting and pursuit, and were only supported by one breath. Therefore, they could only reluctantly conduct a symbolic attack on Tusi City and then retreat. Even under the order of Mahmoud, the defenders went out of the city to counterattack, causing the Anxi Han army to suffer a heavy casualty. Hundreds of defeats.

After the war, there was a period of silence. The YSL Eastern Expeditionary Army, with an actual strength of more than 200,000, was finally able to escape the battlefield alive, with less than 70,000 people. The rest were either killed, captured, or missing.

Compared with the soldiers below who were excited and complacent about defeating the YSL coalition and enjoying the rewards from the three kings and the captured trophies as a matter of course, it was difficult for the upper echelons of the Anxi Three Kingdoms to be truly happy and smile with joy. Behind it, there is some bitterness concealed.

At that time, in Tusi City, under the coordination of Sultan Mahmud, the regular army numbered more than 60,000. With a little mobilization, an army of 100,000 could be formed. Of course, its organization and combat effectiveness are also different from before. A battle of such intensity as the Battle of Mingcheng cannot be endured in a short period of time.

On the other hand, the Ghaznavid army had more to worry about. This was a natural disadvantage for the defenders. Therefore, in the early, middle and late stages of the Battle of Tucheng, there was not much that the Ghaznavid army could do to defend the city. The main task was to strengthen the walls and clear the fields, defend the city, contact reinforcements, and at the same time send a partial division of elite cavalry north to light fire behind the Three Kingdoms Allied Forces to distract the attention of the Han army and reduce the pressure on the battlefield in front of Tus City.

Not to mention the casualties of those servant armies. During the fierce battle, they were the first to waver and were defeated by the crazy jihadists. Their casualties were insignificant and even affected the overall war for a time.

In February of the twelfth year of Yongxi's reign, after a not-so-brief period of rest, war between Han and Iran resumed. Liu Min, the king of Anxi, mobilized another 150,000 troops from all walks of life and marched southward, aiming directly at the city of Tusi.

The loss of strength of the Han people in the Three Kingdoms was a bit debilitating. Added up, there were tens of thousands of people killed in the direct battle. Many of them were killed by MSL in a desperate manner during hand-to-hand combat. .

What needs to be mentioned is that during the entire Han-Iraq war, at least the territory of Anxi Kingdom has been unstable. Not to mention the Haidong area, which can be called corrupt, and in the Hezhong area, various rebellions and turmoils have emerged one after another.

Of course, Liu Min has already had a will as strong as steel and as hard as stone. Although he apologizes, he will not apologize to Liu Wengong for strategic decision-making. This bitter cry also exposed the illusion of the "close and intimate" relationship between Anxi and Beiting, and also prompted Liu Wengong to completely change Beiting's development strategy after the war.

There is no doubt that this battle was a great victory, and judging from the result, it is a magnificent martial arts feat worthy of praise and admiration in any era. But equally, as the winner of this battle, the price of victory is also extremely expensive.

Before the end of the war, Liu Min, as the commander-in-chief of the Three Kingdoms, could not care about the internal disharmony. The war started, the battle was won, and the invasion into the Khorasan area was launched. For Liu Min, giving up the war was no longer in his mind.

Therefore, even if Liu Min gave great compensation in the subsequent sharing of prisoners and spoils, Liu Wengong could not see a trace of joy on his face, and even cried loudly at the celebration banquet. Everyone knew that he The one who cried was naturally the death of his brother Liu Wentao and thousands of Beiting Han troops.

However, in this process, the Three Kingdoms Allied Forces were more comfortable. They profoundly implemented the strategy of "feeding the enemy with food" and carried out burning, killing and looting in the Khorasan area without any burden. As for the Ghaznavid Army, the burden was much heavier. On the one hand, they had to deal with the guerrilla looting of the Han cavalry, on the other hand, they had to defend the city, and they also had to replenish their strength to cope with the next war. Obviously, it was impossible to cover everything.

In fact, in the winter and spring of Yongxi's 11th to 12th year, both sides were licking their wounds and recuperating, just like two injured beasts. Although they escaped briefly, they might bite each other again at any time.

At the same time, the quality of the 150,000-strong army was not as good as before. Nearly 100,000 people were servants, many of whom were cannon fodder formed and transformed on the spot. After the Battle of Mingcheng, the senior leaders of the Han army basically put away their arrogance, and at least became more vigilant about the huge casualties of the Han army. That's it for field battles. In urban battles, we have to rely on cannon fodder from the rivers, Persia, and Arabia, which can be used up to reduce unstable factors and facilitate control.

Almost half of the more than 10,000 Han troops who died in the battle were from the Beiting Kingdom. They were injured and heartbroken. Such a result was unacceptable to the King of Beiting, Liu Wengong, and his soldiers.

Liu Wengong, the king of Beiting, was not a deserter. He still had the most basic responsibilities. The dignity of the Han people and the glory of the Han army must also be maintained. Of course, these are all false. The fundamental reason is that the previous losses were too great and needed to be made up for. The Khorasan region was much richer than Haidong. The Beiting army was particularly active in the previous plunder.

But this time, the main actors on the Han army became Anxi and Kangju. As for the Beiting army, which suffered heavy casualties in the battle of Mingcheng, they could only act as auxiliaries. Both kings could understand .

Since the stalemate stage, the war has actually evolved into the Ghaznavid dynasty challenging the Anxi Three Kingdoms Allied Forces. The other YSL forces can no longer provide much effective help to Ghazni. Although there are still jihadists coming from the east, but The only real threat was the Eastern Expeditionary Army that fled to the Gorgan area and regrouped. However, unlike Mahmoud's enthusiasm and order in Tus City, Gorgan's chaotic situation and internal constraints made it difficult to take any substantial action against the threat to the Han people.

It can be said with certainty that such heavy casualties have never been as serious as this time in any major or small war against the YSL civilization since Liu Min defeated the Black Khan. How many Han people are there in the Three Kingdoms, how many elites are there in the Han army, and how many people are there in the world of ysl? How many such costly battles can the Three Kingdoms afford?

Not to mention the loss of materials and national strength, there is nothing more expensive and laborious in the world than war. What really makes the three countries feel heartache is the loss of military power.

Among the three kingdoms, Beiting State naturally suffered the greatest losses. The operations in the Haidong region were in ruins, MSL was in great turmoil, Ming City was almost destroyed by the war, and the Haidong Han troops under Beiting State were reduced by 70%.

Continuing the war became his only option, and Mahmoud, who was defeated and retreated to Tus City, was still his first hunting target. However, before that, replenishing troops, baggage, and rest and recovery are things that must take time. This has also entered the second stage of this "War between Han and Yi": the stalemate.

This is a normal thing. The previous domestic stability of the Anxi Three Kingdoms was based on the strength of the Han army and strict internal control and suppression. When the main army and even most of the servant armies were invested in external operations, the internal situation The commotion is understandable.

Of course, victory can often suppress many contradictions. After the Allied Forces of the Three Kingdoms won a complete victory in the Battle of Mingcheng and established peace in the rear, at least the endless rebellions were much less frequent. The hostile elements did not use their brains and were completely indiscriminate in causing chaos. when.

The instigation and instigation from the Ghaznavid Army and the Jihadists still had the effect of promoting chaos for some Hezhong people who suffered from "religious oppression". It did have a certain adverse impact on the Han army's operations, but it was ultimately limited. . After all, the Han army did not rely on logistical supplies as much as expected in a short period of time. The method of supporting war with war, as long as there are things to plunder, food, grass, and clothes to plunder, the Han army can be driven. The tank continued its advance.

In the city of Tus, another bloody battle broke out between Han and Yi. This city with a profound history and a strong religious atmosphere inevitably turned into a flesh and blood mill, and what was lost was the current and former believers in Allah. msls.

The offensive and defensive changes were just like the offensive and defensive battles in Ming City, and the fighting in Tus City lasted for almost a month. As the Sultan of Ghaznavids, Mahmud made a very risky move. He stayed in the city. In this way, he inspired the Ghaznavid soldiers and called on the believers to unite to resist the Han invasion.

The effect was remarkable. Under Mahmoud's personal supervision, the defenders of Tus City showed great fighting strength and willpower, and fought fiercely with the "Han Army" attacking the city. As for casualties, during the war , human life is the least valuable thing.

The defenders of Tusi City fought hard, and the Allied Forces of the Three Kingdoms also found it difficult to attack. After testing the strength of Tusi City's defense, the three kings Liu Min did not dare to use their precious Han troops to attack the city, and relied only on cannon fodder. It is also difficult to capture a city, at least a big city like Tusi is not that easy to conquer.

The factors that contributed to the change in the war situation did not appear on the battlefield of Tus City, but occurred in the upper reaches of the Jihun River, two thousand miles away from the battlefield. A 20,000-strong Ghaznavid army attacked from Balihei, an important town in the north, crossed the Jihun River, and raided the Han army forts and strongholds along the river. In just fifteen days, Ercheng and Encheng on the north bank of the Jihun River, Yuecheng and Chicheng both fell successively, and even the choke point Iron Gate Pass was captured.

This Jihun River area belongs to Kang Juguo, but if this area falls, it is not only Kang Juguo that is threatened. To the north of Chicheng and Tiemenguan is Qisha City, and further north is Samadang, an important town in Central Asia. This is the core transportation line in the Seven Rivers Basin and the Silk Road.

If Samadan is captured, then the power of the Three Kingdoms of Anxi will be cut off from the waist. This is a fatal threat. Therefore, when the battle report from the direction of the Jihun River reached the front line of Tus City, many senior officials from the three countries, starting from Liu Min, clearly realized that Tus City could not be taken, and the war in Khorasan could not continue. .

A battle of retreat began. First, King Kangju Liu Ye led his army back east to aid Qisha City, and then the entire coalition army retreated. The Ghaznavid army in Tus City clearly noticed the Han army's movements, and Mahmud sent his troops out of the city to pursue them. However, under the calm and orderly command of Liu Min and others, they failed to gain any advantage and were ambushed several times. The loss is not small, I dare not pursue it anymore.

Before evacuating, Liu Min ordered his people to plow the northern part of Khorasan, and then withdrew to the east of Haidong. He also sent troops to the west to capture the city of Gorgan, and put an end to the Arab jihadists from West Asia. Their enthusiasm was completely extinguished, and at the same time, they extended their tentacles deep into the southern shore of the Caspian Sea.

King Liu Ye of Kangju led his army, and after a hard journey back to the army, they finally rushed back to the country that summer, before the fall of Qisha City. The Ghaznavid army fled very quickly and did not engage in a fierce battle with Liu Ye's army.

Originally, if they slipped away, they would slip away. After nearly a year of fighting, the entire Kangju Army was exhausted. However, the enemy army intended to use the cover of the summer heat to occupy the northern bay of the Jihun River and not leave. This was a complete defeat. This angered Liu Ye.

So, after a short rest, Liu Ye moved his troops south to regain the lost ground. As the three cities and strongholds on the north bank were restored one after another, and as the last Ghaznavid army invaded by the north was shot dead in the Jihun River, it was also announced that With the end of the fifth Han-Iraq war.

The impact of this protracted war was profound and significant. The changes in the territories of the various countries were not major, but it established a new pattern in Central and West Asia. To a certain extent, it can also be said to have affected the entire Dashi region. historical development.

The losses of the Eastern Expedition were insignificant, the holy war craze was stopped, and the Ghaznavid dynasty also suffered heavy losses, but it proved with facts that a rising dynasty is not so easy to deal with.

After such a war, the Ghaznavid Kingdom at least firmly established its position as the "leader", and Mahmud's name as a hero and British master was widely spread in the ysl world. At least, he was the first to be able to The food prince who had back and forth with the brutal Han people.

Of course, the cost of this battle is also heavy. It will take at least ten years to recover, which will greatly affect its development process.

In contrast, the Three Kingdoms of Anxi defeated YSL's conspiracy to come back again, achieved impressive results one after another, and plundered a large amount of wealth from the Khorasan region, severely damaging the Ghaznavid dynasty and greatly weakening its war potential.

However, its own casualties, especially the Han military force as the foundation, suffered the most serious losses since the feudal state. This is a matter that greatly affects the ruling power and cannot be taken lightly. This battle also made the top leaders of the Three Kingdoms put away their arrogance and arrogance that was not obvious but rooted in their bones. At least they truly realized that those big cannibals and ysl people were not all sheep to be slaughtered.

The most far-reaching impact on the Three Kingdoms is that it was from the beginning of this war that the close relationship between the Three Kingdoms that had continued from the "Anxi Dudufu Era" began to become clear. Politically and militarily, the Three Kingdoms Begin to become more independent.

For the first time, the top leaders of the three countries have truly thought deeply and seriously about their respective future development, instead of blindly limiting themselves to the almost politically correct strategic framework of "Western Expedition".

In fact, from the beginning of Emperor Shizu's enfeoffment, there have been differences and even conflicts in core interests among the three countries, and the differences in core interests have also destined their differences in strategic development.

In the past, due to blood ties, historical origins, and the threat of YSL forces, the three countries had to make do with each other, but after the "Fifth War", it was obviously not feasible to make do. In the following ten years, the three countries actually went their own way in terms of strategic development.

Beiting Kingdom completely withdrew from the Hezhong area and concentrated on domestic management. While developing northward, it actively communicated with the empire and strengthened ties in all aspects.

On the Anxi side, Liu Min also made a major decision. He moved the capital from Suiye to Hezhong City (the former capital of the Samanid Dynasty, Puhualuo, today's Bukhara). After all, the Anxi Kingdom at that time was already a large Central Asian country that spanned the seven river basins and covered thousands of miles. The royal city of Suiye was located on the eastern border. Although it had many conditions, it was indeed not suitable to be the capital of the new Anxi Kingdom.

After moving the capital, Liu Min settled down and continued his reform and development. He and his officials in Anxi made some profound and solid plans for the country. The conquest of the ysl world did not happen overnight.

While cultivating internal strength, the basic national policy of expansion cannot be given up. Still the same, fighting for natural development, it is difficult for Anxi to single-handedly challenge the entire ysl world. However, Liu Min has focused his business on the Caspian Sea coast and the Persian region in the southwest. .

As for Kangju King Liu Ye, he already had objections to his sixth brother Liu Min. The two brothers lived together as a gang, but they were at odds with each other and had many conflicts. After the family was completely separated, they became much closer.

Backed by Anxi and the Han Dynasty, Liu Ye gathered the strength of Kangju to focus on the "Afghanistan" region and competed with Ghazni for the upper reaches of the Jihun River and its northern areas. Faced with the same two countries, but after the two countries fought separately, the pressure faced by the Ghaznavid Dynasty increased instead of decreasing.

The demise of the Khotan Kingdom was exactly what Liu Ye happened to do in the process of fighting with the Ghaznavid Dynasty. Liu Ye will always remember that he was forcibly stopped by the emperor's second brother. Therefore, after the death of Emperor Taizong, he was already ready to take action.

The real action came after the death of Yuchi Baoxiang, the late king of Khotan, and the reduction of pressure on the Western Front (Mahmud went south to India to gain confidence). As for the attitude of the Central Empire, whether it was Kangzong Liu Wenpeng before or Liu Wenji now, Liu Ye, the emperor's uncle, didn't care about their attitudes at all.

(End of this chapter)