Chapter 684 Yuezhi City
The Hexi Corridor, which is now Liangzhou, was once a nomadic land of the Yuezhi before the rise of the Xiongnu.
Modun, the great leader of the Xiongnu clan, was sent to the Yueshi as a hostage by his predecessor Chanyu Touman, his father, in order to secure the stability of the Xiongnu clan.
Later, the Xiongnu became increasingly powerful and started a war with the Yueshi. Maodun took the opportunity to steal good horses and fled back to the Xiongnu.
After that, Maodun succeeded to the throne of the Xiongnu Chanyu, and raised all the troops of the clan to attack the Yuezhi, and the Yuezhi was defeated.
After decades of continuous attacks on the Yuezhi, the Xiongnu finally forced the once powerful Yuezhi out of the Hexi Corridor.
Most of the Yuezhi people migrated westward.
The remaining small number of people fled into the Han Dynasty and included the Han Dynasty.
Emperor Xiaowen was in power at that time. After consideration, the Han Dynasty placed them in the Luepan Mountain area within the Great Wall, which was rich in water and grass, vast and sparsely populated.
Later, the Yuezhi City was built next to Luepan Mountain, allowing the Yuezhi to surrender to the Hu and gather together to live there. At the same time, they were asked to help the Han defend the Huns from the north.
To the north of Yuezhi City is the grassland.
To the west is Xiaoguan. After passing Xiaoguan, it leads to Tianshui in the south and Liangzhou in the west.
Yang Tiao was originally from a local wealthy family and had always been on good terms with the Hu people. When he heard that the Han Dynasty was attacking Longyou, he raised his clan's troops to respond.
At that time, Anding County was in turmoil, and officials in many places fled, let alone anyone to take care of Yang Tiao.
So Yang Tiao hijacked the local officials, entered Yuezhi City, and defended the city.
Later, the Wei army came to help from Guandong, and there was panic in Yuezhi City.
It's just that he didn't expect that the Wei army was severely defeated at Longyou. Even the Wei emperor who personally led the expedition was forced to leave Chang'an in despair.
Yang Tiao and others were greatly encouraged.
Subsequently, the Han army occupied Xiao Pass and sent people to respond, allowing Yang Tiao to finally calm down.
The only thing to worry about is that during the period of Emperor Xiaowu, the Han Dynasty vigorously suppressed the Xiongnu, and Yuezhi City began to gradually lose its strategic value.
This city was built hundreds of years ago. Due to lack of repairs, not only the city walls are short, but they are also dilapidated.
Since the city was difficult to defend and it was too far away from Xiao Pass, Zhao Guang suggested that Yang Tiao lead his army to move westward, but Yang Tiao refused.
The reason is very simple. In Yuezhi City, he is considered a local snake.
But if you leave your hometown, you have to take orders from others.
Besides, Yang Tiao believed that in order to control stability, the Han army would definitely not give up the important place of Yuezhi.
Zhao Guang had nothing to do with Yang Tiao's stubbornness, so he had to provide some supplies. At the same time, he made an agreement with him to echo each other. If there was any disharmony, he must send someone to report it early.
The arrival of cold winter has made the communication between Yuezhi City and Xiaoguan increasingly blocked.
Whether it was Zhao Guang of Xiaoguan or Yang Tiao of Yuezhi City, they all had a certain contempt for the Wei army because of the Wei army's defeat in Longyou.
Coupled with the severe cold in Anding County in winter, no one thought that the Wei army would send troops at this time.
So not only Yang Tiao, but also Zhao Guang was seriously lacking in vigilance in this kind of weather.
Before the news of Linjing's pacification came, Xiahou Ba had already led three thousand fine cavalry to a place thirty miles away from Yuezhi City.
At this time, the defenders of Yuezhi City still knew nothing about the arrival of the Wei army.
When the sentry sent by Xiahou Ba learned that Yuezhi City had no response to his arrival, they were overjoyed.
First, order the army to dismount and rest, and at the same time, do not light up the fire, so as not to expose the target.
As soon as it gets dark, he picks out three hundred elite men who dare to die. At the same time, he promises generous favors and benefits, and personally leads the people ahead.
At that time, a school officer tried to dissuade him, saying, "The general's status is very important, but the Yuezhi Yang thieves are just robbers. How can the general be worthy of putting himself in danger? Why don't we besiege the city first, and then attack the city after the general arrives with his army?"
Xia Houba said, "Otherwise, Yuezhi City has been in disrepair for a long time, the city walls are short, the garrison in the city is insufficient, and there is no defense. It is time to break it."
He then rushed to the gate of Yuezhi City with those who dared to die. It was already the third watch.
Not only were the people in the city already asleep, but the soldiers of the Yang family at the top of the city were also hiding in the corner to light a fire to keep warm.
Xiahouba led 300 elite soldiers, selected a damaged corner of the city wall, took off his armor, put on thick woolen clothes, took the lead, dug a ridge with a sharp blade, and climbed up.
Yuezhi City was built in the former Han Dynasty and the early Han Dynasty. It was built with rammed earth and was not covered with bricks. In addition, the city wall was not high. Xiahouba quickly climbed to the top of the city and looked at the fire.
The Wei army who quietly climbed up to the top of the city attacked and killed the sleeping soldiers who were sitting by the fire to warm themselves up, and then opened the city gate.
The Wei troops who had been waiting outside swarmed in.
At this time, the Yang family clan soldiers on patrol finally discovered something unusual.
"kill!"
Xiahouba still took the lead and rushed straight towards the Yang family clan soldiers patrolling the city.
There is no preparation, coupled with Wei Jun's elite, is it that Yang Jiazong's soldiers can resist?
This patrolling garrison suffered heavy casualties after just one encounter. In the end, they finally alerted the garrison in the city at the cost of no one surviving.
Xiahouba saw that the defenders were alarmed, and he sent orders to the main force of the Wei army who arrived to quickly enter the city. At the same time, he also ordered people to light torches and set fires everywhere to create chaos.
For a time, the city was ablaze.
There is a Yacheng in Yuezhi City, which is where the direct descendants of the Yang family live.
The movement in the outer city has not disturbed this place for the time being, so Yang Tiao is still sleeping.
Some soldiers banged on the door of his house anxiously and shouted loudly, "Zong chief, chief, it's not good, the Wei army has entered the city!"
"Zong Chief, it's true! This Wei army came out of nowhere, and the city gate was lost for no reason. Now the city is in chaos. Chief, please get up quickly!"
Hearing the words of the soldiers outside the door, Yang Tiao woke up with a start. Under the service of his concubine, he hurriedly put on his clothes and opened the door.
"What's going on? Where are the people guarding the city tonight?"
The soldier said anxiously, "It's gone, it's all gone, the city is in chaos now, it's all Wei troops! Chief, what should we do?"
When Yang Tiao heard the soldiers' words, he noticed that the shouts of killing outside were getting closer.
Not far away, fire lit up the night sky. It was unclear whether it was the house that burned down or the torch held by the Wei army.
Under the illumination of the candle, you can clearly see that the blood on Yang Tiao's face quickly fades.
It was not that he had never imagined the scene of the Wei army approaching the city.
But what he envisioned was to discover the enemy early, notify the Han army in Xiaoguan in time, and defend the city.
At the worst, even if Yuezhi City cannot be defended, you can still lead the tribe to retreat to Xiaoguan before the Wei army arrives.
Rather than the situation in front of us, we don’t even know where the Wei army came from or when they entered the city.
“How many more people can we gather?”
Yang Tiao woke up quickly. He suppressed the panic in his heart and asked the soldiers sternly.
“Returning to the clan leader, except for those guarding Yacheng, there is no way to contact the guards outside.”
“That means there are only a hundred people?”
Yang Tiao dared to lead troops to fight against Wei, so naturally he would not be useless. After a brief panic, he quickly made a decision.
I made a decision immediately, "Go quickly and gather all the clan members in Yacheng, pack your things, and listen to my orders at any time."
Then he turned back to the house, asked his concubines in the house to help put on armor, then took the sword and went to join the tribe in Yacheng.
Along the way, when he met a servant who was running around and yelling, he stabbed him to death with his sword. At the same time, he kept giving orders, "Quickly go to the open space in the middle of Yacheng to gather!"
In the center of Yacheng, the soldiers had already protected dozens of Yang family members, old and young, waiting in the open space.
Yang Tiao also refused to explain to them and directly asked the general guarding Yacheng, "Where did the Wei thieves come from?"
“Reporting to the head of the clan, the people in the south are the brightest. There are shouts of killing from the east and west, but there is no movement in the north.”
“Okay, let’s go from the north immediately.”
Yang Tiao said decisively without missing a moment.
“Chief, what should we do if there is an ambush in the north?”
You Zonglao asked hesitantly.
"How can the Wei thieves be fully prepared when they attack the city at night?" Yang Tiao retorted, "Leave quickly! If you don't leave, it will be too late!"
After saying that, he ordered his soldiers to clear the way and led the clan members out of the city in panic.
A woman held Yang Tiao's clothes and said, "Ah Lang, Si Lang hasn't come here yet, and I don't know where he is now..."
Yang Tiao turned around and said angrily, "How can the whole clan be burdened by just one person? Anyone who doesn't come will be left to his own fate!"
After saying that, he urged everyone to speed up their pace.
There are nearly a hundred direct descendants of the Yang family, and only a dozen people have gathered now. Not only one of them, Shiro, is missing?
But Yang Tiao had no time to wait.
In the dark night, some people could not keep up with the team, stumbling around, and did not know where they were. At first, they were worried about the Wei soldiers, so they only dared to call in a low voice.
When I got to the back and heard that there was no response to me, I felt anxious, couldn't care about anything, and shouted loudly.
Although Xiahou Ba successfully entered the city, he was not familiar with the main roads in the city and could only lead his men to fight all the way to the center of the city.
At the same time, he also ordered his soldiers to throw torches constantly to cause chaos and increase the momentum.
Along the way, Yang family clan soldiers continued to appear. Some were defeated and some tried to resist, but they were all killed by Xiahou Ba.
When he and his men rushed to the gate of Yacheng, they saw that the gate was wide open, the lights were brightly lit inside, and silhouettes of people flashed from time to time. There was not a single guard on Yacheng, and it looked very chaotic.
Xia Houba was overjoyed. The garrison of Yuezhi City turned out to be a mob!
At once he shouted, "Yang Thief, come and accept your fate!"
Unexpectedly, after he rushed to Yacheng and asked people to search for him, he found out through interrogation of his servants that Yang Tiao had already escaped from the north gate.
Xiahou Ba was so anxious that he quickly sent people to catch up.
It's just that Yuezhi City was originally set apart by the former Han Dynasty for the settlement of the Hu people who came to surrender, and it was surrounded by grazing areas. After Yang Tiao entered the city, he was able to collect a lot of horses.
These horses were of great help to him at this time.
There was someone in the Yang family who did not know how to ride a horse or fell behind, fell into the city, and was captured by the Wei army.
Under questioning, Xiahou Ba learned that Yang Tiao took his cronies and clan members out of the city and rode to the west.
Cao Zhen, who was leading the army behind, was extremely happy to learn that Xiahou Ba attacked Yuezhi City at night.
He said to Xiahou Ba who came to greet him, "Therefore, General Xiahou Yuan marched to the west with five hundred in three days and one thousand in six days. He marched in the pass. You led the army to rush towards the Yuezhi and defeated the Yang thieves lightly. This is quite the legacy of your father. "
Xiahou Ba was praised by Cao Zhen. Instead of being happy, he looked ashamed. "It is the fault of the last general to fail to capture Yang Thief in this battle."
"The Yang thief is just a thief, he ran away without harming the overall situation. What I am happy about is that Zhong Quan has the style of a general. It seems that the Wei Dynasty will have one more general."
Cao Zhen didn't care about Yang Tiao's escape, but praised Xiahou Ba greatly.
(End of this chapter)