Chapter 18 Seventeen, Tuoba Tao's attack on Xia

After eradicating Xie Hui's influence, Song Wendi Liu Yilong officially began his rule during the Yuanjia period. The primary task is to solve people's livelihood problems.Not long after the end of the Civil War, the refugees in the south of the Yangtze River tended to increase again.In the early years of his accession to the throne, Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty made great efforts to continue to implement the "earth cut" policy since Liu Yu's period, clear up household registration, and restrain local tyrants. The so-called "earth break", according to today's terms, is a bit like a temporary permanent residence registration.This policy originated from the influx of refugees from the Central Plains into the Jiangdong area after the Yongjia Rebellion.During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, in order to settle the refugees, the government adopted the method of setting up prefectures, prefectures and counties by overseas Chinese.For example, if you are a refugee from Jizhou, and the real Jizhou is already in the hands of the northern regime, then you can create a false Jizhou and mark "white registration" on your household registration, indicating that you are not an aborigine in the place where you live, but just an expatriate. here.Relying on such an overseas Chinese status, refugees can obtain "excellent return" and be exempted from the burden of transfer.Due to the increasing population of Bai nationality, the Eastern Jin government wanted to abolish the policy of preferential treatment for Bai nationality overseas Chinese households in order to simplify management and increase taxes. Directly merged into the state and county where it is located, it is under the jurisdiction of the local government, pays rent and tax, and accepts corvee just like the aborigines.

This caused another problem. The preferential treatment policy enjoyed by overseas Chinese households was completely cancelled. In order to continue to avoid transfers, many people took refuge in rich and powerful households.For this reason, the government also took measures simultaneously to check and verify household registrations in various places, severely punish concealed and false reports, and focus on cracking down on powerful forces. Long before Liu Yu, Huan Wen had implemented an earth break during the reign of Emperor Ai of the Jin Dynasty, which was called "Gengxu Earth Break", which was relatively thorough.Sixty to seventy years have passed since Liu Yu came to power, Jiangnan has gone through various wars, and the reorganization of household registration is just the right time. This time the land division began in the Yixi period of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. ", its main feature is that the law is strict and the effect is remarkable.

While enforcing the "earth break", Emperor Wen of Song Dynasty also implemented a policy of appeasement.In the year he came to the throne, he announced that all the taxes and debts owed to the government by the common people would be exempted.After that, he reduced or exempted taxes many times according to the specific conditions of each place; for widows, widows and lonely people who were unable to work, he gave medicines, food and extra care; plant for the coming year. The service policy of the Song Dynasty followed the old system, and men who reached the age of thirteen served half-service, and men who reached the age of sixteen served full-service.Wang Hong, the servant, pointed out that people's physiques are different, and many people are still developing at the age of sixteen, not to mention that they are basically children at the age of thirteen. Stability is not good.He suggested half service for men aged fifteen to sixteen and full service for men over seventeen.Emperor Wen of Song adopted his suggestion.

After some adjustments, the livelihood of the people in the south has been greatly guaranteed, and the government has also received generous tax returns, which can be described as a "win-win". In addition to the peace of the people, Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty vigorously rectified the administration of officials, improved administrative efficiency, and promoted many talents from the gentry, such as the "three kings" mentioned above: Wang Hua, Wang Tanshou, and Wang Hong, all belonged to the Langya Wang family. Members; Yin Jingren is from the Yin family of Chenjun; Xie Hongwei and Xie Lingyun are from the Xie family of Chenjun.Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty selected basically all literati, and they used their strengths to handle the government affairs.On the other hand, Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty firmly controlled military power. Except for the appointment of Yanzhi in his early years, he entrusted several younger brothers and cousins ​​Liu Yikang, Liu Yigong, Liu Yixuan, Liu Yiji, and Liu Yiqing (the one who edited) As the governor, each guards one side.

Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty was also willing to be sympathetic to the people, and he paid special attention to handling civil disputes. In the third year of Yuanjia (AD 426), he went to Yanxian Hall three times to hear lawsuits to resolve unjust prisons, and later he often went to hear lawsuits.He has personally experienced and done things that are a headache for ordinary officials. He not only established his prestige among officials, set an example, but also greatly improved his image among the common people. Emperor Wen of Song liked poetry and calligraphy, and he attached great importance to cultural education.Since the 15th year of Yuanjia (AD 438), he has successively opened four colleges of Confucianism, metaphysics, history, and literature, where famous scholars at that time gave lectures and came to listen to the lectures in person.These academies attracted many people of insight at that time, and also gathered many students who were studying.Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty went to Guozixue to assess these intellectuals face to face, rewarded outstanding talents and conferred official positions.In the past few decades, the style of writing in the south of the Yangtze River has flourished.

According to the description in "Song Book Liang Officials Biography", during the Yuanjia period of Emperor Wen, "the district Yu banquet was safe, and there was nothing wrong in the square. Returning, just doing things on your own. The duty of keeping the head of the house is divided into six periods. Although the world does not move, it is not too late, but the people are tied, and the officials have no way to get it. The family is full, that is, even though things are difficult, turn to death. Ditches can be avoided at that time. Where there are hundreds of households, there are cities, singing and dancing, and there are crowds..." This is the most stable and prosperous period in the south since the Sun family occupied Jiangdong in the chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty.In the atmosphere of singing and dancing, the young Emperor Wen of Song ignited his ambition, he wanted to sweep away the troubled times in the north and unify the whole country.

The same young Emperor Tuoba Tao of the Northern Wei Dynasty did not seize the civil strife in the south in the first few years and invaded south. His country has been surrounded by powerful enemies since its establishment.In front of this ruler who advocates conquest by force, Liu Song, whose literary rule is higher than martial arts, is not yet ranked. The feud in the west - Helianxia Kingdom, is the thorn in his side and the thorn in his flesh that he wanted to eliminate long ago. During the reign of Helian Bobo, the Northern Wei Dynasty was busy dealing with Rouran and assimilating the Henan region, while Xia Guo was busy grabbing territory with the Western Qin Dynasty in the west, and there was no major conflict. 424).As mentioned earlier, civil strife occurred in Xia Kingdom this year.

Helian Bobo has many sons.The original prince was the eldest son Helian Gui, who was as good at martial arts as his father and played a great role in the battle to capture Chang'an.However, in his later years, Helianbobo fell in love with his youngest son, Jiuquan Gong Helianlun, and wanted to abolish Heliangui and replace him with Helianlun.Helian Gui was very angry when he heard about it, so he brought 70,000 soldiers and horses to attack Helian Lun. people admire).The two armies fought, and Helian Lun died in battle.At this time, Helian Chang, the third son of Helian Bobo, led a surprise attack on Helian Gui with 10,000 cavalry. Helian Gui was killed. He Lianchang merged his tribe and returned to the capital Tongwan.He Lian Bobo was not sad because the two sons fought and died in battle, but was happy that He Lian Chang had calmed down the chaos, so he immediately made He Lian Chang the crown prince.In the second year, that is, in 425 AD, Helian Bobo died of illness, and Helian Chang became the emperor of Xia.

When Tuoba Tao heard that Helian Bobo had died, he was as excited as Tuoba Si when he heard the news of Liu Yu's death a few years ago.Tuoba Tao was preparing to use troops. There were three opinions within the Northern Wei Dynasty: the Xianbei aristocrats Sun Song, Chang Sun Han, and Xi Jin, who regarded Mobei as their inherent sphere of influence, all believed that Rouran should be attacked first. If they don't catch their leaders, they can get a lot of money to enrich their military use; some other officials think that the small country in the east, Beiyan, can be wiped out first; the first two opinions have their reasons, Taichang Cui Haojin said : "Creeps (the emperors and ministers of the Northern Wei Dynasty despised Rouran and thought they were as disgusting as bugs, so they called them Crawls, and the pronunciation of "Creep" is the same as "soft"). They run away like birds and beasts. If you send a large army to chase them, you will definitely not be able to catch up. If we use light troops to attack, I am afraid it will not be enough to wipe them out. But the land of the Helian family is only a thousand miles away, the punishment is brutal, and the people and gods are all angry, so I feel that we should attack the Xia country first."

Changsun Song insisted that if Xia Guo sticks to the city like Song Guo, it would be dangerous for Rouran to take advantage of the weakness.Tuoba Tao agreed with Cui Hao's opinion very much. Seeing that Changsun Song was not pleasing to the eye, he reprimanded him for being an official for corruption, and ordered the warriors around him to grab his head and hit the ground (this is called "humiliation" punishment, which is used by nomads. an insulting means of punishment), the rest of the ministers no longer dared to object. In the third year of Shiguang (AD 426), the Northern Wei Dynasty sent troops to Pingcheng. Sikong Xijin led 45,000 people to attack Puban, an important town in the east of the Xia Kingdom, and Zhou Ji led 10,000 people to attack Shancheng. Xue Jin, the son of Xue Bian, led the way.Tuoba Tao led an army of tens of thousands and directly took Tongwan City.

It was mid-winter, and Tuoba Tao's army marched to Junzijin (now near the Yellow River in the northeast of Zhungeer Banner, Inner Mongolia), and the Yellow River was frozen.Tuoba Tao led 20,000 light cavalry across the Yellow River to kill Tongwan City.On the winter solstice day, the Wei army was only more than 30 miles away from Tongwan City, and they formed a formation along the edge of the Black Water.He Lianchang was drinking and having fun with his officials. He hurriedly put on his clothes and went into battle to meet the Wei army. After losing the battle, he hurried back to the city. Dou Daitian, the guard next to Tuoba Tao, rushed in with a group of people before the city gate could be closed, and burned the west gate.He Lianchang quickly closed the palace gate to stop Wei Jun.Tuoba Tao saw that the weather was cold and it was not conducive to attacking the city, so he sent troops to loot the city and obtained more than 100,000 cattle and horses. The empty capital. The other two routes of the Wei army went smoothly as well. The news of the defeat of Tongwan City spread throughout the territory of Xia State.The only loss for the Northern Wei Dynasty was that general Zhou Ji died of illness in the army.West Qin, Beiliang, and Qiuchi in the west heard that the Northern Wei Dynasty had entered Guanzhong, and sent envoys to join the Tuoba clan. He Lianchang barely kept Tongwan, but he had no more troops.At this time, Xia Guo's main force was still led by his fifth younger brother, Pingyuan Gong He Lianding, and was fighting against Western Qin.He Lianchang urgently ordered Helian Ding to return to the army to attack Chang'an.General Xi Jin of Wei was not an idler, and the command staff and He Lianding were in a stalemate in Chang'an. In the next summer, Tuoba Tao saw that the main force of Xia's army was confined to Chang'an, and the command was empty, so he wanted to make a comeback.He ordered the sergeants to cut down timber in the Yinshan area and build siege equipment, preparing to take this indestructible capital in the Helianbo era in one fell swoop.