Chapter 19 2. Internal strife in Tongguan
Anlu Mountain raised troops from Fanyang and captured Luoyang, the eastern capital, in just 35 days, and controlled the Hebei region almost without bloodshed. Although it encountered some resistance in the Henan region, it was also victorious. Repeatedly hit Tang Jun.For the Tang Dynasty at this time, the situation was very serious. The divisions of Qin Wang from all over the country had not yet arrived at the capital, and Chang'an's defense was empty.Therefore, the people in Chang'an City were panicked and restless.However, after the rebel army entered Luoyang, they were keen to plunder property and women, and failed to seize the favorable opportunity to take advantage of the victory to attack Chang'an.But An Lushan himself was too busy to ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor, and had no time to take care of the war.An Lushan's short-sightedness gave the Tang Dynasty a rare respite.The divisions of Qin Wang from all walks of life rushed to Chang'an one after another. Compared with the situation where there were no troops to adjust near Gyeonggi a month ago, the defense was greatly strengthened.
Seeing that the rebels were so unstoppable, Xuanzong began to feel worried.When he was young, he also experienced life-and-death adventures, achieved brilliant victories and impressive achievements, and was a struggling figure.Reminiscing about the former glory and prosperity, the invincible greatness, and the little blood that remained in this old man was agitated again.Xuanzong decided to go on a personal conquest, so he issued an edict to urgently order the powerful troops from the three towns of Shuofang, Hexi, and Longyou to join forces in Chang'an within 20 days, except for a few left-behind troops.Although Lian Po is old, he can still eat.He wants to show off his majesty and let the world know that he is still the majestic Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
In the fourteenth year of Tianbao (755), on December 17th, Xuanzong suddenly became ambitious, and decided to lead his troops to march in person, and issued an edict that Prince Li Heng would supervise the country.Xuanzong said to Prime Minister Yang Guozhong: "I have been in power for fifty years, and I am tired of worrying about hard work. I wanted to pass on the crown prince last autumn. When the flood and drought are still there, I don't want to leave my descendants with the remaining disasters, and stay a little richer. I don't want to go against Hu When things go wrong, I will conquer them myself and make them supervise the country. On a day when things are peaceful, I will sit back and do nothing." ("Zi Zhi Tong Jian Volume 217")
Just look at what Xuanzong said to Gao Lishi before this: "I am old now, and the affairs of the court are given to the prime minister, and the affairs of the border are handed over to the generals, so why worry about the husband!" You can know that Xuanzong said at this time that he would pass the throne to the prince The words are insincere.Under the imperial power, the relationship between the emperor and the prince is delicate, and Xuanzong had already experienced it himself when he was still the prince, so he would rather entrust the government affairs to the prime minister.Moreover, he has never explicitly stated that he wants to be passed on to Prince Li Heng.Since Xuanzong is pretending to be a gesture, then Yujia's personal expedition is naturally a bluff.
Yang Guozhong was terrified and terrified because of this.Before Yang Guozhong took power, in order to curry favor with Li Linfu, he acted as Li Linfu's "thug" and tried his best to frame and attack Prince Li Hengzhi.The grievances between the two are so deep that death can only resolve it.Concubine Yang's sisters were domineering and domineering, which greatly affected the government. Prince Li Hengzao hated the Yang family deeply.If Prince Li Heng really presided over the government from now on, it would be a catastrophe for the Yang family.So Yang Guozhong hurriedly summoned the Yang sisters, and said nervously: "The prince has always been jealous of my family. If he takes over the country, my brothers and sisters will be in danger!"
Of course, Concubine Yang knew the pros and cons. In order to protect the overall interests of her family and her own status, she took off her hairpin, held the loess in her mouth, prostrated herself in front of Xuanzong, kowtowed and wept.At this time, Xuanzong was no longer the heroic, hard-working, and enterprising generation of virtuous and enlightened rulers in the Kaiyuan period, but degenerated into a faint ruler who was tired of government affairs, indulged in sensuality, partial to listening to partial beliefs, and close to evil and treacherous sycophants.He had no real determination to go to the front line, let alone the sincerity of Prince Li Heng. Seeing Concubine Yang's "pleading" made people feel distressed, so he gave up.
The Tang Dynasty was in a crisis of life and death. If Xuanzong could put the safety and prosperity of the country as the top priority at this time, and resolutely lead the army to crusade against Anlu Mountain, it would undoubtedly cheer up the spirit of the whole court and unite as one.It will also double the morale of the frontline generals, and they will take death as home and kill the enemy heroically. This will undoubtedly have a huge impact on reversing the entire battle situation and accelerating the counter-insurgency process.However, in order to please a woman, Xuanzong easily gave up major measures that could change the fate and future of the Tang Dynasty.After this incident, the court hated the Yang family even more for its arbitrariness and disaster for the country and the people.
In this good show, the most disappointed person is probably Prince Li Heng.From this incident, he should be able to see that if he doesn't get rid of the Yang brothers and sisters, he may never be able to ascend the throne.The prince became more and more nervous.Years of repressed life had formed his forbearing character, but at this time, he was on the verge of life and death, and he couldn't bear it anymore, and he began to brew a new strategy in his heart—not how to deal with the rebels, but how to deal with the Yang brothers and sisters.God favored him, and six months later, he got his wish and the plan was successfully realized.
Just when the supreme ruler of the Tang Dynasty staged the farce of the imperial conquest, An Lushan saw the Zunxiong in the palace of Luoyang, and felt anxious to call it a name.So, he feasted all the officials beside the Ningbi Pool in Luoyang Garden, and couldn't wait to proclaim the emperor and usurp the throne.An Lushan claimed to be Emperor Xiongwu, the country name was Yan, and Jianyuan Shengwu.Ren Daxi was martyred as the left chancellor, Zhang Tongru was the right chancellor, Yan Zhuang was the official censor, and a hundred officials were appointed.An Lushan wore a gown robe and a pearl crown on his head, surrounded by attendants, and ascended the throne.The two sons of An Qingxu and An Qingen sat on the two sides, civil and military officials, and chiefs of various ministries sat on the left and right, in order.Everything looks the same.
Because the eldest son of An Lushan had been killed by the Tang Dynasty, the second son An Qingxu was established as the prince on the same day.However, his concubine Duan Shi and An Qingen, the third son of Duan Shi, were quite unhappy because of this matter.Everyone's thoughts are different, but the root of the disaster is also planted on this day.
After An Lushan proclaimed himself emperor, he stayed in Luoyang, obsessed with spending time and drinking.However, the Qin Wang army of the Tang court gradually gathered in Tongguan, defending the natural danger, and the Tang army and the rebels formed a confrontation.
During this period, the famous generals Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi led the Tang army to successive victories in Hebei, cutting off the rebels' retreat, the morale of the Tang army was greatly boosted, and the rebels' morale began to waver.An Lushan has been invincible and invincible since he started his army. Seeing that the Tang army started a counterattack at this time, and the commander-in-chief of the three armies is his big enemy Ge Shuhan, he couldn't help but start to panic.He regretted that he should not have rebelled, and he recruited counselors who were noble and solemn, and reprimanded him: "For several years, you have been persuading me to rebel, saying that it is foolproof. Now the westward army is attacking Tongguan, and it will not be able to enter for a few months. The road to Fanyang has also been cut off. The imperial army has gathered from all directions, and we occupy only a few counties such as Bianzhou and Zhengzhou. We are trapped here, what is it called Wanquan! What is your strategy? From now on, don't come to see me again !” He lost his temper.
Afterwards Gao Shang and Yan Zhuang were extremely frightened and did not dare to see An Lushan for many days.At this time, Tian Ganzhen just came back from Tongguan.Tian Qianzhen's nickname is A Hao, he is both civil and military, and he is a well-known hero in the rebel army, and he is highly regarded by An Lushan.After Tian Qianzhen knew what happened, he spoke for Gao Shang and Yan Zhuang, and persuaded An Lushan: "Since ancient times, all emperors who want to achieve great things have won and lost. How can we expect to succeed in one fell swoop! Now the court Although there are many troops, they are all newly recruited mobs. They have never been in battle, and they are no match for our powerful soldiers. There is no need to worry. Gao Shang and Yan Zhuang are heroes of life. If you sever ties with them, the generals will know Afterwards, it will be centrifuged up and down, and the situation will be even more dangerous." An Lushan said happily after hearing this: "Ahao, you really understand my mind." So he called Gao Shang and Yan Zhuang again, and put them on the banquet.An Lushan also sang for them to persuade them to drink, and still treated them as before.
An Lushan quickly forgot about it, but Yan Zhuang did not.From this time on, he became dissatisfied with An Lushan, and devoted his energy to flattering Prince An Qingxu.It was this person who played an extremely critical role in the subsequent infighting of the rebels.
At this time, An Lushan was in a very difficult situation.Tongguan could not be attacked for a long time. He could neither enter Guanzhong nor break through to the south.Once the Tang army occupies Hebei, it will cut off its connection with the north.After serious consideration, he planned to abandon Luoyang, the eastern capital, and flee north to return to Fan Yang's hometown.But I can't bear to part with Luoyang's colorful world, so I haven't made up my mind yet.
The Tang court was obviously in a favorable position at this time. If the arrangements were made properly, the rebellion could be put down within a few months.This is a godsend.It is a great pity that political intrigue has dictated that events go in the opposite direction.Due to internal strife, the Tang Dynasty opened the gate of Tongguan for An Lushan who was in a dilemma.
After Xuanzong killed Feng Changqing and Gao Xianzhi indiscriminately, reinforcements from all over the country rushed to the capital, but there was no suitable candidate for the commander.At this time, Xuanzong thought of Ge Shuhan who was recuperating in the capital.
Ge Shuhan was fond of drinking all his life, and after he was proud of the officialdom, he began to indulge in sensuality, so that his health was very bad.Once, when he inspected the Tumen army, he was so exhausted that he fainted while taking a bath, and it took him a long time to wake up.This incident made Ge Shuhan feel a lot.Afterwards, he returned to Chang'an, recovered from his illness, and recuperated at home.At this time, he was over 50 years old, thinking that his military career was over, and he was ready to take good care of himself.However, the sky failed, and the Anshi Rebellion broke out.
For Ge Shuhan at this time, he was just an old man who was seriously ill, and he no longer had the heroic posture of carrying a spear and leaping a horse.He also saw the failures of the famous generals Feng Changqing and Gao Xianzhi, and he knew very well that the Tang army's defeat was inevitable, because the rebel army in Anlu Mountain was the most elite army in the world.What else could Goshuhan do?His greatest wish is to enjoy his old age comfortably, but in his heart, there is a faint premonition of something unknown.
The decree came at this time.Xuanzong worshiped his brother Shu Han as the deputy marshal of the army and horses (the marshal was named by Prince Li Heng), and asked him to lead an army of 200,000 to fight against the enemy and go to the front line to guard Tongguan.Ge Shuhan was unwilling to take over such a mess, and resolutely declined because of physical discomfort.But Xuanzong wanted to rely on Geshuhan's prestige to command the three armies, and because Geshuhan had always been in the same situation as Anlu Mountain, and had a deep hatred, Xuanzong also felt at ease when he was appointed to deal with Anlu Mountain, so he forced Geshuhan to make a decision. To march.In order to show his favor, Xuanzong also appointed Ge Shuhan as Shangshu Zuopushe, and with Zhongshu and Menxia Pingzhang in political affairs, he could perform the duties of prime minister.Xuanzong also took Tian Liangqiu as the censor Zhongcheng, as the marching Sima, and the living Lang Xiaoxin as the judge, and Wang Sili, Zhanger Dafu, Li Chengguang, Gao Yuandang, Su Fading, and Guan Chongsi as subordinate generals, and the Tibetans pulled the fire back to Ren, Li Wuding, Hun'e, Qibining, etc. were under his command, and the mobilized Helong, Shuofang soldiers and horses, Fan soldiers, and Gao Xianzhi's old troops were all under the command of Ge Shuhan, claiming 200,000, and stationed in Tongguan.At the same time, it also ordered troops from all over the country to attack Luoyang.The imperial decree was as big as a mountain, and Ge Shuhan had no choice but to accept the title of deputy marshal, healed his illness and mounted his horse, leading the army to Tongguan.
On the day of leaving the teacher, the scene was extremely spectacular, and the glory of Ge Shuhan's life reached its peak.Xuanzong personally rewarded Shu Han in the Qinzheng Building, had a farewell party for him, and ordered all the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty to see him off in the suburbs.
The moment Ge Shuhan stepped on the horse, his mood was extremely complicated. After all, the future was not optimistic.Looking back at Chang'an again, his heart couldn't help but feel a little tragic.Based on his understanding of the powerful enemy Anlu Mountain, he is quite aware that this may be the last time he sees the most prosperous and magnificent city in the world.So, in order to let himself have no regrets, Ge Shuhan thought of doing one thing when the emperor's favor was in full swing: get rid of his sworn enemy, An Sishun.However, what he never expected was that this incident directly led to the rapid fall of Tongguan, followed by Datang and his greatest personal disaster.
Tongguan belonged to Dingguo in the Shang Dynasty and was called Taolin.In the Zhou Dynasty, it was the territory of Guinland, which belonged to the State of Guo, and was called Wei.In the Spring and Autumn Period, it was attached to Jin Dynasty, called Taolinsai, and it was attached to Wei in the Warring States Period.In the sixth year of King Qin Huiwen (before 332), Ningqin County was established, and Tongguan was under the jurisdiction of Ningqin County.In the fifth year of Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty (202 BC), the Ship Sikong Yamen was set up, which was in charge of water transportation and boathouse work on the Yellow River and Weihe River.After that, the county was set up under the official name and called Chuansikong County.In the first year of the founding of Xinmang (9th year), Chuansikong County was changed to Chuanli County.In the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was renamed Chuansikong County and belonged to Huayin.In the eleventh year of Taihe in the Northern Wei Dynasty (487), it belonged to Dingcheng County in Huashan County, Huazhou.In the Western Wei Dynasty, Dingcheng County was withdrawn and changed to Fuxi County until the Northern Zhou Dynasty.
Before the Eastern Han Dynasty, Tongguan had no pass city. In the first year of Jian'an (196), in order to prevent the military chaos in Guanxi, Cao Cao changed the mountain road to the riverside, set up a pass on the road, and abandoned Hangu Pass.There are records that say: "There are two roads from the west of Mianchi to the pass, and the south road back to Ban, which has been used since before the Han Dynasty. Mr. Cao is evil and dangerous, and he opened the north road as the main road." Tongguan began.
Tongguan got its name from the water.According to the "Shui Jing Zhu" records: "The river flows south in the pass to the Tongjiguan Mountain, because it is called Tongguan." Tonglang is raging, so it is named Tongguan Pass, also known as Chongguan.There are Qinling barriers in the south, Yellow River natural moat in the north, Niantouyuan residence in the east, and natural defense lines such as Jingou, Yuanwanggou and Manluochuan in the middle.
In the seventh year of Daye of the Sui Dynasty (611), the city of Guan was moved to the valley between the north and the south, that is, the mouth of the forbidden ditch.In the second year of Tang Tianshou (691), the city of Tongguan was moved to the south bank of the Huang and Wei Rivers in the Sui Dynasty.Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, Tongguan has been a fortress that is easy to defend and difficult to attack, just as Zhang Yanghao, a later poet, wrote about the precipitous terrain of Tongguan: "The mountains and rivers are like gathering waves, and the Tongguan Road is inside and outside the mountains and rivers."
There is another allusion to "mountains and rivers outside and inside". "Zuo Zhuan" in the twenty-eighth year of Duke Xi, before the battle between Jin and Chu, Zifa persuaded Duke Wen of Jin to make a decisive battle, saying that even if he lost the battle, the state of Jin "will be harmless inside and outside the mountains and rivers."This idiom is used here, which means that the situation in Tongguan is extremely dangerous.
Tongguan is the gate of Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Empire.After Ge Shuhan led his army to station in Tongguan, he immediately strengthened the city's defenses, took advantage of Tongguan's dangerous and favorable terrain, built deep ditches and high fortifications, and retreated and defended.On the eleventh day of the first lunar month in the fifteenth year of Tianbao (756), An Lushan sent his son An Qingxu to lead troops to attack Tongguan, but was repelled by Ge Shuhan.Ge Shuhan breathed a sigh of relief, it was a good start.After the victory in the first battle, Ge Shuhan immediately pointed the finger at An Sishun in Chang'an.
As mentioned earlier, before An Lushan rebelled, An Sishun had repeatedly reported that his clan brother An Lushan was about to rebel.After An Lushan rebelled, Xuanzong did not inquire about the crime because An Sishun had reported it first.At this time, An Sishun had been relieved of the military power of the Jiedushi and served as Minister of the Household Department.An Sishun is also happy to enjoy life in Chang'an, but Ge Shuhan doesn't want to let him go.Ge Shuhan had always had conflicts with An Sishun, and at this time he was in power, so he deliberately forged a letter from An Lushan to An Sishun, and asked someone to pretend to deliver the letter. To the court.At the same time, he also listed An Sishun's seven crimes and asked Xuanzong to execute An Sishun.
Xuanzong was very clear about the old grievances between Ge Shuhan and An Sishun, and even acted as a peacemaker to make the two reconcile.At this time, it's not that he didn't understand that An Sishun was framed by Ge Shuhan, but at this time when Ge Shuhan was needed, he had to sacrifice An Sishun.Naturally, An Sishun was unwilling to sit still, and sent people to bribe Yang Guozhong, asking Yang Guozhong to intercede.However, Xuanzong had already made up his mind in order to win over Ge Shuhan.On the third day of March in the fifteenth year of Tianbao (756), An Sishun and his younger brother An Yuanzhen, the imperial servant, were both executed, and their family was exiled to Lingnan.
Goshuhan was ordered to deal with political opponents at a time of crisis, but took advantage of the country's crisis.If such a broad-minded person is appointed as the coach of the Tang army, the Tang army will inevitably be in danger!Later historians commented: "Ge Shuhan abolished the disease at home and set up a special military handle. 200,000 people refused to close the door. To disseminate them, and to restrain them by oneself, these are all destined to be handsome but not worthy of him.” ("Old Tang Book, Volume 104, Goshuhan Biography")
Yang Guozhong's efforts to rescue An Sishun failed, and he began to realize that Ge Shuhan had posed a great threat to him, and he began to fear Ge Shuhan from then on.
At that time, people all over the world believed that the An Lushan rebellion was caused by Yang Guozhong's arrogance and indulgence, and they all hated Yang Guozhong.Even An Lushan's uprising was in the name of fighting against Yang Guozhong, which shows how infamous Yang Guozhong has become.The general advocated killing Yang Guozhong to thank the world. He once secretly persuaded Ge Shuhan to say: "An Lushan raised troops in the name of punishing Yang Guozhong. We should use the Han to defeat the strategy of the Seven Kingdoms (referring to the killing of Chao Cuo by Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty). You just need to stay." 30,000 soldiers guard the pass, and lead the rest of the elite back to the capital to punish Yang Guozhong, a great event will be accomplished! What do you think?" Ge Shuhan shook his head in disapproval.Wang Sili said again: "If you give the emperor a petition to kill Yang Guozhong, the emperor may not agree. I am willing to lead 30 horsemen and go back to Chang'an to rob Yang Guozhong to Tongguan. If so, you can kill him." Ge Shuhan said in amazement: " If this is the case, it is really Ge Shu Han who rebelled, not An Lushan. How can such words come out of the mouths of the kings?" So Wang Sili did not dare to say it again.See "Zizhi Tongjian Volume 218" for details.
Soon, news of Wang Sili's conspiracy with Ge Shuhan reached Yang Guozhong's ears, and someone said to him: "Now the imperial court is in the hands of Ge Shuhan, if Ge Shuhan returns to the army, your life will be in danger. "Yang Guozhong was terrified when he heard the words, and he thought about countermeasures anxiously, and then said to Xuanzong: "The art of war is 'safety never forgets danger'. Although Tongguan is guarded by heavy troops, there are no soldiers behind. If it fails, the capital will be very dangerous. Please choose There are 3000 children in the garden for training, just in case." Xuanzong felt that this was reasonable, and immediately asked Yang Guozhong to handle the matter.Yang Guozhong quickly recruited 3,000 elite soldiers and trained them day and night, under the command of his confidant Jiannan Army generals Li Fude and Liu Guangting respectively.Yang Guozhong was still worried, and asked to recruit 10,000 troops to station in Bashang (now southeast of Xi'an, Shaanxi), led by his confidant general Du Ganyun, in name to resist the rebels, but in fact to guard against Goshuhan.
After Ge Shuhan got the news, he knew that Yang Guozhong's deployment was aimed at him. He was afraid of being plotted against and the enemy was behind him, so he decided to act first.So the above table asked the army stationed in Bashang to be under the unified command of the Tongguan army.On the first day of June in the fifteenth year of Tianbao (756), Ge Shuhan summoned Du Ganyun to Tongguan on the grounds of discussing the military situation, and then beheaded him with an excuse, thereby annexing the Bashang army.
After this incident, the conflict between Ge Shuhan and Yang Guozhong has become public, and it has developed from a secret fight to an open one.When Yang Guozhong got the news, he panicked even more, and said to his son, "I have nothing to die for!" The existence of Ge Shuhan, who was close at hand, made him feel like a thorn in his back.And Ge Shuhan was also restless all day long, but he still couldn't make up his mind to kill Yang Guozhong.There is a famous saying in later generations: "Since ancient times, there have been no powerful ministers inside, and generals who can make contributions to outsiders." ("Continued Zizhi Tongjian Volume 123") Ge Shuhan's hesitation not only hurt himself , It also harmed the world of Datang.
The infighting between the frontline coach and the rear prime minister consumed precious energy and time.Ge Shuhan was worried, "fear of being plotted by the loyalists of the country" ("Zizhi Tongjian Volume 218"), and his condition aggravated because of this.He had more than enough heart but not enough energy to deal with daily military affairs, so he had to entrust important military and political affairs to the marching commander Tian Liangqiu, who dared not be arbitrary.Ge Shuhan then put general Wang Sili in charge of the cavalry and Li Chengguang in charge of the infantry.Wang Sili and Li Chengguang were busy fighting for power and profit, it was difficult to cooperate, and the orders of the whole army were different.In addition, in his later years, Ge Shuhan, because of his high position and weight, although the military discipline remained the same as before, he did not care about the suffering of the soldiers.When the eunuch Li Dayi was in the army, he not only didn't care about his affairs, but also took pleasure in gambling, drinking, and playing the piano with the generals all day long, while ordinary soldiers couldn't even eat enough.When Xuanzong sent people to comfort the army, the soldiers reported that there was a lack of clothes. Xuanzong specially made 100,000 war robes to give to the army, but Ge Shuhan suppressed them, so that after the defeat, the clothes were still hidden in the warehouse.Soldiers risked their lives to fight, but they couldn't even solve the most fundamental food and clothing problems. Naturally, they were full of resentment, which led to the up and down separation.This is what is said in the history books that Ge Shuhan commanded troops "with strict usage and no mercy, the soldiers are all slack and have no fighting spirit".Prestige without grace was one of the reasons why Goshuhan later failed.
During the time when Ge Shuhan was defending Tongguan and fighting secretly with Yang Guozhong, the situation on the battlefield had undergone great changes.Wherever the rebels went, they burned, killed and looted, arousing the incomparable anger of the local people and greatly losing their hearts.Yan Zhenqing, the prefect of Pingyuan, and Yan Gaoqing, the prefect of Changshan, led the army and the people to fight against the rebels, and many counties in Hebei responded one after another.Li Guangbi, the governor of Hedong, and Guo Ziyi, the governor of Shuofang, successively led their troops out of Jingxing and into Hebei.Zhang Xun and Lu Jiong blocked the rebels' eastward advance and southward advance in Yongqiu and Nanyang.An Lushan was unable to advance, and the rear was threatened again. The morale of the army was shaken, and he planned to abandon Luoyang and retreat to Fanyang.The war situation showed a turning point that was obviously beneficial to the Tang army.
During this period, Shuofang Jiedu envoy Guo Ziyi once suggested to Xuanzong: Send troops to the north to capture Fan Yang, forcing the main rebel forces in Tongguan and Luoyang to return to rescue Fan Yang, so as to relieve the huge pressure of Tongguan rebels coming to the pass with heavy troops.This is a very clever strategy, which can enable the Tang army to turn defense into offense.But Xuanzong didn't know why he didn't agree with Guo Ziyi's suggestion.
From the very moment when the An Lushan Rebellion started, Xuanzong began to beat to death the generals who did not believe in heavy soldiers. This was the fundamental reason why he killed Feng Changqing and Gao Xianzhi indiscriminately.The fundamental reason why Ge Shuhan was reused was not because of how capable and famous Ge Shuhan was, but because Ge Shuhan was An Lushan's deadly enemy, and he would never turn around and join forces with An Lushan.The appointment of personnel is based on such a starting point, which is enough to prove that Xuanzong himself has completely lost the elite of the heyday of the Tang Dynasty.And Guo Ziyi's subsequent ups and downs also fully demonstrated that the emperors were "bitten by snakes once, and afraid of grass ropes for ten years", for fear that the generals who commanded the army would have too much military power and merit, so that a second Anlu Mountain would appear.This also directly led to the Tang court beginning to appoint eunuchs to take charge of military power, which became an important factor in the demise of the Tang Dynasty.
Ge Shuhan has always adopted the strategy of sticking to Tongguan, guarding against natural dangers, and blocking the rebels from under Tongguan.The main force of the rebel army lingered on the same side for half a year, but they were still unable to overcome the natural danger, and went further west, becoming an embarrassing stalemate.Ge Shuhan was worried that Xuanzong blamed him for not wanting to fight. He had spoken to Xuanzong many times before, emphasizing his strategy of sticking to it: "Although Lushan steals Heshuo, it is unpopular. Please be cautious and use it to harm you. The other is self-centered, so you will destroy it." Therefore, it is not necessary to injure the soldiers and capture the Kou.” ("Old Tang Book Volume 104 Biography of Ge Shuhan")
Seeing that the strong attack was not effective, An Lushan ordered his subordinate Cui Qianyou to hide the elite troops in advance, and led 4,000 old, weak, sick and disabled troops to station in Shan County, trying to lure Ge Shuhan to abandon the danger and go out to fight.But Ge Shuhan was unmoved.He knew very well in his heart that even though he had the so-called 200,000 troops in his hands, they were all improvised teams. They were too many but not skilled, and had no fighting spirit, so he insisted on closing the city.But Ge Shuhan forgot that behind him, there was still a pair of eyes staring at him, looking for an opportunity to get rid of him.
In May of the fifteenth year of Tianbao (756), Xuanzong received information from the rebel general Cui Qianyou that "there were less than 4,000 soldiers in Shan County, and they were all weak and unprepared". Excited, Xuanzong optimistically estimated the battle situation, eager to win, and ordered Ge Shuhan to switch from defense to offense, and immediately sent troops to recover Shanjun and Luoyang.For this reason, Xuanzong also made a special divination, and the hexagram showed that: "Thieves are unprepared, and there are plans."
Ge Shuhan was shocked when he heard the news, and immediately wrote a letter to Xuanzong, saying: "An Lushan has practiced military affairs for a long time, and now he openly rebels against the Tang Dynasty and wants to attack Chang'an. It is impossible not to fortify. We must use weak soldiers to lure us. If we send troops, we will hit one of them. Besides, the rebel army is coming from afar, and the advantage lies in the quick battle. Our army takes advantage of the danger to suppress it, and the advantage lies in holding on. What's more, the rebel army is cruel, loses people's hearts, and the army is shrinking day by day. There will be internal changes. Victory. The Taoist soldiers have not assembled yet, and the situation is not very favorable to us, so we should wait for it."
Judging from the melodies, Ge Shuhan had exactly the same views as Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing when they guarded Tongguan. Disintegrated, this strategy of holding on to dangerous points, weary the enemy for a long time, and waiting for an opportunity to attack was feasible at the time.
Not only Ge Shuhan, but even Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi, the commanders of the Shuofang Army who were on the front line in Hedong, also held the same view.The two said in the memorial: "Han is sick and old. The thieves know it well, and the armies are not enough to fight. Now the thieves know that they have broken Wan and Luo in the south, and they are guarding Youzhou with the rest. I will attack them directly and overthrow them." In its lair, traitorous clans are used to recruit rebels, and the head of Lushan can be brought. If the teacher leaves Tongguan and becomes a capital, the world will be idle." ) advocated sending a large army directly to Fan Yang, the old nest of Anlu Mountain, and captured the rebel wives as hostages, and the rebel army would collapse internally.Yan Zhenqing also said: "Tongguan is a dangerous place, and it is a barrier to Chang'an. It is admirable to stick to it. The thief is trying to lure me, so please don't be fooled by gossip." Other memorials against Ge Shuhan's battle also flew to Xuanzong like snowflakes. desk.
At the critical moment when Xuanzong hesitated, Yang Guozhong suspected that Ge Shuhan's refusal to send troops was out of self-seeking. In order to divert the tiger away from the mountain, he immediately said to Xuanzong: "The thief is unprepared, and if Han stays, he will lose his chance." ("" Zizhi Tongjian Volume 218) Xuanzong lived in a peaceful and prosperous age for a long time and did not understand military affairs, so he believed Yang Guozhong's slander, and sent envoys to urge Ge Shuhan to fight, so that the envoys "looked at each other with their backs".Soon, he began to severely criticize Ge Shuhan, saying: "You have a heavy army, you don't take advantage of the bandits' unpreparedness, and rush to restore the key areas, but you want to wait for the bandits to collapse. If you don't fight, you will miss the chance. Unsolved. If it continues for a long time, the unprepared will become prepared, our army will be delayed, or there will be no success, and the laws of the country are in place, so I dare not ignore it.” And sent the eunuch Bian Lingcheng to supervise the battle.Xuanzong had completely lost his shrewd mind when he was young. He was eager for success, made a wrong judgment on the comparison of the strength of the enemy and himself, and listened to slander and self-willedness, which drove Tang Jun to seek his own death.
Seeing the emperor's decree to severely punish Ge Shuhan, who was under pressure, he knew that the situation was unstoppable, so he led the troops out of Tongguan on the fourth day of June in the fifteenth year of Tianbao (756).Before leaving the customs, Ge Shuhan seemed to have predicted that the battle would inevitably fail, and couldn't help crying.The law of war says: "Whoever is able but does not control the king wins." Now Ge Shuhan is constrained by the court everywhere, knowing that he should not leave the customs easily, but he is forced by the imperial edict and has to go out to fight.It can be said that he embarked on the journey with the grief of seeing death as home.Fundamentally, failure will be inevitable.The Tang Jun coach cried bitterly in front of the battle, showing the helpless decline of a dynasty.
On the seventh day of June, Ge Shuhan's army and Cui Qianyou's rebel army encountered in Lingbao Xiyuan (in today's western Henan Province).On the eighth day of June, the two armies fought.Lingbao faces mountains in the south with steep peaks; faces the Yellow River in the north with turbulent waves; and in the middle is a 70-mile-long narrow mountain road, which can be described as an extremely dangerous place for soldiers.Cui Qianyou ambushed the elite soldiers on the south mountain in advance, led the old, weak, sick and disabled soldiers to fight with the Tang army, and fought while leaving, thinking that it was a tactic to lure the enemy.
Ge Shuhan and marching commander Ma Tianliangqiu took a boat to observe the military situation in the Yellow River. Seeing that Cui Qianyou had few soldiers, he ordered the army to advance.Wang Sili and others led 50,000 elite soldiers in front as the forwards, Pang Zhong and others led 100,000 troops in the rear, and Ge Shuhan himself led 30,000 people to watch the battle on the hills north of the Yellow River and beat drums to cheer.As soon as the two armies fought, the rebels deliberately showed weakness and fled with their flags and drums silent.
Seeing the dangerous terrain around him, Wang Sili didn't dare to move forward rashly, but just kept advancing step by step.Cui Qianyou, the rebel general, came to challenge with his weak soldiers.Their formations were irregular, one pile to the east, one cluster to the west, in threes and fives, scattered and scattered, just like ordinary people who had never learned to form a queue.Seeing this situation, the soldiers of the Tang army couldn't help laughing.Without waiting for Wang Sili to issue an order, Tang soldiers rushed forward first.Seeing that they were chasing the rebels, the rebels immediately lowered their flags and retreated.Wang Sili sent his troops to chase after him, and Pang Zhong and other supporting troops followed suit.So the two armies scrambled into the gorge, only to see cliffs on both sides, and only a narrower narrow road in the middle, which is creepy.Wang Sili felt bad, so he stopped to wait and see.
At this time, when Ge Shuhan saw the terrain, he immediately found out that he had been tricked by Cui Qianyou. He wanted to get out of the predicament, but it was too late.So he commanded the battle in the middle of the Yellow River on a floating boat.At that time, the commanding heights were occupied by the rebels, and the situation was very critical. The only way out was to move forward bravely, break through the blockade of the rebels in front, and fight a bloody road.Seeing that Cui Qianyou had few troops, Ge Shuhan urged the soldiers to advance bravely.Due to the narrow mountain road, Tang Jun was like beans filled in a bamboo tube, and could only roll forward one by one.
At this time, the rebel army ambush rose, condescending, and threw rolling wood and stones from the mountain. All the soldiers of the Tang army crowded in the pass, and it was difficult to deploy their troops, causing many casualties.Ge Shuhan hurriedly ordered a felt cart to rush forward, trying to open a passage.In order to survive, the generals and soldiers of the Tang army began to rush forward, and the team was in chaos all of a sudden.Ge Shuhan's command failed, people's hearts were lax, and people had no fighting spirit.
In the afternoon, the weather changed suddenly, and the east wind blew hard.Seeing that the time had come, Cui Qianyou hurriedly ordered his subordinates to set fire to dozens of carts full of hay, blocking the passage and preventing the Tang army from advancing.All of a sudden, the flames rose into the sky, and the thick smoke filled the air. The Tang army was blinded by the smoke and couldn't see the target clearly. no enemies.
At this time, Cui Qianyou and Luo's elite cavalry detoured from the south valley to the back of the Tang army and charged out.Some abandoned their armor and fled into the valley, and some were squeezed into the Yellow River and drowned.Seeing the defeat of the former army, the rear army of the Tang Dynasty collapsed without fighting.Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, the Tang army guarding the north bank of the Yellow River also collapsed one after another, and almost their entire army was wiped out.Ge Shuhan escaped with only a few hundred riders, crossed the Yellow River from the west of Shouyang Mountain (now Yongji, Shanxi), and entered Tongguan.At that time, three large trenches were dug outside Tongguan Pass, each two feet wide and one foot deep. The fleeing Tang soldiers and horses fell into the trenches, and soon filled the trenches, and the people behind stepped on them to pass.
In the battle of Lingbao, nearly 200,000 Tang troops left the customs, and only 8,000 people fled back to Tongguan.At this moment, even with the natural danger of Tongguan, the Tang army does not have enough troops to defend.On the ninth day of June, Cui Qianyou led his troops to capture Tongguan.At this time, it was less than 5 days before Ge Shuhan left the customs in tears.
The Battle of Lingbao is a typical example of an ambush in the history of Chinese warfare.The rebel general Cui Qianyou lured the Tang army to abandon the danger and go out to fight. During the battle, he lowered his flag and wanted to escape, and lured the Tang army into the ambush area. With the favorable terrain, he won a big victory.However, Xuanzong forced Ge Shuhan to leave the customs prematurely to counterattack, which completely lost the favorable situation for the Tang army, and became a turning point from active to passive.
Due to the failure of this battle and the fall of Tongguan, the situation of the counter-insurgency war took a turn for the worse, which directly or indirectly led to the defeat of the Tang army in other battlefields.Previously, due to the containment of nearly 200,000 troops of the Tang Dynasty stationed in Tongguan, Anlu Mountain did not dare to deploy a large number of troops for reinforcements even though Shi Siming in Hebei suffered consecutive defeats.After the failure of Goshuhan's army, the rebels have no worries and can deploy a large number of elites to support other battlefields.On the Hebei battlefield, Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi's troops were forced to withdraw from Hebei.The morale of the Tang army was also greatly affected by the failure of the Lingbao battle.Afterwards, it was difficult for the Tang army to respond and support each other on various battlefields.Since the Battle of Lingbao, Tang Jun has been completely passive.
After Ge Shuhan fled to the Guanxi post station, he posted a notice to collect the remnants of the defeated generals, intending to recapture Tongguan.However, his subordinate Fan general Huo Baguiren and others saw that the Tang army was in danger, so they secretly discussed kidnapping Ge Shuhan to surrender to Anlu Mountain.Afterwards, Huo Ba Guiren led more than a hundred confidants to surround the post station, went in and lied to Ge Shuhan, saying: "The rebel army has arrived, please mount your horse." "The more than 200,000 troops you led were defeated by the rebels. How can you go to see the emperor? Can't you see the fate of Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing! We might as well surrender to Anlu Mountain to the east." Ge Shuhan disagreed, Said: "I would rather die like Gao Xianzhi." After speaking, he wanted to get off the horse.Huo Baguiren immediately tied Ge Shuhan's feet to the horse's belly.All generals who were unwilling to surrender were also tied up.At this time, Tian Ganzhen, the general of the rebel army, arrived, and Huoba Guiren surrendered him, and was sent to Luoyang together with Ge Shuhan and others.
When An Lushan saw Ge Shuhan, he scolded: "You usually look down on me, how about now?" Anger, the cold heart of the emperor's distrust, the resentment in his heart has nowhere to vent, he has lost all anger, facing the enemy for many years, he no longer has half a bit of vigor and ambition.为了活命，当即伏地谢罪说：“臣有眼不识圣人。但现在天下还未平，李光弼在常山，李祗在东平（今山东郓城），鲁炅在南阳，请让我写信招之，他们就会投降。”安禄山听后大喜，立即拜哥舒翰为司空、同中下门下平章事。火拔归仁自夸其功，安禄山大怒说：“你叛主，不忠不义。”将其斩首。
哥舒翰果然写信招降其他将帅。但诸将接到书信后，都复书责骂哥舒翰不死节，有失国家大臣的体面。安禄山早知道哥舒翰招降其他唐将不会有什么效果，只不过要借此炫耀征服哥舒翰的胜利而已，便把哥舒翰囚禁于禁苑之中。
哥舒翰屈节求生，也仅仅多活了一年。至德二年十月十月（757年），安庆绪为唐军所败，逃跑时将哥舒翰等30余名被俘的唐将全部杀死。
哥舒翰晚节不保，令无数人无比惋惜。史书上因此评价他说：“丑哉舒翰，不能死王。”（《旧唐书·卷一百零四·哥舒翰传》）但他是胡人出身，对汉人所谓的气节之类并不是特别看重。无论如何，瑕不掩瑜，哥舒翰依旧是天宝中后期出色的军事将领，他早年战功赫赫，无人能及，所以同时代大诗人李白认为名将卫青与他相比都黯然失色。正因为如此，唐朝廷也没有因为哥舒翰被俘投降而将他一棍子打死，为哥舒翰追赠太尉，谥曰武愍。唐朝廷为哥舒翰追谥一事，也从另外一个方面说明了大唐开放、宽宏、博大的精神。然而，安史之乱后，大唐这种一览天下的气质便逐渐远去了。
潼关失陷了。纵观潼关内讧的经过，几乎就是大唐王朝衰落的一个缩影。
此刻，日已西落，险峻如铁的潼关模糊了刀剑的铿锵和马嘶，只剩下死者的浓血，生者的眼泪。关墙巍峨，在群山拱卫之下显得雄壮而悲凉。在它怜悯的目光中，似乎已经看到长安华丽的金宫银殿，即将化作一捧焦土。开元的千秋伟业，将要一朝烟消云散。自古多难的山河，又开始了万千哀愁。
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