Chapter 57 2. The dream of peace is broken

Wu Wei will return to the Han Dynasty, and Wang Mang is very satisfied with their successful completion of the task.An imperial edict was issued to reward them for their meritorious deeds, and a special first-class merit was given to the brothers who smashed the old seal of the Huns.Now that Wang Mang has acknowledged the merits of the five powerful generals, the Xiongnu Shanyu wants to use the "Xi" seal, so stop dreaming. At this point, perhaps Wang Mang thought that he had already dealt with the Huns.In fact, he has screwed up all the diplomatic relations between Han and Hungary.Soon, an ominous news came from the border, which made him suddenly realize the seriousness of the problem.

As early as seven years ago, that is, in 2 AD, Wang Mang had set a binding policy for the Xiongnu in his foreign policy towards the Xiongnu.This new policy is referred to as the "Four No's".That is to say, the Han people are not allowed to flee to the Xiongnu, which is one; the Wusun people are not allowed to flee to the Xiongnu, which is the second; 3. It is not allowed to accept the Wuhuan people fleeing to the Xiongnu.This is the fourth. The Xiongnu verbally agreed to Wang Mang's "four nos" policy.However, doing it is another matter. Two hundred years ago, the Xiongnu Maodun Shanyu conquered Wuhuan. Since then, Wuhuan has paid tribute of animal skins and cotton cloth to the Xiongnu every year.If the payment is not made within the time limit, the Xiongnu will send troops to kill and rob.Two hundred years later, after the promulgation of Wang Mang's New Deal, the Wuhuan people seemed to have found a backer and stopped paying tribute to the Huns.

The Xiongnu first sent someone to urge the handover, saying: "The time is up, hurry up and bring the animal skin, or you will be amazed." Hearing this, he became angry, and sent troops to invade the Wuhuan Kingdom, kidnapped the king and high-ranking officials, hung them upside down and transported them back to the Huns, preparing to let the Wuhuan people take money to redeem them. There was no way, the Wuhuan people still handed over the animal skins and cotton cloth to the Xiongnu, but the Xiongnu deliberately did not mention the matter of returning them.Unexpectedly, this matter was discovered by General Wuwei who returned to China.

On the way back home, General Wuwei discovered that many Wuhuan people suddenly appeared in the territory of the Xiongnu.Then he questioned the relevant person in charge of the Xiongnu, and the person in charge told them what had happened, and General Wuwei said: "You are too unkind. Since the Wuhuan people have handed over the animal skins, you have to send them back! " The head of the Xiongnu said: "We are about to send them back! But I have a question, and I am going to ask you for instructions. Should we send them back from within the Great Wall or from outside the Great Wall?" After making a decision, I made a report and sent it back to Chang'an quickly.Soon, Wang Mang replied that the Wuhuan people must be sent back from outside the Great Wall.

In this way, the Huns led 10,000 cavalry to build fortifications outside the frontier fortress in Shuofang County under the pretext of escorting Wuhuan captives.Ghosts can see what they want to do. Wang Mang decided to send an envoy to the Western Regions to find out the reality.Unexpectedly, the situation was unexpectedly bad.First, the countries in the Western Regions did not listen to the words of the Han Dynasty. A 2,000-strong army from the Cheshi Kingdom betrayed the new dynasty and fled to the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu dared to take it all.Then, four senior generals of the Han Dynasty stationed in the Western Regions killed the school lieutenant and led 2,000 people to flee to the Xiongnu, who also took them all.

All those who opposed the Han Dynasty became friends of the Huns.It seems that if they don't give the Xiongnu some color, they still don't know how powerful the new government is.AD 9, December.Wang Mang issued an edict to conquer the Xiongnu. Two hundred years ago, when Liu Bang founded the country, he organized 300,000 troops to press into the territory of the Xiongnu, intending to take down Maodun Shanyu in one fell swoop, but unfortunately failed.Two hundred years later, Wang Mang started a new dynasty, and he also wanted to have a big fight with the Xiongnu.Can the political strategist Wang Mang not repeat the mistakes of Liu Bang?

One word, hanging. As mentioned earlier, Wang Mang's social reform seems to be full of modern spirit.However, only from a military point of view, Wang Mang sent troops to the Huns, which is more like a modern politician. We all know that since human beings entered the history of modern civilization, the so-called politicians in various countries have performed a trick.That is, once domestic conflicts escalate and reach a fever pitch, they always try to create new conflicts and alleviate old ones. And the new contradiction they created is often a contradiction between internal and external.Confrontation with the outside world diverts the attention of the domestic public, thereby deflecting the crisis.In this way, the energy of internal contradictions will be virtually dispelled and condensed into a unified external force.

In my opinion, two thousand years ago, Wang Mang wanted to turn against the Xiongnu at all costs. In fact, he was trying to pass on a series of domestic conflicts brought about by the New Deal.Before, Wang Mang wiped out the 200,000 insurgents including Zhai Yi and Zhao Peng, and suddenly gave himself the confidence to be an emperor.Now, the domestic economic situation is in disarray. If the Xiongnu can be gnawed down, then he has the confidence to continue to be emperor. Therefore, Wang Mang must fight the Huns, and he must fight loudly.Therefore, for this war that has not been encountered in decades, Wang Mang even took out his old books.

Wang Mang's conquest was deployed as follows: general Sun Jian was sent to lead twelve generals, and the whole country was mobilized to form many corps and advance in six ways.The Wuwei Corps and the Huben Corps went out of Wuyuan County (Baotou City, Inner Mongolia); the Difficult Corps and the Zhendi Corps went out of Yunzhong County (Toketuo County, Inner Mongolia); the Zhenwu Corps and the Pingdi Corps went out of Dai County (Yuxian County, Hebei Province) ; Xiangwei Corps and Zhenyuan Corps from Xihe County (southwest of Geer Banner, Inner Mongolia); Zunraccou Corps and Disguise Corps from Yuyang County (Miyun County, Beijing); Fenwu Corps and Dinghu Corps from Zhangye County (Zhangye, Gansu Province) city).

The above corps has a total of 300,000 people. War, in the final analysis, is to fight the economy.The economy is good or bad, all reflected in logistics.Of course Wang Mang understood this truth.Therefore, he paid special attention to logistics support. Materials such as troops, leather jackets, weapons, grain, and horse grass were continuously transported to the north from the Yangtze River and Huaihe River. General Wang Mang's combat plan is: the troops who arrive at the predetermined location first will be stationed temporarily, and the troops will wait until they arrive later.Wait until all the troops are assembled before starting the battle.

The ultimate goal of the battle is to hunt down the Xiongnu Shanyu.If Shanyu escapes, he can chase the Dingling tribe (on the shore of Lake Baikal in Siberia), this is one; after victory, plan to cut the Huns into pieces and divide them into fifteen small countries, and support the new puppet Shanyu, this is the second . Such a spectacular scene seems beautiful to look at.In fact, it's not practical at all. In 11 AD, Wang Mang's Northern Expeditionary Army had not yet completed its assembly after a year of dispatching.It was really hard for the soldiers of the Han Dynasty. Those who arrived first had nothing to do and ate the wind and sand all day long; those behind were still rushing forward.The previous question may be asked, why is this war still not underway?Why don't you call early and go home early? In fact, Wang Mang's generals didn't want to wait anymore.If we wait like this, don't say that the day lily is cold, I don't know how many times the flowers have thanked, and the war hasn't started yet!Moreover, all soldiers know a basic principle of warfare, soup should be drunk while it is hot, and iron should be fought while it is hot.As the saying goes, "one effort, then decline, and three exhaustion".When the morale is all wilted, what a fart! The reason is very reasonable, but the leadership is very stubborn.Wang Mang clearly told his generals that those who arrive at the front line first, no matter how many people arrive, should not act rashly, and must wait until the whole army is assembled before going to war. Look, what kind of attitude is this?Wang Mang thought war was a tug of war?Can more people win?The generals were speechless, so they had to shut up. In fact, Wang Mang is not so stubborn as to turn into stone.Before the battle, he had already done some warm-up exercises as planned.The plan is to send a Zhonglang general and a deputy captain, leading 10,000 people, and carrying a lot of money to station in Yunzhong County, responsible for luring the Huns. As mentioned earlier, Wang Mang's Northern Expedition was not to completely destroy the Xiongnu, but to divide the Xiongnu into fifteen pieces of meat.Then he gave the fifteen pieces of meat to the Huns who liked him.There were fifteen people, and it was difficult for him to find them all at once.But there are already a few more pleasing to the eye, they are the sons of Hu Hanxie Shanyu who once married the Han Dynasty and married Wang Zhaojun. Under the so-called heavy money, there must be traitors.Wang Mang took a fancy to the three sons of Huhanxie Chanyu, and he sent Zhonglang Jiang to send a secret message to lure them all to the territory of the Han Dynasty.Then when the conditions were set, looking at the gorgeous gold, the sons of Hu Hanxie Chanyu seemed to have something to say in their hearts, but they didn't dare to say it, so they had to agree to Wang Mang's request. Then, Wang Mang announced to the outside world that the two sons of Huhan Xie Shanyu were named Shanyu, one was Xiao Shanyu, and the other was Shun Shanyu.The addition of the two chanyus is filial piety to the chanyu, which fully embodies Wang Mang's Confucian spirit. As soon as Wang Mang announced the news, the Xiongnu Shanyu over there became angry.The current Xiongnu Shanyu has a very long name, known as Wuzhuliu Ruotan Shanyu in the world, and he is already the eighteenth leader of the Xiongnu.Before, Wang Mang sent a Wuwei general to deceive him and smash his old seal, and he was already full of anger.Now, if Wang Mang wants to split the Xiongnu, it is tantamount to putting a knife on him to cut his flesh. Now that you have shown your fangs, I will also show my saber.Whether your fangs are stronger or my saber is sharper, see you on the battlefield! So, Wuzhuliu Ruotan Shanyu drew his sword and roared, and dispatched iron cavalry to attack Yunzhong County first.The Xiongnu soldiers, who had not fought for many years, were still bloodthirsty and murderous. They attacked the Yishou Fortress in Yunzhong County, hacked and killed the officials and people of the Han Dynasty, and no one could stop them. Then, Wuzhuliu Ruotan Shanyu ordered the commanders of the two major military regions (the left and right captains) and the troops from all walks of life to attack all the frontier fortresses of the Han Dynasty together.The results of the Xiongnu war were extremely brilliant. They successfully beheaded the governors of Yanmen County and Shuofang County. The people of the Han Dynasty were killed and injured countless times, and countless livestock were robbed by the Xiongnu soldiers. However, in the face of the frenzied attacks of the Huns, the Han army dared not move at all.They all watched as the Huns roared and killed people, patted their asses and left, without making a sound. In fact, it was not that the Huns were too fierce, nor was it that the Han army was too incompetent.It was none other than the emperor Wang Mang who was in Chang'an and controlled the army remotely. Wang Mang still said that before the army is assembled, no one is allowed to move without my order.Ever since, the army of the Han Dynasty, who did not dare to move around, became a useless tool and an innocent spectator of the Huns killing people. Since the founding of the Han Dynasty, it was the first time such an absurd vision had appeared.What kind of bullshit emperor, it is simply a disorderly command.As a result, among the generals of the Han Dynasty, some people finally couldn't help but curse.