Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Liu Yu, the Rebel in Noble China

In the history of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties for several centuries, although the north and the south were also confronted and the country was divided, the history of these hundreds of years was often divided into two sections by historians. This period of history; the other period is the "Southern and Northern Dynasties", that is, the confrontation stage between the Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen regimes in the Southern Dynasties and the Northern Wei, Eastern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Qi, and Northern Zhou in the north.One of the reasons for this division is that in the "Wei and Jin" stage, from Wei to Jin, even if the country was divided, there was still an "orthodox" regime, such as the former Wei and the latter Jin, although such orthodox only on the surface.In the later Southern and Northern Dynasties, whether it was the Xianbei and Northern Wei that unified the north, or the Southern Song, Qi, Liang and Chen, who took turns to sit in the manor, they could only be regarded as local separatist regimes and could not represent the orthodoxy of the unified feudal dynasty.This is the concept of division in feudal society. From the perspective of national unity, from the Wei and Jin Dynasties to the Southern and Northern Dynasties, one of the biggest differences is that the country has changed from a melee to a confrontation between the North and the South. No matter how the political situation changes during this period, the relationship between the North and the South The relationship is war or peace, and the common people in the north and the south have at least begun to enjoy a long-term peaceful life.The coming of the era of the unification of the North and the South in China also became a reality from the confrontation between the Southern and Northern Dynasties. From this perspective, those who contributed to the arrival of this era from both the North and the South can be said to be the heroes of history.

If we look at the changes in social class, there is a huge difference between the "Wei and Jin" and the "Northern and Southern Dynasties".Since the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, China’s feudal society has actually entered a powerful feudal society, that is, the powerful families of noble births control the state power and monopolize the country’s politics. The concept of family status in Chinese society has been formed since then. , is the main idea of ​​the people of this era.Such a strict family system has been bankrupt since the Northern and Southern Dynasties.In the north, the perennial wars and the early purges of Xianbei and the Northern Wei Dynasty dealt a heavy blow to the northern aristocrats. The reforms of Emperor Wei Xiaowen improved the status of the northern aristocrats on the surface, but actually contributed to a large number of officials from "poor families". came to the forefront of politics.After the split of the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Eastern Wei and Western Wei later evolved into the Northern Qi and the Northern Zhou. Although these regimes all recruited a large number of northern scholar-bureaucrats, especially the gentry class, the rise of the power of the poor and the final disintegration of the gentry class were inevitable. More and more grassroots groups are beginning to emerge.In the Southern Dynasties, this situation evolved faster. In the Southern Dynasties, Song Qi, Liang, and Chen dynasties, their founding emperors all came from poor families. From this point alone, we may be able to make this analogy: The Wei and Jin Dynasties were the peak of "Noble China", and the Northern and Southern Dynasties were the beginning of "Grassroots China".

In this beginning, the person who played a decisive role was Liu Yu, the founding emperor of Liu Song Dynasty. As far as this major historical evolution is concerned, his contribution is not only in becoming an emperor. Liu Yu, whose real name is Deyu, nicknamed Jinu, Liu Yu's origin is based on the statement that he became the emperor after he ascended the throne. He is a descendant of Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty. Looking at his hometown, this statement seems to be somewhat reliable, because he His ancestral home is Liu Bang's hometown, Pei County, Xuzhou.However, many later scholars opposed this statement, saying that Liu Yu's doing so was "calling Zongdiao Temple".Whether the ancestor is Liu Bang is not important to Liu Yu in the early days, because by his generation, his family has been ruined.Liu Yu was born in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu. His ancestor Liu Hun moved south with the Jin Dynasty and settled here.At that time, their family was considered a well-known family. In the early days, they were officials for generations, but they soon declined. Liu Yu's father, Liu Qiao, was just a meritorious official in a county, that is, a small civil servant. Liu Yu's generation is even worse, he can't even enter the government's door. "Southern History" records that in his youth, Liu Yu was kicked out of the house by his father because he was not doing his job properly, and let him fend for himself.He later farmed land, sold meat, and fished. He started messing around with the society very early on, and he did achieve success—he became a gangster.After entering the society, Liu Yu soon became a well-known rascal in the local area. He often went to casinos. No matter how poor he was, he would use any money he had to gamble.After hanging around for a while, Liu Yu got a chance to change his life.Zhenjiang was going to recruit troops locally, and Liu Yu applied.

Speaking of conscription in Zhenjiang, we have to mention a very powerful army in the Eastern Jin Dynasty: Beifu Army.The strength of the Beifu Army has always been praised in Chinese history. It is composed of northern Han people who fled south. Because each of them harbored national hatred and family feud, they did not need to be mobilized to fight, and they rushed forward one by one.In the famous Battle of Feishui, the 80,000 Beifu army defeated the 870,000 Southern Expeditionary Army of the former Qin regime in the north in one fell swoop. The combat effectiveness of the Beifu army has since become famous all over the world.Zhenjiang, the birthplace of Liu Yu, is the main source of soldiers for the Beifu Army. Most of the local residents are northerners who migrated south, and serving as soldiers for generations has become the main choice for local young people.Before serving as a soldier, Liu Yu's main job was to mix with the society. After serving as a soldier, Liu Yu really started to manage his own life.

Liu Yu, who became a soldier, had the earliest job as Sima of Sun Wuzhong, the former general of the Northern Mansion. This job was similar to that of an orderly soldier. He was planning to dawdle, but soon he hated this kind of idle life.In 399 AD, when Liu Yu was 37 years old, a choice was placed before him.That year, the famous Sun En Uprising occurred in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The Eastern Jin Dynasty mobilized the Beifu Army to suppress it, but the battle was not going well, and the soldiers on the front line suffered heavy casualties. fighting.After this order was issued, many people scoffed: Volunteering to join the army means voluntarily sending to death. Who would be so stupid?But Liu Yu is so stupid, he volunteered to go to the front line, and soon got his wish.There is also a small episode here. As Liu Yu's leader, Sun Wuzhong is still very good at judging people. As early as when Liu Yu was working as Sima for him, he once told Liu Yu that you have a face with Murderous, you must be a hero in the future, and I will definitely not be able to keep you here.When Liu Yu decided to go to the front line, Sun Wuzhong helped Liu Yu again, and he recommended Liu Yu to his friend——Liu Laozhi, who is the front line coach.Liu Laozhi pushed the boat along the way, gave his old friend a face, and arranged for Liu Yu to be a small officer under his command.From then on, Liu Yu began to emerge.An important reason why Sun En's uprising was so strong was that Sun En had the most elite navy in the Eastern Jin Dynasty at that time, and the largest warship, which was more than 50 meters long, far superior to the warships of the Eastern Jin government army.Although the Beifu army was able to compete with the most elite cavalry in the north in land battles, it was greatly inferior in water.At this time, Liu Yu, who was only a small officer, discovered the problem with the warships of Sun En's army: the ships were too big to be flexible.In the first battle he participated in, he led a small group of soldiers in a small boat assault, and even sunk Sun En's big ship in one fell swoop, which shook the front line at once.In the following several battles, he even took the lead, rushed to kill the enemy, and repeatedly made military exploits.He is also very cunning. For example, in the Battle of Haiyan, he used suspicious tactics to scare away Sun En who was trying to sneak attack under the condition of serious shortage of troops.The Eastern Jin Dynasty stabilized the front line, and his official position also rose steadily. When the Eastern Expedition to Sun En ended, he was already an important general in the Beifu Army.It is worth mentioning that, compared with the disciplined and brave tiger and wolf division during the Battle of Feishui, the Beifu Army at this time has greatly degraded in terms of combat effectiveness and combat quality.Not only did he not have the courage to move forward when he fought against the northern cavalry, the generals in the army often condoned the soldiers to plunder, and even killed good men and pretended to be meritorious.Only Liu Yu's army was an exception. His army discipline was still strict, and he had no offense against Minqiu. He was a big exception in the Beifu army at that time.

The alternative Liu Yu soon ushered in another test in his life. When the Sun En Rebellion was close to pacification, the crumbling Eastern Jin regime had another internal strife.In 402 A.D., Huan Xuan, the governor of Jingzhou, suddenly launched an attack. He led his army all the way eastward, conquered Jiankang, the capital of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, deposed the emperor of the Jin Dynasty, and changed the name of the country to "Chu".This Huan Xuan is the son of Huan Wen, a well-known power official in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Compared with his father, who has never had the courage to usurp the throne all his life, Huan Xuan has the courage to usurp the throne. Liu Laozhi, the outstanding commander of the Beifu Army.Liu Laozhi can be said to be the number one god of war in the Eastern Jin Dynasty at that time. In the Battle of Feishui, it was he who led the army to charge bravely and defeated Fu Jian's 800,000 army, achieving a classic battle of winning more with less.Brave on the battlefield, but useless in the officialdom, the first thing Huan Xuan did after usurping the throne was to deprive Liu Laozhi of his military power, and then force Liu Laozhi to commit suicide. A generation of famous generals finally hanged himself.Killing Liu Laozhi, Huan Xuan offended the entire Beifu army. In the Beifu army, Liu Laozhi was like the reborn parents of this army, the founder of this powerful army. He died unjustly, making the entire Beifu army From then on, Huan Xuan was regarded as a "death enemy".As far as Liu Yu was concerned, Liu Laozhi had the kindness to know him. When Sun En was pacified, Liu Laozhi appreciated Liu Yu very much. It was precisely because of his vigorous promotion that Liu Yu became a senior general.Now that the benefactor is killed, anyone would be furious, but Liu Yu showed a rare calmness at this time. He knew that his strength at this time could not compete with Huan Xuan at all, so he had to bow his head under the eaves After Huan Xuan usurped power, Liu Yu took the initiative to express his support to Huan Xuan.In Huan Xuan's view, his refuge was of great significance. The powerful Beifu army had always made Huan Xuan feel like a thorn in his throat. Now that he got Liu Yu, an important figure in the Beifu army, it was tantamount to disintegrating this army.So Huan Xuan was very happy, and treated Liu Yu generously. Not only did he often invite him to banquets, but Huan Xuan also generously satisfied Liu Yu's needs for equipment and money.At that time, many people around Huan Xuan advised Huan Xuan to take the opportunity to get rid of Liu Yu. If Huan Xuan was a successful master, he might do this, but Huan Xuan is a person with ideals. He said to his subordinates, I To achieve great things, Liu Yu must be reused, especially when he sweeps the north in the future, Liu Yu must be a sharp weapon to kill the enemy.That is to say, in Huanxuan's ideal, proclaiming himself emperor is only the first step, what he has to do is his father's lifelong wish: regain the north and unify China.

But Huan Xuan did not expect that the first target of Liu Yu's "sharp weapon" would be himself.During the time when he took refuge in Huanxuan, Liu Yu kept recharging his energy.In order to express his allegiance to Huan Xuan, he took the initiative to send many of his subordinates to other places. For example, he sent his confidant He Wuji to Qingyang, and his brother Liu Yi to Guangling.At this time, Guangling was the territory of Huan Xuan's younger brother, Huan Hong, and sending Liu Yi there seemed to be to put his cronies under the supervision of Huan Xuan's forces.On the surface, Liu Yu is taking the initiative to dismember his army, saying that he has no intention of opposing Huan Xuan, but in fact, he has planted countless time bombs for Huan Xuan.In February 405 AD, these bombs finally exploded. In that year, Liu Yi raised troops in Guangling and killed Huan Xuan's younger brother Huan Hong. A big arm of Huan Xuan's regime was cut off like this.At the same time, Liu Yu also launched an attack in Jingkou, taking advantage of Huan Xuan's hunting opportunity to stage a coup, and killed Huan Xuan's cousin Huan Xiu in one fell swoop.As a result, Huan Xuan's wings were cut off immediately, and Huan Xuan, who was alone and alone, fled to Jingzhou in a hurry.Afterwards, Liu Yu took advantage of the victory to pursue and attack all provinces, denouncing Huan Xuan's crimes. Seeing Huan Xuan's downfall, various factions in the Eastern Jin Dynasty expressed their support for Liu Yu and competed to be a fool.Because of Liu Yu's meticulous planning, this contest of disparity in power has already taken the initiative so far.Later, Liu Yu led his troops into Jiankang City and was elected as the "leader" who opposed Huanxuan's usurpation of the throne.In April 405 AD, relying on the name of "supporting the Eastern Jin Dynasty" and the rapidly expanding army, Liu Yu completely wiped out Huanxuan's forces and took control of the situation in Jiankang.In March of the following year, Liu Yu supported the restoration of Emperor Jin'an. At this time, Liu Yu had been promoted to servant, general of chariots, and commander of Chinese and foreign military forces.

For the Eastern Jin Dynasty at that time, there was no difference whether it was Liu Yuying or Huan Xuanying, because no matter who won, the emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty was almost a puppet.But for the development of Chinese history, the significance of this contest between Liu Yu and Huan Xuan far exceeds the change of dynasty.Huan Xuan is the son of Huan Wen, a powerful official in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. He is a famous family for generations. In the long history from the Three Kingdoms to the Western Jin Dynasty, the aristocratic family has always monopolized the high positions in the country.However, in this civil war for power, it was Huan Xuan, a wealthy family, who stood aside in the end, and Liu Yu, who came from a humble background, won the victory. This had a great impact on the political structure of the entire Southern Dynasty and even China. Very important influence.From then on, the humble family is no longer a vassal attached to the aristocratic family. They themselves have become a powerful force, even enough to gain the highest power in the country. The impact of this coup on the entire country, whether it is political concepts or the country In terms of regime composition, it is very far-reaching.

What Liu Yu did during this period established his image as a "loyal minister" in the Eastern Jin court. In the eyes of the aristocratic families at that time, Liu Yu was the savior of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and even in the eyes of Sima Guang, who was later edited, Liu Yu is also an absolute hero in "rebuilding the Eastern Jin Dynasty".However, Liu Yu's real goal is by no means to rebuild the Eastern Jin Dynasty, but to rebuild a state power of his own. In just 5 years, Liu Yu was able to leap from an ordinary small military officer to a powerful minister who controlled the power of the country in the Eastern Jin Dynasty when the aristocratic family was in power. This was originally a miracle in Chinese history. At that time, it can be said that is a myth.As far as Liu Yu himself is concerned, it is not surprising to do this. First of all, Liu Yu is not fighting alone. What he relies on is a powerful military group of the Beifu Army.After the Eastern Jin Dynasty moved to the south, in order to stabilize the rule, they made great efforts to win over the aristocratic families in the south of the Yangtze River, and the Han people who moved to the north, especially the military class, although they were responsible for protecting their families and the country, their identities have always been marginalized , can never enter the core of the state power level.Therefore, even soldiers with different origins hope that there will be someone who can speak for them in the state power.In terms of identity, Liu Yu could be accepted by them. He himself was a member of the Beifu Army, and he was a descendant of the Han people who migrated south to the north. These two items were enough for him to be recognized by the officers and soldiers of the Beifu Army.Moreover, the biggest characteristic of Liu Yu is that he "acts after planning". Since he was young, he has belonged to the kind of person who has a lot of thoughts. If he is not sure about one thing, he will never do it. What he decides to do, It must have been planned for a long time, even if it needs to endure failure for a while.For example, in the process of dealing with Huanxuan, Liu Yu was firstly able to calculate, and finally calculated Huanxuan to death;Such a person, to be a powerful minister who holds great power, is somewhat condescending, and it is completely possible to be an emperor.

But Liu Yu, who is capable of being an emperor, "rebuilt the country" in 405 AD and successfully took control of power, it was still very difficult for him to become emperor. First of all, there is the issue of his background. Liu Yu was born in a poor family. In that society, if a person from a poor family can be an official, smoke will rise from his ancestral grave. Wanting to be an emperor is simply wishful thinking.Although it is said that political power comes out of the barrel of a gun, Liu Yu can't kill all the aristocratic families.The more important point is that the Eastern Jin Dynasty at this time, and its orthodox status, have been using "recovery of rivers and mountains" to win people's hearts. Now that the lost land in the north has not been recovered, you have killed the orthodox court. This makes the people of the whole country look at you What is Liu Yu.Therefore, in order to seize power, Liu Yu must do two things. The first thing is to improve his prestige, and the second thing is to win over the aristocratic family.The latter one is relatively easy to handle. The aristocratic families in this period are already rotten. As long as the officials make a wish and give benefits, they can find a partner.The first thing is more difficult to do, in those days to have a reputation, unless there are two possibilities: the first is to be born in a famous family, this has been said, Liu Yu cannot be reversed; the second is also very difficult, that is, must To become a national hero, when the North and the South were divided, and the northern regime was everywhere, but all bloody Eastern Jin people, even ordinary people, have the desire to restore the rivers and mountains. Those who do this are the heroes in everyone's hearts.But it is not easy to do this, what a great talent Huan Wen was back then, and what was the result of the rash Northern Expedition?Wouldn't he be beaten back just like that?Even he can't do it, can you Liu Yu do it?

Liu Yu's attitude is: I can do it! After becoming a powerful minister with great power, Liu Yu put the Northern Expedition on the agenda. Before Liu Yu, the Eastern Jin Dynasty also carried out many Northern Expeditions. From the earliest Zuti to the later Huanwen, every time it was a slogan. The sky was loud, but in the end it failed.This time Liu Yu decided to give it a try. His first opponent was Nanyan, who was entrenched in the Hebei area of ​​Shandong. Nanyan is a regime established by the Xianbei people in the north during the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms period. The ruler of this regime is Murong Xianbei among the Xianbei people.The so-called Murong Xianbei refers to the miraculous "Murong family" that Jin Yong lied about.In martial arts novels, they are very mythical, but in real history, they are also very sturdy. The biggest feature of Murong Xianbei is that he has the most elite cavalry in the north at that time.Their cavalry is composed of Xianbei warriors who have experienced hundreds of battles, and their combat effectiveness is extremely sturdy. They also created the serial horse tactic, the serial horse in the classic "Water Margin", and the kidnapper horse when the Jin Dynasty destroyed the Southern Song Dynasty. , all evolved from Murong Xianbei's serial horse tactics.In the Northern and Southern Dynasties of the cold weapon era, cavalry was the most powerful arm when fighting on the plains, and having the best cavalry meant having the best army.Nan Yan, who held the most elite cavalry at that time, has always been the enemy of the Eastern Jin government. In the eyes of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, this regime is not only an enemy, but also a white-eyed wolf.In the early days of the Murong family, because of their weak strength, they accepted the canonization of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. In order to regain the north, the Eastern Jin Dynasty once saved the country with curves and gave Murong Xianbei great support.But after Murong Xianbei became stronger, he turned his face and refused to recognize anyone, and repeatedly invaded the Eastern Jin Dynasty, especially during the usurpation period of Huanxuan, Murong Xianbei also took advantage of the fire to loot.For example, in 409 A.D., Murong Xianbei invaded the Huaibei area under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, plundering the population wantonly, causing extremely heavy military and civilian casualties, but for Liu Yu, Murong Xianbei's invasion this time was a pie in the sky.The Eastern Jin Dynasty has always had little interest in the Northern Expedition, especially after learning the lesson of Huanwen's dictatorship. In the eyes of the Eastern Jin aristocratic family, the Northern Expedition can only increase political capital for powerful officials, but has no meaning for their own interests. Before the first invasion, although Liu Yu proposed the Northern Expedition many times, he was always obstructed by the aristocratic family.This time Murong Xianbei took the initiative to provoke, and the pretext for starting the war finally came. Although the aristocratic families opposed the Northern Expedition, no one dared to take the lead to oppose it under such a big hatred. Liu Yu also waited for the opportunity to prove his military strength: I can not only I can sweep across the north even more. In April 409 AD, Liu Yu started the Northern Expedition. Objectively speaking, judging from the troops he used in this Northern Expedition, his contemporaries had reason to be the most pessimistic about the results of the Northern Expedition.At that time, the most scarce thing in the Eastern Jin Dynasty was horses. The south of the Yangtze River was not a place where horses were produced. The troops mainly fought with infantry. In Liu Yu's army, not only were there few cavalry, but there were also few horses to transport supplies. , and even had to use ox carts instead of horse carts.But in Liu Yu's view, none of this means that he will lose. What's wrong with using a bullock cart, the bullock cart can still fight bullfights. It is good to have confidence, but it is strength that supports confidence. The key to Liu Yu's daring to fight is that he believes in his own strength. In terms of the strategy of commanding troops to fight, no one was more cunning than him at the time. Under strict discipline and rigorous training, the combat effectiveness of the generation of Beifu Army has already returned to the peak level in a straight line. As for the disparity in the level of cavalry and horse reserves, Liu Yu has also found a weapon to deal with it.After leaving the army, Liu Yu first defeated Murong Xianbei with a move. At that time, the common view was that the Northern Expedition needed to be taken step by step, and the city should be captured step by step. But not.Because they have elite cavalry, they are far stronger than themselves in terms of troop mobility. The so-called steady fighting, they can only throw themselves into the enemy's encirclement to die.So Liu Yu adopted a tactic that Murong Xianbei could not have imagined: ignore the entanglement of the surrounding enemies, not capture the small cities along the way, and concentrate his forces on Linqu, the important military town of Murong Xianbei.This tactic was really beyond Murong Xianbei's expectations. Nanyan Emperor Murong Chao originally wanted to resist steadily, and when Liu Yu was defeated and exhausted, he would use the advantages of cavalry to counterattack and defeat Liu Yu in one fell swoop, but he did not expect Liu Yu to do the opposite. In a word, he quickly advanced to the Linqu area, like a knife, directly inserted into Murong Chao's chest.Murong Chao is a very high-minded person, so naturally he will not be reconciled, he immediately made a decisive battle.It was a decisive battle with Liu Yu in Linqu. How did you exceed my expectations? I think you are impatient. With a group of infantry, it is simply a dream to resist my elite Xianbei cavalry. In May of that year, Liu Yu's army quickly rushed to Linqu, and the Xianbei cavalry led by Murong Chao had already set up a formation in Linqu.Facts have proved that although Murong Chao lost a move in the prediction, Murong Chao and the Nanyan Xianbei cavalry under his rule were very powerful. The pocket is waiting for Liu Yu to drill.At this time, Liu Yu was struggling to attack far away, and his material support was not sufficient, and his cavalry was limited. There had never been a precedent for trying to compete with Murong Chao's elite cavalry on the Shandong Plain.Infantry fighting cavalry, in plain battles in the era of cold weapons, there is basically little suspense about the outcome. In actual combat, quite a few are not feasible.Just like in a modern war, if a soldier with a submachine gun is allowed to deal with a rumbling tank, the result of the victory or defeat can be predicted without fighting.Similarly, the decisive battle Liu Yu is facing does not need to be fought, and the result seems to be predictable. But the result of the battle was unexpected.After the battle started, Murong Chao repeated his old trick and took out the magic weapon of the Xianbei cavalry: chain horses, that is, three or five cavalrymen were tied together with iron chains, and then charged towards Liu Yu.This move was tried and tested in the previous Nanyan battle. The heavy armored cavalry bolted together to form a charge team. The impact force was like the rumbling of heavy armored tanks. It was enough to crush all the soldiers who stood in the way into powder. It seems that Liu Yu's infantry is not enough to give these steel monsters their teeth.Murong Chao’s cavalry, each cavalry’s armor is very heavy. According to historical records, military enthusiasts copied Nanyan’s armor at that time, and concluded that if an ordinary modern person wears this This kind of armor makes it difficult to walk, let alone fight.On the battlefield at that time, his soldiers were almost all warriors as strong as cows, and their heavy armor protected them very well. It can be said that they were invulnerable. Bows and arrows and ordinary infantry weapons could not attack them at all. form lethal.Because of all this, before the war, the ambitious Murong Chao was very confident. But after the war started, Murong Chao's confidence turned into despair.The Xianbei cavalry rumbled in, and something happened that stunned Murong Chao. First, Liu Yu's army did not form an infantry phalanx to resist as he imagined, but instead launched a new type of weapon chariot.These chariots are made of solid hardwood, and each is very heavy, which can both deter cavalry charges and serve as bunkers for soldiers.And just before Murong Chao launched the attack, Liu Yu's army had already set up enough horse-repelling posts in front of the army formation, which was like setting up minefields under the enemy's nose in modern warfare.As a result, Murong Chao's army was "thundered". Before seeing the face of Liu Yu's army, they were knocked upside down. Use chariots as cover, and use long weapons to stop the Nanyan cavalry's offensive.What made Murong Chao even more mad was that he was very confident in the protective ability of the Xianbei cavalry armor, but when it came to the battlefield, this kind of armor armed to the teeth became a burden instead: Liu Yu's army not only used bows and arrows for long-range weapons, , more with a crossbow.At that time, China's crossbow-making technology was already very developed. Liu Yu's Beifu army not only had individual crossbows for soldiers, but also more than a dozen large-scale crossbows. The largest ones could even shoot spears. A heavily armed Xianbei heavy cavalry stabbed his heart.The equipment that was originally tight and solid has now become a burden for the Xianbei heavy cavalry to avoid shooting.Under Liu Yu's rain of arrows, the Xianbei heavy cavalry, armed to the teeth, fell down row by row. In this way, the "one-sided" battle that Murong Chao believed in originally, under the continuous resistance of Liu Yu's soldiers and the hard top of the chariot formation, became a stalemate.The more fierce the battle, the more urgent Murong Chaoyue fought. In fact, he didn't need to be anxious, because the conditions for the victory of the two sides were really different: as long as Murong Chao dragged Liu Yu down, Liu Yu, who was struggling to attack far away, would be dragged to death. If Murong Chao can't be dealt with as soon as possible, if he goes deep alone, he may face disaster. Liu Yu knows this, and Murong Chao, who has experienced many battles, also knows this, but he forgets when he is in a hurry, and just keeps calling The cavalry charged forward one after another, piled up row after row of corpses in front of Liu Yu's army formation. Murong Chao, who was extremely anxious, seemed to have forgotten another thing.Although Liu Yu's cavalry was limited, they did exist. Why didn't they see any shadows after fighting for a long time? He soon remembered that when Murong Chao called for the cavalry to charge forward, Liu Yu's "limited" cavalry suddenly appeared behind Murong Chao.The cavalry is "limited", and the lethality will not be great, but the key depends on how to use it. These cavalry were ordered to make a detour and attack Murong Chao's back. Come on, the powerful Murong Xianbei cavalry just collapsed like this.Then Liu Yu counterattacked across the board, and Murong Chao's troops scrambled for their lives. The important town of Linqu finally fell into Liu Yu's hands. Murong Chao had to collect the remnant soldiers and retreat to the capital Guanggu. The fall of Linqu was an important turning point in Liu Yu's Northern Expedition. If Liu Yu still had to worry about problems such as insufficient supplies and labor forces attacking far away, he would not be afraid if he captured Linqu.As the important town of Nanyan, Linqu has always been the place where Murong Chao stored grain and supplies. The wheat harvested this year had just been transported into the city, but because of the fall of Linqu, Liu Yu packed it all up and collected it. The food problem was solved. It's time to deal with Murong Chao himself.Liu Yu surrounded Guanggu City, and at the same time adopted a correct ethnic policy, treating all ethnic groups in the north equally and not discriminating.Later, even Murong Chao's general Duan Hong and others surrendered. Murong Chao, who had rebelled against his relatives, was finally captured after the fall of Guanggu City in June 409, and was taken to Jiankang to beheaded.It took only two months for the powerful Xianbei Murong Nanyan regime to be eliminated by Liu Yu. The subjugation of Nanyan can be said to have given a bad breath to the Eastern Jin regime at that time. For many years, Nanyan relied on its own cavalry advantage to invade the border of the Eastern Jin Dynasty for a long time, and often plundered the population. The Eastern Jin army could not catch up. He said he had suffered enough, and this time, Liu Yu finally took revenge.As Liu Yu wished, Liu Yu's reputation increased greatly after that, and he seemed to become a national hero. Liu Yu himself was also praised by the Eastern Jin government and named Song Guogong. Later, Liu Song's country title came from this way. The victory of the crusade against Nanyan also gave Liu Yu a shot in the arm.Prior to this, although the northern regime had many wars, its absolute military superiority allowed them to take offensives against the Eastern Jin regime. On the contrary, the Eastern Jin regime had always been passively defensive.Due to the lack of elite cavalry, the Eastern Jin Dynasty generally did not dare to cross the Yangtze River for the Northern Expedition, but this victory, especially the defeat of the most elite cavalry in the north, the Nanyan cavalry, gave Liu Yu such confidence.The north at this time is the weakest period since the Five Hu and Sixteen Kingdoms. Not to mention winning a Northern Expedition, even the entire north can be pacified by oneself.Because of this awareness, after several years of careful preparation, in August 416 AD, Liu Yu launched a war aimed at destroying the most powerful regime in the north, the Later Qin Dynasty.This war was actually challenging the bottom line of the Northern Expedition of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.In the previous Northern Expeditions, the farthest reached the Shandong area, but this time it is necessary to occupy the Guanzhong Plain area that has been occupied for more than 100 years since the end of the Western Jin Dynasty. The political significance is naturally extraordinary.And this time Liu Yu's luck was also very good. During the period of the post-Qin regime, because of the rivalry between brothers after Yao Hong ascended the throne, there was an internal friction between brothers and sisters. It happened to be the time when his strength was weakest. As a result, Liu Yu broke through without bloodshed. After breaking through the defense line of the later Qin Dynasty, it entered the Guanzhong Plain where the Eastern Jin regime fell for more than 100 years.But at this time, Cheng Yaojin, the Northern Wei regime established by Tuoba Xianbei, appeared on the way.Although the Northern Wei regime at that time could not be said to have the largest territory, it was in a period of booming national power and had the ambition to unify the north. Naturally, it could not sit back and watch Liu Yu expand in the north. Ten thousand elite cavalry went south to deal with Liu Yu.After the demise of Murong Nanyan, Tuoba Xianbei's Northern Wei cavalry had become the most powerful cavalry in the north.Compared with Murong Nanyan's cavalry, which is mainly heavy cavalry, Tuoba Xianbei's cavalry is mainly light cavalry with strong mobility. , For Liu Yu's infantry unit with poor mobility, such an army is undoubtedly very difficult to deal with.Liu Yu still had a way. He set up a formation on the bank of the Wei River to lure the Northern Wei army to attack.This formation is called Queyue formation, which is to use bullock carts to mount large crossbows, arrange them in the shape of a crescent moon, and shoot salvos at the Northern Wei cavalry. Under range coverage.As a result, the Northern Wei Dynasty was defeated, and the 30,000 cavalry lost more than 8,000 people, so they had to retreat hastily.Tuoba Xianbei and Liu Yu, the first pair of enemies during the confrontation between the Northern and Southern Dynasties, their first confrontation ended in Tuoba Xianbei's complete defeat.After that, Liu Yu successfully wiped out the post-Qin regime, Yao Hong, the last emperor of the post-Qin Dynasty, was captured alive, and the territory of the Eastern Jin Dynasty expanded to the Guanzhong Plain at once. In the gap between the two Northern Expeditions, Liu Yu also used troops on a large scale to pacify the enemies within the Eastern Jin regime, including his brother Liu Yi, and Sima Xiuzhi, the last Eastern Jin royal family who held military power.Although the Eastern Jin regime still existed during this period, the real emperor was already surnamed Liu.The victory of pacifying the Guanzhong Plain made Liu Yu's prestige even more extreme. Especially in the Central Plains, ordinary people spontaneously organized condolence teams to welcome Liu Yu's army.After obtaining the Guanzhong Plain, what Liu Yu wanted to do most was not to take advantage of the victory to pacify the entire north, but the throne.According to some historical data, when Guanzhong was destroyed, he immediately stopped marching and hurried back to the south. During this period, his general Shen Linzi once dissuaded him, but Liu Yu said: "I don't want to be Cao Cao." The implication is that I don't want to be like Cao Cao, waiting to be recognized as emperor by my son after death, but I must succeed in being emperor while alive.At this time, Liu Yu was nearly 60 years old, and he really couldn't wait any longer. But Liu Yu, who couldn't wait, made a big mistake.Before returning to the south, he handed over the power of defending the north to two generals, Wang Zhen'e and Shen Linzi.The two were at odds, and they had always been famous before. In order to prevent their internal friction, Liu Yu arranged for his son to supervise them, but the internal friction still occurred.先是王镇恶被沈林子杀害，接着北方夏国趁机进攻，打败了刘裕留守在北方的军队，东晋军队溃不成军，仓皇退出了关中平原。好不容易收复的关中地区，仅仅几个月就得而复失了，说是内耗加指挥失误，不如说是刘裕的私心惹的祸。 但是在刘裕看来，他这个决定还是值得的，挟大胜的余威，刘裕返回建康后，不久就废除了东晋皇室，并把东晋末代皇帝杀害。公元420年，刘裕正式登基，成为了“南北朝”时代“南朝”的第一个皇帝——宋武帝。 虽然刘裕出身低微，行事也以狡猾狠毒著称，人品上很难说是好人，但就做皇帝的素质上，如果搞一次中国封建社会历史上割据政权的好皇帝评选，刘裕必定会名列前茅，能超过他的人，可以说屈指可数。 刘裕被后人最津津乐道的，恐怕就是他的“不拘一格降人才”，应该说他是魏晋以来中国用人制度的一个颠覆者。魏晋之后，随着“九品中正制”的确立，中国历代王朝，无论是北方少数民族建立的政权，还是南方的“正统”东晋，都是清一色的以门第来论用人，这个局面，从刘裕开始改变了。刘裕用人，后人说他是“网罗幽滞”，也就是说选拔了大量寒门出身的人才，有的甚至是贫困出身。比如长期在他身边出谋划策的谋士刘牧之，就是布衣出身，后来在他北伐战争里立下大功的王镇恶、沈林子、檀道济也都是清一色的平民，在他的统治团队里，寒门出身的人才，占有的比重越来越重。与此同时，刘裕也知道自己的改朝换代，注定会遭到世家大族的反对，所以在他即位初期，对南方的世家大族，也进行了残酷的打压。他很讲政策，每惩治一个世家大族，都很讲证据，曾经繁荣一时的士族，到这个时候已经完全腐化堕落了，罪名当然是不难找的。比如出身“江左衣冠”的豪门王家和谢家，都被他屠杀，京口贵族刁奎的家产，被他尽数分散给老百姓。他的这种打压，自然有政治上的目的，但起到的效果，却是“豪强肃然，远近知禁”，东晋时期世家大族的威风，在刘裕登基后，被狠狠地杀下去不少。 但是重用寒门、杀士族的威风，当然不止为了作秀，更是为了巩固自己的统治。除了整人之外，还要整制度，特别是在东晋的晚期，由于军阀拥兵自重，国家一度陷入到分裂之中，这种局面，也是在刘裕登基后开始改变。他的第一个政策，就是把当时东晋的州县大量合并，裁撤冗官，既节省了国家开支，又加强了中央的控制力，可谓一举两得。对军事制度他也做了调整，在他登基之前，作为一个军阀，基本是想打谁就打谁，他登基之后，为了防止武将有样学样，他把军队的调动权收归到中央，大将外出征讨，都需要配备朝廷的官员监督。这一条，在后来被人诟病不少，认为此举掣肘了武将的权力，但就当时的局面来说，如果不这样做，很有可能导致国家不断发生兵变。刘裕这些加强中央集权的措施，从效果上看，可以说提高了国家的行政效率。从刘裕开始，随着大量寒门阶层得以进入最高统治核心，以及中央行政威权的加强，士族制度的瓦解，刘宋的强大，都是大势所趋。 当然刘裕更知道，国家强大的根本，必须要在经济上有所建树，特别是当时的东晋，留给刘裕的，是一个十足的烂摊子。因为东晋末年常年的战乱，大量农民逃亡，田地荒芜，农业生产倒退严重。按照南北朝著名文学家沈约的记录，刘裕登基时候的中国南方，许多曾经是农田的土地，在那时候已经荒芜了，国家赋税名册上应该缴纳赋税的农民，好多都跑得不知道哪里去了。刘裕登基后，把“重本务积”作为一个重点，所谓的“本”就是农业生产，所谓的“积”就是农业储备。他登基后的第一件事，就是重新整顿农村户籍人口，重新划分土地，扩大自耕农的数量，即历史上著名的“土断”政策。其中关键的一条，就是他把东晋时期拖欠的农民赋税，都减免了，原本逃亡的农民，这下可以放心回来耕种，中国南方在经过了长期战乱之后，这时候又重新走上了正轨。 因为刘裕是苦出身，所以也注定了他亲民的一面，对于民间的疾苦，他不但非常了解，而且感同身受。他登基后，开始整顿原本政府的专卖制度。专卖制度，本来是东晋政府的一条财路，简单地说，就是国家低价采购物品，高价贩卖物品，政府贩卖的物品，老百姓基本都是摊派购买，国家要购买的物品，往往压低价格，老百姓也没有还价的权力。刘裕重新规定了专卖价格，而且不许强买强卖，这条政策的实施，和他减免农民东晋时代的欠税一样，等于搬掉了当时南方老百姓身上的一块大石头。他还是个事必躬亲的人，比如为了防止司法官员害民，经常偷偷去司法机关旁听审判，发现有偏袒害民的，经常当场重办。江南的儒学教育，也在他这一时期发扬光大，许多著名的学校都是他主持修建的。他的这些行为，对华夏文化的西传以及江南经济的繁荣，都有重要贡献。 然而刘裕最为重要的贡献，是他为身后的南朝，留下了南北朝时期中国南方政府独一无二的行政模式：寒人掌机要。在早期通过杀戮树立了自己在世家大族的权威之后，刘裕开始改为怀柔之策，对世家大族，采取优礼为主，给予很高的爵位，但是实际的权力，越来越多的由寒门出身的官员来掌握，这就是“寒人掌机要”。从这时候开始，士族有地位，寒门有权力，就成了南朝政权的一个常态，无论是后来的南齐、萧梁、陈朝，还是北方的北魏、北齐、北周，都把这一套政策给延续了下来。寒门出身的皇帝，以及高贵的士族，也就因此实现了关系上的“和谐”，从实际效果看，这个暂时的平衡，其实启动了此后寒门阶层崛起，士族力量衰弱的大趋势，之后南北朝结束，隋唐相继而立，这个趋势被一直延续了下去。 公元422年六月，在位仅两年的刘裕过世，时年59岁，他虽然仅仅在位两年，但是他所创立的政治制度，却奠定了整个南朝政治的雏形。他的身后，是南北朝时期最繁荣的一段南朝盛世：元嘉之治。中国南方，在南北朝的早期，也因此拥有了最好的统一华夏的机会，虽然这个机会被无情错过了。