Chapter 75 Section 1

In the confrontation between Qin and Zhao, Shangdang has an extraordinary status. Let’s talk about geopolitical trends first.If the hinterland of the two countries is considered, the distance between Qin and Zhao can be said to be full of natural dangers.Hangu Guandong exits, separated by the Zhou family, Luoyang Wangji, South Korea, and the thousands of miles of rivers and mountains in the Wei state.Leaving from the Hexi Plateau in the Qin State to the east, not to mention the precipitousness of the Hexi Plateau itself, the big river rushing south from the Jiuyuan Yunzhong Prairie is even more insurmountable on the first day.After crossing the big river, it will be another day in danger of Luliang Mountain.Luliang Mountain is northeast-southwest, with Guancen Mountain in the northeast connected to Loumen, and Longmen Mountain in the southwest to Yumenkou of Dahe River. embankment.After Luliang Mountain is the fertile Fenshui River Valley Plain.The northern part of the valley plain is Jinyang, which belongs to the state of Zhao, and the southern part of the central part is the land of Hedong and Hanoi of Wei and Han.Beyond the river valley and plain, there is another natural barrier stretching thousands of miles from north to south—Taihang Mountain.

The name of Taihang has existed since ancient times. "Shan Hai Jing·Northern Three Classics" says: "The first of the Northern Three Classics is called the Mountain of Taihang. The limit is like the East China Sea, which knows no bounds." In the ancient population, this Taihang Mountain was also called Wuxing Mountain, Wangmu Mountain, and Nuwa Mountain, but it was very famous.Like Luliang Mountain, this stretching mountain also runs northeast-southwest. It starts from the Juma River Valley in the Zhao Dynasty in the northeast, and ends in the southwest to the north bank of the Dahe River in Hanoi in the Wei Dynasty. It also stretches for thousands of miles.

The Fenshui River Valley Plain sandwiched between Luliang Mountain and Taihang Mountain, and the vast land of tens of thousands of miles east of Taihang Mountain to the place where the river enters the sea, were the territory of the largest prince in the world, the Jin Kingdom, during the Spring and Autumn Period.The three families of Wei, Zhao, and Han were divided into Jin, and the world entered the Warring States Period.The Warring States Division: The east and north of Taihang Mountain is Zhao State, the southern end of Luliang Mountain (Hedong), the middle and southern end of Taihang Mountain (Hanoi) and the plain on the south bank of the Dahe River are Wei and Han.That is to say, Qin State is going eastward to enter Zhao State, and this Taihang Mountain is the last natural danger.

The reason why Taihang Mountain is a natural danger is that it is not just a lonely mountain range.In the time of primordial chaos, the Taihang Mountains rose continuously from north to south, and rumbled along with the trend to create a vast mountain plateau stretching from east to west for more than a hundred miles.As a result, Taihang Mountain has become a vast highland with thousands of miles from north to south and hundreds or even hundreds of miles from east to west.What's more, there are only eight east-west exits on this precipitous mountain plateau that stretches for thousands of miles. All in all, there is only one passage for every hundreds of miles.The so-called exit is the canyon that traverses from east to west, and the ancients called it "Xing".These eight entrances and exits are the famous "Eight Xings of Taihang".From south to north, the eight Xings are:

Zhe Guan Xing.The wheel is the end of the axle.For those who pass the pass, the passage is only a dangerous pass for a pass (vehicle).This Xingkou is located at the southern end of Taihang Mountain in Hanoi (northwest of Jiyuan County, Henan Province today). It is the first channel for Hanoi to enter the Shangdang Mountains, and has always been a battleground for military strategists.Wei Guo built a garrison castle at Zhixingkou, called Zhiyi, which was dedicated to defending this important passage. Taixing Xing.Also known as Taihang Pass, it is located at the exit of Danshui at the southern foot of Taihang Mountain in Hanoi, facing South Korea’s Yewang Fortress, and is the only passage connecting South Korea to Shangdang.

Bai Xing.Also known as Mengmen, it is located at the northern fold of Taihang Mountain in Hanoi (now west of Hui County, Henan Province).Wei Guo also built a defensive castle here, called Gongyi. Fukouxing.It is named after the Fushui River estuary at the eastern foot of Taihang Mountain. Located in the southwest of Handan, the capital of Zhao, Shigu Mountain (called Fu Mountain in ancient times) is high and deep, and the situation is steep. It is the most important passage for Zhao State to enter the party west of Taihang Mountain. Jingxing.Also known as Tumen Pass, it is located in Jingxing Mountain at the eastern foot of Taihang Mountain. It is an important channel for Zhao State to leave the Fenshui River Valley in the west, and it is also an important channel for Qin State to enter Zhao State from Jinyang.

Flying fox.Also known as Feihuxing, it is located at the mouth of the canyon of Hengshan Mountain at the eastern foot of Taihang Mountain.Two cliffs stand steeply, a line is slightly connected, and the Li is winding for more than a hundred miles, which is the main way for Yanzhao to connect Hu. Puyinxing.Also known as Zizhuang Pass, it is located in the northwest of Yi County in Yan State at the eastern foot of Taihang Mountain. It is the only passage for Yan State to enter Loufan from the west.Later generations called it Jinpi Pass and Zijing Pass. The capital of the army is Xing.Also known as Guangou, it is the northernmost passage of the Taihang Mountains. It is located in Jundu Mountain in the north of Jicheng in Yan State, and it is the passage from Yan State to Hudi in the north.

With such natural dangers, it is not easy for Qin's army to cross Taihang Mountain! Among these eight passages, the four in the north (Jingxing, Feihuxing, Puyinxing, and Junduxing) cannot be used by Qin.Because the army of the Qin State can only use the two Xings (Jingxing and Feihuxing) in the north only when they cross the Yellow River from the Hexi Plateau, cross the Luliang Mountains, and cross the Fenshui River Valley Plain.One is that it was impossible to march the army on this route at that time, and the other is that even if they did everything possible to march to arrive, the army would have no battlefield to deploy, and it was unbearable for the opponent to take the lead.This situation determined that it was impossible for Qin to force Zhao from the northern section of the Taihang Mountains.Judging from the general situation of the military struggle between Qin and Zhao, at this time, the Qin State has firmly occupied the two counties of Hedong and Hanoi, and Jinyang (Taiyuan) in the north is also in a tussle with Zhao State.The most feasible passages to push Zhao Guo are the four passages in the southern section of the Taihang Mountains-Zheguanxing, Taihangxing, Baixing, and Fukouxing.Of these four passages, except for Fukouxing in the hinterland of Zhao State, the other three are all in Hanoi County, which is now Qin State.

However, all these four passages have to pass through a key mountainous area.This mountain is Shangdang. Shangdang is also named for its high praise of "Shangkan and Tiandang", which shows its majestic power in the Central Plains. When the Taihang Mountain rose like a huge wave, it set off a large area of ​​towering mountains, threatening the Fenshui River Valley in the west, and overlooking the Handan Valley in the east. This is the Shangdang Highland lying between the two valleys and plains.This highland stretches from Yanhe in the north to Hanoi in the south and connects with the Taihang Mountains, with a length of more than 300 li from north to south.From Shaoshui in the west to Zhangshui and Taihang Mountain in the east, it is more than 200 miles wide from east to west.Shangdang has steep mountains, divergent rivers, criss-cross canyons, and vast forests. Except for the four entrances and exits, the whole Shangdang is like a closed place in ancient times that is completely impenetrable, chaotic, and unopened.On the eastern highlands where the four Xingkou gradually converge, there is a steep pass, which is the famous Huguan Pass!The two mountains here stand side by side, shaped like a Hukou. In the Spring and Autumn Period, the Jin Dynasty set up a castle pass here, named Huguan.With this Huguan, even if you enter Shangdang, you cannot bypass it and enter Zhao State; of course, even if Zhao State enters Shangdang from Fukouxing, you cannot go south and west without crossing Huguan.

Looking at it this way, Shangdang Mountain has become a precipitous natural barrier standing majestically at the western foot of Taihang Mountain.Zhao Guo's access to the party is a natural strategic barrier in the west of Handan, which can suppress Qin State in Hanoi in one fell swoop.If Qin State can join the party, it can approach Handan within a hundred miles from a condescending position, and Zhao State's hinterland will be wide open, and there is no danger to defend!Although Qin State can also enter Zhao State from Anyang to the north, it must cross the Zhang River before entering the north, and its power is far inferior to capturing Shangdang.

Only in this way, Shangdang Tianxian suddenly shined brilliantly and became a battleground for the two powers of Qin and Zhao.However, the subtlety lies in this: At this time, the Shangdang natural danger is neither in the hands of Qin nor Zhao, but in the hands of South Korea, which is a county in the north of South Korea.As a result, the competition for Shangdang immediately became the most important event in the world.