ebookland Chapter 163 Yu Zhanmo introduces his mentor, Ge Shuhan.
Chapter 163 Yu Zhanmo introduces his mentor, Ge Shuhan.
Yu Zhanmo said to Qu Youjiu:
"You are a banished immortal, destined to return to the heavens, while I am a mortal, destined to linger in this mortal world."
Qu Youjiu, the son of a merchant, spends most of his time in the martial arts world. He is innocent and naive, with a chivalrous heart, and knows very little about the power struggles of the imperial court and the complexities of human nature.
Yu Zhanmo, on the other hand, came from a family of officials and held many positions, possessing "workplace wisdom" far surpassing that of Li Bai.
Yu Zhanmo said:
"When I was young, I realized that I had followed the wrong people, so I quickly withdrew and preferred to go back to farming rather than associate with them."
"Until I was 49 years old, I met my benefactor—Geshu Han, the military governor of Hexi."
Zi'an chimed in, while Xiao Si listened intently.
Wang Wei held Geshu Han in extremely high regard, calling him a hero renowned throughout the land, eight feet tall, with eyes as sharp as amethyst and a beard as stiff as hedgehog bristles.
“Haha, what my brother said was ‘famous throughout the world, eight feet tall, with eyes like purple stone edges, and a beard like a hedgehog’s bristles.’” Little Si added.
"You actually went to this lengths?"
"Absolutely! Speaking of Geshu Han, he's a legendary hero of the Tang Dynasty! He created a series of legendary victories in the battles against the Tibetans. Brother Yu Zhanmo is the most qualified to speak on this!"
Okay, let me sort it out.
In 746, when the Tibetans invaded the border, General Geshuhan displayed great bravery at Kubahai, defeating the enemy in a rout.
Then, in 747, he laid a trap at Jishi Army, annihilating five thousand Tibetan cavalrymen in one fell swoop.
In 748, Geshu Han established Shenwei Military City on the shore of Qinghai Lake. Upon seeing this, the Tibetans dared not approach the lake again.
Then in 749, he was even faster, capturing Shibao City in less than ten days.
This is the rhythm of making a big contribution every year.
In 753, Geshu Han captured Hongji and Damomen, cities of the Tubo Kingdom, and brought the entire Yellow River bend region under his control. He also established Taoyang Prefecture and formed the Shence and Wanxiu armies.
Finally, in 756, in the great battle of Tongguan, Geshu Han directly defeated An Qingxu. Geshu Han was truly the guardian of the Tang Dynasty!
Upon hearing the name Geshu Han, one immediately knows that he was a member of a minority ethnic group—the Turks; the fact that the Tang Dynasty could employ so many generals from minority ethnic groups demonstrates its magnanimity.
I was practically half-buried when I met Geshu Han. He appreciated me and promoted me greatly.
Little Si began to ask and answer its own questions:
"Alas, when do virtuous officials like Gao Shi usually appear?"
Good officials usually don't get the benefits, but good officials emerge during times of crisis.
Just like during the An Lushan Rebellion, when Feng Changqing, Gao Xianzhi, and others were executed, the court had no one to rely on.
At this point, good officials will have the opportunity to take office.
Yu Zhanmo immediately revealed a wry smile:
"Alas, in the end, the Battle of Tongguan was lost. This is not the ending I hoped for. Geshu Han was a hero who could command the country on the battlefield, but I never expected that he would be forced to this dead end."
Qu Youjiu stroked his chin, seemingly somewhat surprised: "What's going on? Wasn't he supposed to be quite good at fighting?"
"I can fight, but sometimes, fate just plays tricks on people." Yu Zhanmo's tone was tinged with helplessness.
"Emperor Xuanzong of Tang listened to Yang Guozhong's nonsense and kept sending envoys to urge Geshu Han to send troops. As a result, Geshu Han had no choice but to bite the bullet and lead his troops out of Tongguan while crying!"
Qu Youjiu sounded anxious: "Going straight to fight the rebels when there's no chance of winning?"
"Yes, he led his army from Tongguan, through a treacherous 17-mile stretch of road, with mountains to the south and the Yellow River to the north, surrounded by ambushes by rebel forces."
Yu Zhanmo sighed:
“Geshu Han was not someone who was easily fooled, but on that day, he thought the enemy's forces were few and underestimated them. As a result, he urged the army to advance, but the road was dangerous and the troops were in disarray. Their formation began to fall into chaos, and the rebels took the opportunity to push stones down from the high ground, killing many Tang soldiers.”
Yu Zhanmo shrugged. "But General Geshuhan still didn't give up. He led Tian Liangqiu up the hill on the north bank, preparing to use 30,000 troops to fight the enemy across the river. According to his own tactics, he should be planning to fight steadily, but the rebel army's formation is not simple either."
Little Si tilted his head and asked, "How did the rebels deploy their troops?"
"It's quite interesting," Yu Zhanmo chuckled. "The rebels' formation was chaotic. Cui Qianyou's side had five men in front and ten behind, sometimes advancing and sometimes retreating. The forward and backward troops couldn't even move in unison, which amused the Tang army greatly."
Seeing that the enemy's formation posed no real threat, the Tang army relaxed their guard and began to mock them, saying, "We'll have a feast after we capture the enemy general," and so on...
Qu Youjiu was taken aback: "You can laugh about this? It doesn't make sense. They were crying as they marched out, and then they were so careless with the enemy. How can they laugh? And what happened in the end?"
Xiao Si nodded: "Something's definitely fishy here!"
“Yes, anything that goes against the natural order is considered a demon, so what good is it?” Yu Zhanmo shrugged.
"The officers and soldiers on the front line felt that the enemy's formation was chaotic and their morale was low, unlike what the general thought, and they felt that there was nothing to be afraid of. But little did they know that the rebels had set up this kind of 'deceptive formation' to make the Tang army more and more relaxed, until they finally fell into a deadly encirclement."
Qu Youjiu shook his head, seemingly lost in thought: "What was the final result?"
Yu Zhanmo frowned, his tone becoming heavy: "As a result, although Geshu Han fought desperately, the disparity in troop strength was too great. Coupled with the chaotic formation and traps, the Tang army was ultimately defeated in the Battle of Tongguan, and Geshu Han had no choice but to retreat."
He paused, as if recalling the enormous impact that defeat had on the Tang Dynasty. "That battle was the prelude to the An Lushan Rebellion. The rebels were at the height of their power, and later the entire dynasty was in turmoil."
Xiao Si asked with a hint of mischief: "Yu Zhanmo, I heard that in the Battle of Tongguan, Geshu Han suffered a great defeat. What do you think?"
Yu Zhanmo sighed helplessly: "Alas, what a tragic end for a hero." After the battle began, Cui Qianyou's army's flags were askew, looking as if they were about to flee.
Xiao Si: The flag is crooked? Doesn't that make me look weak?
Yu Zhanmo (chuckles): Yes, as a result, when the Tang army saw this banner, they relaxed and felt that the rebels were not a threat. You know, once an army relaxes, it immediately falls apart. As soon as the rebel ambush troops came out, the Tang army's morale collapsed instantly.
Xiao Si: That shouldn't be the case. Historical records say that Geshu Han was urged to go into battle while crying. How could the army be so confident? Was Geshu Han unprepared?
Yu Zhanmo pondered: Geshu Han was naturally unwilling to be defeated so easily and tried to intimidate the rebels. He covered the carriage with felt, painted dragons and tigers on it, and added gold and silver claws and eyes, hoping to make the enemy tremble with fear.
Xiao Si: This method is too peculiar! However, some of the Tang soldiers were also restless. It was originally meant to be a bluff, so they shouldn't have taken the initiative to pursue!
Yu Zhanmo: The Tang soldiers, armed with spears and arrows, were preparing to take the opportunity to pursue, but the rebels were clever. They blocked the road with firewood and set fire to the carts with the wind at their backs, burning the Tang army's logistics to a complete mess.
Xiao Si: A burning cart? How will the Tang army handle it?
Yu Zhanmo: As you know, the Tang soldiers were in such a chaotic situation that they couldn't distinguish friend from foe. As a result, they started fighting among themselves, resulting in heavy casualties and complete utter chaos.
Xiao Si: Hey, how are the grain transport ships on the Yellow River?
Yu Zhanmo: There were more than a hundred grain transport ships on the Yellow River, but the Tang soldiers were too eager and rushed to board them, causing the ships to sink. Some people even tied their spears and shields together and sat on them to cross the river.
Little Si: Wow, they're willing to fight so hard just to cross the river! How did the rebels react at this point?
Yu Zhanmo: Seeing the Tang army in such disarray, the rebels naturally seized the opportunity and immediately attacked. The Tang army was instantly routed and had no chance to fight back, and they all fled in disarray.
Xiao Si: What was the defense situation at Tongguan when the Tang army retreated?
Yu Zhanmo: Three trenches were dug at the gate of Tongguan, each two zhang wide and one zhang deep. Unfortunately, when the Tang army fled back to the city, they were in complete disarray. Many fell into the trenches, which immediately filled them up. The soldiers behind them could only step over the corpses to enter the city.
Xiao Si: This is too tragic! What did Ge Shuhan do at this time?
Yu Zhanmo: Geshu Han led several hundred cavalrymen across the Yellow River and returned to his camp to count the troops. Guess how many of his 200,000-strong army were left?
Xiao Si: How many are left? Could there only be a few hundred people left?
Yu Zhanmo (sighs): Almost. In the end, only eight thousand people were left. The entire army was almost wiped out.
Xiao Si: Eight thousand people! That's a huge difference! What will Ge Shuhan do next?
Yu Zhanmo: After returning to Tongjin, he began recruiting the scattered soldiers, preparing to defend Tongguan once again. But his good fortune didn't last long. Huo Baguiren and others tricked him out of the pass, saying, "What are you going back with such a small force? Don't you know how Gao Xianzhi died?"
Xiao Si: Ge Shuhan is unwilling to give up just like that, how should he respond?
Yu Zhanmo: Geshu Han was furious and replied, "I would rather die like Gao Xianzhi, let me go." Unfortunately, Huoba Guiren did not listen at all, captured him, and surrendered to the rebels.
Xiao Si: So where was Geshuhan sent?
Yu Zhanmo: Geshu Han was put in shackles and sent to Luoyang. After Emperor Xuanzong of Tang learned of his capture, he immediately fled west.
Xiao Si: Now, An Lushan must be very pleased with himself, right? What did he say to Geshu Han after meeting him?
Yu Zhanmo: As soon as An Lushan saw Geshu Han, he began to question him: "You have always looked down on me, what about now?" Geshu Han was not intimidated. He knelt down and confessed his sins, saying: "You are the emperor who founded the world. If there is an opportunity, I am willing to go and persuade Li Guangbi to surrender and to reconcile Lu Jiong."
Xiao Si: Wow, An Lushan must be really happy now. He'll probably appoint him as Minister of Works and Chancellor immediately, right?
Yu Zhanmo: That's exactly right. An Lushan was pleased with Geshu Han's change of heart and readily appointed him. Unfortunately, his defection to the rebels did not bring him success, and he ultimately became a victim of the rebels.
Xiao Si: How did the rebels deal with Huoba Guiren?
Yu Zhanmo: Huo Bagui Ren betrayed Geshu Han, and An Lushan naturally could not tolerate him. He tied him up and said, "You betrayed your master and disregarded morality. I cannot tolerate you." In the end, he killed him.
Xiao Si: What was the result of Geshu Han's letter to persuade his generals to surrender?
Yu Zhanmo: Guess what? The generals all condemned him for not upholding his principles and instead chose to surrender. Few believed his attempts to persuade them to surrender.
Xiao Si: What about An Lushan?
Yu Zhanmo: Knowing that surrender was hopeless, he imprisoned Geshu Han and waited for an opportunity. In the end, An Qingxu led Geshu Han across the Yellow River, and Geshu Han's fate came to an end.
Xiao Si: How did Geshu Han die in the end?
Yu Zhanmo: After the defeat, An Qingxu killed him, and Geshu Han eventually died at the hands of the rebels.
Xiao Si: What was the court's response afterward?
Yu Zhanmo: The imperial court posthumously awarded him the title of Grand Commandant and the posthumous name of Wumin. However, Geshu Han was a brave man throughout his life, but he ultimately perished in the chaos of the times, which is truly lamentable.
Xiao Si: Alas, the end of a hero's life is a tragedy.