That summer, the Han army actually eliminated the cavalry's dependence on the seasons when fighting in the distance. Within a few months, they mobilized at home and assembled tens of thousands of cavalry again, divided into two groups, led by generals in title of generals in ancient times Huo Qubing and Hou Gongsun 'ao, who rode together to attack the Huns.
Emperor Wu took Huo Qubing as the right and went north (now northwest of Ning County, Gansu Province); Gongsun ao took the left and the soldiers went out of Longxi (now northwest of Lintao, Gansu). According to the plan in advance, the two armies will eventually meet in Qilian Mountain. At the same time, in order to contain the main force of Xiongnu Khan, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty also sent Bo Wanghou Zhang Qian and doctor Li Guangbing out of Peiping to attack Xiongnu Zuo Wangxian in two ways.
Schematic diagram of Hexi campaign
The Huns were not idle when the Han Dynasty sent troops in several ways. Yi Zhixie Khan personally led the Xiongnu main force and killed Dai Jun and Yanmen counties. Visible, at this time of the han dynasty and the huns, have the momentum of red eye. Obviously, the Sino-Hungarian war has reached its climax on the front thousands of miles from east to west.
Huo Qubing led the cavalry out of the north and crossed the river from Lingwu (now northwest of Yinchuan, Ningxia). Then, the Han army crossed Helan Mountain, crossed the Xunji Mountain Desert (now Badain Jaran Desert) and hit Juyanhai (now north of Ejina Banner in Alashan League, Inner Mongolia). Juyan is a Hun language, which is translated as "weak quicksand" in Shuijing Zhu. It was called Juyanze in Han Dynasty, Xihai in Wei and Jin Dynasties, Juyanhai in Tang Dynasty and Swan Lake now).
After a little trimming, Huo Qubing led his troops along the south of Ejina River, marched to Xiaoyue people (now Jiuquan), and showed his troops in Zhangye, showing the strength of the Han Dynasty. Then March forward two thousand miles in a hurry and reach Qilian Mountain and Helishan Mountain.
Before the first army of Gongsun Aojun arrived at the army, Huo Qubing seized the fighter plane and launched a fierce attack on the Xiongnu with lightning speed. He captured the five Xiongnu kings alive, namely, Shan Huan, Chief Tu, Ji Ji, Pianpu and Kai, and then pushed them northward, knocking out the Qiang people, aiming to get through the Hexi Corridor.
Huo Qubing stills
After the war, the Han army beheaded 30,200 people by counting the troops. In addition to the Five Kings, 59 people were captured alive, including the Empress Dowager Khan E Shi and the Xiongnu Prince, and 63 people were captured alive, including the Xiongnu Prime Minister, General, the Ministry of Housing and a surname. A captain of each tribe led the troops to surrender to the Han dynasty, with a total of 2500 people.
Emperor Wu was overjoyed, adding 5,400 households in Huo Qubing, and all his subordinates were appointed Hou.
In a few months, Huo Qubing led his Han army to make two expeditions to Hexi Corridor, which went thousands of miles deep and won Lien Chan. This is a godsend.
Such a young man under the age of twenty, with proper command and extraordinary courage, broke through the conventional plan of Xiongnu's operations and took him by surprise. Moreover, Huo Qubing always took the lead and fought bravely, which made the Han army under his command more and more courageous. At the same time, it can't be ignored that the troops given to Huo Qubing by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty were the most elite troops with excellent experience and rich combat experience, and the horses rode by the cavalry were also the best varieties in the Han Dynasty at that time. With this guarantee, the Han army can realize long-distance maneuvering and circuitous, making the Han army in Huo Qubing constantly surprise and break through, surpassing them in number, and finally making the brightest war star in the history of China shine in the air.
Unfortunately, Gong, a valiant general of the Han Dynasty who fought against Xiongnu for many years, lost his way and failed to meet Huo Qubing in Qilian Mountain on time. According to the Han law, they should be beheaded and redeemed for Shu Ren.
Gongsun 'ao stills
All the way to Huo Qubing, the Han army won a great victory. On the eastern front of the Han army, Li Guang led the way, with 4,000 cavalry. Unexpectedly, he was surrounded by more than 40 thousand fine riders in the left part of Xiongnu. Li Guang, the "flying general" of the Han Dynasty, was not afraid at all. He immediately ordered his son Li Gan to ride a horde to fight the enemy lines and hover around the Xiongnu camp.
Li Ganqian rode back unscathed, so he shouted to his comrades, "Listen to Land Rover!" "
With the encouragement of Li He, the morale of the Han army was greatly boosted. Li Guang sized up the situation and ordered the Han military personnel carriers to form a garden array, armed with crossbows, ready to fight.
The main force of Xiongnu fought and attacked the Han army continuously. Arrows rained down, and at that time more than half of the Han army were killed and injured. Suffering like this, the Han army has a military soul in the army, and the army array has never moved.
Orders, Li Guang ordered soldiers to hold a crossbow, he operated the rhubarb crossbow, and shot and killed several Xiongnu generals in a very short time. The Xiongnu army was shocked and the offensive was slightly slower.
At the end of the war, due to the increasing number of enemy troops, Li Guangguan was pale when he saw fewer arrows and fewer people.
Portrait of Li Guang
Looking back, it was General Li Guang. He is unrestrained, strict in command and methodical in running the army. Therefore, the army is brave.
The next day, the Pingming horn sounded, and the two sides fought fiercely again, and the Han army was full of confidence.
Even so, after all, there are a large number of Huns, and Li Guang and his men are gradually oppressed and moved.
Fortunately, Qian led the troops to arrive in time, but the Huns didn't know how many reinforcements the Han army had, so they couldn't win for a while and had to withdraw.