People in the Song Dynasty were lawless

Chapter 467 Humorous Uighurs

In June of the eleventh year of the Qingli period of the Song Dynasty, the official document arrived at the border at an expedited speed of 800 miles.

At the same time, the Song Dynasty's war machine started again.

This time, the Song Dynasty no longer used the method of transporting grain and grass directly from Bianliang to the border, but adopted a step-by-step approach.

Bianliang would hire civilians to transport grain and fodder to Guanzhong, while the Yongxingjun Road Transportation Bureau would hire local personnel to transport the stored grain in Yongxingjun and Qinfeng Road to the border.

The Song Dynasty was a country that attached great importance to storing grain in good years and releasing grain in years of disaster. Every year, the grain harvested was put into the warehouse as new grain, while the old grain continued to be stored.

If the warehouse is full, the three to five year old grain will be put on the market and sold at a low price to be used as feed for chickens, ducks, pigs and cattle, thus completing the cycle.

For this reason, the Changping Sishi became a senior official on the same level as the Pacifier, Transport Commissioner, Judicial Commissioner, and Supervisory Censor.

This has been practiced by all dynasties, even since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. However, the Song Dynasty did a good job because of the first food revolution caused by Champa rice and the explosive increase in productivity.

This means that although the Song Dynasty was the dynasty with the most uprisings, its scale and number of concentrated outbreaks were not as large as those of the second-ranked Qing Dynasty.

The point is that even if there is a disaster in a local area, it can be resolved quickly by storing grain in warehouses.

However, there is not much grain stored in Qinfeng Road and Yongxingjun Road in Shaanxi Road, because there are few people here and they have to supply the border troops frequently, so there is not much grain stored.

In history, when the Song Dynasty and the Xia Dynasty were at war, the price of grain in the border areas and Bianliang skyrocketed because the grain reserves in the border areas were exhausted and a large amount of grain needed to be transported from Bianliang to the northwest border.

The situation now is not so bad. The war to destroy Xia was quick, and coupled with the increase in productivity and low grain prices, during the war to destroy Xia, the imperial court transported a large amount of grain to the northwest for storage.

Gaochang was too far away for the attack this time, and it was obviously not a good idea to transport grain directly from Bianliang.

For this purpose, Zhao Jun came up with a clever idea.

That is, the imperial court recruited refugees to escort food and grass to Guanzhong for the country. If the refugees were willing to stay in Guanzhong, they would be given land and means of production to help them open up farmland.

In this way, the public security problems caused by the growing population in Bianliang in recent years and the lack of jobs for some migrant workers can be solved.

At the same time, it can also alleviate to a certain extent the embarrassing situation in Guanzhong where the land is vast and sparsely populated.

of course.

This policy certainly cannot completely solve the dilemma of the small population in Guanzhong.

The problem in Guanzhong is the over-exploitation of natural resources, which has led to deforestation, soil erosion, uncultivable land, and frequent natural disasters.

What needs to change is not the decrease in population, but the restoration of the ecology.

But if we want to restore the ecology, we also need human help, such as planting more trees and repairing more rivers. Otherwise, it will take years and months to rely on natural changes.

Therefore, necessary migration is still necessary.

Soon it was August, and a large amount of grain was transported to Guanzhong and stored in warehouses in counties along both routes of Shaanxi.

The local county government would mobilize manpower to transport the grain stored in the warehouses of each county to the border.

August 9th is the Mid-Autumn Festival.

On the vast Gobi Desert in the northwest, a huge team is moving slowly forward. The people behind it are either riding camels or war horses, forming a long winding snake.

Di Qing was riding on a horse. There was a tube in the belly of his horse, which contained many maps. The bellies of the horses of several of his followers beside him were filled with a large number of water bottles. Water is more important than money in the Gobi Desert.

"My husband, the Yumen Pass is ahead. There is only a small team stationed there by the Shazhou Command Guard. After passing the Yumen Pass, it is the Western Region."

Cao Xianhui built a canopy with one hand, and took advantage of the scorching sun at noon to compare the surrounding Gobi Desert. Finally, she pointed to the northwest and said, "There should be a river over there. It is the river water flowing out of the Gobi Desert in the distant Tianshan Mountains."

"Well, pass the order, go to the river ahead to rest, make a fire and boil water, and have every soldier and auxiliary soldier fill their kettles. Even if they are full, drink it up and fill another kettle."

Di Qing gave the order.

This is already the edge of the Western Regions, not the Yumen City of later generations, but the area around the ancient Yumen Pass ruins northwest of Dunhuang City.

It can be said that outside Yumen Pass, the nearest Uighur city in Western Region, Yizhou, which is Hami City in Xinjiang in later generations, is more than 300 kilometers away in a straight line.

This means that they are about to cross an uninhabited desert Gobi that is three or four hundred kilometers long. If they cannot find a water source accurately, it will be a disaster for the army.

After the order was given, the huge army in the rear continued to move forward, and soon they saw a small river in the Gobi Desert in the distance.

This river is more like a stream than a river.

As a tributary of the Shule River in later generations, it supplies basic living water for Yumen Pass. It is already autumn and the water flow is very small.

The army came to the river to draw water one after another. After only half a day, the lower reaches were almost dry due to the people drinking and the horses feeding.

By evening, the army had finally rested and settled outside Yumen Pass.

This time, Di Qing brought a total of 120,000 people.

Among them, there were about 20,000 combat soldiers, and the remaining 100,000 were conscripted civilians and garrison troops.

The imperial court suffered heavy losses due to this.

Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty sent out an army of 200,000 to destroy the Huns, and there were 500,000 civilians and auxiliary soldiers who followed the army to transport food and fodder, bringing the total number of people to 700,000. Only then were they able to go out of the border and destroy the Huns.

Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty dispatched an army of 100,000 to conquer the Turks, and the number of civilian laborers following the army reached 300,000. Historical records show that "eight out of ten were lost in transportation", which shows the great logistical pressure.

And the most important thing is that Liu Che and Li Shimin were not paid. This was called corvee labor, and the court would at most provide you with two meals.

In addition to providing meals, the Song Dynasty also provided subsidies and wages, which was considered an employment-based system.

Therefore, this trip would not only waste food, but also cost the national treasury a large sum of money. It can be said that the court would have to spend millions of strings of cash just to fight this war, which was quite a loss.

But there is no way.

If Zhao Jun was not in a hurry to destroy Gaochang, he could have waited another ten years or so until the train was built to Dunhuang. Then it would have been easy to destroy Gaochang without consuming so much national strength.

But if that happens, it will affect other layouts.

You can't have your cake and eat it too. Considering the long-term interests, promoting cotton in the Western Regions earlier can bring huge economic benefits and improve the people's ability to resist cold. This is the only way.

The next day, the soldiers left Yumen Pass, pushed the baggage carts, and arduously stepped into the vast desert Gobi, bypassing the remnants of the Tianshan Mountains, and headed towards the distance under the guidance of many guides.

After about ten days, the Song army advanced slowly at a speed of fifty miles a day, crossing the desolate desert and large tracts of Gobi Desert, and was about to arrive in Yizhou.

However, their whereabouts were not kept secret. With so many troops traveling, it was impossible to conceal it from the enemy easily.

The most important thing is that they were taking a road that people from the Western Regions have often taken since ancient times. There were many Western Region merchants and nomadic herdsmen traveling along this road, and it was easy to discover their whereabouts from a long distance.

Therefore, almost before the Song army arrived in Yizhou, Gaochang King Aqi Fuluo had already received the news of the Song army's departure, and even the reconnaissance soldiers had figured out the number of Song troops.

This is indeed easy to understand.

The Gobi Desert is endless, and the Song army's uniforms are particularly recognizable. The bright red color makes it clear that people might not know that these are the Song army in large numbers.

Except for about 20,000 soldiers in military uniforms, the rest were civilian laborers and auxiliary soldiers wearing ordinary clothes like ordinary people.

Therefore, an experienced scout could see at a glance that the actual strength of the Song army was only 20,000.

"Twenty thousand?"

In Gaochang, in the imperial palace, Aqi Fuluo learned that the Song army had only sent 20,000 troops, and laughed, "The Song people are so arrogant that they only want to send 20,000 troops to attack us."

Hearing that there were not many Song troops coming, several ministers breathed a sigh of relief. Minister Hu Duoge said, "Your Majesty, this may be the vanguard of the Song army. They are showing goodwill to us. Perhaps we can send people to negotiate with them."

"Goodwill? What goodwill?" Aqifuluo was puzzled.

Another minister, Turuhe, explained: "I have heard that the Song army has a million soldiers. If they really want to attack Gaochang, they cannot have so few people. Even if there are many people, they should act together. Now there are only 20,000, which means that there is still a possibility for Song to negotiate with us."

"Peace talks?"

Aqi Fuluo sneered and said, "What's the point of negotiating? This is a chance for us to show our Gaochang's strength. As long as we defeat their vanguard and then join forces with the Liao army, we can defeat the Song Kingdom in one fell swoop while their morale is unstable. Then we can enter Yumen Pass and take over the territory that once belonged to Li Yuanhao."

Several ministers including Huduoge, Turuhe, Sijie and others were dumbfounded.

Don’t you have any idea how you, Aqifuluo, were beaten when Li Yuanhao was around?

Now that Li Yuanhao has been destroyed by the Song State, what can you use to fight the Song State?

Do you want to seize other people’s territory?
What's wrong with this brain?

"His Majesty."

Hu Duoge was about to persuade him again.

Si Jie interrupted, "Your Majesty, this is exactly what we should do."

"it is good!"

Aqifuluo stood up from the throne and said, "Pass my order and gather the army. We will wait for the Song army to tire out in Yizhou and strike head-on! I will lead the army in person!"

After saying this, he spread out his cloak and hurried to the harem to find Princess Jingyang to take credit.

Several ministers looked at each other and then left the palace. Hu Duoge complained to Si Jie: "Why don't you persuade His Majesty?"

"There is a saying in the Song Dynasty that good words cannot persuade a damned ghost."

Si Jie whispered, "You have seen that the king will not listen to any advice. He has been deceived by the queen and only wants to follow the Liao Kingdom. If that is the case, why should we disobey him? We will be executed by the king later."

"So are we just going to watch the country fall into crisis?"

Tu Ruhe said.

"There is no way."

Si Jie spread his hands and said, "If we persuade him, we will die, and His Majesty will still go to war with the Song State. But if we don't persuade him, we will live, the only difference is whether we can survive. I advise you not to think about this, but think about what to do now, pack up and prepare to escape as soon as possible."

"Forehead"

Everyone looked at each other and thought it made sense.

They are Uighurs, and their sense of national identity is not very strong. In most cases, saving their lives is naturally the most important thing.

Everyone then went back and waited for the end of the war.

After Aqifuluo told Princess Jingyang about this, the princess was very happy. She praised the king highly and encouraged him to lead the army in person.

Aqifuluo was so excited by the queen's few words that he almost forgot his last name and immediately ordered the troops to be gathered.

Compared with Li Yuanhao's army of more than 100,000, the Xizhou Uighurs were naturally not very strong. Their total population was only a few hundred thousand and they were quite scattered. They only had the Uighur nation but no national consciousness.

In addition to the Gaochang Uighurs led by Aqi Fuluo, the Xizhou Uighurs were also divided into the Kucha Uighurs, the Yellow-headed Uighurs, the Hexi Uighurs, and so on, totaling more than twenty tribes.

However, the Gaochang Uighurs had the highest status and the strongest power, and were also the Uighur royal court, so they were respected as the nominal leader by all Uighurs.

If all these tribes were added together, the total population of the entire Western Region Uighurs would exceed one million, and the total military force would reach 200,000 or 300,000, which is still very strong.

However, because of their dispersion, many Uighur tribes only obeyed orders and not declarations. For example, the Gaochang Uighurs were only pro-Liao, while the Kucha Uighurs, the Yellow-headed Uighurs, the Hexi Uighurs, etc. were pro-Liao and Song, and paid tribute to both countries respectively.

If factions within a country do not even have different political tendencies, it is naturally impossible to say that the country’s political power is unified.

Therefore, the number of troops that Aqifuluo can directly mobilize at present is about 80,000.

This was because Li Yuanhao had been harassing the Yellow-headed Uighurs and the Hexi Uighurs in the past few years, causing a large number of local tribes to defect to him.

Otherwise, during the Jingyou period, it would have been considered good for Aqifuluo to mobilize 50,000 people.

Facing a mere 20,000 Song troops at this moment, Aqifuluo obviously did not take it seriously. He did not even issue a summons to the Uighur royal court to ask all Uighurs to come to the defense of the king. Instead, he led his own troops to attack.

Soon, a few days later, the land was vast and desolate. After more than ten days of long journey, the Song army crossed a large desert and saw an oasis in the distance.

Although it was August, the earth in the distance was green, with occasional hints of yellow and brown. Herds of cattle and sheep were passing by, and herdsmen were building buildings out of leather, stones and the like. Further away, a mud city could be seen.

Cao Xianhui was on a small hill on the left side of the marching road, riding a warhorse and looking into the distance, and then said to Di Qing beside him: "Sir, that is the Yizhou of the Uighurs."

"Well, there are finally people here."

Di Qing nodded, then took out a telescope to look.

He saw herdsmen driving their cattle and sheep to graze, saw occasional caravans coming in and out of the city, and saw several soldiers leaning lazily against the city gate.

"interesting."

Di Qing saw this and smiled, saying, "The Uighurs seem to be completely unsuspecting. We also saw some merchants along the way. Some of them passed by us normally, while others hurried back. I don't believe that the Uighurs didn't know we were coming."

"What did my husband find out?"

Cao Xianhui was surprised.

"look by youself."

Di Qing handed over the telescope.

Cao Xianhui took a look and was also very confused: "This is strange, could it be a trap?"

"I don't care about traps. I only believe in the gun in my hand!"

Di Qing patted the spear on the horse's belly and said, "It is no longer the era in the past where we could be ambushed if we were unprepared during the march. Now it is an era where no matter when or where the enemy appears, we can raise our spears and fight back immediately."

This is Di Qing’s confidence.

While the two were talking, another lookout guard suddenly said, "Sir, there is something strange in the northwest."

"Oh?"

Di Qing looked in the direction of the sound and saw dust and smoke billowing into the sky in the northwest direction.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

Based on their experience, it was obvious that a large number of Uighur troops were attacking.

This Uighur man is quite interesting.

Knowing that there was a huge disparity in strength between us and the enemy, we actually chose to take the initiative to attack. Did we think that we could achieve complete victory by waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out?

It's really surprising.

Or maybe the Uighurs had no idea how big the gap was between them and the Song Dynasty?
Then things get even more interesting here.

Thinking of this, Di Qing did not pursue the matter further and said calmly: "Since the Uighurs want to play, then play with them! Let's go!"

After saying this, he waved his hand and issued a military order, and the army galloped towards the direction of the Uighur army.

(End of this chapter)