The reason that caused Huangfu Song to commit suicide was not that Luoyang was breached, but that after Liu Ling was killed, the Western Han Dynasty court had no Han blood, and there was no point in persevering any longer, so the sixty-three-year-old Huangfu Song ended his life with three feet of white silk.
After the death of Huangfu Song, the fifty-one-year-old veteran Ding Yanping took over the military power of Tongguan, as a fierce general recommended by Su Qin and deeply valued by Liu Che, Ding Yanping was an out-and-out diehard, blocking unfavorable news for the defenders of Tongguan, and continued to defend the pass after Luoyang was breached.
Even after the news that Yongzhou Assassin Shi Zhong Xuan opened the gate of Chang'an City and surrendered, Ding Yanping still stubbornly blocked the news, and still led 40,000 demoralized defenders to defend Tongguan.
"Even if you die, you have to die in Tongguan, so that you can repay Prime Minister Su Cheng's affection, the grace of the first emperor" Ding Yanping glanced at the full hall of civil and military affairs in the Taishou Mansion, and looked at death as if he were at home, "Whoever dares to open the door to surrender or escape from the battle, first ask me if I agree to the pair of guns in my hand."
Xie Yingdeng, who was thin and had a clear face, echoed: "The last general supports General Ding, we are deeply supported by the first emperor, as long as there is still a breath of air, we will fight to the end in a bloody battle, maybe it will be supported for a few more days, and Prime Minister Su will bring rescue troops back from the Western Regions."
Zhong Wuyan is not as ugly as the legend, it can only be said that he has an ordinary appearance, his cheeks are relatively long, his cheekbones are relatively high, his mouth is relatively large, his lips are relatively thick, his eyes are not too big, and his complexion is a little dull, nothing more.
After listening to the conversation between Ding Yanping and Xie Yingdeng, Zhong Wuyan cleared his throat and said, "Two generals, please forgive me for being blunt, I also know a little about Prime Minister Su Cheng going to the Western Regions to move rescue troops from my father. ” Ding Yanping sat upright, looked Zhong Wuyan up and down with hostile eyes, stroked his beard and said, "Let's hear it."
Zhong Wuyan looked calm and said eloquently: "When Prime Minister Su went to the Western Regions, Luoyang had not yet been breached, and the little emperor was still there, so Prime Minister Su planned to surround Wei to save Zhao, form an anti-Liu alliance in the west to pull Wu Qi's army into a predicament, and force Liu Cheng to divide troops to rescue in order to reduce the pressure on Chang'an and Luoyang."
"Is this wrong?"
Xie Yingden asked coldly.
Zhong Wuyan said calmly: "Before Luoyang and Chang'an were breached, there was still some hope for this plan, although it was extremely slim, but there was hope in the end.
But with Luoyang and Chang'an being broken one after another, this plan no longer has any meaning, even if Prime Minister Su Cheng facilitates an alliance in the Western Regions, our Western Han Dynasty will also perish.
The food in Tongguan can only last for about twenty more days, is it possible that the Western Regions Alliance can still fly over with wings?"
Xie Yingdeng spat and said with disdain: "Why did Chang'an fall, doesn't Miss Zhong know that your father surrendered without a fight, is he worthy of Prime Minister Su's cultivation and the importance of the first emperor?"
Zhong Wuyan argued: "Although it is not a glorious thing for my father to open the door and surrender, he also did this to save Chang'an from being destroyed, so that the people of Chang'an can avoid being ruined, and let the soldiers avoid unnecessary casualties The people who know the times are Junjie, since the general trend has gone, why bother to fight against the will of heaven."
"Whew" Xie Yingdeng drew his sword in his hand, and scolded indignantly: "Sure enough, if there is a father, there must be a daughter, your father is clearly a traitor to seek glory, greedy for life and afraid of death, you are still here to speak out loudly Isn't your father and daughter worthy of the support of Prime Minister Su Cheng, if it weren't for the cultivation of the first emperor, if it weren't for the sake of you being a woman, I would have cut it down with a sword, and I would have apologized to the first emperor with your head."
Zhong Wuyan's willow eyebrows furrowed, her eyes widened, and she said without fear: "Everything the little woman said is from the bottom of her heart, and my father took the initiative to open the door and surrender for the people of Chang'an.
Besides, Liu Wei is also the eldest son of Emperor Ling, and it is better to surrender him than to support the Yang family."
Xie Ying's anger rushed to the crown, and he jumped like thunder: "Old General Ding, do you hear clearly, this ugly woman and her father are all the way, and the greedy people who sell for glory and are afraid of death, I am afraid that they already have the idea of surrendering."
Let me cut her down with a sword, so that there is no hidden danger."
Xie Yingdeng shouted and stepped forward to arrest people: "Come on, take down Zhong Wuyan, an ugly woman."
"I have a clear conscience, and if I want to kill, I will listen to it."
Zhong Wuyan did not resist, but unsheathed his sword and threw it on the ground, raising his hands to dispose of it.
Xie Ying stepped forward and twisted Zhong Wuyan's arms, and ordered his henchmen to escort Zhong Wuyan out and cut him down: "Why are you pushing out this ugly woman who eats inside and out, and cut it down, with the right military law" "Slow" Ding Yanping, a veteran who has been silent, suddenly took the case, "Escort Zhong Wuyan down for the time being, let me think about it" After Zhong Wuyan was escorted down, all the generals, including Deng Yu, walked out of the lobby expressionlessly, the building had collapsed, what was the point of persisting anymore, but they were all afraid that Ding Yanping's two guns were powerful, and Zhong Wuyan's experience was there, and no one dared to stand up and make a head bird for a while.
After the generals withdrew, Xie Yingdeng was still angry, hugged his arms to his chest and asked: "Zhong Wuyan, this ugly woman, obviously wants to surrender, why doesn't the old general let me kill this scourge?"
Ding Yanping stroked his gray beard and said in a deep voice: "I am as deeply favored by the first emperor as you are, and all I can do is to die for the confidant, and the people are locked up, and the people are dead."
But among the 40,000 soldiers and horses in Tongguan City, there are more than 10,000 people brought by Zhong Wuyan, and if Zhong Wuyan is killed rashly, it is difficult to guarantee that these people will not mutiny.
In order to avoid extraneous complications, it is better to let Zhong Wuyan go out of the city and leave her soldiers and horses behind. ” "Could it be that you let her go like this, it's really cheap for this ugly woman" Xie Yingdeng slashed his sword on the pillar in the lobby, and his anger was unsettled.
Ding Yanping stroked his beard and sneered: "Hmph, the old man also hates the traitor who seeks glory, how can she be so cheap, since she can't kill her openly, he uses shady tricks to plot against her."
I'll go and select five thousand elite soldiers to go out of the city now, and ambush them on the road from Tongguan to Chang'an, and after half an hour, you let Zhong Wuyan go out of the city, and I will shoot her halfway, so that you can be unaware, and you don't have to worry about Zhong Wuyan's mutiny. ” "It's still the old general, who is thoughtful," Xie Yingdeng couldn't help but give a thumbs up after listening.
After the discussion stopped, Ding Yanping turned over his horse, carried two guns, and took 5,000 henchmen to open the north gate of Tongguan and went to the northwest to find a place to ambush.
Half an hour later, Xie Yingdeng ordered Zhong Wuyan to be escorted up, and shouted: "Your father and daughter are greedy for wealth and wealth, and they should have been killed by a thousand knives for the sake of their colleagues.
Zhong Wuyan didn't say a word, and was driven out of the north gate of Tongguan by Xie Yingdeng with his own soldiers, so he could only go north to Chang'an alone. t1706231537: