In 1041 AD, the second large-scale military conflict between the Northern Song Dynasty and Xixia - the Battle of Haoshuichuan - broke out in the Longde area of ??Ningxia. During this battle, Emperor Li Yuanhao of the Western Xia Dynasty adopted the plan of counselor Zhang Yuan and personally led an army of 100,000 soldiers south to attack the Song Dynasty. He attacked steadily, set up sieges and ambushes, and constantly lured the Song army to go deep. At a small cost, he annihilated more than 10,000 Song troops at the mouth of the Haoshui River. Almost all the generals of the Song army were killed in the battle, and Xixia won a complete victory. After the war, Zhongshu Ling Zhang Yuan, who came with the army, looked at the mouth of Haoshui River filled with corpses of Song soldiers. His complacency surged and could no longer be suppressed. His creative passion aroused and he immediately painted on the boundary wall. He wrote a poem: "How did Xia Song ever stand tall? Han Qi is not a surprise. Sichuan is full of dragon and tiger chariots, and he still talks about military aircraft." The inscription is: Taishi, Shangshu Ling, and Zhongshu Ling Zhang Yuan arrived here with his Majesty. However, what is shocking is that this extremely high Xixia Yuanshi is not a Xixia party noble, but an out-and-out Han Chinese.
This white-eyed wolf from the northwest is an authentic native of Huayin, Shaanxi Province. His birth date is unknown, but his death date is clearly recorded, 1044. The surname Zhang should be real, but I really can't figure out what his real name is. The name Zhang Yuan was actually changed by him after he sneaked into Xixia to stimulate Li Yuanhao. So to avoid confusion, before entering Xixia, we might as well call him Zhang Shusheng.
When Zhang Shusheng was young, he was like most scholars of the Song Dynasty. He studied and took exams every day, hoping that one day he could become a high school Jinshi and enter the university. The rank of civil servant in the Song Dynasty enjoys the thousand millet, golden house and Yan Ruyu brought by becoming a Jinshi. Of course, the result was the same as that of most scholars of the Song Dynasty, that is, they failed despite repeated attempts. It is said that when Zhang Shusheng was young, he was "a chivalrous person who took charge of himself", "a suave spirit and a talented person". Such words are generally used to evaluate outstanding people, but are rarely used to evaluate intellectuals. It is not difficult to see from this that Zhang Shusheng may not have been so content-minded since he was a child, and may have more excess energy. He belongs to the kind of person who has great ambitions (such as quelling the princes, unifying the world, etc.) and is difficult to tolerate others ( The kind who can't look up to anyone, is often looked down upon by others), and is not very down-to-earth.
This kind of "heroic" person either has poor academic performance or has very radical views and is not liked by the examiner, so it seems that Zhang Shusheng's repeated failure in the exam is not a problem. What a weird thing. Since the path of "study and becoming an official" has been closed to him, and he cannot reach his fifties like Fan Jin, Zhang Shusheng, who has "little regained his reputation", must find another way out to accommodate his vigorous energy. Seeing that he had extra energy and ambition, he threw away the Four Books and Five Classics, took a friend named Hu with him, and went directly to the northwest frontier to join the army.
The so-called surrender to the army does not mean that Zhang Shusheng and Hu friends should give up their fame and go to the northwest to become unknown big-headed soldiers. At that time, the relationship between the Northern Song Dynasty and Xixia was becoming more and more tense, and there was a possibility of a misfire at any time, causing a war. The two felt that this was a great opportunity to establish their reputation. They wanted to follow the path of Su Qin and Zhang Yi during the Warring States Period, side by side with the generals, continue to shine as counselors and staff, and indirectly achieve the goal of annihilating the enemy country, unifying the world, and thus succeeding. The best wishes in life. However, Zhang and Hu were a pair of losers, with no background and no one to recommend them. Even if they wanted to join the generals, they had no way, so they could only promote themselves, and the way and style of promotion was no less than that of today's "behavior" artist".
? The two brothers first found someone to carve a stone slab. It was a stone slab full of poetry, because it was really full of poems. , trivial complaints that have nowhere to show their abilities. Then I hired a few porters and dragged the stone slab in front under the border city wall. The two brothers followed behind the stone slab, reciting poems and crying loudly. It was so lively (when I wrote this, something suddenly came to my mind From the scene in "Nine Levels of Sesame Official" where Stephen Chow sells himself to bury his father).
I don’t know how many days this farce went on, but it really alarmed the guards at the gate. There was no way that two lunatics would show up like this every day at the gate of the city. Out of curiosity and confusion, the then northwest commander also returned the message after receiving the letter. I really called these two people to the house for a chat, which was an interview. This interview is enough to show that the "Slate Poetry" event planned by Zhang and Hu brothers was successful. They met the most senior official in charge of Xixia defense in the Northern Song Dynasty at once; this also showed that "if you don't leave, Zhang and Hu, who are on the "ordinary road", are by no means modest gentlemen who only read books from sages. They are more like Internet experts who are eager to become famous and want to take off their pants and go out on the street.
Even though the self-promotion strategy was so successful, the result of this interview was disappointing. "History of Western Xia Calligraphy" said that the two brothers "played with poetry and wine, and their words were astonishing. "The commander-in-chief didn't know what he was doing, and he was at a loss." "History of the Song Dynasty" said, "When Xixia was using troops, Zhang and Li (probably the Hu) wanted to offer advice to Duke Han and Fan, but they were ashamed of being self-media, so they carved The poem monument makes people drag it by. Han and Fan doubt it but don't use it. "We don't know what Zhang and Hu said at that time, but the two records actually lead to the same goal. To put it bluntly, it's like Unruly intellectuals like Zhang and Hu, as well as their radical ideas, were very difficult to be accepted by the literati-officials of the Northern Song Dynasty, who represented the grassroots elite of society. In a mature social system, there is not much room for the ambitions of careerists to be displayed.
? Shortly after the interview, the two brothers were "sent" back to their hometown from the fortress. I don't know if it was a "gift" or "sent back and under strict supervision". Anyway, they were tricked. Back to my hometown. We can imagine that Zhang Shusheng's mood at that time must have been very depressing, depressed and extremely depressing. He had no way to take the imperial examination and join the army. No one appreciated his ability. He had nowhere to display his ambition. He went to many places but failed to do so. If you don't know where you are going, you are "stuck in a house and unable to achieve your goals". Not long after he returned, Scholar Zhang Yuan did something weird and caused trouble. He was discovered by the local government (or he may have been followed since returning from the fortress), so he was taken to the county government and beaten. And it was this confrontation that made him realize that no matter whether he was annoyed or depressed, there was no place for him, Lao Zhang, in the entire Song Dynasty. There is a saying that "all roads lead to Rome", but for him, all roads lead to nowhere. He has tried everything that should be tried, and everything that has been tried has failed. The officialdom will not open the door to me, and the army does not want me. Now I have returned to my hometown. Are you trying to humiliate me with a slap in the face? You Song Dynasty despises me and me everywhere, so what is the use of me staying in this Song Dynasty world? Since you losers in the imperial court look down on me, I will go to Xixia to beat you and show you how powerful I am! As the saying goes, the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment. The desire to serve the country that was burning in my heart has turned into naked resentment against the motherland.
Feeling sad, angry and excited, Shusheng Zhang once again called his younger brother Hu (or Li). The two hit it off immediately, and after a little repair, they were ready to run west to seek glory and wealth in a foreign country. However, objectively speaking, Zhang Yuan is indeed not a completely arrogant person. Before traveling, he met Xiang Yumiao by chance. This tragic hero from hundreds of years ago touched Zhang Yuan's feelings. The sadness of leaving his homeland and the confusion and helplessness about the future in a foreign country surged out all of a sudden. Zhang Yuan "emptied his pockets to buy wine, drank to his heart's content, poured wine into clay statues, and sang, 'The Emperor of Qin is ignorant, Liu Xiang With the word "annexation", he sang lamentations for days, and fled in great sorrow." This departure was truly a farewell. Until his death, Zhang Yuan could never return to his hometown.
Around the reign of Emperor Renzong Jingyou of the Song Dynasty, that is, between 1034 and 1037, Zhang and Hu "smuggled" into Xixia by unknown means. As soon as they entered a foreign country, the two brothers immediately developed a strong bond. People in their hometown in the Song Dynasty needed to promote themselves, and if they wanted to make a difference in a foreign country, they couldn't remain anonymous.
The fastest way to become famous is to get big people to pay attention to you, and this time the big man that the two brothers set their sights on is really big, it is Li Yuanhao, the leader of the Xixia Kingdom (who has not yet proclaimed himself emperor). After all, a reality show has been staged under the walls of the Northwest Border Guard Army, and the border commander has been successfully hooked, so even if you are in a foreign country, the number of ways to get the big shot to take the bait will not be much different. Use some strange tricks. That's all, and there is no problem for Zhang Shusheng, who has a lot of knowledge, as for the unexpected move. Soon, the two brothers changed their names. Zhang Shusheng became Zhang Yuan; Hu Youyi became Wu Hao.
After "Zhang Yuan" and "Wu Hao" had new names, they did two things all day long in Xixia, drinking and creating. The so-called creation meant writing poetry. The two brothers hung out in major restaurants in Xixia (probably the capital). Whenever they were drunk, they would write impromptu poems on the walls of the restaurants. After they finished the poems, they naturally had to be signed, and the signature was "Zhang Yuan". Wu Hao came to drink in this building." Naturally, such an eye-catching word as "Yuan Hao" could not escape the eyes of the patrolling soldiers. Even if they were illiterate, the restaurant owner would have to rush to report them. In addition, Zhang and Wu looked like foreigners at first glance, and their behavior was eccentric and crazy. It was highly identifiable and was soon captured and sent to the king of the country, Li Yuanhao, for trial.
As soon as Li Yuanhao received the news, he knew that these two thugs were aiming at him. This King of Xiping was murderous and had a bad temper, which was common to almost everyone at home and abroad. You know, he is a household name. In all his life, he has never seen an unknown person dare to do this to him. So he was just like the frontman of the Northwest Army. He was taken by the two brothers. With a strange, confused and a little annoyed mood, he personally interrogated the two brothers. He said: "You two come to our country to think about it." What to do? Where do you two dogs dare to offend my name?
? Unexpectedly, the two of them replied directly: You have almost forgotten your last name, and you still care about your name! When this sentence came back, the murderous king was suddenly shocked.
Speaking of which, let’s briefly describe the situation of Li Yuanhao and the Xixia Kingdom. Xixia was a political power established by the Dangxiang nobles, but Li Yuanhao's ancestors had always claimed to be descendants of Tuoba Xianbei, which meant that they were surnamed Tuoba; during the reign of Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty, the family was given the surname Li; and during the Zhao and Song dynasties, the family was given the surname Li Zhao, what is their ancestral surname? Just like Zhang Yuan said, I can’t figure it out. As for Li Yuanhao himself, although he still served the Song Dynasty as King Xiping, his father Li Deming had already closed his country and became emperor. Li Yuanhao himself is also a talented person. He beat Tubo to the point of calling him daddy, and eroded all the Hexi Corridor in the hands of the Uighurs. He kept all the ministers and people in the country in submission. In terms of the foundation of the country, Xixia He had been able to compete with the Song Dynasty for a long time, and he himself had long thought and prepared to become emperor, so the relationship between the two countries became increasingly tense. But even when the arrow was ready, the Song Dynasty was still the nominal suzerain of Xixia. What Zhang and Wu said hurt Li Yuanhao's nerves here.
? But it doesn’t matter whether the neuralgia is painful or not. The extraordinary knowledge and courage of these two Northern Song Dynasty second-rate men surprised King Xiping. The fact that they could catch themselves on the bait shows that they are not ordinary people. Now that Li Yuanhao is about to proclaim himself emperor, it is the time to hire people. The arrival of these two "mighty people" makes the "quasi-emperor" Long Xin very happy. Entrusted with important tasks (regarded as the mastermind). Almost in an instant, Zhang Yuan, who was disliked by everyone in the Northern Song Dynasty, suddenly became a hot celebrity in the Xixia court. He finally set foot on his blessed land, met his "Ming Gong", and found a man who could The stage to fully display his talents was set on the Xixia chariot that was about to start, and Zhang Yuan started the second half of his life that could be called cheating.
? Beginning in 1038 AD, Li Yuanhao, like his two precious advisers, changed his name and surname, became emperor and founded a country. The vassal state was independent, and the suzerain country could not just ignore it, so Song and Xia went to war.
Therefore, for Li Yuanhao, being the emperor and conquering the Northern Song Dynasty were almost the same thing. In this matter, Zhang Yuan continued to invest his intelligence, talents and enthusiasm, and actively fought hard without giving up until the Northern Song Dynasty was killed. Invested in all aspects of the war against Song Dynasty. According to historical records, Li Yuanhao fell in love with Zhang and Wu at first sight, and soon he "received him as the mastermind and caused great danger to the frontier". "The scale of Fanxia's establishment of the country and the strategy of invasion were taught by two more people." In particular, Zhang Yuan's relationship with the king Li Yuanhao can be said to be a congenial one. "Yuan is good at plotting and has many strange tricks, but he likes to kill. Yuan Hao is cruel and many people approve of him, so he relies on him very much." The plots of the monarch and his ministers, The combination of fighting and killing is perfect. In the process of constantly causing trouble for the Song Dynasty and helping Xixia to establish the country, Zhang Yuan's official position also grew bigger and bigger, and he was successively granted the title of Zhongshu Ling, Shangshu Ling, Taishi and other important positions. His promotion speed was much higher than that of Zhongshu Ling in the Northern Song Dynasty. It is not an exaggeration to describe the candidates as rising to the rank of officials. The only person in history who can compare with his fortune is Fan Ju in the era of King Qin Zhao. What brought Zhang Yuan's cheating life to its peak was the Battle of Haoshuichuan mentioned at the beginning of this article. In this battle, Zhang Yuan proved his unparalleled destructive energy with his overwhelming victory and the corpses of the Song army scattered throughout the valley, and that all the civilians and commanders in the Song army were useless. The poem inscribed by Jieshang Temple is full of disdain and contempt for the monarchs and ministers of the Song Dynasty. At the same time, he pours out the depression and unhappiness he suffered for many years in the Song Dynasty. It is indeed refreshing and enjoyable to read, but the price is... The flesh and blood of thousands of compatriots.
? After the Battle of Haoshuichuan, Zhang Yuan became the prime minister in the same year, which was almost as high as a minister. However, Zhang Xiangguo's ambition is still on the way. The victory of Haoshuichuan greatly stimulated the ambitions of the Xixia monarchs, especially Zhang Xiangguo. He was half like "the boy back then". He continued to contribute to the Song-Xia war with as much energy as the young people, and did not give up the Song Dynasty. I won’t give up until I die! He sometimes encouraged Yuan Hao to advance into Guanzhong and invade the Central Plains, and sometimes encouraged the alliance between Xixia and Liao. The two countries marched separately from the west and north and jointly attacked the Song Dynasty. This would inevitably make the Southern Dynasty unable to care about each other, exhausted and in embarrassment. When he dies, Emperor Li will follow every plan. In the next year (1042), also under Zhang Yuan's plan, Li Yuanhao once again raised 100,000 troops to march into Weizhou and launched the Battle of Dingchuan Village. Before leaving, the emperor issued an edict saying: "I will come to the Weishui River in person and take control of Chang'an." It is said that these two magnificent words were also written by Zhang Yuan. However, things went wrong, and the Song army was prepared for the Xixia attack. Although the Xia army still won a great victory in Guyuan, annihilating nearly 9,000 Song army Ge Huaimin troops, they encountered the Song Dynasty on the way to Pengyang. Yuanzhou Zhizhou Jingtai's tenacious resistance and interception not only failed to break this hard nut, but the invading Xixia army was completely wiped out by the Song army. At the same time, Fan Zhongyan, who heard the news, also led 200,000 troops to come to the rescue. Li Yuanhao felt that he was outmatched and did not dare to go deeper. After a large plunder, he withdrew to the country.
After this battle, Li Yuanhao began to calm down after suffering a loss, became less arrogant, and no longer thought about taking Guanzhong and marching into Chang'an in one fell swoop. He deeply felt the richness of the Song Dynasty family, and how a skinny camel was bigger than a horse. He, Li Yuanhao, does have the ability to win battles, but he does not have as much money as the Northern Song Dynasty. If he continues to fight like this, he is very likely to die of poverty and waste due to consecutive victories. Coupled with the recent intensification of friction between Xixia and Liao, negotiations between Song and Xia have been put on the agenda. Once the relationship between Song and Xia eases, it means that Zhang Xiangguo's dream of annihilating the Song Dynasty to fulfill his lifelong ambition will soon come to nothing. No matter how fiercely Zhang Yuan opposed the Song-Xia collegiality, no matter how many clever plans he could come up with to destroy the Song Dynasty, Li Yuanhao refused to be kidnapped by his dream. The answer is simple. The country belongs to him, Li Yuanhao, and it is not for Zhang Yuan to cause trouble to him. Now that the relationship between Song and Xia has taken a turn, there are not many places where cunning and cunning things can come in handy. After several years of hot honeymoon period, Li Yuanhao has become more and more indifferent to this strange man from the Northern Song Dynasty.
In the two years after the Battle of Dingchuanzhai, we could no longer see Zhang Yuan's clever ideas being adopted by Li Yuanhao, and we could not even see him making any noise in history. By 1044, the idle Zhang Yuan passed away in melancholy, while his friend Wu Hao ended up unknown.
? This is the legendary life of Zhang Yuan, a little man. He was depressed in his mother country. In order to get ahead, he fled to the enemy country. He fell in love with the enemy chief Li Yuanhao at first sight and quickly set off a bloody storm in the Xia and Song Dynasties. The taste of "the work will be done and all bones will wither". But its peak period was very short-lived, and in the end it ended up being idle and neglected. However, the dead Zhang Yuan did not know that even after death, he was still affecting the current situation. The flight of Zhang and Hu (Wu) caused a great psychological shock to the Northern Song Dynasty court. In order to prevent the historical "tragedy" of people surrendering to the enemy from happening again, the Northern Song Dynasty court, which was already extremely kind to scholars, once again showed kindness to the world. In 1057, the Song court set up another ranking of "born with the same Jinshi", which means that as long as you can participate in the palace examination, you will be ranked first. You also have a ranking. You can absorb as many scholars as you can. Try not to A fish that slipped through the net. This move can probably be regarded as Zhang Yuan's indirect contribution to future generations of scholars.
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