Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 445 Destruction

Juqu Mengxun was able to hold out for so long because he received strong support from the Buddhist community in Liangzhou.

Liu Daogui's looting of Buddhist temples in Guanzhong plunged the monks into deep fear. The temples had money, food, and manpower, and could even incite the people to help defend the city.

However, as the Han state poured more and more national power into the city, Guzang City reached its end.

To fight against the entire Guanzhong region, and even the entire Central Plains, with just one city, even if Guzang were made of bronze and iron, it would be melted away bit by bit.

In particular, Zhang Gang's arrival led to the construction of numerous flying towers and wooden curtains, rendering the flint and arrows in Guzang City useless.

Three thousand armored soldiers of the General Cavalry stood solemnly before the moat.

Although they were a new army, their core members were elite warriors and seasoned veterans. After months of training, they had been completely transformed, their bodies shrouded in a fierce aura, like hungry, bloodthirsty beasts.

Liu Yixing, dressed in military uniform, rode a white horse. After four or five months of war and the harsh northwest winds, his face was covered in skin as dark and rough as old tree bark.

However, the fragility in his eyes had vanished, leaving only calmness and maturity.

"After the city falls, you may take whatever money, grain, and children you desire!"

"Your Highness is mighty!"

The anger and desire in the soldiers' eyes were instantly ignited.

After such a long and fierce battle, Liu Yixing gradually came to understand a principle: benevolence and righteousness were useless on this land. The Hu people only recognized their own kin, and their temporary submission was merely a way to bide their time and wait for an opportunity.

Helian Bobo and Juqu Mengxun both proved this point.

Yao Xing treated them with utmost sincerity and honesty back then, but when these people found an opportunity, they immediately bared their fangs and pounced on them, taking a vicious bite.

"Attack the city!" Liu Yixing waved his hand, pointing to the towering Guzang City.

"Kill, kill, kill!"

The soldiers swarmed forward, stepping onto the flying towers and leaping directly onto the city wall of Guzang.

Fighting alongside other Tiger Guards.

The Liang army's swords and spears on the city wall were as dense as a raging storm. If a person went up, he would be torn to pieces in just two or three breaths. However, most of the Qiang veterans in the central army of the Flying Cavalry were already used to this kind of scene.

The rewards after the city fell made them even more excited.

Despite the fierce fighting, not a single person retreated.

After an hour of fierce fighting, the Han army fought with increasing ferocity and madness. Some Qiang soldiers even threw themselves at the Liang army's long spears, just to buy their comrades a chance.

Their combat strength and bravery may not be as good as the veteran soldiers of the Tiger Guard Army, but their ferocity is by no means weak.

More than three hundred years ago, they fought the Han Dynasty on and off for over a century with crude weapons. They were defeated several times, but they rose again, wiped the blood off their bodies, and continued to fight...

The Book of Han describes them as follows: "They are known for their strength; their troops excel in valleys but are weak on flat ground. They are decisive in battle, considering death in battle auspicious, and dying from illness inauspicious. They are able to endure cold and hardship, and are no different from beasts. Even when a woman is giving birth, they do not shy away from wind and snow. They are of a firm, brave, and fierce nature, possessing the energy of the metal element of the west."

Their only weakness was that they were a disorganized group, lacking a unified royal lineage like the Xiongnu and Xianbei.

Faced with the westward advance of the Han Dynasty, they fought their own battles, and many tribes even actively sought to join the Han army, clearing the way for them and hunting down their own kind.

The Five Barbarian Invasions forced them into the Central Plains, thus completing a process of assimilation.

In fact, the Qiang people of today are not the same as those of the Han Dynasty. Their language, clothing, customs and those of the Jin people in Guanzhong are not much different, and even their surnames and given names are the same.

Dying in battle is an honor, which makes the Qiang people unafraid of such a brutal fight.

Some of them charged even more fiercely than the veterans of the Tiger Guard.

After an hour of fierce fighting, the Liang army, mainly composed of Xiongnu and Jin people, finally could not withstand the attack.

First the eastern city collapsed, then the southern, western, and northern cities, until everything collapsed. The barbican gates opened, and the Han army swarmed in. Screams and wails immediately filled the city, and plumes of black smoke shot straight into the sky.

Guzang City has fallen.

Liu Yixing, however, had no interest in entering the city.

Yuan Bao advised, "The excessive killing may damage the Crown Prince's reputation for benevolence and righteousness."

"During the Yongjia Rebellion, countless Jin people perished under the swords of the Hu. This grudge spanning three generations must be avenged. There are many Xiongnu in Liangzhou. If we do not eliminate them, they will regroup in twenty or thirty years. Are we to mobilize troops again and cause rivers of blood to flow? One who bears the stain of the nation is called the master of the state; one who bears the misfortune of the nation is called the king of the world. If we can pacify Hexi, I am willing to bear the name of injustice!"

Liu Yixing had made up his mind.

“Your Highness’s words are correct!” At this moment, Wang Zhen’e walked over, cupped his hands in a salute to Liu Yixing, and said, “Benevolence and righteousness are for internal use only, not for external use. The barbarians are beasts in human form. If they are not pleased, they will surely turn around and cause harm. The only thing that can make them submit is the sword.”

Yuan Bao said, "That is true, but the Crown Prince enjoys great prestige, and this order should not have come from his mouth."

Wang Zhen'e sneered, "What do you think the King's purpose is in ordering the Crown Prince to lead the western expedition?"

These words surprised the two of them.

Liu Daogui's order for Liu Yixing to lead the various armies was certainly not to practice benevolence and righteousness, but rather to test his ability to solve the various problems in Liangzhou.

Those who seek fame and fortune, and those who are overly sentimental, will never be able to secure a stable position.

Liangzhou is a microcosm of modern China, a place where Han and non-Han peoples mingle, a melting pot of diverse elements, and where various hidden dangers lurk, making it difficult for mediocre people to gain a foothold.

If we can conquer Liangzhou, we can certainly conquer Guanzhong and Hebei, and secure our rule.

This shows that they are truly treating him as the heir apparent.

Although Liu Yixing was the heir apparent, he was not yet at a point where he could rest easy. As his younger brothers came of age, the talents hidden in their bloodline seemed to be gradually awakening.

Liu Yiwu demonstrated both courage and resourcefulness in quelling the rebellion of Sima Guofan in the Tongbai Mountains.

The other two younger brothers, Liu Yisheng and Liu Yiming, are equally skilled in both literature and martial arts. Although they do not show off their abilities, they have gathered a force around them.

Being a crown prince or heir apparent has always been difficult. Since the Qin and Han dynasties, very few crown princes have been able to ascend the throne normally.

This westward expedition is both an opportunity and a challenge.

"Thank you for your guidance, Commander Wang." Liu Yixing bowed to Wang Zhen'e with heartfelt gratitude.

"Your Highness is exceptionally intelligent. I have only offered my humble opinion as a starting point, and I dare not presume to offer any guidance." Wang Zhen'e returned the bow and departed gracefully.

Liu Yixing watched his retreating figure, his expression gradually hardening. "Juqu Mengxun resisted the royal army and killed my soldiers. His crimes are unforgivable. His entire clan shall be exterminated. Those who aided and abetted the tyrant shall be wiped out."

A simple military order led to the deaths of several thousand more people in Guzang City.

However, this is also a tradition in the Northwest. Back then, when Tuoba Gui destroyed the Tiefu tribe, he threw the bodies of more than 5,000 of Liu Weichen's clansmen into the Yellow River.

Juqu Mengxun seized power in Northern Liang. Duan Ye knew he was no match for him and begged Juqu Mengxun to let him return east to Jingzhao to reunite with his wife and children. However, Juqu Mengxun still killed him.

As Wang Zhen'e and Shen Tianzi's men entered the city, the screams from within grew louder.

Thick black smoke billowed, as if the whole city was on fire.

There were also clever people in the city who pasted the characters "Jin" and "Han" on their doors, thus avoiding being burned and killed by the soldiers.

However, the soldiers were not there for them in the first place.

They all went straight to Hongzang Temple and Dayun Temple to plunder the golden Buddha statues and bronze statues. Even the curtains used to shield the Buddha statues from the wind and rain were made of the finest brocade.

The slower soldiers charged towards the powerful families and officials in the city.

(End of this chapter)