EBE Chapter 66 The Great Tang Guiyi Army
Chapter 66 The Great Tang Guiyi Army
Lin Ke: "The Tibetans were furious upon learning of the uprising in Shazhou and immediately dispatched troops to launch a fierce attack on Shazhou, hoping to extinguish the rebellion."
"However, this anti-Tibetan force was not something he could easily suppress. Tens of thousands of people from Shazhou rose up in a counterattack, not only repelling several attacks from the Tibetans but also quickly capturing the neighboring military stronghold of Guazhou."
"When this news spread throughout the Hexi Corridor, it not only nearly enraged the Tibetans, but also inspired hundreds of thousands of Han Chinese, leading to a rapid expansion of the rebel army."
"After capturing Shazhou, Zhang Yichao dispatched ten small teams, each carrying a small wax pellet containing a plea for help. These teams, disguised as different individuals, set off from different directions to seek assistance from the distant Tang Dynasty."
"However, reaching the distant Chang'an was no easy feat. Of these ten teams, only the one led by the eminent monk Wuzhen managed to reach Chang'an after a long and arduous journey."
"But those nine teams must have endured unimaginable hardships; these people are heroes."
"Within two years, Zhang Yichao led the people and soldiers of Hexi to successively recover eleven prefectures, including Sha, Gua, Yi, west, and Gan, and the entire Hexi Corridor, except for Liangzhou, was recovered."
A young master from a prominent family in the Song Dynasty: Wow, this guy is really awesome!
A peasant boy from the Ming Dynasty: That's really amazing!
……
"At this time, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty was Emperor Xuanzong Li Chen, the last ruler to restore the Tang Dynasty."
"After the envoy from Hexi arrived in the capital, the court and the public were shocked. Li Chen first highly praised Zhang Yichao's loyalty and bravery, bestowing upon him the military title 'Guiyi Army,' and then nothing more happened. Li Chen stated that reinforcements were truly unavailable."
Li Erfeng of the Tang Dynasty: ……
"Zhang Yichao was not discouraged after learning the result. If the court could not provide assistance, then they would do it themselves. Military rations and manpower were not problems. At worst, they would grow their own food and recruit their own soldiers. Nothing could stop the determination of the Tang loyalists to return to Tang."
"It wasn't just the Han Chinese who were dissatisfied with the tyrannical rule of the Tibetans; people of other ethnicities also joined Zhang Yichao's ranks."
"In the twelfth year of the Dazhong era, the Guiyi Army began its attack on Liangzhou, the last barrier between them and the Tang Dynasty."
"There are no historical records about the course of the Battle of Liangzhou, but one can imagine how arduous the battle was, as the Guiyi Army fought it for several years."
"In 861 AD, the Guiyi Army finally captured the last of the four commanderies in Hexi. After more than sixty years, the Hexi Corridor was finally reopened and returned to the embrace of the Han people."
"For a scion of a local powerful family to accomplish in just two years what even the Tang Dynasty couldn't achieve, it's hard not to marvel at his abilities!"
"After recovering Hexi, Zhang Yichao issued a series of policies to solidify the collective consciousness of these different social classes and ethnic groups and their sense of belonging to the Central Plains."
"For example, abolishing the Tibetan tribal system, restoring the Tang system, and establishing academies to teach Chinese characters, etc."
"For example, on the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Guiyi Army would imitate Chang'an by lighting lanterns at the Mogao Caves, so that Dunhuang and Chang'an would echo each other on the Lantern Festival."
"This series of decisions instilled a strong sense of conviction in the people, fostering powerful cohesion and enabling them to establish an exceptionally powerful and stable regime in Hexi, which lasted for nearly 200 years."
"However, it is very regrettable that the Guiyi Army rose and developed near the end of the Tang Dynasty, and Zhang Yichao's vision of returning to the Tang Dynasty was never realized."
Li Erfeng of the Tang Dynasty: !!
Judy, the General Who Conquered the North: Alas, the Tang Dynasty in its later years was fraught with turmoil.
……
"The Tang Dynasty gradually weakened due to the An Lushan Rebellion. As the saying goes, 'once bitten, twice shy,' even though the late Tang court knew Zhang Yichao was extremely loyal, they still didn't trust him."
"Therefore, in 863 AD, Emperor Yizong of Tang adopted the court's strategy towards the regional military governors, dismantling the Guiyi Army, which was at its peak, and sending new people to take over Liangzhou City, thus readjusting Zhang Yichao's regional administrative power."
Lin Ke sighed as she spoke. Many people in the court also felt helpless. It wasn't that they didn't understand the Tang court's thoughts, but they were saddened that Zhang Yichao's loyalty had not been properly appreciated.