It was a calm day. The atmosphere in Ganquan Palace, 120 kilometers northwest of Chang'an, the capital of the Han Empire, was unusual. A delegation was about to go on an expedition. The court attendant Zhang Qian solemnly came from Liu Che, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, took over the talisman symbolizing authorization. He would lead the delegation on a mission to the Western Regions. This year, they were both young. Liu Che was 19 years old and Zhang Qian was 27 years old. For this empire 2,100 years ago, the Western Region was undoubtedly a risky and desirable place. Zhang Qian must have known that the way to the west would be full of hardships and surprises, but what he could not know was that when he turned around At that moment, his trip would be destined to be recorded in history.
In 141 BC, as the great-grandson of Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Empire, and the tenth son of Han Jing Emperor Liu Qi, Liu Che, who was only 16 years old, ascended the throne. At this time, the Han Empire had been running for 64 years. The supreme ruler of the empire eradicated the kings with different surnames and put down the rebellion of the kings surnamed Liu, and the centralization of power was further strengthened. Economically, it was recuperating, the country was prosperous and the people were strong, and it was full of vitality. However, its military and diplomatic weakness caused the country to be harassed and suppressed by the Huns dynasty in the north for decades. From the day he ascended the throne, young Liu Che began to plan with great ambition how to run his own country.
The Huns have always been a nightmare for the countries in East Asia. They were once the most powerful and vast nomadic tribe on the Asian continent, and became a terrifying force between the East and the West. This is a tribe that gradually evolved and merged from many nomadic peoples. Its birthplace is in today's Hetao area of ??Inner Mongolia and the Yinshan area. Starting from the pre-Qin era, they rushed out from the Mongolian Plateau in batches and plundered the stable and prosperous farming countries without any scruples. At the end of the Qin Dynasty and the beginning of the Han Dynasty, taking advantage of the chaotic situation in the Central Plains, the outstanding military commander of the Xiongnu, Modun Shanyu, killed his father and established himself, expelled the Donghu, Yuezhi and other neighboring tribes, unified the desert, and established a huge Xiongnu dynasty. This dynasty stood on the plateau and desert, overlooking the hinterland of East Asia. Their troops pointed south and became the most powerful enemy of the Han Empire.
In 201 BC, a Huns cavalry suddenly surrounded the city of Mayi, and then harassed Taiyuan in the south. Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty who had just unified the country, personally led the army to rescue them, but was trapped on the snowy Baishan Mountain. For seven days and seven nights, although there were many fierce generals and counselors in the army, and the "Emperor on Horseback" had been on the battlefield for many years, the entire army was almost wiped out. The Siege of Baideng was the first stop of the official confrontation between Han and Hungary, but it ended in such a disastrous defeat. This was unexpected by Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty. The pride of dominating the world turned into the sadness of the hero's twilight years. In order to recuperate, Liu Bang only Although he could be forced to adopt a humiliating pacification policy, and at the same time continue to send large amounts of living supplies to the Xiongnu every year, the threat posed by the Xiongnu to the Han Empire did not diminish. The helpless humiliation had lasted for five generations of emperors. The young Liu Che was determined to Change all that.
Not long after Liu Che, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, ascended the throne, a Huns officer was captured by the Han Empire's border troops. Through the interrogation of the officer, Liu Che obtained such a piece of information. At that time, the situation in the Hexi Corridor was chaotic and controlled by nomadic tribes of all sizes. The larger ones were the Yuezhi and Wusun tribes. The Yuezhi tribe drove away the Wusun people, and the Xiongnu Chanyu entered the Hexi Corridor and killed them. After losing the leader of the Yuezhi, the new Yuezhi king was eager to avenge the Huns for killing his father, but he was unable to do so, so the Yuezhi people had to migrate westward. But Liu Che felt that this was an excellent opportunity. If he could unite the Yueshi in the Western Regions and form a joint east-west pincer attack, he would definitely be able to defeat the Huns. Unfortunately, under the young Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, almost all the counselors and warriors knew nothing about the distant western world, but they knew that after crossing the Yellow River to the west, there was a Hexi Corridor that could lead to the Western Regions, and a corridor that could relieve the Huns from the north. The strategic concept of threat was put on the agenda of the Han Empire. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty decided to openly recruit people who were willing to take the risk to send envoys, cross the Hexi Corridor, and go to the Western Regions to find the Yuezhi tribe, persuade them to attack with the Han Empire from east to west, and drive away the Xiongnu. . As the only transportation artery from the Central Plains to the Western Regions at this time, the Hexi Corridor was controlled by King Hunxie and King Xiutu of the Youxian King of the Xiongnu Dynasty. Moreover, no one knew the whereabouts of the Yuezhi after they moved westward, which is even more surprising. The worry is that the people who are on the mission may be killed by the Huns before they reach the Western Regions.
But there was still a brave person who stood up. He was Zhang Qian, a 27-year-old native of Chenggu, Shaanxi. Zhang Qian was Xiaolian who was elected after Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty initiated the imperial examination system, and had just become a member of the Imperial Court. The attendant officer, that is, the palace guard of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and the court administrative affairs trainee. Zhang Qian felt that going to the Western Regions as an envoy was a good opportunity to make achievements, and it was also a matter of great significance to the Central Plains. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was very happy. He not only personally selected warriors for Zhang Qian to accompany him, but also asked Tang Yifu, a surrendered Huns, to be Zhang Qian's guide and translator. Before leaving, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty Liu Che solemnly received Zhang Qian in Ganquan Palace. He asked an unknown person to take on such an important task. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was ambitious but not sure.
When Zhang Qian's delegation walked out of the lush mountains and forests of Biandukou and came to the vast Gobi desert in the Hexi Corridor, they were already 1,000 kilometers away from the imperial capital Chang'an. For Zhang Qian, who had lived on the prosperous Hanzhong Plain for a long time, Although he and his mission were fully mentally prepared for the hardships and dangers of crossing this passage, as they deepened into the Hexi Corridor, they still felt the pressure of the natural environment. The Gobi was hard, the yellow sand was long, and the sunshine Burning like a fire, you can only see an oasis and sparse human habitation after walking very far, and then there is the desert and the Gobi. The blowing wind and sand are overwhelming, and danger is everywhere. To find the Yuezhi tribe, you can only risk passing through this passage that is tightly controlled by the Huns. The conflict between the powerful Huns and the Central Plains Dynasty has lasted for hundreds of years. If you accidentally bump into the Huns, the consequences will be disastrous. On a calm afternoon on the hot Gobi Desert, accompanied by roaring sounds, the fierce Hun cavalry rushed in front of them. Without any suspense, Zhang Qian and his envoy were captured. During the long journey to be escorted, they were filled with panic. , hungry and thirsty, severely exhausted, and people kept falling down. They were escorted to the royal court of the Xiongnu, near today's Hohhot, to meet the then Xiongnu king's military minister Shanyu. When the military minister Shanyu learned that Zhang Qian's envoy planned to go to the Yuezhi tribe, he told Zhang Qian with a gloomy face that the Yuezhi were here. To the north of us, how can you Han people pass through our territory without authorization? If we pass through your country to go to the Yue Kingdom in the south, will you agree? Zhang Qian knows that he is wrong and has nothing to say. There is no doubt that what awaits them The ending must be disastrous.
In May 135 BC, the powerful Empress Dowager Dou passed away. This year Liu Che was 22 years old. Zhang Qian had been on an envoy to the Western Regions for three years without any news. At this time, Zhang Qian was still trapped in the Huns camp. Three years ago, when he was captured by the Huns in the Hexi Corridor, he was already prepared to die before leaving the army, but the Huns did not kill these prisoners. , they hoped to get more information about the Han Dynasty from Zhang Qian, and tried to persuade him and his envoys to serve the Huns. Zhang Qian refused. His uncooperation and uncompromise caused him to lose his freedom for a long time and was imprisoned. The Hun soldiers were placed under house arrest, but this also provided him with an opportunity to get up close and familiar with the daily life of the Hun dynasty and the army's preparations for war. In the Huns' camp, Zhang Qian found that this nation had a less rigorous military organization, but they had more advanced and offensive military equipment and tactics at the time, especially their cavalry. It plays a dual role in life. It is used as a means of transportation in peacetime and as a war horse in war. Unlike the Central Plains soldiers, the Huns cavalry rely on shields to protect themselves. Instead, they equip themselves with lighter and stronger armor. In battle, It is both flexible and more aggressive. The seemingly surrendered Zhang Qian made the Huns feel that their strategy was effective, so they gradually relaxed their guard and control over Zhang Qian. This may also be because of Zhang Qian's character and conduct. According to Sima Qian's description in "Historical Records", Zhang Qian " "He is strong, tolerant and trusting, and the barbarians love him." However, the Huns did not give up their efforts to break up the feelings of this official from the Central Plains dynasty. After being matched by Shanyu, Zhang Qian married a kind-hearted Hun woman. This was Zhang Qian's monotonous and boring life in the Gobi. The only bright spot in the story, although their emotional story is not recorded in any historical books, but after two thousand years of time and space, we still believe that perhaps it was this love that gave Zhang Qian the courage and confidence to persevere. Time passed slowly, and Zhang Qian, who had been detained in the Huns' military tent for a long time, had a deeper and deeper understanding of the Qilian Mountains and the Hexi Corridor.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty woke up from a nightmare again. He often dreamed of the Western Regions and the Xiongnu, bloody fights. He tried to break through the siege, but there was no hope. It was already the spring of 133 BC. Zhang Qian The fifth year of his mission to the Western Regions. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty lost patience and decided not to wait for news from Zhang Qian's mission. He summoned his ministers to discuss how to deal with the Huns' strategy. In the past five years, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was determined to reform, vigorously cut down the vassals, and consolidated the political and economic strength of the central government. In terms of military affairs, he strictly urged administrative officials in various places to extensively search for and reserve good horses, and selected a group of young officers such as Wei Qing and Gongsun Ao to launch military campaigns. train. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty Liu Che was determined to start a counterattack against the Xiongnu even if there was no news from Zhang Qianyao or even if he was isolated and helpless. During this court meeting, the civil and military ministers of the Han Empire unanimously agreed to stop implementing the defensive strategy pursued by the former emperors and counterattack the Xiongnu. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Liu Che, planned to personally lead an army of 300,000, using the marriage as bait to encircle and suppress the Xiongnu troops who came to welcome the bride in Mayi. Although this military operation, known as the "Mayi plot", was forced to be suspended due to the leak of the news, Since then, the Han Empire has begun its strategic counterattack against the Xiongnu. Liu Che, a young and energetic emperor with great ambitions, will quickly bring the Han Empire into a new era of expanding territory and majesty in the world.
Four years after the "Mayi Conspiracy", in 129 BC, when the Huns launched another attack on the north of the Han Empire, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty decided to send four armies to fight back against the Huns. The empire's first comprehensive counterattack in the face of the Xiongnu's harassment was that one of the four armies was ineffective and two were damaged. Only the army led by the cavalry general Wei Qing unexpectedly went deep into danger and attacked the Xiongnu sacrifice. Heavenly Holy Land, and captured nearly a thousand Xiongnu soldiers for the first time in the history of the Han Empire. This was the famous Battle of Dragon City, which excited Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.
However, the failure of the other three armies made Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty think deeply. His lack of understanding of the Xiongnu and the lack of necessary intelligence became more pressing problems. Nine years ago, when he selected Zhang Qian as an envoy to the Western Regions, he was full of expectations. At this time, Zhang Qian, who had not been heard from, did not know whether he was still alive.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, Zhang Qian has lived under the supervision of the Xiongnu for nine years. Nine years is enough to erase a person's ambition. Only a careful Xiongnu wife will find that Zhang Qian occasionally looks to the east. It must be Chang'an, his longing for his hometown, and the mission entrusted to him by the Han Empire. On an ordinary day, Zhang Qian and his entourage Tang Yifu went out hunting as usual, but his Hun wife still noticed something strange. She knew that after leaving, her Han husband would never look back. Zhang Qian and Tang Yi's father wore Hu clothes and ran through the Huns' pass, but he did not want to return to Chang'an, but chose to continue westward to complete the mission entrusted to him by the Han Empire.
At this time, the Yuezhi people had already split into two groups due to several attacks by the Xiongnu. Most of the Yuezhi people chose to move westward. They left their hometowns and passed through Dawan and moved to the Amu Darya River Basin in Central Asia. , they were called the Big Yuezhi, while a few stayed in the Nanshan area of ??Dunhuang and mixed with the Qiang people, and were called the Little Yuezhi. When Zhang Qian learned the news, he resolutely turned southwest and continued to search for Dayuezhi. They entered Yanqi and then traced the Tarim River westward, passing through Kuqa, Shule and other places. This was a difficult and dangerous trek, with sparsely populated people and scarce water sources along the way. Zhang Qian and the others slept in the open air and were prepared for the hardships. Taklimakan is the second largest desert in the world. Two thousand years ago, Zhang Qian and his entourage Tang Yifu once crossed here to the Western Regions. In the vast desert, sometimes sand and rocks flew, and sometimes heat waves surged. Today we still cannot imagine how Zhang Qian managed to survive With the support of strong faith, they crossed the desert and crossed the Pamir Plateau to reach the Great Yueshi. This is equivalent to walking from today's Inner Mongolia to Uzbekistan in Central Asia.
When King Dayuezhi saw this Han from the distant Central Plains, he was particularly surprised and admired, but he was not interested in Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's proposal to jointly attack the Xiongnu. He told Zhang Qian that the land here was fertile. The Dayuezhi tribe had gradually transitioned from a nomadic life to settling down to develop agricultural production, and had no intention of returning eastward. Zhang Qian stayed in Dayuezhi for more than a year, and repeatedly invited the King of Dayuezhi but could not get a clear answer. Although He felt a little disappointed, but deep down he still felt that the trip was worthwhile. He passed through several countries in the Western Regions such as Dayuan, Kangju, Dayuezhi, and Daxia. He traveled all over the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains and all over Central and West Asia. He gained an in-depth understanding of the society in the Western Regions. The people's customs and habits, vegetation, and livestock products here are different from those in the Central Plains. There is also an excellent horse breed called the sweaty horse. It is tall and handsome and is definitely not seen in the Central Plains. If the Hexi Corridor, the chokepoint connecting the Han Empire and the Western Regions, could be opened, trade between the Central Plains and the Western Regions would be unimpeded, and the Han Empire's horizons would be broadened. With this idea in mind, Zhang Qian decided to return to Chang'an as soon as possible.
In order to avoid the Xiongnu-controlled areas, Zhang Qian decided to change his route and pass through the Qiang area in Qinghai to avoid being intercepted by the Huns. They once again crossed the Pamir Plateau, along the northern foot of the Kunlun Mountains, passed through Shache, and arrived at Khotan, today's Hotan, took a circuitous route north to return to Chang'an. Unexpectedly, the Qiang people had also become vassals of the Huns at this time. Zhang Qian was really unlucky and became a prisoner of the Huns cavalry again. This time, Zhang Qian thought that he would definitely die. But surprisingly, the Huns leader once again forgave the escaped Han envoy. In the Huns camp, Zhang Qian returned to his wife, the kind-hearted Huns woman, after many twists and turns.
In the spring of 126 BC, the Xiongnu military minister Chanyu died of illness. Zhang Qian seized the opportunity and fled again. This time, the Xiongnu wife joined him on the journey back east without hesitation. Counting from the day he set out from Ganquan Palace, a man who had not been heard from for 13 years and was almost forgotten by time suddenly came back alive as if he had traveled through time and space. When this man saw the majestic Chang'an City again, he prostrated on the ground. The hardships and sufferings of the past 13 years, the concern for Chang'an day and night, and the mission entrusted to him by the Han Empire, everything came to Zhang Qian's heart at this moment. And the humiliation was finally released.
Zhang Qian’s miraculous return from the distant Western Regions caused a sensation in the capital. At this time, he had changed from a heroic young man to a nearly 40-year-old, weather-beaten middle-aged man. The envoys that year, The only ones who came back today were him, Tang Yi’s father, his Hun wife, the map of the Western Regions he had brought back, the plant seeds he had never seen before, and his unquenched dream. Zhang Qian brought the rich products, strange customs, and He made a detailed report on the mountains, rivers and landforms to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and the ministers. Everyone, including Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, was fascinated by Zhang Qian's narration.
? Zhang Qian’s 13 years of ups and downs as an envoy were undoubtedly an exciting geographical discovery for the Han Empire. The explorer's unique experience and his foreign stories immediately aroused the strong interest of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and were included in the "Historical Records of Dawan" by the historian Sima Qian, which became the most valuable information for future generations to understand the Western Regions. Sima Qian praised Zhang Qian It is no lie to say that the feat of connecting the Western Regions has the effect of "cutting out the hollow".
What Zhang Qian saw and heard opened the horizons of the Han Empire in eastern Asia. They could already see beyond the towering mountains, through the Hexi Corridor, and saw the Western Regions, Central Asia, South Asia, and all the way to the Roman Empire. Everything was clearly visible. So real, so inspiring.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty made Zhang Qian the official of Taizhong, and conferred the title of "Emperor of Envoy" to his father in Tangyi. However, the Huns wife who followed Zhang Qian is rarely mentioned in historical books. We only know that she fell ill a year later. So gone. During his long and arduous journey to the Western Regions, Zhang Qian was no longer lonely because of this woman. Two thousand years later, people have more reason to believe this.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was very satisfied with the results of Zhang Qian’s mission to the Western Regions. This would be the basis for the Han Empire’s subsequent military and diplomatic offensives in the Western Regions. It also strengthened Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty’s confidence in defeating the Xiongnu. These The valuable intelligence made the decisive battle between the Han Empire and the Huns no longer a blind revenge. Although it was still too early to tell the winner, the Hexi Corridor was opened up, the right wing of the Huns was cut off, and it became the empire forever. Part of it became the national strategy of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.
Three years later, Wei Qing, who had been promoted to general from February to April 123 BC, led the Six Route Army to attack the Xiongnu twice. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ordered Zhang Qian to follow Wei Qing with the rank of captain to attack Mobei. Zhang Qian took advantage of his familiarity with the characteristics of the Xiongnu army, his desert marching experience and rich geographical knowledge to serve as a guide for the Han army, giving instructions on marching routes and camp formation plans. Sima Qian wrote in "Historical Records" that Zhang Qian "knows where the water and grass are, and there is no shortage of troops", ensuring the victory of the battle. After the war, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty named Zhang Qian "Bo Wanghou" after the war. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty named Zhang Qian "Bo Wanghou", which means he can "see widely". Zhang Qian completed his historical mission, and the world also remembered this perseverance. Pathfinder.
? When Zhang Qian looks back on his magnificent years, I believe he will not regret it. In order to complete the mission of the Han Empire, he persevered and made great contributions to the Han Empire's conquest of the Hexi Corridor. , and also made his life full of legend and glory, thus becoming famous in history.