pdf-ebookys Chapter 307 Cavalry General Guan Ying
Chapter 307 Cavalry General Guan Ying
Looking back at Zhou Bo's life, his historical status is seriously underestimated. As the historical books commented: "Zhou Bo's achievements are not as good as Huo Guang's, but Zhou Bo's contributions are greater than Huo Guang's." This means that although his achievements did not receive due credit, his contributions far exceeded Huo Guang's.
From Liu Bang's conquest of Qin and Chu to the execution of Lü and the protection of Liu Bang, Zhou Bo, a commoner, became one of the heroes of the early Han Dynasty with his military exploits, which is a historical legend. Liu Bang praised Zhou Bo for "the one who can protect Liu Bang must be Zhou", which is the highest evaluation of Zhou Bo.
However, as an honest man, although he tried to correct the country, he could not escape the limitation of being "heavy-handed and lacking in culture".
In his later years, he was restricted by suspicion of literary words and was imprisoned and humiliated by jailers. From a former hero to an absurd end, his life was like a mirror, reflecting the historical lessons of how great achievements can frighten the ruler and how high the position, the more lonely it is. He eventually became a victim of power.
His rise and fall is not just about personal honor and disgrace, but also a cruel portrayal of the "when the cunning rabbit dies, the running dog is cooked" principle under the centralized system.
[Read all the historical trivia about Guan Ying, the first cavalry general of the Han Dynasty, in one go]
He was a cavalry general in the Han army. Relying on the special forces "King of Cavalry" he formed, he put an end to Xiang Yu and used war horses to step out of the territory of the Han Dynasty.
He was also an evergreen in the Han Dynasty court. He survived the political turmoil of four dynasties and became the one who had the last laugh among the heroes of the early Han Dynasty.
His legend began as a peddler, but eventually he transformed himself into a noble and a prime minister, a real-life counterattack. He was the first extraordinary general in the early Han Dynasty - Guan Ying.
In history, Guan Ying was from Suiyang. In his early years, he was a silk peddler who made a living by selling silk fabrics. In the turbulent times at the end of the Qin Dynasty, there was a sense of uprising against the tyranny of the Qin Dynasty.
In 208 BC, the rebel army led by Liu Bang passed through Sui Yang. Guan Ying seized this opportunity to change his destiny, decisively gave up his business, and became Liu Bang's bodyguard.
"Records of the Grand Historian - Biographies of Fan, Li, Teng and Guan" mentions: "Guan Ying was a silk merchant from Suiyang." Emperor Gaozu conquered the land for Pei Gong as far as Yongqiu, Zhang Han defeated and killed Xiang Liang, and Pei Gong returned to Dang. Guan Ying, with the help of Zhongjuan, defeated Yu Chengwu, the lieutenant of Dongjun, and killed dozens of people.
Because of his outstanding performance in this battle, he was granted the title of Seventh Grand Officer. This was a crucial step in life for Guan Ying, who came from an ordinary family. The following year, in the Battle of Bowang, Guan Ying fought desperately. The "Book of Han: Biography of Guan Ying" records: "He had outstanding military exploits and was the bravest among the three armies."
He charged into battle and fought bravely, and was granted the title of Lord Xuanling because of his fierceness in battle. After that, Guan Ying repeatedly made military achievements and continued to accumulate his military prestige.
Before Liu Bang entered Xianyang, Guan Ying had been promoted to Langzhong due to his outstanding military exploits and was named Changwen Jun. In just a few years, Guan Ying went from an unknown small vendor to a rising general under Liu Bang. It is a pity that opportunities always come to those who are prepared.
In 205 BC, the Battle of Pengcheng broke out. This battle was a disastrous defeat for Liu Bang, as Xiang Yu led 3 cavalrymen to defeat Liu Bang's army of hundreds of thousands.
The disastrous defeat in the Battle of Pengcheng made Liu Bang deeply realize the importance of cavalry. After learning from the painful experience, Liu Bang decided to form an elite cavalry unit of his own, and this important task fell on Guan Ying's shoulders.
"Records of the Grand Historian" records: "Although Guan Ying was young, he fought hard, so he was appointed as Zhong Daifu, and Li Bi and Lu Wan were appointed as left and right colonels." Guan Ying was appointed as Zhong Daifu, and as the commander of the Han army cavalry, he was responsible for leading this newly formed Langzhong cavalry, which could be regarded as special forces.
He and Li Bi and Lu Wan, two Qin Dynasty surrendered generals with rich cavalry combat experience, carefully trained this cavalry unit. Soon, this cavalry played a huge role on the battlefield.
To the east of Xingyang, the cavalry led by Guan Ying engaged the Chu cavalry head-on. This battle was a duel of two strong forces, and in the end Guan Ying defeated the Chu cavalry.
This victory not only greatly boosted the morale of the Han army, but also made Guan Ying famous on the battlefield of the Chu-Han contention. From then on, Guan Ying started his highlight moment on the battlefield, fighting everywhere and making countless military exploits.
In the subsequent campaigns with Han Xin to attack Qi, Guan Ying's performance was amazing. In the Battle of Lixia, Guan Ying's troops of the Han army almost wiped out the main cavalry force of Qi.
Afterwards, Guan Ying led the Langzhong Cavalry in continuous battles, successively defeating the remnants of the Qi army and leaving them without any chance to fight back.
Regarding the battles with Qi, Guan Ying's troops mainly participated in the following four battles: the Battle of Chengyang, where Tian Heng, the prime minister of Qi, fled to Chengyang. Guan Ying defeated Tian Heng in Chengyang and pursued him all the way to Bodi to capture him;
In the Battle of Boyang, Guan Ying pursued the enemy to Bodi, defeated the cavalry unit under the Prime Minister of Qi, Tian Heng, beheaded his general Qi Wu'ang, and captured Du Ping alive.
In the Battle of Qiancheng, Guan Ying maintained his previous fierce attack tactics and wiped out the Qi army led by Tian Xi on the spot in Qiancheng; the Battle of Gaomi ushered in a duel that will go down in history.
At that time, Long Qie, the most powerful general under Xiang Yu, led an army of 20 to rescue the State of Qi. Guan Ying was not afraid at all. He personally led his army to fight a fierce battle with Long Qie, and finally killed Long Qie with his own hands on the battlefield.
This victory made Guan Ying famous all over the world. It can be said that Guan Ying participated in almost all major battles in Qi State and was a great contributor to the destruction of Qi State.
In the decisive battle of the Chu-Han contention, the Battle of Gaixia, Guan Ying showed his outstanding military talent. He led 5000 cavalrymen to pursue the defeated Xiang Yu.
The Records of the Grand Historian records: "Guan Ying, as the Imperial Censor, received an imperial decree and led chariots and cavalry to pursue Xiang Yu to Dongcheng and defeated him."
Guan Ying pursued Xiang Yu all the way to Dongcheng and successfully annihilated the main force of the Chu army. In the end, five of his men worked together to kill Xiang Yu, completely ending the Chu-Han contention. This feat made Guan Ying a great contributor to the founding of the Han Dynasty.
After the war, Guan Ying was ordered to cross the river and pacify the southeast, completing the strategic control of the southeast region. After Liu Bang became emperor, Guan Ying was named Yingyin Marquis, officially embarking on another peak in his life.
After Liu Bang became emperor, although the country was initially settled, it was not peaceful, and rebellions broke out from time to time in various places. Veterans like Guan Ying continued to fight for the stability of the Han Dynasty.
In suppressing the rebellion of Yan Wang Zang Tu, Guan Ying led the army to fight. The "Book of Han" records: "He participated in the fight against Yan Wang Zang Tu, escaped from the battle, was the first to climb the mountain, broke through the enemy's formation, and was appointed as the Imperial Censor."
He led the charge in battle and was the first to climb the enemy's wall in the Battle of Longtuo, opening a breakthrough for the army to victory. He successfully repelled the enemy in the Battle of Xia Pi and finally successfully put down Zang Tu's rebellion.
Guan Ying was transferred to be the Imperial Censor. Later, when Han Xin, the King of Chu, rebelled, Guan Ying also participated in the suppression. Although there are few historical records of the specific details of the battle, it can be imagined that with Guan Ying's military talent, he must have played an important role in suppressing the rebellion.
Later, Han Wangxin colluded with the Xiongnu to rebel, and Guan Ying followed Liu Bang to fight. In the battle with the Xiongnu, Guan Ying led the cavalry and showed strong combat effectiveness many times.
In the later years of Emperor Gaozu, Huainan King Ying Bu rebelled, and Guan Ying went to war again. In this battle, he successfully killed important generals in Ying Bu's army, defeated many of Ying Bu's main forces, pursued all the way, and finally put down the rebellion, making great military achievements.
During the reign of Empress Lü, the court situation became very complicated. The Lü family attempted to usurp the Han Dynasty and suppressed the Liu family and the old officials in the court. Guan Ying knew that the situation was critical, but he chose to endure and wait.
After Empress Lü's death, Lü Lu, Lü Chan and others attempted to launch a coup to seize power. Guan Ying was ordered to lead the army to fight, ostensibly to quell the rebellion of King Liu Xiang of Qi, but in fact he secretly conspired with Zhou Bo, Chen Ping and other ministers in the court.
He stationed his troops in Xingyang, kept them in place, and formed an alliance with the princes to jointly oppose the Lu family. In the end, while Zhou Bo and Chen Ping launched a coup in the court and killed members of the Lu family, Guan Ying also made military preparations in Xingyang and successfully stabilized the situation.
The "Book of Han" records: "He and Marquis Jiang jointly established Emperor Wen, and were granted a fief of 3,000 households." Because Guan Ying made great contributions in this coup, he was not only granted an additional fief of 3,000 households, but also served as the Grand Marshal.
Guan Ying's legendary life witnessed the process from the establishment to the stabilization of the Han Dynasty. With his bravery and wisdom, he left a significant mark in the long river of history.
Guan Ying achieved great success in both military and political affairs. He was once appointed as the Grand Commandant, the supreme commander of the Han army, and held an important position in the court.
In 177 BC, after suppressing the rebellion of Jibei State, Guan Ying was promoted to Prime Minister and concurrently served as Grand Commandant, reaching the peak of his political career. At this time, Guan Ying had a heavier burden on his shoulders. He was not only responsible for the military affairs of the whole country, but also assisted the emperor in handling state affairs.
In that year, the Xiongnu invaded the border of the Han Dynasty on a large scale, burning, killing and looting, bringing great disaster to the people living on the border. As the prime minister and the general, Guan Ying personally led the cavalry north to fight against the Xiongnu.
"Records of the Grand Historian" records: "The Huns invaded Beidi and Shangjun in large numbers, and the emperor ordered Prime Minister Guan Ying to lead his 85,000 cavalry to attack the Huns." On the battlefield, Guan Ying fully demonstrated his military talents and commanded the Han army to engage in a fierce battle with the Huns.
After a hard battle, the Xiongnu army was finally forced to retreat, successfully defending the border security of the Han Dynasty.
However, just when Guan Ying was doing his best for the country, something unfortunate happened. Guan Ying died of illness while in office. His departure caused the Han Dynasty to lose an outstanding general and loyal minister.
In recognition of his achievements, the imperial court posthumously conferred him a posthumous title. Guan Ying not only made great military achievements on the battlefield, but also made great contributions to the stability and development of the Han Dynasty in politics, and left a far-reaching influence in other aspects.
In terms of urban construction, in 202 BC, Guan Ying presided over the construction of a city in Yuzhang County (now Nanchang). The Book of Han records: "Ding Gu (Guan Ying) built a city." This city was called Guan Ying City.
According to the "Yuzhang Ancient and Modern Records" written by Lei Cizon of the Southern Dynasty, the circumference of the city was 10 li and 84 steps. Although it does not seem large in scale now, it was a city with important strategic significance and economic value at that time.
Its construction laid a solid foundation for the future development of Nanchang. Guan Ying was therefore regarded as a pioneer of the city by the people of Nanchang and was deeply respected and loved by the people.
In terms of military thought and tactics, the cavalry group combat model pioneered by Guan Ying had a profound impact on later generations. Before him, although cavalry also played a certain role in war, they were mostly used in a dispersed manner.
Through careful training and skillful command, Guan Ying organized the cavalry into an independent combat group, bringing out the cavalry's advantages of rapid mobility and long-distance raids.
Records in the "Records of the Grand Historian" such as "When he served as a General of Chariots and Cavalry to attack Xiang Yu and returned, Han Wangxin rebelled and he participated in the attack on Han Wangxin at Dongyuan" all show his classic examples of using cavalry groups in combat.
His tactical thinking was later carried forward by famous Han Dynasty generals such as Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, and became an important military means for the Han Dynasty to fight against the Huns, leaving a significant mark in the military history of the Han Dynasty.
Although Guan Ying made great achievements in military and political affairs, no one is perfect and he also has his own limitations. Just as Liu Bang once said in "Records of the Grand Historian": "The court is full of literary talents and military generals are like clouds."
This statement actually indirectly hinted at Guan Ying's lack of cultural accomplishment. Chairman Mao also commented that he was "a general without a solid foundation", pointing out that Guan Ying came from a commoner family and was busy with business and war in his early years, so he was relatively lacking in cultural accomplishment.
In an era that valued culture and etiquette, this may be considered a shortcoming of his. But from another perspective, it was precisely because he was not too constrained by traditional culture that he was able to boldly innovate in the military and create a new tactical model such as cavalry group combat.
Moreover, in the complex political struggle, Guan Ying always remained loyal to the Han Dynasty. From killing the Lü clan to assisting Emperor Wen, the "Book of Han" records that he and Zhou Bo jointly decided state affairs, showing political wisdom that transcended personal interests.
He was able to accurately judge the situation, stand on the correct position of maintaining the Han Dynasty, and made an indelible contribution to the stability and development of the Han Dynasty.
Guan Ying started out as an ordinary peddler, but through his own efforts, he gradually reached the pinnacle of his life and became a founding hero and famous general of the Han Dynasty.
His story tells us: no matter how ordinary your background is, as long as you seize opportunities and work hard, you will be able to create a brilliant life of your own.
——"Fortunately, this guy died of old age."
——"That's because he died early. If he had died later, you would have seen a different result."
——"Cavalry tactics, this thing has been used for thousands of years."