The domineering names of the four cities of Huo Qubing are still used today, showing the demeanor of ancient generals
Who doesn't envy those magicians who became famous at a young age? But how can young talents who don't work hard and practice leave a strong mark in the long river of history? During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, there was a young general with outstanding military talent and courage in the Western Han Dynasty, and he was Huo Quai. How did the legendary story of this famous general of the Han Dynasty come about?
First of all, he came from a poor and sick family.
In the winter of 140 B.C., an unfortunate child was born: Huo Quai. Huo Quzhi is the illegitimate child of a poor maid and a clerk. As a child that no one wants, he can only follow his mother Wei to wander around.
But the goddess of fate seems to have a preference for this child that no one wants. When her sister-in-law Wei Zifu married Emperor Wen of Han and became empress, Wei was also promoted to empress and moved to Chang'an with Huo Zhaoyi.
In Chang'an, Huo Zhaoyi was cherished and raised by two people. One is Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and the other is the general Wei Qing. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty thought that this child was very talented and taught him the art of war, while Wei Qing taught him to ride and shoot. At the age of thirteen, Huo Zhaoyi was entrusted to Wei Qing for military training, and after Wei Qing's rigorous training, he soon showed an amazing talent.
Wei Qing has high hopes for this nephew, and even plans to train him to be his own **person. Every morning, he would wake up Huo Quai, who was still asleep, and personally urge him to learn horseback riding and archery. At first, Huo Qubing always woke up late, and he didn't wake up until Wei Qing poured a basin of cold water on him. Later, he learned to be obedient, got up before dark to practice martial arts, and no longer let Wei Qing touch him with cold water.
Wei Qing saw that Huo Qu was diligent and studious, practiced hard day and night, and did not dare to give up. Wei Qing personally demonstrated Huo Qubing every day and taught him riding and archery skills one by one. Although Wei Qing's requirements are very strict, Huo Quzhi never complains, he just wants to learn his skills as soon as possible.
Gradually, Huo Quzhi's riding and archery skills have improved greatly. One day, Wei Qing asked his subordinates to demonstrate archery, and the veterans were all skilled in archery. When it was Huo Qu's turn to get sick, he shot an arrow from his horse and hit the bull's-eye a hundred paces away. Everyone was stunned. Wei Qing was overjoyed and praised Huo Quai's skills again and again.
Since then, Wei Qing has placed higher expectations on Huo Quzhi. He began to teach Huo Qubing more in-depth military knowledge such as the art of war, formations, and strategy. They often got up early in the morning, and Wei Qing and Huo Qubing sat in front of the chessboard on the table, trying different tactics over and over again.
Although Huo Qubing is young, he is well versed in the art of war, and occasionally makes a suggestion, and Wei Qing will nod and praise it. Sometimes the two disagree and quarrel. Wei Qing saw that although he was young, he was thoughtful and resourceful, so he admired this nephew even more.
In addition to Wei Qing, Emperor Wu of Han also admired this smart and capable nephew and often taught him how to govern the country. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was an eloquent monarch who unreservedly shared his years of experience with Huo Quzhi.
For example, he will tell Huo Qubing all kinds of ancient and modern political stories, and watch him analyze the exam questions; Or let him comment on the successes and losses of contemporary politics; Sometimes he was taught how to use the art of scheming.
At first, Huo Zaixiao didn't understand these courses. However, he insisted on studying conscientiously, gradually understood the political situation, and put forward his own views. When Emperor Wu of Han saw his answer, he greatly admired his wisdom and strategy.
Under the careful teaching of the second elder, Huo Quzhi, who was already intelligent, made amazing progress in martial arts and strategy. The speed at which he grew surprised both Wei Qing and Emperor Wu of Han. At first, they just wanted to tame this young nephew, but they didn't expect that his talent, knowledge, and potential were simply unbelievable.
It seems that Huo Quzhi's youth, in addition to his talent, is also inseparable from the hard work and careful cultivation of the two elders. Huo Quai's humble background is not easy to have this honor.
Huo Qubing II won the first battle.
At the age of 18, Huo Qubing followed Wei Qing to Monan and participated in the first battle in his life. The emperor wanted to give his nephew a chance to make a name for himself, but Huo Qubing became famous in this battle.
Wei Qing, who was the commander at the time, wanted to use the old way to surround the Xiongnu, but Huo Qubing persuaded him to take the initiative to attack the Xiongnu. Wei Qing did not listen to the advice, and Huo Qubing dared to lead 800 cavalry to attack the Xiongnu palace at night.
The Huns were caught off guard, and in the chaos, Huo Qubing rushed into the big tent first, and they were so frightened that they fled. The Han army won a complete victory, killing more than 2,000 enemies. When the news reached the palace, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty praised Huo Qubing and named him the champion marquis in recognition of his victory in the first battle.
Huo Quai, who was only 18 years old, was able to stand up and single-handedly command the first battle, winning more with less. It was also from that time that Huo Quzhi's determination, courage and military talent were shown for the first time.
The victory in this battle fully demonstrated Huo Quai's individual combat ability, and Wei Qing initially wanted to use his experience to take a defensive position and surround the attacking forces of the Xiongnu. But Huo Quzhi felt that he could not continue to be beaten passively, so he could only take the initiative to attack and seize the opportunity.
The two have slightly different opinions. Although Wei Qing is a famous general, he does not listen to the advice of young people. At that time, the atmosphere in the army was conservative, and even his nephew could hardly make irresponsible remarks about the general.
But Huo Qu's disease is obviously different from ordinary people. He is not bound by stereotypes and dares to question authority. Since Wei Qing did not accept him, he let himself lead some of the brave cavalry and personally organized a surprise attack.
This kind of courage and wit is beyond ordinary people and admirable. What is even more rare is that his judgment was correct, and he adopted a roundabout tactic, and unexpectedly hit the Huns by surprise, and immediately won a big victory.
It can be said that the great victory of Hufu cavalry and archery depends not only on his talent, but also on his courage and determination. Even if those in power do not see the light of day, they dare to shoot themselves in the foot and look for opportunities on their own. If he had listened to Wei Qing's words at that time, he might have lost the opportunity and let the Xiongnu succeed.
So, victory brought him glory. What is impressive is that this 18-year-old boy not only made outstanding achievements in battle, but also showed a strong ability to fight alone. No wonder Emperor Wu of Han had high hopes for him.
3. Pacify Hexi and build four cities of Wuwei.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty saw his nephew Huo Quai's outstanding achievements on the battlefield and had high hopes for him. In 120 BC, at the age of 22, Huo Qubing was ordered to lead an army to pacify the Hexi Corridor and recover this strategic location.
In this battle, there was a huge disparity between the strength of the enemy and us, and the situation was grim. However, Huo Qu was not afraid of danger, and led 500 cavalry to attack the enemy formation, boost morale, and finally defeated the Xiongnu army. The Han army continued to attack, capturing the enemy commander alive, annihilating the remnants, and recovering Hexi.
After the war, Huo Qubing conquered four towns in Hexi, which were named Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan and Dunhuang. In order to commemorate the heroic deeds of Huo Quai, the imperial court established these four counties. It can be said that without Huo Quai's victory, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty would not have succeeded in opening up the Western Regions.
This battle further demonstrated Huo Quzhi's military talent and courage. He calmly dealt with the strong enemy, and finally opened the passage to the Western Regions as he wished.
The Battle of Hexi was the decisive battle in which the Han Dynasty regained control of the Western Regions. Before this battle, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had sent father and son generals Li Guangli and Wei Qing to Hexi many times, but they all ended in failure. The Hexi region was firmly controlled by the Xiongnu family.
This time, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had high hopes for his nephew and sent the 22-year-old Huo Qubing to go on the expedition. After all, the veteran failed to fulfill his responsibilities in the first two battles, so this time it was Huo Quai's turn.
And Huo Qubing did not live up to the expectations of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Huo Qubing faced a powerful Xiongnu army and various attacks along the way, but he was not afraid of hardships and dangers and boldly marched westward.
In the end, he chose the tactic of flanking the Huns. He personally led 500 warlike generals to break through to the rear of the enemy army and defeat the Xiongnu army. The Han army captured the four towns of Hexi in one fell swoop and won a decisive victory.
The battle changed the Han Dynasty's control of the Hexi region in one fell swoop. It opened up the Silk Road, and it also proved that Huo Quzhi is a well-deserved hero. At the age of 22, Huo Quzhi fulfilled the long-cherished wish of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and was recognized as a good general of the Han Dynasty.
Fourth, he has strict military discipline and loves ** soldiers.
Not only that, but the young commander was also known for his strict management of the army. He trained his soldiers strictly, but the atmosphere in the army was not harsh. He regarded the soldiers as brothers and shared their weal and woe, and the soldiers loved them.
One day, the soldiers encountered a storm on the march. The soldiers bent down to avoid the rain, but Huo Zaixiang continued to advance in the wind and rain. Seeing this, the soldiers also plucked up their courage and braved the wind and rain to advance. Huo Quzhi admired the courage of the soldiers very much, and loved them like brothers.
Another time, when the enemy attacked, the soldiers were still sleeping. Huo Qubing did not punish them, but stood in front of them, waiting for them to wake up and form a natural formation. The soldiers were grateful to him and swore allegiance to him.
It can be seen that Huo Qu is strict with himself, lenient with others, and kind to soldiers. This is also the reason why the soldiers are willing to follow him to the soup.
At that time, the morale in the army was extremely poor, and the generals often punished the soldiers. However, Huo Quzhi did not treat soldiers harshly, which was rare at the time. For example, when the march was met with heavy rain, other generals would take refuge in their wagons to take shelter from the rain. Huo Quzhi clung to the saddle and braved the wind and rain to show his support for the soldiers.
The soldiers were at first a little desperate, but when they saw the young commander stumbling like this, they all mustered up their morale and set off in the wind and rain. Huo Quzhi's practice greatly boosted morale.
For example, it is customary to give stern warnings to soldiers who are asleep. However, Huo Quzhi knew that drowsiness was a normal phenomenon of people, and he couldn't bear to remind him sternly. On the contrary, fearing enemy attacks, he personally protected the sleeping soldiers. When the soldiers woke up, they wept and thanked the young commander.
It can be seen that Huo Zaixiang is strict with himself and lenient with others. It is not so much that he was a soldier, but that he led by example and moved the whole army. This kind of leadership and charisma is also one of the reasons why he is loved.
5. Died youngHe died young, when he did his best: ...
In the winter of 118 BC, Huo Qu returned to the palace in triumph, but he fell ill and his life was once threatened. But he had to return to Beijing early and ask Ying to go out to fight against the Xiongnu.
As soon as he returned to the palace, he began to actively heal his illness. Unfortunately, his medical skills were limited at that time, and he died of illness after a long campaign at the age of 27, which is regrettable.
Huo Qubing has been in Xinjiang for ten years and has made great achievements. He is brave and good at fighting, dares to fight, and is a good general who is deeply loved by his subordinates. This shows that the most valuable thing in life is not longevity, but a lifetime of dedication, which is the transcendence of the innate life model.
Huo Quzhi has been in poor health since he was a child and often gets sick. But he did not use his illness as an excuse to slack off, but worked harder, and eventually became a good commander through his own efforts.
However, after years of fighting, he eventually fell ill due to physical discomfort. In this year, he led his army to defeat the Xiongnu, and on the way back to the palace, he fell ill from the victory.
At first he was able to barely stand, but then his condition became so severe that he could not even speak. His subordinates, fearing an attack by the Huns, advised the major to return to the capital immediately**.
Although Huo Qu was seriously ill, he gritted his teeth and insisted on going back when he got better. He understands that the heart of the army is tied to him, and he must return to the palace as soon as possible to continue to fulfill his mission and stabilize the morale of the army.
Unfortunately, illness is not easy to overcome. As soon as he returned to Chang'an, he immediately sought medical advice and instructed the doctors of 03405 to take care of him day and night. However, the limited medical knowledge of the time, coupled with the illness caused by overwork, ultimately failed to save the life of the general, who was loved by the people.
At only 27 years old, he died young, which is really regrettable. However, Huo Quzhi supported him with tenacious will until the last moment and completed the important task of commander, which can be described as strong and unyielding, and he is a hero of the motherland.
Six monuments survive, thousands of generations.
Although Huo Qubing died young, the legend and extraordinary achievements of his life are remembered by future generations. Both the government and the opposition were sighing and praising the young magician. In order to commemorate his nephew's exploits in the Hexi region, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty built the tomb of Huo Qubing and erected a monument to commemorate it. He also issued an edict to stand the stone tomb in Dunhuang County to commemorate Huo Qu's illness.
The tomb is still well preserved, and the inscription is clearly visible. It records the life and exploits of Huo Qubing and has become an important cultural site for the study of this period of history. Thousands of years later, there are still descendants who come to pay homage to this hero of the Han Dynasty.
The stone statues of Dunhuang stand in rows, the shape is realistic and vivid, as if facing the image of a brave and fearless youth. One of them also realistically depicts the scene of Huo Qubing riding a horse and shooting arrows. Despite the passage of time, the story of Huo Qu's illness has clearly become part of folklore and has become a legend. His name lives on and is still passed down in various forms to this day, inspiring future generations to continue to improve.
Huo Quzhi, with his extraordinary courage and military talent, rose to prominence in his twenties, and his life inspired future generations to be brave and enterprising in life. We must also be as tenacious and enterprising as Huo Quzhi, and strive to turn a glorious page in life.
Like Huo Quai, he is not afraid of strong enemies, and overcomes all difficulties and obstacles with a fearless mind. We must also strive to have a positive and optimistic attitude, cultivate temperament, have the courage to pursue the ideals in our hearts, move forward bravely in the years of life, and shine our own light.