Looking at history from a geographical point of view: where is the dragon that looks at Shu?

1. The origin of the idiom "Looking at Shu from Long"

The idiom "Looking at Shu from Long" comes from a letter written by Liu Xiu, Guangwu Emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Long refers to Longxi, the eastern part of Gansu Province today, and Shu refers to Bashu, Sichuan and Chongqing today. These are two very important geographical plates in the history of China.

In the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the war to pacify Longxi was very difficult, and met with the joint resistance of separatist forces in Longxi and Bashu. Liu Xiu wrote a letter to general Cen Peng, which read: "If the west city falls, soldiers will be seen, and the south will attack Shu Lu. People are not satisfied with their sufferings. Both Pinglong and Chongwang Shu. Every time he sends his troops, his head is white. " Later, it evolved into the idiom "Looking at Shu in the Dragon".

The original intention of this letter is to spur and encourage Cen Peng. People are most afraid of complacency and lack of self-motivation. This is actually the same as Sun Yat-sen's "The revolution has not yet been successful, and comrades still need to work hard". Liu Xiu is called the Lord of ZTE, but he is actually starting a business. The hardships of starting a business make him feel that "every time he sends his troops, his head is white". It can be said that Liu Xiu completed his great cause of "Zhongxing" in the constant "Long Wang Shu". Later generations, however, turned this idiom into a derogatory term, meaning greed, and history sometimes played a joke on people in this way.

Liu Xiu is a God of War emperor with outstanding military talents, and he is by no means an ordinary person. His first-class strategic vision sees the importance of Longxi and Sichuan to unify the whole country. The other meaning of this letter is actually Liu Xiu's strategic deployment. First, stabilize Gansu, then cut Shu, and we must win Gansu and Shu. This is the correct solution of the word "Long Wang Shu". So today, let's talk about why Longxi is against Liu Xiu's Eastern Han regime.

2. Longxi is an important place to run through the northwest and the western regions.

First, introduce the important regional blocks in ancient northwest China: Hexi (western Gansu), Longxi (eastern Gansu), Hehuang (eastern Qinghai), Shuofang (Ningxia and western Hetao) and the western regions (Xinjiang and Central Asia).

among these important regional blocks, if there is one in the central position, it is Longxi. What is more special about Longxi is that Longxi can communicate not only with the northwest regions, but also with the important regions in China such as Guanzhong, Bashu and Qinghai-Tibet. It can be said that Longxi belongs to the chess eye level in the geographical position of China.

Liangzhou is the place name that appears most in the history books in northwest China. Liangzhou is divided into two parts, Hexi and Longxi. Hexi is Beiliangzhou, also called Xiliang. It is west of the Yellow River, east of Dunhuang, and further west is the Western Regions. Longxi is Nanliangzhou, east of the Yellow River and west of Longshan Mountain, also known as Longxi, and it is also the "Long" in Delong Wangshu, which is our theme today.

Longxi area is the eastern part of Gansu Province today, east of the Yellow River. It is a plateau area surrounded by Longshan Mountain, Qinling Mountain, the eastern edge of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Yellow River.

among the regional blocks in the northwest, Longxi is a pivotal location, connecting Guanzhong in the east, Heshuo in the northeast, Hexi in the northwest, Hehuang and Qinghai-Tibet in the southwest, and Shudi in the southeast, which are not only closely connected with Guanzhong, the core region of China, but also the core plate of all regions in the northwest. Therefore, we must win Longxi first after passing through the northwest.

As a descendant of Liu Bang's royal family in the Han Dynasty, Liu Xiu naturally raised the banner of the Han Dynasty. The Eastern Han Dynasty, which has just established a country, has a lot to do. After gaining a firm foothold, it is natural to restore the glory of all ancestors and let the great man go far and wide again. This is something that Liu Xiu has to do and must do. Once the military of the Western Han Dynasty was extremely powerful, and the Xiongnu could not find the north, and it also controlled the western regions for more than a hundred years. It was only because of the unpopularity of Wang Mang's New Deal that the world was in chaos. After Liu Xiu reorganized the world, he was bound to prepare for the re-running of the Western Regions. We must have a solid rear when we travel through the western regions, so this rear must be Hexi and Longxi.

At this time, there are three main forces in the world that have not yet joined: Dourong in Hexi, Wei Xiao in Longxi and Gongsun Shu in Bashu. Dourong in Hexi, as a descendant of the Western Han Dynasty, has already joined, and the rest of Longxi and Bashu, of course, are closer to Guanzhong, and it is the most urgent. If they don't win, the Guanzhong will be uneasy.

No matter whether we are going through the northwest, stabilizing the frontier, pacifying Bashu and unifying the whole country, we must first firmly grasp Longxi. With Longxi, the strategic initiative and strategic flexibility can only be mastered if we can attack and retreat.

3. Longxi is the meeting point of northwest traffic arteries

Of course, the most important traffic artery in ancient northwest China is the famous Silk Road. The Silk Road is in the western region, starting from Dunhuang, and there are two routes along the edge of Taklamakan desert. In the hinterland, starting from Longxi area, there are also two routes, the northern line is Hexi Road, taking Hexi Corridor, the southern line is Qinghai Road, taking Hehuang Valley, and the southern line and the northern line finally meet in Dunhuang. Both the well-known Hexi Road and the little-known Qinghai Road, including the ancient Tang-Fan Road, the southwest Silk Road leading to Tubo, Nepal and India, need to pass through Longxi.

in terms of transportation, Longxi is simply the thoroughfare of nine provinces in the northwest, reaching all the southeast and northwest. The famous traffic arteries passing through Longxi in past dynasties are:

Guanzhong: Guanlong Ancient Road (developed by Qin people in Zhou Dynasty, enduring)

Silk Road-Hexi Road (developed by Western Han Dynasty, enduring)

Silk Road. Prosperous at that time and in the Northern Song Dynasty)

To Tubo: Tang-Fan Ancient Road (developed in the Tang Dynasty, which witnessed Princess Wencheng's entry into Tibet and the vicissitudes of Tang-Fan)

To Shu: Yinping Ancient Road (the battle of Wei destroying Shu, the marching route of Deng Ai)

To Hanzhong: Qishan Ancient Road (the main marching route of Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition)

Guanlong Ancient Road: a gap in Longshan. guanshan prairie is natural.

Hexi Road: During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the champion waited for Huo Qubing to defeat the right Xianwang Department of Xiongnu. After conquering Hexi Corridor, he began to set up four counties in Hexi: Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan and Dunhuang, built the Great Wall to Yumenguan, and set up a post station to complete the defense system of Hexi Hansel. After that, Hexi Corridor was tightly embedded in the northwest, silently guarding Chinese civilization for two thousand years, and witnessed many vicissitudes and great changes. Even the names of the four cities in Hexi have not changed. The development of Hexi Road, the main road of the Silk Road, has made the trade between China and the West endless, and made Chinese civilization go out of the Central Plains, to the western regions and to the world. It can be said that Hexi Corridor is a witness to the prosperity of Chinese civilization and the exchange and integration between Chinese and Western nations.

Qinghai Road: As the auxiliary line of Hexi Line, the main line of the Silk Road, it needs to pass through a large area of wasteland and no man's land, and the natural conditions are even worse. It will only be used on a large scale when Hexi Line is blocked. The southern regime in the Northern and Southern Dynasties and the Song Dynasty and Hexi were occupied by local separatist regimes, so Qinghai Road was used to communicate the trade between the Central Plains and the Western Regions.

Tang-Fan Ancient Road: a very famous traffic avenue in ancient Chinese history, and it is also the only way for the Central Plains to go to Qinghai, Tibet, Nepal, India and other countries since the Tang Dynasty. This ancient road witnessed Princess Wencheng's entry into Tibet, the friendly exchanges between the Central Plains and Tubo, and the wars between the Tang Dynasty and Tubo.

Yinping Ancient Road: This is a mountain road leading from Longxi to Bashu. As a relatively obscure ancient road, it is well known by many people because of the Three Kingdoms. In the battle of Wei's destruction of Shu, the main force of Wei, led by Zhong Hui, was blocked by Jiang Wei in Jiange, and Deng Ai made a detour from Longxi for more than a thousand miles, and entered Shu from Yinping Road and went straight into the hinterland of Shu, thus destroying Shu in one fell swoop. Of course, the ancient road of Yinping is very steep. According to the records of the Three Kingdoms, pedestrians in some places can't get through it at all. Wei Jun rolled down with thick felt, which shows the sinister degree of this ancient road.

Qishan Ancient Road: This is a passage from Longxi to Hanzhong, and then to Bashu. As the main passage for Zhuge Liang to lead his army to the northern expedition of Wei, it is famous all over the world because of the romance of the Three Kingdoms, and almost everyone knows it. However, many people think that it should lead to the Guanzhong Plain, but it actually leads to Longxi, including the loss of the "street pavilion" caused by "shedding tears and beheading Ma Su". In fact, it is also an important pass on the Longxi side of the Guanlong ancient road. Zhuge Liang, a talented man, is proficient in geography. The purpose of the first northern expedition was actually to "close the Guanlong ancient road and occupy Longxi". Unfortunately, at the same time, he met opponents like gods and teammates like pigs

4. The steep geographical situation in Longxi made Liu Xiuping's battle in Longxi very difficult.

In the battle of Longxi, Wei Xiao was not a famous soldier. In the corner of Longxi, there were only two counties in Longxi and Tianshui, with a population of only .7% in the world, but it supported Liu Xiu, the God of War of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and his famous soldiers, such as Haing Han, Geng Yan, Feng Yi, Cen Peng and Gai.

let's talk about the geographical advantages of Longxi.

to enter Longxi from Guanzhong, you need to pass through Longshan Mountain first. Longshan Mountain is a natural boundary mountain between Shaanxi Province and Gansu Province today, which is long and narrow in north-south direction and high enough, just like a natural high wall. How high is Longshan Mountain? From the Guanzhong Plain with an average elevation of about 4 meters, it suddenly rose to a height of more than 2, meters. This is terrible in the era of cold weapons!

Longshan Mountain can be the best northwest barrier in Guanzhong, and it can also be the biggest threat in Guanzhong. Longxi Plateau and Longdong Plateau are collectively called Longshang, which is located on the plateau and overlooks the Guanzhong Plain. If local forces attack the Guanzhong Plain from top to bottom in Gansu, it will be a great threat.

Therefore, Liu Xiu, who has conquered Guanzhong, wants to take Longshan Mountain as soon as possible to safeguard the safety of the northwest wing of Guanzhong. Liu Xiu is more worried that once Wei Xiao in west Gansu is separated, it will be difficult for him to win it with the fierce fighting capacity of the army in west Gansu.

In the first battle of Pinglong, what Liu Xiu thought was to take the only avenue between Guanlong by surprise: Guanlong Ancient Road.

"In six years, seven generals, including Geng Yan and Gaiyan, were sent to attack Shu from Longdao. Wei Xiao was afraid, so he sent his troops to fight back, and made Wang Yuan cut trees to block the way. The generals fought with each other and suffered a great defeat. "

At first, Wei Xiao didn't completely fall out with Liu Xiu. In May of the sixth year of Jianwu, Liu Xiuqin went to Chang 'an, and ordered the Han army in Guanzhong to forcibly cross the Guanlong ancient road, borrow Tianshui, and enter the west to cut Shu. Wei Xiao was afraid that this was Liu Xiu's plan to cut off the enemy by false ways, so he ordered people to block Gansu, cut off Guanlong Avenue, the only passage between Guanzhong and Longxi, and cut off the supply line of the Han army. The Han army was caught off guard and unfamiliar with the terrain of Longshan Mountain, so it had to retreat hastily. Thanks to the bravery of the Han army, otherwise it would probably be wiped out.

The first battle of Pinglong ended in this way, and the Han army was defeated.

Some people may wonder, don't the Longhai Railway and Lianhuo Expressway go straight from Baoji to Tianshui along the Weihe River? Why is the Guanlong Ancient Road in the north the only passage? This is a modern thing. Tianbao section of Longhai Railway is the most difficult section. When it was built, only this 154-kilometer tunnel accounted for one-seventh of the total number of tunnels in China. After liberation, it was renovated. Railway soldiers later concluded that the treasure antenna was cast with life and blood. Lianhuo Expressway was only built in the 199s, and numerous modern equipments and technologies were used. In ancient times, it can be said that no army could cross Longshan from Baoji along Weihe River to Tianshui.

Pinglong failed for the first time, so we will fight again with the whole army.

However, for the stability of the new dynasty, Liu Xiu didn't send troops to conquer Wei Xiao on a large scale, but took an active defensive posture, allowing Feng Yi to lead the army north to Beidi County, seize the military town as quickly as possible, surprise attack, sneak attack on Beidi, and force Wei Xiao back to Longxi County.

After the military surprise attack was successful, Liu Xiu launched a political offensive again, and sent many envoys to persuade Dou Rong, the general of Hexi, to submit to the court.

At this time, it can be said that the situation is good, but even under this situation, it took about two years to pacify Longxi, or it ended in a broken victory. It can be seen that the geographical position of Longxi is strong, not only in Longshan, but also in various cities in Longxi, where the terrain is dangerous, and the Longxi army is more brave and good at fighting.

5. Longxi is a natural fan screen in the west during the Zhou and Qin Dynasties

Longdong Plateau (Longzuo) is the birthplace of Zhou people, and Longxi Plateau (Longyou) is the birthplace of Qin people. The rites formulated by the Duke of Zhou laid the foundation for Chinese civilization. The Qin people were prosperous in martial arts, unified the whole country by force for the first time in history, and thoroughly implemented the county system, which opened the source of the dynasty system for two thousand years. These two dynasties laid a solid foundation for the development of Chinese civilization.

It can also be said that the whole Longshang area gave birth to the embryonic form of Chinese civilization.

Longshang area, especially Longxi, provided a solid natural barrier for the Central Plains during the adolescence of Zhou and Qin Dynasties, which made a great contribution to the development of Chinese civilization.

Longxi, a core area in northwest China, was developed relatively late in ancient times. In the Western Zhou Dynasty, it was still an area where farming and nomadic people lived together. It was not until Qin Mugong conquered Xirong that Longxi was relatively stable.

I often think that the control area of Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, the western direction can't go beyond Longxi. Based on the analysis of productivity conditions and geographical situation, this answer can naturally be analyzed. However, why in ancient legends, there are so many elements about Kunlun, the Queen Mother of the West and Buzhou Mountain, which are unique in the Western Regions? Myths are generally the memories of national ancestors. After word of mouth, they have been passed down to this day. According to this line of thinking, the ancestors of the Chinese nation should have come from the west, advanced all the way eastward, and thrived all the way, eventually nourishing the splendid Chinese civilization. Some people are unwilling to leave their homeland and change their original way of life, and still stay in the vast west, such as the Qiang people.

in the western Han dynasty, Zhang Qian went to the western regions and returned to his ancestors' hometown. Although there was a sense of strangeness everywhere, he could still find some correspondence in reality with the clues in Shan Hai Jing, and there should be a familiar strangeness.

in this sense, 56 ethnic groups belong to one family, and their ancestors are related by blood, which seems to be the result of a historical evolution.