In the face of the opportunity to destroy the Han Dynasty, why did Morton choose to give up?

in the autumn of 2 BC, modu chanyu led the Xiongnu army to attack Han Wangxin in Mayi. Due to Liu Bang's improper handling, Han Wangxin surrendered to Xiongnu. Liu Bang led an army to defeat Han Wangxin and Xiongnu's troops in Tongshui and Jinyang successively. After that, Liu Bang went further north to fight a decisive battle with Xiongnu.

After crossing the mountain, Liu Bang broke away from the army and pursued the retreating Xiongnu army. As a result, he was surrounded by Xiongnu army in Baideng Mountain and was rescued seven days later.

It is self-evident that Baden's clearance was important in the Battle of Heisei, so how did Liu Bang clear the clearance? In Biography of Xiongnu, Sima Qian attributed the reasons to two points: first, Wang Huang, who had an appointment with modu chanyu, failed to send troops on time as scheduled; Second, did Liu Bang adopt Chen Ping's plan? E Shi? E Shi successfully persuaded modu chanyu to clear the corner, and Liu Bangcai was able to escape from the encirclement.

Sima Qian has repeatedly emphasized that Gao Zu passed in Family of Prime Minister Chen, Biography of Han Wang and Biography of Xiahou Ying. E Shi? Clear. Influenced by these records, many works on Xiongnu history, Qin and Han history or military history, such as Chen Xujing's Draft of Xiongnu History and Lin Jianming's History of Qin and Han Dynasties, attribute the reasons for the clearance to? E Shi? .

In fact, academic circles have always held a skeptical view on this statement. There is such a very important record in the record of Xiahou Baby Biography. After Xia Houying and Liu Bang were cleared, Xia Houying fought the Xiongnu again in the north of Zhuzhu Mountain and the south of Pingcheng City, which caused considerable damage to the Xiongnu. Xia Houying was rewarded by 5 households for his exploits.

judging from the source of historical materials, this historical material should be seen in the imperial court's meritorious policy and seen by Sima Qian, who is in charge of the national archives, with high credibility. What if Gaozu passed? E Shi? Or? Alliance under the city? Clearance, so how to understand Xia Houying as after clearance? According to Records of the Historian, the Huns were so powerful at that time, and just signed it in the Han Dynasty? Alliance under the city? Is it reasonable for Liu Bang to turn his face and provoke immediately after he escaped?

besides, there are two circumstantial proofs that can be explained? E Shi? Or? Alliance under the city? It is doubtful:

First, after Han Wangxin surrendered to the Huns, he was relied on by the Huns as a counterweight to the Han Dynasty. During the siege of Baideng, the Han army had just turned over Zhuzhu Mountain, and parts of Yanmen County and Taiyuan County were still controlled by Han Wangxin. After the war of Pingcheng, the Han army recovered all these places.

if yes? E Shi? Clearance, then why didn't the Huns support Han Wangxin's regime in Yanmen County? Besides, Yanmen County is bordered by Xiongnu, and there is a natural barrier in the south. At this time, some areas are controlled by Han Wangxin, which is qualified for separatist regime.

Second, after the Battle of Pingcheng until Liu Bang's death, the Huns repeatedly supported Han Wangxin or directly invaded the Han Dynasty, and the two sides fought for years. What's the purpose of the Huns' invasion? If there is any purpose, why not put forward or realize it at the siege of Baden?

modu chanyu, as the leader who unified the Xiongnu, surrounded Liu Bang, and did not ask for anything just because his daughter-in-law let Liu Bang go in a few words. Is this reasonable?

why do you say that?

Because Historical Records did not record the strategy of the important warring factions towards the Huns in the third and third dynasties of Han Dynasty. When Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, Jia Yi (the one who wrote Qin Lun) proposed it? Three watches? . ? Five baits? Establish a vassal state and think that the Huns can be eliminated within three to five years; What did Chao Cuo think when Emperor Jing of Han Dynasty? Xiongnu's skill three, China's skill five? In the Han dynasty, the attack on Xiongnu was based on the technique of ten strikes and one attack, and it was put forward that it was concrete and feasible? Attack barbarians with barbarians? Immigrant real edge? Strategy.

However, these Sima Qian are not recorded in Historical Records, which shows Sima Qian's attitude towards Xiongnu. He is not a peace faction, but at least he can't be a war faction. As a result, naturally, in the description of Xiongnu in Historical Records, there will be a little exaggerated strength in it.

Then, let's go back to the siege of Baden. In order to find out how Liu Bang got rid of the siege, we must understand the war situation between the two sides before.

after the battle of Jinyang, on the one hand, Liu bang led an army from Jinyang to the north for a decisive battle with modu chanyu in Daigu, on the other hand, he sent zhou bo and others to pursue the Xiongnu troops who fled from Fenshui. When Liu Bang climbed Zhuzhu Mountain, he found that the Xiongnu Xianwang was retreating from Pingcheng. Liu bang broke away from the army and pursued lightly, resulting in an encounter with the Xiongnu army near Pingcheng. Because of the great difference with the strength of Xiongnu army, Gaozu had to occupy the favorable terrain of Baideng Mountain and stick to the aid.

whether modu chanyu intentionally set up this encirclement or not, whether he can successfully stop the subsequent armies of the Han dynasty is the key to the Xiongnu's victory. There are two reinforcements from Liu Bang, one is from the direction of the mountain, and the other is from Loufan. 15 kilometers away from Pingcheng is not far. Datong basin has a flat terrain, which is convenient for the army to carry out.

Therefore, before Liu Bang's rescue, two armies arrived one after another and had fierce battles with the Xiongnu army. This is what Sima Qian recorded in Historical Records. "zhou bo Family" records that after zhou bo arrived from Loufan, zhou bo attacked Hu Qi under the city of peace, and he led many army soldiers. However, in the Chronicle of Emperor Gaozu's Heroes, it is recorded that Shenze Hou (Zhao Jiangye) and * * * Hou (Lu Ba Shi) made meritorious deeds in Pingcheng.

The arrival of the follow-up armies in the Han Dynasty changed the situation of Zhancheng greatly, and Modu had to abandon the siege of Gaozu and retreat. After modu chanyu retreated, some Xiongnu troops failed to withdraw in time at the gates of peace, but were surrounded by the Han army and annihilated by Xia Houying and others.

Although Liu Bang was besieged on the Baideng Mountain, the besieged army of Liu Bang was only a partial division and a pioneer of Liu Bang's rash advance (before Jinyang's victory brought Liu Bang great confidence), but the main force was led by zhou bo. According to the report, Liu Bang led an army of 32, to fight against Xiongnu. After Jinyang's victory, zhou bo's main force was at least about 2,.

Later, it was recorded in Historical Records that the main force of modu chanyu was hidden in Daigu, revealing that the old, weak and beaten soldiers led Liu Bang to fall for it, thus encircling Liu Bang in Baideng Mountain. However, 4, troops attacked Liu Bang's department, which was not the main force of the Han army, but it was not captured for seven days and seven nights. Is this reasonable?

In addition, considering Baideng Mountain's battlefield capacity, troop movement time and logistics support ability in Shangfang, it is impossible for the Huns to have so many troops. According to the Records of Historical Records, modern scholars generally believe that the total force that Xiongnu can mobilize is 3,-4,, but it is obviously impossible to dump the whole country in Pingcheng in this battle. Secondly, after modu chanyu, the Huns continued to move forward under the leadership of the old Khan and the military minister Khan, and only 14, troops were sent at most in the war with the Han Dynasty, which was far from the strength during the siege of Baideng.

Judging from the course of the Battle of Pingcheng, Liu Bang only lightly pursued the Xiongnu army after crossing Zhuzhu Mountain. Even if the Xiongnu had a plan to lure the enemy, it was only after Gaozu crossed Zhuzhu Mountain that it was realized. After Gaozu left the army, although the subsequent army marched slowly, it also wanted to move in the direction of peace. After learning that Gaozu was besieged, we must speed up the March. The subordinate clause notes that the mountain is less than 15 kilometers from Pingcheng, and whether the Xiongnu can successfully stop the follow-up army of the Han Dynasty is the key to Xiongnu's victory.

Obviously, the Huns failed to achieve this operational goal, neither annihilating Liu Bang on Baideng Mountain nor stopping zhou bo, but retreated. Although Liu Bang was besieged in Baideng Mountain, he knew that he had the main force to help him. Of course, Liu Bang may have adopted Chen Ping's strategy, but he is unlikely to hope that a woman in E Shi will influence Morton's decision and let him go. Why should Morton listen to a woman?

The historical truth has been too far away from us, but this does not prevent us from making reasonable judgments through the real geographical environment and some records in historical materials, so as to restore a more logical war process.