Everyone in the world knows that Emperor Yang of Sui is absurd and unscrupulous, but they don't know that he also took precautions and formed an elite escort force. However, at that turning point of fate, this force that had been pinned on high hopes mysteriously disappeared. When the Great Sui Dynasty was almost destroyed, His Majesty the Emperor was isolated and helpless, so he could only flee in the palace in a hurry. What kind of bizarre coincidence made Emperor Yang of Sui's last line of defense completely collapse at the most critical juncture? Why did the army, which had sworn allegiance to the death, collectively "take a holiday" when life and death were at stake? What kind of conspiracy and intrigue did a generation of heroes end up in such a wretched end?
Emperor Yang of Sui's worries and precautions
Jiangdu in the thirteenth year of the Great Cause (617) should have been a prosperous scene. However, the careful Emperor Yang of Sui sensed a hint of an unusual aura. This once high-spirited and eloquent emperor is now often frowning and unable to sleep at night.
The world only knows that Emperor Yang of Sui is poor and extravagant, but they don't know that he was also a commander with great military achievements. In that year, as the crown prince, he personally led the army, conquered the south of the Yangtze River, and unified the mountains and rivers. Because of this, he is particularly sensitive to the atmosphere of the barracks.
One day, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty summoned his confidant Yang Su to express his worries: "The Qing family knows that I have been feeling restless recently, as if a catastrophe is coming!" When Yang Su heard this, he couldn't help but be shocked, and hurriedly knelt down and said, "Why did Your Majesty say this?" Could it be that someone dares to rebel? "
Emperor Yang of Sui shook his head and said slowly: "Yes." These days, I often go out on patrol in small clothes, and I find that the people are full of complaints, and the officers and soldiers in the army are also dissatisfied. Do you remember the scene when we pacified Jiangnan? At that time, the morale of the army was like a rainbow, and the soldiers used their lives. Today it is very different. "
When Yang Su heard this, he couldn't help but gasp. He knew very well that although Emperor Yang of Sui had a reputation for prostitution, he was extremely sensitive to military intelligence. If it weren't for the critical situation, His Majesty would never be so worried.
Just as Yang Su was thinking about countermeasures, Emperor Yang of Sui said again: "I thought about it and decided to form an elite escort force in case of emergency. You go and select a group of loyal and strong martial arts officials and slaves, and place them in Xuanwumen, called 'Envoys'. "
Yang Su was overjoyed when he heard this, and praised Shengming again and again. He knew very well that if this envoy camp could really be established, it would definitely become the last line of defense to defend His Majesty.
In this way, under the personal interrogation of Emperor Yang of Sui, an elite escort team of hundreds of people was quickly formed. These people were carefully selected from the servants in the palace, not only strong in martial arts, but also grateful to the emperor.
In order to win the hearts of these guards, Emperor Yang of Sui can be said to have invested enough. He not only increased the salary for the soldiers of the embassy, but also specially selected beautiful women from the palace to marry them. This move made everyone in the embassy camp rejoice and swear allegiance.
However, Emperor Yang of Sui's worries were not dispelled. Every day after he retreated from the court, he always wore civilian clothes and held a cane, patrolling around the palace. Sometimes it is not until late at night that they return to the dormitory to rest. The palace people all said that His Majesty was working hard for the country. Don't you know that the uneasiness in Emperor Yang of Sui's heart is increasing day by day.
One night, Emperor Yang of Sui made another micro-service inspection. As he passed by the embassy camp, he suddenly heard a burst of laughter from inside. He crept closer, only to see several envoys talking in low voices.
"Our days are really getting better and better, and even the beauties given by the emperor have arrived." One laughed.
"Not really! If you want me to say, we must be loyal to protect the emperor in this life, and don't let those thieves have a chance to get close. The other chimed in.
Hearing these words, Emperor Yang of Sui felt a little relieved. He was secretly glad that his decision was correct. With this loyal guard, they must be able to protect themselves in times of crisis.
In this way, Emperor Yang of Sui walked through this sleepless night with a little worry and some expectation. What he didn't know was that fate was secretly brewing a shocking conspiracy, and this envoy camp, which he had high hopes for, would completely disappear at the most critical moment......
Special status was given to the embassy battalion
The establishment of the embassy camp can be described as a clever move by Emperor Yang of Sui at a critical juncture. The selection process for this team was extremely rigorous, and it was the most elite special forces unit of its time. According to the Book of Sui, Emperor Yang of Sui personally ordered the selection of brave and warlike warriors from among the palace servants to form this special escort team.
During the selection process, Emperor Yang of Sui personally sat in and watched the performance of each candidate. They need to go through a number of rigorous assessments, including martial arts competitions, physical fitness tests, loyalty tests, etc. In the end, only a few hundred people stood out and became part of the envoy camp.
Most of these selected officials and slaves came from humble backgrounds, but they were given the opportunity to change their fate. Not only did they get rid of their status as slaves, but they also became the emperor's cronies' bodyguards. This huge change of identity made them grateful to Emperor Yang of Sui and swore allegiance to him.
The training for the embassy camp was unusually rigorous. Every morning, they would gather on the school field outside the Xuanwu Gate for several hours of training. The content includes various martial arts such as swordsmanship, swordsmanship, mounted archery, and fighting, as well as special skills such as tactical coordination and emergency rescue.
Once, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty inspected the training of the envoy camp. He saw that the two envoys were fighting and fighting, with sharp moves and vigorous skills. Emperor Yang of Sui couldn't help but admire: "Good! I feel terrified when I look at this kind of skill. "
In addition to martial arts training, the soldiers of the embassy camp also had to learn etiquette and cultural knowledge. Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty believed that a real guard must not only have outstanding martial arts, but also know how to observe words and feelings, and understand the way to advance and retreat. Therefore, he also specially arranged special training to teach these guards court etiquette and basic cultural knowledge.
The equipment for the embassy camp was also the best at that time. They were armed with sharp ring-headed knives, sturdy armor, and light and nimble short bows. These weapons are not only suitable for hand-to-hand combat, but also for quick movement and combat in the confined environments of the court.
Once, Emperor Yang of Sui summoned Shen Guang, the commander of the embassy camp, to inquire whether the military supplies were sufficient. Shen Guang replied: "Your Majesty, rest assured, our weapons and equipment are all carefully selected and of the highest quality. Even the boots of each soldier are specially made, ensuring that they can walk silently on any ground in the palace. "
Emperor Yang of Sui was greatly satisfied after hearing this, and immediately rewarded Shen Guang with a horse. This soon spread among the envoys, and it further aroused the loyalty of the soldiers.
The treatment given to the embassy camp can be described as generous. Not only did they enjoy a salary several times higher than that of ordinary sergeants, but they were also often rewarded by the emperor. Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty often gave them gold, silver, jewelry, fine clothes and wine when he was on his patrols. This favor made the soldiers of the embassy feel more honored, and it also strengthened their determination to be loyal to the emperor.
The most remarkable thing is that Emperor Yang of Sui even gave the beauties in the palace to these envoys. This was an extremely rare grace at the time, as court ladies were usually not allowed to marry. Emperor Yang of Sui's move was undoubtedly to tie these guards firmly to the royal family.
Once, a court maid who gave the general the emperor a marriage. On the day of the wedding, Emperor Yang of Sui personally came to congratulate and gave a precious dowry. The envoy general was grateful, knelt down on the spot and said: "The minister is willing to smear His Majesty's liver and brain, and never give up!" "
The special status given to the envoys was not only reflected in the material treatment, but also in their close relationship with the emperor. They were one of the few people who were able to approach the Emperor on a regular basis, and could even go directly to the Emperor without notice in case of emergency.
This special status made the envoy camp the most trusted force of Emperor Yang of Sui. In the eyes of the ministers of the court and China, the envoy camp had become the emperor's personal army, and its status even surpassed that of the forbidden army.
However, it was this elite division that had high hopes that mysteriously disappeared at the most critical moment. Their sudden absence became a fatal flaw in Emperor Yang of Sui's last line of defense. This turn of events not only changed the fate of an emperor, but also changed the ending of a dynasty.
Give the embassy a mystery of the mysterious disappearance
In March of the fourteenth year of the Great Cause (618), there was a rumor in the Jiangdu City. Although Emperor Yang of Sui still sings and dances every day, there is already an undercurrent in the court. At this delicate moment, a bizarre thing happened - the envoy camp, which Emperor Yang of Sui had high hopes for, disappeared en masse.
Early in the morning of this day, Emperor Yang of Sui summoned Shen Guang, the commander of the embassy, as usual, to inquire about the patrol last night. However, Shen Guang, who always came to see him on time on weekdays, was delayed. Emperor Yang of Sui couldn't help frowning, and ordered the eunuchs around him to check the situation for the envoy camp.
After a short time, the eunuch ran back in a panic and knelt on the ground to report: "Your Majesty, it's not good! The envoy camp was empty, and all the soldiers were gone! "
Emperor Yang of Sui was shocked when he heard this, and immediately went to check on the embassy camp in person. Sure enough, the normally heavily guarded camp was empty at the moment, and even the sentries on duty were nowhere to be seen. The weapons and equipment in the battalion were neatly placed in their place, but all the people were gone.
Emperor Yang of Sui immediately ordered a thorough investigation into the matter. However, neither the palace guards nor the generals of the forbidden army knew anything about the sudden disappearance of the envoy camp. Some speculated that they fled en masse, but this was clearly unconscionable - what reason did they have to betray the emperor with such good treatment for the envoys?
Just when the court was anxious about this matter, an astonishing news came - Yu Wenhua and led the army to rebel and was heading towards Jiangdu!
The news came like a bolt from the blue, making the already chaotic situation even more confusing. Some people began to wonder if the disappearance of the envoy camp was related to the rebellion of Yu Wenji. Could it be that they have already been bribed and secretly defected to the rebels?
However, the truth is far more complicated than one might think. According to the records of the wild history that were handed down later, the mysterious disappearance of the envoy camp actually had another hidden meaning.
It turned out that the night before the envoy disappeared, an old eunuch beside Emperor Yang of Sui suddenly found Shen Guang. The eunuch claimed to have been secretly ordered by the emperor to immediately and secretly move all the soldiers to a secret camp outside the city in case of emergency.
Shen Guang was a little skeptical at first, but the eunuch took out the jade seal letter of Emperor Yang of Sui, which dispelled his concerns. So, Shen Guang gathered the whole battalion overnight, and quietly left Jiangdu City according to the instructions of the eunuch.
Who knows, this is actually an elaborate trap. When the soldiers of the envoy camp arrived at the so-called "secret camp", they found that a large number of rebels had already been ambushed there. Caught off guard, although the envoy battalion resisted, it was eventually outnumbered and annihilated.
The mastermind behind this earth-shattering conspiracy is none other than Yu Wenhua. He knew that giving the envoy camp was the last reliance of Emperor Yang of Sui, and only by getting rid of this elite could he take Jiangdu City in one fell swoop. For this reason, he did not hesitate to spend a lot of money to bribe the old eunuch and plan this operation to hide from the world.
What's even more embarrassing is that when the soldiers of the envoy battalion were fighting bloodily outside the city, Emperor Yang of Sui was still drinking and having fun in the palace without knowing it. It wasn't until Yu Wenhua and led his army to attack the Forbidden Garden that he realized that something was wrong, but it was too late.
The mysterious disappearance of the envoy camp not only became a key part of the fall of Emperor Yang of Sui, but also became an unsolved mystery in history. Some people say that on the night of the fall of Jiangdu City, the sound of fighting was faintly heard in the wilderness outside the city. That may be the last struggle for the envoys, and it is also their last loyalty to Emperor Yang of Sui.
This elite division, which once made Emperor Yang of Sui proud, quietly disappeared in the whirlpool of history. Their ending is not only a personal tragedy, but also a microcosm of the end of a dynasty. And the unveiling of this mystery also cast a more sad color on Emperor Yang of Sui's last moments.
Give the last moments of the embassy camp
In March of the fourteenth year of the Great Cause (618), the situation in Jiangdu City changed abruptly. The mysterious disappearance of the envoy camp left Emperor Yang of Sui without the last barrier, and Yu Wenhua's army had already arrived in the city. At this life-and-death moment, the soldiers of the embassy camp are experiencing the last battle of their lives.
According to later historical records, when the envoys were lured to a "secret camp" outside the city, they quickly discovered the anomaly. Commander Shen Guang was the first to sense that something was wrong with the surrounding atmosphere, and he immediately ordered the entire army to be on alert. At this moment, the rebels who were lying in ambush suddenly attacked.
In the face of a sudden attack, the soldiers of the embassy battalion quickly organized a defense. Although there are not many of them, each of them is one in a hundred elites. Shen Guang shouted loudly: "Brothers, we have fallen for a trick! Now there is only one way to fight your way! "
The soldiers of the embassy camp immediately formed a battle formation, back-to-back to form a defensive circle. The ring-headed knives in their hands shimmered in the moonlight, and each swing took the lives of several enemies. Although the rebels were outnumbered, they were unable to break through the defensive line of the envoy camp for a while.
The battle lasted all night. Although the soldiers of the embassy battalion fought bloodily, they were outnumbered after all. By daybreak, their numbers had dwindled to less than a hundred. At this moment, Shen Guang suddenly noticed that a group of cavalry was approaching in the distance.
"Is it reinforcements?" Someone shouted in surprise. But Shen Guang quickly recognized that it was Yu Wenhua's pro-soldier team. He knew that this meant that Jiangdu City had fallen and the emperor might have been killed.
Shen Guang looked around, looked at the tired faces of the remaining brethren, and suddenly made an astonishing decision. He shouted, "Brothers, the emperor has been killed, and our mission has ended. Now, as the Commander, I give one last order - disband! Let's run for your life! "
This order stunned everyone. Someone asked incredulously, "Commander, are we going to give up like this?" "
Shen Guang smiled bitterly and said, "We have done our best. Now to continue fighting is just to die in vain. To be alive is to have a chance to avenge Your Majesty! "
In this way, the last group of soldiers who gave the embassy camp were reluctantly disbanded. Some of them blended in with the rebels, some escaped from the encirclement, and some chose to commit suicide. And Shen Guang himself, with a few cronies, rushed to the direction of Yu Wenhua, trying to make a final desperate fight.
It is said that when Yu Wenhua saw Shen Guang leading the remnants to charge, he couldn't help but admire: "What a man!" It's a pity that allegiance to the wrong master. Subsequently, he personally led his own troops to meet the battle. After a fierce fight, Shen Guang finally fell under Yu Wenhuaji's knife.
In this way, the once majestic envoy camp completely disappeared at this bloody dawn. Their ending became a microcosm of the fall of the Sui Dynasty.
However, the story of the envoy camp does not end there. In the years that followed, a number of people claiming to be survivors of the embassy appeared. Some of them joined the rebel army, some lived an ordinary life incognito, and some are said to have joined Li Tang's army and contributed to the establishment of the new dynasty.
There is a widespread legend that after Tang Gaozu Li Yuan established the Tang Dynasty, a veteran soldier came to Chang'an City and claimed to be a survivor of the envoy camp. He told Li Yuan about the last battle for the embassy camp and expressed his willingness to serve the new dynasty. Li Yuan was moved by his loyalty and appointed him as the general of the forbidden army.
The authenticity of this story is impossible to verify, but it reflects the nostalgia and admiration for the envoy camp. In later generations, the envoy camp became a symbol of loyalty and courage. Their stories were compiled into dramas and widely circulated among the people.
The last moments given to the embassy camp were not only the demise of an elite army, but also the end of an era. Their loyalty and courage became a model for later generations of soldiers. And their tragic ending has also become a microcosm of countless ups and downs in history.
Historical influence and legacy for the embassy
The mysterious disappearance and tragic ending of the envoy camp not only became a microcosm of the turbulent period at the end of the Sui Dynasty, but also had a profound impact on later generations. Although this elite army, which once made Emperor Yang of Sui proud, disappeared in the whirlpool of history, their spirit and tradition have left a deep imprint on the military system and culture of later generations.
First of all, the way in which the envoy battalions were formed and the management system had an important impact on the military reform of the Tang Dynasty. After the establishment of the new dynasty, Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, deeply felt the importance of the forbidden army, so he referred to the model of giving the envoy camp and formed the famous "Sixteen Guards". This new forbidden army not only refers to the strict requirements for the envoy battalion in the selection criteria, but also draws on the experience of the envoy battalion in its training methods and management system. For example, the Tang Dynasty forbidden army also implemented a rotation system to ensure the safety of the emperor.
Secondly, the spirit of loyalty to the embassy camp became a model of loyalty to later generations of soldiers. Although the envoys failed to protect Emperor Yang of Sui in the end, their heroic resistance at the last moment became a symbol of loyalty and courage. After the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan repeatedly mentioned the deeds of the envoys at the court meeting to encourage the soldiers of the new dynasty. According to the "Old Tang Book", Tang Gaozu once said: "Although the camp is dead, the loyalty and martyrdom are commendable." You should be loyal to him, not his death. "
Among the people, the story of the envoy camp was also widely circulated, and gradually evolved into multiple versions of the legend. The most famous of these is the story of the "Zhao Orphan". It is said that after the destruction of the envoy camp, the orphan of a soldier was rescued by a loyal servant, and when he grew up, he joined the Tang Army and finally avenged his father. The story was later adapted into an opera and became one of the masterpieces of classical Chinese drama.
The legacy given to the embassy camp is also reflected in the development of military equipment. The special ring-headed knife used by the embassy camp was widely adopted by the Tang Dynasty army because of its sharpness and practicality. The famous "horizontal knife" in the Tang Dynasty was improved on the basis of the first knife for the envoy ring. This weapon was not only popular among the Tang Dynasty army, but also spread to Japan through the Silk Road, becoming one of the prototypes of the katana.
In terms of military training, some of the unique techniques given to the envoy battalion were also inherited by later generations of troops. For example, the "eighteen kinds of martial arts" that the envoy battalion is good at became a compulsory course for the forbidden army in the Tang Dynasty. Among them, the cavalry and archery skills were the housekeeping skills of the cavalry of the Tang Dynasty, and they made great contributions to the expansion of the territory of the Tang Dynasty.
The influence on the embassy camp even extended to the realm of literature. In the Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi's famous work "Song of Long Hatred", the sentence "looking back at the harmony of blood and tears" is considered to be an allusion to the last tragic scene of the embassy camp. In addition, there were also a number of poems in the Tang Dynasty that sang to the embassy camp, although most of them have been dispersed, but from the existing words, we can still feel the status of the embassy camp in the hearts of the people at that time.
It is worth mentioning that the legacy given to the envoy camp was not limited to the Tang Dynasty. In later military writings, the envoy battalion was often used as a model for elite troops. Zeng Gongliang, a famous military strategist of the Song Dynasty, mentioned the envoy camp many times in the "General Essentials of the Martial Arts", believing that its selection and training methods are worthy of reference for future generations.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the legend of the envoy camp was processed into a number of novels and operas. The most famous of these is Feng Menglong's History of Emperor Yan of the Sui Dynasty in the Ming Dynasty, which describes in detail the establishment, development and destruction of the envoy camp.
In general, although the envoy camp only existed as an army for a short period of ten years, its influence spanned several dynasties. From the military system to cultural inheritance, from the development of weapons to literary creation, the legacy of the embassy camp has been integrated into the long river of Chinese history in various forms. Its existence is not only a microcosm of the turbulent period at the end of the Sui Dynasty, but also an important node in the development of China's military culture.