Today, the History Encyclopedia editor brings you the story of Ge Shuhan. Interested readers can follow the editor to take a look together.
In the prosperous era of the Tang Dynasty, not only did it have a magnificent coat, but it also had a group of soldiers who guarded the border. They were willing to sacrifice their lives and shed their blood for the Tang Dynasty, such as Gao Xianzhi, Feng Changqing, Guo Ziyi, Li Guangbi, and so on. Among them, there was a famous general named Ge Shuhan who spent his whole life in the military and made great contributions to the Tang Dynasty. In the battle to conquer Tibet, he became famous in one battle and was compared to the shining star of the North Star by some people. But in the end, he ended up with a late death. What happened?
Ge Shuhan comes from a prominent family, with his father being the Deputy Protector of Anxi and his mother being a princess of the King of Khotan. He is from a prestigious family. According to the current saying, it means the second generation of officials and the second generation of wealthy people, with such superior background conditions, struggling seems far away from Ge Shuhan.
But unexpected events can happen, and misfortune can bring good fortune to people. In his forties, his father, who was the pillar of the family, passed away, and people left in the cold. Usually, the mansion was bustling with people outside, but now there are sparrows outside the door. Moreover, Ge Shuhan was ridiculed by his clan for only relying on his father and having no ability. After being stimulated, Ge Shuhan sought refuge with the Hexi Jiedushi and vowed to make a name for himself.
Due to his privileged background, Ge Shuhan began to read poetry and books extensively since childhood. In addition, he was also interested in marching and fighting, and put a lot of effort into it. In 742 AD, Gao Shuhan received his first appointment and his prestige gradually increased. Four years later, Ge Shuhan was appointed to conquer Tubo. Although facing the Tubo army with a clear numerical advantage, Ge Shuhan did not panic, but calmly responded, leading his soldiers to a great victory over the Tubo army. He became famous in the Battle of the Sea. Afterwards, Geshu Han repeatedly launched expeditions, and the Tubo army was already scared out of their wits when they heard of Geshu Han’s reputation and dared not engage in battle with him.
Under the unremitting efforts of Ge Shuhan, the territory of the Tang Dynasty grew larger and richer, and Emperor Xuanzong highly praised Ge Shuhan. I originally thought that Ge Shuhan would definitely make some achievements, but things didn’t go as planned. In 755 AD, the An Lushan Rebellion broke out, and An Lushan led his troops to approach Chang’an. Ge Shuhan was ordered to guard the gateway of Chang’an – Tongguan.
Based on his own combat experience, Ge Shuhan decided to wait by the tree for a rabbit, to rest for labor, and to drag down the rebels. However, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was not willing to do so. The rebels were right at his doorstep, so why didn’t they take the initiative to fight back and wait to be attacked? So, repeatedly, he ordered Ge Shuhan to take the initiative to attack. The imperial order is difficult to disobey, and Geshu led troops to launch a campaign.
The Lingbao Battle was about to break out, and Ge Shuhan launched a head-on attack on the rebels. However, who would have expected that the rebels would intentionally show weakness and lure the Tang army into the valley pass. After all the Tang army entered the narrow passage, huge rocks, rolling logs, and rockets flooded in, causing chaos and trampling on each other, resulting in heavy casualties. The 200000 strong army was almost exhausted. As a famous general of the Tang army, Ge Shuhan not only suffered casualties in this battle, but also knelt down and begged for mercy, voluntarily surrendering to An Lushan. An Lushan imprisoned Ge Shuhan. The following year, the rebels suffered a major defeat and Geshu Han was beheaded.
Ge Shuhan’s former glory was dazzling, but he made a completely unexpected move in the Battle of Lingbao, risking his life for over a year of imprisonment. The imagination left for future generations is becoming increasingly rich.
