Shence Army: It was originally a frontier army but became a forbidden army. What is the reason for this?

In China's thousands of years of history, there have always been wars. In wars, apart from the economy, the army has always been an important part of the war. Among the many famous armies, this army is quite unique. It was originally a border guard guarding the frontier, but it turned into a forbidden army guarding the capital. It was originally led by a border general, but later it was led by an eunuch. Not only that, but under the leadership of the eunuch was quite powerful. This army was the backbone of the middle and late periods of the Tang Dynasty, and his existence only continued the Guo Zuo of the Tang Dynasty. His name was Shence Army.

神策军's predecessor

Speaking of the Shence Army, his birth is still thanks to the blessing of the Great Tang War God Brother Shuhan. Although Ge Shuhan was annihilated in the Lingbao battle with the Anlushan rebels in his later years, this did not conceal Ge Shuhan's greatness. After all, in the late Xuanzong period of Jun Wuchen, like most generals, some things were inevitable. Speaking of our Shence Army, the Shence Army was a frontier army set up by Ge Shuhan to prevent the Tubo attack. At that time, the Shence Army was commanded by General Cheng Rumiao under Ge Shuhan. Seven other armies were established at the same time as Shence Army, namely Ningbian, Weisheng, Jintian, Wuning, Yaowu, Tiancheng, Zhenwei, Shence .

The Shence Army that started with is not so magical. It is only one of the eight military regions in Longyou. In front of the Anxi Iron Army, the Shence Army is only a small role. However, the fate of the army is the same as that of people. During the Tianbao reign, the Anshi Rebellion broke out. A large number of frontier troops were transferred to the inland to counter the rebellion. The Shence army also entered the inland like most frontier troops. At this time, the Shence Army led Wei Boyu into the Central Plains by Cheng Rumiao's troops, with only a few thousand troops.

In the battle of Xiangzhou in the second year of Qianyuan, Shi Siming taught him the nine Jiedu. Although the responsibility is Yuchao's favor, who is Yuchao's favor , Of course, a great shift in the world went to Guo Ziyi. At this time, the Shence Army was arranged as a second-rate army to defend against the rebels in Shanzhou. Since Longyou, the station of the Shence Army, had been captured by Tubo, Wei Boyu, the commander of the Shence Army, became the Jiedushi.

Later, Wei Boyu was transferred, and Shaanzhou Jiedu sent Guo Yingyi to manage the Shence Army. Later, due to Guo Yingyi's transfer, this army was in charge of the Tang Dynasty eunuch Yu Chaoen, who still used the name of Shence Army. Of course, this name will remain with him from now on until the end of Datang. Therefore, the main force of the Shence Army was composed of the second-rate border army in Longyou and the local army in Shanzhou. These troops are incomparable to the Anxi Iron Army, but they are still comparable to the general military.

神策军 replaced the Forbidden Army

In the first year of Guangde (763), due to the loss of Longyou, the buffer zone in Chang'an was drastically reduced, and the Tubo drove straight into Chang'an. Because the combat effectiveness of the Forbidden Army has not been strong, as Xiao Gui said: "The best player from a thousand miles away is abandoned here." The broken Forbidden Army fled, and Daizong fled to Shanzhou.

As "Old Tang Book" said: "When the forbidden army does not gather, the enlistment is separated." At this time, Yu Chaoen leads the divine strategy army Appeared, "旧唐书" records: "It is also an escort, but fortunately it is camped. The capital is Keping, and Chaoenyi ruled the army into the ban." The biggest credit is no more than rescue. When Chang'an was attacked by Tubo and Daizong was unattended, the divine strategy army led by Yu Chaoen was Daizong's life-saving straw.

Therefore, after the more secure Daizong regained Chang'an, he left the Shence Army by his side and transformed into a Forbidden Army. Yu Chaoen also became a big red man of Daizong, allowing him to act as a consolation envoy to the world. Speaking of this Guanjunrong, disposing of propaganda and comfort envoy, Yu Chaoen is really the most familiar official position.

According to the "Old Tang Book":

"Nine Jiedu discusses An Qingxu in Xiangzhou, and does not set up a commander in command. Chaoen will be used as an envoy for military performance and comfort. View Junrong使名, since Chaoen. ”

That year, Tang Suzong created such an official position, and the first one to hold this official position was Yu Chaoen. However, in the Xiangzhou offensive and defensive battle, the Yu Chao En's realization is not good. After all, it’s an eunuch. It’s better to hand it over to a military commander. Now it’s good. The first person who served as the military-level disposition propaganda consolation ambassador has now become the world’s military disposition disposition propaganda consolation ambassador. Not only that. Daguan, " enters and exits the ban, rewards are not counted." , after all, is a man of merit. After the Shence Army became a ban, it has also been expanded on a large scale and incorporated the army of the surrender of the Anshi Rebellion. Because of Daizong It was discovered that relying on these unconscionable jundus is better than relying on yourself. Later in the Dezong period, due to the more acute conflicts between the vassal rule, the Shence Army expanded to 150,000 again.

Since it has expanded to this Many people, what are the main functions of the Shence Army?

Shence Army Composition and Responsibilities

First, as the emperor forbidden army

according to "New Tang Book" records:

"Set up one general, second rank, and four generals, rank third. There are two soldiers in the army, and they are three ranks. One lieutenant in the defending army, one in the central defending army, three judges each, two judges, one judge each, one performance officer each, one accounting officer each, two Kongmu officers each, and a driving officer Two people each, one for each of Changshi, Recording and Military Affairs, Cangcao Military Affairs, Bingcao Military Affairs, and Cangcao Military Affairs, two in the division ranks, three in each division, five divisions in each rank, and five divisions in the ranks. ten people. "

According to these official positions, you will find that his official position is somewhat similar to that of the Forbidden Army. The official position of the Longwu Army in the Xuanzong period was based on "Tang Liudian" 》 The main official position of the Shence Army is to imitate the Longwu Army. Later, his station was also in the Beiya, which belonged to the main force of the Beiya Forbidden Army.

Secondly, he participated in the battle as a directly under the central government

神策军's strong military force is not only due to being a central imperial army, but also because he has been fighting for many years in the Guanzhong area of ​​Gyeonggi. According to the "Old Tang Book" records, in the five years of Tang Dezong Zhenyuan, Tubo aggressively attacked Ningzhou as a Shence army The general Gao Chongwen led three thousand Shence troops to fight and defeated Tubo.

Again, in the eighth year of the Dali Wei Bo Jie, Tian Chengsi rebelled, and Li Chengzhao led the Shence Army to crusade. Moreover, the Shence Army was not only arranged in In Chang'an, the Zuo Shence Army is also deployed in the eight towns of Guannei Dao, and the Right Shence Army is also deployed in Guannei. Moreover, the Shence Army is mainly deployed in the northwest of Beijing, and its role is of course to prevent Tubo.

During the Bai Zhizhen rebellion during the Tang Dezong period, the Shence Army was led by eunuchs, and the Shence Army became an army directly commanded by the central government. In the middle and late Tang Dynasty, the Shence Army became less and less obedient to the central command. As the military pillar of the Tang Dynasty,

Third, as the central force absorbs the strength to reduce the source of troops

Here we have to talk about the source of the Shence army. God. In the Tang Dezong period, the army has reached 150,000 people. Of course, such a big issue of the source of troops is important. Its source of troops mainly depends on the following three types:

第一类, continue to collect the excellent Jiedushi Army. For example: "新唐书" records: " Zhen Guojun Jiedu made Luo Yuanguang from Hua (Zhou) led the army to destroy Liangyuan, Yuan Guang died, and the army entered the divine strategy. "

The second kind, annexed the army in the Guanzhong area of ​​Chang'an in the name of "Shence Army Camp". Therefore, it is recorded in the "New Tang Book": "The plug is often It is said that the battalion of the gods is in the middle, and its army is even 150,000. ”

The third type, , is mainly to recruit business and industry children in the Gyeonggi area of ​​Changan.

Because of the existence of the first two sources of troops, it not only guarantees the combat effectiveness of the Shence Army, but also balances the military balance between the feudal power and the central military. It is precisely because the Shence Army constantly annexed the fine soldiers of the feudal town that Datang was able to rely on this forbidden army to maintain the authority of the center. Otherwise, it can be imagined that the central government of the Tang Dynasty in the middle and late Tang, when the separatism of the town became more and more intense, was destroyed by the town long ago.

But after all, it should come back, the superiority of Shence Army turned into a disadvantage afterwards. As a forbidden army, the treatment of the Shence Army has always been higher than that of the Fanzhen soldiers, so later a large number of wealthy children have mixed into the Shence Army, such people have no combat effectiveness at all.

Again, since the main commander of the Shence Army after the Dezong was an eunuch, the eunuch’s ability to command troops was quite limited. Even the most capable Yu Chaoen couldn't fight the battle of Xiangzhou, not to mention the eunuchs behind. With the lack of talents in the later period, and the Shence Army became more of a tool for eunuchs to control the emperor, the towns became stronger and more difficult to merge, and the Shence Army's combat effectiveness was deteriorating. . "

In the Tang Xizong period, the Shence Army completely lost its effect. The source of troops was mainly industrial and commercial and the children of the wealthy family, and mainly played with the Emperor Xizong. When the Huang Chao army attacked Chang'an, you can imagine the result. Finally, such an army was established with the revival of the Tang Dynasty, and finally perished with the demise of the Tang Dynasty. With the demise of the Shence Army under the blow of Huang Chao, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty really became a "solitary family". , Was held hostage by Zhu Wen to Luoyang.

References:

• 《唐六典》
• 《新唐书》
• 《旧唐书》
• 《Exploration of the Five Dynasties Military System in the Middle and Late Tang Dynasty》