As we all know, Xiongnu is the first huge ethnic minority group in my country's history. It integrates many ethnic tribes and eventually becomes a powerful nomadic regime, posing a great threat to the Han people on the northern border of our country.
Because their living environment is very harsh and cold and windy all year round, not only are they hard and food too scarce, which makes the Huns desperately want to invade the Central Plains to plunder the means of production and expand their sphere of influence.
From the perspective of time, the Huns began to rise During the Warring States Period , when countries were busy with fighting between countries and had no time to worry about the invasion of the Huns. They took this opportunity to slowly rise and often invade on our borders.
In order to resist the Huns, the countries established their respective Great Wall . It was not until Qin Shihuang unified the six kingdoms that they began to truly attack the Huns. At that time, Qin Shihuang connected the Great Walls of Qin, Zhao and Yan and let people move there to live.
In this way, we can always pay attention to the Huns' every move, so that they will no longer be so easy to invade our borders. Qin Dynasty Meng Tian was also sent to fight the Huns. After long-term observation and practice, he found that planting elm trees on the border can form a natural barrier, which plays an important role in resisting and attacking the Huns.
There are so many kinds of ancient trees in my country, why did Meng Tian have a special liking for elm trees? What's strange about the elm tree? Today we will talk about this topic.
Elm trees can withstand wind and sand
0 During the Qin and Han dynasties, the places where the Central Plains fought against the Huns were mainly located on the border between Gansu and Inner Mongolia. Although the environment was not as harsh as it is now, it was also very cold and windy and sandy compared to the Central Plains.
The soldiers of the Huns have long been used to not affecting their marching and fighting because they have lived in such places for a long time. However, the soldiers of the Qin and Han dynasties have not lived in such an environment, so it is difficult for them to adapt to such living conditions, which seriously affects their combat effectiveness.
Elm can improve the impact of the environment on soldiers. It grows tall and has lush branches and leaves, which can block the wind and sand in the north. When the elm forms a scale, it is like a forest. After the conditions reach a certain level, it can also make the climate of the border warm and moist.
In the past, when soldiers were chasing the Huns, they were trapped in their place when they encountered heavy wind and sand. Not to mention that they could not even protect their lives if they hit the enemy. During the Qin and Han dynasties, many soldiers encountered wind and sand and were buried in the yellow sand while chasing the Huns soldiers, and since then they remained in this desert.
Nowadays, most of the wind and sand are blocked by trees. Not only will it not affect the soldiers' sight, but there is no need to be afraid of losing direction and chasing the enemy as much as possible. Moreover, this environment makes soldiers feel more comfortable, and while improving morale, they can also better engage in battle.
elm tree reduced the combat effectiveness of the Hun soldiers
Xiongnu soldiers rode horses on the frontier all year round, and their combat capabilities were far better than those of Qin and Han soldiers. In order to gain a certain advantage in the war, the elm tree could serve as an obstacle for Qin and Han soldiers to fight against the enemy.
When there was no elm forest before, the Qin Dynasty soldiers in the wasteland had no cover, and the Hun soldiers could see them at a glance. Now with the elm forest, the soldiers of the Qin Dynasty can hide in the woods, and catch them off guard after the Hun soldiers came to the woods.
We all know that elm trees are not as straight as those of poplar . Its torso is huge, its branches are twisted and strange in shape, its roots are higher than the ground, and you should be careful when walking.
Once the Hun soldiers enter the elm forest, their war horses cannot play their advantages, which can greatly reduce the combat effectiveness of the Hun soldiers. Even if the Hun cavalry is not only like the woods, when the Qin and Han soldiers emerge from the woods, it will make the Hun soldiers unclear how many soldiers there are, and an army of two hundred can create the feeling of two thousand people.
This war strategy can confuse the enemy, causing the Hun cavalry to lose their fighting spirit first. In this way, the soldiers of the Qin and Han dynasties can take the opportunity to attack the enemy, which can achieve twice the result with half the effort.
Elm can provide the materials needed for war
Now we rarely plant elm in the north, but instead plant poplar in large quantities, which has better sand resistance than elm. Then why did you only choose to plant elm trees during the Qin and Han dynasties? This shows the wisdom of people at that time.
As the saying goes, "the three armies will move forward before they move their food and grass." Elm trees have an important role that other trees do not have, that is, they can provide people's lives with various necessary materials.
In ancient times, transportation was underdeveloped, and the soldiers spent a long time traveling to the frontier to fight, and the amount of supplies needed during the war was huge.
If the imperial court does not have much military expenditure for the army, the soldiers on the frontier must find a way themselves. At this time, the elm tree can play a big role. The leaves of the elm tree can be eaten. The soldiers can use it to fill hunger and obtain water.
war horses also need a lot of food and grass. Elm leaves have high nutritional value for malay . They can not only meet their food needs, but also improve their immunity to reduce the chance of illness.
When the soldiers pursued the Huns, they could still fight even if there was no food and grass. Soldiers and war horses could eat elm seeds . Because the Huns were mainly meat-eating, they couldn't eat elm leaves, so it was difficult for them to live in the elm forest and could not fight for a long time.
In addition to the above functions, the branches of elm trees can be used to make fire, allowing soldiers to drive away the cold in cold weather. The burning branches can also cook, and soldiers can eat steaming food in cold weather, which is a great comfort for their physiological and psychological.
Elms are very hard and not easy to crack, nor will they rot because of moisture. They are very suitable for building materials. Soldiers can use elms to build houses and tents, build fortifications, build tanks, etc.
It is reported that in addition to being edible, the leaves of elm can also be used as medicine. After mashing the leaves of elm, add white wine to apply to the wound to stop bleeding and relieve pain. It also has the effect of accelerating bone growth for fractures. Boiling elm leaves in water can promote diuresis and relieve swelling, and it has a relief function for patients with swelling.
The branches of the elm tree have a special fragrance after igniting. People will feel nerve relaxation after smelling it. This is very practical for soldiers who have been fighting abroad for a long time. They can relax their nerves and sleep well, and can devote themselves to the battle the next day.
In ancient my country's science and technology were underdeveloped, and people did not have much knowledge to draw some conclusions based on their daily observations, and then apply them to life and work.
During the Qin Dynasty, large-scale planting of elm trees began to be carried out, mainly for war considerations. As mentioned above, elm trees are not only conducive to the war of soldiers, but also save military expenses for the court.
If the soldiers can eat well on the frontier, they can fight for a long time. If everyone has a stable mentality, it will be easier to win the war. Therefore, for the soldiers at that time, the elm trees growing on the frontier are full of treasures. Sometimes we have to admire the intelligence and wisdom of ancient people in the wild.
