985 years ago today, on May 1, 1040 (March 18, 1040 lunar calendar), the Battle of Sanchuankou. The Battle of Sanchuankou, also known as the Battle of Yanzhou, on May 1, 1080 (March 18, lunar calendar), was a major battle between the Northern Song Dynasty and the Western Xia Dynasty. It ended with Song defeating Xia. Background Before the establishment of the Western Xia Dynasty, Yuan Hao adopted the strategy of allied with the Liao Dynasty to resist the Song Dynasty, attacking the borders of the Song Dynasty many times, expanding his territory and plundering property. Due to the corruption of the ruling class of the Northern Song Dynasty and the policy of humiliating and conceding, Yuan Hao's ambitions for continuous plunder and expansion were further fueled. In the second year after the founding of the Western Xia Dynasty, Yuan Hao began to attack the borders of the Song Dynasty in order to further improve the national prestige and force the Song Dynasty to recognize the status of the Western Xia Dynasty. Yanzhou was not only a military important place on the northwest border of the Song Dynasty, but also a key point for the Western Xia Dynasty to enter and exit. Therefore, it became Yuan Hao's first target in the war against the Song Dynasty. In March of the second year of Baoyuan in the Northern Song Dynasty (1040), the Western Xia Jingzong Yuan Hao attacked the Song Dynasty, and the Xia army broke in from Tumen (now northwest of Ansai in Shaanxi) and attacked Jinmingzhai (now south of Ansai in Shaanxi). Jinmingzhai was located in the north of Yanzhou (now Yan'an in Shaanxi), surrounded by 36 villages, which were guarded by Li Shibin, the governor of the capital, and his troops. On the one hand, Yuan Hao led his army to feint Jinmingzhai in the Northern Song Dynasty (now south of Ansai in Shaanxi), while sending a letter to Fan Yong, the governor of Yanzhou (now Yan'an in Shaanxi) in the Song Dynasty, expressing his willingness to negotiate peace with the Song Fan Yong believed it, immediately wrote to the court, and relaxed the defense of Yanzhou. On the morning of the 18th, the soldiers went to bed after disarming their armor, but were captured by the rebels, and the fortresses fell apart. Yanzhou (the military command center of the Song army on the front line in Shaanxi, now Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province) Governor Fan Yong (who also served as the Jiedu envoy of the Zhenwu Army and the supreme commander of the front line in Shaanxi) hurriedly ordered Liu Ping, the deputy capital of Huanqing, stationed in Qingzhou (now Qingcheng County, Gansu Province), to lead 3,000 troops, Shi Yuansun, who was stationed in the security army 85 kilometers northwest of Yanzhou (now Security Town, Zhidan County, Shaanxi Province), and Huang Dehe, who was stationed a little north of the security army, went north to retake Saimen Village after the security converged. The three armies converged on the 19th of the first lunar month, but at this time Yuan Hao went south to break through Jinmingzhai, 30 kilometers north of Yanzhou City (now north of Yanhewan Town, Ansai County, Shaanxi Province). At this time, Yanzhou City had lost the last barrier and was directly exposed to the Western Xia army. Fan Yong then ordered Liu Ping, Shi Yuansun, Huang Dehe and the army to quickly return to Yanzhou to assist. Yuan Hao adopted the tactic of besieging and supporting, that is, sending a small number of lures to surround Yanzhou City to bluff, and sending heavy troops to set up an ambush on the road that Song reinforcements must pass through. Guo Zun suggested to investigate first and then advance, but Liu Ping did not listen. On the night of the 22nd, when they reached the camp 10 miles west of Sanchuankou (now northwest of Yan'an, Shaanxi Province), they were ambushed by the Western Xia army and encountered the Western Xia army heavily surrounded. Liu Ping ordered Guo Zun and Wang Xin to take the cavalry halfway across the border and attack. A soldier under Li Yuanhao's army threatened to capture Guo Zun. Guo Zun "will die on time, and he will go in and out of the line alone". He waved an iron pestle and smashed his head, and both armies shouted. The Song army fought hard with the Xia army, and the Western Xia army suffered heavy losses. But because they were outnumbered, Liu Ping and Shi Yuansun led the disabled soldiers to retreat to the southwest mountain and set up a fortress to resist. Yuan Hao wrote letters many times to persuade Liu Ping to surrender, but Liu Pingning would rather die. Guo Zun went out of three and entered the enemy camp, killing hundreds of people. His mount was shot, and his horse Liu Ping sent his son Liu Yisun to ask Huang Dehe for help: "When the troops are returned, and the thieves are rejected, how can they be led there first!", making him fight back. Huang Dehe fled to Ganquan (now in Shaanxi). After the Xia army wiped out Liu and Shibu at the mouth of Sanchuankou, they gathered their troops under Yanzhou City and prepared to siege the city, and Yanzhou was in danger. At this time, it happened to be snowing heavily, the wind was cold, and the Xia army lacked cold clothes, so the military discipline was relaxed. Later, because Song general Xu Dehuai had ambushed Yuan Hao, the army had no intention of fighting again. Yuan Hao had to report to the coach of Song Linzhou, Jiemin, and Rouyuanzhai, who advocated that Wang Zhongbao lead his troops into the summer realm, so he led his army back to the division, and Yanzhou was cleared. Although the Song Dynasty successfully resisted the invasion of the Western Xia army, there were too many losses, and the Song Dynasty's defense of the border between Gansu and Shaanxi and Qingning was also in a passive position. The map of the territory of the Western Xia Dynasty influenced the Battle of Sanchuankou, which laid a military foundation for the survival and development of the Western Xia Dynasty. After the defeat of Sanchuankou, Huang Dehe falsely accused Liu Ping of surrendering to the enemy, and Liu Ping's family was arrested by the authorities. Two soldiers in Jinmingzhai fled back to explain the truth. The palace attendant, Shi Wenyanbo, was imprisoned in the River Mansion and sent Pang Ji to investigate. After the investigation, Pang Ji said, "Dehe retreated and was punished. Liu Ping fought but died, and his descendants should be compensated." Huang Dehe was sentenced to be At this time, Song Ting thought that Liu Ping was dead, and posthumously gave Shuo Fang Jiedu an envoy, posthumously Zhuangwu, "the descendants and all the disciples are excellent." Soon, someone from the party came to report that Liu Ping "did not die in Xingzhou, and gave birth to a child among thieves." Song Ting did not believe it. Later, Shi Yuan Sunfang, who was also captured, returned to Song to confirm that Liu Ping was not dead. Liu Ping later died in Xingzhou.