Tuoba Tao Drives Northern Wei Forward

Liu Yu replaced Eastern Jin with Liu Song, opening the Southern Dynasties.

In the north, another new force was taking shape around a young emperor. He would push Northern Wei toward the unification of the north.

A Young Emperor Takes the Throne

The Southern Dynasties are usually counted from Liu Song's founding in 420. The Northern Dynasties are often counted from 439, when Northern Wei unified the north.

The key figure behind that northern unification was Tuoba Tao, Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei.

Tuoba Tao was the eldest son of Tuoba Si, Emperor Mingyuan. In 423, Tuoba Si died, and the fifteen-year-old Tuoba Tao took the throne at Pingcheng.

The north was still divided. Xia, Northern Liang, and Western Qin remained in the west. Northern Yan held the northeast. On the steppe stood Rouran.

The first power to test the young emperor was Rouran.

Rouran Tests Him First

The Rouran khagan Yujiulu Datan heard that Northern Wei had a new young ruler and judged that it was time to raid south.

He sent 60,000 cavalry into northern Wei territory and occupied the old capital Shengle.

Tuoba Tao could not ignore this. Rouran's move said openly that it did not fear the young emperor.

He personally led troops to Yunzhong and surrounded the Rouran army. In the confusion of battle, he shot and killed an important Rouran commander himself.

The Rouran force lost order. Wei counterattacked, drove it back, and recovered Shengle.

After returning to Pingcheng, Tuoba Tao did not stop. He gathered tens of thousands of soldiers, sent five routes across the desert, and attacked the Rouran heartland. He allowed the troops to carry only fifteen days of food.

With no easy retreat, all five armies pressed hard. Rouran fled north in disorder.

Tuoba Tao wanted to continue pursuit. Then news arrived: Helian Bobo of Xia had died, and his son Helian Chang had succeeded him.

Northern Wei turned toward Xia.

Cui Hao Urges a War Against Xia

Tuoba Tao asked his ministers whether he should continue against Rouran or attack the Helian clan first.

Many officials thought Rouran had already retreated and should be pursued. They were unsure about fighting Xia.

The old minister Cui Hao disagreed.

He argued that Rouran followed water and grass, so Wei might not find its main force. Xia, by contrast, had limited territory and brutal rule. Helian Chang had just taken the throne. If Wei did not attack now, the chance might pass.

Tuoba Tao valued Cui Hao's advice and chose to attack Xia.

He sent Xi Jin against Puban, Zhou Ji against Shancheng, and personally led the main force toward Tongwan, Xia's capital.

Tongwan, in today's Jingbian area of Shaanxi, had been carefully built by Helian Bobo and had strong walls.

When Northern Wei suddenly marched south, Xia was still tangled with Western Qin and Northern Liang. Tuoba Tao reached Tongwan quickly and defeated Xia troops outside.

One gate was not fully closed, and Wei troops rushed into the outer city. Helian Chang withdrew into the palace city and closed the inner gates. Tuoba Tao could not break through at once.

The weather grew cold. Wei troops struggled with food and warmth. Tuoba Tao withdrew and prepared to return the next year.

The next year, Wei removed livestock and people around Tongwan, leaving Helian Chang with an isolated city.

Although Tongwan did not fall immediately, the other routes succeeded. Northern Wei took Hongnong, Puban, and Chang'an, effectively seizing Guanzhong.

Chang'an and Tongwan

When news of Chang'an's fall reached Tongwan, Helian Chang was furious. He recalled his younger brother Helian Ding and ordered him to gather forces to retake Chang'an.

Xi Jin held Chang'an with more than 50,000 Wei troops. His force was mostly cavalry, so he did not sit inside the city. He moved outside for open battle.

Helian Ding also chose to fight Wei cavalry directly. The two sides fought from the first month into the third, with heavy losses.

While Xia's main force was tied near Chang'an, Tuoba Tao prepared to attack Tongwan again.

This time he mobilized 200,000 troops. On the way, he grew impatient with the pace and wanted to ride ahead with cavalry.

Ministers urged him to wait for infantry and siege equipment. Tongwan was too strong, they said.

Tuoba Tao judged differently. If Helian Chang saw infantry and siege machines arrive, he would stay behind the walls. Better to bring cavalry first, provoke him, and draw him out.

The ministers could not stop him. Tuoba Tao selected 30,000 elite cavalry and reached Tongwan. He hid the main force and used only a few hundred riders to challenge the city.

Helian Chang took the bait and sent 30,000 troops out in pursuit. Some of Tuoba Tao's own men grew nervous and withdrew toward camp.

Just as Wei prepared to counterattack, a violent wind rose, blowing yellow sand toward the Wei army.

Some suggested withdrawing. Cui Hao again spoke against it. Xia troops had rushed forward for glory and had no support. If Wei sent forces around their rear, victory was still possible.

Tuoba Tao steadied the army and ordered troops to strike Xia from behind.

In the sandstorm, the two armies fought in confusion. Tuoba Tao's horse panicked and threw him. Xia soldiers thought they had a chance, but he mounted again and killed several attackers.

Xia morale broke. Wei pursued all the way to Tongwan.

From the walls, Helian Chang saw Wei turn defeat into victory and fled. Tongwan fell to Northern Wei.

Helian Chang Is Captured

After Tongwan fell, the Chang'an front changed too. Reinforcements Tuoba Tao had sent to Xi Jin forced Helian Ding to return to Helian Chang.

Tuoba Tao ordered Xi Jin back to Pingcheng. Xi Jin felt the campaign was not finished and asked to keep pursuing.

Tuoba Tao considered this close to disobedience, but still gave him 10,000 soldiers and 3,000 horses.

Xi Jin and Helian Chang faced each other at Anding. The distance from Pingcheng made supply difficult. Over time, Wei troops had to kill horses for food.

Xia also suffered. Helian Chang often sent troops to cut off Wei foraging parties and later came to challenge Anding directly.

One day, Xia troops appeared below the city again. Wei soldiers gathered their last 200 cavalry to answer. Just as the sides formed up, another violent wind blew. Wei cavalry charged through the confusion toward Helian Chang.

Helian Chang fled, fell from his horse, and was captured. He was sent to Pingcheng.

Tuoba Tao did not kill him. Helian Chang was handsome and strong, and Tuoba Tao seems to have felt some admiration for him.

Officials warned that he might cause trouble. Tuoba Tao replied that Heaven's mandate was with him, so there was nothing to fear.

Xi Jin Fails and Chang'an Is Lost Again

After Helian Chang's capture, his brother Helian Ding withdrew to Pingliang and declared himself emperor.

Xi Jin wanted another success. He left baggage at Anding under Qiu Dui and took only three days of food for a light attack on Pingliang.

There were two roads from Anding to Pingliang. Xi Jin chose the mountain route. The plan leaked. Helian Ding knew the Wei force had little food and water, so he cut its road and water supply.

Wei troops suffered terribly from thirst, and thousands died. Xi Jin was captured alive.

Qiu Dui heard that Xi Jin had been captured and panicked. He abandoned the baggage and fled toward Chang'an. Helian Ding pursued, and Qiu Dui could not resist. He abandoned Chang'an.

After several turns, Chang'an fell back to Xia.

Tuoba Tao was furious. Wei had taken Tongwan, Chang'an, and Guanzhong, only for Xi Jin's reckless advance and Qiu Dui's flight to ruin the situation.

Rouran also used the moment to raid again.

Rouran Is Hit Again

Tuoba Tao was already angry. When he heard that Rouran had returned, he prepared to campaign personally.

The official Zhang Yuan objected. Rouran was far in the northern desert, and even if Wei won, the land would be hard to hold.

Cui Hao answered that Rouran had once been subordinate to Wei and had now rebelled. It had to be punished.

Tuoba Tao still had one concern. Liu Song in the south often spoke of northern expeditions. If Wei's main force went far north against Rouran, what would happen if the south moved?

Cui Hao replied that Wei could not focus south unless it first defeated Rouran. Liu Song relied mainly on infantry. Marching north would be difficult for them, while Wei cavalry could move south more easily when needed.

Tuoba Tao accepted this. He rode out from Pingcheng, went deep into the desert, and struck Rouran camps.

Rouran herders did not expect Wei to appear so suddenly. They scattered. Wei pursued and captured large numbers of people, cattle, and sheep.

Rouran was badly hurt and did not easily challenge Northern Wei again for some time.

Xia Ends

After Rouran was checked, Northern Wei received another piece of news: Helian Ding's head had been sent to Tuoba Tao.

Xia had long been hostile to Western Qin. After Wei withdrew, Helian Ding believed he had room to breathe and attacked Western Qin.

In 431, he destroyed Western Qin and killed its last ruler, Qifu Mumo.

Then Helian Ding prepared to cross the Yellow River and attack Northern Liang. On the way, Tuyuhun attacked him. He was defeated and captured. Tuyuhun was subordinate to Northern Wei, so it sent Helian Ding to Wei.

Xia ended after a little more than twenty years. Rouran had been hit hard, Xia was gone, and Western Qin had disappeared too.

Northern Wei's road to unifying the north had become clear.

But the hard wars were not over. Northern Yan still stood in the east, and Northern Liang still stood in the west. To become the new master of the north, Tuoba Tao had to recover both directions.