The battle of Xiangfan was an important battle for the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty to eliminate the Southern Song Dynasty and unify China. This campaign began in the third year of Xianchun in the Southern Song Dynasty (1267), when Mongolian general Asu attacked Anyang Beach in Xiangyang, followed by the battle of Lu against encirclement and suppression in the Song Dynasty, the battle of Zhang Shun's hometown, the battle of Longweizhou and the battle of Fancheng, and ended in the ninth year of Xianchun (1273).
During the reign of Mongolia, Kublai Khan changed the attack focus of the War of Destroying the Song Dynasty to Xiangfan, realizing the transformation from the Sichuan-Sichuan battlefield to the Jingxiang battlefield. Xiangfan in the Southern Song Dynasty was located at the southern end of Nanyang Basin. Xiangyang and Fancheng are dependent on the Han River in the north and south, "connecting Jing and Yu, controlling the north and south". The terrain is very dangerous, and it has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times, and it is also an important town to resist the Mongolian army in the Southern Song Dynasty. In the third year of Xianchun (1267), Liu Zheng, commander-in-chief of the Southern Song Dynasty, offered Kublai Khan a plan to attack and destroy the Southern Song Dynasty, saying that "attack Xiangyang first and remove its cover". He believes that without the item, there is no Huai, and without Huai, Jiangnan is at your fingertips. Liu Zheng's suggestion of "attacking the Song Dynasty, first engaging in Xiangyang" was adopted by Kublai Khan, and song and yuan war entered a new stage of Yuan Army's strategic attack on the Southern Song Dynasty.
According to Liu Zheng's suggestion, Kublai Khan began to strategically encircle Xiangyang. First, establish a land stronghold as a base for attacking the Song Dynasty. As early as the summer of 126 1, Kublai Khan, at the suggestion of Liu Zheng, sent someone to bribe Lv Wende, the ambassador of Jinghu in the Southern Song Dynasty, and asked to set up an external meeting place in Xiangfan City. Lv Wende agreed. Mongolian emissary, in the name of anti-theft and cargo protection, asked to build an earth wall outside Xiangfan, and Lv Wende, who was short-sighted, agreed. So Yuan people built earth walls and fortresses in Lumen Mountain, southeast of Xiangfan, and established the first stronghold surrounding Xiangfan. In the fourth year of Xianchun (1268), Mongolian general Asu built forts in Lumenbao in the southeast of Xiangfan and Baihe City in the northeast, cutting off the road to aid Song Jun. In the sixth year of Xianchun (1 270), Baoshan Mountain, which was built in the west of Xiangfan, was surrounded by castles, and Xianshan Mountain and Hutou Mountain in the south were built. Secondly, establish a water army to seek the tactical advantage of conquering the Southern Song Dynasty. In the autumn of the third year of Xianchun (1267), Asu led an army to attack Xiangyang, and the prisoners returned slightly. When Song Jun returned to the army from Mongolia, he sent a water army to choke his way home in Anyang Beach, west of Xiangyang, and then sent a cavalry array. When the Mongolian army was in chaos, Marshal Asu fell from his horse and was almost captured by Song Jun. Meng Huai chose an easy-going foot soldier to swim and win the Song Jun warship, and the rest of the generals fought back Song Jun bravely and turned the defeat into victory. In the battle of Anyang Beach, although the Mongolian army defeated Song Jun, it exposed the weakness that the water army was not dominant. In the sixth year of Xian Chun (1270), Liu Zheng had a discussion with Asu. "I am a good soldier riding a sudden, and I am ruined, but the water war is not as good as Song Er. If you make use of your strengths, build warships and learn from the water army, it will help you. " Kublai Khan immediately ordered Liu Zheng to "build warships and learn from the water army" in an attempt to forge ahead in Xiangyang. Liu Zhengsui built 5,000 ships and practiced the water army day and night, and got 500 warships made in Sichuan provinces, thus establishing a large-scale water army, making up for the tactical disadvantages and preparing the necessary conditions for strategic attack. From the fourth year of Xianchun (1268), when the Mongolian army built Lumen Fort and restored Baihe City, to the sixth year of Xianchun (1270), Xiangyang was completely surrounded and the Mongolian army was in a strategic advantage. In order to save the crisis, the government of the Southern Song Dynasty launched an anti-encirclement campaign to help Xiangfan, thus opening the prelude to the Xiangfan War.
In the winter of the third year of Xianchun (1267), Lu was appointed as the satrap of Xiangyang and the deputy envoy of Anfu in the Southern Song Dynasty. The following year 1 1 month, in order to break the siege of Lumeng and Baihe, Lu ordered Xiangyang defenders to attack the Mongolian army, but they were defeated by the Mongolian army, causing heavy casualties. In March of the fifth year of Xianchun (1269), Zhang Shijie led by Song Dynasty fought against the Mongolian army surrounded by Fancheng, and was defeated by Asu. In July, Xia Gui, commander of the Yangtze River, led an army to rescue Xiangyang. Ambushed by Mongolian and Han armies, defeated by Huweizhou, lost more than 2000 people and 50 warships. In the spring of the sixth year (1270), Lu sent troops to Xiangyang and attacked Wanshanbao. The Mongolian army lured the enemy further, taking advantage of Song Jun's low morale, Zhang Hongfan and Li Ting fought back, and Song Jun was defeated. In September, Song Dian's former deputy viceroy, Fan, led the water army to reinforce Xiangyang, and the land and water armies met him, defeating Song Jun, and Fan fled back to his hometown. In the seventh year of Xianchun (127 1), Fan helped Xiang again, and the Mongolian general Ashu led the generals to meet the enemy. Song Jun was defeated and lost more than 100 warships.
In the spring of the eighth year of Xianchun (1272), the Yuan army launched a general attack on Fancheng, and the battle of Xiangfan officially began. In March, Asu, Liu Zheng and Ali Haig led the Mongolian army to attack Fancheng, breached the city wall, built a tight encirclement, and further narrowed the encirclement. Song Jun had to retreat to the inner city and stick to it. In April, the construction of Jinghu Lake in the Southern Song Dynasty made Li Tingzhi recruit more than 3,000 militiamen from Xiangyang Prefecture (now Xiangfan City, Hubei Province) and Yunzhou County (now Zhongxiang County, Hubei Province), and sent general managers Zhang Shun, Zhang Gui and Lv Fenzhong to lead the troops to rescue Xiangyang. Two men led 100 canoes, 3,000 infantry and a lot of supplies. Before leaving, Zhang Shun encouraged his foot soldiers and said, "This rescue operation in Xiangyang is very arduous. Everyone should have the determination and fighting spirit to die. Some of you are not voluntary, so leave quickly and don't affect this rescue incident. " At that time, 3000 water troops were all excited and high-spirited, indicating their determination to complete the task. In May, the rescue war started. Two ships assembled in Gaotou Port, and the ships were connected into a phalanx. Every ship is equipped with muskets and artillery to prepare for bow and crossbow. Zhang Gui was in the front, Zhang Shun was in the back, and they broke into the encirclement of the Yuan Army. When the fleet arrived at Mohongtan, it was blocked by Mongolian ships and could not pass. Zhang Gui led the army to storm, and the soldiers launched a high-altitude attack. They first shot at the enemy ships with strong crossbows, and then fought hand-to-hand with big axes, breaking through heavy blockades. Yuan army was killed and flooded, and countless people died. Song Jun arrived in Xiangyang City smoothly. At that time, Xiangyang had been trapped for five years, and two successful aid projects greatly inspired the fighting spirit of the military and civilians in the city. However, Zhang Shun was killed in this battle. A few days later, Xiangyang soldiers and civilians caught his body in the water, wearing armor and a bow, glaring. Xiangyang soldiers and civilians buried Zhang Shun with deep admiration and set up a temple for sacrifice. Although Zhang Gui's aid brought hope to Xiangyang defenders, the situation was still grim under the tight blockade of Yuan Army. Zhang Gui contacted Fan, the director of Yunzhou Temple, and agreed to attack the north and the south, so as to open up Xiangyang's external communication line. He plans to meet five thousand troops led by Fan in Longweizhou, and Zhang Gui leads the army to meet Fan. Zhang Gui said goodbye to Lu on the appointed date, led 3,000 soldiers down the Han River, counted the soldiers, and found that one Qinbing was missing and was whipped for violating military orders. Zhang Gui was surprised and said to the soldiers, "Our plan has been leaked. Only by attacking quickly, the enemy may not have time to get the news. " They decisively changed their covert actions, fired at night and set sail, breaking through the encirclement. In the Yuan Army, Asu and Liu Zheng learned that Zhang Gui had broken through and sent tens of thousands of people to intercept and block the river. Zhang Gui walked and hit, approaching Longweizhou. Under the lamplight, I saw warships flying like clouds in the direction of Longweizhou, waving flags, thinking that Fan was supporting the troops and showing off his strength. When another ship saw the light, it came head on. As we approached, we found that all the ships were Yuan troops. They occupied Longweizhou first and waited for the opportunity. The Song and Yuan armies launched an encounter in Longweizhou. Song Jun was extremely tired and suffered heavy casualties in the battle. Zhang Gui was helpless and was captured by the Yuan Army. The Yuan Army sent four soldiers from the Southern Song Dynasty to show Zhang Gui's body in Xiangyang City, forcing him to surrender. Huan Wen killed the soldiers, buried Zhang Gui and Zhang Shun together, and built a double temple for sacrifice.
In order to capture Xiangfan as soon as possible, the Yuan Army adopted the tactics of divide and rule in the autumn of the eighth year of Xianchun (1272). Ali Haig, a general of the Yuan Dynasty, said: "Xiangyang has Fancheng and still has teeth and lips. It is advisable to attack Fancheng first, and attack Xiangyang without attacking. " In order to cut off Xiangyang's aid, the Yuan Army launched a general attack on Fancheng. At the beginning of the ninth year of Xianchun (1273), the Yuan army attacked Fancheng from the northeast and southwest respectively, and Kublai Khan sent back gunners to the front to build cannons to attack the city. Yuan army burned down the pontoon bridge on the river between Fancheng and Xiangyang, which made Xiangyang's reinforcements unable to rescue, and Fancheng was completely isolated. Liu Zheng led the warships to the bottom of Fancheng, opened the southwest corner of Fancheng with a boomerang and entered the city. Niu Fu, the garrison commander of the Southern Song Dynasty, led troops to fight in the street. In the end, because he was outnumbered, Niu Fu put out the fire and died. He set fire to Wang Fu, set himself on fire, and Fancheng fell.
After the fall of Fancheng, the situation in Xiangyang became more critical. Lu sent people to the Southern Song Dynasty court for emergency many times, but Jia Sidao, a powerful minister, rejected the correct claims of famous ministers and others, and constantly spread the news that Xiangfan was besieged, and Xiangfan had no reinforcements. Xiangyang city soldiers and civilians tore down the house for firewood, and fell into a desperate situation where they could not hold on and had no reinforcements. In February (1273) of the ninth year of Xian Chun, Fan Cheng attacked Xiangyang in The Hague, Ali, and shelled Xiangyang Tower. The soldiers and civilians in the city shook and the generals surrendered out of the city. While attacking the city, the Yuan army also persuaded to surrender. Lu felt isolated and helpless, so he took the city and surrendered to the Yuan Dynasty, and the battle of Xiangfan came to an end.