Editing Tumen Pass

{{Era|Locations}}
'''Tumen Pass''' (土門關) is an eastern entrance into the [[Taihang Mountains]]. During the [[Tang dynasty]], it was a strategic gateway into [[Taiyuan|Taiyuan Prefecture]] from [[Hebei|Hebei Circuit]].

==History==
On 16 December 755,<ref name="Timeline">''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'' – [[Record of Major Events in Tianbao Year 14]]</ref><ref name="Sinica converter">兩千年中西曆轉換 [Two Thousand Years Chinese–Western Calendar Converter]. Academia Sinica Center for Digital Cultures. Accessed 22 May 2023. https://sinocal.sinica.edu.tw/</ref> the ''[[jiedushi]]'' [[An Lushan]] rose in [[An Lushan Rebellion|rebellion]] against the Tang<ref name="Dynasty 10">''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'' – [[Beacon Fire (Part 3)]]</ref> with an army of 150,000 troops, among them the 8,000 elite [[Yeluohe]].<ref name="Dynasty 12">''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'' – [[Beacon Fire (Part 5)]]</ref> From his base in [[Beijing|Fanyang]], he marched southward across Hebei Circuit, aiming to conquer it in its entirety before reaching the [[Yellow River]]. Arriving at [[Changshan]] on 22 December, he attempted to threaten its [[grand protector]], [[Yan Gaoqing]], into submission. When Gaoqing diplomatically stood his ground, Lushan was impressed enough to play a charade of leaving Gaoqing in power while dispatching lieutenant generals [[Gao Miao]] and [[Li Qincou]] with 5,000 elite troops to occupy the nearby Tumen Pass for his "protection".<ref name-"Dynasty 11">''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' – [[Beacon Fire (Part 2)]]</ref> The fiction was not lost to Gaoqing: he knew that their purpose was to monitor his commandery for any signs of resistance, to intimidate its population from even trying, and to crush any attempts to do so.<ref name="Dynasty 12" />

Nonetheless, Yan Gaoqing and his son [[Yan Jiming]] were determined to stage a counter-rebellion. With the help of the [[Qinghe]] native [[Li E]], Jiming was able to light the beacon at [[Julu]] on 8 January 756<ref name="Timeline" /><ref name="Sinica converter" /> to inspire hope for the people of Hebei. Twenty days later,<ref name="Timeline" /> Gaoqing received intel that another Yeluohe lieutenant general, [[He Qiannian]], was on his way to reinforce Tumen Pass with elite [[crossbowman|crossbowmen]]. Recognizing that no more time could be lost, he devised a daring plan to [[assassination|assassinate]] Gao Miao, Li Qincou, and He Qiannian all at once that night. Their recapture of Tumen Pass would have opened the path through Taiyuan to link with the main [[Army of Heavenly Warriors|Tang army]] defending the [[Chang'an|capital]] at [[Tong Pass]], and notwithstanding this, it would have enabled loyalist forces in Hebei to flank Lushan from behind.<ref name="Dynasty 21">''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'' – [[Golden Turtles (Part 5)]]</ref>

Drawing upon his past service to Gao Xianzhi, Li E communicated their plan to the general with a secret missive. They were to infiltrate the fortress at Tumen Pass under the guise of offering fine food and [[wine]] for the soldiers, whereupon they would assassinate Gao Miao and Li Qincou. Once the two commanders had been slain, the Changshan militia would rush into the compound and seize it just before the arrival of He Qiannian, allowing them to ambush the third Yeluohe general. In the meantime, Gao Xianzhi was to publicly announce that Tumen Pass had come under the control of imperial forces soon to occupy Hebei, a proclamation that would inspire the rest of Hebei to join the effort against Lushan.<ref name="Dynasty 21" />

==Appearances==
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]''

==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Locations in China]]
[[Category:Mountain passes]]