My life is like walking on thin ice

Chapter 452: We have to see Gao Que first

Liu Rong in Chang'an naturally didn't know what decision Cheng Buzhi would make in the end, nor the reasons for his decision.

If Liu Rong knew, he would definitely be very happy and would take the opportunity to praise this outstanding "minister of the former prince's palace".

——Don’t forget;

Cheng Bushi served as the shield guard for Liu Rong when he was the crown prince!

Although he held a low-ranking official position and did not hold much military power - there were only two thousand guards of the crown prince, and most of them were orphan soldiers that Liu Rong had temporarily assembled for training and had not yet formed combat effectiveness.

But there is no doubt that among the officials in Liu Rong's former prince's palace, the one who did the best and most successfully was Cheng Bushi.

Don’t underestimate Ji An, who has become successful - he was a clerk of six hundred stones, and a clerk Pushe of an official higher than two thousand stones. Now he is even one of the Nine Ministers of the current dynasty, and one of the officials among the two thousand stones!
But compared with Cheng Bushi, the governor of Shuofang, whose salary was only two thousand stones, two levels lower than the middle two thousand stones and one level lower than the "real two thousand stones", Ji An really didn't dare to say that he was doing better or holding a higher position.

In fact, let alone Ji An;

In the Han Dynasty today, except for a few important officials who have a high probability of being appointed as prime ministers, or at least have the hope of getting involved in one of the three highest officials, no one dares to say that his future will be brighter than Cheng Buzhi.

yes;
At present, Cheng Buzhi was only the governor of Shuofang with a salary of 2,000 dan, still two levels short of becoming a Nine Ministers.

But don't forget.

This is already the third time that Cheng Buzhi has served as the governor of a border county!

At first, he was the governor of Beidi, during which he fought in the Han-Xiongnu War;

He was later transferred to be the governor of Yanmen, and fought in the Mayi battlefield of the Han-Xiongnu Hetao-Mayi Campaign.

Now he is appointed as the governor of Shuofang, which is the third time that Cheng Buzhi has served as governor.

He was transferred to other posts twice in succession and served as a prefect for three consecutive times, all of which were prefects of border counties!
It just so happened that every time Cheng Buzhi went to a place to serve as a prefect, he would encounter a war between the Han and the Huns.

——Since the current emperor Liu Rong ascended the throne, there have been two major wars between the Han, the Xiongnu and the Manchus, both of which Cheng Buzhi participated in.

Cheng Bushi's current position is the governor of Shuofang.

Shuofang County is located in the Hetao region - even in the northern half of the Hetao region facing the Xiongnu army peak!
If nothing unexpected happens, Cheng Buzhi will still not be absent from the third Han-Xiongnu War after Emperor Rong ascends the throne.

Not only will he not be absent, he is likely to become the supreme commander on the front line.

This is a bit scary.

——Cheng Buzhi was not absent from the previous two battles!

First, there was the Battle of Chaona, where we defended the Chaona Pass with weak forces and blocked the Huns directly outside the country!
Moreover, it was the first time since the Han Dynasty that a large-scale invasion of the Huns was stopped outside the country!

Later, in the Hetao-Mayi Campaign, Cheng Buzhi was on the Mayi battlefield. Although he did not gain much, he bought precious time for the main battlefield of Hetao.

Judging from the final result, the Han Dynasty was able to successfully recapture Hetao, and at least some of the credit should be given to Cheng Buzhi's troops who delayed the main force of Shanyu Ting in the Mayi battlefield.

It is no exaggeration to say that if it were not for the previous two wars, the battle results of Cheng Buzhi's troops were contrary to the traditional Han Dynasty's method of calculating military merits. Cheng Buzhi would have already been one of the best generals in the Han Dynasty's military.

Whenever there is a war, someone will be sent out to take charge of the overall situation.

At present, Cheng Buzhi’s position in the military is actually similar.

In the early years, when soldiers heard the three words "Cheng Bu Shi", they thought it was a headache.

When the soldiers thought about serving under Cheng Buzhi and being tortured by the harsh military law, they would always try their best to avoid being assigned to Cheng Buzhi's command.

But after so many years - especially the two wars, the Chaona Battle and the Hetao-Mayi Battle, more and more soldiers in the army have reacted.

——Although fighting under General Cheng was uncomfortable whether standing, sitting or lying down, at least I was alive!
Only living people can complain about back pain when standing, leg pain when lying down, and buttock pain when sitting!

Not to mention that there is a high probability that you can survive and you can even gain military honors!

As a result, more and more soldiers in the army - especially those ambitious young people who were dissatisfied with the status quo and aspired to do something "big" - began to hope to fight under Cheng Buzhi.

Although in the military hierarchy, the positions of the older generation of generals such as Li Ji, Marquis of Quzhou, Luan Bu, Marquis of Yu, and Han Tuidang, Marquis of Gu'an, were still unshakable;

But Cheng Buzhi is already the most capable and highest-ranking new-generation general in the military, after these three.

On this basis, in the foreseeable future, the Han and the Xiongnu will inevitably engage in at least one more medium-scale or higher-level battle around the Hetao area.

When the battle is over, unless Cheng Buzhi abandons his army and flees, or surrenders to the enemy in battle, which are unforgivable mistakes of principle, he will definitely become the true number one military figure of the Han family.

By then, the Governor of Shuofang?

Maybe the current Liu Rong will set up a Hexi Protectorate and let Cheng Buzhi be the first Hexi Protector!
The prince's team and his confidants in the palace are doing better and better and becoming more and more outstanding, which makes the emperor proud.

Liu Rong was not too worried about the measures that Cheng Buzhi might take against the Hunxie tribe, which dominated the Xiutu Lake area and planned to trick the Han family into being fools.

——As a general, Cheng Buzhi always emphasizes the word "stability".

In recent years, as more and more people criticize Cheng Buzhi for being "too cautious", he may miss the opportunity to fight for the sake of stability. In addition, when he was the governor of Yanmen, he worked with Yanmen Duwei Zhidu for a period of time.
Today, Cheng Buzhi has evolved the advanced skill of 'seeking progress within stability' on the basis of 'seeking stability'.

If Cheng Buzhi sought stability unconditionally and without limits in the past, then Cheng Buzhi today is striving more boldly to expand the fruits of victory on the basis of seeking stability as much as possible.

Not to mention how much Liu Rong likes and favors Cheng Bushi, at least regarding the matter in Hexi this time, Liu Rong is absolutely confident about Cheng Bushi.

——My undefeated general will definitely make the most correct choice!
But now, Liu Rong's attention has expanded from the local area of ​​Xiutu Ze and the Hunxie tribe occupying Xiutu Ze to the entire Hexi region including Xiutu Ze and all the Hexi tribes including the Hunxie tribe.

Xiu Tu Ze, it is indeed very important.

It is located hundreds of miles west of Hetao. Occupying this strategic location, the Han army will be able to march hundreds of miles west from Hetao at any time and radiate its sphere of influence to hundreds of miles with Xiutu Lake as the center.

Furthermore, Xiutu Lake, which is controlled by the Han family, will become the only strategic fulcrum that the Han family can rely on on the other side of the river west of Hetao.

Without Xiu Tu Ze, the Han army soldiers who went west from Hetao had to first cross the river to the west, and then set up camp on the spot and be on guard.

Only after you are sure that there is no problem can you explore and move westwards little by little.

With Xiutu Ze, the soldiers could safely cross the river to the west under the cover of friendly forces coming from Xiutu Ze on the other side of the river.

After crossing the river, there is no need to set up camp on the spot to guard against possible attacks, but you can go directly to Xiutu Lake with the support of friendly forces.

Just watch out for ambushes along the way.

To be honest, ambushing on the grasslands or in open plains is nothing more than a storyteller's nonsense.

With a single glance, you can see the entire area of ​​100 miles. How can you set up an ambush? Where can you hide your soldiers?
Therefore, after the Han Dynasty obtained Xiutu Lake, the strategic significance of Xiutu Lake - or the future "Xiutu Fortress" will be similar to Yunzhong City in the north of the Han Dynasty.

Penetrate deep into the enemy-occupied area as a strategic fulcrum and outpost!

But the importance of Xiu Tu Ze is limited to this.

——It does not mean that by occupying Xiutu Lake, the Han Dynasty can completely occupy the Hexi region, or strangle the throat of the Hexi region;

Instead, by occupying Xiutu Lake and using it as a strategic fulcrum, the Han Dynasty would be able to better carry out its plans for the Hexi region.

Whether from a political, diplomatic or military perspective, Xiu Tu Ze will become the best entry point for the Han Dynasty to open up the situation in Hexi.

In short: Xiu Tu Ze is just an excellent 'shooting point';
What the Han Dynasty needed to do was to take control of Hexi more easily, save time and effort, that is, to "annihilate the enemy completely."

Besides, Xiu Tu Ze was a place that the Han family had to occupy and control at all costs.

With this place, we can conquer Hexi, and it will be easy!

Without this place, the Han Dynasty's plan to conquer Hexi would be extremely difficult and would be ineffective.

Therefore, Liu Rong actually did not care much about whether the Hunxie tribe, which had already taken control of Xiu Tu Ze, really wanted to surrender or was using the Han family as a target of resentment.

——You give, and I take;
——If you don’t give it to me, I will snatch it away!
Anyway, don’t kill the enemy. My Han family is determined to take it.

If you are smart and give it to me, I can even put a leash on you and grant you the identity of a 'big man's lackey'.

Don’t you know what’s best for you?
What about the Xiutu tribe and the Hunxie tribe? It doesn’t matter who we, the Han people, fight against.
To be honest, the Xiutu tribe has lived and multiplied here for generations, so at least they are locals;
Although we may not be closely connected with the surrounding tribes, at least we have some neighborly relations.

You are an outsider from the Hunxie tribe, but you massacred the Xiutu tribe, making yourself notorious in the Hexi area, and you dominate the Xiutu Lake, which is no different from a child holding gold in a busy city.
If your Hunxie tribe were to guard Xiutu Lake, it would not necessarily take more effort for my Han family to fight than to defeat the Xiutu tribe.

——The Renxiutu tribe has been defeated, maybe there will be reinforcements!

But if it were your Hunxie tribe, the reinforcements they would receive would probably be reinforcements from my Han clan, or even new lackeys...

"Even if the Hunxie tribe hadn't suddenly risen up and massacred the Xiutu tribe, my Han family would have planned to seize the Xiutu Lake by the beginning of next spring at the latest."

"It's unnecessary right now, but it won't hurt."

"What really matters is Gao Que..."

Muttering like this, Liu Rong stood in front of the huge feng shui table hanging in the hall. His gaze moved from Xiutu Lake west of Hetao to Gaoque Lake north of Hetao, which was separated from Hetao by a big river.

——In the past few months, whenever Liu Rong looked at this feng shui map, his eyes would be on Gaoque at least half of the time.

no way;
Gaoque's strategic location is really uncomfortable.

A hundred years ago, when the Qin Great Wall Army controlled Hetao and Gaoque on the north side of Hetao and across the river, Gaoque was naturally a bridgehead for the Qin people to march north from the Hetao area and set foot on the north bank of the river.

In the past few decades, the Xiongnu controlled both Hetao and Gaoque, and Gaoque became a safety lock for the Xiongnu between Hetao and Munan.

Even if Hetao is lost, Munan will have nothing to worry about.

But now, Hetao and Gaoque are owned by the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu respectively.

Now, Gaoque became the frontline fortress in the Munan area under the control of the Xiongnu, suppressing the Hetao area from the north and radiating to the Hexi area.

If the Han army went north out of the Hetao area, after crossing the river, they would look up and see the high walls and extremely solid Gaoque!

After taking Gaoque, you will naturally be able to envision the Mu'nan grassland to the north of Gaoque.

But it is really hard to describe in words how difficult it is to capture Gaoque.

——The fortress is on the other side of the river, and during the process of crossing the river, the fortress on the other side will not stand idly by. At the very least, they will harass you with arrows, and at worst, they will attack you halfway across the river!

The Han Dynasty also had a military fortress with a similar structure.

Hangu Pass.

As difficult as it was to capture Hangu Pass, Gaoque Pass wasn't much easier to capture.

The most important thing is that the existence of Gaoque not only allows the Xiongnu to ensure that the south of the wall is safe and the Han army cannot threaten the south of the wall from the Hetao area to the north;

At the same time, Gaoque could also take necessary restraining measures against the Han army heading west from Hetao.

Because Gaoque is on the other side of the river, outside the Hetao;
The same is true in Hexi.

The Han army soldiers in the Hetao area needed to cross the river first, whether they were heading north to Munan or west to Hexi.

But if the Xiongnu people in Gaoque wanted to get their hands on Hexi, they only needed to take a detour along the river bank.

It sounds like there is no difference - it's just a question of whether to cross the river or not;
But on a military level, especially in wars during the cold weapon era, crossing a river was itself a gamble.

Winning the bet only means successfully crossing the river and arriving safely on the other side.

But if they lose the bet and are attacked by the enemy halfway across the river, the entire army will be destroyed at the least.

Therefore, the existence of Gaoque not only resisted the military threat of the Han army to the north and the Munan area, but also curbed the Han Dynasty's plan to expand its power westward to the Hexi region.

As long as Gaoque is still there, the Han family will not ignore Gaoque and concentrate on plotting to take Hexi.

Whenever military operations are to be carried out in the Hexi region, the Han Dynasty must send out a second army!

Be it a feint attack or a diversion - the goal is to delay the Huns stationed in Gaoque so that they have no time to take care of other things, especially Hexi.

After understanding this, it is not difficult to discover what kind of turbulent waves were hidden in Liu Rong's calm gaze as he looked at Gao Que at this moment.

——Gaoque!
——The only tough bone to chew in the west and north directions of the Han Dynasty!

If we can chew this bone, there will be no royal court in the south of Mu if we advance, and the Hexi Corridor will be open if we retreat!
However, if Gaoque is not taken first, the Xiongnu will have no worries in the south, and Hexi will be able to intervene at any time.

Even though they were defeated in the battles of Chaona and Hetao, the Xiongnu Chanyu Ting's appeal and deterrence on the grassland remained strong.

The Huns didn't even need to send a large army to advance into Hexi - they only needed a token from the Chanyu and thirty or two Chanyu's envoys, and the vast majority of the tribes in the Hexi region would still refuse to disobey the Chanyu's orders.

Therefore, at this time in Hexi, Cheng Buzhi was considering resting Tuze;
But in Chang'an, Liu Rong was thinking: If he wanted to completely take over Hexi, Gaoque would be the first place to bear the brunt...

(End of this chapter)