Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Chapter 121 I'm doing the right thing

It was already midsummer after running away from home in early spring, and Huo Shan, who was away from home, was not in a hurry to return to Chang'an.

However, Wei Zifu and Liu Ju wrote another letter, in which they tactfully advised Huo Shan to go back early and admit his mistakes to the emperor first.

Huo Shan, who left in anger, was young but had a bad temper. This was the perception of Liu Che's family of three. Even if they tried to persuade him now, they were more tactful, fearing that the boy would take it seriously.

If anyone said "Let him die outside" in a serious and formal occasion, everyone would worry that Huo Xian would take it seriously and really die outside to show his loyalty!
You can only accept the rebellious grandson you raised.

Zhao Congxiao came running over happily, carrying a fish. "My Lord, I just caught a fish. I'll stew it later!"

Huo Xian was extremely disgusted, "You went fishing without asking me? What? Are you afraid that I would catch the fish and steal your limelight?"

"The sun is too scorching, I'm afraid you'll get sunburned." Zhao Congxiao said with a playful smile, "Sir, the water in front is clean, you can go take a bath."

"Let's take a break. I'm wondering if we're going to be surrounded by a huge army." Huo Xian said worriedly, "We ran to the outer city, so the news has leaked out."

It was originally intended to be a surprise inspection, but now the effect is getting worse and worse. The garrison soldiers, generals, and captains stationed in the outer city already know that the Grand Marshal and General of Cavalry are inspecting the border.

This is not so good. A surprise inspection can reveal a lot of things. Now many people are preparing for inspections, so it is difficult to see some problems.

Liu Mo was not surprised at all. Anyone with a little common sense would not make a fuss about it and would think it was very normal.

Huo Xian was the Grand Marshal and General of the Cavalry, and the second-in-command of the military. Regardless of his status or age, he had to behave properly when meeting him on official business.

Moreover, everyone knew that Huo Xian was the emperor's confidant, and he was here to patrol the border, perhaps with the emperor's order. In the eyes of some people, this was no less than "as if I were here in person".

Putting aside Huo Xian's special identity, when facing the inspection of their superiors, the subordinates will naturally be more careful, for fear of being found to have any shortcomings.

Huo Xian was in a good mood and asked casually, "By the way, I heard that the delegation has already set off. Can we stop them?"

Liu Mo's eyes lit up, and he said quickly, "I just don't know which way to go, otherwise we'll be blocked and killed by the Huns!"

"Narrow-minded!" Huo Xian was angry. His subordinates were all warriors. "Releasing the Xiongnu envoys was a big deal. What's the point of killing these people now?"

Liu Mo actually did not reject the Huns, because there were many Huns in the army during previous wars. Many Huns who had surrendered to the army even fought harder than their former compatriots, and were indeed very useful.

But most of the Hun envoys now are those who are unwilling to surrender to the Han Dynasty. These are the stubborn Huns and naturally are not worth taking seriously.

Huo Xian thought about it carefully and said, "If I meet them, I will have to explain some things. If I don't meet them, it's fine. I don't know where these people came from."

Zhao Hexi ran over and said, "My Lord, Dalang has run into Young Lord's spy."

Huo Xian said angrily, "My cousin is also a marquis now, how can he be called a young marquis! You should restrain yourself a little. You should also follow the rules when you meet An Guo in the future, he is also a marquis now!"

Zhao Hexi insisted on his point of view and said, "Shaojunhou's title will be abolished sooner or later, and he must be the Marquis of Changping. Anguo is a decent boy, but I think how can Old Zhao be the Marquis of Xuye? He should be the Marquis of Congpi!"

Liu Mo and others beside him also nodded quickly. He still had some "respect" for Zhao Anguo, but it was very limited. Even when he met Zhao Po Nu, he was still "Old Zhao". These people had a deep friendship as comrades.

As for the fact that Zhao Po Nu and his son Zhao An Guo were successively awarded the title of Cong Piao Marquis for their meritorious service, the troops in the Guanjun Marquis' Mansion were very happy and felt that this was how it should be.

"I'm about to be lectured!" Huo Xian lazily lay on the grass and said, "Others don't know why I ran out, but my uncle must know."

The reality is indeed like this. Wei Kang already knows the reason why Huo Shan ran away. He said that Huo Shan ran away in anger because he talked back to the emperor. Wei Qing and Princess Pingyang both asked him to see Huo Shan and persuade him. Now he is having a headache.

Thinking about how he was deposed for "not doing harm in the system", the difference between this kid Huo Xian and the emperor who talked back and ran around everywhere was too big.

But there is no way to compare them. Not to mention his inferior ability, the main thing is that Huo Xian has been with the emperor since he was a child. The time that the father and son Huo have spent with the emperor combined is unmatched by anyone else.

Huo Xian restrained his smile and said to Han Zeng, "When we get to Guanglu Pass, you will have to order the scouts and scouts to patrol the border and draw maps to prepare for future battles."

Han Zeng immediately clasped his fists and said in a very serious tone, "I obey your orders!"

Liu Mo was a little surprised. He was about to reach Guanglu Pass, south of Shoujiang City. You should be familiar with this area. You came here a few years ago and won a great victory here.

Why, do we need people to inspect the surrounding area and draw maps? But even if he didn't understand, Liu Mo was just wondering in his heart. It's true that he was Huo Xian's subordinate, and he didn't follow any rules in private. But once it was a serious matter, he wouldn't say anything even if he didn't understand.

Huo Xian looked at Han Zeng and continued to instruct, "If you encounter Xiongnu nomads, capture them and bring them back to me. Don't kill them easily!"

Han Zeng was stunned for a moment and then quickly said, "Sir, am I going to go very far?"

There is nothing wrong with this understanding. If there were only Hun herdsmen near the Surrender City, there would definitely not be any Hun herdsmen because the Han Dynasty controlled this place.

If you want to capture the Xiongnu herdsmen, it means you have to go at least one or two hundred miles north of Shoujiang City, or at least reach the area where Huo Xian captured the Xiongnu Zuoxian King. Only then will you have a chance to see the Xiongnu.

If that were really the case, Han Zeng was worried that it would cause some war. He now knew why the champion marquis started patrolling the border without any warning!
Before Huo Xian could even open his mouth, Liu Mo cursed, "Your Excellency has issued an order, how can you question it? If you don't obey the order, get out of here!"

Zhao Hexi also said fiercely, "If there is a war, I will kill you first! You are a general of the state, and you are just a small guard. How can you know your intentions?"

Huo Xian smiled and raised his hand, "Alright, you two should control your tempers. If someone doesn't know you, they would think you are officials!"

As a seventh-rank official in front of the prime minister, it was normal for him to have a bad temper as a trusted subordinate of two generations of champion marquis. The most important thing was that they were too loyal, and no one could question their monarch, otherwise they would be enemies.

Han Zeng did not get angry when he was scolded. Not only did he not dare to provoke Huo Xian's followers, but he also knew that those two followers were helping him.

If the soldiers started to scold him first, the Champion Marquis might not lose his temper. Otherwise, based on his previous doubts and confusion, the Champion Marquis could have driven him away.

Huo Xian patiently explained, "I came here a few years ago, but I just fought a quick battle and left. I'm not familiar with it yet. If we send troops to attack the Xiongnu, we have to take this road. It might be the route for a large army to march."

"As a general, you must know the way." Huo Xian warned Han Zeng, "This is not the heartland of the Central Plains. There are many situations that we don't know. Capture some Xiongnu people to ask them clearly, and bring more guides, so that we won't get lost and miss the opportunity to fight."

It was not once or twice that the Han army got lost in the grasslands and Gobi Desert. Some well-known generals missed opportunities for battle and were held accountable because of this. These are all lessons from the past.

Therefore, whenever Huo Xian went out to fight, there would be no shortage of guides in his army. In addition, he also liked to catch people's tongues, whether by torture or appeasement, to get some information.

Han Zeng naturally understood these things, and anyone with a little military knowledge would also understand these principles.

However, when it comes to actually putting it into practice, perhaps due to overconfidence, insufficient preparation, or mistakes, it may lead to failure in the end.

These are all very likely to happen. Sometimes wars are like this. Once a war really starts, sometimes it is impossible to follow the previously formulated strategies.

Huo Xian was still stewing the fish when he suddenly felt the ground shaking slightly. Even though they knew that Wei Kang was leading his troops over, Liu Mo and the others were still on alert.

Wei Kang came riding a tall horse, jumped off the horse and joked, "I'm so anxious that I'm angry and my mouth is blistered, but you're in a good mood and can stew fish!"

Huo Xian asked curiously, "Uncle, this is a bit unreasonable. You have been stationed in the outer city for more than two years, and I haven't seen you make any achievements. How come you have a pegasus?"

Wei Kang was even more proud. "I got a celestial horse in the early spring, and it was a top-grade horse! His Majesty specially sent it to me. Do you really think that you are the only son of a nobleman in Chang'an who is loved by His Majesty?"

"I will get my great uncle's horse sooner or later!" Huo Xian joked, "When the time comes, I will get your Majesty's horse as well as my three top-quality celestial horses. I will get a new celestial horse every day, and we'll see who can compete with me!"

Wei Kang said jokingly, "That's true. You brought back a hundred horses. If you brought one horse a day, you could have a different one every month. It's time for you to go back, or you'll give all the horses away."

After going around in circles, the purpose is to persuade Huo Shan to return to Chang'an as soon as possible. Only when he returns can everyone feel at ease.

"If they are all gone, I will go to the horse farm and choose some myself. There are still more than 7,000 horses!" Huo Xian said with a smile, "Dayuan will have to pay tribute to us with top-quality horses this year. I will shamelessly ask for them."

Wei Kang sensed something was wrong and asked, "Are you still planning to go to the horse farm?"

This horse farm, naturally, refers to the Shandan Military Horse Farm, which is located at the foot of the Qilian Mountains, in the middle of the Hexi Corridor. It is the largest military horse farm in the world today.

Huo Xian said as a matter of course, "I am the General of Cavalry, and I am supposed to lead the cavalry in battle. I will go and check on the war horses, that is my duty. Besides, that is the horse farm founded by my grandfather!"

Huo Xian continued, "Now that I'm here, I have to go to Shoujiang City. Uncle Zhao is still guarding there."

Liu Mo and others were happy. Since they were here, it was only right for them to go and see Zhao Po Nu!
(End of this chapter)