Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Chapter 152 Preparation before the expedition
After fighting in wars for many years, Huo Xian felt that his body could handle it.

But in Chang'an, his health might collapse even faster.

Sex is a knife that scrapes your bones. Lin Mei was just in front of Huo Xian, so she worked very hard to win his favor. Han Yunniang felt the pressure and tried her best to please him.

Enjoyment is enjoyment, but Huo Xian also thinks it is not a big deal. He is the Grand Marshal and the General of Cavalry, born to fight, how can he indulge in the land of tenderness?

Looking in the bronze mirror, Huo Xian sighed, "I almost got hurt by alcohol and sex, and I'm a little haggard. Well, I'm going to give up drinking today."

Han Yunniang said to Huo Xian gently, "Your Excellency is still so heroic, how can you say you are haggard?"

Huo Xian chuckled and said, "After I go to war, you two will return home. If you can get along well, you can live together. If you really can't get along, you can live in separate courtyards."

Han Yunniang and Lin Mei looked at each other, then smiled gently at Huo Xian, "Your Excellency is worrying too much. My sister and I are very close friends. Your Excellency is away at the battle site, so you don't need to worry about the affairs of the mansion."

Huo Xian said to Lin Mei, "The several retainers in my house have different statuses. Even though you were sent by my cousin, you must not neglect my retainers."

Lin Mei quickly said, "I know, I will abide by my duty."

Lin Mei was naturally very clear about Huo Xian's situation. She had been trained in the Prince's Mansion for the past two or three years to understand the preferences of this champion marquis and some of the situations in the mansion.

There was no need to remind Lin Mei of the status of the four generals. Lin Mei also considered herself not to be a short-sighted woman, and would not become arrogant and forgetful once she was favored.

What's more, some of the family affairs of Marquis Guanjun's Mansion might not be of concern to Marquis Guanjun himself, but rather the Empress, Princess Pingyang and others like to take care of them.

If there really is trouble in the palace, the Queen and Princess Pingyang will go and deal with it first.

A young eunuch entered the hall quietly and said, "My Lord, His Highness asked me to come and see if you have stood up."

"I got up if there was something, and I didn't get up if there was nothing." Huo Xian looked up at the young eunuch and asked, "I'll come over after I wash up. What else?"

The young eunuch replied, "Your Majesty has prepared a set of armor, but the cloak is not ready yet, so you can go and try it on."

Huo Xian muttered, "Either give me a scarlet cape or a white cape, and give me some nice embroidery, there's no need to argue so much!"

This is simply not human language. Other officers' capes don't have so many comments. But the cape of this champion marquis is different. It must not only be practical, but also look good.

After washing up, Huo Xian went straight to the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, the armor is enough. Let me see the cloak!"

Liu Che pointed at the table and said, "I have prepared a mask for you. Not only is it green-faced and fanged, but it also matches your armor. I am not happy to see you like green-faced and fanged for no reason."

Huo Xian didn't care. He picked up the visor and looked at it carefully. "This is good. It matches my heavy armor. Your Majesty, where is the cloak? I now have three sets of armor, and each one needs a different cloak."

In the past, when Huo Qubing went out to fight in the wars, he did not like the simple way of eating commonly seen in the army, so Liu Che assigned a cook to Huo Qubing, who was also a master in cooking.

Huo Xian was no better when he went out to fight. He could cook some barbecue and was picky about food. As for armor, it was not only required to be protective, but also to look good. He had several sets of armor to wear in rotation.

Picking up a cloak, Huo Xian said, "This is great. If I'm going to offer sacrifices to the heavens or conduct an inspection, I'll want this. It should go well with my silver armor, white horse, and silver spear!"

Then he looked at the red cape again and said disdainfully, "This won't do. The embroidery is too delicate. I need to wear heavy armor, how can I use silk? No, I won't wear this."

A maid or a young eunuch quickly picked up the cloak that Huo Xian had thrown away, and then opened another cloak.

Liu Che was watching from the side. The father and son of the Huo family were too flamboyant. They were flamboyant in Chang'an City and also on the battlefield. This was a common tradition.

But he was not surprised at all, and even admired it very much. If I don't show off, then can I still be my champion marquis?

Other generals would feel nervous and worried before going on an expedition, but the Huo family father and son are different. They are only excited about going on an expedition. Their focus may be difficult for others to understand, but isn’t this a kind of confidence?
Liu Che was an extremely confident person, so he also liked confident people.

Huo Xian then said, "Your Majesty, have someone check my lance and change the guard for me. Also, add some red tassels to prevent blood from sliding down the shaft and making it slippery."

Liu Che suddenly had a headache and reminded him, "You are a general, you can't always think about killing the enemy in battle!"

Huo Xian just smiled and picked up a ring-handled sword. "It's too light. This one is not good. That one looks good. Go get it sharpened and send it to my house."

When going out to fight, you have to bring all the equipment. Whenever Huo Xian went out, his troops or the baggage handlers would prepare several sets of armor and weapons for the champion marquis. They also had to take good care of Huo Xian's three war horses.

Looking at Huo Xian who was still choosing his weapon, Liu Che said, "This time when you fight the Cheshi, remember to kill more people. Less slaughter, you should know how to establish your authority."

When Li Guangli attacked Luntai, he chose to massacre the city directly. This was a means to establish his authority. Since ancient times, many generals would massacre the enemy city after conquering it.

Not only were some generals bloodthirsty, but most of them wanted to establish their authority and give the enemy a warning and deterrence.

Huo Xian naturally understood and said with a smile, "I killed many enemies on the battlefield. If it is really necessary to kill someone, I will definitely not dirty my hands."

Liu Che nodded with satisfaction, "Okay, you are the Grand Marshal and Marquis of Guanjun, there are some things you really shouldn't do. You just need to kill more enemies on the battlefield, whether it's Cheshi or Kangju, this time we need to kill them so hard that they dare not invade."

"If Kangju really dares to come to our aid, I will not end this trip so easily!" Huo Xian said angrily, "I have killed 5,000 of their cavalry before, and these people have not been hurt. It has been less than three years. If these people dare to move, I will definitely march north after I destroy Cheshi!"

Liu Che smiled and nodded. As for those diehard elements in the Western Regions, they must be hit hard, otherwise those people would not know fear.

Dayuan is a good example. It has been paying tribute to heavenly horses for the past two years and has placed the king's son in Chang'an as a hostage. Previously, I heard that some nobles in Dayuan were dissatisfied with the fact that the king of Dayuan, Mai Cai, was too close to the Han Dynasty, so some nobles in Dayuan wanted to rebel.

The result was that the rebels were killed, and Mai Cai remained the king of Dayuan. The reason was that some other Dayuan nobles were afraid, and the fear of being surrounded in Guishan City still existed.

Paying tribute of three top-quality celestial horses every year and ignoring the Xiongnu was not considered too pro-Han. It was just to maintain relations and avoid punishment from the Han army. It was also to abide by the alliance with the Han Dynasty's Grand Marshal and General of the Cavalry.

Only by frightening and subduing some people, making them feel fear and terror in their bones, can we avoid recurrence of incidents.

This is the case with the people of Dayuan today. Although they still grit their teeth at the attacks and plunders by the Han army, when they think of the powerful Han army, they dare not even think of resisting.

If we really provoke that group of people again, Guishan City might collapse, and all the nobles of Dayuan might become slaves of the Han army.

Huo Xian continued to make preparations before the expedition. It seemed that he did not need to be particularly anxious now. He just needed to make good use of his time to have a good rest. Other things would naturally be taken care of by others.

Wei Qing and others were in charge of mobilizing troops, while Gongsun Ao, Zhao Anguo and others also began to lead troops to march out or assemble one after another. Naturally, there were people to escort the baggage and so on.

Huo Xian, the commander-in-chief of the army, was still enjoying himself in the Jianzhang Palace. He would only set out with his troops and a small number of soldiers when everything was ready.

Everyone seems to be accustomed to this pattern. The General of Cavalry does not need to do everything himself or do everything well. He only needs to lead his troops to kill the enemy after everything is ready.

Such treatment was simply unimaginable for other military marquises, but no one thought there was anything wrong with treating the champion marquis in this way.

Many people believe that the Champion Marquis is only responsible for fighting.

Although Huo Xian seemed to be a hands-off boss, and some things that were supposed to be done by him were actually handed over to the emperor or the generals to handle, it did not mean that he really did not care about some things.

Regarding the recruited troops, the past combat records of some officers, etc., one must certainly inquire carefully, and one must also have a clear idea of ​​the advantages and training conditions of the soldiers.

He will also continue to monitor the marching speed of the troops and so on, and the situation of baggage and weapons is of top priority.

Winning a war is by no means an easy task. Even though the Han Dynasty seems to have an absolute advantage, Huo Xian still dares not be careless.

A long expedition is a huge challenge in itself, especially when it requires passing through some areas with harsh environments. It is a test for the army and the pressure is not small.

Huo Xian also needs to pay close attention to some urgent military intelligence reports sent back from the Western Regions, and constantly grasp and update some dynamics of both sides, etc. This is also what he should do.

This also means that he still needs to discuss military intelligence with Liu Che and Wei Qing from time to time, adjust some tactics or strategies, etc., which is also something that needs to be taken seriously.

"Xian'er, even though we are not going to Dayuan this time, you still have to be careful." Wei Zifu reminded him again, "Also, you must remember that you are a general, and you cannot charge into the battle line and kill the enemy yourself!"

Huo Xian was just smiling. If he agreed to it, he would be lying, which would be bad. So he was more vague and just smiling.

Liu Che was very angry. Everyone knew Huo Xian's attitude. As long as he got the chance, he would definitely charge into the battle line and kill the enemy.

Commanding thousands of troops is Huo Xian’s dream, but killing the enemy in battle is also his wish. As long as there is an opportunity, he will definitely not miss it!

(End of this chapter)