Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Chapter 170 Feeling confident
The Wusun people had some plans of their own, hoping to get something for nothing, but there was no such a good thing!
If Wusun sent troops and food, perhaps they could share some benefits. Now that the Han Dynasty has already conquered Cheshi and can control this area, it would be a daydream for Wusun to make another move.

Even if you want to win over Wusun, you don't have to pay such a price. This is not generosity, this is being taken advantage of, and it may make Wusun's appetite even bigger.

Not to mention that the Grand Marshal Huo Xian was unwilling to do such a thing that was not worth the loss, even the emperor and his ministers who were far away in Chang'an would not agree to such a thing.

It is true that they wanted to win over Wusun, and it is also true that they were willing to pay some price, but definitely not in this way.

Weng Guimi was naturally a little disappointed, as he had originally wanted to gain more benefits for Wusun. But it was not a big surprise, as it was just a test.

Wusun is still holding a two-pronged approach, wavering between the Han and Xiongnu. Under such circumstances, the Han certainly has no reason to be generous.

It was originally just a test, so it is understandable that we did not get the most ideal benefits. It will be enough to try harder next time.

The most important thing is to see it with your own eyes. As the royal family of Wusun, it is still a relatively capable royal family. When you come to Jiaohe City and see some situations, you can also go back and report to Kunmi.

This is a big deal. The presence of the Han Dynasty in the Western Regions is getting stronger and stronger. Seeing how easily Cheshi was conquered by the Han Dynasty, this is naturally a wake-up call for Wusun, and some things have to be considered more.

The power of the Han Dynasty was beyond imagination. Whether it was the previous defeat of Loulan and the destruction of Dayuan, or the current destruction of Yanqi and Cheshi, it was a big shock to Wusun.

It was not impossible for Wusun to destroy Cheshi or Yanqi, but it would have to pay a huge price. However, it seemed easy for the Han Dynasty to destroy these two countries.

It would be a lie to say that there was no inner shock at all.

Since you have chosen not to help either side, then continue to stick to this position. It seems that you don't offend either side, and you can even say that you are playing both sides. There is nothing wrong with this.

But don't expect to get more benefits. Although Wusun is a relatively important character, don't overestimate your status. They may not be that important.

Even in Huo Xian's view, the Wusun, who have been maintaining this position, should be mentally prepared if they continue to maintain this position.

Then once the Han Dynasty or the Xiongnu solved their mortal enemy, they might do something to Wusun. After all, the Western Regions were extremely important to both the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu.

The Wusun, who have been waiting for a good price, might become a new enemy. Neither the Han nor the Xiongnu would allow the Wusun to become powerful and unify the Western Regions.

This is a fundamental matter. For the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu, the Western Regions should be relatively scattered, and no truly powerful country should be allowed to exist.

After Weng Guimi and Feng Ling left, Gongsun Ao said with some dissatisfaction, "Sir, these people are really daring!"

Zhao Anguo also said very dissatisfiedly, "I'm afraid these people have calculated the time to come. We invited them to send troops a long time ago, but there has been no movement. Now that our war is over, these people are here."

Huo Xian just smiled and didn't really care. "In that case, it's nothing. We didn't expect Wusun to send troops. Inviting them here was just a test."

This is not just a simple test, it is actually a deterrent to Wusun and a display of strength.

Gongsun Ao was still somewhat dissatisfied. "Now they are thinking about looking for pastures. If they had sent troops before, even if they just sent troops without fighting, it would have been understandable. But now they are so shameless!"

Zhao Anguo probably had similar thoughts. He thought that these Wusun people were really shameless and really thought that the Han Dynasty would fulfill their every request. Where would these good things come from?
Huo Xian smiled and joked, "It's normal for Wusun to think this way. They really think they are so popular. Let them wait for the price to rise. They will have a hard time in the future."

Gongsun Ao and others also agreed with this statement. Now Wusun can jump up and down, playing both sides between the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu. It seems that they can get benefits from both sides without offending either side.

But sooner or later they will pay the price for their current choices, and their current complacency will soon turn into regret.

Gongsun Ao also understood this, so he smiled and said, "Sir, Wusun is still unwilling to send troops, but that's fine for now. We can't count on these people anyway."

Zhao Anguo added, "These people are indeed unreliable. If we really want to fight the Huns, we still have to rely on ourselves."

Huo Xian thought the same and said without hesitation, "Although it has been delayed for two days, we still have to send troops when it is time. Marquis Yiqu will lead the army first, and we will take a detour to fight King Riju."

Gongsun Ao immediately said, "Sir, if we really want to fight against King Riju, we must also destroy Qiemi."

Geographically, Qiemi was a neighbor of Cheshi. This country controlled the key road, and through the canyon between Bogda Mountain and Yilianhabilga Mountain, both of which belong to the Tianshan Mountains, one could enter the Gurbantunggut Desert.

Then continue to move eastward and you can attack the troops of King Riju, or even directly capture the main force of King Youxian.

No one seemed to find Huo Xian's ideas strange at all, and in fact, such a reaction was well within expectations.

It was no secret that Huo Xian wanted to fight the Xiongnu, and everyone knew it. This time, the attack on Cheshi was naturally Cheshi's own fault, and everyone thought it was natural.

But apart from that, everyone also understands that it is good to pull out the radish and bring out the mud, and pulling Kangju out is certainly a very good thing.

But the most fundamental thing is to actually try to draw out the power of the Huns. This is the most anticipated major event.

Gongsun Ao had no objection, but still said, "Sir, let Li Ling attack Qie Mi first. They may have already prepared for it. The army and baggage must also follow, otherwise it will be difficult."

Crossing the desert is a huge challenge in itself, not to mention that the desert that needs to be crossed this time is not a Gobi desert like Bailongtan, so the challenge is quite great.

The pressure is not just about crossing the desert, but also about controlling the main roads, otherwise the retreat may be cut off, which may also be a huge hidden danger.

"Let's send an envoy first. If we really attack them one by one, I'm afraid it will cost us a lot." Huo Xian had his own ideas. "I'm afraid we won't have enough time. Otherwise, it will be a real hassle."

Not only Huo Xian understood this principle, but everyone else also knew it. For the Han army, it was not just a matter of manpower and terrain, but also the need to stand the test of time.

Now it is not as simple as late autumn, but we are about to enter winter, which is the biggest test and the biggest danger. Gongsun Ao was not so optimistic and said, "Sir, I think Qie Mi is unreliable. After all, these people are still controlled by the Xiongnu."

In fact, everyone knows the truth. The prestige of the Huns in the Western Regions is higher, and the awe of the Western Regions countries towards the Huns cannot be reversed overnight.

Huo Xian smiled and said, "No matter what, let's give it a try first. If we really take down Qiemi, we should prepare to enter the desert."

If the war doesn't start this winter, it will definitely start in the spring of next year. Everyone knows this. Now we are laying some foundations for the war in advance, and it is best to be more fully prepared.

There is no harm in making more preparations, even if it is a little harder now. As long as we defeat the Huns, any hard work we put in now will be rewarded.

Each of them had rich experience in leading troops in battle, and they all understood that the Huns were actually not easy to defeat, so it was not excessive to be fully prepared.

Huo Xian has solved some problems, so he needs to keep working hard and the war needs to continue to advance.

Ren An continued to become the logistics manager, which was a very important task. He also understood that his task was not only to deliver baggage and supplies in time, but also to guard Yuanqu City and Jiaohe City.

Even though we have conquered these two royal cities, there may still be some rebellions. Some people here may collude with the Huns and want to launch a counterattack.

If a fire really breaks out in the backyard, the Han army will be in a dilemma, which is definitely not what everyone wants to see.

In addition to the need for garrison and deterrence, it is also necessary to be proficient in counterattacks from countries such as Yuli, which are very likely to happen.

Even though some of the main forces of those countries seem to have been destroyed, who knows whether they will have the confidence to go crazy again!

Seeing the baggage being transported away, Huo Xian breathed a sigh of relief. "No matter how you look at it now, there is nothing to worry about. We already stockpiled some food and grass, and now we have a lot of replenishment. I can finally rest assured."

Chen Ju joked, "The slaves of Cheshi are now driving the grass to harvest. I'm afraid they will have a hard time this year. My Han army will be strong in the spring, and the Xiongnu will be miserable!"

There is absolutely nothing wrong with saying this. Of course, silage technology should be kept confidential. There is nothing to say about this.

Huo Xian was not that great. He should first make the Han Dynasty prosperous and strong, and then talk about other things.

Just silage, including some other things, actually requires a large number of people to do some seemingly repetitive and mechanized work, or even work that does not seem to have much meaning in the eyes of some people.

For example, some slaves or captives are busy digging cellars, some are busy harvesting hay, and there are also many people busy chopping hay.

These tasks are very meaningful. They can make the Han army's work more relaxed and save a lot of manpower.

However, outsiders certainly cannot access some core technologies, and even unreliable soldiers will find it difficult to get access to such work.

Fortunately, the Han army now has no shortage of land and pastures. They cannot rely on these prisoners to fight, but some hard labor can definitely come in handy. Naturally, the value of these people must be fully utilized.

Huo Xian’s request was so simple, as long as the captives could help the Han army, they would be good captives who could be trusted.

Naturally, there is no need to think about other things. These people have a lot of things to do now, and there will be a lot of things they need to do next.

The Han army set out again, and this time it was to Qiemi, which seemed to be within reach. This country, which controlled the important road, was the key for the Han army to take the initiative to attack the Huns.

The road must be controlled and one must ensure that one's retreat will not be cut off by Qie Mi.

The initiative must be controlled in the hands of the Han people, and Mi actually has no choice at all.

Even if Qie Mi chooses to surrender, he must disarm directly when the time comes, otherwise the army will not be able to safely cross the valley and enter the desert.

It cannot be said that the entire Han army was mobilized, but the appearance of such a powerful army was the biggest shock to many people.

The Qiemi were like this. They were located at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, with abundant water and grass, so there were many merchants traveling back and forth from the south and the north. Not only did they have the conditions to engage in economic trade with the city-states, but it also promoted the exchange of culture and technology.

If it weren't for the exploitation of the Huns, perhaps this country could have become more prosperous and had the opportunity to live a better life.

But now King Qie Mi is more afraid, because they have a very close relationship with Cheshi. It can even be said that Qie Mi originally belonged to Cheshi.

The powerful Cheshi was destroyed by the Han army. No one could guarantee how long Qie Mi could hold out. What was even more terrible was that everyone could see the reason why the Han army went directly north to Qie Mi.

In the final analysis, the most important thing is to capture Qie Mi, and then continue to go north to seek opportunities to attack the Xiongnu. Qie Mi, there is no way to escape.

The Qiemi people really could not escape, nor did they intend to escape. They might not have a good impression of the Huns, but what was certain was that the Qiemi people had even less good feelings towards the Han Dynasty.

The Han army is indeed very powerful, but don’t underestimate Qie Mi and the powerful country behind them, the Xiongnu!

The scout came on horseback and reported, "Grand Marshal, kill my Han envoy!"

Huo Xian's face turned cold instantly. Qie Mi dared to do this at this time. It can only be said that he must have something to rely on, so he was fearless.

"Order Li Ling's troops to stop, and the rest of the troops to speed up their march." Huo Xian gave the order decisively, "Hurry up and bring the baggage, we will spend the winter in Qie Mi this year!"

Qie Mi is so arrogant, he must have made preparations. Let's clash and see who is stronger!
(End of this chapter)