Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Chapter 176: Anxiety
Huo Xian led 5,000 cavalrymen and charged straight towards Jiaohe City. They now had to seize the time to consolidate the city's defenses and set up certain defense lines. They must never let the Huns enter their positions easily.

When Ren An saw Huo Xian, he was very excited, "Grand Marshal, I have already demolished many houses in advance according to the military order."

Huo Xian was somewhat amused and asked, "What military order? Did I give the order?"

Chen Ju said unhappily, "Captain Ren, when did my lord order the demolition of the house? He just asked you to find a way to strengthen the city defense. It was your business, and it has nothing to do with my lord!"

Huo Xian laughed and said, "Okay, we can demolish it, but we should strengthen the city defense first. When I entered the city, I saw you were having people dig trenches, which is not bad. It can delay the Xiongnu's advance."

Some houses in Jiaohe City were demolished, and there was no pressure at all. Don't say that these are the houses of people from the Western Regions. If it were really in the territory of the Han Dynasty, they would do the same when the war was tense.

A kind army cannot be commanded. This is not just a casual saying. Some things require this kind of decision-making.

Zhao Chongguo was a little worried at this time. "Sir, the Xiongnu can come from the northwest and pass through the valley. But if they realize that we are prepared, they can take a detour to Luntai."

This is indeed the case in terms of topography, Jiaohe City is a major transportation hub.

It is located in the northwest corner of the basin, with the Mushtag Gap on the other side. It connects to the hinterland of Turpan in the east and faces Daheyan in the north. It controls Mushtag and Turpan in the front range of the Tianshan Mountains, and you can cross the Tianshan Mountains from the north.

Continue along the Baiyang River towards the northwest, and you will find Luntai not far away. It is a wider place and you can come here along the Tarim River.

Huo Xian naturally understood this and said, "We must block this place first and never let the Xiongnu break through Jiaohe City. If they can't break through, they can only retreat, and we can chase and harass them."

The choice of battlefield is extremely important. Huo Xian naturally hopes to launch a decisive battle with the Huns in the valley in the northwest corner of Jiaohe City.

If that time really came, Huo Xian would have a greater chance of winning. By then, even if the Huns had more people, they would not be able to display their power. The ambushes of archers on both sides of the valley would be enough to cause the Huns to suffer heavy losses.

If they could not break out of the valley, the Huns could only retreat and take a detour, and then attack Luntai along the Tarim River.

In the final analysis, by defending Jiaohe City, the Huns' large troops would be unable to deploy, and when winter comes, the Huns will start to get anxious.

Zhao Chongguo thought about it and it made sense, so he said, "Sir, this means we will not allow the Xiongnu to invade the heartland of the Western Regions."

That can't be said. The hinterland of the Western Regions is logically considered to be Luntai and Korla. Huo Xian is only forbidding the Xiongnu to enter the northeastern corner of the Western Regions, which is under Huo Xian's control.

One Qie Mi, one Jiaohe City, one Yuanqu City, plus Luntai, these four places are important transportation routes, enough for the Han Dynasty to control the northeast of the Western Regions, and the area south of the Tianshan Mountains can also be the territory of the Han army.

"Sir, if there is a big battle in Jiaohe City, I will lead my troops to ambush them!" Han Zeng volunteered, saying, "I will cut wood and pile stones right away, and I will definitely kill the Xiongnu at the bottom of the valley."

Huo Xian made a prompt decision and said, "You and Zhao Chongguo will each lead a thousand men to ambush on both sides of the valley. Remember to be well hidden. Don't kill the Xiongnu as soon as you see them. Let more than ten thousand of them pass, and then cut off their retreat."

It is not enough to block them completely. Huo Xian not only wants to push the Huns back, but also hopes to cause some casualties at this time.

Han Zeng and Zhao Chongguo were both knowledgeable about military affairs, so they could naturally understand Huo Xian's intention. In the final analysis, it was to kill some of the Xiongnu first, which would be beneficial for the subsequent war.

Huo Xian continued, "It's best to control the number to around 15,000. I will lead the troops to meet the enemy at the entrance of the valley. The enemy will surely retreat or reinforce by then, so you have to be careful."

Although this is a huge challenge, Han Zeng and Zhao Chongguo are very excited. This will be their chance to make military achievements. If they are really afraid of death, they will not join the army.

If there are no tough battles to fight, how can you have the chance to become a marquis or a general?

Didn’t you see that Ren An, Zhang Anshi and others all had red eyes? This is the result of jealousy going crazy. This is the treatment that the confidant of Marquis Guanjun is given.

From the title, we can know that in general military schools, Huo Shan can only be called "Grand Marshal", while Zhao Chongguo and others can be called "Lord". That is, Gongsun Ao protected Huo Shan, so he was called "Grand Marshal" in the army.

Therefore, when there are opportunities to make meritorious contributions, others will be jealous, but there is no other way. It is up to the Sima to choose who to use first.

Huo Xian looked at Kangda and said, "You lead your troops to prepare. Remember to prepare more shields, spears, and halberds. Can you do it?"

Kangda said confidently, "Don't worry, my lord. If the Huns break through the formation, you don't need to punish me. I will come to you with my head on my shoulders!"

This was another extremely hard and arduous task. Although the Han army had a lot of cavalry, there were more infantry. Using infantry to fight cavalry seemed to be at a natural disadvantage.

However, the Han army also had rich experience in using infantry to fight against the Xiongnu cavalry. The front row used shields, and the back row used spears and halberds. As long as the cavalry could not run, they would be trapped in a tough battle and even become prey to the infantry.

However, this requires a very high level of infantrymanship. Only infantrymen with extremely high military literacy can maintain their mentality under the massive charge of the cavalry. Once the infantry formation collapses, they will become prey to the cavalry.

Obeying orders, moving in unison, and maintaining neat formations are the basic requirements for infantry against cavalry. This task is not something that ordinary infantry can accomplish.

Huo Xian then looked at Tan Jie and said, "You should also prepare yourself. Your troops and Kang Da will be on your left and right. There are many Xiongnu people this time. I'm afraid it will be a tough battle. You must not lose face for His Highness!"

Tan Jie was extremely excited and determined, "Don't worry, my lord. If I retreat even a step, I will bring my head to you!"

Kangda and Tan Jie were also old acquaintances. Kangda was Huo Xian's partner in practicing riding and archery when he was young, while Tan Jie was a retainer of Crown Prince Liu Ju.

These two had also fought in battles with Huo Xian, and could be considered the most trusted among the trusted. They were promoted quickly and given many opportunities, but all of this was based on their certain abilities.

After all, if they are promoted without any ability, it will harm them and undermine the dignity of Huo Xian and Liu Ju. It is naturally very important to have someone to support you, but you can't underestimate your own ability.

Huo Xian had no time to rest when he first arrived in Jiaohe City. He also had to hurry to deploy his troops, as these were absolutely big matters.

Time is short and the mission is heavy. The Huns may arrive at any time. If we don't hurry up, we will be playing with the lives of the soldiers. Huo Xian looked at Ren An and asked, "It's okay to have food and grass now, but hurry up and transport the weapons. Especially arrows, there must be no shortage. Send someone to urge the Marquis of Haixi."

Ren An had no complaints. His job was to transport food and fodder from Luntai to Jiaohe City and Yuanqu City, and he had done this many times.

But this is marching and fighting. It is one thing that the Huns are hard to find, and it is another thing that the war has undergone a series of adjustments, which naturally requires constant adjustments.

It's not that Huo Xian is making trouble for people, but that's how war is fought. If you are afraid of death, don't join the army. If you are worried about constant marching, don't join the army.

At present, only the vanguard has arrived, and a small number of soldiers have stayed behind. Gongsun Ao is still leading the army on a hurried march. Now is not the time when the Han army is at its strongest, and the current preparations are not yet complete.

Huo Xian was in a good mood, mainly because he still had plenty of time, although the rapid march was certainly quite stressful and the soldiers must have consumed a lot of their physical strength.

Fortunately, there is enough time to recover now, and physical strength should not be a big problem, and the army is indeed in time.

Chen Ju whispered to Huo Xian, "Sir, if the Xiongnu really come, you must not charge. If you really can't, I will lead the people to charge."

Huo Xian looked at Chen Ju and asked doubtfully, "What are you thinking? I am the commander of the army, how can I charge into the battle line so easily!"

Although Huo Xian's words were extremely firm, he seemed to have some understanding that he was going to play it safe this time. But looking at Chen Ju's expression, he obviously didn't believe it.

Seeing that Chen Ju still didn't believe it, Huo Xian asked with a smile, "Did someone come to you before this expedition? Was it His Majesty or the general?"

Chen Ju did not hide anything and said directly, "His Majesty has sent a decree, and His Royal Highness the Queen and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince have also sent a decree. The Young Lord has also personally instructed me not to let the Lord charge into the battle."

"Don't worry, I won't charge into the battle line easily." Huo Xian smiled, "These people are really something. If I, the commander-in-chief, don't kill the enemy in battle, how can we boost morale? This time, fighting the Huns is no different from any other time!"

But Chen Ju had reasons to worry. After all, there were too many Huns this time, which was somewhat different from the previous times when he went into battle to kill the enemies. So it was okay to be careful.

Chen Ju was a little speechless, but he still agreed in his heart. Looking at Huo Xian, this was because of the orders of those nobles, but it was just for listening, he was a member of the Champion Marquis.

In the past, when fighting a war, we would always follow the general and charge to the front. This could indeed boost morale and make the soldiers more powerful.

Huo Xian changed his clothes and said to Chen Ju, "There are many Xiongnu soldiers coming this time. Don't let all your troops follow you. Just pick a few veterans. I'm the commander, and I have enough guards to accompany me."

Chen Ju was silent for a moment before he said, "Lord, let's all follow. This way, everyone can feel at ease. After all, we are the generals of the general."

Huo Xian shook his head and said, "Too many people is not good. I am in the center of the army, and there are heavy cavalry in front of me. If there are too many people, it will be difficult for the heavy cavalry to follow me to kill the enemy."

Chen Ju looked at Huo Xian. After all, the prince still had not given up the idea of ​​charging. But it was completely understandable. After all, the heavy cavalry troops had always trained together, so they had more tacit understanding and coordination in battle.

If we really add the followers of twenty princes, it would not be a good thing. It would make many people feel embarrassed. It is not necessarily a good thing.

"Then Feng Wu and I will follow, and there must be at least ten riders." Chen Ju accepted his fate, and there was no way he could stop them. "Let the others stay behind, and the younger ones should not follow."

Such a view is certainly worthy of recognition. It is not a good thing for the troops to follow in a swarm. More people may not necessarily bring enough combat effectiveness, but may instead be a constraint.

Huo Xian looked at Chen Ju and asked worriedly, "Uncle Chen, you really don't want to consider changing your weapon. You have always used a knife."

"If I'm really in a hurry, I can use the guns I've seized." Chen Ju said confidently, "I'm only on the battlefield to protect you, so short weapons are better. I don't need to knock the Huns off their horses."

This time Huo Xian had no way to refute. When it came to personal bravery, he knew that he was still somewhat inferior to Chen Ju and the others. These people were real surviving warriors of hundreds of battles and were proficient in all kinds of weapons.

Huo Xian looked at Chen Ju and asked, "Uncle Chen, do you think there are too many Xiongnu in this battle?"

Huo Xian was a little nervous. After all, the two sides might have nearly 100,000 soldiers in total. It would be a lie to say that he was not nervous at this time.

In front of outsiders, Huo Xian had to pretend to be calm, and even act as if he didn't care about the Huns at all. But in front of his own people, he could be a little anxious.

Chen Ju could also understand that the general was so high-spirited back then, but he was also very sensitive during the war. He would often get angry over trivial matters, wake up in the middle of the night or often be unable to fall asleep.

"My Lord, I don't think it's a big deal." Chen Ju said with a smile, "Now these Huns are nothing, they are not the real main force of the Huns."

Huo Xian thought about it and felt that it made sense. "Yes, except for the Right Wise King's troops, which are considered the main force, the others are just troops from various other units. We will fight against the miscellaneous troops first this year, and fight against the main force in two years!"

More than 30,000 people, even if it is more than 50,000, that is nothing. The Huns claimed to have more than 100,000 soldiers, but that included those who could mount horses and fight. Many of them were herdsmen who went into battle carrying weapons.

These people have certain tactics and basic qualities, but they are definitely not as professional as the Han army.

As long as the main force of the Huns was defeated, the rest would immediately begin to flee, which was a common occurrence in previous wars.

It is not ruled out that some Huns can fight hard, but relatively speaking, the Han army is more resilient. It is imperative to give the Huns some severe warnings, and never let them lose morale.

Therefore, the first battle must be fought well. Now the Huns are coming with great momentum. They are numerous and powerful, and they think they have an opportunity to take advantage of.

Then give them a warning and let them know what is good for them.

If we win the first battle, then the following battles will go much more smoothly, and we can seize more initiative. If it is a tug-of-war or a protracted war, the Han army will be under pressure, but the Huns will be under even greater pressure!
(End of this chapter)