Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Chapter 194 Advantages
Although the road was muddy, it could not stop some people from being eager to return home, such as Huo Xian.

Huo Xian didn't care about the muddy roads caused by the melting snow. He was just preparing to go home. It had been almost seven or eight months since the expedition, so it was time to go back.

The scarlet cloak was covered with mud spots. Although they couldn't run as fast as they could, their marching speed wasn't slow. They kept moving forward and would get closer and closer to Chang'an.

Chen Ju said, "My Lord, at this rate, it will definitely be spring by the time we reach Chang'an!"

Huo Xian also recognized this. "I think so too. It is colder in the Western Regions. We should go back first. I guess the officials appointed by the court will also leave in a while."

Everyone knew that the court would definitely send some officials to the Western Regions. The main reason they had not been there before was the weather. But now it was different. It was time to leave.

Chen Ju joked, "Maybe we can run into them on the road. I don't know who are these people going to the Western Regions!"

Huo Xian didn't care about it. "I'm not familiar with the officials in the court. It would be the same for anyone who went there."

Huo Xian was just saying this casually. Chen Ju and others actually did not believe it at all, nor did they think that what their lord said was the absolute fact.

Our prince really doesn't like to go to the court, and it seems that he doesn't like to interact with some dignitaries. But our prince can ignore it, while other dignitaries and high-ranking officials still have to pay attention to our prince.

Chen Ju said earnestly, "My Lord, I don't know what's going on in the court. It's just that the general is not in good health now, and you are the Grand Marshal. It's definitely not a big deal if you don't go to the court all the time!"

Huo Xian suddenly had a headache. The reason why he did not go to the court was actually very simple. He just wanted to show his loyalty to the emperor and let the emperor know that there were people who actually did not care about power.

Huo Xian still needs to keep some distance from some things that others pursue.

In the final analysis, it is one thing that the emperor trusts Huo Shan, but that is also because Huo Shan has shown himself to be extremely loyal and does not care about power.

If Huo Xian really showed great enthusiasm for power and had the ability to completely control the military power, etc., then even if Huo Xian was raised and trained by the emperor, he would still be suspected and would not have a good ending.

Huo Xian did not intend to explain many things. Chen Ju and others had good intentions, but they did not understand the emperor's character. They just thought that their princes were deeply trusted by the emperor and would not be suspected of anything they did.

These are not absolute things, so Huo Xian needs to be more vigilant at this time.

When I was a kid, I could rely on my age to make jokes and fool people, which I could consider as "getting away with it cutely", but that trick is becoming less and less suitable now, and now that I have military merits, I need to be even more vigilant.

Feng Wu came back on horseback, "Sir, there is an inn ten miles ahead where we can rest. We have already arranged everything. When you arrive, there will definitely be hot water and hot meals!"

That's good. Huo Xian was quite satisfied. "That's great. There's no need to rush. The weather is not good, so we can take a day or two to relax."

Although they were in a hurry to return to Chang'an, Huo Xian and the others did not need to rush. After all, there was no urgent military situation at the moment, so they could be more relaxed.

Rest well and prepare well. For Huo Xian and others, the journey from the Western Regions back to Chang'an is not short, and they are tired from the long journey, so they need to adjust at the right time and cannot really tire themselves out.

Chen Ju, Feng Wu and others carried hot water, and Huo Xian, who was sitting in the bathtub, covered his face comfortably. This was comfortable, and he was sweating all over. This was a comfortable bath, this was life.

"My Lord, we will have to make do with this for a while." Chen Ju said with regret, "After all, it's a small posthouse, and there's no larger county nearby, so there aren't many good things here."

Huo Xian narrowed his eyes and asked lazily, "What's wrong?"

Chen Ju complained, "It's not even a bed, it can only be cushioned with some straw. Fortunately, I brought the Lord's bedding, otherwise the Lord would have to use other people's bedding, which would be unacceptable!"

Even when fighting outside, sometimes you really have to overcome difficulties, but it doesn't mean that there are no preferential treatments at all. Under circumstances that are not particularly exaggerated, some places can still be guaranteed.

When Huo Xian went out to fight, he always brought bedding and other daily necessities with him, and no one said anything about it.

Not to mention that Chen Ju and his troops were brought along, even if some things were sent over using the army's baggage transport convoy, that would be a very normal thing to do.

This was not just the practice of Huo Xian, some senior officers also received similar treatment.

Huo Xian said nonchalantly, "It doesn't matter. It's just like this these days. It will be fine once we get to a big town."

We have just "entered the pass", just entered the Yumen Pass, and have not yet passed the Hexi Corridor. We are still a very long distance away from Chang'an, so naturally we can't think too much about enjoying ourselves.

Just get over it now, and you will feel comfortable when you return to Chang'an. What's more, the current conditions are not particularly bad, and even for most people, the current conditions are considered good.

Seeing that they were about to reach the Hexi Corridor, Huo Xian was also somewhat excited. "Since we are already in Hexi, it's time to go to the horse farm and take a look."

Chen Ju and the others naturally had no objections. This was just something that happened on the way, so they naturally didn't think that it would waste time, etc. It was definitely not a bad thing to just go over and take a look.

Not to mention that the Shandan Military Horse Farm was built by Huo Qubing. Secondly, many Ferghana horses were sent to the farm. In addition, Huo Xian also paid some attention to the situation of the farm two years ago.

Let’s see whether the stable has bred more war horses and whether there are any improvements on the problems exposed previously.

These are definitely extremely important matters, which are also related to the development and construction of the Han cavalry. This is naturally something that Huo Xian is very concerned about.

It is also very simple to say, "Grand Marshal Hussar General", this is the best proof. On the surface, this is the commander of the Han cavalry, and some things naturally require his concern.

A simple rest is enough. We still need to continue working hard and move forward.

Some of them were still anxious to return to Chang'an, so apart from some special circumstances, there was really nothing that could stop Huo Xian and the others from returning home. When they saw the flags of the Grand Marshal, General of the Cavalry, and Marquis of Guanjun, the herdsmen and others at the Shandan Army Horse Farm became nervous, as the incident in which Marquis of Guanjun was furious and punished officials at the horse farm was still fresh in their minds.

Huo Xian was not polite either. He began to inquire carefully about the breeding of the Arabian horse, whether it was the current situation of the purebred Arabian horse or some hybrid improvements, etc.

On the other hand, of course, it is necessary to ask carefully about the silage situation, the production of some horse equipment, etc.

It seems that the situation is not bad. I had a rant here two years ago and put forward some suggestions for improvement, and it seems that there is some effect.

Chen Ju looked at Huo Xian and whispered, "Lord, it's time for Daoli and Yuanbao to mate."

Huo Xian immediately became happy and said, "I don't like ordinary ones. Let's talk about it after we return to Chang'an. There are also many fine horses in Chang'an, so there's no need to think too much. But how about changing your horses?"

Chen Ju said without thinking, "No need. My horse is still in its prime. I have been raising it for a few years and I have some feelings for it. If I were to change it, I would probably not be able to continue riding a warhorse to go to war in a few years."

Huo Xian would not refute anything about Chen Ju's words. This was the actual situation and there was no need to be too sad.

For these cavalrymen and generals, war horses are their most reliable companions, and they will not be easily replaced. This is obviously the case with Chen Ju. Although the Ferghana horse is a good horse, he will not "love the new and dislike the old".

The war horses that were trained with great difficulty would not be replaced while they were still young and strong. Even Chen Ju's spare horses were the Wusun horses from before, just because they were still rideable.

As for Chen Ju's age and physical condition, Huo Xian was also aware of it. Even though he was a little reluctant, he also knew that if he wanted to continue leading the army to war, his four generals would no longer be able to accompany him.

Each generation has its own things to do. Chen Ju and others fought in succession in their early years. Although they rested for more than ten years in between, their physical damage was quite great. As they got older, many health problems would be exposed.

Huo Xian would not be too sad about the passing of time. He had already let go of some things. Not only did he know this, but Chen Ju and others also knew this.

Even if I think about it, this life has not been lived in vain. I have made great achievements on the battlefield when I was young, and I have also enjoyed happiness and left considerable assets for my descendants. This life is indeed not lived in vain.

Since there was no problem at the horse farm, Huo Xian felt very relieved. If he really wanted to use military force against the Huns, some basic conditions seemed to be quite good, enough to make him feel at ease.

After all, war horses are indispensable when fighting the Huns. Having a large number of excellent war horses can greatly improve combat effectiveness and make up for the gap in war horses between the Han cavalry and the Hun cavalry.

"My Lord, I want to change my horse." Feng Wu scratched his head a little embarrassedly and said, "When I was in the Western Regions, my warhorse was injured."

Huo Xian was not stingy and said, "You go and choose the horse first, and I'll take care of the rest. Just remember, don't choose a top-notch horse for me, otherwise it will be difficult for me to handle it."

Feng Wu naturally understood this. Although there were thousands of Arabian horses in the current horse farm, there were also thousands of mixed-blood horses.

However, most of the foals have not fully grown up yet, and it is basically difficult for horses under three years old to become real war horses, so naturally we cannot have too many expectations.

What's more, there are only a handful of high-quality horses, and the dignitaries in Chang'an are all eyeing them, so there are not enough of them. So even though the troops of the Marquis of Guanjun have some military merit, Feng Wu doesn't dare to think about the high-quality horses.

A medium-sized Ferghana horse is already very good, and it is more in line with his status. After all, in Chang'an City, even if you are a nine minister or a county governor, you can't guarantee that everyone has a Ferghana horse.

Huo Xian was not only observing the condition of the horses, but also carefully inquiring about some matters concerning the horse farm.

Gongsun Jingsheng is now in charge of horse affairs in the Han Dynasty, which is also a risk for Huo Xian. Even if everyone seems to have the same interests, this is not necessarily absolute.

Gongsun He, this cousin, is probably the legendary pig teammate. The rapid disintegration of the Wei Huo Group in history began with Gongsun Jingsheng.

Huo Xian considered himself a "dandy", and some of his actions made many people in Chang'an City think that he was a dandy and unreliable.

But no matter what, Huo Xian still has some bottom line. But Gongsun Jingsheng is different. This relative born into a powerful family has both power and status, but he still has some desires that are hard to satisfy.

Corruption, abuse of power, and misappropriation of military funds are things that most people dare not think about. However, Gongsun Jingsheng not only dares to think about it, but as a doer, he even lets go and does something.

If something like that really happened, Huo Xian would have to "kill his own relatives for the sake of justice". He would definitely not allow Gongsun Jingsheng, an unstable factor, to implicate more people, as their relationship was too close.

After settling the matter at the horse farm, Huo Xian could continue to prepare for his return journey, continuing to seize the time and speed up his pace to return to Chang'an.

"My Lord, looking at this, I think if we really go to fight the Xiongnu, this breath can buy a lot of war horses." Chen Ju said with a beaming face, "If we really attack, the Xiongnu will definitely not be able to escape!"

Huo Xian also had the same idea, "There are already quite a few of these Tianma horses, and if we add the Wusun horses from before, we can indeed form more than 10,000 elite cavalry."

This was a huge advantage. The capital that the Xiongnu relied on before included the fact that the overall quality of their war horses was better than that of the Han army. But now this advantage no longer existed, and the Xiongnu's situation was naturally very bad.

As one side gained strength while the other side lost strength, the Huns had basically nothing to be proud of when facing the Han army, and they would have no reason to complain if they were really destroyed.

Chen Ju also thought so. "If we really train and raise these horses well, it won't take more than half a year!"

Huo Xian laughed, he was thinking the same thing now. As long as they gave the Han Dynasty half a year, a more powerful elite cavalry could be formed.

Now it all depends on when these war horses will be trained and sent to the border. If everything is ready, it will be the time to really use troops against the Huns.

Huo Xian was a little impatient. He always felt that his mission was to fight the Huns, so he would not miss the opportunity!
Our advantages are constantly increasing, so we must make good use of them and not lose any battle against the Huns!
(End of this chapter)