Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Chapter 253 Steady and Steady
Wei Buyi came to the hall and naturally saluted obediently when he saw Liu Che.

Although Liu Che didn't seem to pay much attention to Wei Buyi and others most of the time, he still had some basic respect. After all, he was the queen's nephew and Wei Qing's son.

Liu Che looked at Wei Buyi and asked, "Xian'er must have come to see you. What did she say?"

Wei Buyi did not even dare to look at Huo Xian who was sitting on the side eating and drinking, and answered carefully, "Your Majesty, when the Marquis of Guanjun heard that I was here, he went to visit me and asked about the recent situation in Chang'an."

Although his ability was average, Wei Buyi was not stupid. Even though he felt a little guilty and timid when facing the emperor, he still had the proper sense of propriety.

It was impossible for Wei Buzhi to fail under such simple tests.

As for Huo Xian, who was often tested by the emperor, even though he often complained in his heart, he was able to deal with it relatively calmly.

Liu Che did not comment. He naturally understood that Wei Buyi and Huo Shan must have talked a lot, and there was no need for him to know everything.

Liu Che asked, "The general asked you to come here, so he must have other instructions. Tell me, is it the strategy of sowing discord that I asked about before?"

Wei Buyi immediately replied, "Your Majesty, I do not know what the strategy of sowing discord is. But my father still hopes that Your Majesty will allow us to send an envoy to the Xiongnu to discuss the matter of exchanging the Han envoy for us."

There were quite a few Han envoys detained by the Han Dynasty, naturally led by Su Wu and his men. Of course, there were also quite a few Xiongnu envoys detained by the Han Dynasty, and everyone retaliated equally.

Huo Xian then remembered that Jiang Chong, who had caused the witchcraft disaster, was now on a diplomatic mission to the Xiongnu as an envoy.

Liu Che said somewhat unhappily, "The Xiongnu are rude and have detained the Han envoys without authorization. The general still wants to continue sending envoys. What is his intention? Do you think that the Han envoys should not take risks easily?"

Wei Buyi couldn't stand the pressure from the emperor. Although he wasn't trembling with fear, it was obvious that he was guilty and timid.

This is understandable. Not to mention Wei Buyi, even Prime Minister Gongsun He was honest in front of Liu Che. It was because the prestige of Emperor Wu of Han was too high and his ability was too strong that all officials were afraid of him.

Huo Xian spoke up, "Your Majesty, go and try to get Su Wu back. This man still has some backbone."

Su Wu was deceived by his deputy envoy Zhang Sheng. But we have to say that Su Wu was lucky and was regarded as a god by the Xiongnu people. Now he is herding sheep in the North Sea.

Liu Che glanced at Huo Xian and said unhappily, "When I question other people, you have never bothered to intervene. As long as they are your relatives, when will you learn to shut up?"

"We can't just stand by and watch my uncle get scolded. He's always been timid." Huo Xian said, "Whether your majesty is really angry or not, I know. Besides, if it's really a big deal, I won't interrupt."

Liu Che just smiled. There was nothing wrong with what Huo Xian said. This was his usual style.

Wei Buyi then said, "Your Majesty, I heard that Wei Lu was highly valued in the Xiongnu and was named King Dingling."

Liu Che snorted unhappily. During the years of confrontation between the Han Dynasty and the Huns, the Huns often surrendered to the Han Dynasty, and some Han Dynasty ministers also surrendered to the Huns.

Wei Lu's father was a Hu man who surrendered to the Han Dynasty, but now Wei Lu defected to the Xiongnu and became King Ding Ling. Not only was he the strategist of the Xiongnu Chanyu, but he also had a very good relationship with Li Yannian when he was in the Han Dynasty.

Liu Che said, "Wei Lu is so cunning, how can he fall into the trap so easily?"

Wei Buzhi didn't know what to say at this moment, because these things were very difficult for him. He was not good at leading troops in battle, and he really didn't have any strategy.

But if you think about it carefully, people like Wei Lu had no status at all in the Han Dynasty, but when they arrived in the Xiongnu, they became important officials and strategists, which is almost the same as Zhonghang Shuo back then.

These people may not have had any chance to come to the fore during the Han Dynasty, but this also shows that the Huns were really short of people.

Huo Xian said at this time, "Your Majesty, I think we can send someone to try, it would be better to find out the situation of the Xiongnu."

Liu Che smiled and looked at Huo Xian, "Xian'er, the Xiongnu have not been in turmoil in recent years, but they have been fighting fiercely. But no matter what, these Xiongnu people are still very wary of our Han Dynasty."

Huo Xian didn't care too much. "Your Majesty, many Xiongnu have surrendered to our Han Dynasty in recent years. Most of them are Xiongnu minor kings. Now it's fine to recruit a left commander, but we can fight for the minor king."

Hearing what Huo Xian said, Liu Che couldn't help but laugh. There was nothing wrong with saying this.

King Ding Ling was actually just a minor king in the Xiongnu. It was just that Wei Lu was more respected than he is now.

When the Xiongnu's deputy king surrendered to the Han Dynasty, he was basically treated like a marquis, which was still quite attractive.

Huo Xian continued, "Your Majesty, weakening the Xiongnu is one thing, but shaking their hearts is even better. The Xiongnu is in such a mess right now, I guess those minor kings are also wavering."

Liu Che looked at Huo Shan with a smile, "Shan'er, if you really do this, you may not be able to fight the Xiongnu next year!"

Huo Xian was silent for a moment, then said helplessly, "Your Majesty, I want to destroy the Xiongnu in one go. If we can destroy the Xiongnu by waiting for another year or two, it will be worth it. Your Majesty, if you really destroy the Xiongnu, you will be the greatest emperor in history!"

Hearing what Huo Xian said, Liu Che laughed out loud, "You dare to say anything!"

Huo Xian said sternly, "Your Majesty, I have always felt that these Xiongnu people are really hateful. No matter how hard we fight them, we cannot destroy them. We fought so hard in the past few years, and it took them ten or twenty years to recover some of their strength."

Liu Che said unhappily, "The south of the desert is in my hands now. The Hexi Corridor and the Western Regions were also taken back from the Xiongnu by me. The Xiongnu are strong and the Xiongnu have recovered their vitality. What can we say about this?"

Liu Che was always very confident about his great achievements and would not allow anyone to question him. He almost crippled the Xiongnu, which was one of the things Liu Che was most proud of.

Liu Che also had reason to be proud. When he took over the Han Dynasty, the Huns were still extremely powerful. They would often invade the border, move south, and plunder the border counties of the Han Dynasty.

However, after several consecutive wars, the Huns were severely damaged. After losing a group of young and strong people, they also lost a series of strategic locations in succession, so that it is now very difficult for them to recover.

Huo Xian said, "Your Majesty, if we can completely defeat the Xiongnu in the next two or three years, I will go down in history with my name."

Liu Che thought about it and felt that it made sense. "Can you really wait?" "Let's make preparations for both situations." Huo Xian said, "We must prepare for war. If the plan fails, I will immediately send troops north. If the plan works, we will continue to weaken the Xiongnu, and then make a concerted effort!"

Liu Che was still pleased with what Huo Xian said. Being able to destroy the Huns in one go would be the best thing.

After fighting the Xiongnu for so many years, it would be a lie to say that we don't want to win the battle in one go. It would be good to win more battles like the Great Victory in Mobei, which is a strategic victory of decisive significance.

However, the Huns were not completely wiped out, and there was a possibility that they would make a comeback, which was also a headache.

Liu Che looked at Huo Xian and asked, "Besides exchanging the Han envoys, what other reasons do you have for interacting with the Xiongnu?"

Huo Xian was very irresponsible. "How would I know? Your Majesty can ask the Crown Prince and the General. The Prime Minister and the others can also find a reason. After I return to Chang'an, I will go north to patrol the border of Shoujiang City."

Liu Che glared at Huo Xian and said, "Zhao Po Nu is in Shoujiang City, and Wei Kang and Han Shuo are stationed outside the city. Is there any need for you to go?"

Guanglu Pass and Shoujiang City echoed each other from afar, and they took root in the south of the desert, which was enough to make the Huns feel uncomfortable.

But the Huns now had no other choice. Even if they gathered a large number of troops, they would find it difficult to break into the city.

If they wanted to march south, they would have to detour hundreds of kilometers and then run into the heavy troops of the Han army, which would be tricky.

Ever since the loss of the southern part of the desert and the Han Dynasty's steady and continuous advancement in the southern part of the desert, the Huns' strategic buffer space has been continuously compressed, and they can only recuperate in the even more bitter and cold northern part of the desert.

Huo Xian said unconvincedly, "Your Majesty, I am the Grand Marshal and General of Cavalry! I must lead the army to fight the Xiongnu. I have to personally see how to deploy officers and arrange the routes for the troops."

Liu Che said without thinking, "I will discuss this with the general, and you can lead the troops when the time comes."

Wei Buyi next to him lowered his head and smiled. His Majesty's attitude was not surprising at all.

Although Huo Xian has made great military achievements in recent expeditions, some people think that he is just an executor and a swordsman, because the real marching and fighting matters are still arranged by the emperor and the generals.

Therefore, Huo Xian, the Grand Marshal and General of the Cavalry, was sometimes not worthy of his title. He did not do some things that he should have done, and he really did not fully assume the responsibilities that he should have assumed.

However, Huo Xian did not think there was anything wrong with this. Even if he wanted to do something and wanted to prove himself more, various conditions did not give him any space or opportunity to perform.

If they were going to attack Dayuan or the Western Regions, Liu Che and Wei Qing would only arrange some preliminary work, etc. Since they were not particularly familiar with the Western Regions and other places, they would not make many arrangements for the marching routes, let alone some tactics.

However, if the idea of ​​fighting the Huns was proposed, Liu Che would have objections, and Wei Qing also had his own ideas.

The confident Liu Che had no doubt about his military strategy, and he also had sufficient understanding of the Huns.

Therefore, the marching route and other matters had to be personally formulated, and the personnel deployment of each army had to be personally inquired about. He would also carefully consider the Huns' response strategies and tactics, and then make targeted arrangements.

The same is true for Wei Qing. Now that he is old and in poor health, it is unrealistic to expect him to lead troops into battle again. But when it comes to fighting the Huns, he considers himself the second best fighter in the Han Dynasty, and no one dares to claim to be the best.

He had been to the south and north of the desert many times. He knew which route to take and which Xiongnu tribes he might encounter along the way. Wei Qing also had a good idea of ​​the tactics he should take to fight the enemy in battle. He was very experienced in this.

It is almost impossible to leave room for Huo Xian to perform.

Maybe he is better, but the Han Dynasty now has better people, and it is not his turn to take the lead.

No matter what, Huo Xian could only accept this reality. Fortunately, he was still very young and was not in a hurry to show himself.

This was Huo Xian's attitude. He really didn't want to stand out now. Liu Che and Wei Qing had arranged some things for him, so he just had to accept them calmly. The most important thing was to win in the end.

What's more, no matter how good the arrangements made by Liu Che and Wei Qing were, Huo Shan was still needed to lead the troops to fight, and many things required him to perform on the battlefield, so he had no shortage of opportunities to show himself.

Wei Buyi was just listening quietly. Huo Xian had no say in some matters, so naturally, let alone Wei Buyi.

Even Wei Kang actually has no say in such occasions. The three brothers of the Wei family are all aware of this and are very clear about their own status.

We briefly discussed some things, and that was about it. Some things were not suitable to be discussed with Wei Buyi as he was not important enough and his abilities had not been further proven.

Some things still need to be discussed with Wei Qing, even if they require correspondence now, but it doesn't matter much. These are not big problems for Liu Che and Huo Shan.

Fighting the Huns is definitely not a small matter, and there will always be some changes. Huo Xian can fully understand these things.

Even Liu Che knew that, in the final analysis, he wanted to fight a "war to annihilate the country", which would require preparation time and would not be completed in a short period of time.

Everyone knows that the Han Dynasty does not have much foundation left, so we need to prepare more fully at this time and try to create an opportunity to decide the outcome of the battle.

Even though Wei Buzhi's mission was completed, there was nothing more to think about next. He still had to rush back to Chang'an. Fortunately, this time he didn't need to travel day and night, and he didn't need to rush back immediately.

As for Liu Che, Huo Xian and others, their tour still needs to continue. Their current task is to continue heading towards the coast of the East China Sea. They still have a lot of things to do.

Seeking immortal fate is one thing, and touring the place is another. Everyone has a lot of things to do now.

For Crown Prince Liu Ju, this might be considered a chance to catch his breath. After all, the Han Dynasty was too poor at that time, and it was very stressful to find enough supplies to support a major war.

Perhaps for Liu Ju, he no longer needs to do things that kill the chicken to get the eggs, which will also be of great help to his reputation.

From a more extreme point of view, this is also in line with his personality, some of his policy strategies, etc.

(End of this chapter)