Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

It seems that war is inevitable, which is not surprising, mainly because it has been expected for a long time.

In fact, both Wei Qing and Huo Xian agreed that they would have to fight a decisive battle with the Xiongnu sooner or later. Although there seemed to be no war in the past few days, the two sides did test each other or fight some small-scale wars.

The Han Dynasty and the Huns were in a relationship of life and death. Both sides wanted to kill the other side completely. This was beyond doubt. If there was a chance, they would definitely kill the other side.

Wei Qing asked with a serious expression, "Did you mention the specific details of sending troops when you went to see His Majesty this time?"

"I didn't want to bring it up, but Your Majesty brought it up." Huo Xian explained helplessly, "I have no choice but to propose the selection of the chief commanders of the three armies."

Wei Qing nodded in understanding. Since the emperor had already made it clear, there was no way to avoid it. Naturally, he could only talk about those topics. The selection of the commander-in-chief was an absolutely important matter.

Huo Xian said helplessly, "I am thinking of Li Guangli and Lu Bode, Zhao Po Nu and Li Ling, going to Hexi and Jiuquan respectively."

Wei Qing smiled and said, "That's right, but it's too safe to do so. It doesn't seem like a route you would come up with."

Huo Xian was speechless, because even those who knew him well thought that he liked to use his troops in a risky way. In Liu Che's eyes, he preferred to see Huo Xian use surprise troops and rush forward directly.

"I would like someone to back me up. If my uncle leads the army, I can lead 50,000 cavalry to attack." Huo Xian could only say helplessly, "But I don't have the conditions right now. I have to think about not being defeated first."

Hearing what Huo Xian said, Wei Qing could only sigh silently. There was nothing wrong with thinking this way. It was difficult for Huo Xian, who was still young and energetic, but he had to consider the overall situation when considering many things.

It was not Huo Xian's style to use troops in a safe way, because he had been taught since childhood to lead cavalry assaults. He should have led tens of thousands of cavalry through the desert and across the rivers and swamps, and attacked into the heart of the Huns before the Huns could react.

But the current situation is that there are no such conditions. Huo Xian’s so-called invincibility does not just mean the army he leads, but that the entire battle situation cannot suffer a major defeat.

Even though Huo Xian was not in charge of military affairs now and usually did not attend court, he was the Grand Marshal and General of Cavalry after all, so he obviously knew the financial situation of the Han Dynasty.

"If we really want to send troops this time, we need to consider a lot of things." Wei Qing said, "I have no objection to the selection of the commander, but the route of the troops needs to be discussed again."

Huo Xian also knew this, but still said, "I think it won't take long to be finalized. Before the patrol, they were already mobilizing troops and transporting food and grass. The route for the troops has basically been determined."

Wei Qing also nodded. Some slight adjustments could be made, but the changes would probably not be too big, and everyone knew that.

Because deploying troops is a very cautious matter, early preparation is one of the important foundations for winning a battle, and the Han Dynasty has already drawn the arrow.

Unless they receive intelligence or unless there are major changes on the Xiongnu side, the Han Dynasty will most likely use some of the tactics and strategies it has previously formulated. It would not be a good idea to change easily.

Wei Qing thought about it carefully and said, "Li Guangli and Gongsun Ao each lead a group of troops. Do you want them to help you contain the Xiongnu tribes, or drive the Xiongnu towards the royal court?"

Huo Xian said his thoughts, "It would be best to contain some of the Xiongnu tribes and prevent them from joining forces at the royal court. However, they can only lead 30,000 to 40,000 people at most, and they will definitely be unable to resist if they encounter the Right Wise King."

Since it is a strategic decisive battle, it is natural to mobilize a large army, and the scale will naturally be very large, and everyone knows this.

From the very beginning of the planning, everyone tacitly set the scale of the war at more than 150,000 people, which naturally refers to the number of troops.

If those who are transporting food and fodder, or guarding the border are included, the number will exceed 300,000. However, those are not things that Huo Xian needs to consider for the time being. What he needs to consider is the troops that are directly dispatched.

Li Guangli and Zhao Po Nu each led an army of about 30,000 to 40,000 people. This was not a big problem as they had the ability to do so.

Whether they can win a battle or not is not a big problem. They can lead a large army, fight a stalemate with the Huns or even win a small victory. As long as they don't encounter the main force or are surrounded, they are still capable of making military achievements.

Because everyone understood that the main force would be tied down by Huo Xian, the troops he led must be 100,000 people. This was decided from the beginning. Li Guangli and Zhao Po Nu had no other choice at all.

When Huo Xian led troops into battle, he basically accompanied them with elite soldiers and generals, so that he could fully display his abilities. He was not like Wei Qing, who could achieve good results by simply arbitrarily deploying any army.

Huo Xian was well aware of his own abilities, and he never shied away from his shortcomings and deficiencies.

Wei Qing and Huo Shan were discussing carefully the arrangements for sending out troops. After the choice of the chief general was determined, they naturally had to consider the other lieutenant generals, lieutenants, and even some colonels and troops.

Huo Xian did not find these things cumbersome at all. If a general wanted to win, he had to arrange these things before going out.

Fighting a war is not just about selecting a general. What kind of army you give to the general and whether you have enough understanding of the army all determine whether you win the war.

Not only was Huo Xian very enthusiastic about these things, but the seemingly weak Wei Qing did not feel tired when talking about these things. It was not only that he hoped Huo Xian could win, but also because this was his interest and his expertise.

"Xian'er, you are really good at hiding." After chatting for a while, Wei Qing suddenly said, "I thought you didn't care about military affairs, but it seems that you know more about military affairs than anyone else."

Huo Xian smiled and said, "My uncle is overpraising me, but I do pay attention to military affairs. Besides being able to be in front of Your Majesty for a long time, I also like to run around."

There was nothing wrong with what he said. Even though Huo Xian was not in charge of military affairs, he had always been by the emperor's side, so he naturally came into contact with a lot of information. He knew a lot about many things in the army, but he just didn't say it out loud.

He ran away because he was angry with the emperor, but now looking at it carefully, it is not necessarily because he was angry. He went to check the situation of the border troops and was seriously studying some routes for sending troops.

There is no need to exaggerate at all. In order to prepare for the strategic decisive battle with the Huns, Huo Xian actually prepared for a long time and made a lot of preparations.

So even if the war does not start at the time he most wants, he will not feel flustered, because some things have more than one plan.

Wei Qing smiled and said to Huo Xian, "It's good that you know about military affairs. His Majesty has complained about you before, thinking that you like to play. I often wonder if it's because I'm in charge of military affairs that you've lost experience." Huo Xian said quickly, "Uncle, it's better that I don't care about military affairs. I know my limits, so it's okay for me to know about these situations, but if I really have to take charge, I definitely can't do it, I'm not that careful."

Wei Qing was stunned for a moment, then he also laughed. He knew that Huo Shan was not being modest. Even if Huo Shan was good at hiding his shortcomings, some things could still be seen.

Huo Xian had sufficient knowledge about the army because he was the Grand Marshal. He also liked war, so he was willing to spend time and energy to understand it.

But if he were really asked to take charge of the daily affairs and training of the army, he would definitely become impatient, and he would not be willing to focus most of his energy on these daily affairs, although these are extremely important.

Huo Xian said lazily, "So I am happiest that Your Majesty does not let me interfere in the daily affairs of the army. Now I have my uncle, and I will have Cao Zong in the future. I only need to lead the troops in wartime."

It is enough to lead the troops in wartime. A general who does not seem to care about the daily life of the army is relatively harmless. Even if the military merits are very high, it seems that he has not managed much in the army and his foundation is relatively superficial. This is also a good thing.

It would be a good thing for the emperor, because such a general is not the type that is difficult to remove, and it is basically impossible for such a general to become self-reliant and have his own troops.

Wei Qing looked at Huo Shan again. He should not underestimate the shrewdness of this nephew. Even though he had previously felt that Huo Shan was thoughtful beneath his flamboyant appearance, he could not help but admire him when he looked at him again now.

Even though she was the emperor's confidant, Huo Xian never took advantage of his favor to become arrogant, nor did she get carried away. She always had a good sense of propriety.

This is not just about considering some current things, but also a lot of things in the future, such as how to handle some relationships with the current crown prince.

After all, although Liu Ju was the crown prince and Huo Shan's uncle, he really needed Huo Shan's help. But once he ascended the throne, if he encountered a general who was too powerful to be trusted by the emperor, he would have some concerns.

Liu Ju is gentle and wise now, but no one knows what he will do after he ascends the throne. The Liu emperor is also famous for his harshness. When it comes to generals and relatives, he is more ruthless than anyone else, and the speed at which he changes his attitude is jaw-dropping.

Being able to be deeply trusted by the emperor at such a young age and constantly moving between various forces is not something that a simple-minded person can do.

Wei Qing couldn't help but sigh and said, "Your three cousins ​​are not very talented, so you'll have to take care of them in the future."

"On the contrary, I think this is good, and it will last a long time in the future." Huo Xian said with a smile, "When that really happens, I will definitely live a life of debauchery, greed and lust."

Wei Qing smiled and said, "You don't have to worry. You have been like that since you were a child. It is difficult for people to suspect you. It's just that it will be difficult for you to lead troops in the future. The court also needs a general to guard it."

Huo Xian thought about it and it made sense. "I am greedy, I love pleasure, and I tend to act impulsively. This is not something your majesty knows, but the whole world knows it."

Wei Qing smiled and nodded. Huo Xian seemed to have a lot of bad habits, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The emperor saw this and was happy about it.

Especially since this general can win battles and only likes to fight, he is much more reliable than some experienced, cautious and steady generals.

A minister who is too perfect may not be the most reassuring for the emperor. Whether it is Liu Che or Liu Ju, they can see Huo Shan's strengths, but also see too many shortcomings, and do not know how to control this wild horse that has run away.

After chatting with Wei Qing about some things, Huo Xian felt relieved and was ready to return home.

Because they all understood that once the expedition was decided, there would be frequent military meetings and many things needed to be discussed continuously.

It was no problem for the two of them to discuss privately now, as this was something the emperor allowed. However, if nothing unexpected happened, the next military meetings would become more serious and more frequent, and the matters discussed would become more detailed.

The next few meetings are more important, so more preparation work is needed.

Huo Xian, who returned to the Marquis of Guanjun's mansion, lazily lay in the recliner. The Marquis of Guanjun was famous for his love of pleasure. This was not something others had deliberately promoted, but rather a statement of facts that were obvious to all.

In order to sit more comfortably and to be able to be lazy, Guanjun Hou invented a lot of furniture, which is something many people in Chang'an know.

Of course, there is no such thing as "Hu bed" or "Hu chair" now, but there are things like "Champion Chair", which at first glance might seem like a Tai Shi chair.

But in essence, there is no difference, because this is something that Huo Xian tinkered with, and the carpenters he employed are absolutely hot commodities.

In order to enjoy themselves better, the powerful people in Chang'an really needed to ask the craftsmen from the Marquis Guanjun's Mansion to make some of their good things.

Lin Mei came over and said softly, "My Lord, Her Majesty the Queen has sent someone to deliver the food."

Huo Xian nodded slightly. As the Marquis of Guanjun, he had a lot of fiefs. However, this time it was obviously not taxes, but food allowances allocated by the national treasury. Even if the marquises of the Han Dynasty had fiefs, they could not directly collect taxes from the fiefs.

Huo Xian immediately said, "Make some arrangements to send some to the farms, and provide aid to the dead, widows, and disabled soldiers."

Lin Mei naturally had no objection. The Marquis of Guanjun had a lot of money, which was too much to spend. Although the Marquis liked to enjoy himself, he couldn't spend all the money, so a lot of it was used to support the soldiers in the army.

There was no question of buying off the soldiers' hearts. Huo Xian was just taking care of the soldiers who followed him into battle. Although the imperial court had rewards and pensions, it did not mean that the generals could do nothing.

This kind of situation is also common in the army. Huo Xian is not really a person who cares about his status.

He will definitely do what he should do, and as for whether he will get a good reputation or be rewarded, he doesn't really care about such things.

This is just to seek peace of mind, this is just to do what I should do, that's all. (End of this chapter)