Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Chapter 289: Everyone is busy

Huo Xian seemed to remember his identity. He was the Marquis of Guanjun, Grand Marshal and General of Cavalry of the Han Dynasty. His job was to lead troops to fight and completely eliminate the century-old enemy, the Huns.

Catching thieves is not his job, and thinking about improving farm tools whenever he has time is not his job either.

Although he was woken up by Huo Xian, Liu Che was in a good mood. "Sand table, if you want a sand table, no one will help you build it?"

"Your Majesty, even if I can build a sand table, many people are not familiar with the situation of the Xiongnu." Huo Xian said with some complaints, "I have to be more fully prepared for this battle against the Xiongnu."

Liu Che laughed, "Why? I rarely see you like this. You are thinking that the Xiongnu will flee before we even send out the troops, right?"

Huo Shan was accustomed to being teased by the emperor, but what Liu Che said seemed to have some truth.

After all, in the eyes of many people, Huo Xian has always been extremely flamboyant and confident, as if there is nothing in this world that he cannot solve.

"Your Majesty, although I have always been confident and never thought I would lose a battle, I also think I will definitely win this time." Huo Xian became serious, "But Your Majesty, I am not conceited. I must destroy the Xiongnu."

Huo Xian continued with some dissatisfaction, "This time when we fight the Xiongnu, I can't let them escape again. The Right Wise King escaped in the Western Regions. I feel bad when I think about it now."

Liu Che was undoubtedly happy to hear Huo Xian say this. It's okay to be confident, but don't be conceited. More importantly, Huo Xian's goal from the beginning was to destroy the Xiongnu.

The difference here is quite big. Winning a battle against the Huns or killing thousands of them in battle is not considered a real victory for the Han Dynasty today. Everyone is used to winning against the Huns.

The goal of this decisive battle with the Huns should have been to completely destroy them from the beginning. Even if they could not be completely destroyed, the regime with the Chanyu as the monarch must be completely disintegrated.

"We need to prepare well this time. This is somewhat different from previous battles." Liu Che said with a smile, "I have also thought about it carefully. The route of the troops needs to be carefully planned."

Huo Xian suddenly asked, "Your Majesty, the gunpowder I want has always been prepared, right?"

Liu Che's face looked a little ugly. Gunpowder was something that made him irritated, but he had to admit that it was powerful.

Previously, the alchemists used gunpowder to make elixirs, and Huo Xian used it to blow up the Dayuan people's royal city. This matter originally ended with the execution of those alchemists, but now a lot of gunpowder is also being produced.

This can also be considered as some of Huo Xian's "inventions". He has begun to use gunpowder in wars continuously, even though there are no real firearms at present.

However, the use of some gunpowder still has a good effect. It can be regarded as one of the secret weapons for the upcoming decisive battle with the Huns. Huo Xian has made a lot of preliminary preparations.

"I'll keep them all for you. You can take those things." Liu Che said helplessly, "Let's fight. You have so many tricks."

Joking aside, Liu Che was still quite happy in his heart because Huo Shan was always able to come up with some new tricks and bring new surprises.

The original horseshoes, saddles, and stirrups did greatly enhance the combat effectiveness of the Han cavalry. In addition, Huo Xian liked to use armored cavalry to charge, which was also a subversive tactic.

Before, everyone liked to use light cavalry to shoot at each other, but Huo Xian led the heavy cavalry to charge, and the light cavalry continued to cover and kill, which was also a nightmare for the Huns.

Now, things like gunpowder seem unlikely to become the decisive weapon in a war, but if used well, it can definitely give the enemy a huge shock.

This was also tested in actual combat. Not all Huns lived in tents. Their royal courts still had some simple buildings.

If gunpowder is used well, it may bring some unexpected surprises in the next war. This is something no one can guarantee. After all, only the Dayuan people have tasted this thing.

Huo Xian was delighted to hear Liu Che say this. "That's the best. I'm still thinking of giving the Xiongnu some tough treatment. This time, we'll kill as many as we can. Not a single tribe should be left alive."

It is impossible to kill them all completely. After all, if the war is not going well, the Huns will definitely flee in all directions, and it will be difficult for the Han army to catch up with them all.

But once the Huns' regime was disintegrated, most of the young and strong were killed or captured, and the Huns' supplies were seized or burned, then it would not matter even if some people escaped.

In the bitter cold of the northern desert, it would be difficult for the scattered soldiers to survive if they lost their cattle and sheep, not to mention the elderly, the weak, women and children.

Strive to achieve success in one battle; this is what the Han emperor and his ministers expected, at least that's what Liu Che and Huo Shan thought.

"There's no rush for this. Come back the day after tomorrow." Liu Che said impatiently, "Since we are going to set up a sand table, I will also ask the Xiongnu guide to come over, and then I will ask the general to come and take a look."

Huo Xian thought it made sense, and then whispered, "Your Majesty, the general is getting sicker and sicker. How about this, give me the Grand Marshal's seal, and I will go and mobilize the troops."

Liu Che immediately pointed at the palace door and said, "I am a little tired, don't disturb me to rest."

Seeing Huo Xian looking back every few steps and not wanting to leave, Ma Heluo and the others were envious. Only the Marquis of Guanjun could have such treatment. How could others dare to bargain with His Majesty? His Majesty was not angry even though the Marquis of Guanjun made such a fuss.

As for the Grand Marshal's seal, that was nothing at all. Whether Huo Xian had the Grand Marshal's seal or not did not hinder the fact that he was the Grand Marshal and General of the Cavalry.

Even if he didn't have the seal, it wouldn't prevent his prestige in the army from growing. Even if he had the seal of the Grand Marshal, the emperor couldn't give all the power of the Grand Marshal to Huo Xian.

Therefore, whether there is a seal or not is of no importance to Huo Xian. It is just one of the tools for him to maintain his relationship with the emperor.

Unable to stay in Jianzhang Palace, Huo Xian ran to the Jiaofang Palace, "Aunt, I'm here."

"My lord, Her Majesty the Queen is summoning the lady." A maid hurriedly said, "My lord, you can take a rest. The little lord just fell asleep."

Huo Xian was a little surprised, "Why did you fall asleep at this time? Aren't you noisy at this time?"

Although Huo Xian seemed to be a bad father who only cared about giving birth to a child but not raising him, he was still very concerned about many things about Huo Wuyou. The maid explained, "The young prince was happy to see many people. He made a fuss for a long time yesterday and this morning. He was a little tired and went to sleep first."

I understand. It was because there were so many people in the Pepper Room that Huo Wuyou felt it was lively. He was having so much fun with so many people that his biological clock was affected. He couldn't stand it anymore and went to bed first.

Huo Xian lay down lazily and said, "Then get me a blanket to cover myself, and prepare some iced drinks."

This is how the nobles enjoyed themselves. Even though it was summer now, they would take out a lot of ice and store it in the ice room in winter. So in this season, the nobles could still drink some ice.

Or if it's really too hot, you can use ice to cool it down a little.

As for things like Huo Xian taking a nap in the Pepper Palace, everyone was used to it.

Not to mention Huo Shan, he grew up in the Pepper Room in his early years. Many of the powerful women in Chang'an watched Huo Shan grow up, watching him running around in front of the Queen since he was a child. This is truly being by the Queen's side from childhood to adulthood.

Even further back in time, when Huo Qubing was young, he followed Wei Zifu. The older women of power and nobility watched the spirited young man grow up to become the Grand Marshal and General of the Cavalry who was feared by all the world.

Everyone thinks it's normal that the little baby Huo Wuyou is in the Pepper Palace now. The three generations of Marquis Guanjun's descendants have been taken care of by the Queen, and this seems to be something that many people take for granted.

Huo Xian was suddenly awakened when he heard the footsteps and was speechless. "Aunt, is it fun to scare me?"

Princess Shiyi teased her, "You are so old now, but you still sleep anywhere you like when you were little?"

Cao Zong's mother, Princess Wei Chang, also teased, "No matter how flamboyant your cousin was, he would never be as unruly as you."

"He is not as good as your cousin." Wei Zifu smiled gently, "It's also my fault. Your cousin suffered a lot when he was young. He followed me into the palace when he was a teenager, so he still knows the rules."

This is also true. Huo Qubing suffered as an illegitimate child when he was young. At that time, Wei Zifu was a singer of Princess Pingyang, and Wei Qing was a horse slave in Princess Pingyang's mansion. The family was of low status.

Wei Zifu said dotingly, "Xian'er is different. No one has taken care of him since he was a child. I know he has no manners. I can't bear to discipline him, and Your Majesty can't bear to say anything to him."

Princess Wei Chang and the others naturally understood the reason. Liu Che and Wei Zifu treated Huo Shan with some kind of intergenerational affection, after all, he was their grandchild. More importantly, Huo Qubing died when Huo Shan was three years old, so everyone doted on him.

Huo Xian didn't care about it. "If I really didn't behave myself, I would have gone straight to my aunt."

Hearing Huo Xian being so shameless, Wei Zifu just shook her head, but Princess Wei Chang and the others laughed. Because what Huo Xian said made sense, if he just ran over like he did when he was a child, it would seem that nothing would happen.

After all, when he was tired from playing as a child, Huo Xian ran straight to find Wei Zifu without caring about anything.

"Did Cao Zong come to see you these past two days?" Princess Wei Chang asked with concern, "You two brothers should visit each other more often. You are relatives and have fought together in the war. Why have you been visiting each other less in recent years?"

Although she remarried, Princess Wei Chang was naturally worried about her son Cao Zong.

Huo Xian chuckled and said, "There is no grudge between him and me. I am free and he is busy. But now it is hard to say. I will also be busy, and Cao Zong will be free."

Wei Zifu smiled and said, "No matter how busy you are, you should go out when necessary. You both have military posts, so you will have frequent visits."

That makes sense. There is definitely nothing wrong with what Wei Zifu said. Whether it was out of personal friendship or official business, Huo Xian and Cao Zong had enough channels and necessity for communication.

"Cao Zong and I are not avoiding suspicion. He even came to my house yesterday." Huo Xian said with a smile, "He is more cautious than me. I am arresting thieves and he comes to speak for others. I can only give him face."

After hearing what Huo Shan said, except for Wei Zifu who knew the inside story, Princess Wei Chang and Princess Shi Yi were a little surprised. But Princess Wei Chang was obviously happy. Apart from other things, there were not many people who could make Huo Shan give face, and her son was one of them.

But Princess Wei Chang still said, "If it doesn't delay your business, you can give Cao Zong some face. If it really delays your business, just refuse it. Asking him for help may not be a big favor."

Everyone understands the truth. To be able to come to Cao Zong for help, one must have a certain status.

But to say that it was a move that Cao Zong could not refuse was obviously an exaggeration. If such a person really appeared, he would go directly to Huo Shan.

Huo Xian chuckled and said, "I know that too, so I agreed to Cao Zong's request. He is from a noble family, unlike me who has always been independent and doesn't care about social interactions at all."

This statement is in line with Huo Xian's style. In the entire Chang'an, Huo Xian, the Marquis of Champion, has never cared about the so-called personal relationships.

Huo Xian asked curiously, "Aunt, why are there some female relatives coming to see you out of nowhere?"

Wei Zifu said angrily, "Do you really think I am fine like you? I have to worry about the marriages of the children of many powerful families and the affairs of many royal families. But you don't care about anything."

Huo Xian chuckled and thought there really was nothing wrong with that. The position of a queen was never just a figurehead, especially the queen of the Han Dynasty, who still held a lot of real power.

Even though Wei Zifu seemed to have grown old and lost favor, she was still very much trusted by the emperor, and the emperor never considered taking back the powers that belonged to the queen.

Now Wei Zifu is busy with official business, and Liu Che is also busy with some political affairs.

As for Huo Xian, he has now begun to focus. Obviously, there are still many important things to do in the future. He is busy preparing for the decisive battle with the Huns. This is the thing he should pay most attention to.

Being lazy is just taking a break from your busy schedule. How can you really have free time?

(End of this chapter)