Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Prepare for war with all your strength. This is what Huo Xian should do next.

Many things have been made clear. The Han Dynasty's war machine has already started to operate. It is now just undergoing further improvement and is just waiting for clear tactics.

These can be regarded as the general trend, and it is not something that Huo Xian can stop at all.

At this time, Huo Xian must also do what he should do, as he is shouldering a difficult task. For him, this is not only his ambition, but also his responsibility and obligation.

After returning to the Marquis Guanjun's Mansion, Huo Xian directly called Chen Ju and the others over.

Looking at Chen Ju, Huo Xian smiled and said, "Uncle Chen, it's time for these young people in the village to get ready. If they don't follow me north at the end of the year, I think they should follow me to the battle at the beginning of the new year."

Chen Ju asked in surprise, "My Lord, at the end of the year or after the beginning of the new year?"

The surprise of Chen Ju and others is also very understandable, because according to the traditional view, autumn is the most suitable time to fight against the Xiongnu. Choosing to start a war in winter or spring is completely unheard of.

Ma Xun laughed and said, "It is highly likely that the battle will not start in winter, otherwise the roads will be covered with snow and difficult to travel. I think we should go out in the spring next year, when the snow melts."

It is even more likely that we will not set out when the snow has completely melted, or the roads will be muddy.

However, seeing the surprised expressions on Chen Ju and others' faces, Huo Xian still felt happy and satisfied.

Choosing to start a war at such a time, almost no one was prepared. When it came to the Huns, such a situation would naturally exist, and they could be caught off guard at that time.

Although he didn't quite understand, Chen Ju still said, "Sir, let's start preparing now. The people in the village are reliable, and they can follow you north tomorrow without any problems!"

This is the confidence of Guanjun Hou's troops. Although they are a little confused about the timing of the war, that is not something they need to worry about.

All they need to do is follow the Lord to the north at the command of the Lord. This is what the Lord of Champions' troops should do. They are always ready for battle and can go out at any time.

Zhao Hexi immediately said, "My Lord, you must take me and Lao Liu with you on this trip!"

Liu Mo also said quickly, "Sir, this trip is unusual. It is a pity that we were not able to help the general to destroy the Xiongnu, but it is also a pity that we can help the general to destroy the Xiongnu. Only then can we go to see the general!"

This was a decisive battle, and perhaps the Huns could be destroyed. For Huo Qubing (Huo Xian)'s troops, missing out on such a war would definitely be the biggest regret of their lives.

As for their health and so on, although Zhao Hexi and Liu Mo both have some disabilities, they both think they are in good health and still have the strength to fight.

In other words, Feng Xu had lost his legs and could not go on the expedition, otherwise he would definitely have shouted that he wanted to follow the enemy north.

Huo Xian thought about it carefully and said, "I guess I can't do without you. You won't be able to stay in Chang'an and enjoy your life there. You insist on following me to Mobei to eat sand. You are asking for trouble!"

Zhao Hexi and Liu Mo were beaming with joy, because Huo Xian's words implied that he would take them north.

Chen Ju laughed, and the scar on his face looked even more hideous. "Sir, if we die on the battlefield, that would be a worthy death. I would rather be hacked to death by the Huns than be bedridden when I am old."

Zhao Hexi and Liu Mo obviously had the same thought. For them, dying on the battlefield was not worth being sad about. It was a worthy death and what they pursued.

Old age and death on a sickbed are what scare them.

What's more, the significance of this expedition to the Huns is different, which naturally makes them more excited.

If they could protect Huo Xian and destroy the Huns, that would be another highlight moment for them, and they would feel that their lives would definitely be worth it.

If I die in the war, I will be buried in my battle suit, and I can repay the kindness of two generations of champion marquis.

As for victory in the war, they had no doubt that their own prince was a natural-born general who could only win and not lose!

Huo Xian also understood these principles, so he would not refuse Zhao Hexi and Liu Mo's request to fight.

The conventional way of thinking is that Liu Mo and others had military merits in their early years, and now they can enjoy their old age and wealth with peace of mind. There is nothing wrong with thinking this way, but it is not necessarily the most appropriate.

In the final analysis, everyone has their own aspirations. Liu Mo and others were able to fulfill some of their wishes while they still had the strength to fight, and they could pursue something that would fulfill their lifelong ambitions, which could be considered a very good ending.

What's more, following Huo Xian into battle doesn't mean that you will definitely die on the battlefield. Maybe you will gain merit and return triumphantly!

"Prepare the war horses and weapons." Huo Xian said with a smile, "My Guanjun Marquis Mansion has never been stingy with these things. Let the boys prepare some good ones too, so as not to lose our prestige."

Chen Ju said proudly, "My Lord, the troops of my Guanjun Marquis' Mansion have always been the best equipped. Even some of the marquises in the army may not be able to compare with us!"

This is really not an exaggeration. The troops of the Marquis of Guanjun Mansion are envied by everyone when they go out.

Although some elite cavalrymen now have good war horses, it is difficult to be like the troops of Guanjun Hou, which are all equipped with Wusun horses. Occasionally, you can see a few Ferghana horses, and Huo Xian's men also have spare horses.

Leather armor, iron armor, etc., Huo Xian’s troops can be replaced according to combat missions.

Although most of Huo Xian's troops were equipped with standard weapons, there were occasionally a few holding "unpopular weapons", but these were all of excellent quality.

It's not that they can't afford good standard weapons, but that they have found high-quality weapons suitable for their own use.

Huo Xian is not short of money and is very generous to his own troops, so it is normal that they have better equipment.

"I don't need to worry about raising horses and the like, and you guys don't need to think too much about practicing the art of battle." Huo Xian said with a smile, "Anyway, prepare first and make sure you are the most powerful."

Chen Ju and the others also became serious. They believed that the preparations before the battle must be more thorough. Not only the people, but also the horses, must be prepared more thoroughly before the battle.

After talking to Chen Ju and others about preparing for war, Huo Xian ordered, "Have someone prepare the gunpowder I prepared and send it to the border in advance."

Chen Ju immediately smiled and said, "My Lord, Old Zhao already has a lot of gunpowder, and the Marquis of the Wei family also has gunpowder."

The militarization of gunpowder began to take shape in Huo Xian's hands. As the most skilled expert in the use of gunpowder in the Han Dynasty, he was not stingy. He taught his experience to Zhao Po Nu, Wei Kang and others, and also sent people to deliver gunpowder. Even in the Han Dynasty, there were workshops making gunpowder, but the output was limited, and basically they were all "tailor-made" for Huo Xian, and he basically took over all of it.

This can also be considered a killer weapon. Although there has been almost no development in firearms nowadays, gunpowder still has a certain role in military affairs. It may be able to kill the Huns by surprise.

In Huo Xian's opinion, more thorough preparations before the war were a matter of course and required preparations to be made from all aspects.

Especially some of our own advantages, we naturally need to magnify them as much as possible, play to our strengths and avoid our weaknesses, so that we can have a better chance of winning in such a decisive battle.

Everyone is preparing seriously. After all, this is a real decisive battle with a different meaning.

Huo Xian was naturally nervous as well. He looked confident, as if the Huns were within his grasp and he only needed to lead his troops over to sweep away everything.

That was just an external performance, just to give more people confidence. As for how nervous he was inside, Huo Xian knew it clearly.

In fact, there is no point in being nervous. He must continue to bear the responsibilities he should bear. This is his responsibility.

Zhao Congxiao ran to the Guanjun Marquis's mansion happily, "Lord, when do we start preparing to send troops?"

Looking at Zhao Congxiao, Huo Xian asked jokingly, "Why, you haven't fought a war in the past two years? You can't calm down after a good rest for a while, and you're still thinking about going to war?"

Zhao Congxiao did not hide his thoughts, "My Lord, I am only a lieutenant, I also want to be a marquis and a general. Besides, who among those who leave our Marquis of Guanjun Mansion does not want to make achievements and kill the Huns?"

This can also be regarded as 'family tradition' and 'teaching by words and deeds'. These words of Zhao Congxiao are really the tradition of the Guanjun Marquis' Mansion, or the trend of the entire Han Dynasty.

This is not an exaggeration, it is the truth.

Influenced by Huo Qubing and Huo Shan, the soldiers of the Guanjun Marquis' Mansion also wanted to achieve merit on the battlefield.

Feng Dan was conferred the title of marquis and appointed a general, which greatly inspired the followers of the Marquis of Guanjun's Mansion. They naturally had their own aspirations. Being a follower was good, but who wouldn't want to be more distinguished?

This was not considered disloyalty to Huo Shan. After all, even though Feng Dan was now a marquis, everyone knew that he was from the army of Marquis Guanjun. This also helped Huo Shan to continue to expand his influence in the army.

Looking at the entire Han Dynasty, it is now an era that advocates military merit. Many people naturally want to fight on the battlefield in exchange for fame and want to achieve class improvement in this way.

"Take a good rest and train your troops well. We will need you in the future." Huo Xian said with a smile, "I am not in a hurry. You are all more anxious than me."

Zhao Congxiao explained, "Sir, this is different. We don't know when to go to war. This is all decided by you, Sir."

"It was His Majesty who decided this, not me." Huo Xian warned sternly, "You are in the army now, so you should be more careful with your words sometimes."

Zhao Congxiao couldn't help but sneer. Thinking carefully, he felt that what he said just now was indeed a bit wrong. But deep down, he didn't think there was anything wrong with saying this.

Everyone knows that this battle is led by the prince, and many things are decided by the prince, so we must listen to our own prince.

Besides, this is in the Marquis Guanjun's Mansion, so there is no need to worry too much.

Huo Xian then asked, "How is the army going now? The war has hardly stopped in recent years. We have just returned and are about to set off again. There must be complaints in the army, right?"

The war is ongoing, this is the reality. The northern and southern armies of the Beijing Army often follow the troops to the battlefield, and these soldiers must feel very tired.

Zhao Congxiao said, "Some people will definitely think it's too tiring or too dangerous, but I think most people still want to go out, so that they can have a chance to kill the enemy."

Military merit is the greatest pursuit for the soldiers of the Han Dynasty, and there are also countless people in the civilian population who are fanatical about military merit.

As for the fact that the Han Dynasty's national strength is no longer what it used to be, or that there is a high possibility of death in battle, some people may be aware of it, but more people don't care about those things at all.

As long as you gain enough military merit, you can be granted a title and become a general, and you can truly stand out. This is the biggest benefit for many people.

It is a bit exaggerated to say that the Han Dynasty is now being controlled by the military interest groups, but it is also partly true, because too many people are warlike, and many people are waiting for war to change their lives.

"That's a good thing. The army's morale is good." Huo Xian said with a smile, "I was a little worried that the soldiers didn't get enough rest. It seems that I was overthinking it."

Zhao Congxiao said nonchalantly, "We have rested for a while, and the soldiers are ready. Fighting the Western Regions is boring, fighting the Huns is the real skill."

This is not a satire on Huo Xian's achievements in the Western Regions, but the general perception among the military is that the Western Regions are not worth mentioning at all.

Not to mention the army, even many people in the court still look down on the countries in the Western Regions. It is a common perception that defeating the Huns is the real skill.

As a general, if you fail to gain military merits against the Huns and your words are not heard loudly in the army, it will be difficult to convince the people!
Fortunately, Huo Shan did not have to worry too much. After all, he had followed Wei Qing to fight against the Huns and captured Zuo Xian King. This was obviously enough to convince the people.

Zhao Congxiao was also seriously talking to Huo Xian about some military matters. This was the advantage of having some trusted and reliable military forces.

Most of the people Huo Xian came into contact with were high-ranking officials and generals in the army, so he stayed away from the middle-level and grassroots soldiers.

Now, people like Zhao Congxiao can help him better understand the dynamics of these grassroots soldiers and better understand the current situation in the army.

All of this naturally has enough benefits, and this is what it means to truly know yourself and your enemy.

If you don't know your own army well enough, how can you understand the enemy and how can you prepare for a decisive battle with the enemy?

Now everything seems to be going well. The morale of the army is still high and the soldiers are extremely eager for military merit. These are the best proof that the military's morale is good.

Going into battle with such a combat-capable army will naturally give us more confidence in victory.

Thinking about this, Huo Xian still felt a little proud. In this decisive battle with the Xiongnu, he had a lot of advantages. (End of this chapter)