Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Huo Xian was quite confident in the several officers he promoted.

It's not simply because they have proven themselves in history and are listed among the eleven heroes of Qilin Pavilion, but because they themselves have good abilities or backgrounds.

Needless to say, Zhang Anshi and Han Zeng came from prominent families and received a very good education since childhood, so they were able to quickly succeed and their performance in the army is also commendable.

Although Zhao Chongguo was born into a common family, he had gained a lot of experience at the grassroots level. Now that he has been given the opportunity, he will naturally grow quickly.

These are the reasons why they are now able to gain a foothold in the army. After all, the army respects the strong, and simply having a good background is far from enough.

Carefully instructing Zhao Chongguo and others on the key points that they needed to pay attention to and arranging some tasks for them in advance were enough to put Huo Xian at ease.

"Uncle Chen, you come with me first." Huo Xian arranged for Chen Ju, "You don't need to interfere in military affairs, but you have been in the army for a long time and know a lot of things. Send someone to report to me immediately if you find any situation."

Chen Ju did not refuse at all and said, "Then I will pack up and get ready to leave. I will take ten guys with me and wait for you in Shuofang."

Huo Xian smiled and nodded, "That's fine. I can make some arrangements in advance. But there's no need to go too far. After all, I'm going to fight."

Chen Ju just smiled. He was there to serve as a vanguard for Huo Xian, so naturally many things needed to be arranged in advance. In his opinion, this was a big deal.

Just pay a little attention to some situations in the army, and if you really find anything wrong, you will send a message to Huo Xian.

But Chen Ju also felt that he was a member of the Guanjun Marquis's army, and that there would be someone to take care of the military affairs. All he had to do was to make arrangements so that the Marquis would not have poor food and accommodation when he arrived in Shuofang.

Feng Xu, Liu Mo and others had no objection. They just said that Chen Ju was in good health now, so it was appropriate to let him run more now.

Your Excellency will be going on an expedition again in a while, so it is the right thing to do to arrange some things in advance.

Huo Xian went out to fight, which was definitely not to enjoy himself. But in the eyes of some people, there was no need to endure hardships, and what should be prepared in advance must be prepared.

Huo Xian was too lazy to say anything more about this. He understood the intentions of Chen Ju and others. Besides, it was very important to ensure his own quality of life without causing any adverse effects.

When Chen Ju and others arrived in Shuofang, they were indeed able to intimidate some people. After all, they were Huo Shan's close confidants, and many people also knew the importance of Chen Ju and others to Huo Shan.

Arranging things before the expedition is still very important for Huo Xian, but now it seems that everything is going smoothly.

When Huo Xian came to Jianzhang Palace again, Liu Che asked with a smile, "You seem to be doing well these days. You have been busy with work."

"I have never been idle, I've just been busier these days." Huo Xian rarely argued and said, "Your Majesty, I have thought about it carefully, and it is still a little late for the army to be dispatched."

Liu Che said, "It's not too late. The armies far away have already set off. It's not too late for the Beijing army to set off now. We can't rest all winter."

It makes sense to think so, although marching may take a lot of time and marching in winter is not particularly convenient, etc.

But this definitely does not mean that we have to stay indoors in the winter. We can still march when the weather permits, the just speed will be a little slower. When it is time to move, we have to continue moving.

Seeing that Huo Xian did not talk back, Liu Che also smiled and said, "Remember this, it would be best if we can win this battle. It doesn't matter if we can't win, just wear down these Huns."

Huo Xian put down his wine cup unhappily and complained, "Your Majesty, I didn't go to war! I am the Grand Marshal and the General of Cavalry. When have I ever lost a battle?"

Looking at Huo Shan, this was actually what Liu Che was most worried about.

It is easy to break when one is strong. This was true for Huo Qubing in the past and it is also true for Huo Shan now. In some aspects, Huo Shan is even more resolute than Huo Qubing.

Liu Che immediately tried to appease him, saying, "I know what you mean, and I believe in you. Since you are going to the battle, you must have won a great victory. Otherwise, why would I hand over more than 100,000 troops to you?"

Huo Xian nodded repeatedly, but still said dissatisfiedly, "Since Your Majesty trusts me and knows that I will definitely win a great victory, why do you still mention things that cannot be won?"

Fortunately, Liu Che's blood pressure is not high now, otherwise he would have been really angry with Huo Shan. This child sometimes seems to be unable to use his brain, and sometimes he speaks too directly.

But Liu Che didn't think there was anything wrong with this, as he was the one who taught him. The most important thing was that Huo Xian's attitude was not directed at everyone.

Some people find it difficult to get a direct attitude from Huo Xian, and it is only in front of the emperor, whom he trusts the most, that Huo Xian shows his unwillingness to use his brain. In front of other people, this kid either leaves directly or refuses to listen.

This is not bullying honest people, this is just being defenseless in front of the people closest to you.

Liu Che said to Huo Xian earnestly, "Although the Xiongnu are not as strong as before, they still have some resources. It is not easy to say and even harder to do to completely destroy them in one battle."

After hearing what Liu Che said, Huo Shan did not refute. He naturally understood the logic. Under ideal circumstances, the Huns would be completely destroyed in one battle.

Judging from the current situation, the Huns are indeed in a relatively weak period, and it seems that there is a chance to completely eliminate the Huns in a decisive battle.

But a lean camel is still bigger than a horse, and given the nomadic habits of the Huns, even if they won the decisive battle, it would only mean the overthrow of the Huns' royal court and defeat of their main force, etc.

By then, there will still be some escaped Huns, some smaller tribes, etc. Those people will gather again, and perhaps they will slowly begin to develop.

It is obviously unrealistic to want to completely clear the grassland.

Liu Che continued, "Xian'er, the Xiongnu have no intention of recovering in the past few years. You should be aware of these things."

Hearing what Liu Che said, Huo Shan naturally nodded. He really understood this truth. There was really no way for the Huns to recover seriously now.

After the Battle of Mobei that year, the Huns fled to Mobei and lost the Hexi Corridor, which meant that the Huns lost their best pastures, and their development began to be restricted.

As for the countless young and strong men who died in the war, or the subsequent surrender of many Xiongnu tribes to the Han Dynasty, this also continued to weaken the Xiongnu. Moreover, after the Battle of Mobei, it seemed that there was no large-scale war, but the Han army often entered the grassland, which was also a deterrent and interference to the Xiongnu, making it difficult for them to graze in peace.

Another reason was that in the wars of the previous few years, a large number of young and strong Huns were killed or injured. They could only huddle in the northern desert and work hard to restore production and national strength.

Liu Che continued patiently, "The Xiongnu are no match for us. Even if the Han Dynasty is in trouble, its foundation is still there. If you kill some Xiongnu after entering the grassland this time, it will be even more difficult for them in the future."

Liu Che’s meaning was actually very simple. It would be best to win the decisive battle, and this was also the most ideal state.

But it doesn't matter if we can't achieve success in one battle. As long as we inflict a large number of casualties on the Huns and further weaken them, it will be a victory strategically.

Liu Che further explained, "If you kill another 50,000 young and strong men this time, the Xiongnu will not have many young and strong men left. Without such a group of brave warriors, my Han army can continue to kill and wound them."

Huo Xian said somewhat unhappily, "Your Majesty, I know what you mean. They have long since declined from their peak. After my father-in-law and the general defeated the main force of the Xiongnu, it has been difficult for them to recover."

Liu Che smiled and nodded. This was also something he was proud of. The Huns, which had been a hidden danger to the Central Plains dynasty for hundreds of years, were completely defeated in his hands.

The Han Dynasty was established nearly a hundred years ago, and the Xiongnu had always been a mortal enemy. But looking back, the Qin Dynasty also had to defend against the Xiongnu, and the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period were also wary of these people.

Therefore, the Huns were a serious threat and were definitely not a problem that only existed during the Han Dynasty. This was an absolute historical legacy and an enemy that the Central Plains dynasties had to guard against for hundreds of years.

Looking at Huo Xian, Liu Che said patiently, "If we can't win this time, we can fight again."

At this point, Huo Xian's pressure suddenly increased. In his opinion, the Han Dynasty did not have enough financial resources to continue launching large-scale wars.

But Liu Che obviously didn't think so. He felt that as long as there was an opportunity, he should thoroughly solve some hidden dangers.

It doesn't matter if we don't completely destroy the Huns this time. As long as we continue to weaken them, the Han Dynasty will just have to grit its teeth and fight them one or two more times, and the Huns, who have troubled the Central Plains dynasty for hundreds of years, will be gone.

This is also Liu Che's confidence. He actually doesn't worry about too many things because he believes he can control everything.

Liu Che naturally knew about the complaints of officials and people, but there were some things he really didn't care too much about.

Over the years, he has been tossing around officials and dignitaries, but did any of them dare to resist? More than a hundred marquises were deposed, and some officials were killed. The Han Dynasty's wealth was almost gone.

But even so, when faced with the emperor's order, those dignitaries and officials could only wait obediently for the final execution. They had no other choice.

The people's lives are difficult, taxes are constantly increasing, and some refugees are indeed unable to survive, but there are still no large-scale uprisings in the Han Dynasty today.

Being able to control all of this, Liu Che naturally appeared full of confidence, and it seemed that there was nothing in the world that he could not control.

Huo Xian smiled and said to Liu Che, "Your Majesty, it's not nice for you to say that. I know you are doing this for my own good, but I haven't set out yet. If you give me a way out, I won't be so resolute."

Liu Che became serious, "It is precisely because I know your temper that I have to tell you in advance. You don't have to do your best in this battle, as long as you weaken the Xiongnu and destroy their main force, that's enough."

This was what Liu Che was thinking. He knew that it was almost impossible to completely destroy the Huns in one battle. He needed to continuously weaken and defeat the enemy's main force, and then exert a series of pressure to destroy their country.

But in Liu Che's eyes, Huo Shan was a person who didn't like to leave a way out. This kid was sometimes too honest.

He is going into the battle under such great pressure. He is just a kid in his early twenties. How can we let him bear such pressure again and again?

What's more, this was a decisive battle against the Huns. If all the pressure and responsibility were placed on Huo Shan's shoulders, Liu Che would be worried that Huo Shan would be overwhelmed and that something might go wrong with the generals he had trained.

His feelings towards Huo Shan were never just that of a monarch and his subject. His expectations for Huo Shan were not just to help him destroy the Xiongnu, but also for the child to continue to control military power for the Han emperor.

Liu Che said gently, "If it was the general, I wouldn't say much. He understands these things. You and Qubing are different. You two only know how to complete my will and will not stop until you achieve your goal."

Huo Xian retorted, "Sometimes I'm not like that either. Sometimes I don't want to do something that I can't do."

"What do you mean you are unwilling to do something you can't do?" Liu Che said with a headache, "You are just like your grandfather. You will try to do something you can't do, and you will try your best, and only admit it when you can't do it in the end."

There are some things that Liu Che did not say clearly. Huo Qubing and Huo Shan, father and son, would not only try desperately and end up with bloody heads, but they would even feel regretful and blame themselves afterwards and would try to find ways to get things done.

Being stubborn is a good thing sometimes, because it helps you get things done.

But sometimes being too stubborn can lead to failure.

This is something that Liu Che absolutely does not want to see, and it can even be said that it is the thing that he least wants to see now.

After all, at this point in time, Liu Che felt that he did not have the time and energy to train a third generation of champion marquis, and Huo Xian, the Grand Marshal and General of the Cavalry, could not afford to lose.

Otherwise, there would be no generals left in the Han army now, and even when it came to Liu Ju's hands in the future, there would most likely be no generals available.

Liu Che knew how uncomfortable such embarrassment was, and he didn't want Liu Ju to feel the same way.

The most important thing is that there is no general in the court, which is a very dangerous thing. Even if there are no strong enemies around, the army needs a general with high prestige to guard it.

So now even though he knew there were some things he shouldn't say, Liu Che had to say them.

He was just worried that Huo Xian was too extreme, and worried that Huo Xian had set his mind on something and had to accomplish it! (End of this chapter)