Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

All preparations are ready. All relatives and elders who need to be visited have been visited. All supplies and personal luggage are ready. As for the troops and so on, they are ready to go.

Naturally, a trip to Maoling was also inevitable. Whether before going to war or after returning victorious, Huo Shan would definitely bring his family generals to Huo Qubing's tomb.

It is indeed time for Huo Xian to go to war, even though it is winter outside and does not seem to be the most appropriate time.

But it doesn’t matter too much. Winter is not necessarily all snowy and icy. We can still march in most cases.

There was no stage visit, no grand oath-taking ceremony, etc. These were unnecessary things. The army had already set out, and many troops had already assembled in the border counties. It was just that Huo Xian, the Grand Marshal, set out late.

So now he only needs to show up at the court meeting, take the imperial edict and then turn around and leave.

The army has already assembled in the camp, waiting for Huo Xian to arrive, and these elite soldiers will follow immediately.

Huo Xian was still the same in armor as always, with a ferocious bronze visor covering his face, a scarlet cloak on his body, and riding a majestic tall horse, walking in front with great dignity.

Following behind him were his troops carrying the general's flag. The people of Chang'an seemed to be very accustomed to this. It was just another expedition of the Marquis of Guanjun.

Even though they knew that the opponent this time was the Huns, and they had heard that the imperial court had mobilized a large army to engage in a decisive battle with the Huns, there were indeed many people discussing these things.

But for many people, that's all. Life must go on, and those wars don't seem to have much impact on them. After all, these people are not going to the war now.

Moreover, looking at the flags of 'Marquis of Champion' and 'Grand Marshal and General of the Cavalry', not only the people of Chang'an will have confidence, but the accompanying soldiers will also be in high spirits.

Normally, some people might say that Huo Xian is arrogant and dissolute, but once he wears armor and leads troops to war, he will give people great confidence.

With such a commander, many people are naturally more optimistic about the prospects of this war.

"Brother!" Huo Changru and his sisters stood on the carriage and waved vigorously, "Brother, you will go to the battle and will surely return victorious."

After looking at his cousins, Huo Xian did not respond. He just looked straight ahead and continued to lead the army forward.

This time, I didn't bring my brother-in-law Shangguan An with me. That guy is still a little young. It's enough for him to gain experience in the Southern Army now. There's no need to think about taking him to the battlefield for the time being.

Cao Zong was also dressed in armor, his eyes full of envy. He had always longed to go on an expedition, but it was clear that he would never have the chance again. Now he could only continue to lead the Southern Army and guard Chang'an.

Seeing that Wei Deng and Wei Buyi are now also following Huo Shan to the war, Cao Zong is naturally even more envious.

The general's three sons all went to the battlefield. Except for Wei Kang who was most likely following Zhao Po Nu, Wei Deng and Wei Buyi were the generals under Huo Shan this time.

In such a strategic decisive battle, under normal circumstances, some eligible marquises and sons of generals would also follow. There is actually nothing to say about this, as this is their natural destiny.

But now it seems that these people have no complaints about this. The young soldiers are eager to make military achievements, and even if they know that a decisive battle with the Huns will be very dangerous, it doesn't matter.

After all, this is the Han Dynasty, and military achievements are highly praised from top to bottom, and even the children of the powerful are not immune.

Huo Xian on horseback nodded slightly as a courtesy. Even though he and Cao Zong seemed a little estranged now, it was only superficial, and the relationship between the two remained the same as before.

Sometimes, friendship between men is like this. They don’t necessarily need to be together all the time. Even if they don’t see each other for a long time, it doesn’t matter much.

The army set out in the dead of winter. To be more precise, the small elite force led by Huo Xian also officially began the march.

The decisive battle with the Huns had entered the final stage of preparation, because everyone understood that once the main general Huo Shan was in place, the army could move forward and penetrate into the grassland at any time.

There is nothing to say about this. The Han Dynasty has been preparing for this war for a long time, not just ten days or half a month, nor even a year or two. It has been preparing for a long time.

Perhaps Liu Che had been preparing for this battle since four or five years ago when he defeated the Xiongnu Zuoxian King's army outside Shoujiang City.

After all, after that war, Zhao Po Nu had been leading tens of thousands of cavalrymen to garrison in Shoujiang City. This isolated fortress in the heart of the grassland had been storing military supplies, and the cavalry there often entered the grassland to explore.

Han Shuo, Wei Kang and others also led a large army to garrison Guanglu Sai, seemingly serving as a backup for Zhao Po Nu and seemingly guarding against the Huns' invasion from the south.

This seems to be no problem, but if you think about it, the Huns have long been unable to move south, and these border garrisons are still training regularly and storing more and more supplies.

Now that the time is right, these armies that seem to be on a defensive mission can immediately enter the grassland, and the so-called defensive position will become an offensive position.

Li Guangli who was stationed in Jiuquan, Lu Bode who was stationed in Juyan Lake and others also led their troops to gather. The Han army had already been gathering and marching in some important places.

In fact, there is no need to conceal the intention at all. This is the decisive battle against the Huns, and everyone is very clear about this.

Liu Mo was in a good mood and said to Huo Xian, "My Lord, I don't know why, but this time when I left Chang'an, I felt that my spirit and energy were different."

"You will cry out in pain again tonight." Huo Xian couldn't help but complain, and was a little worried, "You don't even want to enjoy yourself in Chang'an, but insist on following me into battle. I don't know if you think that I have no one in the Han Dynasty and need you, the remnants of the army."

Zhao Hexi could not help laughing, he and Liu Mo really were the "remnant soldiers", literally the remnant soldiers, the two of them together made up exactly two arms, and the left and right arms were complete.

Liu Mo said nonchalantly, "If the prince can go to the battlefield, how can I enjoy wealth and luxury in Chang'an? If we fight the Western Regions, it's fine, but if we fight the Huns, I have to go to the battlefield no matter what."

Zhao Hexi also said, "It's easy to control a horse with one hand. Now with saddles and stirrups, riding a horse is really easy. My lord, at the very least I can block the knife for you, and I will never let you get hurt again."

This matter was also a point of complaint for Zhao Hexi and Liu Mo. The last time their lord attacked the Western Regions, he was hit a few times and was injured by a blunt object. Even if it was just bruises, it was still a blow.

This made them very dissatisfied, and they felt that Feng Wu and the others were unreliable and could not possibly hurt the Lord. If they were there, they would never let the Lord take those two blows. If they wanted to hurt the Lord, they would have to fall down.

Huo Xian didn't care much about it and said, "It's up to you. It's your business if you don't enjoy the blessing. When the time comes, I can only burn you and put it in a jar and bring it back."

"That's all." Zhao Hexi said expectantly, "Sir, it would be best if we could come back alive. If we are really gone, we must bring them back no matter what, and burn them to ashes and bury them next to the general."

Liu Mo seemed to mean the same thing. "Just dig a hole and bury it there. With your dignity in front of His Majesty, it will definitely be done. We don't need a grave."

It can be said that the obsession of the four generals was to protect Huo Shan, and it would be best if they could be buried with Huo Qubing after their death.

Huo Qubing was buried with the deceased in Maoling Mausoleum. Theoretically, it was impossible for the four great families to bury all these people there. After all, the court's etiquette was there, and Huo Qubing was buried with the deceased, so how could a family tomb be formed there?

According to current etiquette, if Huo Xian is no longer around, he will most likely be buried with him in Maoling Mausoleum, because he was a minister of Emperor Liu Che. If Huo Wuyou has no merits or official positions in the future, he may have to be buried in his fiefdom.

A family tomb sounds like "family reunion", and things like ancestral graves also sound more traditional and meaningful.

However, in the officialdom, if a minister cannot be buried with the emperor in the mausoleum, it means that he has a low status and is not regarded as an important minister or confidant by the emperor. This can even be regarded as the biggest denial of a minister's career.

Huo Xian smiled and said, "It is highly likely that there will be no monument. His Majesty knows all of you. It should be fine to ask for a favor when the time comes."

Liu Mo and Zhao Hexi were all smiling. They were soldiers and family generals, and they were obsessed with some things. They thought that they should be with their general no matter life or death.

As for matters of life and death, they had long since become indifferent. When they were young, they followed the general across the grasslands. After they became disabled, they still protected the general as he grew up and watched him build his career. Each of them believed that they had no regrets.

Feng Dan suddenly said, "Uncle Liu, do you think I can get it in the future?"

Liu Mo said directly, "You definitely can't do that. You are a marquis now after all. If you do more meritorious deeds, maybe you can be buried with the emperor in the future. Then you can just be closer to the emperor."

Feng Dan looked a little worried. He considered himself a member of the Huo family, but now he held an official position and a title. Theoretically, he was not yet at the stage where he could be buried with the dead in Maoling Mausoleum. He would most likely be buried in his ancestral land.

Things like being buried with the prince are just something you can think about. It is not realistic no matter how you look at it.

Feng Wu said, "I will serve you when the time comes. I don't have a title anyway. It shouldn't be difficult to dig a hole and bury myself there."

Liu Mo felt that the boy was teachable, and said with a smile, "That's the best. If the time comes, just go quietly. Even if something happens, can we get it out for you if we ask the young prince to plead for you?"

Zhao Hexi nodded. He, Chen Ju and others had actually discussed this before. When the time came, they would bury it quietly, preferably without anyone noticing.

If something really happens, relying on your position in His Majesty's heart, you can just plead for mercy, and then you will definitely not be dug up and reburied.

As for whether Huo Qubing agreed or not, the four generals had no doubts about it. The general must be happy to see them pass away, and being buried together would be the best outcome.

Huo Xian couldn't help but complain, "We've just set out for the battle. Isn't it a little early to be thinking about these things now? Aren't you afraid of bad luck?"

"What's so unlucky about it?" Zhao Hexi said nonchalantly, "When we return victorious this time, we don't know if we can see Old Feng. I'm afraid he has already found a place to meet someone."

Not to mention Feng Dan and Feng Wu were silent, Huo Xian could only sigh. Among the four generals of Huo Qubing, Feng Xu was the most seriously injured and in the worst physical condition.

In the past two years, he has been getting weaker and weaker, and it seems that he can't hold on any longer. It seems that there is nothing that can be done about it.

Huo Xian said, "Let's finish the battle sooner. I think with Uncle Feng's character and temper, he will definitely hold on until we come back. He will definitely be unwilling to leave now, as he is still waiting to report the victory to my grandfather."

Zhao Hexi and Liu Mo immediately felt that it made sense. They, the old brothers, were actually all the same. They did not feel any fear about death and sometimes even yearned for it.

After all, according to some universal concepts and cognitions today, that is, "treat death as life", it is believed that after a person dies, the soul can go to another world, which is almost the same as the current world.

This also means that they can still see the general, and then they will naturally report to the general what has happened over the years and tell him about the growth and military achievements of their own lord.

Therefore, before the good news came back, and before the prince had completely completed the general's achievements, Feng Xu had to hold on even if his body collapsed.

Unlucky or not, Huo Xian actually doesn't really care about such things.

He was less concerned about matters of life and death. After all, he had experienced life and death himself, and on the battlefield human life seemed as light as a feather.

The life you see disappearing on the battlefield is just a matter of a moment. No matter if it is an ordinary soldier or a famous general, they may suddenly be gone at any time. It is just such a simple thing.

For Huo Xian, the thing he feared most was actually not being able to achieve success and complete his destined mission.

These are also the focus of his attention, because no matter how you look at it, he should defeat the Huns and destroy this century-old enemy.

What's more, he is the Marquis of Champion, and he cannot let this legendary title be disgraced because of himself.

It can also be said that for Huo Xian, the greatest fear is actually losing a battle and losing troops and generals. That is something he really cannot accept.

Now he has an army of more than 100,000 troops under his command, and the troops under Li Guangli and Zhao Po Nu must also cooperate with his army's actions. That means the life and death of nearly 200,000 people.

Huo Xian absolutely cannot afford to lose. This involves the lives of 200,000 people, and it also concerns the future of the Han Dynasty. It is no exaggeration to say that it affects the present and future of an empire.

To be more exaggerated, this is affecting the direction of history! (End of this chapter)