Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Chapter 81: Western Region Strategy (I)

Huo Xian's performance in the Marquis of Changping's Mansion surprised many people, but some people didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with it.

Before this expedition, General Wei Qing had been idle for more than ten years. His prestige was too high and his achievements were too great, which was known to everyone.

People who don’t know the truth will think Huo Xian is too anxious, but people who know the inside story are no longer surprised.

Liu Che was quite satisfied and felt that Huo Shan's knife was quite useful.

Some things don't need to be said explicitly. Just a little expression of meaning is enough, or even no expression is needed at all, and Huo Xian can get things done.

Liu Che thought Huo Shan was a good person the moment before, but got angry the next moment when he saw Huo Shan's loose figure.

"You have been practicing martial arts diligently since you were young, and you boast of your proficiency in archery and horse riding." Liu Che was so disappointed, "You should be at an age of vigor and vitality, but you are so slack all day long, you don't look like a military officer at all!"

Huo Xian, who was leaning against the wall reading a military book, sat up straight and said, "Your Majesty, this is not my fault. This is how I learned it since I was a child."

Liu Che was stunned for a moment and cursed, "Are you saying something bad about me?"

Huo Xian's silence was considered as tacit agreement. As long as the emperor was not in the court, he would basically sit on the couch leaning against the side. Even now when he was scolding people, he was leaning against the side, letting Madam Li massage his legs.

Liu Che did not say anything else, and asked, "When will the general enter the palace?"

"It should be soon." Huo Xian said, "Your Majesty, please allow the general to resign. The general's health is not good to begin with, and he can't stand the hardships of going on several expeditions. He is a few years younger than your Majesty, but looks much older than you."

Liu Che is now fifty-three years old, and Wei Qing is just fifty-one, but Wei Qing is thin and old.

There is a big difference in maintenance between an emperor who lives a life of luxury and a general who fights abroad all year round.

Liu Che snorted coldly and said, "I have my own opinions on these matters, and you are not allowed to interfere. The court is now without a general. If the general retires, how should I deal with the military affairs?"

Huo Xian replied, "Your Majesty, the general is not in charge of military affairs."

This is also what Liu Che did. Although Wei Qing made great contributions, there is no need to worry too much.

It was not only because Wei Qing was cautious by nature, but also because the power of the general had been almost completely stripped away, leaving him only a position of honor and favor.

All of this started when the position of Grand Marshal was abolished and the post of Grand Marshal was created.

This means that even if Huo Xian is given the title of Grand Marshal in the future, he will nominally be the head of the military generals, but it does not mean that he will be able to dominate the court.

Liu Che said, "Chuntuo, go and call the prince."

Liu Che then spoke again and said to Huo Xian, "Go set up the sand table."

"Gathering rice to form valleys and drawing the terrain with fingers" was indeed done by Ma Yuan, a great general of the Eastern Han Dynasty. This is the earliest sand table exercise.

However, when Qin conquered the six kingdoms, Qin Shihuang personally studied the geographical situation of each country, and with the assistance of Li Si, he sent General Wang Jian to carry out the war of unification.

Huo Xian immediately stood up and asked, "Where is the sand table?"

"Western Regions and Dayuan, pay special attention to the border." Liu Che said, "Today you should talk less and listen more. I will discuss things with the general, just listen."

Huo Xian said, "Then I'll explain it to my uncle, is that okay?"

Liu Che was too lazy to say anything. The reasons Huo Xian gave seemed correct, but he could not hide his little thoughts at all.

Sometimes you just have to fight for yourself. If you just blindly obey others, you will be arranged clearly and you won't be able to achieve your own small goals.

However, this also requires a sense of propriety. If you do too much, it will make people feel annoyed.

Fortunately, Huo Xian had some sense of propriety, and the most important thing was the emperor's favor, which made his style of doing things seem very bold.

Huo Xian immediately led people to set up the sand table, and he didn't have to do some things himself. There were a large number of talented people gathered around the emperor, and all kinds of information were very rich.

Although the sand table may not be the most accurate due to the limitations of the times, there is no problem with the general outline, and some important positions will not have too much deviation.

Liu Ju arrived soon, and Liu Che pointed directly at Huo Xian and said, "Go and take a look. If you don't understand, just ask."

Liu Ju approached the sand table and asked in a low voice, "This looks like Dunhuang or the Western Regions?"

"Well, the general will come over to discuss the conquest of Dayuan." Huo Xian explained, "If you have anything to say, just say it!"

Liu Ju laughed and joked, "If you want to talk too much, why do you have to pull me! You can just get scolded, but you have to pull me!"

The attendants, eunuchs and others who were helping to set up the sand table were trying hard not to laugh out loud. Sometimes, Marquis Guanjun's cleverness was really not enough in front of the emperor and the crown prince.

Wei Qing also came to the Xuanshi Hall soon and chatted with Liu Che. Although Wei Qing resigned now, he would definitely be idle in the future. However, when encountering some important wars, even if he could no longer lead the troops to fight, the emperor would definitely let Wei Qing help with military affairs.

After all, such a general is rare, especially when there are no generals in the court, so they need to be cherished. Not giving real power does not mean completely ignoring or abandoning them.

"Li Guangli really disappointed me this time." Liu Che sighed, "If we can't even conquer a small country like Dayuan, it will inevitably make countries like Daxia look down on the Han Dynasty. Wusun, Luntai and other countries will also make things difficult for the Han envoys, which will surely be laughed at by foreign countries."

If Dayuan cannot be conquered, the Han Dynasty's prestige from conquering Loulan will completely disappear, and it will become a laughing stock in the Western Regions.

Wei Qing also agreed and said, "I also think that when we conquer Dayuan, in addition to showing off our power in the Western Regions, it is also imperative to introduce good horses."

Wei Qing was naturally in favor of war, because he knew that attacking Dayuan would have far-reaching consequences, and was related to the Han Dynasty's influence in the Western Regions and the subsequent strategy for fighting the Huns.

Liu Che continued, "General Ershi led 6,000 cavalry and 10,000 infantry, and there were also some rangers and prisoners. This battle was not going well. I think that in addition to the long expedition, we also underestimated the enemy."

It goes without saying that we should underestimate the enemy.

The whole court underestimated the enemy. Liu Che thought it would be easy to conquer Dayuan. Before the expedition, Li Guangli was also full of confidence and thought that this war would be very easy.

Wei Qing also added, "I think the reason why General Ershi failed to conquer Dayuan this time is that the court was not generous enough in the Western Regions. The Western Regions countries along the way closed their gates and refused to provide supplies, so the army was naturally hungry and thirsty."

Liu Che became even more unhappy. No one had expected Li Guangli's failure in his first expedition and the serious shortage of supplies.

Originally, some baggage and supplies were brought with them, but according to the original expectations, the small countries in the Western Regions should also provide food and drink to welcome the royal army.

However, the result was that these small countries in the Western Regions refused to supply one by one, and the Han army suffered considerable losses on the way to Dayuan. When they arrived at the city of Yucheng, they were already exhausted, and it was not surprising that they were defeated.

"So, I still have to requisition baggage." Liu Che sighed and said, "Not only bring more food and weapons, but also more cattle, horses, donkeys, camels, etc., and provide them with enough."

When a large army goes on an expedition, logistic supply is an extremely important part.

Every failure makes one wiser. The first expedition to Dayuan failed because the country passed through many countries along the way and the long supply line created a huge burden.

We must not repeat the same mistakes now. We must make up for the deficiencies that were not taken into consideration before and prepare to launch the second expedition to Dayuan.

These seem to be the safest approaches. The Han Dynasty is now a powerful country, so at a time like this, we only need to rely on our strong national strength to push forward directly.

It doesn’t matter that Li Guangli’s abilities are mediocre. If he is given countless resources, he can still easily conquer the small Dayuan.

Liu Che had no doubt about this, and perhaps no one else would doubt it either.

Li Guangli has suffered a temporary setback, so we should continue to increase his troops and provide him with supplies. It would be hard to explain if he still cannot win the battle.

There is even no threat in the north now, so we can directly mobilize the army. There is no reason why we cannot win!
Liu Che was determined to make Li Guangli a marquis and support a new noble relative.

Huo Xian spoke up at this time, "Your Majesty, General, the sand table is ready."

Liu Che stood up and said to Wei Qing, "Come and help me make a decision. If it is decided, I will also mobilize the troops and supplies."

Wei Qing said very modestly, "Your Majesty, I am a humble servant with limited knowledge."

"That's enough." Liu Che interrupted with a smile, "I know your abilities best. If you are so ignorant, who can I count on? Could it be that little bastard?"

Huo Xian had an innocent look on his face. He had just been putting all his heart and soul into setting up the sand table and had done nothing wrong. How come he had met with such an unexpected disaster?

Coming to the sand table, Liu Che said, "The countries in the Western Regions are still unwilling to return. Most of these people are afraid of the Xiongnu, so we have to be on guard."

Wei Qing also understood this, and said, "The court should send troops to garrison in Jiuquan and the north of Zhangye, and set up new counties to protect Jiuquan."

The imperial court had not previously deployed its military forces in the Western Regions, so even though it had taken over the Hexi Corridor and other areas, the deterrence against the Western Regions was still somewhat lacking. It was time to make up for this shortcoming now.

Liu Che was very pleased, as his views often coincided with those of Wei Qing.

"We will send at least 60,000 soldiers and tens of thousands of livestock." Liu Che said confidently, "If we fail to conquer Dayuan this time, Li Guangli will be imprisoned."

Huo Xian suddenly spoke up, "Counting the troops stationed in Jiuquan and Zhangye, plus more than 50,000 troops, countless livestock and baggage. The court will have to mobilize more than 100,000 troops, and this is just to seize a few thousand horses?"

Liu Che was furious. He looked at Huo Xian and asked, "What else do you want to say?"

"If I lead the army, I will definitely help General Ershi achieve merit!" Huo Xian said, "If I lead the army, this expedition to the Western Regions will surely establish the prestige of the imperial court in the Western Regions!"

Liu Che gritted his teeth, thinking that Li Guangli was not doing his job well, so Huo Shan always seized the opportunity to challenge for a fight!

(End of this chapter)