Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Chapter 89 No Friends West of Yangguan

For Li Guangli, the past year or so has been a time of tremendous ups and downs.

Before the expedition to Dayuan, he was full of confidence, and no one doubted that he could be promoted to a marquis. However, he was not successful from the moment he entered the Western Regions. He, the general, was defeated at the gates of Yucheng before he even reached the capital of Dayuan.

Li Guangli was terrified when the emperor refused to withdraw his troops. But when the baggage and soldiers were replenished, he began to have new hopes that he could attack Wan for the second time and make meritorious contributions.

However, as additional troops continued to arrive, new concerns arose and various rumors continued to spread.

Until he saw Zhao Anguo and Gongsun Ao, Li Guangli completely gave up. He, the Second Division General, would not be the main general, but the General of the Cavalry.

What made Li Guangli even more devastated was that his sister died of illness and his elder and younger brothers were executed. If it weren't for his wife and children in Chang'an, Li Guangli would have wanted to surrender, maybe he could get an official position in the Western Regions.

Gongsun Ao and others were preparing the baggage carefully, waiting for Huo Xian to arrive and then they would set out immediately.

Although they had experienced a defeat before, the army was now in high spirits and believed that there would be no problem in taking over Dayuan.

Huo Xian finally showed up. He was exhausted and led his trusted troops to advance at full speed and arrived in Dunhuang in time.

"Go to the tent!" As soon as Huo Xian arrived in Dunhuang, he immediately began to give orders, "Gather the generals! All the lieutenants and above come here!"

With the general flag with the word "Huo" flying, the Han army officers naturally hurried to put on their armor and enter the camp.

Looking at the hundreds of officers, Huo Xian was very satisfied.

"Your Majesty has ordered me to be the general to attack Dayuan. Officers and officers can check the decree and military tokens." Huo Xian sat firmly on the commander's seat and said, "Is there anyone who can check it?"

Including Li Guangli, all of them kept their heads down and said nothing. They were all "guilty" now. Gongsun Ao, Zhao Anguo and others knew about it a long time ago.

Checking military tokens and so on was also a process. Before Huo Xian took office, envoys and messengers from various places had already delivered his orders, and the army knew who the commander-in-chief was.

Huo Xian looked at Li Guangli and said, "General Ershi, although you have not been successful in the battle so far, you are familiar with the marching route. Do you have any objection to your unit being the vanguard?"

Li Guangli immediately clasped his fists and said, "I dare not do that. I will obey the general's order!"

Military commanders Zhao Shi and Li Duo were promoted to colonels, and Marquis Hao Wang Hui and others also breathed a sigh of relief. Although General Ershi could not continue to be the main general, at least he had saved some face.

The remnants of the army that suffered an unfortunate defeat in the first expedition have recovered a lot of their strength after resting and recuperation. They still have thousands of soldiers and horses, and if they become vanguards, they still have a chance to make meritorious deeds.

Huo Xian looked at a strong man and said, "You are familiar with the countries in the Western Regions. Tell me that General Huo Xian will lead the Han army to order the other countries not to move."

Huo Xian's expression was grim as he continued, "If you move, the country will be destroyed!"

Zhang Gui'an immediately clasped his fists excitedly. He was Zhang Qian's son and grew up in the Western Regions. He and his parents went through untold hardships before returning to Chang'an.

Now that he has become an envoy again, Zhang Gui'an is not afraid of danger. He is eager to gain military merit and to restore his title!

Some of the military students in the tent felt excited. The Marquis of Champion was so domineering and majestic. He directly and clearly warned the countries in the Western Regions. This was the majesty that the Han Dynasty should have.

However, some people were also worried. Many countries in the Western Regions were already watching or were dissatisfied with the Han Dynasty. When Li Guangli first conquered Dayuan, it was because the countries in the Western Regions did not cooperate that there was a serious shortage of supplies.

Now that Marquis Guanjun has threatened so directly, those Western Regions countries will certainly continue to close their city gates and not provide supplies.

Huo Xian looked at the officers in the tent and continued, "The army is large in number, and it is difficult for the small countries in the Western Regions along the way to provide supplies. This time we will split into two routes, north and south. The southern route will be led by General Ershi and will follow the route of last year."

Li Guangli was a little embarrassed because it seemed that he was going to repeat last year's marching route, and he might end up in an even worse situation.

Huo Xian could understand, and then continued, "Where is Cavalry Commander Li Ling?"

A heroic young man immediately stepped forward and clasped his fists, "Captain Li Ling, I greet the general."

"Lead 5,000 of your troops to follow General Ershi." Huo Xian said, "It is said that the soldiers you trained are good archers among the brave Chu warriors from Danyang County. Your troops will follow the army."

Li Ling was very excited. He had always wanted to lead the troops to fight, but he had always been assigned to garrison duty. Now he finally got his chance and had the opportunity to make a contribution.

As for not being under Huo Shan's command, Li Ling was actually relieved as this way he didn't have to feel embarrassed.

I hope that this time Li Ling will follow Li Guangli and the entire army will not be destroyed.

Huo Xian continued to give orders, saying, "General Yucheng, transfer 3,000 cavalry to General Ershi, whose troops have 6,000 cavalry and 15,000 infantry. Just go slowly, and allocate 20,000 horses, 20,000 cattle and sheep to escort the siege equipment."

Gongsun Ao naturally accepted the order. This time his general title was "General Yucheng", which was based on the purpose of the mission.

Huo Xian looked at Li Guangli and said seriously, "General Ershi, your troops must not be separated from ours too far. Send messengers to report to us at every place. I will arrange a marching route for you, and the marching speed must not be delayed!" "The army will immediately start to prepare water, and the guides will start to move forward." Huo Xian was even more serious, "When we pass Bailongtan, the military schools must not treat the soldiers harshly."

Huo Xian also knew that there were many cases of oppression and exploitation of soldiers in the army, but the first test after leaving the border was Bailongtan, which was a desert.

Only after passing here can you reach Loulan smoothly.

"General Ershi and his troops must reach Cheshi before winter comes," Huo Xian urged. "All the way to Cheshi, there is no need to worry about food. It doesn't matter if the countries along the way don't provide supplies. The army's own baggage can be used. Don't attack those small countries and waste time."

Li Guangli was naturally embarrassed. Last year, he had been fighting and stopping all the way, which missed the opportunity, and he was even climbing the mountain when it was snowing heavily.

The marching route was very clear. The northern route started from Yumen, passed through Loulan and Gushi, went west through Yanqi, Luntai, Qiuci, Gumo, Wensu, and reached Dayuan out of the Pamir Mountains.

The southern route goes out of Yangguan and passes Loulan, then goes southwest to Qiemo and Yutian, then turns north to Shule, then goes out of the Pamir Mountains and goes to Dayuan.

In fact, this section is mainly before going to Cheshi. The countries along the way are small and sparsely populated, and they are separated by hundreds of miles of yellow sand.

But after passing Cheshi, you will find some of the most prosperous large oases along the Silk Road.

First there was the vast Bosten Lake, now called the Sea. This is a freshwater lake, and around the lake are three small states: Yanqi, Weixu, and Weili. Further west are Luntai, Quli, Qiuci, Gumo, and Wensu.

These are all countries with abundant water and grass and fertile land. However, they are either pro-Xiongnu or self-reliant, and are not friendly to the Han Dynasty.

That is to say, Loulan, which was slightly "friendly" to the Han Dynasty in the early stage, was the starting point for the division of troops. The main reason for the march to Cheshi was the difficulty of marching. After Cheshi, there was no geographical advantage and no people, and the war would start at any time.

"After the beginning of next spring, the army will cross the Pamir Mountains and gather at the foot of Yucheng City." Huo Xian continued to give orders, saying, "General Ershi, do you understand?"

Li Guangli clasped his fists and said, "I obey your orders!"

The frequent fighting and stopping in the early part of last year slowed down the marching speed, so Li Guangli had to lead his troops across the Pamir Plateau in winter. The winter there was extremely cold and bitter.
Huo Xian then looked at Li Guangli with some sternness and said, "Luntai, Quli, Qiuci, etc., many of them are dissatisfied with the court. You can choose a country to establish your prestige and intimidate the countries in the Western Regions."

Everyone present understood that among these pro-Xiongnu countries in the Western Regions, one was bound to be destroyed.

This military order is not contradictory. It seems to be urging Li Guangli to march all the way, but time should be saved where it can be saved. In the early stage, he was just hurrying on his way.

As long as there was no shortage of baggage and supplies, Li Guangli could easily destroy a small country in the Western Regions by winter.

This was also an opportunity that Liu Che and Huo Xian gave Li Guangli, an opportunity to make him a marquis and a general. Last year's battle was extremely bad, and the loss of soldiers and generals along the way made the prestige of the Han Dynasty a joke in the Western Regions.

So now Li Guangli needs to win a battle and restore the glory of the imperial court's 700 cavalrymen who defeated Loulan!

As to whether Huo Xian’s reputation is effective in the Western Regions, it is still very difficult to say.

Theoretically, the news that he captured the Xiongnu Zuoxian King with the army last year has already spread, but it is hard to say whether the countries in the Western Regions will buy it or not.

However, even if the countries in the Western Regions do not buy it, Huo Xian feels that what should be done needs to be done, and what should be executed needs to be executed.

The army, which had been assembled and resting for a period of time, began to move.

First, Zhang Gui'an led the guides and envoys to leave Dunhuang. They were going to the Western Regions countries along the way.

Then all the outposts went out. Even for a "vanguard" like Li Guangli, the vanguard troops needed some outposts to explore the way in advance during the march.

"General." Gongsun Ao said to Huo Xian, "General Ershi has already set out, we should also start to set out."

Huo Xian nodded and said, "Let Tian Ren lead 3,000 men as the vanguard, and I will lead the baggage train in the rear. General Yu Cheng, you lead the main force."

Gongsun Ao had no objection, as the large group of troops were about to set off.

"No one will be friends after you leave Yangguan Pass!" Huo Xian could not help but sigh, "I have not only reached Yumen Pass, but also Yangguan Pass. This time, I will not return until I conquer Loulan."

The army had already left the border, and now they had to cross the Gobi Desert. This was a test, but Huo Xian didn't think it was a big problem.

The army had been through this before, and this time they had brought enough supplies, which meant that there wouldn't be too many problems. They just had to march safely and there was no need to worry about anything else.

Although we have now entered the Western Regions, there is no need to be too nervous for the time being. Before reaching Loulan, we only need to consider marching.

Huo Xian felt that the morale of the army was quite high for the time being, and the entire army seemed very confident about this battle.

"Li Guangli shouldn't run into any problems this time!" Huo Xian thought about it carefully and felt that he could get the job done. "If you fail this time, I won't be able to explain to the emperor!"

(End of this chapter)