"How many soldiers and horses did the Xiongnu have, and what was their fighting strength?
Can the existing army of our country be able to fight quickly, determine the outcome in one battle, and complete the victory in one battle? "
Liu Ji rubbed his brows, feeling deeply that this powerful enemy sleeping soundly beside the bed was very difficult.
The border between the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu was long, from the north of Youzhou to Longxi, which was the area where the Xiongnu cavalry moved;
If the army is piled up at the border all year round and waits, with the current national strength, it is absolutely impossible to fight a large-scale war of attrition. Moreover, the lives of the people in the border counties are already difficult, and if they provoke civil unrest, the gains outweigh the losses.
Moreover, if the deployment of military forces is long-term with less emphasis on internal affairs and more emphasis on external forces, several vassal states will be even more ready to take action.
However, for the founding emperor to swallow his anger and allow the border to be plundered from time to time, it is by no means a sign of the prosperity of the country.
Many military officers present, such as Fan Kuai, Guan Ying and others, straightened up when they heard the emperor's question. Their hearts were itching and they were eager to try. They only looked left and right, waiting for someone to answer.
Regarding this issue, Zhang Cang had already calculated it, and he said without thinking,
"Your Majesty just asked about the Xiongnu's military strength. According to my estimate, there are no less than 300,000 string-controllers on the grassland."
"Three...three hundred thousand? Are they all fine knights?"
Everyone present except Lu Zhi, who had already known about it, took a breath of cold air. The hot tea in their hands seemed to have lost its temperature. In this early summer weather, it felt a bit creepy.
Liu Ji was also shocked and couldn't help but stutter, "You, where did you get this number?"
"I have been stationed in Daidi for these years and calculated it in my spare time based on the information I heard about the border residents.
According to the custom of the Xiongnu, a grand sacrifice is held somewhere in the hinterland of the grassland every autumn. All the tribesmen gather in one place, and the chanyu and the kings ride their horses around the trees to offer sacrifices, so it is also called the Dài Forest Conference.
At the Julin Conference the year before last, it was said that the event was unprecedentedly grand. Some said that 80,000 tents were visited, and some said that more than 100,000 tents were visited. According to my calculations, there will always be approximately one hundred thousand accounts. "
Since the Huns had no written language, information was transmitted only through language. Everything from royal court orders to trivial matters such as herding were passed down orally.
Although there are many gaps, as long as enough information is collected and there is room for omissions and errors, a basically realistic situation can always be derived.
Zhang Cang is good at arithmetic, and these statistical tasks are not difficult for him.
"Every account in your mouth is a family, right?
With one hundred thousand tents and three hundred thousand fine cavalry, can a family of five or six members in each tent produce three warriors? "
Shusun Tong asked in disbelief. The world of martial arts and killings on the grassland was really far away from him and full of incomprehensible laws of survival.
“Yes, the Huns’ military and civilians are one, and all the people are soldiers.
They have been learning to ride horses and hunt since they were young. Each of them is as good as ten. Daijun's most powerful cavalry can probably only compete with them.
What's more, Xiongnu women usually shepherd sheep on horseback. As long as the children can walk, they can raise their small bows and shoot rats. When they grow up to the height of the horse's shoulders, they can get on the horse and become a warrior again.
The 300,000 troops do not include women and children. "
Lu Pheasant also secretly marveled that the disparity in strength between the Han and Hungarian cavalry at this moment was simply not the same as when the Tang Dynasty faced off against the Turks in the previous generation.
It seems that the officials in the early Han Dynasty endured humiliation and heavy burdens because they had no choice but to do it. If they could be beaten, who would be willing to endure it?
Seeing that everyone in the palace looked a little discouraged, Fan Kuai was about to have an attack again. His eyes were cracked and he howled unconvincingly at the top of his voice.
"It doesn't matter three hundred thousand, and it doesn't matter if you can ride and shoot. As you just said, the Huns are also human beings. They are all made of flesh and blood. If you cut them with a knife, you will still get a scar as big as a bowl.
Your Majesty, you are afraid of the Huns, but I am not!
I will lead an army of 100,000 to pursue them into the desert and destroy their lair. If they are defeated, I will come to see them! "
Liu Ji was already bored, but when Fan Kuai yelled at him incoherently, he became angry and punched the five-color moiré brocade screen beside the bed, and shouted at him,
"Fan Kuai, you are going to rebel today! Shut up!"
***
Everyone was frightened by the emperor's rage. Seeing Fan Kuai's chest rising and falling, his face showing unwillingness, and opening his mouth to argue, Lu Pheasant suddenly said,
"Fan Kuai, as a general, even if you are sincere and want to make achievements for His Majesty, you should not act on your own initiative.
Let me ask you, have you ever been to Mobei? Are you familiar with the topography of the desert?
How many cavalry and fast horses do we have that can compete with them now? How many soldiers are there who are willing to continue fighting?
Even if the soldiers sacrifice their lives, we have no counties or farms in the desert. What will we do with food, grass and supplies? Can we rely on them falling from the sky? "
Her voice is gentle and not high-pitched, but there is a faint aura of metal and stone, which is very resounding.
Several senior generals who had been leading troops all year round were speechless when they knew that the Queen's every question was on point. They no longer followed Fan Kuai and just sighed.
The desert is different from the Central Plains. Once a lone army goes deep, military reserves, food and grass supplies, and mid-way support must be carefully considered.
"Besides, yesterday Prime Minister Xiao Fang said that he could not find four strong horses of the same color and height in Luoyang City. He could only ride an ox cart to go to court every day.
Your Majesty and my palace are all trying to save as much as possible. Even the bronze cases in front of each of you are old things from the Qin Dynasty.
Fan Kuai, you want to lead an army of 100,000 to attack. How will you conjure up this military expenditure out of thin air? "
Seeing Liu Ji nodding his head frequently in agreement, Fan Kuai also sighed heavily and sat down on the wooden platform dejectedly.
As straightforward as he was, he finally understood what the queen meant. At the moment, what the country needed most was to be quiet and rest with the people.
If you insist on attacking the Xiongnu, you may provoke the second Chen Sheng and Wu Guang!
Liu Jing took advantage of every opportunity and said,
"I have a plan. I have written it into a memorial. Please read it to your majesty——"
"Oh, yes, Liu Jing came up with a marriage plan. I'll tell you about it."
Liu Ji glanced at Lu Pheasant beside him and continued calmly,
"The meaning of the marriage is that I will marry a princess, the direct princess is the best choice, or a daughter of the clan, and I will marry the Xiongnu Chanyu as my brother-in-law, in exchange for peace on the frontier.
What do you think? "
Hearing this, several elders from Peixian County all shouted "No", while the remaining people bowed their heads in silence, and turned their faces to look at Zhang Ao.
After all, isn't the princess who has reached the age of marriage and is suitable for marriage, the Princess Lu Yuan who is engaged to him?
Knowing that Liu Ji would be tempted, Zhang Liang, who had been silently observing, also followed everyone's gaze, curious about how Zhang Ao would react in this dilemma.
Zhang Ao's face turned pale in an instant. He raised his head and opened his mouth slightly to say something, but then pursed his lips decisively. He continued to sit on his knees meekly with only his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, as if this matter had nothing to do with it. He has nothing to do with it.
Zhang Liang sighed silently. He was still too smart. He was so smart that he lost his appearance and showed his true form. He tried his best to play the role of a vassal king who had no other emotions except loyalty, but he was destined to be unable to hide it from the eyes of the emperor and empress. .
Lu Pheasant stared at Zhang Ao, then looked at Liu Jing,
"Liu Jing, you mean well, you just want to buy our country some time to hide its power and bide its time.
However, I have two plans, which I think are better than getting married. One is to 'immigrate to the border', and the other is to 'switch the city'. "
