Nashi Pantuo returned from Luoyang at full speed and brought the news to Ran Liang that Emperor Liu Yu was about to send reinforcements.
However, another piece of news that followed made Ran Liang's newly happy mood become heavy again.
"What do you mean, the Sasanians raised an army of half a million men?"
Ran Liang said with a surprised look on his face.
The person who just brought the news was Lu Zhong, the left general of the Pingxi Kingdom.
Lu Zhongnai was from Xianbei in the west. His tribe name was Bu Lugu. He followed the order of Pingxi Wang Ranliang and changed his name to the Han surname Lu.
However, even if he changed his surname to Han, Lu Zhong's original irritable temper remained unchanged at all.
"Your Majesty, yes, I just received news from a spy. The king of the Sasanian barbarians has gathered all the troops in the country and has gathered 500,000 people. He will attack us soon."
When Lu Zhong heard the news, he couldn't wait to report back.
Ran Liang frowned. He really didn't expect that the Sasanians could gather so many troops.
Five hundred thousand!
All the troops and horses he owns are just 50,000, and including the Han army's follow-up reinforcements, it will not exceed 80,000.
Maybe they don't even have the leader of the Sasanians, which would be dangerous if a war breaks out.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I don't think the Sasanian army of 500,000 people is that large." Nashipantuo next to him suddenly said.
"Oh, is it possible that the Sassanid people also often use false tactics?" Ran Liang's expression suddenly relaxed.
"Your Majesty is absolutely right. The Sasanians are most accustomed to using intimidation tactics. It is common for them to say that ten thousand soldiers and horses are an army of one hundred thousand."
As a Kangju person, Nashipantuo had long been aware of the situation in Sassanid Persia, which was not far away.
He began to explain patiently to Ran Liang.
Only then did Ran Liang and others understand that the method of intimidating the enemy by saying less as more was basically universal.
Especially among the Sasanian Persians, they used it with great proficiency.
"When the Sasanians attacked the Kushan people in the Lanshi City area, they only dispatched less than 10,000 people. They spread the word all over the world that they would send 200,000 troops. In the end, they scared other Kushan princes and did not dare to rescue them."
Na Shipantuo's words made Ran Liang feel dumbfounded.
He was obviously experienced in battles, but he was almost defeated by the Sasanian barbarian's little tricks.
"However, this number of soldiers and horses is really bluffing. Even if it doesn't scare me, I'm afraid the princes and leaders of the Kushan people will give up."
Ran Liang had always had no hope of the loyalty of the Kushans who had surrendered, unless he could pull his troops over as soon as possible and show his will to resist the Sasanians.
Otherwise, it would be absolutely impossible for the Kushans to resist the Sasanian Persians on their own.
"Your Majesty, since the enemy can use this move, why can't we use it?" Lu Zhong said from the side.
"This is the truth, but whether it is the Sasanians or the Kushans, they all know that we have just moved here not long ago, and we don't have many troops at all. Even if we have the largest number, I am afraid there is no way to surpass the Sasanians. Bar."
Ran Liang's strength is that he is too transparent and does not have much mystery about his military strength. Making up a random number of troops will not be believed at all.
"Your Majesty, the Sasanians don't have many soldiers and horses. Except for the 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers and horses of the 'Death Army' and the 'Immortal Army' directly under the Sassanid King, most of the other soldiers and horses are servants recruited from various places. .”
If it were the original Na Shipan Tuo, he would never have said this.
At the time, Nashipantuo was just a businessman in Kangju. When he heard the reputation of the tens of thousands of royal guards of the Sasanian king, he would only lie on the ground and tremble, instead of being as calm and calm as he is now.
"Unlike the hundreds of thousands of military soldiers of the Han Dynasty, the Sasanians conquered various places and then used local tribal leaders to serve as officials. Apart from recruiting troops during battles, there were no soldiers directly under the Sasanian king to station."
Nashipantuo was very clear about Sasanian Persia's trump card. As long as they could withstand the initial massive attack, the remaining Sassanid offensive would only become weaker and weaker.
Most of the Sassanian army went on temporary expeditions and could not fight for many years.
"If the Sasanians want to fight us, they will definitely recruit vassals from the east of the country. Whether it is Khorezm, Marchiana, or the Sistan people, they will definitely be recruited."
Ran Liang knew that after Nashi Pantuo said so much, he must have thought of some effective way to restrain himself.
"Tell me, my king, do you have any way to suppress the arrogance of the Sasanians?" Ran Liang said.
"Your Majesty, since the Sasanians can summon vassal servants, we can also summon vassal servants. Even if they cannot be used for direct combat, let them harass the Sassanid border. Your Majesty will send them some good weapons and armor, which can weaken them. The Sassanid people are so arrogant," Nashipantuo said.
"Also summon the righteous soldiers and horses?"
Ran Liang is quite satisfied with this method.
But the problem is where to find suitable vassal servants and soldiers.
Whether they are Kangju people, Dawan people, Suyi people or Kushan people in the south, in Ran Liang's eyes they are all groups of scumbags.
"Do you mean to ask me to summon Kang Ju and the Dawan people?" Ran Liang said.
"Your Majesty, Kang Ju and others are only suitable for doing business and managing property. If they go into battle to kill the enemy, I'm afraid they have quit for many years." Nashi Pantuo also has no confidence in the fighting power of his compatriots.
"Then who are you talking about?" Ran Liang asked.
"Your Majesty, the person I want to talk to is the Huns who are west of Kangju and across Khorezm!" Nashipantuo said.
"Huns? What Huns?" Ran Liang was confused by this title.
He had heard of the Huns, and also knew that some Kangju Guishan people called their troops the 'White Huns', but he had never heard of the name of the Huns.
"Your Majesty, the Huns are a group of barbarians wandering in the northwest grasslands. They used to be nomadic in the northwest of Kangju. Later, they fought with the Khorezm people and were forced to move westward.
These people claim to be Huns and were once one family with the Huns. "
When Ran Liang heard this, he was immediately speechless.
He hated the Huns the most, and never thought of recruiting a group of 'Huns' as his subordinates.
But in the end Ran Liang bowed to reality first, and he sent Na Shipantuo to form a caravan to go to the territory of the Huns.
This was a reward team composed of a hundred cavalry. Under the leadership of the Kangju people, they went to the northwest grasslands to look for the so-called "Huns".
When Nashipantuo's men and horses crossed the Aral Sea and arrived at the nomadic grasslands of the Huns, they soon met several big leaders of the Huns tribal alliance.
No pop-ups
