The scorching sun is rising on the outskirts of Chang'an.
All the 100,000 forbidden troops arrived, with flags and flags fluttering, wearing armor and carrying sharp swords.
The Forbidden Army formed a square formation outside the city, motionless as a mountain, with an endless view.
Envoys from Luoshina, Gumo, Qiuci, Fuyu, Wuhuan and other ministries were also invited to watch the ceremony on the city wall.
Everyone looked at the Han army below that seemed to extend to the end of the world, and everyone felt awe-inspiring.
One hundred thousand forbidden troops gathered together, like a big mountain. That unshakable military aura and unrivaled fighting will shook the heavens and the earth.
In the early morning, the sky in Chang'an was a bit gloomy.
But a hundred thousand forbidden troops gathered together, and there was a looming shadow of the Great Ge formed by the pouring of soldiers in the sky over Chang'an, towering into the clouds like a majestic peak.
The clouds were pierced by this big gun.
At this time, there was no cloud in the sky, the sun was shining in the sky, and we could see the condensed strength of the Han army.
When Huo Qubing and the emperor boarded the city, thousands of Han troops shouted in unison:
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"
"Champion Hou, Champion Hou! Champion Hou!"
Just seeing their appearance made the Han army's momentum boil and their voices split the sky.
Even at the top of the towering city, you can still feel the sound of thousands of troops gathering, blowing in your face like a strong wind.
Huo Qubing raised his arm, and the entire army fell silent for an instant.
The emperor's voice shocked the crowd and said:
"Today, I worship the champion as my general to fight for me and my great Han Dynasty. I want to know if you are willing to follow the champion and defeat the Xiongnu, so as to make our Han army undefeated!"
"I am willing to follow you to the death, and the Huns will not return to the court if they are not defeated!"
"Swear to the death to kill the enemy and defeat the Huns!"
"Swear to the death to kill the enemy and defeat the Huns!"
The earth-shattering sound made even the emperor's calm eyes show emotion.
He turned his attention to Huo Qubing.
Huo Qubing said solemnly: "When I leave, I will take the Western Region directly for Your Majesty, open up new territories and expand the territory before returning!"
The Forbidden Army below was still repeating its determination to defeat the Huns over and over again.
In Chang'an City, countless people were also looking towards the city gate.
"Okay, I'm waiting for news of your victory over the enemy!"
After speaking, the emperor glanced at the agitated Han troops below and said to the queen beside him: "These troops support Qu Bing so much that when they see him, they shout louder than me!"
Wei Zifu raised his eyebrows and glanced at the emperor. Seeing a rare smile on his face, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Sometimes, it is not a good thing to overshadow the emperor.
But when this person was replaced by Huo Qubing, the emperor obviously didn't mind and was even more happy.
The emperor took a step forward and lowered his voice:
"Qu Bing, I have always had great trust in you. I know that if you are determined in military affairs, you will be victorious in every battle. But you must know that you are still young, and the battlefield is changing rapidly, and there are always uncontrollable accidents. If something cannot be done, you should retreat. Return the DPRK and protect yourself first!"
Huo Qubing was shocked.
What the emperor meant by this was that if the outcome of the battle was unfavorable, he would rather lose than let him come back safely. He could also prepare for another fight. Don't put all the victory or defeat in one battle. If you refuse to retreat, you will lose it again. Opportunity.
The emperor was afraid that he would be too proud and would rather break than bend.
Huo Qubing held the ceremony again, then turned around, holding the bronze ax given by the emperor, and jumped down from the top of the city.
"Your Majesty, don't worry. I, Huo Qubing, will never be defeated in this life and will never let down your Majesty's trust."
The forefront of the imperial army below, Jin An, raised his hooves and rushed out with a long hiss, like an arrow leaving the string, and caught his master just in time.
Jin Anxuan immediately left the ground with his front hooves, kicked in the air, and hissed loudly.
The scarlet cloak behind Huo Qubing moved in the wind like a red cloud, and his eyes were as threatening as arrows as he looked at the entire army.
When wearing bright clothes and angry horses to defeat the enemy, you will know that you will live up to your time and fight!
He looked back at the tower from horseback.
The emperor, the queen, Wei Zihu, the clan members of the Han Dynasty, and all the officials are all here. This beautiful country is worthy of anyone throwing their heads and blood, and they will never regret it in a hundred battles!
Uncle Wei Qing will also leave Chang'an later and go to the front line to deploy defenses.
In the carriage at the city gate, his mother, Wei Shao'er, was also secretly staring at her son, whom Wan Jun was excited about.
"Leave!"
The sound of horse hooves sounded, and the Han imperial army followed the figure of the angry horse in bright clothes and galloped west of Chang'an.
The war drums sent off the army shook the earth.
On that day, with everyone watching, the young man rode his horse and the army headed west.
More than 10,000 elite soldiers among the 100,000 forbidden troops were mobilized by Huo Qubing and went ahead with him.
In addition, there are 40,000 troops who will advance later and go to Xiguan to join the border troops and jointly participate in this confrontation with the Huns.
The army gradually moved away.
In the city, Liu Qing could also hear the beating of war drums.
She did not go to the city to see him off, but she felt uncomfortable watching Huo Qubing go to the battlefield with her own eyes.
At the head of the city, the crowd slowly receded.
In the Weiyang Palace in the city, Concubine Jin was also in the palace, looking out of the city.
She regretted letting Jin Xu join the Forbidden Army.
The current commander-in-chief didn't care about her greeting at all, and actually asked Jin Xu and other new recruits to form a separate team to go to the battlefield in person along with the 40,000-strong army that followed.
If given the chance, he might even go to the battlefield to fight in person.
Concubine Jin felt terrified.
The war between Han and Hungary was related to the destiny of the country. There was no time when it was not a bloody meat grinding ground!
…
On the first day after the Wei army left Chang'an, Huo Qubing did not leave the army. Instead, he was in front of the whole army and rode forward.
By night, the entire army had advanced more than two hundred miles to the west. They could not cross the city and set up camp on the spot.
Also accompanying the army were Roshna, Gumo, the Kucha envoy and others, including Zhang Qian.
In addition, among the 40,000 people in the main force of the rear army, there was also a team of embroidered clothes. Masters gathered together. Lei quilt, Wu quilt and other generals who had returned from the grassland and Beiguan were among them.
Leading the army in the rear were generals Gongsun Ao and Zhang Cigong.
After setting up camp, Roshna simply washed up and was about to fall asleep, but she heard a soldier coming over and asking her to go to the Chinese army's tent to discuss matters.
Roshna was dressed in cobalt blue and embroidered with flying bird patterns. When she came to the Chinese army tent, Huo Qubing was putting on his armor and dressed neatly:
"General, are you leaving camp so late?"
"Not only am I going out, you are going too. You guys know a lot about the situation in the Western Region, so come with me."
What Huo Qubing meant by this was that he was leaving the team and his destination was the Western Regions?
Roshna was full of doubts: she was still in the Han border, and the closest place to the border was seven or eight hundred miles away.
Is it necessary to start the night march now?
She was confused, but she didn't ask any more questions. She immediately returned to the tent to make simple preparations and pack her things.
Roshna, her close attendants, the envoys from Qiuci and Gumo, and Zhang Qian, the Marquis of Bowang, were the only five people who were able to accompany the army.
The sky is filled with stars.
An elite force of ten thousand people, led by Huo Qubing, consisted of one man and three horses, and disappeared the moment they left the military camp.
In Huo Qubing's sea of consciousness, military skills are shining, and he has been promoted to Zhongce's concealment of the sky and sea. His talent in military strategy is superior, and both of them are integrated with the magical marching method.
The team seemed to be intertwined with the night, leaving the camp silently.
Roshna and others personally followed Huo Qubing on the march and realized why he had to start his urgent march 700 miles away from the border.
Because the speed is too fast.
It won't take one night to cover seven hundred miles.
The scenery on both sides retreated, and not even the sound of the wind could be heard.
The entire team stalked like ghosts.
The two envoys Gumo and Qiuci were marching with Huo Qubing for the first time, and their faces looked like they had seen a ghost.
This speed is too exciting... The two of them were surrounded by a force of soldiers and felt a strong sense of weightlessness. They felt that the world was spinning and they had lost their sense of direction from southeast to northwest.
Roshna estimated that at this speed, they might be able to reach the border in the middle of the night.
To her surprise, they did arrive at the border pass in the middle of the night after a quick march, but it was not the northwest border pass that she or others thought.
The place where Huo Qubing came was at the junction of Wudu County and Longxi County, the closest straight line distance to the west of Chang'an.
Going out from the border town here is the Xiqiang clan area, the area near Jishi Mountain.
That is where Li Gan and Yao Zhao attacked before and defeated the Nu Qiang tribe.
Marching north from this direction is the northwest border of the Han Dynasty.
Going west from the northwest border is the long and narrow corridor connecting the Western Regions, which is what later generations called the main section of the Silk Road.
The long and narrow corridor is nearly a thousand miles long, with the Great Han Xiguan at one end.
At the other end are Loulan and Pulei, one on the left and one on the right, guarding both ends of the corridor.
The location where Huo Qubing came from Wudu County, the Han border pass, is located south of the Silk Road, about five or six hundred miles away.
Five to six hundred miles, at Huo Qubing's speed, didn't sound like it was far.
But to go north from here, you need to cross the remaining mountains of Jishi Mountain and the Qilian Mountains, as well as many villages of the Qiang and Di ethnic groups.
The mountain road conditions are not conducive to marching.
What's more, there are Qiang and Di tribes' strongholds along the way, as well as occasional miasma and deep streams, making it impossible to march quickly.
Why did Huo Qubing bring the Han army here to attack the Qiang village?
Roshna and others couldn't figure it out at all.
The bright moon was high and it was just after midnight.
After Gumo and the Qiuci envoys arrived, Zheng's face turned pale, he fell off his horse and fell to the ground to vomit.
The speed is too fast and the horse will faint.
"Lang Zhongling!"
When Huo Qubing arrived at the border, Li Gan came out from a border city to greet him.
Li Gan never returned to Chang'an to change defense. During this period, he was always in Xiguan, completing the tasks assigned to him by Huo Qubing.
Now, it is time for him to return to life:
"Mr. Commander, the general has made preliminary preparations as ordered."
Huo Qubing's eyes sparkled in the night: "Zhao Ponu, where is Yao Zhao?"
"The general is here!"
Zhao Ponu and Yao Zhao were crowding behind, one on the left and the other on the right.
Huo Qubing said: "You two are now ordered to lead the army and go north along Xiguan. When we reach the northwest of our Han territory, we will turn and advance westward.
You two are marching at full speed. If you encounter an opponent, you don't want to annihilate them. Instead, you will continue to move forward. We will meet on the road. "
Zhao Ponu and Yao Zhao agreed loudly without asking any more questions.
Huo Qubing asked Li Gan to lead troops to Xiqiang more than a month ago.
He joined Yao Zhao at that time and had a total of five thousand troops under his command.
At this time, Li Gan followed Huo Qubing, but Huo Qubing only brought a small number of pro-troops and separated from the brigade. Together with Roshna and others, they went directly to the west and entered the area of the Qiang and Di tribes, and disappeared again.
Zhao Ponu and Yao Zhao united ten thousand elite troops and headed north along the Xiguan line.
Huo Qubing led his troops out of the border, which meant that the battle started faster and earlier than everyone expected.
The battle started on the first day the Han army left Chang'an!
————
"We received news that the Han army left Chang'an."
"This battle between Han and Hungary is of great concern. What are your plans?"
"Let's take a look first and then talk..."
All over the world, everyone is paying close attention to this battle!
"Who do you think has a better chance of winning?"
"A few years ago, I would have said that the Xiongnu had a better chance of winning, but in recent years, the Han army has become more powerful and has defeated the Xiongnu in a row.
The Xiongnu had a capital, and they were undefeated. But Wei Qing and Huo Qubing of the Han Dynasty were also famous generals. I can't tell whether they will win or lose this battle. "
The forces waiting and watching from all sides are speculating and discussing.
The eyes of the entire world seemed to be focused on the northwest direction of the Han Dynasty.
"The Xiongnu are good at attacking, and Yudu is known as a divine general. He has already settled in the Western Regions and induced the Han army to leave the border.
If the Han army goes out to fight with them in the Western Region, they will not have the advantage of the geographical advantage, and the Xiongnu are ready to attack. I think the Han army will be mostly negative. "
Zi, who was hiding in the darkness, was also communicating with someone on the other side, sending messages through bamboo slips.
"Whether we win or lose, we have been waiting for this moment for many years. When the Han and Hungarians come to war, there will be a great turmoil in the Western Regions, and many small countries will be destroyed. Even though a country is small, it still has its spirit. This is exactly what we are planning. part of the purpose.”
"Um……"
————
The road from the Han Dynasty to the Western Regions started from the Yellow River to the west and advanced along the northwest.
Its long and narrow road borders the Altun Mountains and Qilian Mountains to the south, and the Mazong Mountains, Heli Mountains and Longshou Mountains of the Western Huns to the north.
This is equivalent to saying that this corridor-like passage (in today's Gansu Province) is surrounded by mountains on both sides.
Therefore, as long as the Xiongnu guarded both ends, they could control the Han's throat to the Western Regions, and their strategic position was extremely important.
And because it is to the west of the Yellow River, it has been called Hexi since ancient times.
Although its terrain is long and narrow, the surrounding water sources are abundant and the land is fertile. It was once a treasure land where the Yueshi people thrived and lived.
Later, Dayuezhi was defeated by the Xiongnu, and the north of this narrow strip was captured by the Xiongnu tribe and the Hunxie king tribe.
The south is jointly occupied by the Western Qiang tribes.
The Qiang and the Xiongnu colluded with each other to curb the relationship between the Han and the Western Regions.
The two tribes of King Xiutu and King Hunxie were originally five or six hundred miles apart, and were located at the strategic location from the Western Pass of Han Dynasty to the Western Regions.
The Xiutu tribe was defeated by Huo Qubing when he sent troops to Xiguan last time. After being defeated, they retreated hundreds of miles.
Now, King Xiutu led the remnants of the army and came to join King Hunxie under the orders of Judu.
The two combined troops numbered 30,000, and were stationed at a certain place leading to the Western Regions. They cut off the connection between the previous Han army pushing to Yumen and Xiguan, and waited for the subsequent Han army to ambush. .
"The spies who went to Xiguan of the Han Army, do you have any news to report?"
At this moment, the battle was about to begin. King Xiutu's tribe and King Hunxie's tribe met up. The two got up early in the early morning to check the military situation.
King Xiutu and King Hunxie were both very strong, but they had different styles.
King Xiutu has a burly physique with a large frame, but his muscles are tight, making him look a little thin at first glance.
King Hunxie is as tall as a mountain, with a bronze complexion, and his hair is tied with an animal bone as a hairpin, inserted diagonally at the back of his head. He has a rough image and bright eyes.
During Huo Qubing's last campaign at Xiguan, King Xiutu had more than half of his subordinates massacred, and many of his relatives also died in the fighting with the Han army.
So he hated the Han army very much.
After receiving the order from Yudu to stop the Han army here, King Xiutu was very excited and brought all his elite troops.
"I received news earlier that the Han army officially launched troops from Chang'an today and will arrive at the Western Pass of the Han Dynasty soon."
"The position we are guarding is the only way for them to pass through. And General Yudu has other arrangements. This time we will be able to severely damage the Han army."
After King Hunxie got up early to inspect the military camp, he returned to the tent, fished out a stewed lamb bone from the pot, and chewed it with the oil and meat in his mouth:
"I heard that the Han general Huo Qubing marched with great speed. Even Wang Ting was defeated by his offensive before, and the Great Chanyu was also injured by him. With such an opponent, I had long expected to meet him."
In the camp built by the Hunxie and Xiutu tribes on the mountain, there are continuous tents and tight security.
They are holding on to the highest position in the surrounding area, taking advantage of the terrain.
"Will General Yudu come over?"
"How can we know what the general has planned? Let the Han people have a headache." King Hunxie said with a smile.
King Xiutu said fiercely: "This time we face the Han army, we will kill them all without leaving any survivors to avenge the loss of our troops before. Are you willing to help me?"
"Whatever you do is up to you."
"Come here, please pass on this king's order. Heading towards Xiguan in the Han Dynasty, a team of sentinels should be deployed every three miles. They will look at each other and report immediately if there is any movement."
King Hunxie sneered and said: "Then Huo Qubingshan is marching to attack. I want to see how he can come over under my layers of defense?"
King Xiutu also picked up a piece of meat and put it into his mouth: "If we can capture Huo Qubing this time, we can relieve his hatred for slaughtering my subordinates."
Ps: Let’s see if we can add another 9,000 words today. Please order and vote!
(End of chapter)
