Emperor Liu and Liu Fang were having a relaxed and pleasant chat. Over there, Liu Min ran a few laps, found him, flew off the horse, landed steadily, and ran towards them, his legs rustling on the grass. ring.
"Dad, fourth brother!" He stood close, clasping his hands into fists, with a little joy between his brows.
"Go on!" Emperor Liu raised his hand. Seeing Liu Min dripping with sweat, he threw a bag of fruit wine at him and said with a smile, "Did you have a good time running?"
Liu Min took it, opened the bag, raised his head and took a swig, then wiped his mouth and said slightly excitedly: "It's great! I haven't raced like this for a long time, and there are so many good horses for you to choose from!"
"How is it? How is the quality of these horses?" Emperor Liu asked, extending his hand to motion Liu Min to sit down.
When asked, Liu Min talked eloquently: "The horses donated by the local government are naturally good horses. The best military horses, although they have not been fattened, are strong in qualifications. However, they are also strong horses, and they are also different. Wait, in my opinion, the horses from Hexi are still the best, the horses from Liaodong are slightly inferior, and the horses from Shanyang are the worst. As for the sweat horses from the Western Regions, they are all truly good horses, but there are too few!"
"In two years' time, you will also become a master of horses!" Emperor Liu said.
Liu Min shook his head to express his humility: "I just judge by feeling, I am not proficient in the art of horse reading!"
"Divide these tribute horses and give them to the generals of the Forbidden Army! Next month, there will be a written test for the military parade in Xiyuan, and these horses will be used as prizes for the winners!" Emperor Liu ordered, looking at Liu Fang and Liu Min: " You two brothers, each choose one too!"
"Thank you, dad!" Liu Min was immediately delighted, his eyes falling on one of the sweat horses, as if admiring a peerless beauty.
"Dad, these are royal horses contributed by many people, and you reward them like this?" Liu Fang asked curiously.
"What! Are you afraid that I won't be able to part with you?" Emperor Liu chuckled.
Liu Fang immediately shook his head: "My father is rich all over the world. Although these tribute horses are precious, he does not hesitate to reward them!"
Emperor Liu said with a relaxed expression: "If these tribute horses are kept in the palace for a long time, they will inevitably become playthings. Wouldn't it be a pity! Thousand-mile horses should go where they are meant to go and perform their functions!"
"Dad is right!"
"It's a pity that there are no tribute horses from Mobei!" Emperor Liu said leisurely as he looked northward with deep eyes.
After hearing the song and knowing its elegant meaning, Liu Fang immediately cheered up and said, "Dad, are you still worried about the Mobei Khitans?"
"It's not that we are afraid, but the Khitan has escaped far away and the palace tent has moved north. The Han can see it but cannot touch it. It is still like a fortress, lingering in the heart and never being released. This feeling is somewhat unpleasant!" Emperor Liu said lightly! .
"I thought that now the Khitan national power has been greatly depleted and the people's power has been sharply reduced. The Khitan's accumulation in the past century has been basically squandered, and it is no longer a problem for the Han Dynasty. Otherwise, the Khitan master would not give up decades of going to Beijing and surrender to the country!
The purpose of moving to Mobei was to avoid the aggressiveness of the Han Dynasty. Coupled with the constant turmoil in Mobei, it can be said that in the next twenty years, the Khitan will not be able to bring trouble to the Han Dynasty. The imperial court only needs to continue to pay attention to Mobei, support the tribes, and stir up internal strife. This will be enough to ensure peace in northern Xinjiang! Liu Fang thought for a while and analyzed.
"If a person has no long-term worries, he will have immediate worries, and vice versa. With the current situation, it is difficult for the Khitan to be a serious problem for me, but as you said, what will happen in twenty years?" Emperor Liu said: "What you said, What we have judged is correct, and the imperial court’s established military policy towards Mobei is also in progress, but judging from the current situation, the effect is not as perfect as we imagined!”
"Those tribes in Mobei were able to betray the Khitan either because of their historical origins or because of ethnic interests, but in the end they could not really be used by the Han. It was just for profit, but it was difficult to drive them!
Since the Kaibao Northern Expedition, various tribes have rebelled repeatedly. Although it has greatly weakened the containment and weakened the Khitan's power, its own strength has also declined rapidly under the attack of the Khitan.
However, these grassland tribes believe in different moral principles from ours. No matter how bloody the killing, no matter how deep the hatred, they can't compare to survival.
Tian Renlang has come to report. Since the Khitan royal court moved north to the Hannan River, many tribes have been destroyed. In the past six months and more, nearly 100,000 people have surrendered to the Khitan again, returned to its rule, and are waiting for the Khitan Lord's orders. Dispatch!
As for the big man, apart from occupying a damaged Shangjing City, he did not weaken the strength of the Khitan clan any more! And just by provoking the tribes in Mobei to weaken the Khitan, it will be difficult to achieve the goal, and it will even make it possible to conquer the tribes again and unify Mobei.
Today's Mobei, although the trend of division has become complete and there are many tribes, the Khitan has the deepest foundation and the strongest strength. If the Khitan is allowed to rely on Mobei to accumulate strength, given time, it will probably become a disaster!
Historical lessons should not be taken carelessly. It has been like this in the grasslands and the Central Plains since ancient times. The cycle goes back and forth. If the Central Plains is strong, the grasslands will be conquered. Now the Han has gained power and the barbarians have fled far away, but in the end it is difficult to eradicate them.
I originally wanted to break this vicious cycle of reciprocation, but now it seems that I still take it for granted..."
Beginning in the autumn of the ninth year of Kaibao, the situation in the Liao Kingdom changed dramatically. This was marked by the fact that the leader of the Liao Dynasty, Yelu Xian, abandoned his garrison in Beijing and moved north with his troops. It also represented a fundamental change in the situation in the Mobei grassland.
For the Khitan, it was a return to the old path, but it was a strategic change, keeping a low profile in order to develop. Moreover, they retreated very deep north, all the way to the Hannan River, and rebuilt the Royal Court. Although it was remote and bitterly cold, it was basically completely freed from the threat of the Han border troops and the shackles of the Han Dynasty's structure. At the same time, it contracted and gathered strength.
In more than half a year, after the pain of moving north, under the leadership of Yelu Xian, the Khitan had regained a firm foothold in Mobei and basically achieved the victory over the eastern part of Mobei.
In this regard, whether it was the Han court or the Han army in Shanyang and Yanshan, it was not that there was no response, but facts have proved that in the context of the Han Dynasty's strategic contraction and Zhi Gexiu's campaign, if you want to truly affect the situation in Mobei, you must There are still some difficulties. In a word, it is beyond our reach.
As for the tribes in Moxi who have their own hidden agendas, they are just conspiracies after all, which are difficult to achieve substantial results and are also unreliable. This also allowed Khitan to truly successfully embark on the track of recovery and development.
Of course, they are also recuperating. Compared with the big man, the Khitan's abilities are much weaker and require more time and higher costs, but after all, they are moving in the right direction.
In view of this, every time he thought about this, Emperor Liu always felt bad in his heart. He wished he could destroy the Khitan and completely eliminate this scourge that had a deadly feud with the Han Dynasty.
However, despite the great strength of the Han Dynasty, there is a feeling that it is beyond its capabilities.
"It's my father who has foresight, but I think too simply and too optimistically!" Liu Fang also frowned: "It seems that we still can't let down our guard against the Khitans!"
Seeing the emotions of his father and brother, Liu Min, who had been listening silently, couldn't help but said: "Since dad is worried about the troubles caused by the Khitans, why not send troops to attack them, completely destroy the Yi tribe and eradicate this harm?"
Liu Fang smiled bitterly and said: "The expedition to Mobei is too difficult, the price is too high, and it goes against the national policy. It is easy to send troops, but it is not easy to successfully defeat it!"
"Your fourth brother's overall view has indeed improved!" After hearing what he said, Emperor Liu said to Liu Min.
But Liu Min had a proud look on his face and said: "I don't understand the overall situation. Now the south of Yinshan Mountain is all Han territory. Even the old capital of the Khitan people has been destroyed by the Han Dynasty. With such support and the strong military power of the Han Dynasty, In terms of national strength, can starting another expedition be more difficult than when we first set foot in Mobei?
The ancients were able to seize the wolf as a vassal and restrain the stone Yanran. In the Tang Dynasty, they were also able to go out on an expedition to defeat the Turks. Why could the Han Dynasty not be able to do so? Furthermore, although Mobei is far away, it is not beyond the reach of the Han army. As long as you plan properly, there is a possibility of success. If you don't fight a military battle, how can you know the outcome?
If you feel that the Khitan is still a great harm to the Han Dynasty, then no matter how high the price you pay, it will not be a pity. "
Hearing Liu Min's words, Emperor Liu couldn't help but feel happy. He laughed, pointed at him and said, "You kid, you are questioning me! However, a newborn calf is full of energy and energy!"
Liu Min immediately held up his hands and said: "If dad wants to send troops to Mobei, I am willing to join the expedition!"
"If such a day comes, I will give you this opportunity!" Emperor Liu chuckled.
Liu Min smiled. Although such a promise was not realistic enough, it was enough to make him happy. Emperor Liu thought for a while, looked at Liu Fang, and confessed: "Liu Min's words are not unreasonable. In the end, when the actual situation develops, we may have to rely on the swords of the Han Dynasty to solve it.
After you arrive at the Privy Council, I will assign you a task. Keep an eye on Mobei and the Khitan, and formulate an implementable expedition plan to Mobei! It may not be useful now, but it may not be useful in the future! "
"Yes!" Liu Fang responded enthusiastically.
