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 strong 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 spoke eloquently: "The horses donated by the local government are naturally good horses. They are the best military horses. Although they have not yet been fattened, they have strong qualifications. However, even if they are strong horses, 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 rely on my feelings to identify it. 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, Liu Min: "
You two brothers, each choose one too!"
"Thank you, dad!" Liu Min suddenly became very happy and his eyes fell on one of the sweat horses, as if admiring a peerless beauty.
"Dad, these are royal horses contributed by many people, and you just reward them like this?" Liu Fang asked curiously.
"Why! 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 supposed 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 fled far away and moved the palace tent to the north. The Han can see it but can't touch it. It is still like a fortress, lingering in the heart and never being released. This feeling is somewhat unpleasant!" Emperor Liu said calmly!
road.
"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 state!
The purpose of moving to Mobei was to avoid the sharp influence of the Han Dynasty. In addition, Mobei is still in turmoil. It can be said that in the next twenty years, the Khitan will not be able to harm the Han Dynasty. The imperial court only needs to continue to pay attention to Mobei and support the tribes.
, provoking internal strife will be enough to ensure peace in northern Xinjiang!" Liu Fang thought for a while and analyzed.
"If you don't have long-term worries, you 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 their ethnic interests, but in the end they could not really be used by the Han. They were just motivated by interests, but they were hard to drive!
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 us. No matter how bloody the killing or the deep 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 Han, apart from occupying a damaged city of Shangjing, there was no more weakening of the strength of the Khitan tribe! And just by provoking the tribes in Mobei to weaken the Khitan, it would be difficult to achieve it, and it would even be the opposite.
Instead of re-conquering various tribes, it is possible to unify Mobei again.
Although Mobei is now divided 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 may become a disaster!
Historical lessons should not be taken carelessly. The grasslands and the Central Plains have been like this since ancient times. The cycle goes back and forth. If the Central Plains is strong, the grasslands will be subdued. 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 has undergone tremendous changes. This was marked by the fact that the leader of the Liao Dynasty, Yelu Xian, abandoned his defense 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, hiding behind the scenes in order to develop. Moreover, it retreated very far north, all the way to the bank of the Hannan River, to rebuild the royal court. Although it was remote and bitterly cold,
However, it basically completely got rid of the threat of the Han frontier army and the shackles of the Han army on its structure. At the same time, it contracted and consolidated its 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 Dynasty 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 Ge Xiu's campaign, if he wanted to truly affect the situation in Mobei,
There are still some difficulties. In a word, it is beyond our reach.
As for the tribes in Moxi who had their own ulterior motives, they were just conspiracies and could not achieve substantial results and were unreliable. This also allowed the Khitan to truly successfully embark on the track of recovery and development.
Of course, the Khitan is also recuperating and recuperating. Compared with the big man, the Khitan's ability is much weaker and requires more time and higher costs, but after all, it is considered to be moving in the right direction.
In view of this, every time he thought about it, Emperor Liu always had a bad feeling in his heart. He wished he could destroy the Khitan and completely eliminate this scourge of having a deadly feud with the Han Dynasty.
However, despite the prosperity 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 of 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 cost 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 bastard and control the Yanran. In the Tang Dynasty, they were also able to go out on an expedition to defeat the Turks. Why couldn't the Han Dynasty do it? Furthermore, although Mobei is far away, it is not beyond the reach of the Han army. As long as you plan properly, you will succeed.
It is possible that if you don't fight a military battle, how can you know the victory or defeat?
If I feel that the Khitans are still doing great harm to the Han Dynasty, then no matter how high the price is, 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. When the truth develops in the end, maybe
We still have to rely on the big man's weapons 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 Mobei expedition plan! It may not be needed now, but it may not be possible in the future!"
