Chapter 226 Military expansion and preparation for war

Author: Gongsun Wujiu

Chapter 226 Military expansion and preparation for war

The establishment of the Western Region Protectorate will also offend the interests of the Xiongnu and Kangju countries.

Once the Han declares the establishment of the Western Region Protectorate, the two countries will most likely send troops to intervene.

Even more than that, the Yueshi and Daxia countries outside the territory may also interfere.

Before submitting a letter requesting the establishment of a Western Region Protectorate, the Han army in the Western Regions must complete war preparations.

Zhang Yue made this request to Pang Yi, and that was exactly what happened.

"Pang Gong, I would like to report to your majesty next year to invite you to serve as the Protector of the Western Regions..."

Pang Yi suddenly realized at this moment, "Don't worry, sir, please go to the Western Region Protectorate. The general will set up camp and complete the armor manufacturing..."

After saying this, Pang Yi stopped staying and stood up just like Zhang Yue said goodbye.

After Zhang Yue sent Pang Yi away, he sighed, "Time is running out..."

He planned to complete war preparations before February of the first year of Hou Yuan.

In March, he formally submitted a letter to the emperor requesting the establishment of a Western Region Protectorate.

Time was indeed running out, and he had a feeling that time was running out.

The next day, Zhang Yue once again summoned Pan Hong, Guo Kai, Geng Shu, Cai Ting and others to discuss matters!

"Your Majesty, this is a good thing!"

Zhang Yue proposed to submit a report to the emperor to request the governor of the Western Regions, and Guo Kai was the first to stand up and agree.

Geng Shu also said, "The Western Regions Protectorate should have been established long ago, but we need to be prepared for the reaction of the Xiongnu, Kangju, Wusun and other countries..."

"What Captain Geng said is true. We need to prepare for war with other countries..." Pan Hong reminded.

Zhang Yue heard this and said, "I summoned all the princes here just for this matter... I intend to expand the military strength of the Western Regions..."

After Zhang Yue finished speaking and everyone thought about it, they all agreed to expand the army.

Zhang Yue asked at this time, "The expansion of the army is very expensive. I wonder if Luntai's stored grain and goods can support it?"

After some calculations, Cai Ting stood up and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured that Wu Luntai has had good harvests in recent years, and there are enough grains in various places to support the army for three years..."

"Mr. Pan, can you support me financially?" Zhang Yue asked Pan Hong.

Pan Hong smiled and said, "Don't worry, sir. Since the completion of Fang City, Wu Luntai's treasury will be abundant... I will never miss any important events..."

Zhang Yue, Guo Kai, Geng Shu and others were all overjoyed when they heard what they said.

"good!"

"How do you think we should expand our army?"

Everyone quickly turned to studying how to expand the army and its scale.

…

In October of the fourth year of Zhenghe, the census of the Western Region for the new year has been completed.

According to statistics, there are currently 42 barrier districts in the Western Region, including Luntai City.

The population of the Han Dynasty has reached 590,000.

Among them, there are as many as 300,000 Dingkou (men who can fight on the battlefield) between the ages of 15 and 45.

Money and food income in the Western Regions also increased.

Sufficient men, money and food gave Zhang Yue the confidence to expand his army.

Nowadays, in addition to Zhang Yue himself as a former general, the Han army in the Western Regions also has eight major lieutenants.

They are Shu Ji Xiaowei and Hailing Marquis Guo Kai.

Pinglu Xiaowei, Jianyang Hou Hanjiang.

Loulan Yingtian Xiaowei Guannei Hou Zhao Yi.

Ma Han, the captain of the Wulei camp and the captain of Guan Nei.

Zhao Guanghan, the Marquis of Guannei, the captain of Yuli Yingtian School.

Wu Tong, the Marquis of Guan Nei, the captain of Yanqi Yingtian.

Han Ye, the Marquis of Guannai, the captain of Gumo Yingtian School.

In addition, Geng Shu, who had cooperated with the Han army in the Western Regions for many battles, was officially transferred to the Western Regions and moved to the post of Lieutenant Pohu.

In addition to the troops and horses directly under Zhang Yue, theoretically, the Western Regions can have 9 Han armies with captains.

But in fact, the Han army in the Western Regions now only has 4 captains, plus one Yi Cong and two Fanshang Zhuguo soldiers.

Zhao Yi, Zhao Guanghan, Han Ye, Wu Tong and Geng Shu were named Xiaowei, but they actually only had one or two Han troops in their hands.

Even Ma Han and Han Jiang's headquarters were not full of people.

In the entire Western Region, only Zhang Yue and Guo Kai were fully equipped.

After Zhang Yue summoned all the captains to discuss, he decided to fill up the three divisions of Han Jiang, Geng Shu, and Ma Han first.

Then it took another half a year to expand the remaining divisions of Zhao Yi, Zhao Guanghan, Han Ye, and Wu Tong to Sanqu.

"What do you think?" Zhang Yue asked everyone at the army expansion meeting after announcing the army expansion plan.

"The king should have been like this a long time ago..." Zhao Guanghan shouted in support.

"This is feasible!" Zhao Yi, Ma Han and others also agreed.

At this time, only Geng Shu raised a different opinion, "Your Majesty, should you report to Chang'an first before expanding the army... I'm afraid your Majesty..."

Zhang Yue laughed when he heard this and said, "Colonel Geng, do you know why your Majesty gave me arbitrary power..."

Geng Shu was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and then he reflected and said, "I understand..."

Zhao Guanghan looked at the two of them with confusion at this time, "What do you understand?"

Zhang Yue and Geng Shu laughed after hearing this.

At this time, Pan Hong reminded Zhao Guanghan, "There are constraints..."

Zhao Guanghan touched his head, "But it has something to do with Guandong?"

Everyone smiled when they heard this, but no one answered his question.

After a while, Zhang Yue said, "Do you still have any objections?"

Everyone stood up and bowed, "No objection!"

"In this way, you can proceed as planned!"

"promise!"

The plan was finalized, and Zhang Yue immediately issued recruitment orders to all parts of the Western Region in the name of the former general.

…

Outside Tiannan City, a group of people were gathered outside a pavilion.

Although these people look different, they are all Han Chinese in terms of law and household registration.

"Ting Zhao, what's the big deal today?" A man with a deep nose and high eyes asked the pavilion chief who was posting notices.

When Zhao Tingzhang saw someone asking, he continued to post the notice and said.

"The opportunity for the second and third sons has come...former general Yunyang Hou Zhang Gong...recruited materials and strength to join the army to make up for the shortcomings in the army..."

The man who asked the question happily said, "Ting Zhang, is this serious?"

Zhao Tingzhang smiled and said, "How to fake this matter, the second and third sons can see for themselves..."

After Zhao Tingzhang finished speaking, he left alone.

Everyone around him suddenly gathered around the notice.

Sure enough, the notice stated that the Han Army in the Western Regions wanted to recruit 10,000 soldiers to prepare for the Huns...

"Second and Third Son, I'm leaving first..."

The man who was the latest to ask questions first, after reading the notice, bowed his hands to everyone and did not go home. Instead, he went straight to the Sezhanwei barracks in charge of recruiting soldiers.

When he arrived at the gate of the military camp, seventy or eighty people were already queuing up.

The man didn't dare to hesitate and quickly rushed to the back of the line to line up.

He had just lined up, and within a short time, another forty or fifty people arrived at the gate of the military camp.

"Name...age...home address..."

Finally it was the man's turn, and he quickly reported his information as required.

Then he received a token to enter the military camp and wait for the test.

The same scene happened almost simultaneously in various places in the Western Region.

In order to obtain the qualifications to join the army, young men and women from all over the country worked hard to achieve their best results.

The recruitment task, which was originally planned to be completed in half a month, unexpectedly took only 11 days.

When the young son of King Khotan heard this, he couldn't help but sigh...

"You will be happy when you hear the battle. You are worthy of the name of a strong man!"

"You should also join the Han army..."
Chapter completed!