"My tiger is going to eat people with all its fangs and claws! Liu Min fought well in this battle. Although he didn't win much, it was enough to thwart Hei Khan's arrogance and show off my majestic power!" In the Chongzheng Palace, Emperor Liu's face was filled with joy.
Let out a burst of joyful laughter.
In the past half year or so, Emperor Liu had rarely been so cheerful. At this time, he laughed with relief, and the dull winter sunshine seemed to become brighter.
The light from outside flickered in and shone on Emperor Liu, also illuminating half of his face. The joy he showed could not be faked. It was true that there were days when he did not receive any news that was happy enough.
Good news came from Anxi. Wei King Liu Min defeated the Black Khan army who was provoking trouble outside Yanqi City. He beheaded more than 800 people and captured more than 500 horses.
"The Point Guard is Here"
In recent months, due to the murder of an envoy, the originally unstable relationship between the Han Dynasty and the Black Khan has quickly turned from a cold relationship to a confrontation, until now it is a military confrontation.
However, although a full ten years have passed since the last time the two countries fought a war, Hei Khan was still wary of the lessons learned back then, and therefore did not make a large-scale advance eastward.
Instead, he chose to be cautious, constantly dispatching small groups of cavalry to cause trouble and attack the villages, towns and pastures around Yanqi, in order to test the reaction of the big man.
Perhaps the Black Khanate still had a sense of luck. After all, their envoys had been killed, and the big man should give some compensation. They were reasonable. Even if they sent troops to harass the border, it was just to show their attitude. The big man should not overreact.
In response to the harassment of the Black Khan Army, Anxi did not react much in the early stage. It only sent out cavalry accordingly to drive away the invading enemies. The cavalry from both sides fought and strangled between Qiuci and Yanqi, and it continued.
In the past two months.
The passive and weak performance of the Han army probably gave the Black Khan army increased confidence. Until September, under the leadership of Aliaman, the military commander stationed in Kucha, more than 3,000 Black Khan Qingqi marched eastward and defeated Yanqi.
He also called it an euphemistic name. In view of the continuous influx of Black Khan rebels into the Han territory in recent months, which has affected the relationship between the two countries, we came here specifically to hunt down the rebels.
Such a provocative move completely angered Wei King Liu Min and the Anxi Han army. It seems that in order to appease the Black Khan army, Liu Min specially sent an envoy to contact him, hoping that he would withdraw his troops, and at the same time, he also sent some meat and wine to reward the army.
Of course, this is a way to paralyze the opponent. In fact, Liu Min has long decided to give these arrogant Black Khans a lesson. In the previous turmoil, he had already gathered troops from Gaochang, Luntai and other places.
, food and machinery, and with strong encouragement from Emperor Liu, there will be no burden.
Aryaman's army was right on Liu Min's knife edge. So, on September 13, the 20th year of Kaibao, Liu Min gathered more than 10,000 infantry and cavalry men to attack the Black Khan army that was harassing the border.
siege.
Liu Min, who had gone through the Mobei expedition, was very skilled in the use of cavalry. He personally led three thousand Han cavalry to surround him. The Han army had matured in the past thirty years of war. Not only did it rely on sophisticated weapons,
Tactical warfare has also been studied to a very deep level. The combination of foot and cavalry in field battles is an invincible reliance. You can set up your formation without fear of any opponent.
However, after all, the Black Khan army was not as reckless as it seemed on the surface. They were very vigilant, and their scouts were very open. After noticing the movements of the Han army, they fled decisively.
Therefore, even if Liu Min planned carefully, he could not complete the encirclement as scheduled, and it eventually turned into a chase battle. The Han army's combined advantages of infantry and cavalry failed to be used, and heavy weapons such as crossbows and rockets also failed to work.
With their superior strength and surprise, they won. Although they won the final victory and successfully expelled the Black Khan army, they were unable to completely annihilate them and allowed them to escape. At the same time, they also suffered more than 300 casualties, which made the planners "attack the Black Khan".
Liu Min of "Counterattack" was very dissatisfied.
But even so, Emperor Liu was still very happy after the good news arrived in Tokyo. Regardless of the process and the damage, at least the result was good, and Emperor Liu felt a bad breath in his chest.
"Publish the edict and praise! Meritorious officers and soldiers will be promoted when they are promoted, and they will be rewarded when they are rewarded!" Emperor Liu ordered the Privy Councilor Liu Tinghan who was standing in the palace.
"yes!"
"What's the situation in Anxi now?" Emperor Liu asked again.
Liu Tinghan was well prepared for this and quickly replied: "Your Majesty, after the Battle of Yanqi, His Highness the King of Wei took advantage of the situation to lead his army, moved westward, captured the small town of Wulei, more than two hundred miles east of Qiuci, and stationed himself on the spot!
The Black Khan Army will all withdraw to defend Kucha!"
"It seems that Liu Min wants to move westward!" Emperor Liu touched his chin and thought for a moment before saying.
At this time, Prince Liu Yang also spoke and said: "Sixth brother has already come forward, please lead the people from Anxi and Hexi to attack Heihan!"
"The ambition is commendable!" After hearing this, Emperor Liu immediately gave a positive attitude: "Hei Khan has now become a stumbling block. He only harasses and invades the country. He also blocks the exchanges between the Han and the West. This stumbling block should be
Remove!"
"What does Liu Min want?" Emperor Liu asked.
Liu Tinghan cupped his hands and said: "His Royal Highness the King of Wei came to the table and asked for the support of troops, horses, food and equipment, especially cavalry and rockets, artillery vehicles and other siege weapons. His Highness believes that the Black Khan Army uses cavalry as its main combat force and must use cavalry instead of cavalry."
, to ensure the supply of military supplies, and at the same time, there are many strong passes in the westward advance, which need to be assisted by powerful siege equipment!"
"It seems that this small victory did not make Liu Min careless. He has to fight steadily!" Emperor Liu couldn't help but smile a little: "In this way, I can rest assured that the commander-in-chief will attack the country!"
Liu Tinghan said: "According to the analysis of His Highness the King of Wei, the Black Khan's army did not suffer heavy losses in the Yanqi battle. Their eastward advance was more like a provocative move in the hope that the king's army would advance westward.
Based on various military information in the northwest during this period, the Military Intelligence Department also conducted an in-depth analysis and concluded that the Black Khanate was also actively preparing for war, recruiting troops and horses, hoarding food and equipment, and preparing for a war with the Han Dynasty!
At home, they are also vigorously promoting the prosperity of Anxi and the Han Dynasty, and encouraging the people to join the army and fight. The ambition of the Black Khan is clearly revealed!"
Hearing what Liu Tinghan said, Emperor Liu frowned and said with some jump: "If so, could it be that the mission was made by the Black Khanate itself?"
But he quickly shook his head and muttered secretly, maybe he was just here to paralyze the big man.
"How do you think about the abnormal black sweat?" Emperor Liu looked at Liu Tinghan.
Liu Tinghan said solemnly: "In the past nearly twenty years, the Black Khans have advanced eastward several times, and have been repeatedly frustrated. They were defeated first by the Khitan, and then by the Han. When they were allowed to take the initiative to attack eastward, they also felt that their strength was insufficient.
Therefore, the ministers guessed that they wanted to defend first and then counterattack. If they could attract the king's division to move westward, they would defend according to the dangers of the mountains, thereby wearing down the king's division and looking for opportunities to counterattack.
As far as the Han Dynasty is concerned, Anxi is thousands of miles away and beyond reach. Once it is injured, it may not be able to support it in a short period of time, and it will take advantage of it..."
"How can the Black Khanate be so naive?" Emperor Liu said with some disdain: "Can a big man be led by the nose?"
Liu Tinghan: "At least, Wang Shi's massive westward advance may be in line with his wishes!"
After listening to this discussion, Emperor Liu fell silent and began to pace under the map with his hands behind his back. The sound of footsteps was very clear in the palace, and each step hit the hearts of those present.
After a long time, Emperor Liu turned around, with a majestic look on his face, and issued an order: "No matter what Hei Khan's intentions are, if he comes to this point, then fight! If this small country tries to challenge the Han Dynasty and invade our territory, it should be dealt with severely and its city destroyed.
Destroy his country!
The imperial edict has been drafted, and the king of Wei, Liu Min, is fully responsible for the military expedition to the west, the Anxi and Hexi frontier armies, and the regiment training. All the troops, horses, food and equipment are required for his deployment, and all the necessary troops, horses, food and equipment will be dispatched upon approval!"
"Yes!" Seeing that Emperor Liu had made up his mind, Liu Tinghan naturally had no choice but to bow his head and obey his orders.
"Sixth Brother is young after all. He has to shoulder this important task. To prevent any mistakes, should we send another veteran to assist him?" Liu Yang suggested with some worry.
Hearing this, Emperor Liu glanced at him, thought for a while, but couldn't help but sigh: "It's a pity that Guo Jin is ill, Wang Yansheng is old, and Yang Ye is in the south, otherwise they would be the most suitable candidates."
As time went by, the older generation of generals gradually withdrew from the stage of history, which also made Emperor Liu, who was increasingly nostalgic, often feel like there was no one available to him.
However, there were actually quite a few elites among the upper echelons of the Han Dynasty. After a brief pause, he gave instructions: "Let Yang Yanzhao march westward and be the deputy commander-in-chief of the Western Expedition."
"The prince-in-law has been on the battlefield for a long time, has both wisdom and courage, and is safe from danger!" Liu Tinghan immediately agreed.
Li Jilong and Yang Yanzhao were probably the two most favored sons-in-law of Emperor Liu. They were both leaders in the army and commanders, and gradually became the backbone of the Han army.
Liu Yang also acknowledged this, and his relationship with Yang Yanzhao has always been good.
"Since the Northern Expedition to recapture Anxi, the Han Dynasty has been on the defensive. Perhaps it has been on the defensive for a long time and has been underestimated. It feels like it can be provoked wantonly. In this case, let's fight. I want to see if this intention can be achieved in a corner.
Earth, what kind of outcome can a person who resists the empire have!" Emperor Liu stared at the Western Regions and said coldly: "Tell Liu Min to let him fight hard, and when he triumphs, I will personally celebrate his victory!"
"yes!"
"With the power of Anxi alone, we may not be able to destroy the Black Khan. Let the Hexi civil and military forces fully support us. If we do not provide enough support from the rear, we will be punished with treason!" Emperor Liu's dissatisfaction with the Hexi officialdom has not been eliminated.
, so the words are still full of guns and sticks: "Also, tell Wang Ming to organize arrangements, but Wang Ming's old skills are good, I still keep him in office. At this time, I hope he will not let me down again."
Got it!"
"Your Majesty, to attack the Black Khan, we may also contact Khotan. They have been threatened by the Black Khan in recent years. If they raise their troops in the south and the king's troops move to the east, and the two cooperate, it can also reduce the burden on the army!"
Liu Yang suggested.
Hearing this, Emperor Liu couldn't help but sneer: "The Han Dynasty does not deal with Khotan for a day or two. What kind of temperament do you have?"
Although he looked down upon Khotan, after some consideration, Emperor Liu agreed.
The decision to attack Black Khan was made quickly, but Emperor Liu always felt that something was wrong. Looking around, his eyes fell on Prime Minister Zhao Pu, who had never spoken a word.
Seeing that he had no expression on his face, he stood on one side and remained silent. He frowned slightly, showed a smile, and asked kindly: "Qing Zhao, why don't you, the prime minister, speak out about such a big matter? If it weren't for you,
It’s hard for me to feel at ease when I make this decision to start a war!”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Pu's expression changed and he hurriedly responded: "Your Majesty's words are serious, I really don't dare to take them seriously! Black Khan offended my big man and should be punished!"