In the Yonghe Hall, Princess Liu Xijun was dressed in regular clothes and was pruning a potted plant with scissors, lazily and a bit charming. This eldest princess of the Han Dynasty has completely transformed into Princess Anyang in just a few days.
And Zhao Yinhua is a few years older than Liu Xijun. Now that they are both dressed as women, Zhao Yinhua is obviously slightly inferior to Liu Xijun.
"Sister Yinhua, are you here today as Lord Zhao, or are you here as Liu Xijun's friend and my good sister?" Seeing Zhao Yinhua walking in without notice, Liu Xijun put down the scissors in his hand and slowly walked towards Zhao Yinhua. The two of them used to have very good personal relationships, but since Liu Xijun became Princess Anyang, these two sisters who once had a very good relationship have never met alone.
"Your Royal Highness, I am here on behalf of my adoptive father." Zhao Yinhua did not smile, but said seriously. She did not call Liu Xijun by her name, nor did she call her princess, but instead addressed her as princess.
??If you call her a princess, Zhao Yinhua is actually a generation younger than Liu Xijun, but this title is unusually formal.
"I'm curious, why are you here?" Liu Xijun asked with some confusion on her face. It seemed that she had guessed that someone would appear at this time, but she didn't expect it to be Zhao Yinhua.
"Because we were good sisters!" Zhao Yinhua approached Liu Xijun and stopped in front of her, with a smile on his face.
Zhao Yinhua¡¯s grandfather was Zhao Guang, the Cangwu King of South Vietnam. Since she was a child, she did not consider herself to be a Han Chinese. It was a trick of fate. The person Zhao Yinhua once hated the most was Huo Guang, but now he regarded Huo Guang as his father, and he even became the master of Zhao in Anyang Kingdom.
"Sister, are you here to catch up with me?" Liu Xijun said with a smile when she heard the word "good sister". She still treated Zhao Yinhua as her sister.
"Then it depends on whether you want to be Princess Anyang, or continue to be the eldest princess of the Han Dynasty?" Zhao Yinhua looked at Liu Xijun, their eyes met, and their eyes met directly.
"What do you mean by this?" Liu Xijun asked, facing Zhao Yinhua's gaze without evading it.
"Just when the emperor issued an edict to marry you and your adoptive father, two other secret edicts were issued at the same time, one to the King of Liang, and the other to the Shanyu Wushilu of the Southern Xiongnu. As far as I know, Nan Tens of thousands of Xiongnu cavalry are already moving towards Juyanze, and King Liang¡¯s army may be able to arrive at Anding at any time, right?" Zhao Yinhua calmly revealed a shocking news. It seemed that Huo Guang had written to the emperor a few months ago to set the plan. When Guan attacked Anxi, Liu Jin was also preparing and deploying.
"So there is still a husband in the Weiyang Palace?" Liu Xijun seemed a little surprised, but it seemed to be reasonable.
"Perhaps you don't know yet? In fact, not only the emperor needs time, but his adoptive father also needs time. The land west of Hexi is too small after all. It may be able to explode with considerable power in a short time, but after a long time, it will not be as good as the big man. He must We must control the Western Regions and the resting territories before the Han Dynasty returns to its prosperous age." Zhao Yinhua said with an extremely solemn face, but he gave an answer that no one expected.
"I didn't think of this Yinhua, did your husband ask you to tell me this? Is it because of this that your husband agreed to the emperor's marriage?" Zhao Yinhua's words finally made Liu Xijun's face show. The expression on his face was moved.
Zhao Yinhua said it very simply, but in fact very few people realize this. It can be said that when Huo Guangxi went out to regain the Western Region, it was the best time for Liu Jin to send his army westward to capture the land of Hexi. And if Huo Guang maintains the status quo, Hexi's development potential will be exhausted in a few years or even more than ten years, and the Han Dynasty is likely to return to its peak. At the same time, Eurobazo's rule over the Western Regions will also make him Getting stronger and stronger. At that time, Anyang Kingdom had completely lost the qualification to compete with the two empires, and the only result for him between the two empires was to be annexed and destroyed. Huo Guang only sent troops to recover the Western Regions and occupy the Parthian territory when the Han Dynasty was weak and Eurobazo was not stable. At the same time, when the Parthian western front was attacked by Sulla, he sent troops.
"This is what Tang Gu said to me. The following words are what my adoptive father asked me to tell you. I hope you can advise the emperor well. I hope the emperor will not make any unwise decisions at this time. Maybe he can take the opportunity to capture Hexi However, once the adoptive father returns to the army, the river will no longer be a natural danger. I hope he will not bet on the Han people." Zhao Yinhua finally said the reason for coming. She was just conveying Huo Guang's words, hoping that Liu Xijun could persuade someone Advise Liu Jin.
"I understand I named this palace Yonghe, and I believe that your husband also understands me." Liu Xijun nodded and said. At the same time, she was actually a little happy in her heart, because these words were not said to her by Huo Guanglai, but by Huo Guanglai. It was Zhao Yinhua, her former best friend.
"It's best to do it naturally. As a friend, I'll tell youJust one thing for you. "Zhao Yinhua's expression also became relaxed, and a relaxed smile appeared on his face.
"What's the matter?" Liu Xijun asked curiously.
"The original Yuezhi had defeated Daxia, but during the war, the Kushan tribe of the Yuezhi became the dominant family, and at the same time annexed other Yuezhi tribes. Now they have occupied most of the territory south of the Western Region. And earlier Half a year ago, when my adoptive father was still in Chang'an, Tang Gu had already formed an alliance with the emperor of the Kushan Empire. This time, my adoptive father and the others not only had to share their peace with Sulla, but also shared their lives with the Kushan Empire. Hyderabad would Becoming the territory of Anyang Kingdom" Zhao Yinhua prepared to leave, but before leaving, he told some news that shocked the world.
"So I know what to do." Liu Xijun's heart was already in turmoil, but he still looked calm on the outside.
"Then I won't disturb the princess. I hope you will become the real Princess Anyang." Zhao Yinhua said seriously, without saluting Liu Xijun, and turned around and left immediately after speaking.
Watching Zhao Yinhua leave, a smile suddenly appeared on Liu Xijun's face. She was the only one in the hall. No one knew why she was smiling. She didn't have the habit of talking to herself, but after Zhao Yinhua left, she took He picked up a pen and wrote a letter, and then ordered someone to rush it to Chang'an.
It has been more than half a month since Huo Guang's army left Yangguan in the west. Except for the battle at Bailongdui, there have been no larger-scale battles since. And now his army has reached the central part of the Western Region, where Wu'an City was originally located.
This was originally a city used as a military fortress. There were not many residents in the city. After several wars, it has now become dilapidated. Huo Guang was temporarily stationed here, and his troops were undergoing brief repairs, while Ourobazo had already led his troops back to the Mulu City area, the easternmost line of the original Parthian Empire.
In Huo Guang's temporary camp, in addition to him and Huo Tang, there were also major generals such as Li Ling and Baizheng. They were surrounding a huge map, and Huo Guang was marking lines on the map.
Because the sand table is not easy to carry, and it takes a lot of time to make it on the spot, this kind of map is more practical during the march.
"We don't need to take care of the recaptured Western Region for the time being. The rest of the matter will be left to Lord Yinhua. Bai Zheng obeys the order." The ink pen in Huo Guang's hand drew a big circle south of Lucheng. The circle is exactly connected to the Western Region, and the west side of the red circle is the territory of the Kushan Empire today, and to the south is the Indian subcontinent of later generations. Most of the places are now controlled by Shendu, and within the circle is Hyderabad as the center. a large territory.
"I'm here," Bai Zheng said, clasping his fists and bowing.
"I order you to lead 30,000 cavalry to Lucheng to join Lord Lucheng. You will still be the commander-in-chief. You attack these places to the south and must control Hyderabad in our hands. Bring Lord Dayuan's token with you. This time, the Kushan Empire The army will assist you. At the same time, after occupying this territory, you must also cooperate with the Kushan Empire to continue its southern invasion and completely destroy Shendu. The territory south of the red circle will belong to the Kushan Empire in the future. This is a matter with them. The emperor has discussed the matter." Huo Guang pointed at the map and said step by step. A huge plan involving tens of thousands of miles of territory had already been formulated by them, and this Western Expedition was not only as simple as defeating the Parthian Empire, but also It is also a full-scale war in which several forces redefine the sphere of influence on the Eurasian continent.
"After arriving in Lucheng, there are already Kushan envoys there. They will understand when they see this. Although Shendu has a vast territory, it is not actually powerful. Your army plus Kushan's army will destroy this The country should be prosperous soon." After Huo Guang finished speaking, Huo Tang took an exquisite small wooden box from the hand of the maid in white behind him, and then took out a golden thing that looked like a half-faced tiger charm from the wooden box.
Huo Tang directly handed this tiger talisman-like thing to Bai Zheng. After Bai Zheng took it respectfully, he found that it was a gold nugget carved into a luan bird, and it was indeed only half of it. I guess it should have the same use as the tiger talisman. . Sure enough, when Bai Zheng took the Luanniao gold nugget, Huo Tang said: "This is only half, the other half is in the hands of Marquis Yu of Guishang. He is the executor of this operation in Guishang. Marquis Yu is similar in their country. As one of the prime ministers, you can discuss anything with him directly."
"I obey the order." Bai Zheng put half a piece of gold Luan Bird into his arms and put it away close to his body, and solemnly accepted the order.
"Let me tell you the next plan, which is also our Anyang Kingdom's combat intention." Huo Guang glanced at the generals in the tent, and drew several huge circles on the map with the ink pen in his hand.
"This is a complete map of the world that we currently know. You basically know the places like Dahan, Hexi, and the Western Regions. Now to the west of us, this area is even wider than the territory of the Han Dynasty. ??. To the west of the Parthian Empire, there is a place called the Mediterranean Sea. It is surrounded by the Qin Dynasty, and to the southwest of us is the Kushan Empire. At present, we also have the Great Qin and the Kushan Three Kingdoms who have reached an alliance. We continue to march westward, and the Great Qin also continues to march eastward, and finally completely divide the Parthian Empire. On the other hand, we cooperate with the Kushan Empire to move south, and they will occupy this area. It is not inferior to the size of the territory of the Han Dynasty. In the end, our territory is Hexi, the Western Regions and this territory. To the west is Daqin and to the south is Kushan. "Huo Guang pointed at the map and drew large circles. In a few simple words, he divided the known Eurasian continent. And according to Huo Guang's intention, after this all-out war, this land will There are only four political regimes on the mainland: Dahan, Anyang, Guishang, and Rome.
The generals in the tent were all excited when they looked at Huo Guang's plan. This is no longer a simple war, it is an epoch-making prelude. These people are already at the top of this era, but they have never seen the real world. What they are doing now is not fighting for the gain or loss of a city or a place, but to start an era, a real world ruled by four empires.
"We are willing to follow the king to the death." All the generals in the tent clasped their fists, eager to jump on their horses and whip their whips to continue westward.
"This may be a very long process, three to five years or even ten years or a lifetime, but with all the gentlemen accompanying you, you are not alone Go down and prepare, and continue your journey westward tomorrow." Huo Guangti At the beginning, he was full of expectations. He said sincerely to the generals that Huo Guang believed that as long as these civil servants and generals followed him, and there were hundreds of thousands of elite cavalrymen, the grand plan he and Huo Tang had formulated would be successful. will be achieved.
By the time the generals were ready, only Huo Guang and Huo Tang were left in the tent. Compared with being in front of his generals and ministers, Huo Guang seemed much more casual and relaxed in front of his sister. Of course, only at this time would Huo Guang show some fatigue that a normal person should have.
"I wonder what's going on in Yinhua?" Huo Guang looked to the east, and his mind returned to Dunhuang, thousands of miles away.
"Have you ever thought about it, second brother, that maybe your princess proposed the marriage strategy with her just because she knew that his brother might make a dangerous move? Only in this way will the second brother not refuse the marriage. Maybe you don't Really understand your proud disciple!" Huo Tang stood up and rolled up the map in front of him, but said a seemingly impossible guess.
"If that's the case, I feel relieved. At least this way she can keep the emperor from losing his mind." Huo Guang turned around and said with a self-deprecating smile. Perhaps he also admitted in his heart that Huo Tang's words were not true. Understand Liu Xijun.
"Second brother, don't worry. I have made arrangements a long time ago. Even if there is a change in Hexi, the Queen and An'er can withdraw from the two levels immediately. As long as we are here, as long as these hundreds of thousands of troops are here, temporary gains and losses are not important. . Besides, this is just the worst plan. Aren't there Dongfang Shuo and Du Yannian in Hexi? And isn't your Queen of the Northern Huns still living in Yanze?" Huo Tang rolled up the map and looked at Huo Guang calmly and confidently. said. Before this war, when Huo Guang was still far away in Chang'an, Huo Tang had actually started planning all of this. Almost any possible situation had been deduced countless times by this unparalleled Lord of the Courtyard.
"I have Tang sister in this life, which is better than a million troops" Huo Guang never claimed to be alone in front of Huo Tang, and he also knew the important position of Huo Tang in his life.
"Of course, my little sister has already said that I will be irreplaceable." Huo Tang showed a sly smile. In front of Huo Guang, she was still like the girl she was many years ago.
"But there is one thing I have always wanted to ask my second brother, how will he deal with himself after we complete this plan? Are you still the Anyang King of the Han Dynasty?" Huo Tang asked this question without hesitation. It's not so much Huo Tang's problem as it is the doubt in everyone's mind.