Chapter 263: The grand occasion of returning to the imperial court, the great gift of the country
The way back was from the north of Yanran Mountain of Xiongnu, to the south through the Xiongnu River, and then continued south, approaching the long corridor area of the Han Dynasty leading to the Western Regions.
Huo Qubing will let some of the Western Huns who surrendered to the Han Dynasty settle in Xiutuze, the former Xiutu tribe, and connect with the Hunxie tribe to the west, forming a peripheral barrier between the Han Dynasty and the Western Regions.
After that, if the Xiongnu wanted to compete for the Western Region again, they had to first pass through the outer line of defense where the Western Xiongnu surrendered to the Han Dynasty. They could no longer directly threaten the northwest of the Han territory.
This will be of great benefit to the security of the subsequent development of the Silk Road to the Western Regions.
At the same time, the connection between the Xiqiang and the Xiongnu was completely cut off.
The fertile soil in Xiutuze, Qilian Mountains, Yanzhi Mountain and other areas will become the best horse farms in Han Dynasty.
Laying the foundation for longer-term military deployment.
Starting from mid-to-late May, various tribes of the Western Huns came to gather near Xiutuze one after another.
In the next month or two, more northern tribes of the Western Huns will migrate.
On the grassland, the Xiongnu and Han troops protected the migration team of the Western Xiongnu, and there were still small-scale exchanges of fire from time to time.
As soon as the news came out that Huo Qubing resolutely sent troops to intercept the entire Western Huns and bring them back to Xiutuze, all parties were shocked.
The first to receive the news were the nearest countries in the Western Region.
"King Tu led his people to return to the Han Dynasty?"
When Roshna heard the news, she was discussing matters with the leader of Kucha.
The two were moved when they heard the words.
"Yes, right now, along the east side of the Yumen Camp, various tribes of the Western Huns have migrated over and occupied the former Xiutu Ze. There are so many people and tents stretching, at least a large migration of more than 100,000 people.
I heard that the Western Xiongnu tribes will come over in the future." Silk Flag Wood Hui reported.
Roshna subconsciously caressed her chest, suppressing the ups and downs on both the superficial and psychological levels.
She glanced at the Lord of Kucha in front of her.
Everyone who received this news knew exactly what it meant.
In the past, due to the strength of the Xiutu tribe and the Hunxie tribe, the two were connected in a line, making it difficult for other Western Xiongnu tribes to get involved in the fertile areas adjacent to Yanzhi Mountain and Qilian Mountain.
At present, the Han Dynasty took out this area and allowed the migrating population of the Western Huns to act as a barrier. The benefits are huge.
Of course, this is good for the Han Dynasty, but not necessarily for the current Western Regions.
In a sense, the area to the north of the Western Region will also fall under the control of the Han Dynasty.
The Han's influence and actual control over the Western Regions have been greatly improved.
It will be a huge help for the Han Dynasty to completely control the Western Regions.
Roshna and the leader of Kucha Kingdom were surprised and shocked just after they figured out the reason.
The Han and the Xiongnu started a war in the northwest, which lasted less than two months. The situation changed so drastically that it surprised everyone.
This is evident from the champion's mastery of strategy.
"After this battle, the strength of the Han and the Xiongnu has become very clear."
The leader of the Kingdom of Qiuci sighed: "If Rashna Darzun has time, would you like to accompany the leader of the country to Chang'an?"
Roshna's starry eyes brightened slightly: "Have you thought about it, Lord?"
The Lord of Qiuci turned his eyes to the window and nodded slightly: "It's better to be late..."
……
King Tu also counted nearly 30,000 people from various tribes of the Western Huns, and together with Huo Qubing, they committed suicide and entered the Western Pass of the Han Dynasty.
Previously, 20,000 people from the Hunxie tribe had been waiting at the northwest border of Han Dynasty.
The two sides met in a mighty force. More than 50,000 people from various tribes of the Western Xiongnu, plus the prisoners previously captured from other defeated tribes, and the imperial troops returning to Chang'an, nearly 100,000 people approached Chang'an.
During the same period, the central royal court of the Huns.
The Xiongnu generals and their troops were defeated one after another. The Western Huns defeated the imperial army and the central army was defeated. After the central army was defeated, the Tianhun tribe's attack was also blocked.
At first, Yi Zhixie would be very angry when he heard this news.
But slowly, even the anger is fading away.
In the afternoon of late May, Yizhi sat in the big tent with a slightly pale face.
There was a charcoal fire and a copper stove in front of him. The hot water in the stove was boiling and the mutton was stewing.
This stove was a gift from the Han Dynasty when it was in the early days of its founding and when it made peace with the Xiongnu.
It is made of bronze, has three legs, and has raised patterns on the outer wall. It is so gorgeous that Yi Zhixie used it as a stove for stewing mutton.
At this time, he was sitting in front of the stove, taking out the stewed mutton and chewing it slowly, with no emotion or anger on his face.
Several Huns stood in front of them, reporting on everything.
"The Great Chanyu, the Western Huns' troops may not be able to be chased back..."
A Xiongnu tribesman glanced at Yi Zhixie and said: "In this battle, our grassland tribes lost nearly one-third of their population and land.
More than 40 leaders of various tribes were captured by the Han people. The left king Luotang Chun was seriously injured by the champion Hou She and was captured. He died in the battle at Luotang Valley..."
Yi Zhixie swallowed the mutton in his mouth and said calmly: "Have you ever found the inheritor left behind by the great shaman before his soul returned to heaven and earth?"
"We have found them. They are from the Sahetu tribe north of the Royal Court. They are on their way to the Royal Court."
"No news yet from Yudu?"
"No, but after being blocked, the men and horses of the Heavenly Soul Department all went north, to the vicinity of the Ice-Cold Lake, where Zhuodu should be."
"What is he doing wandering around the icy lake?"
"I don't know."
"Well, you go down."
"Let Xin Zhao come over."
Zhao Xin was the general who served under Wei Qing when the Huns surrendered to the Han and then returned to the Huns.
Soon after, Zhao Xin came to the royal tent: "The Great Chanyu."
"All the tribes in our grassland have been defeated by the Han in recent years. What do you think is the reason?" Yi Zhi asked obliquely.
Zhao Xinxin came to him for questioning, apparently because he had surrendered to the Han Dynasty and knew the Han Dynasty better:
"Don't worry too much about the Great Chanyu. Victory and defeat are normal things. In the early years, the Han Dynasty was often defeated by the soldiers and horses of our grassland tribes.
The greatest advantage of the Han people is that they are good at learning, and their horse fighting has developed rapidly.
Compared to us, their war preparations, armor, shields, and crossbows are better. Just like their cities, the walls are high and thick, making it difficult to attack. However, in our grassland tribes, there are no high cities to benefit from the geographical advantages, so when the Han people also have elite soldiers and generals, they come to attack us.
, both victory and defeat are possible..."
"What do you think of the next situation?"
Zhao Xinxin pondered deeply, and when he asked this question, it was obvious that Yi Zhixie had lost his previous ambitions and lost his confidence.
After being defeated by Wei Qing in his early years, and even after Huo Qubing attacked the royal court, Yi Zhixie was still ambitious and wanted to take revenge and avenge his previous humiliation.
But this time the Western Xiongnu were defeated, and the Xiongnu used up all their current food, grass, and military equipment.
Zhelanqi, Xiutu tribe, Hunxie tribe, and even Tianhun tribe are all elite Huns.
But after the battle, except for the Tianhun Division, which suffered little loss, the other divisions were all defeated.
The Hunxie tribe and the chief Tu tribe defected to the Han.
Compared with more than a year ago, the Han Dynasty champion was more sharp in his military use. He used the right and wrong combinations to concentrate his local advantages at the minimum cost and defeated all the troops in succession. As a result, the Xiongnu suffered repeated defeats.
Yi Zhixie lost confidence in himself, all the Xiongnu tribes, including Yu Yu.
"Our grassland tribes are tribes that live in pursuit of water and grass. They do not have a strong sense of defending their territory. Once defeated, they will migrate, so they lack the belief in fighting to the death. This is also very different from the Han people, and it is one of the reasons for our defeat. The fact that the champion was able to defeat our troops many times is also related to the fact that we ourselves wanted to withdraw due to the unfavorable battle situation."
Zhao Xin paused and said: "The current situation is like this. The Great Chanyu may consider continuing to the north to create another place for our grassland tribes to cultivate and live."
Yi Zhi said sideways: "To the north?"
"Yes, our grassland tribes are nomadic in various places, and migration is a normal move.
We have herded horses in this area for many years, and it’s time to move,” said Xin Zhao.
Yi Zhixie was silent for a moment: "It's not the time to move north yet..."
Zhao Xinxin wanted to defeat Shanyu's last hope, maybe because he wanted to see what the new great shaman and Yudu were doing...
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Huo Qubing once again attacked the Xiongnu on his way back, while Wei Qing sent troops to stop the Tianhun tribe, and all the Western Xiongnu surrendered to the Han... A series of news was only sent back to Chang'an by the embroidered people after Huo Qubing succeeded in his attack, and was informed to the emperor by Liu Qing. When hundreds of officials heard the news, the government and the public were shocked.
Including the emperor, they were overjoyed at the news that the Western Huns had surrendered to the Han Dynasty and that King Tu was on his way to Chang'an.
Liu Qing had known about Huo Qubing's target before.
After all, she was now in charge of the battle information related to Xiu Yi and Huo Qubing, but after seeing the conclusive news, she couldn't help but feel nervous.
When he first heard the news, the emperor's pen trembled slightly, and a drop of thick ink dropped on the bamboo slip awaiting approval.
When Dong Zhongshu heard the news, he was silent for half a quarter of an hour, and then... he felt that the pores all over his body were relaxing.
Huo Qubing not only won the Battle of Hexi, but also solved the biggest hidden danger in the future for the Han Dynasty to lead to the Western Regions.
The gains from the northwest battle far exceeded the previous highest expectations.
June 4th.
The weather in Chang'an is fine.
Dong Zhongshu got up early in the morning and wore a light blue Confucian dress, a wide robe with big sleeves, and a silk scarf on his head.
Bai Yu has followed Dong Zhongshu since he was a child, and has only seen him dressed so formally a handful of times.
The first time he entered the palace to meet the emperor, Dong Zhongshu combined Confucianism with the current situation of the Han Dynasty and absorbed the theories of other schools in "Countermeasures for Promoting Virtues and Virtues", which won the emperor's praise.
The second time was when he became the first Confucian by virtue of his contribution to the country and the fortune of supporting the Han Dynasty, and he went to the altar to preach Confucianism to the world.
Dong Zhongshu would dress so formally and meticulously only on days that he considered important, even important to the world.
Today is the day when the champion returns to Chang'an.
Dong Zhongshu wants to go out of the city to meet him in person.
He looked in the mirror and straightened his clothes. Bai Yu also changed into a Confucian robe and followed his master.
After the two went out, they met Sima Qian who was coming over. The group took a chariot and walked to the city gate.
On the way to the north gate, I found a huge crowd of people, with countless people leaving the city.
The whole of Chang'an seems to have entered into a festival-like atmosphere of eager anticipation.
"I heard that the guesthouses in the city have been overcrowded these days, and people looking for a place to stay are unable to find one.
People from all over the world come to Chang'an in an endless stream."
Bai Yu personally acted as the charioteer, while Sima Qian sat on the other side and turned back to speak to Dong Zhongshu in the car.
"I have roughly calculated the land of the thirty-six countries in the Western Region. Although it is slightly smaller than my big man, it has never opened such a vast area at once.
His majesty will have great achievements for this, and his reputation as a champion prince and general will be immortalized in future generations.
Today, when the champion comes back, it is not an exaggeration for all the people to welcome him."
Dong Zhongshu's voice came from the carriage, and he said happily: "The champion has come to the stage to pay homage to the general and returns, and even His Majesty has to come out to welcome him."
The carriage continued to move forward, and saw congestion on both sides of the road, with people waiting to leave the city.
People are noisy and crowded.
"Fortunately, we came early, so we don't have to worry about waiting a little longer." Bai Yu said with a smile.
After waiting for about half an hour, under the scorching sun, I was able to leave the city.
When I arrived outside the city, I looked into the distance and saw people lined up waiting on both sides of the road for miles.
After a while, the emperor, empress, Liu Qing and other members of the clan also came to the north gate of Chang'an.
The emperor specially issued an edict not to allow people to watch the ceremony, so crowds gathered, and the city was overcrowded.
"Where did Qubing go?" the emperor asked Liu Qing beside him.
Liu Qing has the best grasp of Huo Qubing’s itinerary.
"When he came back, he first went to the military mansion ten miles away in the northern suburbs to pay homage to the soldiers who died in this battle."
Liu Qing is wearing a rouge-colored long dress, with a willow waist and a wide band. Her smooth forehead is decorated with red flowers, and her makeup is exquisite and gorgeous.
The emperor nodded slightly, thinking that he was getting more and more mature after getting sick. The first thing he did when he returned to Chang'an was to go to the military mansion to pay homage...
Soon after, I heard the voice of shouting for the champion from outside the city, and the crowd surged.
At the end of sight on the outskirts of the city, a team came from a distance.
The team is huge, the carriages and horses are endless, and the view is boundless.
At the head was the imperial army responsible for clearing the way, and then came Huo Qubing, who was riding on the back of a green war horse Jin'an and surrounded by generals.
He was dressed in military uniform, and amid the shouts of countless people, his face was stern and unsmiling.
Further to the rear are the Xiongnu soldiers and horses who surrendered to the Han Dynasty, headed by King Tu and King Hunxie, with nearly 100,000 people. The march was majestic and spectacular.
There are records in history books: When the champion returns to the court, there are hundreds of thousands of people returning, and tens of thousands of cattle and horses. The grand occasion is rare in ancient and modern times...
The queue slowly approached, and Huo Qubing raised his head and glanced at the emperor and empress who were walking up to the city.
Except for the two of them, Wei Zifu is holding the prince Liu Ju on his right hand, and Liu Qing is on the other side.
This time Liu Qingneng was juxtaposed with the emperor and the empress, and it was Huo Qubing's glory. Because she was Huo Qubing's first wife and a member of the clan, she was able to climb the tower to welcome the general in triumph.
At this time, the ancient music bells in Chang'an City were ringing.
The sound of music spread throughout Chang'an, and the twelve city gates slowly opened.
The city gates of Chang'an are all open, which means that the generals will open the door to greet them when they return from the war. This is the second half of the general worship ceremony, which is a display that only occurs when returning from a victorious battle.
When Wei Qing played in Dragon City for the first time, it was also in this position.
Dong Zhongshu then stepped forward in person, helped Huo Qubing hold the horse's reins, and signaled for him to dismount.
According to the ceremony, this was Taichang Zhouping's job, and Dong Zhongshu took the initiative.
That year, the general went on an expedition and returned to the court after his meritorious service. The master led his horse to welcome him in person... Dong Zhongshu had thought of all the dramas circulated among the people.
The officials were also waiting under the city gate, looking enviously at Huo Qubing who got off his horse.
Liu Che took a step forward at the top of the city.
A large flag with Chinese characters hanging on the city wall flutters in the wind.
There are many forbidden troops under the city, the soldiers are silent, and the military appearance is in full bloom.
The old Prime Minister Gongsun Hong personally went out of the city, took back the military talisman and ax in Huo Qubing's hand, and returned to hand them over to the emperor.
Huo Qubing was bending over to perform the ceremony outside the city.
In an instant, nearly 100,000 people who surrendered to the Han behind him knelt down at the same time, swearing allegiance to the Han and never to repeat it.
These are all procedural dramas that were told in advance and performed from beginning to end.
The male protagonist Huo Qubing.
But he was obviously reluctant to participate.
The acting is even worse. There is no expression throughout the whole process and the mood is not full.
The people outside the city watched with great interest and the atmosphere was warm.
The musicians played music again, and the clear sound of the chimes was heard throughout the city.
The officer of praise read out the message of sending troops to the northwest to conquer the Xiongnu, as well as the significance of the general's campaign, his military exploits, etc.
It’s a long list of contents, and it takes me a long time to read it.
Then Huo Qubing said loudly to the emperor: "I am fortunate to have fulfilled my mission. Now I have returned from the battle. I have shared the joys and sorrows with the soldiers on the way. I have no shame in killing and cruelty. I have eliminated violence and peace and support the emperor's cause!
Now the military power is returned to the court. From now on, the world will be ruled by an emperor, and military power will be conferred by the emperor!
But as your Majesty orders, I will obey it!"
It means that you asked me to fight well, and I did it. When I came back, I returned the military power and the national destiny to the king. I am always waiting for your majesty’s new orders.
Balabala, the routine is over, it’s time for chatting.
The emotions of the crowd watching the ceremony from a distance reached its peak, and the whole city was boiling with cheers.
Huo Qubing entered the city excitedly. The emperor came down from the top of the city, waved to him with a smile on his face, asked him to come forward, and patted him hard on the shoulder.
Liu Che's face showed an expression of relief that the child had not been raised in vain, and turned back to Wei Zifu:
"I have something to talk to Qu Bing. We are talking about military affairs and state affairs. The queen can sit in the phoenix chariot at the back."
It means that I want to talk to you about the sick list, and it’s not your responsibility.
The queen rolled her eyes, pulled her son, and asked Liu Qing to ride in a car with her.
Liu Qing could no longer suppress his emotions and was eager to try, wanting to sit with Huo Qubing.
The couple looked at each other.
Huo Qubing signaled to his beautiful princess to sit in the back car and go home if she had something to do. He closed the door, broke it into pieces and chatted in detail, and then followed the emperor into the car.
After he got on the carriage, he first took out something and handed it to the emperor.
Ps: I am asking for votes at the beginning of the month, this chapter has 4,600... Happy May Day everyone, please vote——