Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Chapter 166: Scraping the Ground Three Feet
The king, ministers and people of Cheshi who were hiding in Jiaohe City felt that the catastrophe had come and they now had no choice at all.

There was no sign of reinforcements, and the Han army was always under siege. It seemed that many things were not going as smoothly as expected at the beginning.

The Han army swarmed in again. Looking at the dense Han army outside the city, and then looking at the captives escorted by the Han army, etc., the nightmare of the Cheshi people came completely.

The memory of how Zhao Po Nu led 700 light cavalry to capture the King of Loulan and Po Gu Shi once again impressed the Western Regions. The experience of the Han army's champion Hou killing the King of Dayuan and capturing countless prisoners in the previous two years was chilling.

The Han army is mighty and ferocious. Anyone who wants to offend the Han army will inevitably suffer the most severe retaliation and punishment!
Huo Xian led his troops to besiege Jiaohe City again, and something unexpected happened: the head of the King of Cheshi was brought out on a tray.
This scene did not surprise the Han army. Not to mention in a place like the Western Regions, it was actually similar in some other places. Many people would judge the situation.

Seeing that the situation is hopeless, we must be smart now, otherwise the entire country may be buried with us.

Zhao Anguo was a little depressed and joked, "Lord, these people have surrendered now, how can we fight them?"

Huo Xian said angrily, "Remember this, you must not kill prisoners."

There were some things that Huo Xian didn't need to remind him of, although everyone knew that kindness was not good for the army. When going to war, some things would be turned a blind eye.

Zhao Anguo naturally smiled and said, "Don't worry, my lord. I can't do those things. What Wu Anjun did shouldn't be done. I know it in my heart."

There were many generals who killed prisoners in history, but Bai Qi's example was too special, so that when people talk about some things now, many people think of him first.

The army entered the city smoothly. It was not easy to capture Jiaohe City. In the final analysis, all this was based on the premise that the Han army continued to make military achievements, which allowed them to enter the city smoothly.

In the final analysis, it is all about military merit and deterrence. The Han army's record is enough to scare many people. This is the fundamental reason for "defeating the enemy without fighting" nowadays.

After entering the city, Huo Xian called the messenger directly, "Express the military information to His Majesty as soon as possible, and ask His Majesty to send an envoy with a seal to the Western Regions. It must be quick!"

Although Huo Xian could also send envoys, there was an essential difference between the envoys he sent and those sent by the emperor, and everyone naturally understood this.

Huo Xian continued to give orders, saying, "Tell the Marquis of Haixi to send people to deliver the baggage as soon as possible. Food and fodder will not be delivered for the time being, but arrows must be delivered to me in a timely manner."

There is no logistical pressure for the time being, but we still need to prepare what we need, and we need to prepare more fully so that we can be prepared for any eventuality.

Zhao Anguo and others were very clear about the necessity of these things, although when Huo Xian led his troops out to fight, there were some delays in reporting the battle situation.

But what needs to be done must still be done, just with a slight delay. Of course, some people speculate that Huo Xian did not send the battle report in time because he did not want the emperor to interfere too much.

Many of the results of this battle need to be reported to the emperor in a timely manner, and some things also need to cooperate with the emperor's political means.

The two states of Cheshi and Yanqi were destroyed, one king was killed and one king surrendered. This was considered a considerable victory and worthy of recognition by the court.

The military forces of Yuli and Weixu have been greatly weakened. These countries are probably now trembling with fear and worry, fearing that the Han army may break through their cities at any time.

This is the most realistic situation. With seemingly great results in the war, some forces are now more cautious in considering things, instead of being as stubborn as before.

The supplies in Jiaohe City were constantly being transported away, and the Han army was also constantly plundering the spoils. What should be taken away must be taken away, and there was nothing to say about this.

Gongsun Ao ran over happily and said, "My Lord, now the Cheshi people know what's good for them. They tried to steal our horses, but now they have no horses left!"

Huo Xian was immediately displeased. "Marquis Yiqiu, that's enough. They still have war horses and livestock, but they can't continue to do evil!"

Zhao Anguo said, "My Lord, the Cheshi people surrendered, which is almost the same as destroying the country. In my opinion, it was better when we plundered Dayuan than now!"

When Huo Xian brought the spoils back from Dayuan, many people thought that he was very good at plundering. The spoils he obtained were indeed beyond some people's imagination because his appetite was really too big.

And it still seems to be the case now. The surrender price offered by this champion marquis to the enemy is still very high, even terrifyingly high.

Although the king of Cheshi was killed, the Cheshi people still needed to provide 3,500 war horses, baggage for the Han army's march, and 1,500 slaves. These conditions almost completely eliminated the Cheshi people's ability to resist in the future.

After all, Cheshi suffered heavy casualties this time, and the money the Han army needed to set off was basically equivalent to all the taxes and income of Cheshi for one or two years.

As for the nobles or vassals who had previously attacked the Han army’s garrison, there is no need to mention them. Their fate was basically the same as that of the King of Cheshi.

If they don't surrender, they will be completely killed and their country will be destroyed. If they surrender, it basically means that the Han army will take away their last bit of vitality. The Cheshi will be hanging on half-dead in the future, and there is even a possibility of splitting up after the Han army leaves.

Or it might have been annexed by other Western Regions countries such as Wusun. After all, after this battle, Cheshi was no longer the powerful country in the Western Regions.

Gongsun Ao and Zhao Anguo were still very happy, and many soldiers also felt extremely happy.

Although Huo Xian enforced strict military discipline most of the time when leading troops, that was more so in terms of war. Whether on the march or on the battlefield, the requirements for military discipline were extremely strict and did not allow for any slackness.

But following the Marquis of Guanjun in the wars not only earned him some rewards from the court, but also allowed Huo Xian to turn a blind eye to the soldiers' looting when they captured foreign capitals and killed enemy troops.

In fact, Huo Xian also knew that there was some corruption in the military. Not to mention the middle and lower-level officers, even some senior generals would suck the blood of their soldiers.

However, when he was leading the army, it was not that no one dared to do so. It was just that the risk was too great. Once discovered, the end would be miserable. And if the military merits of the soldiers were taken away, the price to be paid would be even greater once the incident was discovered.

If you win the battle, you will get everything. This is also the fundamental reason why many soldiers enjoy fighting with Huo Xian even though it is dangerous and tiring.

Being able to win, get rewards and military merit is enough for the soldiers. Most of the time, their demands are not high.

"My Lord." Chen Ju brought the food and said, "The mutton is not roasted very well, sprinkle more spices on it." Huo Xian smiled. The naan and other things in the Western Regions basically have some prototypes. When the exchanges between the Han Dynasty and the Western Regions became closer in recent years, some Western food and other things were also introduced to the Central Plains.

Huo Xian was not happy and said, "Make a bowl of soup. How can you eat it if it's so dry? Hurry up and have someone bring the soup. You guys are not paying attention at all!"

Feng Wu, who was chewing on naan, immediately stood up and said angrily, "My lord, I will kill that guy from the Western Regions! How dare he do that to the defeated army!"

"What's your business!" Chen Ju cursed, "Eat quickly, and then go choose a horse. Have your armor taken away and repaired. If you dare to charge in front again in the next battle, I will chop you down first!"

Feng Wu sat down with a wry smile. Although he had a bad temper, it depended on who he was targeting. Facing Huo Xian and Chen Ju, Feng Wu was the punching bag.

Huo Xian smiled and said to Feng Wu, "Go and select horses first and train them as soon as possible. We may have to fight again. Select two top-quality Wusun horses, and the same goes for the rest!"

Huo Xian's twenty troops were all happy. Their war horses were good, all Wusun horses, with one or two Ferghana horses occasionally.

But for these warriors, no one would dislike a good horse. Although the horses of Cheshi were not as famous as the horses of Dayuan, they were still very good horses.

Huo Xian, the Marquis of Guanjun, looked down on him, but his followers did. The general lieutenants of the frontier army might not be able to match the Marquis of Guanjun's followers in terms of the good horses and sturdy armor.

As for the previous war horses, unless they were particularly attached to the soldiers, they were either eliminated or temporarily placed in foster care by the army, and then they would see if they could be taken with them on the return journey.

"Sir, we can't keep any more horses in the farm." Feng Wu said boastfully, "If we follow you out to fight, we can at least bring back two or three war horses, all of which are worth a fortune!"

Another soldier also smiled happily, "Your Excellency has given me a lot of rewards. One of them can provide food and money for two or three years after a battle."

There seems to be nothing wrong with this. Following Huo Xian to fight in wars, one cannot say that he has become rich, but he is much better off than most civilians. Apart from spoils of war and military merit, the rewards are very generous.

Chen Ju was even happier, and scolded, "You only see the benefits, but not the dangers? In all these years of going to war, there must be one or two men who can't return!"

"If I can't go back, there will be compensation, and someone will take care of me at home." Feng Wu said nonchalantly, "I'm also thinking about learning from my elder brother, becoming a captain, and helping you lead the army!"

The younger generation of soldiers are full of yearning and expectations for Feng Dan, Zhao Congxiao and others. They not only want to be soldiers, but also hope to make achievements and get an official position one day.

Seeing Chen Ju about to curse, Huo Xian smiled and said, "Great! The sons of my Guanjun Marquis's Mansion should have such ambitions! Remember, a soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier!"

Feng Wu immediately said embarrassedly, "My Lord, being a general is too difficult. Just be a lieutenant!"

"Short-sighted!" Chen Ju was furious. "You hold the post of a lieutenant in the Southern Army and the Northern Army. Your Excellency will promote you a little bit. In the war, you won't be given a lieutenant general or a lieutenant general? You idiot, what else can you do besides eating?"

The others also burst into laughter. Although there was no general among the troops of the Marquis of Guanjun's Mansion, there was no shortage of captains.

If Feng Dan and others gain some experience and continue to accumulate some military merits, they may be able to get a position such as Lieutenant General or Lieutenant General in wartime.

Even if he is just a wartime general, he is still a general. For countless people, this is a dream and pursuit that is out of reach for a lifetime.

Laughter and joy are indispensable, because now that we have won the battle and have achieved impressive results, it is natural and understandable that everyone is in a good mood at this time.

Now it was not just Huo Xian and his troops who were laughing and celebrating, most of the Han army were also celebrating.

This is also a combination of work and rest. After the staged victory in the war, it is definitely time to rest. Especially for the cavalry, it is really tiring to rush around during this period of time, and resting is also a must.

In fact, Huo Xian also felt very tired. After taking a rest, he felt even more sore in the waist and back. It was time for him to have a good rest and conserve his energy for the next things.

But it is wartime after all, and after a simple rest for two days, it is time to prepare for business.

Summoning all the generals again, Huo Xian smiled and said, "Although we have conquered two countries now, the war is not over yet. All units should take this time to rest and recuperate, and the army should be ready to march out to fight at any time."

Gongsun Ao and others also knew that Cheshi was the focus of the crusade, and it seemed that destroying Cheshi would be enough. But the Grand Marshal's goal from the beginning was not just Cheshi, and everyone knew it.

There is no need to rush back to the army. After all, everyone is eager to have more military merits.

The main enemies have not appeared yet. For example, Kangju and the Huns have not shown up yet, and everyone is feeling a little nervous.

Li Ling took the initiative to speak, "Grand Marshal, our troops are only besieging Jiaohe City in this battle, so our men are not tired at all."

Huo Xian understood immediately and said with a smile, "Okay, your group will be the vanguard and will set out first in two days."

Li Ling happily accepted the order. He had only played a supporting role before, which made him feel a little uncomfortable. He also wanted to be promoted to a marquis and a general, so naturally he wanted to get more military merits.

As for the mission of getting the vanguard again, this was a good start. If he encountered the Huns, maybe his chance would come, and he might be able to win the battle.

The other departments must take the time to rest when it is time to rest, and naturally they need to start preparing seriously when it is time to prepare for battle.

The time window left for the Han army to fight is getting narrower and narrower. If some people do not show up on their own initiative, Huo Xian will have to lead his troops to actively look for opportunities to fight. It is impossible for him to wait passively all the time.

Whether it is Kangju or the Xiongnu, this is also Huo Xian’s next stage goal!

(End of this chapter)