Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 364 Zhang Qian
Then in the summer,

After a brief respite, the Han army launched further attacks on the Xiongnu.

Envoys from Qin and Xia were also involved.

Although amazed by the strength of the Han people, the Qin envoy quickly accepted the reality—

First of all,

The Han people occupied the ancestral land of the Central Plains of the Chinese people;

Secondly,

The Han Dynasty was established after the Han people entered the pass and defeated their ancestors.

Furthermore, during Zhang Qian's missions abroad, he compared the situations of the two countries.

Therefore, the Qin envoy was well-prepared for what he would see and hear after arriving in the Central Plains.

Moreover, after careful comparison...

In some respects, the Qin envoy was able to maintain his arrogant demeanor.

"Our country produces many fine horses, even those from Ferghana are slightly inferior."

"Due to frequent wars, their weaponry and military equipment were no weaker than those of the Central Plains."

"If we were to engage in a fierce battle with the Xiongnu, the biggest disadvantage would be our logistics and provisions."

The Xia envoy standing nearby could only sigh deeply, his expression somewhat somber.

He secretly vowed in his heart:
Upon returning from this mission, I must advise His Majesty to govern diligently and strengthen the military.

If the states of Qin and Han were both progressing and developing, while our own country was immersed in a long period of peace and gradually lost its ambition, I'm afraid that in the future we would either serve Qin in the west or Han in the east!
As for participating in this battle, it is to gain a deeper understanding of the Han army's combat strength for comparison.

To know,
The brave warriors in the previous delegations from both countries, who accompanied Huo Qubing during his surprise attack on the Xiongnu royal camp...
Xia was the slowest to run and was also the one who was scolded the most by Huo Qubing.

After finally catching up with the group, the Xia warriors, whose bones and flesh were almost broken from being jostled, naturally didn't have much strength left to behead the enemy.

For the Xia Kingdom,

That's an absolute disgrace!

just,

After the Second Battle of Hexi, five Xiongnu kings and their entire families were captured by Huo Qubing.
The resentment and jealousy that Qin Xia's delegation harbored in their hearts vanished because of this brilliant victory.

They experienced this war firsthand.
I witnessed firsthand Huo Qubing's command and his long-distance raid.

We know that the Han Dynasty not only had a powerful army, but also many outstanding generals.

"I have heard that the current Grand General of the Han Dynasty is the uncle of the Marquis of Champion."

The Qin envoy privately remarked to his companion, "With such an uncle and nephew, who in the world can rival them?"

At least,

There has never been such a heroic figure in either the Qin or Xia states.

As for whether I will be able to have it in the future?

We can only pray for the protection of our ancestors and deities.

"He's so young..."

"Not even twenty years old yet..."

"How terrible!"

The middle-aged Qin envoy couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness and envy when he thought of the Marquis of Champion's age.

sometimes,
Even if one's talent is not outstanding,
But as long as you're young, you can surpass many others.

"That's not necessarily true!"

But some people say this.

This is a Qin warrior who followed Huo Qubing on his thousand-mile raid.

He said, "I am somewhat worried that this Marquis of Han, the champion of the Han Dynasty, will not live long enough to fight a war."

Huo Qubing was a very sharp and incisive person.

All the beauty of youth can be found in him.

In the words of the Han emperor, that was "born with wealth and honor".

His status as an illegitimate child
In today's world, it is utterly insignificant and has instead become part of its "myth".

Perhaps that is why,

When Huo Qubing was fighting, he didn't care about many things.

Relying on his youth, he never took the pain of the long march seriously.

The moment I stepped onto the grassland.
He only needs two things—

One is the enemy's location.
One is to defeat the enemy.

He could go for days without taking off his armor.
They can stay on horseback for several days.

Even during a long march, they can go without food or water.

"This will cause serious damage to the body," said the warrior from Qin.

For the Qin state, which now incorporates many of the nomadic customs of the Western Rong tribes,
They knew all too well the hardships of traversing the wilderness. "This... oh..."

The Qin envoy fell silent for a moment upon hearing this.

In the end, all he could say was, "Let fate decide."

……

"How has King Sheng of Qin been doing lately?"

Two days later,

The Qin envoy was greeted by an unexpected friend.

Zhang Qian, the Marquis of Bowang of the Han Dynasty, also went to war with the army this time.

However, before this, the troops were divided into several routes, and Zhang Qian did not follow the main force led by Huo Qubing, so the two sides did not meet.

Now that the war is over and everyone has returned to the capital in triumph, Zhang Qian finally has the opportunity to find the Qin envoy and inquire about his old friend from Western Qin, with whom he had a great grudge.

The Qin envoy told him, "He is now the ruler of Upper Egypt."

Spurred on by Zhang Qian's conferment of a marquisate, Wang Sheng ultimately chose the path of sacrificing himself for his country.

According to Egyptian custom, the queen's husband can also become the ruler of the country.

Under Wang Sheng's manipulation
Before the mission departed, Egypt had already accepted the investiture of the Qin state and become its vassal state.

It seems that in a few years, under the slow and gentle influence of Qin, Egypt, this "frog," will eventually be integrated into Qin and become part of its homeland.

As for why not simply take possession of it?
It can only be said that the Qin state's expansion in recent years has almost reached its limit.

After all, the state that the virtuous men of the Xia dynasty wanted to establish...
It has never been a fleeting "empire" from outside the region.

They wanted their ancestral temple to stand for a long time, and for their descendants' sacrifices to continue forever.

Therefore,
How to deepen the foundation, allow the bloodline to multiply, and ensure the stability of the country has become a very important issue.

Egypt was a small and fertile country, bordering the Qin state. Rome, to the north, had to cross the sea to attack and compete with Qin.

in this way,

There's no rush. Let the Qin people digest this a bit before proceeding with the annexation.

"He's already the ruler of a country?"

"so good……"

Upon hearing this news, Zhang Qian initially intended to make a sarcastic remark, saying that Wang Sheng, an envoy from a powerful nation, was unable to earn a title through his own abilities and ultimately had to rely on the barbarian queen's influence to rise to power...

But he couldn't bring himself to say it; he just sighed.

Zhang Qian looked somewhat disappointed.

The Qin envoy knew that this was not due to being spurred by Wang Sheng's "good news".

Rather, it was because of the troubles Zhang Qian encountered and the crimes he committed during this campaign.

According to the system of the Han Dynasty,
After Zhang Qian returned to Chang'an, his noble title and official position were no longer relevant to him.

Why did he get lost at such a crucial moment in the decisive battle, preventing him from arriving in time?

just,

The Qin envoy had met Zhang Qian.

Back in the Xia Kingdom's "embassy," he had exchanged blows with this Han envoy, so he naturally knew the other party's strength.

It is highly unlikely that someone who could travel abroad twice and return safely would suddenly fall ill in the wild or get lost along the way.

"You shouldn't make such a basic mistake!"

The Qin envoy also began to worry about Zhang Qian's future.

For this,

Zhang Qian suddenly teared up, waved to the other person, and turned to leave.

Shortly thereafter,

The Xia envoy came to discuss with the Qin envoy the matter of meeting the Han emperor.

He casually mentioned, "When I passed by Zhang Qian's camp, I heard him crying."

"Ok?"

He said he felt sorry for General Li Guang!

"Alas!" the Qin envoy sighed, "Why worry so much?"

"For someone as adept at finding his way to the right path to lose his way in such a battle, it must be because some supernatural force has secretly set up an obstacle!"

Xia Shi thought this made a lot of sense.

Only the ghost who was inexplicably blamed complained unhappily:
"Why blame me?"

"It was clearly Li Guang's amazing ability that led Zhang Qian astray!"

The power of the Lost Marquis

This is not something that can be overcome by a mere Marquis of Bowang!
(End of this chapter)