I am not a deposed emperor of Han Dynasty

Chapter 342 The great-great-grandson of Han Xin points his sword at Lang Juxu and approaches Shan Yuting! (Please subscribe)

On October [-], the seventh year of Yuanfeng, in a leeward mountain valley near Wuyuan, military tents were standing upright, and drums and horns were shouting.

Wuyuan is located on the upper reaches of Gonglu River, about a hundred miles away from Langjuxu Mountain, and only two hundred miles away from Shanyuting several decades ago.

Decades ago, if you could lead your troops to this place, there was no doubt that you would be granted the title of Marquis.

But after Huo Wei, Shan Yuting moved north several times, so this place is no longer so important.

Thirty thousand Han troops led by former general Han Zeng have been stationed here for more than ten days.

At this season, although it hasn't snowed yet in Mobei, it is much colder than Chang'an. It has reached the point where dripping water turns to ice and the sky is freezing.

These days are actually pretty good. Although it's cloudy, it's not too cold yet.

Fifteen days ago, Han Zeng led his troops to Wuyuan and encountered a cold wave.

On that day, the temperature dropped sharply within a radius of hundreds of miles: in three or four days, hundreds of knights suffered frostbite and hundreds of horses died from frostbite.

In the vast Gobi, deserts and grasslands of Mobei, the enemies that the Han army had to be wary of were not only the Huns, but also the ever-changing weather.

Moreover, the latter is even more terrifying.

In the unobstructed Gobi and grasslands, when cold currents and strong winds rage, humans and animals have nowhere to hide.

Only the Huns who had lived here for a long time and experienced veterans from border counties could find sheltered valleys and mountain cols.

Fortunately, October is not over yet. Although it is already very cold, as long as the supply is sufficient, it can still be endured with gritted teeth.

A total of 24 days have passed since leaving the fortress on the sixth day of October. Han Zeng led his troops for [-] miles before arriving at Wuyuan.

Wuyuan, this place name comes from the Xiongnu language.

Han Zeng didn't know its true meaning, or the Huns living here probably couldn't tell what the word meant.

The border scouts who acted as guides told Han Zeng that Wuyuan may refer to the horseshoe-shaped mountain col, or it may refer to a small yellow flower on the grassland.

No matter what the word meant, Han Zeng, who led the army, had no time to think about it.

The reason is very simple. After more than twenty days outside the fortress, these tens of thousands of people did not encounter any decent Huns team.

……

At this moment, Han Zeng was pacing back and forth in the Chinese army's tent.

Although the Chinese army's tent is quite spacious, its furnishings are extremely simple.

In the inner position, there is a simple sleeping couch, armor, long spears, ring-headed knives and other items hanging on the suspension.

Outside, there are more than a dozen couches and several desks. On the desks there are only some commonly used pens, inks, papers and inkstones.

In the middle of the big tent, a three-foot-square silk map hung.

Marked on it are the locations of the cities in the northern border counties of the Han Dynasty, the trends of important mountains, rivers, and lakes in Monan and Mobei, as well as the places where the Huns often grazed and stayed.

On this map, there are several most conspicuous marks: Shoujiang City, Rouge Mountain, Langjuxu Mountain, Shan Yuting, etc. can all find their corresponding positions on it.

Han Zeng held a Hu cake in his hand and walked to the map with a solemn expression.

He frowned and looked at the old map while eating the cake, as if he wanted to find traces of the Huns.

However, until he finished eating the dry and hard cake in his hand, he still had no clue.

This map was revised last year, and the locations of many sand dunes, oases, rivers and pastures were re-marked, so there is absolutely no mistake.

However, when marching and fighting in Mobei, it is not enough to have a map.

In this vast desert grassland, if you want to find the Huns and seize the fleeting opportunity, you must not only have an accurate map.

It also requires experienced scouts, a general's keen and decisive sense of smell, and a little bit of luck given by God.

Obviously, Han Zeng lacked some luck during this expedition.

I traveled more than 1000 miles and found nothing.

The place where these 3 people passed by was extremely quiet and clean, and the Huns who smelled like sheep seemed to have disappeared overnight.

Every time Han Zeng arrived at the place where troops were stationed, he would immediately send a large number of scouts around to search for traces of the Huns, but so far he had found nothing.

Take Wuyuan as an example. There are water sources nearby, there are mountain cols that are sheltered from the wind, and there are several pastures suitable for grazing for the winter. It is a good place for the Huns to spend the winter.

Han Zeng heard from the scouts who had been working in the border counties all year round that at this time in previous years, the nearby playgrounds would be filled with cattle and sheep.

However, Han Zeng's troops have stayed here for more than ten days.

For more than ten days, he sent hundreds of scouts in all directions every day, but none of them brought back any news of large groups of Huns.

Judging from clues, the Huns here had already left about a month ago, when several armies broke out from Chang'an City.

This is a very strange thing.

The Huns lived as nomads, and one of the big problems they had to face was wintering.

Every October and November, as the temperature in Mobei begins to drop, the Huns will begin to migrate south in order to avoid the cold wave that may come at any time.

They would take the opportunity to plunder and invade the border counties of the Han Dynasty, and the Han army would also seize the opportunity of the Huns moving south to wait for an opportunity to attack.

Therefore, the time for the Han Dynasty to use troops was often set at the end of autumn and the beginning of winter.

This is a game for the brave. There is a winner and a loser, depending on who can kill the other with one blow.

Both sides know that there are many dangers, but neither side will back down.

If the Huns retreat to the north, they will face a terrible cold wave; if the Han army retreats to the south, they may lose their city and land.

Therefore, neither side will back down unless absolutely necessary.

But where did the Huns go this year?
Faced with this situation, not only Han Zeng, the general, felt depressed, but everyone in the entire camp was also very depressed.

When we went out to fight, everyone was confident that this was a winnable war.

Maybe they can't achieve immortal feats like the two generals Huo Wei, but there is no problem in chopping off the heads of a few Huns and achieving military exploits.

But now, the fact before them is nothing.

Come in good spirits, leave in bad spirits.

How could you not be disappointed?

As the general, Han Zeng was naturally under the greatest pressure.

Ordinary soldiers and even captains and princes, as long as they can survive, they can accept it even if they return without success. At most, they just lose an opportunity to merit a title.

But for a general like Han Zeng who shoulders a heavy responsibility, returning without success may be tantamount to a catastrophe.

Every day, thousands of dendrobiums of grain and grass are continuously transported to this desert from Yunzhong County and other places. Wherever the army goes, the soldiers behind them will follow.

It is carried on the shoulders and carried by hands, and people pull the horse and carry it.

This is a loss of food and grass that is uncountable.

Every time a grain transport team arrived at the camp, Han Zeng felt that the pressure on his shoulders became heavier.

This is all the people's wealth and wealth saved from the teeth of the people all over the world. They waste it like this every day, and they really feel guilty.

When they went on an expedition, the emperor even took out money, food, cloth and silk from the young man's house to reward them, which made Han Zeng feel that he deserved it.

Thinking of the emperor, Han Zeng felt a little lucky. Fortunately, the emperor looked kind and was not as unkind as Emperor Xiaowu, who showed no mercy to the generals who returned without success.

However, even if the emperor was merciful and allowed him to save his life, this would not make Han Zeng, who was born as a general, feel happy.

Deep in his heart, he has more aspirations to shine than others.

This year, Han Zeng is already forty-five years old. If he fails to seize the opportunity this time, he really can't tell where he will get the next opportunity to make meritorious deeds.

Having served as Jingo, and now as a former general, he is already worthy of his ancestors to others.

But for Han Zeng, and for the Han family, there is still a long way to go.

Because there were many great figures among Han Zeng’s ancestors.

There are fierce generals and traitorous generals, loyal ministers and sycophantic ministers; there are those who ascend to high positions, and there are those who die unexpectedly.

The Han family rose and fell three times, and was involved in almost all major events in the Han Empire.

The founding of the Han Dynasty, the rebellion of kings with different surnames, the defeat of the Xiongnu, the Rebellion of the Seven Kings, the Battle of Mobei, the Witchcraft Rebellion... The Han family all played an indispensable role in them.Han Zeng's great-great-grandfather was the famous King Xin of Han in the early Han Dynasty.

Although this Han Wangxin was not as good at fighting as the other Han Xin, he was born in a Korean noble family and still made military exploits for the Han Dynasty and was named the King of Han.

It's a pity that when the sparrows and birds are gone, the good bow is hidden; when the cunning rabbit dies, the good dog is cooked.

Because Han Wangxin was jealous of Emperor Taizu Gao and was besieged by the Xiongnu army, he secretly conspired with them, committed evil acts, and led his troops to surrender to the Xiongnu.

In the following years, King Xin of Han became an accomplice of the Xiongnu in attacking the Han Dynasty, and raised troops to invade the Han Dynasty several times.

In the tenth year of the reign of Emperor Taizu Gao, when King Xin of Han led his army to attack the Han Dynasty, he was beheaded by the Han general Chai Wu and ended up in ruins.

More than ten years later, Han Wangxin's concubine Han Daidang and Han Wangxin's grandson Han Ying led their troops back to the Han Empire as Xiongnu Prime Ministers.

Emperor Wen of the Xiaohan Dynasty, Longyan Dayue, named Han Daidang the Marquis of Gonggao and Han Ying the Marquis of Xiangcheng.

Later, Han Daidang made great military exploits during the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion, and Emperor Xiaojing praised him as "the most meritorious of the three armies."

At this point, the Han family branched out and gained a place in the court.

However, everything cannot be smooth sailing for the aristocratic families in the Han Dynasty.

Han Dai's lineage was deprived of his title because his direct grandson had no descendants; Han Ying's lineage was also deprived of his title because he committed the crime of disrespect.

The Han family gradually returned to ordinary life.

However, the aristocratic family naturally has its own heritage. Han Daidang's two concubines and grandsons allowed the Han family to find hope again.

One is Han Zeng's father Han Shuo, and the other is Han Zeng's uncle Han Yan.

Because of the support of their ancestors, the two were selected as Langguan of Emperor Xiaowu.

Emperor Xiaowu doted on Han Yan very much, and Han Shuo also won the favor of the emperor.

Han Shuo lived up to the opportunity brought by his brother. He took the initiative to volunteer and followed General Wei Qing in Mobei as a school captain. He made military exploits and was named Longjunhou.

Things are unpredictable. A few years later, Han said that he lost his title because the fineness of the gold he donated was insufficient.

However, in the sixth year of Yuanding, Han Yue led troops to fight against East Vietnam as General Henghai, made great military exploits, and was granted the title of Daohou again.

However, the fate of the Han family was really ups and downs. When Han Shuo was on the rise, he was involved in the witchcraft chaos.

Unlike others who were implicated, Han Shuo was the core figure of the Witchcraft Rebellion: Han Shuo, Zhang Gan, Su Wen and others were assigned by Emperor Xiaowu to assist Jiang Chong in searching the East Palace.

Afterwards, the four of them led others to dig out the witchcraft puppets. The deposed prince Liu Ju launched an army to rebel, and Han Shuo and others were killed.

The Witch Gu Rebellion was an unexplainable disaster, and neither the deposed prince's side nor Jiang Chong's side had a good ending.

Han said that he died inexplicably, and Emperor Xiaowu did not give Han Zeng his title.

Although Han Zeng saved his life, he had to struggle in the court again.

Over the past two or three decades, Han Zeng started as a Langguan and finally reached the high position of a former general, much closer to the positions of Han Daidang and Han Shuo.

Now, facing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, how could Han Zeng not want to make a huge contribution and shine on his eyebrows?
In addition to his ambition to shine the Mei family, Han Zeng also wanted to wash away the stain left by the Han family during the Wu Gu Rebellion.

Although Han said that he was acting on the orders of Emperor Xiaowu, he also betrayed General Wei Qing, who had been kind to him, and attacked the deposed prince.

Over the years, no one has said anything bad about the Han family, but Han Zeng himself has always felt guilty.

He always felt a little depressed in his heart: if he couldn't express freely, he would only be depressed.

Therefore, even though Han Zeng took up such an important official position as Zhi Jinwu, he rarely made comments in the court, so that he was regarded as a Huo Dang by those who were not familiar with him.

Han Zeng never defended himself.

Han Wangxin betrayed the Han Dynasty, and Han said that he "forced to kill" the deposed prince - these two things experienced by his ancestors made Han Zeng even more aware that only by being loyal to the Han emperor could he achieve a great career.

Otherwise, all that awaits him is ruin.

Han Zeng really wanted to use a big victory to gain the respect of his courtiers and colleagues.

Then, now it seems like it's going to backfire.

……

Han Zeng looked at the map again. Many signs were marked on the corners around the black members.

This means that these places have been searched carefully and nothing has been found.

Because he had been watching for too long, Han Zeng felt that his eyes were a little swollen, so he walked outside the tent to get some air.

As soon as he opened the heavy curtain of the big tent, a gust of cold wind blew in his face, mixed with the unique sound of fighting and iron horses in the big camp, which lifted Han Zeng's spirit.

"General!" The two soldiers outside the tent crossed their hands and saluted.

"I'll just walk around, you don't have to follow me."

"promise!"

Although Han Zeng had obstacles in his heart, he was very tolerant and strict.

Therefore, the 3 men under his command came from different counties in the Han Dynasty, and they were not familiar with Han Zeng, but he was still loved by the soldiers.

It was impossible to accommodate [-] troops in one place, so the camps were spread throughout the valley.

The military tents with felt tents are yellow and white. At first glance, they look like small hills covered with snow. It is also a different scene.

Han Zeng walked aimlessly in the camp alone, stopping from time to time to chat with the soldiers.

"Should we eat beans and rice or pancakes today?"

"Do you still have enough salt to eat?"

"Do you still have the food you brought with you when you set out? Do you want to stop eating it when your hair grows?"

"Are the robes you are wearing warm enough?"

“Remember to apply dog ​​oil or horse oil on your face so that the skin will not crack.”

Han Zeng was approachable and always had a smile on his face that he could only have for his nephew, so no matter where he went, the soldiers were willing to talk to him without any avoidance.

But the more Han Zeng looked at these enthusiastic soldiers, the more guilty he felt.

Since leaving the fortress, Han Zeng's troops have killed only more than [-] Huns.

It was extremely humiliating to mobilize a large number of troops, but only achieve such pitiful results.

As soon as Han Zeng left, he walked outside a camp gate. He did not go out directly, but stood inside the camp gate with his hands behind his back, looking westward at the quiet Gobi.

This piece of Gobi is quiet and vast, so the sun that gradually drops below the horizon is particularly large, and the setting sun is as red as rouge.

The "whooshing" wind kept blowing, brushing against the fine gravel, making a sound like a galloping horse.

This somber and depressing scene is in sharp contrast with the bustling Guanzhong Sanfu, making people feel depressed and hesitant for no reason.

Today is October [-]th, and the agreed date for the Five Route Army to return to the fortress is November [-]th, so there is still a whole month.

Excluding the days required for the return journey, Han Zeng's troops can patrol here for more than half a month at most.

This means that there is still more than half a month to find a fighter plane.

As the commander-in-chief, Han Zeng had to make a new decision at this last moment.

But he was still a little undecided.

Are you deploying the army to slowly return to Yunzhong County, looking for a word of stability?
Or should we let the army go further north and ask for a word of merit?
The former can seek peace, but they may also be held accountable by the court for avoiding battle and returning without success.

The latter can make great achievements in battle, but may encounter more accidents and bear the sin of never returning.

There are risks in both advance and retreat, and it may even lead to unexpected events for the soldiers - who knows if there will be any Huns taking prisoners on the way back?
……

Just as Han Zeng was hesitating, eight or nine figures appeared in his sight.

With their backs to the setting sun, they rode towards the camp.

From far to near, after a while, we arrived in front of the camp gate - it turned out to be a group of scouts!
These scouts were dusty and traveled a long distance. They were definitely not sent out to look for the Huns in the past few days.

Han Zeng's eyes lit up.

The letter I sent seems to have paid off!
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(End of this chapter)