I, the prince, only want to be deposed.

Chapter 116: What the hell are you talking about? Why would I care?

As a result, Li Xi's momentum had just risen when he was immediately brought back to square one by a question from Liu Ju.

"Then do I still need to go to Didao County for temporary refuge?"

Liu Ju just nodded slightly and asked back without changing his expression.

"Eh?"

Li Xi was startled and looked at Liu Ju in confusion, thinking that the prince was mocking him, and even his words stuttered.

"No, I don't know what your Highness means by this."

"We have 8,000 Jue Zhang soldiers ready for battle. They are the best of the best. We also have General Li's large yellow crossbows to protect us. We are not afraid even if 100,000 Qiang troops come out in full force. There is probably no place in the world safer than this military camp. Why should I take shelter for now?"

Liu Ju smiled and said,

"General Li, this time I will not only not take refuge, but I will also personally go up to the flag tower to appreciate the style of our Han army and cheer for our great men."

"???"

Upon hearing this, Li Xi froze in place, his old face showing vividly what it meant to be at a loss.

"???"

Guo Zhen, Li Guangli and other followers and Jianzhang cavalry also opened their eyes wide instantly, thinking that they were deaf.

They couldn't figure out for a moment whether Liu Ju was just a newborn calf who was not afraid of tigers and had no idea what war was.
Or is he just acting on a whim? Is he still playing tricks at this time and treating the war as a joke?
But how could they know?

Liu Ju was not afraid of death, but he had his own reasons and confidence to not be afraid of death.

This basis and confidence comes from the Battle of Junji Mountain.

There are several detailed records of this war in history books.

At that time, Li Ling, grandson of the famous general Li Guang, led an army of 5,000 infantrymen deep into the desert to attack the Huns. However, he encountered 80,000 elite cavalry led by the Huns' Chanyu at Junji Mountain and was surrounded.

Li Ling also used chariots as fortifications, shields and halberds as bases, and the Han's powerful crossbows to fight the enemy.

In this way, they fought fiercely for several days under the siege of 80,000 elite Hun cavalry, shooting and killing more than 10,000 Huns, and at one point the Huns' Chanyu wanted to retreat.

In the end, if it weren't for the traitor's betrayal, he would have informed the Xiongnu Chanyu that the Han army had run out of arrows.

The Huns might have really retreated, and Li Ling would not have been forced to surrender. He could even have returned safely to the Han Dynasty with most of the Han army soldiers.

This is the terrifying aspect of the Han Dynasty’s powerful crossbow!
The strength of the Han army lies not in its cavalry but in its infantry.

The crossbow in Jue Zhangshi's hand has a range and power far ahead of the rest of the world!

The Han Dynasty repeatedly fought against the Huns with mainly cavalry simply because the desert was too vast and mostly flat.

The Hun cavalry was agile and could advance or retreat. The infantry would definitely not be able to catch up with and destroy them. Instead, they would be let go by the Hun cavalry and would not be able to play to their advantage. Therefore, they had no choice but to do so.

If it was a positional battle, the Han army could easily deal with enemy forces that were several or even dozens of times larger than their own with just their powerful crossbows, making it impossible for the enemy to get close.

And look at now.

The military camp where Liu Ju was located was built with its back to the mountain, so the Qiang people could only attack from one side.

Both the number and quality of the Jue Zhang soldiers were stronger than the 5,000 infantrymen led by Li Ling. They were also well-equipped with arrows and military supplies, and there was a stable source of water in the camp.

What's more, this is still within the territory of the Han Dynasty.

Even if the Qiang people came out in full force this time, relying on their numerical advantage to surround the Han army without attacking, the Han army would be able to completely outlast them, and reinforcements would arrive soon.

Why would Liu Ju need to take refuge temporarily?

Furthermore, not only he knew it, but all the generals who went on the expedition also knew it.

The Qiang people are not the Huns. They do not have any of the advantages that the Huns have. To say that their combat effectiveness is reduced by half with the same number of troops is even overestimating them.

Therefore, Liu Ju had every reason to believe it.

This time it was not so much that the Qiang people came to attack the Han army camp, but rather that they took the initiative to offer their lives.

"Your Highness!" After a few breaths of reaction, Guo Zhen, the prince's groom, finally came to his senses and quickly took the responsibility to step forward and advise:
"This matter is of great importance. I think Your Highness should accept General Li's arrangement and go to Didao County as soon as possible to take shelter. If Your Highness stays in the camp, General Li and my Han army soldiers will be concerned about Your Highness's safety and will inevitably be distracted."

"Yes, yes, Your Highness, please consider the overall situation."

Li Xi looked at Guo Zhen with gratitude, and quickly joined in.

"I wonder if you have ever thought about another question. Now I am still under the protection of a large army in the military camp. If I go to Didao County for temporary refuge, what if the Qiang people have already seen through my plan and secretly set up an ambush on the way?"

Liu Ju still asked with a smile.

This is another problem he is worried about. Although the possibility is very small, he is a relatively stable person and cannot help but be prepared.

"But……"

Li Xi and Guo Zhen were stunned again when they heard this, as no one had ever considered this possibility.

"Okay, it's settled. I'm not going anywhere."

Liu Ju waved his hand and turned back to his tent, saying,

"You don't have to worry about taking responsibility. If the Qiang people really managed to break into the camp, you would have probably died in the battle. Even if someone really held you responsible, what could they do to you?"

"I'm going to catch up on some sleep first, you guys should go and prepare for battle."

"When the Qiang people come, call me. I want to go up to the flag tower and watch the battle in person, and appreciate the style of our Han army."

As the crown prince of the Han Dynasty, he had very few opportunities to observe the battlefield from such a close distance.

This is most likely the only time in this life, or it may be the last time in this life. If Liu Ju missed it, it would undoubtedly be a regret.

"..."

Li Xi, Guo Zhen, Li Guangli and others were speechless again.

I have to admit that what Liu Ju said does make some sense...

……

A few hours later.

Li Xi had already completed the tactical deployment.

The Xiandeng Camp led by Gongsun Jingsheng was naturally the first to bear the brunt of the attack. In this battle, they would serve as the front row to maintain the chariot formation and hold shields to resist the Qiang's charge.

However, at this moment, the Xiandeng Camp was busy doing something else that had nothing to do with preparing for war.

"Hurry up and carve our battalion number on the military plate, and also carve each person's name and hometown clearly, so that even if you die, someone will know who you are and why you died!"

I have to say, Gongsun Jingsheng's movements were quite quick.

In such a short period of time, he ordered his men to cut a pile of bamboo strips and wooden boards used for writing on bamboo slips into a pile of one-inch long military badges, drilled small holes on them, and passed thin hemp ropes through them, and then distributed them one by one to the exiled soldiers under his command.

"Report to the General, we are illiterate..."

Someone was holding the military badge, at a loss, and reported to Gongsun Jingsheng with a bitter face.

Gongsun Jingsheng's tone faltered, and he said helplessly:
"...Then find someone who can read to help carve it. Everyone must carve it, and no one can be left behind!"

"But General, is this really necessary? Does anyone care?"

Others have become disheartened upon learning that a war is imminent.

"What the hell are you talking about? I care! I remember why you died!"

This question almost made Gongsun Jingsheng, who was more frightened and nervous than the exiled soldiers, burst into tears. He immediately became angry and cursed.

"Engrave it for me, immediately. If anyone doesn't engrave it, I will kill him right away!"

　Thanks to [book friend 20201023130736194] for the reward and support.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)