I, the prince, only want to be deposed.

Chapter 386 Playing an Equal Merit Card
"You want to be Feng Ling?"

After hearing Han Ling's words, Liu Ju immediately thought of an extraordinary woman.

This extraordinary woman appeared after Liu Xijun's death, and went to Wusun as a maid with Princess Jieyou, who replaced Liu Xijun and married Wusun.

Princess Jieyou lived a long life, which led to the increasing influence of the Han Dynasty on Wusun.

And in this process.

Feng Ling represented Emperor Liu Jieyou on a diplomatic mission as an envoy and granted rewards to the city-states. She enjoyed a high reputation in the Western Regions countries surrounding Wusun. Later, when Wusun rebelled, she successfully persuaded the rebel prince to surrender to the Han Dynasty, making Wusun completely surrender and become a vassal. She was hailed as the first female diplomat in the history of the Celestial Empire and was often even compared to Su Wu.

"What Feng Ling?"

Han Ling had never heard of this name before and looked puzzled.

"nothing."

Liu Ju shook his head, skipped the topic, and continued,

"You have to understand first, the premise of my making this plan is that the stakes are not high for me, and even if there is an unexpected loss, it is within an acceptable range, so I am willing to give it a try."

"And if you go with me, it will greatly increase the stakes for me. It is tantamount to sending hostages to the Wusun. Any problems will force me to react immediately, and I will probably be cautious when dealing with the Wusun. Do you still think you are helping me?"

After hearing this, Han Ling already understood Liu Ju's thoughts.

He said that he would ensure Liu Xijun's safety, but in fact he couldn't be completely sure. After all, there was some element of gambling and some element of deceiving Liu Xijun.

Of course, this does not mean that Liu Ju did not care about Liu Xijun at all.

After all, Liu Xijun's current situation couldn't be any worse, and this plan was also an opportunity for her to change her fate. Although Liu Ju was using her, it was actually no different from each taking what they needed, and it was similar to a win-win cooperative relationship.

On the contrary, Liu Ju's definition of "bet" fully demonstrated his importance to her, which made her feel warm in her heart.

While understanding this, Han Ling also clearly felt Liu Ju's transformation.

He was no longer the impulsive boy who acted on impulse. He no longer had the reckless kindness of a woman. Before she could notice, he had transformed into a far-sighted and rational man.

The boy from before.

Perhaps she is needed to lend a hand at the critical moment to avoid falling into danger due to impulsive behavior.

But now this man.

She will be able to plan and strategize, see the gains and losses, and grasp the overall situation, so she no longer needs to worry too much.

Although such a man may seem cold and cruel at times, it is a quality that a king must possess… If he had completed this transformation before this, he would not have been abandoned, right?

Thinking like this.

Han Ling had no choice but to bow again and say:

"I was just being too clever. I take back what I just said..."

"However, fortunately, Su Wu will accompany you out of Yumen Pass and go to Wusun to retrieve the betrothal gifts. It will take several months for them to go back and forth. Although Liu Xijun lacks courage and wisdom, she is also diligent and eager to learn. Now that I am with her day and night, I will take this opportunity to develop a quick strategy for her."

"Although this method cannot cope with all situations after arriving in Wusun, it is better to be prepared than to let her improvise. At least it can ensure that the direction will not go astray."

"I wonder what you think, sir?"

"Then it's hard work for you."

Liu Ju stroked Han Ling's hair and felt very comfortable talking to this smart girl who understood things quickly.

When watching TV in his previous life, what he couldn't stand the most was the kind of conversations in critical moments like "You go first!" "No! If you don't go, I won't go either. If we die, we die together!" They seemed to be full of deep affection, but in fact they were dragging each other down and were extremely stupid.

"By the way, how is Liu Xijun doing in learning Wusun language?"

Liu Ju asked again.

"With gestures and expressions, it shouldn't be a big problem to complete daily communication with the Wusun people."

As Liu Ju stroked his hair, Han Ling squinted his eyes comfortably like a cat and nodded.
"I have also learned the Wusun language these days. Although I will follow your instructions this time, if you need to go on a diplomatic mission to Wusun in the future, I can also serve as your translator." "How much have you learned?"

Liu Ju asked casually, with a teasing tone in his voice.

Han Ling straightened her almost nonexistent chest and said proudly:
"I can communicate smoothly with the translator without using gestures or expressions."

"Is this true?"

Liu Ju was a little surprised when he heard this. This girl didn't join the army until they were about to leave Jiuquan. Only a few days had passed, but she had learned the Wusun language to such an extent. Is this her talent?

"Sagapo!"

Han Ling suddenly said something.

"Huh? What does that mean?"

Liu Ju was stunned.

"When you understand some of the Wusun language, you will naturally understand."

Han Ling smiled mysteriously, bowed and said goodbye.

"It's getting late, and you are about to go to war. You should rest early. I will take my leave now."

The girl seemed to have guessed that Liu Ju wanted to give her a legitimate reason, or she did not want to bring a bad influence to Liu Ju because of this matter, so even though she wanted to stay at the moment, she still remained restrained.

As for the safety of this expedition.

She knew that Liu Ju had to go. This was not only a battle for the Han Dynasty to establish its prestige, but also a battle for Liu Ju to establish his prestige.

Therefore, she would not dissuade Liu Ju, but only told her second brother Han Zeng, who would go with Liu Ju, that if Han Zeng did not want to lose her, his good sister, he would do his best to protect her.

Moreover, she knew very well that not only Han Zeng but other generals would also do their utmost to protect Liu Ju.

Even though Liu Ju was no longer the crown prince, if anything went wrong on this trip, these people would be to blame.

just now.

Almost all subsequent matters will depend on whether this first battle can be a great victory. Success or failure depends on this one move...

……

The next day, the army set out.

According to Wang Hui's suggestion, the Han army was divided into several groups, with each team consisting of no more than two thousand people, and they successively passed through Yumen Pass and advanced westward.

This is because the oases in the deserts along the way are not only scarce, but also small in size, and cannot provide watering and resting space for more people and horses at the same time.

The saying that dividing troops is a taboo in military strategy is not true in this battle.

Whether to divide the troops depends on the specific strategic environment and tactical needs. The environment along the way is harsh, and no enemy army can cross the Gobi and desert to harass. Even if it is a Han army of no more than 2,000 people, it is still not something Loulan can contend with.

A month later, Liu Ju's troops were the second to arrive at the salt lake (Lop Nur), which still had sufficient water resources.

The first to arrive were the troops of Zhao Po Nu and Wang Hui.

If Liu Ju had not given an important warning before setting out this time, Zhao Po Nu would most likely have led 700 light cavalry to raid Loulan before Liu Ju arrived, as in history. When Liu Ju arrived at Yanze, the King of Loulan had already been tied up in front of him, waiting for Liu Che to issue an edict to confer him a title of nobility.

And this time.

Liu Ju planned to play an equal merit card on Zhao Po Nu, and Zhao Po Nu would have to do him a favor for it.

Two days later, the two groups of troops arrived at the outskirts of Loulan Royal City at night.

Then he divided his troops into two groups, and used elite cavalry to launch a surprise attack from the east and west sides to encircle the Loulan Royal City.

A few hours later, thousands of Han cavalry easily broke into the weakly defended royal city. The sound of galloping horses shattered the dreams of the Loulan people. The sound of killing was deafening inside and outside the city.

(End of this chapter)