Chapter 95

Among them, Wei Qing's performance was particularly outstanding. He combined the strengths of Li Guang and Cheng Bushi without their weaknesses! When facing the enemy, his plans were thorough and airtight, leaving no room for the enemy to exploit! Once he discovered a weakness in the enemy, he could decisively commit all his forces, never hesitating and never missing the opportunity to secure victory!

After a long time of simulated battles, Li Guang and Cheng Bushi were deeply impressed. They no longer dared to view Wei Qing with the same eyes as they would an ordinary relative! They knew that this young man would definitely surpass them in the future!

Wei Qing possessed unparalleled talent in military affairs, was willing to study hard, and humbly sought their advice. Most importantly, his sister was Emperor Wu of Han's favorite concubine. With his own capabilities, he had the potential for success, and with his sister deeply favored by the emperor, he would not lack opportunities to achieve great deeds! Li Guang and Cheng Bushi understood that no matter who became the commander of the western campaign, Wei Qing would definitely be part of their ranks! This campaign would surely be the stage for this young man to stand out in the political arena of the Han dynasty!

Although they felt a slight jealousy, Wei Qing's actions were always thorough. Each time he met them, he never boasted about his connections but instead humbly placed himself in the position of a beginner. This made it impossible for Li Guang and Cheng Bushi to feel angry!

As for Gongsun Ao, he had saved Wei Qing's life. When Wei Qing's sister, Wei Zifu, was pregnant, it aroused the jealousy of Empress Chen Ajiao, the wife of Emperor Wu. Chen Ajiao's mother, Lady Guantao, Liu Qiao, intended to kill Wei Qing, who was serving in the Jianzhang Palace. Gongsun Ao, upon hearing the news, led a group of warriors to save Wei Qing, thus sparing him from death. Gongsun Ao also caught the eye of Liu Che, laying the foundation for his future success! These two were so close that there was no room for jealousy.

These days, they were either studying strategies in the sand table room or familiarizing themselves with new horse equipment at the stables, keeping themselves extremely busy! On Li You's side, after discussing military tactics with them without gaining any skills, he gave up on that idea. Instead, he either went sightseeing around Chang'an with Chen Qingzhi, Pan Feng, and others, or secretly practiced archery on his own. He wanted to leave no隐患 (hidden dangers) for Zhang Qian, who would continue to live in this world after he left!

So, after revealing his true abilities to Li Guang for the first time, Li You met him a few more times, pretending to be a beginner. This made Li Guang feel particularly regretful, as he considered Li You's previous performance a coincidence, thus eliminating a potential threat.

In addition, he often visited the homes of Li Guang, Wei Qing, and others, discussing matters of the Western Regions. One day, he was invited to Wei Qing's residence. Upon entering, he noticed a child of two or three years old by Wei Qing's side.

"Is this General Wei's child?" Li You felt a bit embarrassed, realizing he had not brought any gifts!

"Not at all! This is my sister's child, my nephew!" Wei Qing blushed at the misunderstanding and quickly pushed the child forward, "Qubing, quickly greet the Grand Doctor!"

"Huo Qubing greets the Grand Doctor!" The cute little boy immediately bowed to Li You, his eyes sparkling with intelligence.

"What a smart and lively child! Hmm? Your name is Huo Qubing?" Li You was stunned after praising him! The child in front of him, who looked so adorable, was none other than the future famous General Huo Qubing, the Champion Marquis and Commander of the Flying Cavalry!

Wei Qing had three sisters. One of them, Wei Zifu, was favored by Emperor Wu and entered the palace, while another, Wei Shaor, had an affair with a minor official from Pingyang, Huo Zhongru, and gave birth to Huo Qubing. Huo Zhongru's weak personality was disliked by Wei Qing, so he often brought Huo Qubing with him. Seeing Li You's surprised expression, he was puzzled, "Doctor Zhang? Doctor Zhang? What's wrong?"

"This child has boundless potential! He will surely become a great general and achieve unparalleled feats! I was momentarily captivated by his appearance, so I lost my composure. Please forgive my rudeness!" Li You's flattery dispelled Wei Qing's confusion. As an elder, he enjoyed hearing such praise, no matter how reasonable it was! Wei Qing was also very pleased.

"Coming in a hurry, I didn't bring any gifts!" Li You fumbled in his chest and finally found a jade pendant to give. Huo Qubing, not shy at all, even reached out his hands for Li You to hold him.

"Doctor Zhang is so polite, it makes me feel a bit embarrassed!" Wei Qing was also surprised, as his nephew, though not shy, had never been so affectionate with strangers before.

Li You happily picked up Huo Qubing and, while walking with Wei Qing, pinched the child's tender nose, saying, "Qubing, listen carefully! No matter where you go, never drink unboiled water. If you're thirsty, always boil the water first! Understand?"

"Qubing understands!" Despite not fully understanding what he meant, Huo Qubing still responded in a childish voice.

Sigh, I hope you remember! But now that Zhong Xing has died, perhaps he won't die young from drinking unclean water?

After a few days of leisure, Li You was called to the sand table room by Liu Che. After a long discussion, the route for the western campaign was initially determined. Wei Qing was holding a thin stick, explaining the route to the Han dynasty's high officials on the sand table, "This western campaign will dispatch 20,000 elite cavalry, starting from Longxi, advancing to the Hexi region to attack the Xiongnu, passing through Wuzhou Mountain (Wuqiaoling), crossing the Fox Slave River (today's Shiyang River in Gansu), and heading west over the Yanqi Mountain, until we defeat the Chieftain Xiutu and the King Kunye, then we will withdraw..."

"Additionally, in the Henan region (south of the Ordos region, not today's Henan Province) and the Hebei region (Dai, Shanggu, and Yanmen commanderies), we need to deploy heavy troops to defend against the Xiongnu's attacks!" The Han dynasty planned to adopt a strategy of defending in the east and attacking in the west, taking advantage of the Xiongnu's weakness in the Hexi region while maintaining a defensive posture in the east!

The current Han dynasty was not yet capable of a full-scale war with the Xiongnu, so this strategy was quite feasible! The route explained by Wei Qing was almost identical to the second Hexi campaign led by Huo Qubing in the second year of the Yuanshou era (121 BC), except that the number of troops this time was twice as many!

This route was the result of extensive research by Dou Ying, Tian Fen, Li Guang, Cheng Bushi, and Wei Qing. They had already reached a consensus, so there were no objections.

Liu Che also approved of their decision, "Very well, prepare according to this route! But have you decided on the commander for this campaign?"