Chapter 96

As Liu Che's words faded, the generals in the sand table room raised their heads, their eyes shining with excitement! With the new horse equipment such as the high-bridged saddle, stirrups, and horseshoes, and a complete map, this western campaign was bound to be a great victory. Whoever could lead the army would surely earn the merit worthy of a marquis! How could they not be excited?

Among them, Li Guang and Cheng Bushi were the most eager. In their view, Dou Ying and Tian Fen held too high a status and did not need to compete for these merits, while Wei Qing and Gong Sun Ao were too young to command a force of 20,000 troops! Although Li You was familiar with the affairs of the Hexi region, he lacked the experience to lead an army. He would only participate as an auxiliary in the western campaign and would not be a suitable leader. Thus, among the ministers who had been involved in the planning of the western campaign, only they two were the most suitable leaders!

"Your Majesty! I believe this is the first counterattack of the Han against the Xiongnu, and this battle must be handled with caution. General Cheng Bushi is steady in his military strategy and should be the best choice to lead the army!" After a moment's thought, Dou Ying spoke up. He was, after all, somewhat old and thought that the priority should be to ensure no defeat before seeking victory.

"Lord Wei Qi, your words are off the mark. Precisely because this is the first counterattack of the Han against the Xiongnu, this battle must be a great victory to erase past humiliations and intimidate the Xiongnu! If we spend countless resources and end up with a stalemate, what would be the point of this battle?" Tian Fen stood up to oppose Dou Ying's opinion. "I believe that Wei Qing, the Commander of the Weiyang Palace, has fought the Xiongnu multiple times while serving as the governor of Lingxi, Yanmen, Dai, and Yunzhong, and has achieved significant victories! If he leads the western campaign, he will surely defeat the Xiongnu!"

The two important ministers supporting different generals made Liu Che somewhat hesitant. He listened quietly to the ministers' arguments, constantly calculating in his mind. If he chose Cheng Bushi, the battle would not end in defeat, but it would be difficult to achieve a great victory. If he chose Li Guang, the chances of victory would increase, but there was also the risk of defeat. What should he do?

At this moment, Liu Che was still a young man full of vigor. After spending so much time preparing and with the map brought back from the Western Regions by the envoys, if the battle could only end in a stalemate, it would be meaningless! Since Li Guang's military strategy was not steady enough, he would send a steady general to assist him!

Liu Che slowly raised his right hand to signal the ministers to stop arguing, then turned his gaze to Li Guang, seemingly having made a decision. "General Li!"

"Your servant is here!" Li Guang quickly stepped out from the crowd, respectfully responding, his heart racing. Could His Majesty be entrusting this important task to me?

"If I entrust 20,000 elite troops to General Li to lead the western campaign, can you bring me a great victory?" Liu Che stared at Li Guang for a long time before slowly speaking.

"Your servant will surely clear the Hexi region for Your Majesty and bring the heads of King Xiutu and King Kunye to present before Your Majesty!" Li Guang's head buzzed with excitement. Seeing the opportunity for a marquis's merit right before him, he quickly knelt down and loudly answered. Cheng Bushi, standing nearby, sighed inwardly. Alas, am I to lose this opportunity?

"Very well!" Liu Che clapped his hands in approval. "Issue the decree: Appoint Wei Qing, the Commander of the Weiyang Palace, as the General of the Flying Cavalry, ranking below the Three Excellencies, to lead the western campaign! Appoint Wei Qing as the General of the Brave Cavalry and Gong Sun Ao as the General of the Cavalry, both ranking below Li Guang, to participate in the western campaign! Appoint Zhang Qian, the Grand Doctor, to lead the remaining members of the original Han envoy as guides to assist the General of the Flying Cavalry!"

The Han military system was very chaotic, with various general titles appearing frequently. The appearance of Li You made the title of General of the Flying Cavalry appear over a decade earlier, and the first holder of this title changed from Huo Qubing to Li Guang! From Liu Che's arrangement, this title held a very high status, second only to the Grand General among military officials! The titles of General of the Brave Cavalry and General of the Cavalry were permanent, roughly lower than the General of the Flying Cavalry! However, considering Wei Qing's status as an imperial relative and his relationship with Gong Sun Ao, if they joined forces, they could also limit Li Guang.

This was Liu Che's plan. He wanted Li Guang to use his talents to achieve a great victory against the Xiongnu, while placing Wei Qing and Gong Sun Ao under Li Guang to prevent him from making mistakes. With these three generals and Li You, who was familiar with the Hexi region, as a guide, this battle would be secure.

When Liu Che's decision was announced, Tian Fen was overjoyed, and Dou Ying, considering that Wei Qing, Gong Sun Ao, and Li You would accompany Li Guang, felt more at ease! The sand table room was filled with joy, except for Cheng Bushi, who was the only one unhappy. All the generals involved in the planning of the western campaign had been assigned tasks, but why did His Majesty overlook him?

"Cheng Bushi, the Commander of the Chang乐 Palace?" Just as he was thinking, Liu Che's voice sounded again!

"Your servant is here!" Cheng Bushi quickly stepped out!

"If our Han army advances into the Hexi region, the Xiongnu will not let it go easily! Chanyu Jun will surely gather his troops and use the strategy of surrounding Wei to save Zhao, harassing our Henan and Hebei regions to force us to retreat from the Hexi region!" Liu Che walked to the sand table and pointed to these two areas with a thin stick.

Cheng Bushi realized that His Majesty had not forgotten him but had other plans! Indeed, after a moment, Liu Che revealed his plan. "We have decided on a strategy of attacking in the west and defending in the east. In the Hexi region, General Li will lead the army to defeat King Xiutu, King Kunye, and their forces, and reclaim the Hexi region. On the eastern side, I plan to have General Cheng lead the troops to defend the border and repel the Xiongnu's attacks. Can you do it, General Cheng?"

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty! As long as I have a breath left, I will not let a single Xiongnu soldier or horse cross the border!" Cheng Bushi, nearly in tears with excitement, quickly knelt down and thanked him.

Liu Che's arrangement was truly a wise use of talent. Using Li Guang, who was skilled in offensive tactics, to lead the attack had a high chance of achieving a great victory. Using Cheng Bushi, who was cautious and meticulous, to defend the eastern side would ensure the stability of the border and make the Xiongnu's long journey fruitless.

Indeed, he was worthy of being the famous Emperor Wu of Han! Li You, standing below, was greatly impressed.

With the main general determined, the Han Empire began to accelerate its war preparations. In the Shanglin Garden, the workshops, heavily guarded by troops, worked day and night to manufacture saddles, stirrups, and horseshoes. Li Guang, along with Wei Qing and Gong Sun Ao, selected suitable soldiers and officers from the Han army and began training them to use the new horse equipment. One convoy after another entered and exited Chang'an, bringing mountains of grain, clothing, armor, and other supplies.

The following spring, all preparations for the campaign were complete, awaiting only Liu Che's command!

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