The melon that Cao Zhang promised at this time that is not called cantaloupe has not been eaten! But looking at the vast Lop Nur, the Great Wei Western Expeditionary Army, which had been smoked, was so excited that the cavalry who drove to Loulan City first couldn't even take care of the city, and in the dumbfounded eyes of the troops at the head of the city, they rushed to the vast lake desperately, regardless of people or horses, they pounced into the lake and drank to their heart's content.

However, the first mouthful of water, regardless of people or horses, all regretted it, and spit out violently, and then the sad and unfortunate ones withdrew one after another, and turned around and spit directly.

Damn, Lop Nur is a saltwater lake!

Fortunately, at this time, the Peacock River, which maintains the lifeline of Loulan, is still there, led by the guide, the infantry of the Black Mountain Army of the rear army has already reached the river first, and after drinking enough, they also took off their boots, and stretched their hot feet into the cold drinking water to relieve the heat.

Then the cavalry who reacted also hurriedly made do with the lower reaches of the Peacock River where the infantry was, and gave a straight tree thumbs up while drinking bitterly, praising the river here really has the taste of hometown!

…………

Although the water of Lop Nur is bitter and brackish and cannot be used, but the aquatic resources in the river are really good, who would have thought that one-third of the people living in the desert actually rely on fishing for a living, and the crossbow arrows brought are tied to the back, and the soldiers are also rowing poplar boats into the lake, and then on the edge of the Yadan landform group that needs to spend tens of thousands of oceans to visit in later generations, they light a charcoal fire and roast the big fish to their heart's content.

But when the sergeants were jubilant, as the commander, Cao Zhang, who was the protector of the Western Regions, was really not happy.

The first rebellion and assassination, attacked other Han vassal states, and also slaughtered and drove away the Han envoy Han officials in Khotan in the west of Lop Nur, next to the Green Ridge, which was a little more limited than the Dawan City attacked by Li Guangli, the general of the second division, and started from Loulan, and was divided into north and south roads around Lop Nur, and Shanshan, who also rebelled against the Han Dynasty, was located in the south of the Peacock River in the south of the country, and it was also the slaughter of the Han envoys who blocked the trade route Qiuzi was located in the north road.

On the way, Qiuzi is two thousand miles away from Loulan, the speed of a day's march is fifty miles, it takes more than forty days, to ensure the supply, Shanshan's Zhenni City is close, but it is located in the south of the road is also nearly a thousand miles.

A big difference from other troops in this era is Wang Hou's staff system, there are dozens of staff officers in the headquarters, such a long marching distance, such bad transportation, Deng Ai led the staff officers to pull the abacus, and transported the 30,000 main forces to the two places, at least more than 60,000 cattle and horses, 40,000 logistics troops, and hundreds of thousands of nearly a million stones of grain.

How to proceed next has become a headache for Cao Zhang, the protector of most of the Western Regions.

"Brother-in-law, what do you think I should do next!"

Staring at the map and looking at Wang Hou, who was in pain, Cao Zhang asked sadly, but although he looked at the country without free shipping, his face was trembling, but Wang Hou was as angry as ever.

"Xiao Wenzi, you are the protector of the Western Regions, what are you asking Lao Tzu for?"

Lü Buwei's tragedy is that he has too much desire for power, Qin Yiren's desire for power is not strong, and he is at his fingertips, but Yingzheng is a strong desire for power, Lü Buwei still didn't realize it, and continued to point fingers, which eventually led him to the opposite side of Qin Shi Huang, abolishing the throne and exile, and finally giving him death.

Take it as a warning, Wang Hou, the second Lu Buwei, doesn't want to meddle too much, not to mention that he also has a headache in front of him.

"You!"

The angry cheeks bulged and knocked on the table, but Cao Zhang shook his head helplessly.

"That Dadu Hu wants to build a Lianglou railway, starting from Loulan, crossing Hexi, and going straight to Didao!"

"Is the Protectorate of the Western Regions rich?"

"We want the merchants of Chang'an and the Guanzhong Dadu Protectorate to contribute grain, otherwise the Dadu Protector will increase the commercial tax of the Western Regions by ten percent!"

Not to mention, growing up fast enough, Cao Zhang also learned to rule the chief with a feudal official, and Wang Hou, who listened, also nodded with a very honorable head.

"Good! This seat immediately sent a messenger to attract investment and survey the project of repairing this road! ”

The future of the Western Regions Metropolitan Protectorate was guaranteed, which made Cao Zhang a little more comfortable, but soon, he was sweating and staring at the map of the thirty-six countries handed down from the Western Han Dynasty.

Deng Ai and other staff officers came up with a total of more than a dozen plans to deal with the enemy, some moderates sent envoys to re-recruit and surrender, some hawks thought that being a soldier was expensive and fast, and they quickly broke the rebellious countries with dry rations and dry rations, and some were stable factions who thought that it was necessary to wait for the military rations of Dunhuang County to be transported to Loulan before marching into the army, and continuing to form a large army to form a group to open a knife against which country, and then kill chickens and monkeys, weigh the pros and cons, and the heavy sense of responsibility was so heavy that this playboy's brain was sweating.

…………

In the end, Cao Zhang still divided his troops, after all, the main opponent of Tianshan South Province is Shanshan, a large oasis country, with a population of more than 300,000 households, 80,000 households, and an army of only 20,000 or 30,000.

Therefore, Shanshan State was mastered by Cao Zhang, divided to Zhang Yun as a prey, and the Montenegrin mercenary group was responsible for attacking, and after the capture, it was reported to the imperial court, insisting that Zhang Yun was a Hu man, following the model of the Montenegrin State, and the Western Regions Protectorate supported him to establish a vassal state outside the Central Plains.

After Loulan hoarded troops for half a month, transported 20,000 rear troops, and 5,000 people from the Western Regions Protectorate arrived, Cao Zhang personally led 10,000 foot riders north to the mountain country.

This place is a small country, with only a few thousand households and 10,000 people, and now it is still loyal to the Han Dynasty, but to the north of the mountain country, it is the famous chariot master before and after the country.

In last year's rebellion, these two countries were the main force among them, and they plundered several large caravans from the Central Plains in a row, which was enough to damn it.

The most important thing is that the distance between the front and back of the car division and Dunhuang is relatively close, only more than 900 miles! It is equivalent to the entire journey of Cao Cao to attack Wuhuan back then!

The big one among the dwarfs is the most suitable chicken, except for killing this chicken to scare the monkeys of the rest of the Western Regions, Cao Zhang really has no other prey to choose.

In October, even the Western Regions began to gradually get colder, and the heavy snow in the north was different, it was dry and cold, on the empty Gobi, the knife wind blew people from the neck to the heels, but against a big sun, and the thirsty people smoked straight from their mouths.

"Brothers, work hard! In the mountain country, there is a famous melon in the Western Regions, this time it is just picked, hoarded in the cellar when the sweet teeth fall off, to the mountain country, Lao Tzu treats, everyone eats casually! ”

Carrying the banner of protecting Cao in the Western Regions again, in front of the ironclad cavalry, Cao Zhang roared even more enthusiastically, but this time, including Deng Ai and Wang Changle, the two chief staff officers who came over, thousands of Guanzhong ironclad cavalry all pouted together.

I believe you are a ghost!