It was the beginning of September, and the air in the Western Regions was already filled with a bleak chill.

The north wind began to howl in the fields, and the rivers began to dry up.

Even the once surging Shuinan River can now be crossed by wading in some sections of the river.

Li Guangli's army, about 600 miles away from the Loulan Kingdom, began to cross the river, preparing to enter the heart of the Western Regions, the range of the northern foot of Tianshan Mountain.

In order to make everything go smoothly, Li Guangli personally led his own personal guard cavalry and commanded from the front.

At this time, he stood on a small hill on the south bank of Jixian Water, overlooking the situation on the other side of the river, and in his sight, the foot soldiers of the Han family, one by one, were crossing the river one by one, and they would act as an advance force to establish a camp on the other side of the river and provide cover for the follow-up army.

So far, everything has gone well, and the three captains of the Han family have crossed the Jixian water one after another.

Now, they are only less than 300 miles away from Luntaisai.

At a normal marching pace, the Han army would have seen the outline of the walls of Luntai four days later.

And this also means that the Han army is very likely to usher in the first battle with the Xiongnu.

Li Guangli was not very happy, his brows were tightly locked, his face was full of sadness, and the pressure in his heart became more and more with the passage of time!

Because, the situation of scout reconnaissance is not very optimistic.

The main force of the Xiongnu has withdrawn from the Luntai area, withdrawn into the territory of Yuli and Qiuzi, and may withdraw from the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains into the hinterland of the Western Regions at any time.

If this is the case, then Li Guangli's plan to annihilate the main force of the Xiongnu will fail.

Although, it may be possible to occupy and control the entire northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains in Yuli and Qiuzi without much effort, and connect this area with Loulan, so that the Han dynasty can gain a stable and reliable depth in the Western Regions.

But this is in direct conflict with Li Guangli's own interests!

Especially yesterday, he had already learned the news that the matter over there was over.

The two Qiang people rebelled, killed the Yueshi and other Qiang people, and then took the captives and cut off the heads, and happily went to Lingju to exchange for rewards.

His general Zhao Xindi, who stayed in Lingju, wanted to stop him, but was rebuffed by Fan Mingyou.

In the face of the clear edict of the Son of Heaven, Zhao Xindi had no choice but to bow his head and acquiesce, which made the Juju war come to an end.

But the war in Lingju subsided, so that Li Guangli had no way out.

If Luntai's side can't achieve results, then his status will definitely plummet from now on.

And in the Han Dynasty, the veteran who was replaced by a newcomer wanted to rise again, and the chances were no less than starting all over again.

And the trouble is, no one will give him a chance!

Newcomers won't, and neither will others!

This world is so realistic, everyone will be the icing on the cake, and no one will be able to send charcoal in the snow.

It is human nature to hold high and step low!

Thinking of this, Li Guangli's brows tightened even more.

He was afraid that the Huns would run away, so he abandoned the entire northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, left Qiuzi and Weili, and ran to the basin in the hinterland of the Western Regions, curling up, just as they had done in the past.

If he can't beat it, he shrinks his head and curls up like a turtle in the protection of mountains and deserts.

Even if the Han army has three heads and six arms, it is helpless.

Although, in theory, the probability of the current Huns making such a choice is extremely low.

Because, the Western Regions is not Mobei.

Mobei is full of deserts, Gobi, plateaus, and frozen soil, and the Han army occupies it in vain, and sooner or later it will have to be returned to the Huns.

But the Western Regions is different.

The countries of Loulan, Cheshi, and Pu are all semi-agricultural and semi-nomadic areas.

The Kingdom of Loulan gradually transformed into an agricultural city-state kingdom.

And like Qiuzi, Weili, and Yanluxe, they are the traditional farming areas of the Western Regions.

If the Xiongnu gave up these territories, the Han family would take root in these places, and then build cities, fortresses, post roads, and side walls according to the direction of mountains and rivers.

In this way, the Xiongnu's abandonment is equivalent to sending a piece of fat meat into the mouth of the Han family.

It is no less than giving up the entire northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains!

If Li Guangli had seen such an opportunity in the past, he would have laughed so much that his teeth would have fallen out.

But now, he can't be happy!

Among the general's military exploits, it is important to expand the territory, but more important is the number of beheadings!

This is the most intuitive and objective criterion!

is like the twin stars of the previous generation, Wei Qing Huo Qu's disease, why does the world have a higher evaluation of Huo Qu's disease?

Isn't it Huo Quai's beheadings that crushed Wei Qing?

Now it's also average.

Li Guangli knew that his competitors, with no more than 2,000 Changshui Captain cavalry, as well as miscellaneous soldiers such as the Flying Fox Army, Captain Wuheng, and Wuheng Yicong, then sealed the wolf Juxu Mountain, beheaded and captured tens of thousands, seized millions of cattle and sheep, more than 100,000 war horses, and no gold and jade.

To stabilize the position, there is only a comparable number of beheadings.

At the very least, you have to behead and capture more than 20,000 prisoners to be able to compete with it!

Therefore, Li Guangli couldn't help but be in a hurry, he even couldn't wait to rush to Luntai immediately, and then block the escape of the main force of the Huns.

It's a pity that he can't!

Because, beside him, it was Wang Mang, the protector of the Western Regions, who was sent by the Son of Heaven to 'supervise' him.

Wang Mang still held the edict of the Son of Heaven in his hand, and he stared at the marching speed and distance of his army every day.

This made Li Guangli really helpless, and he was very irritable, but there was no way to deal with it!

In the Han Dynasty, no one dared to disobey the edict of the Son of Heaven, let alone disobey the majesty of the Son of Heaven's envoy.

As a result, the army could only move forward little by little.

Moreover, with the exception of a scout of several hundred people, the range of activity of all troops was limited to three hundred miles.

The army was like a chess piece, moving step by step, and more than 100,000 people, including baggage, were tightly hugged.

So, the ghosts and gods were changed, and the Huns looked at the wind and left.

The scouts reported that the Xiongnu had not only given up Luntai now, but even Wei Li might have given up.

This made Li Guangli anxious to have a heart attack.

Because, Wei Li is the important town of the Xiongnu in the Western Regions, second only to Qiuzi and Yanluxe, and it is also the barrier of Yanluxe where the Xiongnu Richai King's lair is located.

If the Xiongnu even gave up on Wei Li, it would almost be tantamount to declaring that they intended to withdraw the entire northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains before winter came, and only defend at a few key strategic points.

Once the Huns did this, Li Guangli knew that his painstakingly planned expedition might not have any results.

All the responsibility for the fall of Luntai will be borne by himself!

The things over there will also be a list.

When the time comes, I am afraid that he will be charged with countless crimes on his head.

Whether he is dead or alive depends on the mood of the Son of Heaven and whether others are willing to let him go?

Li Guangli hates this kind of situation where fate cannot be autonomous!

From the time his two eldest brothers were sentenced for their crimes, he knew that he must control his own destiny and must not be manipulated and arranged by others at will, otherwise, the end would be unimaginable!

It doesn't matter if you die, the whole family will have to be unlucky!

Even the ancestors were implicated, and they couldn't live in peace under the Nine Springs!

"General!" Li Guangli's henchman Li Duo rode his horse, turned over and dismounted, and said, "Northland County Emergency!" ”

Li Guangli stretched out his hand to take the bamboo slip sent by Li Duo, opened the sealing mud, took out the note in it, took a look, and his face immediately changed suddenly!

There was only one sentence on the note - Captain Changshui and the Flying Fox Army were ordered to arrive in the Northland.

The words are short, but the information revealed is huge!

Captain Changshui and the Flying Fox Army, now everyone knows that they are the people of the Eagle Yang Department!

At least for the time being, the command of these two troops is directly under the unformed General Yingyang Mansion.

In the future, they are likely to follow that General Yingyang, build an army independently, and become the elite under his command.

Just like the elite cavalry under Li Guangli, they were all formed on the basis of the original elite of the Northern Army.

In other words, the sudden appearance of these two troops in Beidi County at this delicate and sensitive time is tantamount to telling Li Guangli that the attitude of the Son of Heaven is already a little impatient.

If you think about it, that Your Majesty has always been such a person.

He has a quick temperament, and sometimes he is in a hurry!

Back then, Li Ling's corps was defeated at Junji Mountain, because he constantly urged and pressured.

Otherwise, Li Ling's corps may not have gone out of the fortress, and it is even more impossible for it to go deep alone without war horses, and on the basis of lack of guidance and intelligence support, it crashed headlong into the encirclement of the main force of the Xiongnu.

"Your Majesty, it's really ......" Li Guangli pondered for a long time, and finally sighed: "With good intentions, you can see thousands of miles!" ”

He rolled up the note, crumpled it, and threw it in the wind.

Now, he's in a prisoner's dilemma.

Ahead, the main forces of the Huns, there are signs of retreat.

Later, competitors are eyeing each other, and there is even the supervision of the Son of Heaven's envoy.

Wang Mang has never interfered with his command these days, and he has rarely even spoken.

However, Li Guangli knew that if he dared to speed up the army and break away from the deployment of the Son of Heaven, the envoy might use the Edict of the Son of Heaven to relieve him of his military power, or put him under house arrest.

It's unlikely, but it's not impossible.

Even if he doesn't, Wang Mang returns to Beijing and makes a small report, and his impression on the Son of Heaven is probably about to fall to the bottom!

Therefore, Li Guangli could only endure the sorrow in his heart, and did not even dare to show the slightest thought, lest it fall into Wang Mang's ears and reach the ears of the Son of Heaven, and become a 'resentful villain', a pampered and arrogant 'relative'.

These two labels are equivalent to in the Han Dynasty: looking for death!

Forcibly suppressing the mania in his heart, Li Guangli said to Li Duo in a deep voice: "Go and ask Wang Duhu to come, I want to discuss the military situation with Duhu!" ”

"No!" Li Dogong stepped back.

Half an hour later, Wang Mang took Chang Hui and others to Li Guangli.

"General Second Division is well!" Wang Mang saluted: "What did the unknown general call me?" ”

"Du Hu, please come forward and ......," Li Guangli invited with a smile.

Wang Mang stepped forward and came to Li Guangli's side. Li Guangli turned to look at the other side of the Nanhe River in the distance, and said with great feelings: "I led the army to expedition to Dawan in Taichu Chuchu, and crossed this Nanhe River. ”

"So, when I returned to the division, I resolutely ordered the army to cross the Nanhe, destroy Luntai, break Qiuzi and Weili, and deter the Western Regions!"

That was the highlight moment of Li Guangli's life!

The Han army was separated by more than 10,000 miles, pressing a large country with tens of thousands of armor on the ground and rubbing it, forcing it to kill the king and surrender, and pledge the prince, with the Han Tianzi as the suzerain, and pay tribute on time.

He also seized a large number of gold, pearls, jade and gemstones, captured tens of thousands of prisoners of war, and made outstanding contributions to the prosperity of Chang'an Flower Street Willow Lane - to this day, there are still orchids brought back in Flower Street and Willow Lane. And on the way back to the division, he killed chickens and monkeys, slaughtered Luntai, broke Guizi and Wei Li, and frightened the countries of the Western Regions to kneel on the ground and shout Dad, send their princes to Chang'an, and bow to the Son of Han Tianzi.

It's a pity that since then, Li Guangli has begun to reverse the water.

Every time, it was a little bit worse, and in the end, it fell short.

The Battle of Tianshan and the Battle of Yuwushui are the third large-scale sorties.

As the saying goes: nothing more than three.

If he can't get any more benefits this time, Li Guangli knows that no one will be willing to give him another chance!

As a result, the mood was sighing and emotional, and the emotions in my chest turned a thousand times.

Wang Mang looked at Li Guangli's expression, wisely chose to be silent and listened quietly.

I heard Li Guangli say: "Now, another opportunity has appeared!" ”

Li Guangli pointed to the front and said: "The scout reports that the main force of the Huns has completely withdrawn from the range of Luntai and retreated in the two directions of Weili and Qiuzi. ”

He turned his head, looked at Wang Mang, and asked, "What about the unknown protection?" ”

Wang Mang listened, his face was expressionless, but he shook his head firmly: "The Son of Heaven has an edict, the speed of the general's march should not exceed sixty miles per day, and the distance between the front and end of the army should not exceed three hundred miles. ”

Unlike Li Guangli, Wang Mang does not have any performance pressure.

His mission and purpose are only for one thing - to obey and carry out the orders of the Son of Heaven and to achieve victory.

As for how many beheadings? What are the results?

Does it matter?

Never mind!

Moreover, judging from the situation, as long as the Han army maintains, the Huns will be forced to a corner bit by bit!

When the time comes, they will choose to abandon the entire northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, including the land of Luntai, Yuli, and Qiuzi, and retreat into the hinterland of the Western Regions, in the vast basin south of the Tianshan Mountains.

Or, choose a decisive battle with the main force of the Han army somewhere!

And these two choices, no matter which one the Huns choose, Wang Mang is happy to see.

Li Guangli's proposal, although it looks good.

However, there may be surprises.

Accidents are such things, for Wang Mang, even if the probability is small, it must be avoided!

This is also the character he has cultivated in many years as an official in the court.

Don't take risks, don't rush forward, be faithful to the mission, and strictly implement it.

And that's what the Son of Heaven wants.

When Li Guangli heard this, his face couldn't help but be gloomy, and he felt a little bored with Wang Mang's attitude of not entering.

But, there is no way, Wang Mang is not an ordinary person who can handle it.

He is the envoy of the Son of Heaven, and he is the former Jinwu, who cannot be commanded and subdued by his position.