In ancient and modern times, in China and abroad, the motive for launching a national war, no matter what high-sounding reasons or excuses there are, in the final analysis, are only driven by interests.

This kind of thing, perhaps most of the people can't see through the relationship, but for the temple decision-makers, they are all well aware of it.

Of course, there are also many wars that have been initiated, and there will be inexplicable ones, and the results will naturally outweigh the losses. These rash actions for the sake of the emperor's selfish desires or the battle of wills were denounced by Yuan Zhao as "blind wars"!

He hated these acts of sacrificing tens of thousands of soldiers in vain just to achieve the ambitions of a certain person or an interest group. In the 5,000-year history of China, there are countless such things! Even today, who is known for his "wise and martial arts", cannot avoid it. He had to prevent this from happening in advance.

Everyone has their own ambitions, big or small, Yuan Zhao is a human being, not a god, and he is certainly no exception. If there is any difference between his ambition and that of the people of the world, it is that he does not want all his hard work to become a tool for personal desires and internal struggles in the future, and no one, including the emperor, can do it!

From making decisions in the temple to returning triumphantly, every national war, no matter how big or small, can be regarded as a victory in terms of politics, economy, and military affairs, and only when it obtains war dividends that are several times, more than ten times, or even dozens of times the cost of waging a war. As for the spiritual victories of those who shout slogans that seem to be false and empty and deceive themselves, to hell with them!

These thoughts, from a very early age, Yuan Zhao has been quietly instilled in the people around him imperceptibly, and the results are remarkable. No, listening to his explanation of the upcoming war in the Western Regions, everyone held their breath and listened carefully.

Nie Yi's sideburns have added a few wisps of gray, and following in the footsteps of Yuan Zhao in the past few years, the Nie family has already grown into a real No. 1 wealthy family in Jiangbei. Although he is getting older, but at this moment, looking at the majestic Yuan Zhao in his gestures, the head of the Nie family feels that he will follow him for another ten years, and there is absolutely no problem.

"Brother Yuan, don't worry, as long as our Han army opens up the passage to the Western Regions, the commodity trade between the Central Plains and the countries of the Western Regions will be carried out according to your arrangement, and it will definitely not be wrong. Hehe! ”

To this point, there are not many people who can still call Yuan Zhao "Brother Yuan". And Nie Yi is one of them, they are all people who met Yuan Zhao in Weishi. It's a kind of intimacy that comes from the heart, and it is a friendship that is cemented after experiencing life and death together.

"After returning to Chang'an this time, we can start to prepare. If the time is ripe, I think that the beginning of spring next year, when the ice and snow melt, will be the best time for the army to march westward! ”

Hearing Yuan Zhao finally say this in an affirmative tone, everyone's eyes lit up. They glanced at each other, and they all understood Yuan Zhao's intention of revealing this news to them in advance.

Cao Xiang and Gongsun Rongnu quietly clenched their fists, that is to say, the coming winter is the best time for large-scale military training. They believed that once the imperial court officially announced the order for the western expedition, the Black Eagle Army would be able to seize this opportunity among all the Han troops. The real battlefield charge is coming!

Zhang Qian's heart was also full of blood, and he clearly remembered what Yuan Zhao had said to him.

"War is the beginning of politics, and politics is the continuation of war!"

When the time comes, where the Han soldiers are heading and where the horses' hooves have stepped on, there will be a bargain between them and the countries of the Western Regions, and people like themselves will need to come out. This is exactly what I like to do, the world is vast, and there is a lot to do!

The expression on Nie Yi's face remained unchanged, but his heart was already like Jiang Xin's waves tumbling endlessly. The Nie family has been a businessman for generations, and has also dealt with merchants in the Western Regions, so they naturally know how profitable this kind of cross-regional and cross-border commodity circulation is!

Nie Yi is not a greedy person, he deeply understands that this huge cake needs many people to digest. And the Nie family, as long as they occupy the most abundant small piece of it, it is enough. As long as you seize this opportunity, the opportunity to build a century-old family will be implemented immediately! This is also the intention of Yuan Zhao to reveal the news to him in advance.

"War is for politics and economics. The soldiers of the Han Dynasty went to open the situation, opened the way with blades and crossbow arrows, and achieved honor and merit. The fruits left behind will need to be absorbed and digest......ed by political and economic means. I want to practice this model in detail in the process of opening up the Western Regions Passage to see if it can achieve good results. If feasible, this model can be followed in future foreign wars. Therefore, after next spring, the success or failure of this first western expedition against the western Xiongnu will be crucial ....... ”

"Yuanhou, what do you mean...... Will the Western Regions War be fought many times? ”

"Of course, although most of the countries in the Western Regions have good intentions towards the Han Dynasty, there are also many people who are of the same heart as the Xiongnu. Loulan, Xiqiang and Dawan, these are the representatives. This time, you have also experienced it yourself, although they do not have many troops, they are all murderous people, killing people and goods, and they are used to it. In the future, these countries need to be cracked down, and they must be severely made to taste the bitterness, and they will be tamed from the heart. You have to remember that. ”

Although it was impossible to see the sharp glint in Yuan Zhao's eyes in the night, from his tone, the meaning of iron and blood was already clear.

"Yuanhou rest assured! We are never soft on our enemies! Hahaha! ”

"These small countries, where are the opponents of our Black Eagle Army! It's not that my Gongsun Rongnu is bragging in front of the little marquis, as long as I am in command of 5,000 soldiers and horses, it will be okay to sweep the Western Regions! ”

The iron cone general, who was born with a burly figure, drank the wine in the jug in his hand in one gulp, patted his chest, and made a guarantee.

Yuan Zhao smiled faintly and motioned for him to sit down and not get excited. Sending troops to expedition to the Western Regions is a sure thing, but what he wants is not the current Black Eagle Army, but has other plans.

"I'm talking about a lot of battles to be fought in the future, but it's not just about this one place in the Western Regions. According to the news from different channels, the Xiongnu royal court on the northern grassland has been preparing for war for a long time, and after this winter at the latest, they are going south again, and the first battle to start may be from outside the Yanmen Pass! ”

Seeing Yuan Zhao stretch out his hand and point to the north, everyone's hearts tightened. The Huns are the real enemies! If there is a big war, it will not be too easy, it will be a cruel war.

"Therefore, the future enemy of the Black Hawk Army should be the Hun cavalry due north. As for the Western Regions...... Hehe! At that time, perhaps the imperial court and His Majesty the Emperor have other arrangements. ”

Speaking of this, Yuan Zhao stopped talking and stopped talking. After all, he sold out and didn't say what he was going to do. It wasn't because of any other concerns, but because there were things he wanted to say to the person he was talking to.

The wine had been drunk, the river breeze was getting colder, and when he turned around, Yuan Zhao said one last word to Zhang Qian.

"The cultural essence of the countries of the Western Regions also has many merits. When you go to the Western Regions in the future, you should collect more books and collections and other things, which are priceless treasures compared to gold, silver and jewelry. Brother Zhang, please keep this matter in mind, Chang'an College on Changle Plateau is about to be completed, and these are extremely useful. Hehe! ”

Yuanhou commanded, and Zhang naturally kept it in mind. We must live up to the trust! Zhang Qian bowed down to receive the order and remembered it firmly.

The river is surging, how many human stories have been studied, and how many countries have risen and fallen in this endless day and night! After everyone dispersed, Yuan Zhao still sat on the bow of the boat, silently thinking about what to do next.

The sage Confucius was on the river, and when he saw the river flowing eastward day and night, rushing endlessly, he couldn't help but sigh, "The deceased is like a husband, reluctant to give up day and night!" ”

In Yuan Zhao's mind, Confucius's state of mind at that time, he now understands a little. I think that at that time, this sage must have looked up and looked down at the heavens and the earth, and then looked at the flowing water in the river, so he had a feeling. He thought of the movement of the sun and the moon, the change of day and night, that is, the past day and the day of renovation. Observing all things in heaven and earth, thinking of the flowers blooming and falling, and the changes of the four seasons, it is the past year after year. Heaven and earth are like this, and there are no exceptions to the things that happen to those who are born between heaven and earth. Since birth, people have grown from young to strong, from strong to old, and every day they have passed, they have gone for a day, and every year has passed, they have gone for a day. Weeks are like this, the reincarnation begins, but I don't know when it will end.

What I am trying to do now has no meaning in the long course of history? After the passing of his short life, will the efforts he has made and the things that have changed return to his original track and continue the cycle of fate?

Whenever I think of this, even a character like him who has known the situation for thousands of years feels a little relieved. Fortunately, all aspects are now developing according to their expectations. This winter, there should be no other major events, and he can prepare for a few major events that will happen next year.

The figure in the white fox fur, although she was already a little sleepy, she didn't want to leave at all. Even if she didn't say anything, it was enough for her to watch him quietly and think about things.

Yuan Zhao, who felt the gaze around him, turned his head, and when he saw the shining eyes in the moonlight, he smiled and was about to praise her again. The wind rose on the river, and there was a faint whistle, which was some kind of message transmitted by the first open boat in the dark night.

Yuan Zhao frowned slightly, and a bad premonition rose in his heart. Sure enough, not long after, a fast boat released by the striker sent people who came from Chang'an overnight to deliver the letter.

The person who came was Zhao Yuan, the leader of the secret force in Yuan Zhao's hands, and he brought the latest news ...... what happened in the Weiyang Palace in Chang'an.