To the north of Beihai Oblast is the West Siberian Plain and the Rus' Plain.

On this vast plain stretching from the Scandinavian Peninsula in the north to the Tangnu-Ulianghai region in the south, dozens of ethnic groups lived, including Rus, Germanic, Norse whales, and Goths...... Of course, there are only two most important state-level regimes, that is, the Germanic Empire established by the Germanic people and the Xiongnu Kingdom formed by the Huns!

The Germanic Empire was a state founded by the Germanic barbarians, although the Roman Empire and its vassals did not recognize it. In order to gain Roman approval in the fight against the Xiongnu, the Han Empire also did not recognize the legitimacy of the Germanic Empire. The only people who identify with these two countries are the two small states that have lived here for generations, Thurshi and Cai Xiang, north of Xihai State and east of the Caucasus Mountains.

These are the only two countries that survived the struggle for hegemony between the Han and Rome. However, they were able to survive not because the Han and Rome did not have the strength to conquer them, but because they needed to act as a buffer in the middle.

The Germanic Empire was undoubtedly one of the most powerful ethnic groups in the West Siberian and Rus' plains, following the example of the Romans, forming their own political model, and at the same time forming alliances with the various races of Northern Europe, including the Huns, for the sake of their living environment.

However, the main spheres of influence of the Germanic peoples were in the Eastern European Plain and Scandinavia, where only a small portion of the land was held in the West Siberian Plain and the Rus' Plain. And the Huns and Rus' were the real masters of the land.

The Rus' people lived mainly in the Rus' Plain, while the Huns lived in a narrow area from the West Siberian Plain to the Kar Eight Thousand Mountains east of the Caucasus Mountains.

The Germanic people followed the Romans, while the Xiongnu learned from the Han Chinese, and both formed their own states, but because of the lack of material guarantees, the two peoples claimed to be "empires" and "kingdoms". But the essence of the regime is still constituted in the primitive form of the elders of the clan.

In general, these regimes living north of the Han Empire and the Roman Empire, collectively known as "barbarians", were an allied circle!

The Grand League was ethnically based, such as the Germanic and Huns, Rus's and the like; The small alliances were based on the elders of the tribes, such as the prayer elders among the Germanic peoples, the high priests among the Huns, and the left and right virtuous kings.

Strictly speaking, they are very much like the modern United States and the European Union, the United States is the United States, and although there are fifty-one states, each state can actually be regarded as an independent individual. This is especially true of the European Union, where the boundaries between countries remain only on the map. In real life, it is not uncommon for Dutch people to drive to Belgium and Germany to work every day.

Of course, compared to the modern United States and the European Union, the Germanic and Hun did not have a good time, although they recognized each other, and the inhabitants of the lower classes often came and went. Even the land for grazing, hunting and cultivation can be shared, but after all, both are facing two of the largest powers in the world today - formidable powers!

At the same time that the Germans and Huns looked up to Rome and the Great Han. Tu Shi and Cai Xiang, who live in this crack, are actually surviving in fear.

Sudden Shi is better. Its national scope is north of Lake Balkhash and south of the Ural Mountains, which is equivalent to three-quarters of the territory of modern Kazakhstan, with a large area and a population similar to that of the Great Moon Oblast, about five million. The standing force is 100,000.

The saddest of all was Cai Xiang, who was located on the western shore of the Caspian Sea, straddling the Caucasus Mountains north and south, and bordering the Black Sea of the Roman Empire. The territory was the equivalent of modern-day Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the southernmost tip of Russia, with a population of only 3 million and a standing army of less than 70,000. This land is precisely the most fertile land between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea, and the area north of the Caucasus Mountains is a plain, which is often in a passive position against the cavalry corps of the Germanic and Huns.

This dividing line between Asia and Europe, with its fertile land and rich mineral deposits, has always been a battleground for soldiers. When the Han Dynasty opened the frontier holy war, the soldiers of Jin Gongma Chao arrived here, but because of the defeat in the Battle of the Caspian Sea, the Han gave up this land, but the Romans also could not occupy this important place, otherwise the Han would definitely rekindle the war and would inevitably take this place.

It was the competition between the two great powers that Cai Xian was able to breathe, and finally established the country to this day. To this day, Cai Xiangguo still uses the fortifications left by Jin Gongma Chao to resist the attacks of the Germans and Huns.

The fate of the two small states between the Germanic Huns, the Han Dynasty and Rome was extremely tragic. None of these three parties can afford to provoke them, but because of their special location, no one dares to really destroy these two small countries, from this point of view, the life of the royal family of Tu Shi and Cai Xiang is still good. As long as their king pretends to be deaf and dumb when the war is raging on the three sides, he hides in a safe place and does not get hurt by mistake. When the three sides are finished, they will come out again, and they can still continue to be kings.

Now Rome is secretly involved in the rebellion of the Yueshi people, the Yueshi people and the Huns collude with each other, and Rome funds the military operations of the Yue's million-strong army in Beihai Prefecture of the Han Dynasty, providing a large amount of supplies, etc., all of which are related to the attitude of Tushi and Cai Xiang turning a blind eye, and even fueling the flames or secretly helping.

From this point alone, Tu Shi and Cai Xi have become one of the targets of the Han army.

Perhaps seeing the failure of the Yue's military operations in Beihai Prefecture of the Han Dynasty, or perhaps fearing that they would be held jointly and severally responsible by the Han Dynasty afterwards, Tu Shi and Cai Xi secretly sent envoys to the Han in March 1003, hoping to explain to the Han and ask for forgiveness.

But will Dahan really forgive them?

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July 20, 1003. Shen Yun rushed to Jiankun City.

Jiankun City, that is, the Tangnu Ulianghai area. It is a basin surrounded by mountains, with the Sayan Mountains in the north and the Tangnu Mountains in the south. It covers an area of 170,000 square kilometers. There are not many residents, about 100,000 people.

To the north, beyond the Sayan Mountains is the West Siberian Plain, and to the south is Dingbianfu, which is rich in water and grass, which is equivalent to a springboard. Occupying this place, it occupies the initiative in Beihai Prefecture, and it can be attacked and retreated.

However, because the Holy Ancestor had the rule of "no city walls in Xinzhou", there were no particularly strong fortifications in this strategic place, and only a few small castles and watchtowers built between the mountains were used as temporary defense against the enemy.

The rule of "no city walls in Xinzhou" has made the strategic location of Jiankun City a veritable chicken rib. In the past 100 years. The Huns repeatedly entered the Kou, and many times they entered Beihai Prefecture from here.

But because of this regulation, the Han army could easily recover this place - for the Xiongnu, a nomadic people, it was obviously unrealistic to rely on the Sayan Mountains to fight a defensive battle with the Han people, so as to stop the Han army's footsteps northward.

The construction of fortifications is not just a few bricks and stones can form a defense, look at the Great Wall built between the mountains and mountains, you can understand how huge manpower, material and financial resources are needed for a real mountain defense chain in the age of cold weapons!

The Huns occupied this place countless times, but they were beaten out by the Han army countless times, the reason is that they do not have the manpower, material and financial resources, and more importantly, they do not have the time to rely on the Sayan Mountains to build a reliable fortification!

Shen Yun arrived at the Sayan Ridge north of Jiankun City. The Sayan Mountains are trending northwest-southeast. At the northwestern end of the Sayan Mountains, there is a valley called "Chidori-dani", and the mouth of the valley opens to the north, in the shape of a trumpet, and only two people can walk side by side in the valley. Looking up, I saw a glimmer of sky, which was an excellent defensive position. The peaks on both sides of Chidoriga Valley are not high. And the terrain is flat. A battalion of the "Red Fox Division" of the Flying Cavalry was stationed here.

Looking north from the top of the Chidori Valley, you can see the tributaries of the Yenisei River that runs through the entire West Siberian Plain, and the Zolipa Plain in the southern part of the West Siberian Plain (Note 1)!

Of course, the Thousand Bird Valley was not the only way for the Huns to enter the Jiankun region, and the entire Sayan Mountains were criss-crossed by the mountain road, and troops could pass everywhere. Otherwise, the terrain is so dangerous. The Huns only need to send a battalion of soldiers and horses to garrison to resist the 100,000 army of the Han Dynasty.

The main camp of the "Red Fox Division" is not in Chidori Valley, but on the Plain of Origai outside Chidori Valley. Strictly speaking, out of Chidori Valley was not really Han territory - of course, the Han would never recognize this as the territory of the Huns - and stationed troops here. It takes a bit of courage!

When Shen Yun arrived, it was already evening, and the slanting sun shone in the barracks with the sound of fighting, thinking that this was already outside the territory of the Han Dynasty, and the war feelings of "light cavalry is far away, and the general is still fighting a hundred battles" spontaneously arises, adding countless emotions.

However, Shen Yun didn't come to sigh this time. He came to hand over to the Gongye Criminal Office, the former commander of the tribe called "Red Fox" by the Flying Cavalry Guard.

Gongye Punishment, compound surname Gongye, single name and one punishment, the word Qingshan. The surname Gongye is very ancient, and it is almost on a par with the first surname in China - "Ji". Of course, "Gongye" came from the canonization of the emperor surnamed "Ji", there is no doubt about it.

And this man is as old as this surname - he is fifty-two years old this year!

For a cavalry commander, fifty-two years old is a veritable old age. According to the military regulations of the Han Empire, the age of the cavalry generals on the front line cannot exceed forty-five, and those with special circumstances must be reported for verification, and the maximum age cannot exceed fifty-five! Gongye punishment can be regarded as a special among the special. So far, he has submitted a total of four applications for postponement of retirement, and each time there is only one reason - there is no suitable commander to lead the "Red Fox Department"!

In fact, the "Red Fox Division" is indeed an extremely special existence among the Flying Guards. "Fox" symbolized cunning and flexibility in ancient China. And add a "red" in front of the word "fox", which shows that this "fox" is not only cunning and flexible, but also extremely aggressive!

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It is well known that although the countries of the Central Plains noticed the strong potential of cavalry as early as the battle of Qin and Zhao Changping, they were not able to fully exploit the mobility and flexibility of cavalry until the early days of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.

In the early war between Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and the Huns, although the Han Empire used the method of fighting against the Huns, it was only chasing the cavalry with cavalry to avoid the embarrassment that the two legs of the Mengtian army could not catch up with the four legs of the Huns during the Qin Empire.

From the beginning of the Battle of Mayi, Wei Qing, the general of the Han Empire, has always used the infantry to oppress the living space of the Huns, and then used the mode of cavalry battle to fight against the Huns. This mode of squeezing the living space and finally holding a cavalry battle did not give full play to the mobility and flexibility of the cavalry, and the facts also proved that this way of playing was to injure the enemy by one thousand and lose eight hundred, and the war horses accumulated by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty in the early years were consumed during that time, and the entire empire also carried a huge economic burden.

Until the appearance of the hussar general Huo Quai. It was only at this moment that the mobility and flexibility of the Han cavalry were brought into full play, and it was only at this moment that the Huns felt real fear. Thousands of miles of raids, Jedi encirclement and annihilation, deep behind enemy lines, non-stop fighting...... Huo Quzhi's tactics completely changed the strategic confrontation between the Han and Hungarian armies, and also led to the complete collapse of the Huns.

But it is a pity that the amazing and glamorous hussar general Huo Qu died of illness at the age of 24, and his tactics were only short-lived, and he did not leave a systematic tactical theory. Future generations can only continue to recall the irreproducible glory from the allusion of "sealing the wolf Juxu...... However, a thousand years after Huo Qu's death, the Mongols reproduced this method of warfare and carried it forward! They extended the agility and mobility of cavalry to the pinnacle of the Cold Weapon Age, and with the help of this tactic, they conquered the world at that time!

In this time and space, until the time of the Holy Ancestor's death. No one in the whole world really valued the mobility and flexibility of cavalry either. Even if the Holy Ancestor was a traverser, he understood that the true power of cavalry lay in the constant advance. Constantly interspersed. Constant detours...... However, neither the Central Plains nor the later Frontier Holy War of the Three Kingdoms gave him the opportunity to demonstrate such advanced tactics.

There was no way, after the reunification of the Han Empire at that time, it was instilled with an advanced ideological system of a thousand years by the Han Shengzu, and reformed the economic system, political system, and military system...... A series of reforms allowed the Han Empire to crush all the civilizations in the world at that time with an unprecedented huge advantage, and made the whole world frantically learn the Han culture! No matter how you fight. The Han army is in absolute superiority, in this case, does it still matter how to use cavalry?

The answer, of course, is no.

In the process of opening up the frontier, the Han Dynasty was building roads. Take the castle strategy to wage a half-century-long war of conquest. For the agricultural civilization dominated by Confucianism, Huo Quzhi's set has always been too elegant, too swords, and not advocated by orthodox thought, so when opening up the frontier, the dominant mode of war is Wei Qing's set of tactical play - first use infantry to compress the enemy's living space, and then look for opportunities to launch a cavalry battle, and fight to the death!

If the Han civilization had not appeared as a bully at that time and swept all civilizations in the world, and if the Han Empire had been able to encounter an opponent who would defeat this set of tactics in the Holy War of Frontier - the Romans had not actually defeated the Han army - if there had been these ifs, perhaps the cavalry would have made a qualitative leap in combat methods.

But it's all if. The military prestige of the Han Empire is admired by the world, the soldiers of the Han Army have created the glory of the world's military history, their prestige has spread all over the world, and their achievements are unparalleled! While standing at the top of the world for 500 years, the Han army also deeply established the operational idea of "infantry compression, cavalry battle" in the depths of its heart.

This comes back to the philosophical question, will you still have the motivation to innovate when the world is imitating you?

Of course, there are still innovations, but in terms of weapon research and development and scientific and technological equipment, they have not yet involved the mind and soul......

At this moment, when hot weapons are far from being able to appear on the stage of history, the innovation of cavalry application will be an important weight to dominate the trend of future warfare!

Before, Shen Yun didn't think of this, but after the Battle of Zimu, when Shen Yun realized that Rome would be the most powerful enemy of the Han Empire, he figured out this joint - the combat mode of the Han Empire must be changed! The application of cavalry must be adjusted! Otherwise, sooner or later, the current glory and glory of the Han Empire will disappear, just like the many great dynasties that were once flourishing in his time and space, and will eventually become the dust of history!

What's even more terrifying is that due to the intervention of the Han Shengzu, the era of globalization has come early, once the Han Empire undergoes earth-shaking upheaval, it will never be a simple change of dynasty, the Romans, the caliphs and even the Indian Asan will intervene in China's affairs, and then it will not be a simple empire collapse, but the decline of the entire race......

This must not happen!

Shen Yun did not have the consciousness of being a savior, and the current Han Empire was far from the point of extinction, but as a traverser, Shen Yun knew that he had to do something for this great era, and the change of cavalry tactics was his goal at this time!

Of course, in Huanghuang Dahan, countless talented people with lofty ideals have realized something, and many people are trying to find a way to innovate. Among the many people Shen Yun encountered, Hou Jian of the Third Legion was undoubtedly the representative of this kind of innovation.

But Shen Yun also saw that Hou Jian's innovation not only did not form a system, but was not liked by popular culture, and was even excluded. It is still difficult for an imperial general to change the concept of the world, what can he Shen Yun do?

To change this, you have to be power! Greater power!

So Shen Yun came.

However, before coming to the "Red Fox Department", Shen Yun also realized that he may have found another representative of innovation, that is, the fifty-two-year-old "Red Fox Department" commander, Gongye Punishment!

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Note 1: "Separation and Reform" is the earliest name for the Tangnu Wulianghai region in Chinese history books. The Tang Dynasty called this area Dubo, and the Yuan Dynasty called it Balbasi. The title Tangnu Ulianghai was started in the Qing Dynasty. Here the "separation and change" has been moved a little north, which is hereby explained. (To be continued......)

PS: The beginning of a new volume, it is the night of the full moon of the Mid-Autumn Festival, I wish you all a family reunion and happiness! I'm alone in the field, and I only have code words to spend this Mid-Autumn Festival! Please vote for it! Thank you!