When Sima Shu was inspecting all parts of Jiangdong non-stop, the imperial court was not idle, and the government affairs were handled by their own cabinet, so there was no need to elaborate. In terms of military affairs, under the auspices of Zu Ti, the imperial court opened the prelude to the westward expedition of the army, and with a letter of dispatch order to various places, the Xiang army began to move westward on a large scale.

The movement of the Jin army also caused a shock in the grassland, because after Tuoba Biyan received the support of the Great Jin, he could not have an advantage in the following battle. For this reason, Tuoba Pugen aimed the next attack target at the Western Regions, and in order to enhance his own strength, Tuoba Pugen has sent Shile as the vanguard to command 50,000 cavalry into the Western Regions.

But just when he wanted to attack, the Great Jin Xiang army moved westward on a large scale, which caused considerable panic in Tuoba Pugen. Over the years, through the battle between the open and the covert, Tuoba Pugen has long known that there is a huge gap between the Tuoba tribe and the Great Jin, otherwise he would not be in a hurry to take the Western Regions to increase his strength.

In order to seize the Western Regions before the Great Jin Dynasty, Tuoba Pugen urgently ordered the Shile army to quickly advance to the Western Regions, while he continued to reorganize the tribes, and successively collected another 100,000 troops, preparing to advance into the Western Regions again after the Shile Department. So far, the Xianbei people have gathered a total of 150,000 troops in order to conquer the Western Regions, and the troops are directly aimed at Gaochang County, Qiuzi, Yanqi, Cheshi and other countries in the northern Western Regions.

In the thirteenth year of Hongwu, in the spring and first month, Tuoba Dadan Yu Tuoba Pugen Baishile was the envoy and the governor of the military forces in the Western Regions, and Ma Qiu, Wang Yang, Zhixiong, Lu Ming, Huyanmo and other generals led 50,000 ironclad cavalry to Mobei and embarked on a long journey of expedition to the Western Regions.

The spring is cold. Mobei was still shrouded in icy cold. Perhaps no one would have thought that this would be the day of farewell between the two of them, since Shile advanced into the Western Regions, he never had the opportunity to set foot on the land of Mobei again, and never returned to his hometown of Jinyang in the Central Plains.

Shi Le took with him the last elite cavalry of the Ta Clan, which was consumed in the Western Regions War step by step in the following months. Of course, it is impossible to stop the elite of the Qiang tribe with the strength of the local people in the Western Regions alone, but at this time, the Great Jin is also ready to recover the Western Regions, how can the Xiang army watch Shi Le snatch his own fruits.

Although he knew that the Great Jin would intervene in the Western Regions, Shi Le still embarked on the road of the Western Expedition without hesitation. Once the army is opened, it is difficult to turn back. Shile, who was marching along the steppe, had already begun to draw up a military plan for the westward expedition.

The focus of Shile's army was Yanqi and Qiuci (in the area of present-day Kuqa County, Xinjiang), which was located in the western part of the Western Regions. The two oasis countries simply could not stop the Xianbei people's westward expedition.

In order to lay down the Western Regions. Tuoba Pugen and Shileko were well prepared. The food supply was sufficient, and the Western Regions countries were relatively scattered and lacked cavalry troops. Difficult to fight against the powerful cavalry. If you want to fight, there must be another force, and the countries of the Western Regions have no choice but to temporarily ask for help from the Great Jin Western Regions Changshi Mansion in the face of the powerful cavalry.

There is no love for no reason, and there is no war for no reason. There is a way to make a fortune in the Western Regions, and whoever controls the Western Regions will have inexhaustible wealth. Tuoba Xianbei wants to dominate the Western Regions and monopolize the Silk Road. The countries of the Western Regions felt a lot of pressure, and had no choice but to ask for help from Ma Xian, the general of the Great Jin Dynasty stationed in the Western Regions, but Ma Xian refused the countries of the Western Regions on the grounds that the Jin army was not ready.

It's not that Ma Xian doesn't value the Western Regions, but he knows that this is the best time to clean up the forces of the countries in the Western Regions, and the Privy Council of the Great Jin Dynasty has set a plan to drive away the wolf and the tiger after receiving the information that Tuoba Xianbei is advancing westward.

Not to mention that the Great Jin Dynasty still did not move, just to say that Shi Le commanded the troops to the Western Regions. Everything must be planned, "everything is foreseen, and everything is not foreseen." Schler, of course, understands this. There are three routes in the entire Western Regions: the South, the Middle and the North. From Yangguan, through Ruoqiang, along the north foot of Kunlun Mountain westward, that is, the south road; From Dunhuang west out of Yumen Pass, along the Shule River to the west into the prison sea (now Lop Nur) is the middle road; From the new Yumen Pass, through the Wuchuan moraine (Moheyan moraine) to Gaochang (that is, the present-day Turbo area) is the north road.

Shi Le's army was to attack the northern countries of the Western Regions led by Qiuzi and Yanqi in the northern part of the Tarim Basin, and the strength of the Great Jin Dynasty in the southern Western Regions was relatively strong, so Shi Le would not choose the southern route. So do you choose the middle or the north way? All the generals under Shi Le's command suggested that he choose the north road, and the north road would directly take the chariot master and Yanqi.

However, in the face of the vast yellow sand and unfamiliar territory, Schler drew up a bold military plan. After entering the Western Regions, detour south to the middle road and head towards Lop Nur. You must know that the head of the sea on the west coast of the prison sea (now Lop Nur) in the middle of the Western Regions is the residence of the Great Jin Dynasty Western Regions Changshi Mansion, and all the generals thought that once they invaded the prison sea area, it would definitely cause a backlash from the Great Jin Dynasty.

However, Shi Le insisted on taking the middle way, and when he led the army to the northeast shore of the prison sea, the Xiang army located west of the prison sea did not make a radical reaction. All the generals were puzzled, only Kui An understood the deep meaning, he explained to the generals: "The general insists on taking the middle way, precisely because he sees through the Jin people and is eyeing the Western Regions, they wish we could sweep away the local forces in the Western Regions, how can they take the initiative to attack us?" ”

While resting his army with peace of mind, Shile called for troops and horses in the local area with great fanfare, and declared that he would continue to advance westward. At the same time, a strange order was given to cross the Peacock River to the north, cross the Kuruktag Mountains, and march towards the Cheshi. The sergeants were stunned, and the lords of the Western Regions were even more inexplicable.

The generals clamored and came to the big tent together, Ma Qiu frowned and asked: "General, since we have reached the prison sea and the Jin army is turning a blind eye to us, then we should take the opportunity to attack Yanqi and Qiuzi to the west, but why don't we march directly along the Peacock River Valley to the northwest, but go north to the Cheshi?" ”

"That's right, General, there is a tall and arid Kuruktag Mountain Range between Shanshan and Cheshi, and there is still 300 miles of quicksand between Cheshi and Yanqi. Without a guide who is familiar with geography, it will be difficult for our army to pass there! ”

In Ma Qiu's opinion, it is less than 1,000 miles along the Peacock River to Yanqi Kingdom, and it is about 1,500 miles to cross Kuruktag and then turn to Yanqi Kingdom, so reluctant to seek far, isn't it funny? Everyone looked at Shi Le, a famous general, could it be that their brains were in the water?

Shi Le smiled slightly, only said one sentence, and everyone stopped laughing. It's not that people lack hearts, but that they are too stupid.

"Sound from east to west!" This is an ordinary ploy that cannot be more ordinary, and it cannot be more ancient. The way of using soldiers seems simple, but in fact, it is ever-changing. According to the principle of conventional warfare, it is true that we should not give up the near and seek the far, but a true military strategist knows how to use troops in a way that "takes a detour as a straight line and a hardship as a benefit."

Advancing westward from the Peacock River, the enemy must be prepared and vulnerable to the flanking attacks of Yanqi and Qiuzi. From Lop Nur to the north of the Cheshi, rest in the Cheshi country, out of the quicksand 300 miles to the capital of Yanqi State, but the odd army wins.

After some rectification, Shile recruited 10,000 Cheshi troops, plus a total of 60,000 soldiers and horses from his headquarters to cross the quicksand.

The army walked all the way through the desert sea, and the vast desert has its devilish side and its angelic side. The wind is blowing, the yellow sand is long, the sun is dark, the hot wind is blowing, the yellow sand is covered with heads, and the four distances are vast, and I don't know where it is. As the sun sets, the temperature drops suddenly, and the cold hits people, and the soldiers wrap their bodies in felt and take shelter on the fine sand.

Looking up at the sky, the sky is like a wash, the stars are brilliant, the Milky Way and the nebula have never been so clear. After five days, the army traveled more than 300 miles in the desert, looking around, there was still a piece of quicksand, and there was not much water left, and the soldiers looked at each other.

Shi Le encouraged the soldiers: "Ben General heard that the Han general Li Guangli went west in the past, and he went with sincerity, and the flying spring gushed out, didn't we sincerely move the heavens and the earth?" Heaven will help, and you don't need to worry. ”

The desert climate was indeed unexpected, and as soon as Shiler's voice landed, heavy rain poured down, and the ground was three feet flat. The morale of the army was greatly boosted, and they crossed the desert in one go, and the soldiers reached the capital of Yanqi.

King Yanqi was shocked, the elite of the country were all in the upper reaches of the Peacock River, and he never expected that 50,000 cavalry of the Qian tribe would suddenly emerge from the desert. Ascending the city and looking at it, the flag covers the sun, thousands of horses gallop, black-clothed soldiers, swords and guns like a forest. King Yanqi hurriedly ordered Kaesong to surrender, and all the kingdoms east of Qiuci surrendered, and Shile led the victorious army to cross the wheel platform and advance to Qiuci.

Bai Chun, the king of Qiuci, relied on the support of Wusun behind him, and moved all the residents outside the city into the city of Qiuci King. The strong wall is clear, and it is stubborn and waiting for help. In order to stabilize the hearts of the army and break the enemy's fighting spirit, Shi Le played psychological warfare, saying that he had a dream in which a golden elephant flew over the city of Qiuzi. The people of the Western Regions worship Buddha, and Shi Le interprets the dream and says: "The golden elephant is the Buddha God, and the Buddha God who blesses the Qiuzi country is gone, and they will definitely perish." As a result, the morale of the army was excited, and the soldiers enthusiastically attacked the city.

Of course, Wusun couldn't sit idly by, the king's younger brother led 100,000 cavalry, led the kings of Wensu, Weitou and other vassal countries in the Western Regions, and combined more than 300,000 troops to save Qiuzi.

Decisive battle! Hearing that the enemy was coming, Schle seized the fighter plane and immediately issued an order for a decisive battle, but none of the generals agreed with the suggestion of the commander Schle. If you double it, you will attack it, and the art of war is clear. Only twice the enemy's strength can attack, let alone one-fifth. All the generals believed that only by defending, forming a camp, and not being able to defend it, could there be hope.

The art of war is dead, people are alive, if you follow the script, you can win, and nerds are the best military strategists. Therefore, Shi Le scoffed at the tactics of stubborn defense, and he patiently analyzed to the generals at the military meeting: "The enemy is outnumbered, our army is trapped in the camp, if the enemy is attacked inside and outside, he will divide his troops to resist, and the forces will be scattered, how is it a good strategy to break the enemy!" (To be continued......)