On October 30 of the seventh year of Yuanfeng, in a leeward col near Wuyuan, military tents stood and drums and horns contended.

Wuyuan is located in the upper reaches of Gonglu Water, about 100 miles away from Wolf Juxu Mountain, and only 200 miles away from Shan Yuting a few decades ago.

A few decades ago, he was able to lead his troops to arrive here, and there was no doubt about the marquis.

But after Huo Wei, Shan Yuting moved north several times, so this place is no longer so important.

The 30,000 Han troops led by the former general Han Zeng have been stationed here for more than ten days.

In this season, although it has not snowed yet, Mobei is much colder than Chang'an, and it has reached the point where the water is dripping into ice and the sky is cold.

These days are actually quite good, although it is cloudy, but it is not too cold.

Fifteen days ago, Han Zeng led his troops to the road of the Wuyuan and encountered a cold wave head-on.

On that day, within a radius of hundreds of miles, the temperature plummeted: in three or four days, hundreds of knights were frostbitten and hundreds of horses were killed.

In the vast Gobi, desert and grassland in Mobei, the enemy that the Han army had to watch out for was not only the Huns, but also the ever-changing weather.

Moreover, the latter is even more terrifying.

In this unsheltered Gobi and grassland, when cold snaps and strong winds are raging, people and animals have nowhere to hide.

Only the Huns who had lived here for a long time and the experienced border county veterans could find sheltered valleys and mountain cols.

Fortunately, October is not over yet, although it is already very cold, but as long as the supply is enough, you can still carry it through gritting your teeth.

Since the sixth day of October, a total of 24 days have passed, and Han Zeng led his troops out of the fortress for 1,300 miles before arriving in Wuyuan.

Wuyuan, this place name comes from the Xiongnu language.

Han Zeng didn't know what it really meant, or the Huns who lived here probably couldn't tell what the word meant.

The border scouts who acted as guides told Han Zeng that the wuyuan might be referring to the horseshoe-shaped col or to a small yellow flower on the grassland.

No matter what the word meant, Han Zeng, who led this army, didn't have the heart to think about it.

The reason is very simple, after more than 20 days of being out of the fortress, these tens of thousands of people did not encounter any decent Xiongnu team.

……

At this moment, Han Zeng was pacing back and forth in the big tent of the Chinese army.

Although the Chinese army's big tent is quite spacious, the furnishings are very simple.

In the inner position, there is a simple couch, armor hanging from the suspension, spears, and ring-headed knives.

In the outer position, there are more than a dozen couches and a few cases, and there are only some commonly used pen, ink, paper and inkstones on the cases.

In the middle of the big tent, there is a three-foot square silk map.

It marks the location of the cities in the northern border counties of the Han Dynasty, the trend of important mountains, rivers and lakes in the south and north of the desert, and the places where the Xiongnu often graze and stay.

On this map, there are several marks that are the most conspicuous: the surrendered city, the Rouge Mountain, the Wolf Juxu Mountain, and the Shan Yuting can all be found on it.

Han Zeng held a hu cake in his hand and walked to the map with a solemn face.

He frowned, and while eating bread, he looked at this old map, as if he wanted to find traces of the Huns.

However, until he had eaten the dry and hard bread in his hand, he still had no clue.

The map was revised last year, and many of the dunes, oases, rivers and meadows have been relocated, so you can't go wrong.

However, marching and fighting in Mobei is not enough to have a public opinion.

In this vast desert steppe, if you want to find the Huns and seize the fleeting warplane, you must not only have an accurate map.

You also need to have experienced scouts, you must have a keen and decisive sense of smell of generals, and you must have a little luck from God.

Obviously, this time, Han Zeng lacked some luck.

More than a thousand miles out of the plug, nothing was found.

The place where the 30,000 people passed was unusually quiet and clean, and the Huns who smelled of sheep seemed to have disappeared overnight.

Every time Han Zeng arrived at the place where the troops were stationed, he would immediately send a large number of scouts to the surrounding areas to search for traces of the Huns, but so far nothing has been found.

Take Wuyuan as an example, there are water sources nearby, there are sheltered mountain passes, and there are several pastures suitable for grazing for winter, which is a good place for the Huns to spend the winter.

Han Zeng heard from those scouts who had been working in the border counties all the year round that in previous years, at this time, the few playgrounds near here were simply full of cattle and sheep.

However, Han Zeng's department had stayed here for more than ten days.

During these more than ten days, he had to send hundreds of scouts in all directions every day, but none of them brought back a large number of Huns.

And from the clues, it seems that about a month ago, that is, when several large armies pulled out of Chang'an City, the Huns here had already left.

This is a very strange thing.

The Huns lived nomadically, and one of the big problems they had to face was the problem of wintering.

Every year in October and November, as the temperature in Mobei begins to drop, the Xiongnu will begin to migrate south in order to escape the cold wave that may come at any time.

They would take the opportunity to raid and invade the border counties of the Han Dynasty, and the Han army would also seize the opportunity of the Huns to move south and wait for an opportunity to attack.

Therefore, the time for the Han to use troops is often set in late autumn and early winter.

It's a game of the brave, with winners and losers, depending on who can kill the other with one blow.

Both sides know the dangers, but neither will back down.

When the Huns retreated north, they had to face a terrible cold wave; If the Han army retreats south, it may lose the city and lose the land.

So neither side will back down until the last resort.

But this year, where did the Huns go?

Faced with this situation, not only Han Zeng, who was the main general, was depressed, but the people in the entire camp were very depressed.

When they set out, everyone was full of confidence that it was a war that would be won.

Maybe they can't make immortal feats like the two generals Huo Wei, but there is no problem in cutting off the heads of a few Huns and making military exploits.

But now, the facts before them are nothing.

Come with the excitement and leave with the defeat.

And how can you not be disappointed?

As the main general, Han Zeng is naturally the most pressured.

Ordinary soldiers and even school captains and marquis, as long as they can survive, even if they return without merit, they can accept it, at most they just lose a chance to be knighted for meritorious service.

But for a general like Han Zeng, who is shouldering a heavy burden, returning in vain may be tantamount to a catastrophe.

Every day, thousands of grains and grass are continuously transported to this desert from Yunzhong County and other places, and wherever the army goes, those forced laborers behind them will follow.

Shoulders and hands, people pull horses and packs.

This is an incalculable loss of grain and grass.

Every time a grain convoy arrived at the camp, Han Zeng felt that the pressure on his shoulders was a little heavier.

These are all the people's fat and ointment saved by the people of the world from between their teeth, and they are really ashamed to waste it every day.

When he set out on the expedition, the Son of Heaven even took out money, grain, cloth and silk from the Shaofu to reward them, which also made Han Zeng feel ashamed.

Thinking of the Son of Heaven, Han Zeng was a little lucky, fortunately, the Son of Heaven looked quite benevolent, not as unkind as Emperor Xiaowu, and showed no mercy to the generals who returned in vain.

However, even if he saved his life because of the kindness of the Son of Heaven, this could not make Han Zeng, who was born in the general's house, feel happy.

In the depths of his heart, he has more ambition than others to shine on the lintel.

This year, Han Zeng is already forty-five, if he doesn't grasp the opportunity this time, then where the next opportunity to make meritorious service is, I really can't say.

He has served as a ruling Jinwu, and now he is a former general, and he is already worthy of his ancestors for others.

But for Han Zeng, for the Han family, there is still a long way to go.

Because there have been many big names among Han Zeng's ancestors.

There are fierce generals and traitorous generals, loyal ministers and ministers; Some ascended to high positions, and some died unexpectedly.

The Han family had three ups and downs, and almost participated in all the major events of the Han Empire.

Zhaojian of the Han Dynasty, the rebellion of the king with a different surname, the defeat of the Xiongnu, the rebellion of the seven kings, the battle of Mobei, the rebellion of the witch...... The Han family plays an indispensable role in this.

Han Zeng's great-grandfather was the famous Han Wangxin in the early Han Dynasty.

Although this Han Wang Xin is not as good at fighting as another Han Xin, he was born in a Korean clan and still made military achievements for the Han Dynasty and was named the King of Han.

It's a pity that the birds are exhausted, and the good bow is hidden; Trusted aids are eliminated when they finish their mission.

Han Wangxin was suspicious of Emperor Taizu Gao, and after being besieged by the Xiongnu army, he secretly communicated with them, did bad things, and led his troops to surrender to the Xiongnu.

In the next few years, Han Wangxin became an accomplice of the Xiongnu attack on the Han Dynasty, and raised troops to commit the Han several times.

In the tenth year of Emperor Taizu Gao, when Han Wangxin led his army to attack Han, he was beheaded by the Han general Chai Wu and ended up in disrepute.

More than ten years later, Han Wangxin's concubine Han Yingdang and Han Wangxin's grandson Han Ying led their men and horses back to the Han Empire as Xiongnu Xiangguo.

Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty Long Yan Dayue, Feng Han Ying was named the Marquis of Gong, and Han Ying was named the Marquis of Xiangcheng.

Later, Han Rongdang made great achievements in the rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms, and Emperor Xiaojing praised him as "the three armies of meritorious crowns".

At this point, the Han family has spread out and won a place in the court.

However, it is unlikely that the big families in the Han Dynasty will have smooth sailing.

Han was a grandson of Han Jundang, and his title was cut off; Han Ying's first line was guilty of great disrespect, and his title was also cut.

The Han family gradually returned to the ordinary.

But the family naturally has its heritage, and Han Yandang's two grandsons let the Han family find the light again.

One is Han Zeng's father Han Shuo, and the other is Han Zeng's uncle Han Yan.

Because of the shadow of their ancestors, the two were elected as the Lang officials of Emperor Xiaowu.

Emperor Xiaowu was very fond of Han Yan, and even Han Shuo also won the favor of the Son of Heaven.

Han said that he did not live up to the opportunity brought by his brother, he took the initiative to ask Ying, and followed General Wei Qing to gallop to Mobei as a captain, and made military exploits and was named the Marquis of Long.

A few years later, Han said that he lost his title because of the lack of gold in his offerings.

However, in the sixth year of the Yuan Dynasty, Han Shuo led the troops to fight against Dongyue as a general of Henghai, made great achievements, and was once again named the Marquis of Dao.

However, the fate of the Han family was really ups and downs, and when Han Shuo was on the rise, he was involved in the Witch Gu Rebellion.

Unlike others who were implicated, Han Shuo was the core figure of the Wu Gu Rebellion: Han Shuo, Zhang Gan, Su Wen and others were assigned by Emperor Xiaowu to assist Jiang Chong in searching the East Palace.

Then, the four of them led people to dig up the witch puppet, and the abolished prince Liu raised an army to rebel, and Han Shuo and others were killed.

The Witch Gu Rebellion is an inexplicable disaster, whether it is the side of the abolished prince or the side of Jiang Chong, there is no good end.

Han said that he died inexplicably, and Emperor Xiaowu did not give Han Zeng the title.

Although Han Zeng saved his life, he had to fight in the court again.

In the past twenty or thirty years, Han Zeng started from Lang Guan, and finally came to the high position of the former general, which is much closer to the position of Han Yudang and Han Shuo Fenghou.

Now, in the face of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, how could Han Zeng not want to make a great contribution and shine in the Meimen?

And in addition to this glorious Meimen's ambition, Han Zeng also wanted to wash away the stain left by the Han clan in the witch rebellion.

Although Han said that he was acting on the orders of Emperor Xiaowu back then, he also betrayed General Wei Qing, who had the grace of knowing him, and challenged the deposed prince.

Over the years, no one has spoken ill of Han, but Han Zeng himself has always felt guilty.

He always felt a trace of depression in his heart: if he couldn't express it freely, he could only be depressed.

Therefore, even if Han Zeng held such an important official position as Zhijinwu, he rarely made comments in the court, so that he was regarded as the Huo Party by those who were not familiar with him.

Han Zeng has never spoken out to defend himself.

Han Wangxin betrayed the Han Dynasty and Han said that he "forced to kill" the abolished prince - the two things experienced by the ancestors made Han Zeng know that only by being loyal to the emperor of the Han Dynasty could he achieve a career.

Otherwise, what awaits you can only be ruined.

Han Zeng very much wanted to use a big victory to gain the respect of his courtiers.

And then, now it seems like it's going to backfire.

……

Han Zeng looked at the map again, and there were many marks on the corners and corners around the Wuyuan.

This means that these places have been carefully searched and still found nothing.

Because he had been watching for too long, Han Zeng felt that his eyes were a little swollen, so he walked outside the big tent, wanting to take some breath.

As soon as he lifted the heavy curtain of the big tent, a cold wind blew in his face, mixed with the sound of the golden iron horse unique to the big camp, which lifted Han Zeng's spirit.

"General!" The two soldiers outside the tent saluted with their hands crossed.

"I'll just walk around, you don't have to follow."

"No!"

Although Han Zeng has a barrier in his heart, he is very lenient and strict.

Therefore, the 30,000 horses under his command came from different counties of the Han Dynasty, and he was not familiar with Han Zeng, but he could still be loved by the soldiers.

It was impossible to accommodate an army of 30,000 in one place, so large camps were scattered throughout the valley and beyond.

The yellow and white tents of the felt tents are seen at a glance, like a small hill covered with snow, and it is also a different scene.

Han Zeng walked aimlessly alone in the camp, stopping from time to time to chat with the soldiers.

"Are you eating bean rice or hu cake today?"

"Do you still have enough salt to eat?"

"Do you still have the purpose you brought when you set off, and you must not eat it again when you grow hair?"

"Are the robes warm enough?"

"Remember to apply dog oil or horse oil to your face, so your skin won't crack."

Han Zeng was approachable, and always had a smile on his face that only his own children and nephews had, so no matter where he went, the soldiers were willing to talk to him without any evasion.

But the more Han Zeng looked at these enthusiastic soldiers, the more guilty he felt.

Since the exit of the fortress, Han Zeng's department has killed only more than 600 Huns.

It is a great shame to mobilize the people, but only achieve such a pitiful result.

Han Zeng walked to a camp gate, he did not walk out directly, but stood inside the camp gate with his back hand, looking west at the quiet Gobi.

The kopeck was quiet and vast, so that the sun was as big as it was sinking below the horizon, and the setting sun was as red as rouge.

The "whirring" wind kept blowing, brushing over the fine sand and gravel, making a sound of war horses galloping.

This scene of slaughter and depression is in stark contrast to the lively Guanzhong Sanfu, which makes people feel depressed and hesitant for no reason.

Today is October 30, and the agreed day for the Fifth Route Army to return to the fortress is November 30, so there is still a whole month.

Excluding the days spent on the return trip, Han Zeng's department can still patrol here for more than half a month at most.

This means that there is still more than half a month to look for fighters.

Han Zeng became the main general, and at this last moment, he had to make a new decision.

But he still had some uncertainties.

Is it to deploy the army to slowly return to Yunzhong County and ask for a stable word?

Or do you want the army to go north a little further and ask for a meritorious word?

The former can ask for peace, but they may also be held accountable by the court for avoiding the war and returning in vain.

The latter can make great achievements, but they may encounter more accidents and bear the great sin of not returning.

There are risks in advancing and retreating, and there is a possibility that the soldiers will fall into misfortune - who knows if there will be any Huns prisoners on the way back?

……

Just as Han Zeng hesitated, eight or nine figures appeared in his sight.

With their backs to the setting sun, they galloped in the direction of the camp.

From far and near, a moment later they came to the camp gate - it turned out to be a group of scouts!

These scouts have gone through a long journey, and they must not have been sent out to find the Huns in the past few days.

Han Zeng's eyes lit up.

The letter I sent out seems to have come to fruition!

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(End of chapter)