From Liu Che's words and expression, it can be seen that Liu Zhang has nothing to worry about.

Because he knew the history of the next two thousand years, the only powerful country around the Han Dynasty was the Xiongnu.

Other kingdoms were not to be feared, and Rome was far from the Han Dynasty.

Sending troops on an expedition required a large supply of supplies. Rome was simply unable to conquer some of the great powers of the Western Regions.

The Western Regions relied on the Xiongnu behind them, and the national power of the Han Dynasty continued to rise during this period.

In a few years, the Han Dynasty will be able to reach the peak of its national power.

During this period, Rome was still undergoing military reforms.

"You must be vigilant against the surrounding walls, and you must not be careless."

Liu Che didn't despise his opponent too much, and he had to be on guard.

There will be alliances between countries, and there may be backstabbing attempts.

"The countries of the Western Regions are vassal states of the Xiongnu, and the Xiongnu can obtain a lot of high-quality horses from here. And my big man lacks a lot of high-quality war horses, you have a good idea. ”

This is the exam question given by Liu Che to Liu Zhang, the Xiongnu territory is very large, and the population under control is quite large.

There were many kingdoms that submitted to the Xiongnu, and in the east, there were countries such as Wei's Joseon and Buyeo secretly helping the Xiongnu.

Especially Wei Joseon, he was originally a vassal state of the Han Dynasty.

The focus of their discussion was still on the Xiongnu's side, and he stared at the land in the Western Regions.

The Western Regions are a little far away from the Han Dynasty, and the Western Regions are rich in thousands of miles of good horses.

There is also a natural pasture over there, and after Zhang Qian came back, he also told him about the customs and customs of the Western Regions.

The geographical advantage of the Western Regions, at this time, the Western Regions were rich in water and grass.

It is not the desert Gobi more than 2,000 years later, and the rivers in the Western Regions are crisscrossed.

It is very suitable for growing crops, and Liu Che originally planned to open up the Western Regions.

Cut off the connection between the Western Regions and the Xiongnu, then I want to hear what Liu Zhang thinks.

"As long as this place is opened, this is the Hexi area. Once it was taken by the Han Dynasty, building a military fortress here would be equivalent to jamming the throat of the Xiongnu. ”

Liu Zhang pointed to the Hexi Corridor, and the location he was pointing to was very crucial.

The Hexi Corridor has a high military strategic value, and the Hexi Corridor is like a long and narrow ribbon.

At intervals, build a city. You can attack and retreat, and you can store supplies in each fortress.

It became a supply depot for the Han army, which was conducive to the Han army's expeditionary operations.

"After opening up the Western Regions, do business with some friendly kingdoms. Buy goods from them that the Great Han did not have, and for those unfriendly kingdoms, take measures by force. ”

Liu Zhang advocated the use of both force and peaceful means, so that good results could be achieved.

Some of the kingdoms in the Western Regions were friendly to the Han Dynasty, but they were hindered by the strong strength of the Xiongnu.

They can't be too obvious, they also want to trade with the Han Dynasty.

Liu Zhang pointed to the Hexi corridor with a thin wooden stick and sent troops from Longxi to set off.

Although the Xiongnu now occupy the Hexi region, it is not difficult to take it.

"You go on."

Liu Che asked Liu Zhang to continue, and taking the Hexi Corridor was also part of his plan.

"To open up the Hexi Corridor, we must be fully prepared. Moreover, the war will be successful, and this is related to the future military strategic deployment of the Han Dynasty. ”

Liu Zhang not only knew a little about the Battle of Hexi based on what happened in history.

He had also studied the maps carefully and had read some military books.

Combined with the actual war. has its own opinion.

The Hexi Corridor must be opened up to cut off the connection between the Xiongnu and the Western Regions.

This is equivalent to cutting off one of its arms, if it can control the northeast region.

The Xiongnu would have been isolated to provide favorable conditions for the next Armageddon.

"If the Xiongnu lose the support of the Western Regions and the Northeast Region, the Xiongnu will only be left with the Monan grassland. The Han army could gradually reduce the range of activities of the Xiongnu from three directions, thereby eliminating the threat of the Xiongnu to the Han Dynasty. ”

Although the grassland area is large, the Xiongnu tribes are relatively scattered.

The Han army advanced northward from the east, west, and central routes, although it was not possible to do a carpet search.

The Xiongnu could not escape, they could only keep retreating north.

"If the Xiongnu lose the Monan grassland, their only way to retreat is Mobei. There is a desert here, and beyond the desert is a bitter cold land. ”

It's cold there for a long time, and it's hard to survive there.

Drive the Xiongnu to Mobei, and the Han Dynasty will also have a lot of losses.

The greatest advantage of the Han Dynasty was that it could recuperate and reduce foreign warfare.

And once the Xiongnu lost the Monan grassland, the population would drop sharply.

The goal of weakening the Xiongnu was achieved, and the Xiongnu could not frequently plunder on the border of the Han Dynasty.

"Once they are driven to Mobei, leave a part of the Han army in the Monan grassland to guard against the Xiongnu and then go south."

Liu Zhang's proposal was also well thought out to establish three lines of defense in the north.

Prevent the Hun dogs from jumping off the wall because they have lost a suitable environment for survival.

They're sure they're desperate, and maybe there's a chance they'll have a chance.

Without sufficient food, they had to raid to get supplies.

The Han cavalry set a fixed patrol route, and once the Xiongnu came, they immediately took effective measures.

After the Battle of Mobei, for a period of time, the Xiongnu were not afraid.

Once the Xiongnu came, the surrounding Han troops could come to support.

"What we have to do is to consume the Xiongnu population, but also to cherish the lives of the Han army. To improve the protection of their armor, human life is more important than anything else. ”

Armor or other material wear can be recreated.

If the person is gone, then it is really gone, and the loss is great.

Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the armor protection of the Han army, and the weapons are advanced enough.

Some Han troops were not equipped with armor, and it took at least half a year to make clothes and armor.

The armor worn by the general will take more than a year to be ready, and the cost of a pair of armor is too high.

Generally, it was only equipped for elite units of the Han army, and most of the Han army wore leather armor with low protection.

Liu Zhang thought of making paper armor, and the protection of paper armor is still good.

As long as it is not a fire attack, it poses no threat to the Han army.

Of course, soak the fireproof potion during the making process.

"The minister came up with the idea of using paper to make armor, which could be made into several pieces. Conduct tests and, if feasible, equip them with the Han army. ”

Paper armor can replace iron armor, and iron armor also has its advantages.

Liu Zhang has a mature technology in making paper armor, and the production cost of paper armor is a little lower than that of iron armor.

Its protective power is not weak, and the paper armor has a lot of buoyancy in the water.

"As long as Your Majesty allows it, let the craftsmen do it. Shang Fang had ready-made materials and tools that allowed most of the Han army to wear paper armor. ”

"There are a lot of iron armor and leather armor in the arsenals of the Han Dynasty, which is enough to equip the Han army, and the protection of paper armor is really that high?"

Huo Quzhi was a little skeptical, listening to Liu Zhang's meaning, some people in the Han army could not be assigned armor.

"The protection of paper armor is also there, and after it is made. It is possible to experiment and, if possible, to produce a large number of things. ”

The time and cost of making paper armor is a little lower, and it can quickly replenish the consumption of iron armor and leather armor.

The nail making technology provided by Liu Zhang can be fireproof and waterproof.

It can also prevent blunt damage, and Liu Zhang has absolute self-confidence.

The Han army fighting against the Xiongnu was able to be equipped with iron armor and leather armor, but the logistics and transportation personnel did not have armor to wear.

There is a possibility that they will be attacked by the Hun cavalry, just for their safety.

"These nails can be worn by people who deliver grain and grass, and they may encounter enemy attacks in the process of transporting grain and grass."

Liu Zhang learned that the Han Dynasty had more than 800,000 standing troops, more than 300,000 pairs of armor of various materials, and 300,000 war horses.

It is equivalent to the equipment of 100,000 cavalry, and there are countless weapons of all kinds.

The production and maintenance of 300,000 pairs of armor is a large expenditure.

Paper is very cheap, and the production cost may be only two-thirds of that of iron armor and one-third of leather armor.

As long as there is enough fiber material, a lot of paper armor can be made.

Liu Zhang did not say that the number of armor of the Han army was insufficient, so as not to make Liu Che unhappy when he heard it.

"It takes too long to make iron and leather armor, and paper armor is used as an emergency supplement."

Liu Zhang still needs to explain, he also considered whether to make cotton armor and rattan armor.

Each of these armors has its own advantages and disadvantages.

"During this time, you have the craftsman make a few pairs of paper armor, if it meets the actual combat standard. It can be manufactured in large quantities and used as a temporary supplement to the armor of the Han army. ”

The iron armor and leather armor worn by the Han army were usually worn out, and the production time was too long.

Once there is a large-scale battle, the armor cannot be replenished in time.

This will cause a lot of casualties to the Han army, Liu Zhang was right before.

Human life is the most important thing, like the loss of these materials.

The population of the Han Dynasty was just over 38 million, which sounds like a lot.

In fact, it is estimated that there are only about 500 to 8 million people in the prime of life who can participate in the war.

The Han Dynasty's standing army was also less than one million because of the Han Dynasty's limited finances.

The limit of being able to maintain a huge military expenditure is only about a million people.

The daily consumption of all kinds of food by a million Han soldiers is astronomical, and the people also have to eat and clothe.

In recent years, natural disasters have continued, and the life of the people has not been easy.