67 As he was filled with ice and snow
Huo Qubing: I fought shoulder to shoulder, breaking through the enemy lines and clearing the way for the Han Dynasty. I am ready to die for the Han Dynasty.
Huo Qubing's method of catching tongues was very simple, similar to herding sheep. He first created panic, and then pounced on the "sheep" the moment it ran away and caught the lone "lamb".
His tactics sound crude at first, but they are still crude when you listen to them again, but they are the most effective.
There is no trace of military tactics in him. He acts as he pleases as if he is just playing, but he also possesses the essence of military tactics everywhere: swift as the wind, slow as the forest, unpredictable as the shadow, and powerful as thunder.
His horse ran faster than the Huns, and his attacks were in places the Huns could not imagine. The Huns could not catch up with him and could only watch him dig his claws into the lamb's body like an eagle, and then soar into the sky and leave in a swagger.
He was more like a Hun than the Huns in looting. Huo Yan got used to it after watching him. As a short and stocky man operating in the Huns' territory, he was only slightly more capable than the Huns' sheep. He was far inferior to Xiao Piaoliang. He couldn't even join Huo Qubing's operations. He could only follow Xiao Piaoliang occasionally and help her open the door of the sheep pen or something like that.
So he followed Huo Qubing for more than half a month. If Huo Qubing had not occasionally given him directions, he would not even know where he was. He was completely foolish and ignorant.
"I'm a little loser, babble babble babble."
Huo Qubing once again used his trick to lure the crowd away. Huo Yan, feeling a sense of apprehension, crouched low and released Xiao Piaoliang from behind him. Xiao Piaoliang's movements were so swift and furious, and she led another group away. Huo Qubing quickly selected a suitable lamb from each group, grabbed one, and kicked it towards Huo Yan.
Huo Yan hid in the dark and smiled subconsciously when he saw the Huns lying on the ground.
The man was more frightened than seeing a ghost. He spoke something in Xiongnu language, but Huo Yan couldn't understand a word of his crooked words.
"Brother, can he show me the way?"
Huo Qubing punched the Hun man directly and said something in Hun language.
The call was encrypted, and Huo Yan heard the gurgling sound.
Then Huo Qubing winked at Huo Yan, and Huo Yan stuffed aconite powder into the man's mouth.
Well, another useless piece of trash.
"You don't know where the Xiongnu King is, right? Is the Xiongnu King some kind of tortoise? He stays in the royal court every day and never comes out for a tour?"
He was just complaining, as he knew the power structure of the Huns.
The Chanyu was at the pinnacle of power, the supreme leader of the Xiongnu tribal alliance. He oversaw military and political power and held supreme decision-making authority, including the launch of wars and peace talks. The position of Chanyu was hereditary, typically held by a member of the Luandi clan.
Under the Chanyu were the Left and Right Wise Kings. The Left Wise King, a higher-ranking official and typically the Chanyu's successor, governed the vast eastern Xiongnu territory. The Right Wise King governed the western region. Each of the Left and Right Wise Kings had their own armies and could organize military campaigns within their respective territories. They also led their troops to support the Chanyu during his campaigns.
Below them are the Left and Right Guli Kings, whose status is slightly lower than that of the Left and Right Xian Kings. They also have their own armies and territories, assist the Left and Right Xian Kings in managing affairs, and play an important military role in times of war.
In addition, there were numerous lesser kings, such as the King of Ruju and the King of Wenou, who each ruled over a different tribe or region and enjoyed a degree of autonomy, but were subject to the Chanyu's command on major matters. These lesser kings constituted a significant aristocracy within the Xiongnu tribes, participating in discussions within the Xiongnu tribal alliance through regular meetings. The lower-ranking Xiongnu herders they were currently capturing likely knew the most important figure in their lives, the King of Ruju. It would be remarkable if they could even inquire about the location of the Xiongnu royal court.
The development trajectories of the Xiongnu and the Central Plains seem to be unrelated, but upon closer inspection, there are similarities.
Qin Emperor Ying Zheng appeared in the Central Plains, and the Huns were unified by Maodun. The Central Plains were continued by Emperor Wu of Han Liu Che, who laid the foundation for the unification. Then Yizhixie appeared in the Huns and wanted to restore the power of his ancestors.
During the Qin Dynasty, Meng Tian appeared and defeated the Huns so much that they drew back their bows and dared not go south to graze their horses.
During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Wei Huo appeared and shattered the glory of the Xiongnu, forcing them to flee north and shattering Yizhixie's dream of unification.
The Huns disappeared from then on.
If you think about it carefully, the failure of the Huns was not only because they were born as generals, but also because when the kings of the Central Plains were trying to unify the country, strengthen the central government and weaken the local governments, the Qin Emperor wanted counties and Emperor Wu of Han wanted to extend favors, but the Huns' ruling model was still similar to the feudal system.
The Chanyu granted these nobles land and tribes, allowing them to manage their respective territories. These nobles had relatively independent power within their own jurisdictions, including military command and certain administrative powers, and were able to manage the tribal people in their territories and organize the army for battle.
Even though the power of the Xiongnu was relatively concentrated, the Chanyu still had strong control over the nobles. In large-scale wars or major decisions, the nobles needed to obey the Chanyu's dispatch and orders. However, this was not necessarily the case with the current Xiongnu King Junchen Khan. He was old, otherwise he would not have been able to suppress the Zuoguli King Yizhixie who secretly cultivated his own power and fought openly and secretly with his trusted forces.
What Huo Yan could see clearly, Huo Qubing would naturally understand clearly.
Circling around the small tribe, they couldn't even find the whereabouts of the Left and Right Wise Kings, let alone the Xiongnu royal court. But if they went to a larger gathering place, he could single-handedly fight his way back and forth. But judging by the time, his uncle should be arriving soon. Huo Qubing's gaze fell on Huo Yan, and he suddenly smiled.
"Ayan." He called out to Huo Yan, who was feeding the tigers and horses over there. Huo Yan tilted his head, looked at him suspiciously, and said, "Brother, if you can't find out, forget it. Let's look for it again. Let's go save Zhang Qian."
Since you are here, you should at least take some food before leaving.
Huo Qubing's smile deepened, as if he was looking at an innocent child.
Zhang Qian is a prisoner, so he cannot be detained here. He is usually in the innermost circle or further north. They have to pass through more than one Xiongnu gathering place, which is too dangerous for A Yan.
Huo Yan felt uncomfortable being stared at, lowered his head and kicked the grass, "Forget it, you have the final say anyway, I'll follow you."
Huo Qubing touched his head.
"Then let's go to Henan!"
Huo Yan's face turned pale and he hugged Xiao Piaoliang tightly, "You are crazy!"
Huo Qubing smiled and said nothing.
Huo Yan's expression suddenly changed. After a long pause, he said bitterly, "Huo Qubing, you've set your sights on me, haven't you?"
No wonder people support him so much and act so confident of winning!
He said he could kill the Xiongnu king and save Zhang Qian. It turned out that the man in front of him had other intentions than to go to the battlefield!
"Tell me the truth, where are you now?"
He is crazy, he was deceived, he was deceived by his brother!
I want to go crazy!
"Huo Qubing! If you don't give me an explanation, I'll take a mouthful of aconite powder." He paused, then took the aconite powder and replaced it with an expired Qingxin Pill. "I'll put this in your mouth later."
Huo Qubing smiled calmly and lifted Huo Yan's long stick out of the ground. He carried it on his shoulder, then mounted his horse and held the reins with one hand. His movements were as smooth as flowing water. He pointed to the south and said, "Fifty miles ahead, you will be able to see your uncle."
After saying that, he galloped away with Xiao Piaoliang.
Huo Yan was lifted up in front of the saddle by him, and he gritted his teeth in hatred, "You!" Bastard!
Before he could finish, Huo Qubing took his clothes and wrapped him up from head to toe, leaving only his eyes exposed. Huo Qubing was afraid that he would choke on the wind, so he gave him a piece of candy out of consideration and said, "Be good."
The candy was malt sugar and was very sticky. Huo Yan couldn't even move his teeth. He was stuck for a moment and could only glare at him hatefully.
Huo Qubing, you are finished!
You wait!
[Henan is the area around the Yellow River today. Liu Che's mission to his uncle this time was to seize this area.]
[According to this time, my uncle has just arrived and the fight hasn't started yet.]
[Qubing was going to attack Henan, so he instigated Ah Yan to come here.]
[Oh my god, no, Champion Hou wants to start a war by taking such a detour!]
[Let him fight!]
[He is only fourteen years old!]
[Zhuzhu and his uncle won't let him go!]
[Ayan originally had an idea, but it was exactly what Qubing wanted. Once Qubing made a promise, Ayan believed it.]
[When Ah Yan met his brother, half of his brain was ruined.]
[We believe whatever his brother says.]
I really thought Qubing was here to save people. I was so moved. Now I don't dare to move.
Huo Yan recalled his journey. Since Huo Qubing performed too well, and he didn't know the way and couldn't understand the Xiongnu language, all he did every day was eat and play with Xiao Piaoliang in the grass. He was too useless, but that was not the reason why his brother tricked him.
no!
"Huo Qubing!" He finally swallowed the candy and shouted, "You lied to me! You must give me an explanation."
Huo Qubing knew that this was Huo Yan's preference, and if he didn't tell him directly, there would be trouble in the future. So he directly stated his purpose.
"I wanted to fight the Xiongnu, but His Majesty and my uncle disagreed, saying I was too young and insecure. They like to keep fish in a jar, and they imprisoned me in Chang'an, but the fish wants to go out of the water. I want to fight the Xiongnu. His Majesty knew I wanted to follow my uncle, and he was worried about me, so he would guard against me leaving Chang'an. But he would not guard against Ayan, because Ayan and they share the same aspirations."
"There are only a few people in Chang'an who can take me to the market, but Ah Yan's stables come here every year because they select horses for the emperor. I originally wanted to pretend to be you and follow you. I know Ah Yan, and you will definitely cover up for me. But unexpectedly, you said you wanted to come that day. Naturally, I was overjoyed. Your Majesty and my uncle absolutely trust Ah Yan with my whereabouts. Your Majesty would not believe that Ah Yan would let me go to war. I wanted to abandon you at the market, because you always cover up for me. But when Ah Yan looked at me and smiled, I thought he was cute, so it was okay to bring Ah Yan with me."
Huo Qubing didn't want to abandon Huo Yan, even though he could act more efficiently on his own.
Huo Qubing knew that Huo Yan would no longer be angry after hearing this. A Yan and he were in prison but not at odds, so he was fearless.
As he expected, Huo Yan went from gritting his teeth to being completely toothless. He pursed his lips and remained silent for a long time. He felt happy but also really angry. Finally, he decided to take out his little ginger bag, cry in the wind, and make sob sounds.
Just cry in front of Huo Qubing, who can you be worthy of, Huo Qubing!
He cried hard, and when Huo Qubing recalled it carefully, he vaguely remembered the tune of Xiao Baicai.
"It's quite appropriate." He suddenly thought as he listened to Huo Yan's rhythmic crying.
The golden bird sets in the west, and the jade rabbit climbs to the top of the tree.
Huo Yan rubbed his eyes, put away the small bag, and wanted to see his brother feel guilty.
But all I saw was the moonlight shining on the young man and his bright eyes.
"I grew up by the emperor's side, and since I was a child, I have been determined to fight for the Han Dynasty. Chang'an is a good place, and someone must protect it. Ah Yan, after this battle is over, I will let you beat and scold me, but not now. I want to go and fight for myself! I want to break the formation with my uncle and fight for the Han Dynasty!"
Huo Qubing may return in glory, or die tragically, covered in blood, or die in the wilderness.
But here the moon is bright, illuminating his icy heart.
A pure person should follow a pure path.
Huo Qubing, now ready to die!
Huo Yan liked Sima Qian's behavior, and he believed that he could protect Sima Qian and help him follow the pure path.
Huo Qubing was like this, and Huo Yan loved him so much that he could hardly control his heartbeat. The resonance of his soul was more than a little bit. This is how a brother should be, but it also brought with it worry, the worry that he could not protect Huo Qubing.
He said nothing, his face, all expressions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, as if sealed by cement. He neither cried nor laughed, because he could neither cry nor laugh. He wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. He could only sit in front of Huo Qubing, tightly grasping the horse's mane, like a beautiful puppet, and drove into the darkness with him.
"Brother, run!"
After a long time, he said.
Huo Qubing laughed heartily. He whipped his horse and said, "Brother, take Ah Yan and run! My Ah Yan wants to be a hero too."
Huo Yan's eyes turned red silently.
[Born here, you are to be a hero!]
[People say Ah Yan looks like his uncle, but it's not just his smile that makes him look like him. The one who looks most like his uncle is Qu Bing.]
[Ayan, run first!]
[Even in death, the fragrance of chivalrous spirit remains.]
[He was born as a Han Dynasty Yulin Lang, and initially followed the Huqi Army to fight in Yuyang.]
[Ayan, run as much as you can too!]
They rode at full speed through the night and only saw the Han army's camp at noon on the third day. The Han army had already fought a fierce battle with the Huns and was now resting.
Huo Qubing rode his horse at full speed to the front of the Han army camp. When Huo Yan saw the armor worn by these soldiers, he breathed a sigh of relief.
These Han soldiers wore lamellar armor, a common style of armor worn at the time. Lamellar armor consisted of individual plates woven together with rope or leather strips. The plates were typically rectangular or square and made of materials like cowhide or rhinoceros hide. These layers of armor effectively protected against attacks from weapons like swords and arrows. The lamellar armor worn by these soldiers was likely the most common, protecting only key areas like the chest and back.
His brother is a real-life navigation system, so he can find it.
He was about to jump off his horse to catch his breath, but as he approached the Han army camp, he was blocked by two soldiers holding long spears. The soldiers looked alert and pointed their spears, completely blocking their way.
"Stop! Who are you?" one of the soldiers shouted loudly.
Xiao Piaoliang suddenly screamed, scaring the soldiers blocking the road and making them take two steps back.
Huo Qubing hurriedly pulled the reins, and the horse raised its front hooves and neighed loudly before coming to a steady stop. Huo Qubing raised his eyes and leaped off the horse with a swift and graceful movement. He reached out and covered the little beauty's mouth. With a calm look, he handed over the talisman he and Huo Yan had passed on, and said in a clear voice, "I am Huo Qubing, and I have come to see General Wei."
Huo Yan on the horse rolled his eyes and said, "Brother, you just handed over the talisman, which only records basic information such as name, place of origin, reason for travel, etc. It doesn't record who your uncle is!"
Do you think I'm guarding the gate? Oh, it's you, brother, come in quickly!
As expected, a hint of doubt flashed across the two soldiers' eyes upon hearing this. They carefully examined the young man before them. Huo Qubing was dusty and dusty, his clothes stained with sheep's blood. He looked anything but an ordinary person. Huo Yan, on his horse, had a childish face, still showing some traces of fatigue from the journey. There was also a tiger following behind him. In their opinion, these two young men, coming from the north at this time, were not to be trifled with.
Sure enough, the soldiers, after reading the talisman, remained unmoved, their spears still pointed steadily at them. "The battle is about to begin. Take this giant beast away quickly!"
Huo Qubing frowned, and Huo Yan came over with trembling feet. He smiled without saying a word, which was quite pleasing. He took out his official seal of the Minister and put it in the soldier's hand.
"I am your Majesty's attendant, and I am here to deliver a letter. Please pass it on."
The soldiers took a closer look and saw that the official seal was finely carved and the marks on it were clearly visible, and it did not look fake.
The two men's expressions changed slightly, but they were still hesitant. After all, they didn't dare trust such an important token easily. "Although this official seal looks valuable, we can't confirm its authenticity. Please wait a moment, we need to report it."
After saying that, one soldier hurried into the tent, leaving another soldier to continue guarding Huo Qubing and Huo Yan.
Huo Yan was still smiling and said to Huo Qubing, "Brother, I think we will win again this time."
He noticed that every plate on the armor of the soldiers passing through was nearly intact, clearly having been carefully inspected and any damage immediately repaired. A single leaf could reveal the whole situation, and Huo Yan was convinced that the logistics were in good working order.
Huo Qubing gazed inside intently. Military discipline under Wei Qing was always strict. The tents were neatly arranged, like pieces on a chessboard. The distances between each tent were just right, ensuring both living space and quick assembly in an emergency. Around the tents, drainage ditches dug by soldiers with simple tools ensured that even in the event of rain, the camp would not be flooded.
A general is responsible for more than just fighting wars.
After a while, the soldier came back, followed by an acquaintance.
Li Xi originally wanted to join in the fun and see who would be brave enough to pretend to be a nephew in front of someone's uncle, but he didn't expect to see a real nephew when he arrived.
When Huo Yan saw Li Xixin walking towards him, his eyes lit up.
"General Li, it's been a long time since we last met. You're still as charming as ever."
He and Huo Qubing had once saved Li Xi's young son from a kidnapper, so although they were not familiar with each other, they did interact with each other on various occasions. So, he finally didn't have to prove that Huo Yan was Huo Yan.
Huo Qubing also bowed slightly and said, "General Li."
Li Xi knew how much Liu Che valued them, and he never expected that they would appear here in person. But now was not the time to talk about this, so he signaled the soldiers to put down their guns and make way.
"You two, come with me."
Huo Qubing and Huo Yan exchanged a glance. Huo Yan took a deep breath and pointed to his mouth. Only then did Huo Qubing feel relieved. Leading his horse and Xiao Piaoliang, and led by Li Xi, they made their way through the layers of tents toward the central army tent where Wei Qing was stationed. Along the way, they witnessed a disciplined and well-trained army, the soldiers marching back and forth engaged in drills. Their steps were in sync, their slogans were loud, and every movement was executed with vigor and strength.
"Why are you two here? What private conversation did His Majesty have that caused you two to come here?"
Huo Yan chuckled and pointed to the sky, "I can't express it in words, please forgive me, General."
Li Xi thought that Liu Che was going to arrange the battle, and immediately said that he understood everything.
In the account.
Wei Qing was lost in thought over a military map, marking it with his pen. Suddenly, hurried footsteps were heard outside the tent, and then the curtain was flung open.
"Uncle!" Huo Qubing's voice was clear and loud, echoing in the tent.
Wei Qing subconsciously raised his head, and the moment he saw Huo Qubing, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, which then quickly turned into anger.
"Qubing, why are you here?"
Wei Qing put down the pen in his hand, stood up, and his eyes fell on Huo Yan behind Huo Qubing. He frowned slightly, "Why is Ah Yan here too?"
Huo Yan still smiled, "My uncle sent us a message for you, uncle."
My uncle is the one who does it, no matter what.
Wei Qing suddenly laughed too, and he directly threw a letter from Liu Che to Huo Yan.
"You two are still lying to your uncle!"
After Huo Yan finished reading the whole article at a glance, he couldn't laugh anymore and he suddenly fell to his knees.
Liu Che's handwriting was vigorous and flamboyant, but the content was childish and totally inconsistent with the handwriting.
Zhongqing, Qubing and Ayan left a letter, abandoning me and going to play on the other side of the Yellow River. They are useless and didn't even take me with them!
"Uncle, I'm here to buy a horse, and I wanted to come see you!"
Wei Qing rarely looked coldly at them and only looked at Huo Qubing.
Huo Qubing lifted his robe and knelt on one knee. "I want to be your personal guard and help you expand our territory."
Wei Qing has always been gentle, but at this moment he could hardly conceal his anger.
"You're not even as big as a palm, and you're about to make a scene, aren't you?"
Huo Qubing had a stiff neck.
Wei Qing became even angrier.
"Get back here! Take your brother back with you, you hear me!"
Huo Qubing stiffened his neck and did not answer, like a big goose.
Wei Qing was so angry that his chest heaved. He couldn't bear to hit him, and scolding him was useless. He could only get angry at himself.
He knew his nephew too well. Once he made a decision, nothing could change it.
The atmosphere in the tent was tense.
Huo Yan knelt beside him, then crept over to Wei Qing, knelt down, bowed, and said loudly, "Uncle, I don't want him to go either, but he's already here. Uncle, you know he belongs here. So please let him be an ordinary soldier, charging with you, and temporarily satisfy his passion."
Wei Qing touched his head, stopping him from bowing, and sighed softly. No one knew Huo Qubing's ambition and talent better than he did, but the boy was still young. After a moment's silence, he slowly spoke, "Qubing, the battlefield is treacherous and no joke. You are too young."
"Uncle, I'm not a child anymore." Huo Qubing raised his head, his eyes determined. "I've practiced horseback riding and archery for ten years and read thirty volumes of military manuals, all for the purpose of killing the enemy and making great achievements on the battlefield. Now the opportunity to fight is right before us. Uncle, please give me a chance."
Huo Yan stood aside, watching Huo Qubing and Wei Qing, feeling a mixture of emotions. He knew he couldn't stop Huo Qubing, so he could only pray silently for his safety.
Wei Qing pondered for a long time, and finally nodded. "Well, Qubing, I will give you a chance. You will be my personal guard. Remember, all actions must be under my command, and you must not act on your own."
Huo Qubing looked at the Henan area marked on the map, his eyes flashing with excitement, then he pulled Huo Yan and spun around.
"Ayan, I'm going to the battlefield!"
Huo Yan was dizzy from the shaking. He looked towards Wei Qing, only to see Wei Qing smiled at him. "Ayan, stay too. There are injured people here."
Huo Yan nodded.
Wei Qing smiled even more deeply.
My uncle is still as gentle as ever, but why does he always feel that my brother will not get what he wants?
【Author’s words】
I suddenly wanted to write a sequel, in which A Yan failed to save his brother and his brother died young.
You can reserve it.
The two of them just took a walk around the outskirts of the Xiongnu and teased a small Xiongnu tribe.
A Yan was fooled by his brother and he didn't know the way.
Qubing will not go to the battlefield this time. He is indeed too young, and his uncle is the commander-in-chief and will not go to the battlefield.
Hahaha.
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