Hanhou

On the plain battlefield, Antiochus VII repelled the Parthian light cavalry and returned to the big tent. Before he had time to take off his armor, Lanshi City sent an urgent report that the eastern end of the border was attacked. The cavalry drove straight in, defeated the border defenders, and even occupied several cities, getting closer and closer to the king's capital.

After reading the urgent report, Antioch VII was shocked.

"Could it be that Anxi sent troops to attack?"

No wonder he thought so.

The war between the two countries fell into a stalemate. Daxia mobilized the whole country, and the subordinate small states and tribes were successively called up, with hundreds of thousands of troops.The Parthian nobles participated in the battle one after another, and the six major Mazbans gathered on the battlefield. In addition to the cavalry archers, heavy cavalry had already appeared, and they could easily break through the defense line in confrontation with the most elite heavy infantry in Daxia.

Fortunately for Daxia, there are not many such heavy cavalry.

The vast majority of the Anxi army is still light cavalry with bows and horses as the mainstay. Daxia has concentrated its superior forces, and its winning rate on the battlefield is basically half and half. So far, there has been no major defeat.

The two sides in the war were evenly matched and evenly matched.If you want to win or lose in a battle, the possibility is close to zero.

Facing the stalemate battle situation, both Antiochus VII and Demetrius became more cautious than when they started the war.

The two of them knew very well that the seemingly stable battle situation was actually in jeopardy.A little carelessness may cause an accident, which will eventually lead to a defeat and lose everything.

After receiving an urgent report from Lanshi City, Antioch VII was unable to maintain his composure when he learned that the eastern end of the border had been attacked.

If it is true that Anxi sent surprise troops to bypass the main battlefield and attack Daxia from behind, for him, the consequences would be almost devastating.

In connection with today's battle situation, Antioch VII even thought divergently, did the opponent pretend to be defeated so that he could relax his vigilance and cooperate with the attack from the east?

The more he thought about it, the more likely it was that Antioch VII couldn't sit still, so he got up and paced back and forth in the big tent.My mind was in a mess, and I wanted to convene a group of ministers to discuss it, but quickly changed my mind.

The most taboo on the battlefield is to shake people's hearts.

If it is known that the national border has been breached and the capital is threatened, there is no guarantee that no one will advocate dividing the army, and there may be voices to make peace with Anxi.If the voice of peace prevails, and the king fails to return from the expedition, but instead loses his army and generals, his reputation will definitely be greatly reduced.

The rest of the royal family is not peaceful, the king and the uncle are fighting each other for power, and the Great Xia is not monolithic.

Antiochus VII was famous for his martial arts, and used his own strength to intimidate others.Suddenly, his prestige has dropped, and he is no longer as strong as before. There must be people in the royal family who have different opinions and even challenge him.

The first to bear the brunt is most likely his eldest son and second son.

Antioch VII stopped his movements, gripped the gem-studded scepter tightly, and began to weigh in his heart how to solve this crisis.

When Anxi thinks he has succeeded, launch a general attack on the opponent, or send someone to sneak into Anxi's country, contact Emperor Anxi, and stab Dmitri from behind?

Several thoughts swirled in my mind, but they were all uncertain and unable to solve the problem in one fell swoop.

Just when Antioch VII was thinking hard and bloodshot eyes appeared in his eyes, another urgent report arrived.

Untiing the tether and unfolding the sheepskin, Antiochus VII's expression changed several times, as if he had fallen into hell overnight, and then ascended from hell to heaven. Unfortunately, before he could stand still, he was directly stuffed into a mouth full of bitter fruit, unable to vomit. , must take the initiative to swallow.

"Your Majesty, the king has sent news..."

The ministers accompanying the army walked into the big tent, and when they saw Antioch VII's appearance, the words stuck in their throats, and their faces were full of surprise.

"Your Majesty, what's the matter with you?"

"Lanshicheng sent news that the eastern border was attacked and the five cities were breached."

"What?!" The minister was shocked and gasped, "Could it be Anxi?"

"No." Antiochus VII handed out the second sheepskin and said, "It's the Han army."

"Han army?" The minister's voice suddenly rose, "Those terrifying black cavalry?"

"Yes."

Antiochus VII turned around and sat down, folded his hands, grasped the scepter tightly, and said in his mouth: "The Han and the Yuezhi fought, and the Yuezhi was defeated. The Han army chased the Yuezhi, crossed the desert, and entered the Great Xia."

"This is really..." The minister didn't know what to say.

People sit at home, and disaster comes from heaven?

It is written in the sheepskin that when the Han army pursued and fled into Daxia, two generals clashed with the border guards. Two generals were injured and the opponent's commander was angered. In the city, the troops approached the capital.

"According to the information we got, the identities of the injured generals of the Han Dynasty are very unusual. One of them is an elder who holds an important official position and is the emperor's confidant; the other's sister is the emperor's wife and the queen of the dynasty."

Speaking of this, Antioch VII had a headache.With such a prominent background, no one would give up on it.

The minister held the sheepskin and was silent, not knowing how to comfort him.

"Your Majesty, it says that the Han army won the five cities and did not continue to attack the royal city. Maybe there is a turning point."

"Transfer?"

"Your Majesty, the Han army traveled long distances and fought far away from the national border. Even if the soldiers are strong, they will be subject to certain restrictions. Their target is the Yuezhi. It should be a moment of anger to invade Daxia, and they may not have the idea of ​​a deadly battle." The minister whispered. road.

"You mean?" Antioch VII's eyes flickered slightly.

"The army went on a long-distance expedition and pursued the remnants of the enemy. The consumption of food and grass along the way, the damage of weapons, and the casualties of personnel will all affect the combat power." The minister walked up to Antioch VII, bent slightly, and lowered his voice, "Send out the people they want, then give gold gems and even land, and try to get them to leave."

"And if they don't go?"

"You can ask the other party to make a condition." The minister continued, "Your Majesty, the Yuezhi has no way forward, and handing over the Yuezhi nobles just happens to absorb the remaining cavalry. Besides, Anxi is the biggest enemy of Daxia!"

"Yes, you are right." Antiochus VII was enlightened, and immediately grasped the point, "Anxi is the greatest enemy!"

This war with Anxi has become irreversible.

Not to mention betting on the fate of the country, at least it will affect his own dominance.

Antioch VII cannot easily admit defeat, absolutely not.

"Your Majesty, the matter must be resolved as soon as possible, and you must be careful not to let the Anxi people hear the wind." The minister took a half step back and said, "I suggest that you send people back to the capital immediately, and send envoys from the capital to discuss with the Han army. As long as the other party's request is not excessive, try to agree to it to ensure domestic stability."

"it is good."

Antioch VII made a decision, adopted the minister's suggestion, wrote a secret decree, and sent it back to the capital by his confidants.

The decree stated that as long as the Han army withdraws, gold, gems, spices and food can be given.If the other party wants land, give them the desert oasis east of the border.

This piece of land belongs to Daxia in name, but in fact, it is not under the jurisdiction of Lanshicheng at all.

The environment there is harsh, and the nomadic tribesmen are inseparable. Except for a few oases, there is no value.If you want to repent, based on the close proximity to the border, you can try to snatch it back from the Han army after the war with Anxi is over.

At this stage, in order to maintain a balance with Anxi, the Han army must be sent away as soon as possible.To achieve this goal, no matter how much you pay, it is worth it.

With a secret purpose in mind, the emperor's confidants rushed to Lanshi City night and day.

At the same time, the Han army, which had stopped attacking before, once again put on a stance, with great fanfare, preparing to march to the next city.

Before sending out troops, Wei Qing specially called Zhao Puonu and told him not to charge too hard once he starts fighting.

In the previous few battles, it was because Zhao Puonu and Gongsun Ao rushed too fast, and Xin Zhao couldn't hold back even if he was behind.

Probably because the Han army was too fierce. After conquering two cities in a row, the guards fled overnight in front of the third city.

According to Wei Qing's plan, after the three cities were captured, he could stop and wait for Da Xia to send an envoy to cut his flesh with a sharp knife.

Unexpectedly, if one didn't pay attention, the forward scored five cities in a row.

Since it was not yet time to capture Daxia, Wei Qing had no choice but to stop halfway.Otherwise, Zhao Puonu and Gongsun Aoneng would have fun all the way, wielding long knives and slashing to Lanshi City.

"General, the news has been spread, and there must be results soon." Zhang Qian walked into the tent and handed a piece of sheepskin to Wei Qing, "Andor's caravan sneaked into Lanshi City a few days ago, and they are proceeding according to the plan. "

"They haven't started searching for artisans yet?" Wei Qing unfolded the sheepskin and looked at it from beginning to end.

"In order not to arouse suspicion, Andor is very cautious and will not make any major moves for the time being." Zhang Qian said.

Wei Qing nodded.

Andor was originally a translator. He was appreciated by Zhao Jia before, and he began to organize manpower, contacted Anxi Daxia merchants, sold a lot of sugar and silk, and quickly opened up the situation in Western Regions and other countries.

The imperial army conquered the Yuezhi and chased them all the way to Central Asia, and Andor's caravan followed suit, and sneaked into the capital of the Great Xia King in advance to deliver information to the army and spread the news as planned.

If this is not the case, how could the identities of Dou Liang and Chen Yu be "leaked" and known to everyone in the upper echelons of the capital.

The army went down several cities in a row, and Wei Qing expected that Daxia would make some moves.

As long as the other party sends someone, everything will be fine.With the envoys led by Liu Rong and Zhang Qian, it is easy to cut flesh and bloodletting.

Facts have proved that the Han army's threat of force is extremely effective.

When they arrived at the sixth city, they only put on a gesture, and before they could actually do anything, the Great Xia envoys came from the royal city. They not only escorted the Yue family nobles in the royal city, but also sent a large amount of gold, silver and jewels. They were quite sincere in seeking peace.

"Is this the intention of the emperor of your country?" Wei Qing asked after seeing the parchment handed over by the envoy.

"Brave general, this is exactly the will of His Majesty the Emperor of our country." The Great Xia envoy opened the cage with a sincere attitude, and the gold and precious stones were spread in the tent. The golden light dazzled the eyes.

Wei Qing didn't speak, Zhang Qian squinted his eyes, and said with a smile: "Did your honorable envoy forget that the two generals of our country were injured by your army?"

Hurt someone and think it will be easy?

The Great Xia envoy sighed secretly, took out another parchment scroll, and presented it to Wei Qing.

After reading the contents, Wei Qing passed it to Liu Rong without saying a word.Liu Rong glanced at it a few times, then handed it to Zhang Qian.Zhang Qian looked at the whole thing from beginning to end, curled up his lips in satisfaction, and handed the parchment scroll back to Wei Qing.

The three reached an agreement, and Wei Qing said: "Your country is so kind, it must have been a misunderstanding before."

Hearing these words, the Great Xia envoy finally breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense nerves were able to relax a little.

When Wei Qing personally ordered the troops to retreat, the Great Xia envoy watched the Han Banner go east, feeling very complicated.

Although gold and gemstones are precious, they are nothing to the nobles of the Great Xia royal family.The given land is a large desert, which can neither be planted nor grazed, and it will not make people feel too distressed.

He can only tear up the covenant with the Yuezhi and hand over the Yuezhi nobles who helped Daxia fight before, so he still can't let go.

Treating allies like this, if the news gets out, who will form an alliance with Daxia?

The nations and tribes that are dependent on Daxia may be tempted by people, so hidden dangers are planted.But if this is not done, the Han army may not retreat. In that case, the war with Anxi will definitely have no chance of winning.

Both left and right are difficult problems, and His Majesty must have no choice but to make a choice.

Regardless of what the Great Xia envoy thought, Wei Qing handed the parchment to Zhao Puonu and Zhao Xin when the Han army was resting by the river on the way.Gongsun Ao, Dou Liang and Chen Yu were curious, and they turned their heads together to look at it.

After a while, several people raised their heads one after another, their eyes shining brightly.

Their mood at the moment is just like when Zhao Jia discovered the treasure in the oasis, only three words remained in his mind: Get rich!

Daxia held Baoshan in his hand without knowing it, but threw it away as a stone.

If Antiochus VII knew that with a big wave of his hand, he would send away the world-famous business roads and gold mines with astonishing reserves in the future, it is estimated that the pain in the flesh would be light, and it would not be surprising to ascend to heaven after dying.