Luochen has been very distressed these few days, and the army is in a stagnant stage. At this time, there are still two paths to choose from. One is to continue to conduct investigations, adopt a conservative route, and find flaws in the grassland army. The second is to take long-distance raids and start to attack the important city strongholds of the Xiongnu, such as Zhao Xincheng on the right, Wangting Longcheng and other places, thus forcing the Xiongnu cavalry to appear. Longcheng is the holy city of the Xiongnu, and the rush of the army should cause a commotion of the Xiongnu army, thereby revealing its position. However, this kind of plan is too risky, and the army will go deep alone. If the supply line is cut off and the water source is destroyed by the Huns, the combat effectiveness of the army will drop sharply, and it is very likely that the casualties will be heavy, or even be surrounded and wiped out. In fact, Yesuo and others have been looking for a sudden gathering of superior forces to attack, trying to encircle and wipe out a part of the Han army. Furthermore, the long-distance rush is a huge test for the horses, and it will inevitably lose a lot of horses.

"My lord, Ma Teng, the prefect of Liangzhou, is asking to see you." The sergeant came to report.

Luochen was stunned for a moment, Ma Teng? Isn't Ma Teng in Shicheng? Why did he come to Shuofang, and he hadn't reported it before. "Why is he here? Let him in."

"Master." Ma Teng walked in immediately. Luochen looked at him, and Ma Teng seemed to be much older. Sure enough, the years are inspiring, and time is fleeting. Back then, he was high-spirited and strutting, but now he has not lost the spirit of the old general, but his temples are still gray, and his gait is not so high-spirited, and he looks a little slower. "General Ma Teng! We haven't seen each other for a long time!" Luo Chen stood up and greeted him enthusiastically. "I've stayed in Shicheng for many years! Unfortunately, the journey is long, and I can only see each other once or twice a year, otherwise I would like to chat with the old general."

"My lord! I miss it day and night. I heard that the lord settled in Yizhou in the south, left Tongguan in the east, and now goes north to swallow the Huns. The power is getting stronger and stronger, and the minister is very excited."

Luochen knew that Ma Teng was a straight-hearted person, and now he was polite to him, probably because he hadn't seen each other for more than a year. He said: "If the old general has something to say, please. You have come so far, and there must be something to tell. The old general said earlier, I will send someone to pick you up, or I can go west to Shicheng to listen... "

Seeing Luochen say this, Ma Teng waved his hand and smiled: "When the minister sees the lord, there is no reason for the lord to go to see the minister. I'm here this time, and I'll be honest. I observed that the lord is now placing 600,000 troops on the border, and the daily consumption is There are countless food and grass, but the main force of the Huns is hiding, the lord is a thoughtful person, and does not want to attack rashly, so the battle is now at a standstill."

"Exactly, as expected of the old general, in one sentence." Luo Chen nodded.

"I have a proposal, I can choose another path." Ma Teng said nervously, it seems that this plan may be quite bold, Ma Teng pondered for a long time, hesitating, but decided to go to Luochen to explain it in person.

"Please tell the old general." Luo Chen said.

"Our Liangzhou has always been in the name of nothing. Most of the geographical areas that the lord has assigned to me are in the hands of the Qiang people, and some are in the hands of the Huns. For example, Luoyou and Xijun are in the hands of the Qiang people, while the pastures in the Hexi Corridor are in the hands of the Huns, and the four counties in Hexi are in the hands of the Huns. It is also controlled by the Huns." Ma Teng detailed the division of Liangzhou one by one. "According to the lord's order, we retreated to Shicheng and took the Qiang and Huns into the west gate of the Central Plains. The last commander followed the lord's order and carried out a large-scale fielding. Now there are about 200,000 military horses in and around Shicheng, and some pastures have been opened up. ."

"You already have 200,000 troops in your hands?" Luo Chen was quite surprised. He didn't expect that the strength of Shicheng's army and horses had risen so quickly over the years.

"Yes, although the overall training level is not high, there are still 50,000 or 60,000 well-trained elite cavalry. This is the authentic Liangzhou cavalry, not inferior to the Guanzhong iron cavalry.".

Chapter 104 Total War

It was said that when Luochen was at a loss, veteran Ma Teng came to Shuofang to meet Luochen in person and reported the situation in Liangzhou.

"If Liangzhou's strength grows stronger, it can strike appropriately to combat the enemy's arrogance. After all, the situation has changed now." Luo Chen said. "But it is generally a defensive strategy, because the main army and the central government have no plans to fight the Qiang people. Now the main force is at war with the Xiongnu, and after defeating the Xiongnu, it needs to return to the division immediately and participate in the competition between Jingzhou and Jiangnan. ."

Ma Teng couldn't help showing joy when he heard that his strength was growing and he could take the initiative to attack. Unexpectedly, Luo Chen immediately added that he still needs to show a defensive posture in general. Ma Teng looked a little disappointed. Said: "The lord has now used a lot of troops against the Xiongnu, and the Xiongnu are already within the main attack range. Liangzhou is very close to the Xiongnu. To solve the problem of the Xiongnu, you cannot bypass the participation of Liangzhou."

"You want to participate in the fight against the Xiongnu?" Luochen obviously disagreed, "Shicheng is of great significance, and I will not easily transfer troops from here. Besides, our army has already formed an absolute advantage in terms of strength, and there is no need to increase it. "

"I want to ask the lord to send troops to recover the Hexi Corridor." Ma Teng replied with a short and powerful sentence, which is obviously the ultimate goal of his visit this time.

Luochen was stunned for a moment, is this another path that Ma Teng said? The Hexi Corridor is not bad... However, Luochen did not consider it in the strategy before. The Luochen regime was actually fighting for hegemony in the Central Plains and defending against foreign barbarians. Now it is ready to raise the whole country to fight the Xiongnu, and the purpose is very simple. , is to defeat the main force of the Xiongnu, as for the occupation of important places, I really did not consider it. If the hegemony of the Central Plains goes smoothly, and the external defense situation is changed, Luochen may consider concentrating on operating the surrounding important towns.

"Hexi Corridor... Our main force seems to be a little far away, and your 200,000 troops cannot be arbitrarily adjusted. Moreover, the forces of the Han, Qiang, and Xiongnu are intricate and difficult here, and it may break the steady state of the Han and Qiang. In this way, we may suffer from an unfavorable situation of being pinched..." Luo Chen began to consider the possibility of this matter, and when he began to think about it, he found that there were many difficulties. Although it may not be impossible, the risks of difficulties are obvious.

Ma Teng is obviously a little anxious: "My lord, capturing the Hexi Corridor is the first move of the Han Dynasty to attack the Xiongnu. We can learn from it. According to my experience in Liangzhou for so many years, capturing the Hexi Corridor can have two major benefits. Especially the lord. When trying to draw the main force of the Huns."

"Oh?" In Ma Teng's words, this is exactly what Luochen dreamed of, "I wonder what the old general has in mind?"

"First, for our front line of confrontation between Liangzhou and the Qiang people, winning the Hexi Corridor can expand our power to the Western Regions, thus completing the squeeze on the living space of the Qiang people in the west. Second, for the Xiongnu in front of the lord. For example, attacking the Hexi Corridor is bound to cause a rebound from the Xiongnu, and the lord can guarantee victory with an absolutely superior force."

"Now the Huns are hiding from us and fighting at night. For strategically important places, if our army attacks, they will inevitably be ambivalent about whether to rescue them. In any case, our army's superior force can ensure our capture of strategically important places."

Luochen frowned and pondered for a while, because Teacher Cai Yong said that there is evil in the northwest, which can be used, and his eyes began to turn to the grassland. And because the teacher said that there are evil spirits in the northwest, he must be very careful, and he maintains a very cautious strategy. In fact, as the old General Ma Teng analyzed, Luochen seems to want to regain his sense of strategic command and make a decision with his own style and thinking. "Mr. Fazheng, General Chang Yuchun, General Xiahouyuan, and General Lu Bu come here." Luochen stood up and issued a series of orders, apparently intending to discuss the matter carefully. Ma Teng couldn't help but be very happy when he saw that Luochen took his opinion very seriously.

Fazheng was the first to come over and after listening to Ma Teng's suggestion, he pondered for a long time: "Although this strategy is good, but the army has been forced to go far, and now it is moving westward.

Ma Teng agreed without hesitation, and Luo Chen said: "Shicheng's soldiers are my gateway to the west, how can they be adjusted?"

"I'm willing to lead a light cavalry thousands of miles to attack." When Chang Yuchun heard that Luochen decided to take the Hexi Corridor with his army, he immediately invited to fight. These days, he has 200,000 heavy soldiers in his hand, and he has repeatedly planned to attack, but he is always stopped by Luo Chen, and he is very aggrieved.

·0 for flowers

"Okay." Luo Chen nodded in agreement.

"Chang Yuchun's light cavalry attacked, and the army went deep alone. It was very dangerous! Didn't your lord hear that Xiahou Dun's light cavalry was attacked by Zhao Cheng of the Huns in the northern part of Wuhuan a few days ago, and almost the entire army was wiped out." Fa Zheng reminded immediately.

"I'll give you 60,000 light knights." Luo Chen frowned. "Wouldn't there be so many Xiongnu cavalry in the Hexi Corridor? Lü Bu led another 60,000 cavalry and formed a pincer attack with Chang Yuchun. We must quickly capture the four Hexi counties. If the Xiongnu troops appeared in an organized manner, they would be annihilated immediately. "

"As far as we know, the main force of the Xiongnu is 300,000 to 400,000. What if this part of the army goes to the Hexi area? Wouldn't the two generals, Chang Yuchun and Lu Bu, suffer?" Fazheng was unyielding.

..........0

A smile flashed in Luochen's eyes: "Mr. Fazheng, you have forgotten our current strength, we are no longer without troops. The army stationed here is close to 600,000. The two generals sent troops to lead them. More than 120,000 troops will be dispatched, and the rest of the troops will all be active on the grasslands, and if they smell the main force of the Xiongnu, they will attack them."

Yes, this method of warfare is completely the method of local tyrants. Although the main force is Chang Yuchun and Lu Bu's 120,000 cavalry, the army that cooperates with the main action is more than 400,000, and Xu Da and Xiahou Yuan each command more than 20 troops. 10,000, and proceeded to the depths of the grassland with a pincer-shaped offensive. And the purpose of such a huge military operation was to protect the mere 120,000 cavalry from long-distance raids from being surrounded and wiped out.

"Is the fallen army unable to hold his breath?" Yesuo received the battle report, and the 300,000 horses from the right and the royal court were close to converging, becoming horns of each other, lurking in the depths of the grassland. Although the 400,000-strong army was on a pincer-shaped offensive, they did not dare to advance rashly. Zhong Ping, Yesuo and others are waiting for a certain part of the fallen army to be temporarily isolated and then quickly annihilated. They have not received the news that the fallen army is rushing westward.

A huge, extremely tragic, strange and changeable all-out war finally broke out on the grasslands. .

Chapter 105 Express Letters

Luochen issued a series of orders, and immediately took Yan Qing, Ma Teng and others to set out with the army in the direction of Hexi Corridor, but Luochen kept a distance from them, and the army around him was probably 10,000 people. In the area north of the Great Wall where the Huns were rampant, it was undoubtedly very dangerous to do so, but Luo Chen was still confident that his army of 400,000 would be able to ensure that the main force of the Huns could be held back, and even severely damaged or annihilated, so there was no possibility of him being surrounded and annihilated.

Outside the Great Wall, a cavalry messenger was running fast. He wears a bright red sign on his head, indicating urgency. The pass along the road was released urgently, and cavalry was dispatched to ensure its safety. It has been a long time since Wang Shuo, the prefect of Shuofang, saw this kind of red emergency sign. There was dust and smoke in the distance, and the horses seemed to be flying wildly.

"Open the door!" he roared impatiently at the officers and soldiers under the city.

The horse rushed straight into the city like an arrow, and the dust kicked up made the soldiers on both sides cough, and scolded mother angrily from behind. The soldier staggered and rolled down, shouting directly: "I want to meet the Prime Minister! Meet the Prime Minister!"

Wang Shuo had never seen such an arrogant battle, but this messenger was already in a hurry. Only the rank of military division or general can be designated as a special emergency, so it is obvious that Zhuge Liang or Zhang Juzheng can go to this rank. Obviously, Zhuge Liang and others did not dare to make a decision without authorization, and they had to leave it to Luo Chen to decide. Thinking of this, Wang Shuo didn't dare to neglect, and he rolled downstairs. Seeing that the messenger looked like an officer, he shouted, "I want to see the fallen prime minister! Those who delay military intelligence will be executed!"

"Prime Minister Luo is not in Shuofang anymore." Wang Shuo scratched his head and said. "He led the Imperial Army to the west the day before yesterday."

The messenger was obviously taken aback and didn't know what to do. Wang Shuo said: "The highest official position in this department is General Xu Da. I can take you to see him. And only he has the right to read the letter you sent." The messenger was helpless and did not dare to waste time. I had no choice but to say: "Then hurry up, 100,000 hurry!"

As expected, Wang Shuo dispatched more than a thousand iron cavalry to gallop out of the city to protect the messengers around. The messenger also took off the big red logo, so as not to be too conspicuous and be shot dead by the Xiongnu soldiers.

Xu Da was surprised when he saw the special urgent. Quickly dismantled: The lord, Zhuge supervises the country: Liu Biao, Liu Jingsheng, the prefect of Jingzhou, died last night, the minister heard about it early this morning. By the time the letter was sent, the Cai clan's forces were moving rapidly, and Liu Bei was now pacifying the rebellion against Liu Lin, the prefect of Jingling. Cao Cao's troops have gathered in the south, and it can be judged that he has heard of this. The situation in Jingzhou has changed greatly, and I hope the lord will give specific guidance. First, whether to send troops to attack the forces of the Cai Group. 2. Whether to directly send troops to occupy Jingzhou land. 3. Whether it is in direct conflict with Cao Jun. Fourth, whether to support Liu Bei. Huang Zhong, on a certain day in a certain year, urgently transferred to Chang'an and Shuofang. Advise Zhuge Adviser to upgrade this letter to urgent.

After Xu Da finished reading the letter, he was anxious in one word. The situation in Jingzhou has changed abruptly, and all parties are preparing for it, but none of them expected it to come so soon. However, Cao Cao has an unusually obvious advantage over Luo Chen. Cao Cao's Hebei has basically been swept away. Although the main force is now concentrated in the north, he can immediately go south and control Jingzhou. In terms of falling dust, the army and the Huns were at war with each other, and the main generals and most of the army were moving in the desert and grassland, and they couldn't take Jingzhou into account at all. The only troops available now were Huang Zhong's 100,000 horsemen and a weak alliance with Liu Bei and his eldest son Liu Qi from Jingzhou. What Huang Zhong asked was, in essence, the attitude of the Luochen forces towards other forces, and it was necessary for Luochen to clarify: whether to send troops to attack the Cai Group; to deal with Cao Cao, the two sides are still in a state of peace, whether to break the contract. Does this have any effect on the Huns war situation? For the Liu Bei Group, although it is an alliance, Liu Bei has great ambitions and repeatedly persuades him to join the Luochen Group, but he still can't answer.

"Call Mr. Fazheng here." Xu Da looked at the letter. Although he had a lot of thoughts in his heart, he didn't say a word. He directly called for Fazheng to come over. Fazheng studied the situation in the southeast and was well-known in the entire army. There was another conversation, but no one knew what the conversation was about except the two of them.0

Fazheng read the letter with a hint of panic on his face, but also a hint of excitement. His hands trembled slightly. This big change in the Southeast was placed in front of Luochen Group in such an unexpected way. Now, by coincidence, Lord Luochen is not here, and it seems that he has the key decision-making power about the southeast battle situation.

"Immediately send troops to attack the Cai clan, don't confront Cao's army head-on, support Liu Bei, and let Cao Cao fight Liu Bei. After Cao Cao's main force arrives, our army must keep a low profile. As for the land in Jingzhou, you can occupy the key towns close to Yizhou, but don't be too much. More, fighting the Cai clan and supporting Liu Bei is the key." The recorder on the side was quickly moving

Fazheng did not hesitate at all, and began to directly answer Huang Zhong's question. These issues are the fundamental issues of the Southeast Battlefield, and even Zhuge Liang dare not make a decision. It is up to Luo Chen to make the final decision. This Fa Zheng did not hesitate to admonish him in a commanding tone.

"General Huang Zhong seems to have the right to make a temporary decision, which was granted to him by the lord in person." Xu Da reminded 4.5. However, Huang Zhong obviously knew that it was just a matter of great importance and Luochen had to be reported. If the situation was urgent, he could only make a temporary decision based on his own understanding.

"Now immediately send the letter along the route of the lord's forbidden army, and send two thousand iron cavalry. The letter cannot reach the Huns, and it will be burned in an emergency." Xu Da ordered calmly. "Reply Mr. Fazheng's suggestion to General Huang Zhong. Before the lord's order comes, ask him to refer to Mr. Fazheng's suggestion and use his discretion to ensure our interests are maximized."

Xu Da made the most thoughtful arrangements, but he didn't say a word about Dongnan's key decision and maintained his usual caution, which was both his strength and his weakness. .