The Western Regions are the treasure house of China. They have long served as a bridge of cultural exchange between the East and the West, with rich resources and dangerous locations... They also have an important position in the entire Central Asia. Throughout the dynasties, the Central Plains dynasties have to deal with the threat from the northern grasslands, and whether the Central Plains dynasty can resist the northern grasslands is mainly due to the Western Regions... If the Western Regions are controlled by the grassland forces, the grassland forces can bypass the Great Wall and detour from the direction of the Western Regions to directly attack the Central Plains.

On the contrary, if the Western Regions were in the hands of the Central Plains dynasty, the Central Plains dynasty could also curb the grassland forces through the Western Regions... The Han Dynasty controlled the Western Regions and joined forces with the anti-Huns here, defeating the overlord of the grasslands. During the Wangmang period, the Western Regions were disconnected, causing the grassland forces to rise again. Fortunately, even if the Eastern Han Dynasty opened up the connection, it defeated the grassland forces again... The powerful Central Plains dynasties in history all controlled the Western Regions first and then dealt with the grassland regime.

Of course, there are also grassland regimes that directly established a unified regime. For example, the Yuan Dynasty, even so, the Yuan first controlled the Western Regions, and then slowly moved south, gradually controlling the Central Plains. There is also Qing established by the fishing and hunting civilization, but Qing did not control the Western Regions first, but he did find ways to control the Western Regions. There was even a dispute between coastal defense and barrier defense, which also repelled the foreign forces who were planning to be ill-intentioned. Whether in the past or now, the Western Regions have become a piece of fat in the eyes of external forces and have not changed.

From the attempt of the Ross to the defeat of Kangxi in the Western Regions to the later cotton incident, the enemies abroad were ready to move...

The powerful Central Plains dynasties all established connections with the Western Regions, including the Western Region Protectorate of the Han Dynasty, the Anxi of the Tang Dynasty, the Beiting Protectorate of the Yuan Dynasty, the Belhuli Shangshu Province of the Qing Dynasty, and the General of the Yili of the Qing Dynasty, etc. This can all show the importance of the Western Regions. The Western Han Dynasty, which established connections with the Western Regions for the first time, was undoubtedly the biggest beneficiary, because they brought back a lot of things from the Western Regions, including seeds, different smelting technologies from the Han Dynasty, including jade and jewelry (from Daxia). Cultural exchange is a very advantageous thing.

Today, Zhao Kuo has this idea. It is not only of military significance to open up the Western Regions, but also of greater benefits. Qin can get a lot of things. To put it simply, cotton... The cotton in the Western Regions is very good. Although the cotton planting in the Western Regions has not yet been fully formed, this area was the first to use cotton in China. Cotton came from Daxia and first arrived in the Western Regions.

The Western Regions itself is also suitable for growing cotton. It has sufficient light, sufficient water sources in some areas, mild climate, and large temperature differences between day and night are not bad. The Western Regions are very suitable for growing fruits and fruits and economic crops... Cotton is the best choice to resist the cold. Zhao Kuo believes that now is the best time to go to the Western Regions. If you want to go to the Western Regions, there are two roads. The first is through the Hexi Corridor, and the second is to detour from the Qiang people.

What was the biggest difficulty when the Han Dynasty went to the Western Regions? It was the Huns, the Huns during the Han Dynasty, not the current one. After Maodun grew up, he led the Huns to fight the surrounding nomadic forces and could not even escape from the Western Regions. He sent officials to collect taxes from the Western Regions. As long as he dared to resist, Maodun would destroy the country... At the same time, the Huns defeated their old opponents and controlled the Hexi Corridor.

The envoy of the Han Dynasty was captured by the Huns as soon as he arrived at the Hexi Corridor... After being imprisoned for more than ten years, in fact, this is also related to Maodun. Although Maodun was cruel, he was able to use people and respected talented people. Under his influence, when the Huns conquered other tribal countries, they liked to turn those capable people into their own people... Therefore, the Huns no longer blindly killed these talents, but hoped that they could help them.

Unfortunately, these Han Dynasty's missionaries were all hard-working and were unwilling to surrender. They would rather go to herd sheep than become officials of the Huns.

From these aspects, Maodun is really a heroic lord of a generation. He is indeed powerful for those who can force Emperor Gaozu to almost no way out... However, the Huns are different now. Because they were defeated twice in a row by Li Mu, the power of the Huns has reached the lowest level in history. The heroic lord is still playing football with Xiu, and the Hexi Corridor is still in the hands of the Yuezhi people. Yes, it is in the hands of the arrogant and arrogant King Yuezhi who has no ability.

However, it is great for him to do this. Are you willing to be a neighbor with Maodun or a neighbor with someone like Yuezhi?

Besides, the Yuezhi people had no malice towards Qin. This was different from the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu and the Han Dynasty were dead. Therefore, the Xiongnu controlled the Hexi Corridor and did not allow Han envoys to go to the Western Regions. On the original historical line, when Zhang Qian came to the Hexi Corridor, he was captured by the Xiongnu and brought directly to Maodun's son Chechen Shanyu. Chechen asked him with a smile: "You want to go to the Western Regions through the Xiongnu's territory? Then I want to send envoys to Nanyue through the Han Dynasty territory. Do you think this is OK?"

Zhang Qian seemed not to answer this question.

Now the forces controlling the Hexi Corridor have no grudges with the Qin State, and the forces in the Western Regions are not controlled by the Huns. This is definitely the best time to go on a mission to the Western Regions. Zhao Kuo has been thinking about this question for many days. He even called Bao over and asked about the situation in the Western Regions. He felt that, as a child who grew up outside the Great Wall, Mao should have some understanding of the Western Regions. Even if he hadn't been there, he should have heard of it?

Mao thought seriously for a long time and said, "I have never been to the Western Regions, and I don't know the situation there. However, I know the Yuezhi you mentioned. Their customs are similar to those of me.... They are definitely not the opponent of Qin. Their king is very stupid and cruel, and he can't even ride a horse..." Mao told Zhao Kuo everything he knew.

"I have a few elders who have gone to the Western Regions to do business... there are many small countries there, and their power is not very strong. There are many new and strange things there..." Mao recalled the saints who left and right to rob the Western Regions and said calmly. Sure enough, compared to Zhao Kuo, Mao, who was born outside the Great Wall, had a more understanding of the Western Regions and the surrounding situation. After talking for a long time, he asked: "Do you want to attack the Western Regions?"

Zhao Kuo was stunned, shook his head, and said, "I am not going to send an army, I am going to send an envoy, but I just want to open the road so that the two places can be connected...", Mao was a little surprised. In the Xiongnu, he never had any habit of serving missions, either plundering or capturing... He smiled and said, "Big Father, you can let me go to the Western Regions, and I will definitely be able to connect the two places..."

"Hahaha, you're still so young..." Zhao Kuo rubbed his head and said, "Let's talk about it when you grow up."

He nodded seriously and said, "When I grow up, I will definitely fulfill your order."

Zhao Kuo asked him to go back to study and sent the little guy away. Zhao Kuo began to think about how to open up the connection with the Western Regions. The first thing to do was to deal with the Yuezhi people. They had to send a qualified envoy to persuade them, so that the Yuezhi people who had controlled the Hexi Corridor would choose to make way... When talking about the envoy, Zhao Kuo couldn't help but think of someone, Ganluo.

When Ganluo was sent to Qi, he did not even make any contributions because of his later victory. Qi was destroyed. This made Ganluo very depressed. After Qi was destroyed, he did not find any opportunity to make contributions. Now he has grown up and has his own family. Zhao Kuo decided to call this young diplomat who was sent to Zhao to see if he could go to the Hexi Corridor as Qin, or even a diplomat in the Western Regions.

Mao also told Xiu what Zhao Kuo asked about. Xiu didn't care much. His ideal was to become a general like his father, and he was not interested in doing a mission. However, Mao said seriously: "If you can solve the problem with words, who still needs to use swords and weapons? I think the most powerful general is a general who can end the war without a single soldier."

Xiu didn't agree with this statement, but they didn't have much time to talk about this problem, they needed to complete their own homework.

Just when Zhao Kuo was busy on the mission, Zhao Kang had already arrived at his destination. He himself did not expect that Tu Sui would die here in battle. Zhao Kang had formulated several major strategies on weekdays, so he asked the two generals to act according to their own ideas and did not ask them too much. This was due to trust in them, but Tu Sui was still a little anxious. Perhaps it was the casualty rate of the soldiers of the Northern Army that made him irritable.

Zhao Kang could understand this emotion very well. It was not easy for Qin to cultivate these soldiers. They died so frustratedly because of the disease and climate. This is particularly heartbreaking. Zhao Kang felt pain in his heart even if one of the soldiers in the Northern Army died. Unfortunately, this was the case with the war. Tu Sui's advancement caused even greater casualties. More than 5,000 soldiers of the Northern Army died in the ambush of the enemy.

Since its establishment, the Northern Army has not suffered such a large casualties.

Zhao Kang also saw Tu Sui's body and the bodies of the Northern Army soldiers. Zhao Kang seemed to be burning in his heart, but he gritted his teeth but did not burst out his anger. He remembered his father's words, if he became a general, he could not formulate combat strategies because of his anger. More than 5,000 soldiers of the Northern Army died, but more than 90,000 people were waiting for his orders, and he could not let more people die.

Tu Sui's deputy general, Ren Xiao, was standing beside Zhao Kang at this moment, and seriously told the situation of the battle over the past few days.

"Oh? This kind of combat method is a bit familiar... When my father was fighting with Wu'anjun, General Lian Po used this strategy to involve Wu'anjun..." Zhao Kang quickly recalled this incident, and then he began to think about countermeasures again. He walked back and forth for a moment, suddenly stopped and asked, "Was the attack you encountered a few days ago encountered at the same time?"

"That's right, the Baiyue Tribe must have a new commander."

"Well..." Zhao Kang nodded, not knowing what he remembered. He looked at a young man in the distance, waved his hand, and the young man ran to him. Zhao Kang looked at him and asked, "You are the captain Zhao Tuo who wrote me a letter?" The young man nodded, looking a little restrained, Zhao Kang asked again, "Zhao Diren?" Zhao Tuo nodded hurriedly and said, "I am Zhao...Zhao Dihenge Zhending native..."

"Oh... people from Hengshan." Zhao Kang nodded, and the two of them were considered fellow villagers. Zhao Tuo said again: "My eldest father Ming Hui... was once the Censor Zhao and was a good friend of Wu Chenghou." Zhao Kang smiled and said: "Then our two families still have friendship!" Zhao Kang had never heard of this person, but if that person had served as Censor Zhao State, he might be really a friend to his father.

Zhao Kuo chatted with him for a while and suddenly asked, "If you were asked to fight, what would you do?"

Zhao Tuo was stunned. It was obvious that he was not the future experienced King of Nanyue. Facing Zhao Kang's sudden inquiry, he couldn't say anything. He just stood there in a daze. Zhao Kang said, "I need a lieutenant to lead the soldiers into the deep mountains and forests and capture those who killed General Tu Sui. Are you willing?" Zhao Tuo nodded quickly and said, "Yes!"

Ren Xiao was stunned, and he hurriedly said, "Ma Fujun, let me do it, Tuo is still young..."

Zhao Kang shook his head. What he liked was the youth of this man. He was strong, healthy, and cautious. A person like him was the most suitable person to fulfill his orders. He took Zhao Tuo to his tent and immediately stated his own arrangements. Since the enemy wanted to fight guerrilla wars with him through the mountains, he could only deal with the enemy in this way. Zhao Kang had previously trained a mountain army, and most of these people were soldiers from Bashu and Chu.

They were able to adapt to the battles in the mountains. The three generals trained about 8,000 people, which was enough. The biggest problem was that they were familiar with the local area. Zhao Kang decided to let a few Yue people serve as guides. The Yue people who defected to Qin were not lacking, but the scale was too small. These people served as guides could solve this problem. In addition, the strongholds everywhere could provide various supplies at any time.

"Your mission is not to capture them, but to involve them so that they can no longer attack... I will set up strongholds in various places as soon as possible, which will be your supply points... At the same time, I will send people to guard the important roads in the mountains. In addition, General Wang Ben is coming..." Zhao Kang wanted to encircle these in the mountains of Xiyue, involve them through his own mountain army, and then build large and small strongholds through powerful logistics, constantly oppressing the enemy's living space, and eventually destroying them in this deep mountain.

After Zhao Kang established a combat plan, the soldiers of the Northern Army quickly mobilized and began to act. Zhao Tuo first brought those mountain combat troops into the deep mountains. The remaining Northern Army under Zhao Kuo began to set up strongholds in various places, occupy important roads, and began to siege the Yue army in the mountain. At the same time, Wang Ben came from the north, and he was also guarding various roads. At the same time, the civilians in the rear began to come here continuously.
Chapter completed!