When Hexi was pacified, the emperor was satisfied and was about to set up a county in Hexi to directly control the Hexi Corridor and cut off the connection between the Huns and the Qiang people. He was really surprised to receive this news.

The Yuezhi envoy was vague and did not say the true cause of Aliusu's death, but the Han envoy who accompanied him told the truth.

Aliusu was shot and killed while chasing a group of Xiongnu horse thieves. Two hundred steps away, an arrow pierced the heart!

Hearing this news, the emperor was shocked. Shooting the opponent a hundred steps away is already the realm of an archer. For the two most familiar archers Li Guang and Liang Xiao, it is not easy to hit one arrow a hundred steps away, let alone a arrow piercing the heart.

I'm afraid they can't do this state.

The Han envoy then explained more about this person's situation. About a year ago, the horse thief who claimed to be a Tianlang suddenly appeared on the grassland. He quickly gathered more than 100 people with his superb archery skills, all of whom were mercenaries and horse thieves with outstanding archery skills. With these people, he robbed everywhere and never failed. For a moment, the merchants in the Western Regions became disgusted by the wolf and suffered heavy losses.

Li Shuyun led his troops to fight several times after receiving the report from the merchant. Although they were numerous and powerful, they had excellent weapons and shot several people with powerful crossbows, they still failed to catch the leader of Tianlang. Of course, these horse thieves did not gain any advantage. After seeing the power of the Han army's powerful crossbows, they avoided the main force of the Han army, began to guerrilla, and gradually moved to the desert to enter the territory of the Yuezhi people.

Aliusu relied on his bravery. He heard that these horse thieves entered their territory and led their troops to fight without saying a word. As a result, both sides pursued them in the Loulan area for several days. Aliusu not only failed to catch the group of horse thieves, but was shot by Tianlang with an arrow. Now the Yuezhi crowd has no leader, and many people surrendered to Tianlang. Tianlang now has thousands of people, almost controlling most of the areas in the south of the desert.

Li Shuyun had only three or five hundred Han troops under him, and even if he had trustworthy tribes, the number was very limited. Faced with the sky wolf with sharp increase in strength, the Han army could only use the advantages of the strong crossbow to seize the barrier and defend it. If he wanted to pursue it, he was willing but not strong enough. Now, although several important frontiers were safe, the business travelers were greatly affected. If they were not wiped out in time, the situation in the Western Regions might undergo unpredictable changes.

Li Danghu asked the emperor to issue an edict to send troops to the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains to strengthen the strength of the Han army. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, he did not mention Liang Xiao's name, but asked the emperor to arrange warriors with excellent shooting skills to go as appropriate.

The speaker is intentional, and the listener is even more intentional. Li Danghu deliberately avoided Liang Xiao's name, but the emperor heard the profound meaning. Even if Li Danghu was thousands of miles away, he knew that the court had suppressed Liang Xiao, so he did not mention it specifically to avoid causing trouble to Liang Xiao.

After thinking about this section, the emperor was somewhat embarrassed. Needless to say, although Li Danghu and others were good at fighting, their ability was definitely not enough to control the Western Regions. The reason why they can achieve this today was completely the foundation set by Liang Xiao. The Han army took 50,000 infantry and cavalry to control Hexi. Liang Xiao originally had ten cavalry to go to the Western Regions, almost pacifying the Western Regions with his own strength, allowing the hosts of the Dayuan and Yuezhi countries to come to pay tribute.

If it was not possible to determine how great Liang Xiao's achievements were before, now it can be determined. Without Liang Xiao, Li Danghu and others could not even deal with a group of horse thieves, the Western Regions had already reached a deadlock. If the situation could not be controlled as soon as possible, the Western Regions might lose again. In this way, Hexi would become the front line.

The purpose of controlling Hexi is largely to communicate with the Western Regions. If the Western Regions fall into the hands of others, the significance of controlling Hexi will be greatly reduced. No matter what considerations are made, the Western Regions cannot be lost.

While considering the response, the emperor sent someone to summon the Yuezhi proton, Batu, to the palace, to prepare to arrange for him to return to China.

Batu has been in Chang'an for several years and has spoken fluent Chinese. If he didn't look at his appearance, no one could tell that he was from Yuezhi. He was already half a Han Chinese in Chinese in Chinese. Recently, he also added a piece of trick in Chang'an and wrote an article. Although it was a bit wrong with allusions, the practical style of the writing is not much worse than that of Liang Xiao.

When the emperor saw Batu, he carefully comforted him a few words, and asked him about his plans after returning to the country.

Batu is very direct. I have been deeply grateful to heaven and have witnessed the wealth and strength of the Han Dynasty with my own eyes. I will never dare to betray Your Majesty. However, there are many races in the Western Regions, and Yuezhi is just one of them. It is not even the strongest one, so it is difficult to survive. If Your Majesty sends troops to help, I will naturally lead the Yuezhi warriors to help. I have no choice but to be loyal. If Your Majesty cannot send troops, I can only guarantee myself and others.

After all, survival is the first priority. If the great man cannot protect the Yuezhi, he will not expect all the Yuezhi to support the great man.

The emperor asked, "In your opinion, how many people are needed to protect the countries in the Western Regions?"

"It depends on the person you are entrusted by Your Majesty. If this person can convince the public, about one or two thousand cavalry is enough. If you cannot convince the public, you can only rely on the Han army, then you will need at least 20,000 elite troops. Not to mention the west of the Pamir Mountains, just the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains east of the Pamir Mountains, there are great countries like Wusun. Wusun has 40,000 to 50,000 cavalry, and the Han army is brave and can fight three with one, and 20,000 people should be sure to win."

When the emperor heard this, he frowned. It was already difficult for 50,000 infantry and cavalry to go to Hexi. How could he transfer another 20,000 elite troops to the Western Regions thousands of miles away? It seemed that there was only one possibility left: send a general who could convince the people to travel west and use barbarians to control barbarians.

This person is Liang Xiao.

After several days of repeated weighing, the emperor sent someone to summon Liang Xiao into the palace.

When Liang Xiao saw the etiquette, he knelt aside and listened quietly to the emperor. The emperor looked at Liang Xiao and hesitated for a while. Although he knew very well that Liang Xiao was the only suitable candidate to win with less, but when Liang Xiao stood in front of him, he was still a little uneasy.

Is it really good to send Liang Xiao to the Western Regions? If he becomes a big man, he will not lose his last sentence and become independent, wouldn’t he slap himself?

The emperor rubbed his fingers and spoke slowly. "Have you heard about the Western Regions?"

"I heard some of it." Liang Xiao didn't go around the corner and said straight to the point: "I felt familiar when I heard General Li talk about it that day. This Tianlang may be Wu Shan, the king of Hunxie."

"Wu Dan, King Hunxie?" The emperor was shocked. He bent his fingers and knocked his temples for a while. "Is his sister Wusun Yan?"

"Yes, Your Majesty's memory is indeed good. I heard from the Yuezhi people that the Yuezhi people had three treasure bows, known as heaven and earth. Later, they were robbed by the Huns and given to the Wusun people. The human bow is the bow in my hand, and the hard bow in Wusan's hand should be the earth bow."

"So, the ground bow is stronger than yours?"

"It should be so. But I haven't seen it before, and I don't know whether it is true or not." Liang Xiao frowned slightly. "I think Aliusu's shot may be a coincidence. It is rare to hit a shot two hundred steps away, let alone a single arrow piercing the heart."

"Even by coincidence, this ground bow should not be underestimated. The power of such a hard bow must be amazing. I am afraid it is already the legendary power of carrying the tripod." The emperor breathed a long sigh. "Who do you think is more confident?"

"No one is sure." Liang Xiao frowned even more. "If it is a large army attack, it is not a big problem. After all, a person's power is limited. Ten thousand arrows are fired at once, and no matter how good the archery is, it will be useless. However, more than a thousand bandits are pursuing in the desert, such an opponent is very difficult to deal with, and the threat of the environment is even more troublesome. Once you get lost in the desert, the possibility of survival is extremely low."

"What do you think of? Do you just give up?"

"The only way is to go, it seems that the only way is to go. As a marquis, I also have the responsibility to fight for the country. However, I am unwilling to go."

"Don't want to go?" The emperor's eyes twitched. "Why?"

"First of all, I am not sure. I use a human bow with a range of about 120 steps, and I use a ground bow with a range of about 200 steps. I have no advantage, let alone he is more adaptable to the terrain of the Western Regions than me. Secondly, I am grateful to Your Majesty, and I am rich in youth. Now I have a fief of 5,000 households and have a title of champion. I don't know that many people are envious and jealous, waiting to see my jokes. If I go on the battle, I am afraid there are many people who are bad."

Liang Xiao paused and said, "There is another point in the end. I am unwilling to be my family to host Chang'an, and I am afraid of it. If I fail and die on the battlefield, it would be fine. If someone provokes right and wrong in front of His Majesty, it will be difficult for me to rest even if I am in the underworld."

The emperor raised his eyebrows and looked unhappy. "In your eyes, am I so confused?"

"I dare not say that Your Majesty is confused, but the three of them become tigers. Given the virtuousness of Zengzi and the relatives of mother and son, Zengzi's mother still jumped over the wall and walked away. The Western Regions are thousands of miles away from Chang'an, and it will take half a year to make a round trip. It is possible that Your Majesty is deceived by others. Even if Your Majesty is wise and enlightened, my family has been poisoned by the prison officers. How can I feel at ease? Therefore, I am unwilling to go."

The emperor looked at Liang Xiao, trying to see a clue from Liang Xiao's face. Liang Xiao lowered his eyebrows and lowered his eyes, and his face was calm. After a long time, the emperor sighed. "Okay, I'll consider it again."

"Thank you for your grace." Liang Xiao bowed and bowed, stood up and said goodbye.

Seeing Liang Xiao leave the hall, the emperor's eyebrows jumped and turned to look at Xu Le and others. "What do you think? Liang Xiao is unwilling to go to war. Is it true or false?"

Xu Le and others looked at each other a few times, and no one was willing to speak, but the emperor insisted and his face became increasingly ugly. Seeing this, Xu Le took the lead in leaving. "Your Majesty, I think Liang Xiao has no false words. There is no reason to win. There is a worry about being slandered, and it is a taboo for generals. The son of a thousand gold medal still knows that he will not sit in the hall. It is normal for Liang Xiao to have such concerns."

The emperor was very upset. He didn't want to send Liang Xiao, but when Liang Xiao really rejected him, he felt very disappointed and even a little angry. "As a marquis, he shouldn't he share his worries for you?"

"Your Majesty said very much. Liang Xiao should indeed share the worries for the king. But there are different ways to share the worries for the king. It is a way to lead the army to fight, and it is also a way to gain life with bandits. As a vassal king, Liang Xiao should be the former, not the latter."

The emperor said yes. He understood what Xu Le meant. This time he went to Hexi. He was commanding 40,000 troops. Liang Xiao went to the Western Regions, with a maximum of 2,000 cavalry. Liang Xiao was also a vassal of the king. Liang Xiao was treated much worse. A few years ago, Liang Xiao was able to gain wealth and could go to the Western Regions to be sent to the Western Regions. Now he is no longer an ordinary man, and he is also a vassal of the king and his subjects. There is no need to take this risk, let alone the concerns of the suspicion of the king and his subjects.

In other words, Liang Xiao really doesn't want to go, instead of saying it. How comfortable he stays in Chang'an, why should he run to the Western Regions and fight to the death, and he can't end up losing it.

The emperor's face was a little hot. He knew that Liang Xiao was not afraid of death on the battlefield, but his suspicion. They had known each other for the past, but now this trust was gone. He felt that Liang Xiao was setting up situations everywhere and invigorated people's hearts. Liang Xiao was worried that he would die of rabbits and cook them, and that the birds would hide their bows, so he would rather be a rich man in Chang'an than go to war.

Of course, if he could choose, he probably wouldn't even want to stay in Chang'an. He was admitted to the hospital because he didn't want to stay in the palace. He would rather stay in his mansion, drink with Mei Gao, and read Mei Gao to write articles.

When they thought of Mei Gao's articles, a chill rose on the back of the emperor. Mei Gao's articles became popular, and behind them were the fear of countless soldiers going on the war. They were worried that they would end up like Dou Ying and Liang Xiao. Even those Fengjun who did not speak out, they were not so worried. So far, Cao Shi, Li Guang and others did not express their opinions, which did not mean that they had no opinions, but they just refused to jump out.

Liang Xiao refused to go, Li Guang was willing to go, and Cao Shi was willing to go? They might not refuse directly like Liang Xiao, but they probably were also rejected in their hearts. On the front line, while they were fighting against the enemy, their more thoughts might be in Chang'an.

The emperor paced back and forth a few steps. "But there must be no mistakes in the Western Regions. In addition to the army going to fight, only Liang Xiao can deal with the Tianlang. How can he be willing to go to fight?"

Xu Le shook his head in embarrassment, not knowing what to say. Liang Xiao refused to go, and the emperor insisted on letting him go. No one could guess what the real intention was. It could be understood as the emperor's respect for Liang Xiao, or it could be understood as the emperor's desire to kill someone with a knife. Before not knowing the truth, he would rashly make suggestions and would probably push Liang Xiao into a dangerous situation.

After a long time of silence in the hall, the emperor's face became increasingly ugly, the atmosphere was depressing, and there was even a sound of wind and thunder. At this moment, the Lord's Father Yan stood up. "Your Majesty, if you want Liang Xiao to go out to war, only one person can convince him."

"who?"

"Honor Master Huainan."

The emperor laughed silently. "Okay, lord, father, go to Mount Lu and ask the lord to come to the capital."

Xu Le, Yan An and others looked at each other, but no one spoke, but a look of contempt flashed in their eyes. One of the reasons why Liang Xiao refused to go to the war was that he did not want his family to be hostages. The master's father Yan suggested summoning Liu Ling to Beijing, which was too poisonous. Once Liu Ling arrived in Chang'an, Liang Xiao had to leave even if he didn't want to leave, otherwise the emperor would really turn his face. Not only did Liang Xiao want an envoy himself, but Liu Ling could not escape death.

The master Yan looked at Xu Le and others, but pretended not to know. He received the edict and set off today to rush to Mount Lu.——

(To be continued.)
Chapter completed!