Thank you to Bee for the ko-fi~ ♡⸜(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⸝♡
On the sixth day of November, just five days after the solar eclipse, the unsettled people of Luoyang were startled to witness the ominous portents unfolding before them. The Han Dynasty dispatched the Prince of Qin, Liu Yao, Grand General Huyan Yi, and General of the East, Shi Le, along with several other commanders, leading a formidable army of sixty thousand troops, heading straight for Luoyang!
This time, Liu Yuan had truly spared no effort. Among the sixty thousand elite soldiers, a staggering forty thousand were raised for this campaign alone! With hearts already wavering and suddenly facing enemy attacks, various counties in Henan province swiftly surrendered. Liu Mo, the Inspector of Henan, fought valiantly but perished in battle, the defenders scattered, and the Yique Pass fell!
In just a short span of five days, this mighty army advanced like an unstoppable force and arrived beneath the walls of Luoyang. Despite the natural defense of the Yellow River and the eight strategically located city gates, the imperial city, once considered impregnable, now found itself with only eight thousand loyal soldiers within its walls, alongside the towering and expansive city fortifications.
Mounted on his horse, Shi Le gazed at the magnificent city before him, letting out a sigh deep from his heart. In his youth, he had accompanied his father on business trips to Luoyang. Standing on the broad Bronze Camel Street outside the palace, with the enormous bronze camels overlooking the southern horizon, the grandeur and splendor of Luoyang were vividly displayed.
This once unparalleled imperial capital was now under the edge of his blade.
The sound of warhorses neighing surrounded him, and behind him, the continuous stretch of tents filled the air. Even the atmosphere was saturated with the scent of rust and the tang of blood. They had arrived, ready to breach the city, slay the emperor, and establish unparalleled achievements!
His breath quickened as Shi Le squinted his eyes, greedily eyeing the towering and ancient city walls.
“Shi Le!”
A voice sounded from behind, and Shi Le abruptly snapped back to reality, turning to bow with his fists, “Your Highness!”
In Liu Xi’s eyes, there was a gleam similar to Shi Le’s. He raised the horsewhip in his hand and loudly commanded, “Lead your vanguard and initiate the first assault!”
“Understood, Your Excellency!” Shi Le responded promptly, but a hint of darkness flickered across his expression.
When he first arrived in the Han Dynasty, with few troops and limited power, he had no choice but to seek refuge with Wang Mi. However, Wang Mi, being of noble descent, looked down on him, a Jie tribesman. Staying in Yong County was a way to distance himself from Wang Mi and expand his influence. The Di and Qiang tribes, refugees, and defeated generals were the ones he could utilize. Little did he expect that after conquering several tribes, most of the gathered remnants would be granted to the Di individual, Pu Hong, who had defected. Did Shi Le not feel angry? However, all those emotions were suppressed.
He still lacked the confidence to defy these noble Xiongnu figures openly. However, it was an undeniable fact that Liu Yao was increasingly valuing him. Aligning with Liu Yao was undoubtedly better than being under Wang Mi. As long as he accumulated more significant achievements, sooner or later, he could lead armies just like Wang Mi. Once there was an opportunity to attack provinces and command tens of thousands of troops again, riding across the land, wouldn’t it be as easy as turning over one’s hand? At that time, who would dare to look down on his background!
Eagle-like sharp eyes fixed on the distant city. Shi Le urged his mount, leading his followers and warriors, charging towards Luoyang!
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“Where are the reinforcements?!” In the palace of Luoyang, the young emperor raged, his voice even changing tones!
Five days! In just five short days, all the defenses guarding Luoyang, like paper, were torn to shreds. The loyal defenders sacrificed themselves for the country, but more surrendered cowardly, begging for mercy on their knees! The twenty thousand troops stationed in Henan County, guarding Luoyang, did not last a single day and dispersed completely. Now, apart from the eight thousand loyal soldiers within the city, there was no one left to use!
Where were Guo Xi’s troops? Shan Jian’s? Wang Cheng’s? Sun Li’s? Liang Zixi’s?
In the vast country, was there not a single loyal minister?!
The officials below, their faces turned pale. Who wanted to be trapped in the city by these barbarians? Was it not because the stubborn emperor deprived them of the chance to escape!
Wang Yan, trying to stand firm, said, “Your Majesty, the Xiongnu came too fast, catching us off guard. As long as General Guo receives the news, he will surely send troops to the rescue. Moreover, in Bing County, a mountain away, Liang Zixi can also mobilize troops and send reinforcements! The troops from Bing County are no less than the Xianbei cavalry and can surely lift the siege of Luoyang. As long as Your Majesty stays in the city and resists for a few days, it will be enough…”
His words were not unreasonable. Sending troops from Shangdang, crossing the Taihang Mountains, would take only a day to reach Luoyang. Once Bing County dispatched troops, the situation would immediately change. Could the mighty city of Luoyang not hold out for ten days or half a month?
Taking a deep breath, the young emperor forced himself to calm down and said, “Mobilize the loyal soldiers and go to battle against the enemy…”
“Your Majesty, you must not!” someone shouted, “The palace must also be guarded. If the city falls…”
He didn’t finish his words, realizing he misspoke, and quickly shut up. The young emperor clenched his fists in anger but refrained from speaking again. Indeed, Luoyang had several layers of city walls. Even if the outer city was breached, there was still the inner city. If the inner city couldn’t be defended, there was still the impregnable Golden Wall City!
The young emperor felt a chill down his spine at the thought of possibly escaping to the Golden Wall City, a place that had trapped countless members of the imperial family. No, he absolutely refused to fall to such a plight. Even if he had to lead the imperial carriage into battle personally, he would block the enemy outside the inner city! Didn’t Sima Yi lead Emperor Hui out of the city to face Sima Ying back then? As long as he was there, the soldiers could fight to protect the emperor with their lives!
“Send feathered messages to all provinces and commanderies, mobilize troops to rescue the emperor!” In the end, the young emperor spoke sternly, “Before the reinforcements arrive, gather the young and strong within the city and defend the city!”
However, the young emperor at this moment did not know that the reinforcements he anxiously awaited were facing troubles. Wang Mi, who had just settled down, rose in rebellion again, advancing towards Xingyang, cutting off Guo Xi’s route to reinforce Luoyang. With Wang Mi leading thirty thousand troops in the front, and Cao Yi causing chaos in Qing and Yan County in the rear, Guo Xi immediately found himself in a desperate battle with no time to spare.
In Bing County, the enemy had long prepared for the invasion.
“The Xiongnu have occupied the entrances such as Taihang Pass, Baiheng, Jingxing, and besieged Huguan.” When the latest military information arrived from Shangdang, the faces of those in Jinyang City looked grim.
While leading the troops to attack Luoyang, the Xiongnu forces stationed along the Huzuo River immediately took action. Liu Yuan did not underestimate Bing County; he had added ten thousand cavalry to the existing twenty thousand troops, launching a three-pronged attack into Shangdang! Judging from the intelligence, the combat strength of this group of troops was not to be underestimated. What made it even more challenging was that they did not seem to intend to attack the city directly; instead, they divided their forces to guard several mountain passes.
In this way, the situation became even more apparent. The opponent had clearly made up their mind to stop the Bing County troops from heading south to aid Luoyang. If they didn’t use the mountain passes, just circumventing the Taihang Mountains would take ten days or even half a month. By then, whether Luoyang could hold on was questionable. Even if troops were mobilized from Ye City, it would take an equal amount of time. Moreover, the garrison in Ye City was insufficient, and if troops were hastily deployed, they might lose Wei County as well.
What to do? Ignore Luoyang?
If they ignored Luoyang and the young emperor in the city, the mere thirty thousand troops could not shake Shangdang at all. Just by remaining behind closed gates, they could exhaust the enemy’s supplies. However, doing so would lead to a complete loss of trust from the court, even becoming a target of public criticism. Bing County was different from other places; Liang Feng’s position as governor was appointed by the emperor. If he betrayed this trust, who would be willing to support him?
But if they saved Luoyang, they would likely face the well-prepared and formidable Xiongnu army. This battle might be even more dangerous than the previous one against Wang Jun. It could potentially damage the strength that Bing County had painstakingly accumulated. After rescuing Luoyang, how would they defend against another attack from the Xiongnu?
Seven or eight pairs of eyes fell on Liang Feng. This wasn’t a decision that other advisers could make. To fight or not to fight depended on his words.
“Deploy the troops! Crush the enemy and rescue Luoyang!” Liang Feng didn’t hesitate and declared directly.
Others might consider the current situation, weigh their interests, or even secretly wish for the troublesome emperor to perish at the hands of the Xiongnu. But Liang Feng was not like others. In Luoyang City, there were not only the emperor and court officials but also tens of thousands of innocent civilians! If he could send troops to rescue them, he would naturally do so.
With this statement, the oppressive atmosphere in the room eased. Perhaps ruthless conquerors were more likely to achieve greatness, but everyone initially followed Liang Feng because he possessed a compassionate heart for the people and the world.
With the lord’s decision made, the discussion now focused on tactical matters. Zhang Bin nodded and said, “The enemy is dividing their forces across several mountain passes, seemingly presenting an opportunity, but it’s likely a baiting strategy. If we genuinely attempt to defeat them one by one, we may fall into an ambush by their cavalry.”
Shangdang was not a vast region, and the mountain passes were quite close. By holding a certain point, they could fully utilize the mobility of their cavalry to strike against the Bing County troops. Given the insufficient number of Bing County cavalry, effectively stopping the enemy’s actions would be quite challenging.
On the side, Yiyan spoke coldly, “This method is not just a feint. As long as we defend the camps and block the mountain passes, we can place our army in a dilemma. The enemy general employs cautious and cunning tactics, unlike the Han forces we encountered before.”
Their ultimate goal was to proceed to Luoyang and resolve the crisis of the Xiongnu forces approaching the city. However, with the enemy forces divided, holding the vital routes to Luoyang, they would have to engage in a battle no matter which path they chose. Moreover, they needed to resolve the situation quickly. This created immense psychological pressure on the Bing County troops. Any mistake could have dire consequences.
“Such clever strategists will likely devise a counter-strategy. Why not turn the tables on them?” Zhang Bin had already discerned Yiyan’s implied meaning.
“Pretend to set up an ambush, lure the enemy into battle. It might work,” Yiyan’s response was more direct.
With a few words, the general direction was decided. However, more detailed tactical discussions were needed.
“In this battle, Boyuan will be the commander, and Meng Sun will be the strategist. Send a letter to Shangdang, and inform General Zu to prepare for mobilization!” Liang Feng decisively set the plan in motion.
With this command, Bing County, like a beast awakened from slumber, rallied its spirits, ready for the impending dawn!
