Taiheiki

Chapter 268 At Yique Pass
"Huh?" Meng Gaogong was taken aback. "Not like sending Yuan Shao back to his hometown?"

“I am an old friend of Benchu, so it is only right that I do this. But what relationship do I have with the Zhang brothers? Besides, there will only be more and more of these kinds of things in the future. How can I possibly send them back one by one? If I send them back one by one, I will only be seen as someone who is trying to gain fame and reputation by pretending to be kind. What is the point of that?” At this point, Wei Cong sighed and said, “Since we have already embarked on this path, we can’t expect to get away with it cleanly!”

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After encountering this unexpected ambush, Yuan Tian expected to face even fiercer resistance at Luyang Pass. However, when he arrived at the pass, he found it completely deserted and undefended. He summoned some local villagers to inquire and learned that after defeating Yuan Shu and his forces in their ambush the day before, the routed soldiers had exaggerated the Wei army's prowess to the skies when they fled to Luyang Pass. The local garrison, consisting of only about a hundred old and weak soldiers, was thrown into disarray upon hearing this and scattered in all directions.

Facing the deserted Luyang Pass, Yuan Tian, ​​overjoyed, sent a messenger to inform Wei Cong while leading his vanguard forward. After passing Luyang Pass, the road to Luoyang, though still mostly mountainous and hilly, was much easier to traverse. They passed Liang County, Zhucheng, and Yangrenju, advancing with unstoppable momentum, the defending troops scattering at the mere sight of them. It wasn't until they reached Yique Pass that they encountered effective resistance.

"The imperial court has issued an edict that the Grand General has returned power to the Emperor. Why don't you all quickly disband your troops and disperse?" The envoy from Guanzhong said arrogantly to Yuan Tian, ​​"If you hesitate, you will be considered traitors and enemies of the court, and your entire family will be executed!"

"The Grand General has returned power to the Emperor?" Yuan Tian looked at the envoy with suspicion. He knew, of course, Wei Cong's pretext for raising troops in Luoyang—to attack the Dou clan and install the Emperor in his own right. If, as the envoy said, Grand General Dou had indeed returned power to the Emperor, then the pretext for attacking would naturally disappear, and Wei Cong would have no choice but to withdraw his troops. But the problem was that the war had already progressed to this point, with the army at Longmen, only a step away from Luoyang. Was this all they were going to do?

"What's wrong? Do you still dare to defy the imperial edict?" The envoy asked coldly when he saw that Yuan Tian did not express his opinion.

"No, no!" Yuan Tian hurriedly denied it. Regardless of his true feelings, he couldn't let it show on the surface. "I'm just a subordinate officer, subject to orders. Until new military orders arrive, I can only act according to the old ones. Here's what I'll do: I'll send someone to escort you to see Marquis Wei. You can inform him that the Grand General has returned power to the people. Whether to advance or retreat, I'll obey!" With that, Yuan Tian, ​​without further ado, had the messenger sent to Wei Cong's camp. That afternoon, he received a reply with only twelve characters: "A delaying tactic; intensify the attack and take Luoyang directly!"

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Luoyang, Hehuan Palace.

Empress Dowager Dou's patience had run out: "Wei Cong, Zhang Huan, and Feng Kun are all heinous traitors, and Liu Hong is an ungrateful wretch. I don't know why I should show weakness to them?"

"Because we need time!" Yuan Wei replied. "Wei Cong's army is very powerful and has already reached Yique Pass, only a day's journey from Luoyang. Zhang Huan has already advanced to Xu County, and Feng Kun has entered Guanzhong. We cannot hastily mobilize troops from Henan and Guanzhong, so we can only draw troops from Hebei, Youzhou, and Bingzhou, but all of this will take time!"

"But will this be of any use?" Empress Dowager Dou asked. "As far as I know, Wei Congming has already received the imperial decree to return power to the emperor, yet he continues his relentless attacks on Yique. This is clearly useless against him; it only serves to sow discord among the people!"

“This was within my expectations!” Yuan Wei sighed. “To be honest, I underestimated this man. Wei Cong is not someone who can be fooled by petty tricks. The only way to deal with him is to kill him with sword and spear; no scheme or trick can fool him. But just because he’s useless against Wei Cong doesn’t mean he’s useless against others. For example, Feng Kun and Zhang Huan, if they knew this news, they would most likely stop. In that case, Henan and Guanzhong could free up some of their forces for Luoyang. And the Emperor, if we could get the Emperor to come over, it would be best if he wrote an edict rebuking Wei Cong!”

Empress Dowager Dou nodded: "That's true. I hope Zhang Huan and Feng Kun can slow down a bit, so the Grand General can focus on dealing with Wei Cong. But what do you mean by bringing the Emperor over?"

"Your Majesty, the Emperor is only a child of about ten years old, and you have the favor of supporting his ascension to the throne. If we can win him over and have him personally lead the expedition from Luoyang, then quelling Wei Cong and his two companions will be a piece of cake!"

"The Emperor himself is leading the campaign?" Empress Dowager Dou's eyes lit up, but then she looked worried: "Lord Yuan, if the Emperor himself leads the campaign, even if he can quell those three traitors, Wei Cong, his prestige will be greatly enhanced. I'm afraid that this will be impossible to replicate!"

"That's still better than Wei Cong taking Luoyang, isn't it?" Yuan Wei sighed. "Between two evils, choose the lesser one!"

Empress Dowager Dou remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "How about this, I will discuss it with the General first before making a decision!"

“Alright!” Yuan Wei nodded. “However, time is of the essence and we cannot afford to delay. Feng Kun and Zhang Huan are alright, but Wei Cong is a swift and decisive commander. If we delay, his army will be at our gates, and even if we wanted to personally lead the army, it would be too late!”

Just as Yuan Wei left, a man emerged from behind the palace. It was none other than Marquis Dou Ji of Weiyang. Empress Dowager Dou sighed and said, "You heard it all just now. The human heart is truly unpredictable. The Dou family has treated the Yuan family exceptionally well, yet when the time comes, they actually want to personally lead the army. The Emperor secretly issued an edict ordering troops from outside the capital to attack us. If we allow him to command the troops outside the capital, when he returns, will the Dou family be left with nothing? What kind of heart does Yuan Ciyang have to offer such a scheme!"

“Sister is right, Minister Yuan’s plan is fraught with malice!” Dou Ji agreed. “It’s just that Father trusts him greatly. I’m afraid if he listens to him and the Emperor really leads the troops out of the capital, then the situation will be beyond saving!”

"You don't need to worry about that. Even Father wouldn't do that without my permission!" Empress Dowager Dou said. "However, Yuan Wei was right about one thing: the key to this matter is Wei Cong. If he's allowed to reach the walls of Luoyang, chaos will likely break out in the city, and things will be beyond repair. By the way, where is the Wei army now?"

"I heard that the enemy has already reached Yique Pass yesterday!" Dou Ji said in a low voice.

"So fast!" Empress Dowager Dou exclaimed in surprise, "How could they have reached Yique Pass in just a few days? Does that mean they're only a day's journey from Luoyang?"

"Yes!" Dou Ji lowered his voice and said, "I heard from my father that most of the troops available in the capital were previously sent to Wancheng and Xiangyang. The ones available now are newly recruited city people, who can only defend nearby. If they are sent to distant garrisons, they may desert halfway!"

"Damn Feng Kun and Zhang Huan!" Empress Dowager Dou roared, "If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have given them so many soldiers in the first place!" "Actually, it's not entirely Father's fault!" Dou Ji said with a wry smile, "Back then, the Mohe rebels were powerful. If we hadn't given them more troops, how could we have resisted them? Who would have thought that these two would rebel in the blink of an eye?"

"Indeed!" Empress Dowager Dou sighed. "Everyone knows Wei Cong is unreliable, but those two old scoundrels, Feng Kun and Zhang Huan, have turned to thievery in their old age. Who would have thought! I only hope that Yique can hold out a little longer until the troops from Bingzhou and Hebei arrive. Then everything will be much easier!"

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Yique Pass.

Along the banks of the Yi River, banners fluttered, and a vast army stretched as far as the eye could see. Twelve boats were slowly approaching the shore, the largest of which flew a banner bearing the character "Wei." On the nearby bank, music played to welcome the arrival of the commander.

"Mengde, do you know? From here, you can see the Vermilion Bird Gate of the Imperial Palace. On a clear day, you can see the Vermilion Bird Gate from the fortress!" Deng Zhong explained to Wei Cong, pointing to the Yique Pass not far away.

"Really?" Wei Cong was taken aback. Of course, he knew that Deyang Palace and Zhuque Gate were the two tallest buildings in Luoyang City during the Eastern Han Dynasty, forming the city's skyline. It was said that from Yanshi City, 43 li away from Luoyang, one could see the majestic sight of Zhuque Gate connecting with the sky. However, he only regarded these as legends. With the architectural technology of the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was indeed somewhat inconceivable to build a building of such height.

"Whether it's true or false, Mengde, you can verify it yourself after you enter Luoyang. I won't say any more!" Deng Zhong smiled, but his expression turned serious. "However, Yique is a battlefield throughout history. Whether you win or lose, whether you become a king or a bandit, it all depends on your military strategy, Mengde!"

Wei Cong nodded. Before him stood Yique Pass, two mountains rising side by side, the Yi River flowing through them, resembling a majestic Han Dynasty gate tower, hence its name. Since ancient times, the Luoyang Basin has been the core region of Chinese civilization, with the Xia and Shang dynasties said to have laid the foundation for the kingdom, and the Zhou dynasty to establish its rule. Yique Pass, guarding the southeastern pass of Luoyang, has always been a crucial military stronghold, a place of life and death struggles. The "Rebellion of Zidai" during the Spring and Autumn Period, King Zhuang of Chu's military review at Yique, and his ambition to conquer the Central Plains, all took place here. During the Warring States Period, Bai Qi defeated the combined forces of Han and Wei, all from this location. Especially significant was the final Battle of Yique, where Marquis Wu'an Bai Qi beheaded 240,000 enemies in a single battle, seizing the Xiaohan Valley, the Qin state's gateway from Guanzhong into the Central Plains, achieving unparalleled feats. Perhaps, centuries later, someone like him would stand here, reflecting on their own merits and demerits, contemplating their own past.

A jolt came from the deck beneath his feet; the ship had reached the shore. Wei Cong snapped out of his reverie, smiled at Deng Zhong, climbed onto the gangplank, and walked towards the land. Yuan Tian, ​​along with his vanguard generals, stood beside the gangplank and said in unison, "This humble general greets Lord Wei!"

"Enough, no need for formalities!" Wei Cong said expressionlessly, pointing to the distant fortress: "Let's report the military situation first. How many troops are guarding the city? Who is the commander?"

"There are about ten thousand people, but most of them are temporary recruits from the city and can only be used to defend the city. The combat troops are mainly from two parts: one part is the Liyang garrison, which has about a thousand men, and the other part is the Zhongdu official laborers under the Sili Commandant, which has about seven or eight hundred men. However, they are fully equipped with armor, weapons, bows and crossbows. The defending general is Zhang Wen. When Feng Cheqi attacked Wancheng, he fled back to the capital with a few hundred men. The court appointed him as a Zhonglang General and led troops to Yique Pass."

"Zhang Wen?" Wei Cong nodded. "This guy knows a lot about our situation; he'll probably be a tough opponent!"

“Your Excellency is right!” Yuan Tian said in a low voice, “I thought the Yique Pass was fortified and had no battering rams, so I wanted to lure it out and defeat it in open battle, but I didn’t expect the guards to ignore it at all.”

"This man is a seasoned veteran; how could he be fooled by such a simple trick?" Wei Cong chuckled, carefully observing the distant pass. Yique Pass was located at the western exit of the valley between Yique Mountain and Xiangshan Mountain, precisely at the junction of the valley road and a wide plain. If the Wei army wanted to attack from the front, they would have to traverse a narrow road bordered by the Yi River on one side before reaching the walls of Yique Pass. And if the attack failed, the Wei army would be trapped in this narrow valley road, unable to advance or retreat. Not to mention, the defenders could send light troops to climb Yique Mountain and hurl stones and arrows at the Wei army in the valley below, or send boats to attack the Wei army in the valley from the water.

"This is a mousetrap; anyone who sticks their head in is doomed!" Wei Cong sighed. "Is there any other way to cross these two mountains and reach Luoyang?"

"I have already sent people to ask the locals. They only said that there are one or two small paths that only hunters know, but the roads are very dangerous, and it is difficult to find hunters right now!" Yuan Tian said in a low voice.

"Even if it's difficult, it's still better than taking the city by the nose!" Wei Cong said. "Send more people to search, and offer a reward of a thousand gold pieces. Luoyang has even sent all the sergeants under the command of the Commandant of the Capital Region, which means that Luoyang is extremely vulnerable. As long as we can send a thousand or so men to the city, it will naturally fall without a fight!"

"Here!"

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"It's so cold in the tent!" Wei Cong wrapped his fox fur tighter around himself. "I'm missing Panyu more and more; it's much warmer there!"

"You find Luoyang too cold, and it's only October! What would you do if you went to Youzhou or Bingzhou?" Lu Ping smiled and poked at the brazier a couple of times, flames flickering out and reflecting on her face, making her look especially radiant.

"Youzhou, Bingzhou? Spare me!" Wei Cong reached for the brazier and rubbed his hands together. "I don't even want to stay in Luoyang any longer. I'll be back in Panyu by next spring at the latest!"

"Really?" Lu Ping turned around: "Weren't you going to be the Commandant of the Capital Region or the Commander of the Imperial Guards in Luoyang?"

"It's just a formality. I'll serve for half a month, and then Deng Zhong will take over. He's more suitable than me!" Wei Cong smiled. "Asheng will stay as his deputy and build an armed force to be responsible for the security of Luoyang. The personnel will be selected from the sons of the military officers above the rank of Bugeng in our command. They will take turns serving in Luoyang, one year at a time, rotating in shifts. I will pay for it. Let's prepare a thousand people from the beginning!"

(End of this chapter)