Jinting Han people

Shortly after Liu Cong led the main force of Zhao Han to a great victory at Yecheng, Liu Yao also prepared for a major military operation to clear the road between Henan and Tongguan for the first large-scale attack on Luoyang.

This was a plan Liu Cong had set at the beginning of the year. If he successfully captured Ye City, Zhao Han's strategic focus would shift to Guanzhong. However, to further increase the chances of capturing Guanzhong, Liu Cong believed that the next step should be to first capture Luoyang and then advance to Tongguan, thus forming a three-sided encirclement of Guanzhong in the grand strategy. In this way, the Guanzhong defense line would be vulnerable everywhere, and taking Guanzhong would be a natural outcome.

Because this matter concerned the future strategy for Guanzhong, the commander-in-chief had to be a reliable candidate. Furthermore, Liu Cong hoped to maintain considerable influence over the army after returning to Pingyang. Considering these two factors, he chose Liu Yao to be in charge. Firstly, Liu Yao was a master of military strategy, unmatched by many in the various armies; secondly, Liu Yao and Liu Cong had studied together in Luoyang and were close friends; thirdly, Liu Yao was merely Liu Yuan's adopted son, and even if he achieved military merit, he could not contend for the position of crown prince.

Liu Yao was fully aware of this. Within Zhao Han's system, he had long been associated with Liu Cong and was considered one of Liu Cong's loyal followers; their fates were intertwined. If Liu Cong failed to ascend the throne and instead Liu He and others gained power, then what awaited him in the end was either a noose or an arrow.

Therefore, he not only supported Liu Cong's bid for the throne but also paved the way for Liu Cong's ascension. When Liu Yao was appointed commander-in-chief overseeing the Luoyang campaign, he proactively submitted a memorial to Pingyang praising Liu Can's previous achievements, describing him as both a skilled strategist and a capable warrior, and expressing his desire to have him as his deputy. This was undoubtedly a brilliant move, not only demonstrating loyalty to Liu Yuan and Liu Cong but also winning over Liu Can.

When Liu Can arrived in Hanoi to meet Liu Yao, Liu Can, who was usually arrogant, was surprisingly respectful, addressing Liu Yao as "Uncle King." Liu Yao, not acting as an elder, and knowing Liu Can's fondness for women, selected two exceptionally beautiful women from his own concubines at the banquet and presented them to Liu Can. Liu Can was overjoyed, and after drinking a few cups of wine, he made no attempt to restrain his speech:

"Uncle is truly wise and understanding. If those uncles in Pingyang were as loyal and devoted to the country as you, Father would have unified the Northern Kingdom long ago. Why would he need to lead the army back to the capital and waste time with them?"

Liu Yao remained outwardly calm, but he sensed something amiss in his words. Startled, he feigned nonchalance and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? I haven't heard from Pingyang in a long time. Is there some gossip going on?"

Liu Can, being a young man, didn't have much cunning. He slurred, "Hey, it's not just idle talk. Just half a month ago, wasn't the Prime Minister (Liu Xuan) also unwell? Then the Prince of Liang (Liu He) went to the Prime Minister to mourn and asked him to plead with His Majesty, saying that for the long-term stability of the country, an heir should be established as soon as possible. The Prime Minister is senile. He's over a hundred years old. What's he doing getting involved? He actually submitted a memorial, putting His Majesty in a difficult position."

As the eldest man in the country, Liu Xuan's words carried extraordinary weight. Upon hearing that Liu Xuan supported Liu He, Liu Yao couldn't help but feel somewhat worried. He even forgot about drinking and asked, "So what's the situation now?"

"Haha, Uncle, don't worry, Father has already made arrangements!" Liu Can leaned forward and said very proudly, "Whenever Father had a victory, he would send people to win over the Qiang and Di tribes and the four Xianbei tribes who had come to join him. So Liu Hu, Shan Zheng and the others thought highly of Father. His Majesty didn't want to offend them, so he just dragged it out."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yao was relieved and laughed, "As expected of my fourth brother, his succession to the throne is the will of the people. Anyone who tries to obstruct him will surely destroy the nation and bring about their own demise. As a member of the Han imperial family, for the sake of our ancestral land, I must be the first to punish him!"

Liu Can was very satisfied with what he heard and was about to raise his cup to continue drinking when Liu Yao leaned closer and whispered in his ear, "Please rest assured, Your Highness, if anyone obstructs Your Highness from inheriting the throne, I will punish him on Your Highness's behalf!"

These words startled Liu Can, who looked up to examine Liu Yao. After a moment of eye contact, they both burst into laughter. They didn't continue the conversation, but to onlookers, they appeared much closer, a true display of uncle-nephew affection.

The two men barely discussed the war at the banquet. After all, in their view, Luoyang, ravaged by several major battles, was no longer comparable to major cities like Ye and Xuchang. They had also heard news of Zu Ti dismantling the main city's palaces and building fortified villages. In their opinion, this was undoubtedly a disastrous move; a fortified village, with only a few hundred men, could hardly withstand an attack from a large army.
Moreover, with no threat from northern Bingzhou and after the capture of Yecheng, a large number of men in Zhao Han were freed up to join Liu Yao's army, bringing the total number of troops in Hanoi to 90,000. Furthermore, according to previous intelligence, Zu Ti only had 30,000 soldiers. With such a vast disparity in strength, both Liu Yao and Liu Can found it difficult to imagine how Zu Ti could possibly win.

Even after the banquet ended, they only spent a quarter of an hour briefly confirming the date and personnel for the expedition, without planning any specific strategy. Clearly, both men believed that simply marching out in a straightforward manner would be enough to completely destroy the Jin army in Luoyang.

Just as they were preparing to march south, Zu Ti, the governor of Yongzhou, was also in Luoyang preparing to meet them in battle.

As dusk fell, over a thousand light cavalrymen galloped northward, their horses sweating and their legs covered in dust. The cavalry formation was impeccable, and not a single troop dared to enter the fields and trample the crops; their discipline appeared remarkably strict.

It was harvest season, and the setting sun was incredibly vibrant, its crimson rays bathing the earth and falling upon the willow branches at the edge of the plain. In many places along the fields, the wheat harvest was still in progress, and the farmers, mostly shirtless, were busy working among the ears of wheat. Hearing the sound of hooves from the northwest, some people curiously stopped their work and turned to look in the direction of the sound. They were stunned to see cavalrymen strolling leisurely through the fields.

These knights were not numerous, but each one was extremely strong, and their horses were also well-fed and powerful. As they galloped across the road, the sound of their hooves striking the ground was crisp and clear, like the forging of iron. A cloud of dust rose up from the ground, easily misleading people into thinking there were thousands of them.

But when the farmers saw the group's banners, they became afraid. The white tiger banners were synonymous with the Western Expeditionary Army. Under Zhang Fang's terrifying influence, people had long regarded the Western Army as demons. At least in Luoyang, no one was immune to Zhang Fang's influence. Therefore, after regaining their senses, many lowered their heads in fear, as if not seeing them meant no one was there, while secretly praying that these Westerners wouldn't cause any trouble.

Unexpectedly, after a while, they found that there was nothing excessive. There were no insults or fierce looks. The farmer was surprised and wanted to take a closer look at the knights, but they had already quickly gone far away. He had no idea who the leader of this army was.

While they were discussing this, Zu Ti was already waiting and pacing outside Jinyong City, calculating the upcoming battle.

Leaving Xuchang and returning to Luoyang, Zu Ti had unknowingly spent a year there. During this year, he had been preparing for a major battle, as he clearly understood that given Sima Teng's incompetence and Wang Jun's greed and tyranny, the fall of Hebei was inevitable. And once Hebei collapsed, Luoyang would inevitably be the next target of the rebel attacks. In fact, just as Liu Yuan declared himself emperor, he received an offer of surrender from the Pingyang court. Liu Yuan promised him that if Zu Ti surrendered, he would be made the Prince of Xingyang and appointed General Who Guards the South. This undoubtedly demonstrated Liu Yuan's emphasis on Luoyang, but Zu Ti naturally refused.

Zu Ti harbored ambitions of greatness from a young age. Born into a peaceful era dominated by aristocratic families and incompetent regional princes, he felt his pent-up passion had nowhere to go. He couldn't help but despise the corruption of the world and the incompetence of the bureaucracy, and thus vowed to become emperor and sweep away all this filth by any means necessary. But now, after his political defeat and his humiliating return to Luoyang from Xuchang, his thoughts had completely changed.

This idea didn't arise out of thin air; it gradually brewed amidst a series of battles. But when he witnessed the endless stream of refugees wandering the Central Plains, he finally relinquished his desire for power and admitted his past mistakes. Compared to the peaceful lives of the common people, the throne was insignificant. This time, he wanted to start anew, to be a hero who saved the people from suffering, even if it meant sacrificing himself completely.

Therefore, Zu Ti changed his previous tyrannical style and began recruiting refugees in the Central Plains, distributing land to them. Even when some refugees refused to be recruited, or even led troops to attack him, he remained calm and personally quelled the conflicts among the people. He explained the greater good to the rebels, avoiding violence whenever possible, and uniting the people in a bloodless manner. In this way, his approach was very different from the various powerful figures in Guandong. Refugees from all walks of life flocked to him, expressing their gratitude and calling him "Master Zu." This led to the vibrant scene in Luoyang today.

But Zu Ti knew very well that this was merely the calm before the storm. The real battle for Luoyang was about to begin again, and he had no way out. The outcome of this battle could not be decided by him alone. He understood that Luoyang's fate was intertwined with that of Guanzhong, and therefore, during this time, Zu Ti had been seeking aid from various forces in Guanzhong.

Today, the first reinforcements that Zu Ti had requested finally arrived.

This cavalry, carrying white tiger banners, came from Liangzhou. Their leader was Linghu Ya, the chief clerk of Zhang Gui, the governor of Liangzhou. He saw Zu Ti standing in the distance, sword in hand, beneath a mulberry tree, surrounded by a retinue of guards. Zu Ti remained silent and composed, exuding an aura of profound steadfastness. Linghu Ya couldn't help but think: "Zu Ti is truly a hero!"

He quickly dismounted and paid his respects. Zu Ti was inevitably disappointed to see that there were only a thousand men, but he did not show it on his face. Instead, he took Linghu Ya's hand and asked, "Gentlemen, you have come a long way and must be tired. Have you eaten? We are preparing some steamed buns here, which you can use to fill your stomachs."

Although Zu Ti concealed it very well, Linghu Ya still keenly noticed it. The reason he was valued by Zhang Gui was because of this ability to read people's expressions, so he took the initiative to say to Zu Ti: "Lord Zu, there is no need to rush. We are just the vanguard. There are still four thousand cavalry behind us, and they will probably arrive tomorrow."

Upon hearing that Liangzhou had sent a total of five thousand cavalry, Zu Ti's eyes lit up with a bright smile. He exclaimed, "That was truly remarkable. I had been eagerly awaiting reinforcements from the west, like a woman waiting for her husband, my anxiety was beyond measure. I never expected that you would be the first to arrive!"

Sending troops thousands of miles to rescue an ally is a commendable act at any time, and Linghu Ya was quite proud of it. However, he still explained, "Our army had no worries, so we were able to move out quickly. When we passed through Yongzhou, Chang'an was still discussing the defense of Shuofang. The selection of reinforcements had just been finalized. They said there were 7,000 men, and Chen An would be the commander. He is a fierce warrior from Guanzhong and will not disappoint you, my lord."

"The main problem is that the Han King is too far away. The reinforcements are still on their way. I heard that Gongsun Gong is leading the team, which has 6,000 men under his command. They are all elite soldiers and should arrive next month."

With the personnel and timeline clearly defined, Zu Ti's smile widened. He joked, "There are many Kings of Han nowadays. Which King of Han are you referring to?"

Linghu Ya was taken aback, but then found the unpredictable nature of the world amusing and replied, "Of course it wouldn't be the King of Han in Pingyang."

Originally, Zu Ti only intended to ask Guanzhong for help. However, under the threat of Liu Yuan, Yan Ding dared not mobilize a large number of troops and was therefore quite hesitant. He remembered that he had just formed an alliance with Shu Han last year, so he sent a message to Liu Xian asking for help, just to give it a try.

Upon hearing the news, Liu Xian was naturally extremely concerned for Zu Ti's safety. However, he was currently training his navy domestically, and Luoyang was too far away to send a large army to his aid. Remembering the precedent of Suo Jing's assistance to Luoyang, he followed suit, contacting Zhang Gui of Liangzhou and agreeing that Hexi, Guanzhong, and Bashu would jointly send troops to aid Zu Ti. Taking this opportunity, the three parties exchanged alliance treaties again, forming a de facto Guanzhong Alliance.

Liu Yao probably never dreamed that in the upcoming battle in Luoyang, he would be facing not just tens of thousands of refugees and a weak army as he had imagined.

However, reinforcements from Guanzhong and Bashu were still on their way, and Liu Yao was already preparing to launch his attack. With the war imminent, Linghu Ya asked Zu Ti for his next plans and how he intended to defend Luoyang.

To Linghu Ya's surprise, Zu Ti's answer was calm: "Who said I was going to guard Luoyang?"

Luoyang had long been torn apart by Zu Ti. Apart from the Xiping Stone Classics, which he kept because of his antiquarianism, even Jinyong City was demolished into a mess. The Hundred-Foot Tower and the Thousand-Gold Tower were all gone.

Zu Ti, a master strategist, had been preparing for this war for a year. This was the first time he had revealed his defense plan to outsiders, and he said with no small amount of pride, "I'd like to see what the Xiongnu will think when they reach Luoyang and find that there are no cities to occupy, but rather that it is surrounded by my more than seventy fortified villages." (End of Chapter)