Three Kingdoms: Fusion of Entries, Change of Destiny

Chapter 155 Zhang Ji Goes Back on His Word, the White Wave Army and the Southern Xiongnu Enter Guanzhong
Although Guo Si retreated temporarily, he still harbored treacherous intentions.

He summoned his generals Xia Yu and Gao Shuo and ordered them to catch up with the emperor's entourage at full speed.

After receiving their orders, the two men led a group of soldiers and hurriedly chased after the emperor's entourage.

At this time, the emperor's entourage had arrived at the Xinfeng area.

But as night fell and everyone was exhausted, they had no choice but to set up camp for the night.

But Xia Yu and Gao Shuo, taking advantage of the darkness, led their soldiers and sneaked into the camp like ghosts.

Upon entering the camp, they set fires everywhere, and in an instant, flames soared into the sky, accompanied by shouts of battle and cries of agony.

Xia Yu brandished his long sword and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Brothers, take advantage of this chaos and quickly capture the little emperor! You'll be richly rewarded for your great achievement!"

Gao Shuo led a group of soldiers and ran wildly toward the direction of Emperor Xian's carriage.

But it must be said that Guo Si was really unlucky.

Just when Xia Yu and Gao Shuo thought they were about to succeed, the army led by Yang Ding and Dong Cheng arrived in time.

Holding a long spear, Yang Ding roared with imposing arrogance and high spirits, "Traitor, how dare you be so insolent!"

Having said that, he thrust his gun at Xia Yu.

Xia Yu hurriedly raised his knife to defend himself, and the two instantly engaged in a fierce battle, their swords flashing and their attacks locked in a close and evenly matched contest.

Dong Cheng also led his soldiers to block Gao Shuo's forces, and the two sides engaged in a fierce battle.

After a fierce battle, Xia Yu and Gao Shuo could not withstand the onslaught and could only lead their remaining troops in a hasty and disgraceful retreat.

Emperor Xian was temporarily out of danger, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

However, Emperor Xian's journey eastward was destined to be fraught with difficulties and unrest.

Just as Guo Si's crisis was resolved, trouble arose within the reinforcements' ranks.

Under the escort of Yang Ding, Dong Cheng, Yang Feng, and others, Emperor Xian and his entourage arrived at Huayin.

Upon learning the news, Duan Wei, the general stationed in Huayin, dared not slacken his vigilance in the slightest.

He personally arranged for the soldiers to prepare a sumptuous meal and selected the finest clothing to respectfully welcome Emperor Xian's arrival.

However, Yang Ding and Duan Wei had a past conflict.

At this moment, Yang Dingza was plotting his revenge. So he secretly instructed his subordinates Zhong Ji, Zuo Ling and others to falsely accuse Duan Wei in front of Emperor Xian: "Your Majesty, Duan Wei harbors treacherous intentions and may be plotting a rebellion."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Xian frowned, for anyone with discerning eyes could see that Yang Ding was settling a personal score under the guise of official business.

Grand Commandant Yang Biao, leaning on his cane, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this old minister is willing to guarantee with his life that Duan Wei has absolutely no intention of rebelling."

Situ Zhao Wen quickly chimed in, "Indeed, Your Majesty, Duan Wei has always been loyal and devoted; how could he possibly commit treason?"

Attendant-in-Ordinary Liu Ai, Minister Liang Shao, and others also expressed that Duan Wei would not do such a treasonous thing.

But Yang Ding would not give up so easily.

He secretly approached the Hongnong Inspector, took out a large sum of money, and tempted him, saying, "As long as you do as I say, all this money is yours."

Seeing that the inspector was hesitant, Yang Ding's face darkened, and he threatened, "If you don't agree, you'll be in big trouble later."

Under this combination of bribery and threats, the inspector had no choice but to give false testimony, saying, "Guo Si has infiltrated Duan Wei's camp, and something unexpected is likely to happen."

Emperor Xian of Han was skeptical of the report filed by the Inspector General.

However, just to be on the safe side, he decided not to go to Duan Wei's camp and instead camp outdoors.

Seeing that Emperor Xian had not yet made up his mind to attack Duan Wei, Yang Ding gathered generals such as Yang Feng and Dong Cheng and brought them before Emperor Xian.

Yang Ding knelt down with a thud and said, "Your Majesty, the evidence of Duan Wei's rebellion is conclusive. If we do not punish him, it may endanger Your Majesty's safety. Please issue an edict to punish Duan Wei."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Xian of Han was furious. His face turned ashen, and he said, "Duan Wei has shown no signs of rebellion whatsoever. If you want to put him to death, do you expect me to issue an edict?"

Since ancient times, it has always been Emperor Xian who commands his subjects, but now the situation has reversed, filling Emperor Xian with helplessness and indignation.

Emperor Xian of Han was also pitiful; no matter where he went, he was just a tool.

Yang Ding was not giving up and sent Zhong Ji to harass him until midnight.

Zhong Ji stood guard outside Emperor Xian's camp, repeatedly insisting that Emperor Xian issue an edict to punish Duan Wei.

But Emperor Xian remained unmoved and said in his tent, "My mind is made up, this matter should not be mentioned again."

In fact, Emperor Xian of Han was right; Duan Wei was quite sincere in his dealings with the imperial family.

Seeing that the emperor refused to enter the military camp, he knew that Yang Ding was behind it, so he secretly began to actively prepare for war.

On the one hand, he strengthened the defenses of the barracks and arranged for soldiers to patrol day and night; on the other hand, he also sent someone to deliver a letter to the emperor to express his loyalty.

Despite Emperor Xian's refusal to issue an edict, Yang Ding acted on his own initiative and launched a major attack on Duan Wei's camp. Duan Wei fought back fiercely, and the two sides battled for more than ten days, with countless soldiers killed and wounded, but neither side could gain the upper hand.

Emperor Xian of Han was angry and sent someone to inform Yang Ding and others to stop fighting and to reconcile with Duan Wei.

Seeing that they could not capture Duan Wei, Yang Ding and his men had no choice but to withdraw their troops in accordance with the imperial edict.

However, this incident greatly delayed Emperor Xian's return to the east, leading to very serious consequences.

The slow-witted Li Jue finally realized the grave mistake he had made—how could he have released Emperor Xian?
Just then, Guo Si, who had failed to kidnap Emperor Xian, returned in disgrace.

Guo Si wanted to monopolize the emperor and all the officials, but his strength did not allow it.

Li Jue was strong enough, but he was slow to think.

However, after the two met again, the former bitter rivals now shared common interests and goals, and reunited.

After discussing it, the two men decided that they absolutely could not allow the emperor to go east. So, they each led a large army and marched day and night to Huayin.

When Yang Ding learned that the allied forces of Li Jue and Guo Si were pursuing him, he was terrified.

Knowing full well that he was no match for Li Jue and Guo Si, he simply abandoned his troops, mounted a fast horse, and went to join Liu Biao in Jingzhou.

Yang Feng and Dong Cheng had no intention of continuing the battle. They hurriedly went to the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, Li Jue and Guo Si's armies are approaching. We must leave immediately."

Left with no other choice, the emperor, surrounded by his entourage, continued his journey eastward.

But then, another problem arose.

Originally, Zhang Ji was supposed to escort the emperor back east and win the credit for protecting the emperor.

Unexpectedly, warlords Yang Ding, Yang Feng, and Dong Cheng arrived halfway through, and as a result, the emperor and officials completely ignored him.

Zhang Ji was very displeased. He paced back and forth in the tent, muttering, "I kindly escorted the emperor, but they treated me like this. It's infuriating."

Jia Xu advised from the side, "General, with a powerful enemy at our doorstep, we should prioritize the overall situation."

But Zhang Ji wouldn't listen to reason. In the end, he left the emperor, severed ties with Yang Feng and Dong Cheng, went back to reconcile with Li Jue and Guo Si, and revealed Jia Xu's previous plans.

As a result, Li Jue and Guo Si dared not let the emperor go.

So Yang Feng and Dong Cheng led Emperor Xian in the lead, while Li Jue, Guo Si, and Zhang Ji led a group of men in pursuit.

Emperor Xian finally arrived in Hongnong County, but no sooner had he arrived than Li Jue and his entourage followed.

Yang Feng and Dong Cheng had no choice but to engage in a fierce battle with Li Jue, Guo Si, and others at Dongjian in Hongnong, where they suffered a crushing defeat with countless soldiers killed or wounded.

Seeing that they could not win, Yang Feng and Dong Cheng led Emperor Xian to flee towards Caoyang.

In the chaos, all the items he was carrying, including his personal belongings, talismans, and storage boxes, were lost.

During this process, all the noble sons around the emperor, the Imperial Guards, and the Tiger Guards were wiped out.

As the battle progressed, Yang Feng and Dong Cheng had very few men left, and the two were extremely anxious, like ants on a hot pan.

Upon arriving in Caoyang, Emperor Xian's entourage was completely empty, and even Emperor Xian himself had to endure the elements.

The night was bitterly cold. Emperor Xian, wrapped in a thin quilt, shivered and felt utterly desolate.

Yang Feng and Dong Cheng sat facing each other, their brows furrowed in worry.

Yang Feng sighed and said, "Our forces are weak now, and I'm afraid we won't be able to withstand the next attack. What should we do?"

Dong Cheng pondered for a moment and said, "How about we pretend to make peace with Li Jue first, and then secretly seek reinforcements? Perhaps there is still a glimmer of hope."

Yang Feng nodded in agreement: "That's the only way."

But where can we find reinforcements?
Yang Feng suddenly thought of an army, namely the White Wave Army, a peasant uprising army with considerable influence in this region.

Yang Feng himself was a member of the White Wave Army, so he immediately wrote a letter and sent it to the White Wave Army's garrison by fast horse.

The letter was earnest, describing the emperor's current predicament and pleading with the White Wave Army to send troops to help him and save the emperor from his dire situation.

After receiving the letter, Han Xian, Hu Cai, and other leaders of the White Wave Army gathered together to discuss the matter.

Han Xian frowned and said, "The affairs of the court are none of our business. But now that the emperor is in trouble, if we lend a helping hand, we might be able to gain some benefits and earn a reputation for loyalty and righteousness, which could lead to a good future in this chaotic world."

Hu Cai nodded in agreement: "That's right. If we can use this opportunity to clear our names, it would be a good thing."

After some discussion, the group decided to send troops to rescue Emperor Xian of Han.

However, since the fifth year of Zhongping (188 AD), the White Wave Army had been cooperating with the Right Wise King Qubei tribe of the Southern Xiongnu to plunder the Central Plains, forming a military alliance.

This meant that the request for help essentially brought the Southern Xiongnu's Qubei tribe into the central political arena.

It was precisely this desperate and ill-advised approach that brought extremely painful consequences to the Sili region.

(End of this chapter)