Three Kingdoms: Fusion of Entries, Change of Destiny

Chapter 170 The Sigh of Luoyang
Cao's army won a great victory, and Zhao Yun, Cao Ang, and others were responsible for cleaning up the battlefield.

Zhao Yun had already gathered the Xiliang warhorses that the enemy had left behind, and he was overjoyed, with a slight smile unconsciously appearing on his lips.

In this battle, Xiliang suffered heavy losses of warhorses.

Even so, the number of intact warhorses recovered after the war, as well as those lightly wounded warhorses that could still fight, was more than four thousand, nearly five thousand!
Zhao Yun thought to himself that if there were more major battles like this, he might actually be able to build a cavalry force with a number of soldiers comparable to those of the Qingzhou army.

If the Xiliang army knew his thoughts, they would definitely retort, "Bah! Dream on..."

Cao Yan returned to the army and led his soldiers to the city of Anyi.

On the city wall, the emperor and his officials were already waiting.

The soldiers of Cao's army were covered with marks left by the battle, their wounds were not yet healed, and their clothes were tattered, but their eyes still showed a kind of determination.

The emperor and his officials couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines as they looked at the still murderous Cao army soldiers.

Cao Yan dismounted, looked up at the emperor on the city wall, knelt on one knee, and shouted loudly:

"Your Majesty, we respectfully welcome the relocation of the capital to Yingchuan! Long live the Emperor!"

"Long live your Majesty!"

"Long live your Majesty!"

As Cao Yan shouted, Cao's soldiers roared in unison, their voices rising in waves and soaring into the sky.

The three armies roared in unison, startling the emperor and his ministers, whose faces turned deathly pale instantly.

Yang Biao couldn't help but admire them in his heart: "Such a strong army is truly rare in the world! No wonder even the elite Xiliang army was defeated by them."

Yang Biao had seen many armies, but the fact that Cao's army, with only 30,000 infantrymen, defeated the Xiliang army, which had 20,000 cavalry and 20,000 infantrymen, despite being outnumbered, truly impressed him.

Cao Cao and Cao Yan, one obtained the positions of Minister of Works and General of the Vanguard, and the other obtained the position of General of the Rear.

In addition, Cao Cao also received the title of Marquis of a Township, while Cao Yan received the title of Marquis of a Pavilion, which was one level lower.

The fiefs corresponding to these titles were not under their own jurisdiction; frankly, they were just nice-sounding titles.

Zhao Yun, Xiahou Lan, Chen Dao, Cao Ang, Dian Wei, and others also made great contributions in this battle and were promoted one after another.

Zhao Yun was appointed General of Tiger Fang, Xiahou Lan was appointed General of Guangwu, Chen Dao was appointed General of Trapping Formations, Cao Ang was appointed General of Zhaoyi, and Dian Wei was appointed General of Sharp Edge.

Furthermore, they all received the title of Marquis within the Pass.

Although the title of Marquis within the Pass does not include a fief and is merely a symbol of status, it is still an official honor bestowed by the imperial court and the emperor of the Han Dynasty, and is therefore legitimate.

Zhao Yun's Tiger Fang General title was a third-rank miscellaneous general, while the other four were fourth-rank miscellaneous generals.

Although they were all generals with miscellaneous titles, these were personally conferred by the emperor, making them far more prestigious than the official titles Cao Cao had previously bestowed upon himself.

After the bestowal of rewards was completed, Zhao Yun, Cao Ang, and others knelt down and kowtowed to the emperor to express their gratitude for the emperor's grace.

After the ceremony, we will set off to leave Anyi and return to Xuxian.

Now it was Xun Yu's turn to display his talents.

After Cao Ren, Yu Jin, and Yue Jin swept through Yingchuan County, they vigorously implemented new policies and a new household registration system in various counties.

Relying on the Chenliu County's effective attraction of displaced people, they took this as a model and began to recruit a large number of workers to build roads, houses, and shops.

For a time, Yingchuan County was bustling with activity, commerce and agriculture gradually flourished, and the city continued to expand.

Later, they received news from Cao Cao that the emperor was about to move the capital to Xuchang, so they immediately began constructing a palace complex in Xuchang.

Emperor Xian's carriage traveled to the outskirts of Luoyang.

After learning that Cao Cao had received the emperor, Zhang Yang led his troops to withdraw from Luoyang.

Even the Xiliang army was no match for Cao Cao's army; his few thousand men wouldn't even be enough to fill their teeth.

Liu Xie lifted the carriage curtain and saw the setting sun like blood spilled on the broken walls of Luoyang City not far away. The once majestic city gates were now overgrown with weeds.

"Your Majesty, we have arrived in Luoyang." Xun Yu, who had been accompanying the emperor's carriage, reined in his horse and said softly.

The emperor nodded slightly, his expression somber, his fingers trembling slightly.

After a moment, Liu Xie said softly, "Stop the car." His voice was very soft, like falling ashes, yet it carried a certain indescribable heaviness.

The carriage stopped, and Xun Yu was the first to dismount.

As the emperor helped Xun Yu out of the carriage, he suddenly smelled a burnt smell on the wind, mixed with a faint odor of rotting corpses.

"Your Majesty, please be careful." Xun Yu's voice was low and gentle, yet carried a hint of barely perceptible sorrow.

Liu Xie, Xun Yu, and several other ministers walked towards the city.

The moment I stepped into Luoyang, it felt like entering a living hell.

In the city, broken walls and ruins stand everywhere. The once magnificent palaces now have only a few shaky beams and pillars barely supporting their dilapidated roofs.

A massive fire left the land scorched and barren, devoid of any sign of life.

Among the collapsed houses along the street, charred bones, some intact and some broken, were scattered, as if telling the story of the past tragedy.

Upon seeing this, Liu Xie's eyes instantly reddened, and tears uncontrollably streamed down his face.

Xun Yu silently walked to the skeletons, took off his cloak, and covered them with it.

Liu Xie slowly squatted down, his hands trembling as he scooped up a handful of scorched earth. His voice choked with grief, he murmured, "My Luoyang has fallen to such a state..."

The ministers beside him also had sorrowful faces; some wept silently, some sobbed softly, and some even burst into tears.

After a long while, Liu Xie raised his head, looked at Xun Yu, and said with a bitter expression in his eyes, "Minister Xun, I, the emperor, cannot even protect the capital. How can I face my ancestors?"

Xun Yu felt a pang of pain in his heart and immediately knelt down, earnestly saying, "Your Majesty, please do not blame yourself. This is a calamity of a chaotic world, not Your Majesty's fault."

The world is in chaos, with many warlords rising up. Luoyang, situated in a strategically important location, is difficult to defend.

Now, the Minister of Works is welcoming Your Majesty to move the capital, also to find a stable place for Your Majesty, so as to plan for the future restoration of the Han Dynasty.

Liu Xie nodded slightly, but was filled with doubt: "Was Cao Cao's welcoming me to move the capital truly for my sake, or did he have other motives?"

Xun Yu pondered for a moment and replied, "The Minister of Works has always harbored the ambition to restore the Han Dynasty. This time, he is welcoming Your Majesty to move the capital, which I believe is for Your Majesty's safety."

Your Majesty, look! The generals and soldiers under the command of the Minister are all elite, disciplined, and wholeheartedly dedicated to protecting Your Majesty.

If the Minister of Works harbored rebellious intentions, why go to such great lengths to welcome His Majesty here?

Liu Xie seemed lost in thought, his gaze drifting into the distance, his thoughts returning to the past.

At that time, Luoyang was a prosperous city with magnificent palaces, bustling markets, and people living in peace and contentment.

But now, all that remains is this devastation.

"I still remember that in the past, the people of Luoyang lived a prosperous life, children played and laughed, and merchants came and went in an endless stream."

During festivals, it was always bustling with activity, brightly lit, and people stayed up all night. Now, all of that is gone. Liu Xie's voice grew lower and lower, filled with deep desolation.

At this moment, an elderly minister stepped forward, tears streaming down his face: "Your Majesty, the people of Luoyang are truly suffering."

Since the chaos caused by Dong Zhuo, they have suffered greatly from war, been displaced, and starved to death. Now, no one knows where they have wandered off to..."

Xun Yu looked at the pained Liu Xie and gently comforted him, "Your Majesty need not be sad. We will do our best to assist you."

Moving the capital to Xuchang is merely a stopgap measure.

Once the situation stabilizes, Your Majesty can then plan to retake Luoyang.

Liu Xie looked around, slowly stood up, and said, "Although Luoyang is in ruins, it is still the capital of the Han Dynasty. I will never forget what I have seen today."

"Minister Xun, convey my decree: order that these remains be properly buried, and not left to rot in the wilderness."

"Yes, sir!" Xun Yu immediately instructed his attendant to convey the order.

Accompanied by Xun Yu and others, Liu Xie lingered in the city for a long time until dusk.
"Your Majesty, it's time to set off," Xun Yu reminded softly.

Liu Xie nodded, took one last look at the devastated city of Luoyang, and then turned to board the carriage.

As the wheels turned, he heard the carriage shafts creak, as if his city of Luoyang was sighing softly.

(End of this chapter)