My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 121 The entire northwestern Shanxi region is in complete chaos.
The morale of the troops was dampened.

However, this did not stop Po Liu Han Baling from leading his army to march towards Huai Shuo in a mighty manner, in order to prevent the vanguard from being defeated again.

Po Liu Han Baling simply stopped sending vanguard troops.

Besides.

He also summoned his most trusted confidants, who numbered several hundred, and gave him orders.

"Go west, find the Gaoche people, go to Longxi, and spread the news."

Po Liuhan Baling was indeed capable.

He is currently unaware that the three towns to the east have actually rebelled; the news has not yet reached him.

he does not know.

Those further away from the six towns would naturally not know.

Just as the ministers understood the emperor's meaning within the palace, once outside the palace and Luoyang, their interpretation of the emperor's intentions was determined by the ministers.

The more information is transmitted, the more outrageous it becomes. Even in modern society with advanced network communication, it is still easy to spread rumors, but it takes a lot of effort to refute them. How much more so in ancient times?
He had his trusted confidants spread the word that all six garrisons had rebelled, and by the time the news reached the northwest and west of the Great Wei, it would spread to the entire northern border that was in complete chaos.

The truth is not important; what matters is to create chaos elsewhere, to create discontent elsewhere, and to encourage ambitious people to rise up in rebellion.

This has thrown the entire Northwest into chaos.

This would distract the imperial court, preventing them from focusing solely on the fertile plains after receiving the news.

After all, the territory ruled by the Great Wei Dynasty was further expanded under the previous Emperor Xuanwu, Yuan Ke. The western border had only been incorporated into the territory for a short time, less than twenty years. Unlike the Central Plains, which had been under the rule for a long time and was very stable, the people in this newly incorporated area were not in a stable mood and were easily prone to rebellion.

Emperor Xuanwu did indeed expand the territory of the Great Wei, but he also left behind a wicked and disastrous ruler like Empress Dowager Hu. Of course, his biggest problem was that the Battle of Zhongli with the Southern Liang completely destroyed the core military force of the Great Wei, the Central Army, leaving the strongest force of the Great Wei without successors and in a state of decline.

Breaking the Six Han Baring was not just about instructing people to spread rumors.

He also needed to send his trusted confidants to persuade the Gaoche people in the west. Po Liu Han Baling had some connections with his current chieftain, Nie Liehe. If he could persuade them to join the rebellion, it would be a great help.

After explaining everything.

He immediately ordered the entire army to accelerate their attack, determined to take Huai Shuo first!
In just two days, the rebel army from Woye Town arrived outside Huai Shuo City. However, Yang Jun had already ordered all the people within a radius of fifty li outside Huai Shuo City to be brought into the city. The houses in the villages outside the city were burned down, and all the grain and livestock were taken away. The city was cleared of its inhabitants, leaving no usable items for Po Liu Han Baling.

After the army arrived.

Po Liuhan Baling ordered his army to surround Huai Shuo, while sending a large number of cavalry to patrol between the various camps to prevent anyone in the city from breaking out to fetch reinforcements.

After the arrangements were made properly.

He then sent someone to the city gate to announce that he wanted to talk to Yang Jun.

Yang Jun had no intention of talking to him and completely disregarded the rule of "not killing envoys in war." Instead, standing on the city wall, the old man, still vigorous, personally took the bow and arrow from his personal guard and shot the envoy to death, demonstrating his determination to hold the city to the end.

Po Liuhan Baling saw this from afar and angrily cursed incessantly.

"That damned old bastard, I will kill you the day the city falls!"

Wei Kegu, standing beside him, poured cold water on the situation, saying, "Huai Shuo Army Town is well-fortified, and our army lacks siege equipment, so it may not be easy to attack."

How could Po Liu Han Baling not know this?

Otherwise, why would he insist on persuading them to surrender? It's because the Six Garrisons' army is formidable in field battles, with every soldier being a skilled archer and horseman, but besieging cities is extremely difficult for them.

Moreover, the army had very few craftsmen skilled in manufacturing siege equipment, and they had to recruit them on the spot.

"First, surround them, build equipment, and dig tunnels."

Po Liu Han Baling could only deploy his forces and prepare to attack the city.

but……

He once again sent his trusted men eastward, refusing to believe that every garrison commander of the Six Garrisons would hold out as fiercely as Yang Jun. Of course, the message that was sent out was that Huai Shuo City had been captured.

In just a few days, the 'True King' will lead his army to attack.

After the arrangements were made properly.

After breaking through Hanbaling's defenses, he prepared to go to Loujiawubao to find Gao Yu.

Gao Yu also chose to hold his ground. There were too many rebels outside the city, and they were all cavalry. If he rashly led his troops out to fight, he would easily get entangled, and then whether he could return to the fortress would not be up to him.

no way.

Gao Yu had fewer than 800 men under his command, while Gao Huan had 1000. The Duan and Lou families' retainers combined numbered several thousand.

However, these noble families' retainers were not professional soldiers, and their combat capabilities varied greatly. Most of them were capable of defending, but they would become a hidden danger when they went out to fight in the field.

Holding firm is the best way to preserve strength.

Now, everything in Loujiawu Fort is under Gao Huan's control. Upon learning of the arrival of the rebel army, Gao Huan ordered the slaughter of cattle and sheep and took out his treasured wine to reward the soldiers, greatly boosting their morale.

Gao Yu and Gao Huan soon received a message from their personal guards that someone claiming to be an envoy from Po Liu Han Baling was requesting an audience.

After a moment's thought, Gao Huan nodded. "Bring him in."

Lou Zhao was taken aback. "Brother-in-law, won't this arouse the suspicion of the garrison commander?"

Gao Yu shook his head and explained, "The town general came to visit alone, and we did not detain him. How could we be fooled by such a simple scheme to sow discord?"

Not a moment.

The envoy from Po Liu Han Baling was then brought over.

"Greetings, Commander Gao, General Gao."

Clearly, Po Liu Han Baling had done a lot of research before sending the envoy, knowing that although Gao Yu was exceptionally brave and famous, Gao Huan was the real leader of this group.

"Speak your mind."

"My king has sent me to invite you two to join me in our ambition to conquer the world and achieve great things!"

Seeing that the two didn't respond, the man continued.

"Both of you are heroes of our time, known to everyone in the Six Garrisons. But the court is not good at making good use of people. Such outstanding talents as you two gentlemen are not given important positions."

"Our people, soldiers and civilians of the Six Garrisons, have guarded the frontiers of the Great Wei for generations, and have made great contributions. How can the court treat us so harshly?"

"When I came, the king instructed me to do so."

"He and General Gao had some past grievances, but that's in the past, so let's let bygones be bygones."

Gao Yu raised an eyebrow and asked in a half-smile.

“I just killed the king’s cousin a few days ago.”

"His Majesty has long stated that dying on the battlefield is his destiny, and encountering the exceptionally brave General Gao on his first command of an army is also his fate. If General Gao has any concerns, my Majesty can swear to the heavens!"

Regardless of whether these words come from the heart or not.

However, Po Liuhan Baling was quite magnanimous. At least he wasn't blinded by personal grudges, but instead tried his best to win over Gao Yu and the others.

No wonder he was able to subdue and control the entire Woye rebel army.

Gao Yu shook his head and laughed, "Please thank your king for his kindness, but my ancestors were from the Gao clan of Bohai. How could I lower myself to become an outlaw? Please go back."

Gao Huan also spoke up, "Please go back. We are determined to defend to the death and will never surrender!"

The guard was sensible; he bowed and turned to leave, not wanting to lose his life here.

"This Po Liu Han Baling is quite capable, and I'm afraid even the imperial court will find it difficult to deal with him easily. However, it will be as difficult as climbing to heaven for him to break through the city."

Gao Huan simply looked south, which was the direction where Luoyang was located.

"The imperial court should have received the news by now, right? I wonder how they will respond?"

the other side.

After the guards relayed the news, Po Liuhan Baling had already anticipated this outcome, so he was not angry. Instead, he ordered, "Go! Go outside Huai Shuo City and shout that the Gao brothers have surrendered to me. Whoever opens the gates and surrenders first in the city will be rewarded with a thousand gold pieces and made a king!"

"Yes, sir!" His generals immediately led nearly ten thousand men to shout outside Huai Shuo City.

The rebels had cut off the connection between Huai Shuo and Loujiawubao, making it impossible to verify whether the news was true or false.

This did indeed cause panic among the city's residents.

Yang Jun immediately ordered increased patrols and executed several more people who wanted to cause trouble, which finally quelled the unrest!

"Could it be... that the Gao brothers have really rebelled? If so..."

"Absolutely impossible."

Yang Jun immediately interrupted Ge Rong, turned around and looked at him coldly, "Deputy General Ge, watch your words. If you dare to say anything that could undermine morale, military law will be merciless!"

Ge Rong was terrified and quickly explained, "I just..."

“The Gao brothers would never surrender. They just killed the Peacock of Po Liu Han a few days ago. Even if Po Liu Han Baling really had such magnanimity, the Gao brothers, being cautious people, would never risk their lives.”

"You keep saying the Gao brothers have surrendered, why don't you have them come to the city walls in person and shout at them?"

"It must be that Po Liu Han Baling's little trick, just trying to demoralize our army."

Yang Jun spoke with absolute certainty, leaving no room for doubt.

It was actually all an act.

With communication cut off, he was unaware of what had happened, but at this point he had no way out and could only persevere. If even he believed it, the morale of the army and the people in the city would be in chaos, and there would be no point in talking about holding the line.
of course……

He was more inclined to believe that the Gao brothers had not rebelled, just as he had said.

Why go through all that trouble?

The presence of the Gao brothers in person speaks volumes!

After settling everything in, Yang Jun looked south.

Judging by the time, the news must have already reached Luoyang. When will the reinforcements arrive?

.....................

Mid-September.

The imperial court began receiving a series of messages from the north.

First came the news that the soldiers and civilians of Rouxuan Town had attacked and killed the town's general, Yu Jing, before the court meeting could even begin.

Immediately afterwards, the townspeople of Fuming and Huaihuang also rebelled. This news came from Wuchuan. The good news was that Wuchuan did not rebel and held its ground, awaiting reinforcements.

result……

The happiness didn't last long.

The military intelligence from the front lines, sent by Yang Jun via express courier, was also delivered to the imperial court.

The entire town of Woye is in rebellion, and their troops are heading towards Huaishuo. However, there is still good news: Huaishuo will hold out.

Four of the six towns rebelled, while the other two held firm.

Inside the Tai Chi Hall.

Although Empress Dowager Hu has been released, her control over the court and the power she wields have diminished considerably since the Xuanguang Coup.

Although he would come to the Taiji Hall to listen to government affairs, he was at most a mascot.

Prince Gaoyang, Yuan Yong, stepped forward and spoke sharply.

"Your Majesty! For the past two years, we have suffered disasters year after year. This year, not only have the Rouran invaded the south and plundered, but four of the six garrisons have also rebelled. This is a warning from Heaven to us, a reminder that there are evil forces causing trouble in the court!"

Yuan Yi stood up angrily and rebuked, "What do you mean by that, Prince Gaoyang?"

Yuan Yong merely sneered, "Great Wei has always enjoyed favorable weather and peace! Yet in the last two years, it has suffered such natural and man-made disasters. If there weren't treacherous individuals in the court, how could this have happened? I haven't explicitly stated who they are, so why is the Prince of Jiangyang so agitated?"

Yuan Yi was extremely angry, but he could not refute her.

And the timing just happened to be right.

After he launched the Xuan Quang coup to seize power, natural disasters struck one after another, and this year he has suffered another man-made disaster.

Why was the environment so good before he took power, but it suddenly turned so bad as soon as he did?

You can't say that the overall environment is targeting him, can you?

Or perhaps he is the one who influences the overall environment?

Upon seeing this, Yuan Xu quickly spoke up, "Today's court assembly is to discuss a solution."

"Lord Chenliu has traveled north many times and is familiar with the affairs of the Six Garrisons. I wonder if he has any good strategies to repel the enemy?"

Li Chong sighed. If he had listened to him earlier and provided sufficient relief grain and rice, and changed the town into a prefecture, things wouldn't have come to this.
But of course he couldn't say such a thing to the young emperor.

Instead, he spoke up.

"This matter requires careful consideration. We should send trusted ministers with troops north to suppress the rebels. The people of the Six Garrisons are not from the Central Plains. Every person in the Six Garrisons is a soldier. The court must suppress their rebellion with swift and decisive action. We cannot allow them to gain momentum, otherwise... the consequences will be endless."

Yuan Yi interrupted him.

"Lord Chenliu is probably overthinking it; it's not that serious."

Yuan Xu quickly pressed for more information.

"Does the Prince of Jiangyang have a plan?"

Yuan Yi bowed and said, "It is already September. In another month, heavy snow will fall in the north. If we gather a large army now and head north, we will reach the Six Garrisons at the earliest in winter. How can we possibly launch an attack in the snow?"

"The six garrisons are short of food and cannot continue. Even if the rebels can survive the winter, they will likely be severely weakened!"

"The imperial court only needs to issue an edict ordering the governors of Sizhou and Hengzhou to guard key points, so that the rebel army cannot go south to plunder."

"When spring comes next year and the ice and snow melt, the imperial court will send a large army north again. At that time, the morale of the rebels in the six garrisons will be low, and they will be starving and freezing. How can they fight? The army will be able to quell the rebellion with ease!"

Yuan Xu nodded, deeply agreeing.

Li Chong's worry deepened, and he couldn't help but sigh.

These people have never been to the northern frontier and are underestimating the destructive power that the Six Garrisons can cause.

He proposed a plan, but the emperor did not adopt it, and he had no other choice.

A nation on the verge of collapse is bound to be plagued by monstrous evils.

In the court of the Great Wei Dynasty, everywhere you look, there are only monsters.

Powerful ministers only quarrel over power and profit, and so does a young emperor in his quest to seize power.

Could it be?

Is the Great Wei Dynasty really doomed?

While the Great Wei court was still embroiled in endless arguments.

October.

News of the rebellion in the Six Garrisons reached the Longxi region.

Mo Zhe Niansheng and his brother Mo Zhe Tiansheng recruited followers and also raised an army in rebellion!

Liangzhou.

The leader Yu Puti and others gathered a crowd to detain the governor of Liangzhou, and also raised the banner of rebellion, joining the uprising!

Throughout the northwest of the Great Wei Dynasty, rebellions broke out everywhere, and the region was truly in complete chaos!

(End of this chapter)