My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 256 Gentlemen, let's go out of the city and have some fun.
July 12th.

Before defeating the combined forces of the Southern Liang and Northern Expeditions, Yuan Ziyou could not have summoned the ministers and officials to discuss politics.

Gao Yu was summoned to the palace by Yuan Ziyou.

Although he had made up his mind, Yuan Ziyou was still unsure of himself in the face of such a large enemy force. After the initial excitement subsided, he couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive.

He could only seek psychological comfort from Gao Yu.

"General, is everything in the city arranged properly?"

"Your Majesty, please rest assured, I have made all the necessary arrangements. I will make Luoyang an impregnable fortress before the enemy arrives!"

"Good! With the general's words, I am relieved. I also believe that with the general's bravery, we will surely repel the invading enemy!"

Yuan Ziyou was, after all, a 'greenhouse flower' who had never left Luoyang and had never seen the cruelty of the battlefield.

It is already commendable that he has the courage to fight, and Gao Yu does not expect him to be completely fearless.

Fear is a natural human reaction.

After reporting all his preparations to Yuan Ziyou, Gao Yu left the palace and went to the outside of the armory.

Gao Yu ordered the houses around the armory to be demolished, so that he could temporarily turn it into a training ground for the soldiers to set up camp and for him to manage them.

The training of the child soldiers continues, and they will become an important backbone force in defending the city. Most importantly, Gao Yu has established enough authority in their hearts, so their loyalty can be somewhat assured.

Starting a few days ago, Gao Yu has been sending out a large number of scouts every day to gather information.

It is essential to keep track of the enemy's movements at all times in order to prepare countermeasures in advance.

July 13th.

Scouts found no signs of enemy activity around Luoyang.

July 14th.

Still no movement has been detected.

Until July 20th.

The scouts who returned to the city brought news that the enemy vanguard had been spotted crossing the river at Luokou.

After the loss of Xingyang and Hulao Pass, there were no more natural barriers east of the Luoyang Plain.

According to the map, after the Southern Liang Northern Expeditionary Force crossed Hulao Pass, they were south of Luoyang. To besiege Luoyang, they would need to cross the Luo River.

Like Suiyang, Luoyang is located north of the Luo River, and the area south of the mountain and north of the river is called Yang.

While Luoyang may seem to have the Luo River as a natural barrier, the Luo River is not like the Yellow River, which only has a few specific crossing points. There are too many crossing points on the south bank of the Luo River for the rebels to cross, and they can even build pontoon bridges. Using the Luo River to block the enemy is simply unrealistic.

Gao Yu stood before the map, pondering, and then pointed his finger at the location of the river bridge!
After the Southern Liang army crosses the Luo River, in order to prevent the people of Jinzhou and Jianzhou from coming south to provide assistance, they will definitely prioritize controlling the south bank of the river bridge, send heavy troops to guard the river bridge, and then take over several ferry crossings north of Luoyang, such as Mengjin and Dengjin. This will basically block any possible imperial reinforcements from the north from north of the Yellow River.

Despite having an idea in mind, Gao Yu still turned around and asked a question.

"The enemy vanguard has already crossed the Luo River. What do you think their next move will be?"

Mulan came to the map and pointed to the river bridge and several key crossings. "The enemy will definitely take these places first to completely cut off the route for reinforcements from the north to the south before they come to Luoyang."

Gao Yu nodded in satisfaction.

Mulan may not be the most valiant among his troops, but she is extremely well-rounded, capable of training soldiers for him, and possesses excellent strategic vision, making her a true commander.

If I am not present, he will surely be able to lead an army on my behalf.

Gao Ang said nonchalantly, "Why do we need reinforcements? It's not like I haven't fought against the refugee army before. They're just a bunch of rabble. No matter how many there are, they're nothing but traitors in my eyes. Give me five hundred elite soldiers and I can break their formation and kill them without leaving a single one alive!"

Gao Yu was quite helpless.

Gao Ang's personality makes him unsuitable for leading an army independently; he can only be a capable general who charges into battle.

but……

A powerful, brick-throwing warrior, with his exceptional bravery, can sometimes be a natural counter to a strategist or commander-in-chief.

He didn't say much.

They simply continued to send scouts out to gather information.

Two more days passed.

The scouts returned with news that the Southern Liang allied forces had crossed the river, their ranks stretching for dozens of miles, seemingly endless. Furthermore, their vanguard had begun advancing towards the river bridge.

It was clearly an attempt to seize control of the south bank of the river bridge.

These days.

As more and more news came back, the people in the city also learned that a large army was about to besiege Luoyang.

The morale of both the military and the people in the city was restless and uneasy.

"We need a victory to appease the people and also to test the rebels' capabilities."

Gao Yu already had a plan in mind.

He immediately gave the order.

"Ao Cao and Zi Xing, each of you will lead five hundred elite troops and follow me out of the city to investigate the enemy's strength and weaknesses."

"Here!"

Gao Feng's face was filled with excitement!

He seemed completely unaware of fear, or perhaps he genuinely didn't take the enemy seriously.

The enemy forces are east of Luoyang.

Gao Yu immediately led a thousand men out of the city through the Dongyang Gate and headed northeast. They soon arrived at Dahe Valley, with Shouyang Mountain to the south.

After observing for a moment, Gao Yu immediately reined in his horse and stopped.

"Li Minzhi and Liu Rong, each of you will lead five hundred men and hide in the woods. When the enemy arrives, seize the opportunity to attack!"

"Here!"

After receiving the military order, the two quickly agreed.

Gao Yu then looked at Gao Ang, Peng Le, and Da Xi Wu and She Di Gan, whom he had brought from the Imperial Guard.

He said with a light laugh.

"Do you four dare to continue with me to investigate the enemy's strength and weaknesses?"

Gao Aocao replied with an arrogant expression, "What is there to be afraid of?"

"The general holds a bow, and I hold a spear. Even if the enemy has a million soldiers, they will be unable to do anything to us. I just don't know if these two Xianbei have the courage to do so?"

Gao Aocao and Yang Kan were generally friendly.

He was also a ruthless and iron-fisted Han Chinese.

Previously, he did not know Daxi Wu and Shedi Gan, and did not think much of them.

She Digan looked completely bewildered.

He couldn't understand Zhang Yu at all, but Da Xi Wu could. His face contorted with rage, he snorted coldly, "What's there to be afraid of? If you can go, so can I!"

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go! Even if it means facing mountains of knives and seas of fire, I will follow you, General!"

Gao Yu burst into laughter.

"Good! You've got guts!"

"Then we will go with them to the enemy camp. We will only go there to investigate the enemy's strength and weakness. If we encounter the enemy, we will retreat and not engage in a prolonged battle."

After saying this, Gao Yu put on his armor, then suddenly cracked his whip and squeezed his legs together.

He then charged out first!

Gao Ang and the others followed closely behind, secretly competing with each other, afraid of being outdone.

The five men and five riders continued their journey towards the river bridge in the northeast.

This place is only a few dozen miles from the river bridge.

After walking for a short while, they came into view of the Southern Liang allied forces' camp.

(End of this chapter)