My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 260: The army is approaching!

August 18th.

Erzhu Rong received the latest news in Shangdang County.

Luoyang appeared to be under siege, but in reality, the rebels were unable to cut off the transmission of messages from Luoyang to the outside world, nor could they prevent messages from the outside world from reaching Luoyang.

"Shilong's move has indeed done Luoyang a great favor, but..."

Erzhu Rong knew very well what kind of person Erzhu Shilong was. He could play some tricks and schemes in the court, but Erzhu Shilong didn't have the guts to fight on the battlefield. He was a typical greedy and lustful person.

If Erzhu Shilong truly possessed great strategic vision, he wouldn't have been so easily intimidated by the Southern Liang coalition, to the point that he didn't even dare to defend Hulao Pass.

"It must have been Erlang who made him do this. Erlang has indeed not disappointed me. The allied army, which had been advancing like a whirlwind, has been unable to advance an inch even after a month outside Luoyang."

"Those rebels must be..."

Erzhu Rong pondered for a moment.

Given the current situation, the Southern Liang allied forces have only two paths to take.

They retreated to Hulao Pass and Xingyang, reorganized their troops, and boosted morale.

Alternatively, they could launch a desperate siege of Luoyang before morale completely collapses.

The scouts he had sent out to the east to spy on Ge Rong's military situation also brought back news that pleased him. As military supplies were running out, Ge Rong intensified his siege of Ye City.

After nearly three months of relentless attrition, the 'beast' that had been locked in a standoff with him for so long was now showing signs of exhaustion.

Now is the time to reap the rewards.

"Send me the military order!"

"The entire army will follow me on a hunting trip!"

Erzhu Rong's hunting expedition was actually a training exercise for his troops.

Hou Jing, Dou Tai, Heba Yue and others followed along with their troops. They found that Erzhu Rong was completely different from before, with a grim and murderous expression on his face!

Commanding troops with flags, they advanced in formation, constantly driving their prey towards the center from all sides.

The hunt was quickly completed.

Erzhu Rong personally rode forward to hunt, only to see two rabbits standing side by side darting away in panic in front of him!

Erzhu Rong held a bow in one hand and shouted with the other, "If this arrow hits the mark, it means that the Eternal Heaven has issued a decree to help me capture Ge Rong alive; if it misses, it means that the time is not yet ripe!"

Say it.

Erzhu Rong barely made any adjustments before drawing his bow and shooting an arrow. The arrow pierced through both rabbits, and they died instantly!

"The Prime Minister is incredibly brave! Victory is assured in this battle!"

Hou Jing was a very clever person?

While Erzhu Rong may not be as inhumanly fierce as Gao Yu, he was still a brave warrior who had been skilled in archery and horsemanship since childhood. Was that difficult for Erzhu Rong?
It's just a convenient excuse to boost morale.

Hou Jing led the shouts!

Immediately following this was a thunderous roar from the entire army.

"The Prime Minister is incredibly brave! Victory is assured in this battle!"

"The Prime Minister is incredibly brave! Victory is assured in this battle!"

Erzhu Rong reined in his horse and stopped, basking in the attention of everyone around him.

After the hunt ended.

Erzhu Rong then ordered his troops to prepare for battle and march east to meet Ge Rong. He also ordered Hou Jing to lead 500 men as the vanguard to march east out of Fukou and fight Ge Rong near Yecheng.
The troop movements could not be kept secret from Ge Rong's spies, and Ge Rong soon learned that Erzhu Rong was going east out of Fushui to seek him out for a decisive battle.

Upon hearing this, Ge Rong was overjoyed and ordered his scouts to continue investigating. When they learned that Erzhu Rong had only brought seven thousand men to this battle, he laughed heartily.

"Hahaha, this is truly a stroke of luck!"

Upon hearing the news, Yuwen Tai couldn't help but remind him, "Your Majesty... I have heard that Erzhu Rong's elite Qihu cavalry are all capable of fighting ten men single-handedly. They should not be underestimated."

Ge Rong waved his hand with a smile, "Why be so modest, Black Otter? The brave men under my command are all from the Six Garrisons, skilled in battle. How could they be inferior to the Qihu elite cavalry? With just this few men, my 200,000 troops could drown them with a single spit from each of them!"

"Pass on my order: every soldier should prepare a rope. When Erzhu Rong's army marches east out of the Fu River, tie him up and bring him here so he can see for himself how we conquer Ye City!"

Seeing his arrogance, Yuwen Tai couldn't help but feel uneasy.

However, Yuwen Luosheng, the only one who could persuade Ge Rong, was far away outside Luoyang.

He could only grit his teeth and say.

"Your Majesty, our army should lay an ambush near the Fushui River in advance..."

"No!"

Ge Rong, however, was determined to do things his own way: "I have spent so much effort to lure Erzhu Rong eastward from Shanxi. How can I let him retreat so easily? We must let his army march eastward so that our army can pacify him in one fell swoop!"

Yuwentai opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't know what to say.

It was Dugu Xin who reminded him, "Black Otter, do you really think His Majesty is that arrogant?"

"if not?"

"You also know that our army is running out of food and supplies, and the siege of Luoyang is also unfavorable. His Majesty's actions this time are out of desperation. His words are just to inspire the soldiers to fight to the death for him."

Dugu Xin's words were a wake-up call!

Yuwentai also suddenly realized what was happening.

Ge Rong came from Huai Shuo and had personally witnessed how Gao Yu led his elite troops to a great victory against the Gao Che people, who outnumbered him several times over. How could he not understand the meaning of "elite troops"?
Ge Rong had no choice.

Ye City remained unconquered after a prolonged siege. The fortified commanders who had previously provided him with supplies had seen through his true intentions and began to rebel against him again.

A powerful family like the Cui family would resist to the very end.

Once food supplies run out, the soldiers will go hungry, and the situation will spiral out of control.

Ge Rong was forced to fight Erzhu Rong.

"Your Majesty is absolutely right about one thing: the elite troops under our command are all brave warriors from the Six Garrisons. They have fought alongside Your Majesty in recent years and are valiant warriors who have returned from countless battles. Erzhu Rong has few men, so our army is not without a chance. If we can defeat Erzhu Rong, we can take Luoyang in one fell swoop!"

Yuwen Tai nodded, then glanced at Dugu Xin.

Previously, Yuwen Luosheng's brilliance was so overwhelming that people overlooked the fact that Dugu Xin was also a meticulous and extremely intelligent person.

They are not fuel-efficient lamps.

...This heavy rain is ruining the Southern Liang army's dream of capturing Luoyang.

When Chen Qingzhi was inspecting the military camp, he found that some soldiers had begun to experience symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. He did not know whether it was due to acclimatization issues or an epidemic.

However, the Southern Liang army had reached a point where it had to make a decision.

He ordered someone to summon Yuan Hao, Xing Gao, and others to his military camp, then dismissed his attendants, his face filled with worry.

"It seems that the soldiers in the army have been infected with the disease. Right now, our army should retreat to the Hulao Pass and Xingyang line to boost morale before making further plans."

"No!"

Yuan Hao loudly rejected the idea, saying, "This is the crucial moment of the contest. If our army retreats, Luoyang will be able to free up troops to go north to Hebei and help Erzhu Rong quell Ge Rong. At that time, our army will be attacked from both sides."

"Luoyang is within our grasp right now. If we don't seize this opportunity given to us by Heaven, we will only suffer the consequences. How can we let such a golden opportunity slip by!"

Lanqin frowned. "If our army marches westward and the enemy takes the opportunity to cross the Yellow River and attack our army from both sides, what should we do?"

Yuan Hao sneered, "The governor of Jianzhou is that incompetent Erzhu Shilong. If he had the courage to lead his army across the river, why would he have handed over Hulao Pass so easily! Our army is too concerned about him, which is why we have been stuck on the banks of the Yellow River for so long!"

"In my opinion, we should leave some soldiers on the banks of the Yellow River to intimidate the enemy, and then advance the main force westward, heading straight for Luoyang, and take it down in one fell swoop!"

Lan Qin remained silent, and Chen Qingzhi didn't know how to dissuade him for a moment.

Yuan Hao, who had been pretending to be dead, made a firm decision.

"Send word to my army: the entire army is to march and garrison Ping County!"

Ping County is located northeast of Luoyang City, and is the closest county to Luoyang, only about 40 or 50 li away.

Yuwen Luosheng did not try to dissuade him.

He represents Ge Rong's interests, and for Ge Rong, whether the Southern Liang allied forces can capture Luoyang is not important.

The most important thing is to help Ge Rong distract Erzhu Rong.

even……

They were hoping that the Southern Liang army and the Luoyang government troops would fight to the death.

After receiving the military order, the Southern Liang allied army began its grand westward march.

On August 20th, the Southern Liang army entered Ping County.

Yuan Hao then ordered his soldiers to cut down trees in the surrounding area to prepare siege equipment, and then sent envoys to Luoyang to persuade them to surrender.

at night.

Xing Gao entered Yuan Hao's room.

"Greetings, King Wei."

Yuan Hao glanced at him, "What brings the Prince of Gaoyang here at this hour?"

"Of course, there are important matters to discuss."

Xing Gao smiled, then stepped forward and said softly, "Does the King of Wei think our army can conquer Luoyang? I have come here with sincerity, and I hope the King of Wei will tell me the truth."

Yuan Hao glanced at him, stroked his beard, and said, "Man proposes, God disposes. Our army's morale is high, but a sudden downpour has occurred... This attack on Luoyang will probably not be too smooth."

"King Wei is wise! Among the allied forces, the strongest are none other than King Wei and myself. We should plan our next move as soon as possible."

"If the capture of Luoyang fails and we retreat to Xingyang, will the King of Wei and I still have the final say in military affairs?"

Yuan Hao squinted at him and said calmly, "Prince Gaoyang, please speak your mind."

Xing Gao no longer concealed anything, "Let's find an opportunity to wear down the elite troops under Chen Qingzhi and Lan Qin. That way, neither of us will have to act according to their wishes. Even if we can't capture Luoyang, then the King of Wei can hold the Henan region, and I can hold the Shandong region, supporting each other."

"Multiple forces will surely try to win us over, and we can simply wait for the right price to go up."

"If our army can successfully capture Luoyang, the King of Wei can then ascend the throne and become emperor. I am willing to honor the King of Wei as the Son of Heaven!"

Yuan Hao suddenly laughed out loud, "The Prince of Gaoyang is indeed a clever man."

“A wise bird chooses a good tree to perch on. I was once a subject of the Great Wei, and the King of Wei has the blood of the Great Wei. I should naturally respect the King of Wei!”

The two exchanged a smile, everything was understood without words, and an agreement was reached in their hearts.

August 27th.

After creating numerous siege weapons.

Yuan Hao ordered his army to form ranks and march towards Luoyang, but they were still twenty li away from Luoyang.

Yuan Hao then summoned Chen Qingzhi and Lan Qin to his presence.

"Generals, our army will be attacking the city today, and it will surely be a fierce battle!"

"Our troops are demoralized. I have a plan that can boost morale. I hope you two generals can help me."

"What plan does Your Majesty have?"

Yuan Hao laughed and said, "In Luoyang, the people's hearts are appeased by the reputation of the Xuanjia Army under General Gao Yu. Our soldiers are terrified of the Xuanjia Army's reputation!"

"However, I know that the two generals' troops are just as brave as the Xuanjia Army."

"I want the general to send five hundred of his elite troops to challenge the enemy outside Luoyang, and also to have Gao Yu send five hundred Xuanjia soldiers out of the city to meet them. If our army can achieve a great victory over the Xuanjia, wouldn't that greatly boost morale?"

Chen Qingzhi sneered upon hearing this, "Your Majesty is probably overestimating us."

"Eh!"

Yuan Hao advised, "If we only send the soldiers and deputy generals into battle, the bravery of the Xuanjia Army will rely entirely on Gao Yu's own prowess. If he cannot fight, how can the mere Xuanjia Army be a match for the valiant Baipao and Youji?"

"Or……"

Yuan Hao deliberately raised the volume of his voice.

"Do the two generals believe that their troops are inferior to the Xuanjia Army, and therefore feel timid and dare not engage them in battle?"

Chen Qingzhi and Lan Qin were immediately trapped on the spot.

The two looked at each other.

He could only grit his teeth and say, "Our army is willing to obey Your Majesty's words!"

"Good good!"

Yuan Hao was overjoyed, "General, go and muster five hundred brave warriors. I will personally beat the drums to cheer them on and boost our army's morale!"

(End of this chapter)