My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 268 Holding the General's Whip and Stirrup

The setting sun, like blood, further accentuated the somber atmosphere.

On Dongyang Gate.

On the surface, everything seemed calm, but in reality, everyone's heart was in turmoil.

Gao Yu led all the city's elite troops out, so it could be said that the fate of Luoyang rested entirely in Gao Yu's hands.

Yuan Ziyou, clad in high-ranking armor, stood atop the city wall for a long time. Whenever officials or attendants urged him to sit down and rest for a moment, he would sternly refuse.

"The General of Chariots and Cavalry is leading his troops in a bloody battle against the enemy, all to protect us. Although I do not have the courage to follow the General in fighting the enemy, I am not willing to take refuge here."

Yuan Ziyou himself did not sit, but strictly ordered all the ministers and officials to stand!

This really wore out the group of officials and nobles who were used to being pampered, but no one dared to complain. If Yuan Ziyou were to actually order someone to be executed, the imperial guards beside him would not hesitate.

Even knowing that this was Yuan Ziyou's way of winning people's hearts, they still had to obediently play along.

It was noon, and the scorching sun beat down on them. They were all sweating profusely and looked extremely disheveled. Yuan Ziyou, wearing such heavy armor, was also suffering, but he gritted his teeth and persevered.

Erzhu Yanbo and Erzhu Dulu quietly hid to the side.

“Even if there aren’t 300,000 troops outside the city, the number of rebels must be considerable… Moheduo insists on going out of the city to his death, and he’ll drag us down with him.”

"It's alright. I've made preparations. My guards and confidants are all ready with armor and horses. If things don't go well, we'll leave the city through the Xiyang Gate, cross the Yellow River to the north, and go find Shilong."

The officials and nobles all had their own thoughts, but they were not very afraid of the city falling.

After all, Yuan Hao had been in Luoyang for many years and had old friends with these people, even after Yuan Hao led his army into Luoyang.

Whether out of consideration for past friendships or to appease public sentiment, no action will be taken against these high-ranking officials.

Whoever wins, they can simply accuse him of being emperor. At worst, they'll be dismissed from their posts and stripped of their titles, but their lives will never be in danger.

Ta-da-da!
The rapid sound of hooves broke the silence outside Dongyang Gate. A lone rider galloped in, raising clouds of dust and attracting everyone's attention.

Yuan Ziyou actually saw it too, but his legs were already weak, so he could only place his hands on the wall to maintain his balance. His face was calm as water, but his heart was churning with turbulent waves!

Won?

Did we lose again?

Yuan Ziyou didn't even realize that his whole body was trembling.

Everyone craned their necks to look, but no one rushed to order the city gates to be opened.

As the lone rider drew near, he dismounted, knelt on one knee, and proclaimed loudly.

"Greetings to Your Majesty!"

"The General of Chariots and Cavalry ordered me to come and report!"

Mu Shao, Yang Chun, Yang Kan, and the others looked anxious and had no choice but to turn their gaze to Yuan Ziyou. Only then did Yuan Ziyou speak slowly and deliberately, "How is the battle going?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty!"

"Our army has achieved a great victory! We have utterly defeated the enemy! Our General led our soldiers to behead 5,000 enemy soldiers and capture 50,000!!"

Wow!
A commotion erupted among the crowd on the entire city wall of Dongyang Gate!
How many?

Big win?

Five thousand beheaded?

They also captured 50,000 people?

With just 3,500 men led by Gao Yu, they broke through the enemy's army of 300,000.

Who would believe this?
Yang Chun, disregarding Yuan Ziyou's presence, hurriedly asked, "Is this true?"

Liu Yi snorted coldly and retorted disdainfully, "If you don't believe me, you can go out of the city yourself to find out the truth. When has the Xuanjia Army ever lied about military intelligence?"

Yang Chun stared blankly at the people around him, who were still in astonishment.

Erzhu Dulu and Erzhu Yanbo could hardly believe it, suppressing their shock, "How could this be? Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

"Watch your words, or do you wish to die?"

"Can you really believe this?"

"The truth cannot be hidden either..."

Won?

Yuan Ziyou trembled uncontrollably, his heart filled with excitement. All his previous worries vanished, and he was filled with boundless pride!

Even in such dire circumstances, they can turn the tide and achieve a comeback.

Even an army of 300,000 that came to attack the city could be repelled.

really!

Destiny is on his side!

He is the emperor recognized by the Eternal Heaven, and he is the one who has been blessed by the ancestors of the Great Wei Dynasty!

"Hahahahaha!"

"Hahahahaha!!"

Yuan Ziyou couldn't help but burst into wild laughter, his laughter resounding through the heavens and earth, releasing all the anxiety and pressure he had been under these past few days through this wild laughter.

He, who was originally close to exhaustion, suddenly felt that he had inexhaustible strength. Even though he was wearing heavy armor, he could walk on flat ground as if on flat ground. He couldn't help but dance with joy and shout repeatedly, "We won! Our army won!"

The imperial guards and attendants around him also shouted in unison, "Victory! Our army has won!!"

Yuan Ziyou was overjoyed!
"Where is the general? Where is the General of Chariots and Cavalry?!"

"Your Majesty, the general is currently guarding the prisoners!"

"Quickly! Open the city gates and send someone to invite General Chariot and Cavalry back to the city!"

Just as Yuan Ziyou opened his mouth, he saw someone riding a horse towards the city gate in the distance!
Liu Yi turned around and looked.

It turned out to be an old acquaintance, Li Si, who was one of the first to come and join Peng Le. Now he was Peng Le's deputy general.

After dismounting, Li Si bowed and said, "Your Majesty! The General of Chariots and Cavalry has ordered me to return with a message."

"In this battle, thanks to the blessings of our ancestors and His Majesty, our army not only achieved a great victory over the enemy, but also captured three enemy kings alive. Among the enemy's ranks, the false Wei King Yuan Hao, the Gao Yang King Xing Gao, and the Yu Yang King Yuwen Luosheng were all captured alive by our army!"

Yuan Ziyou was completely dumbfounded.

Gao Yu's achievements in this battle are unprecedented!
Breaking the three thousand mark to reach three hundred thousand is already astonishing.

Capture three kings in one battle?

this time……

The high-ranking officials and ministers remained silent and did not raise any further questions.

The fact that people were constantly returning to relay military intelligence from the front lines, detailing beheadings, captures, and even the capture of the three kings alive, clearly indicates that it couldn't have been fabricated.

It could only be Gao Yuzhen who led three thousand men to a great victory over the enemy!

Yang Chun murmured, "Unprecedented in history, unprecedented in history!"

Mu Shao couldn't help but sigh, "Even if the ancient overlords were resurrected, they would be no more than this!"

"Capturing three kings in one battle—such a feat is unparalleled, even if you search through all the history books… General Chariot and Cavalry truly deserves to be called a peerless and valiant general!"

"How could a mere bandit army possibly be a match for the valiant warriors of our Great Wei?"

"Your Majesty is wise! Your Majesty saw through the enemy's strengths and weaknesses long ago, which is why you overruled all objections and fought to the death against them. Your Majesty is truly wise!!"

"…………"

Leading troops into battle?

They can't.

They're really good at flattery!

Now it's time to share in the glorious achievements, how could we leave them out?

Yuan Ziyou ignored the flattery around him.

He summoned his attendant, "Go, quickly go to the palace and bring me my imperial robes!"

Then he looked at Li Si and asked, "When will the General of Chariots and Cavalry be able to return to the city?"

"Your Majesty, the general is on his way back and will be back in the city shortly!"

"it is good!"

Yuan Ziyou was overjoyed. "Let's go! Follow me out of the city to welcome the General of Chariots and Cavalry and the soldiers who fought valiantly!" Yuan Ziyou led the way down the city wall and waited inside the city gate for a while. After his attendant brought him his imperial robes, he removed his heavy armor and put them back on. Surrounded by the crowd, he arrived at the Dongyang Gate and waited for Gao Yu's arrival.

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

Erzhu Shilong arrived very quickly.

He saw countless defeated soldiers along the way, but he couldn't be bothered to pay them any attention.

It wasn't until he saw the large number of surrendered soldiers being guarded by Gao Yu's Xuanjia Army that he believed... Gao Yu had truly won this battle, which outsiders thought had no chance of victory.

Erzhu Shilong was utterly shocked, and his trusted confidants and guards were also incredulous.

"...Mo Heduo actually won?"

"How exactly did Moheduo manage to do that?"

"After this battle, who in the world would dare to oppose Moheduo?"

The fact that Erzhu Shilong arrived so quickly was indeed unexpected for Gao Yu, but it was also just in time.

He brought several thousand soldiers to help him keep an eye on the surrendered troops, while Gao Yu could lead the exhausted Xuanjia soldiers back to the city to rest.

This battle.

The Xuanjia Army suffered heavy losses!
More than 600 people were killed in action, and the number of wounded exceeded 1,000.

More than half of Gao Yu's accumulated wealth over the years has been lost...

no way.

Back then, when they decisively defeated the Gaoche people, the Rouran king led his men to act as punching bags on the front.

This battle.

The Xuanjia Army faced an army of 300,000 men alone, fighting on their own from beginning to end.

"Shilong, I'll trouble you to leave someone here to guard the wounded while I take them back to the city to recuperate."

"Of course, of course, hahaha, you're going to marry Yue'e anyway, we're practically family, why be so polite?"

Erzhu Shilong also adopted an extremely obsequious attitude, "Let's go, let's go, let's return to the city together to see His Majesty!"

Gao Yu didn't expose his little scheme, nor did he bother to argue about it. He simply ordered them to return to the city!
He ordered the Xuanjia soldiers to bring along their seriously wounded comrades; almost every Xuanjia soldier was in a similar situation to Gao Yu.

His body was riddled with arrows, turning him into a hedgehog.

It's not that I'm trying to show off, but this kind of arrow wound can't be pulled out on its own. How can I stop the bleeding in the chaos of the battlefield?

As the Xuanjia soldiers mounted their horses, they marched past the surrendered soldiers in formation.

Even though everyone's faces showed signs of exhaustion and weakness, they still managed to intimidate the surrendered soldiers!
Faced with such a powerful army, even the enemy must pay the highest respect.

An idea even began to form in my mind.

Losing to such a formidable opponent is not shameful.

………………

The army could not advance quickly; the sun had already set, and only the last rays of sunlight remained on the horizon.

Gao Yu and the others then came into Yuan Ziyou's view.

"The general has arrived!!"

Even though the sun had already set and only the afterglow shone down, it was still dazzling on Gao Yu.

Until Gao Yu and the others got close.

Only then could Yuan Ziyou and the others see it clearly.

Gao Yu was riddled with dozens of arrows, as were the soldiers behind him. Every wound and every arrow told a story of the fierce battle they had endured.

Even high-ranking officials like Yang Chun were moved to solemnity upon seeing it, and their expressions changed.

Gao Yu raised his hand, and the soldiers behind him dismounted one after another. He himself also dismounted.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Ziyou quickly stepped forward and pressed Gao Yu down, letting Gao Yu remain seated on the horse. He looked up at Gao Yu with gratitude, admiration, and even a hint of a woman's desire to 'possess' him.

"His Majesty……"

"General, you've worked hard."

Yuan Ziyou raised his hand to stop Gao Yu from speaking, then looked at the soldiers behind him, "Gentlemen, you have worked hard! Thanks to the bravery of the general and you all in this battle, I and the ministers can sleep soundly in Luoyang. I will not let you down. Rewards! Generous rewards!"

Say it.

Yuan Ziyou then snatched the reins from Gao Yu's hand.

"I will personally hold the whip and stirrups for the general! I want all the people of Luoyang to see with their own eyes the heroic figure of the General of Chariots and Cavalry who saved Luoyang from disaster!"

"Your Majesty, the last general..."

"General, please do not speak further. If it were not for your valiant fighting, I would already be on my way to the Yellow Springs. I have no way to repay your kindness. I have only served you by holding your whip and lifting your stirrups. Why say more? Please sit comfortably on your horse!"

Erzhu Shilong was greatly alarmed!

Yang Chun, Mu Shao, and the others were all astonished, and even forgot to rebuke Gao Yu for disrespecting the emperor.

What an honor!

The emperor himself held the whip and set off the stirrups for him!

however……

In terms of Gao Yu's achievements, Yuan Ziyou was absolutely right.

To turn the tide and save the collapsing edifice!
It's no exaggeration to say that Gao Yu rebuilt the Great Wei Dynasty. Those with a meticulous mind might even think further ahead... How will the Prime Minister in Shanxi treat Gao Yu when he finds out?

Yuwen Luosheng and Yuan Hao also witnessed this scene.

Yuwen Luosheng murmured, "The Great Wei's fortune is indeed not exhausted, for it has such a ruler."

Yuan Hao's face turned pale and then red, and finally he sighed and closed his eyes in despair.

Reflect on your own actions, and then look at Yuan Ziyou...

Although, legally speaking, their order of succession was roughly the same.

But in terms of being a ruler.

He is no match for Yuan Ziyou at all. If he were even half as good as Yuan Ziyou, how could he have failed to accomplish anything despite commanding an army of 300,000?

Inside Dongyang Gate.

Yuan Ziyou had already summoned all the people in the city and arranged them on both sides of the road.

News of the great victory had already spread throughout Luoyang.

The people were also eagerly anticipating it and wanted to see it for themselves.

What kind of god-like figure was the General of Chariots and Cavalry who could defeat an army of 300,000 with only 3,000 men?

quickly!

A handsome man on horseback appeared before the crowd.

Look again.

The emperor sat beside him, personally holding his whip and stirring rod.

"This is the General of Chariots and Cavalry?"

"The general is truly handsome..."

"She doesn't look like someone who can bravely fight the enemy at all; instead, she seems like a woman..."