My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 430: Angry and vomiting blood
Ta-da-da.

There was clearly no trace of pursuers behind them.

Erzhu Rong continued his frantic run, nearly sending sparks flying from his whip.

With a mournful whinny, the horse kicked its hooves and crashed heavily to the ground, throwing Erzhu Rong off with it, who rolled around on the ground.

He died from exhaustion during the battle.

"Prime Minister!"

Wang Xiang was shocked. He quickly tightened the reins and stopped the horse. He hurriedly dismounted and tried to go forward to check, but his legs gave way and he fell to the ground.

At this moment, he couldn't care less about anything else and dared not be negligent in the slightest. He scrambled to Erzhu Rong's side.

In terms of appearance, Erzhu Rong, though not as handsome as the Gao brothers, who were praised by everyone who saw him, was still a top-tier handsome man.

Where can you find a handsome man these days?

He was covered in dust and dirt, his hair was unkempt, and his beard was cut in various lengths, making him look extremely disheveled.

"Prime Minister! Prime Minister!!"

"What's the panic?"

Erzhu Rong paused for a moment before speaking. He did not get up, but remained sitting on the ground, looking around.

They were so full of vigor before, and they are so miserable now.

He was accompanied only by a few scattered guards, who were also in a sorry state.

"Damn it! If it weren't for Mohedu..."

Just one step away!
He had clearly surrounded Gao Huan and the others.

This is probably what they mean by "extreme joy turns to sorrow".
If he had given the order earlier to kill Gao Huan and the others regardless of their lives, the scene would have been very different.
Upon hearing this, Wang Xiang and the others lowered their heads and remained silent.

"Hahahaha!"

Erzhu Rong suddenly burst into laughter, “Why are you all acting like this? Everyone says that Moheduo is the reincarnation of the ancient overlord, whose bravery is unmatched and no one can escape from him. Haven’t we already escaped?”

"Hmph, He Liuhun also suffered heavy losses in this battle, with his elite troops almost entirely wiped out. We have already achieved our objective, so why are you all looking so mournful?!"

Wang Xiang opened his mouth.

He could understand why Erzhu Rong was turning a funeral into a celebration.

Gao Huan indeed suffered heavy losses, and those who were able to follow him in pursuit must have been the elite of the army and civilians of the Six Garrisons.

These people were Gao Huan's greatest source of confidence and support. After they were all killed or wounded, Gao Huan became all alone.

Erzhu Rong's actions inadvertently helped Gao Yu.

When the two brothers are not too far apart in strength, there may be a struggle over who should be the leader.

However, Gao Huan no longer has the strength to compete with Gao Yu and can only be annexed. Moreover, Gao Huan's current fate is uncertain. If Gao Huan dies, all the people under his command will definitely defect to Gao Yu's side.

The most important thing is.

These words were probably meant for people like Heba Yue who weren't so 'loyal'.

Who among those currently by Erzhu Rong's side isn't an absolute confidant?

They wouldn't change their minds so easily.

Forcing a smile, Wang Lian echoed, "What the Prime Minister says is absolutely right."

"Once I have gathered my army and regrouped, I will then confront that..."

Erzhu Rong was only halfway through his sentence.

Then they heard a series of rapid hoofbeats.

Ta-da-da.

In the distance, they could see small groups of cavalry approaching them, raising clouds of dust.

Startled, Erzhu Rong got up and mounted Wang Xiang's warhorse. Wang Xiang's expression changed drastically, and he reacted quickly. He didn't care whose horse it was, so he grabbed a horse and mounted it.

A dead Taoist friend is not a poor Taoist.

Let’s talk after running away.

"Prime Minister! Prime Minister!!"

He could faintly hear someone shouting loudly. Upon hearing the words "Prime Minister," Erzhu Rong, who was still in shock, finally breathed a sigh of relief. If it were Gao Yu's men, they wouldn't call him "Prime Minister."

Still unsure of who the newcomer was, Erzhu Rong quickly wiped his face with the cloth he had previously used to cover his beard, trying to make himself look more energetic.

He then whispered, "We don't know who they are or what their purpose is, so we should all be prepared."

The guards drew their swords and prepared to fight.

The sound of horses' hooves grew closer, and only then did Erzhu Rong see the face of the person approaching.

"Black Otter?"

"Prime Minister!"

Yuwen Tai dismounted and was about to step forward when he was stopped by Erzhu Rong's guards with swords drawn. Yuwen Tai was taken aback and immediately knelt down on the spot.

"Make way, everyone. Black Otter is my confidant. There's no need to be so wary of him."

Erzhu Rong waved his hand.

Yuwen Tai then approached him and said, "Greetings, Prime Minister."

Erzhu Rong narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Black Otter, why are you here?"

"Prime Minister, I originally led the army to besiege He Liuhun as you instructed, but Mo Hedu led the Xuanjia Army here, and we were no match for them, so we retreated first..."

Erzhu Rong nodded.

After a large army is defeated, the fleeing soldiers will usually head towards the main camp or the city behind the main camp where provisions are stored. The general will also usually go to these places to gather the fleeing soldiers.

He then asked, "Black Otter, what do you think I should do now? I want to go back to Guangping to gather the defeated soldiers, what do you think?"

After a moment's thought, Yuwen Tai shook his head and said, "Prime Minister, this is inappropriate..."

"Oh?"

Erzhu Rong countered, "Why?"

"This time, the Prime Minister suffered a great defeat, which will surely cause unrest among the people. The news of the army's defeat may have already reached Guangping. We do not yet know whether the people in the city have defected."

"In my opinion, the Prime Minister should take advantage of the fact that news of the great defeat at the front has not yet spread and rush to Ye City to take charge of the overall situation. This would be the most appropriate course of action."

Erzhu Rong remained silent, only staring at Yuwen Tai. When Yuwen Luo was on the verge of death, the Wuchuan faction members and Gao Yu all pleaded for Yuwen Tai. Yuwen Tai was not particularly outstanding among the Wuchuan faction members, but unexpectedly, his mind was so meticulous.

That's exactly what he was thinking.

That's what Erzhu Rong thought.

The commander guarding Guangping City was not a member of the Erzhu clan. He had just suffered a major defeat and his prestige had been damaged. Under these circumstances, he dared not trust anyone except his true confidants and close friends.

It's actually just like Cao Cao.

Whenever Cao Cao led his army on a campaign and suffered a defeat at the front, he would immediately lead his army back to Xuchang.

The purpose was to appease the headquarters and prevent any unforeseen changes.

How could he not know that Erzhu Shilong and Erzhu Dulu were incompetent fools?
But no matter how incompetent they were, these people, as members of the Erzhu clan, were absolutely loyal to him.

A person with a problem with their abilities can still be saved; a person with a problem with their stance is beyond saving.

Hou Mochen Chong, who was following behind Yuwen Tai, spoke up, "But if we abandon the army, then Guangping..."

Yuwentai did not respond.

Erzhu Rong smiled and said, "It's just a few cities. We can take them back tomorrow."

Everyone knew the answer.

The fact that Gao Yu could appear in Yinzhou means that something must have happened to Hou Yuan in Yingzhou.

Gao Yu and Gao Huan joined forces.

Erzhu Rong was simply unable to hold onto the cities he had already captured.

The land of Hebei is flat and level, with no natural defenses. It is easy to take it, but it is also easy to take it back.

The current situation doesn't even involve the ownership of these cities in Guangping.

Rather, Erzhu Rong might not be able to gain a foothold in Xiangzhou in the future. Once Gao Yu leads his army forward, Erzhu Rong will have to give up all the territory he has previously acquired.

Even Jianzhou and Jinzhou, north of Luoyang, might not be able to hold out.

Erzhu Rong would most likely only be able to defend the Yellow River.

"Let's go! Come back to Ye City with me!"

Losing a game doesn't mean you're doomed; you still have the ability to salvage the situation.

To be disheartened by a single defeat is the act of a coward.

A true man never gives up in defeat!

Erzhu Rong looked north, a flash of resentment in his eyes, and muttered through gritted teeth, "Mohedu!! You've ruined my plans again!"

However, all they could do was indulge in their verbal sparring.

He looked at the people around him and said, "Go! Mo Heduo didn't chase after us. He must be busy cleaning up the mess and doesn't have the strength to pursue us."

"Go and spread my military order: do not go to Guangping County, but go directly to Ye City to meet me!"

"At that time, it will be clear who is loyal and who has betrayed their master!"

He only took a few attendants, including Wang Xiang and Yuwen Tai, and hurriedly headed south to Ye City.

however……

Halfway there, they encountered a messenger.

The messenger saw that Erzhu Rong and the others were clearly stunned, but he still dismounted and delivered the message.

"Reporting to the Prime Minister!"

Erzhu Rong felt a vague unease, but he forced himself to ask, "What is it?"

"Reporting to the Prime Minister, enemy generals Yang Zhong and Gao Ji, the governor of Ji Province, have led their troops to attack and have already captured Handan and Linshui... General Erzhu Dulu has led his troops back to Ye City."

"What did you say?"

Handan, Linshui...

These were all places he had to pass through on his way back to Ye City, and also the rear of his army.

That is to say...

Is he now surrounded by Gao Yu's army?
Erzhu Rong felt a sudden dizziness. Overwhelmed by anger and anxiety, he closed his eyes, clutched his chest, and coughed up a mouthful of blood. His vision went black, and he fell off his horse.

"Prime Minister! Prime Minister!!"

The crowd quickly gathered around.

The Prime Minister was terrified and kept shouting loudly.

After a long while, Erzhu Rong slowly opened his eyes and said weakly, "We can't go to Yecheng anymore... Go, hurry to Fukou, we'll return to Bingzhou from Fukou, and quickly detour back to Luoyang! Hurry! Be quick!!"

"Prime Minister, your health..."

"I'm not that delicate."

After catching his breath, Erzhu Rong, forcing himself to stay calm, shoved Wang Xiang away, his face revealing the pain he was trying to suppress.

The series of bad news left Erzhu Rong with no time to spare for his health.

He had to get back to Luoyang as soon as possible.

Ye City has not yet been lost, so Fukou must still be in our hands. As one of the eight key passes of Taihang, Fukou leads directly to Shangdang, and from Shangdang, we can go south back to Luoyang.

Although it's a detour.

But for Erzhu Rong, it was the safest approach.

"Let's go! We can't delay!"

Erzhu Rong raised his whip and spurred his horse into a gallop.

This battle was a complete defeat. They couldn't even gather the routed troops back together, and Xiangzhou lost its foothold and had to give it all up. Not to mention, they also lost the three prefectures of Ying, Yan, and You.

However, soldiers could be re-conscripted, and the lands of Henan, Luoyang, most of Shanxi, Guanzhong, and Longxi remained in his hands.

The immediate priority.

We must stabilize the situation before the people below start to panic.

He must quickly return to the central command and personally oversee the situation to prevent any unrest.

(End of this chapter)