My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 588 I will not return to the capital until Luoyang is conquered!

late at night.

Hou Mochenyue hadn't slept at all; he had been waiting, and finally, his beloved son arrived.

Upon seeing that it was Hou Mochenrui who had come, he was secretly delighted.

After dismissing everyone around him, he pulled Hou Mochenrui into the house and began a late-night conversation between father and son.

"Father..."

"Don't rush, tell me slowly. Tell me mainly how the Prime Minister reacted."

Hou Mochenrui said, "As my father instructed, I complained to the Prime Minister and then handed over my father's letter to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister then dismissed me. This is the letter that the Prime Minister asked me to pass on to my father."

Hou Mochenyue took the letter and read it; there was nothing particularly special about its contents.

Erzhu Rong did not explicitly state that he regarded Houmochen Yue as a 'discarded pawn'.

He was simply told to guard the city well.

The most significant document was another imperial edict, which bestowed upon his eldest son, Houmochenxiang, the title of Attendant Gentleman of the Palace.

The implications of this move are self-evident.

His eldest son clearly did not perform any meritorious service, so how could he obtain such a prestigious position simply because of his 'intelligence'?
"it is good!"

Upon seeing this, Hou Mochenyue couldn't help but clap his hands and cheer, stroking his beard, unable to hide his joy.

"Father?"

Hou Mochenrui looked puzzled. "The Prime Minister promoted my brother and appointed me as the deputy general in the city. Isn't the intention of this move very obvious...? It is to make my father and I defend this North Central City to the death."

"What do you know?"

Houmo Chenyue glanced back at him, put down the imperial edict and official documents in his hand, and said, "This is precisely the path to survival that I, your father, your brother, your mother, and others have fought for!"

"how do I say this?"

"You don't need to know right now. These days, don't overreact. Just act as usual. You and I, father and son, will wait quietly in this city for that scoundrel... until the Prime Minister of Eastern Wei personally leads his army here!"

"Here."

Hou Mochenrui still didn't understand, but since Hou Mochenyue wouldn't explain it to him clearly, there was nothing he could do.

"You must be very tired from all that traveling back and forth. Go and rest."

"Thank you for your concern, Father."

After seeing Houmo Chenrui off, Houmo Chenyue picked up the imperial edict and letter again!
"Without this decree, you and your child might not have survived. However... with this decree in effect, you and your child still have a glimmer of hope. Don't blame me; I have done my best..."

Hou Mochen Yue is in the prime of her life, and it's not like she can't have another child if she really wants to.

of course……

He did indeed have feelings for his eldest son and his legal wife, which is why he went to such lengths to try and give the mother and son, as well as their families in the city, a chance to survive.

However, success cannot be guaranteed 100%.

It's just a matter of doing your best. If you can't have both, then preserving yourself is the most important thing.

Deep down, he still hoped to have the best of both worlds.

When Gao Yu's army breaks through Luoyang, he will be able to reunite with his father, son, and wife.

………………

Wen County, on the banks of the Yellow River.

Wenxian is the county closest to Beizhongcheng.

It is located on either side of the river bridge, to the left and right of North Central City.

The Yellow River is very narrow in this section near Luoyang; if your eyesight is even slightly good, you can stand on the bank and see what people on the other side are doing.

Moreover... Wen County is located right next to the Ji River.

The Ji River is different from the Dan River and the Qin River.

After the Danshui and Qingshui rivers converge at Yewang, they change their course from north-south to east-west, flowing westward into the Yellow River via Huai County.

The Ji River is one of the four ancient rivers. It originates from Wangwu Mountain, flows underground near Wen County, passes through the Yellow River without becoming muddy, and reappears on the surface around Xingyang. After reaching the south bank of the Yellow River, it flows northwest, where a tributary joins the Juye Marsh in Yanzhou. Finally, it flows into the Bohai Sea at the mouth of the Yellow River.

The Ji River appears and disappears three times along its entire course, running from Henan to Shandong, traversing the entire Shandong water system.

Wen County had already been captured long ago.

Duan Shao, Ke Zhu Hunyuan, and others gathered here.

Dou Tai had returned to Yewang a long time ago, leaving Duan Shao here. He knew that Gao Yu valued Duan Shao highly and that Duan Shao had shown extraordinary talent. Duan Shao was also his nephew.

However, an uninvited guest has arrived in the city today!
"Brother! It's been a long time!"

Gao Yang, accompanied by dozens of attendants, rode lightly into the city. After dismounting and entrusting his beloved horse to his personal guards, Gao Yang smiled and greeted the others.

"Greetings to all the generals. The Prime Minister asked me to convey his greetings to you all."

Zhu Hunyuan quickly returned the greeting with a cupped hand, saying, "We are surrendered generals, and we are grateful for the Prime Minister's concern..."

He is very clear.

These early surrendered generals would be used as role models by Gao Yu. No matter how much he disliked or resented them, he would continue to employ them to incite the morale of Erzhu Rong's troops.

of course……

However, Zhu Hunyuan had dealt with Gao Yu before and knew that Gao Yu was not so narrow-minded.

Gao Yu's heavy reliance on them was indeed an act intended to impress Erzhu Rong's generals.

But more importantly, Gao Yu wasn't afraid of them causing trouble at all, and had absolute confidence that he could control them.

As a surrendered general, one is already considered "inferior," so if one wants to live a good life, one must adopt a humble attitude.

They were surrendered generals; they surrendered to Gao Yu voluntarily. They didn't win a battle, so who were they trying to impress with their arrogance?
"I had long heard of He Liuhun's second son, who was exceptionally brave at such a young age. Seeing him today, he is indeed a heroic young man."

"Uncle, you flatter me."

Gao Yang smiled politely and reminded him, "General, you have only recently surrendered, but you still need to be careful in the future... The Prime Minister has already given a clear order that Xianbei language must not be used, only Chinese..."

"I was negligent."

Duan Shao then stepped forward, saying, "Ah Yang, you must be tired from your journey. Come on, let's have a welcome dinner to wash you away the dust."

The group turned and headed towards the mansion in the city.

Duan Shao had already arranged for a banquet to be prepared.

After taking his seat and having a few drinks, Gao Yang did not forget his mission.

"The Prime Minister has personally led a large army and has already reached Shanyang. He will arrive with his army in a few days. The Prime Minister has ordered us to prepare siege equipment in advance and to take Beizhong City and seize the river bridge before winter!"

"Prepare for the southward campaign to capture Luoyang next year!!"

Duan Shao nodded. "I had already ordered the craftsmen to build siege weapons ahead of time."

"Brother is still so intelligent..."

Gao Yang couldn't help but sigh, "That's excellent. It will save a lot of time. No wonder Uncle values ​​you so much, brother."

He also realized that he had spoken out of turn.

He then quickly changed his tune, saying, "When I set off, the Prime Minister also told me that... he vowed not to return to the capital until Luoyang was captured!"

"Therefore, I trouble you all to join hands and help the Prime Minister to recapture the capital Luoyang and allow the Emperor to return to the old capital!"

"Such merits will not be enjoyed by the Prime Minister alone! Those who have made contributions will all be promoted and ennobled!"

(End of this chapter)