In fact, things have progressed to this point.
Dong Zhuo already believed most of it.
After all, Cao Ang forcibly tied up several things and blamed them all on himself, such as the dispute over alliance leaders and Sun Jian's lack of food. The mastermind behind these things seemed to have become Cao Ang overnight.
Dong Zhuo read it through.
It's actually hard not to believe it.
Even before he read the letter, he kept warning himself not to be easily deceived by Cao Ang.
But things have come to an end.
He took the bait anyway.
Although I still have some doubts.
But Cao Ang still has one last piece of letter paper.
Dong Zhuo couldn't wait to unfold the content.
There aren't many words on the paper.
But his glance made Dong Zhuo squint his eyes and fall into deep thought.
"According to my inference, Duke Ming is probably planning to abandon Luoyang and leave for Chang'an."
"If I sincerely surrender to the coalition forces, I will tell Yuan Shao this secret news. The coalition forces of more than 100,000 people are pursuing and setting up ambushes all the way. I may not be able to escape intact. Even if I successfully reach Chang'an, there may not be many usable people left."
"On the contrary, if I am pretending to surrender, then I will conceal such news, and at the same time, I will try my best to dissuade the coalition forces from continuing to pursue them."
"Ang Zhigong doesn't fully believe in me, so you might as well use this as evidence. As long as the coalition forces attack Yanshi County and send troops to Luoyang, we can verify the authenticity!"
…
This passage is very informative.
It was so big that Dong Zhuo was a little frightened.
Especially in the first sentence, Cao Ang bluntly said that he had guessed Dong Zhuo's westward retreat plan, and he also accurately named the location of Chang'an City.
This made Dong Zhuo feel his scalp numb even more.
First, not many people knew about the plan.
At least apart from Li Ru, few generals in the entire Xiliang army knew about this matter.
Lu Bu doesn’t even know!
This shows that Cao Ang relied entirely on inference.
And this kid was able to analyze the matter clearly with his foresight. Will there be such talents within the coalition forces?
Dong Zhuo was really unsure.
And just like the letter said.
Since Cao Ang guessed his plan, he didn't need to do anything. He only needed to tell Yuan Shao the news. Trouble awaited Dong Zhuo next.
Why did he and Li Ru keep trying to set up checkpoints on the way to Luoyang for the coalition troops to delay their progress?
Isn't it just to be able to retreat to Chang'an before Yuan Shao and others react?
If only Yuan Shao knew the news in advance.
Things will be ruined!
He will never be able to escape without losing some of his troops, and the coalition forces will bite him to death.
This is a big headache.
It even made Dong Zhuo a little panicked.
So it is built on this basis.
Dong Zhuo's trust in Cao Ang is now heightened again.
certainly.
With Dong Zhuo's suspicion.
It was impossible for him to trust Cao Ang with just such an option without reservation.
How much needs to be verified.
The verification method has been written on the letter.
…
Dong Zhuo hoped that Cao Ang would succeed.
This not only means that Cao Ang has not betrayed himself, but this young man who is deeply admired by himself is still firmly on his side.
The two stand in the same position.
At the same time, if there is really a high-ranking internal agent within the enemy, Dong Zhuo would be happy to see it happen.
You can't even imagine how beneficial this would be.
Cao Ang follows him, either as a think tank or as a general.
The role it can play is certainly not small, but compared to taking root in the coalition forces, it seems a bit weak.
If Cao Ang can, with his own help, rise all the way and become a key figure in the coalition, or even a very important figure.
Then this effect is huge!
Dong Zhuo returned to Chang'an, not to live in old age and wait to die. He also thought that one day he could lead his troops back, conquer the Central Plains again, and hold the world in his hands.
When the time comes, we will still have to face these old opponents.
If Cao Ang can rebel at the critical moment.
I am afraid that the originally mighty alliance will fall apart in an instant.
And I can attack with thunder, defeat them one by one, and wipe out the collapsed alliance in one fell swoop.
The Central Plains can be captured without any effort.
As for whether Cao Ang would be out of his control after becoming more powerful, Dong Zhuo was not too worried about this issue.
He is still very confident in his own strength.
No matter how much Cao Ang develops, it is impossible for him to expand to exceed his army of more than 100,000 men in a short time, right?
Moreover, as long as he holds this secret letter firmly in his hand, Cao Ang will dare to jump between the two forces in the future.
He gave this thing to Yuan Shao.
Let’s see where Cao Ang can jump at that time!
So in Dong Zhuo's view.
As long as Cao Ang really does what he said in the letter, he will be bound to him in the future, and we, Dong, don't have to worry about Cao Ang's betrayal.
…
Collected the secret message.
He also ordered people to find Li Ru.
Dong Zhuo sat quietly, looking up at the dome of the palace, thinking about something.
Waited for a while.
There was a sound of footsteps outside the palace.
Then he saw Li Ru walking in from outside the hall.
"See the Prime Minister!"
He raised his hands in salute and bowed.
Dong Zhuo also woke up from his wandering thoughts and waved to Li Ru.
motioning for him to come to her.
"Wenyou, how are you doing now?"
Li Ru guessed that Dong Zhuo had called him here to inquire about the progress of the matter, so he made a draft on the way and immediately explained the situation.
Said it was preparation.
In fact, it is robbery.
The emperor, clan, ministers and officials were all placed under house arrest and packed away.
At the same time, he coerced the people around Luoyang City and forced them to migrate to Chang'an together. After all, population is the basis for governing a place.
Beyond that is the looting of wealth.
Randomly plundering wealthy homes.
Unless you can establish a relationship with the Xiliang army, or have an official position in the court, you will not be able to escape the burning, killing and looting of the Xiliang soldiers.
Gathering important people, people, and wealth together is called "packing preparations."
And after hearing Dong Zhuo's inquiry.
Li Ru immediately reported: "I'll report back to the Prime Minister. I've almost packed everything now and can leave at any time."
Dong Zhuo nodded.
His fingers tapped lightly on the desk a few times.
Seems to be deep in thought.
Such a moment.
Just then he said: "In that case, you should take the emperor and the officials and leave Luoyang first."
"At the same time, we will take some of the people with us. These people are slow on their feet and will have to walk for a few days first."
"I will stay in Luoyang City for the time being!"
Dong Zhuo was worried that Cao Ang's plan to stop Cao Ang would not succeed, causing Yuan Shao to still rush here after learning the news.
So he had to be prepared.
That is to send the emperor and others away in advance.
And he himself led his troops to wait here.
At the same time, he also verified whether what Cao Ang said was true or false. If it was true, then he could improvise and help Cao Ang to some extent before going to Chang'an.
…
Li Ru didn't know the story.
Dong Zhuo also did not inform the secret message of his plans.
Therefore, he only thought that Dong Zhuo's caution played a role in making such an arrangement.
Li Ru certainly has no objection to this.
"I obey my orders. Tomorrow morning at the latest, I will leave Luoyang with the emperor and all the officials!"
After seeing Dong Zhuo nodded slightly.
Li Ru thought of something again.
"Xiangguo, after our few days of searching, we have collected almost all kinds of food, grass and money in the city, but there are still some large and heavy items."
"It is inconvenient to take these things away, but if you keep them, it will probably give the enemy an advantage. May I ask the Prime Minister, what should I do with these things?"
Large and heavy items.
Most of them are various metal utensils, as well as some precious porcelain and other things that are difficult to carry.
Other than that it’s books.
This thing is very, very heavy!
It happened to be very valuable, and leaving it to those in the coalition forces was indeed an act of subsidizing the enemy.
After Dong Zhuo thought for a while.
He said to Li Ru simply and neatly: "Since these things cannot be taken away, they are useless. You put them in one place. When I leave Luoyang, I will order the whole city to be burned."
"At that time, just burn these things into a pile of ashes and tell them that no one can get away!"
Dong Zhuo's order was exactly what Li Ru wanted.
In fact, as a scribe.
If possible, he still wants to take these books away and place them at home. They are the heritage of his family.
In the future, the Li family may not be able to rely on these collections of classics and history to become a prominent gentry family.
It's a pity that there is no way to do it.
Then just burn it.
…
After Li Ru took the order.
He bowed his hands and saluted Dong Zhuo.
Then he was ready to leave the hall.
However, before he could step out with his left foot, Dong Zhuo's voice suddenly came from behind.
"Wait a minute!"
Li Ru turned around with doubt on his face.
Looking up, he saw Dong Zhuo frowning, as if he was hesitating and considering something.
After a while.
Only then did he hear Dong Zhuo's voice.
"Forget it, it would be a pity to burn these things. Take some people with you and place all these large and heavy items in the Cao family's house."
"When I leave Luoyang, when I burn the whole city, I will ask people to avoid there. It can be regarded as keeping these things and leaving some benefits to that kid."
Dong Zhuo's change of tune.
Li Ru was shocked.
He looked at Dong Zhuo dumbfounded.
The whole person was quite surprised.
This Cao Zixiu must be too proud of the Prime Minister. He has already rebelled and joined the crusade against the coalition, and now he is still thinking about him.
In the past few days, weren't they throwing cups and bowls, hacking at the palace with swords, and shouting that they would kill Cao Ang?
Why do you feel like a different person today?
Li Ru didn't understand.
But he was shocked!
Li Ru raised his head and glanced at Dong Zhuo. Li Ru was hesitant to speak and wanted to persuade Dong Zhuo.
But after seeing the determined look on Dong Zhuo's face, he still chose to give up.
If you don’t understand, then don’t get involved.
Anyway, the left and right are just some book collections and cannot be directly converted into military combat power, so there is no harm in giving them to him.
So after bowing and saluting.
Li Ru immediately said goodbye and left.
Prepare to do so.
…………
Yanshi County persisted for another three days.
After all, under siege from all sides by the coalition forces, the people who were beaten were exhausted and sleepy. Even Hu Zhen and Lu Bu, as the main generals, had lost the will to fight and no longer planned to persist.
After all, they still have some soldiers on hand.
If they withdraw, they can use these troops to break through and ensure their personal safety.
But if we continue to fight.
Get rid of these people on hand.
As generals, even if they can block a hundred enemies with one force, they will probably be deeply surrounded by enemy troops, which will lead to a dead end.
There is no need to work so hard.
Therefore, Hu Zhen and Lu Bu reached an amazing tacit understanding on this matter.
Take advantage of the night.
Breaking out from the west gate with thousands of people.
Naturally, the men and horses responsible for guarding the west gate cannot fight against the enemy who are bent on breaking out. Such losses are unbearable.
Therefore, it gave them a way out.
This way.
Yanshi County was captured immediately.
In fact, if the defenders in the city were to withdraw one day later, Yuan Shao planned to order the whole army to postpone the attack on the city and rest for a few days.
Everyone is really exhausted.
The most important thing is that people from all walks of life suffered a lot of losses, ranging from hundreds to thousands.
You know, even Cao Ang's Huben camp, led by top generals like Zhang Liao, suffered many casualties and lost hundreds of people.
One can imagine.
The other princes had far more troops than him, so their battle losses were probably not a small number.
This is an unbearable burden for everyone.
Everyone originally planned to take advantage of the enemy's short-term low morale and capture Yanshi County in one go.
But no one expected it.
The defenders' resistance turned out to be so tenacious.
In this multi-day offensive and defensive battle.
The defenders in the city are constantly being depleted.
But there were more soldiers killed and injured outside the city!
After all, there is no advantage in attacking a city. Even if more people attack fewer people, the battle losses will be higher.
As time goes by, everyone can no longer bear it.
They all ran to Yuan Shao to complain.
Fortunately, today, the general in the city took advantage of the night to escape, otherwise Yuan Shao might really be unable to withstand the pressure and would announce a rest for the entire army tomorrow.
…
And now in the county town.
At a hastily held banquet.
Cao Ang looked at the various heroes, all of them looked tired, and many of them had red eyes.
This was something I had to endure, but also a lot of pressure.
None of us are rich people.
That's all the capital on hand.
It's hard to lose even a fraction of it. If you lose them all in one battle, you'll be a mere commander.
Seeing everyone in such a state.
Cao Ang finally understood.
No wonder after learning that Dong Zhuo had withdrawn to Chang'an, all the heroes chose to stop pursuing him.
I really don’t want to continue to suffer losses.
It took so much effort to attack a city guarded by 20,000 to 30,000 people. If we were to attack a huge city like Luoyang, we would still have to face Dong Zhuo's army of 100,000 people.
I'm afraid everyone will become pauper.
Therefore, Dong Zhuo's retreat from Luoyang may be more in line with everyone's wishes, and he can be regarded as heading in both directions.
After three drinks.
The tense atmosphere among everyone finally eased.
The tension and fatigue on many people's faces relaxed slightly.
And Cao Ang was looking around.
Suddenly, Yuan Shao's voice was heard in his ears.
Turn around and look.
Yuan Shao, who was sitting at the top, had stood up, holding a wine glass in his hand.
"Everyone, now that Yanshi County has been broken, we have taken down the last barrier of Luoyang City, and Luoyang has become an isolated city."
"Next, we only need to take a short rest before we can lead the army straight to Luoyang for the final decisive battle with Dong Zhuo. I hope you can muster your strength and boost your morale."
"In this last battle, fight bravely to kill the enemy, and be sure to do your best in one battle, defeat the Xiliang army, kill this thief, purge Chao Gang, and restore peace to the world!"
"Shao believes that as long as everyone works together and works together, Dong's army of less than 100,000 people will not be enough to fight against our army!"
…
Yuan Shao's tone was impassioned.
His words were full of fighting spirit.
There is a pre-war mobilization for the heroes of Kanto present here, hoping that everyone can build up their morale.
It's just a little unexpected.
After Yuan Shao finished speaking.
At the banquet, there were only a few responders.
Only Cao Cao, Bao Xin, Sun Jian and others also stood up and expressed their determination to go to the end.
As for the others, there was a strange silence for a moment, and even Yuan Shu looked thoughtful.
Still after a long time.
Perhaps it was because only Yuan Shao and others were raising their glasses, the situation was a little awkward, so the others stood up one after another and expressed perfunctorily that they would do their best.
See this situation.
Yuan Shao couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
People's hearts are broken and it's hard to lead the team!
To be honest, he didn't blame these people.
After all, he himself couldn't bear the loss.
This time to attack Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao led an army of 20,000, which was considered to be a large number of soldiers and generals.
But as the leader of the alliance, he needs to take the lead and cannot hide behind.
This results in losses that far exceed those of others.
if you can.
Yuan Shao didn't want to fight Dong Zhuo to the death.
But there is no if!
Now we have reached the final step.
If he could defeat Dong Zhuo, his reputation as the leader of the alliance against Dong Zhuo would reach its peak.
on the contrary.
Little fame will fall upon him.
Then this crusade would be in vain, and all the sacrifices made before would be in vain.
Therefore, even if Yuan Shao had the intention to retreat, he had to grit his teeth and let everyone work hard.
…
Two days later.
The army is almost resting.
Immediately led his troops to Luoyang.
In order to ensure the morale of the army.
Yuan Shao carried out some more mobilization before setting off, which was considered a waste of time.
Finally, everyone's will was lifted a little bit.
Cao Cao, who has always been a staunch fighter, could hardly breathe a sigh of relief.
Just looking at his father's relaxed expression, Cao Ang couldn't help but sigh.
Only he knows.
When the fire broke out in Luoyang, the sky was filled with flames and thick smoke billowing.
What Yuan Shao is saying now will become a dream, and even Yuan Shao himself will lose his fighting spirit.
At that time, there was a purge of the imperial court and the execution of national traitors.
Let’s put it aside for now.
…
After the army marched for several days.
Luoyang is getting closer and closer.
Yuan Shao and others did not dare to advance rashly, and only planned to set up camp at a location that was still some distance away from Luoyang.
Sent out scouts to explore the horses and find out the situation.
However, the manpower has not yet been dispatched.
Everyone was somewhat shocked to find out.
Thick smoke suddenly rose in the distant sky, turning the originally blue and clear sky into black.
And the clouds scattered in the sky were illuminated by the ground, glowing with red light.
The coalition forces were immediately shocked.
Something is burning!
…
Monthly ticket recommendation ticket
This guy's writing about Da Qin is a masterpiece, and writing about other things is just a slap in the face. Now he has started writing about Da Qin again. If you are interested, you can take a look.
(End of chapter)
