After Zhang Xiu reported the military situation, Yang Biao and others were at a loss. After all, they were politicians, and they were not good at this kind of military crisis public relations.
Zhang Xiu hesitated for a while and said: "Your Majesty, gentlemen, the general has a plan to get rid of the pursuers. I wonder if you can listen to what the general has to say."
"Bowei, if you have any ideas, tell me quickly!" Liu Xie couldn't help but asked curiously.
Zhang Xiu clasped his hands in his fists and said, "Cross the Jing River north to Zuofeng Yi, then cross the river to Xiangdong to Hedong, and then cross the river south to Hongnong and rush to Luoyang. This is the fastest plan."
"The waterway of the Yellow River is difficult. Your Majesty cannot be allowed to take such a big risk. How can your Majesty's body of thousands of people be put in such danger." Taiwei Yang Biao immediately objected.
Zhang Xiu said respectfully: "Sir, our army only has more than 20,000 troops. Now Chang'an has become a deserted city. Guo Si and Li Bi will bring about 70,000 troops to pursue them. Tongguan and Hangu only defend the east of Guandong, but the defense facing Chang'an is It is much weaker. To reach Luoyang safely, it is best to march back and forth like this. Once we cross the river, we can set up defenses along the river bank to stop the rebels."
Liu Xie was moved for a while. He looked at Yang Biao and other veterans and said, "Yang Aiqing, I think it's feasible, so you might as well give it a try."
"Your Majesty, Mr. Yang's concerns are not unreasonable. The Yellow River waterway has been in disrepair for a long time and is a dangerous river. Since the Chuping period, even traders traveling to and from Guanzhong rarely use the Yellow River waterway. How can we allow Your Majesty to take risks? "Zhao Wen came out and said.
Yang Biao nodded in agreement and said, "If the thieves come after you, there will still be a large army to fight to the death for Your Majesty. If you are in danger in the river, no matter how many people there are, they can't rescue you!"
Guang Luxun and Deng Yuan suggested: "It is better to send people from the Yellow River waterway to Hongnong to ask for help from General Zhang Ji. We should go back to the land route. It is safer this way\\\\\"
Liu Xie was newly granted freedom. After all, he did not dare to go against the wishes of the ministers and went his own way, so he had to agree with what Yang Biao and others said. Although Yang Feng also wanted to take the water route, he could not resist Yang Biao and other ministers, so he had to give up. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Chongzhen lamented that "civilians harm the country" is also justified.
Zhong Yao on the side sighed secretly. But he still suggested: "Lieutenant Yang, even if we reach Luoyang, Zhang Ji's troops and horses may not be able to defeat Guo Si and Li Que. It is better to go elsewhere to ask for reinforcements, so that the chance of victory will be greater."
"Guandong has sent envoys to move reinforcements. Where did the reinforcements come from?" Yang Biao asked.
"Hedong County is occupied by the troops of Baibo Li Le and Han Xian, as well as the Xiongnu Youxian King Qubei who moved south. You can send envoys to commend and confer the title. Let him lead his troops to escort him." Zhong Yao revealed his plan.
As soon as this statement came out, all the ministers started talking. Someone immediately jumped out to object: "Yuan Chang, these white bandits are the remnants of the Yellow Turbans. How can we recruit rebels to come to our rescue? This is absolutely not allowed!" How is their behavior different from what Wang Yun did a few years ago.
Zhong Yao was extremely angry and stamped his feet: "My lords, after surrendering the Baibo Army, we can add many more troops to come to rescue you. Your Majesty is in trouble at this time. Your Majesty's safety should be the top priority in everything, and there is no need to talk about the remaining evildoers and traitors. !When Li Guobin comes to kill him, will you, my lords, personally carry your sword to protect him?"
When he said this, among the veterans, some were ashamed and some persisted. But no matter what Zhong Yao says, even if they don’t agree, they still have no good way, hehe****
Yang Biao thought for a long time and finally made a decision: "There are many generals in Guandong who have surrendered the Yellow Turbans. What Yuan Chang said is that His Majesty puts safety first, so why not recruit the Baibo bandits?"
Liu Xie was extremely tired and issued an edict to surrender the Baibo army and the Xiongnu to Beihou. He waved his hands for everyone to retreat.
On the carriage. The fifteen-year-old Queen Fushou held Liu Yan's hands tightly, compared to Princess Wannian. Queen Fu, who had passed through such a formation, had been in panic since last night, and asked, "Sister, the thieves can't catch up, can they?"
Liu Yan patted her cold little hand and said, "With a large army escorting the thieves, they can't kill them. Queen, you are the mother of a country. In this time of crisis, you should behave like a mother of the country. Why should you be afraid of mere thieves!"
Fu Shou stared at Liu Yan with watery eyes and asked, "Sister Huang, are you really not afraid? I heard Eunuch Liu and the others said that those thieves and cannibals..."
"The generals and generals from all over the world will come to rescue us soon. Sister, you don't need to worry." As she spoke, Liu Yan showed some expectation.
"Sister Huang, are you thinking that the Marquis of Linzi will lead troops to rescue him?" Sensitive Fushou asked curiously.
Liu Yan's cheeks were slightly red, but thinking about what happened a few years ago, her expectations were a little sad. She was not sure whether Yuan Xi could come to save her. She didn't know, but she still hoped that he would come.
Chang'an City.
At this time, Chang'an was in a mess, with corpses lying on the streets and alleys, some of them soldiers, but most of them were civilians. *****
At noon, Ma Teng and Han Sui led their troops into Chang'an, but the land before them was devastated. Although Guo Si and Li did not set fire to the city, except for Ma Teng and Han Sui's soldiers, it was difficult to see anyone alive in Chang'an City.
"I didn't expect Guo Si and Li Sang to be so crazy. This is a massacre of the city!" Ma Teng said angrily.
"Brother, don't be angry." Han Sui advised, "Dong Zhuo's group of Xiliang soldiers can't do anything. Logically speaking, there won't be many people left near Chang'an. After such a killing, I'm afraid there won't be any more people in Guanzhong in three or four years." It’s so crowded!”
Ma Teng waved his riding whip and ordered, "Whoever comes, help me search for live animals and food in and around Chang'an."
"Brother, do you think Guo Si and Li Que will leave food for us?" Han Sui smiled bitterly and said, "Our army only has enough food for five days, and even if we want to rescue them, we are powerless. At this time, we have only enough food for five days." The ground is now in ruins, let’s withdraw our troops.”
Ma Teng hesitated for a while, and after a moment he made a decisive decision: "We will transfer two-thirds of the grain to Meng Qi, and let him lead his three thousand cavalry to rescue him. We have done our duty."
After all, his ancestor, Ma Teng, was the descendant of Fubo General Ma Yuan. He was born in Miaohong, but now he has no choice but to become a warlord, but he still has some feelings for the Han Dynasty.
Han Sui nodded and said, "This is the only way, but my nephew Meng Qi must be careful."
Weinan.
Guo Si, with more than 36,000 troops under his command, was chasing Emperor Xian closely. Liu Xie brought a group of ministers and royal items, talismans, documents, ancient books and archives with him, so he didn't go very fast.
Half a day later, Guo Si's forward cavalry caught up with Xu Rong's army at the rear.
Xu Rong set up defenses on the spot. After blocking for a long time, the main force of Guo Si's army gradually arrived. Knowing that he could not resist, he had to retreat with more than 5,000 elite soldiers from the three families.
At nightfall, Xu Rong's troops caught up with Emperor Xian in Huayin. After the rapid march, Yang Feng and Fan Chou's troops could no longer hold on, so they all lay down on the roadside and fell asleep.
Fan Chou and Yang Feng were not good men, but no matter how hard they whipped them, the soldiers would not move at all. After discussion, the two could only let their soldiers escort Emperor Xian through Tongguan overnight. The remaining more than 20,000 soldiers were spread out for several miles along the official road.
Zhang Xiu led more than a thousand elite soldiers to escort Emperor Xian. Zhang Xiu's escort to Emperor Xian was arranged by Zhang Ji. One person was inside and the other was outside to look after each other, leaving a way out. The accompanying team did not arrive at Tongguan until early the next morning. Liu Xie, Liu Yan and several other important ministers could no longer hold on and had to stop at any cost.
Regardless of his fatigue, Zhang Xiu came to Liu Xie's car and persuaded him: "Your Majesty, Tongguan is not safe yet. We need to pass through Hangu to feel at ease. After an hour's rest, we will rush to Hangu Pass."
"General Zhang, look at those soldiers and horses, can they still run?" Liu Xie pointed weakly at the tired horses.
"Even if they are exhausted, they will not fall until they reach Hangu." Zhang Xiu said firmly, "Guo Si and others may bypass Huashan and rush to Tongguan from Qingni Pass."
Yang Biao shook his head and said, "Even if you come from Qingni Pass, you can't come that fast. It doesn't matter if you rest for half a day. Besides, your Majesty's dragon body is not more battle-hardened than the generals. You can go down and make arrangements."
Zhang Xiu was worried, but he could not disobey the orders of Liu Xie and Yang Biao. After sighing, he could only order the soldiers to rest more quickly and set off again in two hours.
Zhang Xiu passed through the blocking battle that night. He also led troops to escort Liu Xie here, but he was already exhausted. After giving a few instructions, he closed his eyes and fell asleep leaning against the dilapidated city wall of Tongguan.
I don't know how long it took, Zhang Xiu opened his eyes with difficulty, but he suddenly woke up, grabbed a deputy general next to him and asked: "What time is it now? Why didn't you wake me up!"
The deputy general was reluctant to answer, so he was forced to say anxiously: "Master Yang has been here and said that the general has also worked hard. He might as well let the soldiers rest for a while to build up their strength."
Zhang Xiu looked at the dark night surrounding Tongguan and couldn't help but worry. Said, "Oh, the Taiwei has harmed the country. If it is true as I guessed, Your Majesty is in danger!"
Zhang Xiu immediately rushed to Liu Xie's driving place. After a day of rest, Yang Biao recovered a lot mentally. He smiled and said, "General Zhang, it seems that the soldiers are all in high spirits! We should reach Hangu in a few hours. Shall we travel all night?"
Zhang Xiu was anxious for a while and said, "Of course I have to leave immediately! Sir, why don't you let them wake me up? You must know that this place is not a safe place yet!"
Yang Biao smiled and was about to say something, but countless torches lit up on the east side of Tongguan, and soon Tongguan was surrounded.
Everyone was awakened. Yang Biao pointed to the torches and asked: "Whose soldiers are these? How could they come from the east? Could they be generals from Guandong?"
Zhang Xiu sighed and said helplessly, "Sir, I'm afraid, as I said, the Xiliang army came from the Qingni Pass and is in trouble."
"Ah!" "Ah" Liu Xie and several ministers exclaimed.
Zhang Xiu didn't care about anything else. After pleading guilty, he led the more than a thousand soldiers to quickly set up defenses. Zhang Xiu was sent by his uncle Zhang Ji to defend the court, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go to set up defences.
Taking advantage of the firelight, Liu Xie and others finally saw clearly that the soldiers' banner "Li" belonged to Li Que of the Xiliang Army. Yang Biao and other ministers were at a loss. They never expected that Li Que would come from Qingni Pass and block them in front of them.
"Kill! Kill!" Li Que's troops kept shouting and fired arrows at the city wall. For a moment, the ministers were so frightened that they did not dare to speak out. The timid ones were already paralyzed on the ground.
Although Tongguan was in ruins, Li Que's troops consisted of nearly ten thousand people, mostly cavalry. They did not carry any siege equipment, so they could not attack Tongguan for a while. But the momentum had already frightened Liu Xie and his ministers. I think this group of civil servants was not as good as the group in the late Ming Dynasty.
"When will Yang Feng and Fan Chou catch up?" Liu Xie asked urgently. He was now very afraid of Liushen Wuzhu.
Yang Biao and others were also at a loss, while Zhong Yao shook his head and said: "I'm afraid Fan Chou and the others are also being dragged by Guo Bang. They may not be able to survive for a while. We can only defend on the spot and wait for reinforcements."
Liu Xie and his ministers were worried until dawn, and Li Que's infantry increased in number, totaling more than 20,000 people. After a night of preparation, Li Jun also rushed to build a simple wooden ladder and attacked the city frantically regardless of casualties.
The more than a thousand elite soldiers Zhang Xiu led did not carry many arrows. After killing more than a thousand people, there were very few arrows left. Li Que's army attacked the city desperately, and even a section of the west wall was knocked down by Li Que's army using wooden pillars. The situation was very critical.
Liu Xie looked annoyed and frustrated and said, "Am I going to be coerced by the traitors again? Will revitalizing the Han Dynasty be just a dream after all?"
Yang Biao was so regretful that his intestines were green. If he had followed Zhang Xiu's advice, the emperor would not be in such danger. He knelt down in front of Liu Xie and said guiltily, "Your Majesty, it's the old minister's fault! My death is not enough to atone for my sin! The old minister has to go."
After saying that, he was about to jump off the city wall. Like Wang Yun, he planned to die to prove his ambition, but at the same time, he was also in a panic.
Zhao Wen and others quickly stopped Yang Biao and persuaded him, "Master Yang, you can't commit suicide!" "You must remain useful to assist His Majesty!" "You have to take charge of the overall situation!"
All the civil servants advised one after another. Liu Xie was helpless and could only shake his head and said, "Yang Qing, why should you blame yourself? All this is just a matter of fate. I am afraid that I have offended God and caused trouble to our Han Dynasty. You go. Ask General Zhang to open the city gate, and don’t let the soldiers suffer unnecessary casualties again.”
If this goes on for less than half a day, the city will be destroyed and the people will be dead. The ministers will kneel down in tears.
Princess Wannian quickly came to Liu Xie and said sternly: "Your Majesty, the soldiers have not surrendered yet, how can you say such depressing words! Your Majesty, your destiny has been fulfilled. Who can say that things will not turn around in the next moment! Your Majesty, think twice. ah."
"Sister Huang..." Liu Xie shook his head and sighed.
"Your Majesty, there is a group of cavalry coming over there. They seem to be fighting with Li Que. They are reinforcements!" a minister shouted.
The two siblings Liu Xie and Liu Yan took a closer look, and sure enough, a group of cavalry was coming from the east. As they got closer, the words embroidered on the flag were vaguely discernible - "Yuan"!
The strategic focus of the Hebei Army has been deployed from Hebei to Sili and the Central Plains. King Qin escorts and protects the emperor's smooth return eastward, which becomes the key. The person coming is none other than our protagonist Yuan Xi, and the BGM plays the entrance music of the Demon Lord Qiye, which is really powerful.
When the emperor returned to the east, things started to happen in a hurry. The consequences of returning eastward are unpredictable. According to Guo Jia's analysis, it is not the best policy to welcome the emperor to Hebei. In this way, it is inevitable that the princes of the world will criticize him verbally and even directly launch troops against Hebei.
Because the situation has changed, the best outcome is for Emperor Feng to return to Luoyang, the eastern capital. Following the example of the late Zhou Dynasty, the emperor lived in Luoyang and the princes fought over the world.
But Yuan Xi still wanted to give it a try. Cao Cao's behavior was unacceptable to the Yuan family. But he forgot that Cao Cao needed Emperor Xian because Cao Cao was weak and needed to take advantage of the situation, and the Yuan family had become a Yuan clan. Emperor Xian was a tasteless treat for the Yuan family, and it was a pity to abandon him.
According to teacher Zhang Hong's information, the emperor's return eastward may take both land and water routes. If you take the water route, you can only enter the Yellow River through the Wei River. Tongguan and Fenglingdu are the key water routes. Hao Zhao and Zhou Cang were ordered to rush to Fenglingdu immediately to support Zhang Ji. Taking the land route, there are many possible options. Yuan Xi and Guo Jia carefully analyzed various possibilities.
Yuan Xi felt that from a military perspective, it was a wise move to take the Yellow River and enter Hedong. However, from a political perspective, the Lord of Wancheng could not take risks, so he could only take the land route, not to mention the interference of Yang Biao and others, so Yuan Xi decided to Shuai Da The troops took the land route.
Luoyang Report. Zhang Hong sent a message that on his way back, he detoured to Henan Yin and went to Luoyang to visit Huangfu Song. Huangfu Song was born as a general, and he was praised for his filial piety and integrity. During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he repeatedly performed meritorious deeds and became a hero and veteran of the dynasty.
Dong Zhuo disrupted the government in order to win people's hearts. Huangfu Song was asked to assist him, but Huangfu Song refused and fled Chang'an claiming illness. Now, Huangfu Song, as a hussar general, is in charge of Guandong and guards the eastern capital Luoyang. In Luoyang, Huangfu Song recruited troops and horses, preparing to welcome the emperor back eastward and assume the important task of contacting the princes of Guandong.
It is Yuan Xi's responsibility to protect the emperor. But what will happen to the emperor after he escapes from Tongguan? Yuan Xi never came up with a suitable solution. Huangfu Song was old and well-known. If he came forward to welcome the emperor back to Luoyang, it would save him a lot of troubles.
In Jinyang, there was also a message from Zhang Hong's secret guard. Briefly reported on the defense of Taiyuan and Yanmen. Regarding the Xiongnu offending the border. It was only briefly mentioned, focusing on the situation in Xihe County. Lu Bu's general Gao Shunben was stationed at Lishi in Xihe County. He has now led his troops southward and stationed at the border with Hedong.
Yuan Xi has also been paying attention to Gao Shun's movements, because variables are very likely to happen to the time bomb Lu Bu.
Changes occurred in Chang'an, and all Lu Bu's troops took action. Gao Shun and others led their troops southward. Join Lu Bu. If Gao Shun wants to join Lu Bu, he must cross the northeastern part of the river and cross the Yellow River from the Hejin area to the west before entering Zuo Fengyi.
Although Yuan Jun has taken full control of the situation in Hebei, Lu Bu has not yet withdrawn from Bingzhou. At this time, Bingzhou was unable to stop Gao Shun from going south by taking advantage of the Hedong Road.
Yuan Xi and Guo Jia agreed. Chang'an is in chaos and various forces are entangled. At this time, it is better to make more friends and less enemies. Lu Bu and Yuan Xi have a grudge, but it is not appropriate to turn against each other at this time. The common enemy of both sides is the Xiliang army. Yuan Xi sent an order to Hao Zhao's tribe not to conflict with Gao Shun's tribe if they borrowed the road to go south. Take the initiative to give way to Hejin and allow it to cross the Yellow River westward. Yuan Xi does not do business that is loss-making.
The emperor's journey back east must be full of difficulties. However, Yuan Xi was beyond his reach and could not directly intervene in matters west of Tongguan. He could only pray that the young emperor Liu Xieji would be able to escape from Tongguan safely...
Not only Yuan Xi is concerned about Liu Xie's fate. The major princes have their eyes and ears in Chang'an, transmitting information to the outside world at any time.
But the fact that the emperor left Chang'an and broke with the Xiliang army had already spread throughout the world. All the princes in the world had mixed reactions.
The one who cared more about the fate of the emperor than Yuan Xi was naturally Yuan Shu. He paid attention to the situation in Chang'an and the emperor's movements all the time. Even secretly casting spells and witchcraft, hoping that the little emperor would die unexpectedly, it was unknown.
Yuan Shao had just defeated Gongsun Zan and was busy enjoying the results of his victory. He had no time to care about Chang'an and could only send a partial army to Yuan Xi's headquarters, King Qin, to show off. Cao Cao, taking advantage of the chaos in the Central Plains, took control of Yanzhou, Yuzhou, western Xuzhou and southeastern Sili, and basically controlled the heart of the Central Plains.
Liu Biao of Jingzhou did not care about the affairs of Chang'an. What he cares about is how to build Jingzhou into the most prosperous state in the world. Not only must the army be strong and the horses strong, and the warehouses abundant, Liu Biao must also turn Jingzhou into a cultural holy land and a paradise for talented men and beautiful women.
There is another prince who is very concerned about what is going on in Chang'an, and that is Yizhou Mu Liu Yan. Liu Yan used the high mountains as a screen, guarded the Shu road with heavy troops, and lived peacefully and peacefully as a real and nameless local emperor in Yizhou.
However, his son Liu Zhang was an official in the court. Liu Yan could not care about the life and death of the young emperor Liu Xie, but he could not care about his precious son. Chang'an has not yet undergone any changes, but Liu Yan is already alert. He immediately sent people to Chang'an to take Liu Zhang back to Yizhou on the pretext that he was seriously ill, and to perform filial piety at his bedside.
The princes of the world are all busy with their own affairs. Who can understand the suffering of the little emperor Liu Xie who is wandering in Tongguan? I have some sympathy for this little emperor. In peaceful times, he will be a good emperor. It is a pity that these are troubled times. His fate was destined to be the same as that of Emperor Zhaozong in the late Tang Dynasty, and he was just the deer that was chased by all the heroes in the world.
