The young general came outside the Huben Imperial Army. He knelt down and took off his helmet, revealing a handsome face that was soft and elegant yet heroic.
"My lord, General Zhendong and Marquis of Linzi Yuan Xi are here to escort you!"
"Yuan, Xianyi... come up quickly!" Liu Xie said excitedly.
"General Yuan, Your Majesty has summoned you. Please come forward." A Huben guard stepped forward and said to Yuan Xi.
Yuan Xi raised his head, and the face that appeared in front of him was very familiar, and he was surprised and said, "Wang...Master?!"
The emperor’s personal guard turned out to be Wang Yue!
Wang Yue smiled slightly and said, "General, go and see the saint first. If you have anything to say, we will talk to you later."
Yuan Xi calmed down and was about to step forward. Yang Biao also shouted loudly: "General Xiahou, you also come up to face the saint!"
Xiahou Dun agreed, put down his spear and followed suit.
"Your Majesty, Yuan Xi, bows to your Majesty." "Xia Houdun, I bow to Your Majesty!" Because they were wearing armor, the two of them knelt down and saluted.
"You two dears, get up quickly!" Liu Xie was very happy, and he personally stepped forward to help them up. Especially seeing Yuan Xi, his childhood companion, Liu Xie was filled with joy and another sigh.
Liu Xie then asked the two to meet Queen Fu, Princess Wannian, and a group of accompanying ministers.
Princess Wannian was trying to remain calm at this time, with her pair of catkins clasped tightly in her sleeves, and her words and actions showed the grace and beauty of a royal princess of the Han Dynasty.
Liu Xie was extremely happy and asked: "Have you killed all the bandits outside? How many troops did the two generals bring to protect them?"
"The traitors have been driven back by us, but our army was eager to save them and could not completely annihilate them." Yuan Xi replied, "Due to the long distance and inconvenient supply, our army only brought eight thousand elite cavalry here. Help. But don’t worry, Your Majesty. These eight thousand elite cavalry are a great army that can fight in a hundred battles, and they can all be equal to ten!"
Yuan Xi falsely reported the number of people in order to shock and establish his authority.
"I have more than five thousand cavalry under my command, and they are among the most elite cavalry in the world. General Zhengdong is rushing over with another five thousand soldiers and horses." .
"Okay! With the two elite soldiers who love you, let alone getting rid of the traitors, it is easy to kill them!" Liu Xie said with great ambition.
"Your Majesty, although the rebels have retreated and their strength is still intact, they number at least 70,000 to 80,000. Our army does not carry much food. In my opinion, it is better to go to Hongnong first, join Zhang Ji, and then return east to Luoyang to gather everyone. General, discuss exterminating the thieves." Yang Biao suggested.
"Yes. What Yang Qing said is that we should return east to Luoyang first and then attack the rebels." Liu Xie calmed down after a period of excitement.
Yuan Xi was secretly worried. Now several people are staring at Emperor Xian. Unlike in history, when Liu Xie was in decline, Cao Cao took him to Xu County with a team of troops. In a hurry, he came up with a way to seize the opportunity. Although he knew that he might not succeed, Yuan Xi still wanted to give it a try and could not sit still and wait for death.
"Your Majesty, I see that you only have a few hundred tigers and imperial guards around you, so they really cannot shoulder the important task of guarding the Holy Emperor. All of my troops are loyal and brave men, so you might as well select some to serve as guards. This way, I and others can feel at ease. Kill the enemy." Yuan Xi suggested.
"This is great!" Liu Xie became interested, "I have heard many times in Guanzhong that your Qingzhou Army is brave and good at fighting. They are among the elite soldiers of the Han Dynasty."
"Your Majesty, the loyalty of the Marquis of Linzi in escorting the emperor is commendable, but this move is not in line with the court etiquette." Yang Biao immediately objected, "Your Majesty's Royal Guards must first select strong men from good families. If they are soldiers from outside the border, The innocence of his net worth must also be verified over a long period of time.”
"Yes, Your Majesty, as long as the Marquis of Linzi and other generals protect the Holy Emperor, we should discuss the expansion of the Royal Forest Army after arriving in Luoyang." Zhao Wen also agreed.
Many of those ministers were old acquaintances or disciples of the Yuan family, and they also wanted to say a few words for Yuan Xi. But when the two giants Taiwei and Situ spoke, they could only retreat angrily.
"Marquis of Linzi. The etiquette is indispensable. And you will protect him with all your strength. You will not let the traitors rush into His Majesty, right?" Yang Biao asked with a half-smile. This is a heart-breaking statement. He is a veteran in political struggles.
"Yes. Your Excellency is right." Yuan Xi was shocked and annoyed that he was impatient. At the same time, he also put aside his contempt for these veterans. It was indeed not easy for those who left their names in the history books.
Yang Biao, Zhao Wen and others have all experienced the chaos of the past few years. From the lessons of Dong Zhuo, Guo Si and others, can they rest assured that a warlord with a heavy army will approach the emperor again? And Yang Biao's veterans who have been in the court for a long time are the most proficient in this art of balancing.
Sure enough, Liu Xie couldn't resist Yang Biao and Zhao Wen. And Yang Biao continued: "The Marquis of Linzi and General Xiahou have done a great job in rescuing us. When we return east to Luoyang, all the soldiers will be greatly rewarded. You two must protect us with all your heart!"
"My Lord, accept your order!" "My Lord, thank you!" Yuan Xi and Xiahou Dun said.
Yang Biao smiled and asked the two of them to go down and set up defenses. At the same time, he sent people to meet Fan Chou and Yang Feng's troops. Let them rest for a while and then rush to Hongnong.
Yuan Xi suddenly thought of the spear-wielding general not far away, so he said: "Your Majesty, I have one more thing to report. The general who wielded the spear just now was very brave. If he hadn't resisted the thieves, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to stand. Your Majesty, please reward me for your great contribution."
Zhang Xiu, who was standing by, immediately bowed and saluted, saying, "It is my duty to protect His Majesty, so why should I ask for a reward?"
"Those who have meritorious deeds will be rewarded. Yang Aiqing, you should also note this down, and you will be rewarded heavily when you return to Luoyang." Liu Xie said.
Zhang Xiu couldn't refuse, so he could only express his gratitude, and at the same time thanked Yuan Xi. Yuan Xi also gained Zhang Xiu's favor by saying this.
Yuan Xi and Xiahou Dun both asked their men to guard and set up defenses outside the city, but Yuan Xi took the opportunity to get close to Zhang Xiutao on the pretext of asking Fan Chou and Yang Fengjun about the battle situation.
Yuan Xi has already obtained three of the so-called "Five Good Generals" of Cao Wei, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, and Zhang He. If he can find another Zhang Xiu who is the "King of Spears in the North", then his trip will be worthwhile.
Zhang Xiu had a good impression of Yuan Xi, who was also a soldier and had a great reputation and outstanding military achievements. However, he was cautious in his words and deeds, and kept his words to a bare minimum. Before leaving, his uncle Zhang Ji had told him to listen more and talk less. Yuan Xi knew not to rush, she just wanted to establish a good impression in his mind and do the rest slowly.
Next to the emperor's carriage, Yang Biao asked the Huben guards to guard the surrounding area, and then said to Liu Xie: "Your Majesty, we are all very happy that the reinforcements have arrived, but you should not show your joy or anger. For example, you and the Marquis of Linzi are close acquaintances. , but treating everyone equally is what the Holy Son of Heaven must do."
"I know!" Liu Xie said dullly.
"Also, Your Majesty should not agree to the matter of Linzi Marquis selecting Huben Yulin's bodyguard." Yang Biao said seriously.
"Yang Aiqing, you have already said that it is against etiquette. But these are extraordinary times. Wouldn't it be good to have one more elite guard guarding me?" Liu Xie asked happily.
"If you can protect your majesty, let alone Qingzhou elite soldiers, it doesn't matter if you are rogue bandits?" Yang Biao shook his head and said, "Has your majesty forgotten that Dong Zhuo, Guo Si and others were also under the name of escorts? Are you committing acts of stealing the country?"
Yang Biao's words were like a sledgehammer, striking Liu Xie's still immature mind. After a while, Liu Xie retorted: "The fourth generation and the three princes of the Yuan family are all loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty. Xian Yi is not an ambitious traitor like Dong Zhuo and Guo Si."
"Alas! Your Majesty, have you forgotten the lessons learned from the past?" Yang Biao sighed, "Power can change people's hearts. How many people have killed each other in order to seize power throughout the ages, let alone a general with a heavy army! Even if he Yuan Xianyi didn't This is what Yuan Benchu and his generals have in mind."
Liu Xie's spine was chilled by what he said, but he still shook his head and said: "Does this mean that all generals cannot be trusted? Then why do we call them to escort us?"
"No, no!" Yang Biao explained: "The most important thing for a king is to balance. As long as they are properly controlled and can restrain each other, then the power will be returned to your majesty. This is the time when the Han Dynasty and the country are in danger. Your Majesty must not fail to adapt to your own preferences, and put the country first!"
Liu Xie expressed his acceptance and waved his hand for Yang Biao to retreat. "Is there really no such thing as a caring person that you can trust? It's so tiring to be an emperor. It's great that I'm not the emperor." Liu Xie looked up to the sky and muttered to himself.
Lü Bu had no foothold in Bingzhou, so he joined forces with Zhang Yang and led his troops to bypass Hedong and cross to Puban in the south. Prepare to meet up with Gao Shun and others. On the shore of the Wei River, I met the emperor's abandoned carriage and asked about it. The emperor and his ministers abandoned their boats and landed ashore, taking the land route instead.
Lu Bu had no political strategy. Wang Yun was killed and no one was there to guide him. Lu Bu could only act according to his own ideas. His idea was simple, the emperor represented the court. Controlled the emperor. He controlled the world. Of course he is King Qin in name only.
Dong Zhuo once held the emperor hostage and made the princes fearful, so they just imitated him! It's not just Lu Bu, Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and others who don't think so. Dong Zhuo opened Pandora's box, and all the heroes followed suit. It's just that the methods are different and the results are different. There is no difference in essence, right? It's just a different way of embellishment.
Lu Bu led his troops across the Wei River to capture the emperor. Although Li Le was afraid of Lu Bu's name, seeing that Lu Bu's men did not have many troops, Li Le immediately organized his troops to fight!
Lu Bu rebelled against Dong and became an enemy of Xiliang. Li Le didn't talk nonsense with Lu Bu. With a wave of his flag, the two armies fought in chaos. The two sides were fighting in a melee, and when they were indistinguishable, suddenly, another team of Xiliang Army rushed from the flank.
The leading general is Gao Shun! Lu Bu was brave, but Li Le managed to hold on with more attacks and fewer attacks. Gao Shun led his troops into the battle, but Li Le could not hold on and led the remaining troops to retreat. Being away from the political whirlpool is a relief for him. Lu Bu killed Li Le and, as a hero of the escort, went with Zhang Yang to meet the emperor Liu Xie.
One day later, news came from Fan Chou and Yang Feng that they had defeated Guo Si's army. Liu Xie also marched towards Hongnong under the escort of soldiers from Xiahou Dun and Yuan Xi. A large group of people followed the river to Hongnong.
Along the way, Cao Cao's army and Yuan Xi's army were on high alert for each other. Although the senior generals of both sides appeared to have a harmonious relationship, they were also wary of each other.
Hongnong.
Early the next morning. A large group of soldiers and horses are coming west from the Yellow River! Li Jue was shocked. Li Jue did not dare to be careless and hurriedly organized his troops to prepare to meet the enemy.
On the road, Liu Xie, who had been sleepless all night, also saw the procession coming from far and near, and couldn't help but sigh: "People are killed by swords, and I am killed by fish." This allusion comes from Liu Bang's banquet at Hongmen. Liu Xie was moved by the scene. Although his words fit the scene, he was full of helplessness.
When Yang Xiu heard this, he couldn't help but pity the little emperor. Yes, the fallen emperor. Like delicacies in the wilderness, it attracts wild beasts and birds of prey to join in this gluttonous feast.
The team coming from the east held down their positions under the mound. On the flags flying in the formation, there is a big word "Zhang". The one who led the troops was Zhang Ji, one of Dong Zhuo's four close lieutenants. Zhang Ji was born in Wuwei, Liangzhou. The Wuwei area is commonly known as Beidi. Zhang Ji's troops are mainly composed of northern soldiers, and their combat effectiveness is very strong.
Zhang Ji was ordered to station in Hongnong. Hongnong is the main road from Chang'an to Guandong, with frequent personnel exchanges. The emperor left, and Zhang Ji soon got the news. As Dong Zhuo's confidant, Dong Zhuo died. Zhang Ji wants to find a way out for the future.
Unlike Li Jue, Zhang Ji did not have counselors like Jia Xu around him, so he could only make judgments based on his own poor political acumen. He couldn't think of any clever ideas. He only thought that it would be in his best interest to seize the emperor and the ministers and control the court. After receiving news that the emperor had abandoned ship and landed in Xiagui County, Zhang Ji immediately led his troops across the Wei River, preparing to hijack the imperial court and the emperor.
But what he didn't expect was that the emperor was surrounded by Cao Cao's army, the Yuan family, Yuan Xi's troops, Yang Feng, Fan Si and others, so the heart he aroused was suppressed again.
In fact, Cao Cao was right. If there were no lonely people in this world, I don’t know how many people would be emperors and kings.
Zhang Ji's hand held the hilt of the sword. The veins are stretched, the determination has been made! In the early morning, Zhang Ji's army was surrounded by drums and trumpets. Zhang Ji's soldiers shouted "King Qin will protect you" and rushed towards Li Jue's camp.
There is a fierce general beside Zhang Ji. This general is extremely powerful, with broad shoulders and back, thick eyebrows and big eyes, a wide nose and a wide mouth, and a slight beard under the chin. Under his crotch is a great horse from Dawan, and in his palm is a golden spear with a tiger head.
It was Zhang Xiu, Zhang Ji's nephew, who came to join us! Zhang Xiu, known for his bravery and outstanding marksmanship, is known as the spear king of the North. Seeing Li Jue's arrogance, Zhang Xiu took the lead and rushed towards Li Que's army.
Seeing Zhang Ji's army attacking, Li Jue urgently ordered his troops to guard the barracks strictly and use strong bows and crossbows to block Zhang Ji's offensive. Zhang Ji's troops were numerous and their offensive was fierce.
Li Jue's army was well-equipped and well-defended. Under the mound, the elite cavalry of the two armies were fighting in a melee, with people shouting and horses neighing, swords flashing, and blood rising to the sky. The battle was brutal.
On the hill, Yang Xiu and others watched with horror. Yuan Xi was a general leading troops, so he couldn't help but feel nervous. Yang Xiu looked at his former younger brother, now the Marquis of Linzi, and asked, "Did Xianyi take advantage of Li Zhang's chaos to protect His Majesty?"
"No!" Yuan Xi categorically objected, "The two armies are fighting in chaos and are already jealous. It would be too dangerous to bring His Majesty down the mountain at this time."
Zhong Yao also said: "For the current plan, we can only assist Zhang Ji to repel Li Jue, and then protect His Majesty when he returns eastward."
If the emperor ran away on the battlefield, it would be a heavy blow to the morale of the army. When the Northern Zhou Dynasty attacked the Northern Qi Dynasty, it was because the Emperor Gao Wei of the Northern Qi Dynasty fled before the battle, resulting in a disastrous defeat for the army. This is why Kou Zhunli advised Song Zhenzong not to escape, but to go to the city wall to appease the soldiers. If the emperor's flag ran away, then. . .
On the battlefield. Zhang Jijun has gradually gained the upper hand. Zhang Ji's nephew Zhang Xiu, armed with a golden spear with a tiger's head, charged back and forth, and no one in Li Jue's army could stop him. Li Jue's soldiers were killed until they fell off their backs.
Everyone on the mound was praying for Zhang Jijun's quick victory. Suddenly, someone shouted loudly: "Ah, look, Li Jue's reinforcements are coming!"
To the north, billowing dust and smoke. A large army is coming to kill. This place is close to Li Jue's territory and can only be his reinforcements. "No, it seems to be Lu Bu's soldiers and horses!" I saw a big flag with the word "LV" fluttering in the wind, "Ah, it is indeed Lu Bu who is coming to kill!"
The army coming from the north is getting closer and closer. At the head is a flaming red rabbit horse. It is about to take the lead. It has a purple gold crown on its hair, a flowing robe of flowers, a chain armor with a tiger head swallowing its shoulders, and a palm-width armored lion belt around its waist. It is waving in its hands. Fang Tian painted a halberd, and it turned out to be Lu Bu, Lu Fengxian, the most powerful general in the world!
Lu Bu first defeated Li Le, and then met Gao Shun's troops who went south to support him. The two armies joined together and fought back. Hu Cai, who was chasing Lu Bu all the way, could not resist and was defeated to the west.
Lu Bu had no intention of pursuing the remnants of the enemy, and ordered his troops to go directly south to capture the emperor. He was not the Qin King like Zhang Ji now.
Under the mound, the fighting between the two armies has reached fever pitch. Lu Bu couldn't figure out why Li Jue and Zhang Ji were fighting, and he was not in the mood to care why they were fighting. Fang Tian waved his halberd and ordered his troops to cover up Li Jue's army! Li Jue's army was barely able to resist Zhang Ji's troops, but was attacked again by Lu Bu's army. They were defeated and withdrew westward!
Yuan Xi watched all this with cold eyes. On the one hand, he was afraid of being stabbed by Cao Cao's army, and on the other hand, he wanted to preserve his strength. Not to mention the uncertain factor of Lu Bu, Yuan Xi's troops did not dare to act rashly. There were too many variables for King Qin this time.
But they each kept their thoughts secretly. Zhang Ji had long been in contact with Emperor Xian and Yang Biao, and he led troops to meet Liu Xie. And donated some grain to supply the army. This situation turned into a situation where Yuan Xi, Cao Cao, Yang Feng, Fan Chou, Xu Rong, Zhang Ji, and Lu Bu jointly escorted him.
The total number of people and horses in the seven directions is more than 35,000 cavalry, including 6,000 cavalry from Yuan Xi's army, 5,000 cavalry from Cao Cao's army, more than 3,000 from Yang Feng's army, 5,000 from Fan Chou, 5,000 from Xu Rong and Zhang Ji, and 5,000 from Lu Bu's army. . Although the seven parties also cooperated with each other to fight, they did not belong to each other, lacked unified mobilization, and could not exert their full combat power.
Guo Si and Li Que joined forces again. They lost some men and horses, but they still had nearly 70,000 people. Because the new defeat did not launch a new attack, they just followed closely. But there is a possibility of launching an attack at any time.
Yuan Xi was extremely upset. They couldn't help but deal with Li Que and Guo Bang, and also considered how to take Liu Xie hostage to Yecheng. He rides on Jueying. Looking back at Xiandi's many chariots. He couldn't help but frown.
"Sir, can you tell His Majesty about dressing lightly and marching quickly?" Guo Jia said from the side.
Yuan Xi narrowed his eyes. He said, "Master Yang vetoed it, saying that His Majesty's imperial documents, talismans, ancient books and archives are all valuables that cannot be lost, and must be followed closely by His Majesty's carriage."
"How can you talk about ancient books and treasures that can be used as food at this time?" Tai Shici said angrily. He didn't have much favorable impressions of this group of civil servants.
"Shut up!" Yuan Xi stopped categorically and said, "Master Yang is the imperial commander of the court, how can we and other subordinates make such nonsense? If anyone else hears this, it will be a serious crime of disrespect for me and others. From now on, you will Everyone should be careful with what they say and do, this is not Hebei!"
Taishi Ci agreed solemnly, and the other generals also nodded in agreement. Guo Jia asked: "Did something happen?"
"No, it's just that this time, Shengjia can't help but let us be as casual as before." Yuan Xi explained. But he secretly gave Guo Jia a wink.
On the south bank of the Yellow River is Huayin County, Hongnong County.
Huayin is famous for three things in the world: Huashan, Tongguan and Hongnong Yang family. Mount Huashan in Xiyue is famous for its dangers. Tongguan is adjacent to the Yellow River in the north and high mountains in the south. At this time, the construction has not been completed, but its dangerous location has the potential of one man blocking the way and ten thousand others unable to open it. It is the only gateway between Guanzhong and Guandong. The Yang family of Hongnong can be called together with Huashan and Tongguan, which shows that the family fortune is prosperous.
It was mid-autumn, and the emperor's concubines were shivering in the autumn wind. It was really pitiful, but fortunately everyone was safe. After passing Huayin and temporarily avoiding Li Jue's pursuit, we must quickly try to pass Hongnong.
Everyone discussed and decided that the emperor and minister Yang Biao and others would go first, followed by Yang Feng, Dong Cheng, Fan Si and others to protect them, followed by Lu Bu, Zhang Ji, Xiahou Dun, and Yuan Xi's troops were cut off.
