Yingchuan, Xu County.
At this time, Dixu County was no more than a small county town in Yingchuan County, and the imperial court could only control two or three nearby counties. Because it is located in Yanzhou, it can be said to be surrounded by Cao Cao's forces.
What's even more embarrassing is that there are many officials but few people here, and the court's expenses have to be provided by Cao Cao. After all, eating people is short of hand and short of mouth.
There are only about 10,000 people in Xu County, and its city walls are not tall and are mostly built with bricks and earth. The reason why Cao Cao suggested that Liu Xie move here is because Yingchuan was looted by the Xiliang army, and only Xu County was slightly intact.
Groups of Yanzhou Army soldiers. They drove the carriages and horses to escort the grain to the Xu County Treasury. There was a general at the front of the convoy, riding on a yellow-hoofed war horse. Wearing a large piece of ordinary armor, with a ring-headed steel knife on his waist.
Although the middle-aged general was not very tall, his body was strong and straight. Although his appearance is not outstanding, his slender eyes are bright and lively, giving him a unique charisma.
"General Zhendong, your Majesty invites you." A middle-aged official in court uniform came to him and said.
"Your Majesty, I have informed you. Please go ahead and change into your court uniform before going to see Your Majesty." Cao Cao, the general of Zhendong in the area conferred by Liu Xie, quickly got off his horse. The middle-aged civil servant nodded in agreement and said, "I'll wait for the general in front of the palace."
Cao Cao asked someone to send the official away, and then asked his subordinates behind him: "Are you ready?"
Cheng Yu, dressed as a scholar, nodded. "Don't worry, my lord. The news will reach His Majesty in half an hour."
"Our whereabouts haven't been exposed, right? They have a lot of eyes and ears." Xia Houyuan, dressed as a soldier, said worriedly.
Cheng Yu smiled lightly and said, "Don't worry, General Miaocai. It took three months from planning to dispatching troops. Everything is extremely safe. Gongda has even prepared countermeasures for all kinds of accidents. Just act according to the plan."
Cao Cao nodded and said: "When I give the order, you must kill them as soon as possible!"
"Here!"
Xia Houyuan looked at the people behind him and said, "Mengde, it's better for me to bring my own soldiers to escort you to His Majesty's palace."
Cao Cao shook his head and said with a smile, "Miao Cai, your burden is not light. It is very appropriate according to the original plan."
At this time, a particularly handsome middle-aged general emerged from the entourage. He was wearing special fish-scale armor, with bushy eyebrows flaring, a pair of cold and bloodthirsty eyes, and an unruly and arrogant expression.
The Fangtian painted halberd in the hands of the handsome man further illustrates his identity - Flying General Lu Bu!
"Don't worry, Duke Cao and all your lords! As long as the general is here, we won't let a single traitor enter the palace!" Lu Bu's voice was hoarse and calm.
Cao Cao laughed and said, "Fengxian alone can withstand tens of thousands of troops, what should I fear?"
Lu Bu simply ignored the complicated looks from the other followers. He held a horse in one hand and a halberd in the other, and followed Cao Cao closely with more than a hundred soldiers.
After a while, Cao Cao and Lu Bu came to Liu Xie's palace. It was said to be the emperor's palace, but in fact it was a slightly larger house. The imperial court could not even pay the soldiers and officials, so there was no money left to build a palace for Liu Xie.
The more than a hundred soldiers in front of the palace were ordered by the Huben guards to stop and wait for orders. Cao Cao took Lu Bu to follow, and the middle-aged civil servant from before entered.
At this time, the court meeting has ended, and Liu Xie is having fun with Queen Fu and Dong Guiren. When Liu Xie heard that Cao Cao had come to see him, he was surprised and sent an order to summon Cao Cao.
However, in more than a year, the temperament of Liu Xie, who took charge of the imperial court, also changed. He was no longer the young man who was at the mercy of others. The majesty in his brows was inadvertently revealed.
This Liu Xie does have the potential to become a wise emperor, but he was born in the wrong era, just like Tang Zhaozong, which is a pity.
Cao Cao was slightly surprised. He knelt down and said, "My lord, Cao Cao, the general of Zhendong, pays homage to your majesty!"
Liu Xie raised his hand slightly: "I love you, this is not a court. You and I, our monarch and our ministers, do not need to be polite."
Cao Cao raised his head and said gratefully: "I am scared, but etiquette cannot be abolished, and I still have to abide by my duty."
Liu Xie nodded and said happily: "If the generals everywhere are as loyal to the king and the country as Ai Qing, then I don't have to worry."
Cao Cao bowed deeply and said, "I have only done my duty. I dare not ask for credit, let alone set an example for other ministers."
Liu Xie smiled and asked, "Aiqing didn't inform you in advance when she came to Xu County this time. Is there something urgent?"
Cao Caoyi stopped talking and said: "Yanzhou collected the last batch of money and grain, and I immediately sent people to pay tribute to the court. It happened that I hadn't seen your majesty for a long time, so I led my troops to escort the money and grain to Xu County."
"If Aiqing has anything else to do, you might as well tell me!" Liu Xie frowned, he understood in his heart.
Cao Cao looked troubled and said: "Last year there was a natural disaster and military disaster, and there was no peace north of the river. General Zhang Yang was also murdered. Not long ago, I heard that some of the generals in Xu County colluded with foreign vassals and intended to rebel. I ask for your Majesty's sanction. "
Liu Xie was frightened for a while, but then he smiled and said: "Aiqing, I'm afraid it's just hearsay. I haven't heard of anything unusual in Xu County. How could Aiqing know about it in advance when she's far away in Chenliu?"
"I hope this is unfounded, but your Majesty's caution is important. I have to be careful. Please forgive me."
"Aiqing is really loyal to the emperor and fulfills his duties. I will ask the prince to pay attention and find out the whole story as soon as possible. But I don't know who the treasonous person Aiqing heard about is?" Liu Xie asked with narrowed eyes.
Cao Cao hesitated for a moment and said: "Actually, I received an anonymous tip. It only said that someone was planning to do harm to Your Majesty."
Liu Xie called the eunuch who was with him and asked him to summon the Taiwei Yang Biao. Then ask the maid to give Cao Cao a seat.
After a long time, Yang Biao finally arrived at the palace. He was also very surprised by Cao Cao's sudden appearance. So he asked in confusion, "Mengde, why did you come to Xu County?"
Cao Cao bowed and repeated what he said to Liu Xie. Yang Biao suddenly stood up and said: "How is this possible? Is there anyone using Meng De's help to sow discord among the ministers?"
While he was talking, the eunuch accompanying him came to Liu Xie and whispered something.
Liu Xie's eyes were filled with worry for a moment and he said: "It is said that Huangfu Jianshou is here."
After a while, Huangfu Li, who was wearing armor, stepped forward and clasped his fists and said: "Your Majesty, Fan Chou led his troops to attack the camp of General Dong Chengdong!"
"What! Where is Dong Cheng now?" Liu Xie asked in shock.
"It is said that General Dong went out hunting this morning and has not been seen yet." Huangfu Li replied. After the last battle of Luoyang, he was promoted to General Huben Zhonglang for his military exploits, commanding the Huben Royal Forest Army to protect Liu Xie's safety.
After all, Liu Xie could trust the loyalty of the Huangfu family.
"How is the situation at Dong Chengjun's camp?" Yang Biao asked hurriedly. After all, Dong Cheng's army was the emperor's last bargaining chip.
Huangfu Li also had a worried look on his face and replied: "The exact situation is unknown, but according to the soldiers who escaped, Fan Chou colluded with some old troops of the Xiliang Army to attack and kill General Dong Cheng's generals. Now there is chaos there. If we don't respond quickly, I'm afraid Fan Chou will succeed."
Yang Biao stamped his feet and sighed: "It's too late to summon the Imperial Guards to quell the chaos. You asked the Imperial Guards to guard His Majesty's palace, and now you'll have Xu Rong escort you!"
"General Xu Rong is far away from Xinji. It takes him a long time to arrive. I'm afraid the water from far away can't quench his thirst nearby." Huangfu Li said.
"You can't take care of this much anymore. You have people bring all the ministers near the palace, and ask the imperial guards to guard the palace until Xu Rong leads his troops to return for reinforcements." Yang Biao hurriedly ordered.
Huangfu Li took the order and left. Before leaving, he looked at Cao Cao doubtfully. He had some doubts that he couldn't answer, but this was obviously not the time to question Cao Cao, after all.
After Huangfu Li left, Cao Cao looked at Liu Xie who had a little fear in his eyes. He secretly thought that although the emperor had grown a lot, he was still a little immature.
At the end of the Tang Dynasty, Zhu Wen probably also tried to seduce and plot against Tang Zhaozong.
"Your Majesty, I made preparations after receiving the secret report. My troops escorted money and food to Xu County. Although there are only more than 2,000 people, they are capable of recruiting warriors. I will let them go to quell the rebellion. I will share your worries with your Majesty." Cao Cao made an impassioned speech.
Liu Xie suddenly remembered that General Cao Cao was still there. He was surprised and said: "Ai Qing is really an old country! Let them quell the rebellion quickly! There will be a heavy reward when the deed is accomplished."
Cao Cao bowed respectfully and then retreated to give orders.
Fan Chou proudly led his troops into Xu County. During the sneak attack, he controlled Dong Cheng's troops. Although he could not expect them to be used by him immediately, he had the opportunity to control the emperor like Li Que and others. Become the leader of the new generation of Xiliang warlords.
Fan Chou's men were mostly soldiers from Xiliang. The soldiers rushed into Xu County with shouts and caught the unsuspecting city guards by surprise. Soon more than 2,000 troops arrived near the emperor's palace. However, they were intercepted by the Tiger Guards in the streets near the palace.
"Kill! Kill the rebels!" "Dong Cheng has rebelled!" "Protect Your Majesty!" Fan Chou's soldiers shouted one after another. It was really a thief shouting to catch a thief.
The Royal Forest Army received the order and ignored the shouts of Fan Chou's troops. The two sides started fighting in the streets. However, Fan Chou's army was a soldier of the Xiliang army. They were much stronger than those noble soldiers and the Huben guards. They defeated the Huben imperial guards in a few attacks.
A military camp was stationed outside Xu County.
Xia Houyuan put on his armor. He brought a thousand soldiers to the outside of Dong Cheng's camp. Looking at the Xiliang soldiers in the camp who were on guard with swords, Xia Houyuan sneered. He waved his hand and asked the soldiers to cover up and kill him.
"Kill!" "Kill the rebels!" "Fan Chou has been beheaded!" "Those who surrender will be spared death!" Yanzhou soldiers also shouted loudly.
Fan Chou's soldiers, who stayed behind at Dong Chengjun's camp to watch over the surrendering troops, were panicked by the sudden attack. They were confused because they were the first to cause trouble. So out of fear in my heart, I already believed three points.
The soldiers of the Yanzhou army quickly attacked the camp, and soldiers from both sides fought together.
There were more than a thousand soldiers of Fan Chou's army left to guard Dong Cheng's army camp. However, while they were guarding more than 3,000 soldiers of Dong Cheng's army, they also had to fight against the Yanzhou army. Suddenly, they were given an absolute advantage by the local government. Coupled with the counterattack of some Dong Chengjun soldiers, Fan Chou's army was defeated in an instant.
Dong Cheng was covered in blood. He was supported by more than a dozen soldiers and returned to the outside of Xu County.
"General, the soldiers and horses in front seem to be the Yanzhou Army." A soldier said.
Dong Cheng was frightened now. He said in fear: "Could it be that they colluded with the Xiliang soldiers?"
"General, look!" Another soldier pointed at the camp. "Aren't the Yanzhou troops fighting with the Xiliang troops?"
Dong Cheng squinted his eyes and looked into the distance. Sure enough, it was the Yanzhou Army and the Xiliang Army, still fighting in a small area.
"Go up and ask them whose soldiers they are." Dong Cheng ordered.
The dozen or so soldiers helped Dong Cheng forward, and soon they met the Yanzhou soldiers and reported their identities.
A Yanzhou army general clasped his fists and said: "General Dong, Fan Chou is planning to attack your camp. We are ordered to come and quell the rebellion."
Dong Cheng nodded weakly and said, "Please ask your general in charge to come and see me."
The Yamen general ran away immediately. After a while, Xia Houyuan came to Dong Cheng. He looked at Dong Cheng for a while. Asked: "General Dong, do you recognize me?"
Dong Cheng squinted at Xia Houyuan for a while and said, "You must be General Xiahou under Cao Mengde. We met when Luoyang moved the capital to Xuchang."
Xia Houyuan glanced at him with a complicated expression and said, "Yes, General Dong has a good memory, and he actually remembers the last general."
Dong Cheng asked anxiously: "General Xiahou, how is the situation in the camp? Are there any injuries to our troops?"
"Don't worry, General Dong. The camp is under control. Fan Chou has rushed into the city and is probably taking Your Majesty hostage." Xia Houyuan said with a smile.
"Ah! What can we do?" Dong Cheng struggled to push away the soldiers, "Why don't you hurry up and save me!"
"Another unit of our army has already gone to rescue you." Xia Houyuan said, "General Dong, please rest assured. With our Yanzhou Army here, no one can touch His Majesty."
Dong Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, Xia Houyuan turned around and told his more than a hundred skilled soldiers: "Don't leave anyone alive."
"Kill!" "Kill!" Nearly a thousand other Yanzhou soldiers, led by generals Le Jin, Yu Jin and Cheng Yu, attacked Fan Chou's army from behind.
In an instant, the pressure on Fan Chou's army increased. They were unable to attack the Huben Imperial Forest Army forward, and they could not concentrate their forces to resist the Yanzhou Army backward.
"Damn it!" Fan Chou couldn't help cursing and said, "Where did these Yanzhou soldiers come from!"
"Ah! I'm afraid it's a routine delivery of food and fodder." said one of Fan Chou's lieutenants.
"General, concentrate on defeating the imperial army, rush into the palace and then resist the Yanzhou soldiers." Another lieutenant general suggested.
Fan Chou agreed and immediately ordered the elite soldiers prepared to attack the Huben Imperial Forest Army. The Tiger Guards, who did not have much actual combat experience, were their opponents, and they were all squeezed into a place in front of the palace.
Fan Chou laughed and shouted: "Whoever attacks the marching palace first to rescue the driver will be rewarded with a hundred gold coins!"
"Kill!" "Woohoo!" With the heavy reward, the soldiers fought feverishly. It was about to break through the defense circle of the Royal Forest Army.
Suddenly, a fiery red shadow leaped out from the Tiger Guards. Immediately, the middle-aged general's cold and bloodthirsty eyes stared at Fan Chou behind the soldiers.
The red rabbit horse and square halberd are widely praised among the Xiliang soldiers and are symbols of their former war gods. Only a year after the Battle of Luoyang, they were on opposite sides again. \\\\\
Looking at the fiery red figure, Fan Chou broke into a cold sweat. He didn't expect that the Yanzhou army suddenly came out, and among them was the fierce god Lu Bu. Faintly. Fan Chou felt like he was being plotted.
The fiery red dodder started to run, and the two accelerated as if they were taking off. The soldiers of Fan Chou's army who were blocking the front were knocked away if they moved even slightly slower. And the cold and ruthless halberd is reaping the cheap lives of the soldiers.
Fan Chou could feel the cold murderous intent thirty steps away. His hair stood on end and his body trembled unconsciously. Fan Chou had the idea of riding his horse and escaping.
But he can't! Once the coach escapes. The whole army will collapse, and the ambition he has worked so hard to plan for so long will be in vain. Without military power, he still could not escape the fate of being hunted.
Fan Chou picked up the steel knife and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Kill him, and whoever takes his head will be rewarded with a thousand gold coins!"
As soon as Fan Chou finished speaking, a fiery red shadow rushed in front of him. There was a cold and sarcastic look in his unruly and bloodthirsty eyes, as if he were looking at prey.
"Fan Cong, take your life!" Lu Bu shouted, and swung his halberd towards Fan Cong's neck quickly and violently.
Fan Chou's whole body was locked by Lu Bu's cold energy, and he couldn't exert any strength. But it's a matter of life and death. Fan Chou just raised the steel knife.
"Ding!" "Chi!" Blood splashed and a head flew down. Another veteran of the Xiliang army died of hatred.
"Okay!" "Mighty!" The soldiers of the Tiger Forest Army and the Yanzhou Army shouted one after another. Looking at the unruly and cold-hearted God of Killing. All the soldiers in Fan Chou's army were frightened.
"Spare your life!" Fan Chou's lieutenant general shouted, "We are willing to surrender!"
Lieutenant General Fan Chou scolded angrily: "How can you kill the general's murderer!"
The lieutenant general quickly drew out his spear and pierced the sharp tip of the spear into the lieutenant general's heart.
"you this……"
The lieutenant couldn't help but sneer and said: "Idiot, today's situation is just the result of someone else's design. Just think of it as a step for my promotion. I will take care of your beautiful wife, haha..."
Two of the generals died and one surrendered. The soldiers had no intention of resisting. They threw away their weapons and knelt down to surrender.
After a while, Cao Cao accompanied Taiwei Yang Biao out for inspection.
"Sir, what do you think of these surrendered troops?" Cao Cao asked.
Yang Biao's brows showed fierce anger: "Those who conspire against him will be killed without mercy!"
Cao Cao advised: "They were just provoked by Fan Chou. Now that the mastermind is dead, it is better to let them plead guilty and perform meritorious service. There was a severe drought last year. It may be because of the extra killing. Killing so many surrendered soldiers at once will harm the peace of heaven."
Yang Biao frowned, hesitated for a while and then said: "Mengde, please ask your subordinates to surrender them."
"Here!" Cao Cao accepted the order.
At this time, Xia Houyuan also led more than a hundred soldiers to the outside of the palace. He quickly stepped forward and saluted Yang Biao and Cao Cao.
"Master Yang, Fan Chou's army outside the city has also been put down, but General Dong Cheng..." Xia Houyuan paused and hesitated for a while.
"Ah! What happened to Dong Cheng?" Yang Biao asked anxiously.
Xia Houyuan said: "General Dong Cheng was ambushed by Fan Chong's men. When he fled outside the camp, he was defeated by Fan Chong. He served his country with his own life." Yang Biao was suppressed and could not speak for a long time.
The people present were all old foxes in the political field. They had guessed something, but the situation was stronger than others, and they were helpless. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, what Zhu Wen did was no different from Cao Cao. They all cut off the emperor's wings and installed his own forces.
Cheng Yu then arrived and winked at Cao Cao. The latter understood and said: "Master Yang, now that Fan Chou is rebelling, there are really few soldiers to protect His Majesty. Why not let our troops rotate Fan Chou's defense line."
Yang Biao felt depressed for a while, nodded feebly and said, "I need to ask your Majesty for permission."
