Beigong.
The atmosphere was extremely depressing.
The eunuchs who could be seen everywhere in the past have long since disappeared without a trace. Only a few female officials were walking under the corridor, but they looked in a hurry and did not dare to stay where they were.
Lu Li was holding an iron horse halberd, with a hundred-refined sword hanging from his waist, and riding a black-maned horse. He and Zhao Yun were guarding outside the palace, just like door gods.
Speaking of which, the young emperor is also a pitiful person.
Although he was the heir to the empire, he was sent to the home of an alchemist with extraordinary Taoist skills as soon as he was born. He managed to survive until he was ten years old, escaping the fate of early death, and returned to the palace to meet his biological father and mother, but was not recognized by the Ling Emperor. Pleased.
As for the reason, it is frivolous and without dignity.
How majestic can a child who was sent out of the palace at an infancy and grew up in a Taoist home have? After finally surviving the death of the Ling Emperor, and before he could ascend the throne, he was met with a bloody massacre of the northern and southern palaces by the rebel army. He was forced to escape through a secret tunnel to Beimang and lived in the wilderness. During this period, his two biggest supports were all killed——
He Jin, He Miao.
One person died at the hands of the Ten Constant Attendants, and the other died at the sword of the Northern Army.
Lu Li felt that at this moment, Liu Bian, an eleven or twelve-year-old boy, didn't know who to hate.
Ten permanent attendants?
If they hadn't escorted him, he would have been killed by a knife from the red-eyed rebels.
Scholar?
Without the support of these people, the throne would have been inherited by Donghou Liu Xie.
Not long ago, Lu Li was ordered to enter the palace to meet the Young Emperor again. Even though he followed the etiquette and did not raise his eyes to look directly at him, he could still see the fear in his eyes with just a quick glance.
At that time, the hall was empty, and a thin figure was sitting on a huge throne that did not match his body shape. Not only did he not feel majestic, but he looked even more frightened and helpless.
"Brother, what are you thinking about?"
At this time, Zhao Yun suddenly interrupted Lu Li's memories.
"I'm thinking about the situation in the court." Lu Li sighed and said, "Without the support of General He Jin and General He Miao, how can the Young Emperor support the Han Dynasty's precarious world?"
In fact, there was a heart-wrenching sentence that Lu Li never said, fearing that Zhao Yun would have a grudge because of it: not only the ministers of the court, but also looking at the thirteen states in the world, several people also took the Han Dynasty seriously.
"When Mr. Ding comes to Luokuang to help the country, everything will be fine."
Zhao Yun's words were filled with determination.
In response, Lu Li just nodded and did not answer directly.
Compared with Dong Zhuo, Ding Gong really has no ambitions. He just wants to be a highly respected minister. He will never do such evil things as staying in the palace overnight and establishing a new emperor.
"If nothing happens, the Lord will lead the wolf cavalry to Luoyang at the latest in the early morning of the day after tomorrow."
"What kind of surprise could there be?"
"That's right. Brother Wenyuan is going north in person to deliver the Queen Mother's decree. Who can stop him?"
As the two talked, the night gradually deepened, and the Beigong was shrouded in darkness.
Nothing happened all night.
As the sun slowly rose from the horizon, Shang Fang's supervisor Qu Mu took over the duty of guarding the palace gate. Lu Li and Zhao Yun left the palace city and went to a nearby official temple to rest.
In the meantime, Pan Ming sent someone to deliver some news: Dong Min, the captain of Fengche, secretly entered Beijing and left through the Middle East Gate earlier. In addition, two brothers, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, left the mansion overnight. One of them was in charge of Xiyuan in person, and the other joined the Northern Army. station.
There is no doubt that these are all bad news for those who choose to protect the Han Dynasty, but Lu Li was not shocked. He had already expected that all parties were making final plans in the seemingly peaceful night yesterday. After all, , the slogan of killing the ten permanent servants is still useful now.
Of course, one can only do two, and Dong Zhuo's entry into Beijing is the last chance for the scholar group. If it fails, the local princes will personally end it. At that time, the target of execution will be Yuan Wei and his party.
Xiliang and Bingzhou.
In this case, it depends on who arrives first.
If Ding Gong enters Luoyang before Dong Zhuo, there is no need to worry about anything.
It stands to reason that the Bingzhou Army, which should be stationed in Hanoi, arrived first. First, compared to Xiliang, Bingzhou was closer to Luoyang. Second, Zhang Liao personally delivered the news, and his speed was definitely faster than Dong Min.
But, will the actual situation go as smoothly as expected?
Lu Li was not sure about this.
First of all, he didn't know where Dong Zhuo was now, but he was probably no longer in Xiliang, but had found a place near Luoyang to watch the changes.
Secondly, Ding Gong was summoned to the capital in a hurry and was definitely not well prepared. He had to leave some soldiers to guard against foreign enemies. If the two groups of people fought on the road, they might not have the upper hand——
The flying general Lu Bu is indeed invincible, but Dong Zhuo has been in Xiliang for more than ten years. How could he lack strong generals and counselors under his command?
In martial arts there were tiger warriors such as Guo Si, Li Que, Hua Xiong, and Niu Fu, and in literature there were Li Ru and Jia Xu.
Because of this, Lu Li had already prepared for the worst: to hold on to Luoyang until Duke Ding arrived.
In this case, the top priority is to unite the available military forces in and around the city to defend the enemy outside the pass. During this period, we must also keep an eye on the scholar groups in the city so that they do not dare to act arbitrarily.
Just as Lu Li was thinking about it secretly, Zhao Yun said angrily: "Although Dong Zhuo of Xiliang has strong troops, after marching thousands of miles, they will all be exhausted. If they are attacked, they can be captured!"
"Brother, you can join my cavalry army to attack Dong!"
After finishing speaking, Zhao Yun looked at Lu Li, because after Zhang Liao left Luoyang, he, who had a high official position, was older, and was deeply trusted by the young emperor, became the backbone.
At this time, a strange sound came from the front.
Xun Yu was surprised by Zhao Yun's prowess and saw him staring at Lu Li, waiting for him to make up his mind, so he turned his attention to Lu Li again.
But Lu Li was in trouble for a long time.
Let’s not talk about how many soldiers Dong Zhuo brought to the capital and how elite they were. Let’s just talk about the troops that the young emperor could command: the Shangjun Xiaoweibu, the Assistant Military Right Xiaoweibu, and a small number of city defenders. The total strength was about 6,000.
As for Cao Caodian's military academy, Pan Ming said that there are about a thousand soldiers left to fight, but these are not the key. Xiahou Dun, Xia Houyuan, Cao Ren, Cao Chun, Meng Degong conquered the world, and his brothers contributed a lot, and They are all famous generals in the world.
In this world where the divine stone comes to the world, it is no exaggeration to say that military generals, counselors, and alchemists are the protagonists. Unless they are Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, Flying Bear Army, White Horse Yi Cong, and other armies that master secret arts, no matter how many people there are, It doesn't have much effect.
In other words.
If Dong Zhuo arrives in Beijing first, he will have no choice but to fight outside the city and fight against the generals!
Thinking of this, Lu Li, who was well aware of the case, turned to Xun Yu and said, "Sir, what good advice can you give me?"
This hero of the Xun family followed them all the way, bloodbathed Nangong and welcomed the young emperor, without leaving behind. Frankly speaking, Zhao Yun already regarded him as one of his own.
"I secretly think that the most important thing now is to find out where Dong Zhuo comes from." Hangu, Yique, Guangcheng, Dugu, Xuanyuan, Xuanmen, Mengjin, Xiaopingjin eight passes..."
Lu Li nodded. They came from Xuanyuan Pass and naturally knew the terrain. It was impossible for a large group of troops to get around it, especially in this situation where every second counts.
"The late emperor appointed the eight captains to control the military and political affairs of the eight passes and protect the safety of Kyoto." Xun Yu continued: "However, the young emperor has not yet ascended the throne, and it is the time when the master of the country is doubtful. Some of the captains may turn to you. Nanyuan family."
"Not bad." Zhao Yun nodded.
The day before yesterday, when they cleared customs, they saw what secret operations were. They pretended to check and then let them go.
"It's simply not feasible to expect the captain to guard the pass."
"Even if we have enough troops, it won't work. We can't be united at all. In fact, when Yuan Wei leads Dong Zhuo to the capital, he will definitely choose a pass that he can control. If we divide our troops to assist, we will definitely be attacked on both sides."
Hearing this, Lu Li couldn't help but urge: "Sir, there is no need to show off, but it doesn't hurt to say so."
"If Dong Zhuo wants to go south, he must leave Tianjingguan and come from the direction of Hedong. And Hedong County is northwest of the capital. There are only two ways to get here:
One route passed through Dongyuan, marched along the north bank of the river, and directly entered the border of Yin, Henan.
The other line goes south through Anyi, crosses the Yellow River, enters the boundary of Hongnong, goes eastward through Mianchi, Xin'an, Hangu Pass, and finally enters the boundary of Yin, Henan. "
Having said this, Xun Yu pointed his finger, and mist immediately surged in the air.
Not long after, a three-dimensional map similar to the sand table of later generations appeared in front of Lu Li and Zhao Yun, with mountains and rivers crisscrossing it, giving life a sense of immersion.
And Xun Yu talked eloquently: "You two, please look here."
As he finished speaking, a mountain range stretching for dozens of miles enlarged in Lu Li's eyes. It was majestic and steep, and it was located in the middle of the first marching route mentioned by Xun Yu.
"This is Wangwu Mountain. Spring has just begun. There is a lot of snow on the mountain road, which is not conducive to the rapid movement of the army. Dong Zhuo wants to compete with Ding Jishi to enter the capital in time, so he can only choose the second route."
Hearing this, Lu Li was overjoyed. His previous plan was to eliminate the passes that were still in Jian Shuo's hands and set up scouting posts at other passes. Once it became clear where Dong Zhuo came from, he would immediately lead his army to control the passes. This was quite promising. It means to plant soldiers to cover up the water and earth.
But after listening to Xun Yu's analysis, Lu Li not only felt more at ease, but even felt a little calm.
Hangu Pass is located in the valley between Xiaoshan Mountain and Tongguan. Because it is as deep and dangerous as a letter, it is called Hangu Pass. There is a saying that "one man can guard the pass and ten thousand men cannot open it". In the past, Chu, Zhao, Wei, Han, The Wei states joined forces to attack Qin, but they were defeated. Liu Bang, the great ancestor, also resisted the army of Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu.
Frankly speaking, as long as the defender does not violate military taboos and there are no internal problems, there is no need to worry about being breached.
Therefore, Zhao Yun said hurriedly: "Without further delay, we will enter the palace immediately to meet the Queen Mother and the Young Emperor."
"General Zhao, don't be anxious. The person you should look for right now is Shangshu Lu Zhi."
Without waiting for Lu Li's answer, Xun Yu said with a smile: "He is the one in the court who is qualified to restrain Yuan Wei. Moreover, Lu Shangshu has been fighting in the north and south for many years and has a wide network of contacts. Don't underestimate this person."
"In this case, you can drop by to find Mr. Mingong. He is from central Henan. He may be able to mobilize some of the guards from nearby counties." Lu Li added.
"Let's go."
With a few horse neighs, the official temple returned to silence.
at the same time.
Qufei Hall was particularly lively. All the ten permanent attendants were present, and the few dozen remaining eunuchs in the palace were also here. Only Qu Mu, who was responsible for protecting the young emperor's safety, could not come.
"All six of the emperor's seals have been lost. This is something that has never happened before in this dynasty. The jade seal that passed down the country has disappeared, which is also something that has never happened before in this dynasty!"
Zhang Rang's lips turned white, he was obviously very frightened, and he felt extremely regretful: Why didn't he send someone to take it away at that time? !
Everyone present is a smart person, and there is no need to elaborate on the seriousness of the matter.
The Six Emperor's Seals symbolize imperial power, and the Chuanguo Seal symbolizes the country's legitimacy. Now that they are all lost, there will definitely be a big mess!
Jian Shuo frowned and said in a deep voice: "I saw that the situation was over last night, so I decisively withdrew from Nangong. However, when passing by Jianzhang Hall, I noticed a flash of colorful lights."
"The Imperial Seal?!"
"good."
Seeing Zhang Rang and others looking at him, Jian Shuo nodded, "This thing is mysterious. At that time, there were pursuers. Taking it with you was tantamount to seeking death. So, I killed the female officer. Throw it into a well and cover it with stone slabs..."
"Missing?" Zhang Rang asked directly.
"..."
Seeing that he was silent, Zhao Zhong gritted his teeth and said: "It must have fallen into the hands of the rebels!"
"It must be so!"
"The Yuan family in Runan has many former officials all over the world. Now that they have obtained the jade seal passed down to the country, I am afraid that they will have thoughts that they shouldn't have..."
The hall became noisy.
At this moment, Jian Shuo made another shocking statement: "Dong Min, the younger brother of former general Dong Zhuo, the governor of Bingzhou, secretly entered Luo last night. The spies came to report that he entered through Wangjing Gate and never came out again. He must be living in the Sangong Mansion. ”
After the words fell, there was silence.
Zhang Rang's face was full of disbelief. In just one day, he was frightened many times. Even though he had experienced ups and downs for a long time, he could not withstand it——
He Jin led his troops to garrison the hundreds of palaces, which shocked and frightened them. Then, the emperor suddenly died. In desperation, he had no choice but to frame and kill the general. He thought he could defend the two palaces, but the result was disappointing.
After finally taking a breath, I suddenly discovered that all the jade seals were missing, and my heart immediately rose to my throat. Now I heard that Dong Zhuo sent someone to visit his arch-rival Yuan Wei. Is this a punishment from heaven?
The current state of Zhao Zhong, Zhang Rang and others can be described in one word: turbulent.
"what to do?"
"Since the scholars are determined to kill us, let's fight to the death!"
"If we continue to break up, we will suffer the chaos. We still have soldiers under our command. We will simply go straight to the Sangong Mansion and kill all the Yuan family's party!"
Jian Shuo became the center of attention again.
"Yuan Shao is in charge of Xiyuan, and Yuan Shu has gone to the Northern Army camp. There are more than a thousand private soldiers hidden in the Sangong Mansion, and they cannot be captured in a short time."
Once the facts were stated, Zhao Zhong and others instantly withered. Only Zhang Rangqiang calmed down and said: "Why are you panicking? Didn't the general from Bingzhou say that Ding Yuan wanted to be the King of Qin? The Wolf Cavalry is already on the road, and there is still a glimmer of hope!"
"Yes, as long as we keep the enemy outside the pass." At this point, Jian Shuo's eyes flashed with murderous intent: "If God really wants to kill me, then let the children of the Yuan family in the city be buried with me."
Thousands of miles away, Tianjingguan.
The sound of the clashing of armor and clothes lasted for a long time before all the soldiers and generals in the hall retreated, leaving only a few maids.
Dong Zhuo stretched his waist, found a soft cushion to lean on, and said with a smile: "The general is really dead?"
"Brother, I can still trick you. If he hadn't died, how could the Northern Army have the guts to besiege the two palaces?"
"In this case, Luoyang must go. If we join forces with the Yuan family in Runan, what can we do in the world?"
Laughter echoed in the official residence.
