Chapter 162 The Luyang Alliance, the heroes are all over!
Sili, Luoyang.
Prime Minister's Mansion.
Dong Zhuo's thick eyebrows stood upright as he sat upright.
Below, Li Ru was making a temporary report on the recent military situation: "Prime Minister, there is another news that may be of interest to you."
Dong Zhuo frowned, his anger not diminishing: "Just say it bluntly."
Li Ru nodded: "No."
Immediately.
He paused for a moment and spoke solemnly: "Prime Minister, news came back from Nanyang today. Liu Bian appointed Tang Mao as the governor of Nanyang County, responsible for the food and grass in the rear of the governor. He himself led more than 20,000 elite troops to Luyang Tun.
Stay."
"What a great King Hongnong."
Dong Zhuo was so angry that his face was bulging, and the muscles at the corners of his lips twitched involuntarily. His eyes were as wide as eggs and covered with cracked bloodshot eyes, as if he had not slept peacefully for several days, showing his exhaustion.
“I didn’t expect that!”
Dong Zhuo took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Anger seemed to spurt out from his nostrils: "This kid actually dares to take the initiative to die."
"he......"
Dong Zhuo did not hesitate and opened his mouth to ask: "How many troops does he have? Who are the princes who have formed an alliance in Ruying's direction? What is the total military strength? Has he overstepped his authority and proclaimed himself emperor?"
Li Ru knew that Dong Zhuo was worried about Liu Bian proclaiming himself emperor.
But I never thought...
Dong Zhuo was so interested that he asked four questions at once, which made Li Ru confused and didn't know which question to answer first.
"this......"
Li Ru pondered for a moment and prepared to answer one by one: "King Hongnong alone has more than 20,000 elite soldiers! All the princes in Ruying's direction should have responded, but they have not sent many troops."
"and!"
Li Ru hurriedly emphasized: "Among the four counties of Chen, Liang, Lu, and Pei, only Chen King Liu Chong came here personally with 8,000 elite troops. The other three countries had their troops led by their prime ministers, but they themselves enjoyed peace and quiet in the rear."
"oh?"
Dong Zhuo then breathed a sigh of relief and said softly: "In that case, isn't King Hongnong a lonely man?"
Li Ru handed over his hand: "It's not like he is alone. Li Min, the governor of Yingchuan, and Liu Chong, the king of Chen, still support him, otherwise Li Min would not have agreed to build the Luyang Camp."
"Li Min, Liu Chong?"
Dong Zhuo's eyes flashed fiercely, and he clenched his fists subconsciously.
He swore secretly.
Li Min and Liu Chong must be cut into thousands of pieces and thrown into the wilderness to feed the wolves: "Who is stationed at Guangcheng Pass now?"
Dong Zhuo knew very well that if he wanted to attack Luoyang from Luyang, he had to go through the Guangcheng → Dagu, or Guangcheng → Yique route, and the starting point of these two lines was Guangcheng Pass.
Said without politeness.
Guangcheng Pass guards the road from Luoyang to Nanyang, and for Liu Bian, if he wants to enter Luoyang, the first pass he must overcome is Guangcheng Pass!
Li Ru bowed his head and said without thinking: "General Hu Zhen."
Dong Zhuo naturally knew what Hu Zhen was capable of. He tapped his fingers on the table and pondered for a moment: "Wen You, what do you think of Hu Zhen? Can he stop King Hongnong?"
"this......"
Before Li Ru could speak, he was interrupted by Dong Zhuo: "It doesn't matter, just speak frankly."
Although Li Ru has occupied a major position in the core of Dong's power, he is still cautious in dealing with others, walking on thin ice and never dares to judge others at will.
But now...
It seems that it is impossible not to evaluate it.
Li Ru pondered for a moment and said softly: "General Hu Zhen is indeed good at fighting and is brave and invincible, but it seems that compared to King Hongnong, his methods are still a little immature."
"Um."
Dong Zhuo nodded slowly and actually agreed: "Hu Zhen is arrogant by nature. I'm afraid he is no match for Liu Bian. If he wants to stop King Hongnong's army, he may have to change his general on the spot."
"Wenyou, do you have a suitable candidate?" Dong Zhuo tried to ask.
"Yes." Li Ru replied.
"oh?"
Dong Zhuo asked in surprise: "I don't know Wen Ruo, who can you recommend?"
Li Ru replied: "Xu Rong is stationed in Bianshui."
"Xu Rong?"
Dong Zhuo frowned at first, then relaxed slightly, nodded and said: "This person is indeed of great use. We might as well let him replace Hu Zhen, just in case something unexpected happens."
Li Ru bowed his head and said: "The Prime Minister is wise."
Phew~~~
Dong Zhuo breathed a sigh of relief and pondered for a long time: "Wen You, now that the feudal lords in Guandong are gaining momentum, our army has set up formations on all sides to prevent bandits. In your opinion, how sure are we of holding Luoyang?"
"this......"
Regarding such issues, Li Ru really dare not speak nonsense.
The development of the power of the Guandong princes is disgusting.
Luoyang is a small place, and if you break it at any point, it will inevitably break.
But as for where the failure will occur, Li Ru is also not easy to predict, so he can only deal with it dumbly.
"Luoyang!"
Dong Zhuo's eyes were sharp as he kept chewing on these two words.
Dong Zhuo, who has experienced many battles, naturally understands the current situation.
He has his own unique understanding of the war situation and does not need to seek help from Li Ru in everything. This is fundamentally different from the power struggle in the officialdom.
After pondering for a moment.
Dong Zhuo looked at Li Ru again and said in a informing tone: "Luoyang is surrounded on three sides by the rats from Guandong and is in danger. I intend to move the capital to Chang'an and defend Hangu to ensure the safety of the imperial court."
"If Your Majesty comes to Chang'an, we will have no worries. Then we can naturally compete with the rats from Guandong. They are just a group of nobles who enjoy a comfortable life. Do you really think that by recruiting some rabble, you can become my enemy, Dong Zhuo?"
"snort!"
Dong Zhuo snorted angrily: "This time, I have to smash the rats from Guandong! What nonsense noble etiquette, I, Dong Zhuo, want them to know that hard fists are the way to dominate!"
*****
Luyang.
It is named after Mount Lu.
"Minutes of Du Shi Fang Yu" records: The mountains are towering, and the mountains are resurrected. It is a giant town, and the county is named after it.
Although it is Lu Mountain, it also belongs to the remaining range of Funiu Mountain.
Just judge from a geographical perspective.
Luyang is located on the east side of the remaining mountains of Funiu Mountain. Although it belongs to Nanyang County, it is actually closer to Yingchuan.
Liu Bian led the army to set off, crossed the Xia Road in Fangcheng, and continued northward for a distance before arriving at Luyang.
Prior to this, Li Min, the governor of Yingchuan County, came to join the alliance.
Kong Min, the governor of Yuzhou, did not come originally, but after receiving Liu Bian's message, he came in person to join the alliance.
In addition, the princes who came to the alliance one after another included the general Yuan Shu, the king of Chen Liu Chong, the governor of Runan Xu Qiu (qiú), the prime minister of Pei Yuan Zhong, the prime minister of Liang Zhao Yan, and the prime minister of Lu Chen Yi.
The soldiers and horses of various princes range from three to five thousand to seven to eight thousand to tens of thousands. However, none of the princes can compare with Hongnong King Liu Bian. Even the later general Yuan Shu only has eight thousand soldiers.
.
But Rao is so...
It still broke the historical record of alliance princes in the Ruying area.
Liu Bian was secretly happy and asked tentatively: "Teacher, starting from the governor of Yuzhou, Yingchuan, Runan, Chen, Pei, Liang, Lu and other countries have all sent troops to support me. Does this mean that my appeal is effective?"
"That's right!"
The Alliance of Military Advisors replied: "In terms of the number of princes alone, Bian Ye's message indeed played a key role, proving that the identity of the deposed emperor has a certain influence in the hearts of the princes."
"Does that mean..."
Liu Bian was overjoyed and took the opportunity to ask: "Can I straighten it up? The total strength of the troops totaled more than 73,000. Even if Yuan Shu's 8,000 were left aside, there were still more than 65,000."
"this......"
The voice of the Military Advisor Alliance was slightly disappointed: "Experts just said that except for Chen Wang Liu Chong and Yingchuan County Governor Li Min, all the others have inextricable connections with the Yuan family."
"ah?"
Liu Bian felt confused: "This...how is this possible? Aren't the four kingdoms of Chen, Pei, Liang, and Lu all the territory of the Han clan? Are they also related to the Yuan family?"
"Master Ben, don't worry."
The alliance of military advisors hurriedly reassured: "Let the experts explain in detail. Although Xu Qiu, the governor of Runan, is the son of Xu Shu, the general who conquered the Liao Dynasty, Runan is the home base of the Yuan family and has deep-rooted power. If Xu Qiu can become the governor of Runan, he must be in harmony with the Yuan family.
There is an inseparable connection.”
"Secondly, Yuan Zhong, the Prime Minister of Pei State, is a descendant of the Yuan family in Runan. His father's name is Yuan He. Although his status cannot be compared with Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao, as a son of the Yuan family, he naturally supports Yuan Shu."
"Furthermore, Chen Yi, the prime minister of the State of Lu, is a descendant of Chen Fan, the father-in-law of Runan. The Chen family and the Yuan family are closely related. They are all wealthy families in Runan. They have a high probability of supporting Yuan Shu."
"As for Zhao Yan?"
The commander of the military advisor alliance said angrily: "You can only lead three thousand troops, which is the smallest among the princes in Yuzhou. Do you think Liang Wang Liu Mi really supports you, or is he here to deal with it?"
"this......"
Liu Bian looked helpless.
I am constantly embarrassed about the current situation.
But......
But he was unable to change it at all. This is the way of the world.
The Alliance of Military Advisors said softly: "Master Bian, you must not underestimate the power of the first-class family in the late Han Dynasty. The four generations and three princes, disciples and former officials are all over the world. This is definitely not a joke."
"Yuan Wei, this old fox, has been planning for many years. He is not only targeting Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and He Jin, but more importantly, he has made arrangements for the Yuan family and his disciples and former officials."
"How many members are there in the feudal princes' challenge to Dong this time? The Yuan family's bloodline accounts for four of them! Yuan Shao, governor of Bohai, Yuan Shu, general of the rear, Yuan Yi, governor of Shanyang County, and Yuan Zhong, prime minister of Pei State."
"As for Yuan's disciples and former officials..."
The Alliance of Military Advisors does not need to explain too much. Just from the introduction of Yuzhou, Liu Bian can imagine how terrifying it is: "Oh, okay, no need to explain anymore, I gave up asking Dong Shi to support him."
The Alliance of Military Advisors hurriedly comforted: "Don't worry, Mr. Bian, the throne can't escape. Sooner or later, it will be yours. For now, safety must be the priority. It is almost the end of February. It is estimated that within a few days, Dong Zhuo will move the capital to Chang'an and burn Luo."
Positive."
"Huh?"
Liu Bian was puzzled and frowned: "Didn't Dong Zhuo burn down Luoyang and move the capital to Chang'an after he was defeated? Why will the capital be moved in two days?"
"Master Bian, don't be misled by the novel."
The Alliance of Military Advisors immediately explained: "According to historical records, Dong Zhuo moved the capital to Chang'an in February. After he vacated Luoyang, he fought with the princes of Guandong."
"As for the time to kill Yuan Wei and his family, it was in March after the capital was moved. Yuan Wei and his family were executed in Chang'an. Therefore, if we want to avoid Dong Zhuo's move of the capital and the possibility of burning Luoyang, it is really not very likely."
Liu Bian nodded slowly: "So that's it."
The Military Advisor Alliance continued: "Tomorrow is the day of the official alliance meeting. Military experts have prepared a strategy to challenge Dong. Master Bian should familiarize himself with it in advance. Although the vast majority of the princes support Yuan Shu, they must be made aware of Master Bian's capabilities.
"
"This will not only establish Bian Ye's prestige, but also enhance the confidence of the princes in challenging Dong. The most important thing is to make the Yingchuan Prefect Li Min and Chen Wang Liu Chong who support you trust you more."
"Um."
Liu Bian nodded: "Okay, let's get started."
Military Advisor Alliance: "Take out the map and combine it with graphics to make it easier to understand."
Liu Bian: "I'll get it."
...
Early next morning.
The rooster crows the dawn and the morning glow fills the sky.
Luyang Allied Forces Camp.
Central army, big tent.
Liu Bian sat at the top, and the princes below him sat on both sides.
After a brief exchange of greetings, Liu Bian, as the person in charge of the Allied South Road, began to preach the strategy of challenging Dong: "The South Gate of Luoyang is composed of four major passes: Sheyuan, Guangcheng, Dagu, and Yique."
"Our army is stationed in Luyang. If we want to launch an attack on Luoyang, the first thing we need to conquer is Guangcheng Pass in the Rushui River Valley. Then we can capture Yique Pass or Dagu Pass before entering Luoyang."
"also......"
Liu Bian stood in front of the map and carefully analyzed the current battle situation with the princes: "Since the upper reaches of the Ruying River and Ying River are both located in Yingchuan, as a surprise force to coordinate the western front, we can choose to go up the Ying River and directly attack Zhi above Songshan Mountain.
Yuanguan."
"..."
Although the princes did not have much actual combat experience, they had all read military books and knew the art of using troops in harmony with the right and the strange. Liu Bian took Luyang all the way as the main army, and wanted to go up the Yingshui River to serve as a surprise army to respond to the main army.
The Master's words reached the hearts of all the princes.
Especially Liu Chong, the king of Chen who had defeated the Yellow Turbans in the Chen Kingdom and tried to ensure peace for them all, nodded with great interest, with an expression of deep approval:
"I secretly thought that King Hongnong was not familiar with the art of war and had never thought of meeting an alliance on the first day. This opened my eyes. It was a coincidence. He was indeed well versed in the art of war. Moreover, Songshan Mountain was steep and the passages were inconvenient. Even Dong Zhuo did not focus on setting up defenses."
"Um."
Chen Wang Liu Chong smiled happily and agreed with Liu Bian's current strategy.
At the same time, he was even more reassured that although King Hongnong was old, he was fully qualified to be the leader of this alliance: "I agree with this strategy, and our army should indeed be deployed in this way."
Li Minnixu, the prefect of Yingchuan, agreed: "The journey south from Sheyuan Pass is rugged and the traffic is not smooth, but going up Yingshui does have unexpected effects."
"Bullshit!"
If there are those who agree, there will naturally be those who are against it.
At that moment, Yuan Shu took a step forward and responded without hesitation: "The army is going up Yingshui. Do you know how many ships are needed? How can we prepare so many ships in a short period of time?"
“The highway has a point!”
Then, Yuan Zhong, the Prime Minister of Pei State, said: "Dong Zhuo has experienced hundreds of battles, how can he ignore the important point of Shenyuan Pass? The reason why he did not focus on setting up defenses here is precisely because it is inconvenient to fight fiercely here."
"What you can think of, how could Dong Zhuo not think of it?"
"snort!"
Yuan Zhong snorted and said with bad intentions: "Such a strategy may seem appropriate on the surface, but in terms of actual operation, it is very different. How is it different from Zhao Kuo in the Warring States Period when we sit down and talk about it?"
"Yuan Zhong!"
The rear general Yuan Shu immediately interrupted: "You are too presumptuous."
Yuan Zhong bowed his head and said: "The military is a major matter for the country; fighting against Dong is the great justice of the country! Could it be that we can only obey and cannot have any objections? Since His Highness is the commander-in-chief of the South Road, he should listen to everyone's opinions instead of one person's arbitrariness."
"Isn't it?"
Yuan Zhong bowed solemnly to Liu Bian: "Your Highness."