Lu Bu obeyed the orders of the Winter Solstice and ordered his headquarters to merge with the state's 20,000 soldiers and 10,000 Liangzhou infantry, leaving Luoyang to cut off the rear.
After leaving the army, at the top of Luoyang City, I saw that this majestic city that had dominated the world for two hundred years was in my hands. At this moment, I was the master of this world's number one city. The breeze blew slightly, and there was a smell of blood.
, let him come to his senses quickly, a powerful enemy is coming soon, and if he doesn't pay attention, he will die on the battlefield.
Although a general would inevitably die before the battle, Lu Bu didn't want to die so early.
"Dong Zhuo asked me to cut off the throne. If I hold Luoyang now, with the power of the city, it may be possible to hold it for a month or two. But the Kwantung Army has a total of 170,000 or 80,000 people. So what if I hold it? There are so many enemy troops.
It is enough to completely surround Luoyang City, and then we will have to wait for death."
"Why don't we retreat from the city and have a brief encounter with the Kwantung Army? With the power of the cavalry, I, Lu Bu, can move around. Only in this way can I have a better chance of survival."
"It's just that Beimang Mountain is the top priority. I think Dong Zhuo has already taken out the burial objects from the mausoleum. This trip should be the last batch. No wonder when the Chinese army left, boxes of jewelry were dug into the ground.
It only takes three feet to put it together. As long as you can protect the jewelry well and go back, even if you don't have to deal with it for a day or two, there won't be many problems."
Thinking of this, Lu Bu made up his mind and summoned Cao Xing, one of the eight capable generals, and ordered: "General Cao, the prime minister ordered our army to cut off the rear. I thought again that we cannot defend Luoyang. That would be too passive. I will go with the retreating troops."
We are hiding in Beimang Mountain, waiting for the opportunity. If the Kwantung Army pursues Xiangguo's soldiers and horses, our army comes out from behind and can be used as a diversion. The Kwantung Army and horses cannot be considered both head and tail. If it takes a few days, the task will be completed. With the power of the cavalry, we can
After that, we returned to Guanzhong smoothly."
After hearing this, Cao Xing's eyes lit up. It was a good plan. In fact, before he came, he had always blamed his lord for taking on such a hard job. When he thought about it, he felt more at ease: "My lord is wise!"
Lu Bu was somewhat impressed by Cao Xing's flattery and continued to give instructions: "In this case, I will lead the troops to retreat to Beimang Mountain first. I will give you five thousand infantry and go to the big families in the city to borrow some food and pay to go up the mountain. Our army will be hidden in the mountain."
For many days, food and salary were the top priority. After the collection was completed, we followed from the north gate and set fire to Luoyang City."
"What? Burning Luoyang?" Cao Xing was a little timid and asked in disbelief.
"This is the order of the Prime Minister, just follow it." Lu Bu said coldly, with murderous intent bursting out, and turned around to leave. He was sure that Cao Xing would obey the order and do this. Among the eight capable generals, Zhang Liao and Gao Shun were the best.
He is righteous, but Cao Xing has the most extreme character and dares not do anything.
Sure enough, Cao Xing was frightened by Lu Bu's murderous intent, and his heart trembled. When he saw Lu Bu leaving, he quickly replied: "I obey, my lord, go slowly!"
In Luoyang City, for more than half a year, there have been a lot less soldiers visible everywhere. The small owners of some taverns and teahouses on the streets are also a little strange why the soldiers who usually eat and drink for free have disappeared.
In fact, Luoyang is very empty now. The defenders are no more than Cao Xing's 5,000 infantry. However, if there are no enemy soldiers to attack, it is actually enough to maintain public order. On the other hand, it can be used to plunder food and pay. No surprise.
It is also enough.
But the accident happened.
Luoyang City, with the imperial palace in the north, the east city with most of the official residences, the west city with the residences of wealthy merchants, and the south city with civilians. Cao Xing divided his 5,000 soldiers and horses into three groups, with 1,500 men in each group.
He visited various wealthy families in the south and west of the city, and went to the east city in person where some official families gathered.
The largest grain and rice merchant in Xicheng, Zhengfu, and Luoyang City. His ancestor served as the Protector of the Western Regions and was named Anyuanhou by Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty. Unfortunately, his descendants declined and turned to business, so his business name was Anyuantang.
Grain merchants were naturally the first targets Lu Bu's army wanted to plunder. The group of thousands of people immediately alarmed the residents in Dongcheng District. Hundreds of them came to Zheng's house first, without knocking on the door to invite them, and directly ordered his subordinates to
The door was opened, and the fish rushed in, shocking everyone in the mansion...
In the back hall, the head of the family, Zheng Yuan, was drinking tea with his family, discussing the storm coming into Luoyang. Dong Zhuo had evacuated Luoyang. The civilian vendors only felt that the soldiers and gangsters disappeared on the streets. They, the owners of the family with a big business, naturally understood the reason.
I felt relieved. A few days ago, the scribe who claimed to be a subordinate of the Young Emperor Jiangxia came to remind Dong Zhuo that he wanted to burn Luoyang. It seemed to be a lie.
There was movement in the front hall, and naturally a loyal servant ran to the back to report. Zheng Yuan stood up quickly, his face was pale, sweat rolled down his forehead, and he shouted: "Third brother, please leave the backyard quickly and find that person."
General Zhou Cang led his men to ambush the store's granary, and my father tried his best to trick them into getting there."
The third son Zheng Bao was also panicked when he heard the news. He didn't want Dong Zhuo's army to withdraw and actually planned to burn, kill and loot Luoyang City. When he heard his father's words, he became cold and immediately called a servant, secretly climbed out of the window and escaped from the backyard.
Escape.
This sudden incident was discovered by the scribes from Jiangxia. Zheng Yuan felt a little confused. Fortunately, for the sake of safety, he did not completely refuse the cooperation of the Jiangxia people and allocated some servants, money and food, just for today's sudden incident.
incident.
Zheng Bao had just jumped out of the window, and Cao Xing had already rushed in with several soldiers behind him. Zheng Yuan immediately bent forward, with a smile on his face and said in a panic tone: "General, general, what are you doing?
How can I offend the general and trouble you?"
Cao Xing didn't talk nonsense and said without any concealment: "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister, withdrew his troops from Guanzhong, but the army continues to provide food and salary. I have come here to ask the head of the Zheng family to offer his family's food and grass to dedicate his efforts to the Emperor and the Prime Minister."
"Sure enough, it was a naked robbery. If there were no back-up preparations, my Zheng family would have suffered heavy losses today." His expression did not change, Zheng Yuan said in a tone of trying to save money and eliminate disasters: "I will do my best for Your Majesty and the Prime Minister, and I will do my duty.
General, please follow me to the store's granary to pick it up."
"Butler, lead the way." Zheng Yuan shouted, bowing his waist in a gesture of invitation.
"Yes!" Cao Xing nodded with satisfaction and smiled in his heart. This guy knew the situation so well that he didn't want to kill him. But whether he could survive depends on his family's luck and whether he could survive the fire tonight.
After leaving the Zheng Mansion, Cao Xing followed Zheng Yuan with two hundred people and a dozen wheelbarrows. More than a thousand other soldiers and centurions from each department left their own people to visit the wealthy merchants' mansions in the east city one by one.
The Zheng family's rice shop is near Menma City in the Middle East, and it only takes a quarter of an hour for the group to walk there and back.
Under the gaze of Cao Xing and other soldiers, Zheng Yuan helped the housekeeper to dismantle the door panels of the shop piece by piece, revealing the dark interior of the shop. Zheng Yuan stepped forward and said: "General, wait a moment, let me and the housekeeper go in and light the lights."
.”
The master and servant exchanged a glance, walked in together, and disappeared into the darkness deep inside the store.
In the courtyard behind the shop, Zheng Yuan saw his son Zheng Bao. He grabbed his hand with some trembling and asked, "My son, where is General Zhou Cang?"
Zheng Bao pointed to the roof. Under the moonlight, a dark night was lurking there. He squinted his eyes and saw a man in shabby clothes nodded to him, which made him feel at ease. He pushed his son and let him
Hurry up and hide.
Zheng Bao looked at the military man at the door of the shop through the darkness of the night. He felt scared, nodded, and was as obedient as a chicken. He rolled into a room in a courtyard and hid under the bed.
Zheng Yuan took a deep breath, calmed down with the housekeeper, found two oil lamps, lit them, and then shouted: "General, okay, you can come in."
Then the two quickly placed the oil lamp on the ground in the courtyard, found a room together, rushed in and hid.
Outside the shop, Cao Xing saw Zheng Yuan's master and servant entering. There was a sound of tinkering, and not long after, he saw lights inside the shop. There was no doubt that he was there, shouting at his subordinates, stepping in...
The shop was very large, and the open space in the small courtyard was as big as an acre. Two hundred soldiers poured in and stood in the courtyard without feeling crowded at all.
But when Cao Xing looked at the two lonely oil lamps placed in the center of the small courtyard, he suddenly realized that something was not good. After years of experience in fighting on the battlefield, he immediately realized that he had fallen into a trap.
Unfortunately, it was too late. The ambushes waiting for Zhoucang on the roof were holding crossbows one by one. The sound of firing sounded, and the crossbow arrows flew down one after another.
Cao Xing was closest to the two oil lamps and the most conspicuous. Before he could scream, he was hit by more than ten arrows and fell to the ground. The two hundred soldiers who came with him also tried to escape first, but one round of arrows failed.
Rain, most of them were shot to the ground.
"Kill!" Zhou Cang gave the order and waved one hand. Dozens of ambush soldiers on the roof put away their crossbows, drew their sabers from their waists, jumped down from the room, and chased after them.
In just a few rounds, all the remaining Bingzhou soldiers were killed.
After quickly cleaning up the battlefield, Zhou Cang called the three members of the Zheng family who were hiding in the house, pointed at Cao Xing who was wearing a general's armor on the ground and asked: "Master Zheng, do you know who this person is?"
Zheng Yuan and the other three who had just been hiding in the room were frightened when they heard the chopping and killing sounds outside. However, the screams soon stopped. When they heard Zhou Cang's call, they hurriedly got out. When they heard the other party's question, they looked
Looking at Cao Xing lying straight on the ground, he sighed in his heart that human life was in vain. The general who had threatened him fiercely just now was now cold.
Back to: "General Zhou Cang, on the way here, I slowed down and asked in private that this person is Cao Xing, who belongs to Wenhou Lu Bu."
"Cao Xing? Lu Bu?" After hearing this, Zhou Cang recalled in his heart that he should be one of the so-called eight capable generals of Bingzhou.
Cao Xing is here. It seems that the person who will cut off the queen is Lu Bu. Dong Zhuo actually left the most powerful general to cut off the queen. Isn't he afraid that something will happen?
But these were not what he should consider, and he immediately said: "Okay, Master Zheng, your father and son quickly summon your servants, and at the same time call on the master who had discussed with Mr. Xi before, and gather all the servants here at Ma Shi.
What Mr. Xi expected has happened. I will give you two sticks of incense time to think about it. We are ready to break out and go south. Those who are willing to leave can come quickly. As long as we can feel Xinzheng County, the Marquis of Yangzi will respond."
"Otherwise, by the time Lu Bu reacts, it will be too late. Dong Zhuojun is so brutal and hesitant, we won't care."