Han family achievements

Chapter 540 The Critical Moment

Xun You took in Cao Cao's expression and was curious about the three questions.

What was the problem that made Cao Cao lose his composure like this, with panic in his eyes?

Cao Cao was a man of great cunning and far-reaching ambitions, and he rarely revealed his true emotions.

Xun You's gaze fell on Liu Shao again, only to see that the Crown Prince seemed to have just said an insignificant remark and then continued to stare at Luoyang City in a daze.

"This prince is not as simple as he seems."

Xun You seemed to understand something in his heart. At this time, he suddenly asked a question that shocked Cao Cao. It was definitely not a coincidence!

"That's right. He is the Crown Prince after all. He has been carefully trained by His Majesty since he was young. How could he be really stupid..."

Thinking of this, Xun You inexplicably felt a sense of confidence.

For the sake of the Han Dynasty, he vowed to fight against the treacherous ministers and villains!
In front of the army formation, it was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Everyone had complicated thoughts and were thinking a lot.

As time passed, in the silence, Le Jin came back alone, riding at full speed.

He jumped off his horse, came to Cao Cao, Liu Shao and others, knelt on one knee, but seemed to be hesitant to speak.

Cao Cao remained calm and said, "Speak!"

Le Jin glanced at Liu Shao, Xun You and others again, and said, "I am honored to meet the Prime Minister."

Cao Cao was not surprised and said, "That's all."

Le Jin still hesitated, and said with a stiff upper lip: "The Prime Minister said that Luoyang City is small and cannot accommodate 40,000 or 50,000 troops. Please ask the Grand Marshal to escort His Royal Highness the Crown Prince into the city. He will wait for the Grand Marshal in the palace."

After this sentence was spoken, the scene became even quieter, so quiet that it was a little frightening.

Xun Yu asked Cao Cao to escort Liu Shao into Luoyang City and the imperial palace alone. Isn't this tantamount to committing suicide?
Once Cao Cao entered Luoyang City, everything returned to the starting point. Cao Cao was still the Grand Marshal in name only, and his life and death were completely controlled by others!

Cao Cao had a blank expression on his face. He looked up towards Luoyang City, and his irritability became even stronger.

Xun Yu opened the gate of Luoyang city and acted as if he was fearless. Was it a deliberate attempt to confuse the enemy, or was there really a trap?
No one noticed that the small Crown Prince suddenly opened his eyes wide and his breathing became rapid.

But for a moment, he tightened his face and blinked continuously, trying to calm himself down.

"Rest where you are!" Cao Cao suddenly said in a deep voice.

"Yes, sir!" Cao Hong, Le Jin, Cao Ang, Xiahou Yuan and other generals responded and did not urge Cao Cao to continue advancing.

We are now at the gate of the city, but the four gates of Luoyang City are wide open, so no one will act rashly.

Only Le Jin on the opposite side noticed Liu Shao's expression. He turned around and looked in the direction of Luoyang City. He felt strange, but did not say much.

Liu Shao turned around quickly and covered his face with his hands to prevent others from noticing his expression.

However, Xun You who was standing next to him discovered it. He also didn't know what medicine Xun Yu was selling in the pot. He pulled Liu Shao to the side and asked quietly, "Your Highness, do you know anything?"

As His Royal Highness, did His Majesty have any explanation for him? Now that he has arrived at the city of Luoyang, he should finally say something.

Liu Shao sat on the ground, imitating Liu Bian in adjusting his clothes, looking up at Xun You with an expression of joy that was difficult to conceal, and whispered mysteriously, "My father once told me a story. He said he would only tell it to me."

Xun You was startled and asked, "What story?"

Liu Shao smiled and said, "I'll tell you after we get into the city."

Xun You looked at Liu Shao's sudden smile and felt extremely suspicious.

You were heartbroken before because your father was assassinated, but now that we are at the city of Luoyang, why are you smiling?
"Your Highness, do you know the inside story? That is, is there a way to check and balance Cao Cao?" Xun You couldn't help but asked the question he wanted to ask most.

Liu Shao's face returned to its usual dazed look, and he said, "I don't know."

Xun You looked at his expression. Even though he tried his best to hide it, he was just a child after all, and the expression "I know" was almost written on his face.

He turned his head and looked towards Luoyang City. The four gates were wide open. What did this mean? With Cao Cao's 50,000 troops, weren't they afraid that Cao Cao would really charge in?
Xun You felt extremely strange. He had a vague feeling that he had overlooked something crucial, but he couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he tried.

Meanwhile, Cao Cao's temporary camp was full of anger. The hot-tempered Le Jin was the first to say, "Grand Marshal, I have carefully checked. There are not many soldiers in Luoyang City. The Yulin Army was sent to the west gate by the Imperial Guards and is undergoing training. Only the Imperial Guards are patrolling in groups of two or three. There are not many soldiers!"

His meaning is very simple, just to kill them!

Xiahou Yuan was no pushover either, and he said, "Grand Marshal, this is a golden opportunity! As long as we charge in, no matter if they are prime ministers or not, they are all rebels, we will kill them all. Then, we can support the crown prince to ascend the throne with just one imperial edict!"

Cao Hong, Cao Ang and others were relatively calmer, not so radical, and were more thinking.

The four gates are wide open, but there are not many soldiers in the city?

Isn't this obviously a trap?

But was it really a trap? Was it a deliberate attempt to confuse them? Was it to make them hesitate and buy time so that Huangfu Jianshou and Zhao Yun's troops could arrive?

"Cao Hong, what do you think?" After a long while, Cao Cao looked at Cao Hong and asked.

Cao Hong looked hesitant, but he still said, "Great Sima, we have come here. No matter if it is a trap or not, we must step on it. If we let it go, there will be no second chance like this!"

Cao Cao did not comment, and said expressionlessly: "Cao Ang."

Cao Ang immediately said: "Father, I agree with Cao Hong's idea. At this moment, we have no way out. We can only fight forward!"

When Le Jin heard that Cao Ang agreed, he became even more excited and said, "General, no one would miss such a good opportunity. Please make a decision as soon as possible!"

Xiahou Yuan had followed Cao Cao for many years, so he spoke without much scruples. He said more directly, "Meng De, why should a man of great accomplishments be so concerned about small matters? An unprecedented achievement is right before your eyes, why are you so timid?!"

Cao Cao looked calm and said, "Prepare the troops and send them to Luoyang in half an hour!"

"Yes!" The generals were overjoyed and responded loudly.

Cao Cao watched him go out, then sat there with an expression as cold and hard as iron, his eyes narrowed, and a gleam of light flickering like lightning.

What they said was right. Logically speaking, at this point, there is no way out.

But Cao Cao's fear of Liu Bian in his heart was also magnified to the extreme!

Xun Yu opened all four gates of Luoyang City and placed the Yulin Army to the west of the city, turning Luoyang City into an empty city!
What does this mean?
Is this a backup plan arranged by His Majesty?

Cao Cao was full of suspicion and became increasingly irritated. He could not help but walk out of the door, looking towards the direction of Luoyang City, and whispered to himself: "Your Majesty, what backup plan do you have that can stop my 50,000-man army?"

In the face of absolute strength, any conspiracy or trick will seem ridiculous!

But Cao Cao still lacked sufficient confidence and was unsure.

Now, there are two paths before him:
First, ordering an attack on Luoyang would be considered "treason" and there would be no turning back. One could only go down this path until the end.

The danger is that Luoyang City might be a huge trap prepared by His Majesty. Once the troops are sent out, we will die without a burial place!
Second, he followed Xun Yu's words and escorted Liu Shao into Luoyang alone to continue his loyalty. The danger is that he entrusted his own safety to the "Yingchuan Party", and his life and death were determined by others and not by himself!

"What do you think Cao Cao will choose?" Outside a small valley north of Luoyang City, Liu Bian stroked the jade pendant on his waist with his right hand, looked in the direction of Cao Cao's army, and asked with a smile.

The second son, who was chewing an apple, swallowed it hastily and said, "Your Majesty, I thought he would attack by force."

At this point, why would Cao Cao give up?
Unless he knew that the Majesty in front of him was not dead.

Liu Bian's hand stroking the jade pendant slowed down a bit, and his eyes became increasingly obscure.

He was also curious about what choice Cao Cao would make?

"Second Young Master,"

Liu Bian's voice was a little vague, and he said, "Tell me, if Cao Cao really rebels, wouldn't it be a big loss for our Han Dynasty?"

Huangfu Jian took a long bite of the apple and said nonchalantly, "Rebellion has its own losses, and it should be eliminated as soon as possible."

Liu Bian smiled, stroked the jade pendant again, and said, "It's almost done, Zhang Liao, you can go now."

Zhang Liao looked slightly startled, took a few steps forward and said, "Your Majesty, I'd better wait until the Grand Marshal enters the city before leaving."

Liu Bian waved his hand and said, "It's nothing serious. I trust Cao Qing's family. Go ahead and take Guan Yu with you. You are a general now. Don't charge into battle for no reason."

Zhang Liao couldn't see Liu Bian's expression, and after hesitating for a while, he said, "I obey your order."

After saying that, Zhang Liao took a few steps back, found Guan Yu, and began to count the troops.

But the speed is a bit slow.

Liu Bian pretended not to notice, took a deep breath, and said, "It's almost time to go back to the palace."

This sentence frightened Huangfu Jianchang so much that he dropped the apple in his hand and said hurriedly, "Your Majesty, don't worry, it's still early. Besides, it's troublesome to pack up. Stay a few more days. The wild rabbits in the back mountain are really good. I can't bear to leave..."

Liu Bian ignored his joke, put down the jade pendant, patted his clothes, and said, "I am talking about after Cao Qing's family entered the city."

Huangfu Jianzhang was relieved, picked up the apple from the ground, wiped it on his chest, and said casually: "Your Majesty, we have arranged it."

Liu Bian raised his eyebrows, turned around and looked at him, and said, "I have already sent that old butler back. Do you have any backup plan?"

Huangfu Jian was stunned. How did His Majesty know about the old butler?
But immediately, he said, "Yes."

"Don't move yet."

Liu Bian was not surprised. He turned around and continued to look in the direction of Cao Cao's camp, saying, "In this game, Cao Cao is not the protagonist."

Huangfu Jian nodded and continued to eat his apple.

Your Majesty, this chess game is very big, covering the entire Han Dynasty. The fundamental purpose is to further remove obstacles for the "New Deal".

Cao Cao is indeed not the protagonist, but he is a very key chess piece. This chess piece is enough to stir up the chessboard!

The second young master ate with great relish, feeling confident in his heart.

Once Cao Cao really rebels, he will not hesitate to use all means to kill Cao Cao!

Meanwhile, Henan County.

Chen Gong, the Minister of Works, Liu Yao, the Governor of Yuzhou, and others organized 3,000 people from various counties and prefectures and were marching towards Luoyang in a mighty force.

They were originally inspecting river works in Yuzhou when they received the news that Liu Bian had been assassinated and the Yulin Army had rebelled. They immediately dispatched city defense troops and rushed to Luoyang.

Like many other officials of the "Loyal Army", they could not wait to rush to Luoyang to serve the king.

When they were only thirty miles away from Luoyang City, a man appeared and stopped them.

Chen Gong looked at the dusty Zhong Yu who suddenly appeared and asked, "Are you telling the truth?"

Zhong Yu had been stopping people these days. He took out Xun Yu's handwritten letter from his pocket and said, "This is the letter from the Prime Minister. Read it and go back quickly. The first priority is to eliminate all rebellions and banditry in the country."

Chen Gong and Liu Yao looked at each other and carefully read the handwritten letter from Xun Yu, their expressions still suspicious.

Could it be that the Prime Minister was forced to write it down by the bandits?

Zhong Yu saw through the two people's thoughts at a glance, and said with a dry mouth: "I have explained the same thing countless times. Listen carefully, I was not in Luoyang before, and I was not coerced. I not only received the letter from the Prime Minister, but also from my father. This matter is indeed true. We don't need to worry about Luoyang City. The Prime Minister has his own way."

Chen Gong listened to Zhong Yu's words and said solemnly, "I only have one question, Your Highness, can you reach the capital safely?"

When Liu Yao heard this, he immediately said, "Yes, yes, yes. When can the prince return to the capital?"

His Majesty the Emperor was assassinated, and the most critical person now is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

Zhong Yu looked up at the sky, carefully estimated for a moment, and said, "According to the time, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will almost arrive in Luoyang."

Chen Gong said: "I want to go back to Beijing."

Just as Liu Yao was about to speak, Zhong Yu interrupted him and said, "Minister Chen can go back, but Envoy Liu must return to Xiang County. An imperial decree will be issued within half a month at the latest."

Liu Yao was hesitant. If he could not enter the capital, the prince's merit in following the emperor to the throne would be wasted.

Seeing that Zhong Yu agreed, Chen Gong pulled Zhong Yu over and discussed for a while. Then he turned around and said to Zhong Yu, "Minister Zhong, Minister Xun of the Secretariat, when will Lord Zhong arrive in the capital? Where is the Grand Marshal?"

Zhong Yu said without hesitation, "My father went to Sanfu to persuade Ma Teng that Han Sui had withdrawn his troops and would not return to the capital for the time being. Xun Pushe is in the army of the Grand Marshal, and the Grand Marshal is escorting the Crown Prince back to the capital from Mengjin Pass."

Chen Gong was a meticulous person. He immediately sensed something wrong in the words and his eyes flashed with suspicion.

Zhong Yu sighed and said, "I have said everything I need to say. If Minister Chen doesn't believe me, there is nothing I can do. I still have to go to Huanyuan Pass to stop Minister Wang. I won't stay any longer. Goodbye."

Liu Yao was stunned when he saw Zhong Yu leave like that. He said to Chen Gong, "Uncle Chen, what do you think about this matter? Is it true or false?"

Chen Gong watched Zhong Yu and several servants mount their horses and leave. He said thoughtfully, "It's hard to say. Envoy Liu, don't move for now, and don't go back. Wait here. I will go back to Luoyang to investigate. Wait for my news."

Liu Yao thought about it and said, "Okay. This is a win-win solution."

Chen Gong was extremely anxious. Without saying anything, he rode his horse and galloped towards Luoyang with the guards assigned to him by Liu Bian.

Zhong Yu, who took the lead, was destined to fail.

Because Wang Lang had already left Huanyuan Pass and appeared in a pavilion not far from Luoyang.

Compared to Chen Gong, Wang Lang was more well-informed. He received the news on the day when Xun Yu forced the Yulin Army to surrender and opened the city gates of Luoyang.

At this time, he and Cao Cao were facing each other across the city of Luoyang.

Wang Lang was looking at Luoyang City and waiting for Cao Cao's decision.

Once Cao Cao sends his troops to attack Luoyang, the situation of the entire Han Dynasty will change drastically!
(End of this chapter)