Ji Han Liu Zhang

Yubi City.

Gan Ning and Jia Xu's army marched eastward, then turned north and arrived at the site of the newly built city Yubi City on the banks of the Fen River.

"It is located on a high ground, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Moreover, the place controls the Fen River. It is indeed an important place and a dangerous pass." Jia Xu looked at the Yubi City which seemed to be on a high platform. He stroked his beard and sighed repeatedly.

Gan Ning responded with a nonchalant tone, "The place you chose, there must be something wrong. It must be the dangerous pass in Hedong."

"Indeed, your vision is always good." Jia Xu nodded, and he stretched out his hand to point at the mountains and rivers: "But a city alone is not enough to achieve a perfect situation. If we build fortifications on the high hills near Yubi City to form a pincer attack, then even if Yuan's army of 100,000 comes, they will be defeated and return."

Gan Ning rubbed his short beard and said after thinking for a while, "What you said makes sense, sir. One point is not enough to control the overall situation. We need to combine the points into a whole to achieve a perfect situation."

After that, Gan Ning and Jia Xu set foot on the only road leading to Yubi City and arrived at the gate of Yubi City from a sloping slope.

The walls of Yubi City are more than three meters high, and with the high platform under the city, it seems as if the city is in the clouds. It also has all the defensive facilities, such as pheasant plates, battlements, and towers. The Yubi City, which was built within three to five months, does look like a strong city.

"Li Zilang is indeed a man of extraordinary talent in civil engineering." Jia Xu stroked his beard and praised Li Xiu, the captain of the civil engineering team who supervised the construction of Yubi City.

Gan Ning nodded and said, "Tongguan in Taolinsai was built by Li Zilang. I went to see it before and I know that he is indeed talented in civil engineering. Your Excellency has made the right choice by employing people."

Just as Gan Ning and Jia Xu were observing and gazing at the gate of Yubi City, a rider came out of the city and shouted loudly, "Xingba, why are you so late?"

"Zi Chu, what are you talking about? I have traveled all the way from Chang'an to here, but I have never stopped for a day." Gan Ning raised his voice and replied, "I just hope to meet you soon, Zi Chu."

The Governor of Yubi - Lou Fa and Lou Zichu, were both from Baxi County, and Gan Ning. They had been good friends since their early years. When they met their old friends today, they naturally had endless words to talk about and endless wine to drink.

At night, the government offices in Yubi City were lit up as brightly as day, and a small-scale banquet was in progress.

"Not long ago, I heard that your Excellency sent Xingba to govern Taiyuan County. I calculated the day for your arrival in Hedong, but I waited for more than a month. I finally saw Xingba today." Lou Fa's tone was unfriendly, as if he was blaming Gan Ning for his slowness, but there was more surprise and friendship in his tone for meeting Gan Ning.

"I returned to Chang'an after conquering the Qiang and Di tribes in Longyou, and then took over the task of governing Taiyuan County from you. Because the soldiers had just finished the battle, you allowed me to rest for ten months before we could set off." Gan Ning explained.

Lou Fa showed a warm smile and responded, "Thank you for your hard work, Xingba. You just conquered Longyou and now you have to go back to Taiyuan. You have been running around and working day and night."

"I am loyal to my master and I am the one who feeds me." Gan Ning said disapprovingly, "Even if it is your order, I will go through fire and water. Besides, it would not be comfortable to stay in Chang'an. It would be better to go to Taiyuan and relax."

"Xingba is happy to hear about war. Is this because the Qin people have lived in the Three Prefectures for a period of time and have become an army of tigers and wolves?" Lou Fa sneered when he heard this.

Gan Ning waved his hands and said, "Zichu, what are you talking about? Just because the Qin people are a fierce army, do we, the people of Bashu, have to be pushed aside?"

"When it comes to fighting and conquering, the knights of the Jinfan Army are no less capable than the Qin people."

Speaking of Jin Fan'er under his command, Gan Ning's tone was full of pride. Since he led his men to fight, he had never been defeated and his troops could be called the most powerful force in the world.

"Xingba's troops are indeed very powerful." Lou Fa nodded in response. Among the generals under Yu Minggong Liu Zhang, the combat effectiveness of Gan Ning's troops was obvious to all, so he agreed with Gan Ning's boasting.

After chatting with Gan Ning for a while, Lou Fa did not forget Jia Xu who accompanied Gan Ning. He raised his glass to pay tribute to Jia Xu, the famous scholar from Liangzhou, and said: "Mr. Wenhe's visit here makes Yubi City glorious."

"Please feel free to do as you like, sir. I will drink this cup to its full content." Lou Fa raised the cup, drank it to its full content, then turned the cup upside down to show that it was empty.

Jia Xu was not to be outdone. He did not take small sips but drank the entire cup like Lou Fa, giving enough face to Lou Fa, the Yubi Governor.

"Sir, you are very generous. I admire you very much." Seeing Jia Xu finish the cup, Lou Fa's usually calm and relaxed expression showed a smile, and he said respectfully.

"Today, Mr. Wenhe and I looked around Yubi City and talked about the beauty of the city. We both agreed that it is a strong fortress that is no less powerful than Hulao and Tongguan," Gan Ning praised.

"In addition, Mr. Wenhe believes that a single Yubi city is not enough to scare off the enemy. If three or five fortifications are built near Yubi City to form a pincer attack, Yubi City will be completely safe. Even if there are millions of enemies, they will turn around and not think of attacking the city."

"Sir, your opinion is similar to mine." Lou Fa said to Jia Xu, "This was decided when you inspected Hedong this morning. In addition to building Yubi City, we also need to build several outer city ramparts to match it. However, the people in front were busy building Yubi City, so they didn't have time to build the outer city ramparts."

"It's because I was too late. I should be punished with a glass of wine." Although Jia Xu had already made plans for his family, there was no shame on his face. He poured himself a glass of wine in a generous manner.

"The city is located on a high platform and draws water from the Fen River. We must also guard against enemies cutting off our water supply. Otherwise, we will have food but no water. Even if we have 10,000 soldiers and years of food, the city will still fall and people will die," Gan Ning suggested.

"Xingba, don't worry." Lou Fa smiled and said, "When the city was built, Li Zilang took precautions against this, so he dug more than ten wells in the city. When it comes to drawing water, we don't have to rely on the Fen River."

"Yubi City is close to the Fen River, and there are abundant water veins underneath. If you dig casually, you can dig out a well of sweet and refreshing water."

"In this case, Yubi City is safe." Gan Ning nodded. He laughed loudly and said, "I would like to see the Yuan army in Hebei arrive here and see the helpless look of this strong city."

"We'll see each other sooner or later." Lou Fa raised his glass and drank it in one gulp.

After skipping the defense facilities of Yubi City, the group talked about the situation in Taiyuan County, making preparations for the attack on Taiyuan County. Gan Ning asked, "Zi Chu sent scouts to Taiyuan County. Do you know what the current situation is in Taiyuan County?"

Lou Fa put down the wine glass in his hand and said sternly, "Gao Gan was recommended by Yuan Shao to serve as the governor of Bingzhou. However, the areas he controls are only Shangdang, Taiyuan and other places. The areas north of Jinyang, Yanmen and Changshan, the county seat may be in Gao Gan's hands, but apart from the county seat, all the counties are occupied by the nobles, Xiongnu, Wuhuan, Xianbei and other barbarian dogs."

"In fact, even Taiyuan County was not completely occupied by Gao Gan." Lou Fa said slowly: "Ten miles outside Jinyang City, the Xiongnu Chanyu Huchuquan stopped and hovered. There were also the Xiongnu Left Wise King Liu Bao and the Xiongnu Right Wise King Qu Bei, who lived in the dangerous and fertile places of Taiyuan County. Taiyuan County was nominally established by Gao Gan, but in reality it was like the Xiongnu royal court."

"As brother said, the Hu dogs have penetrated deep into the inner counties and spread out in the fields. Most of the huge Bingzhou is in the hands of the Hu dogs." Gan Ning looked solemn and his eyes were heavy.

"Yes." Lou Fa sighed: "At the beginning of the founding of the country, Emperor Guangwu placed the stray Southern Xiongnu in the border counties of Bingzhou. At first, the Southern Xiongnu were law-abiding and had no intention of committing any evil..."

"But now the world is in chaos and the people are leaderless, so the Hu dogs are taking advantage of the situation to stir up trouble. Today, the Southern Xiongnu are living in Taiyuan County, and one day they may move to Hedong. The day after that, I'm afraid they will take over Luoyang." Lou Fa looked into the distance, worried about the future.

"How can Yuan Shao ignore the rampant Hu dogs? How can Gao Gan, the governor of Bingzhou, just let it go?" Gan Ning thought of the Yuan family who controlled Bingzhou. Yuan Shao controlled Hebei. How could he dare to let the Xiongnu live in Taiyuan County? He let the Qiang and Hu live in the heart of his own country.

Lou Fa shook his head and sneered, "Yuan Shao is a benevolent ruler. He is determined to recruit the Xiongnu, Wuhuan, and Xianbei to serve him. As long as the foreigners do not plot rebellion, Yuan Shao will let them do whatever they want... And Yuan Shao believes that the foreigners are not capable of accomplishing anything, so there is nothing to worry about even if they live in the inner counties."

"Right now." Lou spoke about the attitude of the Southern Xiongnu: "The Southern Xiongnu were recruited by Yuan Shao and have been serving Yuan wholeheartedly. Whenever there is a war, they either send troops or horses... This time when you are conquering Taiyuan, your enemy may be the coalition of Yuan and the Southern Xiongnu."

"It doesn't matter. Even if there are 100,000 Hu dogs, there is nothing to be afraid of." Gan Ning was full of heroic spirit. He did not take the Southern Xiongnu seriously. He had full confidence in the fighting ability of his men.

"Where is Gao Gan now? Is there any movement in Yecheng?" Jia Xu asked two key points.

Lou Fa replied: "Gao Gan seems to have discovered that our army is going to seize Taiyuan, and now Gao Gan is rushing to Jinyang to help lead the Southern Xiongnu. At the same time, Gao Gan wrote a letter to Yecheng. Not long ago, a spy in Yecheng delivered a secret letter saying that Yuan Shao's generals Yan Liang and Gao Lan will rush to Taiyuan County... In addition, since Gao Gan left Shangdang, the famous general Zhang He from Hebei led his army to station there to defend Shangdang County on Gao Gan's behalf."

"Gao Gan, Yan Liang, Gao Lan, and the Southern Xiongnu." Jia Xu named the enemies that needed to be dealt with during this expedition to Taiyuan.

……

Xudu.

General Dong Cheng has been looking worried and a little tired lately. He is about to do something big, so he can't sleep at night and has no rest. As a result, without enough sleep, his complexion seems a little bad.

The important thing Dong Cheng had to do was to join forces with General Wang Zifu, Changshui Captain Zhong Ji, and Counselor Wu Shuo to rescue Emperor Liu Xie who was being held hostage and monitored by Cao's confidants.

into the night.

Dong Cheng and Wang Zifu and others met in a secret room. As the leader, Dong Cheng said, "Since the capital was moved to Xu, the power has belonged to the Cao family. The emperor is in charge of the family and all officials are just waiting for their turn. As people who have been receiving salaries from the Han Dynasty for generations, how can we just sit back and watch?"

"Cao Cao is now on an expedition to Qingxu in the east, leaving Xudu empty. Let's gather our forces together, attack the palace, rescue the emperor, then flee west to Guanzhong to meet with Grand Marshal Liu Zhang, and prevent the emperor from falling into the hands of the enemy."

"Should we slow down a bit?" Wang Zifu was a little hesitant. He said hesitantly, "Left General Liu Bei is in cahoots with us, but he was sent out. Although he took advantage of Cao Cao's unpreparedness to attack and kill Che Zhou and capture Xuzhou, we heard that Cao Cao had already taken Xuzhou. Now we have lost a helper, so it is not easy to attack."

"How can we delay?" Dong Cheng said sternly, "Cao Cao has conquered Xuzhou and turned to Langya and Donghai, intending to conquer Haidong. The bandits in Mount Tai are no match for Cao Cao. If Cao Cao defeats the bandits in Mount Tai and returns to Xudu, relying on the power of a great victory, we will have no chance."

"I have made up my mind. I will prepare some things tomorrow and launch the attack the day after tomorrow. We must not delay, otherwise Cao Cao will return to Xudu and there will be no such opportunity again."

Dong Cheng said resolutely. At the same time, he used the dim light of a lamp on the table to scan the people present with sharp eyes, and earnestly advised: "The emperor is humiliated, how can we loyal officials and righteous men sit idly by and watch? We must make a conclusion today, otherwise, I don't know when we can save the emperor from the hands of the thieves."

Dong Cheng's words moved everyone present, so they decided to swear an oath of blood and seal the alliance with blood.

Day two.

Dong Cheng had not slept well all night and fell into a deep sleep for a short time in the second half of the night. Although he got up on time and opened his sleepy eyes, his brain was still in a state of shutdown and it took him a long time to fully wake up.

Then Dong Cheng heard a report from outside that a eunuch was coming to the mansion. He quickly washed up and went out to greet the eunuch from the palace.

"Your Majesty, would you like to invite the General of Cavalry into the palace for a while?" The eunuch did not dare to act arrogantly in front of Dong Cheng, the emperor's uncle. Although he was conveying the emperor's order, his tone was respectful.

"Hmm?" Dong Cheng showed a bit of hesitation on his face. Ever since he received the imperial edict, he and the emperor had reached a tacit understanding that the emperor would not easily invite him into the palace. After all, it would be too conspicuous and it would be easy to reveal Dong Cheng's plan.

But today the emperor sent someone to summon him to the palace, which made Dong Cheng wonder if there was any unusual change in the palace. After thinking for a moment, he shook off the hesitation in his heart. Now Cao Cao was on an expedition to Qingxu, and he thought that there would not be any changes in the palace. Perhaps the emperor had not seen him for a long time and just wanted to meet him.

"Angel, please wait a moment while I change into court clothes." Dong Cheng said. He could not wear casual clothes when entering the palace. He needed to change his clothes.

"His Majesty regards the general as a close person and has specifically instructed that the general can enter the palace upon receiving the order and not to delay for other matters." When the eunuch saw that Dong Cheng delayed changing his clothes for a while, he hurriedly spoke out to stop him and demanded that Dong Cheng enter the palace with him right away to meet the emperor.

"Understood," Dong Cheng said respectfully, and then he followed the eunuch to the palace. However, Dong Cheng felt dazed as he walked, as if something ominous had happened. However, he did not pay too much attention to it, and just thought it was because he did not sleep well last night. (End of this chapter)