In Qiao Yan’s camp, with both generals and strategists, and not limited to the scope of the ferry and pass, the camp was arranged with proper density.

They had even brought Ma Jun and Bi Lan from Bingzhou and set up a water-sprinkling contraption powered by manpower within the camp.

Moreover, to prevent summer heat-related illnesses, they had specialists who learned medicine from Wu Pu at the Le Ping Academy strictly overseeing the camp’s sanitation and diet.

In contrast, Niu Fu on the other side of the river had a much harder time.

Most of Xu Rong’s subordinates were members of the Northern Army’s five Division who had taken over after Dong Zhuo entered Luoyang, while Niu Fu’s men were mostly from Liangzhou.

These people were “restless.”

Before Qiao Yan had forced Luoyang, they had still, under Dong Zhuo’s orders, tried not to cause too much trouble so as not to hinder his smooth takeover of power, yet they had still managed to extract enough wealth from Luoyang’s wealthy families.

If they could search the outskirts of Luoyang or even further afield, they could have been even bolder.

But what was the situation now?

They were forced to stay in this military camp by the Yellow River, daily watching the Bingzhou soldiers on the opposite bank, seeing how they kept dragging new boats to the riverbank.

Clearly, the wealthy Luoyang was sheltered by the Mang Mountain just behind them, yet they had to endure such a difficult task here.

What was the logic behind that!

What frustrated them even more was that when they asked Niu Fu how long they would have to stay here, Niu Fu couldn’t give a clear answer.

He only said it depended on when the Le Ping Marquis on the other side would withdraw or advance.

Those responsible for scouting across the river only saw that Bingzhou’s troops were continuously receiving food supplies and that the soldiers leaving the camp were all full of energy, clearly not likely to withdraw in the short term.

So they had to continue to hold their ground!

The increasingly hot weather only exacerbated their irritation and impatience.

Niu Fu also felt the situation was dire.

He wished Qiao Yan on the opposite bank would quickly load soldiers onto those wooden boats and cross the river.

However, Qiao Yan showed no intention of moving, staying firmly entrenched like a post on the other side of the great river.

Qiao Yan was well aware of the current balance of forces and remained steady.

Sitting in the main command tent, she looked at Cao Ang, who had been sent by Cao Cao as a messenger.

Noting his light armor and tanned complexion, she smiled and said, “Has Brother Mengde been pushing Zixiu harder in his military training lately?”

Cao Ang, remembering his father’s teasing about bringing back a gift and now hearing Qiao Yan refer to Cao Cao so familiarly, felt these two indeed had much in common.

Despite his thoughts, he straightened his expression and replied, “My father nearly lost his life to one of Dong Zhuo’s generals recently. He and my uncles have been recruiting new soldiers and know Dong Zhuo is a tough opponent. To ensure my safety in battle, he has been strict with my training.”

This was not a bad thing.

Even if Cao Cao couldn’t foresee whether they could eliminate Dong Zhuo in one go, he knew the current turmoil wouldn’t be resolved in a year or two.

Learning some self-defense skills as a soldier could only benefit Cao Ang.

As Cao Ang had been living and training with regular soldiers, he naturally paid attention to the camp’s situation.

When Qiao Yan asked about his military experience, he smoothly inquired, “I noticed the Bingzhou soldiers are strong and highly motivated, though you have been stationed here for nearly ten days. Forgive my boldness, but how do you maintain such high morale?”

“How do I maintain it?” Qiao Yan finished his question for him.

Cao Ang blushed slightly.

In this period, there were only two sides: Dong Zhuo and the anti-Dong Zhuo coalition.

Within the coalition, allies didn’t have clear boundaries.

If Cao Cao were here, he would have asked directly, but Cao Ang hesitated.

Seeing him nod, Qiao Yan replied, “Because I told them that within a month at the latest, we will cross the river and attack!”

A month at the latest? Her firm decision on the timing of the advance surprised Cao Ang.

Before he could question her, she continued, “I know that Yuan Shao, Lu Gong, and Liu Bei have joined forces in Henei.

They could have come via Mengjin, but since I am here, they will meet with Brother Mengde and others at Suanzao.

The armies of Xuzhou, Yanzhou, and Yuzhou are gathering there.

Yuan Shu and Sun Jian have joined forces, attacking Taigu Pass, and are currently stationed in Luyang.

Luoyang is nearly encircled.”

Cao Ang responded, “That is correct.”

“Five years ago, I met Sun Jian in Changsha. He is a fierce and impulsive person, and hasn’t changed since.

If he were ordered to attack Taigu Pass quickly, considering his past conduct of leading the charge in Nanyang and beheading Yellow Turban rebels, it would only take a single swift attack.”

This was the first route.

“The armies gathering at Suanzao would make Dong Zhuo think we need time for discussions, food supply coordination, and balancing our forces, which would delay reinforcements to Chenggao.

Therefore, using a swift attack to break through their strong defenses would catch them off guard.”

This was the second route.

“I have stationed my troops here, firmly defending the camp, as if waiting for the right moment.

Meanwhile, the commander guarding the opposite pass is unaware that I can cross the river at any time and directly attack Luoyang, breaking through the pass.

This is to show the enemy that we cannot be easily breached.”

This is the strategy.

“And if we give Dong Zhou the opportunity to respond, not to mention the number of troops he could summon, he holds the Emperor and high-ranking officials as hostages.

This would make us cautious, potentially causing us to hesitate and miss our chance.

Take the Yuan family as an example.

While Yuan Benchu and Yuan Gonglu are raising troops outside, Yuan Ciyang and Yuan Shiji are in Luoyang. If we cannot achieve a quick victory, Dong Zhuo will use them as leverage.”

This assessment is indeed accurate.

The Yuan family’s situation is different from that of the Yang family of Hongnong.

Though both are distinguished families, the Yuan family’s influence and official power are much more prosperous than the Yangs.

Despite being based in Ruyang, they have a considerable number of direct descendants in the capital.

Due to such concerns and the presence of Lu Zhi, the chancellor appointed by the late Emperor, in this alliance, when Cao Ang left Suanzao to come to Mengjin, it was temporarily decided that Lu Zhi would serve as the leader of the alliance, rather than Yuan Shao.

However, there remains some contention over this, as Lu Zhi’s forces are not as numerous as Yuan Shao’s.

Yet, Cao Ang, with his seemingly naive perspective, felt this was not an insurmountable problem.

He withdrew his thoughts and saw Qiao Yan pointing to the map behind her. “Zixiu, take a look!”

The eight passes of Luoyang on the map were highlighted in red.

Even though the small characters were somewhat unclear, it was sufficient to recognize these locations.

She said, “If we can simultaneously attack Taigu, Xuanmen, and Mengjin, then we can divide our forces into two routes: one directly attacking Hangu Pass to block Dong Zhuo’s route, and the other guarding Mang Mountain to prevent him from escaping to the east.

The Suanzao allied forces will advance west, and the Luyang coalition will launch a surprise attack from the north.

Dong Zhuo will be trapped with no way out and will have no choice but to surrender or face annihilation.”

“This plan should be executed quickly, not slowly.”

“If so, is this month the most opportune time?”

Cao Ang looked at the map and replied confidently, “Yes, indeed!”

If Qiao Yan’s strategy is to attack from the south in one strong push, take advantage of the east route, and feign weakness in the north, then this is indeed the best time for a coordinated assault.

Qiao Yan said, “Please report this plan to Mengde(Cao Cao). If you do not go, I was also planning to send someone to Suanzao.”

Cao Ang bowed to her and immediately took his leave.

Of course, with Qiao Yan having her own sources of information and Cao Ang coming personally with the news, a few days later, Dong Zhuo in Luoyang also received news of the joint attack by Suanzao and Luyang.

Among the officials who raised troops this time from the various provinces of Guandong were Liu Dai, Kong Zhou, Ying Shao, and Zhang Miao, whom he had previously appointed.

This had already made him flip a table in anger.

Now, hearing that they had made Lu Zhi the alliance leader at the subsequent Suanzao meeting and bestowed upon him the title of General of Chariots and Cavalry made him even more furious.

The position of General of Chariots and Cavalry could only be conferred by the court and the emperor.

Even though Lu Zhi was a trusted minister appointed by the late emperor to assist in military and state affairs, their move to bestow this title was a direct challenge to Dong Zhuo, who had established himself as the most powerful figure in Luoyang.

Despite his raging fury, he had to focus on resolving the immediate problems.

Qiao Yan considered that Yuan Wei and Yuan Ji were still in Luoyang, monitored closely by Dong Zhuo’s generals due to their previous rebellion.

Dong Zhuo was also aware of this.

Thinking along the lines of using hostages, Dong Zhuo considered the young emperor on the throne.

If he could use hostages to persuade some of the allied forces to retreat, it would significantly ease his pressure.

Although Dong Zhuo’s violent and ruthless nature had been fully exposed in Luoyang, he knew he couldn’t single-handedly defeat all the allied forces and secure a victory.

His decision-making, like that of a man who suddenly gained immense power, boiled down to two options:

First, to move the hostages to a safer place to ensure they couldn’t be easily rescued.

Second, to defeat the allied forces one by one.

Considering that Qiao Yan was stationed north of the river, pressuring Mengjin, and showing no signs of weakness, Dong Zhuo’s headache worsened.

Perhaps, if he had a way to deal with Qiao Yan, the other allied forces wouldn’t have acted so decisively.

Deciding to leave the most troubling issue to Li Ru, he focused on the first problem.

With the allied forces pressing in, his only retreat was to the west.

Therefore, the most suitable place to move the hostages was also to the west.

The west meant Chang’an.

Dong Zhuo did not hesitate to make this decision.

For him, Chang’an was closer to Liangzhou, offering an additional layer of security.

With this in mind, on the fifteenth day of the fifth month in the first year of Guangxi, Dong Zhuo, robust and armed, stood in the court, ignoring the expression of the young Emperor Liu Xie.

Facing the ministers, he declared in a manner almost equivalent to an imperial edict, “I intend to move the court to Chang’an. What do you all think?”