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“……” Xu Rong was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.
He had a clear view of the situation before him.
The heavily armored shield-bearers arrayed in front of him were not something his cavalry could overcome in a charge at this moment.
The soldiers arrayed on the hill of Mang Mountain had already raised their bows, ready to shoot at any moment.
And behind them, the still-unknown ambushing forces might soon arrive.
It seemed he had only two options left.
Either he would throw himself into the roaring waters of the Yellow River, or he would surrender to the Governor of Bingzhou in front of him.
Xu Rong had no doubt that while Qiao Yan was launching this river crossing attack, the positions of Xuanmen Pass and Taigu Pass were also likely to be facing their enemies.
This was a three-pronged attack on Luoyang!
And yet, he felt that the route he considered the least likely to succeed had already succeeded in its river crossing attack.
How could the other two routes possibly fail?
In the brief moment of hesitation, he saw that the Bingzhou army on the other side of the river had disembarked another batch of troops.
Even with victory almost within reach, these Bingzhou troops, unlike the Liangzhou forces, showed no sign of relaxation.
Instead, they quickly allocated soldiers responsible for ferrying the boats and had the rest quickly form up behind Qiao Yan.
This was precisely the confidence that propelled her forward.
She was right.
Trapped here, waiting for her to finish organizing and advancing toward Xiaopingjin, under the overwhelming pressure of numbers, they were almost finished.
Xiaopingjin, still without a commander, had effectively been lost.
Given that the two river crossings were already in enemy hands, the upcoming attack on Luoyang should be much easier for Qiao Yan, given the less harsh terrain compared to the current situation.
So, did Xu Rong still need to defend a position that was destined to be defeated?
Although Xu Rong was an important general under Dong Zhuo, he wasn’t a trusted confidant or related by blood.
As Dong Zhuo’s defeat became almost certain, Xu Rong had to find a way out for himself and his troops.
The decision for Xu Rong was reinforced when Niu Fu was brought in, bound and presented to Qiao Yan.
Niu Fu, having been defeated in this surprise night attack, didn’t reflect on his own mistakes—such as his drunken state and poor control of the camp—but instead, he looked angrily at Xu Rong, who was still in a standoff with Qiao Yan.
Niu Fu, looking disheveled, glared at Xu Rong and said angrily, “I told you Xu Rong was no good! It turns out you brought the Bingzhou army here!”
Before Xu Rong could defend himself, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but laugh and said, “Niu Zhonglang, where did you get this idea?
Didn’t you see that Xu Rong came with cavalry to rescue you, only to end up trapped here?
Instead of saving you, he should have just returned to Luoyang.
At least he could have shown his loyalty to Dong Zhuo directly, rather than being slandered by you.
What do you think?”
The last five words were directed not at Niu Fu but at Xu Rong.
Xu Rong’s expression changed in the night, but his actions were straightforward.
He suddenly dismounted, walked a few steps towards Qiao Yan, stopped at the shield wall, removed his helmet, and knelt with one knee on the ground. “I am Xu Rong from Youzhou Xuanlu County. I have come to see Your Excellency. If you do not reject me, I am willing to serve you loyally.”
Xu Rong, originally from the borderlands, wasn’t one to make things difficult for himself.
He had tolerated Niu Fu’s accusations because Qiao Yan’s army was pressing.
If disputes arose between the crossings, it could have given the enemy an opportunity.
But now that the enemy had crossed the river, and Niu Fu was trying to blame him for the defeat, Xu Rong decided to stop holding back.
Since he was already seen as a traitor, he might as well fully commit.
He knew that Qiao Yan’s tactics, including her use of deceit, were not entirely honorable.
However, these tactics did not overshadow her achievement of crossing the river and taking Mengjin Pass.
Xu Rong’s gaze briefly shifted to the riverbank, where the inflated sheep skin rafts were left, giving him a clue about how the first batch of troops crossed the river.
Even without this deceitful tactic, Qiao Yan might still have achieved her current success.
Perhaps the greatest significance of his action was that it made Xu Rong realize whether he should remain on Dong Zhuo’s shaky ship.
Though he had some hesitation due to the momentary emotions, this hesitation was quickly suppressed.
After Xu Rong and Qiao Yan took their seats in the conference room within Mengjin Pass, she said, “General Xu’s willingness to defect to my side is quite surprising. Unfortunately, I cannot offer you a title like that of the Zhonglang General, as Dong Zhuo could. The only thing I can provide is a promise.”
She spoke with utmost seriousness, leaving no doubt about the authenticity of her words. “If General Xu joins me, you will be one of my subordinate generals. There will be no distinction between defector and defeated general.
The rules for earning military honors and rewards in the Bingzhou army will be the same as those for my other officers.”
“And there’s one more thing I must make clear, whether you believe me or not—if General Xu does not betray me, I will not doubt you.”
Hearing this, Xu Rong stood up and bowed to Qiao Yan again. “There is no need to address me as General anymore. My courtesy name is Wenxian. I would be content to serve under Your Excellency as a Commander.”
He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but as he mentioned “Commander,” he noticed a general across from him glance in his direction.
This general had come from the Xiaopingjin direction, and Xu Rong easily guessed that he was the heavily armored commander who had attacked his rear troops, returning ahead of the other soldiers to report the battle situation to Qiao Yan.
The faint morning light from outside illuminated the general’s sharp and proud features, but it also revealed a trace of what could be described as envy in his eyes.
Xu Rong was slightly puzzled by this reaction, but it was clearly not the main issue at hand.
He continued, “Before I came to assist at Mengjin Pass, I had informed the garrison inside that if I had not returned by noon, it would mean that Mengjin Pass and I had both failed. They must exit the pass and cross Mang Mountain from multiple directions to return to Luoyang and deliver the news.”
“Since Your Excellency knew I was coming, you must have anticipated that I would send word to Luoyang. However, intercepting messages in the mountains is easier than preventing them from being carried over the mountains on foot. With Your Excellency’s army of ten thousand, moving through thirty miles of mountain paths, you are bound to fall behind my messengers—”
“So I need to return and continue overseeing Xiaopingjin to prevent any information leaks.”
Qiao Yan thought for a moment and then asked, “How many Liangzhou troops are stationed at Xiaopingjin, and how many North Army soldiers are there?”
Xu Rong didn’t expect her to ask about the strength of the garrison at Xiaopingjin, rather than whether he was leaving any openings for the enemy.
Perhaps, as she said, there was no need for further explanation.
He straightened his expression and replied, “Three hundred Liangzhou troops and three thousand North Army soldiers.”
“Three thousand…”
If these three thousand soldiers, as Xu Rong described, continue to guard Xiaopingjin to prevent leaks, it indeed meets Qiao Yan’s current needs.
However, this also means that after achieving the goal of clearing the traitors, these soldiers would be forced to transition from being considered enemies to being reassigned to the Five Armies, which ultimately has nothing to do with Qiao Yan.
But if these elite-trained soldiers could be directly incorporated into her forces during the process of their defection, wouldn’t that be even better?
Qiao Yan had already shown interest in this unit, which combined various types of cavalry, during the previous selection of the General of the North.
Given the current chaotic order and the unstable environment in Luoyang, it actually presents an opportunity for them to move.
The key to this is whether she can get them to assist in the attack on Luoyang.
She asked, “If I have not only the decree to punish Dong Zhuo but also a royal edict to clear the court of usurpers, do you think Wenxian can persuade his troops to join the siege of Luoyang?”
Xu Rong was surprised and saw Qiao Yan hand the royal edict she had obtained from Guo Jia to him.
The edict read: “Before the late Emperor passed away, he knew the current Emperor was young and there were likely to be attempts to undermine the throne.
The Generalissimo then threatened imperial authority and showed signs of rebellion.
As a loyal minister to the late Emperor, I should contribute to stabilizing the capital’s chaos.
Unfortunately, during the turmoil in Luoyang, I was still campaigning in the northern borders.
By the time this edict reached me, Dong Zhuo had already entered the capital.”
“This person initially appointed capable officials to govern, although he had no official title as regent, he was not without the potential to restore peace in the land. Hence, I did not reveal this edict. But now—”
“Now the situation is different,” Qiao Yan continued with a hint of regret. “Dong Zhuo’s tyranny is despised by all. If the capital were moved to Chang’an, Luoyang’s rule would be in jeopardy, and the Han dynasty’s honor would be lost. At this critical moment, Luoyang must be quickly defeated! If this edict can be used to convince the Northern Army’s five divisions to aid in attacking Luoyang’s northern city and prevent harm to the northern suburbs, it would be worth it.”
Xu Rong saw the royal seal on the edict, with the inscription “Mandated by Heaven, Forever Prosperous.”
The seal showed signs of being repaired, indicating it was the same one from the end of the Former Han Dynasty, which had been broken and later mended.
Xu Rong had heard that when Dong Zhuo entered Luoyang, Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao, among others, had hastily burned the palace and fled with the two princes.
The seal was hidden by Zhang Rang but disappeared after his death, and even the current emperor Liu Xie did not know its whereabouts.
The presence of this edict greatly increased its authority.
He replied, “If that’s the case, convincing them will not be difficult. Leave this matter to me.”
Xu Rong’s control over the Northern Army was far superior to that of Niu Fu.
The soldiers who had previously participated in the Western Suburb military exercises still remembered how highly the Emperor had valued Qiao Yan when she was appointed as Governor of Bingzhou.
The appointment had been made despite strong opposition, so having such an edict in her hands required little explanation.
Besides the official title, there was another reason.
Even though Dong Zhuo controlled Emperor Liu Xie, he was an illegitimate ruler condemned by the righteous scholars.
It was difficult for the soldiers not to feel uneasy about serving him and fearing potential repercussions.
Had it not been for their families mostly being in Luoyang, they might have already fled by now.
Fortunately, Lord Qiao holds the imperial edict and has crossed the river with ten thousand troops, persuading Xu Rong to surrender.
If Dong Zhuo can be captured in this battle, they need not worry about their families being harmed, and they can clear themselves of the suspicion of being traitors through this fight!
What a good fortune!
Before dusk, they were already under a command, having arrived at Mengjin Pass and joined forces with Qiao Yan.
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CyyEmpire[Translator]
Hello Readers, I'm CyyEmpire translator of various Chinese Novel, I'm Thankful and Grateful for all the support i've receive from you guys.. Thank You!