"Dong Zhuo devised a plan to sow discord between Yuan Shao and Ding Yuan, and between Ding Yuan and Lü Bu, while secretly contacting Empress Dowager He and Yuan Wei!"

"Lu Bu led his troops to Yuan Shao to demand the release of Yuan Shao. Dong Zhuo sent troops to stir up trouble. Yuan Shu, under orders from the Empress Dowager and his family, relieved Yuan Shao of his military power."

"As a result, Ding Yuan was killed in the chaos, and Lü Bu led his troops eastward in anger. Dong Zhuo seized all of Ding Yuan's remaining troops, returned them to the young emperor, entered Luoyang, and was appointed Grand Tutor and General of the Vanguard!"

"Yuan Shao fled back to Ji Province, and Yuan Shu succeeded Yuan Shao as Commandant of the Capital Region, and also became Governor of Henan and General Who Conquers the South!"

"Empress Dowager He resumed her regency, and Yuan Wei, Wang Yun, Yang Biao, and Sima Fang took control of the government."

"Meanwhile, Dong Zhuo, as the commander-in-chief of all the troops in the capital, has deployed defenses at key passes around Luoyang, intending to fight our army to the death!"

"......"

Ten days later, in Hanoi Prefecture, Zhi County (near present-day Jiyuan, Henan).

Guns like a forest, horses like dragons!

Thousands of troops are here, ready to go.

After listening to the intelligence about Luoyang that Shen Lian had gathered in the main tent, Liu Wei couldn't help but sigh:

"Pengju, Wenyuan, we were too late in the end and missed such a wonderful feast. What a pity!"

"However, Dong Zhuo's method of sowing discord seems familiar. It's likely that someone is getting restless and wants to make a name for themselves!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liao said, "My lord, this plan is so obvious. I can't understand how those three were tricked by Dong Zhuo with just a few words."

"Wen Yuan, the strategy itself is not difficult; the difficulty lies in accurately understanding the mind of the target of the strategy."

Liu Wei smiled faintly, "In addition, Dong Zhuo himself also did a lot of work, and Empress Dowager He and Yuan Wei also had their own selfish motives."

"Those who offer advice must either be used by me or be eliminated. Otherwise, leaving such people to our opponents will only bring them harm in the end."

"But this is good. Dong Zhuo has taken care of everything in Luoyang, so I don't have to deal with him one by one. I only need to deal with him!"

"Pengju, how are the preparations? What is Dong Zhuo's defensive setup? When can we cross the river?"

Ten days ago, Liu Wei exchanged Yue Family Army and, with the speed of a thunderbolt, seized Hedong County, ambushed Hua Xiong's troops, and then locked down Jiexiu, a key town on the Taiyue Road from Taiyuan to Hedong.

Subsequently, Di Qing, Zhang Liao, and 10,000 troops from Shangjun surrounded Taiyuan County.

With the help of the Wang and Gao families in Taiyuan, they quickly captured Taiyuan County.

The Bingzhou army that remained in Taiyuan, along with the armies of Fan Chou and Zhang Ji, abandoned Taiyuan and joined Hu Zhen in Shangdang.

Hu Zhen also received Dong Zhuo's order, so the group joined forces and led 50,000 troops to withdraw from Shangdang and head to Luoyang to join Dong Zhuo.

Upon learning this, Liu Wei left Di Qing to oversee Bingzhou and eliminate Dong Zhuo's remaining forces, while the rest of the armies joined forces in Hanoi, preparing to march on Luoyang simultaneously with Yao Guangxiao's army in Guanzhong.

At this time, Yao Guangxiao's side, in addition to the 80,000 troops that entered Guanzhong from Shangjun, also had Xue Rengui's 2,000 Xuanjia cavalry and 5,000 Baipao cavalry.

After Zhang Yang fled to Hanzhong, Xue Rengui took control of the entire Liangzhou region and then led his army to Guanzhong to join forces with Yao Guangxiao.

When Zhang Liao and Yue Fei's armies entered Hanoi, they were blocked by Dong Zhuo's troops at Jiguan Pass, which delayed them for some time.

When Hu Zhen left Shangdang, he left 10,000 troops to guard Jiguan Pass.

It took Zhang Liao and Yue Fei three days to capture the city, thus missing the pivotal meeting at the gates of Luoyang.

"My lord, the army has assembled and can cross the river at any time from multiple points!"

Yue Fei confidently stated, "Although they are under unified command and have heavily fortified various passes near Luoyang, they are not impregnable to me."

Yue Fei tested his skills by seizing Hedong and blocking Hua Xiong.

Liu Wei appointed Yue Fei as Grand Commander, placing him in the Grand Council to command the troops north of the Yellow River and direct this river-crossing operation.

After seeing the 12,000-strong army of Yue Fei's troops and his officers Yue Yun, Gao Chong, Yang Zaixing, and Zhang Xian, none of Zhang Liao, Di Qing, Liu Du, Li Su, Zhang Yan, Zhao Yun, and others raised any objections.

Therefore, Liu Wei assembled 50,000 main combat troops and 100,000 auxiliary troops on the north bank of the Yellow River.

According to the intelligence obtained by Shen Lian, Dong Zhuo originally had an army of 50,000. Later, about 50,000 troops from Hu Zhen, Fan Chou, Zhang Ji, Hua Xiong and other forces came to his aid. In addition, he gained 10,000 troops from Ding Yuan's remaining forces, bringing the total number of troops to 110,000!

Meanwhile, there were also troops from the Western Garden Army, the Five Colonels of the Northern Army, Yuan Shu, Huang Wan, and other places in the capital, totaling 120,000 men!

Dong Zhuo stationed troops at Hangu Pass, Gucheng, Pingyin, Yanshi, Chenggao, Mengjin, Gongxian, and Hulao Pass, forming three deep lines of defense around Luoyang.

Along the south bank of the Yellow River from Pingyin to Chenggao, there are sentry posts every ten miles or so, strictly guarding the area.

"Dong Zhuo's defenses appear impenetrable, especially Hangu Pass in the west. It seems the strategist has no other option but to launch a desperate siege!"

Liu Wei frowned.

Hangu Pass is a place where one man can hold off ten thousand.

Dong Zhuo assigned Hu Zhen to lead 5,000 elite troops to defend this area.

Meanwhile, heavy troops were also deployed in Mianchi and Xin'an.

It seems they intend to keep Liu Wei's troops outside Luoyang and wage a protracted war.

"My lord, although they have fortified passes and cities, they have no navy!"

Yue Fei smiled confidently, “There are many waterways around Luoyang, and there is also the Hongnong River in front of Hangu Pass.”

"Our navy has two thousand men and five hundred small warships. We roam freely on the Yellow River and the Luo River, and the enemy cannot do anything to us!"

Yue Fei's navy was acquired after he quelled Yang Yao's uprising in Dongting Lake. They were experts in naval warfare and were invincible.

Let alone Dong Zhuo, even within the Han Dynasty court, most people probably didn't know what a navy was.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!