In August, the army's manpower was replenished in various regions, and it was ready to go.
Meanwhile, the spies planted within Dong Zhuo's ranks received orders from afar and began to accelerate the collapse of Dong Zhuo's empire...
"Alas, Dong Zhuo is doomed to defeat... It's time for our Yuan family to move away."
Yuan Wei, the only one in Chang'an who could foresee the impending collapse of the city, sighed in disappointment.
"Go and tell Jill that we... will sneak out today!"
...
Under the starry night, a huge mansion in Chang'an City, just like that day in Luoyang, was engulfed in flames.
Yuan Wei had already bribed the guards at the south gate and fled with his entire family under the cover of night.
"My lord, a convoy of carriages is leaving the city through the south gate and is heading towards our army. Should we intercept them?"
On the hillside, Zhao Hao held a simple monocular telescope and glanced at the convoy.
"Hehe... Inform Zhang Yan to attack the city as usual tonight."
"Royal Guards, follow me!"
In the dead of night, tens of thousands of infantrymen charged toward the towering walls of Chang'an, shouting battle cries.
On the forest path to the south, a small convoy encountered Zhao Hao's personal guard.
"Ahead lies Lord Yuan Wei. I am Qin Hao, and I request an audience!"
"We are just ordinary people..."
“Jier, Lord Qin is not a fool. Since he is waiting for me here, there is no need to hide anything anymore.”
Yuan Wei interrupted Yuan Ji, opened the carriage curtain, and stepped out of the carriage.
"The former General Who Guards the North, Marquis of Jinyang. Now he is General of Chariots and Cavalry, Marquis of Qin."
"Lord Qin has excellent methods and a broad vision. Yuan Wei is utterly ashamed of his inferiority!"
Zhao Hao smiled and was about to speak when a man with a red turban on his head walked out of the woods.
Yang Feng, nicknamed Aruo, is 29 years old.
Command: 65, Strength: 103, Intelligence: 68, Politics: 31, Charisma: 82
Personality traits: 1. Heroic 2. Patrolman 3. Courageous
"May I ask, sir, are you perhaps the Marquis of Qin in person?"
When Zhao Hao saw Yang Aruo, he didn't feel wary; instead, he was curious about how this guy was traveling.
His own men had not found any trace of him since Zhao Yun met him.
"I am who you are, and why are you obstructing my conversation with Lord Yuan?"
"Lord Qin, please forgive me. I am Yang Feng, also known as Yang Aruo from Liangzhou. I delayed your important business in Jizhou. At the suggestion of my junior general Zhao Yun, I have come to apologize to you."
Zhao Hao nodded. "I know about your matter. But if you want to apologize, finding my army camp wouldn't be difficult for you, given your skills. What, do you think I'm so worthless that I would ambush and kill someone passing by?"
Yang Aruo swallowed hard, glanced at the Yuan family members behind her, and sighed helplessly.
Then, he knelt down between the two sides, turning his head towards Zhao Hao's side to grab the ground.
"It is wrong of Aruo to judge a gentleman by the standards of a petty person."
However, the Yuan family has done me a great favor, and I wish to escort them safely away.
Yang Aruo has already repaid what she owed the Yuan family.
He only accompanied the guards because he didn't want to see the old and weak members of the Yuan family die on the journey.
Even Yuan Ji himself was unaware of this matter.
“If you’re going to protect me, then protect me, but don’t block my way from talking to Old Man Yuan.”
Otherwise, you've stirred up a conflict that wouldn't have arisen otherwise.
"Forehead..."
"Hero Yang, thank you for your protection along the way. Lord Qin is renowned throughout the land, how could he possibly make things difficult for an old man like me?"
"Let Ji'er rest first; I'll have a chat with Lord Qin."
Supported by maids and servants, Yuan Wei walked shakily to Zhao Hao.
Yuan Kui is now over sixty years old. His elder brother, Yuan Feng, also died of a sudden illness last year after Zhao Hao aided and abetted Dong Zhuo in defeating Yuan Shao's Guandong coalition.
If they knew that in a parallel universe they would have all been playing Candy Crush long ago, they might even have to thank Zhao Hao for letting them live a few more years.
"It has been three years since I last saw Lord Qin after our parting in Luoyang."
Zhao Hao smiled and nodded, then dismounted.
"It's chilly outside, Master Yuan, let's chat in my carriage."
Yuan Wei nodded slightly and followed Zhao Hao into a spacious carriage.
"Old man, isn't it too late to leave now?"
"Why are you dissatisfied with the position of Chancellor that Dong Zhuo, this self-proclaimed ruler of the Great Xia, has appointed you to?"
Once inside the carriage, Zhao Hao dropped all pretense and spoke to Yuan Wei in the way he felt most comfortable.
However, respecting the elderly and caring for the young is a fine virtue of ours, so Zhao Hao could still do the job of pouring this old man a cup of tea.
Seeing that Zhao Hao ignored him, Yuan Wei poured himself a cup of hot tea after asking his question, and then poured himself another cup. He drank three cups in a row before he felt at ease.
"Hehe... Granting fiefdoms to the entire realm and inciting strife, I am ashamed to be a Han official from a family that has held high office for four generations, yet I am powerless to change it."
Now I can only eke out a living and return to my hometown. I hope Lord Qin will have mercy and spare my life.
Zhao Hao smiled. He had been waiting for the right moment to attack the city for a long time that night, and he was very thirsty.
After drinking another cup of tea by himself, he finally replied to Old Man Yuan.
"Hey, when your Yuan family let Dong Zhuo into the capital, wasn't it with the intention of stirring up the root of chaos in the world?"
What, are you suddenly acting all high and mighty, treating me like a fool?
Yuan Wei's face darkened. He hadn't expected that Zhao Hao was someone who could see things so clearly, second only to Cao Cao.
No... at that time, Zhao Hao was far away in the northern desert, suppressing hundreds of thousands of remaining Xianbei tribes. So...
Did Zhao Hao already know that the Yuan family wanted to usurp the Han throne?
"Hehe, Lord Qin's methods are truly remarkable, I admire them. In that case, what does Lord Qin wish to do?"
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