On that day, Lü Bu returned to the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry camp, his face bruised and swollen, covered in wounds.
It must be said that Zhao Hao helped pull out the halberd that was deeply embedded in the loess soil.
Helpless, Lü Bu left with the help of his guards, but he knew that Zhao Hao was just putting on an act and had no complaints.
In July, Sun Jian and Hua Xiong faced off against Yang Ren, but due to orders from the allied forces, Sun Jian dared not launch an attack.
On Hua Xiong's side, due to Dong Zhuo's orders, they temporarily suppressed their desire to attack, and only led their soldiers to defend the city without making any rash moves.
"Wenyou, what tricks is Zhao Hao playing?"
"He not only wants to marry my granddaughter, but he also wants Lü Bu's daughter?"
Deep within the palace, the burly Dong Zhuo, with a few blushes on his face, was still savoring the lingering pleasure from the palace maid he had just been with.
Fortunately, in front of him were Li Ru and Li Wenyou, who had supported him all the way.
“Father-in-law, Zhao Hao became famous at a young age. Although he has done some righteous deeds, he may not necessarily be a person of high moral character.”
Born into a poor family, he probably wanted more support from powerful families.
If he were to marry the Grand Tutor's granddaughter, he would naturally have our support. The Grand Tutor's adopted son, Fengxian, is originally from Bingzhou. Perhaps this is... firstly, to appease the powerful clans of Bingzhou, since none of Zhao Hao's wives and concubines are from Bingzhou.
Secondly, perhaps it was intended to give us, and also to show the renowned bravery of General Fengxian, a warning. General Fengxian's return, bruised and battered, shows he has rendered great service to the Grand Tutor; the Grand Tutor need not worry so much.”
Dong Zhuo nodded slightly, but then sighed.
"Alas, if that's the case... Lü Bu has no relatives left in Luoyang, how are we supposed to control him?"
"Grand Tutor, there's no need to worry. It's rumored that General Fengxian and his wife, Lady Yan, don't get along well. Perhaps sending him to Bingzhou would be a good thing!"
In the future, the Grand Tutor only needs to send some beautiful maids to General Fengxian. If these maids give birth to children, wouldn't they be able to firmly grasp Lü Fengxian and those Bingzhou soldiers?
Moreover, Lü Bu prides himself on the loyalty of outlaws, and his wife and daughters probably don't hold as much importance in his heart as his brothers from Bingzhou who have fought alongside him for many years.
Therefore, Grand Tutor, there is no need to worry. The Confucian scholar has already devised a plan!
Dong Zhuo nodded in satisfaction, "That's good. With Wenyou here, I feel much more at ease!"
Alas, Zhao Hao is too powerful; we can't do anything to that detestable Empress Dowager He..."
Li Ru raised an eyebrow and quickly stopped him.
"Grand Tutor, it is rumored that the Princess has given birth to a son for Zhao Hao, and the two have a close relationship that cannot be influenced by ordinary wives and concubines."
Therefore, if we were to harm Liu Bian and He Ling, it would inevitably antagonize Zhao Hao's forces. I urge Grand Tutor to consider the bigger picture!
Dong Zhuo waved his hand helplessly, "Alright, alright, you've already said these things. Do you think I'm an unreasonable person?"
Li Ru finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Grand Tutor, let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart. If Zhao Hao hadn't been there, I would have been willing to give Liu Bian and He Ling a cup of poisoned wine for you!"
However, Zhao Hao now possesses the strength to annihilate hundreds of thousands of barbarians. After two years of fighting to sustain the war effort and allowing for partial recuperation, the military strength of Bingzhou is no longer what it once was.
According to General Fengxian's intelligence gathered from inside Jiguan Pass, Zhao Hao has at least 100,000 naval troops and 50,000 cavalry! Although my Xiliang troops are certainly no less capable than Zhao Hao in terms of cavalry.
However, Luoyang is surrounded by a dense network of rivers, and if there is naval interference, the cavalry's combat strength may be reduced.
Therefore, stabilizing Zhao Hao and securing his assistance is of paramount importance! Once relations are stable, whether the Grand Tutor intends to harm Liu Bian or He Ling, Wen You will be ready to die for him!
Dong Zhuo nodded helplessly, but in his heart, he had already begun to feel somewhat annoyed with Li Ru.
Over the years, he gradually lived like a puppet, rather than the hero who once befriended the Qiang chieftain.
Therefore, he will listen to all plans and suggestions that do not align with his wishes.
But in his heart, a lot of dissatisfaction had already accumulated!
"Alright, alright, let's do it your way. But, will Zhao Hao really be able to settle things with the warlords at Hulao Pass for us?"
Li Ru nodded emphatically, "Prefect Wang Kuang of Hanoi has already been defeated by Niu Fu, the son-in-law of the Grand Tutor. He only needs to relinquish this worthless territory of Hanoi in exchange for Zhao Hao's iron cavalry repelling the enemy. It's a worthwhile deal!"
Grand Tutor, regardless of who wins or loses, it will inevitably result in mutual destruction.
Our army only needs to send Fengxian's troops to guard Hulao Pass alongside Zhao Hao's main force. Our various tribes in Xiliang should guard the remaining smaller passes and trails. The bandits from Guandong can then be easily defeated!
"Mmm, I have no objections to your arrangements. Wenyou, I'm tired, you can go now."
Li Ru also noticed Dong Zhuo's impatience, so he said no more and reluctantly accepted the order and left.
Dong Zhuo felt resentment and displeasure, but also admiration.
He asked himself if he could ever do what Li Ru did if he were someone else's son-in-law.
But he was constantly hampered in his attempts to do whatever he wanted, and he really...
fed up!
"What!? General Zhao Hao of the Northern Garrison has entered Hanoi, and Wang Kuang has retreated due to his weakened state. Now, 50,000 cavalry are stationed in Hanoi, and 100,000 naval troops have set up camps along the river to protect Hanoi and the two eastern regions..."
Yuan Shao, inside the Suanzao Allied Forces' main tent, was in a much worse situation.
Moreover, apart from one force that had secretly pledged allegiance to Zhao Hao and was secretly laughing, all the other warlords in the allied forces of Guandong looked worried.
"Great... Alliance Leader, the situation is dire. Should we continue to request reinforcements?"
Yuan Shao chuckled, not wanting to pay any attention to his younger brother who often looked down on him because he was the direct descendant.
“My dear brother, given your relationship with Liu Jing, not only can he not send troops to support you, but in the world today, the only other warlords who can ask him to send troops are Liu Yan and Liu Yu. If you include those who are not of any real importance, then there are those second-rate guys entrenched in Jiangdong.”
Even if those people were brought here, could they compare to the Marquis of Jinyang?
Everyone lowered their heads and remained silent, for the truth was indeed as Yuan Shao had said.
Even if Liu Yu, Liu Yan, and Liu Biao could send troops to support them, they would still find it difficult to defeat the combined forces of Zhao Hao and Dong Zhuo.
Furthermore, Dong Zhuo now holds the moral high ground and wields imperial power, while they are nothing more than ambitious individuals who came by forged imperial edicts.
How could they possibly compete with the legitimate, numerous, and powerful Xiliang and Bingzhou armies, who were at the height of their military might?
However, they were unwilling to back down.
Now that treacherous officials are causing chaos in the court, if the local lords lead their armies back without achieving any merit, wouldn't they only be ridiculed by the world?
After exchanging a glance with Zhao Yun, Gongsun Zan quickly stepped forward to offer his opinion.
"Hmph! You're so dejected over a little setback. What are you talking about, wiping out the treacherous officials?"
"We don't have enough manpower, can't we establish our authority in other ways?"
Snap!
As soon as Gongsun Zan snapped his fingers, five powerful generals stepped forward.
"Under my command, Gongsun Zan, are five fierce generals: Zhao Yun, Huang Xu, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. I don't care whether he is Zhao Hao or the self-proclaimed incomparably brave Lü Bu."
We will send our strongest generals to fight them!
In this way, it can't be said that we didn't struggle or try!
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