“This man is extremely loyal, and I can’t bear to let him die like this. Let’s suppress him and deal with him when you arrive, sir,” Xi Zhicai said with a sigh.
"Okay, I understand," Gao Shun nodded in response.
Ju Yi looked up at Xi Zhicai in surprise. He never expected that the Yellow Turban Army would not kill him.
Soon, Gao Shun had several soldiers escort Ju Yi away.
Gao Shun rallied his troops, tidied the battlefield, and prepared to return to his camp.
They gained a great deal from this battle. Almost all of Cao Cao's troops were captured, and half of Yuan Shao's army of over 100,000 was wiped out, resulting in heavy losses.
Moreover, Gao Shun's elite troops beheaded thousands and captured a large number of Yuan Shao's remaining forces, making it a perfect victory.
Moreover, this ambush severely weakened Yuan Shao, and he probably won't recover for a while.
"Strategist, you just said that the lord is coming?" Gao Shun asked in confusion.
“Yes, the sir sent a scout to tell me that he is on his way here and will probably arrive in two days,” Xi Zhicai said.
Upon hearing that Lu Li was coming, Gao Shun was very excited and said, "Send down the order: all units should speed up the clearing of the battlefield, and then return to the camp by the same route to await the arrival of our lord."
"Yes, sir!" The messenger accepted the order and left.
Two days later, Lu Li and Lai Fu led an army of 100,000 to the front-line camp.
"This humble general pays his respects to my lord!" Gao Shun knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in greeting, and bowed.
"No need for formalities," Lu Li said with a faint smile.
Gao Shun stood up, staring intently at Lu Li.
Then Xi Zhicai, Lü Bu, and Xu Huang also stepped forward to greet Lu Li.
"Master, I have disgraced you!" Xu Huang said with some shame.
He had been so frightened by Xiahou Dun that he was almost killed on his horse, which was quite embarrassing.
Leif smiled and said, "I've already heard about Xiahou Dun's matter, so it's not your fault."
Who in their right mind would swallow an eyeball whole?
However, Lai Fu admired Xiahou Dun very much; he dared to eat eyeballs directly, making him a truly fierce general.
"Thank you, Celestial Master!" Xu Huang said gratefully, and at the same time breathed a sigh of relief, at least Lai Fu did not blame him.
Leif also highly recognized Xu Huang's ability to command troops, so he did not blame Xu Huang for any mistakes he made.
This made him admire his master, Lu Li, even more.
Leif hadn't expected Xu Huang to be so formidable!
"Sir, we have won a great victory this time, and the Han army has suffered heavy losses. Should we launch a general offensive now?" Xi Zhicai asked.
Lu Li shook his head and said, "It's not the right time yet."
Everyone looked puzzled. The Han army was already suffering heavy losses and its morale was low. How could it not be the right time?
"Sir, are you worried about Dong Zhuo?" Xi Zhicai suddenly realized.
Lu Li and Xi Zhicai exchanged a glance and revealed a meaningful smile. Xi Zhicai was indeed intelligent.
He nodded and said, "That's right, we only won one battle, but this victory has no impact on the Han army at all."
Although Cao Cao and Yuan Shao's armies suffered heavy casualties, the troops brought by Lu Zhi and Huangfu Song did not move out, and Hulao Pass remained easy to defend and difficult to attack.
If they launch a direct attack, they will suffer heavy casualties, and if other governors take the opportunity to send troops to attack, they will all be finished.
Therefore, it is not the right time to attack. We must wait for an opportunity to take Hulao Pass in one fell swoop!
"Then, according to your opinion, what should we do?" Xi Zhicai asked.
Lu Li stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and said, "We need to continue applying pressure at Hulao Pass, but the troops from Qingzhou and Yuzhou can be mobilized!"
Although the main force is at Hulao Pass, what Lu Li wants to do is to surround Luoyang from all sides.
Xi Zhicai immediately raised an eyebrow and hurriedly asked, "Sir, isn't this too risky?"
If the troops from Qingzhou and Yuzhou were to set out, it would undoubtedly give those governors a chance to catch their breath.
If they send troops to attack the Yellow Turban Army from the rear, they will have no way out.
"hehe……"
Lu Li chuckled and said, "This isn't called taking a risk; it's called luring the snake out of its hole."
Xi Zhicai was taken aback, then realized and said, "Sir, you are trying to drive the Han army into a corner."
Lu Li smiled slightly: "That's right, that's exactly what I meant!"
“Then I’ll make the arrangements immediately,” Xi Zhicai said.
Lu Li nodded, and Xi Zhicai left.
At this moment, in the imperial palace.
When Emperor Ling of Han received the news from the front lines, he almost fainted.
Emperor Ling of Han, his face contorted with rage and resentment, gritted his teeth and asked, "Cao Cao has been captured?"
After all, in his view, Cao Cao was quite capable, so how could he be captured so easily?
"Your Majesty, according to the news from the front lines, Mengde fell into the Yellow Turban Army's trap, which is why..." Zhang Rang said bitterly.
What Emperor Ling of Han found most unacceptable was Yuan Shao's crushing defeat.
He led an army of over 100,000 to attack the Yellow Turban rebels, but before they could even fight, they were ambushed and killed, leaving only tens of thousands of soldiers.
Emperor Ling of Han slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Useless! Truly useless!"
“Your Majesty, this cannot be blamed on Mengde. The Yellow Turban Army had planned this in advance and had the upper hand. Mengde was caught off guard and that’s why…” Zhang Rang quickly retorted.
However, Emperor Ling of Han was unconvinced. He sneered, "Enough! I don't want to hear any more of this. Cao Cao has been captured, and Yuan Shao has suffered a great defeat! What should we do next? Are we just going to watch the Yellow Turban rebels march into Xianyang?"
Zhang Rang's heart skipped a beat, knowing that Emperor Ling of Han was already furious. He quickly said, "Your Majesty, do not panic. Although Yuan Shao and Cao Cao suffered a great defeat, Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi's army is still intact."
“As long as they can’t hold out, the Yellow Turban Army will definitely not be able to break through Hulao Pass!” Zhang Rang said.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Ling's expression softened somewhat, but he still asked with some doubt, "Are you sure they can hold out?"
Zhang Rang nodded and said, "They can definitely hold it. Huangfu Song has been guarding Beiping for many years and has rich experience in commanding battles. They will definitely have a way to defend the city!"
Emperor Ling of Han nodded and said, "I hope so."
Zhang Rang quickly smiled obsequiously and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty!"
After hearing this, Emperor Ling of Han's mood improved considerably, and he said, "Issue an edict to send more men to them, and make sure they hold Hulao Pass!"
As he spoke, Emperor Ling of Han prepared to issue a new imperial edict.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
After leaving the imperial study, Zhang Rang couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.
He had noticed the change in Emperor Ling's expression just now.
Although Emperor Ling of Han had regained his composure, Zhang Rang knew that his heart was in turmoil.
After all, the defeats of Cao Cao and Yuan Shao were a major blow to the Han army, which made Emperor Ling of Han somewhat uneasy.
Zhang Rang knew that Emperor Ling of Han needed help to stabilize the morale of the army, but for now, he could only rely on Huangfu Song and others!
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