Chapter Ten: A Three-Sided Encirclement

Page (1/3)

Fu Wan gazed upon the tens of thousands of imposing soldiers before him, their presence heavy with the intent of deadly resolve. His eyes brimmed with complexity. Once, he believed he could control Liu Xie and become the next He Jin. But now, it seemed this young emperor had already begun to reveal his sharp edge.

When he saw his daughter step down from the carriage, Fu Wan realized he had been used as a pawn by Liu Xie. He was a shield to draw Dong Zhuo’s attention, causing Dong Zhuo to lower his guard over Chang’an and dispatch a formidable army from Luoyang to hunt him down.

This maneuver gave Liu Xie a better chance to seize control of Chang’an. Before even arriving there, Liu Xie had already sent envoys to coax Ma Teng and others in Xiliang to surrender, while simultaneously urging Dong Zhuo to send troops in pursuit of the “emperor” he had abducted.

Such a meticulous plan was beyond Fu Wan’s anticipation, especially given the poor flow of information at the time. All this was revealed to him by his own daughter. The moment Fu Wan understood Liu Xie’s stratagem, he knew this young emperor was no one to be controlled lightly.

Fu Wan had played a crucial role in Liu Xie’s scheme. How laughable it was that he once fancied himself capable of controlling Liu Xie to rule the lords by holding the emperor hostage. Thinking of this, Fu Wan’s eyes dimmed as he shook his head.

After all, he was old now. The world ultimately belonged to the young.

In just over half a month, Liu Xie had already taken control of Chang’an and Xiliang. According to Shou’er’s account of Liu Xie’s plan, the troops that had suddenly turned back to the capital days ago were likely already under Liu Xie’s command.

What troubled Fu Wan even more was that this was only part of Liu Xie’s plan—not all of it—indicating that Liu Xie’s ambitions extended far beyond merely eliminating Dong Zhuo. His designs were not limited to a simple Luoyang!

“My lord, what other plans do you have?” Fu Wan sighed. A boy not yet crowned, yet so inscrutable.

“Father, what are you thinking about?” Fu Shou asked, puzzled by his father’s complex expression.

“The emperor is a dragon among men, beyond our reach,” Fu Wan sighed.

Hearing his father’s words, Fu Shou’s eyes shone with pride. That was her husband—so exceptional that even her father spoke in such a way.

The army drew nearer. Seeing Liu Xie surrounded by numerous guards at the front of the formation, Fu Wan dismounted and kowtowed deeply.

“Your servant Fu Wan pays respects to His Majesty the Emperor!”

Liu Xie looked down at Fu Wan, who knelt before his horse. Though he had expected Fu Wan to come over, he did not anticipate that Fu Wan would bring nearly ten thousand soldiers with him, greatly bolstering Liu Xie’s forces.

“Fu Shizhong, please rise. What’s the meaning of this?” Liu Xie helped him up, smiling.

Though it was a rhetorical question, Fu Wan boldly admitted, “I have led the troops under my command to assist Your Majesty in exterminating the treacherous Dong Zhuo.”

“Haha, Fu Shizhong, your loyalty is appreciated,” Liu Xie laughed.

At that moment, Fu Shou rushed forward, burying her head in Liu Xie’s chest.

“I’ve missed you so much, my lord!” Liu Xie was initially startled but then smiled tenderly as he felt her soft embrace.

Page (2/3)

Looking at Fu Shou affectionately, Liu Xie softly asked, “Are you tired?”

Fu Shou lifted her head, looking pitiful, “Exhausted!”

Liu Xie chuckled and playfully flicked her nose, then turned to issue orders.

“Someone! Prepare the carriage!”

“Yes, sir!” A guard immediately went to fetch the carriage.

At that moment, Ma Teng, Han Sui, and Gai Xun arrived. Ma Teng respectfully saluted Liu Xie.

“Your Majesty, we must hasten to Luoyang. I fear if Dong Zhuo catches wind of this, it will jeopardize everything.”

Fu Wan was astonished at Ma Teng’s deference toward Liu Xie. Though he had never met Ma Teng, he had heard of the man’s pride. Yet here he was, showing such respect.

Liu Xie noted Ma Teng’s attitude and thought to himself, “This man is shrewd—he knows how to elevate his lord in front of newcomers.”

Nodding with satisfaction, Liu Xie said, “Then urge the soldiers to quicken their march!”

“Understood!” the gathered commanders responded.

...

“What did you say? The dog emperor has led troops out of the city? Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”

Sun Jue’s face showed a flicker of doubt upon hearing Xiaoyu’s report.

“Yes, Miss, they left early this morning! I saw it with my own eyes!” Xiaoyu confirmed.

Sun Jue furrowed her brow. “Did you see which direction they were heading?”

Xiaoyu recalled, “I believe it was eastward.”

“East... what’s east?” Sun Jue’s mind raced. Suddenly, her eyes brightened. “Could it be Luoyang? That dog emperor is returning to Luoyang!”

“Xiaoyu! Immediately report their movements to General Guo! Tell them the emperor has led troops back to Luoyang! We depart now—head to Luoyang!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

...

Two days later, Luoyang, Prime Minister’s Residence.

“Report! An army has been spotted forty li west of Luoyang city! The exact number unknown, but estimated near eighty thousand! Leading them seem to be Gai Xun, Ma Teng, and others!”

“They’re shouting slogans like ‘Pacify Luoyang! Exterminate the traitors!’” The scout spoke nervously, fearing that Dong Zhuo might be enraged and cut off his head.

Dong Zhuo sat calmly in the prime minister’s seat. A shadow crossed his rugged face. “Gai Xun and Ma Teng seek to overturn the heavens? They’ve come after all.”

“Report! Fifteen thousand troops led by General Huangfu have been spotted south of the city!” Another scout hurried in.

Dong Zhuo’s expression darkened further. Soon another scout arrived.

“Report! Nearly fifty thousand soldiers under General Zhu Jun have camped east of the city!”

His scowl deepened. “Where are Li Jue and Guo Si? Have you seen them?”

“No.”

“Chancellor...” a scout hesitated.

“Speak!” Dong Zhuo’s unease was palpable.

“They’re shouting the same slogans... ‘Pacify Luoyang, Exterminate the traitors’...”

Upon hearing this, Dong Zhuo drew a deep breath, his face twisted with rage barely contained. The ministers around him erupted in chaos.

Nearly one hundred and fifty thousand troops! The city’s defenders numbered scarcely five thousand—trying to resist such a force was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

Nearby, Lü Bu’s face was ashen. He understood well that Luoyang’s city defenses were weak, only five thousand imperial guards, utterly insignificant against the massive army outside.

Lü Bu looked at Dong Zhuo, eyes flickering with a thought. Gritting his teeth, he whispered to the slumped Dong Zhuo, “Prime Minister, the southern garrison under Huangfu is weakest—only about fifteen thousand. Why don’t we break through there?”

“Then head south to Guangcheng to find General Hu Zhen, preserve our forces. As the saying goes, ‘as long as the green hills remain, there will be firewood to burn.’”

Dong Zhuo glanced at him but did not agree. Instead, he looked to someone below and said, “Wenhe, as you said, where are Niu’s forces?”

All eyes followed Dong Zhuo’s gaze to a man whose expression was calm and unruffled.

It was Jia Xu, Jia Wenhe.

Confidently, he replied, “My lord, General Niu has reached the designated position. Once the enemy attacks the city, General Niu will act according to the plan. General Hu Zhen is already on his way back; when we join forces, victory will be ours.”

“Ha ha ha! Thanks to Wenhe! You saw through their scheme long ago. You lot are nothing but drunken fools—what use are you otherwise!” Dong Zhuo’s eyes gleamed with a cruel light, causing the ministers below to bow their heads in fear.

“Looks like we can’t stay in Luoyang. Once the plan succeeds in killing the young emperor, we’ll march south to join Hu Zhen and enter the heartland. Then, it’s our time to shine!”

Saying this, Dong Zhuo’s eyes burned with fanatic zeal.

“This world will sooner or later bear the name Dong!”