Chapter 11: A Strategy Within a Strategy

Liu Xie stood before the grand encampment, gazing toward the east. Only forty miles away lay Luoyang.

To be honest, Liu Xie was still quite nervous. After all, this was his first time acting as Emperor. Having truly ascended that throne, Liu Xie realized he had plunged headlong into the quagmire of this chaotic era.

Seeing the complexity flickering in Liu Xie’s eyes, Fu Shou, standing beside him, pursed her lips and gently reached out to take his hand, which was clasped behind his back.

Feeling her warm, soft hands, Liu Xie turned around to meet her eyes, which were as gentle as water.

"Why did you come out?" Liu Xie asked with a tender smile.

"The weather is still a bit chilly, so I brought a cloak for everyone," Fu Shou smiled, her eyes curving into crescents as she handed over a red cashmere cloak.

"Oh! It’s quite beautiful!" Liu Xie unfolded the cloak, raised his brows, and remarked with pleasant surprise. He draped it over his shoulders, and as it caught the breeze, it fluttered like a vibrant red flag.

"Report! The tents have been pitched!"

Hearing the report from a guard behind him, Liu Xie turned and commanded, "Go and summon the generals!"

"Understood!"

Soon, Gai Xun and the others arrived.

"Your humble servants pay respects to Your Majesty!" Gai Xun and the others saluted, then asked, "For what reason has Your Majesty summoned us?"

"Inform the army: leave the tents behind. Everyone is to travel light; we are launching a night raid on Luoyang!" Liu Xie said after a moment’s thought.

"Understood!" Gai Xun and the others exchanged glances, seeing the confusion in each other's eyes. Yet, since the Emperor had issued the order, they assumed he must have prepared accordingly.

"That is all. Go and make the arrangements. We move out in one hour!"

"Understood!"

...

Watching their retreating figures, Liu Xie lowered his head in deep thought, pondering who knows what. At that moment, a fast horse galloped from the distance. A man leaped from the saddle—it was Fu Hu.

"How did it go?" Liu Xie asked, his voice tinged with urgency.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, General Huangfu and General Zhu are prepared. Their divisions have completely sealed off all roads and bridges outside Luoyang," Fu Hu said, kneeling on one knee.

"Excellent. Did you tell them the main force is raiding Luoyang tonight?" Liu Xie asked.

"They have been informed!"

"Good! Tell them to follow the original plan and be ready. We move out with the main army in one hour!" Liu Xie instructed.

"Understood!"

...

That night, the walls of Luoyang were ablaze with light. With barely five thousand guards in the city, every man had been stationed on the ramparts, each holding a torch, turning the walls into a continuous line of fire.

"I don't know what the Chancellor is thinking. There isn't a soul in sight; is there any need to be this vigilant?" a soldier complained, waving his torch.

A soldier beside him nodded in agreement and let out a yawn. "I'm exhausted. Doesn't look like we'll be getting any sleep tonight."

"Haven't you heard?" another soldier asked mysteriously.

"Heard what?" The first soldier’s interest was piqued, and even the others nearby leaned in.

"I have a cousin who serves in the Chancellor’s mansion. He heard people there say that over a hundred thousand troops have arrived outside the city! They've come to march against the Chancellor!" the third soldier whispered.

"We already knew that, didn't we?" one soldier said dismissively. "Isn't it just that Kanto Coalition? Aren't they still a long way off?"

The soldier next to him rolled his eyes and turned away, losing interest.

"It’s not the Kanto Coalition! They say it’s the army from Chang'an! They’ve already set up camp west of Luoyang!" the soldier whispered. "They say there are one hundred and fifty thousand of them!"

Hearing this, the two soldiers gasped. "Is that for real?"

Their exclamation happened to be overheard by the gate commander on patrol. Seeing him approach, the three immediately stood at attention and resumed their watch.

"If I catch you three slacking off again, beware the military law!" the commander snapped.

"Understood!"

"Stay alert tonight! There must be no mistakes! Otherwise, I will hold you all accountable!" the commander shouted, warning not only the three men before him but the entire garrison.

"General... look at that!" a soldier pointed toward the fields outside the city, trembling.

"Look at your pathetic state! Don't you dare tell anyone you're my soldier!" the commander scolded. But as he looked where the soldier pointed, he was so terrified he collapsed to the ground.

Countless banners had emerged from the darkness under the walls of Luoyang. Though their exact numbers were unclear, the momentum was immense; the scale was so grand it felt as if a million men were pressing against the borders!

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" The commander’s shrill cry was piercing in the quiet night.

Soon, fire broke out across the gate towers. The imperial soldiers in the distance unleashed a torrential rain of arrows, pinning the defenders down so tightly they dared not show their heads.

"Charge!" The two leading generals, Gai Xun and Ma Teng, were the first to dash forward! Behind them, the main army pushed siege engines and battering rams toward the gates!

"Kill! Pacify Luoyang! Execute the traitor!"

Several miles away, Liu Xie stood with Fu Wan, Han Sui, and other generals. Behind them were forty thousand elite Liangzhou cavalry commanded by Han Sui.

"Your Majesty, didn't the scouts report that there were only five thousand guards in Luoyang? If the whole army attacks, we could take the gates in less than an hour. Why are we holding back?" Han Sui’s eyes were filled with confusion. He felt that such a golden opportunity should be seized by charging into Luoyang to slay the tyrant Dong Zhuo.

"No rush. The fish hasn't taken the bait yet," Liu Xie smiled, a sharp glint in his eyes. Seeing Han Sui remained puzzled, he explained, "Dong Zhuo is a ruthless schemer with many capable generals. I suspect he already knew we would march east to besiege Luoyang. He has surely hidden an ambush, waiting for me to reveal my position. If we charge in blindly, we would fall right into his trap."

"Therefore, we simply wait here for that ambush to emerge. This must be the last of Dong Zhuo’s forces. By wiping them out, we can eradicate all the rebel forces under his command."

Hearing this, Han Sui and the others remained skeptical, clearly not fully convinced.

"Luoyang... I have returned," Liu Xie said softly. His eyes reflected the sky-high flames of the city ahead, his thoughts unreadable.

Fu Wan bowed. "Congratulations, Your Majesty! For slaying Dong Zhuo and reclaiming Luoyang!"

"This is merely the beginning. The real show hasn't even started yet..." A strange smile played on the corner of Liu Xie’s lips.

Shortly after he finished speaking, a low, rumbling sound echoed from the distance! It was clearly the ambush force Liu Xie had predicted; they had finally lost their patience and launched their attack!

"Report! An ambush force has appeared at the rear of General Gai’s army! Estimated to be tens of thousands strong!"

Hearing the scout’s report, Liu Xie smiled faintly. "Quite a large number, indeed!"

He immediately commanded Han Sui: "Han Sui! I order you to lead the forty thousand elite Liangzhou cavalry. Charge when the enemy reaches the rear of General Gai’s forces! Completely surround this ambush party!"

"Understood! Your servant obeys!" Han Sui’s eyes were filled with shock and admiration. He had not expected the Emperor to have predicted everything!

"Someone! Send word to Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun: attack, and seal off Luoyang! Not a single bird must be allowed to fly out!"

...

After a series of intense, well-coordinated arrangements, Liu Xie finally exhaled.

Once Luoyang was taken tonight and Dong Zhuo was executed, the true chaos of this world would officially begin. After destroying Dong Zhuo, the next challenge Liu Xie would face was the two-hundred-thousand-strong Kanto Coalition to the east.

Liu Xie knew clearly that it was not the two hundred thousand troops that were terrifying, but the generals behind them. They represented the various local powerful clans—clans that held immense military power.

In the chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty, Dong Zhuo was merely the fuse. Once he died, the world would descend into total disorder.

As the Emperor of the Great Han, Liu Xie stood at the very center of this storm. He was surrounded by warlords, and he had to prepare his next move. Although he had already formulated a plan, the weight of the moment felt as heavy as Mount Tai.

*Then let the soldiers come and the water be blocked by earth! This world is mine! No one shall take it from me!*

This thought echoed in Liu Xie’s mind, and his gaze gradually hardened. Unbeknownst to him, his temperament had undergone a transformation in this chaotic era—perhaps even he had not noticed.

Luoyang, the Chancellor’s mansion.

"Report! Your Excellency! The imperial army has breached the gates and is heading straight for the mansion!" a scout reported, trembling. "The army led by General Niu has also been surrounded!"

"What! How is this possible?" Jia Xu’s eyes widened. Was his strategy so easily dismantled? Had they anticipated his plan? This was clearly a trap within a trap! Who could it be?

With the situation critical, there was no time to think. Jia Xu spoke decisively: "My Lord! You must flee with General Lu immediately! I will lead the remaining guards to hold them off and buy you time!"

"Fengxian! Quickly, escort me out of the city!" Dong Zhuo’s jowls trembled with fear; he could not bear to imagine his fate if he were captured!

"Understood! I have already made preparations! Please, follow me, Chancellor!" Lu Bu, standing nearby, bowed.

Dong Zhuo was overjoyed and followed Lu Bu toward the rear of the mansion. Along the way, eunuchs and guards were fleeing in every direction.

The path grew increasingly quiet, and soon no one else was in sight, save for their hurried group. Suddenly, Lu Bu stopped. Dong Zhuo, focused on running, didn't notice and bumped into him, shouting in a rage, "Why have you stopped! Keep leading the way!"

Lu Bu turned around, his eyes filled with icy killing intent. Then, to Dong Zhuo’s horror, he drew his sword and pierced the tyrant's throat.

With a clean, swift motion, Lu Bu sheathed his blade. Watching Dong Zhuo clutch his throat and collapse to the ground, Lu Bu snatched the Chancellor’s seal from his body and looked at the trembling guards. "If you don't want to die, follow me from now on!"

"Understood!" the guards replied, terrified.

Exchanging glances, they realized that Lu Bu was the bravest warrior in the land; they were no match for him. They had no choice but to follow the man who had just betrayed his master.

Only the cooling corpse of Dong Zhuo remained behind.