Chapter 133

Chapter 133

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 4: The End of Zhongping, The Turmoil of Luoyang, Chapter 133: Where is the Master Going?

“What’s happening?” Dong Zhuo barked at his subordinates.

The commotion of the fire in the North Palace couldn’t possibly escape the notice of the Bingzhou troops outside the palace walls.

At a time when the enemy’s attack was ferocious, a fire on his side offered no advantage except giving the enemy an opportunity.

This unexpected situation also threw a wrench into his retreat plans.

Li Ru looked towards the direction of the fiercest fire and couldn’t help but mutter a curse.

It was none other than Liu Bian’s residence.

Dong Zhuo, while organizing a counterattack against the besieging Bingzhou troops, took a few steps back to hear his subordinates’ reports.

To his surprise, the situation was far worse than he had anticipated.

The first piece of news was—the Yuan Clan had escaped.

Before he could send men to silence the Yuan Clan held hostage in the North Palace, they had already heard the commotion of the attack from the north of Luoyang.

The Yuan Clan wasn’t foolish, especially after their previous cooperation with Dong Zhuo ended with a stab in the back. Any unrealistic ideas they had should have long vanished.

Think about it—if Luoyang fell and Dong Zhuo met his end, what fate would await these hostages?

Even if Dong Zhuo managed to escape, taking the Son of Heaven with him, where would they go?

Better to take a gamble now!

During their imprisonment in the North Palace, Dong Zhuo had severely rationed the Yuan Clan’s food, leaving them emaciated and their guards somewhat lax. The attack outside the palace walls tightened the defenses, drawing away some guards.

This was their chance!

Almost simultaneously with Dong Zhuo’s order to eliminate them, Yuan Ji led the Yuan Clan members in an attack on their guards. After seizing two weapons, they managed to kill the guards and escape their confinement at the cost of two lives.

But the question remained—what next?

Even if Dong Zhuo and his men were focused on the Bingzhou troops attacking from the north, if they couldn’t escape the North Palace, death was almost certain.

Fortunately, they encountered an ally.

To be precise, an ally who had come intentionally.

“You’re saying that years ago, my mother saved your life, so she asked you to take advantage of Qiao Yan’s attack to guide us? But how could you be sure we’d choose to rebel and escape?” Yuan Yida asked suspiciously, eyeing the palace maid before him.

The maid, who claimed her surname was Ren, despite her simple attire and attempts to appear inconspicuous, still exuded an air of elegance and literacy, unlike an ordinary maid. It made sense that she might have had contact with Ma Lun.

While the Yuan Clan members were held hostage by Dong Zhuo in the North Palace, only Ma Lun, due to her position as the Grand Historian, had the freedom to move.

But as Yuan Yida pointed out, some questions remained unanswered.

“This isn’t the time for lengthy explanations. The message was sent to me by Master Ciming. Even if you couldn’t escape on your own, the men Master Ciming left behind while organizing books at Lantai have received his instructions and are now in the North Palace. It’s just that since you acted first, they weren’t needed,” the maid replied. “Please follow me to change clothes and find a place to hide. Once the city falls, you’ll be safe.”

Master Ciming? That was Xun Shuang!

Her words dispelled many of their doubts.

As one of the officials promoted by Dong Zhuo, Xun Shuang was the only one not stripped of his position during the capital relocation discussions.

Many thought he was merely protecting and organizing books at Lantai, given his expertise in classical texts. It wasn’t hard to understand his concern over potential losses of these treasured texts during the relocation.

But after Xun You analyzed the widespread support for opposing Dong Zhuo and the multiple armies pressing towards Luoyang, Xun Shuang felt he could also contribute—by saving some people during the chaos of Dong Zhuo’s rebellion in Luoyang.

The Xun Clan of Yingchuan and the Yuan Clan of Runan, both prominent families in Yu Province, were connected by marriage, so it was natural for Xun Shuang to save the Yuan Clan.

At this time, Ma Lun, who had received news from Qiao Yan before the attack, approached him.

Ma Lun and Yuan Wei had a child, their eldest son Yuan Manlai, who, as Cai Yong described in his epitaph, was “gifted and graceful, truly heaven-sent” and “knowledgeable in a hundred schools,” but unfortunately died at the age of fifteen. Their remaining two sons, Yuan Yida and Yuan Renda, were of average talent and held minor positions in Luoyang.

Caught in the conflict between the Yuan Clan and Dong Zhuo, these two sons were also imprisoned in the North Palace, and Ma Lun naturally sought to save them.

Qiao Yan’s attack provided her with an opportunity to rescue them. Once the timing and direction were roughly set, the rest was up to her.

Four years ago, when she entered the palace as the Grand Historian to report on Lingtai affairs, she had saved a young maid named Ren Hongchang who had broken the rules. Though she disliked using such favors to ask others to do troublesome tasks, she had no choice but to make this decision now.

Because Xun Shuang’s men couldn’t move freely within the North Palace, an insider was needed.

Thus, after finalizing the rescue plan with Xun Shuang, the task of delivering messages fell to Xun Shuang, who could move in and out of Lantai.

Fortunately, with Xun Shuang’s men, once chaos erupted in Luoyang’s palace, this young maid could also be taken out, making her efforts worthwhile.

However, neither Ma Lun nor Xun Shuang anticipated that after the Yuan Clan members changed into servants’ clothes in a nearby storeroom and had some dry rations, Yuan Wei, who had been supported by others, suddenly asked, “Why don’t we take this opportunity to rescue the Prince of Hongnong as well?”

Yuan Ji frowned. “Uncle, forgive my bluntness, but if we had Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu’s support, we might attempt this. But in our current precarious situation, we don’t have the energy for such a task.”

Their next move should follow Xun Shuang’s plan—to be protected by his men and hide temporarily in Empress He’s palace.

After Empress He became Empress Dowager and was killed by Dong Zhuo, with Liu Xie still young, there was no new empress, and the palace remained unoccupied. Dong Zhuo likely found the place inauspicious.

But the most dangerous place is often the safest.

Dong Zhuo would never expect them to choose this place as their refuge.

For the dozens of Yuan Clan members to escape this disaster was already a stroke of luck. How could they spare the energy to care about Liu Bian’s situation?

But Yuan Wei thought differently.

Empress He’s name immediately brought Liu Bian to mind.

He replied, “If Dong Zhuo can’t hold Luoyang, he’ll surely flee with the Emperor and the Prince of Hongnong. An imperial decree is an imperial decree. Even if we escape today, we’ll still be under Dong Zhuo’s orders in the future. If Dong Zhuo gets a chance to return, even if we escape today, we won’t be safe tomorrow. The Emperor will surely be heavily guarded, as you said, and without Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, we have no chance to save him. But the Prince of Hongnong is different.”

Liu Bian likely had fewer guards.

Yuan Wei also had his own calculations. If they could successfully rescue Liu Bian, Dong Zhuo would only be able to flee with Liu Xie.

Out of a desire to prevent Dong Zhuo from controlling the court and for the sake of the realm’s clarity, they could join forces with court officials not taken by Dong Zhuo, denounce Dong Zhuo as a traitor, declare Liu Xie a “puppet emperor,” and support Liu Bian’s ascension.

If Dong Zhuo couldn’t flee, given his temperament, he might kill both Liu Xie and Liu Bian to take them with him. Rescuing Liu Bian first would benefit the Yuan Clan.

Yuan Wei’s argument convinced some.

Those unwilling to take the risk followed Ren Hongchang to hide in Empress He’s palace, including Yuan Yida and Yuan Renda.

Unable to dissuade his uncle, Yuan Ji, along with others who supported the plan, went to rescue the Prince of Hongnong. They happened to clash with Dong Zhuo’s men sent to silence them.

This became the second piece of news Dong Zhuo received.

The two groups met and immediately clashed. Since Dong Zhuo hadn’t anticipated anyone disrupting this operation, he sent few men, allowing them to succeed. However, during the fight, a candle was knocked over, setting the Prince of Hongnong’s residence ablaze.

Perhaps inspired by the fire, Yuan Wei ordered his men to set more fires, creating enough chaos.

But the commotion caused by both sides also diverted Guo Si, who was supposed to reinforce the northern city wall.

The Yuan Clan members and Xun Shuang’s men might have had a chance against the few guards left behind.

But facing Guo Si, a former bandit and skilled fighter, was like children facing an armed adult!

Yuan Wei was killed on the spot, along with the Yuan Clan members who had followed him.

But also—

“Yuan Ji, the eldest son of the Yuan Clan, dragged the Prince of Hongnong and stole the late Emperor’s donkey cart, which you… kept as a memento, and used it as a mount to escape.”

Guo Si was speechless. Even though the Six Arts of a Gentleman included charioteering, Emperor Ling’s four-white donkey cart clearly didn’t obey Yuan Ji’s commands. But when Yuan Ji untied the cart’s reins and took the Prince of Hongnong aboard, the four donkeys immediately bolted, making it hard to catch up.

Under Dong Zhuo’s murderous gaze, Guo Si’s voice grew softer. “You… don’t worry. Donkeys can’t outrun horses. I shot him with an arrow before coming to assist the Prime Minister in defending the city. His chances of survival aren’t great…”

But half a cup of tea later, they received news.

Good news: the donkey cart was found.

Bad news: Yuan Ji and Liu Bian were nowhere to be found.

And as misfortune never comes alone, in the time it took to drink half a cup of tea, the Bingzhou army, fueled by the belief and fighting spirit Qiao Yan had instilled in them, and riding the momentum of their recent victory in breaching Luoyang’s northern wall, had gained the upper hand in the battle for the North Palace walls.

This awe-inspiring momentum forced Dong Zhuo to make a decision immediately.

He could delay no longer!

He had to take Liu Xie and leave.

Now!

As Qiao Yan watched Dong Zhuo’s retreating figure, a thoughtful expression crossed her face.

In Luoyang, there was Ma Lun, who had received her message early, and other righteous individuals. The fire in the North Palace during her attack wasn’t entirely unexpected, but Dong Zhuo’s overly anxious reaction caught her attention.

He could have held the city walls a bit longer, at least depleting some of her forces, instead of giving up so quickly.

This likely wasn’t just about the Yuan Clan’s escape—something else had happened.

As Dong Zhuo retreated, completely abandoning the palace walls’ defense, Lü Bu was the first to scale the North Palace walls, determined to kill Dong Zhuo for his beloved Red Hare.

But at that moment, the southeastern gate of the North Palace suddenly opened, and a group of cavalry charged out.

It was Dong Zhuo and his generals—Guo Si, Zhang Ji, Zhang Xiu, and others.

They had already assembled their cavalry and fled the Southern Palace.

However, among the figures Qiao Yan could see, only Liu Xie was being escorted by Dong Zhuo’s generals. There was no sign of the Prince of Hongnong.

No Prince of Hongnong?

In that flash of insight, she realized the most favorable situation for her might have just occurred.

The Prince of Hongnong’s absence from the group could mean he had already been silenced by Dong Zhuo. But if that were the case…





Dong Zhuo doesn’t need to show such anxious behavior. If he wasn’t silenced but instead managed to escape unexpectedly, then… she needs to be careful in chasing Dong Zhuo! She might as well give this idea a try. After all, whether Liu Bian is alive or dead, as long as he’s not with Dong Zhuo, letting Dong Zhuo go is no loss to her! Having already saved Luoyang from the disaster of relocation, her priority shouldn’t be to kill Dong Zhuo here, resulting in both him and His Majesty perishing, and then blaming the allied forces for not arriving in time, leaving her without a superior! Instead, she should expel Dong Zhuo from Luoyang, along with his puppet emperor! This way, she won’t lose out. If Prince Hongnong is still in the capital, especially under the protection of the Yuan Clan, that would be even better. The Yuan Clan wouldn’t miss the chance to support Prince Hongnong as emperor and challenge Dong Zhuo. Whether the Yuan Clan benefits or not is uncertain, but she would definitely benefit! One Han in the east, one Han in the west—this is the situation where she can truly shine! But her quick thinking doesn’t allow her to communicate with others to make a judgment, nor can she directly tell her subordinates to go easy on Dong Zhuo. After all, she previously told her subordinates that whoever kills Dong Zhuo will get the Red Hare horse. Even Xu Rong, who just joined her, was instilled with this idea. After some thought, he chose to integrate into the group by participating in the team-building activity of killing Dong Zhuo and taking the horse. If Dong Zhuo knew what this thoroughly rebellious subordinate was thinking, he would probably curse Xu Rong while fleeing. However, Qiao Yan now feels a bit like she’s lifting a stone only to drop it on her own foot. Fortunately, as the commander who broke into Luoyang, controlling the pace of chasing Dong Zhuo isn’t too difficult. She pondered her current situation and choices in just a moment. To the Bingzhou soldiers following her, when Dong Zhuo led his troops to flee from the North Palace, their young Prefect coldly looked in the direction the traitors were fleeing and then led the charge to pursue them. “Chase! Retrieve His Majesty! Wenxian and Fengxian, stay behind to put out the fires.” By the time Qiao Yan finished speaking, her horse Zhu Tan had already galloped ahead. Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao quickly led their cavalry to catch up. Lü Bu, who had climbed the city wall first, ended up lagging behind. He and Xu Rong exchanged glances for a while before confirming that while he had earned the merit of being the first to ascend, he wouldn’t get the merit of chasing Dong Zhuo. But since it was Qiao Yan’s order, he had no choice but to obey. “You don’t need to be so disheartened,” Xu Rong comforted. “With your bow in the Lord’s hands, given her archery skills, she probably won’t give others a chance to steal the功劳, so the Red Hare will have to be decided by other means.” “It might be like when the Lord said whoever killed the Xiongnu King would get a telescope,” Dian Wei chimed in. “The Xiongnu King died by the Lord’s hand, and in the end, everyone got a telescope. The Lord is always generous.” Qu Yi, who hadn’t received orders, stayed behind and overheard this conversation, couldn’t help but roll his eyes. If such a fine horse like Red Hare could be given to everyone, he would resign from Han Fu and serve under Qiao Yan when they returned to Bingzhou. “…” Lü Bu also remained silent for a while, but he decided to trust his colleagues’ friendly安慰 and first deal with the burning palace in the North Palace. Meanwhile, Qiao Yan had already followed Dong Zhuo’s troops into Buguangli and then turned into Buheli. It must be said that Li Ru chose a very reliable retreat path for Dong Zhuo. With many exits in the Luoyang city walls and the Suanzao allied forces not yet at the city gates, Dong Zhuo could even exit through the East Gate, head straight into the horse market, and create enough chaos behind his retreat path. Or he could exit through the Kaiyang Gate in the south, cross the Luo River, and first meet up with the southern garrison. The Xiliang soldiers accompanying Dong Zhuo were indeed skilled in horsemanship, and even though a few were shot down by pursuers, they maintained their forward speed. Not to mention, Dong Min, guarding the southern outer city, must have already received the news of Dong Zhuo’s retreat in this chaos and was likely coming to join him. In this case, if Dong Zhuo successfully escapes, it should first be blamed on the allied forces for not forming an encirclement, not on Qiao Yan’s lack of skill. Very well! But after chasing for a while, Qiao Yan realized something was amiss. Although the streets were filled with people fleeing and hiding due to the turmoil in Luoyang, and there were also the Zhijinwu and Northern Army soldiers who didn’t know whom to assist, the sounds coming from ahead didn’t seem to be from people being knocked over or the cavalry making sharp turns. Instead, it was— the clashing of weapons. Just as Qiao Yan thought this, a cavalry unit suddenly charged out from the side, aiming to block her pursuit. She quickly stopped speculating about the situation ahead, put away her bow, and drew her spear. But before she could act, Zhao Yun, who understood the duty of protecting his lord, spurred his horse to meet the young general leading the charge. Seeing that the opponent also used a spear, Qiao Yan had a guess and shouted, “Capture him alive!” before continuing the pursuit, leaving Zhao Yun and his troops to engage the enemy. If she wasn’t mistaken, this person should be Zhang Ji’s nephew Zhang Xiu, following Dong Zhuo’s orders to block her pursuit. But even if he wasn’t, given Qiao Yan’s current judgment of military officers, it was clear that the opponent’s spear skills were not low. Since Dong Zhuo was about to escape, why not leave her with some more spoils of war! Thinking this way, Qiao Yan didn’t dare to slack off in pursuing Dong Zhuo. Especially when passing the government office and charging into the east-west long street in front of the Southern Palace, Qiao Yan became increasingly certain that her judgment of the earlier sounds was correct. This wasn’t a two-sided chase between Dong Zhuo fleeing and her pursuing, but a third force had joined the fray. The newly arrived cavalry, entering from the Pingcheng Gate, perfectly cut off Dong Zhuo’s troops in the middle and engaged Guo Si, who was protecting Dong Zhuo’s flank, creating a chaotic battlefield. Coming from the south? Qiao Yan quickly calculated. If she wasn’t mistaken, this was the Luyang allied forces coming from the Taigu Pass. Considering the simultaneous attacks and the lack of trouble in breaking through the pass, the distance from the Taigu Pass to Luoyang was exactly ten miles, and not mountainous terrain— they should have arrived by now! Taking a closer look, the person with the red厨帻 fighting Guo Si was none other than Sun Jian, whom she had met once at the Battle of Changshe. But the neighing of warhorses and the clashing of weapons had created too much noise, drowning out Qiao Yan’s attempt to announce herself. Her sudden appearance from the front streets, leading a group of northern cavalry, made it hard to tell whether she was chasing Dong Zhuo’s troops or coming to support Guo Si. When Qiao Yan realized this could cause misunderstandings, a young general in silver armor and wielding a long spear charged at her. The spear attack was no less fierce than Sun Jian’s! The old general behind him blocked Zhang Liao, who had rushed to engage, and the young man’s攻势不减, directly targeting Qiao Yan. What he didn’t expect was that the young general, whose face he couldn’t clearly see in the rush but whose build suggested a similar age, was actually a tough opponent! Her spear was longer than usual, yet she wielded it with remarkable ease. And what he least expected was that when her spear tip parried his急刺, she suddenly pulled out the back half of her spear, turning it around in an unbelievable manner, using the front to deflect his spear and the back to aim at his throat. Sun Ce, who had followed his father on this campaign, had seen few bizarre weapons and thought his attack was sure to win, but it was countered by such a move. In an instant, the short spear was in his face, reversing their攻守 positions. Sun Ce, with considerable combat experience, judged from the brief exchange that he couldn’t possibly block her spear with one hand, so he quickly reined in his horse, twisted his body, and dodged. But the short spear’s owner seemed to anticipate this reaction, and the spear tip followed like a shadow, twirling into a spear flower, gleaming in the sunlight. But more striking than the spear’s cold light were the eyes he saw during their clash. Having met Yuan Shu with his father, killed Dong Yue at the Taigu Pass, and slain Dong Min in the southern outer city battle, only this person’s sharp gaze made Sun Ce feel that this was the demeanor of a true commander! What a spirited— girl? Just as he realized he might have attacked the wrong person, someone with such characteristics was likely the legendary Prefect of Bingzhou, not an accomplice of Dong Zhuo, he was struck in the chest by the twirling half-spear. “Idiot, can’t tell friend from foe?” Qiao Yan coldly shouted. “Move aside!” With Sun Ce’s阻拦, Dong Zhuo’s troops had already advanced quite a distance. Although she intended to let the tiger return to the mountain, Qiao Yan didn’t plan to let Dong Zhuo escape so easily, especially not due to a乌龙 caused by both sides attacking each other. That would be laughable. What made her chase even more urgent was that she noticed the person at the rear of Dong Zhuo’s troops, whose horsemanship was clearly not typical of Xiliang cavalry. Having seen him with Dong Zhuo on the North Palace wall earlier and confirmed his identity with Xu Rong, she knew this was Dong Zhuo’s strategist, Li Ru! How could she let such a valuable spoil of war escape! Sun Ce, being called an “idiot” for the first time, flashed a look of protest in his sharp eyes but only held his chest where the two-part spear had struck and spurred his horse to chase after her. He had attacked first, so being scolded was fair, but in chasing Dong Zhuo, he had to prove he wasn’t an idiot. But before he could catch up to Qiao Yan and ride alongside her Zhu Tan horse, he saw her put away the two-part spear and instead take out a stone bow. It was indeed a stone bow! The tension in the bowstring as she drew it was enough for Sun Ce to confirm this. He watched as the girl slowly lowered the arrow, her hand steady despite the galloping horse. Only the烈风 blowing her cloak showed she wasn’t stationary. He instinctively looked where her arrow was pointing and saw the arrow shoot forward, piercing the leg of a Xiliang horse. The rider was immediately thrown off. The person wasn’t inexperienced in falling off horses, quickly curling up and protecting his head before hitting the ground. But even so, he couldn’t suppress a cry of pain upon impact. Sun Ce almost laughed. But this wasn’t the end of the倒霉蛋’s suffering. The two-part spear from their earlier clash was back in its connected state, and as Qiao Yan reined in her horse beside the fallen scholar, the spear pointed at his head. Qiao Yan calmly asked, “Where are you heading, Master Wenyou?”