Chapter 156 Return to Luodu
The news of the infantrymen's stage-fright was passed on to the ears of Captain Hao Chang by the chief officer and the infantry commander. The close subordinates all advised their superiors to preserve their strength and seek a good future for themselves and their brothers in the chaotic situation.

Captain Hao originally wanted to follow the orders of King Changshan and defend the gate, but after being persuaded by his subordinates, he immediately lost the will to continue the fierce battle.

"General Le, the King of Changshan has been captured. Why don't we lead our troops to withdraw to Yecheng and preserve the forces of the King of Chengdu?"

He was no better than the soldiers under his command. The soldiers from Yecheng and Changshan had heard the horrific rumors about the enemy general Li Hao.

It is said that this man's arms are about ten feet long when spread out, and he can eat the food of ten people in a day. What's more terrifying is that this great general of the universe fought with hundreds of Jin soldiers, but it was the Jin soldiers who were being chased who were exhausted.

Even the bravest soldiers will become afraid when facing an enemy that cannot be killed or defeated.

The two brothers Le Zhao were slightly less courageous than their elder brother Le Kai. Their sisters were concubines of the King of Chengdu, and retreating to Yecheng was a much better way out than defending the camp gate.

"Okay, I'll do as Captain Hao wishes."

"Quickly retreat to the camp and go out the back door."

The two brothers of the Le family followed suit and before Hao Chang could react, they led the Changshan soldiers and ran into the gate. Even the defeated soldiers who were scrambling to enter were pushed away by their subordinates.

Hao Chang was still responsible and led most of his men to retreat into the camp gate. Then, regardless of the fact that there were still thousands of defeated soldiers and many of his own men outside the camp, he ordered the gate to be closed in the face of hundreds of defeated soldiers.

"Raise the crimson flag."

Hao Changchao gave orders to the soldiers from Yecheng who were guarding the gate.

Crimson is the color red. If a crimson flag is raised, it means that the enemy are all cavalry, and if a white flag is raised, it means that the enemy are all infantry.

The attempt to close the gate failed, as the enemy's arrows shot through the gate and hit the halberds of the soldiers in the camp. The defeated soldiers had no fighting spirit, but the defeated soldiers gathered in front of the gate were the Jin army that held off the bandits for the longest time.

Hao Chang did not insist. He turned around and led his trusted military officers and the infantry who could keep up to go to another small door.

Today's defeat came out of nowhere. If the armies had not scrambled for the emperor and had joined forces to advance towards Jingxing Pass, they would have at least caused a lot of damage to the city.

Hao Chang reviewed today's defeat, but suddenly remembered that there was no point in thinking about it. After escaping, he might not even be able to reach Yecheng and would be caught up by the enemy soldiers again.

"Go east."

This captain was quite scheming. A large number of defeated soldiers fled to the south, so the enemy naturally chased them to the south.

Then the food of the people along the southern road would be snatched away completely. If they continue to take the southern road, they won’t even be able to snatch the people’s food.

It is impossible to complete this journey of three or four hundred miles without food.

The military officers and infantry were quite dependent on Captain Hao Chang, so the Jin army marched to the fence wall at the east gate, broke a hole in it, and quickly fled.

The place where military rations were stored was full of soldiers who were trying to grab the rations. Now they didn't even have time to escape if they went to grab the rations.

"The thief general Li Hao is coming to kill us, brothers, run for your lives!"

There were also kind-hearted Jin army soldiers who told their passing military brothers who were coming to kill them while they were fleeing.

The military camp in Yecheng was full of people. Military officers were busy taking valuables and escaping, while soldiers were snatching rations and military tents.

Military tents were where middle and high-level military officers such as the chief military officer and the deputy military officer lived. In an era when everyone wore linen and brown belts, military tents made of linen and silk cotton were very expensive fabrics, and could be made into winter clothes if they were looted.

So after driving the defeated soldiers into the military camp in Yecheng, what the rebel cavalry saw was a scene of looting that was even more chaotic than that of the defeated soldiers.

After killing his way through the half-mile wide large camp of Yecheng soldiers with a double-edged spear in hand, Li Hao unexpectedly discovered that there were almost no officers wearing bright armor or black armor in the camp, and even few sergeants and corpsmen wearing breastplates and basin collars.

They were all military soldiers who did not have complete armor and had never experienced a large-scale war, and civilians who followed the soldiers to rob things.

Since the Western Jin Dynasty destroyed the Eastern Wu twenty years ago, the hinterland of North China has not experienced war for many years. Even the civil uprisings and horse bandits were suppressed by the military households under the jurisdiction of the governor's offices of various states. The soldiers of Yecheng were not elite, and their commander and officers disappeared one after another. The enemy army had reached the camp again, so they naturally put their own interests first.

"Wang Mi, is there any important person in this camp?"

Li Hao asked.

"Replying to the general, Sima Ying fled south to Yecheng a few days ago, and Sima Yi has been executed. The only people left in the Yecheng army who are worth killing are the staff of these two kings and the officials in the palace. However, there is Liu Bao in the Youzhou army, who is the governor of Youzhou. His life is worth killing, general."

Wang Mi proposed to hunt down the Youzhou army.

"Where are the Luoyang Central Army in the south? Who is leading them?" General Li asked again.

Wang Mi had previously traveled north from near Luoyang and was quite familiar with this central army.

"The famous scholar Liu Kun is the commander, Sun Xiu's son Sun Hui leads the six schools of soldiers, and the right general Meng Guan's son Meng Xiang leads the two battalions of Ji Nu and Ji She. The six schools and two battalions were originally the emperor's entourage when he went in and out, and sometimes they also served as the palace guards. Sima Lun sent these guards north purely to consume the strength of the righteous army and the Yecheng army. Letting them go back will allow Sima Lun to divide his troops to guard against these soldiers."

He came from a military family. His ancestors were real Qingzhou cavalrymen, and his grandfather followed Deng Ai to destroy Ji Han. He also had experience as a knight-errant in Luoyang for a long time. He was indeed a talent that the rebel army urgently needed.

"Gather the fleeing soldiers from Yecheng. Don't chase after the soldiers from Yecheng who are anxious to escape. Wang Mi, take the people to guard the military granary in the camp."

Li Hao made a decision. While there was still some time before nightfall, gathering the defeated soldiers in Yecheng and then attacking the Youzhou army was indeed the best way to break the deadlock.

At present, it seems that only King Sima Yi of Changshan and veteran general Liu Bao are here to quell the rebellion with sincerity, while the rest of the Jin troops have their own thoughts.

It is already late autumn, and the rebel army's first choice is to recover the previous territory and occupy several large grain-producing counties before the beginning of next spring.

Wang Mi took the order and left. Li Xiang, Li Ji and others who arrived later also led their troops to join the team to capture the defeated soldiers. However, quite a number of the families of the soldiers in Yecheng were in the south. The defeated soldiers and civilians gathered by the rebel army were either bachelors or rootless people like the Di people, Qiang and Hu who had no land.

The camp was full of usable supplies. In order to avoid being burned down by the enemy as happened last time, the rebel soldiers patrolled everywhere, actively leading people to put out the flames and hunt down enemy soldiers who intended to set fire.

In the evening, news reached General Li that the Youzhou army had quickly evacuated and burned down the camp.

"Then send someone to light a fire and cook," he ordered.

It is more urgent to eliminate the Jin army near Jingxing Pass. The Youzhou army should have gone to the outside of Jingxing City, 30 miles to the northeast, to meet up with the Zhongshan army and the remaining Changshan army, and then deal with them in two days.

Liu Bao has been managing Youzhou for many years. He was able to hold most of Youzhou's territory from the hands of several Xianbei tribes such as the Duan family, Murong, and Tuoba. He is quite capable. General Li will not let him return to Jixian, Youzhou alive no matter what.

……

The north gate of Yecheng.

Hundreds of fully armed soldiers holding halberds were guarding near the north gate to welcome He Yan, the great hero who had captured the emperor, and the cavalry under his command.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am late in coming to greet you!" Sima Ying's eyes showed a look of sadness, but he couldn't suppress the smile on the corners of his mouth, which made him look at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

In order to move south quickly, He Yan ordered his men to put Sima Zhong on a war horse.

As for the carriage, the prefect sent someone to load a body on it and sent dozens of soldiers to go by another road in order to separate the Xuchang soldiers and other pursuers from behind.

The foolish emperor was shot by three arrows, his closest minister died in front of him, and he was tortured for four days. His expression became depressed.

Of course, Sima Zhong was not at the point of being exhausted. He had been living a life of luxury for forty-one years and did not have to worry about anything on a daily basis. The fat he had gained was just putting him in good shape.

"The King of Chengdu can be relied upon."

He said this after being helped off the horse.

When he was in Luoyang before, Sima Zhong had no impression of his sixteenth brother. After all, he had sixteen younger brothers who lived to adulthood. It was only after the King of Zhao sent people to carry him to Jingxing Pass that he realized that the King of Chengdu had such a kind and amiable face.

"Your Majesty will definitely rely on me. Sima Lun is disobedient to your majesty and has no regard for the laws of the country. Once the army in Yecheng is ready for a few days, I will lead the troops to welcome Your Majesty back to the capital and return to Luodu."

Sima Ying uttered these words one by one.

He could barely read or write, and this polite speech was prepared in advance for him by the officials in the palace.

The foolish emperor held the hand of the King of Chengdu and got a comfortable sedan chair. He lay on the carriage and was escorted into the city by the officials of Yecheng.

After Sima Ying mounted his horse, he followed the chariot. His palace officials and staff gathered around the King of Chengdu to congratulate their master.

"Your Majesty can directly call on all the kings in the world to come to the capital to capture and kill Sima Lun."

"The crown prince died early. After the emperor returned to Luoyang, he would definitely make you the crown prince. Then great things could be accomplished."

"We have strong soldiers and horses in Yecheng. Why do we need other kings to bring troops to the capital? It will only cause trouble. It is enough for the king to bring the soldiers of Yecheng to the capital."

While the staff were flattering the emperor, they also did not forget to offer suggestions.

Each king had his own palace with a large number of subordinates and aides. The arrival of more kings meant that the King of Chengdu would have to give out many high-ranking positions to win over the kings with troops.

There are only so many high-ranking official positions, and there are not enough for the officials in the Chengdu Palace. How can they tolerate officials from other royal palaces who come from high-ranking families to come and grab the positions?

After being flattered by his staff, Sima Ying no longer followed the emperor's chariot. Instead, he reined in his horse and stopped, then raised his head and laughed out loud.

"He Yan is the first to make contributions. After we capture Luoyang, I will definitely recommend you as the Duke of Runan. How about the title of Duke of Runan?"

Sima Ying narrowed his eyes and looked at Yangping Taishou and Yan, who were also very proud.

"I dare not take credit for this great achievement. We will raise an army to attack Sima Lun in a few days. It would be better to order Wang Yan, the governor of Yanzhou, and others to gather troops to help."

He Yan was being modest.

Wang Yan was born into the Wang family of Langya, a first-class noble family. With such a person following him in the military campaign, the reputation of the King of Chengdu would be further elevated.

"Of course." Sima Ying agreed readily.

He rode his horse back towards the Governor's Mansion, and his staff followed him. Everyone had a smile on their face, and even the air was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

After nightfall, when the officials who were thinking about getting promoted and making money left, the usually resourceful Lu Zhi stayed behind and poured cold water on the King of Chengdu who was thinking about enjoying himself after conquering Luoyang.

"Mingsir, if the Yecheng army attacks Luoyang, what will happen to Jizhou and Youzhou? If Li the thief leads his troops to attack Yecheng in the south, can the remaining troops stop them? Yecheng is your foundation, so we must defend it!"

Kneeling in front of the bed of King Chengdu, Lu Zhi earnestly advised his slightly tipsy master.

"But fighting for Luoyang is a necessary step. Otherwise, my crown prince's status is not right. What plan does Lu Zidao have?"

King Chengdu really didn't want to lose Yecheng. With this strong city and the nearby military households, he could make a comeback even if he was defeated several times.

"You can order Wang Yan to lead the Yanzhou troops to station in Yecheng, or send someone to win over Liu Kun. Liu Kun and Sun Xiu have always had a deep grudge, and Sun Xiu is extremely favored. Liu Kun will definitely not want to stay under the King of Zhao for long. Then send someone to Xuchang to join the King of Qi in sending troops to Luoyang.

With you and the King of Qi here, no one in the world would dare to act rashly, so you can legitimately confer the title of Crown Prince on him."

Sima Ying was also able to accept King Laqi's joining the group.

Anyway, Sima Jue was only the emperor's cousin, and the foolish emperor Sima Zhong still had a grandson alive. The position of Crown Prince would have to be passed down to the King of Qi more than a dozen times.

"Then send a man who is good at speaking to Xuchang. I don't trust anyone to take charge of Yecheng. It's better for you to take charge. I will send powerful generals to help you defend the city. If Wang Yan leads troops to help, you can let him enter the city or come to Luoyang to help me. Even if the rebel general Li Hao is invincible in the field, the rebel soldiers with only 10,000 or 20,000 people can't do anything to this strong city."

Although his mind was full of thoughts about how to enjoy life after entering Luoyang, Sima Ying still made a more reliable decision.

Lu Zhi gave two thumbs up, "Ming Gong is wise!"

He was previously the magistrate of Yecheng County, and it was easy for him to govern the city.

"When we enter Luoyang, I will give you the title of a county duke." Sima Ying patted her bloated belly, then waved her hand to signal Lu Zhi to leave.

Lu Zuochangshi took a few steps back before turning around and walking out of the hall.

The King of Chengdu had great experience in military deployment, but he was easily influenced by others and would listen to everyone. Lu Zhi was worried that he would be led astray by treacherous officials after entering Luoyang.

The night wind of late autumn was a little chilly, and the breeze calmed Zuo Changshi down. Under the current situation, only if the King of Chengdu entered Luoyang and took power, commanded the army of Yecheng and the central army of Luoyang, and then called on the troops under the governor's office of Qing, Xu, Yan, You and other states, could the Li rebels who were across Bingzhou and Jizhou be put out.

The leader of this group of rebels, Li Hao, is very determined to build his territory and is much more difficult to deal with than ordinary horse thieves. This is what Lu Zhi is worried about.

As for the horse bandits, we just need to chase and intercept them, but the rebels who are actually rebelling must be quickly eliminated to prevent them from spreading across states and counties and becoming a powerful force.

……

At noon on the 20th, outside Jingxing City.

Sima Ji, the King of Zhongshan who led the siege, was an honest man. After Liu Bao, the governor of Youzhou, led his troops to the city, this veteran general took charge of the siege. However, the defenders in the city fought desperately, and the Jin army did not have enough civilians and soldiers to climb the ladders, so the siege turned into a siege.

Even the siege could not be fought because the Li family's rebel army that came from Jingxing Pass to relieve the siege only had seven or eight thousand troops, and they were led by General Li, who was feared by all the Jin soldiers.

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(End of this chapter)