Wuxia: The Super Slave Master

Page 380

"Retreat to the inner courtyard!" Luo Chen said impatiently. "Tell the soldiers to retreat!"

Now that Luo Chen had given the order, the soldiers shouted "Retreat to the inner courtyard!" and ran towards the inner courtyard.

Just then, a sharp-eyed fellow recognized Luo Chen, who was standing outside the inner courtyard. "Look! Luo Chen! Traitor! He's right there!" he shouted. The already excited rebels became even more excited and rushed over recklessly. The guards who had already run into the inner courtyard, upon seeing this, prepared to run out. The guards who were preparing to retreat further in all moved closer to Luo Chen.

"Retreat to the inner courtyard!" Luo Chen shouted sharply. He then pointed to a group of rebel soldiers rushing towards him: "Explode!"

Chapter 205 The Imperial Guard

This time, there was a tremendous explosion, accompanied by a blinding flash. Instantly, a group of rebels were blasted into the air, and those on the edge screamed in agony. Some were burned. But more terrifying to those around were the wounded and maimed rebels than those who died outright. One rebel, missing an arm, his flesh mangled, screamed in agonizing agony. The surrounding people were horrified, some gripped by fear.

"Kill the bandits! The bandits possess sorcery! Summon a master!" someone shouted. Good heavens, it seems they believe Luo Chen's magic is sorcery, and have even solemnly brought a "master" to suppress the evil. The rebels, seemingly emboldened, continued their advance.

"Kill the rebels! Killing the rebels makes us heroes of the Han Dynasty! Cleanse the court of corrupt officials!" someone shouted, and the rebels charged again in a swarm. However, Luo Chen had already led his guards to retreat into the inner courtyard. The rebels could only quickly carry over the wooden planks they had used to ram the outer gate and continue ramming the inner gate. Those who were climbing the walls continued to climb. Although the inner gate wouldn't hold for long, dawn was approaching, and the main force of the guards should arrive soon.

Sure enough, less than fifteen minutes later, the sound of rapid hoofbeats and shouts of battle began outside the gate. "Kill the rebels! Rebels, surrender immediately!" someone yelled. Hearing that a large force had arrived outside, the guards inside put up an even fiercer resistance.

The shouts of battle continued outside. Inside, the resisters sensed the attack weakening, and the rebels began to scatter and flee. "My lord!" someone shouted from outside the door. "I have the situation under control! My lord! Zhang Juzheng has the situation under control!" It was Zhang Juzheng. Luo Chen ordered the door opened, and sure enough, a large contingent of cavalry and infantry from the Imperial Guard had already taken control. Blood flowed like a river in the Prime Minister's residence, and the rebels scattered in all directions.

"Block all the roads! Be strict!" Luo Chen immediately ordered Zhang Juzheng. "So that if they escape, we won't have to go through the trouble of catching them again."

"Understood!" Zhang Juzheng immediately gave instructions to the officers around him.

"This is Zhang Juzheng..." Luo Chen heard Lu Bing mutter beside him, but he didn't say anything. It seems that his related memories have been erased.

After the Imperial Guard arrived, the fierce fighting lasted only half an hour before the Guard defeated the rebels and took control of the situation. They are now cleaning up. However, some clever rebels took advantage of the moment when no one was looking and stole horses from the Imperial Guards who were fighting on foot, and fled. Dawn broke.

As dawn broke, Yan Qing arrived. He had dark circles under his eyes, looked exhausted, and walked with lightning speed, speaking rapidly: "My lord! The garrison has assembled! Thirty thousand soldiers have entered the inner city, controlling all streets and entrances! The rest of the garrison has placed martial law in the outer city!"

"Very good." Luo Chen was relieved.

Zhang Juzheng, who had also been busy all night, rushed over and said, "My lord, almost all those involved in the rebellion have been apprehended. Our intelligence agency is now conducting intensive interrogations to find the mastermind behind it all! However, I abused my authority... I overstepped my authority by commanding the Imperial Guards of the capital. It should have been Regent Zhuge who had the authority to mobilize the Imperial Guards..." As Zhang Juzheng spoke, he looked around as if he wanted to apologize to Zhuge Liang, but after a long while, he didn't see him. "Where is Regent Zhuge?"

"I don't know," Luo Chen said, frowning.

Zhang Juzheng grunted, then suddenly sensed something was amiss. Such a significant political moment was quite sensitive, so Zhang Juzheng wisely shut his mouth.

A quarter of an hour later, Zhuge Liang rushed over. Upon seeing Luo Chen, he looked somewhat flustered, clearly aware that he bore a great responsibility for such a serious problem.

"My lord! I deserve death! I deserve to die a thousand deaths!" Zhuge Liang hurriedly pleaded for forgiveness, even prostrating himself on the ground. "I was negligent! As regent, in charge of the capital's military, I actually put my lord's life in danger!...I failed in my duty! I failed in my duty!..."

Lu Bing, standing beside him, snorted, but immediately fell silent. Although Zhuge Liang held military power, in Lu Bing's view, he should be arrested and investigated immediately. However, upon hearing the title of "Regent," he shut his mouth tighter than anyone else. He saw his future superior, Zhang Juzheng, also prostrate himself upon seeing Zhuge Liang prostrate on the ground. He loudly proclaimed, "I have failed in my duty! As the head of the intelligence agency, I failed to detect the traitor beforehand! I have failed in my duty!"

A whole group of people immediately knelt down. This greatly alarmed Qi Jiguang, Lu Bing, and the others, who were unsure whether to kneel or not. However, Gao Jianli clearly did not want to kneel.

"Get up, everyone!" Luo Chen said. "Those who need to make arrests, go make arrests; those who need to interrogate, go interrogate! Everyone go about your business!" Upon hearing this, everyone got up and left. Luo Chen said to Zhuge Liang, "Mr. Zhuge, go and order all court officials to assemble at the Emperor's Temple."

"Understood..." Zhuge Liang said, but he didn't explain further, clearly unwilling to leave. "My lord... the reason I'm late is that I immediately ordered the Imperial Guards in the capital to take control of the city to prevent the rebels from infiltrating and taking any action against the Emperor... which might put you in a passive position..."

Zhuge Liang didn't spell it out, because he was worried that the rebels might kidnap the emperor and escape to another place, claiming that Luo Chen was holding the emperor hostage and commanding the feudal lords, which could be detrimental to Luo Chen. However, this possibility was quite small; let alone escaping to another place, even leaving Chang'an was a huge problem.

"That's very thoughtful of you," Luo Chen said calmly.

Seeing that Luo Chen had no further comment, Zhuge Liang could only bow in fear and leave hesitantly.

"My lord, Jing Ke has not returned yet. I must go find him," Gao Jianli said after seeing Zhuge Liang leave.

“Okay, go ahead,” Luo Chen said. “But don’t interfere in things you don’t understand. You don’t know the whole situation yet.”

"Yes," Gao Jianli replied and left.

"Hey! Zhang Juzheng!" Luo Chen called out. "Zhang Juzheng, come here!" Someone quickly went to report. A few minutes later, Zhang Juzheng appeared, panting. "Did you find anything out?" Luo Chen asked. Zhang Juzheng shook his head: "These people are quite stubborn and incorrigible."

"I can understand," Luo Chen thought to himself. "If it weren't for a firm belief in eliminating the traitors of the Han, who would do something with virtually no chance of success? Since they have such a strong belief, they shouldn't expect to be able to interrogate them easily."

"No need for interrogation. Take men to Dong Cheng's house immediately and search his belongings," Luo Chen said calmly.

Zhang Juzheng glanced at Luo Chen in surprise: "My lord suspects Dong Cheng... I also have some suspicions, but it's not certain yet. What if there's no problem? My lord's reputation will be damaged..."

"Go ahead and search," Luo Chen said confidently.

"Understood." Zhang Juzheng immediately went to carry out the order.

Chapter 206 Martial Law

Before Zhang Juzheng could even leave, Jing Ke and Gao Jianli dragged Dong Cheng over. The two strangely dressed men, oblivious to everyone else, were pulling at the emperor's brother-in-law, creating a scene that drew the attention of many soldiers.

“This man is the commander,” Jing Ke said in a low voice. “I personally witnessed him secretly directing operations from his home, with all the leaders, big and small, reporting to him.”

"Is that so, Imperial Brother-in-law?" Luo Chen asked Dong Cheng with a smile. Dong Cheng did not answer, but stared at him with hatred.

"Go! Search quickly! Once you find the roster, don't report, arrest them immediately!" Luo Chen suddenly turned around and shouted at Zhang Juzheng, who was standing there stunned.

"Understood!" Zhang Juzheng instantly snapped out of his daze, immediately ran out, mounted his horse, and rode away.

"Lu Bing... have you figured out what's going on?" Luo Chen asked Lu Bing with a smile. "Have you both figured out what's going on?" Luo Chen asked Qi Jiguang and Huo Qubing.

Clearly, things are looking up among these people. Lord Luo Chen is the current prime minister, the de facto ruler. All the high-ranking officials coming and going are Luo Chen's subordinates. Of course, one faction in the court dared to secretly plot how to overthrow Luo Chen. Finally, last night, they staged a coup.

"Go there now and take over the martial law in the capital!" Luo Chen said sternly. He then pulled out his famous lord's command token. "Take this and go find Zhuge Liang, the regent, and tell him that all the imperial guards are now under your command."

"I...I understand." Lu Bing was flattered, not expecting to become the Imperial Guard Commander so quickly, and at such a sensitive time. Moreover, was Lord Luo Chen trying to remove the military power of Regent Zhuge? "Except for General Yan Qing and Zhang Juzheng, no one else can use your troops! Nor can you send troops to the Imperial City! Understand?"

"Understood!" Lu Bing replied immediately. Clearly, Lord Luo Chen had transferred all military power to Zhang Juzheng and General Yan Qing.

"Messenger! Messenger!" Luo Chen shouted sharply. A group of about twenty people quickly surrounded him, most of them having followed him from the battlefield. Luo Chen took out a silk scroll and a brush, on which he simply wrote: "Immediate orders: Yan Qing is appointed commander of the capital's garrison. No one other than Yan Qing may order the capital's garrison! Zhang Juzheng is appointed commander of the capital's personal guards. No one other than Zhang Juzheng may order them! Chang'an City is immediately placed under martial law!"

"Make several copies, get me to stamp them, and then post them all over the capital, including the Imperial City!" The messenger immediately got to work. "Just verbally convey these contents to Zhang Juzheng and Yan Qing; I still need the originals," Luo Chen instructed.

Sure enough, a short while later, Zhang Juzheng sent word that a list of traitors had been found, including the emperor's brother-in-law Dong Cheng, Vice Minister Wang Zifu, Changshui Colonel Zhong Ji, Consultant Wu Shuo, and General Zhaoxin Wu Zilan, among others. They were to be arrested immediately in accordance with the list.

"Very good," Luo Chen said with satisfaction. Actually, he already knew the outcome. It was amazing; history, after his intervention, had some deviations, but many things remained unchanged. Even more so, events that had happened to others had become almost identical to his own. The resounding title that originally belonged to Cao Cao had been transferred to him. Those who had resolutely fought Cao Cao to the death were now determined to fight him to the death. How would future historians evaluate him? "Holding the emperor hostage to command the princes"? "Holding absolute power"? He had killed many people when implementing the equal-field system… Would they describe him as brutal? Bloodthirsty? Ruthless? If he were the emperor, he would probably be described as a figure like Emperor Wu, a man of great talent and ambition, who expanded the territory and acted decisively. But since he wasn't the emperor, he lacked much legitimacy. Who knew what future generations would say?! Even—Luo Chen suddenly had a terrifying thought: if he had the chance to return to his own time, would he find that the Romance of the Three Kingdoms he knew was completely distorted?! Will Luo Guanzhong create a villainous character in the book and name him Luo Chen?

Luo Chen thought about it and then gave a bitter laugh. He had been single-mindedly focused on unifying the world and striking down foreign invaders; who would have thought of all this! Returning to Chang'an had brought such a heavy feeling to his heart!

"My lord..." Qi Jiguang noticed that Luo Chen had been lost in thought for a long time and couldn't help but remind him.

"Oh..." Luo Chen came to his senses. "Um... you two," he said, pointing to Qi Jiguang and Huo Qubing. "Go to the court immediately and read this order aloud." With that, Luo Chen handed the silk scroll to Qi Jiguang. "I'll be there right away. If you can't find your way, have a messenger take you there."

"Understood." The two men received the order and left.

Luo Chen didn't want to read the order himself; it would obviously be more effective if someone else announced it without his presence. Luo Chen had always had a style of keeping his true identity hidden from the court officials.

Luo Chen felt the order should be read aloud, so he led Jing Ke and Gao Jianli on horseback into the palace.

Luo Chen hadn't visited Chang'an, the imperial city, for a long time. Yongle Palace, the legendary Yongle Palace, was largely destroyed during the chaos of the late Western Han Dynasty. After Emperor Guangwu moved the capital to Luoyang, Chang'an declined. When Dong Zhuo returned to Chang'an in 817, the city was already quite dilapidated. Luo Chen then ordered its restoration on the site of Yongle Palace. Walking past the magnificent, classically styled palace, he felt a pang of emotion. Its style differed somewhat from the Forbidden City, where red and yellow were prevalent; this palace used less of those colors, reflecting more of the simple and robust style of the Han Dynasty. Truly worthy of the praise of later generations for the legacy of the Han and Tang dynasties!

None of the officials dared to speak; they all lowered their heads, watching Luo Chen walk into the hall as if no one else was there. He merely gave a slight bow to the Han emperor. The officials knew that Luo Chen's trusted ministers had completely taken control of the military. What chilled them to the bone was that some ministers, even now, had not appeared; they were absent.

"Gentlemen," Luo Chen turned around, with Gao Jianli and Jing Ke flanking him on either side, and Qi Jiguang and Huo Qubing on the other. "As you can see, some people are absent, and they will never be able to come again."

As Luo Chen spoke, he glanced down at the crowd. No one dared to look up; only a chilling silence prevailed. Luo Chen even glanced at Emperor Xian of Han and noticed that the emperor was gripped by extreme fear.

Luo Chen knew all too well what the emperor had done, but he was too lazy to bring it up.

Chapter 207 Sima Yi

Luo Chen coldly gazed at the trembling Emperor Xian of Han, his heart filled with more than just sorrow. If he were Cao Cao, he could order the arrest and execution of Emperor Xian's beloved concubine, Consort Dong. He could also threaten Emperor Xian on the spot, telling him not to cause him trouble, as he knew everything.

In truth, Luo Chen had no particular interest in the throne. He also had little interest in changing history, and held a rather cautious attitude. He disliked the Sima family, but could Luo Chen arrest and kill Sima Yi, who was hiding among the officials, right now? Could he confiscate the Sima family's property? What would history look like then? Would it be better or worse? Of course, history might be stable, without Sima Yi, or with a Shangguan Yi, who could replace the Sima family, cooperate with powerful clans, or represent clan interests. Luo Chen wouldn't be able to resolve the ethnic conflicts in the north single-handedly. The Central Plains would still be turbulent due to ethnic and class conflicts, until the Sui and Tang dynasties, dominated by the Guanlong group, brought Chinese feudal society to its peak again. History is long and complex, and it will never be changed by one person.

History will not be changed by the dust settling on it.

What Luo Chen needs to do is simply to do his best to provide a better present for the people and the country while he is on this historical stage. As for thinking about the future or even planning for the future, that is not a wise idea.

"Your Majesty and Consort Dong, are you unharmed? The capital is in turmoil, and I have failed in my duty," Luo Chen said coldly.

He saw that when the name "Consort Dong" was mentioned, Emperor Xian trembled violently, almost scared out of his wits. However, Luo Chen did not say that Consort Dong and Emperor Xian were supporters of the coup, but rather that they were "frightened." This left Emperor Xian both frightened and confused.

Many court officials who had been observing with detached indifference were terrified. Luo Chen had been away from the capital for a year, yet he had so succinctly pinpointed the opposition's Achilles' heel, as if he knew their every thought and action. It was as if he knew everything. Was this due to his lord's extraordinary talent and wisdom, or his powerful intelligence network? Or perhaps both?

Luo Chen didn't say anything more, but sat down in the seat next to him. "Raise a white flag, raise a red flag. Those who participated in the firefighting last night, go under the red flag. Those who stayed at home, go under the white flag~"

The guards immediately complied. The officials looked at each other in bewilderment, and finally, most of them ran to the red flag, while a small number ran to the white flag.

"Hehehehe..." Luo Chen chuckled. If he were Cao Cao, he would have another excuse to kill people.

The courtiers were filled with shock and uncertainty, trembling with fear. Everyone knew that at this crucial and sensitive political moment, any misstep could cost them their lives. Judging from the pronounced decree, even the top minister of Luo Chen had been immediately stripped of his military power in the capital. If even the top minister was at risk, what chance did these insignificant juniors have?

"Zhang Juzheng, the head of the Intelligence Bureau, has arrived," the messenger announced from outside the door. No sooner had he spoken than Zhang Juzheng strode into the main hall.

"My lord, the main traitors, including the emperor's brother-in-law Dong Cheng, the vice minister Wang Zifu, the Changshui Colonel Zhong Ji, the advisor Wu Shuo, and the Zhaoxin General Wu Zilan, have been captured and brought to justice! And..." Zhang Juzheng didn't finish his sentence, but glanced at Emperor Xian of Han and whispered in Luo Chen's ear, "Consort Dong..."

"I know, no need to say more," Luo Chen said calmly.

Zhang Juzheng glanced at Luo Chen in surprise. How did he know? But he immediately shut up.

The hall was completely silent. The long list of names that had just been read out clearly indicated that none of the people on the list would survive the day.

"Why didn't you go to put out the fire?" Luo Chen asked the people under the white flag with a smile. Most of these people were veteran officials, many of whom Luo Chen recognized, and some were even veterans who had participated in the Dong Zhuo Rebellion.

"I am old and frail, and I cannot go out at night even if I wish... I have the will but not the strength... Going out would only cause more trouble..." the old Grand Tutor said in an extremely aged voice.

“I understand,” Luo Chen nodded.

Luo Chen turned to the large group of people under the red flag: "You are all fined one month's salary. Don't meddle in other people's business, or you won't be able to tell the difference between yourselves and rebels, understand?"

The people were taken aback. Luo Chen keenly noticed that a few of them seemed a little guilty.

"Who is Sima Yi?" he asked Zhang Juzheng, who was standing beside him.

Before Zhang Juzheng could point it out, a middle-aged man immediately stepped forward. He was slightly thin and short, with deeply sunken eyes and his eyebrows always lowered. "My lord," he said in an extremely calm and composed voice, "I am Sima Yi."

"You are Sima Yi," Luo Chen said with a smile. "Very good. I saw you standing under the white flag. Why didn't you go to put out the fire? You don't seem too old to go out, do you?"

"Your Majesty, I am timid..." Sima Yi said, "Please do not laugh at me, I am just a scholar-official, I have no strength to even kill a chicken, and I am of no use when I go out."

"I understand," Luo Chen said with a smile. Sima Yi, Sima Yi, what a cunning and treacherous old fox! I've truly witnessed his cunning today!

"You're so young, yet you've already risen to the position of Chief Clerk. Our Regent Zhuge greatly admires you..." Luo Chen casually picked up the Handbook of Officials and said nonchalantly.

"I dare not," Sima Yi said calmly. "Your subject is willing to do his job well."

“Very good.” Luo Chen restrained his urge to expose him and held back. For the first time, he was so silent, simply looking quietly at Sima Yi standing in front of him.

"Someone has accused you of plotting something sinister and forming cliques for personal gain," Luo Chen said casually. "Is that true?"

Sima Yi was visibly startled, his eyes rising for the first time to glance at Luo Chen. He saw an unfathomable face. Sima Yi immediately knelt down. "I am but a scholar, only wishing to do my job well and support my family; I have no other ambitions!"

Zhang Juzheng (Qian Dede) was also clearly taken aback. He was an intelligence officer, constantly monitoring the ministers, and hadn't noticed anything out of line from Sima Yi. Moreover, Sima Yi had a good reputation among the officials; he was relatively amiable, didn't engage in corruption, and although he was usually introverted, didn't like socializing, and wasn't very sociable, he seemed quite reliable…

"I'm glad you have this idea," Luo Chen said coldly. "I hope you stick to it and don't go too far."

"Thank you for your guidance, Prime Minister..." Although Sima Yi was usually calm, he couldn't help but feel a little afraid after receiving such a blatant warning. He raised his eyebrows again, his gaze suddenly meeting Luo Chen's. It was a deep, calm gaze, seemingly able to see through everything, staring at him with extreme vigilance. Sima Yi felt a chill in his heart, a bone-deep fear a hundred times more terrifying than a gleaming sword. It was as if this person could see right through even the deepest, most hidden depths of his mind.

Chapter 208 Cao Cao's Territory

Clearly, both Zhuge Liang and Zhang Juzheng held a favorable impression of Sima Yi. Zhuge Liang seemed to greatly appreciate him, having promoted him to the position of Chief Clerk within just a few years. However, the recent coup in the capital dealt a severe blow to Zhuge Liang's prestige. Luo Chen stripped him of his military power immediately. This was seen as Luo Chen no longer fully trusting Zhuge Liang.

Luo Chen found Yan Qing and ordered him to stay in Chang'an and do some stabilizing work. "But our lord is going deep into Cao Cao's territory... he needs someone by his side..." Yan Qing said with some concern.

“I have bodyguards… You should have witnessed the prowess of one of them the night before last…” Luo Chen said. “You will continue to serve as the commander of the capital's garrison. No one can strip you of your military authority! If anyone attempts to mobilize troops without your permission, kill them immediately! No matter their rank, kill them immediately! Understand?”

“I understand…” Yan Qing was somewhat at a loss. He vaguely knew what Luo Chen meant. This meant that he could kill anyone, anyone at all.

"Alright, summon Zhang Juzheng." Luo Chen waved his hand. Luo Chen handed over command of approximately ten thousand Imperial Guards to Zhang Juzheng, also informing him that no one had the right to mobilize his troops, and that anyone with ill intentions should be killed immediately. Zhang Juzheng was more composed, but he could still sense the murderous intent in Luo Chen's words.

Only two days after the coup, Luo Chen left. Dozens of ministers involved in the coup were all beheaded, and thousands of his retainers were either killed on the spot or exiled. However, Luo Chen did not go on a killing spree, much to the relief of the officials; he had no intention of mass killing. Luo Chen, along with Yan Qing and Zhang Juzheng, set off from the inner city to the outer city. All the soldiers and ministers could clearly see Luo Chen on horseback, with Zhang Juzheng and Yan Qing on his left and right, respectively. Luo Chen seemed to be cracking his whip and speaking to someone. This scene was deeply etched in the soldiers' minds, signifying that military power in the capital had been transferred to these two men.

Zhuge Liang, a man of exceptional intelligence, understood that Luo Chen no longer trusted him. He awaited Luo Chen's decree of resignation. He could, of course, retain the title of "Regent" in the court. However, first, he would lose military power, then the financial control of local counties, and so on, leaving him powerless to oversee these matters. But after a long wait, Luo Chen made no move. Reports on coordinating local military supplies and finances continued to arrive. Zhuge Liang understood; Luo Chen's intentions were simple: he was signaling to him with silence: Forget about military power in the capital; focus on logistics. This was a move from "Regent" to the position of Xiao He (a legendary Chinese statesman known for his strict governance). Zhuge Liang could accept this; he would simply bury himself in his work.

Luo Chen decided to hand Jing Ke and Gao Jianli over to Zhang Juzheng to strengthen Zhang Juzheng's intelligence agency. Lu Bing was naturally also one of Zhang Juzheng's subordinates. As for Huo Qubing, Luo Chen clearly intended for him to display his prowess on the northern battlefield and in the upcoming battles against Cao Cao, so he kept him by his side.

As for Qi Jiguang, Fa Zheng received a letter from Luo Chen, informing him that a captain named Qi Jiguang would be dispatched to his side. Luo Chen ordered Fa Zheng to send Qi Jiguang to Zhou Yu, in the name of Liu Bei, representing the Sun-Liu alliance, as an officer sent to Zhou Yu's army to study. Then Qi Jiguang embarked on his journey south to Jiangnan.

Fa Zheng was an extremely shrewd man. It was quite interesting that a mere captain would have Luo Chen personally write a letter and issue orders. Much like Chang Yuchun, Luo Chen's order bypassed Zhuge Liang and all his superiors, directly appointing him as the governor of Shuofang City. Within two months, the Han-Xiongnu War broke out, and this young man instantly became a general commanding an army of 100,000. In Luo Chen's organizational structure, a captain could be considered equivalent to a brigadier general, capable of leading tens of thousands of men. Below the captain were captains, who were likely only in command of columns. Luo Chen's army numbered in the hundreds of thousands, and with deputies, there were several hundred captains. Such a low rank, coupled with Luo Chen's personal attention, created a stark contrast, inevitably leading to speculation.

Several years later, Luo Chen once again embarked on his journey to the Yellow River. East of Tongguan, Cao Cao was also on high alert against Luo Chen. The most important defensive perimeter was, of course, a defensive depth centered on Luoyang, including Hongnong, Caoyang, and Mianchi. West of Luoyang was Hulao Pass, and south of Hulao Pass was Mount Song, forming a second line of defense. Therefore, east of Tongguan, Cao Cao's army was layered, forming a comprehensive defensive system of cities, passes, and mountains. Further north, beyond the Yellow River, there was still the Yellow River, because it formed a "几" (ji) shape. The vast Taihang Mountains accompanied the wide and desolate section of the Yellow River to the south and north. North of the Taihang Mountains were Bingzhou (Taiyuan) and Yanmen. If one continued eastward, crossing the Taihang Mountains, Luoyang, and Hulao Pass, what unfolded before one's eyes was the boundless North China Plain and the Huanghuai Plain. The vast eastern plains stretched south from Youzhou, all the way to Xuzhou, Shouchun (Yangzhou), and the Huai River. This entire expansive plain was Cao Cao's territory. Its wealth was unparalleled in the land.

In other words, Cao Cao's northern territory could be divided into two main areas. The first was a defensive depth stretching northwards from Yanmen Pass, Bingzhou, and the Taihang Mountains, extending south to Hulao Pass, Luoyang, and Mount Song. The second was a vast plain, stretching from Youzhou to Xuzhou, Yangzhou, and the Huai River. General Zhang Liao had once led his army into Xuzhou and Hefei, adopting a defensive posture there while maintaining his main force at places like Chibi, posing a threat to Eastern Wu. As for Cao Cao's southern territory, it clearly encompassed the entirety of Jingzhou. He might even be able to annex the entire Jiangdong region in the future.

Luo Chen, accompanied by Huo Qubing and a few messengers, headed east, passing through relatively few checkpoints. Clearly, due to the large-scale troop movement of Cao Cao to the south, his forces in the north were considerably smaller. Of course, Luo Chen's forces were also limited, with large armies stationed only at Tong Pass and Chang'an, and few elsewhere. The reasoning was the same as Cao Cao's: in the past year, fighting the Xiongnu, his main forces had been deployed to the grasslands.

Chapter 209 Luoshui

Luo Chen traveled day and night, and soon arrived at Longzhou. He landed on the island.

Nothing has changed. Only the seasons have changed. When I came before, it was lip line; this year, it's nearing winter. The cold northern wind is already rustling. Yellow leaves are falling everywhere. There are few people on the island; Luo Chen has come ashore. The familiar "Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute" seems to echo in my ears, but it's not; it's very quiet.