Three Kingdoms Mythology World.

After Gongsun Zan and other warlords stormed into Hulao Pass, they found only an empty city. Not only were the garrison gone, but even the people inside the city had vanished.

After that, all the armies of the various lords poured in and set up camp in the city.

Hulao Pass was a formidable fortress. In times of peace, it housed a population of over twenty million and boasted well-developed infrastructure. When the flames of war reached the pass, the inhabitants fled beforehand.

The people Lin Mu tricked away were mostly from the lowest rungs of society, with no money or way out, which is why they stayed in the city. Through coercion and enticement, and with Lin Mu providing the travel expenses, provisions, and resettlement costs, they finally left.

Therefore, most of the buildings within the floor are intact, except for some that were forcibly demolished...

After sending his soldiers to scout around, Gongsun Zan led his troops directly through the East District and headed straight for the West District without stopping.

When Gongsun Zan arrived in the western district, the last vassal's army slowly entered Hulao Pass.

It's nothing more than Yuan Shao!
The unfortunate Yuan Shao was outmaneuvered by the defending troops, suffering heavy losses of soldiers and, most importantly, having some extremely rare supplies stolen!

This enraged him...

It was also because Fan Chou and Li Jue ran fast, and because they didn't show themselves and stayed hidden in the army, otherwise Yuan Shao would have already fought them to the death.

After tidying up the ruined camp, Yuan Shao led his retreating army toward Hulao Pass.

Yuan Shao, escorted by Yan Liang and Wen Chou, entered through the main gate of Hulao Pass.

Riding on his horse, Yuan Shao gazed at the majestic pass and was filled with emotion.

From the moment they gathered the heroes, from Suanzao to Hulao Pass, they traveled for months, but not only did they gain nothing, they also brought unprecedented disaster to the Yuan family. Now they are in a mess. All of this seems to be a calamity, rather than a famous campaign to cleanse the court of corrupt officials!
He's such a spineless leader!

Walking slowly down the noisy, dirty street, Yuan Shao gazed at the howling wind and snow, a look of melancholy on his face... What path lay ahead?

"My lord, Mr. Xu You and the others have returned!" Just then, a messenger hurriedly came over to report.

"Oh...let them come over." Yuan Shao composed himself, his expression returning to normal as he spoke calmly.

Before long, a group of people came running over, looking travel-worn.

"You have all made invaluable contributions to successfully reclaiming the divine artifacts of our land!" Yuan Shao dismounted, warmly grasped the hands of Xu You and the others, and encouraged them.

"My lord, it's no trouble at all! The successful completion of this mission is all thanks to everyone's concerted efforts," Xu You and the others said in unison.

"What happened after you withdrew from Youzhou?" Yuan Shao asked pointedly.

"Those grassland generals chased after him for dozens of days, but when they reached the vassal territory that Lin Mu had established on the grassland, they stopped. They didn't dare to attack at all. The plan to divert the trouble eastward didn't work," Xu You said regretfully, shaking his head.

"Recently, Lin Mu has been trading with ethnic minorities on the grasslands."

"Perhaps Lin Mu controls the lifeline of the grassland tribes' winter food supplies, so they dare not attack recklessly. And they know that we are the lord's men, not Lin Mu's men, so they did not vent their anger on Lin Mu's territories," Xun Chen added.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao glanced at Xun Chen and frowned.

The Yuan family had always maintained trade relations with the nomadic tribes of the grasslands, but after two instances of scheming, the grasslands could no longer maintain contact with the Yuan family. Lin Mu filled that vacancy in the Yuan family's territory… what a lucky break for him!
"In the beginning, the events in Luoyang, the capital of the divine capital..." At this moment, Xu You stepped forward, a trace of sorrow on his face, and said softly.

This time, he did not address Yuan Shao as "Lord," but rather by his courtesy name, signifying a change in status.

Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Xu You, and others all grew up in Luoyang, the capital city, and were childhood friends.

Yuan treated Xu You like a second home.

Now that this family has been destroyed by Dong Zhuo, how can I not be saddened...

"We'll talk about that later..." Yuan Shao waved his hand and said.

"You're back. Go back and freshen up and rest first. We'll hold a triumphant banquet after we've settled in." Yuan Shao ordered his men to take them away to rest.

Afterwards, Yuan Shao led his troops straight to the lord's mansion at Hulao Pass.

Neither Gongsun Zan, who arrived first, nor Cao Cao, Qiao Mao, and others, who arrived later, occupied the city lord's mansion. They all chose to reside in the mansions of other wealthy and powerful families.

That very night, all the warlords of Guandong entered Hulao Pass and set up camp.

As for Gongsun Zan and Liu Bei, who arrived at the western city wall, they captured the equally empty western city wall and temporarily set up camp there.

After some investigation, they finally learned what had happened after Lin Mu risked being surrounded and killed to break into Hulao Pass.

In a pavilion on the city wall, Gongsun Zan and Liu Bei sat at the head of the table, with their fierce generals below them.

"Lin Mu is truly..." A complex expression appeared on Liu Bei's face, and he sighed softly.

"He's still the same, daring and fearless, willing to do what others wouldn't! We thought he'd be strangled if he rushed in, but we never expected this to happen..."

Four hundred thousand troops stormed in, yet the city's millions of soldiers couldn't do anything to them—what a disgrace!
Not only did they fail to encircle and kill the enemy, but their supplies were also plundered, and a million soldiers were killed. To describe the defending army as pathetic would be an understatement.

After some investigation, both Gongsun Zan and Liu Bei realized that the profits from Hulao Pass were gone!

Hulao Pass is only of strategic significance now...

"Brother Bogui, where will Lin Mu go now?" Liu Bei asked in a deep voice.

"He might have gone after Dong Zhuo; he really likes to...mooch off others!" Gongsun Zan's eyes revealed a complex emotion. "He might even have gone to the other side of the Yellow River..."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei recalled the incident involving Sun Jian and nodded in understanding.

Among all the feudal lords, Lin Mu was the most adept at scheming!
"General Gongsun, elder brother. Lin Mu has always suffered losses in his military campaigns, but it seems like his army is growing stronger with each battle. This time, only Dong Zhuo limited his millions of National Protection Army and Guardian Army, but what about next time?" Guan Yu said in a deep voice.

“Actually, we had long suspected that Lin Mu might possess a resurrection artifact!” Gongsun Zan said solemnly.

"Some people tried to storm his Wenyuan Town before, and you guys blocked the gate last time because some people wanted to investigate whether Lin Mu's territory really had a divine artifact. If so, they wanted to steal it!" Gongsun Zan revealed.

"What? We were tricked that time?" Zhang Fei, with his fiery temper, roared in anger upon hearing this.

"Fourth brother, don't be angry," Guan Yu said in a deep voice, pressing his hand down.

“Resurrection artifact…” Liu Bei repeated the name again, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"No wonder he dared to lead a mere 400,000 soldiers into Hulao Pass!"

If he had such a powerful weapon, he might fight even more fiercely!

Previously, he risked entering the palace, hoping to see if the national treasury contained such a national treasure.

Suddenly, Liu Bei's mind drifted back to the Yellow Turban Rebellion... Back then, he was full of vigor and ambition, and now, he held the high position of governor, having found a place to call his own... The journey had been fraught with stumbles and falls. Yet, he always felt he had lost so much...

"Could it really be that Lin Mu conquered my territory...? From the first time we met, he harbored great malice towards me..." Liu Bei pondered to himself.

"Brother Xuande... Brother Xuande..." Gongsun Zan called out at this moment.

"Oh... I'm sorry, I was daydreaming..." Liu Bei said apologetically.

"There aren't many things that can make you feel dizzy..." Gongsun Zan joked.

"Report!" Just then, a messenger rushed in. "General, General Sun Jian has come to visit!" the messenger reported.

“Oh… Brother Wentai has arrived? Hehe… It seems he’s doing quite well since he left Hulao Pass…” Gongsun Zan raised an eyebrow.

"I will go to greet you personally," Gongsun Zan said, rising to his feet.

Liu Bei quickly followed behind Sun Jian.

Liu Bei still very much wanted to establish a friendly relationship with Sun Jian, the "Tiger of Jiangdong".

Of the many warlords, only Yuan Shao, the leader of the alliance, Cao Cao, Gongsun Zan, and Sun Jian caught his eye. The others seemed more like filler... timid and hesitant, wanting to fight Dong Zhuo but also afraid of being purged by him if they failed... He wanted to have his cake and eat it too...

Soon, Gongsun Zan met the spirited Sun Jian at the foot of the city.

Although Lin Mu seized control of the Yellow River strategy, he gained much from land warfare...

After exchanging pleasantries, the group returned to the attic.

Gongsun Zan had already instructed people to prepare a welcoming banquet before he came down.

Sun Jian did not refuse Gongsun Zan's invitation to the banquet and directly led Huang Gai and others to sit down and enjoy the meal.

After exchanging toasts, Sun Jian finally revealed the purpose of his visit: "I have come here to join forces with your two armies to completely wipe out the garrison in Gongxian and other cities, and then march directly to Luoyang!"

In fact, Sun Jian had long wanted to march directly into Luoyang, to be the first warlord to reach the capital, and the first warlord to conquer the capital!

However, if he disregarded Dong Zhuo's garrison along the way, he would be essentially venturing deep into enemy territory.

This time, things weren't as lucky as Lin Mu's.

Besides the city's garrison, there were also some roaming Xiliang troops lying in ambush, waiting for someone to penetrate deeper.

He even suspected that the ambush from Hulao Pass to Luoyang was aimed at him!
So after a few probing attempts, he turned his troops back. Perhaps it was luck, but he encountered the retreating defenders on the banks of the Yellow River. After a fierce battle, his already bulging purse burst...

A large portion of the resources simply couldn't be transported away; they're all hidden somewhere...

If fighting alone won't work, then we should unite.

"Brother Wentai, to be honest, although our military strength is not small, it is still weaker than that of other warlords. Why don't we join forces with our leader Cao Cao and the others, and instead come here?" Gongsun Zan asked frankly.

"Hmph! The Kwantung Coalition... it disbanded as soon as the supplies were distributed!" Sun Jian sneered. Clearly, he saw through the situation perfectly.

"Are Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu really so kind as to distribute all the grain? That's because they're preparing to fight and using stratagems to wear down their various forces..."

"Although I was defeated before because of the problem of food supplies, I never mentioned the distribution of food supplies. Even when I went directly to Yuan Shu's camp to plunder food supplies, I did not bring up the matter of distributing food supplies, and I did not even ask the alliance leader Yuan Shao to remove Yuan Shu from his position as the food supply officer."

"It wasn't for our own benefit, but for the greater good of the coalition. Now... we're just a disorganized mess."

"Besides, are those feudal lords willing to lead their troops to fight to the death in order to protect themselves? Not necessarily..." Sun Jian had already given up on the allied forces.

"Even the alliance leader Yuan Shao let go of such a great opportunity to besiege and wipe out millions of Dong Zhuo's troops, giving him more than twenty days to prepare... Lin Mu, on the other hand, charged straight in, causing them to suffer heavy losses."

"Although I have a rift with Lin Mu, to be honest, I admire Lin Mu's actions."

“When Lin Mu occupied the city walls, I wanted to join forces with him to advance westward, but unfortunately he didn’t agree,” Sun Jian confessed.

At this point, a strange look flashed across Sun Jian's face. His eagerness to attack Luoyang stemmed from a persistent feeling that something there was drawing him in…

Therefore, he did not send troops to escort supplies to the Yellow River, but instead had them transported by boat.

(A side note: Some readers have asked why there are no rewards for conquering cities... The reason is that the city's core was not broken, so it wasn't considered a complete capture.)
"I see……"

"How about it, Bo Gui, Xuan De? Let's join forces, march straight to Luoyang, the capital, and make a name for ourselves throughout the world!" Sun Jian shouted, making empty promises.

Upon hearing this, both Gongsun Zan and Liu Bei were taken aback. This could be considered an achievement, and if truly accomplished, it might increase their prestige and influence!
Gongsun Zan and Liu Bei exchanged a glance, neither of them speaking, but they agreed: "Alright! We'll set off in three days!"

The two said in unison.

The fact that Gongsun Zan listened to Liu Bei's opinions proves that Gongsun Zan regarded Liu Bei as an equal and respected him.

……

While Sun Jian, Gongsun Zan, and Liu Bei were plotting, Yuan Shao and others were also discussing important matters with their advisors in the city lord's mansion.

"My lord, since we have made Bohai Commandery our base, it is necessary to take over Ji Province!" Xun Chen suggested loudly.

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces showed surprise, while Yuan Shao's eyes flickered slightly, clearly indicating that he was somewhat tempted.

Han Fu's face involuntarily appeared in his mind...

"You mean we should target Han Fu?" Guo Tu asked, frowning.

"My lord, the situation has changed, and we should adapt accordingly. Gongsun Zan, Liu Bei, Lin Mu, Yuan Shu, and others are all quite difficult to defeat at the moment."

“We should secure a safe haven first,” Xun Chen said slowly.

"If Han Fu were still the governor of Ji Province, we would only be able to develop with the resources of a single prefecture, and we would have little chance to leverage the strengths of the south."

Upon hearing this, everyone reacted with varying expressions.

"Youruo, do you have a good plan?" Yuan Shao finally spoke.

Everyone was shocked when they heard Yuan Shao's words. He was going to take over Ji Province?!

In that way, everyone will have a larger place to settle down and make a living.

Jizhou is the second richest province in China, only slightly less so than Sili.

"After capturing Luoyang, the capital..." Xun Chen made a throat-slitting gesture.

"At the same time, we can openly attach ourselves to Dong Zhuo and use his influence to secure our position as Governor of Ji Province."

"Heh... surrender to Dong Zhuo? What about the Guandong Coalition then?" Guo Tu sneered.

"The Kwantung Army... has long been defunct in name only..." Xu You said calmly, seeing through the situation clearly.

"Would Dong Zhuo really be so obedient? Will he be willing to let our lord become the governor of Ji Province? Our lord and he have a blood feud!" Guo Tu said, his eyes blazing with fury.

At this moment, Guo Tu's eyes were bloodshot. His entire family had perished in the battle to destroy Yuan Shao in the capital. Now, he also harbored a deep-seated hatred for Dong Zhuo.

He couldn't avenge himself on his own; he could only rely on his lord, Yuan Shao.

"Ji Province is bordered by Qing Province and You Province to the east and north, and everyone knows the situation there... I think Dong Zhuo would also like to see us confront Lin Mu!"

(Something came up to me tonight, so only one update!) (End of Chapter)