My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 221 Ge Rong's Attack
"Wine and women have ruined me to this extent, how awful! I feel like my physical strength is declining a bit?"

Gao Yu rubbed his lower back, muttering curses under his breath.

Yuan Miao and Zheng Dache are completely different in style. Zheng Dache is almost always willing to grant Gao Yu's requests.
Yuan Miao deliberately went against him.
"Erlang, did you not sleep well last night? You look so tired."

"No no."

Gao Yu laughed it off and followed Gao Huan into the Taiji Hall.

I thought today would be another uneventful day.

But just as all the officials paid homage to Yuan Ziyou, Erzhu Rong announced an extremely shocking piece of news!

"Your Majesty! Your humble servant has received news that Ge Rong, the bandit leader in Hebei, has defeated Du Luozhou. Xing Gao, the former chief clerk of Youzhou, has gathered tens of thousands of people and rebelled in Qingzhou. It seems that the governors of Xuzhou, Nanjingzhou, and other places have all made moves to surrender to the Southern Dynasty."

An uproar erupted inside the Taiji Hall!
During this period, everyone's attention was focused on Luoyang, and they were all watching to see what rewards they would ultimately receive.

They've all forgotten that Hebei and Shandong are teeming with rebels and refugees.

Erzhu Rong released all the backlogged information at once, surprising everyone.

Then, Erzhu Rong dropped another bombshell: "The bandit leader Ge Rong has led his men south, and his vanguard has arrived in Chaoge."

The vanguard has arrived in Chaoge, which means... they have entered Sizhou. If they ride fast horses, they can reach the outskirts of Luoyang in two or three days.

Could it be that Xiangzhou, which has been putting up a stubborn resistance, has also fallen?
Surely it couldn't be a chain reaction triggered by the Hebei Incident?

Fortunately, Erzhu Rong added, "The Prince of Beihai has already led his people to surrender to the Southern Dynasty, leaving Xiangzhou City undefended. The governor of Xiangzhou is still resisting in the city with his remaining troops, but he is powerless to stop the rebel army from advancing south, which is why the rebel army has already reached Sizhou."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ziyou glanced at Erzhu Rong, then angrily slammed his fist on the table in front of him, stood up in fury, and said, "These bandits are utterly despicable! They are no longer ordinary bandits; their influence is growing stronger and stronger. We must strike them hard!"

"As a descendant of the Yuan clan, I inherited the throne. How can the empire built by my predecessors be occupied by bandits in my hands?"

"The court has repeatedly failed to quell rebellions in the past. After much thought, I have come to a conclusion."

"While the soldiers were fighting bravely and valiantly at the front, the late emperor, ministers, and princes were indulging in pleasure in Luoyang. This is why the battle at the front was going poorly and the morale of the soldiers was low!"

"Therefore, I have decided to personally lead the army north to confront the bandits. Our ancestors seized the world on horseback, and I wish to emulate them, don armor, and fight alongside my soldiers!"

"If the Mandate of Heaven is not with me, and I die on the battlefield, it will not be a disgrace to my ancestors. The Prime Minister may then choose a virtuous and capable person from the bloodline of the late emperor to be the new emperor!"

"The Prime Minister will lead the left army, the Prince of Shangdang will be the vanguard, the Minister of Works will lead the right army, the Minister of Agriculture will lead the rear army, and I will personally oversee the central army, vowing to fight those bandits to the death!"

Yuan Ziyou's impassioned and eloquent speech echoed throughout the Taiji Hall.

Erzhu Rong, however, watched coldly from the sidelines.

He wanted to use the dire situation to scare Yuan Ziyou, to make him behave. He wanted to tell Yuan Ziyou that the situation was already so bad that if he continued to mess with him, they would all be doomed.

Yuan Ziyou didn't buy into this at all, and even thought about personally leading the expedition to meet with the soldiers and officers at the grassroots level.

how?

Why are they so eager to extend their reach into Erzhu Rong's stronghold, namely the army?

"Your Majesty's courage is commendable. Our ancestors, if they could know this from beyond the grave, would surely bless the Great Wei!"

Erzhu Rong cupped his hands and responded loudly, "However, Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, a person of immense wealth and nobility. How could you risk your life?"

"Although the bandits from Hebei and Shandong came with great force, they were nothing but a rabble and could not last long. They could be wiped out with a flick of the wrist!"

"I have heard that the Qihu cavalry under your command are exceptionally brave, and that you, Prime Minister, are also exceptionally valiant. Why not let you lead the expedition in my stead to fight against the bandits?"

Yuan Ziyou climbed up the pole!

He wanted Erzhu Rong to leave Luoyang as soon as possible, even though Erzhu Rong would definitely leave behind many trusted confidants to keep an eye on him.

But whether Erzhu Rong is in Luoyang or not, Yuan Ziyou has a lot more room to maneuver. Erzhu Rong laughed.

"It is imperative to quell the bandits, however... the bandits have come with the momentum of a great victory, without encountering any resistance along the way. Their momentum is at its peak, and it would be unwise to fight them head-on."

"Furthermore, all of my elite troops are stationed in Bing and Si prefectures."

"It's too late to send someone to summon them now."

"In my opinion, Your Majesty should take all the officials and accompany me north to Jinyang, and temporarily move the capital there. Shanxi is an impregnable fortress and has the advantage of terrain, so the bandits will have no way to deal with it!"

Everyone looked up abruptly.

No wonder Erzhu Rong announced these messages in public at this time.

The goal is to instill fear in the officials and instill fear in Yuan Ziyou, thereby achieving his ultimate objective!

Move the capital to Jinyang!

Jinyang was the capital of Bingzhou, and Erzhu Rong had been cultivating it for many years.

Once they reach Jinyang, Yuan Ziyou and his cronies will no longer be able to cause any trouble, and he won't have to expend so much effort.

Yuan Ziyou suddenly paused.

He then realized that Erzhu Rong was waiting for him here.
He thought for a moment.

"This is a matter of great importance. How can the relocation of the capital be treated lightly? Why don't we hear the opinions of our ministers?"

"Your Majesty, I disagree!"

Yuan Chen, the Minister of the Capital, stepped forward and declared loudly, "Luoyang! It is the center of the world, the residence of the emperor ordained by Heaven. Since ancient times, it has been said that Luoyang is for the virtuous to reside!"

"The Great Wei has already acquired Luoyang, yet now it intends to move its capital. Does the Prime Minister mean that His Majesty is an immoral person, and that the Emperor of Great Wei is unworthy to reside in the imperial residence ordained by Heaven?"

Erzhu Rong looked at him coldly, "I have already said that this is an extraordinary measure for an extraordinary time."

"Hmph, the Prime Minister has many brave and elite troops under his command, why not send them to quell the rebellion? The Prime Minister keeps saying that the rebels can be wiped out with a flick of his wrist, yet he dares not engage them in battle. Such hypocrisy!"

"Either the Prime Minister lacks confidence in defeating the rebels, or he is deceiving His Majesty!"

"You old scoundrel, how dare you!"

Erzhu Zhao angrily pointed at Yuan Chen and threatened, "You old scoundrel, have you heard anything about what happened in Heyin while you were in Luoyang?"

Yuan Chen, however, showed no fear whatsoever. He laughed loudly and retorted, "General Wuwei, you roared in the palace, showing no respect for His Majesty. Such behavior deserves death!"

"As for the matter of Heyin, I have heard that General Wuwei can also summon elite cavalry to help me recreate the scene, so that I can also be there. At worst, I will just die!"

"Even if it means death! I will say it: moving the capital is absolutely impossible!"

"As the Prime Minister, you hold a high position, so you should relieve His Majesty's worries. When the rebel army comes, as the head of all officials, you should personally lead the army north to fight the rebels! Instead of using this as an excuse to coerce His Majesty into moving the capital north!"

"The Prime Minister keeps professing loyalty to the Great Wei, and now the time has come to prove his loyalty. Why is he backing down instead?"

Yuan Chen spoke with great conviction!

A hint of joy flashed in Yuan Ziyou's eyes!
On the contrary, Erzhu Rong's expression turned extremely ugly.

Encountering someone who's not afraid of death...

He really had no way to solve it.

(End of this chapter)