My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 248 While you all head east, I will head west.

June 22nd.

The eastern expeditionary army set off from Luoyang in a grand procession and has now reached the outskirts of Pingyuan County within the territory of Jeju.

Xing Gao gathered a crowd to rebel in Qingzhou.

To quell the rebellion in Qingzhou, the expeditionary army had to first cross the Yellow River and reach the south bank before continuing eastward.

at night.

Yuan Tianmu summoned everyone to his tent. He wanted to send a vanguard to probe the enemy's strength and weaknesses.

Fei Mu, Gao Huan, Erzhu Zhao and others came to his tent.

Before Yuan Tianmu could speak, Fei Mu spoke first, "Your Majesty, I have heard that the Southern Liang has sent a large army north and has already attacked Yongqiu. Their army has entered the territory of Sizhou!"

But seeing that everyone in the tent remained expressionless, Fei Mu realized that these people probably already knew the news, and he was the last to find out.

He was furious.

"Your Majesty, the army that led the eastern expedition was drawn from the surrounding areas of Luoyang. At present, there are almost no soldiers left in Sizhou to defend against the enemy. We should quickly lead our troops back to Xingyang and Hulao Pass to defend them."

Yuan Tianmu glanced at Erzhu Zhao without showing any emotion, and shook his head, saying, "The imperial edict we received is to go to Shandong to quell Xing Gao. Without the edict from the Prime Minister and His Majesty, how can we act rashly?"

"The situation is extremely urgent. The Prime Minister's army still needs to guard Shanxi and confront Ge Rong. If our army does not return to reinforce, are we just going to watch the Southern Liang army advance straight towards Luoyang?"

Yuan Tianmu looked hesitant, caught in a dilemma.

He knew perfectly well that returning to rescue the emperor was the most urgent task at hand.
The only option was to shift the blame, saying, "This matter is of great importance. I wonder what Wan Ren and He Liuhun think about it?"

Erzhu Zhao glared at him, and, relying on his established approach, blurted out without hesitation, "Let's ask He Liuhun instead."

Gao Huan could only manage a wry smile.

Erzhu Rong specially drew troops from the area around Luoyang to form an eastern expeditionary army, but did not draw troops from Jinzhou and Jianzhou. Gao Huan could roughly guess what was going on.

But he really couldn't figure out Erzhu Rong's specific thoughts.

"In my opinion, it is better to remain still than to act rashly. The current situation is unclear. We have been marching for a month and have not obtained much specific information. We have no idea where the Southern Liang army is now. It would be unwise to rashly lead the army back."

"The Prime Minister and His Majesty must have already received the news, and the military order is probably on its way. We can just wait here for the news."

Erzhu Zhao nodded in agreement, “He Liuhun is absolutely right.”

Although Yuan Tianmu did not speak, his silence itself was an attitude.

Upon seeing this, Fei Mu stood up in anger, his eyes wide with fury, and declared with righteous indignation, "We have all received the favor of being promoted and are paid by the Wei, serving as ministers of the Great Wei. Now, the Southern Liang army is pointing its spearhead at Luoyang, and we, as subjects, are watching the capital fall without offering any assistance, bringing shame upon the Emperor. How is such behavior any different from that of the treacherous villains who were executed by the Prime Minister!"

Finally, she looked at Yuan Tianmu and said earnestly, "Your Majesty, you are also a member of the royal family!"

Yuan Tianmu lowered his head guiltily, not daring to meet his gaze, but he could only brace himself and say, "I also think He Liuhun's words make a lot of sense. If the rebels want to go to Luoyang, they need to conquer Xingyang and Hulao Pass. The court has heavy troops guarding these places, so how could they easily let the rebels conquer them?"

"It would be most appropriate for us to wait here for the Prime Minister and His Majesty's military orders before acting accordingly."

Fei Mu was filled with grief and indignation, and angrily retorted, "I have received His Majesty's favor, how can I stand by and watch His Majesty be disgraced?"

He snorted coldly, "You all head east, I'll head west!"

Having said that, he turned and left, completely ignoring Yuan Tianmu and the others' attempts to stop him.

Not a moment.

Yuan Tianmu's personal guards came to deliver the message, "Your Majesty, General Fei, he..."

"I know, let it be."

Yuan Tianmu waved his hand and sighed helplessly.

Gao Huan and Erzhu Zhao exchanged a glance but neither spoke. They couldn't stop Fei Mu from courting death. Fei Mu was already at odds with them anyway, as he was a staunch supporter of the Emperor.

They only took away soldiers from Fei Mu's main force, which would not affect their own strength.

Erzhu Zhao even sneered, "How foolish!"

………………

Xiangzhou, outside Yecheng.

Ge Rong has already begun to gather his followers to form a large army.

"Your Majesty, I have already led my men to take stock. At most, the remaining grain we have will last until September..."

Yuwen Luosheng went alone to Ge Rong's tent to report the situation.

Upon hearing this, Ge Rong frowned deeply. "So little?"

Yuwen Luosheng explained helplessly, "We only intimidated some of the smaller fortified commanders. Large clans like the Cui family still stubbornly refused to back down... mainly because they also learned that the pseudo-Wei court had sent an eastern expeditionary army."

The powerful families had even better access to information than they did.

Erzhu Rong's decision to send out the eastern expeditionary army was not simply to intimidate Yuan Ziyou and the officials in Luoyang.

It also serves to appease people's hearts.

This was a way of telling the powerful families in Hebei, Shandong, and other places that the imperial court still had the resources to hold their fortified villages firmly and not to surrender to the rebels easily.

Erzhu Rong had already figured out Ge Rong's food supply. The people of Hebei had no more food for Ge Rong to plunder. As long as the fortified villages and powerful families stopped supplying Ge Rong with food, Ge Rong, under pressure from food shortages, would definitely be eager to engage Erzhu Rong in a decisive battle.

That is Erzhu Rong's ability to control others without being controlled by them.

"Damn it!"

Ge Rong could only clench his fists in anger, but ultimately had no choice but to ask, "What should we do now? Erzhu Rong is hiding in Shanxi. How can we get him out of his shell?"

Yuwen Luosheng quickly replied, "Your Majesty, we are under pressure regarding supplies, and Erzhu Rong is under the same pressure!"

"He will never sit idly by and watch Luoyang fall, but without pacifying Hebei, he dares not lead his army south to aid Luoyang. This is our opportunity!"

"The Southern Liang army's northern expedition is swift and powerful. It has already reached Yongqiu and entered Sizhou territory. Its advance will soon reach Xingyang. Its rapid pace of advance will surely cause unrest in Sizhou."

Ge Rong still had doubts, "But Xingyang and Hulao Pass are natural fortresses... Even Xiang Yu, the King of Chu, was not able to conquer Xingyang."

Yuwen Luosheng chuckled lightly, “Times have changed. The Southern Liang army may not be as valiant as Xiang Yu, but... the garrison in Xingyang is not as brilliant as Emperor Gaozu of Han!”

"The informant in Luoyang has sent back news that Moheduo is still in Luoyang. The court has appointed Yang Yu as the garrison commander and ordered Erzhu Shilong to guard Hulao Pass."

"How foolish! Would Erzhu Shilong really defend Luoyang to the death?"

"Your Majesty, you should send someone with an army south to join the Southern Liang's northern expeditionary force, and together they can attack Luoyang and get a share of the spoils. This will also remind them to be careful of Moheduo's bravery, so as to avoid any unforeseen events."

Ge Rong was about to say...

The Northern Expeditionary Army numbered at least 100,000, while Gao Yu only had a few men under his command.

But then some images suddenly flashed through my mind.

The Gaoche people who led their large army to the Genhe Valley must have thought the same thing.
Ge Rong knew the final outcome better than anyone else.

"The Prince of Yuyang is indeed meticulous. A brave man like Moheduo should be a cause for concern for the Southern Liang army."

Yuwen Luosheng continued, "Your Majesty, if you personally lead the army to besiege Ye City and capture Ye City, you will be able to take Xiangzhou. At that time, Luoyang will be threatened again, and Erzhu Rong will no longer be able to hide in Shanxi."

Within Xiangzhou, the most important city in Shanxi was Yecheng!
Because the Fu River is located to the west of Ye City.

If Ge Rong could capture Ye City, he could send a large army to completely block the Fu River. Although Jingxing in Dingzhou was under Erzhu Rong's control, Ge Rong also sent a large force to surround it.

By blocking the two eastern exits at Fukou and Jingxing, Erzhu Rong could be completely trapped within the Taihang Mountains.

Why are you so certain that Erzhu Rong will be eager to fight me?

“If Xiangzhou is lost and Luoyang is lost as well, Erzhu Rong’s control of the pseudo-Wei court will be meaningless. If we can capture Luoyang, Yuan Hao, the Prince of Beihai, will definitely take the opportunity to declare himself emperor. The powerful families in Hebei and Shandong will also change their attitude towards us. Erzhu Rong will not accept such a situation.”

Yuwen Luosheng was just that certain.

Think for a second.

Erzhu Rong was in a very favorable position. All he had to do was quell the rebellions in Hebei and Shandong and mend the chaotic northern border that had been in disarray for several years. That would have been an unparalleled achievement.

To know……

Erzhu Rong has already reached the pinnacle of his official career, and there is no higher position he can hold.

Yet he made such outstanding contributions.

What will happen next?

It's simply a set of tactics used by powerful ministers to usurp the throne throughout history.

He was granted nine bestowals, a crown with ten tassels, the privilege of not having to hasten his steps when entering the court, and the privilege of not being named when being praised and worshipped.

Finally, following Cao Pi's normal procedure, he had Yuan Ziyou cooperate in staging a drama of "three refusals and three concessions," ultimately replacing the Yuan family as king.

"Hearing the words of the Prince of Yuyang has enlightened me and made me see the light!"

Yuwen Luosheng had indeed planned out all the subsequent strategies and plans for him in advance.

Ge Rong immediately made the decision.

"I don't trust anyone else. This time, I will have you, Prince of Yuyang, lead the army south to join the Northern Expeditionary Army. How many men do you need?"

"Your Majesty, just send me 10,000 infantry and cavalry."

"If too many people are dispatched, it will inevitably arouse unwarranted speculation from others. If too few people are dispatched, they may be looked down upon and it will be difficult to get a share of the pie after entering Luoyang."

Ge Rong nodded and agreed repeatedly, then added.

"If... if there is a chance to capture Moheduo alive, the Prince of Yuyang will definitely bring him back."

"I'm missing just one such valiant soldier in my ranks."

Yuwen Luosheng chuckled and said, “Your Majesty… my trip to Luoyang is for Mo Heduo! If Your Majesty has Mo Heduo’s help, why worry about not being able to conquer the world? After conquering the world, you will have all kinds of beauties and jewels. Why bother about the beauties and money in Luoyang?”

"Alright! I'll leave this matter to you!"

"I hereby order you to be granted the title of General Who Conquers the South, and to be the Commander-in-Chief of all military affairs in the Southern Expedition!"

"Yes! Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail your expectations!"

(End of this chapter)