Chapter 21 The Xiliang Army was afraid to act rashly, and Liu Bian directly decided the direction of the war!

"Hahaha--"

The generals of the Western Liang Army were overjoyed. They no longer had to worry. The only five schools of the Northern Army that could pose a threat to them were engaged in internal strife and killing each other. No one could stop them.

Guo Si stepped forward and looked at Qin Qiong and the Black Armor Army who were still following orders. He said solemnly: "I will give you a chance. Those who surrender will not be killed!!! Those who resist will be killed without mercy!!!"

“Kill without mercy!!!”, “Kill without mercy!!!”, “Kill without mercy!!!”

The phalanxes of Generals Xu Rong, Yang Feng and others, the Western Liang Army and their allies, suddenly burst into murderous shouts. The shouts from more than 40,000 to 50,000 soldiers and horses were so loud that they could be heard for ten miles and were deafening!
It's appalling!!!

Those loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty were disheartened and finally in complete despair. They felt that after all the twists and turns in today's dethronement and enthronement, they were ultimately doomed to failure!

The soldiers of the Xiliang Army and their allies were filled with murderous intent and high morale. They looked at Qin Qiong and the Black Armor Army who were surrounded, as if they were looking at prey that were about to be divided up by them, with eyes that were ready to devour them!
The generals of the Xiliang Army also felt somewhat relaxed because the overall situation had been decided!
Yuan Wei, who was hiding among the court officials, felt that he had the overall situation under control. The situation that was beyond his control was pulled back by him again. The corners of his mouth involuntarily curved up, and he was sure of victory!

The Xiliang Army has taken control of the overall situation and is sure of victory!

That's what they think!

Even Lu Bu and other Bingzhou army officers and soldiers were considering whether to join the Xiliang army and support them with all their strength in the process of deposing and enthroning the emperor, so that they could have a share of the pie when the new emperor ascended the throne, issued a general amnesty, and rewarded the meritorious officials!

but! !! !!

Jia Xu, who was also a captain of the Western Liang Army, looked around but did not feel at ease. Instead, he seemed to have a kind of oppressive atmosphere before a storm. He could not help but glance at Liu Bian who was sitting on the dragon throne.

really!

Emperor Liu Bian of the Han Dynasty still has a calm attitude while sitting on the Diaoyutai, which is in contrast to Empress Dowager He, who is still in shock and now heading towards despair; and compared to Empress Dowager He, who is panic-stricken and at a loss but remains calm, Emperor Liu Bian of the Han Dynasty is obviously still full of confidence!

This kind of confidence, whether the Han emperor still has a trump card or he is ready to fight to the death, is very, very, very terrifying!

It’s not scary for a person to be afraid of death, but it’s the most terrifying for a person to face death calmly!

And this person is the legitimate monarch of the Han Dynasty today. That is extremely, extremely, extremely scary!

and!!!

Jia Xu glanced towards the center of the venue.

Surrounded by the 40,000 to 50,000-strong Xiliang Army, Qin Qiong held two maces in his hands, sitting on his warhorse with an unmoved expression. The Black Armor Army soldiers behind him did not even show the slightest hesitation in their eyes!
Surrender?!
They didn't even think about it! They didn't even consider it!

It is true that the fighting with Li Jue's Feixiong Army caused some losses to the Black Armor Army and depleted their physical strength.

but! !! !!

Behind the Xiliang Army, the man who was surrounded was their king, Emperor Han Liu Bian, who was the only one they submitted to and believed in!

As for others, anyone who stands in their way of worshipping the king, they will kill them even if it means they have to fight to the last soldier. Their beliefs will never change, and they will have no regrets even if they die!
This kind of display of fighting will is that of an absolute death warrior!

Jia Xu could tell at a glance that this was a group of faithful death warriors, just like those religious believers. They had no fear of death, nor compromise with the desire to survive. They only pursued faith and hope!
What is their faith?!

It is the Han Emperor Liu Bian who is now in the Chongde Hall!
It was those factory guards, Cao Zhengchun, Qinglong, Zhuque and other generals who suddenly rose up to attack and defended the Han leader fearlessly and at the cost of their lives!

It is the king that the Xiliang army wants to depose and abolish today!
When the beliefs and goals of both parties conflict, those fence-sitters may choose to compromise out of fear of death, but these people will not. They will fight to the last moment and face death!

What is this called? !

There is a professional term in the military - an invincible army that ignores the "casualty rate"!

Any army, even elite ones like the Feixiong Army and the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, when the casualty rate reaches a certain level, the soldiers will become terrified, defeated and flee, resulting in a crushing defeat!
But for those legions that have faith and aspirations, they can fight to the death until the last moment in pursuit of their faith!
This is what scares Jia Xu the most!

This elite Black Armor Army can fight to the death for the Han Emperor until the last moment. This kind of loyalty, pursuit of faith, and submission to the Lord of the Han Dynasty is the most terrifying thing!

What kind of personal charm did the Han emperor have that could make such elite soldiers surrender? !
Whether it was the means of controlling his subordinates or the promises he made, they all proved that Emperor Han, Liu Bian, was not a puppet emperor as he seemed!
All of these prove that Emperor Han, Liu Bian, is not as simple as he seems!
This unknown existence that Jia Xu couldn't figure out and was beyond his control, now that he was surrounded and it seemed that the situation was beyond redemption, he still remained calm and composed. So -

This is not a calm and settled situation. It is the depression before the storm, the wrath of thunder is accumulating!
what is it? !

Jia Xu wanted to observe the expression of Emperor Liu Bian of Han, but he was afraid that his gaze would be traced, and he felt uneasy. He glanced over and then immediately retracted his gaze, like a frightened deer, completely unaware of the storm that was about to break out.

In Jia Xu's gaze, Liu Bian, sitting high on the dragon throne, had been quietly observing this dramatic performance. This twists and turns, this heart-stirring reversal, seemed to end with their failure in the end!
But is it really so? !
Liu Bian's apparent power is indeed limited to this -

Cao Zhengchun was guarded by his side, with Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise all in the palace, and the guards were vigilantly surrounding him in three layers. Qin Qiong and his Black Armor Army were also outside the Chongde Hall.

This is Liu Bian’s current team, a force that he can fully trust and that is loyal and devoted to him!

On the surface, it seems that we are surrounded and there is no way to escape.

However, secretly, this force exerted a power beyond imagination, and like a chain reaction, it exploded with astonishing influence under the authority of the "Han Emperor"!
Baihu is disguised as "Wang Fang" and is standing around Guo Si, the general of the Western Liang Army. He also has a group of thousands of soldiers belonging to "Wang Fang" under his command, who can turn against "Wang Fang" at any time if he rebels.

Xuanwu disguised himself as 'City Gate Captain Wu Qiong' and controlled the Sima of the twelve city gates of the imperial city. They also had thousands of soldiers under their command to guard the imperial city. This allowed the Xuanjia Army to pass unimpeded and enter the imperial palace, while also blocking the inside and outside.

Qin Qiong, the commander of the Sili Army, persuaded Zhang Liao to surrender and join the light, and led the Black Armor Army into the imperial city. They defeated the Feixiong Army led by Li Jue, the general of the Western Liang Army, defeated and captured Li Jue alive, and killed their way to the Chongde Palace.

Yes, it looked like they were surrounded by 40,000 to 50,000 Xiliang troops, trapped and unable to escape. But secretly, they also had the power to fight back, and now was the time to explode!
Liu Bian looked at the whole audience quietly, expressionless and calm. He needed to give his subordinates a performance that they were sure to win. As their king, Liu Bian was their backbone and spiritual pillar. Even if the sky fell, he had the confidence to hold it up!
Under Liu Bian's calmness, a huge spiritual force was indeed condensed, which made the factory guards fight bloody battles until now, and their morale is still high! Instead of the kind of frustration and blow of "I want to fight to the death, Your Majesty, why did you surrender first"!
Liu Bian's spiritual power seemed to penetrate the Chongde Hall and infect Qin Qiong and the soldiers of the Xuanjia Army in the square outside the hall. In an instant, they looked back into the Chongde Hall, but there was actually an obstacle and they could not see each other at all.

but! !! !!

The gaze is penetrating!
The power of faith is unstoppable!
They immediately understood and realized that it was time to explode!

"Wow--"

The entire Black Armor Army brandished their weapons. They were fully armed, and when their armor collided, there was a murderous sound of metal clashing. This sharp momentum suppressed the Western Liang Army who were shouting "Kill without mercy!!!"

This scene also made Guo Si and other generals of the Western Liang Army understand that Qin Qiong and the Xuanjia Army and other rebels were determined to fight to the death and continue to resist stubbornly!
They admired the courage of Qin Qiong and the Xuanjia Army, but the greatest respect for the enemy was to pay tribute to them with blood and lives!

"Wow--"

Guo Si and other generals immediately gave orders, and as the command flags were waving, the soldiers in each phalanx of the Xiliang Army immediately gathered their strength and were about to launch a fierce attack on Qin Qiong and his Black Armor Army, an attack with arrows raining down!
however!
At this moment, an accident suddenly occurred, causing the Xiliang army soldiers to be stunned on the spot. They were afraid to act rashly and did not dare to make any moves!

"Da da da--"

Behind the Black Armor Army formation, Li Jue, one of Dong Zhuo's trusted generals, one of the four great generals of the Xiliang Army, and the commander of the Feixiong Army, was in a dishevel and was tied up and taken to the front of the battle!
Came in front of everyone!
Looking at his former colleagues and comrades, and his subordinates, Li Jue felt ashamed and wished he could dig a hole in the ground and crawl into it!
It's so embarrassing and shameful!
As one of the four great generals of the Xiliang Army and Dong Zhuo's trusted general, Li Jue was able to command the elite "Flying Bear Army" of the Xiliang Army, which in itself was a proof of his ability and prestige!
But such an elite force was defeated outside the imperial city by the "Xuanjia Army" led by Qin Qiong. The Feixiong Army was almost wiped out, and he, the commander-in-chief, was defeated and captured!

What a shame!!!

Li Jue felt so ashamed that he wanted to kill himself to save his reputation. But Qin Qiong did not give him this opportunity. He captured him alive, tied him up, and stuffed a piece of sackcloth in his mouth to prevent him from biting his tongue to commit suicide.

Qin Qiong wants to capture Li Jue and other prisoners and use them as a trump card against the enemy!

When Li Jue and other main officers of the Feixiong Army were escorted to the battlefield, Qin Qiong rode up to their side and swung his double maces directly at Li Jue. This scene alone caused an uproar among the Xiliang Army!

However, Qin Qiong did not kill Li Jue directly in front of the battle line. This would not only not dampen the morale of the Xiliang army, but would also make them feel angry and angry, and they would fight bloody battles with murderous intent. Qin Qiong's double maces stopped firmly on Li Jue's neck, making the Xiliang army soldiers in a state of panic, not knowing whether to take action or not. At this time, Qin Qiong spoke loudly:
"You all should evacuate the Imperial City immediately!!!"

"Wow—"

The Xiliang army was in an uproar again, but after the uproar, they fell into a dilemma of indecision. Finally, the soldiers looked to the generals and asked for their opinions!

"Fuck! You shameless fellow! If you have the guts to fight us with real weapons, what kind of hero are you? You are just a cowardly rat, afraid of death!"

Guo Si cursed loudly. In fact, when Qin Qiong swung his double maces just now, he wished that Qin Qiong would kill Li Jue directly. In this way, he, who was also one of the four great generals, would have one less competitor.

But Qin Qiong was obviously also brave and resourceful. He saw the fear of the generals of the Western Liang Army and did not kill Li Jue. Instead, he took him as a hostage. This made the generals of the Western Liang Army cautious and hesitant!

Li Jue's prestige in the Xiliang army is too high!!!
The fact that Dong Zhuo allowed Li Jue to command the elite "Flying Bear Army" of the Western Liang Army not only showed his trust in Li Jue, but also that Li Jue's prestige was enough to suppress arrogant and powerful generals. He himself was also a capable and skilled fighter!
Such a brave and skilled general had a very large force attached to him. There were many generals from the "Li Jue faction" in the Xiliang Army, such as Jia Xu, who was currently serving in Li Jue's army.

If any Xiliang general ordered an attack at this time, it would not only chill the hearts of the Xiliang army, but also make them the target of public criticism. It would only give other generals an opportunity to fight for power!

Therefore, Guo Si and other generals of the Xiliang Army scolded Qin Qiong, saying "a cowardly rat", "a coward of death", "if you have the guts, fight me in a fair fight with real swords and guns", "how dare you fight a brave general", etc., but they did not dare to order an attack!
Be cautious and look ahead before you act!
Qin Qiong turned a deaf ear to these insults and said again in a cold and murderous tone:
"Outside the Imperial City, I will lead the Black Armor Army to fight you. No matter how many people from your Xiliang Army come, my Black Armor Army will accompany you! But now, you must withdraw from the Imperial City immediately!!!"

Qin Qiong used his double maces to increase their strength, and the sharp edges cut Li Jue's skin, and blood oozed out. But Li Jue did not shout or beg for mercy. No sound came out of his mouth blocked by sackcloth. He was indeed a man!
However, seeing this scene, Li Jue's disciples and former officials, as well as Li Jue's factions, suddenly became nervous and worried. Although they could rely on others after Li Jue's death, the sunk costs and early investments would be gone!
Furthermore, can a "stepfather" be compared with a "biological father"? !
At this time, Li Jue's disciples, old officials, factions and other soldiers who were surrounded immediately asked Guo Si and other generals to order a withdrawal of troops, and even asked Guo Si and other generals to try to rescue Li Jue. The threatening attitude in their tone was undoubtedly revealed!
This immediately made Guo Si and other generals hesitant and in a dilemma!
"What should we do now?!" Guo Si looked at the generals and asked, his face somewhat grim. "If we really withdraw from the imperial city, all our efforts to depose and enthrone the Xiliang army will be in vain!"

The generals of the Xiliang Army were in a dilemma. They could not order a strong attack, but they could not withdraw from the imperial city. Otherwise, all their efforts would be in vain!

"But if we don't withdraw from the imperial city, Li Jue will be dead. His subordinates will directly mutiny and rebel, and turn against us in the battle. We can't afford to be trapped both internally and externally. It will be detrimental to the unity of our Xiliang army, and we can't let the soldiers feel disheartened."

The white tiger disguised as "Wang Fang" looked at the hostage Li Jue and expressed the feeling of grief for the rabbit's death and the grief of its own kind:

"Now that things have come to this, who knows if the emperor has any more cards up his sleeve? Why don't we just take advantage of the situation and withdraw from the imperial city directly!"

"This……"

Everyone thought it was right, but when they thought about it again, they felt something was not right.

Guo Si frowned and asked, "But our Xiliang army is arbitrarily deposing and enthroning the emperor. This is a serious crime of deceiving the emperor and exterminating the family! After withdrawing from the imperial city and losing the bargaining chip of the little emperor, won't it be even more dangerous?"

"How about we split up into two groups, and one of you will secretly attack Chongde Palace and try to capture the leader first. This will surely make the Black Armor Army afraid to act rashly, and both of us will have hostages."

...

"Do you think this Black Armor Army is blind? As long as we make any unusual movements, they will kill Li Jue directly. Then we will indirectly kill Li Jue and force Li Jue's former subordinates to rebel!

Moreover, the rebel forces around the little emperor are highly skilled in martial arts and fearless of death. If we could capture the leader first, the dethronement ceremony would not have been delayed until now!"

White Tiger, disguised as 'Wang Fang', saw that they wanted to capture the leader first, so he immediately fanned the flames and changed the subject by avoiding the main point.

"That white-haired Cao Zhengchun, even though he looks harmless with a smile, he is a peerless master who even Lu Bu can't match! To catch a thief, we must first catch the leader. Who's going?! Are you going?! I'm not going anyway!"

...

In fact, sometimes, it is not that "three cobblers are better than one Zhuge Liang", but that "one monk carries water to drink, two monks lift water to drink, and three monks have no water to drink."

These generals of the Xiliang Army were all brave and skilled fighters. Naturally, they had their own ideas and concerns, and they had ulterior motives. No one wanted to bear the infamy of indirectly causing the death of Li Jue.

In addition, Baihu was secretly fanning the flames and obstructing the situation, making it impossible for the generals to make up their minds!
White Tiger disguised as Wang Fang said:
“In fact, this is not our fault, the soldiers of the Xiliang Army. The first time it was Lord Dong who insisted on deposing and enthroning the emperor. He has already passed away, and the dead are the greatest.

The second time we deposed and enthroned the emperor, that was an agreement between the military advisor and the Grand Tutor. Now that the military advisor is dead, there is little point in us continuing to depose and enthronize the emperor!"

"That makes sense!" The generals thought so and nodded in agreement.

"Then why don't we withdraw from the imperial city? As long as the emperor can pardon us, we can actually live a good life back in Xiliang. Why should we be so scared in the capital? The twists and turns are almost giving me a heart attack!"

The White Tiger disguised as 'Wang Fang' continued to deceive.

"Old Wang is right. The capital is a dangerous place. We generals cannot control it! Even Mr. Dong and the military advisor died here. We should quit while we are ahead."

"But if we leave like this, will we be held accountable later?"

Seeing that the generals could not come to a conclusion, Guo Si finally looked at Jia Xu, who was watching his heart, and asked with his eyes brightened:
"By the way, Wenhe, you have always been a man of strategy, and Li Jue often praises you. Now we are in a difficult situation, do you have any ideas?"

Everyone looked at Jia Xu.

Jia Xu's body began to tremble at this time, because as Wang Fang jumped up and down, bewitching the generals of the Western Liang Army into a ditch, he seemed to sense something.

There is a traitor among the high-ranking officials of their Xiliang Army, and this traitor is most likely "Wang Fang".

Jia Xu was just thinking of a way to get out of this situation, but the generals looked at him, especially Wang Fang, who looked at him with a meaningful look, which made Jia Xu's cheeks tremble. He immediately had to say:
"We are now in a difficult situation. It is not wise to continue to depose and enthrone. However, our Xiliang army has committed such a crime. If we withdraw from the imperial city so easily, we may be held accountable in the future.

For now, we should negotiate with them. We can withdraw from the imperial city, but we need your majesty to issue an imperial decree to pardon our Xiliang army generals for their rude crimes. Your Majesty is not kidding, so we can temporarily ensure that there will be no mistakes!"

Upon hearing this, the generals were overjoyed!
Why didn't they think about the "imperial edict"? The emperor's words are not jokes. As long as your majesty issues an imperial edict to pardon the Xiliang Army, the world will know. If you settle accounts with them later, wouldn't that be breaking your promise? !
Even if they want to settle accounts with the Xiliang army, that is a matter for the future and cannot be put on the table. As long as they return to Xiliang, the mountains are high and the roads are long, and the pits are deep. By then, the sky is high and the emperor is far away, and the sea is wide and the fish can jump freely!
The generals of the Western Liang Army immediately negotiated with Qin Qiong, and soon sent people to notify Emperor Liu Bian of the Han Dynasty and Empress Dowager He in the Chongde Hall.

These twists and turns were unexpected to all the officials in the court!

"God bless me, my great man!!!"

Wu Fuxiongkou had vomited three liters of blood due to being out of breath, but after hearing what he said, he suddenly became full of energy and vigor.

The loyal officials of the Han Dynasty were also worried because of these twists and turns. Could there be another unexpected turn of events? !

It turns out that the Han Dynasty’s national destiny has not yet reached the moment of destruction!
Only Grand Tutor Yuan Wei had a gloomy expression. He had never imagined that after all his calculations, in the end these Xiliang army generals would be afraid to act rashly because Li Jue was defeated and captured!
Of course, Yuan Wei also knew that this was the result of many factors.

When Chongde Hall was abolished, the guards suddenly rose up in rebellion. In the chaos, the military advisor Li Ru was torn apart and died. Cao Zhengchun was able to repel Lu Bu. Qin Qiong led the Black Armor Army to defeat Li Jue's Flying Bear Army and killed him...

All these accidents, in the end, because of the hostage Li Jue and the possible mutiny of Li Jue's faction, made the generals of the Western Liang Army cautious and cautious, and finally became the last straw that broke the camel's back!
This made the generals of the Xiliang Army want to retreat!
However, if they retreated, wouldn't all Yuan Kui's plans be in vain? !
These idiots!

Did they really think they could get away with it after they recklessly deposed and enthroned the emperor?! They reached an agreement with Yuan Wei and still wanted to get away with it?!
is it possible? !

Yuan Wei was unwilling, but it was impossible for him to jump out and oppose at this time.

Everyone looked up at the Han Emperor Liu Bian and Empress Dowager He. Who would have thought that in the end, it would be the Han Emperor and Empress Dowager He who would dominate the final situation, and would even directly lead to a confrontation between the two armies?
"Bian'er, let's agree to the Xiliang Army, pardon them, let them withdraw from the imperial city, and return to Liangzhou to guard the border. Okay?"

Empress Dowager He was overjoyed. After experiencing many twists and turns in her emotions, she looked at her son with tears of joy.

In fact, Empress Dowager He ruled the country and ruled the country. She could exercise power on behalf of the emperor. But Liu Bian's hidden power and the turnaround after many twists and turns made Empress Dowager He realize that her son was not as simple as he seemed!
He kept a low profile and conserved his energy, which led to the turning point today when he was able to stop the Xiliang army from rashly deposing and enthroning the emperor.

Therefore, Empress Dowager He couldn't help but subconsciously look at Liu Bian to ask for his opinion.

This feeling is like when a mother faces her grown-up son. She is no longer as self-willed and makes decisions for him without considering his opinions as she did when he was a child. Instead, she will seek his opinions.

Because the children have grown up!
In the end, Liu Bian, the puppet emperor who was considered by the world to be a tyrant because of his reckless behavior, has become the person who has the final say in the direction of this negotiation!
(End of this chapter)