Free Web NovelChapter 123: Fire Burns Luoyang City
Indeed, that was the case, especially since Dong Zhuo was preparing to move the capital to Chang’an!
As for Tiger Pass, this perilous stronghold had already been pushed to the back of his mind.
In Luoyang City,
After Dong Zhuo issued the decree to relocate the capital, the forces of the Xiliang began urgent preparations.
In the Prime Minister’s residence,
Li Ru bowed to Dong Zhuo and said, "My lord, our army lacks funds and supplies, while there are many wealthy households in Luoyang. We can confiscate their wealth."
"The wealthiest family in Luoyang is the Yuan clan, who have held high positions for generations. Moreover, Yuan Shao is now the leader of the allied forces. We can use this as a pretext to eliminate his faction, seize their assets, and obtain a vast fortune."
Upon hearing this, Dong Zhuo excitedly rubbed his chubby hands together.
Murder, arson, and robbery were his specialties! He had long held a grudge against the Yuan clan!
Especially Yuan Shao, that little rascal, relying on his family’s prestigious background to gather a group of followers to openly oppose him.
Dong Zhuo wasn’t a fool either; he was a man with considerable political acumen.
He knew exactly what Yuan Shao was up to.
It was nothing more than trying to gain political capital by participating in the suppression of the rebels.
Humph! If you want to play that game, then be prepared to pay the price.
Thus,
Dong Zhuo dispatched ten thousand cavalry from the Xiliang to first confiscate the wealth of the Yuan clan.
Later, they went on to capture and confiscate the wealth of thousands of wealthy households in Luoyang.
Placing flags on their heads with the words "traitors and rebels," they were all executed outside the city, their gold and silver treasures seized.
The final amount obtained was immeasurable, enough to rival the wealth of a country.
Kill! Kill! Kill!
Under the call for condemnation by the allied leader Yuan Shao, the morale of the allied forces soared!
They quickly launched an attack on the formidable Tiger Pass!
Cloud ladders, battering rams, and catapults all entered the fray. If one were to look down from the sky, they would see a dense mass of figures moving slowly outside the city, resembling a group of ants.
The catapults were gradually prepared, and Yuan Shao gave the command.
"Fire!"
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Hundreds of giant stones were engulfed in flames, burning fiercely, resembling fireballs!
Swooshing through the air.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sturdy Tiger Pass was shattered by the tremendous force of the catapults, creating numerous breaches!
Observing players could clearly see the durability of the walls of Tiger Pass beginning to decrease, albeit very slowly!
They couldn’t help but think to themselves, "Truly worthy of being called the mighty Tiger Pass! The fortifications are so sturdy to withstand such an assault!"
Under Long Chen’s leadership, the elite soldiers of Jiujiang charged out, with Sun Jian closely following behind.
Sun Jian remembered Long Chen’s lifesaving favor and was prepared to lend a hand on the battlefield if Long Chen encountered danger.
His four generals from Jiangdong were all close to the peak of their strength and would undoubtedly play a significant role in the siege.
Long Chen thought to himself, "With Sun Jian by my side, there’s a greater chance of breaking through the defenses on the walls!"
Soon after,
The defenders of the Xiliang noticed the allied attack and defended with all their might.
Archers unleashed a rain of arrows as if it were pouring rain.
"Raise your shields! Raise your shields!" freewёbnoνel.com
Long Chen shouted loudly.
Despite the protection of their shields, many soldiers were still injured or killed.
But this was war, and casualties were inevitable, cruel, and heartless!
Long Chen’s heart gradually cooled in the midst of the war.
Relying on Zhou Tai’s Xuanjia shield, the arrows naturally couldn’t reach Long Chen, allowing him to freely unleash his skills.
His dazzling Thunder Spear pierced the city wall like an arrow leaving the bow, piercing through rows of Xiliang soldiers.
Sun Jian was equally impressive, his Ancient Ding Sword radiating a brilliant flame. With a tiger spirit burning with flames, he fiercely displayed his might on the walls of Tiger Pass.
Many of the defenders from the Xiliang, exhausted their stamina, unleashed magnificent skills.
Those with ice attributes released rows of sharp ice blades, piercing down fiercely.
And the wind attribute strategists, with a wave of their feather fans, summoned mini tornadoes that swept down from the walls.
This battle lasted from morning until noon, gradually coming to a halt.
The central army, as well as the left and right armies, successively achieved breakthroughs.
Among the central army, under the brave leadership of Long Chen, Xu Chu, Zhou Tai, Sun Jian, along with his four generals from Jiangdong, and Yuan Shao’s Yan Liang and Wen Chou, they broke through the formidable defenses.
Eventually, the head of the defending general, Zhao Cen, was cut off by Sun Jian.
The enemy troops were thrown into chaos, ultimately suffering a disastrous defeat!
They scattered in disarray...
In less than half a day, the formidable Tiger Pass was successfully captured by the allied forces.
However, during this period, there were disputes that made many warlords realize that the allied forces were not entirely united.
For example, many warlords, in order to preserve their own strength, deliberately prevented their soldiers from fighting to the death, showing timidity.
This led to unexpected casualties.
Especially for Cao Cao, he was valiantly fighting on the battlefield, giving his all. However, due to the negligence and conservatism of his teammates, his troops were often surrounded on all sides.
If not for the bravery of his generals, they might have been overrun by the Xiliang cavalry.
On the other hand, Long Chen and Sun Jian worked together, and their losses were not as great as expected...
Inside Luoyang City,
Li Jue and Guo Si, two generals under Dong Zhuo’s command, after receiving Dong Zhuo’s orders, collectively drove out the people of Luoyang, numbering in the millions, and marched towards Chang’an.
Every group of civilians was followed by a group of soldiers, mutually detaining each other.
The number of people who died in the ditches was countless!
They also allowed their soldiers to rape and loot the wives and daughters of others and seize their food.
The cries of the people were enough to shake heaven and earth, a scene of unparalleled misery.
And on the way, if anyone walked too slowly, the 3,000 Xiliang troops behind them urged and supervised them, each soldier wielding a shining blade.
If anyone dared to walk slowly, they were swiftly dealt with—a slash in, a slash out!
Incredibly cruel!
As they marched, they left behind hundreds and thousands of headless corpses.
This attracted flies, and vultures gathered in the sky, dark and ominous...
Before leaving, Dong Zhuo looked back at Luoyang City, which was already in chaos and filth.
However, he was still unwilling to leave just like that.
A sinister gleam flashed in his eyes as he instructed his guards, "Burn everything here..."
Coldly in his heart, he thought, "What my family can’t have, you... can’t have either..."
Beside Dong Zhuo, Li Ru nodded slightly.
Soon after,
Upon receiving the order, the Xiliang soldiers all flashed with bloodthirsty eyes and freely set fire to the residential houses.
They even set fire to temples and palaces.
The fires in the Southern and Northern Palaces merged, resembling a giant fire dragon roaring and wailing...
The courtyards of Chang’an Palace turned into scorched earth.
With the thought that they were leaving this place anyway and might never come back, Dong Zhuo decided to do whatever it took to cause irreversible damage.
