Free Web NovelChapter 197: Jia Xu’s Strategy
The equipment stored deep within Meiwu’s warehouse was originally meant to outfit Dong Zhuo’s Xiliang cavalry.
Unexpectedly, it was now seized by Long Chen, benefiting him greatly.
"With this excellent equipment, my Danyang elite soldiers can finally be fully armed!" Long Chen thought to himself with a smile.
The equipment here was all of green quality or higher, with quite a few blue items among them.
Priceless, it was truly a treasure trove!
Long Chen waved to Zhao Yun and instructed:
"Zilong, send the brothers over to take all of this away!!!"
Zhao Yun cupped his fists and obeyed.
"At your command, my lord!"
It took nearly three days for Lu Bu and Long Chen to completely empty Dong Zhuo’s estate at Meiwu!
When they returned, both were in high spirits, their faces flushed with joy.
Especially Lu Bu, who looked a hundred times greedier than Long Chen!
Most of the treasure he obtained was kept for himself, leading to a decrease in loyalty among his soldiers.
Long Chen, on the other hand, distributed a portion of the treasure to his soldiers and reserved a significant part for future military expansion.
He kept very little for himself.
The difference between the two was evident.
Additionally,
Lu Bu and Long Chen had reached a preliminary agreement, forming a mutual assistance alliance to cooperate together!
......
Meanwhile,
Dong Zhuo’s four generals—Li Jue, Guo Si, Zhang Ji, and Fan Chou—had previously been stationed at Meiwu to guard it.
Unexpectedly, their leader was killed before they could even engage in battle.
Upon hearing of Dong Zhuo’s death and that Long Chen and Lu Bu were leading a large army to Meiwu,
The four generals quickly led their Flying Bear Army to flee to Liangzhou overnight.
Once they arrived in Shaanxi, they hurriedly sent emissaries back to Chang’an to request a pardon for their crimes.
After learning of the emissary’s purpose,
Wang Yun paced the court, his face stern, then angrily rebuked:
"The reason the traitor Dong Zhuo was so arrogant and domineering was because of these four men helping him!"
"Although a general amnesty has been declared, these four alone cannot be pardoned."
At that moment, Long Chen was still on his way back to Chang’an.
Otherwise, had he known of this, he would surely have advised Wang Yun to be more lenient.
For it was this decision that later drove Li Jue, Guo Si, and the others to return to Chang’an and seize it.
The emissary, having received Wang Yun’s decision, immediately reported back to Li Jue.
As the sun set, casting a dusky light over the vast desert,
The world before them was a gray-yellow expanse, far from the vibrant Chang’an city.
Seeing this, the Xiliang army showed expressions of sorrow.
Life’s ups and downs were indeed too swift!
Upon hearing the emissary’s report, the hopeful look in Li Jue’s eyes gradually faded.
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He let out a silent sigh,
Then turned to the other three generals and said:
"Since we cannot gain a pardon, we must each seek our own survival."
Guo Si, Zhang Ji, and Fan Chou also sighed at his words.
Li Jue, being the leader with the most soldiers and power among them, had spoken, so they had no choice but to disperse.
To be honest, they were unsure what to do in the current situation. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
If they wanted to stay alive, following Li Jue’s suggestion seemed the safest way.
The other three generals all clasped their fists and said to each other:
"Take care, everyone!"
However, at that moment,
A middle-aged man dressed in a dark gray robe stepped forward,
His appearance was ordinary, without anything particularly remarkable about him, giving off a rather unremarkable vibe.
But if Long Chen were to see him, he would surely be shocked, for this man was like an unparalleled sword hidden in its sheath.
If drawn, he would undoubtedly be a silent killer.
Seeing the strategist Jia Xu, who hardly offered any advice to the army, step forward, Li Jue’s eyes flashed with a hint of curiosity.
But considering the current situation, the light in his eyes dimmed.
"I wonder, Mr. Jia, do you have any insights?" Zhang Ji asked, cupping his fist.
Strategist Jia Xu calmly spoke up:
"If you gentlemen abandon the army and act alone, your power will inevitably dissipate significantly. Is this not falling into the enemy’s hands?"
"At that time, even a small guard could restrain all of you!"
Upon hearing this, the four generals reconsidered and realized the logic behind it. Currently, all their soldiers combined did not exceed thirty thousand. If they were to separate, each would command fewer than ten thousand soldiers.
After Dong Zhuo’s death, the once numerous Xiliang army had disintegrated, with tens of thousands of soldiers scattering and fleeing.
Some joined the imperial camp in Chang’an, while others went elsewhere.
Li Jue also realized the severity of the problem and bowed, clasping his hands:
"I hope Mr. Jia can guide us to a clear path."
Faced with a great crisis, Li Jue and his generals were humble enough to lower their posture.
The other three generals also humbly asked Jia Xu for advice.
Since Jia Xu could pinpoint the problem so clearly, there must be a solution.
Sure enough,
Jia Xu stroked his beard, formed his right hand into a sword palm, pointed towards Chang’an, and said solemnly:
"Now we are at a critical juncture of life and death!"
"Rather than lingering on, we should fight to the death!"
"I suggest that you gentlemen lure and gather local recruits from Shaanxi to join our army, expand our forces, and form a strong momentum!!!"
"Then, we can launch a decisive attack on Chang’an to avenge Lord Dong!"
"If successful, you gentlemen can uphold the imperial decree to rectify the world."
"If defeated, there’s still time to escape!"
This cunning plan laid out by Jia Xu stunned the generals for a moment.
"Is Mr. Jia perhaps the reincarnation of Jiang Taigong?!"
"Mr. Jia is truly talented, we admire him!"
"Mr. Jia, please mount your horse quickly, don’t tire yourself out!"
"Mr. Jia is the last hope of our Xiliang army, everyone must treat him well!"
Jia Xu’s words were like a key, unlocking the previously sealed doors and windows, allowing the generals to see the light through the darkness...
...
Turning back to Long Chen,
After looting Meiwu, the treasury was now overflowing.
The emperor was delighted and, with Wang Yun’s permission, held a banquet.
Now, as the representative of the court officials, Wang Yun wielded considerable power, and the emperor had to act according to his wishes.
However, unlike Dong Zhuo, Wang Yun still revered the emperor and the Han dynasty.
His lifelong aspiration was simply to use his own strength to revive the Han dynasty.
During the banquet,
Suddenly, a eunuch burst in from outside and knelt down, reporting:
"Your Majesty, Dong Zhuo’s body has been found in the market, and someone is kneeling beside it, crying loudly."
Upon hearing this, both the officials and Long Chen were shocked.
Even though Dong Zhuo was dead, he was still considered a traitorous villain by everyone!
Who could it be?! So bold!
Isn’t this tantamount to publicly admitting to being associated with Dong Zhuo’s faction?!
