si-mexico Chapter 170 Luoyang City in Ruins, Yuan Shao Does Not Save Liu Xie!
Chapter 170 Luoyang City in Ruins, Yuan Shao Does Not Save Liu Xie!
"Damn the Xiliang army!"
"It's all these guys' fault! What the hell were they chasing us for?!"
Yang Feng's eyes were bloodshot as he viciously cursed the Xiliang army.
Dong Cheng, standing to the side, was in no better condition than Yang Feng.
Li Li was like a leech, chasing the White Wave Thief for two whole days and nights!
Yang Feng originally intended to take Liu Xie back to the stronghold, Baibo Valley.
But Li Li, as Li Jue's nephew, was extremely vicious and actually sent troops ahead of time to burn down Baibo Valley!
The White Wave bandits came out in full force this time, leaving the White Wave Valley with few defenders, so Li Li succeeded easily.
In other words, Yang Feng finally managed to take the White Wave bandits out for a stroll.
Before we'd even finished our maneuver, our base was burned to the ground!
Fortunately, Li Li was probably exhausted. After chasing for two days and one night, he finally gave up.
But for Yang Feng and the White Wave bandits, the losses were enormous.
There's no going back to Baibo Valley.
Where in the world can the White Wave bandits find refuge and make a living?
Should we go to Jizhou, a region rich in natural resources?
Fighting Yuan Shao for territory?
Are you sure your brain isn't damaged?
Go to Wancheng, which is the closest city in a straight line?
Zhang Ji and Zhang Xiu, uncle and nephew, along with 30,000 Xiliang troops, were sharpening their swords, ready to fight.
Although Zhang Ji and Zhang Xiu, uncle and nephew, were not of the same mind as Li Jue and Guo Si.
But they were legitimate Xiliang soldiers!
With such a small number of White Wave bandits, how could they possibly compete with Zhang Ji and Zhang Xiu, uncle and nephew, for Wancheng?
Yang Feng broke down.
He realized that he seemed to have no better way out than to be someone's lackey.
Whether in the Kanto or Kansai regions, those feudal lords were all fierce and ruthless, none of them easy to deal with!
He went through all the trouble of rescuing Liu Xie in Chang'an, only to find himself about to be demoted from the eldest brother to the youngest!
This contrast would be devastating for anyone.
At this crucial moment, Dong Cheng, acting as a master of ideas, suggested to Yang Feng:
“That scoundrel Li Jue will surely send troops to pursue us.”
"Our most urgent need is to find a place to settle down and make a living."
Why not go to the old capital, Luoyang?
"Although that place was burned down by Dong Zhuo, as long as we rebuild it, we can revive the Han Dynasty!"
Upon hearing this, Yang Feng realized that it made perfect sense.
Luoyang was the spiritual pillar of the Han Dynasty.
After arriving in Luoyang, he summoned the feudal lords to serve the emperor in Liu Xie's name, and presumably the feudal lords would not refuse.
however.
When Yang Feng and Dong Chengzhen arrived in Luoyang, they saw the desolation everywhere and immediately lost all interest in rebuilding Luoyang.
First of all, the White Wave Thieves had no money.
Furthermore, Li Jue could pursue them here at any time, so there's no time to rebuild Luoyang on the ruins.
But Yang Feng and Dong Cheng were both people who "could compromise when necessary".
They sent messengers to the territories of different lords, hoping to obtain their support.
……
Jizhou
Ye City
Yuan Shao was busy thinking of a tough job for Gongsun Zan before the autumn harvest!
When he suddenly heard the news that Liu Xie had escaped Chang'an with the help of Yang Feng and Dong Cheng, he was stunned for two and a half seconds.
Then, Yuan Shao quickly regained his composure and silently signaled to his personal guards to drag the messenger away and behead him.
"My lord, why are you doing this?"
While they were in the council hall, Tian Feng, who was accompanying Yuan Shao as an advisor on military affairs, immediately jumped out and questioned Yuan Shao.
A cold glint flashed in Yuan Shao's eyes.
"What, just because some random Tom, Dick, or Harry comes along claiming to be acting on the Emperor's orders, does that mean I, Yuan Benchu, have to believe them?"
Tian Feng flicked his sleeve and said:
"How can we know the truth of such a matter without sending spies to investigate carefully?"
"How can you be so arbitrary, my lord?"
"This truly chills the hearts of us strategists!"
Yuan Shao clenched his left fist so tightly that the bones were cracking.
To be honest, Yuan Shao was getting a little annoyed with Tian Feng.
What's even more annoying is that invisible hand in Jizhou!
Whenever something happens, Tian Feng always has to jump in and say a few words.
Certainly, Tian Feng's analysis was correct in many ways.
but……
Yuan Shao indeed could not heed Tian Feng's advice.
why?
Because Yuan Shao was the lord, and Tian Feng was the strategist.
The two of them have completely different perspectives on the issue!
Yuan Shao happened to know that messenger; he was a veteran official of the Han Dynasty.
In other words, Yuan Shao knew perfectly well that the man was most likely sent by Liu Xie.
The story of Liu Xie's escape is also true.
But Yuan Shao did not want to welcome Liu Xie into Ji Province!
This is completely against his interests!
Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu relied on the powerful families of Yuzhou, Jizhou, and Nanyang to rebel against Wang Mang.
Although Liu Xiu's experiences were too fantastical.
But without the support of these three original shareholders, Wang Mang would have crushed him long ago.
No matter how many meteorites you summon, it's useless! (Besides, we don't even know if the meteorites are real or not.)
Yuan Shao now relies on powerful families in Ji Province.
But what if Liu Xie came?
Do you think the powerful families of Ji Province support Yuan Shao or Liu Xie?
No one can say for sure about these things.
After all, there are ambitious people and speculators everywhere.
There is no room for two tigers in one mountain.
Yuan Shao already possessed considerable prestige from a family that had held high office for four generations. Welcoming Liu Xie was, at best, icing on the cake, and it also created potential problems for him. (This is the key point.)
Anyone with a modicum of sense who was in Yuan Shao's shoes probably wouldn't want Liu Xie to enter Ji Province.
But Tian Feng didn't care about that.
He was from Ji Province, so he could support whomever he wanted. With Liu Xie's arrival, the powerful families of Ji Province could also give Yuan Shao a boost, making him behave and stop being so arrogant.
This has nothing to do with Tian Feng's loyalty.
He could be loyal to Yuan Shao, but he would also do things that served the interests of the faction behind him.
Think from Tian Feng's perspective.
Welcoming Liu Xie would not directly harm Yuan Shao's interests, but would also give the factions behind him another option. Why not do it?
He drove Tian Feng out, then claimed to be ill and refused to see anyone.
But only Lady Liu could clearly hear that Yuan Shao was cursing Ju Shou, not Tian Feng.
Tian Feng?
In Yuan Shao's eyes, he was nothing but a troll and a pawn!
The underlying reason is yet another test by Ju Shou, a "Celestial Dragon".
He became the governor of Ji Province at the age of eighteen, the second-in-command of Ji Province at eighteen, which even Yuan Shao envied!
Poor Liu Xie is still waiting for the allied leader, who once boasted that "my sword is never ineffective," to come and save him!
Little did he know that the envoy had barely met Yuan Shao and hadn't even exchanged two words when his head was chopped off.
……
P.S.: I'd like to gather some opinions and ask my handsome readers whether you'd like to see a more historically accurate portrayal of Yuan Shao, or a more fictionalized portrayal of him as a foolish Yuan Shao. Based on your feedback, I'll focus on different directions later on; currently, I'm leaning towards historical accuracy.