Chapter 70: One Man Overawes the Heroes, Abandoning Luoyang to Throw the Warlords into Chaos

All of this left Gu Yi dumbfounded.

Gu Chen’s progress was too fast!

Although Niu Fu could not be called a top-tier warrior, he was certainly not comparable to an ordinary person.

Yet now, he could not even block ten exchanges from Gu Chen.

If Gu Chen continued to improve like this, could he fight his way through the entire chaotic era?

His expectations for Gu Chen grew increasingly intense.

——This battle was destined to have far-reaching consequences.

The warlords from all four directions were currently on their way to Luoyang with their armies, all under the banner of "protecting the King."

Gu Chen naturally understood that at a time like this, the Emperor’s imperial edicts were useless, but he still needed to seize this moral high ground.

He immediately issued an edict in the name of the Son of Heaven, declaring Dong Zhuo’s crimes and denouncing the warlords from all directions.

But such decrees were destined to have no effect.

The power structure of the Great Han had completely collapsed.

The common people had long since lost faith in the imperial court, which thoroughly gave the warlords from all directions the heart to carve out their own territories.

Gu Chen naturally understood this.

After taking down Dong Zhuo, he saw that Dong Zhuo’s remnants had already retreated.

He then began to use the name of the Son of Heaven to purge the eight passes of Luoyang.

He intended to rely on the eight passes of Luoyang to build a defensive line and drag the entire "protecting the King" army of the warlords here.

These so-called rebel armies could not possibly stop the likes of Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi.

As long as he could stall for some time, once the forces from all directions arrived, it would be enough to completely stabilize the situation.

Currently, the garrisons within the eight passes of Luoyang were still the troops left behind by Gu Xi.

The great upheaval stirred up by He Jin had only cleared out the mid-to-high-level generals within the eight passes who were loyal to the Gu family.

He simply did not have time to replace them before they were directly taken by Gu Chen.

Moreover, Gu Chen was currently suppressing all news from within Luoyang.

With the help of this so-called imperial edict, reclaiming the eight passes of Luoyang was naturally not a difficult task.

He conducted a great purge of the generals throughout the eight passes.

And he settled the Julu disciples within them, beginning to construct a defensive line.

Suanzao.

The warlord armies from various regions arrived one after another.

This "protecting the King" army included regional governors and noble clans.

Among them, the major clans such as the Runan Yuan clan, the Hongnong Yang clan, and the Qinghe Cui clan, as well as Yanzhou Inspector Liu Dai and Henei Administrator Wang Kuang, were the main forces.

In fact, Yuan Shao had not expected the situation to turn out like this today.

Initially, he had only thought about sending troops together with Gu Xi and taking the opportunity to earn some merit, preparing for his future career.

And the initial development was just as he had expected.

Relying on the reputation of the Yuan clan, his strength developed rapidly during the suppression of the rebellion.

It was just a pity that the subsequent events exceeded his expectations.

In fact, the Runan Yuan clan and the Gu family had always been staunch allies.

But the human heart is inherently fickle.

From the moment Liu Zhi abandoned Gu Xi, the Yuan clan had been dreaming of one day reaching the same level as the Gu family.

This was perhaps the fundamental reason why both sides were destined to walk on opposite paths.

Gu Xi’s reforms affected their interests.

And the most critical point was—

Gu Xi’s existence also blocked the path of too many people.

If Gu Xi had not carried out reforms.

They might have been able to wait.

But when Gu Xi took that step, they had no choice but to face the difficulty head-on.

In fact, even they had not expected the current situation.

Their original idea was.

To use Dong Zhuo and He Jin to target Gu Xi first.

At that time, they could return to Luoyang to vindicate Gu Xi, not only firmly occupying power but also using this act to enhance their family’s reputation.

But now it was different.

When they began to ignore the imperial edict of rebuke from Liu Bian.

A certain restriction had been completely broken.

The decline of imperial power had already caused dissent in the hearts of many.

This was human nature.

Inside the main tent.

Seeing that everyone had arrived one after another, Liu Dai laughed twice and said, "The heroes and warlords of the world are all gathered here now."

"Our Han Dynasty has no worries."

As the Yanzhou Inspector and the Han Dynasty’s Clan Elder.

Among this group of people, Liu Dai’s status and position were naturally the most extraordinary.

This move of his was also intended to seize the initiative and establish his own position.

"Brother Gongshan’s words are reasonable."

Wang Kuang smiled and echoed, "Our great talents are all here; the Han Dynasty is naturally without worry."

"Well said! The situation of the world is in our hands. Now that the heroes are gathered, we only wait to protect the King and save the Son of Heaven, and then we can stabilize the four directions!"

"Since we are forming an alliance, why don't we imitate the time of the Guangwu Emperor and create a painting to pass on to the world?"

"Hahaha! That is a wonderful idea!"

"."

Everyone spoke one after another, and the atmosphere was extremely harmonious.

Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu had not spoken from beginning to end.

Yuan Shao was fine, his expression natural.

But in Yuan Shu’s deep eyes, there was a hint of hidden disdain; he looked down on these people a little.

At this moment, someone suddenly spoke: "Since we are an alliance to protect the King, we should naturally choose someone to be the leader."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the tent changed instantly.

Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu both almost revealed looks of interest.

But they were not like in history, where they already had official positions of sufficient status.

Everyone almost immediately looked at Liu Dai.

"Brother Gongshan is a member of the Imperial Clan and the Yanzhou Inspector; he is the key to this protection of the King, so the position of leader should naturally be held by Brother Gongshan."

"That makes sense. With Brother Gongshan here, it will be convenient for us to protect the King!"

"."

Hearing everyone’s words, Liu Dai’s eyes lit up instantly, but his face showed a look of embarrassment: "You are all pillars of our Great Han, how can I..."

Before he could finish.

Someone immediately interrupted him: "Brother Gongshan, why be so humble? Only if Brother Gongshan takes this position of leader can it convince the masses!"

Everyone spoke up again.

Liu Dai’s eyes grew brighter and brighter, but his face wore a look of helplessness as he slowly nodded: "Since you all think so highly of me, then I, Liu Dai, will no longer decline."

"Everyone, rest assured."

"When we fight into Luoyang, I will definitely report to the world and recount your merits in protecting the King."

This was promising subsequent benefits to everyone.

A clan inspector like Liu Dai.

Under the current situation, he also had to look at the faces of the local great clans.

Sure enough, upon hearing this.

The smiles on the faces of everyone in the tent grew even more intense.

Although the two brothers Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu had not said much, the Runan Yuan clan would naturally not be forgotten.

Under these circumstances, Yuan Shao was elected as the deputy leader.

And subsequently, these people began to discuss the matter of mobilizing troops.

Yuan Shu was truly a bit unhappy.

It was one thing to give the position of leader to Liu Dai, a member of the Han imperial clan, as it benefited everyone.

Why should the position of deputy leader be given to Yuan Shao?

He was the legitimate son of the Yuan clan.

While Yuan Shao was merely a son of a concubine of the Yuan clan!

In fact, this also had to do with their personalities.

Yuan Shao had always liked to associate with heroes, and during the time of suppressing the rebellion, he had formed deep connections with people from various noble clans.

Looking at Yuan Shu, however, he favored the style of a wandering knight.

Furthermore, he was fond of luxury, and he was younger than Yuan Shao.

This naturally led to a gap opening up between him and Yuan Shao.

But how could he endure such neglect?

Seeing the others discussing the war, he sneered and said, "I have a fierce general under my command who can serve as the Vanguard Commander."

"Oh?"

Hearing this, everyone immediately looked at Yuan Shu.

"Who is it that Gonglu speaks of?" Liu Dai asked, looking at Yuan Shu.

But Yuan Shu did not even glance at him; it was only when the others asked one after another that he finally spoke.

"This man is named Sun Jian."

"He is a tiger-like general I recruited while suppressing the rebellion in Nanyang."

Yuan Shu said proudly, "He is certainly qualified to be the Vanguard Commander."

The right to speak is something one must fight for.

He was going to make a name for himself.

Upon hearing this name, many people showed expressions of surprise.

Clearly, they had all heard of Sun Jian's bravery and were surprised that Yuan Shu had managed to recruit such a valiant general.

Sun Jian did indeed already have some reputation.

He came from a humble family in the Wu region.

By utilizing the policies proposed by Gu Xi, he had repeatedly performed meritorious deeds during the suppression of the rebellion.

It was for this reason that Yuan Shu had developed the desire to recruit him.

Using the name of the Yuan family, which had produced high officials for four generations, he promised that he would certainly help Sun Jian reach the pinnacle of his official career in the future.

In truth, the two were not in a typical relationship of master and subordinate.

It was a partnership.

Sun Jian cleared out bandits while increasing the reputation of both himself and Yuan Shu.

And Yuan Shu used his own influence to provide him with grain and fodder.

This time, he had naturally followed Yuan Shu to join the campaign to save the Emperor.

"So it is this man." Liu Dai was not angry at Yuan Shu's disregard, and he sighed, "The Yuan family is truly worthy of being officials for four generations."

"Such prestige is truly enviable."

He spoke from the heart.

Although he currently held the official post of Inspector of Yanzhou, in reality, there were still those within Yanzhou who opposed him.

His initiative this time was also to take the opportunity to eliminate these opposing great clans.

Everyone was in complete agreement with this.

The person for the vanguard was thus decided under these circumstances.

And subsequently, everyone began to arrange the overall tactics.

In truth, for them, there was no need for any tactics.

Things were different now compared to the original history.

Gu Chen could not conjure troops out of thin air, and his strength was far inferior to the might of Dong Zhuo in the original history.

Facing such a situation.

How could the allied forces possibly discuss any tactics?

It was undoubtedly just a matter of leading the great army to press forward.

—The third year of Zhaoning, May.

The entire allied force began its offensive against Luoyangcheng.

Things were now completely different from the original history.

The existence of the Gu family was enough to make these people suppress all internal conflicts and unite against the outside.

This greatly enhanced the combat effectiveness of the entire allied force.

Hulao Pass.

Looking at the endless allied forces outside the pass, Gu Chen's expression also became increasingly serious.

There were indeed too many troops!

If not for Hulao Pass, with its crisscrossing mountain ridges forming a natural barrier.

He could have led his army to retreat directly by now.

But even so, his current situation was still very grim.

Morale was a problem he had to face.

He was not Gu Xi.

He did not yet have the reputation of being undefeated in a hundred battles.

Facing an enemy of this size would naturally cause morale to decline, not to mention the great battle that would surely shed countless amounts of blood.

He had to find a way to stabilize his army's morale!

Outside the pass.

A group of warlords was staring intently at the pass before them, their eyes filled with longing.

Once this pass was broken, they could reach Luoyang directly.

If they could kill their way into Luoyang, the benefits for all of them would be unimaginable!

"Wentai."

Yuan Shu wore a faint smile on his face and called out softly, "Can you break this pass ahead?"

"Why not?"

Sun Jian, who was behind him, immediately responded in a loud voice, "Although this place is dangerous, our army is large, and their morale is already three parts weaker."

"With unstable morale, how can he win?"

"Good!" Yuan Shu was very satisfied and immediately wanted to have Sun Jian lead the army to attack.

But Sun Jian shook his head directly: "General, do not be impatient."

"Allow me to send someone to challenge them to battle first."

"Whether they fight or not, it will make their morale drop by another three parts!"

Having said that, he waved his hand: "Dayong, do you dare to go and challenge them?"

"Why would I not dare?" A resonant shout rang out instantly.

The next moment, Zu Mao held his twin blades and charged directly toward the front of the pass, shouting angrily, "General within the pass, do you dare to fight?"

He did not know who was currently guarding the pass.

Let alone him.

In fact, these so-called warlords did not know either.

Actually, the sixth-generation descendants of the Gu family had already made some names for themselves.

The most prominent were naturally Gu Tao and Gu Wei.

But only Gu Chen was different.

Gu Chen was indeed too ordinary, and his personality would not tolerate himself falling behind others, so he had never left the residence.

This made Gu Chen somewhat unfamiliar to the people of the world.

"I will go fight him!"

On the pass, Gu Chen immediately wanted to go out and meet the challenge.

For him, this was an opportunity that had to be seized.

If he could slay a general before the battle.

The boost to morale would be unimaginable.

"Ziyan." Hearing this, a brother immediately stopped Gu Chen and looked at Zu Mao, who was challenging them below the pass, saying, "This man is so sturdy, I fear he is a great general."

"Ziyan must not take risks."

"Let your brother go instead."

Gu Chen had become the backbone of everyone.

His performance had convinced everyone.

"Brother, you must not." But Gu Chen shook his head directly and said with a serious face, "Regardless of who this person is, you do not need to go."

"There are no cowards among the descendants of the Gu family."

"If the brothers can go to their deaths, why can I not?"

These brothers knew each other's levels, and Gu Chen would not agree under any circumstances.

Hearing this, that Gu Shizi also sighed helplessly and shook his head, saying, "I only lament that I cannot inherit the glory of our ancestors."

He was a descendant of the line of the Marquis of Huan.

This line had always focused on martial arts.

It was just a pity that his martial arts were indeed very ordinary.

Gu Chen patted him on the shoulder, and without further hesitation, he immediately donned his armor and prepared to charge out of the pass.

Seeing this scene, Gu Yi's heart also immediately hung in the balance.

This is Zu Mao!

Compared to Niu Fu, he has even greater renown in history.

Although Gu Chen is now able to engage in battle with Li Jue and Guo Si, it still makes him somewhat worried.

Gu Yi was silent for just two or three seconds.

Then he directly summoned the two characters "Lucky Draw."

He intended to draw some more prizes.

According to Gu Yi's judgment, the Achievement Points that Gu Xi could bring him would definitely be no less than two hundred thousand.

And he only needed to ensure he had enough Achievement Points for one instance of manipulation.

As long as he kept the Achievement Points at around one hundred and fifty thousand.

Then no accidents would occur.

He had to make full preparations; judging by Gu Chen's current performance, the value he could bring in these chaotic times was simply unimaginable.

Gu Chen can be said to be dancing on the tip of a blade right now.

Should any accident occur.

It would be too late for him to draw prizes then.

No matter what, Gu Yi could not let him meet with an accident.

There was still no Lucky Draw UI; a full fourteen draws instantly popped up a dense string of notifications.

【Lucky draw successful.】

【Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Mortal-grade item—Recovery Talisman.】

【(Mortal) Recovery Talisman: After use, you may designate one family member to allow them to quickly recover to their peak.】

【Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Mortal-grade items—Cure-All Talisman*4, Strength Talisman, Spiritual Insight Talisman.】

【.】

【Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Mortal-grade item—Spiritual Insight Talisman】

【(Mortal) Spiritual Insight Talisman: After use, you may designate one family member to increase the probability of them having a flash of inspiration.】

【.】

【Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Profound-grade item—Divine Concealment Card.】

【(Profound) Divine Concealment Card: After use, it will reduce the attention people around you pay to you.】

【Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Profound-grade items—Good Luck Card, Focus Card.】

A series of notifications kept popping up.

What surprised Gu Yi the most was that he had actually drawn an Earth-grade item!

【Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Earth-grade item—Xuanji Calculation Rods.】

【(Earth) Xuanji Calculation Rods: When used in conjunction with astrology, one can predict the weather for the next seven days.】

(Note: Those who predict heavenly secrets will inevitably suffer backlash; if the calculation is indeed accurate, it will reduce the user's luck for a short period.)

Looking at the scarcity of this item, Gu Yi's expression could not help but change slightly.

Predict the weather for the next seven days?

This is a divine artifact in this feudal era!

But the requirements for this... using it in conjunction with astrology, is that even feasible?

This is clearly an item with a threshold.

And as long as the prediction is successful, it will reduce the user's luck?

Gu Yi suddenly thought of the effect of the Good Luck Card.

This reduction from the item...

I'm afraid it could be directly fatal!

"The Recovery Talisman, Cure-All Talisman, and such items can all be kept as the foundation of the family."

"The Divine Concealment Card?"

"Can it prevent being noticed by those around?"

"This item might be able to protect family descendants at critical moments."

"As for these Xuanji Calculation Rods, they must be used at the right time."

Gu Yi carefully considered the uses of these items.

Judging from the experience of these few draws, he had gradually understood the gap between some items.

If a God-grade item has excellent effects, it is clearly capable of destroying the world.

It is very likely that one item could determine the rise or fall of a nation.

Mortal-grade items have one-time effects, and some even come with backlash.

While Profound-grade items have some time limits.

As for Earth-grade...

If used well, this thing is a divine artifact; if used poorly, it is directly trading one's life for a piece of information.

He thought for a moment and decided not to take this item out yet.

Perhaps the Gu family descendants are too pragmatic.

They hardly pay any attention to things like astrology.

It is clearly not in line with the usage conditions of this item, so it can only be kept for the future.

Although it pained him, his heart finally settled down a little; he immediately closed all notifications and stared intently at the battlefield.

At this moment, Gu Chen had already spurred his horse and charged out of the pass.

Without saying another word, he held his long spear and charged toward Zu Mao.

Gu Chen's confidence now far exceeded that of others.

Only he knew his own state; this visible progress had gradually given him an invincible mindset.

The long spear in his hand was like lightning.

It thrust straight at Zu Mao.

Zu Mao was no nobody; he dodged to the side and avoided this strike directly.

Seeing that Gu Chen was so young.

A look of disdain appeared on his face, and he laughed: "Junior! State your name!"

"Less nonsense!"

Gu Chen naturally had no good attitude toward these people.

He let out a fierce shout, squeezed the horse's belly with his legs, and charged toward Zu Mao again.

Clang!!!

The sound of weapons clashing exploded continuously.

Zu Mao is Sun Jian's personal general; how could the martial prowess of someone who could reach this level be poor?

Facing Gu Chen's attack, he was not the least bit flustered.

The twin blades in his hands were very methodical.

Within a few rounds, he had already gained the upper hand.

But even so, it still made Sun Jian and the others watching the battle change their expressions slightly.

"Who is this child?"

He asked with a frown: "So young, yet able to fight with Dayong?"

Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and the others also showed looks of shock.

They all knew Zu Mao's strength.

How could they not be shocked that Gu Chen, at such an age, could engage in battle with Zu Mao?

Yuan Shao was also frowning at this time, staring tightly at Gu Chen's face, and after a long silence, he suddenly exclaimed: "This is the direct descendant of the Gu family!"

"He is the grandson of the Grand Tutor, Gu Chen, Gu Ziyan."

Once these words were spoken, the expressions of those present changed slightly.

Even though Gu Xi was now dead.

He could still make them change color at the mere mention of his name.

"The Gu family is truly extraordinary; to be so fierce at such a young age?" Liu Dai could not help but sigh.

Yuan Shu frowned tightly and said coldly: "No matter what, this child must be beheaded; we cannot leave any future trouble."

No one would choose to move against the Gu family's base, Julu.

This is because the Gu family's prestige is truly too high, so high that everyone feels wary.

But for the Gu family's direct descendant to be so fierce.

That was something they could not accept.

Although the power struggle between them had never been brought to the surface, it was clear that both sides already harbored grudges.

Yuan Shao stared tightly at Gu Chen and did not respond.

On the battlefield.

Both sides charged back and forth.

Zu Mao was also shocked; he never expected that Gu Chen would gradually stabilize the situation.

Although he had fallen into a disadvantage, he did not show signs of defeat.

Gu Yi also suppressed the thought of using a Strength Card on Gu Chen again.

This was a good opportunity; as long as Gu Chen was not in mortal danger, he could rapidly improve his strength.

Moreover, the Strength Talisman had a backlash.

The last time Gu Chen used it, he had lain in bed for a full day before recovering.

Such a moment was clearly not suitable for using a Strength Talisman.

The warhorses of both sides constantly wove back and forth.

Seeing that he was actually unable to take down Gu Chen, Zu Mao became completely enraged.

And the most critical point was that he could clearly feel Gu Chen's strength gradually closing in on his own.

This truly left him feeling deeply shaken.

Naturally, he did not intend to drag it out any longer.

The offensive in his hands became increasingly fierce.

But Gu Chen remained as focused as ever, blocking all of his attacks.

He could feel his own state.

It was precisely this state that made his heart of invincibility even more intense.

And just after dozens of bouts.

He had completely stabilized the situation, trading blows back and forth with Zu Mao.

"Quick! Go kill him!"

Yuan Shu's expression grew increasingly gloomy as he suddenly issued the order.

He did not intend to wait any longer.

Although Sun Jian had absolute confidence in Zu Mao, after thinking about it, he could only let Cheng Pu and the others charge in.

"Ziyan, retreat quickly!"

A sound immediately came from the pass.

Gu Chen naturally would not linger in the fight; seeing someone charging over again, he pulled the reins tight, dodged a strike from Zu Mao, and retreated quickly to the pass, while also laughing disdainfully:

"You treacherous thieves, you are nothing more than this!"

"Since you dare to challenge me, do you intend to use numbers to overwhelm the few?"

Attacking the heart!

He had never once forgotten to boost the morale of his own side!

Once these words were spoken, shouts erupted throughout Hulao Pass.

Zu Mao's expression became increasingly ugly.

Pointing his blade directly at Gu Chen, he said: "You yellow-mouthed brat, do you dare to fight me to the death again? I shall use your neck's blood to sacrifice my blade!"

"Hmph!"

Gu Chen held his spear horizontally while mounted, looking down coldly: "Today you exhausted all your strength, yet you only managed to fight me to a draw—"

"How dare you speak such nonsense?"

He smiled disdainfully, "The day I behead you, I shall carve the words 'Bones in a tomb, vainly trying to shake Mount Taishan' on your grave!"

Having said that, Gu Chen did not care what Zu Mao and the others thought.

He immediately returned directly into the pass.

"Attack the pass! Attack the pass!"

Zu Mao was completely enraged.

This sentence from Gu Chen had also infuriated the others.

"Attack the pass!"

Yuan Shu also roared in anger.

None of them refused; the combat power Gu Chen had just displayed made them all feel a trace of unease!

The great battle began in an instant!

But Hulao Pass was a dangerous strategic point.

It already possessed the advantage of terrain, and now that the morale of the defending troops was high, how could it be so easily breached?

The entire coalition was actually blocked here for a time.

And under these circumstances.

News suddenly arrived from Luoyang that someone wanted to see Gu Chen.

Hulao Pass main camp.

"Xun Yu pays his respects to the Young Master."

Looking at the man with the air of a Confucian scholar before him, Gu Chen nodded slightly and said: "I wonder what plan Mr. Xun has to teach me?"

He had naturally heard of Xun Yu's reputation.

The current Yingchuan Xun clan held no small amount of prestige throughout the entire world.

Xun Shu was a minister during the time of Emperor Xiaohe, and like Gu Xi, he had been heavily relied upon by Liu Zhao.

And Xun Shu's descendants were clearly much stronger than the fifth generation of the Gu clan, with the clan's children even holding the reputation of the "Eight Dragons of the Xun Clan."

It could be said they were famous for a time.

Even this Xun Yu had been evaluated by famous scholars in his youth as having the "talent to assist a king."

Even Gu Xi had praised him in the past.

It was only a pity that because he married the daughter of the regular attendant Tang Heng, he did not receive Gu Xi's promotion.

Regarding this Xun Yu suddenly wanting to see him.

Gu Chen was somewhat surprised.

Upon hearing this, Xun Yu remained completely calm and did not answer directly; instead, he looked at Gu Chen intently and asked in return: "Before this, I would like to ask the Young Master a question."

"Does the Young Master wish to support the Han?"

Support the Han?

Gu Chen frowned.

In fact, among the current generations of the Gu clan, the sixth generation had the weakest feelings for the Great Han.

Because from the time they could remember.

It was monarchs like Liu Zhi and Liu Hong who had discarded Gu Xi.

If not for the influence of Gu Xi, judging by the Gu clan's education, it would have been impossible for them to have any feelings for the Great Han.

"The Young Master need not worry."

Xun Yu looked at Gu Chen, seemingly guessing his thoughts, and smiled lightly: "I am not referring to the current Emperor."

How could he not know that Gu Chen had already killed He Jin and Empress Dowager He?

Regardless of the outcome.

Liu Bian had no hope left in this life; he had already been dragged down by his mother.

Not only could he not deter the noble families.

He had also completely lost the support of the Gu clan.

Hearing this, Gu Chen immediately revealed a look of surprise.

He looked at Xun Yu with interest, was silent for a moment, and asked in return: "When has my Gu clan ever failed the Great Han?"

Xun Yu was noncommittal, nodded slightly, and then bowed to Gu Chen again: "If that is the case, although I am untalented, I am willing to follow the Young Master to support the Han house together."

This attitude of Xun Yu's was indeed somewhat surprising to Gu Chen.

The influence of the Xun clan was not low.

To say that the Xun clan was not involved at all in the current situation was absolutely impossible.

Gu Xi's reforms were aimed directly at the noble families.

Under these circumstances, how could Xun Yu come to support him?

"What does Mr. Xun mean by this?"

He stared fixedly at Xun Yu and asked in a deep voice, his eyes incomparably sharp.

"Young Master, do not worry."

Xun Yu sighed lightly and said: "In the past, I did not understand why Gu Gong reformed the system, but now that I think about it, this is the only plan to save the Han."

"However, it is only a pity that Gu Gong has passed away."

"The world's situation is about to fall into chaos, and the Great Han is reaching the point of existing in name only."

"Observing the Young Master's ability, perhaps you can save the Great Han again; this is also a strategy I have considered for my clan."

Xun Yu's expression was very serious.

Gu Chen stared at him closely, pondered for a moment, and asked: "What strategy does Mr. Xun have?"

"Abandon Luoyang!"

This time, Xun Yu did not have the slightest hesitation and stated all his thoughts directly.

"In the current situation, the warlords from all directions will never easily let the Young Master and his brothers return to the capital."

"Even if Gu Gong truly left behind plans."

"They have already completely failed."

"And as long as the Young Master is in Luoyang for one day, the noble families and warlords from all directions will be of one mind."

"But as long as the Young Master leaves, the situation will naturally change."

He paused slightly in his tone, shook his head, and said, "Those who gather for profit will disperse for profit; this is what Gu Gong said in years past."

Abandon Luoyang?

Gu Chen looked at Xun Yu in surprise.

In fact, he had already had such thoughts himself.

Although Hulao Pass seemed impregnable, it was not so in reality.

The military strength of the great noble clans held a huge advantage.

Looking at himself, his forces were only so many.

The Gu Shizi from the four directions could not possibly return in time, and continuing like this would clearly only lead to the end of the city falling and his people perishing.

Gu Chen was not a pedantic person.

As times changed and the world shifted, he had to make various judgments according to the situation.

"Young Master."

Seeing that Gu Chen did not speak, Xun Yu said again, "Young Master need not worry about the ministers using the name of the Son of Heaven to tarnish the name of the Gu family."

"The prestige of the Gu family is like a mountain; it can by no means be shaken in a short time."

"Furthermore—"

Xun Yu paused slightly in his tone, hesitated for a moment, and then continued: "Young Master can take the Imperial Jade Seal and leave!"

The Imperial Jade Seal!

Gu Chen’s expression changed slightly.

He understood what Xun Yu meant.

It was to abandon Liu Bian and install a new monarch on another day.

In an instant, countless thoughts surged from his mind.

Gu Chen had never intended to assist Liu Bian in the first place.

Xun Yu’s words indeed aligned with his own intentions.

He was silent for a moment, then spoke again: "At that time, the feudal lords will surely search for the seal..."

"A fake seal." Xun Yu seemed to have already thought of a countermeasure and said again: "There is much fine jade in the national treasury."

"One can find craftsmen to create a fake seal."

"As long as Young Master delays for a few more days, this can be accomplished."

Gu Chen fell into deep thought once again.

And Xun Yu was not impatient, silently waiting for Gu Chen’s choice.

Gu Yi was also quite surprised at this moment.

It was reasonable for someone like Xun Yu, whose heart was inclined toward the Han house, to support the Gu family once he had realized the truth.

He just hadn't expected that Xun Yu would think of such a method.

Clearly, the existence of the Gu family had already profoundly affected many people.

Gu Chen was not a hesitant person.

After pondering for a moment, he nodded slightly, stared intensely at Xun Yu, and said, "Good!"

Bingzhou.

Ding Yuan was leading his subordinates straight toward Luoyang.

As someone from a humble background, Ding Yuan naturally had to head to Luoyang to assist.

But unfortunately, his march along the way was not smooth either.

The rebel armies in the world today were no longer just the private soldiers of the noble clans; refugees everywhere were rising up one after another, and this trend was already unstoppable.

And the appearance of these chaotic armies.

Was destined to affect Ding Yuan’s speed of advance; looking at the news sent from the Central Plains, he only felt increasingly melancholy.

"Foster father, the thieves have been defeated!"

At this moment, a loud shout came from outside the tent.

A person was seen covered in blood, holding a blood-stained Heavenly Halberd, stepping into the tent from outside.

"My son is heroic."

Ding Yuan nodded, offered a verbal compliment, but did not give any reward.

Seeing this, a trace of dissatisfaction immediately appeared in Lu Bu’s eyes.

But Ding Yuan never noticed this, only continuing: "It is just a pity that our army’s marching speed is hindered; otherwise, with my son’s courage, we could certainly lend Gu Gong a helping hand."

"Foster father, rest assured!"

The dissatisfaction in Lu Bu’s eyes quickly dissipated, and he said very confidently: "Mere chaotic troops are nothing but clay chickens and pottery dogs."

"Foster father, let me lead the army to clear the way for you!"

Lu Bu’s tone was always that impassioned, full of confidence.

"Do not act too hastily." Ding Yuan waved his hand, refusing the matter, "Although my son is brave, if this continues for long, the army’s combat effectiveness will surely be damaged."

"It is better to maintain our speed and march with steady effort."

A flash of dissatisfaction crossed Lu Bu’s eyes again.

He always felt that Ding Yuan was blocking his path to achieving glory.

Mere chaotic thieves should just be killed.

From beginning to end, Ding Yuan did not look at Lu Bu once, and then he began to arrange the march of the main army.

PS: This chapter isn't short, right~

It's the end of the month, I beg for monthly tickets; I only ask to keep the new book in sixth place, I beg you brothers for your support!

(End of chapter)