Chapter 452: Youzhou in Chaos

"Please, My Lord, send troops to support Liaodong Commandery!"

Yan Gang immediately bowed before Gongsun Zan and shouted loudly.

"Please, My Lord, send troops to support Liaodong Commandery!"

Following Yan Gang's words, everyone in the main hall bowed to the ground before Gongsun Zan, who was sitting above, and shouted in unison.

"This... this..."

"Good, since you all agree that I should send troops to support Liaodong Commandery, in order to prevent the commoners of my Han Empire from being slaughtered by foreign tribes, I have decided to send troops to support Liaodong and resist the foreign tribes!"

Gongsun Zan, seeing that everyone agreed to send troops to support Liaodong, was troubled for a while.

Subsequently, he shouted to everyone with a determined face.

"My Lord is wise!"

Upon hearing this, everyone also shouted to Gongsun Zan.

Gongsun Zan suddenly stood up, drew the precious sword at his waist, and said loudly:

"Yan Gang, listen to my order!"

Yan Gang, upon hearing this, felt his whole body tremble, came before Gongsun Zan, cupped his hands, and shouted:

"This subordinate is here!"

Gongsun Zan shouted to Yan Gang in a deep voice:

"To support Liaodong Commandery, I appoint you to command ten thousand White Horse Volunteers to quickly support Liaodong Commandery!"

"This subordinate accepts the order!"

After Yan Gang received the order, Gongsun Zan continued to shout:

"Gongsun Xu! Gongsun Ji!"

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Xu and Gongsun Ji, who were sitting below, immediately stood up, came before Gongsun Zan, cupped their hands, and responded loudly:

"This subordinate is here!"

"Gongsun Xu, lead ten thousand troops to garrison Liaoxi Commandery, with Gongsun Ji as your deputy!"

Gongsun Zan said to the two with a solemn face.

"This subordinate obeys the order!"

The two also responded solemnly to Gongsun Zan.

The news of their sending troops to Liaodong Commandery would certainly be known by Liu Yu's subordinates who were left behind in Youzhou.

If they received the news, they would certainly send troops to attack Liaoxi.

Therefore, Gongsun Zan left his son, Gongsun Xu, behind to guard the city.

Fearing that an accident might occur, he also left his strategist, Gongsun Ji, behind to assist Gongsun Xu.

"As for the others, come with me, gather thirty thousand troops, and set out to support Liaodong!"

"This subordinate obeys the order!"

Upon hearing this, everyone responded loudly.

Subsequently, Gongsun Zan took his thirty thousand ordinary soldiers and ten thousand elite White Horse Volunteers and headed toward Liaodong Commandery.

And they took advantage of the surprise to sneak attack Liaodong Commandery.

In order not to alert Gongsun Du, Gongsun Zan and the others did not hesitate to bypass the Liaodong Protectorate and head straight for Liaodong Commandery.

In just one day, Gongsun Zan and the others had reached Xiangping City in Liaodong Commandery.

And at this time, Gongsun Du only reacted belatedly.

He immediately organized an army to resist.

However, how could an army organized on the fly withstand Gongsun Zan's well-prepared army!

Although Liaodong Prefect Gongsun Du resisted to the death.

Still, he could not stop Gongsun Zan's army.

In the end, Xiangping City was breached.

And Gongsun Du, because he refused to surrender to the death, was also beheaded by Gongsun Zan.

Thus, the entire Liaodong Commandery was easily pocketed by Gongsun Zan.

After Gongsun Zan finished integrating the surrendered soldiers of Liaodong, his troop strength reached fifty thousand.

Subsequently, he dispatched the White Horse Volunteers to capture Xuantu Commandery with lightning speed.

Xuantu Commandery defender Zou Dan even surrendered to Gongsun Zan.

And Gongsun Zan himself led thirty thousand troops to turn back and encircle the Liaodong Protectorate.

And the Prefect of the Liaodong Protectorate, Jian Yong, upon seeing Gongsun Zan's thirty thousand troops.

Did not resist at all and directly announced his surrender to Gongsun Zan.

At this point, in the entire area east of Liaodong, only Lelang Commandery remained.

And the fall of Lelang Commandery was only a matter of time.

And at this time in Luoyang City, the Cabinet ministers, Six Ministers, and commanders and generals of the Six Great Legions who had just returned to their mansions all received the news sent by Tai'a at the same time.

After receiving the news, everyone asked Tai'a what had happened.

However, they only received one sentence: "A major event has occurred; His Majesty is waiting for you ministers in the Imperial Study!"

Everyone immediately understood that something major must have happened.

Otherwise, Tai'a would not have kept it from them.

After hurriedly giving instructions, they all rushed to the Imperial Palace.

When everyone arrived at the entrance of the Imperial Study, Tai'a was already waiting at the door.

"Ministers, please enter; His Majesty is waiting for you inside."

After seeing everyone arrive, Tai'a cupped his hands to them.

And after everyone cupped their hands to return the salute to Tai'a, they entered the Imperial Study with solemn faces.

After everyone entered the Imperial Study, they found Liu Bian reading a book.

Seeing this, everyone's expressions were somewhat puzzled.

However, they still bowed respectfully to Liu Bian:

"We subordinates pay respects to Your Majesty!"

At this time, Liu Bian put down the book in his hand and said to everyone:

"Sit down and speak!"

"We subordinates thank Your Majesty!"

After everyone was seated, Liu Bian looked at Tai'a on the side and said to him:

"Tai'a, tell the ministers the news sent back by the Dark Guards!"

"This subject obeys the decree!"

Tai'a, on the side, upon hearing this, first cupped his hands to Liu Bian and the others, and began:

"Ministers, yesterday we received intelligence from the Youzhou Dark Guards."

"The intelligence stated that Liaoxi Commandery Prefect Gongsun Zan, under the pretext of a Xianbei invasion of Liaodong Commandery, used the reason of support to seize the opportunity to occupy Liaodong Commandery."

"Liaodong Commandery Prefect Gongsun Du resisted to the death and was beheaded by Gongsun Zan."

Speaking of this, Tai'a said to Liu Bian and the others again:

"Your Majesty, ministers, the Dark Guards lurking in the Liaodong Protectorate and Xuantu Commandery have also sent news."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions tightened.

They knew that if Liaodong Commandery had been occupied by Gongsun Zan, then these two commanderies were likely occupied as well.

Sure enough, before they could even ask, Tai'a continued:

"Gongsun Zan dispatched White Horse Volunteers commander Yan Gang to capture Xuantu Commandery; Xuantu Commandery defender Zou Dan surrendered to Gongsun Zan."

"And Gongsun Zan personally led thirty thousand troops to encircle the Liaodong Protectorate."

"Liaodong Protectorate Prefect Jian Yong was scared out of his wits and opened the city gates to surrender to Gongsun Zan!"

"At this time, of the five commanderies in the east of Youzhou, only Lelang Commandery has not yet fallen!"

"Your Majesty, ministers, this is all the intelligence from Youzhou at present!"

After Tai'a finished speaking, he bowed to everyone and retreated to the side.

"Your Majesty, Gongsun Zan actually dared to commit such an act of rebellion; this old minister suggests that Your Majesty send troops to wipe out Gongsun Zan and his rebel party!"

At this time, Lu Zhi, as a Cabinet minister, said with a pained heart.

"Your Majesty, this old minister seconds this!"

Following Lu Zhi's words, Cai Yong, on the side, also responded loudly.

Among them, Lu Zhi was the most saddened at this time.

One must know that this Gongsun Zan had studied under him back in the day.

Originally, Gongsun Zan and Liu Bei had both studied under him.

And what was ironic was that both of them ended up rebelling. ===== CHAPTER 453 =====