Chapter 8

Yes, these two sturdy fortresses that guard Luoyang are not connected to each other.

It does not mean that one must capture Sishui Pass before one can go to attack Hulao Pass.

But Hulao Pass is closer to Luoyang.

It is further away from the lords’ main camp.

Normal people generally set their target on capturing Sishui Pass first.

For the current coalition of lords, capturing Sishui Pass has already become an impossible task.

Then, Hulao Pass will become particularly important.

This point, the coalition of lords can think of, and Gu Yi can naturally think of it too.

Looking at Hua Xiong, who is immersed in joy and has not yet fully recovered, Gu Yi smiles:

"General Hua, I have an even greater opportunity that I wish to gift to you!"

Hearing this, Hua Xiong is stunned for a moment, then instantly falls into ecstasy.

If someone else said this, Hua Xiong might think that this person was lying to him.

But the person speaking is Gu Yi!

After the battle of raiding the coalition’s main camp, Hua Xiong had long since regarded Gu Yi as a person of divine calculation and ghostly schemes!

Since Gu Yi says there is a great opportunity to be gifted, then there must be one!

Immediately, Gu Yi suggests that Hua Xiong report to Dong Zhuo about the possibility of the coalition of lords shifting their focus to Hulao Pass.

And he lets Hua Xiong strive for the position of garrison commander of Hulao Pass.

If Gu Yi’s expectations are correct, the position of garrison commander of Hulao Pass will most likely fall to Hua Xiong.

After all, Hua Xiong has made such a great contribution.

To a certain extent, his own achievements have already surpassed those of the "Xiliang Army F4," such as Li Jue, Guo Si, Fan Chou, and Zhang Ji.

It is only natural for Dong Zhuo to continue to heavily employ Hua Xiong.

……

With horses galloping at full speed, the battle report from Sishui Pass is soon delivered to the Prime Minister’s Mansion in Luoyang.

In the Prime Minister’s Mansion.

Dong Zhuo finishes reading the battle report and is instantly as happy as a three-hundred-pound fat man.

"Wenyou, you should take a look too."

"This brat Hua Xiong has made a great contribution!"

"Not only did he beat that group of Guandong rebels until they were upside down and in disarray, but he also destroyed their main camp completely!"

When Hua Xiong and the Xiliang iron cavalry were leaving, they specifically set a fire in the coalition’s main camp.

Although not many soldiers died because of the fire,

a large number of tents were destroyed in the flames.

Hearing what Dong Zhuo said, Li Ru asks curiously:

"Father-in-law, in my son-in-law’s impression, Hua Xiong does not seem to have such formidable strategy, right?"

"Could it be that there is an expert giving him pointers behind the scenes?"

In fact, Li Ru has almost concluded in his heart that this expert should be Jia Xu.

After all.

The Xiliang generals are not good at strategy.

To say that someone could help Hua Xiong devise strategies and achieve such battle merits,

looking at the entire army,

besides Li Ru himself, there is only Jia Xu.

But the problem is, Jia Xu has been staying in Luoyang, and his relationship with Hua Xiong is merely a nodding acquaintance.

This point makes Li Ru feel very confused.

But besides Jia Xu, he really cannot think of anyone else who has the ability to help Hua Xiong deal a heavy blow to the coalition of lords.

Under various confusions,

Li Ru takes the battle report from Dong Zhuo’s hand.

The next instant.

His eyes widen continuously!

The two characters "Gu Yi," which are mentioned many times by Hua Xiong in the battle report and are very conspicuous,

make it impossible for Li Ru to look away for a long time.

…….

"This group of Guandong thieves really have eyes but no pupils."

"If they hadn’t driven Gu Yi away, with Gu Yi’s strategy, I fear this Sishui Pass would have been truly difficult to preserve."

Li Ru sighs.

Hearing this, Dong Zhuo feels the same way.

In fact, almost everyone in the Xiliang Army has been despised by this group of "Guandong noble masters."

In the eyes of the Guandong noble masters, the Xiliang Army is merely a bunch of mud-legged people from the border regions.

When Dong Zhuo first occupied Luoyang, he did not actually make things difficult for the Guandong nobles.

On the contrary, he kept giving them high official positions and generous salaries to soothe people’s hearts.

However, the funny thing is.

Among the Guandong coalition, as many as one-third of the lords were personally appointed by Dong Zhuo.

That is to say, it was clearly Dong Zhuo who promoted them, yet they turned around and became the vanguard army to crusade against Dong Zhuo!

Why would such a situation occur?

To put it bluntly, it is a problem of class opposition.

The Guandong noble masters look down on the Guanxi border warlords led by Dong Zhuo from the bottom of their hearts.

Even if Dong Zhuo were to dig out his heart and give it to them, they would only spit on it with disdain.

Besides this.

This group of Guandong noble masters also constantly smeared the reputation of Dong Zhuo and the Xiliang Army.

Although the military discipline and regulations of the Xiliang Army indeed need improvement,

the acts of burning, killing, and looting were not as serious as what that group of Guandong nobles said.

Under their description, even if Dong Zhuo and the Xiliang Army did nothing, they would become heinous demons in minutes!

Nowadays.

The situation Gu Yi encountered is so similar to the situation faced by Dong Zhuo and the Xiliang Army!

Precisely because he has no background and no status, the people in the Guandong coalition will not take him seriously.

To put it bluntly, in the eyes of the Guandong noble masters,

power is a game that only exists in the upper class.

The commoner Gu Yi, the mud-legged Dong Zhuo, the mud-legged Li Ru—these people are not qualified to participate in the game!

"Father-in-law, this Gu Yi possesses great talent and has made such a contribution; you should promote and heavily employ him."

Beside Dong Zhuo, Li Ru speaks.

Li Ru recommends Gu Yi like this; is he not afraid that his position will be replaced by Gu Yi?

Of course he is not afraid!

This principle is very simple.

In terms of status, Li Ru’s positioning in Dong Zhuo’s army is similar to Xun Yu in the future Cao camp.

In terms of personal relationship, Li Ru is both the chief strategist of the Xiliang Army and Dong Zhuo’s eldest son-in-law.

Plus, Boss Dong is a person who values relationships.

Even a good-for-nothing like his second son-in-law, Niu Fu, can be heavily employed, let alone his talented eldest son-in-law, Li Ru?

Gu Yi is now only at the age of twenty.

And Li Ru is already nearly forty.

Between the two, there is a full generation difference.