Dong Zhuo slowly escorted the Empress Dowager’s carriage forward when he suddenly saw Emperor Liu Bian also being swept along by soldiers.
Dong Zhuo frowned slightly and softly asked Empress Dowager Dong, “Aunt, look, Emperor Liu Bian is also there.”
Empress Dowager Dong, sitting in the carriage, heard Dong Zhuo’s words and snorted coldly from inside the carriage, her tone full of disdain and contempt: “Hmph! What Emperor? He’s just a puppet supported by that butcher He Jin!
In terms of ability, he’s far inferior to Liu Xie; he’s just an immature child, a puppet to be manipulated!”
Empress Dowager Dong made no attempt to hide her disgust; she raised her voice, loud enough for everyone around to hear clearly.
Her tone was filled with scorn and disdain.
Lu Zhi and Emperor Liu Bian, under Zhao Yun’s escort, were also swept along.
The situation was pressing, and a dozen White Horse General members did not resist, following along as escorts.
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhi and Liu Bian’s expressions changed drastically, and they quietly discussed countermeasures.
Liu Bian said uneasily, “Lu Shi, now that the Great General has been entrapped by the eunuchs, and these eunuchs have been directly executed by Dong Zhuo, I fear the Imperial Court’s situation will now be dominated by the Empress Dowager’s family.
If we return like this, I’m afraid there won’t be a good outcome.”
Lu Zhi responded with worry, “The great position is already set; even if they have some ideas, they only want to control the Imperial Court.”
Liu Bian then lowered his voice and said, “Lu Shi, look at their attitude; do they show even a shred of treating me as Emperor?
I haven’t even officially ascended the throne, and the Empress Dowager once wanted my father to establish Prince Liu Xie as Emperor.
Now in the Imperial Court, the Dong Family prioritizes their family; if I were to emulate predecessors and depose or establish an Emperor, I think they would truly be capable of doing it.”
Lu Zhi said, “The Emperor has no fault; are they not afraid of the gossip of the world?”
Liu Bian continued, “Look at Dong Zhuo; he is decisive in killing, utterly reckless, extremely ambitious, and doesn’t even put any rules in his eyes.
If he forcibly does something improper, I’m afraid I might truly lose my life.”
With that, Liu Bian’s face was filled with fear and worry.
Lu Zhi pondered in secret, then finally gritted his teeth and softly said to Liu Bian, “Your Majesty, have you ever heard the allusion of Chong'er’s exile?
During the Spring and Autumn period, Chong'er, the son of Duke Xian of Jin, was persecuted by Li Ji’s rebellion and forced into exile.
During his nineteen years of exile, Chong'er endured various hardships and traveled through multiple states.
He was once treated coldly and once fell into despair, but he never gave up.
Ultimately, Chong'er returned to Jin with the support of Duke Mu of Qin, ascended the throne, and became Duke Wen of Jin.
He worked hard to make Jin strong, becoming one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Bian’s expression was slightly confused, and he asked, “Lu Shi, your meaning is…?”
Lu Zhi gritted his teeth and said, “Even if they don’t commit such a heinous act as deposing or establishing Your Majesty, they will continue to control the Imperial Court and treat Your Majesty as a puppet.
Rather than that, it would be better for Your Majesty to temporarily abandon this illusory imperial position.
I will escort you to Gongsun Zan’s location, and we can make long-term plans there.”
After hearing this, Liu Bian’s face showed a hint of anticipation, but also a touch of fear.
He hesitated slightly in his heart but ultimately made a decision, saying, “Everything will be arranged by Lu Shi.”
As he spoke, his voice trembled slightly, revealing the complex emotions within him.
After Liu Bian and Lu Zhi finished their discussion, they had no other distractions; the most urgent task was to escape Dong Zhuo’s army and secretly look for a suitable opportunity.
Their expressions were solemn, and they secretly planned their next steps.
Dong Zhuo led his mighty army, gradually approaching Luoyang City, his heart filled with anticipation of entering the capital.
Just then, Dong Zhuo suddenly saw a contingent of cavalry galloping like a swift wind in the distance.
His expression changed drastically, and he shouted loudly, “Alert! All troops on alert!”
His subordinate generals immediately became as if facing a formidable enemy, their nerves taut as they nervously watched the approaching cavalry.
It turned out that this contingent of cavalry was Gongsun Xu, who had rushed to escort the Emperor after receiving the notification.
However, due to the remote and hidden location of Gongsun Xu’s army, it took a lot of time on the way, allowing Dong Zhuo to seize the initiative.
The two armies quickly arrayed themselves, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.
Before the two sides could formally speak, Gongsun Xu galloped out, shouting in a booming voice: “I am Gongsun Xu, subordinate of Gongsun Zan, the Inspector of You Province, here to protect His Majesty!”
His voice echoed across the battlefield, filled with determination and boldness.
At this tense moment, Lu Zhi also shouted at the top of his lungs, “His Majesty is here! Come quickly to his rescue!”
Following his shout, Zhao Yun and his dozen White Horse General members, like arrows released from a bow, launched the first attack, brandishing their weapons and charging towards Dong Zhuo’s guarding troops.
Immediately, shouts of battle filled the air, and the clang of metal resounded through the sky.
Meanwhile, on this side, after Gongsun Xu heard Lu Zhi’s shout, he unhesitatingly commanded the White Horse General to charge into Dong Zhuo’s army.
Dong Zhuo’s army was momentarily flustered by this sudden impact.
Zhao Yun was even more unstoppable; agile in his movements, he charged left and right through the enemy formation, wielding his long spear so densely that no air could pass through, each strike taking an enemy’s life.
His fearless bravery intimidated Dong Zhuo’s army, and for a time, they were unable to effectively stop him.
Seeing this, Dong Zhuo inwardly cried out that things were not good.
His first action was to quickly separate the Emperor’s and the Empress Dowager’s carriages.
Then, he dispatched his capable generals to capture the Emperor.
However, Zhao Yun’s combat power was too strong; Dong Zhuo’s generals could not gain an advantage against him, and for a time, both sides were locked in a stalemate.
Gongsun Xu’s objective was very clear: to charge directly towards the Emperor.
Under Gongsun Xu’s command, the White Horse General, like a white torrent, irresistibly charged towards the direction where the Emperor was located.
The sound of their horse hooves reverberated across the earth, as if to flatten all obstacles.
In this fierce battle, soldiers from both sides displayed tenacious fighting spirit and fearless courage; the battlefield was filled with thick smoke and the smell of blood.
In the fierce battle, Zhao Yun was like a ferocious beast, wantonly charging through the enemy lines.
His long spear whirled like a whirlwind, and enemies fell one after another, unable to break through his defense.
Gongsun Xu led the White Horse General in brave combat, engaging in a desperate struggle with Dong Zhuo’s army.
Although Dong Zhuo’s army was numerous, Zhao Yun and Gongsun Xu and others were fearless; relying on their tenacious will and exquisite martial arts, they gradually broke through the enemy’s defenses.
After a bitter struggle, Zhao Yun and Gongsun Xu finally, after much hardship, successfully converged.
Seeing that he had rendezvoused with Zhao Yun, Gongsun Zan no longer lingered in battle; he shouted loudly, “Protect the Emperor and Lu Shi, and retreat with me!”
The White Horse General immediately responded, surrounding the Emperor and Lu Zhi, and quickly fled into the distance.
Seeing this, Dong Zhuo was enraged and humiliated; he gnashed his teeth and roared, “Send a contingent of troops to pursue and kill them! They must not be allowed to escape!”
As his order was given, a contingent of elite soldiers, like a tide, pursued in the direction Gongsun Xu and the others had fled.
These pursuers followed closely behind, raising dust that filled the sky.
Gongsun Xu and the others desperately fled while resisting the attacks of the pursuers.
They knew that once caught, the consequences would be unimaginable.
At this critical moment of life and death, they erupted with even greater strength, engaging in a thrilling battle of escape and pursuit with the pursuers.
However, although Dong Zhuo had the intention to pursue, he dared not commit all his forces.
After all, outside Luoyang City, Ding Yuan’s Bing Province Army was still watching like a tiger.
Dong Zhuo knew that stabilizing the Imperial Court was urgent and he could not lose sight of the bigger picture for a small gain.
He discussed this matter with the Empress Dowager, who indifferently stated that she did not care about Liu Bian’s life or death; he was merely a puppet to be manipulated.
The most important thing now was to stabilize the Imperial Court; nothing else mattered.
Regarding the court officials, the Empress Dowager instructed Dong Zhuo to falsely claim that Lu Zhi had arbitrarily taken the Emperor away and that his fate was unknown.
This would provide them with a reason and save Dong Zhuo the trouble of deposing and establishing an Emperor.
They would publicly announce that the Emperor had met with great misfortune and his whereabouts were unknown.
Therefore, to stabilize the Imperial Court, another Emperor had to be established.
The Empress Dowager’s words fully displayed her callousness and her obsession with power.
Dong Zhuo was secretly shocked by the Empress Dowager’s cold-heartedness after hearing her words.
He also understood that the most important thing at the moment was indeed to stabilize the Imperial Court and control the narrative.
Thus, Dong Zhuo no longer hesitated, merely leaving a portion of his troops to form a pursuing force to continue the chase.
He himself, meanwhile, escorted the Empress Dowager, Prince Liu Xie, and a group of palace nobles back to Luoyang, preparing to take charge of the situation.
Dong Zhuo meticulously planned his next steps, intending to consolidate his position and realize greater ambitions in this turbulent situation.