Dong Zhuo raised his wine cup and, looking at the two dozen generals in the tent, laughed heartily!
"I, Dong Zhuo, am just a crude martial man from Liang Province, so I don't have so many rules. I'll just say one thing."
"We must rely on all of you generals to work together, swiftly eliminate the Yellow Turban in the north, pacify the world, and bring great joy to His Majesty."
"Come, let us all drink this cup."
Everyone in the tent felt General Dong's straightforwardness. He wasn't as serious as Lu Zhi had been earlier, where no one dared to breathe loudly.
So, they all raised their wine cups and drank together, with bursts of laughter often echoing, making the atmosphere in the grand tent very lively.
After three rounds of wine and five courses of dishes!
Dong Zhuo let out a burp and looked at Liu Jin beside him, saying seriously!
"Wen Yi, His Majesty has given orders for us to quickly eliminate the Yellow Turban in Ji Province. We cannot drag this on any longer."
"If we delay too long, our fate will be the same as Lu Zhi's: escorted back to the capital. Not only will we lose our official positions, but our very lives will be in danger."
Liu Jin nodded upon hearing this, naturally understanding the current situation.
Although the situation had been turning around, with the Yellow Turban being defeated and fleeing in disarray.
The Emperor, sitting on his dragon throne, was still quite anxious, wishing for the various armies to quickly pacify the Yellow Turban and stabilize the Han Dynasty.
After some thought, he looked at Dong Zhuo and asked!
"General, there are hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban soldiers in Guangzong City, and they are holding the city firmly without coming out. Our forces are limited, so we cannot break through in a short time."
"What is your opinion, General?"
Upon hearing this, Dong Zhuo's eyes subtly glanced at Li Ru beside him. Seeing him nod, his voice slowly came out!
"Wen Yi, I have a plan. I wonder if you think it's feasible?"
Liu Jin heard this and quietly glanced at the thin scholar beside him. Dong Zhuo's actions just now had not escaped his notice.
This person, able to gain General Dong's regard and whose opinions he listened to, must have a high status and be someone he deeply trusted.
Especially those sinister eyes and the chilling aura he exuded, Liu Jin secretly wondered, could it be Li Ru, Li Wen You?
Thinking of this, he was already quite certain that this person was Li Ru, one of the three 'Poisonous Scholars' of the Han Dynasty.
Liu Jin felt a heightened sense of caution. This old schemer was not to be trifled with. Besides Jia Xu and Cheng Yu, probably no one could outwit him.
He immediately asked!
"What is General Dong's opinion?"
Dong Zhuo stroked his beard and slowly said!
"Since there are many rebels in Guangzong City and they are holding the city, making it impossible to break through quickly, why don't we try a different approach and attack Zhang Bao in Quyang first, killing him and eliminating tens of thousands of his troops?"
"Our army's morale will surely be high, while the enemy's morale will drop, causing widespread panic. Then, with the momentum of a great victory, we can attack Guangzong, kill Zhang Jiao, and the Ji Province Yellow Turban will naturally collapse."
Liu Jin chuckled inwardly upon hearing this. Historically, Dong Zhuo had done the same, finding Guangzong City difficult to attack, he led his army to attack Quyang. Not only did he suffer losses, but he also failed to capture it.
This incurred Liu Hong's displeasure, leading to his dismissal and escort back to the capital.
He couldn't get involved in this mess with him. After a moment of silence, he slowly said!
"What the General said is not without reason, but we have besieged Guangzong City for a long time, and their morale is low, and people are panicking."
"If we withdraw like this, the Yellow Turban's morale will surely recover, and it will be more difficult for us to attack."
"Moreover, if we send troops to attack Zhang Bao in Quyang, Zhang Jiao, who is defending Guangzong City, will naturally send troops to support him. At that time, we will be caught in a pincer attack, and we will be at risk of being defeated."
At this point, Liu Jin's words stopped. He did not continue to speak.
After all, his words were already very clear. If General Dong still insisted on going his own way, then there was nothing he could do.
Dong Zhuo's eyes showed joy upon hearing this, but he still feigned hesitation and slowly said!
"Alas, Wen Yi's words are not without reason."
"But with so many Yellow Turban in the city, it definitely can't be broken through quickly. Dragging it on is not a solution either."
"Why don't we divide our forces? I will lead the main army to attack Quyang, and you will lead your troops to continue besieging Guangzong, intercepting Zhang Jiao's reinforcements, so they cannot support Quyang."
"Once I break through Quyang and kill Zhang Bao, I will then lead the army to join you, and we can fully attack Zhang Jiao. Wouldn't that be perfect?"
Liu Jin's eyelids twitched slightly upon hearing this.
He didn't expect Dong Zhuo to scheme against him like this, wanting him to stay and guard Guangzong while he led the army to attack Quyang.
Clearly, he didn't want to bring him along, to avoid him gaining credit. Moreover, with him not in the main army, he could subtly diminish his status and firmly control these tens of thousands of Han Army soldiers.
He even wanted him to face Zhang Jiao's main force. If he were defeated, even if he didn't die, he would end up in prison.
This was truly a scheme of three birds with one stone, quite malicious.
He didn't even need to think; it must have been Li Ru beside him who advised Dong Zhuo.
Liu Jin sneered inwardly. The plan to divide forces suited him perfectly. Little did Dong Zhuo know that Zhang Jiao in Guangzong City was already critically ill and would pass away within a few days at most.
At that time, the city would surely fall into chaos, perhaps even collapsing without an attack. He would then easily capture the city with his army and claim all the credit.
Conversely, if Dong Zhuo led his army to attack Quyang, it would have no effect whatsoever. Instead, he would suffer losses and be punished by the imperial court.
If Dong Zhuo stayed here, the credit would have to be shared with him, and he would only get a small portion.
Liu Jin did not agree immediately. Instead, he frowned, his face showing an unpleasant expression, appearing hesitant.
Seeing this, Dong Zhuo quickly teased him from the side!
"What, does Wen Yi think this is inappropriate?"
"Or are you saying you don't dare to lead the army to intercept Zhang Jiao's reinforcing troops?"
"Could the rumors be false, that Liu Jin, who achieved fame at a young age, is afraid of the Yellow Turban?"
Liu Jin gritted his teeth, looked straight at Dong Zhuo, and said loudly!
"It's not that this subordinate doesn't dare. It's just that I have one condition. Because I only have three thousand soldiers, it would be difficult to intercept Zhang Jiao's reinforcements. I hope the General can leave three units of soldiers for me?"
Dong Zhuo's heart rejoiced upon hearing this. He didn't expect Liu Jin to have such a simple request. Three units of soldiers would at most be a few thousand men.
Indeed, he was young and famous, full of pride, and couldn't stand being provoked.
Without thinking, he immediately nodded and said!
"That's not a problem. Since I'm asking you to intercept Zhang Jiao's reinforcements, I naturally wouldn't send you to your death. I will definitely give you enough troops."
"Which three units of soldiers do you want to keep?"
Liu Jin sneered inwardly and said loudly!
"Zhang He's unit, Xu Rong's unit, and Cheng Pu's unit."