Chapter 37 Great Benefits

  After Wang Yun left, Lü Bu and Cao Cao stayed behind to discuss military arrangements with the two men. Meanwhile, Wang Yun had to hurry back to coordinate with the officials in the court to discuss how to make Dong Zhuo feel at ease and lead his troops out of Luoyang the next day. This task was very important and not easy, so Wang Yun didn't have any other thoughts and left directly.

  Of course, he himself was also clear that at present, he was not as important in the emperor's heart as those two people: Cao Cao and Liu Xuan had already been in contact, this point he knew, Lü Bu was just recruited, even if it was to stabilize this Wenhou, His Majesty would have to communicate with Lü Bu more —— let alone if Lü Bu just responded casually and turned around to tell Dong Zhuo, it's not impossible, holding back Lü Bu also counts as giving him time.

  Liu Xuan indeed wanted to get closer to Lü Bu, more importantly, he wanted Lü Bu to understand that he had enough confidence to kill Dong Zhuo. You, Lü Bu, have already stood on my side, so don't hesitate and think about other things, just focus on doing things for me.

  Apart from this, Lü Bu also understood that getting along with Liu Xuan would bring benefits that were absolutely not so simple.

  At this time, Liu Xuan himself was not good at displaying various magical techniques, but with Cao Cao by his side, he could just prove what he said.

  However, it's not good to start with this topic, so Liu Xuan still started the conversation by talking to Cao Cao: "Meng De has been in the military camp for a long time and may not be very familiar with the situation in the court. Let me tell Meng De about the matter first, and Fengxian can also learn about the arrangements on the side."

  It was only natural that they would agree, and neither of them had any objections. They nodded in unison, and then Xun Yu took a map from the side and spread it out on the table in front of Liu Xuan. The two men saw Liu Xuan's gesture and immediately walked up to him, standing before him and looking at the map.

  This time, Liu Xuan will not use his own rough map to fool around. He naturally uses the detailed military maps collected in the imperial palace. The mountains, rivers, passes and cities on the map are recorded very clearly. If they were fully unfolded, the tables in front of Liu Xuan would not be enough, but now only a part is unfolded, which has no effect.

  Lü Bu had been in the military for a long time, and at a glance, he saw that the part unfolded by Liu Xuan was only a portion of the western and northwestern provinces of the Han Dynasty. Not only could the eastern regions not be seen, but even Jingzhou and other places were not fully unfolded.

  "Your Majesty wants to take the northwest first?"

  Today, the situation is very clear. The imperial court's orders can hardly be issued from the Imperial City, and most commands can only circulate within Luoyang City. It is said that the Son of Heaven controls the world, but in fact, he does not even have a firm grasp on Luoyang.

  In this situation, if you want to make a change, there is only one way: get rid of those who don't listen. If we talk about specific methods, it all boils down to one word: fight!

  Lü Bu saw Liu Xuan take out the map of the northwest, and it was clear that he wanted to start from this side first.

  As expected, Xun Yu then briefed the two on the general strategy, including Liu Xuan's intention to move the capital to Chang'an, to secure the passes and protect his rear, and then attack the northwestern counties with ease. Cao Cao naturally understood and didn't say anything, but Lü Bu looked at the young emperor in surprise.

  "What about Luoyang?"

  "Leaving Dong Xiangguo in charge is just that." One sentence made Lü Bu understand what Liu Xuanan was thinking.

  Dong Zhuo occupied Luoyang, which was surrounded on all sides and had no foundation. Even if he handed over Luoyang to Dong Zhuo, it would not be long before it changed hands again.

  Moreover, Dong Zhuo's occupation of Luoyang could continue to attract the attention of the warlords from Guandong - historically, the dispersal of the coalition was also due to Dong Zhuo's escape to Chang'an, and the warlords were unwilling to travel long distances to fight him on his own turf.

  If Dong Zhuo were trapped in Luoyang, things would be unpredictable, and perhaps the Battle of Guandu could have produced a different outcome.

  After a detailed explanation, Lü Bu and Cao Cao asked some more details. After a moment of contemplation, Lü Bu said: "So to speak, Your Majesty's intention is to take advantage of Dong Zhuo's troops stationed at Tiger Trap Pass, and under the cover of night, lead the officials from the imperial court to move to Chang'an?"

  "Yes!"

  Lü Bu stroked his chin: "However, both Chang'an and Tongguan are guarded by Dong Zhuo's trusted generals. How can we resolve this?"

  Liu Xuan smiled slightly: "This point still needs to trouble Feng Xian."

  Why is Liu Xuan so determined to recruit Lü Bu, apart from weakening Dong Zhuo's power and adding a strong subordinate to himself, making the Hu Bao army return to his own account again, it is also considering this point.

  Lü Bu was a foster son of Dong Zhuo, and this fact is well-known throughout the land. If Lü Bu were to lead his troops to the front gate and call out for it to be opened, the other side would not have any suspicions whatsoever.

  If Cao Cao or Wang Yun were to be used, it would be hard to avoid being detected as abnormal. If things went wrong, they themselves might get stuck on the road and be surrounded by the soldiers guarding the pass and Dong Zhuo's pursuing troops.

  Of course, if Liu Xuan leads a large group of people to Chang'an, Dong Zhuo will definitely know and will certainly lead his troops to pursue them, while also sending someone to rush to Tongguan to report the news.

  At this time, it's a test of everyone's speed, and at the same time, preparations must be made in advance for the pursuing troops.

  Cao Cao pointed to the map: "We must ambush a troop of soldiers on the road, quietly waiting for Dong Zhuo's pursuing army..." After some thought: "It is possible to set up an ambush halfway, if Dong Zhuo's pursuing army arrives, let them pass, wait until they engage with our rear troops and then attack from behind, we will surely defeat his pursuing army."

  However, before that, Miao Chou must first lead a few dozen light cavalry to various key roads to prevent Dong Zhuo's messengers from reaching Tongguan first and alerting the defenders of Guanzhong.

  After a few words, the general situation was arranged properly. Lü Bu listened to it and felt more and more that his choice was not wrong. Presumably after this time, Dong Zhuo would immediately fall into a desperate situation, even if he could hold on for a moment, he would not be able to persist for long.

  Besides, as long as the Son of Heaven arrives in Chang'an and directly issues an edict to clarify Dong Zhuo's numerous crimes, the heroes of the world will certainly not let go of this opportunity to gain fame, and it may even lead to more vassals besieging him.

  Thinking of this, I pondered whether some action should be taken. Just then Cao Cao said: "The trouble now is how to open the gates of Luoyang at night? The guards at the gates of Luoyang are all under Dong Zhuo's control... perhaps we can only rely on Huangfu Old Master's Zhongyi Temple."

  Huang Fu's position as the Deputy of the Imperial Guard gave him control over a number of junior officers, with the responsibility of patrolling the capital - in other words, he could move freely within the capital without arousing suspicion even at night, and if he acted quickly, he might be able to open one of the city gates.

  Lü Bu was thinking about what to do when he heard this and immediately said, "The city gate school lieutenant Li Su is from the same hometown as me. I can go and persuade him to help Your Majesty."

  Li Su

  Liu Xuan had really forgotten about this person, but after hearing Lü Bu's words, he suddenly felt like laughing - Lü Bu surrendered to Dong Zhuo, it was Li Su who acted as the mediator, later Lü Bu and Wang Yun joined forces to kill Dong Zhuo, and also pulled Li Su over.

  Li Su was still unable to escape and was targeted by Lü Bu once again.

  After some thought, this opportunity seemed like a gift from heaven. Originally, the problem of the city gate was still a headache, but unexpectedly, Lü Bu proposed such a suggestion. If it succeeded, not only could they leave the city smoothly, but also gain many more soldiers - the city gate guards were also part of the regular troops of Luoyang, even if their combat effectiveness was limited, but with two attendants on either side, there would be no problem, and having more soldiers was always better than having none.

  Several people looked at each other, and finally Liu Xuan nodded: "So, I'll trouble Feng Xian."

  Lü Bu also knew that he had just defected and would not be trusted. If this matter was not handled properly, it would be a big loss of face later on. He immediately guaranteed: "I will definitely make Li Su come." In his heart, however, he was thinking: "If you don't obey, I'll kill you!"

  After another discussion, Xun Yu didn't say much, but his suggestions were all timely and hit the nail on the head. Cao Cao and Lü Bu couldn't help but look at him several times, seeing that he was not only good-looking but also had an extraordinary air about him, yet they had no idea how he had been discovered and won over by the Emperor at such a young age.

  "Is this article written by Xunzi of Yingchuan?"

  "Exactly!"

  Cao Cao remained silent, his mind a mystery, while Lü Bu didn't think too much, merely pondering for a moment: "A young nobleman from a prominent clan indeed has some ability."

  It had come to this point, and there was almost nothing left to discuss. However, Liu Xuan still didn't dismiss the crowd, and instead glanced at the three people standing beside him, thinking: "These will be my foundation for establishing dominance over the world in the future."

  These three people, with both literary and military talents, including Cao Cao who excels in both literature and martial arts. Although there are only three of them, which seems a bit pitiful, they are all top-notch talents of the time. If we can really win them over, many things won't need to be worried about afterwards.

  He called a few people to sit down, Liu Xuan sat at the top, cleared his throat and said: "The world is in chaos, I am the master of the world, but the government orders can't even get out of the imperial city. If you want to restore that prosperous scene, you need to work together with several people to help me control this world again."

  "I will definitely not disappoint Your Majesty's expectations." Although several people did not know why Liu Xuan said this, since the Emperor had already spoken, as his subjects they should at least respond in agreement.

  Liu Xuan then said, "However, this is a major event that cannot be accomplished overnight. It may take several decades to achieve, and I do not hope that the world will be unsettled while you gentlemen have already become immortals..."

  At this point, except for Cao Cao's vague guess, Xun Yu and Lü Bu both had a strange expression on their faces, not understanding what the Emperor was talking about, actually saying such words?

  However, Liu Xuan's next words shocked them: "Before I ascended the throne, I often read the books hidden in the palace and unintentionally found some mysterious door techniques. After cultivating them, they were quite effective. In addition to strengthening the body, prolonging life, and improving physical fitness, they could also refine the bones and muscles, improve the constitution, and when practiced to the extreme, all evils would be repelled, and one would live forever..."

  This statement is too mysterious, even if there were such wonderful things happening before, Lü Bu and Xun Yu still looked incredulous. Unexpectedly, Liu Xuan pointed at Cao Cao and said: "Meng De has been practicing for several months, what's the effect? You two can ask in detail, if you think it's necessary, I absolutely won't be stingy with a set of skills."

  Before the words had fallen, Xun Yu and Lü Bu's eyes suddenly turned to Cao Cao.