This battle shocked many, even the generals in Hedong and the Xianbei were utterly astonished!
Four thousand against twenty thousand, and twenty thousand of them were cavalry!
With fewer than a hundred dead, they annihilated twenty thousand; it's said only a few dozen escaped. If the numbers had been greater, they probably would have wiped them all out!
Emperor Ling's health began to decline day by day. He even reduced his indulgence in women, knowing his days were numbered.
The burning of his life force led to a shorter lifespan than in history.
His hair had turned white, and he had been bedridden for a long time.
"Your Majesty! Governor Lu defeated 20,000 Qiang cavalry with 4,000 infantry in Wuwei County! He specially sent this victory report, urging us to strive for complete control of Liangzhou within six months, allowing us to recuperate and then reinforce Bingzhou." Zhang Rang was overjoyed. Lu Ming's letter had stated that once Liangzhou was captured, the two sides would continue their cooperation, reconnecting the fragmented Silk Road. Making a fortune would be no problem, and once Liangzhou was stable, even more surprises awaited.
Zhang Rang had a very good impression of Lu Ming. This young man was capable, insightful, and efficient.
Most importantly, he had no other choice; he couldn't rely on powerful clans, so he had to align himself with Lu Ming, the eunuch faction.
Therefore, he would spare no effort in speaking well of Lu Ming, as any exchange of benefits would solidify the alliance.
"Oh? Father, is this true?" Emperor Ling, weakly lying in bed, raised his head, a glimmer of light appearing in his eyes.
"Your Majesty, this is absolutely true." Zhang Rang stepped forward and patted Emperor Ling's back to ease his cough. "Your Majesty, perhaps you should summon Governor Lu back so he can examine you?"
"No need, cough cough." Emperor Ling knew that the most important thing now was to arrange things and make arrangements for his funeral, so he didn't summon Lu Ming back. "Father Rang, what do you think about sending Prince Bian to Liangzhou?"
Zhang Rang's expression changed slightly. He asked, puzzled, "Does Your Majesty intend to have Governor Lu escort Prince Bian to the throne?"
Emperor Ling frowned, clearly displeased with Zhang Rang. "Send him to the border!"
"This old servant will obey Your Majesty's decree." Zhang Rang's heart skipped a beat. He immediately bowed deeply without saying anything.
"Hmm, you may leave now. I am feeling a little tired." Emperor Ling waved his hand, clearly displeased with Zhang Rang.
Why is everyone thinking of Liu Bian as the heir to the throne? Don't they know he is utterly incapable of shouldering the responsibility? Meanwhile, in Hedong, the Yellow Turban Army had already moved towards the Taihang Mountains, completely ignoring the government troops. Even with Huangfu Song's scheme, they only managed to kill 20,000. After breaching the city, they found nothing but civilians whose food had been looted; all the powerful families had been beheaded, and women's naked bodies were carelessly abandoned. The entire city was like a living hell.
Inside the tent, Huangfu Song naturally received the news that Lu Ming had defeated 20,000 cavalry with only 4,000 men. His first thought was, could there be a mistake?
Although cavalry couldn't yet form an army independently and needed to coordinate with infantry, they were still a force to be reckoned with.
The power of cavalry lay in harassment, keeping infantry constantly on their toes. The combined might of man and horse was overwhelming for infantry, allowing for a hit-and-run tactic.
Moreover, once the frontal formation was broken by the cavalry, a complete rout was inevitable—it was a given.
Therefore, upon seeing the seemingly disparate victory—infantry defeating cavalry—Huangfu Song immediately assumed it was a hoax. "How could this be! Humph! A hoax, a false report!"
His friend Zhu Jun picked up a discarded piece of paper from the ground; it contained a report of a victory in Xiliang.
After reading the report, he fell into deep thought. "Perhaps this Lu Ming is a capable general. It seems the Han dynasty's military prowess has a worthy successor!"
Yuan Shao's expression was also uncertain after reading the report.
The more outstanding Lu Ming was, the more it proved the Yuan family was a clown.
Now that the pretense of civility had been broken, Lu Ming had escaped.
He had a premonition that their next meeting would be anything but pleasant.
"This boy must not be allowed to live!"
On the contrary, Cao Cao developed an unprecedented interest in Lu Ming. At this time, Cao Cao had no intention of usurping the Han throne. Even later, when he held the emperor hostage to command the other lords, he only wanted to be a powerful minister, not a usurper.
Therefore, he greatly admired Lu Ming, a capable minister. "Truly a genius! Yuan Shao, Anmin is already the governor of Liang Province. When are you going to get one to keep him in check?"
Yuan Shao was amused, but then his laughter faded. Yes, Lu Ming had taken a shortcut to his position. Although he was a governor, he hadn't followed the proper channels, lacked experience, and wasn't qualified for the Three Dukes' positions. So he coldly retorted, "Serving the court, regardless of rank, is serving the imperial family."
Everyone reacted differently: some were jealous, some resentful, and some doubtful.
Most, however, harbored distrust, yet had no choice but to believe him, because falsely reporting military intelligence was a capital offense!
This was no joke; one could only regret it later!
Aside from the reactions of various parties, Lu Ming had already met with the person sent to discuss matters with him.
"Greetings, Your Excellency Governor. I am Yadan from the Western Qiang tribe. Greetings, Your Excellency." Prime Minister Yadan bowed respectfully, speaking fluent Mandarin, clearly well-educated.
"Oh, isn't it Prime Minister Yadan? Hehe, what brings you here, Prime Minister? Surely it's not just to have a meal and drinks? Come, sit down. Let's not beat around the bush. Tell me, what did Cheliji send you here for?" Lu Ming picked up a roasted lamb leg and began to devour it, then casually picked up a sip of the lamb soup.
The lamb soup contained lemongrass and other ingredients, eliminating the gamey smell and making it quite delicious. It was a favorite dish of his concubines, known for its nourishing and kidney-tonifying properties!
Watching Lu Ming devour his food, Ya Dan sat down and picked up a leg of lamb, gnawing on it with gusto. "My lord, you must have come with a purpose. Please speak frankly. His Majesty harbors no ill will towards you. It's just that Marshal Yueji mistakenly thought you were here to attack us, which led to the misunderstanding. It's all a misunderstanding!"
He explained the whole situation clearly in just a few words. Although the loss of 20,000 men was painful for Cheliji, it wasn't crippling. At most, it was like losing a piece of flesh—painful, but not fatal.