Rumble!
The earth shook violently.
A torrent like a thunderclap passed through Luoyang's South City Gate, surging westward.
The area around Luoyang's city gate was already filled with curious onlookers.
There weren't many Luoyang Iron Cavalry, barely close to two thousand, and now, a thousand Iron Cavalry were dispatched, which was not a common sight.
"What happened?"
"I don't know, it seems like the Marquis of Yiyang led the army!"
"It shouldn't be a war, right?"
"In these years, most common people can't survive and have become bandits and mountain brigands, so it should be for bandit suppression, right?"
...
The common people at Luoyang's city gate discussed animatedly, making various guesses.
On the city tower, the defending soldiers also leaned over the gaps in the city wall, watching the surging thousand Han Iron Cavalry.
Among the defending soldiers, two armored generals looked at Zhang Shihao's heroic, gradually receding figure and withdrew their gazes.
One of the generals smiled and congratulated the other general:
"Congratulations, Brother Feng Fang, for such an important matter, His Majesty personally dispatched the Marquis of Yiyang to lead the troops, which shows His Majesty's high regard and trust in the Marquis of Yiyang."
"Brother Feng Fang, following the Marquis of Yiyang, don't forget your little brother when you get promoted and rich in the future."
Chunyu Qiong, in his early twenties, expressed his envy for Feng Fang's words.
"Haha, Brother Zhong Jian, aren't we brothers being too formal?" Hearing Chunyu Qiong's rather envious words, Feng Fang patted Chunyu Qiong's shoulder and laughed.
However, the smile on Feng Fang's face flashed and disappeared, his gaze once again turning to the gradually disappearing Iron Cavalry, and he said slowly:
"That day, this brother seized the opportunity and pledged allegiance to the Marquis of Yiyang, which allowed him to regain a foothold in Luoyang. All the forces in Luoyang knew that this brother was under the Marquis of Yiyang, so no one dared to cause trouble or look down on him anymore."
"It's just that relying on the Marquis of Yiyang to get promoted and rich is not easy, after all, the Marquis of Yiyang is new here and cannot interfere in court politics like Zhang Rang, He Jin, or the Yuan family."
As Feng Fang's sigh fell, Chunyu Qiong, who had been smiling, was momentarily stunned and looked at Feng Fang in surprise.
Feng Fang's words were quite ambitious.
However, Chunyu Qiong quickly understood Feng Fang's mindset.
Feng Fang's family was not a Powerful Family, and his current position was achieved by climbing up step by step from a common soldier.
To climb higher, he even became the son-in-law of the great Eunuch Cao Jie, which showed Feng Fang's utilitarianism.
Evidently, in the past, with his father-in-law Cao Jie, who held power in the court, Feng Fang had a smooth career. Although he now served Zhang Shihao, he also received protection.
However, this sense of discrepancy in the speed of progress was not what Feng Fang wanted.
He, Feng Fang, wanted to progress!
Chunyu Qiong frowned slightly and hesitated:
"Brother Feng Fang is right, although the Marquis of Yiyang is highly regarded by His Majesty, he truly cannot interfere in court politics right now. How difficult it is to get promoted and rich without anyone in court to help. However, there isn't really no way."
"For example, the current Great General, wasn't it because of his connections that he became one of the powerful figures in court? Even now, the Ten Attendants are making a big show of collecting Meiren from various prefectures, isn't it because they want to gain His Majesty's favor?"
"Didn't Brother Feng Fang see just now that His Majesty even mobilized the Luoyang Imperial Guard Iron Cavalry for a Meiren?"
"So, this is actually a very convenient path."
"It's just a pity, how easy is it to find a Meiren? Let alone a Meiren with such breathtaking beauty."
The young Chunyu Qiong's envious sigh echoed, and as it reached Feng Fang's ears, it made Feng Fang's body tremble, and a hint of hesitation appeared in his eyes.
"This… a Meiren who can charm all beings and possesses breathtaking beauty?"
...
Huayin Commandery is located west of Hukou Pass, belonging to the western region of Sili, bordering Western Liang.
Zhang Shihao rode all the way, and what greeted his eyes was a continuous stream of emaciated refugees.
In fact, there were more refugees here than around Luoyang.
This made Zhang Shihao frown deeply, and his excitement at soon meeting the famous Madam Zou of the Late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms Period was slightly diluted.
...
Sili, Huayin City.
The Huayin City Gate was heavily guarded, with hundreds of officers and soldiers manning the gate, checking each person entering the city. At the same time, the defending officers and soldiers occasionally looked into the distance, maintaining a high level of alert.
It seemed that if there was any disturbance in the distance, the city gate would be closed.
The bandits were too audacious.
They actually wanted to abduct the Meiren favored by the Emperor.
However, just thinking of the hundreds of strong, fierce bandits, and even some cavalry, made the Huayin officers and soldiers couldn't help but suspect that the other party was the true official army.
However, thinking of the breathtakingly beautiful Meiren the bandits were targeting,
The Huayin officers and soldiers felt a sense of understanding.
That Meiren was truly too beautiful.
Rumble!
Suddenly, the ground shook, and the sound of warhorses galloping came. The soldiers guarding the city gate instantly became like they were facing a formidable enemy, rushing into the city in a panic, and the city gate slowly closed.
"Giddy up~"
Dust billowed, and nearly a hundred Iron Cavalry galloped closer.
"Whoa whoa~"
Riding Zhua Huang Fei Dian (Yellow Claw Lightning), holding the Sky Dragon City-Breaking Halberd, and clad in bright silver armor, the heroic Zhang Shihao led the Imperial Guard Iron Cavalry to the front of Huayin City. With a wave of his hand, nearly a hundred cavalry obeyed his command, stopping in unison.
"I am Zhang Shihao, ordered by His Majesty to come and welcome the Meiren. Why don't you open the city gate?"
"This... the court's Iron Cavalry has arrived?"
On the city wall, the defending officers and soldiers were shaken.
Soon, Zuo Feng appeared on the city wall and saw that it was indeed Zhang Shihao.
He immediately ordered the city gate to be opened.
Huayin City, Commandery Governor's Mansion.
"Court Attendant, why did you only bring so few people? Didn't Zuo Feng already explain the situation of the bandits?"
"There are at least two to three hundred strong men, all exceptionally fierce, and there's also an unknown number of cavalry. How can we escort the Meiren back to Luoyang with so few people?"
Inside the Commandery Governor's Mansion, Zuo Feng said to Zhang Shihao, who was seated at the head, with a gloomy expression.
Although Zhang Shihao's official rank was one level higher than his, Zuo Feng did not speak too politely.
Because the person he, Zuo Feng, served was Zhang Rang, and he was not afraid of Zhang Shihao.
Hearing Zuo Feng's words, Zhang Shihao glanced at him and said indifferently:
"How I lead troops is beyond your comprehension."
"You only need to tell Consort Zou that we will depart for Luoyang tomorrow morning."
Zhang Shihao said indifferently to Zuo Feng, then turned to the Huayin Commandery Governor, who was seated below him, and said:
"Furthermore, I trouble the Commandery Governor to arrange the necessary provisions for the journey."
Faced with Zhang Shihao's indifferent and disdainful attitude, Zuo Feng's expression immediately turned ugly, but he couldn't utter any words of refutation.
The Huayin Commandery Governor, seeing this, nodded repeatedly in agreement, only offering a conciliatory smile in the presence of the two great figures, Zhang Shihao and Zuo Feng.
He now only wanted to send the court's people away.
The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, the troops assembled, and five hundred commandery soldiers also followed behind the hundred cavalry.
However, Zuo Feng was still worried that these hundred cavalry would not be safe enough to protect them, and he insisted that the Huayin Commandery Governor send troops to depart together.
At this moment, a luxurious, spacious carriage stopped in front of the Commandery Governor's Mansion.
Zhang Shihao, riding on Zhua Huang Fei Dian (Yellow Claw Lightning), his gaze slightly focused, looked towards the entrance of the Commandery Governor's Mansion.
Madam Zou must be coming out now, right?