One after another, aristocratic families were purged by Dong Zhuo, like harvesting leeks, and the city of Luoyang became a river of blood within a few days.
It seemed that people dared not go out at night, as if they could hear the silent weeping of the various aristocratic families.
Under such circumstances, Ding Yuan's troops stationed outside Luoyang City could no longer hold back.
Ding Yuan finally felt heartache and a sense of crisis.
Yuan Wei, Xun Shuang, and others came to Ding Yuan again to discuss.
Yuan Wei, Xun Shuang, Zhang Wen, and others, who held such high titles as the Three Excellencies of the Imperial Court, bowed and saluted when they met Ding Yuan, crying out loudly, "Lord Jianyang, are you truly disregarding the Han Dynasty's 400-year legacy for the sake of your own obsession?
Previously, Dong Zhong's purge of dissidents was somewhat restrained, but allowing Western Liang's warriors to control the Imperial Court, with aristocratic families being slaughtered and blood flowing like rivers, this shakes the very foundation of the Han Dynasty.
Now, everyone in Luoyang City is in danger, yet you, with your heavy troops, remain inactive.
Are you just going to watch him bring chaos to the world?"
Ding Yuan's face was full of struggle.
After returning their salute, he invited them to sit down.
Ding Yuan said with a troubled expression, "It's not that I'm standing idly by; it's just that I don't have the imperial seal or the military tally.
Without an imperial edict and military tally, how can I dispatch troops?"
Xun Shuang said, "Lord Jianyang, if everyone were like you, the Han Dynasty would soon perish.
The Dong Clan already has the demeanor of a national traitor, completely disregarding the nation's turmoil.
Are we just going to watch him bring chaos to the world?"
Ding Yuan hesitated for a long time, and finally made up his mind, saying, "Since that is the case, then I will follow your command."
The three high officials were very pleased and excited after hearing this, and then left together hand in hand.
Immediately after, Ding Yuan summoned his generals and issued military orders, instructing Gao Shun's Trapped Camp to set up formations outside Luoyang City.
Zhang Liao was to prepare the Bing Province Wolf Cavalry to await their arrival, while the other generals were to strictly guard their camps and await further instructions.
Lü Bu was to accompany Ding Yuan to the Imperial Court.
Dong Zhuo had always been wary of the Bing Province Army outside the city.
When the Bing Province Army showed the slightest sign of movement, Dong Zhuo immediately noticed and quickly called Li Ru to discuss countermeasures.
Li Ru suggested that all generals prepare for battle, and if a banquet were to be held, axemen should be secretly arranged.
Afterward, Dong Zhuo planned to invite all generals, Ding Yuan, and the officials to a banquet under the guise of reconciliation.
At the banquet, he would propose the matter of deposing the emperor and installing Liu Xie.
If they still refused to comply, he would act directly at the banquet.
By then, the opposing side would be leaderless, and presumably, there would not be much threat.
With the formations set, it remained to be seen if Ding Yuan dared to come.
At that banquet, Dong Zhuo reiterated his old stance, beginning to discuss matters related to establishing Liu Xie as emperor.
All the officials remained silent in the face of this situation, and the atmosphere became extremely heavy.
He relentlessly pressed for everyone's attitude.
It was at this critical moment that Ding Yuan resolutely stood up and fearlessly confronted Dong Zhuo, saying, "Dong Zhuo, are you trying to imitate Wang Mang?
The Son of Heaven is still in a state of ignorance and confusion; we should immediately move to welcome him back, yet you are attempting such a treasonous crime."
Dong Zhuo was immediately put in an extremely awkward position, unable to back down for a moment.
He angrily shouted, "Where are my guards?"
Immediately, Hua Xiong and a group of fierce axemen surged out from the sides, but Lü Bu showed no fear in the face of such a situation.
He majestically held his Fangtian Halberd, glaring at everyone with wide eyes.
Hua Xiong was intimidated by Lü Bu's awe-inspiring presence and dared not make the slightest move.
Dong Zhuo also noticed Hua Xiong's cowardice and had to forcibly suppress the surging anger in his heart.
Ding Yuan, with a strong attitude, said, "If you insist on committing such a rebellious act, then we can only settle it on the battlefield."
Dong Zhuo was momentarily intimidated by Ding Yuan's imposing presence and could not act out on the spot, so he could only watch as Ding Yuan left with Lü Bu.
After the banquet dispersed, the more Dong Zhuo thought about it, the more enraged he became, so he lashed out at Hua Xiong and the other generals.
Hua Xiong, knowing his own fault, could only mumble and dared not speak.
Seeing this, Li Ru quickly advised, "Please calm your anger, Lord.
In my opinion, that general beside Ding Yuan is truly extraordinarily powerful.
General Hua Xiong's performance was also due to his apprehension, perhaps he was worried about accidentally harming you, Lord, during the fight."
Hua Xiong quickly echoed, "Yes, yes, that general looks very formidable, I know I am not his match.
My own death is a small matter, but I absolutely cannot let Lord be in danger."
Dong Zhuo sat in the main seat, stroking his beard, his eyes gleaming with thought, and said, "Lü Bu's martial arts are indeed formidable.
Among my army, it seems that only Ma Chao, who is pacifying the rebellion in Western Liang, can contend with him."
Li Ru nodded slightly and replied, "Lord is absolutely right.
Ma Chao is brave and has repeatedly achieved military successes in Western Liang.
His fierceness should not be underestimated."
Hua Xiong interjected, "Yes, Lord, Ma Chao is renowned in Western Liang, and his combat power is also extremely astonishing.
Perhaps he can indeed compete with Lü Bu."
Dong Zhuo frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "I just wonder how Ma Chao's progress in pacifying the rebellion in Western Liang is going now."
Li Ru said, "Lord can send someone to inquire about Ma Chao's recent situation and see if he can finish pacifying the rebellion and return soon."
Hua Xiong agreed, "That's right, Lord.
If Ma Chao can return early, perhaps Lü Bu will also be wary, which would be greatly beneficial to our army."
Dong Zhuo nodded and said, "Good, then quickly send someone to Western Liang to convey my concern and ask Ma Chao to quell the rebellion and return as soon as possible."
Li Ru bowed his hands and said, "As you command, Lord."
He then proceeded to arrange the relevant matters and send a message to notify Ma Chao to come.
Ever since Dong Zhuo and Ding Yuan had their unpleasant parting at the banquet, there had been intermittent skirmishes and conflicts between Dong Zhuo's Army and Ding Yuan's troops in the days that followed.
Since both sides' soldiers had frequently fought against foreign tribes on the borders, their overall combat effectiveness was roughly equal.
However, at the level of military generals, Dong Zhuo's Army lacked those top-tier generals, which put them at a relative disadvantage and made them suffer more losses.
However, Dong Zhuo's Army held the advantage of favorable terrain.
Although Ding Yuan's Army was also strong in combat, Ding Yuan had not fully unleashed his troops' full combat potential as long as Dong Zhuo had not yet carried out the act of deposing and installing an emperor.
This caused Lü Bu to repeatedly request to go into battle, but Ding Yuan consistently ignored his requests, leaving Lü Bu with a suppressed frustration that he could not express.
On Dong Zhuo's side, ever since he decided to invite Ma Chao, he had also been suppressing his urge to fight, because starting a war would not yield any benefits, and all his hopes were placed on Ma Chao's arrival.
Ever since Gongsun Xu and Zhao Yun led the brave White Horse General, escorting Lu Zhi and the emperor on their escape, they had barely had a moment of peace.
Along the way, they encountered obstacles and challenges from all sides, simply because the local generals and garrisons were filled with doubts and confusion about their actions.
In people's minds, if one were the emperor, how could he willingly and actively follow a minister to flee?
Under normal circumstances, if not coerced, why would an emperor willingly abandon the immense temptation that comes with supreme status?
Especially in this era that firmly believed in the divine right of kings, Lu Zhi's act of leading the emperor to flee was itself perplexing to many generals.
They believed from the bottom of their hearts that this was an act of coercing the emperor.
Gongsun Zan, Zhao Yun, and the White Horse General they led faced extreme difficulties on this arduous escape journey.
At every pass or when encountering garrisons, they had to face various doubts and challenges.
The generals' eyes were full of suspicion, and their words were full of disapproval of their actions.
Facing such a situation, Gongsun Zan could only patiently negotiate with the local generals again and again, trying to explain the truth of the matter.
However, this explanation seemed so pale and powerless in the generals' minds, and their doubts and prejudices were not easily dispelled.
Those generals who were close to the Dong Clan's forces pursued them relentlessly, seemingly unwilling to give up until they captured them.
In such a predicament, even though the White Horse General possessed considerable combat power, they were exhausted and overwhelmed by the continuous pursuits and entanglements.
They had to remain highly vigilant and alert at all times to guard against potential dangers and attacks.
Originally, Lu Zhi and the emperor had hoped to use the emperor's identity to rally the local prefects to actively respond and follow them, thereby bringing them under their control.
However, the situations they experienced along the way showed no glimmer of hope whatsoever, and they eventually had to abandon this idea.
In desperation, they had no choice but to accompany the White Horse General to You Province, where Gongsun Zan was located, planning to make further arrangements once they arrived there.