Without any hesitation, Dong Zhuo looked at the Generals in the hall and asked in a loud voice!
"Zhang He, Xu Rong, Cheng Pu, are the three of you willing to follow Deputy General Liu, remain at the Guangzong military camp, and continue to besiege the Yellow Turban within the city?"
The three men sitting on either side of the main hall exchanged glances, then immediately stood up and said loudly!
"We are willing to stay!"
Hearing this, Dong Zhuo glanced at the three men indifferently.
Since they were close to Liu Jin, they could stay here; it would save him trouble when they got to Quyang.
"Good."
"Since that is the case, the three of you shall obey Deputy General Liu's orders and guard this place."
After saying this, Dong Zhuo looked at Liu Jin beside him and said with a serious tone!
"Wen Yi, after three days of rest, I will lead the main army to Quyang. The matters here will be entrusted to you."
"You must stop Zhang Jiao and absolutely prevent him from leading his army to reinforce them. Otherwise, our army will be attacked from both sides and could suffer a disastrous defeat."
"The consequences are not something you or I can bear."
Liu Jin nodded solemnly.
Thus, the banquet continued, and the Generals clinked their cups.
Many military commanders subtly began to approach Dong Zhuo, hoping to gain his favor and, in turn, earn more merits.
Conversely, they were quite indifferent to Liu Jin. From the recent conversation, many had already gathered that Dong Zhuo was marginalizing Liu Jin.
Everyone weighed the pros and cons and decided it was better to curry favor with the main General, Dong Zhuo.
Liu Jin watched this scene, his expression still calm and indifferent. He raised his wine cup and drained it.
Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, and others sitting beside him showed anger in their eyes.
When Lu Zhi was dismissed, these people had all come to visit their elder brother, hoping to be given important positions.
Now that Dong Zhuo had arrived, they were fawning over him. They truly were a bunch of opportunists.
Soon, the banquet gradually ended, and the Generals also left one after another, returning to their respective camps.
Dong Zhuo, sitting in the main seat, stroked his beard and looked at Li Ru beside him, saying with a smile!
"Wen You, I think this kid is nothing special. I originally thought it would take some effort, and even an argument, but I didn't expect to suppress him so quickly."
Li Ru's eyes shone brightly. He nodded from the side and said indifferently!
"Although Liu Jin is a descendant of the imperial clan, his lineage has long since fallen, and he is no different from an ordinary person. Without a background to support him, he naturally dares not contend with the General."
"Furthermore, the General was appointed as the main General by His Majesty. Even if this person has the intention to contend, he must obediently step down."
Hearing this, Dong Zhuo laughed heartily, his whole being appearing invigorated and immensely pleased.
Three days later!
The drums and horns in the military camp rumbled, and the various troops also moved, forming several formations, slowly leaving the camp with Dong Zhuo, heading north towards Quyang.
Liu Jin, riding a fine horse, clad in armor, with a sharp blade at his waist, led the Generals around him, watching Dong Zhuo depart.
Zhang Fei, beside him, felt indignant and immediately cursed angrily!
"Elder Brother, this Dong Zhuo is too much!"
"You treated him with courtesy, yet he ostracized you."
Guan Yu, Han Dang, Zhao Teng, and others narrowed their eyes slightly, revealing fierce expressions.
What Dong Zhuo did was indeed not good. He gave a show of force upon taking office and now seized most of the military power.
Seeing the enraged men, Liu Jin smiled and waved his hand, saying gently!
"It's fine. This Dong Zhuo is the main General. These tens of thousands of Han Army soldiers are originally under his command. Although I am a Deputy General, I only have some say."
"Rather than being oppressed by him, it's better to be stationed here; at least I can act freely."
"Moreover, Dong Zhuo attacking Quyang may not be a good thing, and my besieging Guangzong City may not be a bad thing."
Hearing this, everyone could only nod, with varying degrees of anger in their hearts.
Liu Jin turned to look at Cheng Pu, Xu Rong, and Zhang He beside him, saying with emotion!
"It's just a pity to leave the three of you behind, unable to let you follow Dong Zhuo to Quyang to earn merit."
Hearing this, the three immediately cupped their fists and respectfully said!
"General, what do you mean? During our time together, we have already come to know the General's character and abilities. Your future achievements will certainly be extraordinary."
"Even if we don't go to Quyang, what does it matter? We may still be able to establish merits by following the General."
Liu Jin laughed heartily upon hearing this, exuding strong confidence, and said loudly!
"Good!"
"Since the three of you believe in me, Liu Wenyi, I naturally will not let you down."
"Within ten days, I will surely break Guangzong City, seize this immense merit, and provide opportunities for all of you to be promoted."
His ambitious words spread, and the Generals around him felt a tremor throughout their bodies.
Their eyes filled with excitement, and the blood in their veins surged, seemingly about to erupt.
Although these words were somewhat exaggerated and even difficult to achieve, they inexplicably believed him in their hearts.
After all, the person before them was young, had won battle after battle, and had already become a Colonel of Two Thousand Stone; he might very well be able to break Guangzong City before them.
Everyone immediately bowed and said loudly!
"We believe in the General!"
Liu Jin smiled and nodded, then instructed the Generals around him!
"Currently, there are a total of seven thousand men in the army. Besieging Guangzong City is somewhat unrealistic, so I have decided to lead the troops back thirty li and encamp in a mountain valley. This place is bordered by water to the west and mountains to the south, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack, so there's no need to worry about the Yellow Turban counterattacking."
"We only need to wait for the opportunity to arrive, and then we can attack Guangzong City."
"Additionally, send scouts to monitor the movements within the city. If any Yellow Turban come out of the city, report it immediately."
The Generals nodded upon hearing this. Although they didn't understand what this opportunity was, they chose to trust him unconditionally.
Hearing this, Zhang Fei scratched his ears and cheeks, asking in confusion!
"Elder Brother, what is the opportunity you speak of?"
"Can you tell us?"
Liu Jin looked at the extremely eager Zhang Fei, shook his head, and said with a smile!
"The secrets of Heaven cannot be revealed. Just wait a few more days, and you will know."
Hearing this, Zhang Fei pouted, looking a bit sullen.
Guan Yu, Han Dang, Zhao Teng, and others laughed heartily at Zhang Fei's expression.
Soon, the soldiers in the camp began to strike camp, and Liu Jin led seven thousand troops, retreating thirty li to the rear, arriving in a mountain valley where they set up camp.
The Yellow Turban soldiers guarding Guangzong City had been under immense pressure during this period.
Every day they couldn't eat or sleep well, their morale was low, and deserters increased day by day. Before long, the city would fall without a fight.
Just then, everyone saw a large number of Han Army soldiers leaving one after another, even dismantling their camps.
This scene made the Yellow Turban soldiers on the city wall let out a long sigh of relief, feeling a sense of release, no longer experiencing the oppressive feeling of the Han Army's siege.
Soon, soldiers reported this news.
In the backyard of the Heavenly Duke General's residence!
Zhang Jiao lay on his bed, his face haggard and pale, his spirit weak, like an old man on his deathbed, about to depart.
