Liu Jin stood in the distance, watching the execution site before him, his eyes devoid of any softness.
Throughout history, those who achieved great things, whose hands weren't stained with countless blood?
Take Cao Cao from history, for example; back then, he was no different, massacring cities and killing surrendering soldiers, with tens of thousands of innocent people dying by his hand.
When he achieved his imperial hegemony, did anyone speak ill of him? Instead, he was praised as a brilliant strategist, capable of governing the country and bringing peace.
Moreover, he was only killing a few thousand rebellious captives, which could already be considered merciful.
Just then, Zhao Teng, with an excited expression, rushed over, bowed, and whispered,
“Big Brother, Zhang Jiao’s treasure has been found! It’s hidden in a valley thirty li outside the city.”
“Inside, there’s a massive pile of gold, silver, and jewels, like a small mountain. As for the exact quantity, it’s difficult to count in a short amount of time.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Jin’s eyes lit up with excitement, then quickly returned to calm.
Currently, with the war ongoing, he had no use for this wealth.
If it were exposed, it would definitely be confiscated by the court, and he probably wouldn’t even get a single hair.
He had to wait until this war ended, receive the court's commendation, and secure a commandery as his base to develop his forces; then, this wealth would be useful.
After a moment of silence, Liu Jin slowly said,
“Do not publicize this matter. Seal the treasury for now, take out a portion to reward the soldiers, and after the Yellow Turban Rebellion is completely pacified, then we can figure out how to handle this wealth.”
Upon receiving the order, Zhao Teng nodded repeatedly and immediately went to strictly handle the matter.
Outside Quyang City, within the Han Army camp!
Dong Zhuo sat at the head, his brows tightly furrowed, his mood depressed .
He had led his army to Quyang for several days, and despite continuous assaults, he had not only failed to breach the city but had also suffered losses in troops and generals.
This couldn’t help but crush his internal ambitions.
He hadn't expected Zhang Bao of Quyang City to be such a tough nut to crack.
Dong Zhuo raised his wine cup and drained it, a worried expression on his face, sighing,
“Alas.”
“Wen You, I am a military man from Liang Province's borderlands. That I can serve as commander and lead tens of thousands of troops this time is all thanks to the Yuan family’s backing.”
“Because of this, I have many concerns. I must achieve results to show the Yuan family that I am a useful person.”
“If I achieve nothing and have no effect, I’m afraid it won’t be long before the Yuan family abandons me, and the court will send someone to dismiss me. By then, it will be incredibly difficult for me to rise again.”
Li Ru, sitting nearby, heard Dong Zhuo’s complaints and quickly tried to comfort him.
“General, do not be impatient.”
“Although Quyang City is somewhat fortified, after this period of siege and attack, the morale of the Yellow Turban in the city has noticeably declined.”
“Moreover, the scouts I sent last time have had some success in contacting the Yellow Turban General within the city. When the time comes for a coordinated attack from inside and out, this city is sure to fall.”
Upon hearing this, Dong Zhuo’s eyes showed urgency, and he quickly said,
“Send more people to win them over! Don’t be stingy with money. As long as they are willing to act as an inside agent and open the city gates, I, Dong Zhuo, will definitely reward them handsomely.”
Li Ru nodded quickly, understanding Dong Zhuo well; he was certainly not stingy with money.
Just as the two were discussing, footsteps were heard outside the tent.
A soldier quickly entered and reported,
“Report!”
“Reporting to the General, Deputy General Liu from Guangzong City has sent a letter.”
Upon hearing this, Dong Zhuo raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit confused. Why would someone suddenly send a letter? Had something happened?
Could it be that Zhang Jiao’s army was heading towards Quyang, and Liu Jin couldn’t stop them and sent someone to report?
Thinking of this, Dong Zhuo’s heart filled with a hint of anger.
He truly was a good-for-nothing, with thousands of soldiers, yet he couldn't even stop a Yellow Turban. He would definitely report him to the court for his crimes.
He immediately waved his hand, signaling for the letter to be presented.
Dong Zhuo took it, opened it directly, and examined it carefully.
After reading it, his body trembled, and his eyes showed shock.
The letter in his hand fell directly to the ground, his head shaking uncontrollably, his eyes red, and he roared,
“Impossible, absolutely impossible!”
“That brat Liu Jin, with mere thousands of soldiers, how could he possibly breach Guangzong?”
“This must be fake!”
Li Ru, standing nearby, also involuntarily trembled, his sinister eyes revealing shock.
This news was indeed somewhat sensational. Guangzong City had at least hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban, and the bandit leader Zhang Jiao was also stationed there, with morale much higher than elsewhere.
Let alone a few thousand soldiers, even if it were ten times that number, it would be impossible to breach it in a short time.
He immediately stepped forward, picked up the letter from the ground, and examined it carefully.
After reading it, although he was very shocked, he could still accept it.
After all, the letter stated that Zhang Jiao had died, causing chaos within the city, and Liu Jin seized this opportunity to breach Guangzong City in one fell swoop.
He had only one thought: Liu Jin’s luck was simply too good.
Zhang Jiao didn't die early or late, but only after Dong Zhuo led his troops away, giving this enormous credit to Liu Jin for free.
Dong Zhuo’s eyes were bloodshot, and he was utterly deranged, kicking over the table in front of him, bottles crashing to the ground with a clatter.
Unable to accept this fact, he roared in anger,
“Heaven is unfair! Why do you treat me like this?”
“This credit was originally mine, Dong Zhuo’s!”
Li Ru sighed slightly, only able to say in his heart, “It is a matter of time, fate, and destiny; not within my control.”
After venting his frustration, Dong Zhuo slowly returned to normal, but his eyes remained bloodshot, indicating his unrest.
Looking at Li Ru, his hoarse voice slowly came out,
“Wen You, now that Guangzong has been breached and Zhang Jiao is dead, this credit will surely be led by Liu Jin. Even though I am the commander, leading troops in Quyang, the credit I gain will be very little.”
“Now the Yellow Turban Rebellion is gradually coming to an end. The south has already been swept by Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun, who have already gained considerable credit and are leading their troops northward.”
“The entire realm only has Quyang left as a major battlefield. If I don't find a way to breach it and kill Zhang Bao, I will certainly gain no advantage, and may even miss the opportunity for promotion.”
“Therefore, I must breach Quyang and kill Zhang Bao in a short time to secure the last major achievement.”
Li Ru heard this and quickly nodded, saying,
“What the General says is true. Only by breaching Quyang and killing Zhang Bao can the General be on par with Liu Jin, Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and others, and receive heavy rewards from the court.”
Dong Zhuo’s face was filled with worry, and he sighed,
“But then again, Quyang is difficult to conquer in a short time. The longer it drags on, Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and other armies will surely arrive. By then, the credit for breaching it will have to be shared with everyone, and my credit will still be less than theirs.”
“You should think of a way to breach Quyang in a short amount of time.”