As November approaches, the temperature in Yuzhou drops sharply, and when you wake up in the morning, you can see frost on the soldiers' faces. However, the soldiers of the Dongwang Army have to keep going without stopping, and pursue Qinshui together with the soldiers of Yuzhou. On November 2nd, the two sides have already set up a decisive battle on the banks of the Qinshui River.

Qinshui is a river not too wide in the north of Yuzhou. The reason why Li Dai, the troops of the Western King Army, chose Qinshui to station because they can attack and retreat here. They can choose to retreat beyond Qinshui and retreat directly to Guanzhong.

The pursuit of the Eastern King Army and the Southern King Army was slow this time, and it seemed that the Western King Army had an opportunity to take advantage of it. After more than 90,000 soldiers and horses of the Eastern King Army were stationed thirty miles away on the east bank of Qinshui, the Western King Army sent a small group of tempting troops, but it was only a little bit short of it and did not engage in a real and immediate confrontation with the Eastern King Army.

At this time, the 30,000 troops from the Southern King's Mansion led by Huang Shilang, the Marquis of Zhennan, also headed north along Qinshui. On the afternoon of the second day of the lunar month, they were stationed forty miles away from the main camp of the Xiwang Army. At this time, the Eastern King's Army and the Southern King's Army were stationed twenty miles away, echoing each other and attacking the main camp of the Xiwang Army at any time.

The troops of both sides were Cao Baichuan and 70,000 troops, plus Li Dai's 50,000 reinforcements, and the number of troops was about 110,000. The coalition of the Eastern King Army and the Southern King Army had 120,000 to 30,000 troops, and the coalition of the Eastern King Army had an advantage in the number of troops.

In terms of food and grass supply, most of the food and grass in the Western King's army had just been burned down, and the morale was low, so the entire battle situation was very beneficial to the coalition forces of the Eastern King's Mansion and the Southern King's Mansion.

On the evening of November 2nd, Huang Shilang, the Marquis of Zhennan, sent people to discuss with the Eastern King Army how to pacify the Western King Army. At this time, the Southern King's Mansion did not know that Han Jian had the intention to negotiate peace with the Western King's Mansion. However, because Han Jian did not receive the exact answer from the Western King's Mansion, he did not relax his plan in advance. Just as he discussed with the Queen, if the Western King Yang Pingju knew each other and was willing to negotiate, the Southern King's Army and the Eastern King's Army would go north to take Luoyang, and the Western King's Army was planning the territory of the Northern King's Mansion. If Yang Pingju was not concerned about peace talks, then the Qinshui battle would inevitably be avoided.

As the two sides were at odds, a war was coming within a day or two. At this time, the Western Kings Army suddenly crossed the river overnight on the night of November 2nd, crossing the Qinshui River, as if they were going to retreat to Longcheng and Victoria to the north.

After Huang Shilang learned the news, he set out the camp overnight to pursue. The Eastern King Army was silent and did not seem to be in a hurry to chase the Western King Army.

"Young Master, now the Western King's Army is retreating. This is the intention to withdraw to Guanzhong. Do we pursue the victory and defeat it along the way?"

When they learned that the Western King's Army was retreating, many soldiers of the Eastern King's Army were in high spirits. Everyone thought this was a god-given opportunity.

When the two armies confront each other, the Western King's Army retreated before the frontal war started. This would cause the formation to be scattered and then it would not be possible to form an orderly resistance. At this time, sending troops to the back or chasing them head-on will achieve good results.

But Han Jian obviously did not think about how to annihilate the Western King's Army. In his opinion, Cao Baichuan and Li Dai were very cunning. They knew that when morale was low, they had a disadvantage in frontal battles with the coalition forces of the Eastern King's Mansion and the Southern King's Mansion, so they wanted to rely on the city. Although there was a great possibility of being trapped in such a siege, it was also a good way for the Western King's Army to purify the morale of the army and wait for subsequent reinforcements.

"Slowly pursue, no rush to start a war. If anyone speaks lightly, he will be treated as military law."

Han Jian had a firm attitude, just follow the Western King's Army first and wait for the opportunity.

In the early morning of the third day of November, the Eastern King's Army crossed the Qinshui River. After passing the Qinshui River, the troops of Huang Shilang of the Southern King's Army were still less than twenty miles apart from the Eastern King's Army.

After passing Qinshui, it was more than fifty miles away from Victoria. According to the news from Kuaima, the Western Kings Army did not intend to retreat to Victoria, but turned to the north. It was about 400 miles from Victoria to Luoyang, which means that the Eastern Kings Army is not too far from the front battlefield in Luoyang.

The Eastern King's Army and the Southern King's Army were also cautious on the march. After all, although the morale of the Western King's Army was frustrated, it was just a shortage of food. The Western King's Army was higher than that of the Eastern King's Army and the Southern King's Army. In addition, Cao Baichuan was very scheming. Even if Li Dai had little experience, he was still insidious and deceitful. I was afraid that the withdrawal of troops was fake, but in fact he was secretly waiting for the opportunity to suddenly come out and caught him off guard.

The Western King's Army retreated for six days. By the ninth day of November, they passed Hanzhou, less than 150 miles away from Luoyang. At this time, the troops pursued by the Eastern King's Army and the Southern King's Army had just arrived in Hanzhou. At this time, the troops on both sides had already left the territory of Yuzhou and entered the scope of Luoyang's troops since ancient times.

...

...

On the tenth day of November, in the camp of the Northern King Army thirty miles south of Luoyang City, Zhou Yuan was discussing with several of his generals how to advance Luoyang.

The Beiwang Mansion withdrew troops from Yuzhou, which was said to be 200,000 troops, but the Beiwang Mansion actually had 140,000 troops and 150,000 troops. Moreover, it arrived in two reinforcements, in order to conquer Luoyang before the battle in Yuzhou was achieved and achieve the emperor's dream of Xiaobei Wang Yang Ke.

In the past two months, the soldiers and horses of the Northern King's Mansion launched several offensives from four directions, southeast, northwest and northwest of Luoyang, but they all returned without success. The city defense in the entire Luoyang was the strongest. After occupying Luoyang, the Eastern King's Army launched a purgation of the guards in the city. Although the Eastern King's Army had only 10,000 or 20,000 soldiers and 20,000 soldiers and 20,000 generals like Zhang Xing, who had rich combat experience came to guard. In the face of the Northern King's Mansion's offensive, the defense was as solid as a rock.

Zhou Yuan was born in the army and was in the Northern King's Mansion the same as Huang Shilang's position in the Southern King's Mansion. The biggest difference between him and Huang Shilang is that he did not have any relatives with the royal family of the Northern King's Mansion. He famously only recognized the transfer of troops. As for whom he became the Northern King, there was no difference for him. Even if the young King Yang Ke used abnormal means to succeed the throne, he was the first to express his support for Yang Ke, and his status was more stable than before.

When Yang Ru was in power, Yang Ru was still prepared for Zhou Yuan. After all, Yang Ke had a young age, and if he wanted to stabilize the situation in the Northern King's Mansion and to make a group of heroes obey his orders, he would have to rely on it. The person he chose to rely on was Zhou Yuan.

This time, he first invaded Yuzhou with the Western King's Army. Zhou Yuan originally wanted to sit in the mountains and watch the tiger fight. When the Western King's Army and the Southern King's Army were killed in Yuzhou, the Northern King's Mansion took the opportunity to gather the disciples of Yuzhou and then invaded Jiangdu. In this way, basically the two forces in the south were eliminated and they could come back to capture Luoyang with peace of mind.

No one expected that the Eastern Prince's Mansion would actually send troops to advance to Luoyang under such a passive situation. But what was wrong was that Yang Yu was shaken by the rebels' previous struggle to defend Luoyang, so he abandoned the city and took advantage of the Eastern Prince's Mansion. Zhou Yuan took advantage of the stalemate in the Battle of Yuzhou and could not get out of his way, so he decisively withdrew his troops to Luoyang. He wanted to take Luoyang down in one fell swoop, but after several initial rounds of fierce attacks, he could only turn into a war of attrition and wait for Luoyang City to collapse without fighting.

But in winter, the supply line for the Northern King's Mansion was also very long. The soldiers and horses of the Northern King's Mansion were surrounded by Luoyang, but there was no progress. It was one thing that the city was short of soldiers and grain, but it was one thing that the Battle of Yuzhou was delayed again and again. Except for the Battle of Pingcheng, the entire Battle of Yuzhou was not a big battle after the Eastern King's Army was dispatched. Now the Western King's Army withdrew its troops in a shortage of food and did not return to Guanzhong, but was actually heading towards Luoyang. In Zhou Yuan's opinion, the withdrawal of the Western King's Army this time was not simple.

"General, Yang Pingju did not transfer his troops back to Guanzhong, something is strange. In the opinion of the last general, Han Jian, this time, wanted to take the opportunity to rescue Luoyang. Perhaps... there may be any conspiracy with Yang Pingju."

Zhou Yuan thought about it, but finally shook his head and said, "The Dongwang Army burned the food and grass of Pingcheng. Cao Baichuan and Li Dai are both people who want to make meritorious contributions. I think this withdrawal was not Yang Pingju's intention, but Cao Baichuan and Li Dai, who wanted to make a punishment for their merits and lead the pursuers to Luoyang, and disrupt the situation."

Zhou Yuan's words convinced the generals present.

After all, Zhou Yuan was an old minister of the three dynasties and had such rich combat experience. He also had a unique set of insight into the situation on the battlefield.

Zhou Yuan said this, and others dare not have any special "alternative" views, which also reflects respect for Zhou Yuan.

"But general, if the three troops from the Western Prince's Mansion, the Southern Prince's Mansion and the Eastern Prince's Mansion continue to approach Luoyang, are we still sitting down and ignoring?" The general who raised the objection just now continued, "The Eastern Prince's Army needs no need to say that Luoyang is now in the hands of the Eastern Prince's Mansion, and it is a great enemy of our army. Now Yang Luochuan is also colluding with Han Jian's younger brother. If he arrives in Luoyang, the Southern Prince's Army and the Western Prince's Army do not pursue the Western Prince's Army and instead attack our army...will..."

Zhou Yuan looked at this person coldly. The general in front of him was very young, named Wu Hui, a close friend of the young king Yang Ke. Zhou Yuan even believed that it was Yang Ke who sent him to monitor him. Therefore, Zhou Yuan had never had a good impression of this person. However, because he misunderstood that it was Yang Ke's person, even if he talked a lot on weekdays, he didn't say anything. Now Wu Hui is here saying something that makes him feel embarrassed, and he can't help but feel annoyed.

"General Wu Shen, what do you mean... these three parties have any conspiracy and are ready to come over to plot against my Luoyang land?" Zhou Yuan asked coldly.

"I dare not." Wu Hui bowed.

Seeing that Wu Hui was very respectful, Zhou Yuan wanted to kill the chicken to scare the monkey, but then he thought that offending Yang Ke was not a good thing.

"Then make preparations, and first, let's wait and see if Cao Baichuan and Li Dai still lead the pursuers to the direction of Luoyang City, our army will consider taking the initiative to attack and kill the pursuers off guard..."

Zhou Yuanzheng was talking when suddenly a messenger came to report.

"What's the matter?"

Faced with the long cause of the order, Zhou Yuan looked at the order officer coming in.

"The Western King's Army sent someone to write to the general!" The messenger submitted a letter written by Cao Baichuan. (To be continued, please search for Astronomy, novels are better, updated and faster!

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Chapter completed!