Leaving Luoyang

Lu Bu extended both hands, gently pressing them down to signal everyone to be quiet. Once everyone settled down, Lu Bu brought up a major topic, "Gentlemen, with Ding Yua's passing and the eradication of the eunuchs, we, the Bingzhou Army, must decide our next steps. Should we stay in Luoyang or return to Bingzhou?"

Wei Xu shouted loudly, "Lord, of course, we should stay. You, Lord, have gained favor from the Empress Dowager, bestowed with the title Guanglu Xun, and command the Left and Right Feather Forest troops, ten thousand men of the Northern Army, eight thousand Tiger Ben troops, eight thousand troops from He Miao, and eight thousand from the West Garden. Adding our eight thousand Bingzhou Iron Cavalry, you, Lord, command a total of thirty-five thousand troops. Even if we cannot defeat Dong Zhuo in open field battle, we have more than enough to defend the city. Why leave? After repelling Dong Zhuo, you, Lord, can take control of the court, be rewarded with titles, and enjoy wealth and honor. Isn't that splendid?"

Lu Bu gave Wei Xu a sideways glance. This guy was courageous but lacked strategy. Within the Bingzhou Army, due to Lu Bu being his brother-in-law, both Gao Shun and Zhang Liao hesitated to offend him. Wei Xu, therefore, proudly proclaimed himself the second bravest warrior in Bingzhou. In reality, his martial prowess would be considered excellent if it reached a value of eighty. As for intelligence and political acumen, it was doubtful if he even scored fifty.

Lu Bu cleared his throat, "Does anyone share Wei Xu's opinion?"

Song Xian, Xue Lan, and Li Feng all agreed to stay in Luoyang.

Only Gao Shun and Cheng Lian shook their heads in disagreement.

Lu Bu couldn't help but view Cheng Lian, a short and chubby man who spent most of his time either killing or drinking, with a different perspective. Initially, he thought Cheng Lian was another fool without strategy.

However, Cheng Lian's words made Lu Bu sigh deeply, "Lord, if we stay in Luoyang, won't we miss out on enjoying the wealth and treasures looted from the palace and eunuch officials? It's not that I'm afraid others will find out; many items have the imperial seal engraved on them. Once we are found with them, it may lead to trouble."

After Cheng Lian finished speaking, the whole group burst into laughter.

Lu Bu sighed deeply. He lacked insightful strategists by his side.

Hoping for a different perspective, Lu Bu turned to Gao Shun, "Zhongping, do you think we should stay or leave?"

Gao Shun, a twenty-six-year-old, eight-foot-tall man with a dark complexion from years of campaigning, known for his serious and cautious demeanor, rarely indulging in alcohol or women, and highly respected by the military, spoke after some thought, "Lord, I'm not good at grasping the overall situation, but from a military perspective, it's not safe for our army to stay in Luoyang."

Surprised, Lu Bu asked, "Zhongping, please explain why it's unsafe."

Gao Shun carefully analyzed the military forces around Luoyang, "Since Dong Zhuo could collude with Haomeng to kill Ding Yuan, his West Liang Cavalry is not far from Luoyang. A day ago, they claimed to be four hundred miles away from Luoyang at Mianchi. However, Dong Zhuo's cavalry is well-equipped with warhorses, capable of covering a hundred miles in one night. In another day and night, Dong Zhuo's troops may reach Luoyang. Dong Zhuo's younger brother, Dong Min, assisted Yuan Shu in eliminating the eunuchs and disappeared within Luoyang. Scouts couldn't find his whereabouts. If these hundreds of elite troops are hidden within Luoyang, any city gate may become unsafe."

Here, Gao Shun paused for a moment, and anger flashed across his face, "The man responsible for the West Gate, the city gate official, has connections with Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo will undoubtedly enter through the West Gate. I once sent a letter to the Colonel Director Yuan Shao, asking him to replace the official with someone more competent. Yuan Shao, with his disdain for my humble position, ignored my request."

Lu Bu mumbled to himself, "Zhongping, your current position as the Tiger Ben Colonel was previously held by that scoundrel Yuan Shu's brother Yuan Shu. He should harbor both resentment and disdain for us, considering our lowly background and tends to ignore us. These aristocrats only look down upon people."

Gao Shun, bowing to Lu Bu, expressed his gratitude, "Thanks to the Lord's promotion, I, Gao Shun, can hold the position of Tiger Ben Colonel. Lord, if you wish, in the future, you can appoint me as one of the Four Generals."

Gao Shun seemed surprised to receive such praise from Lu Bu and wanted to kneel down to express his gratitude.

Lu Bu quickly waved his hand, "Zhongping, don't be so polite. Time is of the essence. Please continue to analyze the military situation for everyone."

Gao Shun continued, "When Dong Zhuo's army departed from Liangzhou, it consisted of just over fifty thousand troops. But Dong Zhuo, harboring ambitious plans, recruited soldiers along the way, and by the time they reached Mianchi, their numbers had expanded to one hundred thousand. These soldiers are mainly cavalry, and many have fought battles with Qiang and Hu, Ma Teng, and Han Sui in the Liangzhou area. Each of them is brave and skilled in combat, possibly even surpassing our Bingzhou cavalry. If we add infantry and auxiliary troops, Dong Zhuo's forces may number at least two hundred thousand."

After understanding the enemy, one must understand oneself. Gao Shun continued his analysis of Lu Bu's military strength, "Although the newly incorporated troops under the Lord's command, such as the Left and Right Feather Forest troops, Tiger Ben troops, and He Miao's forces, have been organized for a long time, they have rarely experienced battles and lack combat experience. The West Garden Four Armies were formed only a year ago, and although the Northern Army's five camps accompanied Lord Lu Zhi in defeating Zhang Jiao, that was five years ago. Calculating this, the forces under the Lord's command that can confront Dong Zhuo are only the current eight thousand Bingzhou soldiers. Among these, most are cavalry, not skilled in defending a city. Our eight thousand iron cavalry sent out for field battles won't be able to withstand their one hundred thousand iron cavalry. Furthermore, city defense is not our strong suit. Considering this, if our army insists on staying in Luoyang, defeat is inevitable."

Hearing Gao Shun's analysis, everyone couldn't help but inhale sharply, and even Lu Bu, who had been confident, felt a sense of panic.

Lu Bu had only seen Gao Shun as an upright and honorable figure from historical records, seemingly highly praised. But upon seeing him in person, Lu Bu felt that Gao Shun was unimpressive, overly serious, and not articulate, which led to a hint of disdain in Lu Bu's heart.

After hearing Gao Shun's words, Lu Bu realized that historical records were not entirely baseless. Consequently, Lu Bu revised his attitude towards Gao Shun, beginning to value him more. Lu Bu even considered appointing Gao Shun as the deputy commander of the Bingzhou Army.

Ignoring the chilling atmosphere among the crowd, Gao Shun continued to add fuel to the fire, "I just analyzed Dong Zhuo's side. Now, let's talk about Yuan Shao. In recent days, I have observed Yuan Shao's every move. Every action aligns perfectly with the Lord's analysis of him. Yuan Shao is no less ambitious than Dong Zhuo. From General-in-Chief He Jin summoning vassals to the capital to General-in-Chief's death, all were within Yuan Shao's scheme. Yuan Shao will never tolerate an influential force like us influencing his control of the court. Therefore, once the Lord engages in a fierce battle with Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao, who controls the West Garden Four Armies, is likely to stab us in the back. After defeating us, they may negotiate with Dong Zhuo. After all, Dong Zhuo can't take control of the court without the support of these aristocratic families."

Seeing that other generals were already demoralized by Gao Shun's words, Lu Bu decided to pour more fuel on the fire and strike at their proud warrior mentality. Lu Bu spread out a map and explained to everyone, "This is Luoyang, the center of the world and a battleground. Even if we defeat Dong Zhuo, with our current strength, we can only force him to retreat. He will then defend Changan, occupy Jingzhao, and Liangzhou. We can't kill Yuan Shao, offending the entire Yuan family, which has nurtured countless scholars and officials over four generations. We can only drive away Yuan Shao. Moreover, the governors and prefects in Yuzhou, Yanzhou, Xuzhou, Qingzhou, and Jizhou in the eastern provinces have various connections with the Yuan family. Considering Yuan Shao's extraordinary charm and skill in winning hearts, if he stands against us, a multitude will join him. Perhaps he could create an anti-Lu alliance. At that time, we will face tens of thousands of scattered forces in the east opposing Yuan Shao, two hundred thousand West Liang cavalry opposing Dong Zhuo, not to mention the Black Mountain bandits, Bai Bo bandits, Southern Xiongnu, and Xianbei ravaging Bingzhou. Once Yuan Shao mobilizes them to attack our rear, with such a three-pronged attack, do you think we can defend Luoyang? If Luoyang can't be defended, and we lose Bingzhou as our base, although the world is vast, will there be a place for you and me to settle?"

Everyone, in unison, lowered their heads in despair, saying, "It seems we must leave Luoyang."