149. The Razing Of Luoyang By Dong Zhuo

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Cao Cao after contemplating staying with the warlords let Sun Jian and Lie Fan pursue Dong Zhuo's main army. Lie Fan and Sun Jian get their supplies from Yuan Shu who doesn't dare to do anything foolish, after rallying their troops numbering 48,000 men combined they pursue Li Jue and Guo Si.

The Coalition warlord celebrated their win with another banquet, only Cao Cao and Liu Bei did not drink much and they shared their sentiment with each other after seeing that both of them were doing the same thing.

From there Cao Cao knows that he not only has one formidable foe in the future but two, that is Lie Fan and Liu Bei. If it's Lie Fan, everyone can already see why he is a formidable for with the power he has now.

Liu Bei is more of a charmer, a man who can invite all kinds of people to follow him. Cao Cao hated this type the most, if it was Lie Fan they could have a head-to-head battle and the loser would be defeated.

Liu Bei will either be saved by someone or have big luck that saves him from certain dangers, even though he hasn't seen Guan Yu and Zhang Fei in combat personally, He could feel that these two men have the same aura as Huang Zhong and Dian We that is serving Lie Fan.

He envied these two men, how could they have such formidable talent following them and be so loyal to them, Cao Cao felt fortunate that at least his cousins Cao Hong, Cao Ren, Xiahou Dun, and Xiahou Yuan were talent in their own right.

The Warlord's banquet celebrating their victory over Lu Bu and conquering Hulao Pass continued until midnight, While Lie Fan and Sun Jian led their troops toward Luoyang but halfway there they saw the exhausted soldiers and decided to raise their camp and take a rest.

Sun Jian: "Brother Lie Fan, Thank you for following me pursuing Li Jue and Guo Si."

Lie Fan: "Brother Sun is a courageous and honorable man, I rather we attack Luoyang together than celebrate with those fools."

Sun Jian: "Haha! True those fools only can celebrate, we are the ones who led the coalition to achieve victories and they claim it's the cooperation of the warlords that helped achieve the victories?!"

Lie Fan: "Sadly, Brother Cao and Brother Kong don't follow us, I understand their thinking that maybe this is just a suicide mission."

Sun Jian: "I don't know about Kong Rong, but Mengde I have known since many years ago. He was a cautious and practical man, he hid all of that under his easygoing and mischievous nature which also shows that he is a good actor and truly destined for the political stage."

Lie Fan: "I agree with Brother Sun's evaluation of Brother Cao, Brother Cao's army is also earned through squandering his family fortune that's why he becomes more cautious and calculating with his actions."

Lie Fan and Sun Jian's bond grew closer by sharing stories and eating dinner by the bonfire together, Their generals also interact with each other as Sun Jian's veteran general and Huang Zhong becomes close due to their same nature.

While Lie Fan and Sun Jian are taking a rest along with their army, In Luoyang massive looting and ransacking are underway. Under Dong Zhuo's order, He ordered his soldiers to massacre and loot the rich households of Luoyang and drive Luoyang's civilian population towards Chang'an.

Emperor Xian, the Court Officials, and the Nobles are helpless as they see Luoyang being ransacked. What truly hit them was the ransacking of the Imperial and Ancient Tomb and burial mounts by Dong Min and Lu Bu under Doing Zhuo's order.

Their treasures were taken without caring for or respecting the bodies there. Seeing as the Coalition had blockaded Luoyang from receiving Taxes from the eastern part of the Han Empire, the Empire's treasury was reduced due to the smaller tax revenue.

Dong Zhuo wasn't satisfied with the amount, so he ordered to melt 9 of the 12 Metal Colossi and some treasure to gather bronze he could use to mint more coinage. The Twelve Metal Colossi were twelve metal statues cast after 221 BCE by the order of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China.

After defeating the other six Warring States during Qin's wars of unification, Qin Shi Huang had their weapons collected and melted down to be recast as bells and statues. The melting caused massive outrage, but the opposing people were soon killed by Dong Zhuo.

In the future, this caused massive inflation, as Copper coins became devalued since the new coins did not weigh the same, and had no defined edge, or stated value. Dong Zhuo planned to use this money to build himself a new Castle near Chang'An.

The ransacking and looting continued on until the next day, beautiful ladies whenever civilians or nobles were taken by force, for Doing Zhuo and his armies to satisfy themselves. This caused another round of massacre, as husbands, brothers, and parents were killed trying to protect their loved ones.

Seeing as there's nothing left to take and the civilians are all forced to evacuate to Chang'An, Doing Zhuo ordered Luoyang to be burned which was part of their last plan.

While all of this is happening, Lie Fan and Sun Jian along with their army finally arrive. Seeing Fire is starting on the eastern side of Luoyang, Lie Fan asks Sun Jian with his army to put out the fire, while he and his armies enter Luiyang chasing Dong Zhuo.

Sun Jian immediately agrees with Lie Fan's request, he brings his army to put out the fire so that it will not spread onto the entirety of Luoyang. Lie Fan brought his army entering Luoyang, where he met up with Xu Kai and Oriole members.

Lie Fan: "Xu Kai! Good to see that you're safe, how bad the situation is before we reach here?'

Xu Kai: "Big Brother, Dong Zhuo has looted the entirety of Luoyang, households, Tombs, and burial mounds all we're ransacked by him. He even melted 9 of the 12 Metal Colossi!"

Xun You: "That devil! How could he ransack Luoyang and try to burn it down, and even melt the Metal Colossi?!"

Jia Xu: "Xun You calm down, while what Dong Zhuo has done is truly despicable, he is trying to shift our focus on the burning Luoyabg while he is fleeing away, from the looks of it looks like they are running to Chang'An, am I right Xu Kai?"

Xu Kai: "Yes what Master Jia Xu said is right! They are now looting the last of the Imperial Tombs and will deliver it to Chang'An, I suggest that Big Brother pursue him! I will stay here with the Oriole to put out the fire!"

Lie Fan: "Wait, Xu Kai! How about the well at so it of Luoyang? Do you find anything there in the chaos that happening?"

Xu Kai: "Ah yes Big Brother, I found this box with a woman floating there holding it tightly."

Lie Fan receives the box from Xu Kai, knowing what will be inside of it Lie Fan with trepidation slowly opens the box. When everyone sees what Is inside it, only Jia Xu, Xun You, and Chen Deng recognize what is it and how valuable it is.

Lie Fan seeing this laughs out loud, The Imperial Seal has finally fallen to his hand. Lie Fan asked Jia Xu and Xun You to check if this was the authentic one, both Jia Xu and Xun You checked the Imperial Seal and saw that one of its corners was replaced with gold.

They deemed that this was the authentic Imperial Seal, as At the end of the Western Han dynasty in 9 CE, Wang Mang, the usurper, forced the Han empress dowager to hand over the Seal.

The empress dowager, in anger, threw the Seal on the ground, chipping one corner. Later, Wang Mang ordered the corner to be restored with gold. Jia Xu, Xun You, and Chen Deng congratulated Lie Fan, as the one who holds the Imperial Seal holds the mandate of heaven and legitimizes his rule in the future.

Lie Fan waves his hand, telling them to keep quiet and not let anyone know, especially Sun Jian as no one should know they hold the Imperial Seal in their hand. Lie Fan closed the box giving it to Vhen Deng for safekeeping and told him to stay here in Luoyang with Xu Kai and Oriole members.

According to Jia Xu's report, Orioles in Luoyang amounted to 2,500 members and that's only members counted, without honorary members such as beggars and street urchins.

So Chen Deng stayed here in Luoyang to keep the Imperial Seal, with the protection of 2,500 trained assassins and spies who were more deadly than common soldiers.

Chen Deng was honored to protect the Imperial Seal, compared to Jia Xu and Xun You he at least can protect himself as he was trained in combat. With this done, Lie Fan brought his army toward the location of the last Imperial Tomb that is being ransacked right now.

In the Imperial Tomb, Fan Chou one of Dong Zhuo's Top generals was tasked to loot the last Imperial Tomb and with the treasure he had collected, bring it to Chang'An.

It should have been Xu Rong's task in history, to lead the retreating forces holding the treasure, but with Xu Rong now captured by Lie Fan, this job fell to Fan Chou's hand. Fan Chou told his soldiers to work faster, as the Coalition army could come any minute now and their 15,000 men couldn't defeat 100,000 something men.

When the last of the treasure has been stored in the wagon, Fan Chou heaves a sigh of relief, and they leave the desecrated Imperial Tomb. Outside, Fam Chou leads his troops to head towards Chang'An through the western gate of Luoyang.

Lie Fan and his army saw Fan Chou with his armies and wagons leaving the Tomb, Lie Fan ordered his army to attack as they had the number advantage. Lie Fan lead the Guard Battalion numbering 4,000 men, heading towards another street to cut off Fan Chou's rout heading towards the western gate.

Huang Zhong takes command, he send Zang Ba and his cavalries helped by Chao Bo commanding the archer's to fire at Fan Chou and his soldiers.

Fan Chou who thought that everything was going smoothly, suddenly heard the sound of horses heading towards them and when he turned his head he saw cavalries charging toward them, when he commanded for defensive formation rain of arrows was shot down at his soldiers.

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Name: Lie Fan

Title: Yellow Heaven Subjugator

Age: 22 Years Old (189 AD)

Level: 14

Next Level: 412.000

Renown: 355

Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 8)

SP: 656.700

ATTRIBUTE POINTS

STR: 819 (+20)

VIT: 385 (+20)

AGI: 373 (+10)

INT: 385

CHR: 93

WIS: 319

WILL: 207

ATR Points: 0