Zhang Fang hadn't arrived yet, giving Luoyang a bit more time to prepare.
Across the region, large-scale harvesting, drying, and storing of grain were underway.
Farming was essential, no matter how difficult—survival depended on it.
Mi Huang had recently been busy building relationships with Man Fen and Miao Yuan.
This was his forte.
As a military governor, he "lowered himself" to connect with them, hoping they would follow orders at critical moments and avoid fighting independently.
Man Fen was lukewarm toward Mi Huang but didn't outright reject him.
Miao Yuan, a veteran general from the era of Sima Yi, had once served under Shangguan Si.
He was greedy and cruel but knew how to read the situation, responding warmly to Mi Huang's overtures.
Both men commanded newly recruited troops, trained for only three to four months.
A few days earlier, during a group drill outside the city, Mi Huang observed their performance and returned in silence.
Under Shao Xun's influence, he had developed a discerning eye for strong and weak soldiers.
The five thousand troops under these two commanders were, in terms of combat effectiveness, likely inferior to the Kingdom Army.
Fighting for Luoyang with such troops left Mi Huang deeply disheartened.
Meanwhile, Shao Xun was rigorously training new recruits.
The Kingdom Army had been replenished with many experienced deserters.
After a month of training, they were somewhat familiar with military operations.
Shao Xun hoped the enemy would delay their arrival, giving him more time to train his troops.
But as the saying goes, the more you fear something, the more likely it is to happen...
In early August of the first year of Yong'an (304), the fierce battle on the vast plains south of Ye City was nearing its end.
Fifteen thousand surrendered Hebei soldiers were routed almost immediately upon engagement.
Most surrendered on the spot.
After all, they were all from Hebei—why fight to the death? Some even switched sides mid-battle, joining the Ye City forces and heading south.
Their movements were slow, as if deliberately allowing rumors to spread.
Meanwhile, the Xianbei cavalry accelerated their southward advance.
They avoided the imperial army's main force, knowing that the twenty to thirty thousand imperial guards, equipped with both light and heavy cavalry, including armored riders, were too formidable to engage recklessly.
Instead, they targeted weaker troops.
Southwest of Anyang, Liu Qi fled on horseback, not daring to look back.
His clansman Liu Anzhi swung a large halberd, deflecting several arrows as he protected Liu Qi.
As they fled for their lives, both men were on the verge of tears.
The Liu family of Xie County in Hedong was a powerful clan with many retainers and vast herds of livestock, but their social standing wasn't high.
Liu Qi's grandfather, Liu Gui, had served as a secretary in the Ministry of Works (sixth rank) and co-authored new laws with Jia Chong.
His father, Liu Jingyou, held only a minor official post.
By their generation, they had become local strongmen, waiting for an opportunity to serve in government.
When the Grand Commandant led the emperor's northern expedition, the Liu family didn't respond enthusiastically.
Only Liu Qi and his clansman Liu Anzhi, along with their retainers, headed east to seek opportunities.
Liu Qi was driven by ambition, while Liu Anzhi had married a woman from the Pei family.
Together, they brought three thousand retainers, joining the imperial forces by the Yellow River.
They had been happily plundering until suddenly ambushed by the Ye City forces.
Overwhelmed by their spoils, the troops had no will to fight and retreated in disarray, even scattering some allied forces.
The allies, seeing their plight, fled even faster, leaving Liu Qi and Liu Anzhi cursing.
But curses aside, survival was paramount.
They fled south, abandoning their retainers.
This war was no longer their concern—they were going home!
Northeast of Dangyin, a conscripted peasant army was marching north, only to encounter more and more fleeing soldiers.
These deserters were like rumor mills.
One moment, someone claimed the entire army had been annihilated and the Grand Commandant captured.
The next, someone said the imperial guards had defected to Sima Ying.
There were even rumors that the emperor had been wounded by an arrow and abdicated.
The increasingly absurd rumors panicked the peasant soldiers, who quickly dispersed.
Northwest of Dangyin, troops from Chenliu County halted upon hearing of the retreats.
When Xianbei cavalry surged southward, they ignored them and moved on.
That night, after heated debate, the entire force packed up and retreated under cover of darkness.
This was the northern expedition battlefield.
A ragtag army with no will to fight, spurred by rumors, fled in all directions.
Their flight severely impacted the morale of the imperial forces...
On the morning of August 7th, Shi Chao took advantage of heavy fog to lead the main Ye City forces against the imperial army.
Though the imperial troops were panicked, their discipline held, and the day-long battle ended in a stalemate.
That night, as more allied forces retreated southward, imperial morale plummeted.
Shi Chao seized the opportunity, committing all his forces in a night assault, regardless of casualties.
Former imperial guards who had surrendered to Ye City clashed fiercely with loyalist troops, leaving the battlefield littered with corpses.
By the afternoon of the next day, the imperial forces could no longer hold and retreated in disarray.
Emperor Sima Zhong was struck by several arrows and fell into the grass.
Sima Yue, protected by a handful of followers, barely escaped with a hundred horsemen.
Seeing the Xianbei cavalry sweeping southward, Sima Yue feared being cut off and fled east toward Yanzhou.
The grand northern expedition had ended in utter failure.
News reached Luoyang by mid-August.
Military Secretary Cao Fu immediately convened a meeting.
"You've likely heard of the defeat. A hundred thousand troops, scattered in a single day. Who knows how many will return?" Cao Fu sighed, though his expression showed no grief, as if he had long accepted this outcome.
The others reacted differently.
Some were panicked, others beat their chests in frustration, some remained silent, and a few exchanged glances, their thoughts unclear.
"Military Secretary, where is the Grand Commandant?" Mi Huang, ever dutiful and bearing heavy responsibility as a governor, needed to know the details.
"I'm not entirely sure," Cao Fu shook his head.
So, his fate was unknown? Shao Xun and Mi Huang exchanged surprised glances.
The Grand Commandant was the nominal commander-in-chief, a figure of immense stature.
How could there be no news of him? Even if he had died, his body should have been identified.
Sima Ying would surely prioritize finding him.
How could his fate be unknown?
"Could the Grand Commandant have returned to Donghai?" someone blurted out.
"Nonsense!" Cao Fu snapped, his face stern.
Others found the idea laughable.
Impossible! Even if the northern expedition had failed, returning to Luoyang offered a chance to regroup.
Sima Ying faced threats from the east, west, and north—he couldn't spare his main force to march south on Luoyang.
By regrouping some of the scattered troops, they could hold the city and wait for a change in circumstances.
With the autumn harvest complete and new grain stored, there was no immediate shortage of military provisions.
Unless the Grand Commandant had lost his nerve, he would surely return.
The speaker hung his head, perhaps realizing how absurd his suggestion was.
Such irresponsibility was unbecoming of a leader.
Impossible, absolutely impossible!
Cao Fu paced the hall, his robe sleeves flapping, clearly deep in thought.
Shao Xun nudged Mi Huang, who cleared his throat and said, "Military Secretary, regardless of the Grand Commandant's whereabouts, our priority is to secure Luoyang's defenses."
Cao Fu stopped pacing and nodded after a moment.
"You're right. Luoyang belongs to the court and the Grand Commandant, not the traitor Sima Ying. I'm not well-versed in military strategy, so I'll leave the arrangements to you."
"As governor, I'll do my duty," Mi Huang replied.
"Do we have enough grain and equipment?" Cao Fu asked.
"There's still a shortage."
"I'll see to it that you're supplied. What else do you need?"
Mi Huang glanced at Shao Xun, who spoke without hesitation.
"I suggest that any deserters arriving at Luoyang's gates not be allowed into the city. They should be disorganized and thoroughly vetted before entry."
"You're concerned about enemy infiltration?"
"Exactly."
"That's reasonable. Anything else?"
"Luoyang's garrison is insufficient. In these dire times, we shouldn't be bound by troop quotas. We should open the armories and recruit brave men to bolster our forces."
Cao Fu hesitated but eventually nodded.
"Agreed."
Shao Xun lowered his head, saying nothing more.
His goal had been achieved.
The Kingdom Army had a quota of three thousand troops, and exceeding it was technically against regulations.
But these were extraordinary times.
With Sima Yue's fate unknown and Luoyang in turmoil, sticking to old rules would be foolish.
More troops were better.
If they didn't recruit them, others would, and those recruits might turn against them.
The choice was clear.
After pacing for a while, Cao Fu sat down, the wrinkles on his aged face deepening.
Where was the Grand Commandant? Should they send people to search for him? If he didn't reappear soon, Luoyang would be leaderless...
Without the emperor, the crown prince, a royal prince, a powerful minister, or officials, who could maintain order? This was a serious problem.
The Grand Commandant—could he really have fled back to Donghai?
(End of Chapter)