Zhang Fang's main force finally arrived on the Double Ninth Festival, setting up camp north of the city.
Mi Huang sent scouts to investigate and found that the enemy troops were not cutting trees to make siege equipment, which eased his mind a bit.
As for why Zhang Fang didn't do this, the reason was heartwarming: after years of fighting around Luoyang, the nearby forests were long gone.
They would have to search far and wide, which would greatly increase their workload.
Another point was that there were large residential areas around Luoyang, making it difficult to deploy troops effectively.
Previously, Shangguan Si and Zhang Fang had fought in the open areas outside the city's northern residential district.
But now, if they wanted to attack the city, they would have to station their troops right at the city walls.
What could they do? Tear down houses? That would be too much work.
Burn the houses? That wouldn't help much either, as even if they created a field of ruins, they still wouldn't be able to deploy their troops effectively.
The only truly open areas outside the city were near the twelve city gates, which was why battles for Luoyang were often named after the gates—though the fighting usually took place some distance away from the gates themselves.
After setting up camp, Zhang Fang remained inactive, perhaps hesitating himself.
This bird of a city had no internal allies, and if the defending troops didn't turn on each other, the only option was a long-term siege.
On the northern wall of Jinyong City, Shao Xun, Mi Huang, and He Lun stood high, observing the enemy's movements.
"He's neither attacking nor leaving. What is Zhang Fang up to?" He Lun asked, looking at the densely packed enemy camp in the distance.
"Coming to Luoyang without fighting a single battle would be hard to explain. He must have some heads to deliver before he leaves," Shao Xun said with a smile.
"You speak with such boldness. If the city walls aren't defended, I'll hold you accountable," Mi Huang joked.
"Rest assured, Commander," Shao Xun replied.
"If Zhang Fang tries to lure us out, I won't take the bait. If he attacks the city, I'll make sure not a single piece of armor remains."
Mi Huang laughed heartily.
Though not entirely reassured, he felt much more at ease.
The terrain around Luoyang made it difficult to deploy troops for a full-scale attack, and reinforcements from within the city could arrive quickly.
Even if morale was low and the troops were weaker, they could still hold their ground with the advantage of terrain and numbers.
As time passed, morale and stability would only improve, making it even harder for Zhang Fang to succeed.
"Commander, you seem in high spirits today. Any good news?" Shao Xun asked.
He Lun, wisely avoiding military talk, had noticed Mi Huang's repeated smiles and good mood.
"Indeed, there is good news," Mi Huang said, grinning from ear to ear.
"I was planning to tell you all after we returned, but I might as well say it now. The King of Fanyang has sent an envoy to Luoyang, saying that Sikong has returned to Xuzhou."
"Really?" He Lun asked, delighted.
"Absolutely true," Mi Huang laughed, dispelling the gloom of the past few days.
Shao Xun also laughed heartily.
It was genuine laughter, not forced.
If Sima Yue had died at this point, it wouldn't have been good for him.
Sima Ying would have lost a major rival, and figures like Sima Teng of Bingzhou, Wang Jun of Youzhou, Sima Xiu of Xuchang, Sima Lue of Qingzhou, and even Sima Shi of Wancheng might not have been able to unite against him.
Shao Xun had previously thought that Sima Yue wasn't great at fighting but was good at managing things, and this was why.
He had the potential to be an alliance leader, capable of rallying various princes and commanders, especially the descendants of the Sima Kui line, to fight together.
In this vast coalition, Sima Yue was the central figure.
If he died, who would Sima Xiu, Sima Teng, and Sima Lue follow? They wouldn't be able to agree among themselves.
Without this large anti-Sima Ying and Sima Yong force, Luoyang would inevitably fall, either to Sima Ying advancing south or Sima Yong moving east.
In that case, Shao Xun would have no choice but to flee in disgrace.
"If Sikong is still around, he can act as a central figure, rallying various righteous armies to defend the emperor and punish the disloyal," He Lun said happily.
"Has Sikong already persuaded the King of Dongping (Sima Mao)?"
Mi Huang's expression changed, and he sighed.
"Sikong fled to Xuzhou with only a hundred followers. The King of Dongping refused to let him in, so Sikong went to Donghai instead."
He Lun sighed.
In his heart, he wished Sikong would return to Luoyang immediately.
With Sikong gone, even Shao Xun could push him around, making life difficult.
Shao Xun silently pondered the complex relationship between Sima Mao and Sima Yue.
Sima Mao, the governor of Xuzhou, rarely offended anyone—a true survivor in troubled times.
When Sima Yue fled east after his defeat, Sima Mao didn't harm him but simply refused to let him in, urging him to leave.
It was like a woman saying, "We have no relationship. Leave quickly, don't let XXX misunderstand..."
Sima Yue must have felt quite humiliated.
Before this, Xuzhou had actively supported him, sending supplies to Luoyang, showing great loyalty.
But after one defeat, they turned their backs so quickly, making it hard to adjust.
"I've already sent messengers to Donghai to deliver the news," Mi Huang said, looking at the two of them.
"Sikong still has generals and advisors with him. He probably wants to recruit troops in Xuzhou and make a comeback. It won't be long before the righteous armies besiege Ye City again."
"Sikong's great cause has hope of success," He Lun said excitedly.
"Given the situation, we must hold Luoyang and wait for Sikong's orders," Shao Xun said.
"Exactly!" Mi Huang laughed.
"Luoyang is the capital. Even if it's reduced to ruins, it still holds immense significance in the hearts of the people. We must not lose it. We must defend it at all costs."
Luoyang wasn't far from Ye City, just a few days' ride by fast horse.
News of Zhang Fang's failed attempt to take the city and his troops stationed north of Luoyang quickly reached Ye, but Sima Ying had no mind to deal with it.
At the moment, he was sitting by a pond, quietly watching the withered flowers and willows by the water, reflecting his own state of mind.
Lu Zhi, Wang Cheng, Yang Zhun, and Cui Kuang stood by his side.
Lu Zhi had originally been appointed as the Director of the Central Secretariat by Sima Ying, but he couldn't go to Luoyang and remained in Ye as an advisor, his latest position being "Participant in the Affairs of the Chancellor's Office," effectively Sima Ying's chief strategist.
Yang Zhun was the "Military Advisor," a position similar to the "Military Consultant" in Yue's camp.
Since the title "Military Advisor" was no longer used, various new titles had been invented, with "Military Advisor" and "Military Consultant" being two of them.
Yang Zhun was a famous scholar.
After being recruited by Sima Ying, he paid little attention to official duties, living a carefree life—essentially collecting a salary without doing much work.
Sima Ying, valuing him as a scholar, was very lenient and didn't hold him accountable.
Cui Kuang was a staff officer from Boling, who had strongly urged Sima Ying to launch the Dangyin campaign, earning his trust.
Compared to their lord, the morale of the advisors was still decent.
After all, they weren't in immediate danger and could even switch to serving other lords, always finding some official position.
"Where is Gu Yanxian?" A cold wind blew, and Sima Ying shivered, turning to ask.
"He's attending to the emperor," Lu Zhi replied gruffly.
Sima Ying stared at this once most trusted advisor, knowing he was upset.
After a long while, he shook his head and said, "Should we send him to Luoyang?"
Gu Yanxian was Gu Rong, a man from Wu.
He had served under Sima Lun's son, General Sima Qian, as his Chief Clerk.
After Sima Lun's defeat, he switched to Sima Jiong's camp, serving as a Chief Clerk.
After Sima Jiong's defeat, he joined Sima Yi's camp, again as a Chief Clerk.
After Sima Yi's defeat, he joined Sima Ying's camp, serving as a Staff Officer in the Chancellor's Office.
After the Dangyin campaign, when the emperor arrived in Ye, Sima Ying sent Gu Rong to accompany him, giving him the additional title of Palace Attendant—like Lu Zhi, he held both advisory and official positions.
Recently, someone in Ye had suggested making peace with Sima Yue and returning the emperor to Luoyang.
Sima Ying was somewhat tempted and planned to send Gu Rong to handle this matter.
As for why, it was due to the rapidly changing situation in Hebei.
Shao Xun was locked in a fierce struggle with Shangguan Si and Zhang Fang in Luoyang, but Sima Ying, despite his victory at Dangyin, wasn't having an easy time either, as troops from Bingzhou and Youzhou had arrived.
The two sides had clashed multiple times, with Ye's forces suffering more losses than victories, taking heavy casualties.
Especially in the recent battle at Pingji, Shi Chao lost over ten thousand men in one go, to the point where Wang Jun's scouts were roaming near Ye to gather intelligence.
When the news spread, panic gripped Ye.
Many advisors and officials fled, fearing the ravages of Wang Jun's Xianbei cavalry, who were known for pillaging and killing.
They fled with their families.
As for why the officials and people of Ye had so little confidence, the main reason was the lack of troops.
The Dangyin campaign had not been without losses for Ye's forces.
Especially during the two days of fighting against Luoyang's central army, casualties were heavy, with over ten thousand men lost.
Now, after being worn down by Sima Teng and Wang Jun in the north, another ten thousand men were lost.
After the battle at Pingji, Ye's forces numbered less than twenty thousand, making it difficult to deal with the combined forces of Bingzhou and Youzhou.
Not to mention, troops from Qingzhou might also join the fray.
Sima Yue had too many allies.
After the Dangyin campaign, he had gathered a large number of miscellaneous troops from Henan.
After their defeat, Sima Teng, Wang Jun, and Sima Lue were still eyeing him.
If they were defeated again, Sima Ying suspected that Sima Yue could still persuade Sima Xiu of Xuchang and Sima Shi of Wancheng to send troops again.
It seemed like an endless fight.
Sima Ying didn't know where he had gone wrong.
Perhaps it was his ancestors' fault—why were there so few people in their line?
"Your Highness, the matter of returning the emperor to the capital should be done quickly," Lu Zhi advised.
"The regional governors might then abandon their plans to send troops."
"Your Highness, please return the emperor to the capital," Wang Cheng also urged.
"Your Highness, it's just a temporary measure. Once we overcome this crisis, we can have the emperor tour Hebei again," Cui Kuang said.
The advisors' opinions were generally aligned.
With the war situation worsening, holding onto the emperor would bring more harm than good.
The value of using him had already been exhausted.
The emperor had just issued an edict deposing Crown Prince Sima Tan and Empress Yang Xianrong, ordering them imprisoned in Jinyong City.
The edict would soon reach Luoyang, at which point Sima Ying would still be the Crown Prince, the sole heir to the Jin throne.
He could use this title to slowly rebuild his power.
Of course, once the emperor returned to the capital, he would fall into the hands of Sima Yue's faction, and it would be hard to say whether the crown prince and empress would be reinstated.
But for now, there was no other choice.
Returning the emperor to the capital was actually a gesture of goodwill from Ye.
If that didn't work, Lu Zhi suggested that Sima Ying, as the Crown Prince, recommend Sima Yue as Grand Tutor.
In essence, it was a plea for peace—Sima Yue, despite his defeats, was on the verge of winning.
The twists and turns of fate were truly bizarre.
"Zhang Fang is known as a seasoned general, yet he can't even take Luoyang," Sima Ying said, not directly answering Lu Zhi, instead talking about the situation in Luoyang.
If Luoyang were in Zhang Fang's hands, things would be much easier.
"Zhang Fang only has twenty thousand troops. A direct assault would be difficult," Lu Zhi said.
"Your Highness, don't pin your hopes on him. Wang Yan is a famous scholar, Mi Huang is steady and reliable, and there's the brave general Shao Xun leading the charge. As long as there's no internal strife in Luoyang, it's unlikely to fall into Zhang Fang's hands."
"Ah!" Sima Ying struck his palm with his fist, deeply frustrated.
After a moment, he said, "Send Liu Yuanhai back. Have him prepare quickly and send troops from the Five Tribes to assist us."
"Yes," Lu Zhi replied.
At this point, every bit of strength had to be utilized.
Once the Five Tribes of the Xiongnu sent troops, they could at least tie down Sima Teng, allowing Ye to focus on dealing with Wang Jun.
Ye still had twenty thousand troops.
Life or death depended on this battle.
(End of Chapter)