Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Just as Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu were in endless grief, Emperor Liu Bian, accompanied by Lu Zhi, also hurriedly received the news and rushed to the tent.

Liu Bian's young face was full of solemnity and sadness. He walked up to Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu and said softly, "General Yuan, don't be too sad. I will work with you to avenge Lord Yuan Wei." Although his words were still childish, they were filled with firm determination.

However, the emperor's words of comfort did not soothe Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu. Their hearts felt like they were being stabbed by thousands of sharp blades, a tangle of pain and hatred that defied pacification. But they suppressed their inner grief and indignation, not interrupting the emperor. Instead, they clenched their fists, their bodies trembling slightly with restraint.

Lu Zhi, with a solemn expression and tears in his eyes, personally wrote a poignant eulogy to mourn the death of Yuan Wei and his relatives.

Han Fu took over the memorial and read it out in a trembling but affectionate voice: "Yuan Gongwei, a loyal and righteous man, worked tirelessly for the country and the people. He upheld loyalty and righteousness throughout his life, and cared about the people of the world. His virtue was highly respected and admired by the world; his talent and wisdom were outstanding, and he was a pillar of the court. He took benevolence as his foundation, benefited the people, and spread grace widely. In troubled times, he adhered to the right path and turned the tide. To ensure the stability of the Han Dynasty, he worked tirelessly and worried day and night. However, the thief Dong Zhuo was cruel and tyrannical. He actually killed Yuan Gong with an unprovoked crime. The Yuan family has suffered such a devastating disaster. All the loyal and brave members of the family died unjustly. The virtue of Yuan Gongwei is like the brilliance of the sun and the moon, shining through the ages; the achievements of Yuan Gongwei are like the solidity of mountains and rivers, and will be recorded in the annals of history forever. Now that he has unfortunately passed away, the world mourns together, and the situation has changed. We are here to deeply mourn and pay endless tributes. May the spirits of Yuan Gongwei and his relatives rest in peace. We, the living, must carry on Yuan Gongwei's aspirations, fight bravely against the enemy, and vow to eliminate the traitor Dong to comfort his heroic spirit. His heroic spirit is not far away, and will bless our coalition forces. On the day when we defeat the enemy, we will offer sacrifices to the deceased souls. "Those who think of him deeply, Han Fu couldn't stop crying.

The princes listened to this mournful oration with a wave of sorrow. Some covered their faces and wept, others sobbed softly, and the entire tent was immersed in deep grief.

However, in this sad atmosphere, the determination for revenge became stronger, and everyone secretly vowed to make Dong Zhuo pay a heavy price for his atrocities.

Yuan Shao kicked over a table and drew the longsword from his waist. With his eyes wide open, he roared, "Old thief Dong Zhuo, you've gone too far! I, Yuan Shao, will not be a human being until this blood feud is avenged! Our allied forces must unite against this common enemy, break through Hulao Pass, attack Luoyang, behead Dong Zhuo, and avenge Master Yuan Wei and the countless wronged souls! From today on, we will fight bravely, determined to die, and will not turn back until the enemy army is defeated!"

His words boomed like thunder in the tent. Everyone was moved by his aura, their anger and fighting spirit instantly ignited. They shouted in unison: "Defeat the enemy and take revenge! Defeat the enemy and take revenge!"

After a brief pause, Yuan Shao continued, "Come here! Tell Cao Cao to quickly capture Xingyang and march straight to Luoyang!"

Then, with a determined look in his eyes, he looked around and shouted, "Gather our forces, turn our grief and anger into strength, and attack Hulao Pass fiercely. We will not stop until we have broken through!"

For a moment, the atmosphere in the tent was heated and the flames of revenge were burning.

The entire army was draped in white, the snow-white mourning draped wildly in the wind. White strips of cloth were tied to the soldiers' helmets, spear tips, and bowstrings. From afar, the entire coalition army seemed to have transformed into a raging white wave. Every soldier's face was filled with solemnity and determination. Their eyes burned with the flames of revenge, yet were stained with sorrow. With bloodshot eyes and filled with hatred, the soldiers surged towards Hulao Pass like a tide.

At Hulao Pass, the cries of battle shook the earth. The allied soldiers, oblivious to life and death, launched wave after wave of ferocious attack, reckless of casualties. Ladder after ladder was hurled onto the city walls, and soldiers scaled them recklessly, shouting slogans of revenge. Catapults hurled huge rocks rained down on the pass, each one sending up a cloud of dust and a dull thud. Arrows swarmed the city walls like locusts, the dense rain of arrows woven into a web of death in the air.

Dong Zhuo's troops on the city walls put up a desperate resistance, as rolling logs, rocks, hot oil, and arrows rained down. Heavy logs roared down with the wind, smashing into the soldiers climbing the ladders and sending them crashing down with screams. Scalding oil splattered, splattering the soldiers, tearing their flesh and sending howls of agony echoing. But the coalition forces continued their offensive unabated, charging forward without a moment's hesitation.

Yuan Shao personally supervised the battle, brandishing his sword and shouting at the top of his lungs to galvanize his soldiers: "Revenge for Lord Yuan Wei! Fight for the Han Dynasty!" Yuan Shu roared beside him, commanding his troops to charge relentlessly. Generals Ju Yi, Gao Lan, Ji Ling, and Zhang Xun led the charge, their martial prowess unstoppable as they charged through the enemy lines.

At this point, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei also led their troops to attack the city. Guan Yu's eyes widened, and he wielded his Azure Dragon Crescent Blade like the wind, sending the enemy fleeing wherever he went. Zhang Fei's eyes widened, and he wielded his 10-foot-tall snake spear, striking fear into the enemy's hearts.

On the city wall, the faces of Dong Zhuo's soldiers were twisted and ferocious, filled with fear of death and a determination to fight. Their eyes were filled with madness and ferocity, like a group of trapped beasts making their last struggle.

Xu Rong roared at the top of his lungs, commanding his soldiers to pick up the heavy rolling logs and shove them hard towards the Allied soldiers climbing the ladders. The rolling logs tumbled down with a whirring sound, hitting the Allied soldiers with a heart-pounding thud, accompanied by shrill screams.

Lü Bu, like a god of war, wielded his Fang Tian Hua Ji, its tip flashing with cold light, each swing bringing a storm of blood and gore. Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, and other generals were deployed in various strategic locations, fighting bloody battles.

Some of the soldiers desperately pushed the stones down the city wall, and watched the stones create a bloody scene among the enemy, with a trace of cruel satisfaction on their faces; others held bows and arrows, pulling the strings and shooting arrows continuously, and they were completely unaware that their fingers were bleeding from the bowstrings.

Hot oil was rolling on the fire, emitting thick smoke. The soldiers gritted their teeth and poured pots of boiling oil towards the city. When they heard the screams of the Allied soldiers after being scalded by the hot oil, they felt both fear and a hint of crazy satisfaction in their hearts.

Some injured soldiers of Dong Zhuo's army still endured the severe pain, held their positions, and used their bodies to block the arrows shot by the allied forces, buying more defense time for their companions.

The entire city wall was filled with the smell of gunpowder, blood and death. Dong Zhuo's army fought desperately, trying to stop the coalition forces' surging offensive.

In this brutal battle, every coalition soldier unleashed incredible strength, their hearts focused on one single goal: to capture Hulao Pass, slay Dong Zhuo, and avenge their blood feud! However, Hulao Pass remained impregnable, and the battle reached a stalemate, with both sides fighting tooth and nail on this brutal battlefield.

In Luoyang, Dong Zhuo paced anxiously back and forth in his mansion, his expression as gloomy as a sky about to rain. News of the fall of Xuanmen Pass had arrived, followed by the crisis in Xingyang, and now the coalition forces had assaulted Hulao Pass. This string of bad news hammered down on his mind like a hammer, leaving him utterly anxious and distraught.

"Wenyou, what do you think we should do?" Dong Zhuo shouted angrily, and the sound seemed to shatter the air around him.

Li Ru frowned, his eyes deep, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, "My lord, the situation is extremely critical now. We must act decisively and make a quick decision."

Dong Zhuo suddenly stopped, his eyes wide open as he stared at Li Ru fiercely, roaring, "Decision? How do you decide? Are you going to just sit there and wait for death?"

Li Ru hurriedly bowed, his expression respectful, and said anxiously, "Lord, please calm down. The most urgent matter now is to ensure that Xingyang is not lost. If Xingyang falls, Luoyang will be in imminent danger."

Dong Zhuo gnashed his teeth, his facial muscles twitching with anger, and roared, "Then tell me, what should we do?"

Li Ru took a deep breath and said slowly, "My lord, you should immediately issue a death order to Xingyang, ordering them to hold on. Tell them that if they fail to hold on, they will be beheaded! At the same time, we can withdraw some troops from Luoyang to reinforce. However, my lord, given the current severe situation, we have to prepare for the worst. If Luoyang is really undefendable, retreating to Chang'an may be a viable retreat. Chang'an has a dangerous terrain, easy to defend but difficult to attack, and is close to your base in Liangzhou. Retreating to Chang'an can temporarily avoid the attack of the Guandong coalition forces and preserve our strength so that we can make a comeback in the future."

Dong Zhuo frowned and said, "Chang'an is unstable now, so this retreat is probably not safe."

Li Ru quickly responded: "My lord, although Chang'an is in turmoil, as long as we gather the troops in Luoyang, we will be able to resolve the crisis in Chang'an and stabilize the rear."

Dong Zhuo's eyes flickered with hesitation when he heard this, but it was quickly replaced by fierceness. "Hmph! I will never give up Luoyang unless it's absolutely necessary! First, do as you say. Give Xingyang a death order, telling them to hold on to it. Anyone who dares to retreat will be killed without mercy!"

Li Ru responded, "Yes, my lord." Then he hurriedly turned around to convey the order.

Dong Zhuo looked at Li Ru's departing back, the anger in his heart still burning fiercely and difficult to calm down.