Chapter 71

"Everyone, please rise. This is also thanks to your efforts. I hope for your continued support in the future." Zhang Haoping said calmly.

After everyone left to prepare, Zhang Hao smiled. To be honest, he was quite nostalgic about the city of Luoyang.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, due to his appearance, Luoyang City remained intact. Historically, in the previous year, 189 AD, the Southern Palace of Luoyang was burned down by Yuan Shu. As for the more ruthless Dong Feifei, he was now studying loyalty and humility at the Daqian Military Academy.

Furthermore, in a few days, he would personally occupy Luoyang, which would ensure that this ancient and great city remained in its original state.

Luoyang! Thinking of this city, King Zhang couldn't help but think of one of the Four Great Beauties of ancient times. This time, he wouldn't miss out.

After the beacon ability was activated, besides collecting supplies in the "I Am Legend" world, Zhang Hao attached beacons to some small objects and had them delivered to various strategic locations. Luoyang City was naturally not missed, so Zhang Hao didn't need to make any special preparations at this time.

Although the Three Rivers region and Luoyang City have been strictly sealed off since last year, the trade caravans have not been cut off. For Sui Feng, even if the Eight Passes of Luoyang do not allow civilians to enter or exit, there are still various ways to get through. Large groups can't, but a few people are completely fine.

To hope that the current Han army would be loyal and diligent is just a joke.

The beacon has already entered Luoyang City, and the rest is much simpler. Zhang Hao can directly open a portal to contact the intelligence personnel on the other side.

So, all that's left is to wait for the army to gather. After several months, Daqian's military strength is no longer so weak. Even if this incident didn't happen, they would soon launch a campaign.

Hmm, maybe I should notify Taishi Ci to attack Qingzhou or Yanzhou, Zhang Hao thought.

Three days later, Zhang Hao received a report that the army had gathered.

Luoyang City remains magnificent and grand, but due to the various bad news over the past two years, not only are the officials in the court in a panic, but the lockdown around Luoyang has also made the once bustling and noisy streets much more desolate.

Even the common people are well aware that the court is in big trouble. In taverns and teahouses, people secretly discuss these matters, their emotions ranging from worry to excitement and fear. In such a situation, only merchants and scholar students dare to wander the streets.

They are either indignant or depressed, but they can't change anything.

Many civilians and wealthy households are considering moving out of Luoyang City. Although living in the capital is an honor, in times of chaos, it is also a burden, as the capital is too big a target.

The entire city of Luoyang is shrouded in a somewhat gloomy atmosphere. People on the streets and alleys are in a hurry, and even the peddlers are very cautious, as the moods of the clerks and city guards are unstable, and small merchants don't want to cause trouble.

In such a situation, a middle-aged man with an unremarkable appearance stood by the roadside on Zhuque Street, his expression calm, but his hands, hidden in his sleeves, were slightly trembling. He held a field yellow stone seal and drew a unique pattern in front of him with the seal.

This is the agreed signal between intelligence personnel, indicating that they have reached the appropriate position.

Zhang Hao can open a portal through the beacon to contact them, but others cannot. So, after discussion, the intelligence personnel use this method to notify him.

Since Zhang Hao can always sense the beacon through the portal, he can detect when the beacon moves or draws a pattern, making it very convenient to transmit messages.

After the intelligence officer finished drawing the pattern, his cheeks were slightly stiff, standing upright under the strange gazes of many people.

A moment later, a huge portal, like a ripple of water, appeared in front of the middle-aged man. The surrounding pedestrians and patrolling clerks and soldiers stared in amazement at this strange light portal, unsure of how to react.

The huge portal, like a ripple of water, shimmered, and a row of ten heavily armored knights stepped out of the ripple. The horseshoes of their iron-shod horses clattered on the stone slabs of Zhuque Street, the dull sound echoing in everyone's minds.

"Heavenly soldiers and generals have descended!" Someone shouted in a shrill voice, and the entire street immediately fell into chaos. Some people knelt on the ground, while others fled in panic, and even the patrolling soldiers were at a loss.

With the appearance of the flag bearer, the huge star dragon flag and the Daqian flag immediately revealed their identity.

Sui Feng's spy quickly contacted the officers of this vanguard and assigned several familiar spies as guides. The vanguard army quickly moved through Luoyang City. As the main army entered, the city inevitably became noisy and chaotic.

The area near the portal had already been cleared by the Daqian army. Troops appeared in batches, and under the command of their officers, they followed the previously established plan, heading straight for the city's defense strongholds, military camps, and important locations such as government offices and treasuries.

At the same time, the military's staff and intelligence personnel established a temporary command post on Zhuque Street, using radio equipment to contact the various units.

Amidst the roar of engines, five Stryker armored vehicles appeared on Zhuque Street, followed by more than a dozen military off-road vehicles.

The surrounding merchants, hiding in their houses, watched this scene through windows and doors, their eyes almost popping out.

Zhang Hao, riding his red rabbit horse, emerged from the portal, accompanied by his bodyguards. Little Longma followed him, curiously looking around.

Waving to stop the people's worship, Zhang Hao asked directly, "Is everything going smoothly?"

"Your Majesty, the court never expected our divine soldiers to descend from heaven. Although the defenses are not lax, they are caught off guard, and their strength is inferior. The progress of each unit is very smooth," Gu Yong reported.

Zhang Hao nodded and instructed, "Resolve it quickly. Don't let anyone destroy this famous city. Also, start the work of pacifying the people, using these vehicles to broadcast messages. If there is resistance, deploy the combat vehicles directly. Don't be overly frugal with the rocket launchers and grenade launchers."

The city was already somewhat chaotic, with the sounds of fighting echoing in the distance. The sudden appearance of the Daqian army in the city left the defenders without the city's defenses, and many panicked and fled.

Looking at this magnificent and grand city, a smile appeared on Zhang Hao's face. When he left last year, he thought that if possible, he would do his best to preserve this city, which embodies the essence of classical architecture. Now, it seems he has achieved it.

"Let's go to the imperial palace. Last time I came to Luoyang, I didn't have the honor of visiting it," Zhang Hao said, seeing that the command was being carried out smoothly. He didn't interfere and listened as several off-road vehicles with loudspeakers started to pacify the people. He then led his bodyguards toward the imperial city.

In addition to a large number of bodyguards, two Stryker armored vehicles followed closely behind for protection.

Zhang Hao was very relaxed this time. He had mobilized 60,000 elite troops, and they had appeared directly in Luoyang City. It would be strange if anything went wrong. The Daqian soldiers' quality and equipment far exceeded those of the Han soldiers, and in the past, one Daqian soldier could often take on several Han soldiers.

Now, with the same number of troops and the Han army completely caught off guard, Zhang Hao was very confident.

He was now thinking about what kind of gains he would have in Luoyang and whether any officials would commit suicide for their country.

Hmm, according to the character of most officials, it's unlikely. In every dynasty, those with integrity are always a minority.

Although Luoyang City doesn't seem to have many brave generals now, there are many talented scholars and strategists. They should adapt to the situation, right?

The streets had already been cleared, and Zhang Hao didn't spend much time reaching the imperial palace. Luoyang's imperial palace is divided into the Northern and Southern Palaces. After consulting with Sui Feng's intelligence personnel, he learned that since Liu Bian's ascension, most court deliberations have taken place in the Northern Palace, but the Empress Dowager and Liu Bian usually reside in the Southern Palace.

Arriving at the imperial road between the Northern and Southern Palaces, Zhang Hao saw the Daqian army surrounding both palaces, with the Southern Palace already breached, but the Northern Palace still well-defended.

In this era, the imperial palace is like a small city with various defensive facilities, a means to resist war.

When Zhang Hao arrived at the Northern Palace, Zhao Yun, responsible for the attack, hurried to meet him. Without saying much, Zhang Hao observed the situation on the Northern Palace walls.

At this time, most of the guards on the walls were pale, looking down at the army below. In addition to soldiers, there were many people on the walls whose clothing indicated their high status, but it was unclear whether they were eunuchs or officials.