Chapter 72

"Rebels, how dare you attack the imperial palace, such a heinous act of treason!" At this moment, a middle-aged man with a weathered face on the city wall shouted loudly.

Zhang Hao was somewhat speechless. Judging from the official attire, this man was also a 2,000-dan official. Was he really so innocent and naive?

Not bothering to find out who he was, and not thinking of debating with him, Zhang Hao directly took out a rocket launcher from his storage space. Sitting on his horse, he aimed at the city wall and fired. Thanks to the powerful Red Hare and Zhang Hao's extraordinary physical strength, he could afford to be so bold.

With a deafening explosion, the surroundings immediately fell silent, and then many of the defending troops began to tremble and flee.

"Although it's a pity to have to repair the city wall, if we don't act quickly, who knows what tricks those guys will pull. Don't let them burn the palace," Zhang Hao said, gesturing. The heavy machine guns and grenade launchers on the S瑞克 (S瑞克 is a transliteration, it should be 'Stryker') armored vehicles behind him immediately began to fire.

Amidst the roar, the blocked city gate did not explode, but a section of the city wall was shattered. After the artillery attack paused, Zhang Hao waved his hand, and Zhao Yun immediately led his troops through the breach, spreading chaos and noise.

The sound of "Lay down your weapons, surrender and you won't be killed" was quickly broadcast throughout the palace complex through a loudspeaker.

Zhang Hao waited quietly. He had a complete plan for this operation, and everything would proceed according to plan.

As for the discipline and rules of the Gan army, he had no doubt. This was the result of countless rigorous training and severe punishments. With ample manpower, maintaining order in Luoyang was not a difficult task. Those who tried to take advantage of the chaos would face severe punishment.

Although the Northern and Southern Palaces were like small cities, there were not many troops inside on a regular basis. After hearing the fighting inside subside, Zhang Hao led his troops into the Northern Palace, casually observing the surroundings. The palace layout was orderly, the halls grand and majestic, ancient and exquisite.

He took out his phone and casually took photos, hmm, these could also be considered precious historical records.

Along the way, the palace maids, eunuchs, and guards who were controlled by the Gan army looked at Zhang Hao with trepidation. However, because of the excellent discipline of the Gan army, there was no looting or killing, which made them relieved. After all, for these people, serving who was not a matter of choice.

At the same time, many palace maids and eunuchs tried to loot and escape, but the palace complex was already sealed off, so they had no way to escape.

Zhang Hao eventually stopped at the Deyang Hall, the most magnificent hall in the Northern Palace.

He sat directly on the dragon throne, but felt no particular emotion. He knew where his power came from and how vast his future was. A mere dragon throne could not move him; it was more of a novelty.

As the Northern and Southern Palaces were occupied, Sun Jian, Gu Yong, Tian Feng, and others moved the command center to the Northern Palace, frequently reporting progress and the names and numbers of officials who had been captured and controlled.

Due to the sudden attack, although many noble families had escape plans, few managed to escape in time, and most were captured.

"Your Majesty, the generals sent to the eight passes with the full set of seals and documents have already set out," Man Chong reported to Zhang Hao.

After occupying the government offices, they immediately used the seals to forge documents and sent the Gan army to take control of the eight passes of Luoyang, which was part of the plan.

"Make sure they are safe. If there are any problems, they should attack forcefully rather than take risks," Zhang Hao instructed.

"Your Majesty is merciful," Man Chong said sincerely.

"This cannot be called mercy, but rather the ability to distinguish between us and them. We cannot treat our own people the same as others," Zhang Hao smiled. "Alright, Boning. If you have no important matters, come and help me write a letter to Huangfu Song. You know my handwriting is terrible."

"Agreed," Man Chong did not refuse.

Zhao Yun had already reported that Liu Bian, Liu Xie, and the empresses had been controlled. Zhang Hao merely nodded and did not rush to see them, only instructing Zhao Yun to guard them strictly. Additionally, Zhang Hao had Zhao Yun distribute his writings to the officials in the Northern Palace, asking them to read them.

Not just in the palace, but for all the officials who had been captured, Zhang Hao gave the same instructions.

As for Zhang Hao's writings, they were based on conclusions from the future, discussing the roots of the state's decline and the relationship between the ruler and the people. These writings had already been distributed throughout the land, and many officials had read them. However, Zhang Hao's current purpose was to irritate them.

Additionally, he wanted the officials to read the book so that when he met them, no one would come out with righteous indignation, accusing him of being a traitor to show their loyalty and righteousness.

Man Chong wrote the letter according to Zhang Hao's dictation, looking at Zhang Hao with some hesitation, clearly worried about some of the content Zhang Hao had dictated.

"Relax, Boning. In doing anything, my first priority is to ensure my own safety. I am well aware of the enormity of my responsibilities and cannot afford to make mistakes. Besides, I believe Huangfu Song is wise enough to know what to choose," Zhang Hao reassured him.

He sent the letter and sat on the dragon throne, deep in thought. At this moment, Huang Zhong should also be launching his attack.

When deciding to strike directly at the heart, Huang Zhong had also made preparations. After all, the tens of thousands of imperial troops in Yingchuan were always a problem. It was a good opportunity to eliminate them. This was not a difficult task, as the Han army in Yingchuan was already on the defensive. The stability was only maintained because the Gan army had not attacked.

If the Gan army from Jingzhou and Yuzhou moved, Zhang Wen could not resist. The disparity in strength was too great, especially with the recent addition of several hundred soldiers with automatic rifles and many rocket launchers and grenade launchers to Huang Zhong's army, along with their own artillery, giving them a technological advantage that was overwhelming.

With a thought, he heard the report from his bodyguards that most of Luoyang was already under the control of the Gan army. Only a few military camps were still resisting, but they could not hold out for long. Faced with war vehicles and rocket launchers, many Han troops directly knelt and surrendered.

At this point, Zhang Hao began to review the list of captured officials, preparing to meet them one by one. He also planned to visit Liu Bian and Liu Xie, and more importantly, he wanted to see Empress He. Hmm, no other reason, just to see what Liu Hong's taste was like!

By evening, Luoyang was completely under control. Although many defeated troops had fled the city, this was inevitable, as the Han army in Luoyang numbered tens of thousands. They would be hunted down later.

The eight passes around Luoyang were also occupied by the Gan army without much resistance. Five of them were taken without a fight, while the other three were warned by the fleeing troops and were not deceived. The Gan army, following Zhang Hao's instructions, did not launch a strong attack. With Luoyang captured, how long could these passes hold out?

Later, Zhang Hao received a report from Huang Zhong, who had already defeated Zhang Wen's army, capturing countless soldiers. Zhang Wen and most of his generals and advisors were all captured. The combined use of automatic rifles, rocket launchers, and grenade launchers, even with the psychological preparation of Zhang Wen and others, left them no time to escape.

In just one day, the effective combat strength of the Han dynasty was largely eliminated by the Gan dynasty. The Han dynasty was now completely powerless to turn the tide.

Additionally, Taishi Ci in Xuzhou was about to lead a large army to attack Qingzhou and Yanzhou, with Cheng Yuan's Jinghai Army providing support.

The Gan dynasty's offensive was like a thunderbolt, unstoppable.

In Luoyang, Zhang Hao was busy identifying and dealing with officials, stabilizing the situation. He was so busy that he only briefly visited the裸.游馆 (naked bathing pavilion) in the Western Garden, which had become famous along with Emperor Ling Liu Hong, planning to experience its charm later.

No, he would experience it later to condemn Liu Hong's debauchery and take it as a warning, of course, occasionally using it to strengthen his willpower!

PS: Can't change the title? How come it hasn't changed even after several attempts?

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