: The Luoyang Trap

"There are regulations in the border army that require soldiers to retire when they reach the age of 40. We will arrange for these retired soldiers to settle down in various parts of the country, give them a property, and let them enjoy their retirement life while also spreading some training methods to the young people around them and selecting good talents."

"These retired soldiers are experienced. Although they are older, they are still capable of fighting. We can select those aged 40 to 45 and have them lead the young people they have trained to form a team with experienced soldiers leading new recruits."

"The number of retired soldiers in the past five years totals more than 200,000. Add to that the young people they trained, and it wouldn't be a problem to raise an army of 600,000 to 700,000."

"With familiar veterans leading the way, their combat effectiveness may not be comparable to that of elite troops, but it still provides a certain level of assurance."

Yuan Shouze said, "This can be considered the reserve force of the Tang Dynasty. When the Tang Dynasty is in a life-or-death situation, this army can be used and has the power to turn the tide."

If a figure like Liu Bei had emerged at the end of the Tang Dynasty, and had rallied this army with a single call to arms, using these veterans as the backbone and their descendants and disciples as the elite, they would have been able to sweep across the land and rebuild the Tang Dynasty.

Huang Chao thought for a moment, his brows still furrowed.

If this army can be fully mobilized, it can indeed hold off the enemy and may even launch a counterattack.

But the enemy might not give them that much time. This group of people is scattered throughout the Tang Dynasty, and it would take at least a month or even longer to gather most of them together.

With the threat of the allied forces imminent, the allied forces would absolutely not give them so much time to assemble their troops.

The armies of various countries can already be seen outside Yumen Pass, so Dazhen Pass must be coming soon as well.

What he lacks most right now is time. It takes time to capture Luoyang and time to mobilize these veterans.

"We don't have enough time."

Huang Chao sighed and told the truth.

"We understand."

Yuan Shouze's voice was also somewhat low, "This is also the purpose of our visit."

"Only a thousand men came with me to Luoyang. The rest have already rushed to Dazhen Pass. 10 elite border troops, trading space for time, fighting to the last man, are enough to hold out for a month before the last of the seven passes of Shimen is breached."

"This month is our last chance."

Yuan Shouze continued, looking sincerely at Huang Chao, "General, at such a critical time, you still managed to send a million troops to support Yumen Pass. We can see your magnanimity and vision."

"We are willing to risk our lives to buy time for the general. General, please."

After Yuan Shouze finished speaking, he bowed deeply. Huang Chao was unable to stop him and could only watch helplessly as Yuan Shouze bowed and turned to leave.

"Is the general leaving already?"

Huang Chao asked.

"My brothers are still waiting for me over there."

Yuan Shouze turned around and gave Huang Chao a hearty laugh. In his eyes, Huang Chao saw a resolute determination.

Once Yuan Shouze and his group arrived, they never intended to go back.

"Is this the Tang Dynasty border army that Master praised?"

As Huang Chao walked out of his tent, watching Yuan Shouze and his men leave, he felt immense respect for this army.

Yuan Shouze and his men disappeared into a dense forest. Huang Chao's eyes narrowed slightly, and he said calmly, "Send men to cut down that forest. They blocked General Yuan's departing figure."

"yes!"

The men around him immediately took the order. Whether they were making machinery or cooking, they needed a lot of wood, and the forest in front of them would come in handy.

Huang Chao turned his head and looked at Luoyang again, his eyes filled with coldness.

Why is there such a big difference between people?

"Meng Kai, you will lead 50 brothers to support General Yuan. Once there, follow General Yuan's command and make sure to stop all enemy troops from entering the Nine Provinces."

"Send someone to inform General Yuan in advance to avoid any misunderstanding."

Huang Chao made up his mind and decided to support General Yuan.

The 50-strong army was enough to hold out until all the veterans in various places were gathered together.

Even with only 150 million troops, he could keep a close watch on the incompetent, old, weak, and disabled people in Luoyang. If they dared to come out, he would strike them hard.

"When the relocation takes place, it should be done as if a million-strong army is moving. The number of military tents, flags, and cooking smoke should not be reduced. Everything should remain as usual."

"Do you understand?"

Meng Kai nodded, understanding that Huang Chao was preparing to scheme against the city's defenders once again.

If he takes away a million troops, then only one million will remain outside the city.

There are still 300 million elite troops in the city, and those powerful families might abandon their defenses and launch a direct attack.

Huang Chao, who was well-prepared, might be able to achieve great success in one fell swoop. In such a large-scale battle, the outcome of a single battle cannot determine the overall situation, but it can still eliminate the enemy as much as possible and increase the chances of victory for his side.

The subsequent actions were all intended to confuse and lower the enemy's guard, luring them out of the city to fight in the open.

Since establishing contact with the foreign coalition, the major families have been closely monitoring the movements of Huang Chao's army.

The mobilization of Meng Kai's army naturally did not escape their notice.

They quickly estimated that Meng Kai had taken away an army of 100 million.

They also noticed that the amount of cooking smoke, tents, and banners in Huang Chao's army had not decreased, indicating that the army was operating normally and there had been no troop movements.

They walked right into Huang Chao's trap, thinking it was a deliberate arrangement to prevent them from discovering the truth, and to make them believe that Huang Chao's army still numbered 200 million, thus deterring them from launching an attack.

They felt that Huang Chao was ultimately of humble origin and short-sighted, unaware of the power of their aristocratic families.

This made them think that there really weren't many things in the world that could be hidden from them.

Even though Luoyang was completely surrounded, they still had the ability to learn about the changes in Huang Chao's army.

They were even aware of Yuan Shouze's visit. What they didn't know was what Yuan Shouze and Huang Chao discussed.

But now it seems that it was Yuan Shouze who asked Huang Chao for help, and Huang Chao agreed to Yuan Shouze's request, which is why he sent a million-strong army to support him.

The target is estimated to be another army of 100 million men besides the one at Yumen Pass.

To avoid being discovered, they deliberately left behind banners and tents, creating the illusion that the army was still there.

But they didn't expect that everything was under their control, and that they had discovered the troop movement.

The army outside the city only has 100 million troops, while there are still 300 million elite troops inside the city. The advantage is on our side!