HLnovel Chapter 42 Xu Rong: I originally thought I could succeed through my own hard work.
Chapter 42 Xu Rong: I originally thought I could succeed through my own hard work.
Xu Rong, who was born in the harsh and cold Liaodong region, would never have had the opportunity to be given an important position in his entire life.
But no one expected that the Yellow Turban Rebellion would break out several years ago!
Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, was extremely flustered by this sudden peasant uprising.
Countless governors, prefects, and magistrates from various regions were killed by the Yellow Turban Army!
It was impossible to eliminate the Yellow Turbans in a short period of time by relying solely on the army in Luoyang.
therefore.
Liu Hong further expanded local power.
He allowed local areas to recruit soldiers independently and actively recruited local militia to spontaneously form armies to fight against the Yellow Turbans!
Xu Rong, along with hundreds of fellow villagers, distinguished himself during this period.
Xu Rong's influence can be seen throughout the Liaodong region and even Youzhou.
After the Yellow Turban Rebellion ended, Xu Rong was appointed as an official in Luoyang.
At this very moment, rebellions broke out in various places one after another.
Xu Rong led numerous expeditions and made countless contributions.
Military merit has always been the best shortcut to promotion.
Xu Rong rose from an ordinary soldier to become a Lieutenant General in just two years!
The title of Zhonglangjiang was considered a relatively high-ranking military officer during the late Han Dynasty.
Xu Rong became a Lieutenant General, and to outsiders, his future seemed bright.
But only Xu Rong himself knew that his career had reached its peak here.
Figures like Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and Lu Zhi, besides their outstanding achievements, were typical representatives of military families.
People like He Jin and He Miao were relatives of the emperor and were Liu Hong's carefully cultivated confidants.
They only need a plausible reason to get promoted.
Xu Rong, as a Lieutenant General, had barely even met Liu Hong a few times.
To put it bluntly, Xu Rong had no background, no connections, and no resources in the imperial court.
His position as a Lieutenant General was more of an empty shell.
Want better treatment?
I'm sorry, the imperial treasury is tight, and your salary cannot be paid in full.
What angered Xu Rong even more was...
Soldiers under his command often did not receive their salaries.
In contrast, Generals He Jin and Huangfu Song did not need to consider such a situation at all.
Or.
Even if they don't have a salary, they can still make a lot of money from other sources!
And, sorry, you, Xu Rong, don't have any of those!
As a general, Xu Rong often felt that he was not even as well off as a mountain bandit.
They were constantly hungry and had irregular meals, worrying about food supplies all the time!
And so, Xu Rong drifted through several years in a daze.
When Dong Zhuo entered the capital, Xu Rong originally thought that the situation would change.
after all.
The soldiers under his command are all highly capable in combat!
In terms of elite status, they are absolutely top-tier in the world.
The only downside is that we often don't have enough to eat.
But soon, Xu Rong was dumbfounded.
In addition to the Xiliang faction, there was also the Bingzhou faction under Dong Zhuo's command!
Xu Rong and the Luoyang Imperial Guards could only be ranked at the bottom.
With a new boss, Xu Rong's treatment remained the same as before, which made him somewhat desperate.
But years of passive acceptance have worn down Xu Rong's edges.
Not convinced?
What can you do if you're not convinced?
He stopped working for Dong Zhuo and instead joined forces with the various warlords of the coalition.
Let's not even talk about whether the soldiers of each warlord's own forces can actually get enough food and pay.
Even if we could get it.
Will Xu Rong and the soldiers of the Luoyang Imperial Guard be able to obtain it?
Xu Rong had almost no other choice but to follow Dong Zhuo to the bitter end.
Being assigned to cover the rear, Xu Rong felt helpless, yet still harbored a sliver of hope for a final gamble.
just in case……
What if Dong Zhuo improves the treatment of the Imperial Guards in Luoyang after this incident?
With this idea in mind, Xu Rong set up an ambush in Xingyang.
In their hearts, they both hoped that pursuers would come to catch up, and feared that too many casualties would occur.
But now.
The sound of footsteps approaching from not far away caused Xu Rong's mentality to completely collapse!
His plan was not only exposed, but was even exploited by the enemy.
For a moment, Xu Rong even considered drawing his sword and committing suicide.
He didn't know how the enemy had appeared west of Xingyang.
Perhaps we'll take a mountain path, or perhaps we'll take some other, unexplored route.
Regardless of which one, Xu Rong's fate today will most likely be total annihilation!
"Hehe... I wonder if that scoundrel Fan Chou escaped or not."
"If he were to run into this enemy, he would likely be doomed."
For some reason, Xu Rong suddenly thought of Fan Chou.
He is quite different from Li Jue and Guo Si.
Fan Chou, as a member of the Xiliang faction, was also the object of Xu Rong's jealousy.
But to be honest, Xu Rong didn't dislike him.
Moreover, Xu Rong thought this guy was somewhat naive.
"Boom!"
A loud roar pulled Xu Rong back to reality.
"I am Cao Cao. I would like to invite General Xu Rong to join me for a chat on the battlefield."
The man riding out at the head of Cao Cao's army was none other than Cao Cao himself.
"Cao...Cao Cao?"
"It really is him?"
Xu Rong's expression became extremely complicated.
Just a few days ago, he was discussing with Fan Chou that Cao Cao might be one of the few in the allied forces who would lead troops to pursue them.
Unexpectedly, Cao Cao not only led his troops in pursuit, but also appeared west of Xingyang!
"Well, what's meant to be will be, whether it's a blessing or a curse."
Xu Rong rode out of the ranks.
He was of average build, and there was a hint of sadness between his brows that seemed out of place for his age.
Even Cao Cao's face showed a flash of surprise when he saw Xu Rong.
In fact, during his years in Luoyang, Cao Cao met Xu Rong once, probably shortly after the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
At that time, Xu Rong had just been transferred from Liaodong to Luoyang, and he was in the prime of his life.
It's only been a few years!
Xu Rong has actually turned into this state!
Once upon a time, Cao Cao, who was also a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty, inevitably felt a pang of heartache.
Among the generals in the Han court, Xu Rong was considered one of the most capable fighters.
Moreover, Xu Rong was not born into a military family; his success was entirely due to his own talent.
Such a fierce general has aged into the appearance of a widow, which makes one feel that the Han Dynasty is about to perish!
"General Xu, it's been several years. Why do you look so haggard?"
Cao Cao finally voiced his doubts.
Xu Rong gave a wry smile, clasped his hands in a fist and said:
"Xu originally thought he could contribute to the Han dynasty."
"But to this day, Xu has accomplished nothing and cannot even raise enough food and pay for his brothers."
"General..."
Several soldiers nearby pulled Xu Rong aside, hoping that he would stop blaming himself.
But perhaps Cao Cao's words struck a nerve with the resentment that Xu Rong harbored deep within his heart.
Xu Rong then said self-deprecatingly:
"Xu believed that this world should have been destroyed during the Yellow Turban Rebellion!"
"By clinging to life until now, we are nothing more than offering up the last bit of fertile ground for ambitious people!"
The words fell.
A round of applause rang out from behind Cao Cao.
"General Xu is right, but not entirely right!"
……