On the plains of Guanzhong, which were gradually beginning to look desolate, tens of thousands of Western Liang Iron Cavalry advanced like a torrent.
Although they wore no armor on the march, every soldier had a ferocious gaze. Their clothing was somewhat ragged, but an unruly spirit ran deep in their bones.
These Western Liang Iron Cavalry had fought their way through round after round of war.
Dong Zhuo held the lofty offices of Liangzhou Inspector and General Who Protects the Qiang, yet despite amassing wealth like a madman, he was practically penniless. Li Ru had poured almost all that money into this army.
In the world as it stood, apart from the Taiping Army, even a region with Jizhou's resources would need at least two to three years to acquire military strength of this caliber.
Yet Li Ru, who had planned all this, was now frowning fiercely. He had been secretly keeping watch on news from the Central Plains.
Naturally, he had received word of the King-Protecting Army's crushing defeat and the Taiping Army's arrival at the walls of Luoyang.
When Dong Zhuo received the news, every hair on his body stood on end. Looking at Li Ru, he said hesitantly, "That Zhang Jue of the Taiping Army...
"He's simply inhuman.
"Wenyou, are we still heading for Luoyang as planned?"
According to Li Ru's original plan, the Taiping Army would certainly lose, but the King-Protecting Army would suffer grievous losses too. Then Dong Zhuo would descend like a divine army from the heavens, storm into Luoyang, take control of the Son of Heaven, and cow the feudal lords with his military might. He would seize control of their armies or simply crush them, thus beginning his ascent to the pinnacle of ministerial power.
But he had never expected Zhang