Luoyang.
The sky seemed to be dyed with ink, with a somber haze pressing heavily toward the earth.
The ground was littered with corpses, broken weapons, and tattered flags, all mixed with a strong stench of blood. Intermittent cries of agony echoed around.
The brutality of this battle far exceeded that of the past.
Unlike previous opponents, Kui Xiao held great prestige in the army.
In the original history, even when he was besieged on both fronts, he still managed to escape to the West City.
And he stubbornly resisted Feng Yi's army, preventing any advancement.
He even fought the Han Army to a standstill, capturing many cities.
If he hadn't died of illness, perhaps only Liu Xiu could have completely subdued him.
But this time, he truly had no escape.
Lai Xi, worthy of his reputation as a famous general, could hold Luoyang for four months in the original history, let alone now with Gu Xiao's assistance.
Of course, what was most crucial was that the troops Gu Xiao brought this time were extraordinary.
Their obedience was incredibly high.
If they were ordinary soldiers, they surely wouldn't have been able to detain Kui Xiao.
But even so, the casualties in this battle were still considerable.
When Gu Xiao met Liu Xiu again, despite being a warrior, Gu Xiao felt as if days had passed, his eyes reddening involuntarily.
But before he could salute,
Liu Xiu hurriedly walked forward, directly grabbing him, then looked intently at Gu Xiao while repeatedly checking if he was injured.
Only after confirming there were no injuries did he breathe a sigh of relief.
"It's good that Zhan Hong is unharmed."
Everyone watched this scene, feeling complex emotions.
How could one not be envious when a military general was so highly valued by the Emperor?
Yet despite their envy, they couldn't muster any ill feelings.
There was no way to; Gu Xiao's merits were too immense.
Previously, Gu Xiao's record was already somewhat unattainable, given that all his achievements involved the beheading of opponents. This time, he directly held Luoyang for four months, significantly impacting the victory of this battle.
Such merits deserved such treatment; what could they say?
"This humble officer thanks Your Majesty for your concern!"
Influenced by Gu Yi, Gu Xiao never grew arrogant from favors, immediately saluting, "This battle's victory is not due to me alone; all the brothers contributed."
He stopped at that.
Gu Yi naturally wouldn't choose to claim undue credit, nor would he decide on rewards in front of everyone for his subordinates.
He merely had Gu Xiao fulfill the role of a commander.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Liu Xiu's smile widened, and without hesitation, he grabbed Gu Xiao's arm and loudly declared,
"Rewards! Rewards for all!"
He loved Gu Xiao's character, which never sought undue credit and always respected boundaries.
For a high-ranking military general, knowing one's limits was paramount.
From his recent performance alone, how could Liu Xiu not see that Gu Xiao already harbored thoughts of retiring at the peak of his career?
If not for his request, perhaps Gu Xiao wouldn't have participated in this battle at all.
But precisely because of this, Liu Xiu liked Gu Xiao even more.
This was a wise man.
Currently, the situation was evident.
Liu Xiu was just one step away from becoming the sole ruler of the empire.
He had considered more than once how to handle the loyalists who had accompanied him thus far.
With the lessons from his ancestor Liu Bang, Liu Xiu naturally didn't want to be remembered in history for discarding the loyal after achieving success.
If it happened again, who among the heroes of the empire would be willing to follow someone from the Liu family?
This was why Liu Xiu appreciated someone like Gu Xiao, who didn't covet power.
The grand celebration feast was held again.
Although Gongsun Shu was the last remaining force yet to be subdued, the prolonged battle in Longyou couldn't just be acted upon immediately.
This time, Liu Xiu even had Gu Xiao sit by his side, in stark contrast to the others.
Liu Xiu was also generous with his rewards.
All the meritorious officials and soldiers from the Longyou battle received rewards.
Of course, the most noteworthy were those who followed Gu Xiao to Luoyang.
It seemed that due to the significant contribution, those soldiers following Gu Xiao received considerably more in terms of rewards and comfort.
There was naturally no opposition to this arrangement!
Two thousand men against tens of thousands!
Such an achievement was terrifying to just think about.
Then it was Lai Xi's turn. Gu Xiao didn't hide Lai Xi's contributions, even proclaiming him as the primary contributor to the battle's success.
This was indeed the case.
After all, Gu Xiao's attributes were there, incomparable to Lai Xi.
But this scenario looked different in Liu Xiu's eyes.
Wasn't this exactly what it meant not to covet credit?
He wasn't stingy with his rewards, directly ennobling Lai Xi as a marquis, which was something Lai Xi only received posthumously in the original history.
Imagine how happy Liu Xiu must have been at the time.
Finally, it was Gu Xiao's turn.
When Liu Xiu called out "Zhan Hong," the entire celebration quieted down, and everyone looked over at once.
Gu Xiao was now the Grand Commandant of the current dynasty.
Though his title was still Marquis Shecheng, he enjoyed the highest privileges in the Great Han.
This time, Gu Xiao achieved yet another great merit, and everyone wanted to know how Liu Xiu would reward him.
Liu Xiu's expression remained unchanged, as if he had already planned everything, and he declared loudly,
"I once heard that when Emperor Xiaowu of the Great Han bestowed General Huo with the title of Champion Marquis, he said: This signifies unparalleled merit among the three armies."