Lu Bu swiftly entered Luoyang

The news Li Chajia brought back shattered all the illusions of the Lan Xang nobles; the terms this time were even harder for them to accept.

However, Khon Kham had already made up his mind.

"Previously we had the trump card of several thousand troops, but now that all our cards are gone, what leverage do we have left to negotiate with others?"

"We still have over a thousand soldiers, and if we count the able-bodied men in the city, gathering three or four thousand is no problem."

"Exactly, even if we have to perish together, I want to tear a chunk of flesh off Gao Yuan."

"Right, if we can't beat them in open combat, we'll fight a defensive battle. Only when Gao Yuan is hurt will he agree to our terms."

Khon Kham felt from the bottom of his heart that these profit-driven fellows were beyond saving. He signaled to Li Chajia and left.

The two, sovereign and subject, arrived in the garden and dismissed their attendants. Only then did Khon Kham speak.

"Now that the Imperial Guards are all gone, I have no confidence in controlling Vientiane City. You must leave the city immediately and contact the Commandery Duke Gao. Tell him that at the midnight hour tonight, I will send men to open the North Gate and invite his great army into the city to wipe out these fellows."

Li Chajia's expression tightened, but he soon relaxed. He bowed to Khon Kham.

"This subject understands."

The Lan Xang nobles were determined to fight to the death. After their arguing, they went their separate ways to recruit able-bodied men, paying no heed to Khon Kham, who had only three hundred Imperial Guards left.

They also failed to notice that Khon Kham had brought the Nanjiao Clan and Li Chajia's family into the royal palace.

Outside the city, Gao Yuan received Khon Kham's message and could not help but sneer.

"Very well, you don't need to go back. Stay here, and tonight you will enter the city with me."

Li Chajia knew he had become a hostage, but he said nothing and stayed peacefully in Gao Yuan's camp.

At the midnight hour, at the North Gate of Vientiane City, three bonfires lit up on the ramparts. Shortly after, the drawbridge was slowly lowered, and the city gate opened.

Soldiers of the Nanzhou Army, wearing black armor, appeared from the night and marched toward the city gate without a word.

To be safe, Gao Yuan did not enter the city immediately. He waited until the soldiers of the Second Division reached the ramparts and had completely taken over the city's defense before he spurred his horse into the city.

The men arranged by Khon Kham began guiding the soldiers of the Second Division toward the residences of the stubborn nobles. Everything proceeded very smoothly.

These Lan Xang nobles never imagined that their ruler would sell them out completely.

It was only when the Nanzhou Army soldiers slaughtered their way in that they woke up from their dream.

"Khon Kham, you sinner of Lan Xang, you deserve a miserable death!"

"Khon Kham, you coward, you spineless wretch, you actually surrendered!"

"I, this old man, will not coexist with the Nanjiao Clan!"

Curses, screams, and cries for help continued all night. When the sky brightened, the chaos in the city gradually subsided.

The gates of the Lan Xang royal palace were wide open. Gao Yuan spurred his horse and, with his Personal Guards, entered the luxurious Lan Xang palace.

Khon Kham, along with all his concubines, Eunuchs, palace maids, and the Nanjiao Clan and Li Chajia's family, knelt on both sides of the palace path.

"Sinner Khon Kham welcomes the Duke of Xicheng Commandery of Great Gan, welcomes the righteous army of Great Gan."

Gao Yuan dismounted, helped Khon Kham up, and revealed a smile that even he felt was hypocritical.

"The ruler and I are old friends; there is no need for such formalities. Come, come, everyone, get up."

Khon Kham really wanted to retort:

"Old friends? Old friends and you take advantage of my vulnerability to destroy my state?"

But he certainly dared not say this out loud. He said respectfully to Gao Yuan:

"I invite the Commandery Duke to speak in the main hall."

Gao Yuan waved his hand, rejecting his suggestion.

"It is not appropriate for me to enter that place. Someone, seal this royal palace and wait for the Imperial Court to send people to take charge. As for the ruler, I will have to trouble you to move out of the palace and stay elsewhere for the time being."

"That is only right, that is only right. I will first go to my mother's family to stay temporarily and wait for the Commandery Duke's orders."

Khon Kham left the palace he had lived in for many years, taking only the Eunuchs around him. As for those palace maids, Gao Yuan waved his hand and let the soldiers share them.

For these palace maids who were barely considered pretty, he truly had no interest at all.

They were so short and their skin was so dark; he was truly afraid of affecting the genetic quality of the next generation.

For these palace maids, being able to become concubines for Nanzhou Army officers could be considered a pretty good outcome.

Thus, everything proceeded very harmoniously; there was none of the chaos associated with the end of a dynasty.

For the soldiers of the Nanzhou Army, they knew Gao Yuan would not shortchange them on their share of the spoils, so naturally, they did not go crazy burning, killing, and looting.

Ten days later, Wen Pin returned. The scattered Lan Xang troops, hearing that their ruler had already surrendered, did not hold on any longer and all chose to open their cities and surrender. Thus, the Lan Xang dynasty was extinguished.

The ambitious ruler Khon Kham became a ruler of a lost state and once again became Gao Yuan's captive.

December 4th, the second year of the Daye era, in the city of Luoyang.

Early in the morning, a few soldiers were huddled around a fire brazier, blowing on their hands to keep warm and chatting.

"Brothers, I heard a batch of fresh young ladies from Jiangnan has arrived at Pingkang Ward. Shall we go and have some fun after our shift?"

"Forget it. I'm not like you, one man fed and the whole family content. I have a whole family to support; where would I find spare money to go to Pingkang Ward?"

"You're not young anymore. Saving money to marry a wife is the proper thing to do; don't spend all that money on women's bellies."

"What do you mean on women's bellies? That's listening to music, listening to music!"

"Hahaha, who believes that? Ask everyone, who believes that?"

The few were chatting happily when they suddenly heard a burst of urgent hoofbeats coming from afar. Everyone could not help but frown.

"Who is in such a rush early in the morning? Don't they know there is still an hour... Brother Li, your eyesight is good, take a look, am I seeing things wrong?"

The person called Brother Li squinted his eyes and looked into the distance for a while before finally confirming.

"That's right, it's a Red Plume Messenger, it is..."

His sharp eyes allowed him to clearly see the bamboo pole and silk cloth on the messenger's back. He immediately screamed in alarm.

"It is a victory report! It is a victory report! Quickly open the city gate, open the city gate!"

"Red Plume Messenger, victory report, open the city gate!"

The soldiers on the ramparts shouted together.

The drawbridge of Luoyang City was slowly lowered, and the gates slowly opened. A team of dust-covered messengers galloped through the streets, heading straight for the imperial palace.

Outside the city gates, the commoners and merchants waiting to enter looked at the departing Red Plume Messenger, each with a look of pride on their faces.

"I really don't know where another victory report has come from."

"I heard the messenger just now shout that the Southwest has won a battle."

"I heard it too, it seems to be the Duke of Xicheng Commandery, Gao Yuan, from the Southwest."

"Gao Yuan? Who is that?"

"You don't know Gao Yuan? That was once a famous figure in our Luoyang."

Gossip is human nature. Hearing someone who seemed to know a lot, they immediately crowded around.

That person naturally would not miss this opportunity to show off in public. He began to recount Gao Yuan's glorious past, and finally, could not help but add:

"Truly, one must look at a scholar with new eyes after three days of separation. I really didn't expect that the former number one effeminate beauty of Luoyang City has now become a general capable of winning battles."

"I think it's a tiger father producing a tiger son. How could a descendant of General Gao Wu be a good-for-nothing?"

"Exactly, perhaps he is the kind of commander who can devise strategies within a tent and decide victory a thousand miles away."

The commoners in the city who had been awakened were also having similar discussions at this moment.

Meanwhile, in the imperial palace, the morning court session of the Great Gan sovereign and ministers was interrupted. Zhao Ji held the victory report in his hand, truly not knowing whether to be happy or sad.

Song Yehong was the first to react and immediately stepped out of the ranks.

"This is the merit of destroying a state. This subject congratulates Your Majesty, congratulates Your Majesty."

Zheng Ting also hurriedly stepped out.

"This subject congratulates Your Majesty."

The other ministers reacted and offered their own congratulations one after another.

Zhao Ji was really left between laughter and tears.