Chapter 675

The fourth route was led by Zhao Zilong with one hundred thousand troops, accompanied by great generals Zhang Liao, Taishi Ci, Gao Lan, Pang De, Guanqiu Jian, Guan Hai, Yuan Xi, and others, setting out from Yanmen to attack Changshan Commandery and Zhongshan Kingdom in Jizhou, and subsequently attacking the lands of Youzhou!

In an instant,

The entire Great Han seemed to be in motion!

Guan Yu, as the vanguard, was the first to cross the Yellow River from Baima and advance on Liyang City!

Cao Cao proactively abandoned Liyang City, which was relatively far from Yecheng, and contracted his defensive lines.

Guan Yu directly captured Liyang City!

Zhuge Liang also successfully captured Dangyin and advanced like a hot knife through butter, occupying Anyang County south of Yecheng. He did not continue to advance as the Cao army expected, but instead stopped to build defensive lines, organize laborers, and start digging the canal!

Liu Bei led his troops in a deep drive, arriving at Changle County southeast of Yecheng, and sent troops to occupy Fanyang, Wei County, and other places, basically controlling the southern part of Yecheng.

At the same time, Liu Bei also began sending laborers to dig the canal between the Zhang River and the Bai Ditch!

When the news reached Yecheng,

Everyone was shocked,

Xun Yu was filled with worry,

"My lord, Liu Bei is trying to completely solve the problem of grain transport and is preparing for a long-term siege!"

Cheng Yu frowned,

"Although our army knows this, Zhuge Liang is guarding the southwest and Liu Bei is stationed in the southeast; our army simply cannot break through the defensive lines to disrupt the digging of the canal."

Cao Cao coughed a few more times; his energy was now far less than before,

"No matter what Liu Bei does, he must take Yecheng, otherwise all he has done is make a wedding dress for me."

Just then,

"King of Wei, urgent report from Zhong Yao in Changshan Commandery!"

"Read it!"

"Zhao Zilong led troops to break through more than ten cities in Changshan Commandery and is besieging Zhending City!"

Zhao Zilong had extremely high prestige in Changshan Commandery; apart from Zhending City, which was guarded by Zhong Yao, the other cities simply surrendered upon hearing his name!

Not long after,

An urgent report also arrived from Xia Houyuan's side,

Lu Xun occupied Qinghe Commandery, and Huang Zhong occupied Le'an Commandery. The two joined forces, and Xia Houyuan, unable to withstand them in the Pingyuan Kingdom, retreated to Nanpi City in Bohai Commandery!

At the same time, people in various parts of Hebei who still harbored loyalty to the Yuan clan rose up one after another, and the entire Cao Wei fell into a state of turmoil 0......

Cao Cao sent Wen Chou, Cao Xiu, and others to attempt to disrupt the canal digging work, but they were defeated by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei,

Wen Chou was even ambushed and killed by Guan Yu!

Cao Cao stopped wasting military strength and retreated to Yecheng to hold his ground.

Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang joined forces and set up camp near Yecheng, stretching for more than twenty miles, occasionally attacking the city to keep the soldiers inside in a state of high tension.

Resources from Guanzhong, the Central Plains, Jingzhou, Yizhou, and Jiangdong were continuously poured into this area.

Liu Bei was determined to besiege the Cao army until they surrendered.

Hua Tuo led a group of excellent physicians responsible for the soldiers' health, and Liu Bei established strict hygiene regulations to prevent epidemics; everything was done to serve the long-term siege.

Half a year later,

The Qi River and the Huan River were channeled into the Bai Ditch, the water volume increased greatly, and Liu Bei's military grain was transported directly from the Central Plains to the Yecheng area by water, greatly boosting the soldiers' confidence!

Good news came from the north,

Zhang Liao broke through Zhongshan Kingdom and the Hejian area, and led troops to kill their way into Bohai Commandery!

Cao Hong of Youzhou, seeing this, led thirty thousand troops from Youzhou to kill their way into Hejian, intending to sneak attack Zhang Liao's rear,

But they were blocked for more than a month by the small city of Gaoyang, guarded by Huo Jun with three thousand men!

By the time Cao Hong wanted to retreat, Youzhou had already collectively surrendered under the persuasion of Zhao Zilong and Yuan Xi!

Cao Hong was furious; he had scraped quite a bit of wealth in Youzhou and could not bear to give it up.

This fellow was notoriously stingy. When Cao Pi became the heir and asked to borrow one hundred bolts of silk for urgent use, Cao Hong directly refused and even mocked Cao Pi.

Because of this, Cao Hong was marked by Cao Pi.

He hurriedly led troops back to attack Youzhou!

But he was defeated in one fell swoop by Tian Yu, who had rushed over from Liaodong, in coordination with the Youzhou volunteer army!

Cao Hong died miserably in the chaotic battle.

The entire Youzhou was pacified!

Qingzhou was also completely taken by Lu Xun, and Xia Houyuan was trapped in Nanpi City, gazing westward every day, hoping for good news, but it was all a fantasy.

Several more months passed,

Nanpi City was short of grain, with no reinforcements from the outside and internal and external troubles,

Xia Houyuan intended to break out and escape!

Unfortunately, a net had long been cast outside the city,

Huang Zhong charged out from an ambush, attacking from a superior position, and in the chaotic battle, he beheaded Xia Houyuan!

Liu Bei issued an order from the Yecheng camp,

Appointing Zhang Liao as the Inspector of Youzhou, Huang Zhong to guard the Pingyuan Kingdom and other areas,

And dispatching civil officials to promote local scholars to effectively govern Hebei!

Two months later, Zhong Yao could no longer hold out; grain and fodder were exhausted, and the soldiers were complaining bitterly, so he had no choice but to open the city and surrender.

Zhao Zilong successfully captured Changshan Commandery, moved south to take Xiangguo and Handan, and surrounded Yecheng from the north!

Thus, in the entire Hebei, Cao Cao was left with only the isolated city of Yecheng!