Chapter 1405: Surrounded on all sides

Seeing that the attack on Yecheng had failed again and that the losses were heavy, Cao Cao was furious. He had originally thought that with this powerful military force, he could take Yecheng in one fell swoop, but he did not expect to be cleverly repelled by Liu Bei and Gu Yi again. Anger caused Cao Cao to lose his usual calmness and caution.

In the Cao army's camp, Cao Cao's face was livid, and a violent rage was revealed in his gaze. He swept the map on the table to the ground and roared: "Liu Bei, Gu Yi, I swear I will make you pay the price!"

However, anger did not bring victory to Cao Cao but instead caused him to make mistakes one after another in his subsequent strategic deployment. He was eager for success, ignoring the soldiers' fatigue, and launched continuous fierce attacks, but each time he was tenaciously repelled by the military and civilians of Yecheng. The Cao army's morale was low, and casualties were heavy.

At the same time, Gu Yi maintained a calm mind. He understood that Cao Cao's anger was the key to their victory. Thus, he used Cao Cao's mistakes to cleverly set traps, luring the Cao army deep into the encirclement.

In a night raid, the Cao army fell into an ambush carefully designed by Gu Yi. In the darkness, arrows shot toward the Cao army like raindrops; the soldiers were panicked, and there were countless casualties. In the chaos, Cao Cao realized his mistake, but it was too late; his army had already suffered heavy losses.

After this battle, Cao Cao had to order the entire army to retreat, temporarily giving up the siege of Yecheng. And the military and civilians of Yecheng, under the leadership of Liu Bei and Gu Yi, cheered for victory, and their morale soared.

However, Gu Yi was not carried away by victory. He knew deeply that although Cao Cao had temporarily retreated, he would never let it go. Thus, he suggested to Liu Bei to take the initiative to attack and expand the results of the battle.

Liu Bei adopted Gu Yi's suggestion and personally led the army to pursue the Cao army. During the pursuit, they encountered Cao Cao's rearguard. Both sides engaged in a fierce battle; although the Cao army resisted bravely, they still could not withstand the offensive of Liu Bei's army. Finally, the Cao army's rearguard was annihilated, and a large amount of spoils and captives were seized by Liu Bei's army.

This victory made Liu Bei and Gu Yi famous, and Yecheng's status became even more stable. However, they did not stop their steps. Gu Yi continued to offer advice to Liu Bei, helping him consolidate and expand his sphere of influence. They strengthened connections with other friendly forces to jointly resist Cao Cao's attack. At the same time, they also paid attention to developing the economy and people's livelihood, improving the living standards of the commoners, and winning more hearts.

Under the leadership of Liu Bei and Gu Yi, Yecheng gradually became the political, economic, and cultural center of the north. The commoners lived and worked in peace and contentment, expressing heartfelt support for the leadership of Liu Bei and Gu Yi. And the distant Cao Cao, after successive failures, also began to re-evaluate his strategy and tactics.

He realized that simple anger and impatience could not bring victory. Thus, he began to calm down and re-formulate his strategic plan. However, he also clearly knew that defeating Liu Bei and Gu Yi was no easy task. They needed to plan future actions more cautiously and thoroughly.

Both sides fell into a tense stalemate again. However, this stalemate was different from the past; Cao Cao and Liu Bei both understood that the next war would be even more cruel and intense, and whoever could win this war would determine the future fate.

During this period, Gu Yi continued to play a key role; he not only paid attention to Cao Cao's movements but was also ready to deal with various emergencies at any time. At the same time, he also closely watched the people's livelihood in the city and the training of the army, ensuring that Yecheng could have enough strength to deal with challenges in the next war.

Finally, one day, Cao Cao launched an attack on Yecheng again. This time his army was more cautious and orderly, clearly having undergone careful preparation and training. However, facing the Cao army's attack, Gu Yi had long made full response strategies.

He used the advantages of terrain and architecture to cleverly arrange defensive works and traps, while mobilizing the military inside and outside the city to form a surrounding trend, preparing to give the Cao army a head-on blow.

After the battle started, although the Cao army was brave and skilled in battle, under Gu Yi's clever layout, they fell into heavy difficulties. Gu Yi personally commanded the battle, flexibly adjusting tactics and strategies, making the Cao army unable to break through Yecheng's defensive line at all. At the same time, he also dispatched elite troops to raid and harass the rear of the Cao army, making Cao Cao unable to attend to both ends and exhausted.

After several days and nights of fierce fighting, the Cao army finally could not withstand the tenacious resistance of the Yecheng military and civilians and began to retreat across the board. Seeing that the situation was gone, Cao Cao had to order the entire army to retreat, giving up this siege of Yecheng.

This victory once again highlighted Gu Yi's wisdom and talent; he not only successfully repelled the Cao army's attack but also cleverly used the advantages of terrain and architecture to lead the Cao army into heavy difficulties. His tactics and strategic layout made the military and civilians of Yecheng admire him, regarding him as a hero and a wise man one after another.

However, Gu Yi was not carried away by victory; he knew deeply that the war had not ended, the road ahead was still long, and challenges would be even more severe. They must maintain vigilance and preparation at all times to deal with various situations that might arise.

In the following days, Gu Yi continued to offer advice to Liu Bei, helping him consolidate and expand his sphere of influence, while strengthening friendly relations with other forces to jointly resist the invasion of foreign enemies.

However, good times did not last long. Just as Yecheng was immersed in the joy of victory, an unexpected piece of news arrived: Cao Cao had not given up the struggle for Yecheng but was secretly preparing for a new offensive. Even more shocking was that Cao Cao seemed to have received the support of some mysterious power, and his strength had greatly increased.

Upon learning this news, Gu Yi immediately realized the severity of the situation. He understood that Cao Cao's comeback this time must have a more careful plan and more powerful strength. Thus, he gathered Liu Bei and the generals overnight to discuss countermeasures.

In the meeting, Gu Yi said in a deep voice: "Cao Cao's attack this time must be different from the past. We must re-evaluate the situation and formulate a new strategy."

Liu Bei nodded in agreement: "Mr. Gu's words are very true. Cao Cao is cunning and deceitful; we must never take it lightly."

The generals also expressed their agreement one after another, and a new strategic deployment meeting unfolded in a tense and serious atmosphere.

However, just as Yecheng was preparing for battle in full swing, a sudden change broke the original plan. Some forces that had originally allied with Yecheng turned against them one after another under Cao Cao's coercion and inducement, turning to support Cao Cao. This change made Yecheng's situation suddenly become severe.

Upon learning this news, Gu Yi knew deeply that the situation was severe. He understood that the betrayal of these forces not only weakened Yecheng's strength but also greatly increased Cao Cao's strength. Under such circumstances, the originally formulated strategic plan could no longer adapt to the new situation.

To recover the disadvantage, Gu Yi decided to personally go to the front line to scout the enemy situation so as to formulate a new strategy more accurately. He led a team of elite soldiers and quietly infiltrated the rear of the Cao army.

However, just as Gu Yi and the others were deep behind enemy lines and preparing to return, they unexpectedly encountered an ambush by the Cao army. A fierce battle unfolded; although Gu Yi and the others resisted bravely, they were ultimately outnumbered and fell into heavy encirclement. ===== CHAPTER 1406 =====