Shuhan

The news that the Wei army reinforcements were ambushed and defeated by the Han army spread quickly like a sharp blade in the cold wind, penetrating every corner of Yecheng.

Inside the city, the morale of the Wei army was low, and the faces of the soldiers were filled with despair and exhaustion. In the dead of winter, heavy snow fell, and the white-clad Ye City seemed particularly quiet and cold, as if even the heaven and earth were mourning for this city that was about to fall into war.

However, in this biting cold wind, the Han army quickly gathered like a pack of wolves that smelled blood, preparing to launch the final general attack on Yecheng.

There was determination and coldness in their eyes, as if they wanted to use this victory to wash away the shame and failure of the past.

At the forefront of the Han army was a special team - the Yanzhou reinforcements that originally came to support Yecheng, but now became the vanguard of the Han army's siege.

They were dressed in tattered armor and held rusty weapons in their hands. Their eyes showed both a desire for life and a fear of death.

But they knew that their fate was tied to this war and they could not escape it.

With a burst of rapid drum beats, the Han army began their siege.

Battering rams, ladders, catapults, towers and other siege equipment surged towards the walls of Ye City like a tide. These cold machines, under the control of the soldiers, made a deafening roar, as if they were going to tear the walls apart.

Driven by the Han army, the surrendered Wei soldiers were forced to rush to the city walls and use their flesh and blood to resist those deadly siege weapons.

Their faces were filled with helplessness and despair, but they had to do their best to survive. However, under the fierce offensive of the Han army, their resistance seemed so insignificant.

On the city wall, Wei soldiers fought hard to resist the attack of the Han army.

There is both a desire for victory and a fear of failure in their eyes.

Cao Zhen stood on the city wall, holding a spear, and personally commanded the battle to defend the city.

His figure stood out in the snow, like an unshakable mountain. He shouted loudly, encouraging the soldiers to continue fighting.

"Defend the city, defend the city!"

However, the morale of the Wei army had fallen to the bottom.

Their once impregnable defense began to show cracks under the fierce attack of the Han army.

The Han soldiers rushed towards the city wall like a tide. Their shouts and cries were deafening, as if they were going to swallow up the entire Ye City.

In a fierce battle, the Han soldiers finally rushed onto the city wall.

They brandished their weapons and engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the Wei army soldiers. The blood dyed the snow red, and the wailing and screaming intertwined, forming a tragic picture.

Seeing this, Cao Zhen immediately led his guards to rush forward and started a desperate fight with the Han army. His figure shuttled across the battlefield, and every time he swung his gun, the enemy fell.

However, the Han army's offensive was too fierce.

Although Cao Zhen was extremely brave, he could not change the fact that the Wei army was gradually defeated.

During a fierce battle, he was ambushed by a Han soldier and fell to the ground seriously injured.

But his eyes remained firm. He struggled to stand up and continued to command the battle to defend the city.

The battle lasted for three days and three nights.

During this long period of time, Yecheng experienced unprecedented tests.

Every gap in the city wall became a target of attack by the Han army; every street was filled with smoke and the smell of blood.

The Wei soldiers desperately resisted the Han attack; while the Han army was chasing them relentlessly like hungry wolves, looking for a breakthrough.

Finally, at dusk on the third day, the Han army found the weakness in the Wei army's defense line.

They concentrated all their siege engines and launched a fierce attack on this point.

The city wall collapsed under the huge impact force; the Han soldiers took the opportunity to rush into the city and engaged in street fighting with the Wei army.

At this time, Yecheng was already on the verge of collapse.

The resistance of the Wei army soldiers was getting weaker and weaker, while the Han army surged in like a tide and overwhelmed them. Cao Zhen felt heartbroken at the tragic scene before him, but he also knew that the situation was hopeless.

Finally, with a deafening explosion, the gate of Yecheng was breached by the Han army.

The Han soldiers poured into the city like a tide, cheering and shouting to celebrate this hard-won victory.

The Wei army soldiers laid down their weapons, surrendered or fled in all directions, their eyes filled with despair and helplessness.

Cao Zhen stood on the ruins and looked at everything in front of him, his heart filled with sadness, anger and helplessness.

He knew that he had tried his best but still couldn't change the outcome of failure. He took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes...

"General, the Han army has entered the city, let's run!" a personal soldier shouted anxiously, trying to support the already shaky general.

Cao Zhen's eyes were hollow and deep, as if he had seen through life and death. He shook his head slowly, his voice hoarse and firm: "Yecheng is lost. I have no face to see Your Majesty. I will die here!"

As he spoke, he slowly drew out the sword from his waist with trembling hands. The cold blade flashed with a chilling light under the reflection of the snow.

Seeing this, the guards were horrified and stepped forward, tightly grasping Cao Zhen's wrist, shouting at the top of their lungs: "General, you can't do this! As long as there is life, there is hope! The State of Wei depends on you now!"

His eyes were full of earnestness and anxiety, as if he wanted to use all his strength to stop Cao Zhen's desperate action.

Under the insistence of his personal soldiers, Cao Zhen finally put down the sword in his hand, but his eyes were still empty and confused.

Seeing this, the personal soldier felt a little comforted and quickly helped Cao Zhen onto the horse, then jumped on and grabbed the reins tightly.

With a loud horse neigh, they galloped out of the city, leaving behind the burning Ye City and endless chaos.

In Yecheng, the Han army poured in like a tide, cheering and shouting, celebrating this hard-won victory.

And the tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians who once lived in this city were now plunged into endless panic and despair.

They fled in all directions, some knelt down to surrender immediately, praying to save their lives; some hid in the ruins, trying to avoid the disaster; and more tried their best to flee out of the city, hoping to escape this land of death.

However, the Han army's pursuit did not stop.

The cavalrymen galloped on their horses, and the Xianbei cavalry chased after them like wolves and tigers.

They brandished their weapons and mercilessly killed the fleeing Wei soldiers and civilians. The blood dyed the snow red, and the wailing and screaming came one after another, forming a picture of hell on earth.

The pursuit lasted for a day and a night, from Yecheng all the way to Dangyin City.

In this long escape and pursuit, countless lives disappeared on this cold land. Finally, outside Dangyin City, the Han army finally stopped.

They looked at the vast snowfield ahead and the vague outline of the city in the distance, their hearts filled with fatigue and satisfaction.

They knew that they had won the war; and those Wei soldiers and civilians who were fleeing could only continue their escape on this snowy plain.

On their way to escape, Cao Zhen and his personal soldiers were filled with grief, anger and helplessness.

Everyone knew what the loss of Yecheng meant to the State of Wei.

Cao Zhen fell into deep self-blame. He felt that he had failed to live up to the trust and responsibility of His Majesty, and to the soldiers who had sacrificed their lives for the country.

However, at this moment of despair, the words of his personal soldiers were like a ray of light shining into his dark world - "As long as there is green, there is no fear of running out of firewood! The State of Wei now relies on the general!"

This sentence hit Cao Zhen's heart like a heavy hammer, making him suddenly wake up. Yes! I can't give up so easily!
Wei still needs him!

Your Majesty still needs him!

Thinking of this, Cao Zhen regained his spirit. He held the hand of his personal soldier tightly, with a firm light in his eyes: "You are right! I can't fall down like this! I want to fight for Wei! Fight for His Majesty!"

So, with the help of his personal soldiers, Cao Zhen regained his spirits and continued to move towards the distant Wei territory, with hope and determination in his heart.

The snowy plain and the ruins of Yecheng behind them gradually disappeared from their sight...

As the gates of Yecheng collapsed, the Han army poured into this once indestructible city like a tide, announcing the end of the Battle of Jizhou.

However, for the Han army, this was not the end of victory, but a new starting point.

Wei Yan knew very well that although the smoke of war had dissipated, the real challenge had just begun - to consolidate the results of the war, appease the people, eradicate banditry, and prepare for the coming year's campaigns.

Years of fighting had exhausted the Han army physically and mentally. Their armor was covered with traces of time, and their eyes were tired. Although the victory in Yecheng made them excited, the severe cold of midwinter and the fatigue of continuous fighting were like invisible shackles that bound their steps.

The generals sat around in the tent, the fire reflected on their resolute faces, but everyone's eyes revealed worry about the future.

"General, should we press on with our victory and capture Hanoi in one fell swoop?" a young general suggested.

The commander shook his head and sighed, "No, we can't let the temporary victory get to our heads. The soldiers are already exhausted, and with the severe cold weather, continuing to march will undoubtedly be a great test for them. More importantly, we need time to consolidate the rule of Jizhou, to ensure that the people here can live in peace and that the nobles can return home."

The Han army began to consolidate their rule in Jizhou.

They first cleared the battlefield in the city, properly buried the remains of the fallen soldiers, and set up an altar to commemorate the heroic spirits.

At the same time, in order to appease the people, the Han army issued a series of notices to reassure the people, promising to protect the lives and property of the people and reduce the tax burden.

In Jizhou, banditry has been rampant for a long time.

The Han army knew very well that in order to completely stabilize this land, they must eradicate these bandits who endangered the people.

So they organized elite troops to clear out bandit nests in various places.

Soon, in a late-night raid, the Han army soldiers quietly approached a bandit's nest hidden in the mountains and forests.

Following an order, they rushed into the bandit's nest like a tiger descending from the mountain and started a fierce battle with the bandits. In the flash of swords and shadows, the bandits fell one after another.

After several months of continuous clearing operations, the bandit problem in Jizhou was effectively curbed.

The people's sense of security was greatly enhanced, and their gratitude to the Han army was beyond words.

the other side.

The winter wind was biting and yellow leaves were flying. The sad news of the fall of Yecheng was like a thunderclap, breaking the quiet sky and quickly spreading to Luoyang, thousands of miles away.

This ancient and prosperous capital was suddenly plunged into unprecedented shock.

The news spread like wildfire, not only causing panic in Luoyang city, but also causing turmoil in the entire world.

Inside the imperial city, Cao Rui, the Emperor of Wei, sat on the dragon throne, his face ashen, his eyes as sharp as torches, and he was burning with anger.

His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, and each tap seemed to contain endless anger and unwillingness.

The atmosphere in the hall was so heavy that it was almost suffocating. All the civil and military officials were silent, and no one dared to look the emperor in the eye.

Suddenly, Cao Rui slapped the armrest, stood up, and roared: "Yecheng is an important city of Wei State, and it was lost so easily! You are all good-for-nothings, what's the point of keeping you?"

After he finished speaking, he waved his hand and several eunuchs and palace maids were roughly dragged out by the guards. The wailing sounds came one after another, but were quickly blocked out by the heavy palace door.

Ten lives were lost in one day, and everyone in the palace was trembling with fear, fearing that they would be the next.

Inside the palace walls, the palace alleys that were once quite bustling now became dead silent; even the sound of wind blowing fallen leaves seemed particularly harsh.

People's hearts were in turmoil, panic spread like a plague, and the entire Luoyang city seemed to be shrouded in an invisible haze.

The merchants had a keen sense of smell and realized at the first moment that the situation was not good.

They closed their shops one after another and began to secretly stockpile food and groceries in preparation for emergencies.

Food prices soared like a wild horse, and the market, which was originally relatively abundant, suddenly became tense.

Faced with the sudden change, the people were at a loss as to what to do. Some were busy buying food, while others began packing up their belongings and preparing to flee the city that was about to fall into chaos.

Those foresighted nobles and common people sold their land and properties at low prices early on and moved their families away in order to find a peaceful place in the chaotic times.

Deep in the palace, Cao Rui's mood was not appeased by the punishment of several innocent people.

His brows were furrowed and his eyes were deep, as if he was thinking about more profound issues.

At this time, an attendant hurriedly reported: "Your Majesty, General Cao Zhen has fled to Xingyang."

When Cao Rui heard this, a hint of anger flashed in his eyes, but also mixed with a bit of helplessness.

Although Cao Zhen, as an important official of the Wei State, was responsible for the fall of Yecheng, he cannot be blamed entirely.

However, the national law cannot tolerate this and the people cannot be satisfied, so Cao Zhen must pay the price for this.

"Convey my order and summon Prince of Yan Cao Yu and a group of civil and military officials into the palace." Cao Rui's voice was low and powerful, and every word revealed unquestionable majesty.

Soon, a group of ministers in neat clothes and with different expressions gathered in the hall.

Cao Yu was a burly man with a resolute face. He was well aware of the importance of this summons and was the first to speak: "Your Majesty, although the general has failed in his duty, I hope Your Majesty will be lenient with him in consideration of his past contributions."

The other ministers also echoed and asked the emperor to show mercy.

Cao Rui was silent for a moment, his eyes swept over the crowd, and finally spoke slowly: "Cao Zhen, as a great general, failed to defend Yecheng, causing shame to the country and suffering to the people. He deserves death. However, considering our old friendship, the death penalty can be spared, but the living crime cannot be escaped. From today on, all his official positions and titles are stripped away, and he is demoted to a commoner and will never be employed again."

After saying this, he waved his sleeves and left, leaving all the ministers in the hall looking at each other in bewilderment, with mixed feelings in their hearts.

When Cao Zhen learned the news, he was sitting alone in a mansion in Xingyang.

He looked haggard, with an untidy beard, and his eyes were full of loneliness and unwillingness.

The glory and power he once had have now vanished, and he has become a sinner in the eyes of everyone.

In this deep self-blame and pain, he also understood a truth: the world is unpredictable, and only by caring about the world can one be invincible.

In Luoyang City, with Cao Zhen's demotion, the turmoil seemed to have subsided temporarily.

But everyone knew in their hearts that this was just the calm before the storm.

Cao Rui paced back and forth in the palace, thinking about how to restore the country's prestige and recover the lost territory.

He knew very well that in order to stabilize the situation, he must first stabilize the people's hearts.

So he ordered the granaries to be opened to release grain and lower the price of grain. At the same time, he sent envoys to various places to appease the people and call on everyone to unite and overcome the difficulties together.

If the situation cannot be reversed, I am afraid that the Wei Dynasty will be destroyed soon. (End of this chapter)