Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 721 The War Begins
Gongsun Zan decided to pursue the victory and not give the Xianbei army a chance to catch their breath. He led the entire army to take the initiative and launched a decisive battle with the Xianbei army. On the battlefield, the two sides had a huge disparity in strength, but Gongsun Zan cleverly used tactics, letting the infantry go in front and form a tight square to resist the attack of the Xianbei army; the archers kept shooting in the rear, causing heavy casualties to the Xianbei army; and the cavalry made a detour on both wings to look for opportunities to fight.

The battle entered a fierce stage, and soldiers on both sides were bloodthirsty. Gongsun Zan galloped back and forth in the battle array, commanding with confidence. He constantly encouraged morale, shouting: "Soldiers, for the people of Youzhou, for our homeland, kill!" Under his encouragement, the Youzhou army fought bravely, fighting ten enemies with one.

After several hours of fierce fighting, the Xianbei army finally could not withstand the fierce attack of the Youzhou army and began to collapse. Gongsun Zan ordered the entire army to pursue and defeat the Xianbei army completely. The Youzhou army was like a tiger descending from the mountain, chasing and killing the Xianbei army for dozens of miles. In this battle, the Youzhou army annihilated more than 20,000 Xianbei soldiers and captured more than 10,000 people. The remaining 20,000 Xianbei soldiers fled in panic.

Gongsun Zan looked at the defeated Xianbei army going away and breathed a sigh of relief. This border battle that lasted for ten days finally ended with a great victory for the Youzhou army. He knew very well that this victory was hard-won and was the result of the bloody battles of all the Youzhou soldiers. After returning to Youzhou, Gongsun Zan was welcomed by the people. They cheered and were grateful to Gongsun Zan and the Youzhou army for defending their homes.

In order to reward the soldiers, Gongsun Zan ordered a grand banquet to entertain the entire army. At the banquet, Gongsun Zan personally toasted the meritorious soldiers and commended their heroic deeds. He said excitedly: "This time we were able to repel the Xianbei barbarians, all thanks to the bravery of all the soldiers. You are the heroes of Youzhou and the steel Great Wall protecting the people! I hope you will continue to maintain this fighting spirit and protect our Youzhou!" After hearing this, the soldiers shouted: "I am willing to die for my lord!"

The victory of this battle not only enhanced Gongsun Zan's prestige in Youzhou, but also made the Youzhou Army more famous. At the same time, it also made other surrounding forces look at Gongsun Zan and the Youzhou Army with new eyes. However, Gongsun Zan did not become complacent because he knew that in this chaotic world, only by constantly strengthening himself could he protect Youzhou and realize his ambitions. So he began to reorganize the army, replenish soldiers, further enhance the combat effectiveness of the Youzhou Army, and prepare for possible challenges in the future.

In the following days, Gongsun Zan properly handled the 10,000 captured Xianbei soldiers. He incorporated some of the Xianbei soldiers who were willing to surrender into the Youzhou Army, allowing them to learn the training methods and tactics of the Youzhou Army, hoping to integrate them into the system of the Youzhou Army and use them for his own purposes. For those Xianbei soldiers who were unwilling to surrender, Gongsun Zan did not embarrass them, but distributed some food and clothing and let them return to the Xianbei tribe. He hoped that through this move, he could show his generosity to the Xianbei tribe, reduce the hatred between the two sides, and strive for a relatively peaceful environment for the Youzhou border.

At the same time, Gongsun Zan also summarized and reflected on the war. He realized that although the Youzhou army won the battle, some problems were exposed. For example, in the long battle, the pressure of logistics supply was relatively high, and the supply of food and arrows was sometimes tight. Therefore, he ordered to strengthen food reserves in various parts of Youzhou, encourage people to reclaim wasteland and increase food production. At the same time, increase investment in weapons manufacturing and arrow production to ensure that the army can have sufficient equipment supply in wartime.

In addition, Gongsun Zan also strengthened the defense construction of the Youzhou border. He added more beacon towers and lookouts in the border area and arranged special personnel to be on duty day and night so that the enemy's movements could be discovered in time. At the same time, he also organized the people to build fortifications and strengthen the city walls to improve the defense capabilities of the border cities.

In terms of military training, Gongsun Zan adjusted and optimized the training content based on the lessons learned from this battle. He increased the proportion of actual combat simulation training, allowing soldiers to exercise their combat skills and adaptability in an environment closer to the real battlefield. At the same time, he strengthened the coordination training between the various arms, improved the coordination between infantry, crossbowmen and cavalry, and enabled them to exert greater combat effectiveness in battle.

These measures taken by Gongsun Zan further enhanced the military strength of Youzhou, and the people were full of confidence in their future lives. Gongsun Zan was also moving steadily forward on the road of continuously strengthening his own strength. He looked forward to being able to write his own glorious chapter in this chaotic world with his wisdom and courage, as well as the powerful Youzhou army.

After hearing the discussion of Jia Changsheng's governance of Jingzhou by various princes, Liu Bei was deeply moved and realized that time was running out and he had to speed up the process of attacking Yizhou. At this time, he had powerful generals such as Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun, as well as wise men such as Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong to assist him. It was a good time to make great plans.

In the tent, Liu Bei called everyone together and said with a serious and firm expression: "Everyone, now the world is in turmoil and the princes are rising up. Yizhou is a land of abundance with fertile fields for thousands of miles. If we can occupy this place, we can fight for the Central Plains when we advance, and we can protect our territory and the people when we retreat. Now that we have heard about the dynamics of all parties, it is urgent for us to speed up the process of taking Yizhou. I wonder if you have any good ideas?"

Zhuge Liang waved his feather fan and said calmly, "My lord, Yizhou is strategically located and easy to defend but difficult to attack. However, Liu Zhang is weak and although he has many generals under his command, they are not united. I think we can first send people to various parts of Yizhou to spread the name of my lord's benevolence and win the hearts of the people. At the same time, we can divide Liu Zhang's internal forces and win over those who are dissatisfied with Liu Zhang. In this way, we can reduce resistance for our army to advance."

Pang Tong nodded slightly and continued, "What the military advisor said is very true. In addition, our army can be divided into several routes, combining the surprise and the regular. One route can feint an attack from the front to attract Liu Zhang's main force; the other route can secretly take a small route and surprise attack the important town in the rear, disrupting his deployment and making it impossible for him to take care of both the front and the rear."

After hearing this, Liu Bei nodded and said, "What you two gentlemen said is a good plan. Let's act according to this plan. Yunchang, Yide, Zilong, you are all powerful generals of our army. Each of you will lead an army and act according to the plan. You must be careful and cautious, and don't underestimate the enemy."

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun responded in unison: "We will obey the Lord's orders!"

Zhang Fei was the most anxious. He shouted, "Don't worry, big brother. I will kill him without a single piece of armor left and take Yizhou for you!"

Guan Yu stroked his beard and smiled: "Brother, please watch us make achievements and help you achieve great things."

Zhao Yun clasped his fists and said, "My lord, rest assured that I will fulfill my mission."

Therefore, Liu Bei's army was divided into several routes and began a rapid attack on Yizhou. Guan Yu led an elite division and pretended to attack Liu Zhang's main defense line from the main road. For a while, the drums of war were beating and the shouts of killing shook the sky. Liu Zhang really fell into the trap and hurriedly dispatched a large number of troops to the place where Guan Yu attacked and defended with all his strength.

At this time, Zhang Fei led another army, under the guidance of a guide who was familiar with the terrain, along a hidden mountain path, quietly heading towards Jiangzhou, an important town behind Yizhou. Along the way, Zhang Fei's military orders were as strict as a mountain, strictly prohibiting soldiers from making noises, and making sure to approach the target quietly.

After several days of rapid march, Zhang Fei's army finally arrived outside Jiangzhou. At this time, the Jiangzhou garrison commander Yan Yan had not yet noticed that Zhang Fei's army had arrived. Zhang Fei looked at the Jiangzhou city wall, secretly delighted, and immediately ordered an attack on the city. For a moment, ladders were erected in rows, and soldiers rushed to the city wall like a tide. Yan Yan hastily responded to the attack, but was caught off guard by Zhang Fei's sudden attack.

Zhang Fei led the charge, holding a Zhangba Snake Spear, and rushed to the front. His roar was like thunder, which frightened the soldiers guarding the city. Under Zhang Fei's fierce attack, Jiangzhou City was quickly breached and Yan Yan was captured alive. When Zhang Fei saw Yan Yan, he shouted, "You old man, why don't you surrender to me, Zhang?"

Yan Yan showed no fear and responded loudly: "In Yizhou, there are only beheaded generals, no surrendering generals!"

Zhang Fei was furious when he heard this and raised his spear to kill Yan Yan. But he changed his mind and thought that his lord was based on benevolence and virtue. If such a brave general could surrender, it would be a great help. So Zhang Fei put away his anger and personally untied Yan Yan, saying: "General, you are loyal and righteous. I admire you. If you are willing to surrender, I will treat you as a guest of honor."

Seeing Zhang Fei's generosity and hearing about Liu Bei's reputation for benevolence, Yan Yan decided to surrender. Zhang Fei was overjoyed and treated Yan Yan well. He also followed Yan Yan's advice and did not harm the people of Jiangzhou. For a time, Zhang Fei's reputation as a benevolent and righteous teacher spread throughout Jiangzhou, and the people supported him.

At the same time, Zhao Yun also led an army to attack Jiangyang. The generals of Jiangyang thought that the army was in front to resist Guan Yu and were not prepared for Zhao Yun's attack. Zhao Yun led his army like a god, quickly broke through the city gate and entered the city. The Jiangyang defenders resisted hastily, but were quickly defeated by Zhao Yun's fierce attack. Zhao Yun also restrained the soldiers and appeased the people, and Jiangyang quickly became stable.

Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong personally led the central army and advanced steadily. Wherever they passed, many counties and prefectures surrendered voluntarily because of the reputation for benevolence they had spread before and the successive victories of generals such as Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun.

As Liu Bei's army advanced rapidly, Liu Zhang also realized the critical situation. He hurriedly summoned all the generals to discuss countermeasures. Liu Zhang said worriedly: "Now Liu Bei's army is coming fiercely, and all places are calling for help. Do you have any good strategies to repel the enemy?"

The generals looked at each other, no one answered for a while. At this time, Zhang Song, a subordinate of Liu Zhang, had secretly surrendered to Liu Bei. He deliberately said, "My lord, Liu Bei is a relative of the Han Dynasty and is known for his kindness. He may have come here with no ill intentions. It is better to make peace with him to keep the people of Yizhou safe."

Liu Zhang was hesitant. He knew that Liu Bei's move was intended to seize Yizhou, but he was worried that continued resistance would cause great suffering to the people of Yizhou. Just as Liu Zhang was hesitant, another of his subordinates, Huang Quan, stepped forward and said, "My lord, you must not trust Liu Bei. Liu Bei has always had great ambitions. This time he came here, he must be coveting the land of Yizhou. Our army should hold the city, wait for reinforcements, and fight Liu Bei to the death!"

After hearing this, Liu Zhang felt even more conflicted. In the end, he decided to hold on to the city and wait for other reinforcements to arrive. However, at this time, people in Yizhou were already in a state of panic, and many counties and prefectures turned against Liu Bei when they saw that his army was unstoppable.

When Zhuge Liang learned that Liu Zhang was hesitant, he said to Liu Bei: "My lord, Liu Zhang is indecisive. Now is a good time for our army to speed up the attack. Send people to spread the word about Liu Zhang's weakness and our army's benevolence, so that more people and generals in Yizhou will join my lord."

Liu Bei followed the plan and sent a large number of soldiers and advisers to spread the news throughout Yizhou. For a time, dissatisfaction with Liu Zhang in Yizhou became increasingly high, while expectations for Liu Bei grew. Many originally wavering forces chose to join Liu Bei.

Pang Tong offered another plan to Liu Bei: "My lord, although our army has captured several cities, Liu Zhang still has a lot of troops guarding Chengdu and other places. For now, we can cut off the connection between Chengdu and the surrounding counties and isolate Chengdu. At the same time, we should intensify our attack on the surrounding counties to weaken Liu Zhang's power."

Liu Bei adopted Pang Tong's strategy and sent generals such as Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun to lead the army to launch a fierce attack on the counties around Chengdu. Under the powerful offensive of Liu Bei's army, the counties around Chengdu fell one after another.

As time went by, Liu Bei's army had occupied half of Yizhou. However, at this time, Liu Bei's army also faced some problems. Continuous battles made the soldiers exhausted, and the supply of food and grass began to become tight. Moreover, as the occupied areas expanded, how to govern these places also became a problem that Liu Bei urgently needed to solve.

Liu Bei called everyone together again to discuss the matter. Zhuge Liang said, "My Lord, now that our army has occupied half of Yizhou, the most urgent task is to appease the people and stabilize the situation. We can send honest and capable people to various places to restore production, reduce taxes, and let the people feel your kindness. At the same time, we can select local talents to serve us and enrich our army's governance team."

Liu Bei nodded and said, "Military Advisor, you are right. I am a benevolent person and will not mistreat the people of Yizhou. Zilong, you are a steady person and can be responsible for allocating food and grass to ensure that our army has a safe supply. Yunchang and Yide, you two continue to prepare for war in case Liu Zhang is desperate and launches a counterattack."

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun received orders again. Zhao Yun quickly organized people to collect food and grass from various places, and arranged special people to escort them to ensure the supply of food and grass to the front line. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei reorganized and trained the army to improve the combat effectiveness of the soldiers.

With the assistance of Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong, Liu Bei began to govern the newly occupied areas. They selected a group of local prestigious and talented people and entrusted them with important tasks. These people were familiar with the local conditions. With their help, Liu Bei quickly stabilized the situation in the newly occupied areas, and the people gradually returned to their normal lives.

While Liu Bei was governing his new territory, Liu Zhang was getting more and more anxious in Chengdu. He watched his territory being eaten away by Liu Bei, but he could do nothing about it. At this point, some of his subordinates, seeing that the situation was hopeless, urged Liu Zhang to surrender. But Liu Zhang still had a glimmer of hope in his heart, hoping that a miracle would happen and save the situation in Yizhou.

However, Liu Bei did not give Liu Zhang too much time. After stabilizing the occupied areas, Liu Bei once again assembled his army and prepared to launch a final attack on Chengdu. This time, Liu Bei was determined to win. He wanted to take Chengdu in one fell swoop, completely occupy Yizhou, and lay a solid foundation for his hegemony. Liu Zhang in Chengdu was also nervously preparing for the final defense. A battle to determine the ownership of Yizhou was about to begin.

(End of this chapter)