The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 192: Li Yi becomes Le Yi, and in a breath, he conquers more than cities of Qi
It was not until this moment that Zhang He realized that he, the "Governor of Qingzhou" who was temporarily transferred to put out the fire, did not have much real power.

The eastern part of Qingzhou had been lost, and the Yuan family had insufficient control, so the only places they controlled were Pingyuan County, Le'an County, and Jinan State.

The territory actually controlled by Zhang He was only Jinan, and Lü Kuang in Pingyuan and Zhang Nan in Le'an nominally obeyed his orders.

However, one of them has the support of the Third Young Master Yuan Shang, and the other has the support of the Second Young Master Yuan Xi, and neither of them is a good person.

Whether Zhang He can mobilize them probably depends on the attitudes of the two.

"…I have heard that a gentleman does not stay in a place where he is suspected."

Cen Bi's voice continued.

"Since Lord Yuan has doubts about General Zhang, you, as the governor of Qingzhou, should be more careful."

"How?"

Zhang He stared and asked.

"What Yuan Gong suspected was that the general had a history with Xuzhou."

"Just now, Li Yi was trying to make friends with the general under the city walls. The general did not shoot him with an arrow, but talked with him instead."

"If someone in Hebei were to spread slander, how would the general deal with it?"

Zhang He suddenly realized that this was what Cen Bi meant when he asked him to shoot arrows.

If you want to eliminate suspicion of love, you should cut off ties with Xuzhou.

After coming to his senses, Zhang He was also struggling in his heart.

How could he not think of such a simple truth at that time?
But I didn't do so in the end. Was it really because I was being optimistic and trying to leave a way out for the future?

"……Ugh."

Cen Bi sighed, "A gentleman does not stand on a dangerous wall. Now that you are in a suspicious place, you should take care of yourself."

This kind of wanting everything is unacceptable.

"...Forget it, let's just be kind and defend Dongpingling now."

"Wait for Lord Yuan's military order to come down, then we can discuss future matters."

Zhang He was upset and no longer paid attention to the matter.

That night, the moonlight was dim.

Dongping Mausoleum.

After inspecting the city defenses, Zhang He slowly walked down the city wall.

When the soldiers on duty on the city wall saw this, they hurriedly saluted.

"Meet the general."

"The Xuzhou army did not attack the city during the day, but I am afraid they will attack tonight. You must defend it strictly and do not relax or slack off!"

Zhang He reminded him again and again, but he always felt uneasy.

After talking with Li Yi today, he has been in a bad mood.

At the same time, I also wondered, with Li Yi's talent and intelligence, would he really go to such great lengths to come to the city to reminisce with me?

A series of events made Zhang He upset and he could no longer think as calmly and composedly as before.

Fortunately, the garrison at Dongping Mausoleum was sufficient, numbering 6,000.

Although they were defeated at Tugushan, Zhang He had already calmed the army's morale, and the soldiers were still confident that they could hold out for two months.

"Please rest assured, General. We are on duty here, and not even a fly can fly in."

"That's right! Even if Li Yi had wings on his ribs, we would break them."

"General, you have been busy all day, go and have a rest!"

Zhang He still had a high prestige in the army, and the soldiers respected and cared about him.

I am indeed a little tired at the moment. Only after I have rested enough will I have the strength to coordinate military affairs.

"...Well, you guys should be more careful. Li Ziyu is very resourceful and is definitely not an ordinary person."

"Even Cao Cao is wary of him, and we are alone in defending the city, so we must not underestimate the enemy."

"If anything happens, please report it to me immediately."

"Be careful, be careful."

Please rest assured, General!
The guards bowed again and nodded, feeling a little impatient.

He secretly thought that General Zhang had really boosted the enemy's morale and destroyed his own prestige.

Even though they could not confront the Xuzhou army head-on on the front battlefield, they had walls to defend themselves.

Even if there were a million soldiers and horses, they could only come up in groups.

What's more, they had to first overcome the layers of obstacles such as antler wood, horse traps, and chevaux de frise outside the city.

When they were close to the city wall, they were greeted by a rain of arrows and rolling stones.

How can it be so easy to get in?
Just when everyone was not paying attention, they suddenly heard a burst of shouting and killing sounds from outside the city, and the sound of gongs and drums was deafening.

Zhang He's face suddenly changed, and he shouted:

"The Xuzhou army is indeed planning a night attack. You should prepare quickly and be well-defended!"

After saying this, Zhang He took up his sword and personally led his troops to the top of the city.

The nerves of the defenders on the city immediately tensed up and they hurriedly climbed up the city wall.

Set up your battle formation, prepare your bows and crossbows, and be ready for battle.

It was already late at night and many of the defenders had fallen asleep, but they were still awakened from their beds by the sound of drums and shouts outside the city.

Even if they wanted to sleep, they didn't dare to. So they put on armor and took up guns and rushed to the top of the city to fight the enemy.

Zhang He stood on the parapet, staring at what was happening outside the city.

The night is like splashed ink, and you can’t see your fingers when you stretch out your hand.

It was impossible to see the strength of the Xuzhou army from outside the city.

The only sounds that could be heard in the wind were the buzzing sounds of gongs and drums, and the endless noise.

Judging from the noise, could it be that tens of thousands of people have come?
Cen Bi also came over wearing armor and holding reins, and asked quickly:
"General Zhang, there are loud drums and shouts outside. I think the Xuzhou army is about to launch a general attack."

"How can we resist the enemy?"

Zhang He had a solemn expression and directed everyone calmly.

"Everyone, please don't lose your composure!"

"If the enemy comes, we will stop them; if the water comes, we will block it with earth. Although the enemy is numerous, our Dongping Mausoleum is not weak."

After saying this, Zhang He held his sword in his hand and stepped on the top of the wall.

Majestic and domineering.

The defenders were all moved by this move, their morale was greatly boosted, and they clamored to fight a life-and-death battle with the Xuzhou army.

Soon, three thousand defenders gathered on Zhang He's side of the city wall.

This is already half of the defenders in the city. As the defenders, they can hold the city even if 30,000 people come.

The shouts, gongs and drums lasted for a full half hour.

Everyone's nerves were on edge. They listened to the "performance" for half an hour, but there was no sign of the Xuzhou army attacking.

At first, he was still energetic, murderous, and full of fighting spirit.

In the end, I felt completely numb and depressed.

Finally, the sound of drums and gongs stopped.

Dongping Mausoleum and its surroundings returned to silence.

The defenders on the city finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But after a brief breath, he started to curse:
"What is this Xuzhou guy up to?"

"You've been making so much noise all night, but you haven't come to attack for a long time. Are you just trying to amuse yourself?"

The soldiers kept cursing on the wall.

Everyone complained that the people of Xuzhou were too cowardly and did not come to attack the city after all the trouble.

Zhang He was also full of doubts. He stared quietly outside the city with his eyes fixed.

At the other end of the night, the sound of the wind is still there, but no human voice can be heard.

It seems that the Xuzhou army has already retreated...

About half an hour later, after everyone had felt the cold wind blowing on the wall, Zhang He was convinced that the people from Xuzhou would not come again tonight.

Zhang He felt relieved, turned around and said to everyone:
"Perhaps the Xuzhou army saw that we reacted quickly and prepared our defenses in time, so they retreated and did not attack the city for the time being."

"Everyone, go back to sleep peacefully!"

After getting Zhang He's permission, everyone dared to go back to sleep.

They stretched, yawned, and went back to the camp to rest.

Zhang He held on for a whole night and was exhausted. He staggered back to the county government with heavy steps.

After going to bed, he did not take off his clothes and armor, but placed his sword beside the bed and slept on his side.

“…Boom boom boom!”

Just as Zhang He lay down and took a short nap, he suddenly heard the sound of drums and shouts of killing outside the city.

Zhang He suddenly jumped up from the bed, looked around and said:
"Who's beating the drum?"

"——Report! General, a large number of enemy troops have gathered outside the East City Gate. I think the people from Xuzhou are coming to attack the city!"

The personal guard rushed into the room and reported the military situation to Zhang He in a hurry.

Zhang He was shocked and angry. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and thought to himself, the Xuzhou army had clearly retreated just now, so how come they came back?

Could it be that the attack just now was just a feint to confuse our troops, and they will launch the real attack after our troops have gone to sleep?

Thinking of this, Zhang He's expression changed slightly.

Without time to think, he picked up the big knife from the bedside and led his personal guards to hurried to the East Gate.

When defending the East Gate, a large number of defenders had already gathered on the city wall.

Everyone was on high alert, and the officers shouted loudly, directing everyone to rush left and right and quickly add logs and stones.

Like Zhang He, many of these people were forcibly pulled out of their sleep.

He was completely confused, and came to the city wall in a daze, as if he was forced to do something.

As the commander-in-chief, Zhang He could not afford to slack off. He braced himself and climbed up to the top of the wall with his sword in hand.

He stepped on the parapet and shouted:
"The enemy is approaching. It's a life-or-death moment."

"Everyone, please be alert, be prepared, and be ready to fight!"

Morale-boosting as always.

The defenders patted their heads hard, trying to clear their minds.

Then he widened his eyes, concentrated his mind, and stared outside the city.

dong dong dong...

bang bang bang...

"Kill, kill, kill..."

At the other end of the night, there were loud gongs and drums and shouts of killing.

It's like the sky is crushing the earth, and the mountains are shaking and collapsing.

Such a commotion should have caused everyone to be nervous.

However, everyone had already been nervous, and now they were a little "desensitized".

Just like before, the huge noise continued for another half an hour and then stopped again.

……

The east is getting bright and the sun is rising.

The noise finally stopped.

The defenders of Dongpingling were tired and sleepy, and they confirmed again and again that the Xuzhou army had not come to attack.

Everyone felt relieved.

It seems that the Xuzhou army's attack this time is still just a feint.

"How hateful! How infuriating!"

"What on earth are these Xuzhou soldiers doing? They keep you busy all night long, just to prevent us from getting a good night's sleep?"

The soldiers were so angry that they drew their swords and chopped stones. They were tormented by Li Yi all night long.

Everyone stared at the dark circles under their eyes, feeling angry but unable to vent.

Zhang He stared quietly outside the city without saying a word, as if he was thinking about something.

"General Zhang, could this be Li Yi's tactic of wearing out the troops?"

Cen Bi walked over slowly and expressed his opinion to Zhang He.

As soon as these words were spoken, they were immediately recognized by the other defenders, and they all echoed them.

"General Cen is right. This must be the Xuzhou army's tactic of wearing out the troops."

"If nothing unexpected happens, the people from Xuzhou will come over tonight to make a feint attack."

"The purpose is to make us exhausted and mentally tired, so that we can be less prepared."

"Then the Xuzhou army will take advantage of the situation and attack the city in one fell swoop."

"What a vicious plan. This must be Li Ziyu's plan."

"You are bullying me because I have few defenders, so you are using the tactic of wearing them out!"

Generally speaking, the best way to deal with the tactic of fatigue is to have one group of people on duty while the other group is resting.

There were only 6,000 soldiers guarding Dongpingling.

Dongpingling is the seat of Jinan government, and the city is strong and tall.

To defend such a big city, six thousand people are still a little "tight".

While everyone was cursing, Zhang He fell into deep thought.

After a while, Zhang He raised his lips and spoke slowly:
"Everyone, be quiet!"

Everyone stopped arguing and turned their eyes to Zhang He.

"...Li Ziyu is resourceful and accustomed to calculating."

"Since everyone can see that this is Li Yi's strategy to tire out his troops, why would Li Yi use such means to break into the city?"

Although Zhang He had not had contact with Li Yi for a long time, he knew well what kind of opponent he was facing.

When everyone heard this, they all looked at each other in surprise.

"... Then according to General Zhang, what is Li Yi planning?"

Zhang He closed his eyes, thought slowly, and said:
"If the Xuzhou army attacks ten times, one of them will be true."

"But our army is completely unaware and is still sleeping soundly on the couch. What can we do?"

Everyone was speechless and had no answer.

This is simply an open conspiracy!

Even though you know that the other party is using the tactic of wearing out the enemy, you still have to be on guard against the possibility that they might actually attack.

"Are we going to be bullied by the people of Xuzhou like this?"

The generals were indignant and furious.

Zhang He put his hands behind his back, pondered for a while, and said:

"Pass on my military order! Divide the defenders into multiple groups, and have each group take turns guarding and resting."

“If the Xuzhou army really launched an attack, although the defensive forces could not meet the requirements in time, it would not cause the city to fall overnight.”

"Here!"

The generals bowed and accepted the order.

This is already the best solution to the tactic of exhausting the troops.

Fortunately, this thing is mutual.

Although some of them have to stay up late, so do people in Xuzhou.

After the order was passed down, Zhang He ordered someone to summon the cooks from the military camp.

Tell the cook to make something delicious these days to nourish the brothers.

Logistical support can be considered as one of the means to deal with the tactic of exhausting the troops.

Only by ensuring that soldiers have adequate food and medical supplies can morale and resistance to fatigue be improved.

In the next few days,

As expected, the Xuzhou army returned, but with the same loud thunder but little rain, they just came without attacking.

Do it all at once, second time tired, third time exhausted.

Gradually, the defenders of Dongpingling became numb.

They knew that the Xuzhou army was just going through the motions and would not take the initiative to attack.

Anyway, they are not in a hurry. As the defending side, they just need to delay time.

As time goes by, the people in Xuzhou should be the ones who are really anxious.

That day, night.

The Xuzhou army attacked again. The Dongpingling defenders did not take it seriously at first, thinking it was just another feint attack.

Suddenly, I saw soldiers gathered at the foot of the city wall. They were shoveling away the deer horn trees and were actually preparing to attack the city.

The defenders of Dongpingling were shocked and hurriedly reported the information to Zhang He.

Zhang He immediately led his men to defend the city, and after a round of attack and killing, the Xuzhou army retreated again.

Although this was a real attack, it was just a brief one and neither side suffered much damage.

However, this further confirmed Zhang He's inner thoughts.

He believed that this was Li Yi's combination of the real and the fake, making the fake real and the real fake.

Besides the feints and harassment, one day the real thing will happen.

Tonight is just Li Yi's test, he will launch a general attack soon!

Zhang He thought so and ordered his soldiers to continue to strengthen their defenses in the next few days and not to relax or slack off.

……

Three days later, at the Xuzhou military camp.

The sun has not yet risen and the east is not yet bright.

However, the camp was already filled with soldiers, and everyone's face was filled with eagerness and desire to fight.

Li Yi held the mandarin duck sword and personally went on stage to review the soldiers.

After looking around the crowd, he saw that everyone was in high spirits, rubbing their hands, and eager to give it a try.

He nodded in satisfaction, and then shouted loudly:
"Everyone has worked tirelessly these past few days. Now it's time to review the results." "Guorang!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Tian Yu stepped out.

"I ordered you to lead our army to form a group of workers and peasants and attack Dongping Mausoleum. How is the progress now?"

"The fortifications are complete, we are just waiting for the order from the Grand Commander!"

Tian Yu was covered in dust. Just last night, he was still carrying out the final work.

Since receiving the order, I have not dared to be lax or slack in the slightest.

Even digging the soil was done by himself.

He worked with shovels and pickaxes every day, sharing the hardships with the soldiers, and finally opened a secret passage to infiltrate Dongping Mausoleum.

"……good."

Li Yi's face was solemn, and he said in a deep voice:

"Since this secret passage was dug out by the state, it should be handed over to you."

"Now I'm going to order you and your men to be the vanguard, and join forces with our army to capture Dongpingling!"

"Order!"

Tian Yu and his soldiers all bowed their hands, and everyone could not hide the excitement on their face.

The secret passage has been opened, which also means that the most difficult task has been completed.

Next, as long as the progress goes smoothly, the troops who enter the secret passage will undoubtedly become the chief contributors after the city is captured.

Li Yi handed it over to Tian Yu, and he and his brothers naturally benefited from it.

After receiving the order, Tian Yu immediately ordered his troops to set off.

He came to a tent and dismantled it.

A dark cave entrance suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes.

This is the masterpiece of Tian Yu and his brothers in the past few days.

Zhang Fei, Chen Dao and other generals rarely used the technique of acupuncture, so after seeing this cave, they were all deeply moved.

"Sir, this is indeed a good plan. This 'hole attack' is unpredictable. I don't think Zhang Junyi will be able to figure out our army's tricks."

"……Hahaha."

Li Yi, however, remained serious, as he knew the war was about to begin.

Then a murderous look appeared on his face, and he said to Tian Yu:
"Tian Yu, listen to my orders!"

"The general is here!"

Tian Yu stepped forward generously.

Li Yi pointed at the hole and said seriously:

"The time has come. You may set out immediately and attack the city."

"After you seize the East Gate, let our troops enter the city!"

"Follow orders!!"

After receiving the order, Tian Yu put a knife in his mouth, jumped into the cave.

The rest of the engineering troops followed silently and jumped into the cave together like little dumplings.

Following Tian Yu's steps, they entered in a line.

Li Yi drew his sword and shouted:

"All soldiers, listen up! Quickly attack Dongpingling. We must take this city today no matter what!"

"Here!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Raise an army for a thousand days, use it for a while.

When you let your soldiers hold back their energy, they can unleash unprecedented combat power.

But the downside is that this fighting power can only last for a while. If the enemy fails to defeat the enemy, the momentum will be dissipated.

So Li Yi made it clear that this battle could not be lost and must be won!

Immediately,

Li Yi ordered Zhang Fei to lead 2,000 men to attack the south gate, Chen Dao to lead 2,000 men to attack the north gate, and Zhao Yun to lead 2,000 men to attack the west gate.

He led the remaining army, which was the main force, to attack the east gate with all his strength and cooperate with Tian Yu's troops from inside and outside.

Soon, the main force of the Xuzhou army officially launched a general attack on Dongpingling.

The reason why he led the main force and divided the attack into three steps to attack from all sides was to buy time for Tian Yu.

Li Yi was full of fighting spirit. He personally drew his sword and urged the soldiers to attack the city and fight.

The camp gates opened wide and the horns sounded.

The men of Xuzhou rushed towards the East Gate like a raging wind and a surging tide.

Facing the general attack of the Xuzhou army, Zhang He immediately ordered the Dongpingling garrison to come and defend.

Zhang He knew that there were many people at the East Gate, so he came to guard the East Gate personally.

"Zhang Junyi is here! Come at me with swords, spears and arrows!"

Zhang He opened his arms and shouted to encourage the soldiers defending the city.

Upon hearing this, the soldiers' morale was greatly boosted and they fought back bravely.

For a while, the Xuzhou army lost the upper hand, failed to take the wall, and its offensive weakened slightly.

"...Hahahaha, the Xuzhou Army is nothing more than that."

"I have been holding it in for so many days. I wonder what kind of fighting power these Xuzhou people have. How could they be so easily defeated?"

The defending soldiers found it not difficult to repel the Xuzhou offensive.

They overestimated the Xuzhou army.

However, Zhang He's face did not show much joy. Instead, his brows were tightly furrowed and he looked upset.

“…No, that’s not right!”

Zhang He pondered for a while, and finally felt that something was wrong.

At this time, Cen Bi, who had come to congratulate Zhang He, stopped and asked curiously:

"Repelling the Xuzhou Army's offensive should be a good thing. How can it be wrong?"

Zhang He opened his eyes and analyzed slowly:

"Today, the Xuzhou army attacked our Dongpingling from all sides, obviously intending to launch a general attack."

"The enemy troops are the largest at the East Gate, so the attack should be the most fierce."

"Why were they so easily repelled by our army, and why did they not come back?"

"What are they waiting for?"

After many years of military career, Zhang He was keenly aware that the reason the Xuzhou army was defeated was not because they were afraid.

Instead, he seemed to be unwilling to hold back, as if he was waiting for something.

"… This, I don't know."

Although Cen Bi knew more about human nature and worldly affairs than Zhang He, he was good at discussing military strategies and using tactics.

He cannot compare to this descendant of Zhang Liang.

"Unless the Xuzhou Army is waiting for chaos to occur within our army."

Zhang He gave his own explanation.

Internal unrest?

Cen Bi was even more puzzled. "Our army has been conducting strict inspections these days. If there were any traitors colluding with the outside world, they would have been caught long ago. They shouldn't have been discovered yet."

"Or maybe they are not our own people?"

"If they are not from our side, then they must be from Xuzhou?"

Cen Bi smiled and said, "Oh, although our Dongpingling garrison is small, the city is strong. Even if the Xuzhou army has two wings, they can't fly in."

“…No need to fly in.”

The more Zhang He thought about it, the more frightened he became. He was sweating profusely and felt as if there were thorns on his back.

"Oh no! Quick! Go check the well water!"

Well water?

Cen Bi was puzzled for a moment, but seeing that Zhang He looked nervous, she hurriedly took people to see.

Soon, people reported that the well water was turbid!
"Well!"

When Zhang He heard the news, he staggered and almost fell to the ground.

"Hole attack! It's hole attack!"

"The Xuzhou troops are coming in through the underground tunnel!"

Zhang He was so angry that he was fuming.

After hunting geese all day, he was finally pecked in the eye by a goose.

Unexpectedly, the Hebei Army, which was best at hole attack, was outmaneuvered by the Xuzhou people and was able to enter the city using hole attack.

"Quick, prepare to evacuate the city!"

Zhang He reacted quickly, realizing that the situation was hopeless, and ran away.

As for the consequences of abandoning the city, we will talk about it after we save our lives.

Cen Bi and others were all surprised and asked Zhang He how he judged that the people from Xuzhou came in through the tunnel.

Zhang He said dejectedly:

"If the well water is turbid, it means someone is stirring up the soil underground."

"You have rarely used military tactics in Qingzhou these years. I wonder if I used this method a lot when I followed Lord Yuan to fight in Hebei."

"So I understand it very well!"

Zhang He was even ashamed to say the last sentence.

I knew it very well, but I was caught off guard and tricked by the enemy.

It is really a case of learning from the barbarians to defeat the barbarians, and magic defeating magic.

"...No! This is impossible!"

Cen Bi shook his head, his face full of disbelief.

"When General Zhang came to Dongping Mausoleum, he clearly ordered us to bury a large jar in the ground to use as a urn."

"At that time, we thought the general was suspicious. If the people of Xuzhou really used acupuncture, how could... um!"

At this point, Cen Bi and others also reacted.

It turns out that the feint attacks launched by the Xuzhou army in the past few days were neither a method of tiring out the soldiers nor a combination of the real and the fake.

It was just to prevent the defenders from noticing that they were digging a tunnel.

A plan within a plan!
This Li Yi actually anticipated this step. How scary, really scary!
Cen Bi and others were all wondering what kind of opponent they were facing?
At this time, someone suddenly reported.

Suddenly, a large number of Xuzhou troops came into the city and rushed towards the gate!

How would you feel if a hedgehog far away in the sky suddenly appeared in your crotch?
At this point, Cen Bi and the others were all panicked and asked Zhang He for advice:

"General Zhang, it's as you expected."

"The Xuzhou army really has penetrated through the hole, what can we do about it?"

Zhang He turned pale, but he still calmly gave the order:

"It's too late to regret now."

"Quickly gather the soldiers and fight our way out from the north gate."

"As long as the troops unite in one place, it won't be difficult to break through."

But I said this to myself.

With Zhang He's bravery and so many people at his disposal, it would not be difficult to cover him and help him break out of the encirclement.

If he didn't say so, how could his soldiers be willing to fight to the death?
With Zhang He's protection, the soldiers joined forces and fought all the way north.

In the middle, they met Tian Yu's troops and a fierce battle broke out.

Neither side wanted to fight. Zhang He's army was eager to withdraw, while Tian Yu's army was eager to capture the city wall.

Both sides suffered some casualties, and soon Tian Yu's army arrived at the city gate first.

Most of the soldiers defending the city withdrew, so Tian Yu captured the East Gate without any effort.

Immediately, the city gates were opened and Li Yi's army was allowed to enter the city.

As soon as the city gate opened, the Xuzhou army seemed to have broken free from shackles and was no longer bound by anything.

The river water rushed into the city like a dam bursting.

Facing the overwhelming crowd of soldiers, just one look at them was enough to scare people to death.

The defenders of Dongping Mausoleum who failed to withdraw surrendered to Li Yi one after another.

Li Yi temporarily detained him and ordered the soldiers to take over the remaining three city gates.

Soon, the troops of Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Chen Dao committed suicide and fled into the city.

Dongpingling was finally broken!
……

Dongpingling was the capital of Jinan County. Once Dongpingling was captured, it basically meant that Jinan would be under the control of the Xuzhou Army.

At this point, four of the six counties in Qingzhou had fallen under the control of the Xuzhou army.

Having gained the four counties, Li Yi was no longer in a hurry to attack further.

Because the military pressure of absorbing the four counties is still very great.

After all, every time you capture a new city, people will be uneasy, and you have to leave people garrisoned even for the sake of public security.

Now that they have barely taken over four counties in one go, it is obvious that Xuzhou has reached the limit of its expansion in the direction of Qingzhou.

In other words, these four counties are almost all that Xuzhou can accept.

Because we have to leave enough people and prepare to go west for a decisive battle with Lao Yuan.

From a purely development perspective, we can actually stop as soon as we take down Qi.

Linzi of Qi was once the largest city in China and the capital of Qi, one of the Five Hegemons.

In the words of Yan Zi,
——"In the three hundred villages of Linzi, Qi, the sleeves were spread out to form a shade, sweat was pouring down like rain, and they stood shoulder to shoulder."

People in Linzi raise their sleeves to block out the sun.

A sweat will turn into rain.

Although this was just Yan Zi's boasting, it also gives us a glimpse of the prosperity of the time.

After so many years, although Linzi is not as prosperous as it was during the time of Qi, it was once the largest city in China.

Its economic foundation and cultural heritage are still there.

It can be said that the richest place in the entire Qingzhou is Linzi.

On the contrary, Jinan, which was the meat grinder in the previous struggle between Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao, has become a deserted place.

Taking over this land will undoubtedly become a blood drain for Xuzhou in a short period of time.

But Li Yi still gritted his teeth and ate it.

Because of Jinan's important strategic location, capturing it would basically mean the end of the Qingzhou war.

Let’s take the example of Qi, one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period.

Although Qi was the leading hegemon, its geographical location was actually very bad.

Especially to the north of Qi, it had to face threats from Zhao and Yan.

As a result, the State of Qi expanded its territory to the south of the Yellow River, using the natural barrier of the Yellow River to defend against enemy countries in the north.

Jinan is located in the Heji Plain, south of the Yellow River.

Because the area has a large amount of water and frequent floods, it is also called the Yellow River Flood Area.

Therefore, the local towns and population are far less than those elsewhere.

Therefore, this place is mainly the depth area of Qi State.

Although the Yellow River is far less dangerous than mountains and rivers, the threat will become greater after the enemy crosses the river.

But after the establishment of Jinan, the depth and breadth of the city were widened.

In other words, Qi will have enough time to react and mobilize troops to defend.

This is why Li Yi gritted his teeth and captured Jinan.

Although this place is not prosperous, Xuzhou still needs to bleed.

But we just need to defend the Yellow River and use Jinan as the depth.

The war in Qingzhou has basically come to an end.

Because next, the offense and defense will change again, and it will be Yuan's army's turn to seize Qingzhou.

But the main force of Yuan’s army is in Jizhou. How many people can he spare to seize Qingzhou?
If they could not provide enough troops, Yuan's army could only look at the Yellow River and sigh, not daring to cross the river to recover the lost land of Qingzhou.

In this battle, Li Yi's strategic goal of attacking Qingzhou was achieved.

That is to eliminate the threat of Yuan’s army in the north of Xuzhou so that it will not affect Xuzhou itself.

Now is the time to turn our attention to Yanzhou, the main battlefield!

After taking Dongping Mausoleum, Li Yi immediately ordered Zhang Fei and Chen Dao to go and take over the remaining counties in Jinan.

Those who can be conquered by order will be conquered by order, and those who cannot surrender will be directly attacked.

The backbone has been lost, and no matter how hard people try to resist, they will eventually have to fight to the last.

Fortunately, the work of collecting the remaining counties went very smoothly.

The county magistrates were all cooperative and took the initiative to surrender the city.

After Jinan was conquered, Li Yi ordered his men to open the treasury and give all the money in the treasury to the soldiers.

This was agreed upon before we went to war, and we must not break our promise to the soldiers.

Afterwards, Li Yi left Zhao Yun in charge of military affairs in Qingzhou, with Tian Yu as his deputy, leaving a total of 20,000 people.

Let them guard Qingzhou to prevent Yuan’s army from crossing the river and counterattacking.

Wang Xiu, a famous scholar from Beihai who was both civil and military, was transferred from Xuzhou to help handle the government affairs of Qingzhou.

Wang Xiu was from Qingzhou, and he was very familiar with the customs and people of Qingzhou.

After arranging everything, Li Yi set off back to Xia Pi.

Before that, he also wrote a special letter to Liu Bei.

……

(End of this chapter)