The Duke of Shu Han began guarding Jingzhou in place of Guan Yu.

Chapter 353 Beheading Generals
What is Miwei good at?
Or rather, what are the advantages of the Han army?
After Mi Wei joined the battle, Zhuge Qiao continued to control the drums and flags on the command platform while asking himself a question.

First and foremost is his ability to coordinate operations on a scale of "hundreds of miles".

Or, to put it another way, strategy.

In essence, this battle was a success because Mi Wei successfully exploited Cao Hong and his men's weakness, attacking what they were forced to defend and forcing them to retreat north.

Then, by making a large-scale feint and retreating maneuver, the Wei army's supply lines were forced to be greatly extended.

As long as Cao Hong does not dare to completely betray the Wei dynasty, he will inevitably be manipulated and fall into the trap.

As for which city to plunder, which lake to breach, and which battlefield to choose for the final battle... these details are certainly important.

But all of them serve the established strategic goals.

From this perspective, Cao Hong lost the strategic initiative from the very beginning.

The only way to minimize losses is to rely on superior cavalry skills.

But ultimately it is a strategic disadvantage.

As the war dragged on into late autumn and early winter, the Wei army finally faced a crisis of food shortages.

This disadvantage was magnified countless times.

The conditions for victory or defeat in today's battle are actually unfair to both the Han and Wei sides.

For the Han army, as long as they could withstand the Wei army's rapid offensive, or at least hold Weishi City, they would have achieved their basic strategic objective.

In short, as long as you don't suffer a major defeat, you can be considered successful.

In contrast, the Wei army...

The army's food supplies were running low.

The grain transport route behind them was then submerged by the flood.

And Kou Feng and Wang Ping are constantly causing trouble.

Unless the Han army is completely driven out of Weishi and even Chenliu, and then receives aid from Guanqiu Jian of Yanzhou.

Otherwise, it cannot be called a victory.

The difficulty of winning for either side was extremely unequal from the very beginning.

This is the strategic advantage of the Han army.

And besides that...

Zhuge Qiao turned his gaze to the southern battlefield, which was once again in an uproar because someone had gotten involved.

To be honest, he knew that Mi Wei would definitely have to personally participate in this battle.

But he didn't expect Mi Wei to come off the field so late.

It should be noted that the opposing commander, Cao Hong, had already personally led his cavalry in a charge.

What does this mean?
This shows that the Han army was able to fight to a standstill against the Wei army, which was led by its own commander, without the commander-in-chief personally taking to the field.

This is clear evidence of the extremely high average quality of the lower-ranking officers and soldiers in the Han army.

This is the result of Zhuge Liang's military training in Guanzhong, Mi Wei's engineering and mechanical skills in Hedong, and the fact that the other generals also did not neglect military preparations over the past two or three years.

This is the foundation of popular support and confidence accumulated over the past decade or so, as the Shu Han dynasty rose from nothing to something, from Jingzhou to Yizhou, and then to control half of the country... all through arduous pioneering efforts.

Therefore, although the Shu Han cavalry lacked experience and combat traditions in battles involving tens of thousands of men.

Yet they were still able to fight the Wei army to a standstill using reasonable tactical plans.

As for the infantry... look at the Wei army's infantry banners that have been swallowed up by the flying dust, what use are the Wei infantry now?
"Failed..."

Cao Hong gazed at the "Deer" character flag that was getting closer and closer.

At this moment, I felt inexplicably calm.

When did I first become aware of my own failure?
When they learned that the army's food supplies were running out?
When was Xinpi mocking and ridiculing him?
Or was it earlier, when it was learned that Cao Zhi was unwilling to establish his own faction?
It's hard to say anymore.

Cao Hong only knew that.

He was facing a group of ferocious enemies who were slightly less skilled but no less powerful.

Now that the opposing leader has personally joined the fray, skills and such have become irrelevant.

The Han army only needed to follow the general's flag and throw a straight punch at their own flag.

That will end today's battle.

Upon realizing this, Cao Hong immediately summoned the scouts and gave the order:

"Go find Guanqiu Zhonggong and tell him three things." "First, I have been defeated, and Yuzhou is beyond saving. Quickly retreat to Puyang and wait for Hebei to come to our aid."

"Secondly, I, Cao Hongzilian, died in battle for the king's cause, and I have not failed the Great Wei!"

"Third, the generals of Huainan... Forget it, I'm all dead, why should I care about those old scoundrels!"

After leaving these three sentences, Cao Hong spurred his horse again and charged towards the enemy without looking back.

……

The Battle of Weishi ended seven days later.

It wasn't that the Wei army had particularly strong fighting spirit, or that someone overestimated their own charisma.

In fact, on the very first day at dusk, after Cao Hong was beheaded by a lucky Han cavalry commander, the morale of the Wei army completely collapsed, and they scattered, thus entering the traditional phase of the victors pursuing and defeating the fleeing enemy.

But after all, it was a decisive battle with a combined force of 100,000 people on both sides.

Even a one-sided manhunt cannot be over in a single night.

It would take several days to slaughter 100,000 pigs.

But no matter what.

Seven days after the general was killed.

This nearly three-month-long Battle of Yan and Yu, which was essentially a rescue mission for Jiangdong, ultimately ended in victory for the Han army, which annihilated the main force of the Wei army and captured the three counties of Yingchuan, Runan, and Chen in Yuzhou, as well as the eastern border cities of Yanzhou.

But this doesn't mean that the elk can stop and rest.

Taking over counties, pacifying the people, gathering defeated soldiers, treating the wounded and burying the dead, and then rewarding those who had contributed—all these tasks followed one after another.

The elk never stops for a single day.

Not to mention, they also had to guard against Guanqiu Jian's army group located in the direction of Waihuang.

And the Wei army's Hebei legion, which might cross the river to provide reinforcements during the winter when the water is shallow.

In addition, with the complete restoration of Runan County.

For the first time, the Han army's advance reached the Huainan region.

How to deal with the changes in Yangzhou next also requires careful handling.

We can only continue to proceed cautiously and steadily.

On this day, General Ju Fu successfully captured a high-ranking prisoner and personally escorted him to Mi Wei.

At the end of that battle, Miwei specifically ordered Jufu to rest on the spot, so the latter immediately threw himself into the pursuit after the victory and achieved great success.

"I have long admired Mr. Xin as a wise man of Yingchuan. It is an honor to meet him today!"

Mi Wei smiled and personally stepped forward to untie Xin Pi's ropes.

The latter looked up at Mi Wei, his gaze sharpening slightly, and exclaimed:
"The general is even younger than I imagined!"

Mi Wei smiled without speaking, first helping the other person to a soft mat, then ordering people to bring wine and food, before calmly replying:
"Wei is young and lacks virtue and wisdom. He needs wise elders like Xin Gong to guide him from time to time, so that he will not make mistakes and be ridiculed by the world!"

Xinpi laughed upon hearing this:

"If someone as wise as the general still thinks he lacks intelligence, then I'm afraid I'm as stupid as a pig or a dog."

Then, pointing to the warm wine and food in front of him, he said:

"As the saying goes, 'He who eats another’s food will die for him.' If I were to eat this Han food and drink today, General, I would have no choice but to become a Han official."

Everyone around him thought that he was about to declare his loyalty to the Wei dynasty and die for it.

To everyone's surprise, the next moment, Xinpi picked up a bowl of meat porridge and began to eat it with great relish.

Apart from Mi Wei, everyone around him was dumbfounded.

A moment later, Xinpi patted his round belly and said to Miwei:
"Since the Wei army ran out of food, I have set an example by eating only one thin porridge a day. I am really starving!"

Mi Wei smiled without changing his expression and said:
"If Lord Xin is willing to stay, I will provide you with plenty of food and drink every day."

Upon hearing this, Xinpi stroked his chin, seemingly pondering Miwei's suggestion seriously.

After a moment, he shook his head with a sneer and said:

"Forget it."

“I was originally a subordinate of Yuan Shao, but after joining Cao Cao’s camp, I was looked down upon by loyal and righteous men.”

"If we switch allegiance now, we will likely not have a good reputation in the annals of history!"

(End of this chapter)