Chapter 97: Jizhou is surrounded by enemies from all sides, Yuan Shao’s situation is hopeless!

The imperial court issued an edict to attack Yuan Shao of Jizhou!
The whole world was shocked and outraged!

But this was like the sound of a charge horn, and the imperial troops from Youzhou, Yanzhou, Qingzhou, Henei and other places immediately launched an attack on Jizhou.

...

Towards Youzhou.

Liu Yu, the governor of Youzhou, was stationed in Youzhou and coordinated the food and logistics.

Liu Yu dispatched the Youzhou Army to join forces with Lu Bu's Bingzhou Army, and divided their troops to attack Jizhou Hejian State and Bohai County.

These two counties bordered Youzhou's Yuyang County, Guangyang County and Zhuo County. After crossing mountains and ridges, the army directly entered Jizhou.

Bohai County was Yuan Shao's base camp, so naturally many officials and soldiers in Yuan's camp rebelled.

But the entire Jizhou was already surrounded by enemies and was in danger on every side.

This resistance won't last long!

And most importantly, many of Yuan Shao's most steadfast allies - the aristocratic families - turned against him and joined the imperial army.

This caused Yuan's camp to lose a lot of support, and they had to fight alone to resist the attack of the imperial army.

If it's just the direction of Youzhou, even with Lu Bu, the world's best general, leading the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, everyone in Yuan's camp believes they can stop it!

But the problem is!

Now the imperial court has issued an edict to attack Yuan Shao of Jizhou, and loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty from all sides have responded and launched attacks on Jizhou from all sides.

The entire Jizhou is surrounded by enemies and is in danger on every side!

Even within Jizhou, there were loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty responding, making Jizhou feel precarious and in danger!
Under such circumstances, not to mention that Yuan's troops would find it difficult to take care of all parties, even the food and logistics could not be guaranteed.

At the border of You and Ji, the soldiers of Yuanying who were resisting Lu Bu and other Bingzhou troops held out for several days, but were finally defeated due to lack of food in the army.

Lu Bu led the Bingzhou army into Bohai County of Jizhou, attacked cities and plundered strongholds, and the soldiers of Yuan’s camp were defeated one after another!

The trend is over!

...

When the news of the defeat on the You-Ji border came, Yuan Shao was at the Liyang front line resisting the attack from Henei and Yanzhou troops.

Henei County was attacked by the Western Liang army led by Henei Prefect Wang Kuang and Tunqi Captain Wang Fang, while Yanzhou was attacked by Dongjun Prefect Cao Cao and Jibei Prime Minister Bao Xin who crossed the Yellow River to fight.

Yuan Shao personally led the army to resist and tried his best to hold on!
"Report——"

At this time, a messenger came hurriedly to report:
"General, Lü Bu led the Bingzhou army from Yuyang County to attack Bohai County. The generals were unable to stop him and suffered defeat after defeat..."

Yuan Shao closed his eyes and did not react at all.

Feng Ji waved away the messenger and bowed to Yuan Shao, saying:

"My lord, withdraw from Jizhou before the imperial army can capture it and form a siege!"

Even though the imperial army has just launched the attack, counselors such as Feng Ji have already seen the future of Yuanying!
Jizhou’s situation is hopeless!
The court is unstoppable!

At this time, you should find a way out in advance!
"Withdraw from Jizhou? How to withdraw?!" Yuan Shao asked in a bitter and unwilling voice.

Feng Ji said:

"Although our Bohai Navy was defeated by Liu Bei, we still have hundreds of warships. We can rely on the navy fleet to go south and join forces with Yuan Shu in Huainan, and make a comeback with the natural defenses of the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers!"

"Join forces with Yuan Shu?!" Yuan Shao was immediately reluctant.

Feng Ji advised:

"My lord, after Gongsun Zan's defeat, Youzhou has fallen into the control of the imperial court. Jizhou has lost the protection of Youzhou and is now surrounded by the imperial court.

"Jizhou may seem like a fertile land with abundant resources, but it is also a place where beasts are trapped and not suitable for long-term development. This is because Jizhou lacks natural barriers.

"But Huainan is different. There is the Huai River, and Jiangdong has the Yangtze River. If we can successfully resist Jiangdong, we can split off from Jianghuai and grow stronger again, and the imperial army will be out of reach."

...

Yuan Shao hesitated!

At this time, Guo Tu also advised:

"My lord, due to the war in the Central Plains, many aristocratic families fled south to Jiangdong to avoid disaster.

“Many of these families have close ties with Yuan’s disciples and former officials, so we can quickly make a comeback.

"Because Yuan Shu attempted to ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor, which was extremely treasonous, many people thought he was short-sighted and blindly overestimated his own strength, and was not a qualified wise leader.

"At this time, if the lord goes south to Jiangdong, there will definitely be a great response, and people will flock to him like a flood of carp crossing the river!"

...

Yuan Shao was somewhat tempted!
"Da da da--"

At this time, another messenger came to report:
"General, Captain Wang Fang has led the Xiliang Army to break through the defense line and has entered Wei County. They are less than 30 miles away from Liyang!"

"My Lord, it's too late!!!"

Feng Ji said urgently:
“Now that the imperial army from Henei County has entered Wei County, Wang Fang will definitely lead the Xiliang army to harass Wei County and attack various ferry crossings to relieve the pressure on the Yanzhou troops who are trying to cross the Yellow River.

"We won't be able to hold out for long if they attack us from both sides. By then, Cao Cao, Bao Xin, Liu Dai and other troops from Yanzhou will arrive and surround us. We won't be able to escape even if we have wings!"

Everyone looked at Yuan Shao!

Eyes full of hope!

They all showed a hopeful look of wanting to leave and make a comeback via Jiangdong!

If Yuan Shao insisted on staying in Jizhou, they could only fight to the bitter end. But the result would be disastrous and they would surely lose!

Because after the imperial court controlled Youzhou, Yanzhou, Qingzhou and Henei, Jizhou was already surrounded on all sides with no way out!
If Yuan Shao had judged the situation and understood the current situation, he would have chosen to temporarily avoid the attack and rely on the Bohai Navy to go south.

They still have a future and a chance to make a comeback!

But the problem is!

Would Yuan Shao be willing to give up the fertile land of Jizhou? !

Yuan Shao has invested too much effort in the development and growth of Bohai County. Asking him to give up Jizhou at this time would be tantamount to giving up something he loves reluctantly!
However, this kind of painful sacrifice is a way to stop losses in time!
"Retreat to Jiangdong!!!"

Yuan Shao was so angry that his teeth were about to break. Although he was reluctant and unwilling, he still judged the situation and chose to go south to avoid the limelight temporarily.

Yuan Shao was reluctant to give up Jizhou, but he was even more reluctant to end up in defeat. In the end, he would either die in battle or be defeated and captured, and then beheaded in public by the imperial court.

No matter what the result is, Yuan Shao cannot accept it!
In this case, Yuan Shao would rather give up the territory of Jizhou and go to Jiangdong to start over, grow stronger, and make a comeback!
"My Lord is wise!!!"

Feng Ji and other civil officials' eyes lit up and they were overjoyed.

As long as Yuan Shao was not stubborn, self-willed, and did not hold on to Jizhou like a miser.

Then, they still have a future.

"Prepare to evacuate Wei County immediately and return to Bohai County."

Feng Ji immediately deployed his troops.

"Lü Bu has led the Bingzhou army into Bohai County. We must send troops to lure the tiger away from the mountain. We cannot let him affect us in Bohai County."

"Yes!!!"

The main force of Yuan's camp stationed in Weijun immediately deployed its troops and planned a retreat.

Retreating troops does not mean that they can simply pack up and leave. At a time when the imperial court is besieged on all sides, they need to come up with a trick to deceive the public!

Otherwise, if the imperial army knew that Yuan Shao wanted to retreat, they would definitely attack at all costs. At that time, they would not be able to retreat at all!
Therefore, if you want to retreat, you need to launch a fierce attack to repel the enemy and give them the impression that they want to counterattack!

Attack is the best defense!

……

Yuan's camp tried to retreat and launched a fierce attack, forcing Wang Fang and other Western Liang troops who had invaded Henei County to retreat back to Henei County.

The Yanzhou troops who were trying to cross the Yellow River were also repelled by the Bohai Navy.

The battle situation has become tense!
But the imperial army was not anxious because of the unfavorable attack. Instead, they felt confident of winning!

It is now late October and the weather has gradually turned cooler. By December, it will snow along the banks of the Yellow River.

By then, the Yellow River will definitely freeze!
At that time, the troops of Yanzhou can directly cross the Yellow River and attack Weijun of Jizhou!
Because of this, the imperial court is more confident!

The defeat of Yuan Shao in Jizhou is just a matter of time!
This is Cao Cao, the governor of Dongjun.

Because of the heavy casualties in the successive attacks on the Yellow River ferry, he had to recruit soldiers locally and in the surrounding areas.

Unexpectedly, this kind of recruitment allowed Cao Cao to discover a powerful general!
At that time, the recruitment of soldiers was in progress. The playground was crowded and chaotic. As the weather turned cooler, the wind from the Yellow River was howling coldly. Suddenly, a strong wind blew down the flag at the gate of the general's tent.

Everyone was in an uproar!

Panic-stricken and fleeing in haste!

Because they were all recruits who came in response to the imperial edict, they were ordinary people who had no training, and they were in a panic and had no idea where to go, and there was even a stampede.

Many people did not escape from the area where the Yamen flag fell!
The army's flag weighs over a thousand pounds. If it falls down, you will either die or be crippled!

Not to mention the young and strong men who were recruited as soldiers, even many generals and soldiers did not have time to escape from the area where the Yamen flag fell.

Many people were so frightened that they stumbled to the ground, and those with weak mental qualities were even more frightened to the point of pissing their pants.

But right now!

Critical moment!
In a flash, a two-meter-tall, burly warrior suddenly stepped forward and rushed to the Yamen flag at lightning speed. Like a king resisting a tripod, he raised his hands and held up the Yamen flag!

"Rumble--"

The Yamen flag weighs thousands of pounds, and the inertial force of being blown down by the wind definitely reaches tons!

However, this strong man held on to it!!!

The warrior's feet were pressed deeply into the ground by the weight, which shows how strong and terrifying the force was when the Yamen flag fell!
"Wow—"

The soldiers escaped death and immediately crawled out of the area where the Yamen flag had fallen, looking at the brave man in disbelief.

Under the pressure of such weight, there was no abnormality in this man's hands and body, which fully demonstrated his terrifying strength, defense, and tough bones!

And this is definitely the standard configuration of a fierce general!

"hiss--"

Cao Cao, who rushed over after hearing the news, happened to see the warrior carrying the Yamen flag and was amazed:

"This man is incredibly powerful, he must be a fierce general!!!"

Xu Chu on the side was also a little surprised!
Xu Chu was also incredibly strong. He was able to drag two cows backwards, which showed that he was also a ton. But facing the Yamen Banner, Xu Chu knew that he couldn't handle it!

Not to mention, the Yamen flag was blown down by the strong wind, and the pressure at that moment was definitely multiplied!
Hercules!!!
"Hi--"

Seeing that all the soldiers had escaped from the fallen range of the Yamen flag, the warrior burst out with strength and raised his hand directly upwards.

He directly lifted the Yamen flag weighing several tons.

After struggling to pull his feet out from deep in the ground, the warrior moved forward step by step, raising the flag from the top to the tail.

Finally, as everyone gasped in disbelief, he straightened the Yamen flag!

Rumbling--

After the Yamen flag was straightened, it began to shake slightly. Every shake was like an earthquake, which made all the soldiers present tremble with fear!

But in the end, he was held by this strong man and stood steadily in the flag hole.

"Come and reinforce the Yamen Flag!!!"

The warrior still had the strength left to roar, which immediately woke up the other soldiers. They rushed forward with lingering fear to reinforce the Yamen flag.

The warrior finally let go and dusted himself off.

All around were pairs of eyes that were some shocked and even terrified, with a hint of awe and admiration shining in their eyes!

"Da da da--"

At this time, Cao Cao led his personal soldiers to step forward, came to the front of the warrior, and said with burning eyes and respectful respect:

"You are a brave warrior, otherwise there would be dozens or even hundreds of soldiers who would have been injured or killed because of the accidental collapse of the Yamen flag! May I know your name, warrior?!"

"Grandmaster Cao!"

The warrior obviously knew Cao Cao, and he saluted and said: "My name is Dian Wei, from Chenliu Jiwu. I came here to join the army because the imperial court is recruiting soldiers to fight against the enemy!"

"Dian Wei! Good!!!"

Cao Cao was overjoyed, his eyes were full of enthusiasm. Only a widow or a talented person could make him behave like this.

"If it weren't for you, Dian Wei, who knows how many soldiers would have died when the Yamen flag collapsed. This is a great achievement!
Therefore, I have decided to promote you to the position of military commander, hoping that you can fight bravely on the battlefield and serve the court!"

For Dian Wei, who was born a commoner, joining the army and directly becoming a military commander was a step to heaven!

This made Dian Wei somewhat excited, and he also felt grateful to Cao Cao for his kindness:

"Thank you General Cao!!!"

"Don't thank me, this is the credit you deserve. I have always been clear about rewards and punishments when managing the army!"

Cao Cao wanted to pat Dian Wei on the shoulder to encourage him, but he was only 1.6 meters tall, while Dian Wei was 2 meters tall, so he had to give up in disappointment.

This scene made the surrounding soldiers somewhat envious!
But even though they were envious, they were not jealous or hateful, because everyone knew that this was the achievement that Dian Wei deserved!
Just now, by holding up the Yamen flag, Dian Wei not only saved dozens or even hundreds of soldiers, which was a great feat. He also demonstrated his terrifyingly powerful strength and martial arts, as well as his amazing courage!
When the Yamen flag fell, at that critical moment, ordinary people did not dare to step forward. Even the old veterans who had fought bravely against the enemy were unable to react in time or were even timid!
Only Dian Wei stood up!

Dian Wei deserves this honor!
Moreover, Cao Cao's reward and punishment were clear based on merit, which made many young and strong recruits and new soldiers excited!

They also fantasized that they could fight bravely on the battlefield and rise to prominence like Dian Wei!

This immediately made the recruitment ground heated up!

Cao Cao was trying to appease these new recruits and was about to take Dian Wei away to win over their hearts.

"Da da da--"

At this time, a messenger suddenly came to report: "Report to the governor, General Xiahou led the vanguard army to force a crossing of the Baima Ferry successfully!"

"it is good!!!"

At this moment, Cao Cao was really overjoyed and laughed out loud: "Double happiness, today is a double happiness!"

Not only did they obtain the powerful general Dian Wei, but the front line, which had been unable to capture the Yellow River ferry for a long time, finally had good news today!
Cao Cao did not delay and immediately led his troops to the front line, hoping to expand the advantage created by Xiahou Dun.

Dian Wei was naturally among them, and he participated in the war as a military commander!
The scene of recruiting soldiers actually appeared in many counties and prefectures in Yanzhou. Both Jibei Xiang Bao Xin and Yanzhou Governor Liu Dai recruited soldiers.

And today, they also received news of the vanguard army's victory. A breakthrough was finally made along the Yellow River, which had been under attack for a long time.

Henei County Governor Wang Kuang led the Henei Army, and Tunqi Captain Wang Fang led the Xiliang Army to make a comeback and invade Wei County in Jizhou.

The imperial army finally formed a siege on Weijun!
only!!!

After the imperial troops entered Wei County, they found that Yuan Shao had already fled with the main force!
……

(End of this chapter)