Dragon of the Three Kingdoms

"demeanor?"

Li Yi glanced down at Chunyuqiong, shook his head and said, "Don't say he is a prisoner now, even in normal times, he doesn't have the qualifications."

Yuan Tan's face was full of helplessness, knowing that it was Chunyu Qiong's nagging that annoyed Li Yi, so he deliberately asked Dian Wei to teach him a lesson.

Li Yi no longer cared about Yuan Tan's side, turned to Zhang Liao and said, "Although the Dong'a ship has suffered some losses, I'm afraid that there are not many Yuan Shao's ships left, and they have no power to fight back. It is possible that Yuan Shao wants to give up on the Yellow River." Line of defense?"

At the end, Li Yi's tone was a little uncertain. No matter how difficult the situation in front of Yuan Shao was, even if the Yellow River defense line was really weak, it was of great significance in itself.

Although Zhang Liao was resourceful, he was not good at resourcefulness, he didn't dare to guess lightly, he weighed it a bit, and said: "Subordinates will send more sentries to investigate the movement of the Hebei camp, and if Yuan Shao makes any moves, report to the lord immediately. "

Li Yi nodded and said: "Yes, but there is no need to panic too much. In the current situation, whether Yuan Shao sticks to the Yellow River or retreats to Yecheng, it will not change the situation of the battle. Even if he retreats to Yecheng, it will be more beneficial to us. , so as to catch all of them.”

Zhang Liao blinked, slapped his forehead, laughed too, and added for Li Yi: "Since this is the case, should the two generals Xu and Huang make some reactions to force Yuan Shao to return to Yecheng?"

"Can!"

Li Yi nodded, and said again: "Contact Li Jue, if the strength of the troops allows, ensure that the high-ranking officials are all right, make a gesture of marching troops to Jizhou, and Gongsun Zan, well, let's forget about Gongsun Zan, go find Zhang Yan, and let him Make a move too, put pressure on Yuan Shao together, no matter whether he returns to Yecheng or not, he will be out of breath!"

Chapter 773

Regarding the changes in Hebei Daying, whether it is Li Yi or Kuaiyue Xunyou who is at the front of the Yellow River, although everyone has guessed, they faintly sensed that Yuan Shao might retreat to Yecheng, but they greatly underestimated Yuan Shao's attitude The resoluteness, and the decisiveness of withdrawing troops.

The news that Li Yi continued to put pressure on Yuan Shao was sent out less than two days ago, and before it reached the generals of all parties, Li Yi received the latest information that Yuan Shao withdrew from the Yellow River, and all the troops in Hebei began to Gather towards Yecheng.

Li Yi was somewhat surprised by Yuan Shao's decisiveness. He took it for granted as Yuan Shao's motivation to break out before the predicament, and didn't think about it at all. In fact, Yuan Shao's own mentality collapsed.

Therefore, Li Yi sent messages to the various ministries at a faster speed again, telling them not to chase after the poor, and the decisive battle is in Yecheng. Don't chase Yuan Shao just because of impatience, because it is different from the plain land, where you say you want to fight. Let's fight, there is still a Yellow River across here, as long as Yuan Shao thinks, he will have plenty of time to lay out an ambush.

But Li Yi wasn't very worried deep down in his heart. The soldiers and horses of the several groups were either advised by first-rate wise men or experienced in the battlefield. Unless they encountered specific special circumstances, the probability of making such common-sense military mistakes was very low.

What's more important is that Li Yi has a lot of people. As long as Yuan Shao dares to keep people in ambush, even if Li Yi can suffer a small loss, Li Yi will be able to eat Yuan Shao's people later.

Based on the comparison of the strengths of the two sides, even if one exchanged two, Yuan Shao would not be able to afford it.

After that, Li Yi's army stayed in the plain for a short two days, and then began to march towards Yecheng. Although it happened a little suddenly, attacking Yecheng was originally planned, so it was not unexpected.

One day later, Li Yi led an army of [-] troops into Qinghe, formally entered Jizhou, and then divided his troops to attack the cities along the road, replaced local officials and garrison troops everywhere. Make trouble in the rear.

On the same day, Xu Sheng led the troops from Gaotang? Also entered Qinghe? Parallel with Li Yi, they advanced towards Yecheng.

In order to occupy the cities along the road, Li Yi's marching speed was restricted to a certain extent, but? After confirming that Yuan Shao really retreated to Yecheng? Xu Huang, Huang Zhong and others moved much faster.

Indeed, Li Yi told them not to chase the poor? But as long as their garrison is across the river, it is not far from Yecheng at all, even if they are steady, they will soon approach Yecheng.

It was Li Jue who was the quietest during this period of time? It wasn't that Li Jue didn't want to participate in this decisive battle in Yecheng? Surrounding Yuan Shao, he brought more than 10 people there, which would not have any effect in essence? On the contrary, there will be a lot of trouble in coordination and cooperation, and it may even have some negative effects.

Therefore, Li Jue wrote a letter, expressing his intentions to Li Yi in a more cryptic way, and then separated a group of troops to enter Changshan, and did not fight everywhere, but only served as a deterrent in the local area. If anyone dares to go to Yecheng to support Yuan Shao at this time , that is their target.

Then Zhang Yan followed suit and began to send troops to Zhao Guo and Julu. Those were the core areas of Jizhou and Yuan Shao's core forces. After Zhang Yan passed, many fights took place.

Compared with Li Yi's main force being unimpeded, there was little resistance in cities around the world. Although Li Jue and Zhang Yan did not suffer in general in local battles, the resistance was obviously not small, especially Zhang Yan, because of his background, Even if the others couldn't beat him, they were unwilling to surrender, thinking that their reputation would be tarnished.

In the end, it was Li Yi who learned about Zhang Yan's difficulties, ordered Zhou Cang to be transferred, and nominally incorporated Zhang Yan into his own system of the East Route Army, which was regarded as rectifying Zhang Yan's name, and at the same time once again He made a promise to Zhang Yan that the old Yellow Turbans under his command and their family members will be properly settled in the future, and even fields will be prepared for them. As long as they abide by the law in the future, they will be no different from ordinary people.

After being taken care of by Li Yi in all aspects, Zhang Yan and others also regained their enthusiasm. Slowly, they gained a firm foothold in Zhao Guo and Julu, basically cutting off the north's support for Yuan Shao.

However, this is also related to changes in the overall situation in Hebei.

At this time, the news of Yuan Shao's withdrawal from the Yellow River, the defeat of Pingyuan, and the surrender of Yuan Tan, all kinds of negative things can no longer be concealed. Perhaps Yuan Shao can say that he was not defeated in the Yellow River, but just a strategic shift. In fact, his The main force was indeed not defeated, but from the perspective of outsiders, it was no different from Yuan Shao's own defeat. For a while, under the impetus of Li Yi, a caring person, there were voices singing bad of Yuan Shao everywhere, except those who had always been loyal to Yuan Shao. Others who are not too firm, or even sit on the fence at all, are naturally unwilling to work hard for Yuan Shao.

When Yuan Shao withdrew his troops, he ordered all over the country to send troops and food to Yecheng, and he also sent many envoys, but only a few responded to him, and most of the time, the envoys were turned away, and even those with darker hearts simply tied up the envoys Send it to Li Yi as a certificate of honor.

Especially as Li Yi's army continued to approach Yecheng step by step, this situation became more and more obvious. Even when Li Yi was still five or six days away from Yecheng, because of the encirclement of Xu Huang, Huang Zhong and others , has made Yecheng an isolated city in essence.

And Li Yi's march, in the eyes of many people, is like the countdown of Yuan Shao's life. When Li Yi arrives in Yecheng, he will launch a general attack and sound the death knell for Yuan Shao.

However, Yuan Shao himself and some loyal members of the Yuan family did not give up. Since Yuan Shao withdrew to Yecheng, Yecheng began to continuously build fortifications, trying to keep Li Yi out of the city.

It's just that the construction of fortifications is no different than others. When Xu Huang and Huang Zhong arrived in Yecheng, they were only five days later than Yuan Shao, and the deployment of defenses around Yecheng had just begun and had not yet formed a scale. Naturally, Xu Huang and others would not just watch. Immediately, a small group of troops began to sweep around Yecheng. When the main force of the East Road led by Li Yi arrived in Yecheng, the surrounding area of ​​Yecheng was already flat.

As a result, the atmosphere inside and outside Ye City suddenly became tense, and even the air seemed to be filled with the smell of gunpowder.

At this time, there were almost 10 defenders in Yecheng, and there was enough food in store. Normally speaking, it would definitely not be able to win in a short time, even if it was Li Yi who attacked the city.

However, in order to boost morale, Li Yi's initial siege must have been extremely tragic. If Li Yi accidentally broke through the city wall, it would not be impossible for him to take advantage of the situation.

Therefore, Yuan Shao naturally did not dare to be negligent. He patrolled the city defense day and night, and did not dare to be careless. Now he has no way out, and Yecheng is his last capital.

As for Li Yi, after Li Yi arrived in Yecheng, the first thing he did was naturally to summon the various commanders and generals of each battalion. He has now surrounded more than 30 people around Yecheng, so it is naturally impossible to fill a camp. Instead, dozens of large and small camps were divided up, which seemed to be loose, but actually surrounded Yecheng in an airtight manner.

Li Yi asked these generals to understand the previous situation and ensure that they knew what was going on. Among them, Huang Zhong felt very guilty. After all, he lost dozens of ships in Dong'e, but Li Yi did not blame him, and "changed his home" like Yuan Shao. "With the self-destructive method, it is almost impossible for Huang Zhong to get out of his body, and Li Yi will naturally not be harsh.

Then, Li Yi started the meeting to attack Yecheng, but if the theme of this understanding is spread to the outside world, it will definitely shock people, because Li Yi did not discuss how to conquer the city wall or how to break through the city gate. After the city gate or the city wall is broken, how to defeat the defenders as quickly as possible, and how to take the city as quickly as possible.

Even many of Li Yi's own generals were at a loss. When someone couldn't help being curious, after asking questions, Li Yi just told everyone mysteriously that he had a magical weapon, and he had the ability to collapse mountains and crack rocks. Therefore, they only need to consider how to win the city.

Everyone naturally believed in Li Yi's words, and immediately focused on the interior of Yecheng.

As early as the first time Li Yi came to the capital Qingzhou, he assigned a task to his subordinates, asking them to secretly draw topographic maps of Hebei cities like Yecheng, Julu, Nanpi, etc., to prepare for possible future wars .

Although this kind of information is important, it is not confidential. Coupled with the help of those who have turned to the light, a very detailed three-dimensional model of the interior of Ye City soon appeared on Li Yi's sand table.

But there are regrets, because Li Yikong has a map, but he doesn't know how the defense situation in the city is.

At first, Li Yiyou thought about asking Hua Yan and Kong Shun, the two inner ghosts, to help out when he attacked Yecheng, but the two were too disappointing, so he couldn't wait to sell Yuan Tan, and let him face In Yecheng, they lost a reliable source of internal information.

It's not that there are none at all, it's just that Li Yi has never heard of those who suddenly jumped out to express their surrender and provide information, and their trust is very limited. It is even more impossible to discuss with those people how to seize the city.

Fortunately, there are still capable people under Li Yi's command. Although there are no soldiers and horses in the city to deploy defenses, after two days and nights of deduction, combined with the information at hand, they have come up with a very feasible and relatively universal plan. The action plan was handed over to Li Yi.

After reading it, Li Yi was delighted. What kind of plan, in the final analysis, is twelve words, "Leave no loopholes internally, and use force to suppress others", relying on the advantage of the number of people, push it across little by little.

A stupid way, but also a very practical way.

Therefore, on the third day after Li Yi arrived in Yecheng, 30 soldiers and horses marched out to meet him. Li Yi also appeared outside the gate of Yecheng for the first time, and met Yuan Shao again after a few years.

On the head of Yecheng City, Yuan Shao was wearing a golden armor, with a moon-white cloak behind him, standing against the wind, he was majestic and majestic, and his demeanor was not inferior to the past.

After accepting the reality, Yuan Shao's physical condition began to improve. Even after hearing the news of Yuan Tan's capture, he was not too moved.

After all, he himself decided to withdraw his troops. When Yuan Tan lost in the early stage and was betrayed in the later stage, although it seemed a little humiliating to surrender, it was actually a wise move.

The most important thing is because Yuan Tan is his son, as long as Yuan Tan is still alive, even if he is a bit useless, it is better than dying in battle.

"General Yuan, I haven't seen you for a few years, the general is getting old!"

Just as he was thinking about something, a clear voice came from the bottom of the city. Yuan Shao saw that it was Li Yi bowing his hands to him from afar.