From Li Yi's point of view, after destroying Yuan Shao and Cao Cao one after another, there was no longer any resistance in the world, and he was somewhat at a loss. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

However, the general trend of the times will not end or slow down because of his mood.

The theme of Jian'an's eight years is stability. After seizing several states in the Central Plains in succession in the previous two years, the expansion of the Northern Frontier Army had reached a limit, and it took time to consolidate the rule of these regions.

The newly annexed areas of several states require a large number of political talents, especially high-quality ones. Therefore, in the past eight years of Jian'an, Li Yi used up all the remaining thirty-two summoning places in the system at once, and summoned thirty-two top political talents from all dynasties after the Jin Dynasty to serve as the prime ministers of the counties and states in the newly annexed areas of the Central Plains.

These 32 political talents are distributed in the thousand-year history from the Jin Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty. Among them, there were Wang Dao, Xie An, Wang Meng, Cui Hao, and Li Chong in the Northern and Southern Dynasties. In the Sui Dynasty, there were two people, Yang Su and Gao Xi. There were more in the Tang Dynasty, including the eldest grandson Wuji, Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, Du Ruhui, Chu Suiliang, Di Renjie, Yao Chong, Song Jing, Zhang Jiuling, Li Yu and other ten people. There were also many in the Song Dynasty, including Zhao Pu, Fan Zhongyan, Wang Anshi, Ouyang Xiu, Sima Guang, Wei Renpu, Lv Mengzheng, Zeng Gongliang, Fu Bi, Lv Duan, Wen Tianxiang and other eleven people. There were not many in the Yuan Dynasty, only Yelu Chucai and Liu Bingzhong. In the Ming Dynasty, there were seven people, including Yang Shiqi, Yu Qian, Zhang Juzheng, Hai Rui, Xu Guangqi, Ye Xianggao, and Shi Kefa.

Summoning so many people at once finally solved Li Yi's talent crisis. The summoning system has arranged suitable identities for these summoners, including doctors of Taixue and county officials, these positions can ensure that Li Yi will promote them to the position of the county minister without being too abrupt.

In the past year, of course, there has been no complete peace. In fact, whether in Yangzhou, Jingzhou, and Guanzhong, the Northern Xinjiang Army fought with Jiangdong Sun Quan Zhou Yu, Jingzhou Liu Biao, and Yizhou Liu Bei. However, due to various reasons, the Northern Xinjiang Army has not achieved much success in the past year.

Compared with the eastern and western fronts, the Northern Xinjiang Army did not achieve great results because of geographical hazards, but the Jingzhou battlefield was because of the opponent.

The commander of Liu Biaojun's army on the Jingzhou battlefield was Wenpin. In the face of the menacing Northern Xinjiang Army, Wen Ping had no intention of winning. Wen Ping is actually a very sleek person. He wouldn't fight to the death for a lord he hadn't even met a few times, or an emperor who had been praised as a puppet.

The strength of the cavalry in the northern Xinjiang is not a joke, and the battle with the northern Xinjiang army in the plains, let alone winning, may not even find the opportunity to surrender and be directly trampled into meat sauce.

The only thing to be thankful for is that the Northern Xinjiang Army obviously has no intention of fighting, and the speed of the army is not fast, Yuyang, Xinye, and Chaoyang fought and retreated all the way, and they actually survived the entire Jian'an for eight years.

Although the losses of the troops during the year were also large, they were much better than being defeated and annihilated.

People are afraid to compare, compared with the wars with the Northern Xinjiang Army in the past few years, Wenpin's record is already quite brilliant.

What is even more fortunate is that after the capture of Chaoyang, the Northern Xinjiang Army suddenly stood still, as if it did not know that it would advance another hundred miles, which was Xiangyang, the important town of Jingzhou.

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In the ninth year of Jian'an, in late March 204 AD, Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty issued an edict, accusing Liu Biao of being a clan relative, but not following the orders of the imperial court, and setting up a separate imperial court to fight against the center, which was the rebellion of the Han family. Ordered Tang Gong and General Li Yi to raise troops to fight.

Li Yi immediately took Xu Maogong, Liu Bowen, Jia Xu, Guo Jia, and Xun You as military advisors, and Guan Yu, Tai Shici, Chang Yuchun, Xie Xuan, Xu Huang, Wei Yan, Zhang He, Gao Changgong, Lu Bu, Xue Rengui, Yuwen Chengdu, and Lu Wenlong as generals, and led six regiments of the Second Infantry Army, the Fourth Army Corps, the Fifth Army Corps, the Tenth Army Corps, the Eleventh Army Corps, and the Twelfth Army Corps of 192,000 men, as well as 108,000 cavalry of the Second Legion, the Third Army Corps, the Fourth Army Corps, the Eighth Army Corps, the Ninth Army Corps, and the Tenth Army Corps. A total of 300,000 troops slaughtered Jingzhou.

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Xiangyang, Governor's Mansion, Council Hall.

Liu Biao sat in the hall with a sad face, no longer having the freedom of the scholars in the past. Although the maid next to her was fanning, she was still sweating.

And under the hall, generals such as Cai Mao and Zhang Yun, as well as strategists such as Kuai Liang, Han Song, and Yi Yuan, were chattering, and they were already in chaos.

Just because Li Yi ruled the land of ten states, with millions of troops and thousands of generals, and now he is pouring out, how can a small Jingzhou resist?

As Liu Biao's chief strategist, Kuai Liang suggested that Liu Biao immediately send an envoy to Yizhou and ask Liu Bei to send troops to help. At the same time, in order to avoid a decisive battle with the Northern Xinjiang Army too early, Kuai Liang suggested that Liu Biao move the administrative office to Jiangling, and then use the natural danger of the Han River to prevent the Northern Xinjiang Army from crossing the river.

In the end, Liu Biao, who had no other way, had no choice but to take Kuai Liang's suggestion and send an Iraqi envoy to Yizhou, leaving Cai Mao and Zhang Yun to lead the army and block the Northern Xinjiang Army with the help of Han Shui, while he ran to Jiangling with the puppet court.

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Xiangyang City, the city guard.

Cai Maotang sat high, and there were generals Zhang Yun, Dong Cao Peng Fu Xun, strategist Wang Cang and others.

"General......" Cai Mao put down Liu Biao's letter and muttered about Liu Biao's promised official position. The general, but it is very seductive. The four hundred years of the Han Dynasty are counted from the beginning, and under the twenty-four generations of emperors, there are only more than 30 people. The rarity and dignity are only under the Han Emperor.

Cai Mao handed the letter in his hand to Zhang Yun and said, "You all have a look." ”

Zhang Yun and the others took the letter, and when they saw that they had their own rewards, their expressions were different.

At this time, a herald came in a panic and said, "General, the Northern Frontier Army is already ten miles away, and it is about to come to the city." ”

Although Jingzhou's naval division was strong, under the powerful blow of the 300,000 Northern Xinjiang Army, it could not stop the Northern Xinjiang Army from crossing the river at all. After all, the width of the Han River is limited, and the infantry of the Northern Xinjiang Army used catapults and crossbow carts to block the water surface in the upper and lower reaches of the river.

"What?!" Cai Mao was taken aback and hurriedly stood up.

Zhang Yun walked over and said in a low voice, "General Cai, you can make plans early." ”

Cai Mao was stunned when she heard this, and subconsciously looked at the letter in her hand. Previously, he did intend to surrender. But now Liu Biao wants to make him a general in the future, and mentions the Yizhou army to support. With this new force, the outcome is unpredictable. So Cai Mao hesitated again and said, "Let's take a look at the situation first." ”

Xiangyang City is a big city, the city is strong, and the strength of the guards in the city is quite sufficient, Cai Mao believes that it can hold on for a while.

Zhang Yun nodded when he heard this, he just reminded him that he didn't have to work hard for Liu Biao, the surrender was still there, and there was no worry about his life.

However, surrender is not just a matter of surrendering, so Zhang Yun said: "In this case, let's prepare." ”

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The Northern Xinjiang Army soon crossed the Han River and surrounded the city of Xiangyang.

Li Yi brought a vanguard army of 100,000 this time, of which 80,000 were elite cavalry troops. Lined up, you can't see the edge. Especially the trapped cavalry that was built with all their might, even the horses were heavily armored, like a small moving fortress, which made the Jingzhou soldiers feel terrified.

At the opening of the banner of the 100,000 Northern Xinjiang Army, Li Yi wore Xuantie armor, rode a white dragon horse, and came out with an overlord gun. Left and right, Guan Yu, Tai Shici, Chang Yuchun, Zhang He, Lu Bu, and Xue Rengui lined up the generals. With so many unparalleled generals who ride a thousand, only Li Yi can take them out in the world. All of them are famous, and the Jingzhou soldiers started with Cai Mao, and they couldn't help but change color after seeing them.

Zhang Yun sweated on his head, wondering if it was wrong to meet the enemy this time, and hurriedly said: "General Cai, let's hurry up and surrender."

Cai Mao grabbed the weapon in his hand, shook his head and said: "There are 100,000 troops in Xiangyang, how can there be a reason to surrender without a fight!" ”

At this time, Li Yice immediately stepped forward, turned the overlord in his hand, and reprimanded: "Cai Mao, you are a Han Chen, and now this general is under the edict of the Son of Heaven to crusade against the rebellious Liu Biao." If you surrender, General Benxiang can play the Son of Heaven and absolve you of your guilt. ”

Cai Mao's face suddenly looked bad, and she said in her heart that everyone in the court was surnamed Li, so naturally you said that whoever is rebellious is rebellious. He just said: "General, the two armies are fighting each other, don't make a war of words." ”

Li Yi smiled coldly and said, "Since this is the case, then I will fulfill your wish and start a war tomorrow." ”

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On March 12 of the ninth year of Jian'an in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Northern Xinjiang Army began to attack Xiangyang City.

The northern part of Yangyang Castle is close to Hanshui, which is not suitable for siege. In order to avoid desperate resistance from the defenders in the city, Li Yi ordered the southern part of Xiangyang City to be vacated. As a result, the Northern Xinjiang Army only attacked the east and west cities.

Li Yi decided to focus on the western city wall and concentrated four infantry corps in this direction.

On the battlefield more than ten miles long in the west of Xiangyang City, there were crowds of people, bustling, flags fluttering, 120,000 troops, hundreds of thousands of people were busy, and the tense atmosphere before the big war shrouded the sky over the city.

Military advisors Xu Maogong, Liu Bowen, Jia Xu, Left Cavalry General Guan Yu, Zhennan General Chang Yuchun, Anton General Tai Shici and other advisers and generals surrounded Li Yi, walked through the noisy battlefield, and slowly approached the direction of the West Gate.

Today's main attack on the West Gate is the army of Meng Hui and Lu Yi. When the two generals saw the lord coming to inspect, they hurriedly beat their horses to meet them.

After Li Yi gave the order to attack the city, there was a sudden sound of war drums on the noisy battlefield, and then a loud "......boom" was heard, which shook the earth, and the entire battlefield shook instantly.

The 300 catapults and 500 crossbow trucks of various types on the forward position fired a coordinated salvo, and the momentum was astonishing.