After Zhao Xun took Gaoling City and Jingyang City, the two great cities in the north of Chang'an, he immediately asked the 10,000-strong army of Puzhou in the east to launch an operation against Feng Yi, the last big city in the north of Chang'an. Without flank cover and logistical support, Feng Yi could only surrender gloomily when he saw the siege of the Zhao army after Zhao Xun sent the generals of Gaoling City to persuade him to surrender.

At this point, the north of Chang'an has been connected to the state, especially after Feng Yi was defeated, and the southeast is also unblocked from Tongguan. And the land of Tongguan has also fallen into the hands of the Zhao army at this moment, that is to say, the east and north of Chang'an are all under the jurisdiction of the Zhao state, and Chang'an is also under the siege of the Zhao army.

The news of the loss of Hangu Pass finally reached the camp of the Jingbei coalition army, and Situ Fei, the king of Hanzhong, almost vomited blood in anger. The loss of Hangu Pass means that the eastern defense line of the land of Xiyongzhou is opened. This also made Xiyongzhou, which was originally under the pressure of the north and west of Zhao State, suddenly have another layer of pressure.

Situ Fei was very clear about the defense of Xiyongzhou, and the key defense of the Xiyongzhou garrison was on the western front and the northern front, and the eastern front had always been the least defended place of the Han army because of the natural danger of Hangu Pass. After all, it is not an easy task to break through the Hangu Pass. Therefore, Xiyongzhou, which has Hangu Pass, at least does not have to worry about the safety of the eastern front.

But the loss of Hangu Pass made Xiyongzhou suddenly become a dangerous egg. As soon as the Hangu Pass is broken, the Zhao army will be able to pass the Hangu Pass and go straight to the land of Chang'an, and now in Xiyongzhou, I am afraid that there are not many surplus soldiers and horses to stop the Zhao army in the east.

"Hateful! Hateful! If it weren't for the delay in the arrival of the Qi army and the Shu army, why would this be the case? Why? Situ Fei, who couldn't boldly advance north because his flanks were pinned, could only scold angrily at this moment.

Situ Fei, who was extremely angry, did not dare to act rashly, so he had to give an urgent order to the King of Qi and the King of Shu to pass the news of the loss of Hangu Pass to them, so that they knew that Xiyongzhou was already in danger, and if they did not rescue, the strength of the Zhao army would increase greatly.

After hearing the news, the king of Qi and the king of Shu were taken aback, if Xiyongzhou was lost, it would indeed be as the king of Hanzhong said, and everyone would be unlucky at that time. As a result, the Qi army and the Shu army reinforcements, which were still slowly marching, marched rapidly under the orders of the king of Qi and the king of Shu, and within three days, the Qi army and the Shu army each had 10,000 troops gathered in Nanyang Mansion in Jingbei to form a new coalition army with the Jingbei coalition army.

Under Situ Fei's urgent order, the Southern Coalition Army left 20,000 troops in Nanyang Mansion to contain the Zhao army in Chunling Mansion, and in addition, the Qi army in Yangzhou also began to move closer to the east, which also put pressure on the Zhao army in Chunling Mansion and Yuzhou, so that the army located in the land of Jingbei could go north out of Dongyongzhou and attack Luoyang.

However, Zhao Lin, the defender of Dongyongzhou, who had already received the news, had already retreated the people of Hongnong Mansion and Henan Mansion according to Situ Liang's instructions, and abandoned some small cities, according to the two cities of Yongning and Yiyang on the side of Luoshui and the city of Lushi in the west.

Because the small towns and towns along the way were empty, the coalition troops from Nanyang Mansion had to go deep into the territory of Dongyongzhou. In this way, not only did Situ Fei's logistical supply lengthen, but also made it impossible for him to be replenished along the way.

At the same time that Zhao Xun solved Feng Yi's land, Situ Fei also arrived at Yongning and Yiyang with a large army. In addition to sending a partial branch to Lushi County in the west to intercept the reinforcements of the Zhao army, Situ Fei personally went to Yiyang City to prepare to attack the Zhao army's heavy city on the south bank of the water.

I thought that after the Zhao army attacked Hangu Pass, there were not many troops in Dongyongzhou, but I never thought that the Zhao army in Dongyongzhou was not as scarce as Situ Fei expected. In Yiyang City, the Zhao army had an army of 15,000. Of course, this is not Zhao Jun's town army. However, the Zhao army has county soldiers and government soldiers in the prefectures and counties under its jurisdiction, and as long as the Zhao army needs them, these county soldiers and government soldiers in the regular army reserve will immediately turn into soldiers and be used by the army.

In addition, the policies and systems of Zhao are far from being comparable to other princes, especially the Zhao State is now in the upper hand, occupying a wide area, and the people live an excellent life, while the southern princes in order to expand their own strength, the life of the people under their rule is far inferior. Therefore, the people of Dongyongzhou naturally regarded Situ Fei's invasion as enemies, and the Zhao army defended the city, and these people even contributed to help.

After arriving in Yiyang City, Situ Fei was surprised by the fortifications of Yiyang City. In the past, the land of East Yongzhou was first under the jurisdiction of King Yong, and then under the jurisdiction of King Luoyang, although he was the king of Hanzhong, but also knew about these cities, but it was by no means the current Yiyang City.

The city defense fortifications of the current Yiyang City are a little excessive, and it is too much to the point of almost changing, the city wall has obviously been strengthened and repaired, needless to say, the moat outside the city is also widened, and the Luoshui living water in the north of Yiyang City is introduced, so that the moat of Yiyang City is more than three zhang wide, and the water flow is urgent, and it is difficult to cross and fill.

In addition, a new civil structure sheep and horse wall was built between the moat and the city wall, and in front of the sheep and horse wall were dense with sharp antlers, and the defenders could be arranged at any time behind the sheep and horse wall to shoot the enemy on the other side of the moat with bows and crossbows.

The garrison on the city wall is even more perverted, there are more than 20 catapults installed on each wall, and every gap in the arrow stack is equipped with a bed crossbow, and there is no omission, and the mountains of sheep's head stones on the city wall can be seen even from a distance outside the city. This kind of city defense preparation is not to say that it is an attack, but to stand under the city and look at it, it gives a feeling of numbness to the scalp.

"When did Yiyang City become like this, and the city defense became so tight?" Looking at Yiyang City, which was very different from his memory, Situ Fei couldn't help but exclaim.

"No wonder Situ Liang, the governor of Eastern Yongzhou of the Zhao army, dared to enter Hangu Pass with half of his men and horses, and dared to rest assured that our army would attack the land of Eastern Yongzhou to the fullest. This is clearly an iron wall, and he is not afraid at all! Zuo Sima Wang Hewen looked at Yiyang City, which was very different from the past, and was also a little depressed, and said helplessly: "If you want to capture this city, I'm afraid it will take a lot of time." ”

"Time is exactly what we desperately need! Even if the time is negligible, it will become a fact that the siege casualties of our army are unacceptable. "Right Sima Weiping is good at warfare, so he naturally understands the price he needs to pay if he wants to take this place. But if they don't take here, they can't go north with confidence.

Situ Fei looked at Yiyang City, which was like a hedgehog, and said in a muffled voice: "If this king doesn't attack this city, how about directly attacking Yongning City in the northwest?" It's too hard to break through this city! Situ Fei was also born in the battlefield, so he naturally understood what this Yiyang City meant to him.

After a little calculation, Right Sima Weiping smiled bitterly: "King, since this Yiyang City will change its appearance greatly and become what it is now, then Yongning City and Lu City must be the same. Besides, if we don't attack here, then our flanks will always be threatened. There are more than 15,000 regular soldiers of the Zhao army in this city, which will pose a great threat to our flank. ”

"However, our army went north, in order to march very quickly, but we didn't carry too many siege equipment, even the people, and they mostly transported grain and grass materials for the army, and there was no manpower to prepare siege equipment." Speaking of which, it was the Zhao army that acted quickly and directly moved all the people from all over the country, so that Situ Fei, who was marching rapidly, now did not have enough people to use.

"King, why don't you try to surrender, now it is Zhao Lin, the general of Zhao Junzhen, who is in charge of Dongyongzhou. Therefore, the main general of Yiyang City is actually just a deputy general in Zhao Junzhen's army. As long as the king gives him a higher official position and better treatment, there is no chance to persuade him to surrender. The treatment of Zhao Jun's soldiers is good, but the strictness of Zhao Jun's military discipline and military law is also well known. High-ranking officials, money and beauties, whatever men want, we may not have no chance of success. ”

Gritting his teeth and looking at the hedgehog-like Yiyang City, Situ Fei had to nod, although he knew that the possibility of persuasion was not high, after all, he could be arranged by Zhao Lin as the guard of a heavy city, how could he easily rebel? Besides, Zhao is much stronger than him as the king of Hanzhong, and as an official in Zhao State, his official position is lower than that of the Han army, but it is also stronger than the general of the Han army.

However, in addition to the strong attack, Situ Fei can only do this. While arranging for people to investigate the situation of Yongning City and Lushi City, he also wrote a letter to send envoys to surrender.

But it's a pity that since he can be valued by Coach Zhao Jun, how can the person who takes on the big responsibility betray easily? Moreover, whether Situ Fei has the absolute upper hand or not, forcing the defenders of Yiyang City to have no way to retreat. In addition, the generals of the Zhao army also knew that he was the commander of a place, and he wanted to order the soldiers to surrender to the enemy, but he was afraid that he had just waited for his military order to exit, and he was afraid that the head would also fall to the ground. Don't look at the five secret guards of Zhao State, in addition to supervising local officials, almost all of the rest are investigating the intelligence of the princes in various places, but as the generals of the Zhao army, they all know very well that around them, there are people from the secret guard system everywhere.

Therefore, Gao Wen, the defender of Yiyang City, has never meant to surrender, how can the high-ranking official Houlu be compared with the status of Zhao State? To be able to do the post of deputy general of the first army, they have long been accustomed to the military regulations and military discipline of the Zhao army.

"Get out! Get out and tell Situ Fei'er that if you want to attack the city, you can come, and General Ben will accompany you to the end. Gao Wen didn't even look at Situ Fei's letter of persuasion and tore it to pieces, "But if you want us to surrender, he Situ Fei is daydreaming, and he doesn't pee to take care of himself, is he worthy?" ”

"By the way, go back and tell Situ Fei that Hangu Pass has been taken by my Zhao army, and Xiyong Prefecture is about to be under the jurisdiction of my Zhao State. The territory of the king of Hanzhong will be in the hands of my Great Zhao, and if you still want to live, if you want to save your life, it is only right to surrender to me as soon as possible. The two countries are still fighting each other, get out! ”

After the envoy replied to the rude reply of Gao Wen, the defender of Yiyang City, to Situ Fei, the king of Hanzhong, who was already in a bad temper because of the loss of Hangu Pass and worried about the situation in Xiyongzhou, he was naturally furious, and immediately ordered to build siege weapons overnight to prepare for the siege. Think of him as the dignified king of Hanzhong, when has he ever been so underestimated?

Although Situ Fei's courtiers all knew that such a fortified city was difficult to attack, they couldn't help it, so they had no choice but to rack their brains to figure out a strategy for Situ Fei to break the city, while praying that the defenders in the city were demoralized and had low combat effectiveness, hoping that Yiyang City would not be so difficult to attack.

However, the extravagant hopes and beggings in the hearts of the courtiers under Situ Fei's command were soon disappointed, a day later, when Situ Fei ordered the baggage team and the people to build a large number of siege weapons day and night to attack the city, they were immediately attacked by the Zhao army of Yiyang City, the fire oil bomb was projectile under the catapult, specially beckoning the large siege weapons of the Han army, and the defenders behind the female wall warmly welcomed the Han army's river reclamation team with strong bows and crossbows, and the condescending defenders above the city wall were like arrows, and the Han soldiers were crying wolves and howling with their heads and rats. It was extremely difficult to even get close to the moat, and the large siege weapons such as ladders, siege vehicles, and trench bridge vehicles that Situ Fei had worked hard all night to build were also burned by the flames.

Especially the hundreds of thousands of people in the city, they regarded the Southern Coalition Army as enemies, and these people actively participated in the defense of the Zhao army. For these people, if Zhao Jun occupies this place, they can enjoy a peaceful life, and with Zhao Jun's policies and systems, their lives will be much better. If the Zhao army is defeated and the southern princes rule here, they will not only not enjoy the treatment under the Zhao army, but will have to return to their old lives. This is what the people are absolutely unwilling, and no one wants to enjoy a good peaceful and quiet life, but they will be abused.

Therefore, with the assistance of the people, the Han army could not break through the moat of Yiyang City at all. Hanzhong Wang Situ Fei saw that the frontal attack could not work, so he followed the advice of his subordinates and began to attack the city with tunnels, when the tunnels were just dug under the city, they were monitored by the bamboo pipe water tank buried by the defenders in the city, and the direction was dug back.

"Damn! Damn it! This king doesn't believe it, I can't take your little Yiyang City. Situ Fei also began to be ruthless, determined to continue the attack on Yiyang City.

Situ Fei's subordinate generals all scratched their ears and began to think about breaking the city, but this Yiyang City is like a turtle shell, no, it should be a thorny turtle shell, not only difficult to capture, but also tightly pricked, the Han army not only failed to break through Yiyang City, but was also beaten by the Zhao army defending the city.

Forced to be helpless, and after learning that Yongning City and Lushi City were the same, Situ Fei could only give up the idea of switching to other sides, and also gave up the plan of a quick victory, and was determined to move forward steadily, striving to create pressure on the Zhao army in Dongyongzhou, so that Situ Liang could withdraw the Zhao army that was advancing westward. Of course, if Luoyang can be taken is Dongyongzhou, this is naturally the best.

Therefore, Situ Fei asked the rear to increase the transportation of grain and grass materials, and at the same time transferred manpower to continue to build siege equipment. In order to suppress Zhao Jun's catapults, Situ Fei had no choice but to order his side to build more catapults. Prepare to suppress the opponent in numbers, first destroy the catapults in Yiyang City, and then destroy the city fortifications in Yiyang City.

It's a pity that Situ Fei was disappointed again this time. Zhao Jun's catapult was several feet above the city, and Zhao Jun's catapult occupied a favorable position, and condescendingly fought farther than his catapult.

In addition, Zhao Jun also used the Heaven-Shaking Thunder this time. As soon as the earth-shattering thunder came out, the operators of the Han army's catapult phalanx suffered heavy casualties, and in addition, it also brought them huge pressure. At this time, the catapults of the Zhao army fired thousands of cannons, and countless boulders flew towards the phalanx of the Han army.

Situ Fei, who was angry and scolding, could only suppress the anger in his heart, and continued to order his subordinates to build catapults and continue to attack. In this way, you have been fighting back and forth for more than ten days, and with the rapid consumption of military rations and the gradual decline of morale, there is always no way to take Yiyang City.

The Zhao army, which has the support of the people, is not afraid of the deficit of troops at all, and there is no need to worry about the persuasion of the Han army to surrender. For Gawain, the longer the Han army outside the city remained in a stalemate here, the better, and their purpose was to prevent the Han army from moving forward.

As far as Situ Fei is concerned, he has been scolding his mother angrily. What made him scold his mother even more was that outside Yiyang City, around the Han army, there was also this cavalry team of the Zhao army. This cavalry team is like a nuisance mosquito, and when the opportunity arises, it bites the army under its command. The grain transport team alone was raided three times at the beginning, and a lot of grain and grass were lost. As a last resort, in order to protect the grain road, Situ Fei had to arrange more men and horses to escort the grain transportation team.

The siege was difficult, and Situ Fei wanted to bypass Yiyang City and attack other places. Unfortunately, except for the big cities, the small towns and towns around are empty. If he wanted to go straight to the rear, then he would not be able to obtain the replenishment of grain and grass materials in the territory of the Zhao army, so he would need to transport and transport them from the rear. But the existence of big cities such as Yiyang City and Yongning City can cut off his back road and cut off his food and grass at any time. If tens of thousands of troops run out of food and grass and are attacked on the back road, Situ Fei knows the consequences better than anyone else, especially now that they are still in the border of Dongyongzhou, and the people do not support them at all.

The so-called long-term defense will be lost, the Zhao army is not only guarding Yiyang City, after Situ Fei took Yiyang City as the main attack place, Yongning City, Lushi City and the cities in the rear have sent troops to Yiyang City to converge, which has the intention of fighting with the Han army in Yiyang City. What made the king of Hanzhong feel aggrieved was that whenever he was about to assemble his troops to fight the incoming Zhao army, these Zhao army reinforcements retreated one after another and disappeared without a trace.

But if he didn't care, he Situ Fei wouldn't dare to do it at all. Being in the territory of the Zhao army, it would not be a good thing for him to let these reinforcements get closer.

Therefore, the Han army was in the area around Yiyang City, and the cavalry of the Zhao army and the reinforcements of the surrounding cities began to plant grass and fight with each other. Among them, the most powerful fight is the scout teams on both sides, with dozens or hundreds of scouts on both sides dying every day on average. However, no matter what, the Zhao army achieved its original goal, and in the land of Yiyang City, Situ Fei and his 50,000 troops and the southern alliance army were blocked here, and they could not advance an inch.