Shuhan

In Junyi City, the winter wind was as cold as a knife, and snowflakes were flying everywhere, covering the newly conquered city with a layer of silver.

Wei Yan, wearing iron armor and a battle robe on his shoulders, sat in the center of the main hall.

His face was resolute and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle, as if he could see into people's hearts, and as if he could see through the wind and snow and look directly at the enemies in the distance.

Inside the hall, generals were either standing or sitting, all in military uniforms with solemn expressions. From time to time, someone would come forward to report on the situation in the city.

"General, the people in the city are still unstable. They are both looking forward to and fearing the arrival of the Han army."

An official who looked like a scholar said with a bow. Although his voice was soft, it revealed a bit of worry.

Upon hearing this, Wei Yan nodded slightly, his eyes deep, as if he was thinking about something.

The people's hearts are the foundation of a city's stability, and as Junyi is a newly conquered city, it is expected that the people's hearts are unstable.

However, Wei Yan was no ordinary man and had already prepared a plan to deal with all of this.

"The Han State Military Academy has a mature process for taking over cities. You just need to follow the rules for these things." Wei Yan's voice was steady and powerful, revealing an unquestionable majesty.

His words made the officials present feel a chill in their hearts, and they all nodded in agreement.

However, Wei Yan was not completely relieved. He knew that there were two aspects that he had to personally check.

His eyes swept across the hall and finally stopped on the grain and fodder officer.

The grain and fodder officer was a burly man with an honest face, and he looked like a man of action.

A questioning look flashed across Wei Yan's eyes, and he asked in a deep voice, "Are the food and supplies sufficient?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall fell silent, and everyone held their breath. After all, food and fodder were the lifeblood of the army and could not be lost.

Upon hearing this, the grain officer was shocked and hurriedly stepped forward, clasping his hands and answering, "General, the heavy snow has blocked the roads, making it difficult for people to travel, and the transportation of food and fodder has been delayed. The food and fodder in the army is barely enough to last until the snow melts. As for the baggage, the roads are difficult to travel on and supplies are hard to arrive. I'm afraid it won't be enough to support a major war."

After saying this, a look of worry appeared on his face, and he was obviously worried about the current situation.

Upon hearing this, Wei Yan frowned slightly, and a trace of solemnity flashed in his eyes.

He knew very well what the shortage of food and supplies meant to the army.

However, as a general, he did not show any panic, but asked calmly: "Do you have any countermeasures?"

Upon hearing this, the grain and fodder officer pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke and proposed a series of plans to save grain and fodder and find alternative resources.

After hearing this, Wei Yan nodded to show his approval, while at the same time he was secretly thinking about how to further solve this problem.

After dealing with the issue of food and fodder, Wei Yan's gaze swept across the hall again, finally settling on a cavalry lieutenant.

The lieutenant was thin but very capable, with a look of alertness in his eyes.

Wei Yan knew that this lieutenant was responsible for intelligence gathering and was well aware of the movements of the Wei army in Chenliu City.

"Has the Wei army in Chenliu City made any moves?" Wei Yan's voice was low and powerful, as if it could penetrate the wind and snow and reach people's hearts.

Upon hearing this, the lieutenant was startled, and he hurriedly stepped forward a few steps, clasped his hands and replied: "General, the Wei army in Chenliu City has been quite active recently. According to the news from the secret military department, Cao Zhen has been re-employed by the Wei State, and is now the commander-in-chief of the military affairs of the four states of Qing, Xu, Yan and Yu, and is currently supervising the battle in Chenliu."

Cao Zhen!

This name was like a thunder, exploding in Wei Yan's heart.

He knew very well that Cao Zhen was a fierce general of the Wei State, both wise and brave, who had fought against the Han Dynasty many times and had achieved remarkable results.

Now, Cao Zhen has been re-employed and appointed as the commander-in-chief of the military affairs of four states. It is obvious that he has some plans for Junyi.

A trace of solemnity flashed across Wei Yan's eyes. He was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Cao Zhen should not be underestimated. He might use troops against Junyi. We must strengthen the city defenses and stabilize the people's hearts."

Although his voice was soft, it revealed firmness and determination.

Upon hearing this, the officials present nodded in agreement, and their admiration for Wei Yan increased even more.

In the following days, Wei Yan personally supervised the battle and directed the soldiers to strengthen the city defenses, repair the city walls, and dig moats.

At the same time, he also sent elite soldiers and generals to patrol everywhere to prevent sneak attacks by the Wei army.

Under Wei Yan's careful arrangement, the defensive strength of Junyi City was greatly enhanced.

However, Wei Yan was not satisfied with this.

He knew very well that the people's hearts were the foundation of the city's stability.

So he went deep into the people, communicated with them, and understood their sufferings and needs.

He ordered the soldiers to help the people repair their houses and clear the snow, and he also allocated food from the army to provide relief to those people who were in difficult circumstances.

Thanks to his efforts, the people's morale in Junyi City gradually stabilized, and the people's initial fear of the arrival of the Han army turned into welcome.

At this moment, the cold wind was howling outside the door, and snowflakes were flying like catkins, adding a touch of solemnity to the quiet Junyi City.

A scout in fur coat and with a frosted face stepped on the thick snow, hurried forward, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands together, and said in a hurried and firm voice: "General, twenty miles outside Junyi City, we have found traces of Wei army scouts. They are acting secretively, and seem to be spying on our army's movements."

When Wei Yan heard this, his eyes suddenly focused, as if a cold light was flashing in his pupils.

He immediately slammed the table and the heavy wooden table made a loud "bang" sound under the force of his palm, shaking everyone in the hall.

Wei Yan raised a cold smile and said in a deep and powerful voice: "As I expected, Cao Zhen can no longer hold back and wants to attack our Junyi City. Send the order to send cavalry to harass the Wei army. The heavy snow has blocked the road, so their march will be slow and it will be difficult to carry baggage. We only need to strengthen the city defense, wait for them to tire, and when they are weak, we will go out of the city and defeat them!"

Upon hearing this, all the generals in the hall were cheered up, with excitement flashing in their eyes.

They all stood up, bowed their hands and responded in unison: "Yes!"

For a moment, the whole hall was filled with high morale and confidence in victory.

Soon, a burst of hurried horse hoof sounds were heard in Junyi City.

A cavalry team dressed in iron armor and holding spears galloped out on the snow, like a black torrent, cutting through this world covered in silver.

They were in good shape, their horses were strong and nimble, and every step they took left deep hoof prints, as if announcing their bravery and fearlessness to the world.

More than ten miles out of Junyi City, the cavalry saw traces of Wei army scouts.

The scouts, dressed in black and agile in build, were sneaking cautiously in the snow, trying to find out the movements of the Han army.

Seeing this, the Han cavalry did not launch an attack immediately, but continued to move forward, keeping a certain distance so as not to alert the enemy.

Ten miles ahead, the traces of the Wei army were already visible in the distance. The Wei army, which stretched for several miles, was marching hard on the snow. Because the road was blocked by heavy snow, their marching speed was extremely slow, and they carried almost no baggage.

The soldiers were wearing thick cotton clothes, but still could not withstand the biting cold wind. Their faces and hands were frozen red, and some even shivered from the cold.

Seeing this, the Han cavalry had a sly look in their eyes. They immediately bent their bows and aimed their arrows at the Wei army.

As a rain of arrows fell, the Wei army suddenly fell into chaos.

They had to form a defensive array and send out cavalry to fight.

However, the Han cavalry did not engage them head-on. Instead, they took advantage of the terrain and speed to constantly harass the Wei army, making it impossible for them to march in peace.

Whenever the Wei army formed a defensive array, the Han cavalry retreated as if they were playing a trick on them.

When the Wei army disbanded their formation and prepared to continue their march, the Han cavalry appeared beside them like ghosts and launched an attack again.

However, the Wei cavalry was small in number and had weak horsepower, so they were unable to cause any damage to the Han cavalry.

This continuous harassment tactic slowed down the Wei army's marching speed and dealt a heavy blow to their morale.

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Wei Yan stood on the city wall of Junyi City and watched this scene from afar.

Although this harassment tactic could not directly defeat the Wei army, it could greatly consume their physical strength and morale.

When the Wei army is weak, it will be the best time for him to leave the city and defeat the enemy.

Wei Yan's mouth curled up into a cold smile again. He thought to himself: "Cao Zhen, oh Cao Zhen, do you think I will just sit there and wait for death? Humph, I, Wei Yan, am not someone that easy to deal with? When your Wei army is weak, it will be the day for my Han army to counterattack!"

As time went on, the Wei army's marching speed became slower and slower, and its morale became lower and lower.

They originally thought that they could easily capture Junyi City, but they did not expect to encounter such stubborn resistance and cunning harassment.

Many soldiers began to doubt the outcome of the war, and some even began to waver in their confidence.

At this time, the Han cavalry became more and more courageous. They knew that they had the responsibility of protecting Junyi City and knew how much reward they would get after winning the battle.

In their hearts, ennobling their wives and children is their lifelong hope. As long as they have this hope, they will be fearless and invincible.

Finally, when the Wei army was exhausted and morale was low, Wei Yan ordered a counterattack.

The Han cavalry rushed towards the Wei army like a tiger descending from a mountain, holding spears and brandishing swords, and engaged in a desperate fight with the Wei army.

Although the Wei army was large in number, they were exhausted after a long period of marching and fighting and were unable to withstand the fierce attack of the Han cavalry.

However, at this critical moment, the sky seemed to become even darker, with dark clouds hanging low, as if foreshadowing an impending storm.

Behind the slightly tired infantry phalanx of the Wei army, suddenly, a rapid and heavy sound of horse hooves tore through the silence of the battlefield, like thunder out of the blue, shaking everyone's heartstrings.

It turned out that Cao Zhen, a famous general of Wei State, had long seen through the intentions of the Han army. He expected that the Han army would use the mobility of the cavalry to harass the infantry of the Wei army in an attempt to disrupt the Wei army's formation.

So he secretly mobilized an elite cavalry, hid behind, and waited for the opportunity.

When the Han cavalry rushed into the Wei infantry without hesitation like wild horses, wielding long spears and short blades in an attempt to reap the fruits of victory in the chaos, Cao Zhen calmly judged every inch of change on the battlefield.

Finally, when the Han cavalry was completely entangled with the infantry and had no time to take care of other things, he suddenly swung the spear in his hand, as if conducting a sophisticated piece of music, and the Wei cavalry that had been hidden for a long time instantly rushed out from behind the Wei infantry like a sword drawn from its sheath with a force as powerful as thunder.

The Han cavalry never expected that at this moment when victory seemed certain, the Wei army actually had a new force hidden.

They were so shocked that their formation collapsed instantly, and the originally orderly charge turned into a scattered escape.

The war horses neighed because of their masters' panic, and the knights turned their horses around, trying to escape this sudden nightmare and retreated hastily towards the nearby Junyi City.

However, the long period of harassment warfare had exhausted the physical strength of their horses. The sound of their horses' hooves was mixed with fatigue and weakness. Compared with the Wei army's cavalry, which was well-rested and had plenty of horsepower, they were clearly at a disadvantage in speed.

The Wei cavalry, led by Cao Zhen, were as ruthless as autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves. They held long spears in their hands and had sharp blades on their waists. Every swing of their sword was accompanied by the wailing of the Han cavalry.

Wherever the horse's hooves stepped, dust flew, blood splattered, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of rust and blood.

Among the Han cavalry, some were shot through the heart, some had their throats cut by sharp blades, and more were caught up while running in despair and became the souls killed by the swords of the Wei cavalry.

In this battle, the Wei army achieved a decisive victory by using a surprise attack strategy.

When the last Han cavalryman fell, the only sounds on the battlefield were the cheers and shouts of victory of the Wei cavalry.

They held their weapons high, their faces filled with long-lost joy and pride. The morale, which had been low due to consecutive days of defeat, seemed to be reignited by an invisible force at this moment and burned fiercely.

Cao Zhen stood in front of the formation holding a spear. His figure was elongated in the afterglow of the setting sun, making him look particularly majestic.

There was a complex light flashing in his deep eyes, showing both the joy of victory and worry about the future.

He slowly exhaled, and the heavy stone in his heart finally fell to the ground.

Winning the first battle was undoubtedly a good start for him, and it gave him a glimmer of hope in capturing Junyi City.

However, this hope did not make him completely relax.

He knew very well that it would not be easy to capture the fortified city of Junyi.

Although the morale of the Wei army was greatly boosted, the lack of siege equipment and the severe cold in winter greatly affected the soldiers' physical strength and morale.

He looked up at the towering city. Its walls were high and its gates were closed, as if mocking the smallness and powerlessness of the Wei army.

"General, what should we do next?" A deputy general rode up on his horse, with a look of inquiry and expectation on his face.

Cao Zhen was silent for a moment, his brows furrowed, as if he was weighing every possible option.

Finally, he spoke slowly, his voice low and firm: "Pass the order down, the entire army will rest for one night, and tomorrow morning, we will discuss the strategy for attacking the city. Remember, we must not only win, but also minimize casualties."

His eyes once again swept across the battlefield that had just experienced a bloody battle, and he sighed inwardly.

He knew that the next battle would be more difficult and the price to pay would be astronomical.

But as a general, he must shoulder this responsibility and lead the Wei army to victory, even if the road ahead is full of thorns and even if the cost is extremely heavy.

As night fell and the wind was cold, a bonfire was lit in the Wei army camp and the soldiers sat around the fire, enjoying the rare tranquility and warmth.

Cao Zhen stood alone at the edge of the camp, gazing at the distant Junyi City shrouded in darkness.

His figure appeared lonely and resolute in the cold wind, but his heart was like a surging ocean, thinking about tomorrow, thinking about the future, and thinking about how to exchange for the final victory at the lowest cost. (End of this chapter)