After Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang were defeated in a battle near Jieqiao, they retreated angrily.
On the way back, Yuan Tan looked very unhappy.
He really didn't expect that Yuan Shang's army was so tenacious and could defeat him even under the unfavorable circumstances of a surprise attack.
This trip didn't bring much benefit, but also lost soldiers and generals... Yuan Tan was so depressed that he couldn't hold back his anger.
But this is also his own fault. If he brought out Zhang Liao and Wei Yan's cavalry, it would be easy to defeat Yuan Shang...
After returning to Qinghe City, Yuan Tan found that the gate of Qinghe City was tightly closed and it was eerily quiet.
"Now that there is no big enemy outside, why should we close the city gate tightly?" Yuan Tan was very confused when he saw this, so he ordered his soldiers to go and call the door.
A soldier with a loud voice ran to the city wall and shouted: "General Wei is back, open the city gate quickly!"
After shouting for a while, there was still silence...
"Open the city gate quickly!" The soldier put his hands on his hips this time and used all his strength to feed himself.
But after calling for a while, the city gate remained silent.
Yuan Tan felt that something was wrong, and there was a hint of ominousness in his heart as he frowned!
Just when Yuan Tan wanted to turn around and withdraw his troops, the city gate suddenly opened.
However, the scene inside the city gate entrance frightened the soldier named Men so much that he collapsed to the ground!
"kill!!!"
There was a sudden cry of killing inside the city gate cave!
"Capture Yuan Tan alive!"
Not only inside the city, but also outside the city, there were thunderous sounds of horse hooves!
Xin Pi suddenly appeared at the top of the city with the cry of killing. He shouted loudly to Yuan Tan, "Qinghe has now returned to Prime Minister Cao! Yuan Tan, surrender!"
"Yuan Tan, dismount and surrender, I will spare your life!!" Zhang Liao's voice came.
"Yuan's strength has been exhausted, Yuan Tan will be captured if he doesn't get off his horse quickly!"
"Xinpi! You actually colluded with Cao Cao to seize my inheritance!!!"
"Zhang Liao! Wei Yan!!!"
Yuan Tan's eyes were about to burst. Although he hated eating Xin Pi's flesh and drinking Xin Pi's blood, he could not think of fighting against Zhang Liao and Wei Yan.
The strength of Cao's army has already cast a deep shadow in Yuan Tan's heart that cannot be removed.
Yuan Tan hurriedly sent out his soldiers to cut off the rear, but he himself escaped under the protection of his personal guards.
The pursuers of Zhang Liao and Wei Yan were intercepted by Yuan Tan's soldiers and personal guards who sacrificed their lives for a while, but in the end they failed to catch up with him. It must be said that Yuan Tan ran really fast.
Yuan Tan escaped, and Cao Jun captured all of Yuan Tan's army. Excluding those who died in battle, Yuan Tan's army captured more than 10,000 people.
Yuan Tan fled all the way to Bohai County, and finally felt relieved when he fled to Nanpi.
Bohai County was where Yuan Shao originally raised his troops. Their foundation here was equally deep, and there were generals loyal to Yuan Tan stationed there. Yuan Tan could finally take a breather.
...
Yecheng fought with his life, but fell short at the last moment.
Yuan Shang was defeated and fled, panicking like a lost dog along the way.
After retreating to Handan, Yuan Shang finally regained his composure, but Handan was far from the strong foundation of Yecheng and could not resist Cao Cao's army.
The southern part of Jizhou has been completely lost, the northern part is undefendable, and the troops are exhausted.
In the huge Jizhou, Yuan Shang had nowhere to go. Under Guo Tu's suggestion, Yuan Shang finally chose to go to Youzhou to join his second brother Yuan Xi.
Shen Pei's nephew Shen Rong, in order to save his uncle and also to protect himself, Shen Pei prepared to open the south city gate and surrender as agreed with Cao Cao.
However, there are still many die-hard elements in the city, and Shen Rong still has to be cautious enough.
The appointed time is coming.
To be on the safe side, Cao Cao personally led an army to garrison the south gate of Ye City.
Taishi Ci led 3,000 Beiwei troops in front, and Guan Yu's 2,000 swordsmen followed behind, preparing to seize the city gate to ensure that the army could enter the city unimpeded and to prevent Shen Rong's envoys from defrauding the army's retreat.
When the time came, Cao Cao immediately ordered people to raise the torch.
Shenrong, who was anxiously watching on the top of the city, suddenly saw the lights of fire outside the city and was overjoyed. He hurriedly ran down to the top of the city and ordered his people to open the city gate.
The soldiers guarding the city had long been secretly replaced by Shen Rong's own people. After they heard the order from Shen Rong, they immediately opened the south gate.
"Crunch!"
The city gate opens and the drawbridge falls!
Taishi Ci and Guan Yu, who had been waiting for a long time, led the troops and swarmed in from the south city gate!
The city gate guards were pushed aside by Cao Jun, and they were too scared to say a word... The south gate of Ye City was instantly controlled by Cao Jun. Cao Cao immediately pulled out the Yitian Sword and shouted: "March! Occupy Ye City!"
Feng Ji is inspecting the city defense. His current psychology is very complicated. Firstly, his loyalty to the Yuan family makes Fengji unwilling to surrender easily. Secondly, he is too tied to the Yuan family. Even if he wants to surrender, he doesn't know what will happen to Cao Cao.
treat him...
"Oh...it's difficult..." Just when Fengji was worried about his future, someone suddenly came to report that Cao Jun had entered Yecheng.
Hearing that Cao Jun finally entered the city, Feng Ji felt relieved, and then he sighed softly and said: "I, Feng Ji, can be considered worthy of the Yuan family... Now that the Yuan family is in danger, surrender is also a last resort, that's all.
..."
There were still some die-hards in the city who were stubbornly resisting, but under the iron-blooded suppression of Cao Jun, Yecheng quickly became quiet.
After the army entered the city and occupied Yecheng, the big stone in Cao Cao's heart finally fell to the ground. This most difficult first step was finally taken!
Yecheng, the residence of the general.
Feng Ji and other newly surrendered civil and military officials stood in a row, waiting for Lao Cao's lecture, but they waited for Shen Pei who was escorted up first.
Shen Pei had disheveled hair and a withered face, but when he saw Cao Cao, he started cursing again, looking still very angry.
When the trial partner got tired of scolding him, Lao Cao glanced at Shen Rong who was standing next to him but hesitated to speak, and decided to give the trial partner another chance and said: "Shen Zhengnan, now that Yuan's strength has been exhausted, are you still unwilling to surrender?
"
"Bah! Thief Cao! Don't you understand the principle of a loyal minister not serving his two masters?! Either you kill me today, or I will kill you one day!"
The words of the judge made the old members of the Yuan family who had surrendered behind them feel a little hot.
Lao Cao sighed and said: "Famous ministers choose their masters, so why do you have to sacrifice yourself for the Yuan family?"
Shen Pei turned his head and no longer looked at Cao Cao. He was born as a minister of the Yuan family and died as a ghost of the Yuan family. His mind was obviously extremely firm.
I don’t know what kind of delusion Yuan Benzhu gave this guy to make him so loyal.
Cao Cao was angry, so he asked: "You claim to be an unparalleled scholar in the country, and you will sacrifice your life for the Yuan family. But do you know who opened the city gate?"
Shen Pei had actually expected someone to surrender in Kaicheng, and he even guessed about Feng Ji and others.
At this moment, Shen Pei really wanted to know who opened the city gate, "Who is it?"
Cao Cao laughed and said: "The one who opened the city gate was none other than your nephew Shen Rong!"
Shen Pei suddenly widened his eyes and stared at his nephew.