My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 359 Swallowing Shandong
Dongji Prefecture.

Gao Shen, who had already set off long ago, had arrived in front of Gao Yi.

At the same time, Gao Qian and Gao Ang's confidants also sent a message, and Gao Yi now had all the information.

"Father, what decision do you intend to make?"

"Erlang's military order is for me and my father to lead a large army south to cooperate with Zuxin and Mulan in attacking Qizhou from three sides."

Gao Ji frowned, unsure of what to do. He glanced at the letter in his hand.

In the letters sent by Gao Qian and others, Gao Huan also expressed his desire for Gao Qian to send troops to cooperate with Gao Huan in attacking Yingzhou from both the east and the west, completely severing Erzhu Rong's connection with Yan and You, and also opening up the connection between Hebei and Shandong.

"We all underestimated Dalang before."

Gao Ji shook his head.

They not only underestimated Gao Huan's abilities, but also his ambitions.

Gao Ji looked at the map. According to the information he received from Gao Shen, Gao Yu had already gathered troops in Qingzhou and was well prepared.

If Qizhou and Jizhou are captured, then the entire Shandong region will fall under Gao Yu's control.

The next step for Gao Yu is to go south to take the other half of Xuzhou and Yuzhou, or go north to attack Youzhou and Yanzhou. After all, Gao Yu is short of warhorses, and once the passage to Yan and You is opened, he will be able to obtain a stable source of warhorses.

Judging from the map, it's as if Gao Yu has occupied the entire coastline, effectively surrounding the entire Hebei region, without having to directly confront Erzhu Rong.

"Let's send troops south."

After hesitating for a long time, Gao Ji finally made a decision.

"Qian Yong and Ao Cao will surely be highly valued by the eldest son, so let's bet on the second son!"

Gao Ji immediately assembled his troops, preparing to march south and strike directly at Qizhou!
…………

Qizhou was surrounded on three sides by Jizhou, Qingzhou and Yanzhou, and its jurisdiction was not large, consisting of only four counties.

Its capital was located in Jinan Commandery, and it also had Dongtaiyuan Commandery, Dongqinghe Commandery, and Dongpingyuan Commandery.

At the foot of Mount Tai.

Yang Kan led his large army northwards, preparing to march straight towards Dongtaiyuan County.

"Erlang should have made his move long ago. Good... Take Qizhou and Jizhou before the snow arrives, and Erzhu Rong won't be able to retaliate."

Even if Erzhu Rong knew that these two places had been lost, he couldn't make any adjustments.

Unless he is willing to wage war in the winter.

However, the cost of waging war in winter is too high. In the freezing cold, soldiers need to be provided with warm clothing. Moreover, water transport is difficult to use in winter. If the river freezes over, manual transport will be the only option, which would be too costly.

It will also affect the planting in the following spring, and unless there are special circumstances, few people would choose to launch a forced troop movement in winter.

"Pass on my order! Continue the march! We deserve the greatest credit!"

Gao Yu's plan was to attack Qizhou from three sides. Yang Kan led an army from Yanzhou, while Mulan and Peng Le set off from Qingzhou.

"It's time to reclaim the valiant reputation of the sons of Han! We must surpass Mulan and Peng Le!!"

The soldiers were in high spirits!
This was the first large-scale operation by the garrison troops, and Gao Yu hadn't given them any empty promises.

Each soldier was allocated land and servants, thus completing a class leap and becoming a small landowner.

and……

The roles of the land for the benefit of the people and the land for the relief of the needy are also very obvious.

When pacifying the refugees in Nanqingzhou and Guangzhou, there are always a few unlucky ones who die in battle, and their first year's compensation is already in place.

For ordinary soldiers, that's enough.

Even if he were to die in battle, his wife, children, and elderly parents would still be taken care of.

If we win, needless to say, there will be many benefits.

Most importantly, it can lead to promotions and higher positions!
Gao Yu has already announced that he will be introducing the 'Twelve Promotion System for Merit Officers'! The time to make contributions and conquer the world is coming.

This incentive system is the most effective.

………………

Qingzhou, outside Bohai Commandery.

Mulan and Peng Le have also assembled a large army. Dongpingyuan County in Qizhou is not far from Qingzhou, located on the border between the two provinces.

"I never imagined that I would one day lead troops into battle alongside you. Don't drag me down!"

Peng Le chuckled.

"It's still uncertain who will drag whom down."

Mulan was not to be outdone!
The two of them were with Gao Yu and were the core decision-makers of the Tian Ce Mansion. How could they not know what the current situation of the world was like?
An era of great strife!
For these pure warriors, this is their stage!

In this era of great competition, various brilliant generals will inevitably emerge in turn; how could they possibly fall behind?

"My lads, advance swiftly! We must win this battle! We have followed the general for so long, risking our lives alongside him, and made great contributions. How can we be outdone by others?!"

.....................

The three armies marched in a mighty force toward Qizhou!
Within the Dongpingyuan County.

Xiao Zan was greatly alarmed upon learning of the approaching army.

He led his personal guards to the city wall for a look.

"Damn it! This General Tian Ce is also an ambitious man!"

"Quickly gather the soldiers to fight the enemy, and send someone to Luoyang to inform the Prime Minister that General Tian Ce has rebelled!!"

Xiao Zan was one of the three governors of Qizhou.

Judging from their surnames, they must have fled from the south to the north.

Both the Great Wei and the Southern Liang dynasties treated members of the imperial clan who defected from the other side with great favor, bestowing upon them high-ranking official positions and generous salaries.

Xiao Zan was originally Xiao Pusa's adopted son, but his biological father was Xiao Baojuan, the unfortunate man whose throne was seized by Xiao Pusa!
Upon learning of his true identity, Xiao Zan immediately chose to defect to the Northern Wei Dynasty.

Yuan Xu was still alive at that time.

He was given a high-ranking official position and generous salary, and was appointed as the governor of Qizhou very early on.

But this guy...

He has a bad reputation and likes to harm the people; his reputation in Qizhou has always been very poor.

This is precisely why Gao Yu targeted Qizhou as his first objective!

We can attack from three sides, plus Xiao Zan has a terrible reputation.

Knowing that Xiao Zan was in Dongpingyuan County, they chose Mulan and Peng Le's army as the main target of their attack!
It is precisely because Xiao Zan is unpopular that he is the most suitable target for a breakthrough!
as predicted.

Although Xiao Zan immediately assembled soldiers to defend the city walls, he had no popular support.

Mulan had already sent people disguised as ordinary citizens to infiltrate the city, without revealing her identity immediately.

Instead, they besieged the city with a large army for several days, waiting for the people inside to become restless. Only then did these hidden agents step forward to incite the people to gather and riot.

While Xiao Zan was in a state of panic, they opened the city gates from the inside and outside, welcoming the army into the city!
Upon learning the news, Xiao Zan immediately chose to flee, without daring to stop and hold his ground.

Mulan and Peng Le captured Dongping County almost without bloodshed. The two enforced strict military discipline, ordering their soldiers not to harass the people and valuing their reputation highly.

The attacks from both sides, led by Gao Ji and Yang Kan, were also exceptionally successful.

The three armies arrived outside Jinan Prefecture at almost the same time, and the governor Fang Shida, who was in the city, simply abandoned the city and fled south.

It took no more than half a month.

After capturing Qizhou, the three armies joined forces and marched straight towards Jizhou!
(End of this chapter)