Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

In just half a month, the entire Nanhai Commandery was completely pacified by Zhang Liao.

With orders being issued smoothly and order being maintained, even the most remote mountain strongholds knew that the world had changed and the newly arrived Han army was not to be trifled with.

Zhang Liao left a portion of his troops to garrison the city, while he led the main force back to Guangxin City to report to Yue Fei.

When Zhang Liao returned to Guangxin, his armor was still covered in the dust of the southern campaign, but he was in high spirits and looked relaxed.

...

When the news of Yue Fei's capture of Cangwu County and Zhang Liao's pacification of Nanhai County reached Jiaozhi County, the entire Shi family was in an uproar.

In Longbian City, Jiaozhi County, the governor's mansion of Shi Xie was brightly lit, and the room was filled with people making as much noise as a market.

Shi Xie sat in the main seat, his face ashen, the teacup in his hand almost crushed.

Having managed Jiaozhi for so many years, he had long regarded Jiaozhou as his own backyard.

Zhu Fu was just a decoration in his eyes; he was the real local tyrant of Jiaozhou.

He recruited talented people, stockpiled grain and fodder, and trained troops, waiting for the world to descend into chaos so that he could establish a separatist regime in Lingnan.

He originally thought that even if Liu Ce pacified the Central Plains, he wouldn't be able to manage such a remote place as Jiaozhou.

Unexpectedly, they sent an army of 40,000 men, along with renowned generals such as Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhang Liao. In less than half a month, they captured the two prefectures of Cangwu and Nanhai, and were about to reach the doorstep of Jiaozhi.

"Tell me, what should we do?" Shih-hsieh put down his teacup, his voice low and tinged with anxiety.

The people below started arguing.

Some advised surrendering quickly: "Liu Ce has already wiped out Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Dong Zhuo... Our resources are simply not enough to withstand their attack. Surrender as soon as possible, and you can save your family's lives."

Some argued that Jiaozhou was mountainous and densely forested, with heavy miasma, and that the Han army, unaccustomed to the climate and water, would certainly not be able to conquer it. They suggested that it would be better to close the city and hold out: "We've been here for decades. The Han army wouldn't even know the way. What are we afraid of?"

Others, with their necks craned, shouted that they were ready to fight the Han army to the death.

"We absolutely cannot hand over Jiaozhou, which we've cultivated for decades, to them! Let's fight them! We have tens of thousands of troops, and the support of powerful clans and barbarian tribes in various counties. What are we afraid of? No matter how powerful Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are, can they fly across the river?"

After listening to what Shih-hsieh said, he was eventually persuaded by his younger brother Shih-yi's words.

Shi Yi stood in the center of the hall, gesturing wildly and spitting as he spoke:

"Brother! We've been operating in Jiaozhou for decades, with deep roots and tens of thousands of troops under our command. We also have the support of powerful clans and barbarian tribes in various counties. What are we afraid of? The Han army has come from afar and is suffering from acclimatization issues. The miasma alone could wipe out half of them! No matter how powerful Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are, can they fly across the Yu River?"

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, slamming his fist on the table and shouting, "Let's fight him! If we win, we can occupy Jiaozhou forever and be local tyrants for generations to come!"

These words struck a chord with Shi Xie.

He's always wanted to be a local tyrant, and now he's being asked to hand it over to someone else? How could he be willing to do that?

Shih-hsieh slammed his hand on the table and immediately set the tone:

"Alright! Let's get them! Send the order down to all the counties of Hepu, Yulin, Jiuzhen, and Rinan: prepare for battle, close the city gates, and defend to the death! I refuse to believe that Yue Fei, with his 40,000 Han troops, can turn the world upside down on our Jiaozhou territory!"

In this way, Shi Xie gathered 50,000 troops from various counties in Jiaozhou, as well as countless barbarian tribes, and deployed them along the Yu River, intending to confront Yue Fei's army head-on.

When the news reached the command tent in Guangxin City, Yue Fei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhang Liao were stunned for two seconds before bursting into laughter, unable to stop.

Zhang Fei laughed so hard he slammed his fist on the table and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Good heavens! This Shi Xie is really brave! Does he really think he can challenge us just because he occupies Jiaozhi? We've wiped out the warlords of Guandong and Dong Zhuo's hundreds of thousands of troops. His little shrimp soldiers aren't even enough to fill my teeth!"

Guan Yu stroked his long beard, his phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and a disdainful smile appeared on his lips:

"They are like clay chickens and earthen dogs, utterly vulnerable. Shi Xie is arrogant and thinks that because the mountains are high and the emperor is far away, he can carve out a territory. Little does he know that the world has already been unified. His resistance is nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot."

Zhang Liao laughed and said, "Shi Xie does have some guts, but unfortunately he used them in the wrong place. He thought he could stop us by relying on the natural barrier of the Yu River and the miasma in the mountains, but he didn't know that we had already prepared plenty of siege equipment, food, and medicine. His reliance is no different from paper in our eyes. Once the catapults are fired, no natural barrier will be of any use."

Yue Fei smiled and waved his hand, stopping the laughter of the group, his eyes full of determination:

"Since he's so ungrateful and insists on a head-on confrontation, then we'll grant his wish. Issue the order: the army will immediately set off westward! Same old tactics: first try to persuade him to surrender; if he won't, then beat him into submission! I want to see if Shi Xie's neck is as hard as our battering ram!"

At a single command, the 40,000-strong army broke camp at Guangxin City and marched westward in a mighty procession, heading straight for the two prefectures of Hepu and Yulin.

As expected, the prefects of Hepu and Yulin had already been ordered by Shi Xie to close their cities and defend them to the death, refusing to surrender.

Yue Fei didn't waste any words with them. He divided his troops into two groups: he sent Zhang Liao and Guan Yu with 20,000 men to attack Yulin County, while he led the main force to attack Hepu County.

The siege was a foregone conclusion.

The garrison of Hepu County had just set up their formation on the city wall when they were met with a barrage of arrows from the Han army.

The rain of arrows was so dense it was like a downpour, and soon a section of the city wall collapsed.

The defenders huddled behind the battlements, not daring to even show their heads.

Immediately afterwards, trebuchets bombarded the city wall in succession, the stones crashing down on the wall with a loud "boom boom boom," and in no time a large section of the wall collapsed, with debris flying everywhere and dust filling the sky.

At Yue Fei's command, the Han soldiers carried ladders and charged up.

These soldiers were all seasoned veterans; climbing the ladder was child's play for them.

Some people, with a knife in their mouths, climbed up using both hands alternately, and quickly made their way up.

The defenders threw down logs and stones, but they dodged left and right and managed to avoid being hit.

In less than two hours, they captured Hepu County.

The prefect was dragged out of the government office, trembling all over, and knelt on the ground begging for mercy.

Yue Fei glanced at him and said calmly, "Take him away and send him to Luoyang for punishment."

...

Zhang Liao and Guan Yu on the other side fought even more easily.

Zhang Liao and Guan Yu led their troops to Bushan City, the seat of Yulin County, and first sent people to persuade them to surrender.

The envoy stood below the city walls, looking up and shouting, "Listen up! His Highness the Prince of Yan's army has arrived! Open the city gates and surrender, and all past transgressions will be forgiven! Resist to the bitter end, and you will face certain death!"

There was silence on the city wall for a long while, then the prefect poked his head out. Not only did he refuse to surrender, but he also started cursing at the Han army from the city wall, saying something...

"You northerners, you still can't adapt to our southern climate and water." "Our Prefect Shi said that the Han army is just a paper tiger." "Jiaozhou is not under your jurisdiction."

Guan Yu listened from the side, his expression growing increasingly grim.

He stroked his long beard, narrowed his phoenix eyes, and let out a cold snort:

"Ungrateful."