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Hmm, The fall of Heyin City in Wei Country doesn’t count.
Although the city was nominally Wei’s Eastern Capital, in reality, the Wei Monarch had never visited there; it was rely a na, managed as a capital in na only.
This is very different from Xinzheng City, which has always been treated as the core of a nation and of a prefecture.
The fall of Xinzheng City and the flight of the Zheng Monarch beca a turning point in the Chu State’s campaign in Yuzhou.
As the news spread, the Zheng Prefectures and Counties around Xinzheng City that were still holding out began to waver, and the people’s spirits were scattered.
When our Chu army cleared up the aftermath in Xinzheng and began to send troops to nearby cities, all the towns we passed surrendered at the sight of us.
So Prefectures and Counties even sent ssengers to offer their submission before our Chu army arrived, switching to the Chu flag in advance.
Without much effort, the remaining Prefectures and Counties of Changguang County fell under Chu control.
Then, after leaving so soldiers to guard Changguang County, the naval Expeditionary Army continued to advance westward, coordinating a pincer attack on Gaomi County from the east, preparing to et with the Yangxia Expeditionary Army from the other two fronts.
However, the naval Expeditionary Army was a bit slow.
The Zheng Soldiers in Gaomi County, upon hearing the news of Xinzheng’s fall, knew they were in big trouble.
Continuing to stay here, with their rear already lost, was simply an inescapable trap.
If the Chu army from Xinzheng arrived, there would be no way to survive being attacked from both sides.
Therefore, without waiting for the naval Expeditionary Army to arrive, the remaining 300,000-plus Zheng Soldiers in Gaomi County began to retreat ahead of schedule, moving north to Pingchang Prefecture.
Although Huang Xuan’s Yangxia Expeditionary Army also engaged in so entanglent and pursuit, the Zheng Soldiers’ determination, will, and mobility to retreat were indeed too strong.
After a chase, although we captured about one hundred and fifty thousand of them, we still let approximately two hundred thousand Zheng Soldiers escape.
This was sowhat regrettable.
Fortunately, although part of the Zheng army escaped, adding the previous captures and the victory at Xinzheng,
Since the expedition to Yuzhou, the Chu army has already successively killed or captured over seven hundred thousand Zheng Soldiers and seized two prefectures, as well as capturing the Imperial Capital, marking a glorious victory.
However, following this disastrous defeat, Zheng Kingdom was fundantally impaired, completely unable to recover.
But this was not the end.
After the two fronts rged, Lu Yuan ordered a reorganization, rging the Yangxia and the naval Expeditionary Armies into the Yuzhou Expeditionary Camp.
After integration, the two camps had a total of 1.2 million Soldiers, 150,000 naval troops, 100,000 civilian workers, and an additional 300,000 surrendered Soldiers, making up a grand total of 1.75 million troops.
After reorganization, the Yuzhou Expeditionary Camp had only one target, and that was to eradicate Zheng Kingdom and capture the land of Yuzhou controlled by the opponent.
So after a short rest and reorganization for over a month, and after sorting out the existing controlled areas, the Yuzhou Camp continued its northward offensive.
It was just at this ti that Zheng had also sowhat recovered, and despite the agony of losing their capital, they completed a full mobilization.
Previously, the fleeing Zheng Monarch, with the Crown Prince, the Pri Minister, and the Grand General, reappeared in Pingchang Prefecture and declared that they would establish a new capital in Zhuxu City of this prefecture.
After escaping from the trap, the Zheng Monarch imdiately set about reorganizing the remaining territory of the country.
After losing Gaomi and Changguang Prefectures, the remaining Zheng territory consisted only of the Yidu and Gaoyang Prefectures in the northern border, Pingchang Prefecture, and Haiyang Prefecture located to the north of Changguang and on the eastern seaboard.
Together, these accounted for a total of four prefectures.
Combined, these four prefectures had a population of about ten million.
On the brink of national extinction, there was no longer any concern for such things.
At this point, after the mobilization, all able-bodied n were conscripted, and Zheng managed to muster a large army of 2.5 million.
Among them, there were still about seventeen Inborn Grandmasters.
Overall, the Zheng people still had the strength to fight one more battle.
Unfortunately, just at this ti, when Zheng was focusing a lot of energy to prepare for a decisive battle against Chu in the south,
Tang Kingdom in the north, having been targeted by surrounding countries and stewing for over half a year, could scarcely bear the resentnt in its heart any longer.
Seeing that a corner of the encircling blockade had been broken with their old enemy Zheng in trouble and the blockade against them lifted, their spirits instantly lifted.
As ntioned before, the Tang Monarch and Ministers didn’t care for the long-term or worry about mutual dependence for survival.
They were only interested in the imdiate gains.
Thus, seeing Zheng in a downcast state, with its northern forces significantly reduced and defenses vulnerable, they could no longer contain their impatience.
With no hesitation, over a million Tang troops swept southward, directly invading the undefended territory of Yidu Prefecture.
How else could it be said that Tang excels at seizing opportunities!
With perfect timing, Yidu Prefecture fell into Tang hands with hardly any resistance.
Then, the Tang army continued to push southwards towards the new Zheng capital, Zhuxu City.
Seeing this, how could the Zheng people remain seated?
Thoughts of fighting Chu in the south, of reclaiming their old capital, were all thrown aside.
If they didn’t halt the Tang forces, Zheng’s demise was but a matter of days.
But at this ti, the new commandant of the Yuzhou Camp in the south, Huang Xuan, also saw an opportunity. He sent troops north to entwine the main Zheng forces in the south, preventing them from going north for relief.
Caught between the coordinated forces of Tang and Chu, Zheng fell into the awkward predicant of being attacked from both sides.
Fortunately, at this ti, Jin Country in the east finally displayed its foresight, unlike Tang’s shortsightedness, and maintained an understanding of the overall situation.
Seeing that Zheng was on the verge of collapse and on the brink of being annihilated by Tang and Chu,
At a critical mont, Jin took action.
After negotiations with Zheng, they sent an army of six hundred thousand from the east into Yidu Prefecture and once again flanked the Tang forces from behind.
With their rear under threat, Tang forces could no longer continue their peaceful march south and were forced to turn back and engage with Jin’s army.
Thus, Zheng, on the verge of collapse, sohow managed to survive a little longer.
Nevertheless, even though Zheng had temporarily saved itself, facing the dilemma of being attacked on both fronts and adversaries on every side, it was hard-pressed to hold on.
Moreover, after more than a year of war and the impact of the fall of the Imperial Capital, Zheng was really unable to fight any longer.
Ultimately, after so arguing and negotiation, Zheng finally bowed to reality and once again sent ssengers to Chu to discuss terms of peace.
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