The importance of unhindered information cannot be overstated. Once communications are completely severed, one can exploit the information gap between the two sides and create the most advantageous conditions for oneself, thereby achieving a glorious victory. I call this "information warfare."—Excerpt from The Sayings of Sage Wang Xuan
Meanwhile, Guan Yu was training the new recruits outside the city. Their drills never stopped. They conducted a live siege exercise every morning, then reviewed and adjusted their tactics in the afternoon. Everything proceeded in full swing.
On the other side, under Wei Yan's direction and with Zhai Lu's flawless cooperation, urgent letters of summons were sent out one after another. They were dispatched according to the distance of each city, with the aim of having the reinforcements arrive at Nanpi at different times so that the surrender effort could proceed smoothly.
Reinforcements from the five towns of Zhangwu, Fuyang, Gaocheng, Yangxin, and Qiandong arrived in Nanpi one after another. Some happened to arrive in time for Guan Yu's "siege" in the morning, while others found the area outside the city calm and peaceful in the afternoon. Without exception, however, they all vanished without a trace after entering Nanpi.
Nanpi was like a bottomless pit, silently swallowing the entire fifty-thousand-strong army of Bohai Commandery. It was only after two consecutive batches of messengers sent from Yuan Shao's headquarters in Ganling disappeared without a trace that anyone finally took notice.
Yuan Shao stared at the battle reports and pleas for aid spread across the desk before him, his eyes bloodshot. He felt the world spinning. He had just risen halfway when his body swayed, and with a thump, he collapsed back into his chair.
"Lord!"
"Lord, what happened?"
The civil and military officials cried out in alarm. Xu You and several others closest