The next day, Bai Xiaowen led thirty thousand elite soldiers on the march. Before they reached Liyang, they received some bad news.
Xiahou Dun had captured Liyang!
General Jiang Yiqu had been killed!
Only after Bai Xiaowen asked about what had happened did he learn that Jiang Yiqu was not to blame for this battle.
Jiang Yiqu knew he was no match for fierce generals like Xiahou Dun, so he strictly defended the city and camp without engaging the Cao Army.
However, during the night, the gates of Liyang City were opened by Cao Army infiltrators.
Cao Cao's fourth son, Cao Xiong, had displayed astonishing bravery. Leading a force into the city, he cut down three generals in succession. As for Jiang Yiqu, he had also fallen beneath the combined assault of Cao Xiong and his subordinates! Thus, the Liyang camp was breached, and the routed soldiers fled north one after another.
Fortunately, when the city fell, Jiang Yiqu had made a wise decision: burn the provisions and never leave them to the enemy.
A sorrowful look crossed Bai Xiaowen's face as he said, "Although General Jiang lost the battle and the city, this was not his fault. When the city fell, he fought to the death and even burned the stored provisions instead of leaving them to the bandits. He did everything he could."
After a brief mourning ceremony, Bai Xiaowen ordered Jiang Yiqu to be posthumously conferred the title of Protector-General and posthumously granted the title of Marquis Lie. He also granted hereditary privileges to Jiang Yiqu's son.
Dong Zhao, the army's chief secretary, said, "Although Liyang has fallen, the tens of thousands of troops stationed there are still intact. We only need to send a general to gather the routed soldiers."
Qiao Rui said, "The routed troops