Yanzhou fell, and Hebei was shaken.
Grand Marshal and General-in-Chief Cao Hong seemed like a different man. He took out every bit of the family property Cao Rui had returned to him and rebuilt the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, along with heavy infantry.
Besides stationing Ji Province troops at Liyang and Pingyuan, Cao Hong also set up Beacon Towers all along the lower reaches of the Yellow River, keeping a close watch against the Han Army forcibly crossing the river.
Although Cao Pi had treated Cao Hong poorly, the State of Wei had reached a moment of life and death. Remembering Cao Cao's final instructions, remembering how hard-won Wei's realm had been, Cao Hong stood up at this critical moment.
Though Cao Hong did not know how to command troops, he had followed Cao Cao for many years and had at least picked up a few tricks of defensive warfare.
Wei's morale was currently low. Though Cao Hong was an old and important minister, his prestige within the army was insufficient. Yet at this crucial moment, someone gave him an opening: Wu Zhi, stationed in Chaoge, had neglected military affairs, and Cao Hong took the opportunity to use his head to establish authority.
Wu Zhi was wild and unruly, relying on power to act with impunity, arrogant and overbearing. When Cao Pi had been emperor, he had someone to rely on, but when the man left, the tea went cold, and no one spoke for him. Once Cao Rui learned of it, he too believed Wu Zhi deserved to die.
Through this series of measures, Cao Hong gradually steadied the Wei Army's decline and established absolute authority within the military. Officers and soldiers alike obeyed his commands and actively assisted him in defending against Guan Yu.
Guan Yu had occupied