After Yuan Shao died, what mattered most to the assembled ministers of Zhao State?
Luo Yan looked at them and slowly said, "What matters most is sending an obituary to the Feudal Lords across All Under Heaven. Our king has passed away. Invite the Feudal Lords to attend the funeral rites."
Inviting them to attend the rites naturally did not truly mean inviting them to attend the rites.
Unite the many weak to attack the one strong.
The one strong was gone!
Tell the Feudal Lords that Zhao State no longer posed a threat, and that their strategies needed to change.
Luo Yan led Zhao State's army in abandoning Liyang, Fanyang, and all the other counties south of the Zhang River and north of the Great River, falling back to defend the Zhang River.
Ye City stood on the Zhang River's northern bank, while a hundred-odd li south of its southern bank lay the former Anyang Marquisate State, now Anyang County.
With Yuan Shao dead, the armies of the Feudal Lords surged in south of Ye City, and panic gripped Zhao State.
Even Luo Yan and the others installing Yuan Tan as ruler in accordance with the late king's edict could not quell it.
Inside Ye City.
Yuan Tan and Lü Qiling sat in the seats of honor. Luo Yan cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, Ye City now lies on the frontier and can no longer serve as the capital.
"I believe we should send a senior minister to defend Ye City. Shen Zhengnan is capable and can command its defense, while Your Majesty should move north to Handan.
"Yan State has now seized our Zhao State's Changshan, Zhongshan, and other commanderies, as well as the seven northern counties of our Julu Commandery. Hejian, Qinghe, and the other