The war erupted with the Emperor of Yan's call to arms!
Murong Ke recalled almost all the infantry and cavalry stationed in Hedong, Taiyuan, Liaodong, and the Grasslands to Ji City. Vast quantities of siege equipment were pushed up before the walls, cavalry swept howling across Hebei, and the Yan Army attacked simultaneously along three routes, aiming straight for the Han State's only major stronghold in Hebei: Ye City.
Every Han defense in Hebei depended on Ye City. Once it fell, the Han Army's only fate would be to feed the fish in the Yellow River, making next year's fish and shrimp all the plumper.
The Han State was different from the Wei State. The foundations of Wei's rule had already rotted away. Like a castle built of sand, it had collapsed at a violent shove from Murong Chui. Even if some strength remained, it could never be gathered together again.
Han was a relatively stable state. Although it now faced all manner of problems, it would not fall at a single push. Of course, that was all in theory.
An incompetent ruler could greatly hasten a state's destruction, while an able ruler could delay the ruin of its altars of state. As the saying went, man laid the plans, but Heaven determined their success. Victory and defeat ultimately still had to be left to luck.
Murong Chui's conquest of Guanzhong in a single campaign had owed much to the Wei armies being away. These were all important factors that could not be ignored.
Yan had coveted the entirety of Jizhou for too long, and had waited too long. Although it had always fought field battles here, it had rehearsed siege warfare countless times, especially attacks on and defenses of Ye City.
Almost from the very beginning of the war,