After the Han army captured the city of Dachik, not only was the food supply route of the millions of Apulian Empire troops on the Zarna line cut off, but the retreat route of these millions of Apulian Empire troops was also cut off.
This meant that if the millions of Apulian Empire troops on the front line of Zarna City wanted to retreat, they could only choose the extremely difficult mountainous areas.
Therefore, the army of the Apulian Empire must recapture the city of Dachik no matter what the cost.
Soon the army of the Apulian Empire gathered more than two million troops and attempted to storm the city of Dachik.
However, before the Apulian Empire's army launched a siege on the city of Dachik, Sun Hao ordered Li Yuanba and Xiang Yu to lead the 200,000 Snow Dragon Cavalry in the city to take the initiative to attack. In one battle, they defeated the Apulian Empire's army outside the city, resulting in the loss of more than half of the 2 million Apulian Empire troops.
Then Sun Hao used the "Brave General Converter" to gather a full million Snow Dragon Riders and attacked the millions of Apulian Empire troops on the front line of Zarna City.
By the end of June in the year 236 of the Han Dynasty, under the siege of the Han army on both the east and west fronts, many cities around Zarna had been captured by the Han army. Only Zarna was left as an isolated city, which was still controlled by the army of the Apulian Empire.
Although the total strength of the Apulian Empire's army in the city was close to 2.3 million, including the troops that retreated to Zarna City, there was very little food left in the city.
In the mayor's mansion of Zarna City, the haggard-looking Prime Minister of the Apulian Empire, Duke Andrea, solemnly asked dozens of Apulian Empire generals, "Can we collect some more food from the civilians in the city?"
Karlu, commander of the Apulian Empire's Third Royal Legion, said bitterly, "Prime Minister, we have already collected two rounds of food from over a million civilians in Zarna.
Many civilians in the city are starving to death every day. Even if we can collect a little more food, it won't solve any problems for our two million soldiers."
After a pause, Karlu continued, "I suggest that we break out of Zarna City as soon as possible while the army still has some food. Otherwise, over two million soldiers and the millions of civilians in the city will eventually starve to death."
Prime Minister Duke Andrea sighed and asked, "Does anyone have any different opinions on Marquis Karlu's suggestion?"
Dozens of Apulian Empire generals knew that breaking out might be the only way to survive, so they all agreed to break out immediately.
Seeing that the generals agreed, Prime Minister Duke Andrea nodded and said, "Then everyone go back and prepare!
Tomorrow morning, the entire army will break out to the mountainous area west of the city."
At this moment, Abramo, the emperor of the Apulian Empire, was furious because he was unable to recapture the city of Dachik and establish contact with the city of Zarna.
Emperor Abramo angrily shouted at dozens of ministers and generals of the Apulian Empire: "Waste! All of you waste!
It has been almost two months, and I have mobilized more than seven million troops, but the city of Dachik is still occupied by the Han army.
Don't you know that in the nearby city of Zarna, the millions of troops led by Duke Andrea are facing a food crisis?"
Duke Vasenka, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Apulian Empire, said helplessly: "Your Majesty, there are at least a million Han armored cavalry outside the city of Dachik.
The army we sent to the city of Dachik was defeated by the Han army's armored cavalry before we even began to attack the city.
According to my estimation, Duke Andrea's food supply will not last long. The best solution now is for Duke Andrea to lead his troops to break out from the western mountains and bypass the city of Dachik.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Abramo said somewhat dejectedly, "I have already given Duke Andrea an order, allowing him to lead his army to break out and abandon Zarna City.
But it would be difficult to break out from the western mountainous area. I'm afraid the Han army has already deployed heavy troops there to intercept us."
Emperor Abramo's guess was quite accurate.
Prime Minister Duke Andea led the army and finally broke through the interception of millions of Snow Dragon Riders at a heavy price. However, after entering the mountainous area, they found that the mountain road ahead had been blocked by the Han army.
After several fierce attacks, they found that they could not break through the Han army's defense line. The disheartened Prime Minister Duke Andrea led the remaining 800,000 Apulian Imperial troops and chose to surrender to the Han army.
With the surrender of the army under Prime Minister Duke Andrea, eleven royal legions of the Apulian Empire had been completely wiped out by the Han army.
You should know that there are only eighteen royal legions of the Apulian Empire, which also indicates that the elite of the Apulian Empire's army has suffered heavy losses.
However, the Apulian Empire relied on its perfect reserve system to not only quickly rebuild the eleven royal legions that had been completely wiped out, but also formed twelve new royal legions.
Next, although the Han army continued to capture cities in the Apulian Empire, the Apulian Empire's resistance was also quite tenacious. It was not until the end of the 236th year of the Han calendar that the Han army captured the entire eastern province.
Limited by the problem of food and grass, by the end of the 236th year of the Han calendar, Sun Hao had only used the "General Converter" to exchange for two million Snow Dragon Riders, 500,000 Modao Soldiers and 500,000 White Robe Soldiers, leaving 7.5 billion conversion points unused.
As a result, on January 1, 237 of the Han calendar, Sun Hao signed out a full 500 million points of conversion value in his annual signature, increasing the conversion value reserved in the "Hero Converter" to 8 billion points.
"How long will it take for the new food and fodder to arrive from Guanxi Province?" Sun Hao asked Crown Prince Sun Heng.
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