Shuhan

Late at night, everything is quiet, and the remaining chill of winter still lingers stubbornly on the earth. Although the strong wind is no longer as fierce as during the day, the biting coldness in the air has not diminished in the slightest.

The moonlight is cold, like silver frost falling, dressing the earth in silver. The accumulated snow reflects dazzling silver light under the moonlight, as if the whole world is frozen at this moment.

In the forest, a group of soldiers in black armor quietly marched, leaving a series of footprints of varying depths on the snow, but they were soon covered by fresh snow, as if they had never existed. The horses' hooves were wrapped in thick cloth, and they made no sound while walking, except for the occasional slight collision of armor, which seemed particularly clear in the silent night.

Not far away, the Han army camp stood tall, like a sleeping giant, lying quietly on the vast plain.

The high wooden walls surrounding the camp were like an indestructible barrier, separating the inside and the outside into two worlds.

Tian Yu, the General in Charge of Protecting the Xiongnu, was wearing heavy armor, had a stern face and eyes as sharp as torches. He led the night attack army and slowly approached the camp.

As the distance got closer, Tian Yu's heartbeat involuntarily accelerated.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his inner tension and excitement.

Five hundred men in black went up first. Each of them was agile and had determined eyes. They followed closely behind Tian Yu, waiting for the decisive moment.

Tian Yu waved his hand, and the vanguards rushed forward quickly like ghosts. The grappling hooks in their hands flashed coldly in the sun. They accurately hooked the walls of the camp and then climbed up flexibly.

The Han army guards on the wall obviously did not expect such a surprise attack. Before they could react, they were quickly dealt with by the vanguard.

Several dark shadows quietly fell into the camp and quickly opened the gate.

Everything went extremely smoothly, so smoothly that it was hard to believe.

Tian Yu had an ominous premonition in his heart, but he knew that the arrow was already on the string and had to be shot.

He gritted his teeth and immediately ordered: "Charge the army!"

The soldiers of the Wei army rushed in like a black torrent. The weapons in their hands flashed coldly in the moonlight. Their morale was high, and it seemed that no one could stop them.

However, the moment they actually stepped into the camp, the scene before them stunned everyone.

The camp was empty, without a single person in sight.

Only a few dim lights swayed in the wind, as if mocking their ignorance and stupidity.

Tian Yu's heart sank, and he immediately realized that he had fallen into a trap.

Before he could even shout the order to retreat, a deafening roar suddenly rang out outside the camp.

Countless rocket-fired arrows fell from the sky like meteors, cutting through the night sky, carrying blazing flames and destructive power, and slamming heavily into the camp.

Some arrows were even loaded with gunpowder, and the sound of explosions came one after another, rumbling through the sky.

The Wei army that rushed into the village was immediately engulfed in a sea of ​​fire. The wailing and screaming sounds intertwined together, forming a tragic scene of purgatory on earth.

Tian Yu's eyes were red with anger. He waved the sword in his hand and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Retreat! Retreat!"

However, the fire had already spread, and the raging flames blocked their way.

The Wei army soldiers struggled in the sea of ​​fire and called for help, but to no avail.

Tian Yu looked at the soldiers falling one by one around him, his heart filled with endless regret and anger.

He gritted his teeth, suppressed the panic and fear in his heart, and led the remaining soldiers to break out.

The firelight shone on his face, making him look particularly ferocious and resolute.

He brandished his sword, cutting through one fire path after another, and led the soldiers to rush out of the camp.

However, the Han army's ambush had been waiting outside for a long time.

They were armed with spears, bows and arrows, ready for battle.

The moment the Wei army rushed out of the camp, they surged up like a tide and surrounded the Wei army.

Tian Yu brandished his sword and fought bravely, but he was outnumbered and gradually, he felt overwhelmed.

But at this time, the Han army suddenly created a gap.

Tian Yu took the opportunity to lead the remaining soldiers, and with the cover of the wild beasts, they broke through the encirclement of the Han army and escaped from this land of death.

When they finally got away from the battlefield and looked back at the burning camp, everyone's heart was filled with endless sadness.

Tian Yu slumped on the ground, gasping for breath. His face and body were covered in blood and dirt, making him look extremely disheveled.

He closed his eyes, recalling the tragic scenes that had just occurred, his heart filled with endless regret and self-blame.

He knew that the failure of this night attack was not only due to the cunning and trickery of the Han army, but also due to his own underestimation of the enemy and carelessness.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

War is cruel and it will not show mercy to you.

The night wind was still cold, but Tian Yu's heart was burning with fighting spirit.

He stood up, stared at the sky in the distance that was illuminated by flames, and swore secretly: Next time, he will make the Han army pay the price they deserve!

After escaping from the Han army's iron-like encirclement, Tian Yu felt complicated and indescribable.

Behind him were hundreds of soldiers who had followed him through life and death. Their faces were filled with fatigue and fear, but more of them were confusion about their unknown fate.

Tian Yu knew that they could not stop. Once they stopped, the Han army's iron hooves would catch up with them like a shadow and devour them completely.

Therefore, despite mixed feelings in his heart, he gritted his teeth and whipped the horse in the direction of Jinyang, which was their only hope.

The night was as dark as ink, the moonlight was thin, and the cold wind was so fierce that it hurt people's faces.

Tian Yu rode on his warhorse with a determined look in his eyes, but his inner anxiety was surging like a tide.

He looked back at the sky behind him, which was illuminated red by the fire.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his heart, but the lingering feeling of frustration was like a huge rock, weighing heavily on his heart.

As the team continued to move forward, the outline of Jinyang gradually emerged in the night.

However, when Tian Yu looked at the city wall with hope, he was shocked to find that the Wei flag that was originally flying high had been replaced by the Han flag at some point.

His heart sank to the bottom in an instant.

"This...what's going on?" Tian Yu murmured to himself, with disbelief in his voice.

The soldiers around him also stopped and looked at the glaring Han flag, their faces filled with astonishment and despair.

At this moment, there was a noise from the tower, and then a familiar yet unfamiliar voice sounded in the night sky: "General Tian Yu, you are back? Unfortunately, Jinyang is no longer yours."

Tian Yu looked up and saw a general in armor standing on the city wall with a smug smile on his face. He was the general in the city who had been instigated by the spy army.

Tian Yu was immediately enraged. He yelled, "How dare you, traitor, betray the Wei Dynasty and welcome the Han army into the city! Do you know that you are destroying the Wei Dynasty and the lives of countless soldiers!"

The general on the city wall didn't care at all. He smiled contemptuously and said, "A good bird chooses a tree to roost in, and a good minister chooses a master to serve. A man who knows the times is a hero. General, you are guarding this city that is bound to be broken and refusing to surrender. How many lives do you want to kill? I am just following the will of heaven and doing what I should do." Upon hearing this, Tian Yu was so angry that he trembled all over. He clenched the weapon in his hand tightly, as if he wanted to crush it.

However, at this moment and here, getting angry was useless, he had to calm down and think of countermeasures.

At this moment, the sound of hurried horse hooves came from behind, and Guan Ping and the Han army were gradually approaching.

There was a look of triumph on their faces and a gleam of cruelty in their eyes.

Tian Yu knew that they had no way to escape.

The gates of Jinyang city were wide open, and the army inside rushed out like a tide, surrounding Tian Yu and his men.

Guan Ping rode his horse up to Tian Yu with a smile on his face, but his eyes revealed unquestionable majesty.

"The general is an old minister of the late emperor. Your Majesty, please remember our old friendship. Why don't you use your talents to serve the Han Dynasty?" Guan Ping's voice echoed in the night sky. Every word was like a heavy hammer, hitting Tian Yu's heart.

Tian Yu looked at Guan Ping with mixed feelings.

Hey ~
I have reached a dead end. If I continue to persist, more people will be buried with me.

He let out a long sigh, and the weapon in his hand seemed to lose weight and fell lightly to the ground.

"Now that things have come to this, Tian Yu is willing to surrender." Tian Yu's voice was low and firm. He knelt on the ground, as if he was bowing to fate.

Hundreds of people around Tian Yu saw this and dropped their swords and knelt down, waiting to surrender.

Guan Ping was overjoyed when he saw this. He stepped forward and helped Tian Yu up, with a satisfied smile on his face.

Tian Yu enjoyed great prestige among the five Xiongnu tribes. With him around, Bingzhou would not be in chaos.

The so-called Bingzhou governor Liang Xi is nothing but a pile of dry bones in a tomb.

The night was still dark, but the atmosphere in Jinyang City had undergone tremendous changes.

Jinyang finally met its fate after days of war and smoke.

The iron hooves of the Han army broke through the last line of defense of Wei's Taiyuan. The Wei flag on the city wall swayed weakly in the strong wind and finally fell down, announcing the fall of Taiyuan.

The Han army's victory was like a fire in winter, swift and fierce, burning the Wei army's defense line into pieces.

Guan Ping stood on the city wall of Jinyang, looking at the land in the distance that had been baptized by war, with determination and resolution in his eyes.

His face was resolute and there was a barely perceptible smile on the corner of his mouth.

He was wearing silver armor and a red robe on his shoulders, which looked particularly dazzling in the sun.

In half a month, Guan Ping not only had to consolidate the newly occupied territory, but also had to reorganize the surrendered Wei soldiers. This was an arduous task, but he handled it in an orderly manner and demonstrated outstanding leadership.

"Pass the order down, the entire army will rest for three days. Three days later, we will head north to Yanmen to support General Jiang Wei!" Guan Ping's voice was deep and powerful, piercing the hearts of everyone present.

The soldiers responded in unison, their voices resounding through the sky, expressing their fearlessness and longing for the future.

At the same time, Jiang Wei, far in the north, had already established a firm foothold in Mayi.

Jiang Wei was well aware of the principle that speed is of the essence in war.

After occupying Mayi, he quickly formulated the next strategy and decided to divide his troops into three routes to attack Wuzhou, Zhongling and Shanwu respectively, intending to clear the obstacles in the northern part of Bingzhou in one fell swoop.

The mountain roads were rugged and the snow was deep, which was undoubtedly a huge challenge for the march.

However, the Han army soldiers seemed tireless. They tread through knee-deep snow and advanced forward step by step. Their tenacity and perseverance moved the heaven and earth.

The cold wind was like a knife, cutting people's faces painfully, but there was only determination and fearlessness in their eyes.

Liang Xi, as the commander-in-chief of the coalition forces from various counties in Bingzhou, was filled with helplessness and fear in the face of the fierce offensive of the Han army.

He knew very well that with the tens of thousands of soldiers and horses under his command, he could not stop the iron flow of the Han army.

So he chose to retreat and led the coalition forces into Yunzhong County, attempting to take advantage of the terrain and make a final resistance.

After learning of the strength and unstoppable nature of the Han army, the defenders of Wuzhou and Zhongling chose to surrender their cities in order to save their lives.

They knew very well that a head-on confrontation with the Han army would only result in the destruction of the city and the death of many people.

Although Shanwu's defenders tried to resist at first, they soon felt overwhelmed by the fierce attack of the Han army.

In the end, the soldiers in the city suddenly rose up, killed the defending general, and surrendered the city. This scene became the most dramatic scene on the Han army's journey north.

The infiltration work of the Spy Army was also proceeding quietly. Like an invisible net, they gradually covered all the counties in Bingzhou.

The strength and invincibility of the Han army have been deeply engraved in everyone's heart.

Therefore, wherever the Han army arrived, officials and civilians all left the city to surrender in order to seek protection from the Han army.

The news that Jinyang was captured and Tian Yu surrendered was like a heavy hammer that shattered the last will of resistance in the counties and prefectures of Bingzhou.

Although Liang Xi had tens of thousands of soldiers and horses around him, they were not united and each had his own ulterior motives.

Some people want to surrender in order to save their lives; some want to escape to avoid the war; and some want to fight to the end, but such voices are becoming weaker and weaker.

Liang Xi sat in the tent with a frown on his face and a haggard look.

He knew very well that what he was facing was not just the failure of a war, but the end of an era.

It seems that the Wei State will eventually become a thing of the past, and this world will still belong to the Han Dynasty!
He looked at the wind and snow outside the tent, his heart filled with confusion and helplessness.

He thought of his past glory and honor, but now all of it had vanished.

He couldn't help but sigh and whispered to himself: "It is God's will, how can human power change it?"

At this moment, a scout hurried into the tent and brought Liang Xi a piece of news that frightened him: the Han army was approaching Yunzhong County, only a few dozen miles away from here.

When Liang Xi heard this, his face changed suddenly. He stood up abruptly and looked around at the generals in the tent, only to find that their eyes were full of fear and anxiety.

"What should we do?" a general asked tremblingly.

Liang Xi was silent for a moment, and finally said slowly: "Pass the order, the whole army is ready to retreat, let's... go and surrender."

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the tent.

The generals looked at each other, unable to believe their ears.

But Liang Xi's eyes were extremely firm, he knew he had made the right choice.

Youzhou was destroyed and Bingzhou was isolated outside the Central Plains. There was no hope if they continued to persist.

It’s better to surrender!

Now, accepting the surrender of a state is still a meritorious service, otherwise...
It's hard to survive! (End of this chapter)