Shuhan

The north wind was cold and sharp as a knife, blowing up the snow on the ground and forming white whirlpools in the air.

On the city wall of Ping County, Zhao Yun was wearing silver armor and a thick white cloak. The edges of the cloak had been slightly hardened by frost and snow.

He stood high on the city wall, looking into the distance with his sharp eyes.

The mountains in the distance were covered with snow, and the sky and the earth were vast. Only a few rays of sunlight passed through the thick clouds, sprinkling on the snow, reflecting a dazzling light.

His brows were furrowed, a hint of worry flashed in his deep eyes, and he clenched the spear in his hand tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white due to the force.

"General, there is new news from the secret military headquarters." A personal soldier quickly walked up to the city wall, holding a secret letter in his hand and respectfully handed it to Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun took the secret letter, unfolded it quickly, and scanned the words between the lines, his expression becoming more solemn.

The letter mentioned that the main force of the Wei army was still stationed in Yanshi, and there was no sign of any mobilization of Xiahou Xian's troops.

However, E Huan's troops refused to retreat after failing to capture Gong County City for a long time, and even ignored Zhao Yun's three military orders.

"E Huan, E Huan, why are you so stubborn?" Zhao Yun murmured in a low voice, with a hint of helplessness and anxiety in his voice.

He looked up in the direction of Gong County, as if he could see the city shrouded in war through the layers of wind and snow.

E Huan was a fierce general under his command. He was brave and good at fighting, but he had a strong personality and often disobeyed orders and acted on his own.

When attacking Gong County this time, Zhao Yun's original intention was to test the strength of the Wei army and he did not intend to attack by force. However, E Huan insisted on taking the city.

"General, if General E Huan doesn't retreat, I'm afraid..." The soldier hesitated, his face full of worry.

Zhao Yun did not answer, but slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The cold air rushed into his lungs, calming him down a little.

Xiahou Xian was by no means an ordinary man. The Wei army's strength in Yanshi was enough to encircle E Huan.

If E Huan continues to be stubborn, the consequences will be disastrous.

"Pass the order down, the entire army is on alert, and strengthen the defense of Pingxian and Mengjin." Zhao Yun opened his eyes, his voice low but firm.

He could not easily send troops to rescue E Huan. Pingxian and Mengjin were their bases. Once they were lost, the consequences would be disastrous.

However, if they sat back and watched E Huan's troops being annihilated by the Wei army, not only would they lose a great general, but the morale of the army would also be shaken.

"General, should we send another envoy to urge General E Huan to retreat?" the personal soldier asked cautiously.

Zhao Yun shook his head, a complicated look flashed in his eyes.

"He has already received three military orders. If he wanted to withdraw, he would have done so long ago. Sending more messengers would be futile."

He turned and walked down the city wall, his steps heavy, as if every step weighed on his heart.

In the wind and snow, his figure looked particularly lonely.

Back in the tent, Zhao Yun took off his cloak, sat at the desk, his eyes fell on the map on the table.

On the map, Pingxian, Mengjin, Gongxian, Yanshi and other places were clearly marked, and the distribution of Wei army's forces was clear at a glance.

"Xiahou Xian..." Zhao Yun whispered the name and lightly ran his finger across the map.

Xiahou Xian was a famous general of the Wei State and was good at commanding troops. This time he kept his troops in Yanshi, obviously waiting for the opportunity.

If he rashly sent troops to rescue E Huan, Pingxian and Mengjin would definitely be left empty, and Xiahou Xian would most likely take the opportunity to launch a surprise attack.

"General, you haven't eaten for a day." A servant walked into the tent with a bowl of hot soup and reminded softly.

Zhao Yun waved his hand, indicating that he should put the soup aside.

His mind was completely focused on the battle and he had no appetite at all.

He stood up and paced back and forth in the tent, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

"If we send troops to rescue E Huan, Pingxian and Mengjin will be in danger; if we don't rescue, E Huan's troops will suffer a devastating disaster..." Zhao Yun whispered to himself, his brows furrowed, and the wrinkles on his face looked particularly deep under the candlelight.

At this moment, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the tent, and then a scout rushed in, knelt on one knee, and said breathlessly: "General, it's bad! The Wei army suddenly sent troops from Yanshi and headed straight for Gong County!"

When Zhao Yun heard this, his face changed suddenly. He stood up abruptly and slammed his spear heavily on the ground with a dull sound.

"It is true!" he said gritting his teeth, with a gleam of determination in his eyes.

"General, should we send troops to rescue?" the scout asked, his face full of anxiety.

Zhao Yun was silent for a moment, then he said in a deep voice: "Pass the order, assemble the whole army and prepare to march!"

"But General, the defense of Pingxian and Mengjin..." the scout hesitated.

"Don't worry about that!" Zhao Yun interrupted him, his voice filled with unquestionable majesty.

"If E Huan's troops are annihilated, the army will be in chaos, and Pingxian and Mengjin will be difficult to preserve. Only by taking the initiative can we reverse the situation!"

The scout took the order and left. Zhao Yun quickly put on his cloak, picked up his spear, and strode out of the tent.

Outside the camp, the wind and snow continued, but a fire was burning in his heart.

This battle was extremely dangerous, but he had no choice.

"All soldiers, listen up! Follow me to the battle!" Zhao Yun jumped on his horse, holding his spear high, his voice echoing in the wind and snow.

Thousands of soldiers responded in unison, their voices shaking the earth.

Zhao Yun took the lead and led the army out of Ping County and headed straight for Gong County.

In the wind and snow, his figure was like a silver lightning, cutting through the vast sky and earth.

However, just when they were halfway there, they suddenly heard the sound of hurried horse hooves coming from the front.

A cavalryman covered in blood galloped over. Seeing Zhao Yun, he hurriedly stopped his horse and said in a hoarse voice: "General, General E Huan's troops... have been ambushed by the Wei army and suffered heavy losses! The Wei army is heading towards Ping County!"

When Zhao Yun heard this, his heart sank and the hand holding the gun trembled slightly.

He looked up into the distance, his eyes filled with grief, anger and helplessness.

In the wind and snow, his figure looked particularly lonely, as if he had merged into one with the vast world.

"Withdraw troops and return to defend Ping County!" Zhao Yun gritted his teeth and ordered, with a slight tremor in his voice.

At this moment, the counselor Jian Yong rode up from behind on horseback.

He was wearing a green robe and a thick fur coat. He had a thin face but extremely sharp eyes.

His beard was covered with frost and snow, making him look particularly old, but his brows revealed a sense of wisdom and calmness.

He rode his horse side by side with Zhao Yun and whispered, "General, it's probably too late to retreat to Ping County now."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun turned his head to look at him, with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

"Sir, what do you mean by that?"

Jian Yong narrowed his eyes slightly and looked into the distance, as if he could see the outline of Luoyang City through the wind and snow.

He said slowly: "General, the main force of the Wei army has defeated E Huan's troops and is heading towards Ping County. If we retreat, I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to arrive before Xiahou Xian arrives in Ping County. Even if we arrive, we will be exhausted and unable to compete with the Wei army. What if Xiahou Xian ambushes us halfway? I'm afraid..."

Zhao Yun was silent for a moment, his brows furrowed even more tightly.

"Then according to your opinion, how should we deal with it?"

Jian Yong smiled slightly, with a gleam in his eyes.

"General, perhaps we can march our army directly to Luoyang and try to 'besiege Wei to save Zhao'."

"Besiege Wei to save Zhao?" Zhao Yun repeated in a low voice, with a hint of thought in his eyes.

Jian Yong nodded and continued, "Luoyang is the capital of Wei. Although Cao Rui is a fake emperor, there are tens of thousands of soldiers and sufficient food in Luoyang. If our army marches directly to Luoyang, Xiahou Xian will definitely not dare to continue attacking Ping County and will instead return to rescue Luoyang. By then, we can stabilize the situation and even turn defeat into victory." Zhao Yun's eyes flickered when he heard this, and he was hesitant in his heart.

He looked up into the distance. In the wind and snow, the direction of Luoyang seemed to be shrouded in fog.

He whispered, "There are tens of thousands of soldiers in Luoyang. If Xiahou Xian does not retreat but instead fights us, won't we be in danger?"

Jian Yong smiled slightly and said firmly: "General, don't worry too much. Although Cao Rui, the false emperor of Wei, is the emperor, he is just a mediocre person, far less talented than his master Cao Cao. He will never dare to put himself in danger. As long as our army approaches Luoyang, Xiahou Xian will definitely withdraw his troops to rescue us."

Zhao Yun still shook his head, his brows furrowed, and the wrinkles on his face looked particularly deep in the wind and snow.

He whispered, "Although what you said makes sense, it is too risky. If Xiahou Xian does not withdraw, we will be caught in a situation where we are attacked from both sides."

Seeing that Zhao Yun was still hesitant, Jian Yong continued, "General, the situation is critical now. Only by taking advantage of the situation can we turn the tide. If we retreat to Ping County, I'm afraid we will not be able to resist Xiahou Xian's attack. Rather than waiting to die, it is better to take the initiative and attack. Attack them and they will surely rescue us."

Zhao Yun was silent for a long time, his eyes seemed particularly deep in the wind and snow.

He weighed the pros and cons in his mind, and finally said slowly: "Sir, what you said makes sense, but I can't gamble with the lives of all the soldiers. How about this, order 3,000 people to march forward and pretend to attack Luoyang, and the main force will retreat to Pingxian. If Xiahou Xian really returns to rescue Luoyang, we can take the opportunity to defeat him; if he doesn't retreat, we won't be in danger."

Jian Yong heard this, a hint of approval flashed in his eyes, and he nodded and said, "General, this plan is very good, it is both safe and flexible."

Zhao Yun nodded, then turned around and ordered his personal soldiers behind him: "Pass the order down, order Zhang Yi to lead 3,000 elite soldiers, march forward with drums, and make a gesture of attacking Luoyang. The rest of the troops, follow me to retreat to Ping County! The cavalry will follow me to Ping County first, and arrive in Ping County before Xiahou Xian arrives!"

The personal soldiers took the order and left, while Zhao Yun led the main force to change direction and head straight for Ping County.

After receiving the order, Zhang Yi immediately led 3,000 elite soldiers, held high the flag and marched forward with drums beating.

They deliberately slowed down their pace and created momentum along the way, as if tens of thousands of troops were marching towards Luoyang.

In the wind and snow, their figures were looming, their flags fluttered in the wind, and the beat of drums was earth-shaking, as if to shake the entire world.

At the same time, the cavalry led by Zhao Yun galloped in the wind and snow and headed straight for Ping County.

His heart was still filled with worries, but more of it was determination.

This battle concerns the life and death of all the soldiers in the army, and we cannot afford to slack off in the slightest.

In the wind and snow, the direction of Ping County gradually became clear.

On the city wall, the defenders had already been on high alert, and when they saw Zhao Yun leading his troops back, they cheered.

Zhao Yun rode into the city and immediately ordered the defense to be strengthened in preparation for meeting Xiahou Xian's attack.

At this moment, the scout rushed over, knelt on one knee, and said breathlessly: "General, Xiahou Xian's army is approaching Ping County, less than ten miles away from the city!"

Zhao Yun heard this, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and he said in a deep voice: "Pass the order down, the whole army prepares for battle, prepare to meet the enemy!"

In the wind and snow, the atmosphere in Ping County suddenly became tense.

The soldiers climbed up the city wall one after another, holding their weapons tightly, and looking into the distance with firm eyes.

Zhao Yun stood on a high city wall, looking in the direction of Xiahou Xian's army with a sharp gaze.

In the wind and snow, Xiahou Xian's army gradually appeared on the horizon.

Their flags fluttered in the wind and their armor gleamed coldly on the snow.

Xiahou Xian was wearing black armor and riding on a tall warhorse. He had a stern look in his eyes and a smile of confidence on his face.

He looked up at the Pingxian tower and shouted, "Zhao Yun, you have nowhere to retreat. Why don't you surrender early to avoid unnecessary casualties!"

Zhao Yun sneered when he heard this, and responded loudly: "Xiahou Xian, although you defeated E Huan, if you want to take Ping County, you still need to ask the spear in my hand!"

Xiahou Xian heard this, a trace of anger flashed in his eyes, and then he waved his hand and ordered: "All troops, listen up, attack the city!"

The Wei army immediately rushed towards Ping County like a tide, and the shouts of killing shook the earth.

In the wind and snow, the battle is about to break out.

Zhao Yun stood on the city wall with a stern look in his eyes, but his heart was unusually calm.

He raised his spear high and shouted, "All soldiers, listen to my order. We will defend the city to the death!"

The soldiers responded in unison, their voices shaking the earth. In the snow and wind, the battle officially began.

now.

The sky outside Luoyang city was gloomy, with dark clouds hanging low, as if a rainstorm would pour down at any time.

The cold wind howled, blowing up the dust on the ground and making the flags on the city walls flutter.

The mountains in the distance are looming in the gray sky, as hazy as an ink painting.

However, at this moment, there was a tense and solemn atmosphere inside and outside Luoyang City.

Suddenly, traces of a Han army appeared on the plain outside the city.

Their flags fluttered in the wind and their armor gleamed coldly in the dim sky.

The Han army marched in a mighty and aggressive manner, as if there were tens of thousands of them. The sound of their footsteps shook the earth slightly, and the sound of shouting and killing could be heard faintly, as if a ferocious beast was approaching Luoyang City.

When the defenders on the city wall saw this, they were immediately panicked and ran around to tell each other.

The news quickly spread to Luoyang City, and the entire Luoyang was shocked.

People in the streets closed their doors and windows, leaving only patrolling soldiers and officials hurrying on their way.

There was a tense atmosphere in the air, as if a big war was about to break out.

Inside the imperial palace, Wei Emperor Cao Rui was sitting in the imperial study, holding a scroll of memorials in his hand and frowning.

He was wearing a dragon robe and a golden crown on his head. He had a thin face and a look of fatigue and worry in his eyes.

His fingers tapped lightly on the memorial, as if he was thinking about something.

At this moment, a eunuch hurried into the imperial study, knelt on the ground, and said in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! There are traces of Han troops outside Luoyang City, and they are so powerful that there seem to be tens of thousands of people!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Rui stood up abruptly, and the memorial in his hand dropped to the ground with a "bang".

His face turned pale instantly and a trace of panic flashed in his eyes.

"What? The Han army dares to approach Luoyang?" He murmured in a low voice, with a hint of disbelief in his voice.

He walked quickly to the window, opened it, and looked towards the outside of the city.

Although he could not see any trace of the Han army, he seemed to be able to feel the murderous atmosphere coming towards him.

His fingers gripped the window frame tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white from the effort.

"Send the Inspector General and the Commander-in-Chief to the palace immediately!"

PS:

Happy New Year everyone!!!

A poem for my readers:

The winter wind brings warmth into the new year, and blessings come to us.

I wish you good health and longevity, and may your talent and quickness flow like spring water.

Poetry and books bring joy to your heart, and dreams will come true when you live a worry-free life.

I am even more happy that the future is bright and prosperous. (End of this chapter)