Shuhan

Faced with Xiahou Xian's relentless pursuit, Zhao Yun's heart was burning with anxiety, but his years of battlefield experience made him calm down quickly, and a hint of determination flashed in his eyes.

He immediately stopped and shouted in a deep voice: "Guards, listen to my order, go and stop the Wei army, buy time for us!"

After saying this, he waved his hand and pointed in the direction of the city gate, his resolute face full of unquestionable determination.

Upon hearing this, the guards responded in unison without any hesitation, then spurred their horses and galloped towards the direction where the Wei army was rushing.

Their shadows stretched out in the afterglow of the setting sun, like fearless arrows, vowing to stop the surging enemy.

Zhao Yun felt relieved when he saw this. He then waved his hand and ordered the remaining hundreds of people in the city to prepare to evacuate.

These people were all elite soldiers, each man riding two horses. The horses neighed and dust flew. They galloped towards the east gate at such a fast speed that it seemed as if they wanted to leave the pursuers behind them far behind.

The city gates were wide open, and the evening breeze whistled into the city, bringing a hint of coolness but also blowing away the dullness in the city.

Zhao Yun rode on his warhorse, his eyes sharp as torches, scanning the surroundings to make sure every soldier was ready.

He knew very well that every minute and every second at this moment was crucial, and the slightest mistake could lead to an irretrievable situation.

"Go!" Zhao Yun shouted, taking the lead and leading hundreds of Han troops, rushing out of the city gate like an arrow and fleeing towards Mengjin Ferry.

Their figures gradually faded away in the night, leaving behind only the sound of hurried horse hooves and flying dust, telling of their impatience and determination.

The Wei army continued to pursue him, and Xiahou Xian personally supervised the battle. With his eyes wide open, he shouted angrily, "Zhao Yun, don't try to escape! Today is the day you die!"

He waved the sword in his hand, commanding the Wei army to speed up the pursuit. The sword light flickered in the night, like the fangs of a devil, trying to devour everything.

However, the speed of the Han army was surprisingly fast. They were like a group of enraged tigers, running forward with all their might.

Zhao Yun rode on his warhorse with an upright posture. His eyes were full of determination and resoluteness, as if he was swearing to the god of death: My fate is in my own hands!

The two sides chased each other and soon arrived at Mengjin Ferry.

At this moment, the night at Mengjin Ferry was filled with a tense and solemn atmosphere. The river was gurgling and the waves were sparkling, but it could not conceal the coming storm.

The one guarding Mengjin Ferry was Hao Zhao. He had already received news that Zhao Yun would lead his troops here.

When Hao Zhao saw the Han army fleeing from the direction of Ping County, his heart tightened. Then, with his sharp eyes, he recognized Zhao Yun's flag, and a feeling of respect and joy suddenly surged in his heart.

"It's General Zhao Zilong!" Hao Zhao shouted loudly, his voice full of excitement and awe.

He hurriedly led his troops to meet them, and his figure looked particularly agile in the firelight.

Hao Zhao was wearing armor and holding a spear. He had a resolute face and a gleam of wisdom in his eyes.

When Zhao Yun saw this, he felt warm in his heart, for he knew that he finally had reinforcements.

He spurred his horse and rushed towards Hao Zhao. When the two met, there was no need for words, as everything was self-explanatory.

Zhao Yun just nodded slightly to show his gratitude, and Hao Zhao gave him a firm look in his eyes, as if to say: "Don't worry, I'm here!"

When the Han army led by Zhao Yun entered the city of Mengjin, Hao Zhao immediately ordered the soldiers to lock the gate. The heavy city gate slowly closed in the night with a loud "boom", as if isolating the danger and fear from the outside world.

At the same time, Hao Zhao did not forget to use various city defense equipment to deal with the pursuing Wei army.

He commanded his soldiers to carry rolling logs, stones and other weapons for defending the city onto the city wall, and once the Wei army approached, they would smash them down without mercy.

The Wei soldiers fell down one after another under the attack of rolling logs and rocks, emitting screams of agony. The scene was horrific.

Xiahou Xian was furious when he saw this. He shouted, "Hao Zhao, how dare you treat our army like this! I will break into the city and capture you today!"

He waved the sword in his hand and commanded the Wei army to continue attacking the city. However, the wall of Mengjin Ferry was extremely strong, and with Hao Zhao's good command, the Wei army found it difficult to break through for a while.

Zhao Yun stood on the city wall, looking at the Wei army surging like a tide below, and an inexplicable sense of pride surged in his heart.

At this moment, I have no way out and can only fight to the end with all my strength.

He turned and looked at Hao Zhao, and they smiled at each other, smiles full of determination and trust.

Hao Zhao patted Zhao Yun on the shoulder and said with a smile: "General Zhao, don't worry. With me here, the Wei army will never be able to enter Mengjin!"

Zhao Yun nodded. He was lucky to have a subordinate like Hao Zhao. He took a deep breath and looked into the distance with a firm gaze, as if he was looking forward to the upcoming decisive battle.

Xiahou Xian was extremely helpless outside the city. Looking at the indestructible city walls and the iron-clad Han army defending the city, he felt an unprecedented sense of frustration.

He knew very well that he had lost the chance to continue the pursuit and had to retreat and reorganize the team.

"Retreat!" Xiahou Xian shouted with gritted teeth, his voice full of unwillingness and anger.

However, military orders were as heavy as mountains, and although the Wei soldiers were unwilling, they had no choice but to obey them.

They slowly retreated, and the figure gradually became blurred in the night, as if it was swallowed by the night.

Zhao Yun and Hao Zhao stood on the city wall, looking at the direction where the Wei army was retreating, with an indescribable emotion in their hearts.

In the middle of the night, a burst of noisy shouting suddenly came from the bottom of Mengjin City, breaking the tranquility of the night.

The cold wind made the flags on the city walls flutter, as if they were also telling of the impending anxiety.

The soldiers guarding the city suddenly became alert. They held spears in their hands, looked towards the city vigilantly, and were full of caution.

At this time, someone holding a torch looked down at the city and saw hundreds of shadowy figures in the darkness slowly approaching.

They were ragged, looked dishevelled, and had low morale, as if they had suffered a devastating defeat.

After careful identification, it turned out to be E Huan who had suffered a defeat in Gong County and hundreds of defeated soldiers he had gathered.

E Huan's armor was badly damaged, his face was covered in dust and blood, and his eyes revealed fatigue and frustration.

His hair was disheveled and there was a wry smile on his lips, as if he felt helpless about his failure.

The defeated soldiers behind him were also dejected. Some were leaning on their spears, while others were dragging their injured legs, walking with difficulty.

Seeing this, the soldiers guarding the city immediately reported it to Hao Zhao.

Upon hearing the news, Hao Zhao quickly came to the top of the city wall. With his sharp eyes, he scanned the fleeing soldiers below the city.

Although he had some doubts in his heart, his years of battlefield experience told him that these defeated soldiers needed help at this time.

"Open the city gate and let them in!" Hao Zhao gave the order decisively.

The city gate slowly opened, and a cold wind mixed with dust blew in.

Seeing this, E Huan and the defeated soldiers felt a warm feeling in their hearts. They quickened their pace and rushed into the city.

As soon as E Huan entered the city, he looked around for Zhao Yun.

When he finally saw Zhao Yun in front of a tent in the city, his heart tightened and he immediately knelt down, asking for forgiveness in a trembling voice: "General, it was because I insisted on attacking the city, which gave the Wei State an opportunity to take advantage of. Please punish me according to military law!" Zhao Yun turned around after hearing this and saw that E Huan's face was full of guilt, his eyes full of self-blame and regret.

He sighed in his heart, knowing that blaming others would be of no use at this time. What was more important was to boost morale and defend Mengjin together.

Zhao Yun shook his head and said firmly: "E Huan, your crime will be dealt with by your majesty. Now is the time to use people. If Mengjin is lost, the good situation of our Han army in Luoyang will be gone. We can't lose our composure at this moment. We must unite as one and defend this city together."

Zhao Yun walked up, helped E Huan up, patted him on the shoulder, and continued, "Get up now. There is no need to do this. Victory and defeat are common in the military. The important thing is that we must learn lessons from failure and cheer up. Now, we only need to hold on in Mengjin for half a month. When reinforcements arrive, we will still capture Luoyang."

When E Huan heard this, he felt a surge of gratitude in his heart.

He looked up at Zhao Yun, and saw that Zhao Yun's eyes were full of determination and trust.

E Huan took a deep breath, nodded, and said firmly: "General, rest assured, I, E Huan, will do my best to defend Mengjin to the death!"

Although his voice was a little hoarse, it was full of determination and courage.

Zhao Yun felt relieved when he saw this.

At this time, E Huan has regained his spirits, which will add strength to the defense of Mengjin.

He patted E Huan's shoulder, motioning him to go and rest first, and then he turned to look at the distant sky, with an inexplicable sense of pride in his heart.

As the night deepens, the city of Mengjin becomes brightly lit.

Inside the tent, the soldiers sat together, talking in low voices.

Although they suffered a defeat, their morale has gradually recovered under the encouragement of Zhao Yun.

E Huan sat alone in a corner, his heart full of emotion.

He recalled that he had insisted on attacking the city, which led to the current disastrous defeat, and he couldn't help feeling a little regretful.

But he knew that now was not the time to blame himself. What was more important was to cheer up and contribute his own strength to defending Mengjin.

He looked up at the sky and saw a sea of ​​stars, as if guiding him in the direction of progress.

He took a deep breath and said silently in his heart: "I, E Huan, will live up to the general's trust and defend Mengjin to the death!"

At the same time, Zhao Yun was also thinking about the next strategy.

Just at this time.

Hao Zhao stood at a corner of the city wall, his expression firm, his tone revealing an unquestionable confidence: "I have experience in defending the city, and since your majesty has instructed me to do so, I have already made careful plans for the defense. I have already built a fort outside the city, which is extremely solid, like an insurmountable barrier. At the same time, I have also ordered people to dig tunnels and bury pits. Whether the Wei army attacks from the ground or underground, they will fall into our trap."

He paused, his eyes swept over every defensive facility on the city wall, and continued, "The city has sufficient defensive equipment, including bows and arrows, rolling logs, and stones. I have also reinforced the city walls. Even if the Wei army has powerful siege equipment, it will be difficult to break through easily."

Hao Zhao showed a smug smile on his face, and then said: "In addition, I have built two fortresses to the west of Mengjin Ferry. They are like the arms of Mengjin City, tightly guarding the city. Once the Wei army attacks, these two fortresses can serve as a strong support, attacking from the front and back, so that the Wei army will be attacked from both sides."

At this point, he turned to E Huan, his tone full of trust: "General E Huan, you can stay in the city and guard Mengjin with me. Your bravery and wisdom will definitely add strength to our defense."

Hearing this, E Huan felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He clasped his fists respectfully and said, "General Hao Zhao, rest assured. I, E Huan, will do my best to defend Mengjin to the death!"

There was a determination gleam in his eyes, as if he had seen himself fighting side by side with Hao Zhao to repel the Wei army.

Zhao Yun stood aside, listening to Hao Zhao's detailed arrangements, and felt a lot more relieved.

He was well aware of Hao Zhao's ability to defend a city, having seen it before.

I also believe that under his leadership, Mengjin City will be as strong as a rock.

He looked at Hao Zhao, with a hint of admiration in his eyes, and said softly: "General Hao Zhao, you are so thoughtful. My Han army is lucky to have you."

Hao Zhao smiled modestly, shook his head and said, "General, you are too kind. This is my duty. Defending the city is related to the life and death of our Han army. How dare I slack off in the slightest?"

Three days passed in a flash, and the sky outside Mengjin City suddenly became gloomy, with wind and snow, as if foreshadowing the upcoming fierce battle.

The Wei army braved the wind and snow and surged towards Mengjin City like a tide. Their steps were firm and their eyes were flashing with greed and ambition.

Hao Zhao stood on the city wall, looking at the Wei army slowly approaching from a distance, and a desire to fight surged in his heart.

He quickly gave orders, telling the soldiers to prepare for battle.

The Han soldiers on the city wall moved upon hearing the order. They held spears in their hands, with bows and arrows drawn, their eyes full of vigilance and determination.

The Wei army gradually approached, and their siege equipment looked particularly ferocious in the wind and snow.

However, when they tried to approach Mengjin City, they suddenly found an insurmountable barrier in front of them - the fort.

The Wei army general was stunned and immediately ordered an attack on the fort.

However, the strength of the fortress was far beyond their imagination.

The Wei soldiers attacked hard but were unable to break through this line of defense.

At the same time, the Han soldiers on the city wall were not idle either. They kept shooting arrows at the Wei army, causing heavy casualties to the Wei army.

Seeing that the fort was difficult to breach, the Wei army general ordered the soldiers to bypass the fort and attack Mengjin city directly.

However, as soon as they approached the city wall, they fell into a pit that Hao Zhao had already dug.

For a moment, the Wei army soldiers were thrown to the ground in chaos.

Seeing this, the morale of the Han soldiers on the city wall was greatly boosted.

They threw rolling logs and stones at the Wei army, making the Wei army even more embarrassed.

E Huan led the soldiers in the city and attacked at the right time, joining the Han army on the city wall to attack the Wei army from the front and back, making the Wei army attacked from both sides.

Under the fierce attack of the Han army, the Wei army finally couldn't hold on and began to retreat.

They left hundreds of corpses outside Mengjin City as testimony to their failure.

The Han soldiers cheered and celebrated their victory.

Zhao Yun stood on the city wall, looking at the direction where the Wei army was retreating, with an indescribable emotion in his heart.

This victory was not easy to come by, but was the result of the joint efforts of Hao Zhao and his soldiers.

He turned to look at Hao Zhao, his eyes full of admiration.

Hao Zhao also looked at Zhao Yun with a relieved smile on his face.

Now, all we have to do is hold on and wait for help.

I heard that Your Majesty has arrived in Wude County. With Your Majesty here, the lingering Wei State is really doomed! (End of this chapter)