My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

It wasn't just Xiahou Dun.

Guo Huai, Wang Ling, and other Wei generals all paled in shock.

The more than 40,000 Wei soldiers who were charging forward were all terrified and instinctively stopped in their tracks.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, dumbfounded, at what lay ahead.

Those terrifying eyes were like someone who had encountered a ghost!
Ahead at the ferry crossing, a dark, imposing wall of copper and iron blocked their path.

No, it wasn't an impregnable fortress, but tens of thousands of Han soldiers.

Nearly 60,000 Han soldiers, in dozens of large and small military formations, blocked their path of advance outside the ferry crossing.

A royal flag bearing the Chinese character "Han" flutters brilliantly in the morning glow.

The presence of the imperial flag signifies that Emperor Liu Bei is personally leading the army.

The presence of over 60,000 Han soldiers meant that the main force of the Han army had been lying in ambush here, waiting for them to come and die.

All of this means that Liu Bei saw through Guo Huai's plan and did not move his main force to the South Gate, but instead set up an ambush at Longshan Ferry in advance!
"Could it be that what I feared has come true, and that Xiao He saw through Qian Zhao's feigned surrender and my scheme?"

"This doesn't make sense. Qian Zhao was Liu Bei's sworn brother, so his surrender would have been a natural thing to do. Why would Xiao He have seen through it?"

"This, this, this..."

Large beads of sweat rolled down Guo Huai's forehead, and he mumbled incoherently in alarm, completely flustered.

Xiahou Dun gritted his teeth as if they were about to break, his eyes filled with tears of grief and indignation.

He understood that his last hope had been dashed.

There is no doubt that the Northern Camp was weak, and Liu Bei was just deliberately showing weakness to lure him into breaking out.

However, the 60,000 Han troops, under the personal command of Liu Bei, had laid an impenetrable wall at Longshan Ferry in advance, just waiting for him to arrogantly run into it.

Qian Zhao's feigned surrender failed, Guo Huai's plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain failed, and his last hope of breaking through was shattered!
How could he and his 40,000 exhausted troops possibly be a match for the Han army before them in this wilderness?

"Damn you, Heaven! Why are you so blind? Why are you doing this to me, Xiahou Dun?!"

Overwhelmed with grief and indignation, Xiahou Dun looked up to the sky and cursed loudly.

The 40,000 Wei soldiers were like frightened birds, terrified and at a loss.

Han army formation.

Liu Bei, sword at his side, stood on his horse, his cold gaze looking down on the Han army that had stopped in his tracks.

When the banner bearing the name "Xiahou" came into view, Liu Bei smiled.

"Qianzi Jing, you have indeed not let me down."

"Fortunately, Bowen was vigilant and reminded me to carefully examine your letters; otherwise, how could I have discovered your secret message, and how could I have caught Xiahou Dun like a turtle in a jar!"

Liu Bei sighed deeply, feeling utterly wistful.

Zhang Fei, standing beside him, could no longer suppress his killing intent and shouted:

"Your Majesty, what are you waiting for? Give the order! Let me go up and slaughter these Wei dogs!"

Liu Bei, however, suppressed his murderous intent and lashed out with his whip:
"Xiahou Dun deserves to die, but these 40,000 Wei soldiers may not necessarily have to die with him. If we can persuade them to surrender, it would be best to reduce the killing."

After saying this, Liu Bei gave Chen Dao a look.

Chen understood, so he spurred his horse forward and shouted loudly:
“Listen up, soldiers of Wei! Your General Xiahou Dun’s feigned surrender has already been seen through by my Grand Marshal. My Emperor has been waiting for him here for a long time.”

"My emperor does not wish to cause further bloodshed. Why should you be buried with Xiahou Dun? Quickly surrender to my great Han, and the emperor will spare your lives!"

Chen Dao's voice, urging surrender, echoed like thunder across the plains.

The more than 40,000 Wei soldiers heard it clearly, and their hearts were immediately filled with turmoil.

They began to look at each other, their grip on the knives and guns loosening, their eyes filled with wavering.

at this time.

South direction, west direction, east direction...

Dust billowed from all directions, and countless Han banners fluttered like the wind in the morning light, leading an innumerable number of Han soldiers to surround and attack.

Seeing this, the morale of the Wei army was dealt another heavy blow, and the desire to surrender to the Han quickly spread among the soldiers.

In the blink of an eye, the Wei army, whose morale had already collapsed, began to throw away their weapons, break away from their ranks, and head towards the Han army's formation, intending to surrender on the front lines.

Xiahou Dun flew into a rage and shouted:
"Anyone who dares to betray the Great Wei will be killed!"

"Archers, shoot those traitors! Kill them!"

Xiahou Dun, as if possessed, screamed hysterically at those around him. No one made a move; the archers' hands, gripping their crossbows, trembled, yet none dared to lay a hand on their comrades.

"General, while the morale of the army is still intact, give the order to charge immediately and fight the Han army to the death. Perhaps we still have a chance to survive."

"If we delay even a moment longer, morale will collapse, the soldiers' surrender will become uncontrollable, and everything will be over!"

Guo Huai, who was beside him, suddenly woke up and shouted at Xiahou Dun.

Xiahou Dun suddenly snapped out of his daze, took a deep breath, brandished his sword, and shouted:

"Don't listen to that big-eared scoundrel's lies! If you surrender to him, he will surely kill you!"

"All troops, listen to my command! Charge forward and fight your way out! Only then will we have a chance to survive!"

"Follow me, charge!"

Xiahou Dun spurred his horse and charged ahead.

Behind them, Guo Huai and Wang Ling also rallied their soldiers and charged out.

Several thousand of Xiahou Dun's personal guards followed him, rushing towards the Han army like trapped beasts.

The Wei soldiers, whose morale was initially wavering, instinctively mustered their courage and charged out together, influenced by herd mentality.

Forty thousand Wei soldiers, clinging to their last shred of hope, surged toward the Han army.

Upon seeing this, Chen Dao immediately turned his horse and returned.

Zhang Fei glared angrily and cursed:
"Your Majesty, it seems these Wei dogs are courting death and insist on resisting to the end. Your Majesty, make your move."

Liu Bei took a deep breath, his gaze sharpening like blades, and roared:

"By my order, proceed according to the original tactics and slaughter all the stubborn enemies!"

The emperor gave the order, and the war drums suddenly sounded.

Seven thousand archers were the first to attack.

"Whoosh whoosh!"

With a whooshing sound, seven thousand arrows soared into the air, sweeping towards the oncoming Wei army.

To facilitate their breakout, the Wei troops fled lightly equipped, without carrying any defensive weapons.

The Han army rained down arrows upon them, and they had no choice but to charge forward recklessly, wildly swinging their weapons to block the arrows.

Arrows rained down like locusts.

In an instant, screams of agony rose and fell, drowning out the buzzing of the rain of arrows.

Countless Wei soldiers were cut down and felled to the ground like stalks of wheat.

"Don't stop, keep charging, get close and fight them head-on!"

As Xiahou Dun ran, he frantically wielded his sword to deflect arrows, shouting hoarsely.

Braving a hail of arrows, the Wei army had no choice but to fight to the death and continue their advance.

Finally, after suffering thousands of casualties, the Wei army managed to close the distance to the Han army by more than thirty paces.

At this distance, arrows are useless; it's time for close-quarters combat.

Without the slightest hesitation, Liu Bei slowly raised his whip.

"Han soldiers, follow me, and slaughter all the Wei dogs!"

Having been preparing for this moment, Zhang Fei roared and charged forward, spear in hand, the first to charge.

The Han soldiers, who were arrayed in formation, broke through the enemy lines with a thunderous roar, like a flood bursting its banks, rolling forward with devastating force.

On the left and right flanks.

Zhang Bao and Deng Ai each led over a thousand Han cavalry, launching a pincer attack from the east and west flanks.

Although Zhao Yun took away the main force of the Han army's cavalry, there were still more than two thousand elite cavalrymen in the army.

Two thousand elite cavalrymen, like two sharp swords, plunged fiercely into the waist of the Wei army.

Wherever the iron cavalry passed, they crushed everything in their path.

The Wei army was like ants, and in a short time, the Han cavalry cut them off and broke through them with overwhelming force.

collapse.

The Wei army, worn down by a hail of arrows, had lost all will to fight and finally succumbed to the crushing onslaught of the Han cavalry, collapsing in an instant. (End of Chapter)