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

Half a month passed quietly as the soldiers and civilians of Nanguang City waited anxiously day and night.

Outside the South Gate of Nanguang, the water of the moat shimmered with a cool light, the banners on the city walls fluttered in the autumn wind, and the soldiers guarding the city had sticky sweat stains on their palms as they gripped their weapons.

Meng stood on the high platform in front of the city gate tower, his entire body covered in leather armor inlaid with animal teeth, followed by Wu Rong, A Gu, and other Nanman generals.

All eyes turned to the ancient path hidden in the jungle to the south. Everyone involuntarily craned their necks, their breathing becoming more rapid than usual.

"Are these rattan armor soldiers really as invulnerable to swords and spears as the legends say?"

Lieutenant Ali stroked the short axe at his waist, his voice full of curiosity.

The general next to him immediately chimed in:
"More than that! I heard from the elders of the clan that when the late king was alive, the rattan armor soldiers fought in the jungle, and the swords and blades of the Han army could only leave white marks when they were hit, without causing any damage at all!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone retorted:

"Don't exaggerate it. I think it's mostly an exaggeration. What kind of military unit is that powerful?"

The argument wasn't loud, but it reached Meng Quan's ears. He didn't turn around to reprimand him, but his brows furrowed even more.

In fact, not only these generals, but even he himself only had a vague understanding of the rattan armor soldiers.

But now, Nanguang City is already at its last gasp—in the previous battle with the Han army, the main force was lured and killed by Xiao He's trick, and the remaining soldiers number less than 30,000, most of whom were wounded.

According to scouts, Wei Yan is personally leading an army of 100,000 men, marching along the official road towards Nanguang. The vanguard is less than 100 li away from the city.

These rattan armor soldiers were the last straw he could grasp at.

Just as the generals were whispering among themselves, a cloud of yellow dust suddenly rose on the southern horizon, followed by a startled cry of birds from the depths of the jungle.

Countless sparrows flapped their wings and flew up from the forest, sweeping across the sky like a dark cloud.

"coming!"

Wu Rong was the first to react, his voice trembling slightly.

Ali, who was beside him, instantly drew his short axe, his eyes warily fixed on the direction from which the dust and mist were billowing.

The yellow dust grew closer, and the sound of heavy footsteps gradually reached my ears, dense and deep, as if the earth itself was trembling.

In the blink of an eye, a black wave appeared at the exit of the jungle.

Countless soldiers clad in rattan armor emerged slowly from the forest in neat rows.

Their rattan armor has undergone special treatment, giving it a glossy sheen that reflects a cold glint under the sunlight.

The procession stretched for miles, seemingly endless, truly a vast and overwhelming sight.

"Rattan armor soldiers! They really are rattan armor soldiers!"

Ali shouted excitedly, all her previous doubts vanishing.

The generals of the Southern Barbarians were also dumbfounded. The legendary rattan armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight. The soldiers walked with steady steps, with curved swords at their waists and specially made poisoned arrows on their backs. Their whole bodies exuded a fearless killing intent.

Meng Quan stared intently at the large army, his clenched fists slowly loosening, and his eyes even felt a little hot.

Hope—he finally saw hope in his desperate situation!
He had woken up countless times in the middle of the night, dreaming of Wei Yan's army breaching the city gates, the blood flowing like rivers in Nan Guang City, and him, the king of the Southern Barbarians, becoming a prisoner.

But at this moment, looking at this imposing army of rattan armor soldiers, he seemed to see himself leading a large army to defeat Wei Yan, recapture Chengdu, and restore the glory of the southern barbarians.

At the very front of the rattan armor army, a tall horseman stood out conspicuously.

The man on horseback wore a black cloak and carried a ten-foot-long spear with the tip pointing diagonally at the ground. His face carried a hint of unruly sharpness; he was none other than Wuge, the master of Wuge Cave.

He sat upright on his horse, his gaze sharp and unwavering, sweeping across the direction of the South Guang City Gate with a calm and composed expression.

"Great! The Ugo brothers have indeed arrived!"

Meng Quan couldn't help but exclaim in praise, his voice full of satisfaction, "Back then, when he led Wuge Cave to submit to me, I was afraid that he was just going through the motions because of the situation. Now it seems that this man is truly a loyal subject of my Southern Barbarians!"

He stroked his short beard, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up, as if all the sorrow of the past few days had vanished in that moment.

Before Ugo's cavalry could get close, Meng Quan mounted his horse and personally rode to meet them.

Seeing this, the generals behind him followed suit, but Wu Rong stood still for a moment before reluctantly urging his horse to catch up.

"Brother Ugo, you've finally arrived! I've been waiting for you day and night!"

Meng Quan reined in his horse a few steps away from Wu Ge, a warm smile plastered on his face. Before Wu Ge could speak, he grabbed his arm and patted him hard on the shoulder.

To show his extreme respect for Hugo, he deliberately referred to himself as "older brother," adopting a very humble attitude.

Wu Rong, who was standing to the side, saw this scene clearly. His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and a flash of disgust crossed his eyes.

Having served Meng Quan for many years, he knew best what the Southern Barbarian King was thinking—he simply wanted to win over Wu Ge and make him willingly lead the rattan armor soldiers to fight for him.

No matter how much he tried to win people's hearts, Meng Quan was still the king of the Southern Barbarians. It was really beneath his dignity to call a cave master "older brother," and it even diminished the grandeur of the Southern Barbarian royal family.

Although Wu Rong was dissatisfied, he dared not show it in the slightest.

He knew very well that Nanguang City was in imminent danger and was relying entirely on Wuge's rattan armor soldiers to hold things together. If he offended Wuge, the consequences would be unimaginable.

He could only sigh helplessly, lower his eyes, and follow behind in silence.

Ugo clearly hadn't expected Meng Quan to be so enthusiastic towards him; the dignified king had actually lowered himself like this.

He quickly dismounted, knelt on one knee, and bowed respectfully to Meng Quan:
"Your subject, Wuge, pays his respects to Your Majesty! By Your Majesty's summons, I have led 30,000 rattan armor soldiers to assist in the battle!"

"Please rise, please rise!"

Seeing this, Meng Quan's smile widened, and he quickly reached out to help Wu Ge up, speaking with great affection.
"Between brothers, there's no need for such formalities! Come on, let's go inside and talk. I've already prepared a feast to welcome you back!"

As he spoke, Meng Quan affectionately took Wu Ge's arm and walked side by side into the city.

Ugo was flattered and nodded in agreement the whole way, his eyes full of gratitude.

The main hall of the Prince of Nanguang's mansion has been completely renovated.

Dozens of tables were neatly arranged, and the tables were filled with various delicacies such as roasted lamb, roasted meat, and fresh fruit, as well as jars of fine wine that had been sealed for many years.

Even more extravagantly, Meng Quan specially summoned several beautiful women who were skilled in singing and dancing from the inner chamber, and had them perform dances in the hall to entertain the guests.

Ugo came from the deep mountains and forests south of the Southern Barbarians, where it was hot and humid all year round. The tribesmen could only eat wild fruits and animal meat on a daily basis. They had never seen such a luxurious scene before.
As he watched the beautiful women dancing gracefully below and smelled the rich aroma of wine in the air, he was momentarily dazed, as if he were in a fairyland.

Meng Quan led Wu Ge to the seat of honor and personally filled his wine glass.

"Brother Ugo, you've had a long journey, let's drink this first!"

Ugo quickly picked up his glass and downed it in one gulp. The spicy liquid slid down his throat, bringing a burning warmth, and he couldn't help but exclaim in praise:
"Good wine! Really good wine!" After a few drinks, Hugo's cheeks flushed, and his previous restraint gradually disappeared.

He was deeply moved by Meng Quan's kindness and stood up again, raising his wine glass.

"Your Majesty has treated me so kindly, I have no way to repay you! In the future, if Your Majesty ever needs me, I will gladly die for you!"

Seeing this, Meng Quan was secretly pleased, but his face showed a look of grief and indignation, and he sighed heavily:
"Sigh, if it weren't for an emergency, I would never have bothered my brothers so easily!"

Ugo's heart tightened, and he quickly asked:

"Your Majesty, who is so rude as to force you to ask me for help?"
"I will immediately lead the rattan armor soldiers to tear him to pieces!"

"Who else could it be? It's none other than the Han general Wei Yan!"

Meng Quan slammed his hand on the table, his voice filled with resentment, "In a direct confrontation, we Southern Barbarians are by no means cowards, but that Han Grand Marshal Xiao He is far too cunning! He first used a trap to lure our main force into the valley, and then launched a surprise fire attack, killing countless of my brothers!"

Now he has sent Wei Yan with an army of 100,000 to attack the walls of Nan Guang, vowing to raze Nan Guang to the ground and exterminate my entire southern barbarian tribe!

As he spoke, Meng Quan deliberately wiped his eyes, looking utterly heartbroken.

The surrounding southern barbarian generals echoed their sentiments, hurling insults at Xiao He and Wei Yan.

Enraged, Ugo slammed his wine glass to the ground, the sound of it shattering echoing loudly in the hall.

He abruptly stood up, the curved sword at his waist trembling slightly with rage, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
"Well done, Wei Yan! Well done, Xiao He! How dare they insult the King like this, attempting to annihilate my Southern Barbarians! I, Wu Ge, will never forgive them!"

He strode into the hall, his gaze sweeping over the assembled Southern Barbarian generals, his voice booming like a bell:

"My rattan armor soldiers are impervious to swords and spears, and immune to water and fire! Xiao He's schemes and tricks are utterly useless against my rattan armor soldiers! Tomorrow at dawn, I will lead my rattan armor soldiers into battle and make sure that scoundrel Wei Yan never returns!"

"They're nothing but Wei Yan and Xiao He. Do they even deserve to be taken seriously by my rattan armor soldiers?"

Ugo suddenly stood up, the rattan armor at his waist rustling as he moved. He placed one hand on the hilt of his sword, his chin slightly raised, his arrogant eyes filled with contempt, and his spittle flew as he spoke with the fervor of his voice.

"Even if Wei Yan has some strength, he is nothing but a showy fool in front of my rattan armor soldiers who are impervious to swords and spears!"
As for those cunning and scheming types like Xiao He, let's see what tricks he has up his sleeve when our army charges straight to the front lines!

After he finished speaking, he deliberately patted his shiny rattan armor, the armor plates colliding and making a crisp sound, as if the armor woven from vines was proof of his invincibility.

Clearly, in Ugo's mind, Wei Yan's 100,000-strong army and Xiao He's ingenious strategies were nothing more than dust that could be easily crushed. He despised these two Han generals who had repeatedly defeated the Southern Barbarians.

"Fine! What a way of saying you don't take me seriously!"

Meng Quan slammed his hand on the table, causing the wine jars on it to shake slightly. The worry on his face vanished, replaced by undisguised elation and satisfaction.

Ugo's boastful words struck a chord with him.

These days, he has been forced to retreat one defeat after another by Xiao He's tricks, and he has long been harboring resentment, believing that he lost because of conspiracy rather than strength.

With Wu Ge by his side, Meng Quan felt much more confident. His previous fear in the face of Wei Yan's army vanished, and his confidence swelled to the point of overflowing. Even his voice rose a few notches.

In stark contrast to Meng Quan's overt joy, Liu Xun and Lü Kai, sitting at the lower end of the table, exchanged a subtle glance, their brows furrowed into deep frowns, their faces filled with barely concealed displeasure.

Liu Xun quietly nudged Lü Kai beside him with his elbow and whispered:

“This Wuge is far too arrogant. He probably doesn’t know how brave Wei Yan’s soldiers are, and he has never seen Xiao He’s methods.”

Lu Kai pursed his lips and nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the spirited Wu Ge in the hall, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes.

Over the years, the two of them had followed Meng Quan in dealing with the Han army and had seen too many people like Wu Ge who looked down on Xiao He and Wei Yan.

From the barbarian king who initially relied on his superior numbers to the generals who later attempted a sneak attack, all those arrogant and conceited individuals paid the heaviest price.

They either die on the battlefield or become prisoners; in the end, they all turn to dust, suffering the fate of death and the extermination of their clan.

Liu Xun, in particular, was extremely wary of Wei Yan and Xiao He.

He witnessed Wei Yan charging into battle alone, wielding a long spear and killing several fierce generals of the Southern Barbarians. His valiant figure is still vivid in his mind.

In his view, Xiao He's wisdom was more terrifying than Wei Yan's bravery. It was a terrifying power that could see through people's hearts and calculate the whole situation. If one was not careful, one would be doomed.

But Meng Quan didn't think so. In his mind, his previous defeat to Wei Yan was never due to a lack of strength, but rather because Xiao He had secretly plotted and schemed, taking advantage of him when he was off guard.

He firmly believed that if the two sides clashed fair and square, the southern barbarians would never lose.

Now, Wugo's rattan armor soldiers are just the right match for Xiao He's schemes.

The invulnerable rattan armor was enough to withstand the ambushes and surprise attacks of the Han army. As long as Xiao He was not given the opportunity to carry out his schemes, Wei Yan's army would surely be defeated.

So when Ugo uttered those arrogant words, Meng Quan had no doubts whatsoever; on the contrary, he felt that Ugo had revealed the truth.

He immediately picked up the wine cup in front of him, raised it high towards Ugo, and his face lit up with a smile:

"Good! With you saying that, brother, I am completely relieved! With your 30,000 rattan armor soldiers, how can we not destroy Wei Yan or eliminate Xiao He! Come, let us drink this cup to the brim!"

When Ugo saw that Meng Quan trusted him so much, and was even so enthusiastic towards him as a king, he was immediately flattered.

He quickly picked up the wine glass, held it to his lips with both hands, and drank the strong liquor in one gulp. A warm current slid from his throat into his stomach, and even warmer was his heart.

He was originally a cave lord in a remote southern region, and rarely received such treatment. Meng Quan's high regard moved him deeply, and he secretly vowed in his heart:
Today I am deeply grateful for the King's favor. In the future, I will go through fire and water for Meng Quan, and I will never back down even if I die on the battlefield, in order to repay this kindness.

The atmosphere inside the hall grew increasingly lively, with everyone toasting and drinking. After several rounds of drinks, many people were already showing signs of intoxication.

Just as Meng Quan was proposing to celebrate Wu Ge's victory again, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the mansion. Accompanied by the sound of armor rubbing together, a general wearing leather armor and covered in sweat stumbled in. It was Dong Na.

"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!"

Dong Na was panting heavily from running, and he didn't even bother with the proper etiquette. He knelt on one knee, his voice filled with panic, "General Guan Xing of Han has led an army of 40,000 to attack. They are now less than eight miles from Nan Guang City, and their vanguard cavalry is about to reach the city!"

"what?!"

The wine cup in Meng Quan's hand crashed to the ground with a loud bang, spilling wine all over the floor.

His body swayed violently, the drunkenness on his face vanished instantly, replaced by deep fear. His lips trembled, and he couldn't speak for a long time.

He never expected that Wei Yan's army would arrive so quickly. Just yesterday, the scouts said that the enemy was still a hundred miles away, but in just one night, they had already reached the city gates!

"Quickly! Issue my order! All soldiers defending the city, immediately ascend the city walls and prepare for battle!"
"Archers are in formation, logs and stones are all ready! Brother Ugo, please lead your rattan armored troops to reinforce the city walls immediately!"

After realizing what was happening, Meng Quan hurriedly gave the order in a loud voice, which was slightly distorted due to tension.

The crowd was thrown into chaos, and everyone got up to leave.

Just then, Wu Rong, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up. He frowned, his face full of confusion: "Who is this Guan Xing? I've never heard of him before?" (End of Chapter)