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

Fifteen miles north of Nan Guang, 100,000 Han troops are marching in a mighty procession toward Nan Guang.

Wei Yan and Xiao He were sitting together, plotting their strategy for attacking Nan Guang after they reached it.

For Meng Quan, Nanguang held extraordinary significance.

That was his old lair, the base he had built up over many years.

Therefore, Wei Yan knew that once the army was at the city gates, Meng Quan would fight with all his might to defend Nan Guang and would never give up easily.

"I hope the Grand Marshal's plan will work, and I hope Guan Xing can successfully lure Meng Quan out of the city to fight, and then be defeated by our army in one fell swoop."

Wei Yan nodded slightly, but said:
"If that's really the case, it will save a lot of trouble in attacking the city and reduce our casualties considerably."

Xiao He, however, became even calmer and shook his head slightly:

“If Meng Quan were to go into battle, with the strength of our army, victory would be certain. However, I am worried that Meng Quan might come up with another trick to catch us off guard.”

"A surprise move?"

Wei Yan looked at Xiao He with suspicion.

Now that things have come to this point, Meng Quan is in dire straits. What other tricks does he have up his sleeve?
Wei Yan racked his brains but still couldn't figure it out.

Just as Wei Yan was deep in thought, suddenly, a rider came galloping by at breakneck speed.

"Reporting to the General, an urgent military report has arrived from the south!"

"General Xiao Guan was attacked by the Nanman army outside Nanguang City and was unfortunately defeated. He is now leading his remaining troops to retreat."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.

Wei Yan looked at Xiao He in disbelief, secretly marveling to himself.

Unexpectedly, Xiao He's prediction was correct.

Guan Xing was actually defeated by Meng Quan!
what on earth is it?

Wei Yan couldn't understand it at all.

It should be noted that Guan Xing commands 30,000 elite troops.

In contrast, the barbarian army in Nanguang City numbered only 40,000, and their equipment was rudimentary, with low morale.

Given such a disparity in strength, how could Meng Quan's army possibly defeat Guan Xing?
This just doesn't make sense!

How did Guan Xing lose?

Wei Yan frowned and asked urgently.

"Reporting to the General, according to the news we've received, the one leading this battle is Wu Ge, the chieftain of the Southern Barbarian Cave!"

"This man commanded a unit of rattan armor soldiers, and it was this unit of rattan armor soldiers that defeated General Xiao Guan."

Wei Yan stared wide-eyed at what lay ahead in disbelief.

The generals on either side were also bewildered, filled with surprise and uncertainty.

Rattan armor soldiers?
What kind of military unit is this?
This is something no one has ever heard of before.

Moreover, it is said that their numbers were only a few thousand, yet they were able to defeat tens of thousands of well-equipped Han troops.

joke!

What kind of soldiers are the rattan armor soldiers?

Wei Yan looked puzzled and cast a questioning glance at the generals.

The generals looked at each other, completely bewildered.

At this moment, Ma Su guessed:

"Rattan armor, as the name suggests, is armor made of rattan branches."

His guess caused an uproar among the generals.

Throughout history, people have only ever heard of armor made of leather and iron, never of armor made of rattan.

Wouldn't this thing break in one cut?
How could an enemy wearing such armor defeat the elite troops of my Han Dynasty?

The generals refused to believe it no matter what.

Wei Yan, also looking doubtful, frowned and asked:

"How could armor made of rattan be impervious to swords and spears?"

Xiao He sneered and slowly said:
"Wen Chang, the reason why the rattan armor army was able to defeat Guan Xing is precisely because their rattan armor is impervious to swords and spears."

"Invulnerable to swords and spears!"

The generals on both sides were once again in an uproar.

Is there really armor in this world that is impervious to swords and spears?

Who can believe this?
This is completely illogical according to common sense.

Wei Yan, his face full of doubt, hurriedly asked:
"Grand Marshal, how can armor made of rattan be impervious to swords and spears?"

Xiao He looked south and slowly said:

"In the southern forests of Nan Guang, there is a special tribe whose chief, Ugo, and his people make rattan armor from vines."

"The craftsmanship of this armor is extremely unique. It must first be soaked in oil to allow it to fully absorb the oil and enhance its toughness, and then soaked in water. After this series of processes, it finally achieves the effect of being impervious to swords and spears."

"It was precisely because of these advantages that the rattan armor soldiers defeated Guan Xing."

Xiao He explained in detail the characteristics of the rattan armor soldiers, and even the secrets of their production. The generals were dumbfounded.

The generals were stunned.

First, the generals were shocked that Xiao He knew so much about the rattan armor soldiers.

Before this, the rattan armor soldiers were a completely unfamiliar and mysterious existence to them.

However, Xiao He was able to describe in detail the characteristics, origins, and even the manufacturing process of the rattan armor soldiers.

It was as if I had witnessed it firsthand and participated in it myself.

How could this not astonish them?

Secondly, I was shocked. How could this rattan armor be so impervious to swords and spears?

In their understanding, armor is mostly made of metal or leather to protect against attacks from swords and spears.

And this vine, which is originally soft and easily broken, can actually be made into armor that is impervious to swords and spears?

This is beyond their comprehension.

Does such magical armor really exist in this world?

The generals could not believe their ears.

Wei Yan's face also showed surprise and uncertainty.

But soon, his doubts dissipated like smoke.

Because he knew Xiao He was a brilliant strategist who understood everything.

Since Xiao He said that rattan armor is impervious to swords and spears, it must be true.

Xiao He, how could he have missed it?
"I believe that rattan armor is impervious to swords and spears!"

Wei Yan said with a firm gaze.

With Wei Yan having expressed his opinion, the generals dared not doubt it any longer.

At this moment, Ma Su sighed deeply:
"These rattan armors are so formidable, how can we break through them?"

Ma Su's concerns were the concerns of all the generals.

For a moment, the generals frowned and looked worried.

"Grand Marshal, these rattan armor soldiers are impervious to swords and spears. How should we deal with them?"

Wei Yan's gaze fell on Xiao He.

Xiao He remained calm and said indifferently:
"Although the rattan armor soldiers are strong, they are not invincible. Wenchang, let's order the entire army to retreat north first."

Xiao He was trying to persuade them to quit.

Wei Yan was startled.

The army has advanced into the heart of southern China, and is only a step away from Nanguang!
With the destruction of the southern barbarians so close at hand, why retreat north at such a crucial moment?
Wouldn't all our previous efforts be wasted?
Wei Yan wanted to ask, but he swallowed the words back.

Xiao He's decision must have its reasons, so why should I ask any more questions?

Wei Yan immediately waved his hand: "All troops, listen to my command, retreat north!"

Upon hearing this order, all the generals paled in shock.

Everyone was confused. They were now just one step away from Nanguang. Should they really retreat?

Ma Dai frowned and said with a sigh:
"Grand Marshal, General Wei, I am willing to lead my iron cavalry south to fight the rattan armor soldiers. I will fight to the death to break through their defenses!"

Ma Dai angrily volunteered for the battle.

Once he took the lead, the other generals all volunteered to fight.

These burly generals were all unwilling to swallow this insult.

Although Xiao He made the rattan armor soldiers sound mysterious, the men still didn't quite believe that there really was such armor that was impervious to swords and spears, so they all volunteered to fight.

In their view, Xiao He's advice to retreat stemmed from the belief that the generals dared not fight the rattan armor soldiers.

Now that we've volunteered for the battle, Grand Marshal should have confidence, right?
Wei Yan looked at Xiao He helplessly.

Xiao He gestured to the assembled generals, then said:
"Do not rush. Destroying the Southern Barbarians is imperative, but there is no need to be hasty. My retreat now is a strategy of retreating to advance, with the aim of breaking the rattan armor soldiers and killing Meng Quan."

"Don't you all believe me?"

Xiao He was reassuring the generals.

The generals' emotions gradually turned into joy.

Xiao He had spoken to this point, and the generals finally understood.
This indicates that Xiao He already has a brilliant plan to defeat the rattan armor soldiers.

"Grand Marshal, do you have a brilliant plan to defeat the rattan armor soldiers?"

Zhuge Dan was the first to urge the question.

The generals stared wide-eyed, filled with curiosity; even Ma Su couldn't guess Xiao He's secrets.

Xiao He smiled mysteriously and said slowly:
"Please be patient, everyone. Ma Ziyue, I order you to lead the army to meet Guan Xing and cover the army's retreat to the north."

"Remember, if you encounter rattan armor soldiers on the way, just feign a retreat and do not engage them in direct combat."

Ma Dai was stunned. (End of Chapter)