The Three Kingdoms: The entire Cao Cao camp thought I was weak and frail.

The next day, just as Zhou Yu and Sun Ce were patiently waiting for Wang Yun's reply, Lü Bu's personal guards knocked on the door of the post station.

The guard bowed to the person inside the room and presented a sealed bamboo scroll with both hands.

"By order of Marquis Wen, I have come to inform you two gentlemen that His Majesty has personally issued and delivered the appointment of Cao Mengde as Governor of Yan Province."

Guo Jia took the bamboo slip, unfolded it, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Lu Bu acted even faster than he expected.

It seems that Lü Bu took Gao Shun's words to heart. He wanted to prove that he understood how to treat scholars with respect and was more sincere than Wang Yun.

After the personal guards took their leave, a scout from Cao Cao's army reported urgently: "The Xiliang army, led by Li Jue and Guo Si, has passed Huaili and is marching towards Chang'an! They will be at the city walls in no more than two days!"

Guo Jia's smile faded, and he looked at Xun Hao, "Mission accomplished. The Xiliang army won't arrive for another two days. We can still leave now."

He moved quickly, neatly rolling up a few changes of clothes and stuffing them into his bag.

Xun Hao did not move.

He knew the trajectory of history and what kind of catastrophe this city was about to face.

Blood flowed like rivers, and bones covered the fields. These were not just eight cold words in a history book, but the wanton slaughter of countless living people.

"Brother Fengxiao, let's go, but we can't just leave like this." Xun Hao turned his head and met Guo Jia's gaze. "We have to leave something for the Xiliang army."

Guo Jia frowned and walked a few steps to Xun Hao. "What are you thinking about now? Don't tell me you're planning to stay and help Wang Yun and Lü Bu defend the city?"

"Wang Yun's life or death is naturally none of our business. But the people in the city are innocent."

Guo Jia was taken aback, then seemed to understand something, and rubbed his temples with a helpless expression.

He thought of Xun Yu, Xun You, and the entire Xun clan of Yingchuan.

As descendants of Xunzi, they usually scheme against people's hearts and plot against the world, but deep down they all have an inescapable Confucian "benevolence and righteousness".

Serving the country and its people seemed to be something etched into their very blood, and Xun Hao was no exception.

"A common problem among the Xun family's descendants," Guo Jia muttered under his breath, which sounded less like a complaint and more like a helpless indulgence.

A faint smile appeared on Xun Hao's lips. He knew that Guo Jia had agreed.

Upon receiving news of the Xiliang army's attack, Wang Yun and Lü Bu each sent messengers to invite them. Xun Hao and Guo Jia ignored Wang Yun and went directly to Lü Bu's army.

Even if Wang Yun continues to control the government, fighting wars will still depend on soldiers.

Moreover, since Lü Bu had sent the appointment as Governor of Yan Province, it was only in return for the favor that Wen Hou (Lord Wen) received some face.

The atmosphere in the military camp was heavy.

Upon seeing Guo Jia and Xun Hao enter, Lü Bu practically sprang to his feet and strode forward to greet them. "I am deeply grateful for your presence, gentlemen!"

"You're too kind, Lord Wen." Xun Hao bowed slightly. "Time is short, so let's skip the formalities. May I ask, Lord Wen, what is the strength of the Xiliang army?"

Without hesitation, Lü Bu replied, "Of course, it's the cavalry! Their speed is like the wind, their attack like fire!"

"Then what is the commander of Wenhou's Bingzhou army?"

"Also a cavalryman!" A hint of arrogance appeared on Lü Bu's face.

"That's the problem. Two armies, each specializing in cavalry, one attacking and one defending. The attackers are not good at scaling walls and capturing fortresses. The defenders are not good at holding their ground. But the Xiliang army has a numerical advantage, and Chang'an has no reinforcements, making the defense of the city extremely difficult."

Lu Bu's face was extremely grim. Although he was arrogant, he was not stupid. The fall of Chang'an was only a matter of time, and he was even considering where to go after leaving Chang'an.

"Then what do you think we should do, sir?" Gao Shun stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Xun Hao.

"The advantage of cavalry lies in their speed and impact. Once their horses are crippled, their fighting strength is reduced by half."

"How to make it useless?"

"Dig a hole," Xun Hao uttered.

"Dig a pit?" Lu Bu frowned, clearly not understanding.

Gao Shun frowned and asked, "Mr. Xun, are you suggesting we dig a trap?"

Xun Hao shook his head: "They're not big traps, they're small pits. Countless pits, each about the size of a bowl and a foot deep, are densely packed and spread across all the open areas outside the city."

These words confused the generals even more. What use could such a small pit be? Lu Bu also showed a look of doubt on his face.

"The Xiliang army consists entirely of cavalry; when they charge, ten thousand horses gallop." Xun Hao's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears. "When warhorses are running at high speed, they can't even see the ground. Once a horse's hoof steps into one of these small pits, the only outcome is a broken leg. One horse falling will trip up countless comrades behind it. At that point, their proud cavalry formation will be in complete chaos below the city."

Before he could finish speaking, Guo Jia lazily added, "Dig some bigger ones, and stick sharpened wooden stakes into the bottom of the pits."

Every battle-hardened general felt a chill run down their spine as images flashed through their minds: the mournful neighing of warhorses, the knights being thrown off balance by the momentum of a high-speed charge, their bodies impaled by wooden stakes below.

This was also to prevent the Xiliang army from changing its usual practice and switching to infantry to attack the city, in which case it would be the infantry who would be thrown into the pit.

"Good!" Lü Bu slammed his hand on the table. "That's it! I'll order the entire army to dig trenches outside the city tonight!"

"The digging of the pit must be done discreetly, so as not to let word get out," Guo Jia said slowly, looking at Lü Bu's excited face. "Besides, it's pitch black outside the city. If the soldiers dig the pit themselves, they might accidentally fall in first."

The excitement on Lü Bu's face faded, and his brows furrowed again. "Then, what is your opinion, sir?"

"When digging the pits, work in groups of ten, with each person tied to a long rope around their waist, and linking them together." Guo Jia's peach blossom eyes swept over the crowd. "The ones in front scout ahead, while the others follow. This ensures both speed and prevents accidents. When it's time to finish, they can also safely exit the pit formation by following the ropes."

Gao Shun's eyes lit up, and he clasped his hands in a fist salute to Guo Jia, saying, "This method is excellent."

Just then, Wang Yun's steward rushed over, saying that Lord Situ had invited the two gentlemen and Marquis Wen to a meeting.

Before long, Zhou Yu and Sun Ce were also invited to Wang Yun's residence. After listening to Xun Hao and Guo Jia's plan, even Zhou Yu could not hide his surprise.

"However, there are capable men in the Xiliang army. What if they discover our intentions and instead advance slowly with infantry in formation?"

"Gongjin's concerns are absolutely correct." Guo Jia nodded in agreement. "Therefore, we should cover the pit with straw mats and loose soil to deceive people."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu stood up, walked to the map, and pointed to a river outside the city: "West of Chang'an, there is a tributary of the Wei River. If we can dig a breach here, and when the Xiliang army is blocked by the pit formation and their formation is in chaos, we can flood them. The enemy is not good at naval warfare and will surely suffer heavy losses."