"It's a pity my generals Yan Liang and Wen Chou haven't arrived yet, otherwise, why would I have to watch them smug?" Yuan Shao slammed his fist on the table, wishing he could break through Hangu Pass, storm Chang'an, and tear Lu Ming to pieces!
Now, he couldn't even get past Hangu Pass, let alone Chang'an.
It wasn't that Yuan Shao wasn't willing to fight, but he had deliberately sent Yan Liang and Wen Chou to borrow troops and supplies from Han Fu. To break through Hangu Pass, he had made many compromises.
The first was to allow Dong Zhuo to leave safely and enter Runan.
Luoyang was a place of trouble and danger, a battleground on all sides. To settle there would be suicide.
Beside Yuan Shao stood the enormous Dong Zhuo.
"Zhongying, why don't you step forward and try?" "
Yuan Shao turned to look at Dong Zhuo, hoping the man could use his supposed uncle status to suppress Lu Ming's arrogance.
However, Dong Zhuo was a shrewd man.
Now that all pretense of civility had been broken, what did an uncle matter?
If he blocked Lu Ming's path, he would certainly kill him!
"Lu Ming is now ruthless, even if I were to go forward, it would be futile. The only solution now is to break through Hangu Pass."
Yuan Shao was somewhat disdainful; he should just admit his cowardice.
So, he settled for second best, turning his attention to Lü Bu, who stood ramrod straight beside Dong Zhuo, like a war god:
"Why doesn't the Prime Minister send one of his fierce generals to challenge him?"
To be honest, Dong Zhuo was reluctant. He preferred to preserve his strength rather than suffer heavy losses. After a moment's thought, he said, "Alright, Fengxian, you go and challenge him." "
It's true that Lü Bu is a formidable fighter.
However, he wasn't famous. He didn't achieve fame at the Battle of Hulao Pass, nor did he participate in the Battle of Hulao Pass. At best, he was Dong Zhuo's adopted son.
This kind of relationship is the most fragile.
"Yes, Father."
Having been given the opportunity to fight, Lü Bu took the Red Hare horse from his personal guard, mounted it, spurred it, and charged forward like an arrow.
Arriving at Hangu Pass, he challenged the enemy:
"I am Lü Bu of Bingzhou! Who dares to come to their death!" "
Lu Bu admitted he couldn't defeat Lu Ming, but aside from Lu Ming, he was invincible!
Therefore, he was arrogant and disdainful of everyone.
Soon, the gates of Hangu Pass opened, and a troop of cavalry slowly emerged, standing on either side. This single move immediately caught Lu Bu's eye.
Don't underestimate these simple movements; they were tests of a cavalryman's fundamental skills—very important fundamental skills.
A warrior clad in silver armor, riding a white steed, slowly stepped out of the ranks.
With sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, he possessed an indescribable masculine aura—it was Zhao Zilong of Changshan!
"I am Zhao Zilong of Changshan."
"Good, let me test you!"
Lu Bu spurred his horse and charged forward again.
Clang!
Both galloped past each other. In their first exchange, Lu Bu discovered he hadn't gained the upper hand!
"There's another expert?" "
Zhao Yun's arm, holding the spear, trembled slightly.
Lu Bu was stronger than him, and after just one exchange, Zhao Yun knew he had met his match. He turned and continued forward.
His spear thrust repeatedly, using unique techniques to entangle Lu Bu in combat.
Lu Bu's wide, sweeping attacks were each skillfully deflected by Zhao Yun, or he would relentlessly entangle him like a snake clinging to a stick.
Unable to advance or retreat, Lu Bu was extremely frustrated.
But no matter how enraged he became, Zhao Yun maintained the same fighting style, entangled him, fueling his anger, and then launching a sudden, unpredictable attack.
The two trembled for nearly half an hour without a clear victor.
It was purely a test of endurance; it seemed that another half hour would likely yield no clear winner.
From the start of the duel, Fa Zheng had been observing from the pass.
When the fight had nearly reached its end,
he said: "Sound the retreat; continuing the fight is pointless."
Huang Zhong pondered for a moment before sending a messenger to relay the order. He trusted Fa Zheng's judgment; this strategist was quite capable:
"Sound the retreat!"
Upon hearing the order, Zhao Yun, positioned below Hangu Pass, began a gradual retreat.
Lu Bu also took the opportunity to stop, panting heavily. Even a warrior like him was somewhat out of breath.
He had actually wanted to launch a surprise attack, but Zhao Yun hadn't given him any openings, so he had no choice but to stop.
Even a sudden attack wouldn't succeed.
"We can attack the camp tonight."
Fa Zheng observed the allied forces' direction and formation:
"These past few days of continuous duels will surely make them think we won't dare to launch a preemptive strike. Even if we had defenses in place a few days ago, so many days have passed; they'll likely become complacent."
"Strategist, who do you think would be the best choice?" "Huang Zhong, the commander-in-chief stationed at the pass, was not arrogant; he couldn't bear the responsibility for the loss of Hangu Pass.
Lu Ming's dispatch of Fa Zheng was certainly not to be a mere figurehead.
"Zhao Yun will lead the attack on the camp. Wei Yan will lead a force to raid the enemy's rear and burn the supplies. Xu Rong will be responsible for the ambush. After the supplies are successfully burned, retreat immediately. Don't linger; leave the rest to Xu Rong."
Fa Zheng explained the plan, outlining not only the general direction but also the specific tasks for each person.
And how to remedy any unforeseen circumstances.
This plan meant a fate for almost everyone, except for Huang Zhong, the commander-in-chief, who received no assigned tasks.
The reason was simple: Huang Zhong had to defend Hangu Pass.
The night was dark and windy, pitch black.
In the allied camp, the troops rotating shifts today were those of Kong Zhou, the governor of Yuzhou.
After several days of dueling, these soldiers were getting bored.
Plus, the feudal lords..." This was the first civil war, and neither the generals nor the soldiers paid much attention. Suddenly, the sound of hooves approached, followed by an increasingly violent tremor.
Before the scouts could raise the alarm, an arrow pierced the air twice, striking his throat, causing him to open his mouth repeatedly but unable to utter a word!
Soldiers, fast asleep and huddled in their tents from the cold, only scrambled to their feet when the cavalry arrived.
Zhao Yun ordered his cavalry to overturn the braziers, setting them ablaze and killing indiscriminately, deliberately creating chaos to draw more attention.
"What's going on?"
Kong Zhou was still somewhat dazed, not understanding what was happening; the camp had suddenly erupted into chaos.
Everywhere there were screams and howls. His personal guards rushed in and dragged him away.
"My lord, the enemy has broken into the camp! We can't hold it! Retreat immediately!"