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

Two days later, Yecheng.

On the top of the East Gate city wall.

Cao Chong, Xin Pi, and Chen Tai stood side by side, their brows furrowed, their gazes fixed on the east.

The once densely packed lights of the Chu camp have now been replaced by endless darkness. Only in the far reaches of the night can one vaguely see scattered lights, which are the Chu army's new camp that has moved to the high ground.

On the surface, the road to the Zhangshui River to the east appears to be unobstructed.

It's just on the surface.

Who can guarantee that Liu Bei hasn't secretly laid an ambush of troops in the seemingly unobstructed darkness, waiting for them to walk right into his trap?
"Young master, all my troops have been assembled and are ready to move out."

Xiahou Chong's voice sounded from behind.

Cao Chong's thoughts returned to the present moment, and he glanced back at the city.

Nearly 20,000 Wei soldiers, clad in armor and armed with weapons, stood in the mud.

The floodwaters had receded slightly; the water level, which had reached the back of the neck, had now dropped to the knees.

The soldiers were finally able to catch their breath, climb down from the roof, and step into the mud and water.

Those faces, which were originally filled with despair and dejection, were now burning with inexplicable excitement, and their morale was unusually high.

Because they knew that after being trapped for months and enduring the triple torment of hunger, floods, and divine thunder cannons, the time had finally come to escape the hellish city of Ye.

The entire army was greatly invigorated, as if experiencing a final burst of energy before death, and everyone was eager to try their skills.

"Of these 20,000 soldiers, I wonder how many will escape with their lives..."

Cao Chong muttered to himself, his face devoid of any optimism.

Only he knew that even if Xinpi's plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain succeeded, tonight was destined to be a fierce battle to the death.

The Chu army has 300,000 troops after all. Even if most of them are transferred to the north, at least 30,000 to 40,000 soldiers should still be left in the east.

Once they discover that the enemy has made a large-scale departure from the city, these 30,000 to 40,000 troops will inevitably mobilize and do everything in their power to stop them.

That was a formidable army of thirty to forty thousand, well-rested and eager to prove themselves.

Normally, his 20,000 Wei soldiers wouldn't be a match for him, let alone now.

This breakout battle is destined to be an extremely bloody and desperate struggle with a slim chance of survival!

Of the 20,000 soldiers outside the city, it was a stroke of good fortune that half of them managed to escape.

"Young master, the time has come to make our appointment with that big-eared thief. It's time to take action."

Xinpi reminded him from beside him.

Cao Chong snapped out of his reverie, looked towards the north gate, and nodded slightly.

Xinpi immediately issued an order.

A lone rider galloped off, heading straight for the north gate along the city wall.

Before long, three beacon fires rose above the North Gate.

Immediately following were shouts of battle and the faint sound of war drums.

Those were over a thousand Wei soldiers who were unaware of the true situation and were being treated as expendable pawns. They were waving flags and shouting as ordered, pretending that Xin Pi had defected and seized the gate to welcome Liu Bei's army into the city.

All eyes turned to Cao Chong, waiting for his command.

Cao Chong took a deep breath, trying his best to dispel the doubts on his face, and a fierce look appeared between his brows.

After paying his respects with proper attire, Cao Chong bowed to the crowd.

"To be able to live and die with you all is truly the greatest fortune of my life, Cao Chong."

"I humbly beseech you all to fight alongside me, to live and die together, and to carve out a bloody path for us!"

A poignant yet hopeful speech instantly ignited everyone's will to survive.

"We are willing to fight to the death with you, young master!"

Xin Pi, Chen Tai, and others responded enthusiastically.

Cao Chong then drew his sword, pointed it towards the outside of the city, and shouted sternly:
"Report my order: open the city gates and lower the drawbridge!"

"The entire army must break out of Ye City and escape!"

The order was passed down.

The city gates opened with a roar, and the drawbridge slowly descended.

Twenty thousand Wei soldiers, wading through knee-deep mud and water, marched out of the east gate of Ye City and headed straight for the Zhang River.

...

Northeast of Ye City.

On the high ground, Liu Bei and Xiao He stood side by side.

Their gazes were fixed on the direction of Ye City in the night.

Three beacon fires were lit at the north gate, and shouts of battle could be faintly heard.

Liu Bei's eyes narrowed.

On the surface, it appears that Xin Pi launched a mutiny, seized the north gate, and was about to welcome his army into the city.

"Order Wen Yuan to proceed with the original plan to attack the North Gate and capture Ye City!"

Without hesitation, Liu Bei raised his whip.

On the high ground, a beacon fire rose into the night sky.

From the north of Ye City, the sound of horns pierced the sky, and the sound of drums shattered the darkness.

Generals Zhang Liao, Guan Xing, and others led more than 70,000 Chu troops to launch an attack on the north gate.

Liu Bei did not move, but shifted his gaze from the north gate to the east gate.

Xiao He has two plans in place. The first plan has already been launched. Now we need to see if the second plan will come in handy.

Time flew by, and a quarter of an hour later, a rider galloped up to the high ground.

"Your Majesty, my scouts have reported that a large number of Wei troops have left the east gate under cover of night and are heading towards the Zhang River!"

Liu Bei smiled, looked back at Xiao He, and sighed:

"Bowen, it seems your two preparations were correct. Just as you predicted, Xinpi's surrender was indeed a ruse!"

Flames soared into the sky at the north gate, and the shouts of battle and the sound of war drums were deafening. Yet, a large number of Wei troops emerged from the east gate. What else could this be but a ploy to lure the enemy away from their stronghold?
Facts have proven that Xiao He's vigilance was correct; the East Gate was Cao Chong's true direction for breaking through.

Xiao He gave a cold laugh and pointed into the distance:

"Your Majesty, it's time to haul in the nets. We can't let a single fish escape!"

A murderous glint appeared in Liu Bei's eyes, and he cracked his whip:
"Light the signal fires and order all troops to surround and kill the fleeing Wei army!"

"In this battle, not a single Wei soldier will be allowed to escape!"

The second beacon fire rose from the high ground, soaring into the night sky. In the darkness...

Cao Chong and his 20,000 soldiers were still fleeing in panic.

Most of the breaches in the Zhanghe River are concentrated in the south, while the water flow is relatively smaller in the east.

They were now about a mile from the city, and the water level had dropped from their knees to their ankles, allowing them to speed up their march.

"Young Master Cang Shu, it seems my plan to lure the enemy away from the mountain has indeed succeeded. The entire Chu army has been drawn to the north gate, and we have successfully broken through!"

Sinpi's excited expression revealed a hint of pride, and a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes.

Since their escape, they have not encountered any organized resistance from the Chu army, which has put Xin Pi at ease and made him more optimistic than ever before.

Cao Chong, however, remained frowning and said in a deep voice:
"We cannot be considered successful until we reach the Zhang River and board the raft. Now is not the time to be careless."

Xin Pi, however, smiled dismissively and pointed his whip forward:
"The Zhang River is just a few miles ahead, and so far no Chu troops have appeared to intercept us, so it must be..."

The words have not yet fallen.

Suddenly, from the north, the sound of thousands of birds flapping their wings arose.

Immediately afterwards, countless streams of light swept in from above, covering the sky and the earth.

"A cold arrow, it's a cold arrow!"

Xiahou Chong was the first to react, letting out a loud shout and quickly brandishing his sword to block Cao Chong's head.

The next instant, a rain of arrows fell.

A scream erupted, and countless streams of blood splattered out…

The Wei soldiers, caught off guard, were instantly felled in countless numbers.

Xinpi had no time to dodge and was struck in the shoulder by an arrow.

"Ah~~"

With a scream, Xinpi collapsed onto his horse, nearly falling off in pain.

Then, countless torches were lit from all directions, illuminating the surrounding night sky.

"Woooooo~~"

A somber bugle call then sounded.

From the left and right flanks, countless Chu soldiers swept in like divine warriors descending from the heavens.

"An ambush? That big-eared thief's ambush, this, this..."

Xin Pi stared in astonishment at the approaching Chu army, so horrified that he forgot the pain of the arrow wound in his shoulder.

Cao Chong sighed deeply, his face full of bitterness, and said:

“Shin George, I’ve said it before, now is not the time to be optimistic.”

"You see? The Chu army had already laid an ambush with heavy troops. Your plan was seen through by Xiao He!"

Xin Pi felt utterly chilled, his whole body trembled, and fear and despair instantly enveloped him.

"Since things have come to this, let's accept our fate."

Cao Chong let out another long sigh, then suddenly cracked his whip and sped off eastward.

Xiahou Chong hurriedly commanded his personal guards, deflecting the incoming arrows while spurring his horse to flee.

"Xiao the thief~~"

Xinpi gritted his teeth and cried out in grief:

"When the Yuan family was destroyed, I, Xin Pi, was able to survive. I refuse to believe that I will die at the hands of you and that big-eared thief!"

As he spoke, Xinpi endured the excruciating pain and spurred his horse to speed up and escape.

However, he was struck in the shoulder by an arrow, and his hands were too weak to hold onto the whip, which slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground.

Cao Chong had already fled far ahead, leaving him far behind.

Meanwhile, from the flanks, countless Chu soldiers were already charging in like a tidal wave.

Xinpi panicked and desperately spurred the horse's belly.

It's too late.

The Chu army, like a tidal wave, crashed in, and countless blades slashed down at him.

"Ahh~~"

A bloodcurdling scream rang out.

Xin Pi, along with his horse, was chopped into mincemeat in an instant...

The Chu troops on both flanks, like tigers and wolves, crashed into the terrified Wei army.

Smash, cut down, pierce...

The Chu army was like tigers among sheep, and in an instant, they slaughtered the Chu soldiers, leaving them in disarray and screaming in terror.

The mud beneath their feet was stained crimson with blood.

Cao Chong, however, no longer cared about the lives of his soldiers and fled for his life.

Now, his only hope is to break through the encirclement of the Chu army and reach the west bank of the Zhang River.

Only by getting onto the raft could he have a chance of survival!
Finally, after suffering more than 10,000 casualties, Cao Chong and his less than 5,000 remaining soldiers managed to reach the west bank of the Zhang River.

As Cao Chong peered into the distance in the dim light of dawn, searching for any boats or rafts available, his face turned deathly pale.

"Xu~~"

He quickly reined in his warhorse, his eyes filled with horror and despair as he stared ahead in bewilderment.

On the west bank of the Zhang River, an impregnable wall has been erected with its back to the water, blocking the way forward.

Nearly 30,000 Chu troops stood in imposing formation.

The Chu general standing with his spear drawn was none other than Zhao Yun.

"Young Master Cangshu, it is Zhao Yun who is blocking our way!"

“That big-eared thief had long anticipated that we would escape to Nanpi via the Zhang River, and had already deployed a large force, waiting for us to take the bait.”

"Young Master Cangshu, we can't leave!"

Chen Tai turned to look at Cao Chong, his expression filled with grief, indignation, and despair.

Looking at the impregnable walls of the Chu army, Cao Chong let out a long, powerless sigh, his expression one of utter despair, as if he had lost all will to live.

"My Cao family's fate is indeed sealed, its fate is sealed..."

After a long, bitter sigh, Cao Chong waved his hand to the soldiers on either side:

"You have fought to this point, and have done right by the Cao family. There is no need for you to sacrifice your lives for us. Those who wish to surrender to Liu Bei, then go ahead and surrender..." (End of this chapter)