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

"Liannu?"

Sima Yi looked confused and subconsciously turned to look at Jia Xu.

Jia Xu's eyes were clear yet confused, and he shook his head blankly.

Cao Cao shakily extended his hand and showed everyone Tian Yu's urgent report.

Sima Yi hurriedly accepted it, and Zhang He, Li Tong, and other generals all rushed forward.

Even Jia Xu, who usually dislikes crowds, was driven by extreme curiosity to squeeze into the crowd and peek through the gaps in the people.

The repeating crossbow can fire ten arrows in a single instant, as dense as a storm...

Everyone gasped, their eyes widening in astonishment as if they had read the most unbelievable thing they had ever seen.

"I understand now. The Chu army must be equipped with a new type of crossbow called the repeating crossbow."

"This crossbow can fire ten arrows in succession, instantly inflicting heavy damage on the Wuhuan cavalry with a dense rain of arrows."

"It was precisely because of this repeating crossbow that Xiao He was able to catch Tadun off guard!"

It can be said that Jia Xu was very experienced; in the end, he deduced what the repeating crossbow was from just a few sentences in the report.

Everyone suddenly realized.

"Ten arrows fired in quick succession, a repeating crossbow, a repeating crossbow... Is there such a divine weapon in this world?"

Cao Cao's voice trembled, and his eyes were filled with disbelief.

Jia Xu sighed deeply and said:

"Has Your Majesty forgotten? Xiao He is not only a brilliant strategist, but also a master of weaponry. The Chu army's powerful weapons, such as the Divine Thunder Cannon, were all created by him."

"I suspect that this repeating crossbow must have been created by Xiao He for Liu Bei."

"It was precisely because he possessed this divine weapon that he was so fearless and dared to lead 30,000 infantrymen against 30,000 Wuhuan cavalry."

Jia Xu also deduced who the creator of the repeating crossbow was.

Cao Cao swayed, took a few steps back, and leaned against Xu Chu, his entire body solidifying into a stone statue.

"The repeating crossbow! Xiao He, that scoundrel, actually managed to create such a divine weapon! How hateful, how hateful!"

Sima Yi stomped his foot angrily, pounded his fist on the battlements, gritted his teeth, his shock mixed with frustration and helplessness.

Along the city, the Wei army quickly learned of the Wuhuan's crushing defeat, and morale plummeted once again.

"Your Majesty, the Wuhuan have suffered such a crushing defeat, and Tadun has also perished. It is fortunate that they were able to protect themselves, let alone seize Ji County and cut off the Chu army's retreat?"

"The situation is hopeless. There is no hope of recovering Youzhou. Your Majesty, let's abandon the pass and retreat westward."

Jia Xu was the first to calm down, bowed to Cao Cao, and earnestly tried to persuade him.

Sima Yi stamped his foot, reluctantly but also having to persuade him:

"Your Majesty, the fall of Youzhou is a foregone conclusion. With our current forces, we fear we cannot hold Juyong Pass for more than a few days."

"Abandon the pass and retreat westward to Bingzhou!"

Zhang He, Li Tong, and other generals all realized what was happening and knelt down to plead with him.

The crowd feared that Cao Cao, concerned about his reputation, would stubbornly refuse to give up his determination to reclaim Youzhou and insist on defending Juyong Pass to the death.

At that time, they will all likely perish together with Cao Cao in this fortified city.

Abandoning all illusions and retreating completely to Bingzhou is the only correct choice!

Cao Cao pushed aside Xu Chu's support and staggered to the city wall, his eyes filled with sorrow as he gazed at the landscape of Youzhou before him.

At this moment, he no longer harbored any illusions.

From the moment he learned of Tadun's death, he knew he had lost.

They lost completely, leaving them with nothing.

Whether it was Jizhou or Youzhou, this fertile land of Hebei thus fell entirely into Liu Bei's hands.

He fears he will never have any hope of taking it back in this lifetime. "It is fate, it is fate..."

After a long, helpless sigh, Cao Cao waved his hand weakly:
"Order the entire army to abandon the pass and retreat to Bingzhou tonight."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

At nightfall.

Cao Cao, leading tens of thousands of Wei troops, fled Juyong Pass like frightened birds, hastily heading towards Bingzhou...

Beyond the Great Wall.

North of Wuhou River, at Bailang Mountain.

Zhang Liao, his hand resting on his long sword, stood like an iron tower amidst the mountains and forests, his eagle eyes piercing through the withered leaves, fixed on the Wuhou River at the foot of the mountain.

Three days ago, he led 5,000 light cavalry out of the Yanshan Mountains from Lulong Pass and into the southern grasslands.

Then they sped off, heading straight for White Wolf Mountain to set up an ambush.

The Wuhou River flows from west to east, extending all the way to Liucheng, the "ancient capital" of the Wuhuan people.

If the remaining Wuhuan tribes, including the Qiaowang Khanluwang of Guangping, wanted to retreat to Liucheng, they would have to advance eastward along the Wuhou River.

Warhorses need water, cattle and sheep need water, soldiers need water, and hundreds of thousands of people need water, so naturally they have to follow the water source.

White Wolf Mountain was a place they had to pass through.

As dusk approached and another day was about to end, there was still no sign of the Wuhuan people.

Zhang Liao silently calculated that the army's rations should only last for about two days.

If the Wuhuan people do not appear within two days, they will no longer be able to ambush them and will have to go out and plunder the scattered Wuhuan herders to obtain food on the spot.

Once this happens, the whereabouts of these 5,000 cavalry will be immediately exposed. Upon receiving the news, the Wuhuan people will be terrified and will inevitably change their marching route, or even abandon their eastward retreat to Liucheng and retreat to other places instead.

The grasslands are vast and there is no trace to be found. If the Wuhuan people change their marching route, it will be like finding a needle in a haystack. You can forget about finding them again.

"General, there's movement to the west!"

The shouts from his personal guards behind him interrupted Zhang Liao's plot.

Zhang Liao looked up and saw that, indeed, from the west, there were groups of people slowly approaching along the north bank of the Wuhou River.

There were banners, cavalry, and also the elderly, women, and children, as well as tens of thousands of cattle and sheep being driven...

Zhang Liao's eyes suddenly lit up.

The remnants of the Karasuma army are here!
"Brothers, the Wuhuan people have finally delivered themselves to our doorstep! Get on your horses!"

Zhang Liao shouted and was the first to leap onto his warhorse.

The five thousand Chu cavalrymen, who had been waiting anxiously for a long time, suddenly became as if they had been injected with chicken blood, and they all mounted their horses.

Zhang Liao's blade parted the tree branches, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the approaching Wuhuan people.

Before long, the full appearance of the Wuhuan people came into view.

The banners of King Supuyan and King Wuyan of Hanlu were among them, which indicates that this large force was the main force of the Wuhuan from Guangping.

Among them were more than 10,000 soldiers, nearly 100,000 family members, and millions of cattle and sheep.

The five thousand Chu soldiers, seeing such a rich "prey," all had bloodshot eyes and swallowed hard.

If we win this battle, the spoils will be the most abundant since the founding of the Great Chu!
Meanwhile, 100,000 Wuhuan people, with their families in tow, silently advanced eastward along the Wuhou River, passing by the foot of Bailang Mountain without any warning.

Clearly, they never dreamed that a Chu cavalry force would be lying in ambush in the mountains so close to them.

"Grand Commandant Xiao, thank you for giving me such a great service!"

Zhang Liao let out a wild and unrestrained laugh, then pointed his long sword down the mountain:
"Brothers, great success is within our grasp, what are you waiting for!"

"Follow me, let's charge down the mountain and slaughter every last one of the Wuhuan!" (End of Chapter)