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

Fifteen days later, Dingtao.

On the edge of the field, there is a reclining chair and a pot of brewing wine.

Xiao He was lounging in a beanbag chair, sipping warm wine, basking in the sun, and enjoying the scenery of the fields.

Lady Guan Yinping stood by his side, her hand on her sword, her eyes scanning the surroundings warily, always on guard.

The sound of hooves rang out, and a rider galloped in.

Guan Yinping immediately drew her sword, and the guards surrounding her on both sides drew their blades in a flurry.

Only when they saw that the person who came was Deng Ai did everyone lower their guard.

Deng Ai dismounted, his face beaming with excitement, and cupped his hands in greeting:
"Reporting to the Grand Marshal, Ding Chengyuan just sent word from Puyang that his naval forces have transported 7,000 infantry and cavalry under Wen Qin and Zhuge Dan from Qingzhou to the Puyang line."

"Ding Chengyuan petitioned the Grand Marshal, saying that the plan should be followed."

Xiao He's narrowed eyes suddenly opened.

To prevent spies from the Wei Kingdom, troops could not be moved from Ye City, and too many garrison troops could not be left along the Baimadu line.

Therefore, on Xiao He's advice, Liu Bei issued a secret edict, ordering 7,000 troops stationed in Qingzhou to travel westward up the river from Gaotang by grain ships.

The two generals who commanded the army were both recommended by Xiao He.

One was Wen Qin, the son of Wen Ji who surrendered during the Battle of Shouchun, and the other was Zhuge Dan, a cousin of Zhuge Liang.

Two relatively unknown young generals wouldn't attract much attention from the Wei Kingdom if they were mobilized.

Xiao He knew that both of these young men were capable of leading a great army on their own.

According to the original plan, Xiao He used his inspection tour of Henan as a cover to lull Cao Cao into a false sense of security.

Ding Wen, Zhuge Liang, and the other two generals led 7,000 elite troops westward along the waterway.

Upon arriving in Puyang, Xiao He immediately set off for Baima to meet up with the three generals.

He then led these seven thousand elite troops and unexpectedly headed straight for Jiguan Pass.

Now, the time has come.

After finishing the remaining wine in his arms, Xiao He stretched and slowly got up, smiling at his wife.

"Madam, our vacation is over. It's time to go kill some people."

"Let's go, to Baima!"

The group immediately set off, traveling day and night on horseback northwards, heading straight for Baima.

Two days later, Xiao and his party arrived at Baimadu.

The timing was perfect; at that moment, the grain ships carrying Ding Feng and his two generals, along with seven thousand elite infantry and cavalry, had just arrived at Baima.

Xiao He then boarded the warship, took over command, and ordered the ships to advance westward day and night, heading straight for the upstream Hanoi County.

...

In the far west of Hanoi district, a fortified town stands nestled between mountains.

The plaque above the city gate bears the inscription "Jiguan".

The east was turning white; it was dawn.

The city gates, which had been closed all night, slowly opened, and the merchants waiting on both sides of the pass began to be inspected and passed through the pass one after another.

Salt production in Hedong is extremely profitable, and both salt and iron production generate huge profits.

Cao Wei only had three provinces, all of which were poor and small, and it was difficult to support an army of over 100,000 men with just grain taxes.

The export of lake salt from Hedong became an important source of revenue for the Wei state to earn military funds. Therefore, although the Han and Wei states were enemies, the Wei court tacitly allowed the sale of Hedong salt to the Han state.

As the closest pass for salt from Hedong to enter the Han Kingdom, Jiguan Pass was naturally a bustling hub of daily trade, with merchants coming and going constantly.

"By my order, all those who cross the border must be thoroughly searched to prevent spies from the Han Kingdom from entering or leaving!"

"Anyone who dares to accept bribes or allow people to enter or leave without authorization will be subject to military law and executed without pardon!"

Xiahou Wei, standing atop the city wall, shouted sternly at those below.

The guards at the city gate dared not be careless. They searched everyone entering or leaving the city thoroughly, even taking off their boots for a careful inspection.

With such a thorough search, the passage through the gate was naturally slow, and soon a long queue formed outside the gate, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Xiahou Wei was slightly satisfied and raised his head, looking towards the north.

Pingcheng, Jingxing Pass, Huguan Pass... At this very moment, hundreds of thousands of Han troops should be fiercely attacking these three fortified passes.

The generals of Wei are also leading their soldiers to defend the pass to the death and protect Wei.

In this battle, all the capable generals that the State of Wei could send were dispatched to the front lines.

He was the only military officer from the imperial clan who was exiled by Cao Cao to guard Jiguan Pass.

When the country is in trouble, he, as a member of the royal family, is far from the front lines and spends his days here inspecting passing salt merchants.

For Xiahou Wei, this was naturally a disgrace.

He understood why Cao Cao did what he did.

It was nothing more than during the Battle of Yijing, when the situation was critical, he panicked and, without Cao Cao's orders, issued the order to abandon the city and flee.

This action greatly disappointed Cao Cao, who believed that he was not up to the task.

Therefore, at this critical juncture, although he was a member of the imperial clan, Cao Cao did not dare to give him an important position, but instead exiled him to guard Jiguan Pass, a place where there was no war.

"If it weren't for those two cunning strategists, Sima Yi and Zhang He, deceiving me, how could I have given the order to abandon Yijing and flee?"

"Your Majesty, you underestimate me. I, Xiahou Wei, am by no means a coward who fears death. I am capable of shouldering great responsibilities for the Great Wei!"

Xiahou Wei pounded his fist on the battlements, muttering to himself, a hint of resentment in his eyes.

"General Xiahou has the demeanor of a general of the Flying Cavalry, and is also a member of the imperial clan. If His Majesty does not rely on the general, who else can he rely on?"

"This humble general anticipates that once the war becomes critical, His Majesty will surely dispatch General Xiahou to the north to assume an important mission."

Deputy General Hou Cheng saw through Xiahou Wei's thoughts and greeted him with a smile, offering words of comfort.

Hearing Hou Cheng's flattering words, Xiahou Wei felt pleased, and his tightly furrowed brows relaxed a little.

“He’s right. Among the imperial clan, those who are capable of being generals are now few and far between. Even if I have made mistakes, His Majesty cannot ignore me forever. Sooner or later, he will surely reuse me…”

Xiahou Wei naturally comforted him, a hint of pride rekindling in his eyes.

Just as he was fantasizing that one day he would be valued by Cao Cao again, shouts and commotion suddenly came from in front of the city gate.

Looking down, they saw that two groups of salt merchants were arguing over cutting in line.

Originally, due to the strict search, there was already a long queue in front of the city gate, and the crowd was quite crowded.

The two groups of salt merchants caused a disturbance, blocking the area in front of the city gate and making it even more crowded.

Xiahou Wei was already angry, and the commotion caused by these salt merchants hit a nerve with him.

"General Hou, immediately take a troop of men down from the city and arrest those two groups of salt smugglers. Confiscate all their money and goods, give each of them fifty lashes, and then drive them away!"

Hou Cheng felt a chill run down his spine.

General Xiahou is clearly planning to vent his anger on these short-sighted salt merchants...

Hou Cheng dared not disobey and immediately led more than ten of his men down the city wall.

Hou Cheng waved his hand, and the soldiers rushed forward, immediately ordering the soldiers to use their batons without warning.

A chorus of wails and screams erupted in front of the city gate as salt merchants fled in panic, making the already crowded scene even more chaotic and congested.

Xiahou Wei looked at the salt merchants who had been beaten black and blue, and his resentment subsided, and his expression finally improved a little.

Sudden.

His personal guard pointed outside the city and shouted:

"General Xiahou, it seems there are cavalry attacking from the east!"

Xiahou Wei's heart tightened, and he quickly looked up into the distance.

The Wei soldiers guarding the left and right sides couldn't help but look up at the end of the official road.

A cloud of dust was rapidly approaching.

In the dust and mist, countless cavalry figures could be vaguely seen, like ghosts.

"How did our cavalry end up east of Jiguan Pass?"

Xiahou Wei muttered to himself, a deep confusion flashing in his eyes.

The next instant, his eyes widened, his face changed drastically in horror, and he exclaimed:
"Han army, those are Han army cavalry!"

"The Han army is attacking!" (End of Chapter)