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

Forty li north of Jiexiu Pass.

The Wei army, numbering less than 20,000, was fleeing in panic at the mere sight of the enemy.

"I have held out until now, and most of the troops should have already rushed to Linxian Ferry. At most, the garrison at Huguan will be a little slower and may be intercepted by the big-eared bandit."

"However, being able to save more than 60,000 troops is a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. I think I have done right by His Majesty."

As Xiahou Dun galloped away on his horse, his thoughts raced, and he secretly comforted himself.

at this time.

A group of people came from the west.

Xiahou Dun immediately became alert and sent a team of men to spy and intercept them.

A moment later, a military general galloped close by; it was Wen Hui.

The moment Xiahou Dun recognized Wen Hui, his heart skipped a beat.

Wen Hui was a garrison commander of Pingcheng. He should have led his troops across the Yellow River from Lin County to retreat into Guanzhong in advance. Why was he here?
"Could it be..."

A sense of foreboding washed over Xiahou Dun, and he shivered. He quickly reined in his horse.

"General, General!"

Wen Hui dismounted and knelt before Xiahou Dun's horse, his face filled with anxiety.

Xiahou Dun grew increasingly uneasy and urgently demanded an explanation:

"Wen Hui, shouldn't you have already led your troops into Xihe County? Why are you here?"

Wen Hui looked dejected and said with a bitter expression:

"I was originally leading my troops to Lin County, intending to cross the river and enter Xihe County, but unexpectedly, the Han general Zhao Yun led 10,000 elite cavalry to take the lead and capture Lin County and the ferry crossing."

"When I arrived, my army had less than 20,000 men who had crossed the river first. Song Xian's 5,000 soldiers were all captured and killed by Zhao Yun, and Song Xian was also beheaded."

"We immediately launched a strong attack on Lin County but failed. Left with no other choice, I had to come and report to the General. However, on the way, I heard that Jiexiu Pass had already been closed..."

Wen Hui didn't dare finish his question.

Xiahou Dun was horrified, and his horsewhip slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.

Whether it was Guo Huai or Wang Ling beside them, all the generals were greatly shocked.

"Lin County was robbed by that big-eared thief?"

"How is this possible? How is this possible?"

Xiahou Dun, frozen on his horse, muttered to himself, his eyes filled with disbelief, as if his soul had been shattered.

It's not impossible for Liu Bei to seize Lin County.

However, the Han army was blocked by Jiexiu Pass. If Liu Bei wanted to seize Lin County, he would first have to go south to Hedong, then west to the Yellow River, and then north along the east bank of the Yellow River.

This round trip would involve an extra several hundred miles of detour.

How did Liu Bei manage to seize Lin County before him?
Did the Han army grow wings and fly over there?
Xiahou Dun stood frozen in place, completely stunned and bewildered.

"General, Zhao Yun commands the Han cavalry. According to my spies, this cavalry participated in the battle to annihilate the Southern Xiongnu at Baibo Valley."

"The one who commanded the troops that day was none other than Xiao He."

"Could it be that after the Battle of Baibo, Xiao He did not order Zhao Yun to lead the cavalry north to join Liu Bei, but instead ordered him to head straight for Lin County, seize the ferry, and cut off our army's westward retreat?"

Guo Huai offered a guess, his voice trembling.

Xiahou Dun's body trembled, he gasped, and the confusion on his face turned into horror.

Yes, that must be true.

This must be Xiao He's masterpiece.

Besides Xiao He, who else in the Han camp could have predicted that he would abandon Bingzhou and withdraw his entire army to Guanzhong?

"The Battle of Baibo Valley happened more than ten days ago. That traitor Xiao had already foreseen that I would abandon Bingzhou and retreat westward with my entire army more than ten days ago?"

"To be so cunning and far-sighted, this Xiao traitor... he..." Xiahou Dun gritted his teeth, his shocked eyes mixed with disbelief and incredulity.

Guo Huai sighed helplessly and said:

"Xiao Hezhi is incredibly insightful. The General has experienced this firsthand before. He is truly like a celestial being descended to earth, seeing through everything."

Xiahou Dun was startled and suddenly realized what was happening.

Yes, over the years, has Xiao He not demonstrated his uncanny foresight and brilliant strategic thinking far enough?

How many times have their seemingly flawless and unpredictable schemes been exposed by Xiao He?

If it weren't for Xiao He's "inhuman actions," how could his brother Cao Cao and his Cao Wei empire have fallen to such a state?

"Xiao the traitor, Xiao the traitor, oh Xiao the traitor~~"

Xiahou Dun was furious and shocked. He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and wished he could devour Xiao He alive.

"General, Lin County has now fallen, our westward retreat has been cut off, and the enemy's 100,000-strong army is relentlessly pursuing us. Huguan and Jingxing Passes have both fallen behind enemy lines, and hundreds of thousands of Han troops are also chasing us from all directions!"

"The situation has come to this point, we have no way forward and are being pursued from behind, what should we do?"

Wang Ling's tearful cry beside him interrupted Xiahou Dun's angry daze.

Xiahou Dun shivered, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, soaking him to the bone.

Yeah, what to do?
There was no way to retreat to Guanzhong. Jiexiu Pass had fallen, as had Huguan Pass, Jingxing Pass, Pingcheng, and other strategic locations. Nearly 300,000 Han troops had been captured and sent to Bingzhou…

Surrounded by wolves with nowhere to escape, is this not a dead end?
Wang Ling fell into despair, and Guo Huai shook his head and sighed, a hint of despair gradually creeping into his helpless expression. All the generals around him were filled with fear and confusion.

Even Xiahou Dun's face now showed despair.

"What do you think I should do now?"

Xiahou Dun turned his head and looked at the generals with grief, indignation, and helplessness.

Wang Ling and his generals were all dejected and at a loss for what to do.

"Guo Huai, tell me, what should I do?"

Xiahou Dun turned his head with difficulty, his gaze fixed on Guo Huai.

At this moment, Guo Huai was the only person he could rely on.

Guo Huai remained silent for a moment, then sighed weakly:
"We are now in dire straits, and there is no way to turn the tide."

"If we really talk about strategies, the only options now besides surrendering to the Han are to retreat to Jinyang and wait for His Majesty to come and save us."

Xiahou Dun stiffened.

The words "surrender to the Han" were like a knife, cutting into his heart.

As a general of Wei, a member of the Cao Wei imperial family, and the elder brother of Emperor Cao Cao, how could he possibly surrender to Han?

Putting aside his dignity, so many of his brothers and nephews died under the swords of the Han army!
With national and personal vendettas, and a deep-seated blood feud, how could I possibly kneel and surrender to Liu Bei!
If they do not surrender to Liu Bei, then the only option is to gather all the troops and retreat to Jinyang City to hold out.

This means that his remaining 50,000 troops will be trapped in the isolated city of Jinyang by nearly 300,000 Han troops.

Their only hope was that Cao Cao would break through the Yellow River defenses, defeat Liu Bei, and relieve their siege.

But that's 300,000 Han soldiers!
Cao Cao only had 40,000 mobile troops at his disposal.

With such a small force, they couldn't even recapture Pubanjin, let alone repel 300,000 Han troops.
To describe the hope as slim would be an exaggeration.

Retreating to Jinyang was essentially waiting for death.

But besides that, did he have any other choice?
Xiahou Dun gritted his teeth and clenched his fists for a long time, but in the end he could only let out a helpless sigh.

"I am a great general of the Great Wei, how could I betray my country and surrender to traitors?"

"By my order, all troops shall immediately retreat into Jinyang."

"I will live and die with Jinyang, and fight the traitorous Big-Eared Bandit to the bitter end!" (End of Chapter)