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

Xiahou Dun took the lead, drawing his sword and charging out of the city gate.

Guo Huai, Wang Ling, and other generals followed closely behind.

More than 40,000 Wei soldiers, having mustered all their strength, surged out of the city gates like a tidal wave.

Qian Zhao, however, remained silent and retreated to the side, watching the Wei army pour out in all directions.

With his feigned surrender now a success, he was no longer of any importance in Xiahou Dun's eyes, so there was no need for him to remain vigilant.

Everyone was busy leaving the city, but no one noticed that Qian Zhao, a key figure, had quietly stayed behind.

Only after the last Wei soldier left the city did Qian Zhao emerge from the shadows and stand at the city gate.

Watching the Wei army rush into the darkness, Qian Zhao's lips curled into a cold smile.

In front.

Forty thousand Wei troops surged towards the trench like a tidal wave.

At Xiahou Dun's command, the Wei soldiers threw all the sandbags they were carrying into the trench.

The three trenches were filled in in an instant.

The Wei army charged forward and soon reached the earthen wall.

The generals then shouted at their soldiers to frantically swing their pickaxes and dig at the earthen wall.

In less than 15 minutes, more than ten breaches were dug open.

The Wei army poured out from every breach like a flood that had broken its banks.

Further ahead lay the brightly lit Han camp.

That was the last obstacle for them to escape!
Xiahou Dun took a deep breath and pointed his sword:
"Soldiers of Wei, do you see that? The Han camp is right in front of us."

"Those who want to return to Guanzhong alive and reunite with their families, charge forward and destroy the Han camp!"

Forty thousand Wei soldiers, as if injected with chicken blood, roared and charged towards the Han camp like a tidal wave.

Within the Han camp, the sound of gongs and alarms resounded loudly.

The tens of thousands of Han soldiers who remained behind seemed to have been caught off guard and hurriedly rushed to the camp walls to repel the enemy.

Before the Han army had all arrived, the Wei army at the forefront had already charged forward.

They were like mad dogs, hacking and ramming wildly, trying to break through the wall.

Although the Han troops left behind were few in number, they were not to be underestimated. They thrust their spears and lances at the Wei troops outside the wall like madmen.

Screams rose and fell, and streaks of blood stained the camp walls.

Hundreds of Wei soldiers were stabbed to the ground in droves.

As the soldiers in the front rank fell to the ground, not yet completely dead, the soldiers in the back rank trampled over their corpses and rushed forward, continuing to ram the camp wall.

Driven by their will to survive, the Wei soldiers launched an unprecedentedly fierce offensive.

The lessons learned from Yecheng and Liyang are not far removed from their own.

They did not want to be trapped in Jinyang City and suffer the hellish torment that was rumored to exist.

Tonight, in order to survive, the Wei army unleashed a fighting force beyond its limits.

"The Han army in the Northern Camp is indeed weak. Guo Boji's plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain has succeeded. There's hope!"

Xiahou Dun, in high spirits, brandished his sword and roared:

"Soldiers, the Han army numbers only a little over ten thousand; they cannot hold out for long."

"Charge! Charge at all costs! Don't stop!"

With a four-fold numerical advantage and combat prowess exceeding its limits, the Wei army held a decisive advantage at this point.

Under this fierce attack, the Han army gradually could not withstand the onslaught, and the camp walls were already on the verge of collapse.

Inside the camp.

The commander of these 10,000 Han soldiers who were holding out to the death was Hao Zhao.

Because he was good at guarding, he was given this important responsibility.

Liu Bei's order to him was to hold the northern camp for as long as possible, and to make the charade convincing enough that Xiahou Dun would believe his plan had succeeded.

Looking at the aggressive Wei army, Hao Zhao's lips curled into a sarcastic sneer.

"Xiahou Dun was indeed using a feint attack. Judging from this formation, the Wei army in the city must have come out in full force."

"The Battle of Bingzhou can finally come to an end tonight."

Hao Zhao muttered to himself. After holding out for another quarter of an hour, the Han soldiers along the camp wall were almost at their limit.

After a moment's consideration, Hao Zhao raised his whip and shouted:
"Order the abandonment of the Northern Camp and a full retreat!"

Upon receiving the order, Hao Zhao turned his horse and rode off first.

The flag was removed, and the sound of metal rang out.

The Han soldiers, who had been struggling to hold on, breathed a sigh of relief and immediately abandoned their camp walls, retreating northward.

The entire camp has been abandoned!

Immediately afterwards, the sounds of cracking and collapse followed.

The camp wall, stretching for hundreds of paces, instantly crumbled and collapsed.

The Wei army surged forward like a tide, trampling over the collapsed camp walls and sweeping into the Han camp.

Xiahou Dun was overjoyed, spurred his horse forward, and shouted:
"The enemy camp has been breached! All troops, listen to my command: crush the enemy camp in one fell swoop and continue the charge north!"

Forty thousand Wei soldiers, like wild beasts breaking free of their cages, excitedly poured into the Han camp.

Xiahou Dun spurred his horse and galloped through the heart of the Han camp, arriving at the northern wall.

Looking out by the firelight, one could see that on the northern plains, the scattered Han army was fleeing in panic, like startled birds.

With no obstacles in sight, no one could stop him from escaping the prison that was Jinyang.

"Our Great Wei is indeed not doomed yet, and still has the blessing of Heaven!"

"Mengde, Your Majesty, just you wait, I will see you soon—"

Xiahou Dun was so excited that he went mad and roared loudly.

Although Guo Huai beside him was also very excited, he still maintained a rare composure and reminded him:

"General, it's too early to talk about escaping now. We still have the three northern prefectures to conquer."

"I reckon Liu Bei has already noticed and is mobilizing troops to the north to intercept us. We cannot afford to delay; we must get away from Jinyang as soon as possible."

Xiahou Dun, recovering from his excitement, immediately shouted:

"All troops, listen up! Do not stop! Continue northward and charge into the grasslands in one go!"

Xiahou Dun took a deep breath and continued galloping on his horse.

The more than 40,000 surviving Wei soldiers cheered and, filled with the joy of escaping death, surged northward.

The lights of Jinyang City behind us gradually disappeared into the night.

Xiahou Dun led 40,000 troops out of Jinyang and headed northwest towards Longshan Ferry.

Longshan is located in the southwest of the Fen River and serves as a barrier to the north of Jinyang. There is a ferry crossing at the foot of the mountain, which is the only ferry crossing within a hundred miles of the Fen River.

According to Guo Huai's breakout plan, after breaking through the Han army's encirclement, he should lead his troops straight to Longshan Ferry, cross the Fen River first, and then burn all the boats and rafts.

When Liu Bei leads his main force to catch up, it will take at least one or two days to collect and rebuild the boats and rafts.

Two days was enough time for them to leave the Han army more than a hundred miles behind.

The Han army's cavalry, currently under Zhao Yun's command, is sweeping away the Xiongnu in Xihe Commandery. Liu Bei's main army actually doesn't have many cavalry.

Without cavalry, how could they possibly catch up with them on foot, who had already fled over a hundred miles away?
Then they could easily shake off the Han army's pursuit, launch a surprise attack on the three northern commanderies, wipe out the local garrison, and rush into the southern steppes...

As Xiahou Dun spurred his horse on at full gallop, he pondered the route northward, a smile gradually creeping onto his lips.

As the first rays of dawn rise.

Longshan Mountain is already clearly visible ahead, and the Fen River flows past its side like a jade belt.

The ferry crossing at the foot of the mountain is now in sight.

Once they capture the ferry crossing and successfully cross the Fen River, their 40,000-plus troops will truly be free as birds released from their cages, escaping to heaven.

Xiahou Dun, unable to contain his excitement, shouted:

"Great Wei soldiers, Longshan Ferry is just ahead! Once we cross the Fen River, the Han dogs won't be able to catch us! Give it your all and charge forward to take the ferry!"

Upon receiving the order, the 40,000 exhausted Wei soldiers, as if injected with adrenaline, ran with renewed vigor, filled with the ecstatic joy of escaping death.

The ferry crossing is getting closer and closer...

"This is impossible--"

Xiahou Dun's expression suddenly changed, and he cried out in alarm, abruptly reining in his warhorse. (End of Chapter)