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

Below Puban Pass.

The mighty Yellow River is now covered by a layer of hard and cold ice.

The biting wind howled like a pack of ferocious beasts across the land, whipping up the remaining snow on the ice and creating white whirlwinds.

On the frozen surface of the Yellow River, thousands of Wei soldiers were scattered in various places.

Their faces were tense, their foreheads were covered in sweat, and they swung their pickaxes like a dense rain, slamming them hard against the ice.

Each time the hoe fell, it sent up shards of ice and made a "bang" sound.

Xu Huang, a former general of the Wei Kingdom, was standing on the ice at this moment.

He gripped a gleaming axe tightly in his hand, his gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping over the soldiers who were struggling to break through the ice.

The progress of ice breaking was clearly not satisfactory to him.

Xu Huang frowned, then shouted in a booming voice:

"Get moving! Break this ice within half an hour!"

"The Han army could charge at any moment! Hurry, be quick!"

His voice echoed in the cold wind, drowning out the sounds of ice chiseling, like a drumbeat urging on the hearts of every Wei soldier, making them dare not slacken in the slightest.

The fear and tension in the hearts of the Wei soldiers grew even stronger.

They could almost feel the Han army's footsteps closing in, like the approach of death.

So they went crazy, swinging their pickaxes wildly and chiseling even more frantically at the ice.

"Bang bang bang!"

The sound of chiseling echoed across the ice as densely as war drums.

The Wei army is engaged in a fierce battle against time.

Every Wei soldier knew that this ice surface was their life-or-death defense line at this moment, and only by breaking it as soon as possible could they stop the Han army from crossing the ice.

Xu Huang watched the ice shards flying everywhere and the ice surface gradually cracking, and his tense nerves relaxed slightly.

However, his heart was still filled with worry.

Xu Huang looked up and gazed towards the opposite bank.

The wind and snow were so thick that visibility was completely obscured, and it was difficult to see anything even twenty paces away.

In his imagination, the Han army should still be preparing to cross the river.

Under normal circumstances, the Yellow River had only recently frozen over, and the surface was not yet solid enough. The Han army would have to wait until late at night to ensure that the river was frozen thick enough.

That would be the safest way to cross the river on ice.

"The Yellow River has just frozen over; Liu Bei's son shouldn't be able to react that quickly..."

Xu Huang tried to comfort himself and dispel the worry that was weighing on his mind.

He knew very well that if the Han army launched an attack prematurely, they would be in a very passive situation.

However, Xu Huang also felt that Liu Shan, who had no experience in commanding troops in his life, might consider the safety of the river and would not take such a risk.

He miscalculated.

Just as he relaxed his guard slightly, a sudden change occurred.

Xu Huang's eyes suddenly narrowed, as if drawn by an invisible force, and he gazed intently into the distance beyond the snowstorm.

In the blurry vision, something seemed to be appearing and disappearing, like a ghost hidden in the mist.

Immediately afterwards, he heard a rumbling sound, which grew clearer and clearer as it approached, like a thousand horses galloping in.

At the same time, the ice beneath his feet seemed to tremble slightly.

Xu Huang's breathing quickened instantly, and his heart leaped into his throat.

An ominous premonition instantly enveloped his entire body.

His body trembled slightly, and his lips quivered involuntarily.

"Could it be that…"

The next instant, Xu Huang's figure swayed, as if he had been struck by an invisible bolt of lightning.

He gasped, his eyes widening as he stared in astonishment ahead.

A dense, dark mass of cavalry, like a black torrent, broke through the snow and wind and charged madly toward them.

The sound of horses' hooves made the ice surface tremble slightly. A flag bearing the character "Han"!
The Han army's cavalry has arrived!

Xu Huang felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to his head, and his heart instantly turned cold. The coldness was even worse than the harsh winter.

What he was most worried about happened.

Between prudence and risk, Liu Shan ultimately chose the latter.

Before nightfall, the Han army launched a risky attack. Thousands of iron cavalry charged forward on the ice like a surging torrent, unstoppable.

"The Han army! The Han cavalry has arrived!"

"How did the Han dogs arrive so quickly?"

"What do we do? The ice hasn't been broken yet!"

The Wei soldiers who were chiseling ice were thrown into chaos upon hearing this sudden shout.

They dropped their tools and scurried around like headless flies, their screams echoing across the ice.

Their faces were filled with fear and despair, as if they could already see death approaching.

"General, the Han army has attacked ahead of schedule! What should we do?"

The deputy general beside him, Ma Wan, was already ashen-faced with fright.

He screamed at Xu Huang in terror and trembling, his voice filled with despair and helplessness.

Xu Huang shuddered and suddenly came to his senses.

Looking at the chaotic situation before him, he secretly groaned inwardly.

Although there were five or six thousand Wei soldiers on the ice, they were all carrying tools and no weapons. How could they be a match for the Han army's iron cavalry?

Moreover, in such a hasty situation, there was no time to form a battle formation. If they were to force a battle, they would surely be routed by the Han army in one fell swoop.

Moreover, the Han army's iron cavalry must have been accompanied by an army of over 200,000!
If we force a battle on the ice, we will be completely wiped out!

Even Puban Pass and the entire defensive line may not be able to be held.

The wisest choice would have been to immediately request permission from Cao Cao to abandon Puban Pass and retreat south.

But would Cao Cao agree?
Xu Huang knew that Cao Cao would never easily give up such a crucial pass that was a matter of life and death.

But at this moment, the situation was critical, and he had no time to think.

After his eyes darted around, Xu Huang gritted his teeth and shouted urgently:
"Order to abandon ice-breaking; everyone retreat to the river defense fortifications to repel the enemy. Retreat—"

Xu Huang decided to retreat to the river defense fortifications and rely on the fortifications as a barrier, hoping to withstand the attack of the Han army.

Although he knew the chances were slim, this was all he could do at the moment.

Xu Huang could only pray silently that the river defenses would be strong enough to buy them some time.

Along the riverbank, gongs sounded loudly as a final warning to the Wei army.

Upon hearing this sound, the Wei soldiers who were breaking through the ice dropped their tools and fled towards the fortifications on the shore like startled birds.

His footsteps were hurried and frantic, as if countless evil spirits were chasing him from behind.

On the river, the Han army's iron cavalry had already swept up like a tide.

Its imposing presence seemed poised to engulf the entire world.

Zhao Yun took the lead, carrying his Dragon Gallant Spear, charging ahead.

The spear gleamed coldly in the sunlight, resembling a dragon in flight.

"The ice on the river is thick enough that my cavalry can cross it smoothly, let alone the infantry behind them."

Zhao Yun pondered to himself.

He looked at the solid ice beneath his feet, a confident smile on his face.

At this point, he was certain that Liu Shan's decision was correct, and that the ice surface was now large enough to support their cavalry.

"The Grand Marshal is truly a celestial being; this winter is indeed a harsh one."

Then Zhao Yun recalled Xiao He's prophecy and felt a surge of admiration and respect.

"This is divine blessing upon our great Han Dynasty!"

Zhao Yun was filled with heroic spirit. He suppressed his emotions and his eyes flashed with murderous intent.

He pointed his spear at the fleeing enemy and shouted:
"Great Han cavalry, do not stop! Follow me and charge onto the west bank!" (End of Chapter)