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

Outside Tongguan Pass.

Zhang Wei's 10,000-strong Hanzhong army swept towards Tongguan Pass like a surging tide.

The sound of horses' hooves thundered, raising clouds of dust.

Zhang Wei's eyes were fixed on Tongguan Pass ahead.

Looking up at the Tongguan city wall, one could see Han army flags fluttering sparsely, and few soldiers on the wall. They were either leaning against the battlements or pacing back and forth listlessly, showing no sign of being ready for battle.

As far as the eye could see, Tongguan City appeared to be completely undefended and lacked any military support.

"Heaven is helping me! Heaven is helping the King of Hanzhong!"

Zhang Wei was so excited he was almost delirious. He suddenly raised his long sword high and shouted:
"Soldiers, do you see clearly? The Han army at Tongguan is weak. This is an opportunity bestowed upon us by Heaven!"

"What are we waiting for? Let's press on and crush Tongguan Pass!"

The sound was like a thunderclap, instantly igniting the passion in the hearts of the soldiers in Hanzhong.

The sound of war drums suddenly rang out.

The 10,000 soldiers of Hanzhong seemed to be injected with boundless energy, and like they had been given a shot of adrenaline, they surged toward Tongguan like a tidal wave.

Just as the Hanzhong army was charging toward Tongguan like an arrow, Ma Chao suddenly reined in his horse. His brows were furrowed and his eyes were filled with suspicion.

"General Zhang, something's not right. I think we should postpone our attack."

Ma Chao shouted loudly.

Zhang Wei was immersed in the joy of impending victory at Tongguan when he heard Ma Chao's words. He turned around abruptly and stared blankly at Ma Chao:
"why?"

Ma Chao's expression was solemn. He pointed his spear sharply at the city wall and said in a deep voice:
"The Han army is an elite force with strict discipline. Even if Tongguan is sparsely defended, the soldiers would not be so lax. In my opinion, there is a high possibility that there is a trap in the city."

"Should we postpone the attack and send out scouts to find out the strength of the city before launching the assault?"

"Otherwise, if we fall into the enemy's trap, our 10,000 soldiers will be in danger of being wiped out."

Ma Chao clearly hoped that Zhang Wei could calm down.

Zhang Wei rolled his eyes at Ma Chao, and sneered dismissively:

"I thought it was something serious, but it turns out you're just worrying unnecessarily, Mengqi. My spies in Guanzhong haven't reported back yet. Xiao He mobilized the troops from Chang'an back to Tongguan. Tongguan only has a little over a thousand soldiers. What kind of trick could there be?"

"Furthermore, the essence of our attack through the Ziwu Valley lies in the word 'surprise attack,' which is to catch the Han army off guard. Now you want me to postpone the attack, wouldn't that give the Tongguan garrison time to react and make our surprise attack meaningless?"

Zhang Wei became more and more excited as he spoke.

"If we delay the capture of Tongguan and give the Han army the opportunity to call for reinforcements, wouldn't Sima Zhongda's surprise attack plan be in danger of failing at the last minute?"

"How will we explain this to the King of Hanzhong then?"

Zhang Wei's questions came at Ma Chao like a barrage of bullets, and he scoffed at Ma Chao's caution.

Ma Chao was speechless, realizing that Zhang Wei's questions were all reasonable, and he really couldn't find a reason to refute them.

But the unease he felt grew stronger and stronger.

"You hold the line and watch how I break through Tongguan!"

Zhang Wei snorted coldly, not bothering to say another word to Ma Chao. He turned his horse around, drew his sword, and charged forward.

Having successfully reached Tongguan, Zhang Wei felt that Ma Chao's role as a guide had become meaningless.

He left Ma Chao aside to hold the line, which conveniently reduced the number of people he needed to share the credit for conquering Tongguan.

Ma Chao frowned slightly, immediately understanding the underlying meaning in Zhang Wei's words.

As a former ally of Liu Bei, the Han emperor, Ma Chao had no desire to confront the Han dynasty directly and draw blood.

Zhang Wei, fearing that he would share the credit, ordered him to hold the line, which was exactly what he wanted.

So Ma Chao immediately stood still with his spear at the ready, sitting quietly on his horse, watching Zhang Wei rush towards Tongguan City as if he had been injected with chicken blood.

One hundred steps... fifty steps... ten steps...

The soldiers of the Hanzhong Army Corps approached the Tongguan city wall like a tidal wave.

As Zhang Wei ran, a smile of excitement and pride spread across his face.

He was already imagining the imposing glory of planting their Hanzhong Kingdom's battle flag atop the city walls. At that moment, he would become a hero of Hanzhong.

Sudden.

Atop the city wall, a bugle suddenly sounded, its sharp and impassioned sound like a sword piercing the silent sky.

Immediately afterwards, countless battle flags and countless Han soldiers appeared on the city wall as if divine soldiers had descended from the sky.

The Han soldiers, densely packed together, armed with long spears and clad in armor, stood ready for battle.

Among the Chinese character flags, one flag with the character "关" (Guan) is clearly visible, fluttering in the strong wind.

The soldiers of Hanzhong, caught in the surging tide, were terrified, as if they had encountered a ghost.

They originally thought that Tongguan was unprepared and could be easily breached, but they did not expect that so many Han troops would suddenly appear.

Instinctively, they all stopped in their tracks, their faces showing fear and confusion.

"Xu~~"

Zhang Wei also suddenly reined in his horse. He stared blankly at the city wall, completely bewildered.

Wasn't there only a thousand soldiers guarding Tongguan?

How did nearly five thousand Han soldiers suddenly appear?

What's the story behind that flag with the character "关" on it?

In an instant, countless questions bombarded Zhang Wei's mind like thunderbolts, leaving him at a loss for what to do.

until.

A majestic, godlike middle-aged general with a red face and a long beard appeared on the city wall, holding a Green Dragon Crescent Blade, like an iron tower.

Thousands of soldiers from Hanzhong can be clearly seen.

"Guan...Guan Yu?"

Zhang Wei let out a trembling cry, so startled that he almost dropped the long sword in his hand.

With his red face, magnificent beard, and Green Dragon Crescent Blade, who in the world doesn't know that he is Guan Yu?

Although Zhang Wei had never met him, Guan Yu's name was already widely known.

To these frogs in a well, Guan Yu was like a god.

Now, he has actually appeared on the walls of Tongguan. How could Zhang Wei not be shocked and terrified?
"Guan Yu, is it Guan Yu?"

"Isn't he supposed to be guarding Luoyang? How come he's at Tongguan?"

"Where did so many Han soldiers come from?"

Zhang Wei was filled with questions, which struck him like a thunderbolt, leaving him completely disoriented and in a state of utter confusion.

The ten thousand Han soldiers standing below the city, upon seeing that it was none other than the great Han general Guan Yu personally guarding Tongguan, instantly lost their fighting spirit.

They originally thought it would be an easy victory, but they never expected to encounter the Han Dynasty's greatest general stationed at Tongguan.

Immediately, the soldiers of Hanzhong were so frightened that they retreated in all directions, and the army formation instantly became chaotic.

"Guan Yu? That's the famous, world-renowned 'Beautiful-Bearded Lord'?"

Ma Chao, who was in charge of the rear guard, was equally shocked, his thoughts churning.

Guan Yu's appearance was completely unexpected.

Why was he in Tongguan City?

"Could it be that…"

Ma Chao suddenly shivered and exclaimed in surprise:

"Could it be that Xiao He had already foreseen Sima Yi's scheme and secretly ordered Guan Yu to lead the troops from Luoyang to reinforce Tongguan, just waiting for us to walk into his trap?"

At this moment, Ma Chao finally guessed the truth first.

Gazing at Guan Yu's figure atop the city wall, and at the massive, seemingly divinely inspired Han army descending from the heavens, Ma Chao's eyes were filled with a complex mix of shock and delight. (End of Chapter)