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

The next day, as dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight appeared.

Nearly 50,000 Han troops crossed the Mian River in a mighty, surging tide.

They continued on their journey and finally arrived at the foot of Dingjun Mountain.

Dingjun Mountain stands majestically with steep slopes, like a natural barrier, standing silently.

Zhang Yan stood at the foot of the mountain, looking up to observe the terrain.

The camp that was originally set up at the foot of the mountain had long been burned to the ground by Pound, and now only a white expanse remained.

The thousands of bushels of grain stored in the camp were presumably transported to the top of Dingjun Mountain by the Yizhou army.

Although the amount of grain and fodder was small, it undoubtedly gave the Yizhou army more confidence to hold their ground.

On top of the mountain.

At this time, the Yizhou army had strictly followed Sima Yi's instructions and set up a camp in the Tianwa area on the mountaintop.

Zhang Yan was completely unaware of the situation on the mountaintop.

Being at the foot of the mountain, he was unable to make an accurate judgment on the specific situation of the Yizhou military camp, as well as the strength and weakness of its troops.

So Zhang Yan stopped thinking about it and followed Xun Yun's pre-planned strategy, setting up two camps at the foot of the mountain, one on the east and one on the west.

In the eastern camp, 20,000 elite Han troops were led by Qian Zhao for defense.

At the western camp, Zhang Yan personally commanded the main force of 30,000 Han troops.

The two military camps, several miles apart, formed a mutually supporting defensive formation.

Once one side is attacked, the other side can quickly provide support and cooperate with each other.

At Zhang Yan's command, the soldiers of the two battalions immediately sprang into action, beginning to build the camp walls and install deer antlers.

Truckloads of grain and military supplies were continuously delivered to the two camps.

At the summit, Pang De and Sima Yi stood side by side, looking down at the foot of the mountain.

Taking advantage of their high vantage point, they now had a clear view of every move the Han army made at the foot of the mountain.

The Han army camp at the foot of the mountain was like a clear painting in their eyes, with every detail clearly visible.

When they saw that the Han army had been divided into two camps, just as Sima Yi had predicted, the two couldn't help but smile at each other.

"Mr. Zhongda is truly a divine being!"

Pound glanced at Sima Yi and exclaimed in sincere admiration.

Sima Yi smiled without saying a word, his eyes revealing a profound depth, as if everything was under his control.

Pound turned around, cupped his hands, and said:

"Mr. Sima, how should we defeat the Han army at the foot of the mountain?"

Sima Yi rolled his eyes, then slowly and deliberately explained his plan.

Pound's eyes lit up, filled with deep admiration, and he exclaimed in praise:
"Mr. Sima is truly a man of extraordinary wisdom and strategy. He is indeed the only person in the world who can rival Xiao He."

Pound once again expressed his heartfelt admiration.

Sima Yi stroked his fine beard, a hint of arrogance playing at the corners of his mouth.

As long as Xiao He is not around, no one in the world is more than a threat in his eyes.

At this moment, his eyes revealed a long-lost confidence, as if he had returned to his peak and looked down on everything.

Pound, however, put away his admiration and said boldly:
"In that case, I will follow Mr. Sima's plan and defeat Zhang Yan's 50,000 Han troops!"

"This time, I will definitely kill Zhang Yan and severely damage the Han army!"

A sneer of confidence appeared on Pang De's face, as if he already considered Zhang Yan and the Han army to be his for the taking.

He then took a deep breath and shouted:
"Wu Lan, listen to my command!"

"I hereby order you to lead seven thousand elite troops and launch a fierce attack on the Han army's eastern camp immediately!"

"Remember, you must bluff and create the illusion that my entire division is attacking. You must lure that scoundrel Zhang Yan out of the western camp!"

Pound spoke slowly and deliberately, each word carrying an unquestionable authority.

"The last general takes command!"

Wu Lan readily accepted the order.

He immediately led 7,000 Yizhou soldiers, under the banner of 20,000 Yizhou soldiers, down the mountain and headed straight for the Han army's Qianzhao East Camp.

Pang De remained on the mountaintop, continuing to survey the situation below. His eyes were fixed on the battlefield below, constantly monitoring Wu Lan's offensive and the Han army's reactions, so as to adjust the battle strategy accordingly.

Moments later, Wu Lan arrived at the Han army's eastern camp.

Wu Lan went to great lengths to create the illusion that the entire division was attacking.

He not only raised more flags, but also ordered tree branches to be tied to the tails of his warhorses, which then galloped back and forth outside the Han camp to create the appearance of a massive army.

For a time, the Han army's eastern camp was filled with shouts of battle that shook the heavens and the earth, and a cloud of dust obscured the sky.

Seven thousand soldiers from Yizhou charged toward the Han camp like tigers and wolves.

Within half an hour, the Yizhou army swiftly breached several of the Han camp's antler-shaped defenses, which had not yet been properly set up.

It was clear that the Yizhou army was about to rush to the camp walls and break into the camp.

Qian Zhao panicked.

"I never expected that the Yizhou army would dare to launch a preemptive attack, and with their entire division at that?"

"Our camp walls are not yet fully repaired, and I'm afraid they won't be able to hold out. If we lose the Eastern Camp, what will happen if His Highness the Crown Prince blames us?"

Qian Zhao's thoughts raced, and he immediately shouted:
"Someone, quickly send a messenger to the western camp to ask General Anbei for help!"

"Tell him that the entire Yizhou army is attacking, and that he must personally lead his troops to the rescue!"

"A moment later and Dongying would surely have fallen!"

As soon as the order was given, a rider galloped out of the camp and headed towards the western camp.

Qian Zhao watched the messenger depart and secretly breathed a sigh of relief, silently praying that reinforcements would arrive as soon as possible.

Then, he drew his sword and shouted sharply:

"Listen up, soldiers! General Anbei's reinforcements will arrive soon. Summon your courage and follow me to defend the Eastern Camp to the death!"

"Our Han soldiers will only fight to the death; there will be no retreat!"

These words ignited the fighting spirit of the Han army.

The morale of the 20,000 Han soldiers soared, and they all brandished their weapons and shouted in response.

At this moment, in Xiying.

Zhang Yan was still directing his soldiers to build the antler-shaped wall of the camp, preparing for a long-term siege of the mountain.

Just then, faint sounds of battle drums and shouts could be heard from the direction of Dongying.

"Could it be that Pang De dares to come down the mountain and attack my eastern camp while I'm still establishing a firm foothold?"

Zhang Yan's gaze shot towards the direction of Dongying, and her expression became wary.

Before long, a rider galloped in and went straight into the camp.

"Reporting to General Anbei, the entire Yizhou army has suddenly attacked. General Qian's camp is not yet fully constructed and is unable to withstand the attack. Please, General Zhang, lead your troops to reinforce us immediately!"

The messenger knelt down and cried out.

Zhang Yan's expression changed drastically, and a look of disbelief flashed in her eyes.

The Yizhou army numbered no more than 20,000, while he had nearly 50,000 troops.

Despite having twice the number of troops, Pang De dared to come down the mountain to attack at the first opportunity?
What audacity! How arrogant!
Pang De is completely disregarding him, the General of the Northern Expedition of the Han Dynasty.

After her initial surprise, Zhang Yan was immediately enraged. She mounted her horse and shouted:

"Wen Zhongruo, you guard the west camp. I will personally lead 20,000 troops to rescue the east camp!"

Wen Qin was taken aback and quickly said:

"General Anbei, you are the commander-in-chief, how can you act rashly?"

"Why don't you stay behind to guard the main camp, while I lead the troops to rescue the eastern camp?"

Zhang Yan's lips curled into a sinister smile as she sneered:
“Pound wanted to take advantage of the fact that my eastern camp was not yet firmly established and launch a full-scale attack. His arrival is just in time.”

"I will go there personally, which will allow me to join forces with Qian Zhao to launch a pincer attack from both inside and outside, annihilating the Yizhou army outside the Eastern Camp in one fell swoop and achieving victory in one battle!"

Having said that, Zhang Yan's confidence soared, and she spurred her horse and galloped off.

Twenty thousand Han soldiers followed Zhang Yan out of the camp and headed straight for the eastern camp.

Wen Qin stood at the camp gate, watching Zhang Yan depart, a nameless unease rising in his heart. (End of Chapter)