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

At this moment, Wenqin's heart was shrouded in gloom, and regret gradually washed over him like a tide.

He regretted getting on Liu Shan's "pirate ship," which seemed to have unlimited possibilities but actually harbored turbulent risks.

Speaking of which, although his father Wen Ji was a surrendered official of Cao Wei, Wen Qin was still young and ignorant when he surrendered to Cao Wei, and did not have much deep feelings for Cao Wei.

In the depths of his memory, Cao Wei was more like a vague symbol, without much real emotional attachment.

On the contrary, he even grew up with people like Guan Xing and Zhang Bao, and they had a very good personal relationship.

Moreover, his ability to stand out among the younger generation and secure a place for himself is also due to Xiao He's meticulous cultivation of young people.

In fact, Wen Qin had always been quite resistant to the idea of ​​Crown Prince Liu Shan extending an olive branch to him.

However, being caught up in the situation, he had no choice in many things and could only be passively chosen by Liu Shan.

However, the current development of the situation has made him increasingly worried.

With Zhang Yan killed, the Han army suffered a heavy blow, and the offensive and defensive situation at Yangping Pass was about to take a sharp turn for the worse. The situation that was originally in the Han army's favor instantly became precarious.

Liu Shan's capture of Yangping Pass was motivated by a desire to gain merit and secure his position as crown prince.

But now it seems that this attempt may fail.

If the crown prince is indeed deposed, Wen Qin, as a member of the crown prince's faction, is very likely to be dragged down and fall into an irrecoverable situation.

Thinking of this, Wenqin couldn't help but shudder.

He began to plan for his future.

Just as Wenqin was lost in thought and immersed in his worries, a deafening battle cry suddenly rose from the east.

The banners of the Shu army could be seen appearing and disappearing in the dust and mist.

It's Pound!
It was Pang De who led the victorious Yizhou army to attack the western camp.

"This Pound has quite the appetite; he actually wants to take down our main camp in one fell swoop!"

Wen Qin frowned deeply, gritting his teeth inwardly.

Upon hearing the news that their commander Zhang Yan had been beheaded, the morale of the more than 10,000 soldiers left behind was greatly shaken.

The already wavering morale of the troops was now like a flood bursting its banks, flowing uncontrollably.

The Yizhou troops seized the opportunity to attack again. Even though the Han army was known for its elite troops, they were thrown into chaos at this moment, and the soldiers all looked terrified.

"The tide has turned; it's not that I'm unwilling to fight to the death, but that defeat is inevitable..."

Looking at the situation before him, Wen Qin sighed deeply.

At this point, any further resistance would only increase casualties.

So he mounted his horse and cried out in frustration:
"By my order, the entire army shall immediately abandon camp and retreat to the main camp at Yangping Pass."

"Quickly send word to Qian Zhao in the eastern camp, tell him that General Zhang has been killed in battle, and order him to abandon his camp and retreat!"

Having said that, he turned his horse around and rode away.

More than 10,000 Han soldiers, as if granted a general amnesty, abandoned their camp and fled.

Upon hearing the news of Zhang Yan's death, Qian Zhao of the Eastern Camp was also greatly shocked. He immediately led the Eastern Camp troops to abandon the camp and retreat.

At the foot of Dingjun Mountain, the Han army suffered a crushing defeat and fled.

Meanwhile, Yangping Pass was the main trading point.

Liu Shan stood at the camp gate, gazing into the distance towards Dingjun Mountain.

Man Chong, Xun Yun, and others accompanied him, their eyes also fixed on Dingjun Mountain.

Xun Yun's eyes were confident; he seemed to be full of confidence in this battle and firmly believed that Zhang Yan would win.

Man Chong's brows betrayed a hint of anxiety, revealing his inner worry.

“50,000 against 20,000, the advantage lies with Zhang Yan. He shouldn’t disappoint me…” Liu Shan, standing with his hands behind his back, smiled confidently.

However, this confident statement seems to have a hint of self-comfort.

Xun Yun, standing to the side, smiled and comforted him:
"General Anbei is a veteran general who has fought in many battles, and our Han army is composed of elite troops."

"As long as he follows my plan and sets up two camps, one in the east and one in the west, forming a pincer movement that supports each other, he will surely be able to trap the Yizhou army within ten days."

Liu Shan nodded slightly and sneered:

"If we defeat these 20,000 Yizhou soldiers, the enemy forces at Yangping Pass will be less than 30,000. In that case, our army can take advantage of the situation to break through the pass."

"In this light, Zhang Ren's attack on Dingjun Mountain has backfired, unintentionally helping me instead."

"Okay, very good, hahaha~~"

Liu Shan became increasingly pleased with himself and burst into laughter.

Just then, a rider galloped in, breaking the brief moment of relaxation.

"Your Highness, our army has been defeated and retreated!"

The scout dismounted and shouted.

Liu Shan's laughter stopped abruptly, his expression changed drastically, and his face turned deathly pale in an instant.

Xun Yun was also taken aback. His eyes widened in disbelief, and he exclaimed:

"How is this possible? Our army had the upper hand, how could we possibly be defeated? Moreover, General Anbei and his men had just arrived at Dingjun Mountain, and their camp was not even properly secured yet. How could they have been defeated so quickly?"

There was a commotion of surprise and confusion around them, and the soldiers whispered among themselves, discussing the matter.

Without a second thought, Liu Shan mounted his horse and rode straight to the camp gate.

When Liu Shan arrived at the camp gate, the scene before him made him gasp in shock.

Thousands of Han soldiers fled into the camp in a disheveled state, like stray dogs.

They were dressed in rags, covered in blood and dust, and looked terrified, their eyes filled with fear.

It was clearly a sign of a crushing defeat.

"Impossible, this is impossible~~"

Liu Shan's face turned pale, and he muttered to himself, his eyes filled with utter astonishment.

He couldn't accept this cruel reality.

In his view, Zhang Yan had an absolute advantage, so how could she lose to Pang De so easily?
Just then, Wen Qin rode up from the front, dismounted, and knelt down at Liu Shan's feet, his face full of guilt and helplessness.

Before Wen Qin could speak, Liu Shan excitedly shouted:
"Wenqin, what happened? Why were you defeated?"

"Where is Zhang Yan? He's a seasoned general who has fought on many battlefields. How could he have been defeated so easily?"

Liu Shan's questions were clearly filled with anger and incomprehension.

Wen Qin sighed deeply and said with a bitter face:

"Your Highness, we have fallen into Pound's trap. Pound stationed his troops on the mountaintop to lure our army into sealing off the mountain and setting up two camps, one on the east and one on the west."

"He took advantage of the situation to lure my main force out of the western camp with a feint, and then intercepted it halfway!"

"My main force suffered a crushing defeat, and General Zhang was also killed in battle by Pang De. I was no match for Pang De, so I had no choice but to abandon the western camp and retreat to the main camp to report to Your Highness."

Wen Qin knelt on the ground and recounted the entire course of the defeat at Dingjun Mountain.

Liu Shan was horrified, and the horsewhip in his hand slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground.

His face froze in a moment of stunned horror, as if he had heard the most unbelievable thing he had ever heard. (End of Chapter)