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

Upon hearing this, Budugen exclaimed in surprise, his voice filled with astonishment and bewilderment:

"How could Han cavalry appear? What exactly is going on?"

He seemed to have a premonition of the impending crisis.

Cheng Gongying's eyes darted around a few times as she quickly considered a solution.

After a moment, he said urgently:
"These must be Han soldiers from Wuyuan. It must be that Xiao He foresaw that we would retreat to the north of the Great Wall, so he ordered the Han army from Wuyuan to come out of the Great Wall to intercept us in advance. This man is extremely intelligent. We are probably in trouble this time."

Upon hearing this, Budugen broke out in a cold sweat.

He had long heard of Xiao He's uncanny ability to calculate, but he never expected that this person could calculate to such an extent, as if everything was under his control.

"Great Khan, quickly form ranks and meet the enemy! Time is of the essence. If we do not organize a defense as soon as possible, the consequences may be unimaginable."

Seeing that Budugen was somewhat flustered, Cheng Gongying quickly reminded him.

Budugen seemed to wake from a dream and hurriedly called out:
"Warriors, heed my command! Form ranks and meet the enemy!"

Upon hearing the order, the 40,000 Xianbei soldiers hastily mounted their horses.

It's too late.

Just as they were scrambling to mount their horses, the Han army, commanded by Zhuge Dan, pierced the heart of the Xianbei army like a sharp dagger.

The carnage began instantly, turning the entire battlefield into a bloody hell.

The Xianbei cavalry, who had no time to mount their horses, were crushed to the ground by the Han army's iron cavalry, which surged like a tide, and screams of agony rose and fell.

Zhuge Dan charged ahead, wielding a long sword, moving as if there were no people in his path. Wherever he went, Xianbei soldiers fell one after another.

He was like a sharp blade, cutting the Xianbei army in two, causing the Xianbei formation to fall into chaos instantly.

The once orderly and imposing Xianbei army was now like a wheat field swept by a storm, scattered and in a pitiful state.

The soldiers were like frightened birds, their faces filled with extreme panic and fear. They scattered in all directions in the chaos, completely losing their usual discipline and order.

The nomadic peoples of the northern frontier have always been known for their lax military discipline and lack of strict restraint.
When they are in a favorable situation, they can charge into battle with brute force. But once they encounter adversity, they collapse at the slightest sign of trouble.

The Xianbei people unfortunately lost the initiative in this battle, which was like a building losing its foundation and collapsing instantly.

Their once tight formation was completely disrupted, their morale plummeted, and they were no longer able to mount an effective resistance.

As a result, the subsequent battles became much easier and simpler for the Han army.

The Han cavalry, like tigers unleashed from their cages, galloped freely across the battlefield, relentlessly pursuing the routed Xianbei army.

Wherever the horses' hooves went, blood splattered, staining the vast land of the northern frontier red.

The corpses were piled up haphazardly, resembling a horrific hell on earth.

The chaos among the Xianbei people spread rapidly like a plague, greatly affecting the four thousand Wei soldiers, who eventually collapsed as well.

These Wei soldiers originally thought they had managed to escape with their lives and were secretly relieved.

To their utter surprise, just when they thought they were temporarily safe, Han cavalry suddenly appeared as if divine soldiers had descended from the heavens.

Under the fierce attack of the Han cavalry, the 30,000 Xianbei cavalrymen were beaten so badly that they cried out in agony and screamed in agony, completely losing their ability to resist.

The Wei army's morale completely collapsed, and the soldiers fled in panic, turning the entire battlefield into chaos, as if the end of the world had arrived.

"Father, what should we do!"

Cheng Gongyi, his face filled with anxiety and fear, shouted at Cheng Gongying.

Cheng Gongying sighed deeply and slowly said:

"Xiao He is truly a god; he was able to lay an ambush beforehand, putting us in such a desperate situation."

"With Xiao He assisting Liu Bei, the Wei Kingdom is doomed, and the Xianbei are doomed. In the current situation, I don't know how long I can live. I can only take it one step at a time."

Completely despondent, Cheng Gongying could only drag Cheng Gongyi into the midst of the defeated Xianbei soldiers, attempting to escape in the chaos.

However, fate did not seem to intend to let them go.

Before they could escape more than a few steps, Cheng Gongying's horse was suddenly tripped by a hidden rock, losing its balance and falling heavily to the ground.

Caught off guard, Cheng Gongying was thrown out by the powerful inertia and crashed heavily to the ground.

"Father!"

Upon seeing this, Cheng Gongyi was extremely anxious and hurriedly turned his horse around.

He quickly jumped off his horse and ran to Cheng Gongying's side, carefully helping him up.

Cheng Gongyi looked at his father with heartache, then helped him onto his mount, and prepared to climb onto his own horse to continue their escape.

Just then, a roar as loud as thunder rang out:

"You traitor, where do you think you're going!"

The father and son of Duke Cheng instinctively turned around and saw a Han general charging towards them like a fierce tiger.

The visitor was none other than Zhuge Dan.

He slaughtered enemy soldiers all the way, and was invincible. Unwittingly, he locked onto the target of Duke Cheng and his son.

Cheng Gongying's distinctly Han Chinese attire was sufficient proof of her identity.

In Zhuge Dan's view, no matter who he was, since he dared to betray the Han people, he was guilty of a heinous crime and deserved to die!

So he charged forward without hesitation.

"Yi'er, run!"

Cheng Gongying was extremely anxious. She reached out her hand, wanting to pull her son onto the horse so they could escape this dangerous situation together.

However, Cheng Gongyi gritted his teeth, his eyes revealing a resolute determination, and slapped his warhorse's rump hard.

Startled, the horse let out a shrill neigh and, before Cheng Gongyi could mount, it bolted forward like an arrow.

"Yier!"

Cheng Gongying's eyes widened. He tried to reach out and grab his son, but the warhorse had already galloped five steps away, leaving him standing alone, gazing in the direction his son had gone.

Cheng Gongyi then galloped toward another warhorse, with only one thought in his mind—to escape.

However, it was too late.

Zhuge Dan swept past like a whirlwind. He raised his broadsword high and then brought it down hard.

"Crack!"

With a crisp sound, Cheng Gongyi's head was severed, and blood splattered out like a fountain.

"Yi'er—"

Cheng Gongying watched helplessly as her son was beheaded, and a surge of grief and indignation welled up in her heart, causing her to let out a heart-wrenching scream.

At that moment, a strong impulse surged within him, and he wished he could fight Zhuge Dan to the death to avenge his son.

However, he quickly suppressed this thought.

"I want to avenge Yi'er, but more importantly, I need to live. Only by living can I have a chance..."

Cheng Gongying suppressed her grief and swallowed her anger.

With tears in his eyes, he silently turned around and fled into the chaos of the army.

Zhuge Dan originally intended to continue pursuing Cheng Gongying and capture the father and son in one fell swoop.

Just as he was about to spur his horse to give chase, he suddenly spotted another person in the crowd.

The general was surrounded by a group of personal guards, each with a serious expression, as if facing a formidable enemy, protecting the general in the center.

Zhuge Dan's heart stirred, and he pondered to himself:

"This person must be Cao Pi without a doubt."

Thinking of this, a glint of excitement flashed in his eyes:

"Great! Today is the day to prove yourself!"

Zhuge Dan was overjoyed, as if he could already see himself being promoted and showered with glory. Without hesitation, he spurred his horse and charged forward, roaring loudly:

"Cao Pi, Zhuge Dan has come to take your life—"

He raised the blood-stained blade high in his hand, then swept it out like lightning.

In the blink of an eye, several Wei guards were cut down by the fierce blade before they could react, their blood splattering everywhere.

"Zhuge Dan?"

Upon hearing this roar, Cao Pi was startled and recognized the newcomer as the Han general Zhuge Dan.

His eyes instantly filled with fear, and his body began to tremble involuntarily.

Under normal circumstances, given Cao Pi's pride and arrogance, he would have been furious and determined to fight Zhuge Dan to the death.

However, his ambitions have long been destroyed by the powerful offensive of the Han army.

Upon suddenly encountering Zhuge Dan, Cao Pi had only one thought in his mind—to escape.

He just wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

However, Zhuge Dan was like a whirlwind, flying as fast as the wind.

In an instant, it stood in front of Cao Pi, blocking his path.

Zhuge Dan raised his blood-stained blade high and slashed down fiercely. Cao Pi had no time to think and hurriedly drew his sword to block.

"Bang!"

A loud explosion echoed across the battlefield.

Cao Pi's longsword was pressed down hard by Zhuge Dan's blood-stained blade, and he felt the veins in his arms bulging as if they were about to burst, causing him unbearable pain.

The downward-sweeping blade was so powerful that it chopped off his helmet.

In an instant, Cao Pi was disheveled and looked extremely pathetic.

Zhuge Dan's sword strikes did not pause for a moment, and once again swept down like a storm.

In the blink of an eye, Cao Pi was enveloped in this dense curtain of blades.

At this moment, Cao Pi lost all fighting spirit and was filled with fear and despair. He could only grit his teeth and resist, trying to hold on for a little longer.

The surrounding Wei and Xianbei soldiers were all scattered by the powerful offensive of the Han army, some dying and some fleeing, leaving very few survivors.

The entire battlefield was in chaos, with shouts of battle and screams of agony mingling together.

As Cao Pi fought, his heart grew colder and his fear intensified, causing him to make numerous mistakes.

Zhuge Dan astutely seized these weaknesses, and his swordplay became even faster and sharper.

"Puff puff!"

Several muffled thuds were heard, and blood spurted out.

Cao Pi was slashed three times by Zhuge Dan's sword, and blood gushed out like a spring, staining his clothes red.

"Get off your horse!"

Zhuge Dan seized the opportunity and unleashed his strongest strike, slashing horizontally like thunder.

Cao Pi endured the excruciating pain and swung his sword to defend himself.

"throat!"

A deafening roar, like a furious cry from heaven and earth.

Cao Pi, sword and all, was thrown into the air by the powerful force, flew backward, and then crashed heavily to the ground.

He felt unbearable pain all over his body, as if every bone in his body had been shattered.

"I was actually shot off my horse..."

Cao Pi was filled with grief, indignation, and horror.

He wanted to get up and fight Zhuge Dan to the death again, but his body wouldn't obey him.

When he forced himself to kneel up, Zhuge Dan's figure had already completely enveloped him.

A gleaming longsword was already pressed against his neck, radiating a chilling aura.

Cao Pi knew he was powerless to reverse the situation, and finally slowly knelt down.
"Cao Pi, do you think you can escape the Emperor's grasp?"

Zhuge Dan crossed his arms, a contemptuous smile playing on his lips, his eyes filled with sarcasm, and asked loudly.

A blazing fire of anger instantly ignited in Cao Pi's eyes. His face flushed red, and he shouted angrily:
"Zhuge Dan, just kill me! Rather than suffer this humiliation, let me die a quick and painless death!"

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Dan's lips curled into a slight sneer. He gently sheathed his longsword and coldly said:
"Killing you is easy, but unfortunately your life or death is not up to me to decide; it is up to the Emperor."

Having said that, his gaze sharpened, and he shouted loudly to the soldiers beside him:
"Guards, tie this thief up and hand him over to the Emperor for punishment!"

Upon hearing the order, the soldiers on both sides rushed forward like tigers descending a mountain and quickly bound Cao Pi tightly.

Cao Pi struggled desperately, but ultimately could not break free of his restraints.

Cao Pi was furious and shocked; veins bulged on his forehead as he roared:
"I am Cao Cao's son, the emperor of this country! I can die on the battlefield, wrapped in a horse's hide, but I will never be captured!"

Cao Pi shouted again:
"I would rather die than suffer such humiliation! Zhuge Dan, kill me... Go ahead and kill me if you dare!"

Zhuge Dan was thoroughly enraged by Cao Pi's words. His eyes widened instantly, flashing with fury.

With a swift and clean motion, the back of the blade struck Cao Pi hard on the back.

Cao Pi felt a sharp pain, as if his internal organs had been displaced, and he couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.

Everything went black, and he fainted.

Zhuge Dan sheathed his long sword, slowly raised his head, and looked north into the distance.

In that borderland, the corpses of Xianbei people lay scattered everywhere, their blood staining the earth red.

The surviving Xianbei people, like frightened birds, fled desperately into the depths of the northern frontier under the leadership of Budugen.

Zhuge Dan pondered to himself, "The emperor's order was to intercept Cao Pi. Now that Cao Pi has been captured, I have accomplished my mission."

As for those Xianbei people who escaped, let them go; there's no need to pursue them relentlessly.

Having thought this through, Zhuge Dan no longer hesitated, and he raised the long sword in his hand:

"With this victory achieved, issue an order to the entire army to return to Wuyuan!"

A deafening cheer erupted from the Han army across the plains.

Each Han cavalryman's horse was laden with the heads of enemy soldiers.

The Han army returned laden with spoils from this battle.

The setting sun, like blood, slowly slanted westward, casting its dim yet tragic light across the vast and boundless northern land.

On the northern frontier, the Xianbei soldiers, who had scattered like startled birds, began to gather like a herd of frightened beasts after their devastating defeat, gradually converging on their hastily established camp.

Inside the newly established camp.

Budugen's face was gloomy, like the overcast sky before a storm, his eyes revealing endless anger and resentment.

"Zhuge Dan, I will never forget the humiliation of this battle."

"One day, I, the Khan, will take your dog's life!"

After saying that, he suddenly raised his head and looked in the direction of Bingzhou.

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar.

A rider came galloping in like lightning, the rider covered in dust – it was Cheng Gongying.

"Cheng Gongying? It's so good that you're still alive!"

A smile instantly appeared on Budugen's originally gloomy face.

Cheng Gongying, however, seemed lost in thought, her eyes vacant and her gaze blank, offering no response to Budugen's words. (End of Chapter)