With Cao Cao by my side, what do I have to fear from the world?

Chapter 176, Dian Wei vs. Wen Chou

Wen Chou soon spotted Cao Cao on the city wall, but Cao Cao didn't pay him much attention. Even Yan Liang had died at the hands of Lü Bu, so Wen Chou was ultimately inferior to Yan Liang.

Cao Cao's eyes scanned Wen Chou's surroundings carefully, and soon he found Liu Bei!
A cold glint flashed in Cao Cao's eyes. His feelings for Liu Bei had always been complicated. Liu Bei was a man he both hated and respected!

Liu Bei kept a low profile. Although he came with Wen Chou, he did not interfere in anything. Whatever Wen Chou wanted to do, Liu Bei fully cooperated.

Wen Chou was very satisfied with Liu Bei's performance, but he was afraid that Liu Bei would steal his credit and steal his limelight.

Yan Liang's death left Wen Chou with a pent-up resentment, and he couldn't wait to challenge him as soon as he set up camp.

Wen Chou, holding an iron spear, rode his horse around the city, shouting, "Listen up, people on the city walls! Let Lü Bu come out and face his death!"

After a long time, Lü Bu finally appeared on the city wall with Liu Xie.

Cao Cao hurriedly came over and pointed towards the outside of the city, saying, "Your Majesty, why not let Lü Bu go out to fight and blunt their morale? If he can kill Wen Chou directly, wouldn't that be even better?"

Upon hearing Cao Cao's words, Lü Bu couldn't contain himself and straightened his neck, seemingly about to volunteer for battle. However, Liu Xie waved his hand and said, "Mengde, you are too modest. There are many hidden talents around you. I recommend someone who I guarantee can surpass Wen Chou."

"Oh?" Cao Cao was taken aback and quickly asked, "But who is Your Majesty referring to?"

Liu Xie pointed, pointing directly at Dian Wei.

First Lu Bu, second Zhao Yun, third Dian Wei! Fourth Guan Yu, fifth Ma Chao, sixth Zhang Fei!

Such a ranking may not be universally accepted or 100% accurate, but no one denies that Dian Wei's strength is superior to Wen Chou's.

Dian Wei had been holding back his energy for the past few days. He had wanted to meet Yan Liang last time, but unfortunately, he hadn't been able to seize the opportunity.

This caused Cao Cao to inexplicably overlook Dian Wei and Xu Chu.

Dian Wei looked at Liu Xie with gratitude, too excited to know what to say.

Liu Xie gave him an approving look, "Let Dian Wei fight. I guarantee that Wen Chou will be defeated!"

Lu Bu was slightly dissatisfied. Such a good opportunity to show off had been given away. Lu Bu was eager to have Wen Chou die at his hands, just like he had killed Yan Liang.

It is easy to change the country, but difficult to change one's nature!
Even though Lü Bu narrowly escaped death, he could never shake off his vanity and his love of being praised.

When Liu Xie gave him a serious look, Lü Bu immediately lost his momentum and had no choice but to take a step back.

Lü Bu certainly had the strength to defeat Wen Chou, but he couldn't always be allowed to steal the spotlight. Could Lü Bu alone really help Liu Xie pacify the world?
If only Lü Bu gets to show off, it will make everyone resentful.

Liu Xie wants to give more and more people the opportunity to perform, so that when they are recognized by others, they will also recognize Liu Xie.

As for Lü Bu, this gourd that keeps surfacing from time to time, we have to keep him pinned down.

Dian Wei picked up his twin iron halberds and was about to walk down the city wall when Liu Xie came over and reminded him, "Dian Wei, Wen Chou's advantage is on horseback, and he uses a long spear, while your iron halberds are short weapons. Wen Chou is good at mounted combat, while you are better at foot combat. After you go into battle, try to force him to dismount and fight you."

Dian Wei was somewhat unconvinced and stubbornly said, "Your Majesty, even if he's on horseback, I won't lose to him. Don't worry, I will do my best and will never let Your Majesty down!"

Anyone with ability has some degree of arrogance and stubbornness, and Dian Wei was no exception.

Liu Xie said he was good at infantry fighting, which made him feel as if he couldn't beat Wen Chou on horseback.

Liu Xie smiled and said, "Then go ahead. I have high hopes for you. He is no match for you!"

Dian Wei strode away and arrived at the city walls. Someone had already led his warhorse over, and Dian Wei led his men straight out of the city.

As the drums sounded, Dian Wei took the lead and charged straight at Wen Chou's horse.

Dian Wei shouted, "Hey, is that the enemy general Wen Chou over there?"

When Wen Chou saw that it wasn't Lü Bu who came out, he couldn't help but feel disappointed. He sneered, "You can go back now. I'm looking for Lü Bu to come out and die. I want to avenge Yan Liang."

Dian Wei was getting impatient. "Enough with the nonsense, beat me first."

Wen Chou glanced at him and said, "Who are you? My family does not kill nameless nobodies."

Dian Wei, eager to engage him in combat, hastily replied, "I am Dian Wei of Chenliu!"

Without waiting for a reply, he raised his right halberd high and unleashed a powerful downward strike, the iron halberd carrying a gust of wind, aimed straight at Wen Chou's head.

Wen Chou was somewhat careless, and only when he saw the iron halberd about to fall did he parry it with his horizontal spear.

Unexpectedly, with a loud clang, a deafening impact resounded in his ear, and Wen Chou's arm and ear trembled violently at the same time.

The iron spear in his hand quickly veered off course, almost knocking it out of his grasp. Wen Chou stared wide-eyed in horror, hurriedly gripping the spear tightly, and looked at Dian Wei in disbelief.

He thought to himself, "This guy has incredible strength!"

When masters spar, a single test of their skills reveals the true strength of their opponent.

As the saying goes, strength can overcome skill. Having experienced Dian Wei's fierce and monstrous strength, Wen Chou gradually put away his contempt, roused his spirits, and thrust his spear straight at Dian Wei's chest.

Dian Wei dodged to the side on his horse, and the two engaged in a fierce battle.

After fighting for more than a dozen rounds, Wen Chou became increasingly shocked. Dian Wei was incredibly strong, and several times when their weapons clashed, Wen Chou found it very difficult to keep up. His arms were sore, numb, and painful from the impact, and his blood and qi were surging. He felt as if his internal organs were about to shift.

Wen Chou tried his best to utilize his advantages. He used a long weapon and wanted to keep his distance from Dian Wei, avoiding direct confrontation as much as possible.

Wen Chou brandished his spear, thrusting, parrying, stabbing, and sweeping with a variety of moves. His spear moved as nimbly as the wind, and for a while, he seemed to have the upper hand.

The advantage of long weapons lies in their ability to maintain distance from the enemy, making it difficult for them to get close. This provides Wen Chou with an excellent attack range, allowing him to unleash his skills from a safe distance.

Wen Chou knew that Dian Wei was too strong and a fierce general. He couldn't withstand a direct confrontation with Dian Wei. Instead, he cleverly used his spear to his advantage and look for an opportunity.

Dian Wei was, after all, an incomparably brave warrior. His iron halberd flashed up and down, and his fierce momentum was particularly terrifying. Under his relentless pressure, Wen Chou also felt unprecedented pressure.

If Dian Wei ever got the chance, Wen Chou would be in serious trouble. The iron halberd struck the iron spear, sparks flew, and the sound shook the heavens and earth, causing Wen Chou to sway uncontrollably on his horse. The two fought for about twenty rounds. Dian Wei was getting annoyed and managed to hold his own against Wen Chou. But if this continued, he couldn't utilize his advantages at all. In desperation, he remembered Liu Xie's advice.

Dian Wei had a sudden inspiration. When they clashed again, he used his left halberd to block Wen Chou's iron spear, while his right halberd slammed into Wen Chou's mount.

Wen Chou never expected that he would attack his warhorse. With a loud thud, the iron halberd slammed solidly into the horse's spine. Wen Chou's warhorse could not withstand the impact, and its spine immediately collapsed, spurting out a burst of blood.

With a mournful neigh, the warhorse collapsed to the ground in agony, and Wen Chou was sent flying.

Wen Chou was agile and, relying on his instincts, he used one hand to brace himself and quickly leaped into the air.

After standing still, Wen Chou held his iron spear, furious, and gritted his teeth, cursing, "You actually injured my mount, I will kill you!"

Dian Wei laughed loudly, "Alright, you didn't get enough of fighting on horseback just now. If you want to kill me, then show me your true skills, instead of just talking big."

Dian Wei suddenly quickened his pace and rushed towards Wen Chou. They fought on the ground. The terrain was open, and Dian Wei no longer had any scruples. He could make full use of his advantages.

Seeing that Dian Wei had forced Wen Chou to the ground, Liu Xie finally breathed a sigh of relief. Cao Cao was also overjoyed. He had not expected Dian Wei to be so brave. On horseback, the two fought fiercely and were evenly matched. On the ground, Dian Wei moved nimbly and his advantage became more and more apparent.

Immediately and on foot are two completely different situations.

Fighting on horseback means the body is fixed in place and can only sit. Even if the body is very agile, the movements are greatly restricted.

However, on the ground, Dian Wei was like a tiger in the forest, leaping and dodging left and right, his body moving quickly and nimbly.

Wen Chou launched a series of fierce attacks with his spear, but Dian Wei always managed to dodge them with ease. Dian Wei moved left and right, closing the distance time and time again, completely negating Wen Chou's advantage.

Once it came to close-quarters combat, Dian Wei completely gained the upper hand. He was incredibly strong and agile, wielding his great iron halberd with incredible speed, repeatedly smashing it into Wen Chou's weapon. If Wen Chou didn't fight him head-on, he would be hit by the halberd.

Dian Wei gave Wen Chou an unavoidable choice: either his weapon would hit him or his body would be hit. Wen Chou could only grit his teeth and protect himself time and time again. He couldn't use his spear thrusting techniques because they were too close.

Whenever Wen Chou tried to create distance, Dian Wei would leap over him, leaving Wen Chou helpless.

Dian Wei brandished his iron halberd and relentlessly attacked Wen Chou. Wen Chou had no choice but to defend, using his spear to block Dian Wei's attacks time and time again.

Suddenly, Dian Wei unleashed a fierce attack, sweeping across the battlefield, catching Wen Chou off guard. Wen Chou was jolted back several steps, his blood and qi surging within him.

Before Wen Chou could regain his composure, a figure flashed before his eyes, and Dian Wei roared as he approached again, like a terrifying demon king, giving Wen Chou no chance to catch his breath.

When Cao Cao's soldiers saw Dian Wei display his prowess on the battlefield, they shouted excitedly, and the gongs and drums were pounded loudly.

On the other hand, Yuan Bing's soldiers all stared wide-eyed, the air seemed to freeze, they were all dumbfounded, their hearts clenched tightly.

Dian Wei attacked fiercely, while Wen Chou gritted his teeth and defended desperately, unwilling to admit defeat easily. The clash of weapons was thrilling, and the two fought extremely fiercely.

An inch longer, an inch stronger; an inch shorter, an inch more dangerous!

In close combat, short weapons have an advantage. Dian Wei's two large iron halberds seemed to come alive, flying up and down, sweeping left and right, unleashing continuous power.

After more than forty rounds of fighting, Wen Chou gradually couldn't hold on any longer. Dian Wei seized the opportunity and struck him hard with his halberd, hitting him squarely in the chest. Wen Chou immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, staggered, and almost fell over.

Dian Wei roared and charged forward, startling Wen Chou, who hurriedly retreated and fled back to his own lines.

Ignoring everything else, Dian Wei brandished his iron halberd and charged straight at Yuan's army. The Cao soldiers flanking behind him also rushed forward in a flurry.

However, Wen Chou brought a full 50,000 men, giving him a numerical advantage. After Wen Chou stabilized the formation, Cao Cao had no choice but to order a retreat.

Cao Cao had few soldiers to begin with, and before Yuan Shao's army arrived, it was far from the time to fight desperately.

The entire city of Baima only has a little over 30,000 Cao soldiers. Even if they could defeat Wen Chou, there's nothing to brag about.

Because Yuan Shao still had more than 200,000 troops behind him.

Dian Wei became famous after a battle in which he led his men to kill more than a thousand of Yuan Shao's soldiers. After returning to the city, Cao Cao was overjoyed and personally congratulated Dian Wei on his victory.

Next, relying on his superior military strength, Wen Chou began his attack on the city the following day.

Siege warfare is a huge war of attrition for both the attacking and defending sides.

Once war breaks out, life and death are unpredictable!
Yuan's soldiers carried the siege ladders, and in waves they rushed forward, placing the ladders on the city wall. Then, shouting battle cries, they began to climb the ladders, approaching the city wall.

Cao Cao also prepared a lot of defensive equipment, such as rolling logs and stones, which were thrown out of the city, causing Yuan's soldiers to scream and wail in agony.

The densely packed Yuan soldiers thronged beneath the city walls. Facing the rolling logs and stones raining down from above, along with the relentless arrows, the Yuan soldiers felt as if they had fallen into hell, enveloped in despair and fear.

With a deafening roar, rolling logs and stones slammed into Yuan's soldiers, smashing them to pieces and causing screams and wails to fill the air. The soldiers were terrified, but dared not retreat.

Wen Chou personally led his men to supervise the battle, and anyone who dared to retreat was to be executed on the spot.

Siege warfare, to put it bluntly, is about sacrificing countless cannon fodder and making use of sheer numbers.

Yuan Bing's siege equipment was also in full swing, with bows, arrows, crossbows, and catapults deployed behind the ranks, continuously exerting their power.

Cao Cao personally climbed the city wall to direct the battle. Facing the rain of arrows and flying stones that came at any time, Cao Cao remained calm and composed, and his command was decisive. He had experienced this kind of scene far too many times.

Yuan's troops attacked fiercely, while Cao's troops defended tightly. After two days of fierce attacks, Yuan's troops suffered more than 6,000 casualties. The corpses could not be collected in time and filled the moat outside the city, turning the water red.

As the sun set, White Horse City still stood tall and unyielding, but its originally gray walls were now splattered with blood, making them appear particularly gruesome and bloody.

After nightfall, Xun You took stock of the casualties and reported to Cao Cao truthfully, "After two days of fierce fighting, our army has lost more than two thousand men and wounded nearly three thousand."

"My lord, didn't His Majesty say that Guan Yu should secretly surrender the city? Why is there still a delay?"

Cao Cao withdrew his gaze from outside the city, his face expressionless. He shook his head and said, "Gongda, surrendering a city also requires seizing the right opportunity. Now that Wen Chou's offensive has been thwarted, surrendering the city at this time would be a timely help for Wen Chou, and it would also make Liu Bei and Guan Yu more valued by Yuan Shao."

(End of this chapter)