Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

On the other hand, Sun Jian led Sun Ce and three generals, Han Dang, Huang Gai and Zu Mao, to attack Xuanmen Pass in Xingyang with all their strength. The commander of Xuanmen Pass was Xu Rong, the most skilled general under Dong Zhuo.

Xu Rong might not have been as skilled as Li Jue or Guo Si in terms of military prowess, perhaps even considered a second-rate commander. However, his wisdom and cunning were unmatched in the entire Western Liang army. Unfortunately, the Western Liang army, which traditionally valued bravery and fierce fighting, was less valued for outstanding leadership talents like Xu Rong, rendering him relatively unnoticed within Dong Zhuo's forces. However, Xu Rong possessed not only exceptional strategic and commanding abilities, but also a man of deep loyalty and loyalty. Having saved his life in an earlier battle, Dong Zhuo resolutely pledged his lifelong service to him. Even as Dong Zhuo's power grew, he offered him limited status and honors, yet he remained uncomplaining and unrepentant.

Sun Jian, Sun Ce and three generals stood in front of the revolving gate with gloomy faces. The tightly closed gate was like an invincible steel monster.

Sun Jian's gaze blazed as he stared intently at the cold, solid gate, his mind racing. He considered various strategies. First, they employed a feint to the east and attack in the west, feigning an all-out attack from one side while secretly dispatching elite troops to bypass the rear, attempting a surprise attack. However, the defender inside, Xu Rong, seemed to have foreseen all the details and maintained a tight defense, foiling their plan. Next, they employed a tactic of luring the enemy, feigning defeat and retreating, hoping to lure the defenders out of the city in pursuit, then ambush and annihilate them, thereby opening the gate. But the defender remained motionless, undeterred.

They then resorted to fire attacks, taking advantage of the night wind to launch rockets, hoping to set fire to the buildings around the gates and create chaos. However, fire prevention measures were already in place within the gates, preventing the fire from spreading. They even tried to use underground tunnels, secretly digging a tunnel to sneak into the city, but unexpectedly encountered an underground undercurrent, hindering their attack and alerting those inside.

Sun Jian and his men then considered flooding the city, intending to divert river water to the city. However, the complex terrain and the difficulty of channeling water made this plan unfeasible. They also tried various siege tactics, including ladders, catapults, and battering rams, but the gate remained as solid as a rock, unmoved.

Despite exhausting every conceivable military strategy, attempting every possible tactic, and employing every possible siege method, they were unable to break through this impenetrable gate. Frustration and despair surged through their hearts like a tide, their armor drenched in sweat. Faced with this stubborn city, they were like ants trying to shake a tree, powerless and helpless. They struggled desperately against the gate, unable to find a way out, as if fate had strangled them, trapping them in an inescapable predicament.

Sun Jian led his army to camp at Xuanmen Pass, carrying only three days' worth of rations. Initially, the troops remained calm, confident that supplies would arrive soon. However, as the three days passed, Cheng Pu's painstaking efforts to escort him to the border only yielded three days' worth of rations. This was clearly a deliberate act by Yuan Shu. Despite Cheng Pu's urging and his anxious calls, Yuan Shu's soldiers remained unmoved.

Cheng Pu was helpless and could only do his best to arrange the transportation of food and fodder, while truthfully reporting the situation to Sun Jian. Sun Jian was also helpless after hearing this. After all, the power to allocate food and fodder lay in the hands of Yuan Shu. Whenever Sun Jian questioned him, Yuan Shu would evade the question, only recounting the current difficulties and the difficult situation of the allied forces at Hulao Pass, leaving Sun Jian completely helpless.

Food and fodder arrived time and again, each time only enough for two or three days. Coupled with the army being held up at the gate, unable to break through, this series of circumstances made Sun Jian increasingly anxious. Frustrated, he paced back and forth in his tent, his heart swirling with anger and frustration. Unable to find a proper solution, he could only watch helplessly as the situation grew increasingly difficult and the army fell into an unsettling predicament.

After repeated failures, Sun Jian was held at Xuanmen Pass for over half a month. Each failed siege cost Sun Jian's elite troops, and with the supply of food and fodder becoming unsustainable, Sun Jian's army's morale gradually declined. Xu Rong, who was stationed at the gate, observed all of this unfolding outside the city.

Xu Rong observed the army's attack outside the city weakening, the soldiers becoming increasingly listless. He roughly guessed the reason and responded with greater ease. Sun Jian, left with no choice, regrouped his troops and launched another powerful attack. This time, Sun Ce led the charge, even going so far as to say, Sun Jian himself went into battle shirtless. With Sun Jian, Sun Ce, Huang Gai, Zu Mao, and other generals leading the charge, the Jiangdong army's previously low morale gradually revived.

Xu Rong, perched atop the city walls, keenly sensed this, understanding the desperate struggle of a trapped beast. He had already mobilized a vast army of powerful bows and crossbows. As Sun Ce and his men bravely charged the city walls, Xu Rong locked down the area, even targeting his own troops, launching a frenzied, indiscriminate attack. This resulted in heavy casualties for the Jiangdong army, with both Sun Jian and Han Dang wounded by stray arrows. However, with victory in sight, Sun Jian attempted to charge again, but Huang Gai firmly held him back. Continuing would likely be a waste of life. After all, no one knew how many troops Xu Rong had mobilized specifically to counter such an attack, and he was so reckless that he didn't even care about the lives of his own soldiers. Ultimately, the battle ended in failure, and Sun Jian, forced to accept Huang Gai's advice, abandoned the pass in disgrace, leading his remaining troops to retreat.

Xu Rong keenly perceived that Sun Jian and his men were struggling to hold on, now reaching the end of their strength. While urging his men to maintain their spirits, he secretly instructed General Niu Fu, the garrison commander of Xingyang, to quietly assemble the Western Liang cavalry, awaiting the nightfall to deliver a fatal blow to Sun Ce and Sun Jian's main forces. Niu Fu deeply admired Xu Rong's ruthless and unique military tactics. Niu Fu and Xu Rong had always worked well together under Dong Zhuo, so upon receiving Xu Rong's message, Niu Fu quickly mobilized his forces, ready to deliver a fatal blow to Sun Jian's forces.

Sun Jian was forced to face this difficult situation. Short of food and forage, he was blocked at the pass. With the siege failing, morale plummeted. The commander, commanding his troops from the frontier, felt as if fate was strangling him. He could only repeatedly bow his head and plead with Yuan Shu, pleading for a quick supply of food and forage. Sun Jian's army had suffered heavy casualties and continued to starve. Looking at his comrades, Sun Jian was overcome with grief, tears streaming down his face. Huang Gai and Han Dang urged Sun Jian to call it a day, return to replenish his supplies, and then fight again. But Sun Jian was terrified. With so many dead and wounded, leaving like this, without any achievements to speak of, would not convince the people.

As night slowly descended like a vast black curtain, covering the entire land, Sun Jian, his face grim, once again dispatched Cheng Pu on the arduous journey to Yuan Shao to request a transfer of food and fodder. Sun Jian's heart was filled with frustration and depression, weighing like a heavy stone on his heart. However, his inherent stubbornness and unwillingness to give up easily prevented him from giving up. Deep within him burned a burning desire to fight one more time. Huang Gai and Han Dang earnestly tried to persuade Sun Jian, but faced with his persistence, they could only sigh helplessly and let him go, knowing Sun Jian's temper well. However, they had no idea that danger, like an invisible demon, was silently approaching, a crisis so great that it would plunge them into despair.

Deep in the night, Sun Ce's heart was filled with resentment. He felt an immense rage and resentment at his difficult and helpless situation. But the harsh reality left him powerless, a feeling of impotence that nearly suffocated him. To vent the volcanic rage within him, he mounted his steed and galloped recklessly across the open fields outside his tent. The clatter of hooves echoed through the night, a culmination of his innermost emotions. As he galloped, his gaze caught sight of something unusual. In the distant valley, the birds, supposedly returning to the forest, were nowhere to be seen. The entire valley was eerily silent, as if muted. This stillness seemed to conceal countless secrets and dangers. Sun Ce's keen intuition immediately detected this unusual situation. He acted decisively, leading a few followers and quietly infiltrating the valley. They were careful not to make any sound. Unfortunately, before they could get deeper into the valley and discover anything, a sudden hail of arrows descended upon them like a hurricane. The followers around them were instantly wounded and groaned in pain. Sun Ce's heart suddenly shook, and he instantly realized that this most likely meant that there were ambushes hidden in the valley, and a terrible conspiracy seemed to be waiting for them.