Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Even though it was New Year's Eve last night, with a biting cold wind and a starless sky, Dong Zhuo was still feeling depressed. In the flickering light of the tent, he drank a lot of wine without realizing it.

On the first day of the first lunar month in 191 AD, the morning sun had barely pierced the thick clouds, and the weather was still bitterly cold. Niu Fu, Xu Rong, Li Ru, and the others had already packed their bags, waiting for Dong Zhuo to wake before setting off. As they neared Hangu Pass, the bare trees lining the road shivered in the chilly wind. Thinking of Li Jue and Guo Si stationed in Guanzhong, they felt a little relieved. They figured that once they reached Hangu Pass, they would have a stronghold to defend, so even if the allied forces of the warlords came after them, they wouldn't have to worry too much.

However, Dong Zhuo slept until almost noon before waking from his hangover. Noticing how much time had passed, he slowly emerged from the tent, holding his forehead. A cold wind blew outside, stirring up clouds of dust. He complained to the others, "Oh, you should have woken me sooner! We're being pursued, and we shouldn't have waited so long." Niu Fu and Li Ru exchanged a helpless smile. With Dong Zhuo's temper, who would dare disturb him? Lately, Dong Zhuo's moods had become unpredictable and unpredictable.

Dong Zhuo then called for everyone to continue their march, not delaying any further, hoping to reach Hangu Pass before nightfall to rest and recuperate. Everyone had already prepared everything for their departure, and upon hearing Dong Zhuo's words, they no longer hesitated and continued their march towards Hangu Pass, accompanied by their civil and military officials. The procession wound its way along the desolate road, raising clouds of dust.

At Hangu Pass, Liu Fan and Liu Dan had already made every possible preparation. Soldiers stood in formation on the city walls, their flags fluttering in the wind. Though Liu Dan was fearless and courageous, he remained apprehensive about the success of his plan and whether Dong Zhuo would fall for it. He gripped his weapon tightly, his gaze occasionally gazing into the distance, his expression slightly solemn.

Liu Fan, however, remained relaxed. He smiled at the young man beside him and said, "Second brother, with Fa Xiaozhi meticulously planning this, this trip will be a sure success. Yet you remain so careless and unwilling to learn. You should know that Xiaozhi is resourceful and meticulous, and his talents should be enough to deal with Dong Zhuo."

Liu Dan frowned slightly upon hearing this, but remained silent. He thought to himself, "Fa Xiaozhi is just a weak scholar, powerless, yet my brother always values ​​him so much and keeps him by his side. He's only capable of plotting and scheming, and nothing compares to the thrill of true combat. If it comes to marching and fighting, I'm so brave I could beat ten of them by myself." He didn't dare anger his brother, so he smiled sheepishly and said, "Xiaozhi is certainly more formidable."

Fa Xiaozhi, dressed in a long gown, stood aside, listening to Liu Dan's words without arguing. His gaze was penetrating, his mind set on a plan. He was also confident in his plan, confident it would be enough to deceive Dong Zhuo and his men. He had already made all the necessary arrangements, employing a clever disguise using the armor and banners of the Western Liang army, and had even easily captured the deputy general who had received a harsh rebuke from Dong Zhuo's camp. He had also prepared an excuse: Li Jue and Guo Si had received a reply from their deputy general the previous night, and fearing reprimands from Prime Minister Dong, they had led their army towards Chang'an early in the morning. With these two deputy generals at Guanshang, Dong Zhuo, having just met them the previous night, naturally remained unsuspecting.

As the sun set, its blood-red afterglow cast a tragic hue over Hangu Pass. Like a surging, unstoppable tide, Dong Zhuo's army surged towards the pass. The clatter of horse hooves was like thunder, shaking the earth slightly; the thud of footsteps was like rolling thunder, as if threatening to flatten the ancient pass; the sharp, piercing clash of weapons echoed through the valley, terrifying and heart-wrenching.

Dong Zhuo sat securely in his extravagantly decorated carriage, inlaid with gold and jade, his corpulent frame filling nearly the entire carriage. He thrust his massive head forward, his face trembling with flesh, and with an air of arrogance and contempt, he demanded, "Why? Li Jue and Guo Si, you two ignorant bastards! Why don't you just roll over and pay your respects to me?" His voice boomed like a bell, carrying with it an unparalleled authority.

The two lieutenants trembled violently, their legs barely taut. Beads of sweat rolled down their pale foreheads, streaking across their terrified faces before dripping into the dust. Their eyes were filled with utter terror, as if they had witnessed the coming of doom. However, the cold, sharp blades pressing against them made them dare not resist. They could only bite the bullet and speak in trembling voices, "The two generals were reprimanded by the Prime Minister last night. Early this morning, they assembled their troops and set off for Chang'an to pave the way for the Prime Minister."

Dong Zhuo snorted coldly, a disdainful "humph" coming from his nose, and said contemptuously, "Hmph, these two cowardly bastards are afraid of being scolded by me when we meet. What a bunch of useless people!" After that, he waved his hand nonchalantly and shouted impatiently, "Go, keep moving forward!"

Li Ru, his expression anxious, stepped forward quickly, his robe fluttering. He bowed his hands and spoke urgently, "Prime Minister, wait a minute! This is quite strange. These two men didn't go out to the battle earlier or later, but chose to wait until the Prime Minister arrived. There might be a trick or an ambush. Prime Minister, you must be on guard. I hope you will reconsider and not fall for the enemy's trick." His brow furrowed, his eyes filled with worry.

Dong Zhuo, however, threw his head back and laughed wildly, his laughter echoing through the empty pass, sounding particularly arrogant. He wore a look of indifference, chuckling dismissively, "Wenyou, you're simply too cautious, hesitant and hesitant. I just met these two lieutenants last night. What's there to worry about? Stop nagging and delay your journey." With that, he rode in his carriage without hesitation, completely ignoring Li Ru's advice.

Afterwards, the imprisoned civil and military officials entered one after another, their faces trembling with fear, their heads bowed, and their steps hesitant and resigned. Their steps were heavy and slow, as if each step was filled with helplessness and fear. Dong Zhuo's army followed behind like a long dragon, flags fluttering and armor shining.

When all the civil and military officials were about to enter, Liu Fan's eyes were determined, shining like cold stars. He waved his hand decisively and ordered in a voice like a bell: "Close the door!"

Li Ru, with his sharp eyes, saw the door slowly closing. He was horrified and shouted, "It's a trap!" His face turned pale and his voice became shrill with nervousness. He hurriedly shouted to Niu Fu and Xu Rong, "Hurry up and help! There's an ambush!"

Upon hearing this, Niu Fu and Xu Rong did not dare to hesitate. With their eyes wide open, they brandished their weapons, shouted loudly, and led their troops to rush towards the front and into the gate like mad tigers before the gate was closed.

Liu Fan, unfazed and composed, shouted with a commanding awe, "Shoot!" Instantly, a thousand arrows unleashed. A dense barrage of arrows rained down like a torrential downpour, whistling and tearing through the air. The Xiliang army was caught off guard and immediately fell into chaos. Screams rang out incessantly. Soldiers fell to the ground, their blood splattering everywhere, staining the ground red.

Fa Xiaozhi stood atop the city wall, surveying the chaotic scene below. He wore a long robe, his sleeves fluttering in the wind. His lips curled slightly upward, his eyes gleaming with wisdom. Everything he had meticulously planned was unfolding as planned; everything was under his control.

Thanks to Li Ru's timely discovery, the closing of the gate was hindered. Furthermore, the heavy gates of Hangu Pass made the process slow and difficult. The Western Liang army, fearless and utterly dauntless, charged forward like a tide, their cries of war reverberating through the air. The fierce battle at the pass reached its peak.

By this time, Dong Zhuo's carriage had already entered the pass, only to be met with a hail of arrows from pre-selected archers. Dong Zhuo's carriage, richly decorated and meticulously crafted, was riddled with arrows, yet it still managed to deflect most of the incoming fire. Liu Dan was about to step forward and take action himself, but Dong Zhuo's men, Niu Fu and Xu Rong, fearless of death, rushed inside the pass and escorted Dong Zhuo's carriage back outside.

Many of the civil and military officials who had entered the city were shot dead by archers in the chaos, and the Western Liang army rushed them into disarray. Horses and men trampled on each other, and cries and shouts mingled. The chaotic situation made it difficult for Liu Dan to pursue, and he could only watch helplessly as Dong Zhuo, protected by Niu Fu and Xu Rong, escaped through the Great Wall.

Seeing this scene on the city wall, Liu Fan was so angry that he gritted his teeth and shouted, "Damn it! We let the old thief Dong Zhuo escape!" Fa Xiaozhi said calmly, "Don't worry. Although we didn't capture Dong Zhuo this time, we have suffered heavy losses in troops and generals. Let's reorganize our troops and make plans later." After hearing this, Liu Fan suppressed his anger and began to command the soldiers to clean up the battlefield and treat the wounded.

Although the Battle of Hangu Pass did not achieve the ultimate goal, it dealt a heavy blow to Dong Zhuo's arrogance. Liu Fan and Liu Dan did not know that Dong Zhuo's situation was more serious than they imagined.