Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Xiahou Yuan was extremely anxious. Seeing that the spear in Xiahou Dun's hand was broken and he might lose his life if he continued fighting, he grabbed Xiahou Dun's reins regardless of everything and shouted, "Brother, don't fight anymore!" Although Xiahou Dun was unwilling, he knew that continuing to fight at this time would only increase the danger. He had to turn his horse's head in embarrassment under Xiahou Yuan's pull and retreat towards Hangu Pass.

Seeing Cao's army in retreat, Wen Chou was determined not to miss this golden opportunity. He waved his hand and shouted, "The enemy has been routed. Follow me to attack the pass!" Yuan's army immediately surged towards Hangu Pass like a tide. For a moment, the shouts of killing were deafening, and arrows rained down on the city walls.

However, the walls of Hangu Pass stood tall and solid, like a towering behemoth, silently standing there. No matter how hard Yuan's army attacked, they could not move an inch. Cao's army, taking advantage of their advantageous position atop the city walls, put up a tenacious resistance. Rolling logs and rocks rained down like hail, hammering down on the Yuan army. Despite their ferocious attack, Yuan's army also suffered considerable damage from Cao's desperate resistance.

Wen Chou looked at the Hangu Pass, which he had been unable to capture for so long, and was secretly annoyed. However, he could do nothing but give the order to retreat. The Yuan army retreated slowly like the receding tide.

Xiahou Yuan and Xiahou Dun stood on the city wall, watching the retreating Yuan army, their hearts filled with emotion. Xiahou Dun's face was somewhat grim, and he gritted his teeth and said, "This Hebei Wen Chou is indeed worthy of his reputation. If it weren't for my brother's timely rescue today, I would have been killed by him."

Xiahou Yuan patted Xiahou Dun on the shoulder and advised, "Brother, don't worry about this anymore. Wen Chou is a skilled warrior and should not be underestimated. But with the advantage of Hangu Pass's high and solid terrain, it will be difficult for them to capture it. Now that you, my lord, do not wish to go to war with Yuan Shao, we brothers should defend Hangu Pass to the death and force them to stop here. Over time, they will come on a long expedition, and problems with food and fodder will arise. If the stalemate continues for too long, they will naturally retreat."

Xiahou Dun nodded slightly, took a deep breath, and calmed his anger. He said, "Brother, you are absolutely right. I almost made a big mistake because of my momentary impulsiveness. Let's follow your advice and hold this pass. Let's see what they can do to me!"

After that day's battle, Xiahou Yuan and Xiahou Dun firmly adhered to the strategy of holding their ground. The two brothers devoted themselves to strengthening the city's defenses, personally directing their soldiers to carry boulders, repair the walls, and tighten the defenses of Hangu Pass.

No matter how Wen Chou and Zhang He shouted and cursed at the gate, using all kinds of foul language in an attempt to provoke Cao's army to go into battle, the Xiahou brothers seemed to turn a deaf ear to them and continued to guard the city gate, unmoved.

Wen Chou and Zhang He were not about to give up easily. They racked their brains, devising numerous siege tactics. Sometimes they sent their soldiers, armed with ladders, charging the walls like ants; sometimes they deployed catapults, hurling huge rocks into the pass like raindrops. However, the towering walls of Hangu Pass stood like an impassable natural barrier. Each time the Yuan army attacked, Cao's troops, from the towers, responded fiercely with powerful crossbows, rolling logs, and boulders.

Xiahou Yuan and Xiahou Dun commanded the army with great confidence, and with their outstanding military skills, they repeatedly neutralized Yuan's offensives. Wen Chou and Zhang He, despite their best efforts, were unable to capture Hangu Pass.

From the rear, Guo Tu gazed at the protracted siege of Hangu Pass, feeling helpless. The stalemate had dragged on for a long time, and Yuan Shao's army was running out of rations. The soldiers were expending enormous amounts of energy daily, while ration reserves were dwindling. Desperate, Guo Tu wrote a battle report detailing the dire situation and sent it to Yuan Shao as fast as he could. In it, he detailed the difficulties of Hangu Pass's prolonged siege and the lack of rations, pleading with Yuan Shao for swift assistance. He also anxiously awaited Yuan Shao's next move, hoping to break the stalemate.

Meanwhile, Guo Jia and Cao Ang, escorted by Cao Hong's elite cavalry, journeyed all the way to Hanzhong. Along the way, they encountered all sorts of bizarre rumors. Sometimes, someone vividly described Ma Chao's heroics in Xiliang, single-handedly slaying countless foreign tribes, his mighty power resembling a deity descended from heaven. Others, mysteriously, spread rumors that Ma Chao was the true Lord of Destiny, the reincarnation of the Purple Star God, destined for great success.

The closer they got to Hanzhong, the more outrageous these rumors became. People spoke of Ma Chao with awe and admiration, even going so far as to assert with absolute certainty that the one who would succeed the Han Dynasty would undoubtedly be Ma Chao of Xiliang.

What's more, children were cheerfully singing a nursery rhyme on the streets: "In Xiliangchuan, war drums roar, soldiers are brave, the enemy trembles in fear. Iron cavalry gallops, mountains and rivers tremble, the world is settled, the country is safe. The world is in chaos, the Han Dynasty collapses, Xiliang horses rule the world!" The tender voices echoed crisply through the streets, adding a touch of mystery to these rumors. Cao Ang and Guo Jia exchanged a glance, each seeing worry and thought in the other's eyes. Whether these rumors were deliberately instigated by Ma Chao, or were they secretly fanning the flames to disrupt the world, it was difficult to predict. And what complex situation they would face on their journey to Chang'an was full of unknowns.

Guo Jia looked at Cao Ang with a deep gaze and asked softly, "Sir, have you heard any clues from these proverbs and nursery rhymes?"

Cao Ang frowned with concern and said, "It seems to me that Ma Chao is determined to conquer the world. Such a powerful opponent is truly intimidating. How can we contend with him? If it weren't for the late Emperor Liu Bian's misconduct, which drove Ma Chao to rebellion, the Han Dynasty would not have fallen into such turmoil today. The people would have suffered much less. But now that Ma Chao is determined to conquer the world, the world will probably face years of war and chaos. I don't know when the people will return to peace."

Guo Jia nodded slightly, but then changed the subject: "Young Master, your summary is indeed excellent. However, have you noticed, young master, that behind these nursery rhymes and rumors lies the true direction of public opinion? Throughout history, public opinion has always been the most difficult to predict and control. Only by grasping the hearts of the people and following their will can you win the hearts and minds of the people. Otherwise, even if you expend all your energy to capture countless cities and overthrow the old dynasty to establish a new one, once someone raises their arms and makes a commotion, others will still rise up and easily raise a large army to overthrow you. Look at Ma Chao, he only occupies the Yongliang area now, but how many rumors have we heard about him along the way? And our lord, in Xudu, revered the emperor and commanded the princes in his name. This was originally a very wise strategy. But the closer we get to Hanzhong, the more we realize that people's respect for the Han Dynasty and the emperor has gradually faded. This is the most terrifying thing."

Cao Ang seemed to be lost in thought, then slowly said, "Mr. Feng Xiao is absolutely right. However, the situation is complicated now, with various forces intertwined. How should we respond? Since the hearts of the people are so important, how can we win them over?"

Guo Jia smiled faintly, his eyes gleaming with the wisdom of a man who saw the world. He said, "Sir, discussing this now is indeed a bit of a long-term plan. However, it's not a bad idea to plan carefully before taking action. Yuan Shao and Ma Chao are both powerful vassal states. Their power is growing, and a conflict is inevitable. We just need to be vigilant. If we can provoke a conflict between them, and wait for them to be both defeated, we can march south and capture Jingzhou in one fell swoop. If the time is right, we can even cross the Yangtze River and seize the land east of the Yangtze River. This way, our rear will be secure, allowing us to focus on dealing with the north. If we can form a three-way balance of power, then we will have the financial strength to challenge these two vassal states. With our current strength, a head-on confrontation with them is unlikely to succeed."

Upon hearing this, Cao Ang frowned slightly, a look of worry on his face. He said, "Fengxiao, this is easier said than done! It's been said since ancient times that the south has ships and the north has horses. Our army occupies the Central Plains, and although the territory is vast, we are ultimately short of war horses. Without sufficient cavalry, how can we compete with these two northern powers?"

Guo Jia shook his head slightly, still smiling, and said soothingly, "Young Master, don't be too depressed. The situation is changing rapidly, and no one can predict the future. Let's go, Hanzhong is just ahead. Let's take it one step at a time, as it's just empty talk now. Let's get to Chang'an first and make contact with Ma Chao's forces to test their strength. We can make plans later."

Cao Ang took a deep breath, nodded slightly, and said, "That's all I can do. I hope this trip to Chang'an will be fruitful." With that, the group continued on their way, steadily moving toward Hanzhong City. The city walls were in sight, yet what lay ahead were unknown challenges and opportunities. They were stepping into this ever-changing chess game.

When Guo Jia, Cao Ang, and their entourage arrived in Hanzhong, they found the city gates locked, flags waving on the towers, and Zhang Ren, the great Xiliang general, standing majestically atop them, clad in battle armor. Upon hearing that the envoys were sent by the emperor to Chang'an and would pass through Hanzhong, Zhang Ren immediately stopped them outside the city walls, saying in a resounding voice, "If the emperor is sending envoys to Xiliang, why do they have to pass through Hanzhong?"

Seeing this, Guo Jia calmly stepped out of the ranks, showed Zhang Ren the Emperor's token, and said earnestly, "General, this is the Emperor's arrangement. The world is in turmoil, war rages on in the Central Plains, and the Yuan army is heavily guarding Luoyang. The roads are blocked, making travel difficult. Therefore, the Emperor has ordered us to travel via Hanzhong and head to Xiliang."

Zhang Ren's expression was solemn. He surveyed the crowd below the city walls and said, "My king and the emperor have always maintained a non-aggression relationship. You have said so, but I wonder what the emperor's intentions are in this action?"

Guo Jia smiled slightly and responded calmly: "General, you don't know. The emperor heard that the King of Liang had worked hard to exterminate the alien race in Xiliang and made great contributions. He specially sent us to escort the treasures here to reward the King of Liang for his great contribution." After that, he waved his hand, signaling the soldiers behind him to lift the covers of the carriages loaded with gifts and show them to Zhang Ren.

Zhang Ren, peering from atop the city wall, saw carriages piled high with dazzling treasures, their gold, silver, and jewelry gleaming alluringly in the sunlight. He also saw that the troops Guo Jia and his men had brought with them were indeed not numerous, and seemed to harbor no ill intentions.

However, Zhang Ren remained somewhat hesitant. Seeing this, Guo Jia continued his persuasive persuasion, "General, we have come here solely to convey the Emperor's commendation, with no other motive. If you allow us to pass, it will not only demonstrate your understanding, but will also let the Prince of Liang know of the Emperor's favor, a boon for both you and him. Furthermore, we are under the Emperor's command, and any delay would be greatly inconvenient for you, too."

Zhang Ren pondered for a moment, weighing the pros and cons before finally nodding and saying, "Alright, for the Emperor's sake, I'll let you pass. But you must pass quickly and not linger in Hanzhong."

Guo Jia hurriedly bowed and thanked him: "Thank you for your leniency, General. We will not stay any longer."