Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Upon arriving at Hangu Pass, the messenger quickly sought out Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan, respectfully presenting them with Guo Jia's letter and relaying its contents in detail: "Generals, Military Advisor Guo has written to inform you that the Western Liang army has dispatched troops to help lift the siege of Hangu Pass. After consulting with our lord, Military Advisor Guo believes this is a rare opportunity. Our lord requests that you two generals dispatch your forces at the opportune moment to encircle the Western Liang army and fully engage Wen Chou. This opportunity is rare, and the Western Liang army will not remain here for long. We must deplete Wen Chou's manpower as much as possible. Any further weakening of Yuan Shao's forces will alleviate pressure on our army in future battles against him."

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Dun's eyes lit up instantly. He slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "Great! Finally, this day has come! I've been waiting for this for a long time. I've been wanting to meet that brat Wen Chou and show him how powerful our Cao army is!"

Xiahou Yuan also looked excited, his eyes gleaming as he echoed, "Big Brother is right! This time, by joining forces with the Xiliang army, we must give Wen Chou a head-on blow and show him how powerful we are!"

After saying this, the two brothers immediately began to discuss and began to deploy various matters related to sending troops. They paid close attention to the situation on the battlefield, waiting for the best opportunity to come, and then they would lead their troops to attack and defeat Wen Chou together with the Western Liang army.

The Xiliang army, led by Wei Yan, arrived at Hangu Pass in a mighty force and quickly began to set up camp. Even before the camp was fully built, Wen Chou, unable to contain his fighting spirit, decided to launch a counterattack to dampen the Xiliang army's morale.

The Western Liang army had embarked on this expedition with a strategy of steady progress. Upon hearing that Wen Chou had come to challenge them, Wei Yan led his generals to the battlefront. Of Wen Chou's army, the brothers Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang rode out first, shouting a challenge. Of the Western Liang army, Sui Gu and Yang Feng responded to the call. Yang Feng, leading the charge, thrust his spear directly at Lü Kuang, and the two engaged in a fierce battle. However, after several rounds, Yang Feng gradually lost ground to Lü Kuang, and his spearmanship began to falter.

Seeing Yang Feng at a disadvantage, Sui Gu spurred his horse, brandishing his sword, and joined the fray. Lü Xiang, watching his brother engage Sui Gu, worried that his brother might suffer, also spurred his horse, halberd drawn, and advanced to assist. The four generals immediately engaged in a fierce battle. After a fierce battle, it became clear that Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang were slightly more skilled than Sui Gu and Yang Feng.

Seeing their generals gradually losing ground, Sun Qing and Bai Rao of the Western Liang army could no longer hold back. They also rushed forward, swords drawn. Seeing this, Wen Chou roared, "How dare they use their numbers to bully the few!" With that, he spurred his horse and brandished his spear, charging into the battle like a whirlwind. Initially, the four generals combined their strength to hold out against Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang, but Wen Chou's arrival instantly reversed the situation, and the four generals were swiftly defeated.

Wei Yan, sensing the dire situation within the ranks and fearing for his own commander's serious injuries, hurriedly brandished his sword, urged his horse forward, and stoutly engaged Wen Chou. The two engaged in a fierce battle, sword and spear, until the battle was raging. Wen Chou's martial arts were as skilled as Yan Liang's, while Wei Yan was still a step behind. However, Wei Yan was also incredibly brave, battling Wen Chou for seventy or eighty rounds without losing the upper hand.

After a few more rounds, Wen Chou devised a plan. He feinted his spear, feigning defeat. Wei Yan, unaware of the ruse, was about to pursue him when Wen Chou suddenly reeled in his horse. Wei Yan hurriedly raised his sword to block. Seeing Wei Yan's tight defenses and the impossibility of an attack, Wen Chou abandoned the fight, turned his horse back, and returned to the formation, sounding the retreat horn.

By this time, the four Black Mountain generals of the Xiliang army were all injured to varying degrees, but fortunately, their lives were not in danger. Wei Yan returned to the battle line and looked at the wounded generals. Although he felt a sense of self-blame for not being able to rescue them in time, he was also pleased with their bravery. He comforted them, "Brothers, you've all worked hard today! The enemy is highly skilled, and you've shown extraordinary bravery to have fought to this point. Take good care of your wounds, and when we fight again tomorrow, we will surely avenge our previous defeat!"

The generals clasped their fists and responded, "Thank you, General Wei, for your concern. We will definitely live up to your expectations!"

Meanwhile, Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan at Hangu Pass watched the situation anxiously, awaiting the perfect moment to dispatch their troops. Wen Chou, returning to his camp, marveled at Wei Yan's prowess and pondered how to respond to the ensuing battle. An even more intense confrontation seemed to be brewing, as all sides secretly prepared for the next round of battle...

After returning to the tent, Wen Chou sat in the main seat, his brow furrowed, lost in thought. Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang entered the tent, knelt on one knee, and said, "General, the Xiliang army is advancing with great force, and Wei Yan is a formidable warrior. While we have the upper hand today, we cannot guarantee we will not suffer losses in the future. Please make your decision, General."

Wen Chou waved his hand, motioning for the two men to stand. He said, "I understand. Wei Yan is indeed capable, but we cannot retreat just yet. The Western Liang army, joined by Cao's army, poses a significant threat to us. If we cannot blunt their momentum here, I'm afraid it will affect our lord's plans."

Lu Kuang said, "General, what should we do next?"

Wen Chou pondered for a moment and said, "General Zhang He has deployed his forces on the mountain, serving as a stronghold for us. Tomorrow, I will personally lead a feint attack on the Xiliang camp, while you lead a group of men in ambush. When Wei Yan launches his troops to meet the attack, General Zhang He will descend from the mountain. With a two-pronged attack, we will surely inflict heavy damage on the Xiliang army."

Lu Xiang looked worried and said, "General, this plan is brilliant, but if Wei Yan is prepared, or if General Zhang He fails to respond in time, I'm afraid..."

Wen Chou smiled confidently and said, "That's all right. After today's battle, Wei Yan will undoubtedly think that I'm wary of his martial arts and won't dare attack rashly. We can take advantage of his moment of lethargy and strike him unawares. As for General Zhang He, I'll communicate with him in advance to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Lu Kuang and Lu Xiang looked at each other and said in unison, "We will obey the general's orders!"

Meanwhile, in the Xiliang camp, Wei Yan was also discussing countermeasures with his generals. Sui Gu said, "General Wei, in today's battle, Wen Chou was indeed formidable. Although we fought hard, it was still difficult to win."

Wei Yan nodded and said, "Wen Chou's martial arts are superb, and he should not be underestimated. But there is no need to be discouraged. We and Cao's army are mutually supportive. As long as we work closely together, we will definitely defeat Wen Chou."

Yang Feng said, "General, Wen Chou might come to fight again tomorrow. How should we respond?"

Wei Yan pondered for a moment and said, "I predict that Wen Chou will come up with a new strategy tomorrow after suffering a setback today. We must not be careless. We must strengthen the defenses of the camp and send people to closely monitor the enemy's movements. Report any signs of trouble immediately."

Sun Qing said, "General, should we take the initiative to attack and disrupt their deployment?"

Wei Yan shook his head and said, "No. The enemy is powerful and familiar with the terrain. If we attack rashly, we might be ambushed. We should play it safe and wait until we link up with Cao's army before looking for an opportunity to defeat them."

All the generals agreed. Wei Yan looked at them with a firm gaze and said, "Brothers, this expedition concerns the reputation of Xiliang and our alliance with Cao's army. We must all work together to defeat this formidable enemy."

"We are willing to follow the general's command!" The generals shouted in unison, and their morale was greatly boosted.

At this time, Xiahou Dun at Hangu Pass said to Xiahou Yuan, "Miaocai, the Western Liang army is engaged in battle with Wen Chou, and we have a good opportunity to observe the enemy's strengths and weaknesses. Judging from the situation, Wen Chou will definitely not give up. We must be ready to send troops at any time."

Xiahou Yuan nodded and said, "Brother, you're right. However, we must grasp the timing of our deployment. We must coordinate well with the Xiliang army, but we must not reveal ourselves too early, so as not to alert the enemy."

Xiahou Dun gazed into the distance and said, "That's right. When Wen Chou and the Xiliang army are in the thick of the battle, that will be the perfect time for us to dispatch our forces. Then, we will definitely let Wen Chou experience our might!"

The next morning, Wen Chou, as planned, personally led his army towards the Xiliang camp. He rode at the front, his spear flashing in the sunlight as he shouted, "Wei Yan, you let me get away yesterday. Do you dare to come out and fight me again today?"

Inside the Xiliang camp, Wei Yan heard the call to battle and immediately summoned his generals. Yang Feng, unable to contain himself, said, "General, Wen Chou is going too far. Let's go out and fight him!"

Wei Yan's expression remained calm. He waved his hand and said, "Don't be impulsive. I'm sure Wen Chou has a trick up his sleeve. He already knew I'm a skilled fighter from yesterday's battle. How could he challenge me so easily?"

After saying this, Wei Yan ordered his men to ascend the watchtower and carefully observe the enemy's movements. Sure enough, he discovered that while the enemy appeared aggressive on the surface, there were some irregularities on their flanks, hinting at an ambush. Furthermore, there seemed to be movement on the distant hills, likely Zhang He's ambush.

Wei Yan sneered inwardly, thinking, "Wen Chou, how could you possibly fool me with such a trick?" Then, he made his plans in an orderly fashion: "Sui Gu and Bai Rao, you two will lead the archers in ambush in front of the camp. When the enemy approaches, I will give the command to unleash all your arrows. Yang Feng and Sun Qing, you will lead a squadron of cavalry and stand by behind the camp to prevent an enemy attack from behind. I will personally lead the central army to hold the camp securely. Let's see what tricks Wen Chou can come up with."

Wen Chou had been threatening Wei Yan for a long time, but when he saw no sign of him, he grew anxious. He had thought Wei Yan would, like he had yesterday, resist the urge to attack, and he could then lure him into an ambush. However, after waiting for so long, the Western Liang army simply closed the camp gates, showing no sign of fighting.

Wen Chou frowned, pondering a strategy. He reasoned that retreating would be a loss of face and a failure to fulfill his lord's mandate. So, he decided to take a risk and ordered his troops forward, as if forcing a storm upon the camp.

At Wen Chou's command, Yuan Shao's army surged toward the Xiliang camp like a tide. As the enemy approached the camp gate, Wei Yan shouted, "Shoot!" Instantly, archers led by Sui Gu and Bai Rao unleashed a volley of arrows, raining down upon Yuan Shao's troops. Yuan Shao's troops were thrown into disarray, and many soldiers fell to the ground.

Seeing this, Wen Chou hurriedly waved his spear and shouted, "Keep calm, don't panic! Keep moving forward!" Under his command, Yuan Shao's army stabilized its position slightly and continued to advance.

However, the Western Liang army's defenses were exceptionally strong, and Yuan Shao's army was unable to capture them, suffering heavy casualties. Wen Chou grew increasingly anxious, and he looked up at the mountain, hoping that Zhang He would lead his troops down quickly and attack the Western Liang army from both sides.

However, Zhang He saw the tight defenses of the Western Liang army from the mountain and did not rush out. He knew that if he went down the mountain rashly, not only would he fail to achieve the desired results, but he might also be surrounded by the Western Liang army.

Just as Wen Chou was in a dilemma, Wei Yan seized the opportunity and ordered Yang Feng and Sun Qing, who were behind the camp, to lead the cavalry to charge out. The cavalry rushed towards Yuan Shao's army like a tiger descending from the mountain, immediately disrupting Yuan Shao's rear formation.

Wen Chou saw the situation was not good. He knew that his plan had failed and that any further delay would lead to the annihilation of his entire army. In desperation, he ordered the troops to retreat. Yuan Shao's army retreated like a tide, leaving behind a trail of corpses and wounded.