Chapter 144: Seizing the Initiative

Xiahou Hui stood near the city wall, her face pale as she looked down at the dense crowd swarming below.

She had rushed all the way from Chang'an, going to great lengths to persuade Xiahou Mao into placing Wei Ba under house arrest. Yet now, she realized her efforts had all been in vain. With Anyang in rebellion and Longyou falling into chaos, panic had driven Xiahou Mao to remember Wei Ba once more, summoning him back to assist.

Xiahou Hui felt profoundly discouraged, blaming herself for this turn of events. Because Xiahou Mao had first sought her counsel and she had failed to provide him with effective guidance, he had been left with no other choice than to place his trust in Wei Ba and beg for his aid.

She could understand Xiahou Mao’s current predicament. He knew nothing of military affairs, barely understood the overall strategic situation in Guanzhong, let alone the commanderies west of the Long Mountains. Recognizing the crisis simply from the rebellion in Anyang was already an extraordinary display of capability for him.

Entrusting him with the command of the entire Western Theater was a monumental mistake. They should have summoned Cao Zhen to take charge of the overarching situation much earlier, rather than seeking glory for the Xiahou clan. This was no opportunity; it was a disaster—a catastrophe for both the Cao Wei dynasty and the Xiahou clan.

Though Xiahou Hui did not fully grasp the situation in Longyou, she could well imagine the Emperor's fury should the region be lost. Even if Xiahou Mao's life were spared because of his imperial marriage, he would still bear inescapable blame and be relegated to spending the rest of his days as an idle retiree in Luoyang.

All of this stemmed from sheer greed. Knowing full well that Xiahou Mao lacked the aptitude to lead troops, they had insisted on placing him in charge of the western campaigns. Greed, pure and simple.

Beyond regret, Xiahou Hui felt a deep, biting self-reproach. She had prided herself on being exceptionally clever, inferior to no man. Yet, facts proved that while her understanding of human nature and political intrigue surpassed the average person, it was not as infallible as she had believed. Facing Wei Ba, she had suspected his surrender might be feigned, yet she had lacked sufficient evidence to prove her hypothesis and completely eliminate him as a hidden threat. What discouraged her even more was her utter lack of extraordinary military insight; if she had been able to offer even the slightest useful suggestion, Xiahou Mao would never have had to consult Wei Ba.

In an instant, she realized her pride was fragile and vulnerable, her victories entirely hollow—much like those empty talkers who excelled only in idle chatter. When discussing metaphysics, none would yield to another, yet when it came to actual deeds, they were clumsy, flustered, and prone to endless errors. It was utterly absurd.

A hurried series of footsteps broke through Xiahou Hui’s self-reproach.

"Lady Xiahou..." Xu Ran panted heavily, rushing forward to offer a hurried salute.

"Captain Xu, what has happened to you?" Xiahou Hui asked in astonishment.

"Lady Xiahou, come and look." Xu Ran walked to the edge of the wall, gesturing for Xiahou Hui to observe the soldiers entering the city. Xiahou Hui watched for a moment, unable to discern any problem.

"What is wrong with them?"

"Lady Xiahou, they are reinforcements from Tongguan."

"From Tongguan? So what?"

Xu Ran looked at Xiahou Hui in bewilderment. Seeing her staring back with a blank expression, he stamped his foot and raised his voice, "Lady Xiahou! You once passed through Tongguan yourself. Did you ever see the garrison troops there looking this fierce and elite?"

Xiahou Hui froze as sudden realization struck her, sending a chill rushing up her spine straight to the back of her head. "Faked?"

"Yes. Nine times out of ten, they are fakes." Sweat beaded on Xu Ran's forehead as he cupped his fists. "Lady Xiahou, I originally intended to report this to the General, but he is currently in discussion with Commander Wei. I dared not let Commander Wei know of this, so I came specifically to seek your instructions."

Xiahou Hui turned to leave, but Xu Ran quickly stepped forward to block her path, speaking with urgency, "My Lady, the General's safety shall be my responsibility. Even if it costs me my life, I will rescue him. I only ask that you leave Meiwu immediately."

Xiahou Hui’s lips turned bloodless. She understood Xu Ran's meaning all too well. Meiwu was exceptionally fortified, making attacks from the outside exceedingly difficult. For this very reason, Xiahou Mao had deployed the main body of his forces to the Nanshan gorges of Baoxie. Now, the stronghold held only the five hundred men under Xu Ran’s command, along with a hundred or so personal guards surrounding Xiahou Mao; the rest were merely hastily conscripted laborers utterly unfit for real combat. Since the enemy had infiltrated the city disguised as Tongguan garrison troops and possessed such elite combat prowess, the fall of Meiwu was now a foregone conclusion.

The most urgent task was not to fight to the death, but to escape—to flee Meiwu and return safely to Chang'an.

Despite her brilliance, Xiahou Hui was momentarily rattled by this sudden emergency, cold sweat streaming down her forehead. Collecting her thoughts, she turned and commanded Xu Ran, "Captain Xu, abandon the outer city. Take your men to secure the inner city and prepare for a breakthrough at any moment."

Xu Ran nodded, then realized Xiahou Hui was not following his plan for her escape, and quickly asked, "What about you, My Lady..."

"Since Wei Ba is still with the General, we still have a sliver of a chance," Xiahou Hui said while breaking into a light jog. "I will take my men to detain Wei Ba, rescue my uncle, and then we shall break out together."

Xu Ran followed close behind, his voice laced with urgency, "My Lady, you must leave first. Let me go and rescue the General!"

"This is an order!" Xiahou Hui suddenly halted, her voice sharp and stern. "Do you wish to defy an order?"

Xu Ran shivered, took a step back, and bowed in acknowledgment. Then he turned and hurried down the wall.

Xiahou Hui gathered the twenty cavalrymen guarding her and raced toward Xiahou Mao’s main hall.

"You two, prepare the horses and wait at the northern gate!" the lead officer shouted as he ran. "The rest of you, ready yourselves for battle!"

Knowing the gravity of the situation, the soldiers drew their longswords and raised their hand crossbows, forming a fierce protective cordon around Xiahou Hui. Two of the riders galloped down the ramp along the wall straight toward the stables.

When they reached the entrance of the main hall, the guards on duty were startled by their menacing appearance and instinctively stepped forward to block them. Xiahou Hui shoved her way past the knights and issued a sharp command: "Stand aside!"

Recognizing Xiahou Hui, the guards quickly lowered their weapons. Without a second glance, she led her men rushing into the hall. Wei Ba was deep in "profound contemplation" when the hurried, chaotic footsteps reached his ears. A flicker of joy crossed his face, instantly replaced by a tightening in his chest as he heard Xiahou Hui’s piercing order. He instantly sprang into motion, charging toward Xiahou Mao, who was pacing in circles.

Before Wei Ba could complete his rush, Xiahou Hui burst in followed by twenty fierce-looking horsemen. She pointed directly at Wei Ba and shouted, "Take him!"

Several knights pulled their crossbow triggers, sending a volley of whistling bolts flying toward Wei Ba. Taken aback, Wei Ba abandoned his attempt to seize Xiahou Mao, violently twisted his body, and dived behind a folding screen. He snatched a shield from a rack on the wall and hoisted it onto his back, guarding his face and vital organs.

*Thud, thud, thud!* A rapid series of dull thumps echoed as the bolts struck the spot Wei Ba had occupied just a second before. The sheer impact shook the map-laden rack behind him twice before it crashed to the ground in ruins.

Xiahou Mao flew into a rage. "Yuanrong, what are the meaning of this?"

Xiahou Hui rushed forward, grabbed Xiahou Mao by the arm, and shouted, "Uncle, impostors disguised as Tongguan garrison troops have entered the city. Wei Ba's surrender is a ruse!"

She spoke so rapidly that Xiahou Mao had no time to process her words. In truth, Xiahou Hui had no intention of waiting for him to understand; her sole objective was to snatch Xiahou Mao out of harm's way before the enemy infiltrating the city could breach the inner stronghold.

The cavalrymen Xiahou Hui brought were battle-hardened veterans. Without waiting for further orders, they executed the correct maneuver instantly: five men formed a line facing the folding screen with weapons drawn, while the rest hastily escorted Xiahou Mao and Xiahou Hui backward.

Seeing that Xiahou Mao had been successfully secured, Xiahou Hui finally let out a breath. Glancing toward the screen, she gave a loud command: "What are you waiting for? Capture this rebel Shu spy!"

"Understood!" The guards inside and outside the hall snapped out of their shock and roared in compliance. Part of their number formed a protective ring around Xiahou Mao as they retreated, while the others surged forward.

Wei Ba cursed inwardly. Victory had been within his grasp, only for Xiahou Hui to snatch the initiative once again. From her parting words, he deduced that something must have gone wrong with the Wei clan's elite soldiers posing as Tongguan reinforcements. With only Xu Ran’s five hundred men left in the stronghold, plus the hundred-odd guards inside and around the hall, a thousand elite soldiers entering the city should have meant the capture of Meiwu was a certainty. Yet, letting Xiahou Mao slip away was a bitter disappointment. Had he not gone to such elaborate lengths to get close to Xiahou Mao precisely to capture him at the crucial moment, thereby forcing the Wei army within the city to lay down their arms and surrender?

Given Xiahou Mao's personality, he was unlikely to display righteous defiance or utter heroic nonsense like "fire upon me." Once controlled, taking Meiwu would be child's play.

The core principle of the fist techniques Zhao Yun had taught him was a straight-line assault straight to the vital center—the exact same principle that governed military strategy: break through the enemy's vanguard, slay their commander, or even strike down their command banner to rout them with utmost speed. On a battlefield, the central command was always the most heavily defended; trying to slay an enemy general amidst the chaos like Lord Guan at Baima was by no means a simple task. Likewise, subduing Xiahou Mao within Meiwu was no easy feat. He had only one chance: too early would fail, and too late... would fail even more decisively.

Such was the current state of affairs. He had been waiting for Dun Wu's signal; the moment Dun Wu arrived, he would have struck to subdue Xiahou Mao. Never in his wildest dreams had he anticipated that Xiahou Hui would arrive ahead of Dun Wu, radically reversing the situation. Xiahou Mao was temporarily safe, while he himself had plunged into mortal peril.

Judging by the chaotic footsteps echoing beyond the thin folding screen, at least twenty guards stood before him, armed with no fewer than five hand crossbows. He could charge out, strike down one or two, and immediately find himself swarmed and hacked into mincemeat.

Xiahou Mao lacked backbone, but Wei Ba was not so utterly devoid of self-preservation instincts either. Slowly retreating a step, Wei Ba pressed his back against the wall to avoid being surrounded from all sides. He gripped his shield in his left hand, drew the short blade from his waist with his right, and slowly tugged the wall tapestry loose. Taking a deep breath, he concentrated his hearing. The words his master Zhao Yun had repeated countless times echoed in his ears, making him feel as though he had returned to that suspended boulder where he once practiced martial arts.

*“Be as still as a virgin, as if Mount Tai were crumbling before you without a change of expression; be as swift as a fleeing rabbit, like Cook Ding dismembering an ox, passing through the blank spaces with a blade having no thickness.”* (To be continued)