Under the command of the Cao army's Tuan Chang, the longbowmen immediately began shooting arrows at the charging carts."Shoo! Shoo! Shoo! Thud! Thud! Thud!"Unfortunately, the carts were reinforced with wooden planks, making it nearly impossible for the arrows to penetrate the carts. The drivers, clad in heavy armor, were also impervious to the arrows.Seeing that the longbowmen had no effect, the remaining spearmen quickly thrust their weapons forward, attempting to dislodge the enemy soldiers from the carts. However, the sharp wooden stakes on the carts were much longer than their spears, and before they even got close, the stakes impaled them.
In no time, the Cao army outside the city was thrown into chaos. Inside Xiapi, Lü Bu rode forward on his steed, watching as the enemy's formation fell apart. With a wave of his Fangtian Huaji halberd, he shouted:"Xian Zhen (Advance into the battle! To the death with no retreat! Brothers, follow me into the fight!"
The charging carts had been useful within the city's confines, but once they exited the gates, they couldn't continue to effectively threaten the enemy.Now was the moment to lead the cavalry forward while the enemy was still disorganized!With a shout, Lü Bu led the charge, galloping ahead with his halberd swinging left and right, cutting down the Cao soldiers.The Xu Zhou deserters knew well the combat prowess of Lü Bu and the elite Xian Zhen soldiers, and none dared to stop him.As more of the Xian Zhen soldiers poured out from the gate, the Xu Zhou deserters were quickly routed.
On the Cao side, Yu Jin was closely watching the situation unfold.With the four city gates wide open, Lü Bu could escape from any of them. However, Yu Jin was particularly focused on the East Gate, where Lü Bu was most likely to break out.He knew that if Lü Bu was captured at the East Gate, his reputation among Cao Cao's generals would soar.
As soon as Yu Jin saw Lü Bu heading out through the East Gate, his excitement surged."Pass my orders! Spearmen, hold the enemy off! Archers, spread out to the sides and focus on eliminating the enemy forces!""Let the rear forces advance—shield bearers at the front, spearmen in the rear, and move forward together!"Yu Jin had hoped for Cao Cao's cavalry to play a crucial role, and now that Lü Bu had made his move, it was time for Cao Cao's cavalry to act.
In Yu Jin's strategy, the Xu Zhou deserters at the front, while lacking in skill, had kept the main Cao forces back. He was hoping that Cao Cao's cavalry would soon arrive, preventing Lü Bu from escaping.At that moment, however, Lü Bu was charging through the chaos, and Yu Jin's only concern was ensuring the battle didn't slip away.
Meanwhile, Lü Bu shouted at Gao Shun, "Gao Shun, lead the Xian Zhen soldiers through the middle! The left and right wings, let the cavalry tear through them!"Gao Shun hesitated for a moment, then responded, "My lord, though our soldiers are strong, we're still outnumbered. The enemy has ten times our number!""If we continue to delay, they'll surround us. We should retreat while we still can."But Lü Bu shook his head."The area beyond Xiapi is completely exposed—there are no defenses there. Even if we escape, without supplies, we will freeze or starve to death. Our only hope now is to hold off the enemy and create an opening for Wen Yuan!"
Zhang Liao had 2,000 men, with half being cavalry. Although the foot soldiers were too slow to come to Lü Bu's aid tonight, the cavalry could potentially change the tide.But Lü Bu knew Cao Cao would send Cao Chun's cavalry once they realized he was breaking out through the East Gate. This would prevent Zhang Liao's cavalry from intervening.
Gao Shun nodded, "I will carry out your orders, my lord."With that, he charged forward with the elite Xian Zhen troops, cutting down the Xu Zhou deserters with ease.Cao's soldiers were no match for the ferocity of Lü Bu and his men.The battlefield became a slaughterhouse as Gao Shun's forces overwhelmed the disorganized Xu Zhou deserters.
Back in Cao Cao's camp, scouts quickly rode in with a report:"General, the front lines are collapsing!"Yu Jin coldly ordered, "Send the discipline troops to the front. If anyone attempts to flee, they will be killed on the spot without warning.""The moment Cao Chun's cavalry arrives, they must help block Lü Bu's escape. If they don't, we won't be able to stop him."
The stakes were high, but Yu Jin cared only about capturing Lü Bu alive and didn't care about the number of deserters killed in the process.The Xu Zhou deserters were of no importance in his eyes, and he would make them pay if they tried to escape.
Just as the battle raged on, Lü Bu was fighting fiercely. At that moment, a figure appeared on the battlefield."Lü Bu, you coward! Come here and face me!"It was none other than Chen Deng, the son of Chen Gui, who had long sworn vengeance on Lü Bu for the death of his father.Seeing his father's killer, Chen Deng's rage flared, and he charged toward Lü Bu with a spear in hand, vowing to take his revenge.
Lü Bu immediately recognized him and yelled, "You traitor, you'll die with your father tonight!"