Xu Huang waited in the camp all night without any trouble, but then he learned that Cao Hong had broken into the camp, so he had to come and meet him.
Cao Hong laughed and said, "General Xu is highly trusted by the Prime Minister and has made countless contributions over the years. Is it because he is old that he is not as brave as he was in the past?"
Xu Huang frowned and said, "When Liu Qi was defending Nanyang, he feigned defeat at Bowangpo to lure the enemy deeper into our territory. This is a lesson for you, General. You must be more cautious."
Cao Hong's face suddenly darkened. "General Xu, do you mean that the defeat last night was not my fault, but Liu Qi's feigned defeat?"
Xu Huang clasped his fists and said, "I dare not, but Liu Qi has many schemes, so we need to be on guard."
Cao Hong laughed and said, "How can a general win if he is timid before the battle? Liu Qi may be able to defend Wuguan Pass, but his attempt to enter Chang'an is nothing but a fool's dream. I will make sure that he loses more than he gains."
At this moment, scouts came to report that Liu Qi's troops retreated to Taohuayi, reorganized their troops and set up camp, and did not retreat back to Wuguan.
Cao Hong was furious and said, "Liu Qi is a scoundrel who doesn't know how to advance or retreat. I will capture this thief and hand him over to the Prime Minister for punishment."
Xu Huang advised: "The Art of War says: 'Know thy enemy and know thyself, and you will win every battle.' If you do not know the strength of the Jingzhou troops and rush into their territory, you may be deceived."
Cao Hong was furious, pointing at Xu Huang and shouting, "Xu Gongming, you were ineffective in attacking Wuguan Pass, and you were incapable of defeating the enemy. Now you keep blocking my advance and slowing down my army's morale. Are you harboring second thoughts?"
Xu Huang knew that Cao Hong was winning streak and could not dissuade him, so he clasped his fists and said, "General, since you want to pursue the victory, I am willing to support you in case of emergency."
"Hehe, I've won for a while, it's your turn!" Cao Hong snorted coldly and ordered: "The Prime Minister often praises you for being like Zhou Yafu, strong and resourceful, but now you are acting out of character. If you can't take Taohuayi, you must be treacherous, and I will take you back to Xuchang for interrogation."
Xu Huang had no choice but to mobilize his men and horses to head to Taohua Posthouse first.
Ma Yanyan said: "Since the defeat in Nanyang, Xu Gongming has been defeated in many battles, and was defeated at Wuguan. He is a completely different person than before. Could it be that he is unwilling to be loyal to the Prime Minister anymore?"
Cao Hong's eyes were slightly stern, and after a moment's silence, he ordered: "General Ma, take 3,000 troops to support and see how General Xu fights the enemy."
"Yes, sir!" Ma Yan gladly accepted the order.
He and Zhang Xi were former generals of the Yuan family. Seeing that Yuan Shang was doomed, they betrayed their master in the battle and were often laughed at by the generals in Cao's camp.
This time, he finally saw a person with the same disease, who was also a general in Cao's camp, and he wished that Xu Huang would betray him immediately.
What's more, Xu Huang was originally a surrendered general. As long as he had the intention of changing his master again, he must find evidence of him as soon as possible and divert attention, so that no one will discuss him anymore in the future.
Xu Huang was always worried. He didn't know what Ma Yan was thinking, but he was worried about Liu Qi's scheme, and he looked solemn all the way.
Xu Shang said indignantly: "General Cao is relying on the Prime Minister's trust and is aggressive. Zhang Fei is very brave, how can he capture the camp by force? It is obvious that he is jealous of the general..."
"Shut up!" Xu Huang interrupted Xu Shang and said in a deep voice, "I have received the Prime Minister's kindness, and I should repay him with my life. I don't know the strength of the Jingzhou troops, so I am willing to come to investigate. If I can see through their tricks and help General Cao take Wuguan, what will the previous misunderstanding mean?"
Xu Shang sighed, "But the soldiers of Jingzhou have such powerful weapons, and Zhang Fei is guarding the camp. How can the general defeat the enemy?"
Xu Huang said no more. When he reached Taohuayi, he ordered Xu Shang to ambush at a valley along the way, and he led his troops to attack the camp.
Liu Qi heard the news in the camp and said, "Cao Hong knew that Xu Huang was no match for him, but he sent him to fight in the front. Is this a way of killing someone with a borrowed knife?"
Pang Tong shook his head and said, "Although Cao Hong is hot-tempered and greedy for merit, he obeys Cao Cao's orders and will not murder his colleagues. Xu Huang must have a plan for coming here."
Zhang Fei had already entered the tent with his lance in hand, and asked for orders: "Why should I be afraid of him? I will definitely poke a few holes in him this time."
Liu Qi smiled and said, "Yide, don't be impatient. Xu Gongming is a good general of the time. It would be a pity to kill him. It would be the best strategy if we could use him."
Pang Tong said: "To capture the tiger, we need to arrange a cage. This time we will definitely be able to capture Xu Huang."
Liu Qi asked hurriedly: "Military Advisor, do you have a good plan?"
Pang Tong pulled his beard and laughed, "Xu Huang will definitely pretend to be defeated and retreat when he comes here. General Zhang, go ahead and chase him. If you encounter dangerous valleys, you need to be careful. But if you see the ambush troops coming out, retreat back to the camp and run straight back."
Zhang Fei was ordered to meet the enemy, and Pang Tong arranged for Fu Rong to ambush at the camp gate and set up ambushes in the camp to wait for news.
Outside the camp gate, Xu Huang saw Zhang Fei rushing out and fought with him. After more than ten rounds, he was defeated and retreated. Zhang Fei chased him relentlessly.
After turning the cliff and reaching the ambush place, he saw a group of horses galloping towards him, raising a cloud of dust. It was Ma Yan leading the troops. He couldn't help but get furious.
Ma Yan was about to reach the ambush valley at this time. It was too late for Xu Shang to dissuade him. He could only watch his troops approaching and stamped his feet in anxiety.
"General Xu, don't panic, I'm here to save you!" Ma Yan shouted on his horse and ordered the soldiers to form a battle formation on the spot.
Xu Huang was so angry that he nearly fainted, but he had no choice but to turn his horse around and meet the enemy.
When Zhang Fei's troops arrived, the two men fought at the entrance of the valley. Seeing that the ambush failed, Xu Shang had to lead his troops out of the valley and called on Ma Yan to encircle them from the left and right.
Zhang Fei fought for a while, but no ambush troops appeared. However, there were many Cao troops coming to support him, so he did not want to fight any more and pretended to be defeated and fled.
"General Xu, chase him quickly!" Ma Yan thought he had saved Xu Huang, so he became more motivated and led his troops in pursuit.
Xu Huang sighed secretly and led his troops forward, only to see Zhang Fei leading his troops to the front of the camp. The soldiers and horses were frightened and rushed into the camp, knocking over the antler fence at the gate, and the defenders were in chaos.
Ma Yan was overjoyed and said, "The enemy camp is in chaos. If we don't charge now, when will we charge?"
Xu Huang reined in his horse and shouted, "General Ma, don't rush ahead. Be careful..."
"The enemy has been frightened by my killing, now is the time to defeat them!"
Seeing that the chance to make merit was right in front of him and the opportunity was fleeting, Ma Yan led his troops straight into the gate of the village without stopping, and did not listen to Xu Huang's dissuasion.
Sure enough, the defenders at the camp gate were caught off guard and were rushed in by him. Zhang Fei had already escaped from the rear camp. Ma Yan was ecstatic and rushed straight to the central military tent to capture Liu Qi.
Xu Huang did not dare to charge outside the camp. Not only did he gain credit for nothing, but if he could capture and kill Liu Qi, wouldn't he become famous in one battle
Xu Huang's actions just now were enough to show that he was unwilling to put in the effort. He would go back and report to Cao Hong, and it would be no problem for him to replace Xu Huang.
Just when he was secretly feeling proud of himself, his horse suddenly stumbled, and both he and the horse rolled to the ground, covered in dust and seeing stars.
Before he could get up, he heard the sound of drums in the camp. Ambush troops rushed out from all directions, and there were shouts of killing. He was already surrounded by the Jingzhou army.
"Surrender your weapons and we won't kill you. Put your hands up!"
Listening to the shouting one after another, Ma Yan sat on the ground in a daze, raising his hands unconsciously.
Xu Huang ordered the soldiers to line up and be on guard. Sure enough, a moment later there was chaos in the camp and ambushes were everywhere. Just as they were about to rescue Ma Yan, they saw Zhang Fei rushing out from the side door again, so they had to lead their troops to retreat.
When Cao Hong saw Xu Huang returning to the camp with few casualties, while Ma Yan, who arrived later, had his entire army wiped out, he was furious and ordered the executioners to take Ma Yan out and behead him without further ado.