In the camp of the punitive expeditionary force, a messenger soldier rushed into the tent.
"Report! General Pan has been killed by a female enemy general."
Wei Shao had just heard Pan Long's report of victory and summoned the army's chief clerk, intending to record Pan Long as the first meritorious official. Unexpectedly, only half a cup of tea's time had passed before it was no longer necessary to record it.
The generals inside the tent were all taken aback, and one of them couldn't help but ask, "Killed by a female general?"
Wei Shao was even more skeptical and asked the soldier who brought the news, "What is the female general's name?"
"Meng Ruliu, daughter of Meng Kuan, the garrison commander of Xiping Pass, wields double hammers."
"Explore again."
Wei Shao waved for the soldiers to retreat, his face showing some panic, but he quickly regained his composure.
He was well aware of Pan Long's martial prowess. He also knew that Meng Kuan's daughter had practiced martial arts for many years. But he couldn't believe that Pan Long would be killed by Meng Ruliu; it all seemed too unbelievable. How could a seasoned general, who had fought on the battlefield for years, be defeated by a woman who had never been on the battlefield?
Generals are not immune to death on the battlefield; perhaps Pan Long was careless and underestimated his enemy. The vanguard commander, Fang Bei, is stronger than Pan Long and should be able to handle Meng Ruliu.
Let's wait and see.
A short while later, another soldier arrived with the news, drenched in sweat.
"Report! General Fang went into battle, and... he was killed by Meng Ruliu again."
At this point, the generals in the tent could no longer contain themselves, and several of them shouted, "What exactly is going on?"
Wei Shao was also surprised and uncertain. He stood up and said to the soldier, "Tell me the details immediately."
The soldier said, "General Fang said that General Pan underestimated his enemy. He personally went out to fight Meng Ruliu and knocked off Meng Ruliu's left hammer in just three rounds, and Meng Ruliu was defeated."
Upon hearing this, everyone exclaimed, "They clearly defeated the opponent, how could this be the result?"
The soldier took a breath and continued, "Meng Ruliu was retreating on horseback when he suddenly threw a flying hammer. General Fang was too close and had no time to dodge. He was hit in the chest by the flying hammer and fell off his horse. Meng Ruliu seized the halberd and killed General Fang."
Wei Shao was dumbfounded and sat down in a chair, speechless.
He thought that Fang Bei, having learned from past mistakes, wouldn't underestimate his opponent. Unexpectedly, he was defeated again by his eagerness to win.
The strategist whispered in his ear, "Your Highness, in my humble opinion, Fang and Pan are no less skilled than Meng Ruliu. They were both defeated due to carelessness and underestimating their enemy. It would be detrimental to morale if word got out that a powerful army was blocked at the pass by a woman. We should send another fierce general to avenge our two defeats."
Wei Shao also felt this was the right thing to do, and said to the generals in the tent, "Generals Fang and Pan were careless and underestimated the enemy, which led to this defeat. Which general is willing to go into battle and restore our army's prestige?"
As soon as the words were spoken, two generals stepped forward and said in unison, "This humble general is willing to go."
Wei Shao didn't pay much attention when he sent generals last time, but this time he made a point of checking them one by one. These two are the two strongest generals among his generals, and none of them are inferior to Generals Fang and Pan.
He felt his confidence return and ordered his two generals to go into battle. He instructed them, "You must be careful in your battle this time, especially beware of Meng Ruliu's flying hammers."
After the two generals left with their orders, Wei Shao was still uneasy, so he led his generals out of the camp and up to the watchtower to observe the situation.
The area below Xiping Pass was packed with people, flags were waving, and shouts and the sound of war drums soared into the sky. After a moment, another burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted.
Wei Shao was anxious, not knowing which side had won, when the messenger arrived.
"Report! General Sun fought Meng Ruliu for more than ten rounds at the pass, and Meng Ruliu was defeated and retreated."
"Good!" Wei Shao clapped his hands repeatedly and turned to the chief clerk of the army, saying, "Record General Sun's merit."
The other generals also chimed in, saying, "General Sun's martial arts are superb, making him the undisputed leader of the army. How could that girl Meng Ruliu possibly be a match for General Sun?"
Not long after that soldier left, even more enthusiastic cheers came from the front, and the war drums beat deafeningly. It was unclear which side had won the battle.
After waiting for a long time, another soldier came running with news: "Report! General Li fought a great battle against Meng Kuan and shot Meng Kuan's helmet with a turning arrow. Meng Kuan was defeated and retreated into the pass."
Wei Shao was overjoyed and laughed heartily, "General Li is known for his divine archery skills, it's a pity he couldn't kill that old thief. Quickly record General Li's merit."
Everyone cheered, and the previous defeat and dejection were swept away.
Wei Shao descended from the watchtower, returned to his central command tent, and sat down, asking his servants to bring him a cup of hot tea to quench his thirst.
The strategist said, "Your Highness, we are winning battle after battle, while the garrison at Xiping Pass is suffering defeat after defeat and their morale is low. Why not write a letter of surrender and send it into the pass?"
Wei Shao put down his teacup and said, "The strategist is absolutely right. Bring me paper and pen, and I will write the letter myself. Also, prepare a victory celebration banquet to entertain the two generals."
The servants brought over the writing implements, spread out the paper, and moistened the brush. Wei Shao picked up the brush, about to write, when he suddenly remembered that among the guards was Wei Jingzhuo, who hadn't yet gone into battle.
He silently slapped himself in the face.
Even if Wei Jingzhuo were deposed by Emperor Kangping, his martial prowess would not change. On the contrary, as he continued to fight against the Western Rong army in the northwest, his combat skills would only become more refined.
"Report!" A soldier rushed into the tent, almost tumbling, and said in a panic, "Your Highness, generals, General Sun and General Li have both... been beheaded by Wei Jingzhuo."
Wei Shao's brush fell onto the white paper with a thud, leaving a large ink stain.
The strategist remained relatively calm and said to the soldiers, "Don't panic. What exactly happened?"
"After General Li defeated Meng Kuan, he continued to challenge him. Wei Jingzhuo went down from the pass to fight," a soldier wiped the sweat from his forehead. "General Li could not withstand the attack, and General Sun stepped forward to help. After thirty rounds, General Sun was stabbed in the throat by Wei Jingzhuo's spear. General Li tried to win with a counter-attack arrow, but his arrow hit the frying pan in Wei Jingzhuo's chest, and Wei Jingzhuo shot General Li dead with another arrow."
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