Said Zhang Wei, “The strategic point to hold is Yangping Pass, and there should be ten stockades there with the forest and hills to support them. You, my brother, should make your depot of supplies at Hanning.”
Thereupon two generals, Yang Ang and Yan Ren, were sent with Zhang Wei to the Pass, and they built ten stockades.
Soon Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He arrived and learned the Pass had prepared a defense. They camped at a point five miles away. The soldiers were fatigued after the long march, and all lay down to rest without placing proper guards.
Suddenly the camp was attacked in the rear by Yang Ang and Yan Ren from different points. Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He mounted quickly and tried to beat off the attackers, but the enemy poured in all round, and their army suffered great loss. They returned to the main body to tell of their defeat, and their chief abused them for their want of care.
“Old soldiers like you should have known better and taken precautions against a raid of the camp when the enemy knew your soldiers were exhausted by a long march.”
Cao Cao even desired to put them to death as a warning, but their fellow-officers interceded and he spared them. Soon Cao Cao himself marched in the van. Then he saw the dangerous and evil nature of the place, with its thick growth of trees; and as he knew nothing of the roads and was fearful of an ambush, he returned to his camp.
Calling up his two leaders, Xu Chu and Xu Huang, he said, “Had I known the dangerous nature of the place, I would never have come.”
Xu Chu replied, “The soldiers are here now, my lord, and you cannot recoil before the hardships.”
Next day Cao Cao with only Xu Chu and Xu Huang rode out to reconnoiter the enemy's camp. As they rode over the hills, Cao Cao pointed out the position with his whip and said, “It will be very difficult to reduce a place as strong as this.”
Just then there arose a shout in their rear, and a shower of arrows fell about them. Yang Ang and Yan Ren were attacking and the danger became great. “Friend Xu Huang, you look after our lord!” cried Xu Chu, “I can hold the enemy.”
Xu Chu galloped out, and the two leaders could not stand Xu Chu and took to flight, while their troops scattered. In the meantime Xu Huang led his master over the hills. Soon he met an army of soldiers led by Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He, who had heard the sound of fighting and had come to the rescue, and Cao Cao got back safely to camp. The four generals were rewarded.
For fifty days the two armies held each other at bay without coming to a fight. At the end of this time, orders were given to retire in the camp of Cao Cao.
“We have not tried the strength of the enemy,” said Jia Xu. “You should not retire, my lord.”
“I see that they are always on the alert,” said Cao Cao. “I am only retiring to put them off their guard. By and by I will send some light horse to attack their rear. I shall defeat them then.”
“Ah! Your skill is unfathomable!” cried Jia Xu.
Three thousand horsemen led by Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He got round behind the Yangping Pass by unfrequented roads, while Cao Cao broke up his camp and led his main body backward.
When Yang Ang heard of the retreat, he thought it would be a good chance to attack, but Yan Ren opposed it, saying, “Cao Cao is full of ruses. The occasion is unclear; we should not lead an attack.”
Yang Ang was willful and said, “I shall go; you may come or not, as you wish.”
In spite of the protestations of his colleague, Yang Ang marched, taking with him the soldiers of five camps and leaving only a few defenders. The day he set out was very foggy, so that one could hardly see his neighbor's face, and soon the force got into difficulties and could not advance. They bivouacked on the road.
Now, Xiahou Yuan was out with a reconnoitering force behind the hills when they heard the voices of troops and the neighing of horses. In the dense fog they could see nothing; but fearing an ambush, they hastened to retire. Somehow they lost their way and presently stumbled on the deserted camp of Yang Ang. The few defenders thought their comrades had returned, so they threw open the gates to let the troops of Cao Cao in. They found an empty camp, and they raised a great blaze, which frightened those few defenders in the other camps so that they fled.
As soon as the fog cleared, Yan Ren came to the rescue. But as Yan Ren and Xiahou Yuan were fighting, Zhang He suddenly appeared and attacked from the rear. Between two armies, Yan Ren forced his way through and quickly fled toward Nanzheng.
By and by, when Yang Ang returned, he found his camp in the possession of Cao Cao's troops. Soon Cao Cao's main army came up, and Yang Ang was between two forces. There seemed no other way but to make a dash for it. Falling in with Zhang He, the two engaged, and Yang Ang fell. Those who escaped carried the news of the disaster to Zhang Wei, who abandoned Yangping Pass and fled.
