At the Mengjin Pass, while using fire signals to call for help, Qiao Yan also started a fire.

When the five torches along the coast lit up, it was clear they were not accidental but signals sent by Qiao Yan.

Zhao Yun and Lu Bu quickly boarded the ships with their men.

The initial group of 3,400 men was only there to create a chance for the main army to land.

Since the ships had already been made, they were to be used.

With Ma Jun’s help, the ships were designed more like dragon boats than ferries, so once they hit the water, they sped straight toward the opposite shore.

Even if Niu Fu were on the city wall rather than fighting the Bingzhou army inside the city, he would have had little chance to stop them.

The Bingzhou army, having landed first, was engaged in a tough battle with the Mengjin defenders, and Niu Fu couldn’t spare any well-equipped soldiers to block the crossing.

The ships moved quickly, so even though the Western Liang army gained a slight advantage through numbers, the Bingzhou reinforcements arrived before they could fully capitalize on it.

The ships built over the past month could transport most of their people, including cavalry, to the other side.

Zhao Yun and Lu Bu’s forces landed swiftly on the opposite bank without any obstacles.

Although they faced some delays in boarding and disembarking, it did not hinder their successful landing.

Qiao Yan was on the shore, shielded against arrows, and immediately made arrangements for the incoming troops.

Lu Bu, leading a group of men who had previously delivered a notice about dealing with the enemy, along with a hundred cavalry, rushed toward Luoyang.

They were to intercept messengers sent from Xiaopingjin.

If they failed, and if they saw that the defenses of the northern city wall of Luoyang were strengthened, they were to return immediately to report.

Qiao Yan had strategies to handle this situation.

Without knowing if there were other fire signals within thirty miles of Mang Mountain, she could only try to intercept the battle news at the riverbank.

This was the most favorable situation for her.

If successful in the interception, she could guard the southern exit of Mang Mountain to prevent any escaping soldiers from heading toward Luoyang.

Normally, such precise operations would be entrusted to Zhao Yun, but Lu Bu, having previously traversed this mountain path, was more familiar with the terrain than Zhao Yun.

This advantage was especially important during a night operation.

Zhao Yun’s cavalry, after quickly reorganizing, cut into the large camp below Mengjin Pass from the side!

A significant portion of the infantry that arrived afterward followed her orders to enter the city and quickly capture Niu Fu, who was still fighting desperately.

Niu Fu was in deep trouble.

He had fallen asleep in his armor due to his drunken state, so he hadn’t taken it off.

The armor turned out to be useful as it blocked several arrows aimed at him, saving his life for the moment.

However, the flickering lights in Mengjin Pass made him feel as though he hadn’t fully awakened.

He saw confusing flashes of black and red and heard news that one of his guards had been killed while trying to fight their way out.

At this point, Niu Fu realized that what was supposed to be a protective city wall had become a prison for him.

To make matters worse, he heard the sounds of more enemy troops entering the city.

He could only rely on the defenses and cover within the checkpoint, waiting for reinforcements to arrive from Xiaopingjin.

He couldn’t help but wonder if the Bingzhou army was able to cross the river so easily because—

Could it be that Xu Rong had surrendered to the Han army?

If not, how could he suddenly find himself in such a desperate situation?

If Xu Rong knew what this guy was thinking, he might regret starting to mobilize troops for support as soon as he received the news.

He could not ignore the distress signal from Mengjin Pass.

It wasn’t just because Niu Fu had been reassigned as his superior under Dong Zhuo’s orders.

The mutual support between Mengjin and Xiaopingjin was extremely important, or why else would they have set up two fortresses within such a short distance?

However, as Xu Rong climbed to the top of Xiaopingjin Pass, the darkness over the river prevented him from understanding the situation downstream.

All he could see were distant, flickering signals in the mountains.

How many people were coming?

Although the signal from Mengjin was still flashing, it couldn’t provide him with a clear understanding of the battle situation.

All he could do was send messages to Luoyang and prepare his own troops to set out.

But even if he sent messengers, he couldn’t guarantee that Luoyang would receive the news in time.

The soldiers sent to deliver the message were unaware that they might encounter Lu Bu, a fierce opponent, on the mountain path.

On the other side, the reinforcements weren’t having an easy time either.

Xu Rong’s force, numbering about 3,000, had 500 cavalry leading the way, followed by infantry running to keep up.

This was a planned, two-part reinforcement strategy.

However, no one expected that Qu Yi, with 300 heavily armored soldiers, had set an ambush.

Some of them were lying by the riverbank with shields, while others were stationed against the mountain wall.

As the infantry was halfway along the path, the ambushers suddenly attacked, almost cutting the force in half!

In daylight, such an ambush would have been less effective, but in the dim light of night, the ambush was devastating.

Even though a thousand heavy infantry could potentially face Gongsun Zan’s White Horse Army, these 300 heavy soldiers easily dealt with the infantry in the reinforcements.

Xu Rong, hearing the commotion from the rear, felt a pang of anxiety and knew he had to make a tough decision.

He had to choose between going back to support the troops at the rear or continuing forward to rescue Mengjing.

He could only pick one.

Since Qu Yi had deliberately controlled the timing of the assault, it was difficult for Xu Rong to quickly grasp the situation on both fronts.

Qu Yi, serving under Han Fu, had few chances to fight even after arriving in Bingzhou and was eager to prove his skills.

Even though the heavy infantry had been under his command for a short time, they were the best among the soldiers capable of wearing heavy armor.

To him, they were like a sharp weapon, and he charged forward, determined to prevent any further communication from reaching Xu Rong.

The combined battle cry of these three hundred men created a sense of overwhelming force, leading to a mistaken impression of the number of enemies.

Xu Rong took a deep breath and ultimately decided to move forward.

Even though the situation at Mengjing Pass had exceeded his capacity to assist, he could quickly turn back and join the defenders in Luoyang.

However, when he ran forward and saw the camp, he found that the Bingzhou army had already occupied the hills and passes.

The battle at Mengjin Pass was nearing its end, with the advantage of numbers no longer present.

He didn’t know where Niu Fu was.

All he saw was Qiao Yan, confidently mounted on a horse and leading her men from the newly crossed river, standing behind a line of armored soldiers.

In the surrounding firelight, she displayed a commanding presence and was looking directly at him.

Seeing the commander of Xiaopingjin personally coming to aid, Qiao Yan smiled and said, “General Xu, it seems like you’ve walked into a trap. It looks like Xiaopingjin will be handed over to me as well.”