Xun Chen suggested that Yuan Shao send an envoy to persuade the Cao army to surrender, so Yuan Shao dispatched him as his envoy into Chang'an.
Ever since Yuan Shao crossed the river, Xiahou Dun had entered the city, shouldered the Cao army's banner, and taken charge of affairs within Chang'an.
He was famed for his valor and fierceness, yet never neglected his studies. Pure and frugal by nature, whenever he had surplus wealth, he would distribute it to others. He was deeply trusted and valued by Cao Cao.
Thus, Xiahou Dun held immense prestige among the Cao Camp's generals. That was also why, even after Cao Cao's death, he could still command the other generals.
With his retreat into Chang'an, nearly all of the Cao army's civil and military officials had now gathered within the city.
Among the civil officials were core advisers such as Xun Yu, Lou Gui, Zhong Yao, Jia Xu, Guo Jia, and Dong Zhao. Among the military men, Xiahou Dun took the lead, with great commanders such as Xu Huang, Yu Jin, Shi Huan, and Xu Chu.
Not to mention the many second-tier civil and military officials under them, such as Jia Kui, Zhang Ji, Du Ji, Yang Xiu, and Xiahou Shang.
With such a lineup, together with sixty thousand troops, Chang'an could be turned directly into an impregnable military fortress.
Yet this concentration of civil and military officials also meant that the Cao army had reached the end of the road. Surrounded by three powers, they had virtually no chance to counterattack.
Therefore, the moment he entered Chang'an, Xiahou Dun summoned all the civil and military officials and displayed the last letter Cao Cao had given him. "All of you surely know the situation at hand. Ma Teng, Han Sui, Yuan Shao, and the