Xiahou Mao talked tough, but inside he was badly rattled. Zhang Fei had taught him a lesson in Tianshui, and he also knew Wei Yan was no one to trifle with, so he lacked the courage to fight head-on.
Over the past few years, Zhang Fei had kept stirring up trouble in Tianshui, successfully drawing Cao Zhen's attention there. As a result, Yong Province had few troops stationed in it, and Xiahou Mao had only twenty thousand men guarding Chang'an.
Though he bore the title of General Who Pacifies the West, Xiahou Mao had no ability to contend with Cao Zhen. Far from Luoyang's political center, he kept concubines in Chang'an and enjoyed life, harboring no military ambitions whatsoever.
Not long ago, Liu Bei had invaded Chencang with a massive army. Zhang He urgently requested reinforcements from Chang'an. Seeing Zhang He "yield" to him for the first time, Xiahou Mao dispatched his subordinate Yi Biao with ten thousand troops without a second thought, displaying his magnanimity in looking after Zhang He—and wondering whether the man would repay the peach with a plum someday.
As a renowned general of the State of Wei, Zhang He had once served under Xiahou Yuan and now acknowledged only Cao Zhen as commander-in-chief. He had always regarded the "ornamental" General Who Pacifies the West as a joke. Had he not felt Liu Bei's pressure, he would never have requested aid from Xiahou Mao.
Facing Wei Yan's threat, Xiahou Mao deeply regretted puffing himself up and helping Zhang He. He had sent out half of Chang'an's garrison in one stroke. Now, the forces within the city were equal to those outside it, and he had no confidence at all in challenging the enemy.
Just as Xiahou Mao was at his wits' end, a guard announced from