Wang Chong had not expected his outlandish maneuver to actually work.
His original plan had been to let Gao Chongxing go back, knowing his mind would be in turmoil, then seize the chance to lay a scheme and trick him. After all, Gao Chongxing still had tens of thousands of troops under his command. If he kept attacking relentlessly, Wang Chong might not be able to hold Copper Pass. Yet even after Gao Chongxing followed him into Copper Pass, Wang Chong still felt as though he were dreaming. Are the generals in this world really this easy to fool?
Though puzzled inwardly, he took Gao Chongxing by the hand and said with a broad smile, "General Gao, your fame resounds far and wide. I've long heard of you and only regretted never meeting you in person. Now we can work together every day. What could be more delightful?"
"Arrange a banquet at once! I want to drink my fill with General Gao."
By now, Gao Chongxing had decided that since the pot was cracked, he might as well smash it. "I still have tens of thousands of troops outside the city..."
Wang Chong held his hand and said, "The troops are a small matter. Come with me, General Gao."
Gao Chongxing had originally been a cavalry slave of mixed Han and Hu blood. Unable to endure his master's abuse, he had fled the Great Grassland, only to be captured and sold to a general under An Dushan. He had fought countless battles in An Dushan's service, earning his rank one stroke of the saber and thrust of the spear at a time. His position was second only to Xun Ba's, yet An Dushan generally thought little of him and would curse him at the slightest provocation. Not long ago, he