Shen to select fifty exceptional soldiers and order them to disguise themselves as woodcutters, enter the pass with other people and take the pass at midnight from within. The soldiers entered with heavy loads of firewood on their backs and hid themselves as night fell. Only a few Yong soldiers were guarding the gates of the pass at night, and the Han soldiers took out swords hidden within their loads of firewood. They killed the guards and opened the gates, allowing Han Xin to march on the town of Chencang on the southern edge of Guanzhong's Wei River Basin. Under attack by the Han army, the surprised garrison and its commander abandoned the town and reported the presence of the main Han army to Zhang Han. Zhang Han sent envoys to his former subordinates, the kings Sima Xin and Dong Yi, asking for help. He and his brother Zhang Ping then marched against Han Xin's army but were defeated in a battle outside Chencang. Zhang Han retreated to his capital Feiqiu with the majority of his remaining force, and Zhang Ping led a smaller part of the army towards the city of Haozhi. Han Xin judged that they should attack Zhang Ping rather than try to take Feiqiu, since Feiqiu was a stronger city protected by a larger army than that under Zhang Ping, and Zhang Han was an especially formidable general. A siege of Feiqiu could stall the progress of the invasion and give Zhang Ping, Sima Xin, Dong Yi and Xiang Yu himself more opportunity to crush the Han army before they had taken control of much of Guanzhong. Therefore, Han Xin focused first on the walled towns of Yong and Tai. Fan Kuai reached the vicinity of Yong as well and defeated a force of cavalry and chariots to the south of the town before re-joining the main Han army. They captured the two towns, with Fan Kuai seizing the walls with his vanguard, and they then pursued Zhang Ping, defeating him in a battle outside Haozhi. Zhang Ping retreated within the walls and a siege ensued. Meanwhile, Han Xin and Cao Shen used part of the army to capture the town of Rang, to the east of Haozhi, and a Han detachment under Zhou Bo captured the county of Huali. Sima Xin sent General Zhao Ben to reinforce Zhang Han in Feiqiu, and an army sent