My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

As dusk deepened, the setting sun shone like blood.

Inside the main hall of the Jieting County Government, candlelight flickered, illuminating the figures of the civil and military officials filling the hall.

An urgent military meeting concerning the safety of Liangzhou is quietly unfolding.

Seated in the main seat in the hall was Cao Pi, who had only recently ascended the throne.

Although Cao Pi feigned authority, his furrowed brows and solemn expression betrayed his inner anxiety:

The Guanzhong region has fallen into the hands of the Han Dynasty, and Liangzhou is also in turmoil.

"Dear ladies!"

Cao Pi's voice broke the silence of the hall, and he shouted:
"Guanzhong has been lost for many days. Liu Bei expects that after the Han army has finished resting, he will surely march west to attack our Liangzhou."

"Now, our Great Wei is at a critical juncture of life and death. Do any of you have a good strategy to resist the Han army? Speak it out!"

After speaking, Cao Pi slowly swept his gaze over the assembled officials.

The Wei officials lowered their heads in thought, and none of them spoke first.

Inside the hall, only the crackling of the burning candlelight remained, creating a suffocating silence.

The ministers looked at each other, their eyes filled with helplessness, and shook their heads and sighed.

After the fall of Guanzhong, the Han army was at its peak, with hundreds of thousands of troops stationed in Chang'an, ready to march west at any time.

However, they currently only have tens of thousands of soldiers available.

Given this overwhelming disparity in strength, no one knew how to turn the tide.

After a long silence, Jia Xu, who was the head of the civil officials, slowly rose, bowed deeply to Cao Pi, and then said in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty, I have been pondering strategies to defend against the enemy day and night. I believe that if Liu Bei wants to take over Longxi, the Jieting Road is the only way through."

"This road is flat and easy to transport supplies, so it will definitely be the main direction of the Han army's attack."

He paused and continued:
"If we want to defend Liangzhou, Jieting City is the key."

"However, this city has been in disrepair for many years. I believe that the most urgent task is to immediately reinforce Jieting City in order to withstand the Han army's attack soon."

After Jia Xu's words, Cao Pi's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and his previously heavy face gained a bit more confidence.

He nodded repeatedly, praising:

"Excellent, excellent, Jia Qing's plan is insightful and far-sighted. If we can follow this plan, our Great Wei will surely be able to turn danger into safety."

After praising Jia Xu, Cao Pi turned his gaze to the military officers below and asked:

"Now that the strategy has been decided, who among you is willing to lead troops to stay and defend Jieting, and resist the invasion of the Han army?"

After Cao Pi finished speaking, the hall fell silent once again.

The generals all lowered their heads, avoiding Cao Pi's gaze, and not one of them volunteered to fight.

If they stayed to defend Jieting, they would face an attack from hundreds of thousands of Han troops, and the slightest mistake would result in defeat and death.

None of the generals had the resolve to defend to the death for the Wei Kingdom.

Seeing the generals' expressions, Cao Pi's face darkened instantly, and a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.

It even carried a hint of anger.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and was about to lash out at his generals for being cowardly and afraid of death.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to remain at Jieting and will not allow the Han army to cross the Longshan Mountains even a single step!"

A burly military general suddenly stood up and volunteered for battle.

It was none other than the fierce general Wang Shuang.

Upon seeing this, Cao Pi's spirits lifted immediately, and the anger on his face vanished.

He immediately nodded and praised loudly:
"The presence of Wang Qing in the Great Wei is a blessing for our Great Wei!"

"I hereby appoint you as General Who Guards the East and assign you six thousand elite troops. I entrust Jieting to you!"

Wang Shuang knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and readily accepted the order:

"Your subject is determined to defend Jieting to the death. The city stands as long as we stand, and we will perish if the city falls!"

After Wang Shuang rose and returned to his ranks, Cao Pi once again turned his gaze to the generals:
"With Wang Qing as the commander-in-chief, who among you is willing to assist him as the deputy commander in guarding Jieting?"

The generals remained silent, heads bowed, and none of them were willing to speak.

Just as Cao Pi was feeling helpless, a figure slowly stood up from a corner of the hall. "Your Majesty, I am willing to assist the General Who Guards the East and defend Jieting to the death!"

The voice wasn't loud, but it was extremely firm.

Cao Pi's gaze swept past the assembled officials and landed on the unremarkable young military general.

For a moment, he couldn't recall the person's name.

The military officer seemed to have anticipated that Cao Pi wouldn't remember him; he calmly bowed to Cao Pi.

"This humble general, Jiang Wei, is willing to assist the General Who Guards the East in defending Jieting."

Cao Pi suddenly realized what had happened and remembered the man's background.

Jiang Wei was from Tianshui. When Jiang Wei was recruiting soldiers and expanding his army in Longxi, Jiang Wei took the initiative to join him. Because of his decent martial arts skills, Jiang Wei was kept in the army.

It's just that Jiang Wei didn't come from a family of famous generals, so it's normal that Cao Pi didn't remember him.

If it weren't for the fall of Guanzhong, which resulted in heavy losses for the Wei army, with most of its generals either dying on the battlefield or defecting to the Han, there would be no one left to use.

Given Jiang Wei's seniority and status, he was simply not qualified to participate in this crucial military council that concerned life and death.

Thinking of this, Cao Pi couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive, and asked in a deep voice:
"Jiang Qing, defending Jieting is extremely dangerous. Do you really have the courage to assist Wang Qing in holding it?"

Faced with Cao Pi's questioning, Jiang Wei did not hesitate at all. He straightened his body and said proudly:

"Your Majesty's favor has been bestowed upon me. Now that Great Wei is in peril, I will gladly sacrifice myself to repay your kindness!"

Upon hearing Jiang Wei's words, Cao Pi understood the situation.

Young men like Jiang Wei, who came from humble backgrounds and had no connections in the army, longed to seize opportunities to make contributions and gain promotions.

Although defending Jieting was dangerous, it was also a golden opportunity.

If you can successfully defend Jieting and repel the Han army, you will surely become famous and rise to prominence.

Only those with such an eagerness to achieve great things will do their utmost for the State of Wei.

Thinking of this, Cao Pi praised it highly:

"Very well, very well! It is truly my blessing to have such a loyal and brave minister as Minister Jiang!"

Then, Cao Pi said loudly:

"Jiang Wei, I hereby promote you to the rank of Lieutenant General. You will stay here with Minister Wang and assist him in guarding this city!"

Hearing this, Jiang Wei was secretly delighted and bowed to Cao Pi again:

"The minister obeys the order!"

Thus, the strategy of building Jieting City and relying on the natural defenses of the Longshan Mountains to resist the Han army was finally officially decided.

Cao Pi did not delay any longer and immediately ordered his men to pack their belongings and prepare to set off westward the next day for the secondary capital, Ji County, so that he could coordinate and mobilize resources, recruit troops, and gather provisions in preparation for the upcoming great battle.

Meanwhile, Generals Wang Shuang and Jiang Wei led 6,000 Wei troops and remained in Jieting City.

As soon as Cao Pi left Jieting, Wang Shuang immediately gathered thousands of laborers nearby to carry earth and stones and frantically build the city.

A few days later, at dusk.

Wang Shuang stood with his hands behind his back on the city tower, his majestic gaze overlooking the city below.

The laborers were busy transporting earth and stones to build the city wall, each doing their own job.

The originally low and old city walls were gradually raised and thickened.

"Guanzhong has just fallen. Although the Han army has won, it will need at least two months to rest and recuperate before it has the strength to launch an attack on my Liangzhou."

"Two months should be enough time for me to build the city walls as solid as iron..."

Just as Wang Shuang was making plans, a series of rapid hoofbeats suddenly came from outside the city, growing louder as they approached, breaking the hustle and bustle below the city gate.

Wang Shuang looked in the direction of the sound and saw a scout riding a fast horse, galloping into the city and then rushing up the city wall without stopping.

"Reporting to General Zhen Dong! Something terrible has happened!"

The scout, his face contorted with panic, shouted before he could even catch his breath:

"While we were scouting in Jieting, we discovered that tens of thousands of Han troops were crossing the Longshan Mountains and rushing towards our Jieting!"

Wang Shuang's expression suddenly changed. (End of Chapter)