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

Immediately, Ma Chao and Deng Ai made a decisive move, quickly urging their troops to march in a mighty procession straight towards Jieting City.

Dusk.

The main force of the Han army advanced smoothly to the city of Jieting like a tidal wave.

The city gates were tightly shut, and the flags on the city walls had long since disappeared. The entire city was silent, giving it an eerie feel.

really.

As the scouts had previously reported, apart from the thousands of civilians remaining in the city, not a single Wei soldier could be seen.

Ma Chao and Deng Ai stood atop the city gate, their gazes fixed on the scenery on the southern mountain.

On the hilltop, countless tents were neatly arranged, and banners embroidered with the character "Wei" fluttered wildly in the setting sun, as if demonstrating against the Han army.

"This Wang Shuang is truly baffling! He abandoned a perfectly good city and went up the mountain instead. What was he thinking?"

Ma Chao frowned, his eyes filled with doubt, staring intently at the Wei army camp on Maiji Mountain.

Deng Ai stood quietly to the side, gazing intently at Maijishan, carefully observing the terrain.

After observing for a long time, he slowly spoke:

"Wang Shuang must have known that with his limited troops, the hope of holding Jieting was slim. He had no choice but to make this decision."

At this point, Deng Ai raised his hand and pointed to Maijishan:

"General Mengqi, please look. This Maijishan Mountain has a unique terrain. It is surrounded by steep cliffs on three sides, making it almost impossible to climb."

"The only side is a relatively gentle slope. Such terrain is an excellent place that is easy to defend and difficult to attack. With such a natural barrier, it is enough to make up for their lack of troops."

"This must be why Wang Shuang abandoned Jieting and resolutely went up the mountain instead of defending the city."

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao suddenly understood, and his brows furrowed involuntarily.
"This Wang Shuang is not a reckless fool. It seems that it will not be easy for us to win this battle quickly."

Upon hearing this, Deng Ai smiled, a hint of confidence in his eyes.

He pointed again towards the front of the mountain and said:

"Although Maijishan is strategically located and easy to defend, it has its own weakness. Its only water source is the Jieting River in front of the mountain."

"General Mengqi only needs to give the order to his soldiers to block the gentle slope down the mountain to the north, which will cut off the Wei army's water supply. Without water, the Wei army on the mountain will surely be thrown into chaos and collapse without a fight in a few days."

Ma Chao's eyes lit up, and his approving gaze quickly turned to Deng Ai. He smiled and said:
"Very well, let's do as Shi Zai plans!"

“We’ll cut off Wang Shuang’s water supply, forcing him to come and die, and then we’ll wipe him out in one fell swoop.”

...

Ji County, the secondary capital of Wei, was located within the temporary palace.

Cao Pi sat upright on the dragon throne, listening quietly as his ministers reported on the military situation in turn.

"Your Majesty, the prefectures of Liangbei have presented three thousand horses, which are now fully prepared and on their way to the capital. They will arrive in a few days."

"The newly recruited Qiang and Di soldiers number about 10,000 and they are already on their way to Ji County. They are expected to arrive within five days."

"The 50,000 bushels of grain and fodder collected from various prefectures in Longxi have been prepared and will soon be delivered to Ji County to alleviate our army's urgent need for provisions..."

Cheng Songying stood to the side, reading aloud the military reports.

Most of these military reports were good news, like a spring breeze that dispelled the gloom in Cao Pi's heart.

His tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed slightly, and his expression softened considerably.

"Our army currently has 50,000 troops available, and with the natural barrier of Longshan Mountain as a natural defense, as long as General Zhen Dong can complete the reinforcement of Jieting City, our Longshan defense line will be as solid as a rock."

Cheng Gongying closed the military report in his hand and smiled at Cao Pi.

Upon hearing this, Cao Pi managed a long-lost look of relief on his face:

"As you said, our Great Wei has finally seen a glimmer of hope. My ministers, can you all rest easy now?" The ministers were all in low spirits because of the fall of Guanzhong and their hasty escape to Liangzhou.

Hearing Cao Pi's words, his low spirits gradually lifted.

Inside the hall, the originally somber atmosphere gradually began to rekindle with a sense of excitement.

"His Majesty…"

Jia Xu's expression remained solemn, his eyes revealing worry, as if he had something to say but was hesitant to speak.

Cao Pi glanced at him, then waved his hand and said:
"Wenhe, is there anything else you're worried about? Please speak freely."

After hesitating for a moment, Jia Xu took a deep breath, cupped his hands, and said:

"Your Majesty, Jieting is of paramount importance. I am worried that if the Han army suddenly attacks before Jieting can be fully fortified, the situation will be dire."

"I have always believed that the current situation is far from a time for optimism. We still need to act cautiously and make sure we have all the necessary preparations."

Cao Pi felt a slight chill and became alert.

"Grand Commandant, you are worrying too much. The Han army has just conquered Guanzhong. The soldiers have just fought a great battle and have not yet had time to rest. They are exhausted. How could they possibly attack my Liangzhou immediately?"

Cheng Gongying smiled dismissively, then said confidently:
"I believe that the Han army will not attack Jieting for at least two months. In these two months, we will have enough time to fortify Jieting, train our soldiers, and make full preparations."

Jia Xu was speechless for a moment.

He knew in his heart that, in all honesty, Cheng Gongying's words were indeed reasonable.

Logically speaking, it is indeed unlikely that the Han army would launch an attack on Liangzhou in such a short period of time.

However, it would be different if it were someone else.

The one who could command the army was none other than Xiao He.

Xiao He's greatest strength is his ability to surprise people.

This is what Jia Xu truly worries about.

But seeing that Cao Pi seemed to have already leaned towards Cheng Gongying's viewpoint, he didn't know how to persuade them any further.

"What Minister Cheng says is absolutely right. I do not believe that the Han army will attack my Liangzhou so quickly!"

Cao Pi indeed sided with Cheng Gongying, his tone revealing a hint of arrogance.

Jia Xu hesitated for a long time, sighed inwardly, but only sighed softly and said nothing more.

Just as Cao Pi was about to adjourn the military meeting, the Imperial Guards rushed in, looking flustered, and respectfully presented an urgent report.

"Your Majesty, a urgent report from the General Who Guards the East!"

"Traces of Han troops, numbering over 30,000, have been discovered on the road to Jieting. The General of Zhen Dong requests Your Majesty to immediately dispatch reinforcements to strengthen the defenses of Jieting, otherwise Jieting will be in imminent danger!"

The news struck like a thunderbolt, instantly causing a huge uproar in the hall.

The ministers, who were about to leave, were all shocked and their faces showed extreme fear.

They never expected the Han army to arrive so quickly.

Cao Pi, who had just stood up and was about to leave, was so shocked by the news that he trembled as if struck by an electric current and fell back down.

Then, he suddenly jumped up, took a few steps down the steps, and, as if he had gone mad, snatched the urgent report, unfolded it impatiently, and eagerly read it.

Then, Cao Pi's face grew increasingly grim. He gasped, a look of shock and astonishment crossing his face.

"The Han army... they actually arrived so quickly?"

"This, this, this..." (End of Chapter)