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

"How is this possible? His Majesty has actually lost..."

Xu Zhi's eyes widened, his gaze filled with disbelief.

Then, he turned his trembling gaze toward Jiang Xu.

Jiang Xu's face instantly stiffened, as if covered by a layer of frost. His lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats broke the oppressive atmosphere.

"Report——"

A soldier rushed over like an arrow, shouting:
"Reporting to the three generals, the Han army has suddenly set up camps on the west, east, and south sides!"

"It seems they intend to encircle Pingxiang City!"

Upon hearing this, all three generals turned pale with shock.

Xu Zhi's brows furrowed tightly, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

Jiang Xu's hands involuntarily clenched into fists.

Liang Xing's eyes widened in shock.

It should be noted that the Han army had been at the city's gates for eight days, yet they had not dared to besiege it.

But today, such a big move has suddenly occurred.

This must mean that Xiao and his group had already learned of the great victory at San Pass, and thus determined the true situation in the city.

That's why they dared to besiege the city so boldly; their purpose was to trap them in Pingxiang and let them die in this isolated city.

"boom!"

Enraged, Liang Xing slammed his fist into the battlement, the loud thud echoing across the silent city wall.

Then he sighed deeply, his face full of regret, and said:

"I told you long ago that Xiao He is a reincarnation of a military genius and is very likely to see through your plan. Now it seems that your plan has indeed been seen through, and we are going to be trapped and die in this Pingxiang City!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xu felt a jolt in his heart, as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer.

Cold sweat instantly soaked his back; he felt a chill run from his feet to his head, and could only grit his teeth and say:

"Damn it, how could my perfect plan be seen through? Is Xiao He a human or a god?"

Xu Zhi was also furious. He clenched his fists and pounded the battlements to vent his anger and resentment.

Liang Xing took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:

"There's no point in saying more now. The Han army has just begun its siege and their defenses are not yet fully secure. If we lead our troops to break out immediately, there might still be a glimmer of hope!"

"If we wait until the Han army completes the siege and surrounds us, we will have no chance of escape!"

"General Xu, give the order!"

Jiang Xu nodded repeatedly, quickly echoing:
"Brother Liang is right. General Xu, let's break out of the encirclement. If we can break through, even if we can't save our seven thousand men, we won't be wiped out. It's better than sitting here and waiting to die!"

After they finished speaking, their eyes both turned to Xu Zhi.

In Pingxiang City, Xu Zhi was the commander of these seven thousand soldiers.

Whether to abandon the city, to fight or flee, everything depends on Xu Zhi's orders.

Xu Zhi gazed out of the city, his heart filled with deep hesitation.

He saw that although the Han army's camp was not yet fully set up, the Han army had already assembled and was ready to go, completely blocking the road south.

Moreover, dust and mist were billowing around the Han camp, clearly indicating that Han cavalry were galloping back and forth.

If they attempt to break through, it will be a fierce battle to the death, and the outcome is uncertain.

"We cannot break through."

Xu Zhi gritted his teeth and said decisively:

"We must hold Pingxiang to the death and wait for His Majesty to come to our rescue!"

Liang Xing and Jiang Xu were greatly surprised when they heard this.

Liang Xing's eyes widened, and he questioned sharply:
"General Xu, have you gone mad?"

"His Majesty has ordered us to break out of the encirclement. Do you dare to disobey the imperial decree

Jiang Xu followed closely behind, questioning sharply:
"Yes, how can we hold out? Even with the ice wall in place, how long can it last?"

"When the weather warms up and the ice walls melt, how can our seven thousand men withstand the attack of two hundred thousand Han troops?" "At that time, we will only face certain death!"

Xu Zhi's gaze was as firm as iron, and he resolutely said:
“Look at the formation outside the city. The Han army has already assembled, and their cavalry has blocked all escape routes. It will be extremely difficult for us to break out.”

"If we force our way out, we will also face certain death! His Majesty ordered me to protect these seven thousand men. If I order a breakout that results in the annihilation of the entire army, how can I explain this to His Majesty?"

To put it bluntly, Xu Zhi lacked the courage to break through the siege; he placed all his hopes on Cao Pi, expecting Cao Pi to arrive in time to rescue him.

"General Xu!"

Liang Xing, impatient, said sternly:

"Our defense of Pingxiang was to tie down the enemy and buy His Majesty time to launch a surprise attack on Sanguan. Now that Sanguan has fallen, what is the point of our defense of Pingxiang?"

"At present, our army can only abandon the city and retreat south to Ji County, relying on the Wei River to block the Han army. There is still a glimmer of hope."

“If we are trapped in Pingxiang, His Majesty will not lead his army to rescue us. After all, His Majesty has to consider the overall situation and will not risk the annihilation of the entire army to come to our rescue for the sake of the three of us and seven thousand soldiers.”

"General Xu, if you hold Pingxiang, all seven thousand of us will surely perish!"

Xu Zhi remained silent.

An intense internal struggle is also raging at this moment.

After a long pause, he took a deep breath and resolutely raised his head:

“I have followed His Majesty for many years. He will not abandon us, and His Majesty will not stand by and watch these seven thousand men perish here.”

"My mind is made up. I will hold Pingxiang and wait for His Majesty's reinforcements. Then, we can coordinate from within and without, and perhaps even defeat Zhang Fei and Xiao He!"

Liang Xing grew anxious and wanted to persuade him again, but before he could speak, Xu Zhi drew his sword with a "whoosh".

"My order is hereby given and cannot be changed. Anyone who dares to undermine morale will be dealt with according to military law!"

Liang Xing's words of persuasion were thus shut down.

Jiang Xu also let out a long sigh and had no choice but to shut his mouth.

The two exchanged a glance and sighed inwardly.

Thus, the seven thousand Wei soldiers in the city were trapped inside.

Within a day, the Han army's four large camps were set up.

Pingxiang City was thus besieged and turned into a dead city.

The Wei army was like a wild beast trapped in a cage, with no way to escape.

...

Inside the Han camp's main tent, the atmosphere was completely different.

"Grand Marshal, General of Chariots and Cavalry, the siege is complete. Please give the order to attack!"

Ma Chao readily volunteered.

Guan Xing leaped up, proudly declaring:

"Order the attack on the city, and I will surely behead Xu Zhi, Liang Xing, and Jiang Xu!"

At this point, the true strength and weakness of the Wei army in the city were known, and the defending general was also identified.

The generals vied to volunteer for battle, all eager to establish their merits.

"Although the enemy only has seven thousand troops, Pingxiang City is still covered by solid ice."

Zhao Yun calmly replied:

"If our army launches a strong attack, it will surely lose the lives of our soldiers. We cannot let our soldiers sacrifice themselves in vain."

When the General of Chariots and Cavalry spoke, the generals, though somewhat unwilling, suppressed their fighting spirit.

Zhang Fei turned his gaze to Xiao He and asked:

"Bowen, what do you think?"

Xiao He's eyes flashed with a strange light as he slowly said:

"Although Pingxiang City has ice walls, we will consume a lot of food and fodder while waiting for the weather to warm up. I have an idea that we may be able to break through Pingxiang without waiting until spring."

Upon hearing this, the tent fell silent, and all the generals' eyes were fixed on Xiao He. (End of Chapter)