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

"General of the Cavalry, in my humble opinion, Xu Zhi is not in any serious danger. However, Jiang Xu is a man of exceptional intelligence and should be treated with caution."

"If we let this person go now, he may become a major threat to our army in the future."

Worried about the situation, Ma Su quickly approached Zhang Fei and whispered a reminder.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fei hesitated for a moment and subconsciously glanced at Xiao He beside him.

Xiao He, however, looked completely unconvinced, a confident smile playing on his lips.

"So what if Jiang Xu is intelligent? Back then, Cao Cao had a plethora of strategists under his command, each one of whom was exceptionally talented and resourceful. Guo Jia, Xun Yu, Jia Xu, and others—weren't they all several times better than this Jiang Xu?"

"Even so, Cao Cao has never won a single battle against us!"

"He's just a mere Jiang Xu now, what's there to fear!"

As Xiao He spoke, his eyes flashed with domineering confidence.

Inspired by Xiao He's powerful confidence, Ma Su nodded slightly, his eyes full of agreement.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fei wholeheartedly agreed, and without further hesitation, patted his chest and said:
"Since your father values ​​righteousness so much, I will certainly grant his request. Go back and tell your father that I have granted his request!"

Upon hearing this, Liang Xun was overjoyed and immediately bowed respectfully several times, his eyes filled with gratitude.

After careful discussion, the specific details of the surrender of Kaicheng were finalized.

With Zhang Fei's reply in hand, Liang Xun returned to Pingxiang City with great joy.

The next day at dawn, the morning sun shone on the land of Pingxiang City.

Above the east gate of Pingxiang, the Wei flag that had been flying high was slowly lowered and replaced by a bright and dazzling Han flag.

The drawbridge slowly lowered with a heavy thud, and the city gates swung open.

The Wei soldiers in Longyou laid down their weapons and armor, their expressions a mixture of dejection and relief, and slowly drove out of the city, forming neat ranks to await the Han army's incorporation.

At the same time, the Han army south of the city opened the siege camp as promised, creating a wide gap for them to advance south.

Xu Zhi and Jiang Xu led several thousand Guanzhong soldiers out of the city with heavy steps, carefully passing through the Han camp and heading towards the outside of the city.

After passing through the Han camp, Xu Zhi pulled on the reins and galloped away, while the Wei army behind him also fled in panic.

Soon, Pingxiang City became a ghost town.

The Han army then entered the city in a grand procession and quickly took control of it.

At noon, Han flags were raised at all four gates, announcing that Pingxiang City had officially changed hands.

Accompanied by his son, Liang Xing led several riders slowly toward the Han camp, his heart filled with both trepidation and anticipation for the future.

At this moment, Zhang Fei and Xiao He had already led their generals and were personally standing in front of the camp gate to welcome them.

"Father, look! It's the General of Chariots and Cavalry and the Grand Marshal. They've come to the camp gate to wait for you!"

Liang Xun was so excited that his face turned completely red.

Liang Xing was immediately flattered, and his initial trepidation instantly turned into deep gratitude.

"How could I, a mere surrendered general, be welcomed by both the Grand Marshal and the General of Chariots and Cavalry with their armies?"

Before he finished speaking, Liang Xing immediately dismounted, knelt down, and prostrated himself on the ground.
"The guilty general Liang Xing pays his respects to the Grand Marshal and the General of Chariots and Cavalry!"

Zhang Fei quickly stepped forward, helped Liang Xing up, and said with a smile:

"That's not true. You helped us achieve peace without a fight. What crime have you committed? You are not a criminal, but a meritorious official of the Han Dynasty!"

Overjoyed, Liang Xing's eyes welled with tears. He slowly turned around and bowed deeply towards Luoyang.
"Liang Xingding is willing to go through fire and water for His Majesty!"

After speaking, he bowed again to show his determination.

This firm statement pleased both Zhang Fei and Xiao He.

They helped Liang Xing up again, and Xiao He said with a smile:

"The Emperor's greatest gain from this battle is that he has acquired such a fierce general from Xiliang!" "I have prepared the wine; let's return to our tents and talk."

Zhang Fei said with a smile, and then he and Xiao He, along with Liang Xing and his son, returned to their tent.

Inside the tent, a banquet had already been laid out.

This banquet served two purposes: first, to welcome Liang Xing and to celebrate the swift fall of Pingxiang City without a fight.

"My son was treated kindly by the Grand Marshal in Chang'an, and now he is able to surrender to the Han Dynasty thanks to the Grand Marshal's words. I am deeply grateful for the Grand Marshal's kindness. Respectfully, Grand Marshal!"

After paying respects to Zhang Fei, Liang Xing naturally had to pay homage to Xiao He.

Xiao He picked up his wine glass, smiled calmly, and said:

"General Liang, you flatter me. It is because of General Yide's magnanimity that we have the opportunity to drink and chat. Let us toast Yide together with this cup!"

As he spoke, he smiled and raised his glass to Zhang Fei.

Seeing this, Liang Xing quickly raised his glass in a toast as well.

Zhang Fei laughed, raised his cup in a hearty manner, and drank it all in one gulp. Liang Xing also tilted his head back and drank it all in one go.

Zhang Fei raised his cup again and laughed loudly:

"Come, let's drink to our hearts' content today! Tomorrow, the army will march south and take Ji County head-on!"

Upon hearing this, the generals raised their cups in a thunderous roar, and their boisterous laughter echoed throughout the imperial tent.

...

In Ji County, the imperial palace was filled with a deathly atmosphere.

Cao Pi rested his hand on his forehead, his brows furrowed, staring intently at the two characters "Pingxiang" on the map, his melancholy evident in his expression.

He secretly regretted that he was too late.

When the messenger arrived ordering the abandonment of Pingxiang and the retreat south, Zhang Fei had already completely surrounded Pingxiang.

Xu Zhi and his seven thousand Wei soldiers were trapped in the city, isolated and helpless.

I definitely wouldn't dare to go and save him.

We currently have fewer than 30,000 troops available.

If they were to head north to rescue Pingxiang, it would undoubtedly be like throwing an egg against a rock, a suicidal act.

He could only cower in Ji County, watching helplessly as his seven thousand soldiers were trapped, waiting anxiously for news of the fall of Pingxiang.

"Xu Zhi was promoted by me personally. After the city falls, he should die for me..."

Cao Pi secretly plotted for Xu Zhi to bring about the fall of the city.

In his view, dying for one's country and for one's ruler was the most perfect ending for Xu Zhi.

"Pingxiang will surely be able to hold out until the ice melts."

Looking at Cao Pi's furrowed brow, Wei Kang suddenly spoke:
"Your Majesty, during this time, we must find a way to rescue the seven thousand soldiers. These seven thousand men are invaluable to Your Majesty and to our Great Wei. We should save them if we can."

This statement came out.

Cheng Gongying's originally calm face instantly darkened, her brows furrowed tightly, and her expression was full of displeasure.

Liang Xing and Jiang Xu, these two people from Longyou, should have been trapped and died in the isolated city of Pingxiang; that was the situation he most wanted to see.

Liangbei and Longyou already had many subtle competitions and conflicts in terms of territory and interests. The decline of Longyou meant that the people of Liangbei would gain more say in the court.

Wei Kang, who was also from Liangbei, insisted on stepping forward and proposing to rescue the two people from Longyou.

Cheng Gongying felt a surge of anger rising within her, and cursed inwardly:
"What's wrong with you, Wei Kang, a man from Liangbei? Why would you want to rescue two people from Longyou from a desperate situation? Aren't you just looking for trouble?"

But in the imperial court, he couldn't vent his anger directly; he could only suppress his rage and subtly signal to Wei Kang with his eyes. (End of Chapter)