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

"Minister Hu, the wisdom and strategy you have displayed have truly surprised me!"

Cao Pi looked at Hu Zun with a hint of approval in his eyes and said.

"Indeed, I have made up my mind to lead the army directly to Jiuquan County. In this way, we can greatly extend the Han army's supply lines, putting them in a predicament of poor supply and ultimately forcing them to retreat without a fight!"

Cao Pi's expression was resolute, his face conveying an unquestionable determination.

This statement implies an endorsement of Hu Zun's words.

At this moment, Hu Zun's expression changed instantly.

He had assumed that Cao Pi would retreat to Zhangye, but he never expected that Cao Pi would decide to retreat directly to Jiuquan.

If Zhangye County is abandoned, wouldn't I lose even my position as governor?
Thinking of this, Hu Zun felt a sudden urgency, quickly stepped forward, and cupped his hands in greeting:
“Your Majesty, in my opinion, retreating to Zhangye is enough to threaten the Han army’s supply lines. There is really no need to retreat to Jiuquan. Zhangye is strategically located, easy to defend and difficult to attack. If we set up defenses here, we can definitely put the Han army in a dilemma.”

Cao Pi sighed helplessly and said:

"Of course I don't want to abandon Zhangye County easily, but the situation is pressing. Zhang Fei has already caught up with us, like a shadow. If we don't continue to retreat north, how can we withstand Zhang Fei's pursuit?"

Hu Zun's eyes darted around slightly as he silently calculated something, then he cupped his hands in greeting again:

"Your Majesty, I have a plan. If this plan can be successfully implemented, we may be able to annihilate the Han army led by Zhang Fei in one fell swoop!"

Cao Pi's previously dim eyes lit up instantly, as if he had seen a glimmer of light in the darkness.

You need to know, what kind of status did Zhang Fei have?
He was Liu Bei's sworn brother and served as General of the Cavalry in the Han Dynasty.

If we can kill them, it will be an unprecedented and unparalleled victory, enough to greatly boost morale.

"Minister Hu, what brilliant plan do you have? Tell me quickly! Don't keep me in suspense any longer."

Cao Pi pressed for an answer.

After all, deep down, he really didn't want to give up Zhangye easily.

Now that there was hope of holding Zhangye and inflicting heavy losses on the Han army, he was naturally invigorated and looked at Hu Zun with great anticipation.

At this moment, Cheng Gongying also showed curiosity, secretly wondering what method this Prefect Hu had to reverse this extremely unfavorable situation.

Seeing that everyone's attention was focused on him, Hu Zun no longer hesitated and explained his plan one by one.

Upon hearing this, Cao Pi's spirits lifted, his eyes widened instantly, and his excitement was palpable.

"boom!"

Cao Pi slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed in praise:
"Brilliant plan, brilliant plan! Minister Hu, this plan is absolutely brilliant! I will use your strategy to annihilate the pursuing Han army in one fell swoop!"

Cao Pi acted decisively and adopted the plan offered by Hu Zun.

Just then, Cheng Gongying coughed softly and said slowly:

“Your Majesty, although Brother Hu’s plan is ingenious, as far as I know, Xiao He used a similar tactic back then.”

Upon hearing this, Cao Pi was taken aback and then fell into deep thought.

Memories of the past flooded back, and he did indeed recall that old story.

"To be honest, Your Majesty, I did indeed follow Xiao He's plan from back then."

Seeing Cao Pi deep in thought, Hu Zun showed a hint of embarrassment and spoke truthfully.

After a pause, Hu Zun straightened his back and said confidently:
"However, the same strategy may still be used again. The reason I dare to offer this plan is that Zhang Fei came to pursue them personally this time, while Xiao He was not by his side."

"Xiao He isn't here, so why should we be afraid?"

"Zhang Fei would never have expected us to use this tactic, therefore I believe this plan has a very high chance of success!"

Cao Pi's initial excitement was reignited by Hu Zun's words, and he nodded repeatedly:

"Yes, Hu Qing is right! Although Xiao He is incredibly resourceful, he is not currently with Zhang Fei's army. Our army may still have a chance of victory." Before the words were even finished, Cheng Gongying stepped forward again, his expression grave.

"Your Majesty, Brother Hu's plan is excellent, but our army currently only has 20,000 troops, and we really cannot afford even the slightest mistake."

"I still believe that we should prioritize safety and abandon Zhangye to retreat to Jiuquan. This is the best course of action to preserve our army's strength and avoid unnecessary losses."

Gongying prefers stability and is unwilling to take risks easily.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I also believe that it is best to be cautious. Let's continue our retreat northward according to the original plan. After all, we only have 20,000 troops left, and we cannot act rashly."

Xu Huang also expressed his agreement with Cheng Gongying's plan.

There was no other way. Xu Huang knew that if this plan failed, his 20,000 troops would be completely wiped out.

These 20,000 troops were Wei's last hope.

Once it is lost, the State of Wei will have no chance of recovery!

After all, the population of Jiuquan and its surrounding counties is sparse, so it is impossible to recruit many soldiers.

Even if the newly recruited soldiers are just a rabble, how can they withstand the elite Han army?

Therefore, he dared not let Cao Pi take any risks, lest he lose these 20,000 precious soldiers.

What's more.

He was also afraid that Cao Pi might encounter misfortune in this battle.

Cao Cao was unconscious and in a state of utter despair, like a living dead.

If Cao Pi were to meet with another misfortune, then it would truly be the end for him.

Once the State of Wei falls, will he, as the Grand General of Wei, have any chance of survival?
Protecting Cao Pi and those 20,000 soldiers is protecting himself.

In order to protect himself, he could only patiently persuade Cao Pi to give up his risky idea of ​​plotting against the Han army.

Upon hearing this, Cao Pi's body trembled slightly, and he fell into deep thought.

For a moment, he remained silent, lost in thought.

Seeing this, Hu Zun quickly seized the opportunity to remind him:

"I have long been aware of Xiao He's wisdom and strategy, and I dare not underestimate him."

"But the problem now is that Xiao He is not in Zhang Fei's army, which gives us an opportunity."

"I believe that if we can seize this opportunity, our chances of winning are quite high."

"Moreover, the morale of the army is currently low, and Your Majesty needs a resounding victory to boost the confidence of our Great Wei soldiers. How can we easily miss such a golden opportunity?"

Fearing that Cao Pi might change his mind and abandon Zhangye Commandery, Hu Zunsheng hurriedly offered another lengthy and persuasive speech.

Cao Pi's concerns gradually dissipated after this persuasion.

"That's right!"

Cao Pi slammed his hand on the table and said sternly:
"As long as Xiao He is not here, what do I have to fear? My Great Wei urgently needs a victory to restore confidence and boost military morale. My mind is made up, so I will use this plan!"

"I will follow Hu Qing's plan to kill Zhang Fei and completely annihilate the pursuing Han army!"

Cao Pi's gaze was firm, and his tone resolute.

Seeing Cao Pi's resolute and ruthless actions, Cheng Gongying and Xu Huang, though still worried, dared not offer any further advice.

The two exchanged a glance and let out a silent sigh. (End of Chapter)