Shuhan

Cao Pi sat at the desk, his brows revealing a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.

His eyes were fixed on Wu Zhi, as if he wanted to take in every subtle expression of this trusted and important official.

Wu Zhi was thin and had a gaunt face. He was standing in front of Cao Pi in a calm manner, with a faint smile on his lips. That smile contained both confidence and a bit of imperceptible cunning.

"If Ji Zhong has any good plan, please tell us as soon as possible." There was a hint of urgency in Cao Pi's voice. Obviously, the current predicament made him feel very stressed.

The 100,000-strong Xianbei army was approaching, like a dark cloud covering the sun, causing panic among the people of Wei.

Wu Zhi smiled gently, the laughter was crisp, but it seemed to carry some unspeakable power.

"The Xianbei army of 100,000 may look ferocious, but I can make them retreat with just a word from you."

As he spoke, his eyes sparkled with wisdom and his heart was full of confidence.

However, the smile on Cao Pi's face froze in an instant, replaced by a look of disbelief and deep worry.

He was stunned for a moment, his expression became strange, and his eyes showed both doubts about Wu Zhi and concerns about his safety.

"The Xianbei are fierce and violent. Ji Zhong should not take any risks. There is no need to discuss this matter any further."

There was unquestionable determination in Cao Pi's words, but his eyes revealed his inner conflict and struggle.

Seeing this, Wu Zhi's eyes became more determined. He took a step forward, his tone full of irrefutable persuasiveness: "Your Majesty, the current situation in the world is that Han is strong and Wei is weak. If Wei is destroyed, will the Xianbei be better off? Ke Bineng will understand the principle of lips and teeth being cold. I am willing to use my eloquence to persuade Ke Bineng!"

Although Wu Zhi's voice was not loud, every word he spoke was sonorous, revealing a determination that should not be underestimated.

Cao Pi felt mixed emotions when he listened to Wu Zhi's words.

He was well aware of Wu Zhi's wisdom and understood that this might be the only chance of turning things around, but it was undoubtedly torment for him to watch his confidant take risks.

Cao Pi's face was abnormally red, which was obviously the physical reaction of his inner emotional fluctuations.

He picked up a silk handkerchief to cover his mouth and coughed, and actually coughed up blood, but he quickly covered it up so that no one would notice his weakness.

Upon seeing this, Shangshu Ling Chen Qun hurried forward to comfort them: "If the Xianbei people can reason, they will not be barbarians. It is too dangerous for the governor to reason with these barbarians." There was a hint of urgency in his voice, and it was obvious that he also had reservations about Wu Zhi's plan.

At this time, Crown Prince Cao Rui also stepped forward to speak.

Although he had been dissatisfied with Wu Zhi's temperament before, thinking that he was unruly and often spoke wildly, he also showed his appreciation for talent when the country was in danger.

"It is dangerous to go north, there is no need to say anything more, Governor."

There was a hint of earnestness in Cao Rui's words, and it was obvious that he did not want to see Wu Zhi take risks.

However, Wu Zhi seemed determined. He knelt on the ground, his eyes flashing with determination: "I am willing to sign a military order. If my plan fails, I will offer my head immediately!"

Cao Pi looked at Wu Zhi, with complicated emotions surging in his heart.

He was silent for a long time, and finally sighed, with helplessness and determination in his eyes: "Okay, I promise you. But you must return safely, Wei still needs you, and I still need you."

As Cao Pi finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room seemed to freeze for a moment.

Wu Zhi slowly stood up, his eyes gleaming with gratitude and determination. He bowed deeply and said, "I will definitely fulfill my mission."

Cao Zhen looked thoughtful, his brows were furrowed, and his eyes revealed deep worry.

He took a step forward, his tone heavy: "If the governor's plan fails, I'm afraid Jizhou will be in danger of being invaded by the Xianbei. This responsibility is not something you and I can bear. Please understand, governor."

Although his voice was not loud, every word seemed to strike everyone's heart.

Wu Zhi stood up slowly. Although he was thin, he looked unusually tall at this moment.

He met Cao Zhen's gaze, his eyes flashing with determination and confidence: "Even if Kebineng cannot be persuaded, Yan Rou, the captain of the Wuhuan Guard, can also delay the Xianbei army. General, you can lead your troops down the Yellow River and wait for news from me in Gaotang.

If my plan fails, I will use the strategy of dividing the troops; if my plan succeeds, I will lead the army to Qingzhou, it is not too late. "

Wu Zhi's voice was calm and powerful, and every word revealed his deep insight into and preparation for the situation.

After hearing this, Cao Zhen pondered for a moment.

The route from Luoyang to Gaotang flashed quickly in his mind. There were dense networks of rivers and water there, and he could indeed take advantage of this.

He calculated the time in his mind. It would take more than a month for him to reorganize his soldiers in Luoyang and then go to Gaotang.

Wu Zhi was heading to Youzhou at an urgent speed of 800 miles, so he could indeed deliver the news when he arrived in Gaotang.

Thinking of this, his worries were slightly relieved, and he immediately bowed to Wu Zhi and said, "In that case, I have no objection."

There was a hint of relief in Cao Zhen's voice, and it was obvious that he approved of Wu Zhi's strategy.

Seeing this, Wu Zhi felt relieved.

He bowed to Cao Pi and said anxiously, "The trip is urgent. I will prepare immediately."

When Cao Pi saw this, he felt a sense of emotion.

He knew what this trip meant to Wu Zhi, but he also understood that this might be the only solution for Wei State at the moment.

He immediately ordered Crown Prince Cao Rui: "Select 500 brave soldiers from the army for Ji Zhong to escort him all the way to Youzhou! Don't let him get hurt in the slightest."

Upon hearing this, Cao Rui immediately accepted the order and agreed.

In the Bagong Mountain, there are layers of mountains and ridges, surrounded by clouds and mist, but at this moment, the middle-level camp is shrouded in a bloody dusk.

The setting sun was as red as blood, dyeing the sky red, as if foreshadowing the cruelty and ruthlessness of the war.

The mountain wind howled, carrying with it a hint of desolation and sadness, intertwining with the sounds of fighting coming from the foot of the mountain.

The Han army had been attacking continuously for more than a month. Although their morale had been depleted, the dawn of victory was becoming more and more obvious.

At this moment, they were like a tide, attacking the middle camp of the Wei army again and again.

"Come on!"

"Kill!"

Every charge was accompanied by earth-shaking shouts, which were the desire for victory and the response to the enemy’s refusal to surrender.

Although the Wei army had a small number of troops in the middle camp, they were able to hold on to the land tightly by relying on the geographical advantage.

However, as time went on, their engineering equipment had been almost consumed. Without the support of siege equipment, even with the advantage of geographical location, it was difficult for them to hold on to this land for long.

"Boom, boom, boom!" The sound of the Han army's gunpowder exploding was heard beside their ears, and each explosion was accompanied by the screams and wails of the Wei army.

Flames shot up into the sky and smoke filled the air, shrouding the entire middle-level camp in chaos.

The Wei army's defense line seemed so fragile and vulnerable under the bombardment of gunpowder. "Ah, ah, ah!" The Han army shouted one after another. Like crazy beasts, they climbed the ladders and launched a final charge towards the middle camp.

Seeing this, the Wei army stepped forward one after another, waving their weapons and fighting a desperate battle with the Han army that was climbing up.

Every swing of the sword and every stabbing of the spear was accompanied by splattering blood and the loss of life.

However, no matter how brave and fearless they were, they could not stop the Han army's overwhelming offensive.

"Hold on! Hold on!" Hu Zun roared, his voice so hoarse that it was almost unrecognizable.

His shout was like an invisible force, inspiring every Wei army soldier to continue fighting.

However, the Han army's offensive became more and more fierce.

More and more soldiers climbed up the ladders and entered the middle camp.

Their arrival, like the coming of the god of death, brought endless fear and despair to the Wei army.

"Kill!" the Han soldiers shouted, their eyes revealing madness and bloodthirstiness.

The Han soldiers waved their weapons and fought with the Wei army.

The Wei army's defense line finally collapsed under the fierce attack of the Han army.

Finally, when the last ray of sunset disappeared in the sky, the middle camp was finally breached by the Han army.

Hu Zun led the remaining soldiers and staggered up the steep stone steps to the upper camp of Bagua Mountain.

The howling mountain wind seemed to tell of the cruelty of the battle.

Although they had tried their best, the Han army's offensive was as fierce as a tide. Hundreds of soldiers were unable to retreat to the upper camp in time in the chaos and were captured by the ferocious Han army.

Hu Zun looked at the backs of the captured soldiers, snorted coldly, and a trace of helplessness and resentment flashed in his eyes.

At this moment, Hu Zun was covered in blood, and his armor was covered with traces of battle.

As the Han army attacked the gate of the village day and night, he had not taken off this heavy armor for a whole month.

Sweat and blood intertwined together and had long since coagulated into lumps, making the originally shiny armor dull and lifeless, as if covered by a thick layer of blood.

His hair was messy, with a few strands soaked with sweat sticking to his forehead, making him look particularly tired.

Hu Zun slowly turned his head and glanced at the remaining Wei soldiers.

They all had their heads down, their faces filled with fatigue and despair, and they had no desire to fight at all.

Some soldiers had empty eyes, as if they had lost faith in this endless war; others tightly grasped their weapons, their fingers turning white from excessive force, but they still couldn't hide the fear and anxiety in their hearts.

Seeing this, Hu Zun frowned and felt deeply worried.

How can we defend this fort if the soldiers have no will to fight?

Morale is the source of combat effectiveness. Without morale, even the strongest fortress will find it difficult to withstand the enemy's attack.

Just as Hu Zun was lost in thought, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

He straightened up suddenly and said loudly: "Everyone listen up! Shouchun's support will arrive soon, we must cheer up! Today, except for the 500 people guarding the camp, the rest of us can enjoy wine and meat, and make sure to keep up morale!"

When they heard that there was wine and meat to eat, a glimmer finally appeared in the eyes of these soldiers.

For them who have not tasted wine and meat for a long time, this is undoubtedly a huge temptation.

Seeing this, Hu Zun secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

In order to defend this fort, we must first restore the morale of the soldiers.

So he shouted again: "Cheer up! Once the support from Shouchun arrives, we will fight the Han army to the death! When the time comes, we will not only take back the lost territory, but also let the Han army know how powerful we are!"

The next morning, the sun shone through the sparse clouds, dappling onto the stone walls of the middle camp on Bagua Mountain.

Surrounded by his guards, Liu Chan personally climbed up to the camp that had witnessed countless life and death battles.

Although the bodies on the ground have been collected, the air is still filled with a faint smell of blood and traces of war are everywhere, telling of the fierce battles over the past month.

Liu Chan was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe and walked steadily, but his expression of fatigue could not be concealed between his brows.

He looked around, and saw only broken walls and ruins everywhere, and a heavy feeling welled up in his heart.

At this time, Yu Jin stepped forward, saluted Liu Chan, and asked hesitantly, "Your Majesty, what should we do with these 580 surrendered soldiers?"

Liu Chan did not answer directly, but turned his head slightly, looked at Yu Jin with deep eyes, and asked: "General, how do you think we should deal with these people?"

Yu Jin heard this and said after a moment's silence: "I think we should treat them well and then let them persuade the Wei army to surrender outside the upper camp. I see that the morale of the Wei army is low, maybe we can defeat them without fighting."

Yu Jin's words were well-reasoned and he had obviously considered this issue.

Liu Chan nodded, but the expression on his face was not completely relaxed, as if he was not completely satisfied with Jin's proposal.

He sighed and said, "The idea is good, but the approach is wrong. We should let these soldiers eat and drink enough, then tell them to go into the city and tell their brothers that as long as they are willing to surrender, they will not be guilty. Those who are willing to join the army can join the Guiyi Army; those who are not willing to join the army should give them 3,000 coins each as travel expenses and let them go home on their own."

When Yu Jin heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up.

This way of handling the situation not only demonstrated the magnanimous attitude of the Han Dynasty, but also caused panic and chaos in the Wei army, thus achieving the effect of defeating the enemy without fighting.

He immediately cupped his hands and praised, "Your Majesty's tactics are brilliant. With this, I'm afraid Hu Zun's troops will lose their morale, and the upper camp will not have to sacrifice the lives of our great Han warriors."

Liu Chan chuckled, feeling a surge of pride and satisfaction in his heart.

He knew the principle of "the best strategy is to attack the enemy's plan", and using strategy to break the stronghold was the highest level of marching and fighting.

Only by winning with strategy can we demonstrate the power of the Han Dynasty. If we can successfully capture Bagong Mountain this time, it will greatly boost the morale of the Han Dynasty.

Thinking of this, Liu Chan turned to Jin and said, "General, go and arrange this matter quickly. Make sure every surrendering soldier understands our intention. We want to let the Wei army know that surrender is not a shame, but a wise choice."

Yu Jin took the order and left. Hu Zun in the upper camp knew that to defend a fort, the soldiers needed morale.

But maintaining the morale of the soldiers is definitely not something that can be achieved by relying on wine and meat.

But faith.

But hope.

Is there any hope for a comeback in the current Wei army camp at Bagong Mountain? (End of this chapter)