Inside the Han army's central command tent, Zhuge Liang paced back and forth before the commander's desk, his expression grave.
Once all the generals had arrived, he opened the emergency military council.
"Gentlemen, Wei has sent Cao Zhen straight toward Longyou with fifty thousand infantry and cavalry. His objective must be Jieting."
Hearing this, Wei Yan could not help speaking up from among the generals. "Chancellor, this is a heaven-sent opportunity."
Zhuge Liang raised his head and glanced at him in puzzlement. "What do you mean, Wenchang?"
Wei Yan was visibly itching to act. "With Cao Zhen's main army leaving Chang'an, the city must be poorly defended. Chancellor, you could order the General Who Guards the East to march directly north and attack Chang'an. In addition, please give me ten thousand troops to reinforce Ji Valley. We could take Chang'an in less than a month."
"No." Zhuge Liang rejected the proposal at once, but still patiently explained his reasoning to Wei Yan. "Wenchang, General Zilong's force is only a diversion to begin with. They need only make a show of strength in Ji Valley. If they advance deep into enemy territory alone, even if they take Chang'an, they cannot hold it for long. All that awaits them is Cao Wei's counterattack."
"Besides, Cao Wei's emperor is in Chang'an in person. The enemy will surely fight to the death. Chang'an cannot be taken without a large army," Zhuge Liang added.
Clearly unconvinced, Wei Yan argued, "Chancellor, if our army can take Chang'an, all of Yong and Liang will flock to our side at the mere sight of our banners. Why not fight with all our strength for this once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity?"
"It is all the better that Cao Wei's emperor is in Chang'an. If we take the city and capture him alive, Cao Wei will surely fall into internal turmoil! We can defeat them one by one and accomplish our great cause!"
"Wenchang," Zhuge Liang said, "I have always commanded with steady advances, securing each step before taking the next. The purpose of this northern expedition is also to seize Longyou. Your plan courts too much danger. It cannot be adopted!"
"Chancellor..."
"Say no more, Wenchang." Zhuge Liang ended the exchange, definitively rejecting Wei Yan's proposal.
Resentful reluctance was written all over Wei Yan's face, but he dared not say another word. He cupped his hands and silently returned to the ranks.
As no one else appeared to have any advice to offer, Zhuge Liang laid out his plan.
"I intend to send someone with an army to Jieting to prevent the Wei forces from entering Longyou. However, the Wei army set out earlier than I expected, leaving us only seven days. Thus, the general in command must not only complete the defensive works within that short time, but also prepare to hold the position to the death."
When Zhuge Liang finished speaking, the generals below exchanged glances.
After a moment, Staff Adviser Ma Su stepped forward and cupped his hands. "Chancellor, I volunteer to lead the troops defending Jieting."
At this, Zhuge Liang's brows drew together slightly. Ma Su was his prized pupil, had followed him for years, and possessed considerable knowledge of strategy.
But he had never commanded an army. Could he truly handle a battle on which their fate depended?
Zhuge Liang could not help asking, "Youchang, are you confident you can shoulder this responsibility?"
As a staff adviser in the chancellor's office, Ma Su had always aspired to win merit and establish a career. He did not want people to think he was merely a frail scholar at the chancellor's side.
Ma Su straightened and declared, "I have studied military treatises thoroughly since childhood and have spent years learning at your side through all I have seen and heard. In defending a mere Jieting, I would naturally fulfill my mission."
Seeing that Zhuge Liang was still hesitating, Ma Su added, "I can sign a military pledge. If I fail to hold Jieting, I willingly submit to military law!"
Hearing this, Zhuge Liang was moved. Ma Su's determination greatly gratified him.
But the circumstances were different this time. Had the Wei army come ten days later, he would probably have decided to send Ma Su to Jieting. After all, simply holding the town and preventing the enemy from passing through in the short term would buy time for the Shu army in Longyou.
Now, however, time was far too short. If they did not respond properly, they would be forced into an open-field battle before they could finish their defensive works.
In that case, the general defending the position had to command considerable prestige within the army. No matter how fierce the enemy's attacks became, the Han army's morale must never collapse.
Zhuge Liang pondered for a long time, the feather fan in his hand falling still. Suddenly, he let out a long breath.
"Generals, receive your orders." Zhuge Liang had finally made up his mind. "I intend to lead the army to Jieting in person."
Three days later, an urgent military report from Longxi reached Chang'an in Great Wei. Cao Rui immediately summoned the generals to his temporary palace.
The moment Xiahou Xian received the news, he was somewhat dumbfounded. Had the very first stratagem I offered Great Wei backfired?
With Shu Han's chancellor Zhuge Liang defending Jieting in person, wouldn't General-in-Chief Cao Zhen's expedition now bode more ill than well?
This... I would have been better off watching events unfold back then. Wonderful. I've forced the difficulty up on myself.
With these thoughts, he arrived at the temporary palace in Chang'an, where quite a few unfamiliar faces had already gathered.
The general standing before Cao Rui had gray hair and a gray beard, yet radiated the vigor of a man whose strength had only grown with age.
This must have been General of the Right Zhang He, a veteran of three reigns who had fought for the state since the time of the Grand Progenitor.
On Cao Rui's other side stood another elderly man, dressed in blue-gray scholarly robes. At that moment, he was stroking his gray beard, pondering something.
He, too, was a veteran official of three Cao Wei reigns: Palace Attendant Liu Ye, a first-rate strategist whom the emperor still entrusted with important responsibilities.
"Minister Xiahou, you're here."
Seeing Xiahou Xian enter the hall, Cao Rui greeted him casually.
Xiahou Xian felt somewhat uncertain, but on second thought, unless his strategy was judged from an omniscient perspective, it had no major flaws overall. He probably would not be blamed.
Thus, after briefly paying his respects to everyone, he went straight to the end of the ranks to listen.
On the State of Shu's side, Chancellor Zhuge Liang had personally led his army to Jieting and taken up its defense two days earlier. Scouts had also discovered signs of Shu troops stationed at Liucheng.
Meanwhile, the force confronting the defending commander Guo Huai at Shanggui was still the Shu army's main force, only its commander had changed from Zhuge Liang to Wu Yi.
From the look of things, after this series of moves by Shu Han, their position cutting off Longyou seemed as impregnable as walls of metal and a moat of boiling water.
Everyone's expression grew grave, as though defeat in Longyou were already certain.
At that moment, Cao Rui spoke first. "The General-in-Chief cannot reach Jieting for another three days at the earliest. Gentlemen, what do you think our chances of victory are?"
Cao Rui understood perfectly well that Jieting remained the point where they could break through. The present circumstances were still relatively favorable. Had they sent Zhang He to Jieting according to the original plan, the Shu army would naturally have made thorough preparations by then, making the position difficult to take.
"The Shu army arrived only a few days ahead of ours," Liu Ye said. "The General-in-Chief is a seasoned commander, whereas Zhuge Liang has only been in charge of Shu's military and civil affairs for a few years. This is probably his first time taking supreme command in the field. In this old minister's view, the General-in-Chief has the better chance of victory. However..."
Liu Ye paused briefly before continuing. "We cannot stake everything on this one front. If Zhuge Liang truly holds the General-in-Chief up for a month, Longyou will indeed be beyond saving."
Liu Ye's words made the atmosphere even heavier.
Just then, Cao Rui suddenly turned his gaze toward Xiahou Xian at the end of the ranks.
"Minister Xiahou, do you have a good plan?"