As Cao Rui finished speaking, all the generals present turned their eyes toward Xiahou Xian, leaving him rather overwhelmed by the unexpected attention and deeply uneasy.
In fact, while listening just now, Xiahou Xian had been making calculations of his own, but he was still hesitating over whether to offer his advice unprompted.
Since Cao Rui had asked, Xiahou Xian decided to try to break the impasse.
He said, "At present, the reason our great army in Guanzhong is confined there is that the threat posed by Zhao Yun's forces in Ji Valley has yet to be eliminated.
"You must understand that the State of Shu has far fewer troops than our Great Wei. If we now concentrate our strength on defeating this Shu force in Ji Valley, our great army can march into Longxi in all its might.
"The Shu army has come from afar and seeks only a swift victory. Once our great army arrives, they will certainly weigh the gains against the losses. Given Zhuge Liang's temperament, he naturally will not squander his troops in vain. He will have no choice but to retreat."
"Excellent!" While Cao Rui was still considering this, Liu Ye spoke up. "Master Xiahou, the younger generation is truly to be reckoned with. After turning the matter over in my mind just now, I too concluded that a contest of sheer strength is the only proper course. We must never let the State of Shu lead our Great Wei around by the nose."
"You praise me too highly, Lord Liu." Xiahou Xian clasped his hands in salute.
After hearing their exchange, Cao Rui turned to Zhang He. "What does the General of the Right think?"
Zhang He replied, "This old servant believes Lord Liu and Master Xiahou speak soundly. Unless we remove the threat to Chang'an, our great army cannot march out lightly."
"Good." Cao Rui suddenly took Zhang He's hand. "I have heard that Zhao Yun is exceptionally valiant, worthy of being called the foremost warrior of our age. Though he is past sixty, his courage is undiminished from his younger days. General Zhang, are you confident you can face him in battle?"
"Hahaha!" Zhang He stroked his beard and suddenly laughed. "We have been old adversaries for many years. This old servant does not fear him!"
Cao Rui felt reassured. Zhao Yun might be one of Shu Han's Five Tiger Generals, but our Great Wei's Zhang He is also one of the Five Elite Generals. What is there to fear?
"Excellent! In that case, I shall give you fifty thousand elite troops to garrison Mei County. I shall await word of your victory in Chang'an."
"This old servant accepts your command," Zhang He answered.
Cao Rui nodded slightly and looked at Xiahou Xian. "Since this strategy came from you, would you be willing to accompany the General of the Right to confront the Shu army?"
"I shall of course obey." Xiahou Xian accepted without hesitation.
"Good." Cao Rui's spirits rose. "Xiahou Xian, hear my command. I appoint you Colonel of Valiant Cavalry. You shall accompany Zhang He to garrison Mei County."
"Yes!"
Jieting.
Zhuge Liang's army had been here for over two days. Though the terrain was narrow and there was a fortified town here, the town had fallen into disrepair over many years and was so dilapidated that it could not defend against an enemy at all.
The army numbered twenty-five thousand, accompanied by Assistant General Wang Ping and Military Adviser Ma Su.
Zhuge Liang had the soldiers begin repairing the town as soon as they arrived. Though it was only a cup of water against a blazing cartload of firewood, it still had to be done.
Afterward, Zhuge Liang used what little time he had to look around the surrounding area. He discovered a hillside just north of Jieting and went there in person to survey the terrain.
After consulting the map and inspecting the ground, Zhuge Liang shook his head helplessly.
To his surprise, Ma Su said delightedly, "Chancellor, this is an excellent position!"
Zhuge Liang looked at Ma Su in puzzlement. "Why do you say that, Youchang?"
"Please look, Chancellor. The terrain here is steep and difficult, yet the summit is exceptionally flat. If our army camps on the mountain, we can strike down from above when the Wei army arrives, sweeping through them like a blade splitting bamboo!"
At these words, Zhuge Liang suddenly felt his blood pressure soar. In a rare outburst of fury, he snapped, "Absurd! This is an isolated mountain, and the water source is at its foot. If the Wei army comes, they need only surround us without attacking, and our great army will be trapped in a desperate position."
Ma Su was at a loss for a moment after being shouted at. He struggled to marshal his words, then muttered, "The art of war says, 'Place them on deadly ground, and only then will they survive.'"
"When the late emperor campaigned in Hanzhong, the Marquis Within the Passes (Huang Zhong) stationed his troops on Mount Dingjun, slaughtered the Wei army until not a scrap of armor remained, and even slew the great Wei general Xiahou Yuan!"
"Now we no longer have enough time to repair the town. We cannot... cannot simply sit and await our deaths."
Zhuge Liang naturally understood their present predicament, but under no circumstances was stationing the great army on a barren mountain an acceptable course.
He suddenly felt fortunate that he had not impulsively assigned Ma Su to defend Jieting. Then he said earnestly, "Youchang, marching and fighting cannot be done by reciting a book. You must adapt to the terrain and judge the times and circumstances. Enough. Come down the mountain with me."
Zhuge Liang and his party returned from the mountain to the camp at Jieting. This time, however, he discovered another path down the mountain that led directly to the rear of the camp, and he took particular note of it.
The focus this time was on defensive works, but the town's dilapidated state made much of the work exceptionally difficult.
Unlike Chengdu, the Longxi region remained bitterly cold even in the third month, with dripping water freezing into ice. This undoubtedly made the officers' and soldiers' work even harder.
Suddenly, Zhuge Liang remembered something. He looked up at the drifting clouds in the sky, then closed his eyes and let the bone-piercing wind batter his face.
Zhuge Liang's eyes snapped open. "Youchang, summon Wang Ping at once!"
Before long, Wang Ping arrived.
Zhuge Liang ordered him to lead a thousand soldiers with wooden buckets to fetch water from the river and pour it over the newly repaired earthen walls.
Wang Ping left to carry out the order, and Ma Su immediately understood the chancellor's intention.
On Guanlong Road, Cao Zhen traveled day and night, finally reaching the vicinity of Jieting on the afternoon of the sixth day.
In fact, the advance force that arrived with Cao Zhen consisted of only five thousand cavalry. Even marching at speed, the rest of the army would not begin arriving until at least the day after tomorrow.
Cao Zhen first sent mounted scouts to probe Shu Han's strength and situation. After gaining a rough understanding of the Shu army's deployment, he initially found it hard to believe, so he rode to a gentle slope himself. Only after seeing it with his own eyes did he finally believe it.
In just a few days, Zhuge Liang had actually built an "ice city"!
Though the walls were not high, they were exceptionally sturdy, and ordinary arrows could not penetrate them. Most importantly, this left his cavalry almost no room to bring their strength to bear, and the water sources near Jieting also appeared to be closely guarded by Shu troops.
For the time being, Cao Zhen could only make camp where he was and wait for the main army. Yet even once it arrived, a swift victory was not assured. After all, to maintain their marching speed, the fifty thousand troops he had brought this time carried no siege weapons.
It looks like this will be a hand-to-hand battle.
Cao Zhen was a seasoned veteran with extensive battlefield experience. A simple reconnaissance of the enemy's situation gave him a broad understanding of how this battle would unfold.
He immediately dispatched an urgent report to Cao Rui in Guanzhong.
Though he was confident he could take Jieting, how long it would take was truly difficult to say.
He therefore intended to have His Majesty make plans early.
Three days later, the rest of Cao Zhen's army had arrived in successive contingents. After a night's rest, battle finally began early the following morning.
Cao Zhen inspected the Shu army's defenses once more. They were indeed so tight that not a drop of water could seep through.
A hundred paces before the small town, scattered rocks, iron caltrops, pits, and other obstacles interlocked like a dog's teeth.
Not only was there no room for cavalry to gallop, even an infantry charge would hardly be easy.
Cao Zhen, however, had long since prepared himself. At his command, the thunder of drums and the roar of voices instantly filled the narrow mountain valley.
"Kill!"