Shuhan

Xuzhou City, this once prosperous ancient city, now looks like a desolate ruin.

The city walls are mottled and cracked, like an old man on his last legs, struggling to survive in the endless flames of war.

The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled weakly on the city wall, casting a bleak dimness, adding a bit of bleakness and desolation.

Cao Zhen, the last general of Wei State, was like a tough nail, firmly nailed into this crumbling city.

His figure was tall and upright, and although his battle robe was tattered and covered with traces of battle, his eyes were still as firm as ever, revealing an unyielding light.

His face was haggard and his beard was messy, and it was obvious that he had not had a good rest for many days, but his eyes were like burning flames, and he was determined to protect this land until his death.

The Han army had surrounded the city of Xuzhou several months ago, but they were not in a hurry to capture the city. They just surrounded it without attacking.

This long siege was like an invisible noose, tightly strangling the throat of Xuzhou City.

Food and grass in the city were becoming increasingly scarce, and people were resorting to cannibalism.

The once bustling streets are now filled with only a few starving people. They have empty eyes and staggering steps, like the walking dead.

In this desperate situation, the Wei army had a hard time surviving.

In order to survive, they have to do some outrageous things.

The people of Xuzhou, those innocent civilians, were made into jerky and eaten by the Wei army.

Whenever night fell, bursts of miserable cries could be heard in the city. It was the people's accusation against the fickleness of fate and their condemnation of the cruel acts of the Wei army.

However, even so, the meat jerky will eventually be eaten up.

There was very little food left in the city. The soldiers were pale and thin, and their eyes were filled with fear of death.

They began to wonder why they were staying in this isolated city.
The Wei Emperor Cao Rui had been defeated and killed, the Wei capital Luoyang had been occupied by the Han army, and the Wei Kingdom had perished.

What's the point of these people staying here?
This feeling of doubt and despair quickly spread among the Wei army.

The morale of the army began to weaken, and many people wanted to surrender and end it all.

They gathered together, talking in low voices, their eyes revealing their desire to survive and fear of death.

"What's the point of us staying here? The Wei Kingdom is destroyed, how long can we hold on?" a soldier whispered, his voice trembling and full of helplessness.

"Yes, surrender, maybe there is still a chance to survive." Another soldier echoed, his eyes were empty, as if he had already seen the end of his own death.

These discussions, like poisonous snakes, quietly sneaked into Cao Zhen's ears.

An inexplicable anger and grief surged in his heart. He turned around, widened his eyes, and glared at the soldiers who were talking.

His eyes revealed firmness and determination, as if he wanted to use these eyes to suppress all wavering and betrayal.

"Anyone who dares to surrender will be killed without mercy!" Cao Zhen roared, his voice hoarse and powerful, like thunder, echoing in the city.

He held the long sword tightly in his hand, and the sword was flashing with cold light, as if he would swing it at any time to cut off the heads of those wavering people.

The soldiers were intimidated by Cao Zhen's majesty. They lowered their heads and dared not speak anymore.

They knew that Cao Zhen was an iron-blooded general who would never tolerate any betrayal or wavering.

However, the despair and fear in their hearts did not dissipate.

Cao Zhen stood on the city wall, looking at the Han army camp in the distance.

His eyes were deep and complex, showing hatred and anger towards his enemies, as well as confusion and helplessness about the future.

He knew very well that it was meaningless for him to stay in this isolated city.

The State of Wei had already perished, and no matter how hard he tried to hold on, it would be in vain.

However, there was an inexplicable stubbornness in his heart that supported him.

He was unwilling to surrender so easily and did not want to see the city he was guarding fall into the hands of the enemy.

He would rather die in this city than live in disgrace.

As night fell, the city of Xuzhou fell into deathly silence.

The fires in the city were dotted with stars, as if they were the last struggle in the darkness.

Cao Zhen sat alone on the city wall, staring at the starry sky in the distance.

His heart was filled with loneliness and solitude, as if the whole world had abandoned him.

At this time, a soldier came over quietly, holding a tattered battle robe in his hand, and gently draped it over Cao Zhen.

Cao Zhen turned around and looked at the soldier, a hint of gratitude in his eyes.

"General, you haven't had a good rest for many days. You should go down and have some rest." The soldier whispered, his voice full of concern.

Cao Zhen shook his head, his eyes still firmly looking into the distance.

"I can't rest. I will stay here until the last moment." He whispered, his tone full of determination.

The soldier shook his head helplessly, as he knew very well how stubborn and obstinate Cao Zhen was.

He turned and left, praying silently for Cao Zhen in his heart.

As time went on, the situation in the city became worse and worse.

The soldiers fell one by one, their bodies were emaciated and their eyes were filled with fear of death.

Even Cao Zhen felt helpless about defending the city of Xuzhou.

What's the point of continuing to guard like this?
At this moment, the setting sun was as red as blood, sprinkling the walls of the ancient city, giving this city, which was already stained by the smoke of war, a layer of tragic color.

Outside the city, dust was flying as a small group of Han troops slowly approached. Among them was a man who looked like a messenger. He was holding a staff and wearing a tattered battle robe, but he still maintained a calm demeanor.

His eyes revealed a firmness and determination, as if he was carrying some important mission.

Cao Zhen stood on the city wall, his brows furrowed, his eyes full of anxiety and fatigue.

Days of siege had caused severe damage to his troops and left him with little food and fodder.

Just then, he caught a glimpse of the Han army envoy outside the city, and suddenly a surge of anger and disdain surged in his heart.

He thought that this was just another trick by the Han army to persuade him to surrender, and he immediately prepared to order the soldiers guarding the city to stone the messenger to death to vent his hatred.

However, he hesitated for a moment. Why not just shoot him to death with arrows?

It turned out that after days of fierce fighting, the arrows in the city had become extremely precious and scarce, and were almost exhausted.

Every arrow could be the continuation of the life of a soldier defending the city, so he cannot waste it easily.

So he changed his mind and decided to first see what the messenger's intentions were.

The Han envoy at the foot of the city seemed to sense Cao Zhen's hesitation. He raised his voice and shouted, "I am here today not to persuade you to surrender, but to ask for an audience with you. I have something important to discuss with you!"

His voice pierced through the noise of battle, clear and firm, as if carrying an unquestionable power.

Cao Zhen heard this, a trace of surprise flashed across his face. Not coming to persuade him to surrender?

Then what are you here for?
He was filled with doubts, but decided to proceed with caution.

He waved his hand, signaling the soldiers guarding the city to pull up the Han envoy in a basket.

The basket slowly rose up, and the Han envoy stood in it. He had a steady figure and his eyes revealed an indescribable depth.

When the Han army envoy stepped onto the city wall, he looked around and saw that the soldiers defending the city all looked tired, but there was still an unyielding light in their eyes.

He nodded slightly, as if to express his appreciation for the city's perseverance.

Then he turned to Cao Zhen and said, "This matter is private. Please ask the general to dismiss everyone and talk in a quiet room."

Cao Zhen was even more confused when he heard this, but he still nodded and signaled the generals and soldiers around him to retreat.

Soon, he and the Han envoy were the only ones left on the tower. Cao Zhen led the envoy to a quiet room, which was simple with only a desk and a few seats.

They sat opposite each other and the atmosphere seemed a little tense.

The Han army envoy took out a roll of sheepskin from his chest pocket with light and skillful movements.

He held the sheepskin in both hands and handed it to Cao Zhen.

Cao Zhen took the sheepskin and unfolded it. He saw a densely drawn map of the Han army's deployment outside the city. Every camp, every road, and every troop deployment was clearly marked.

Cao Zhen was a little confused. He looked up at the Han envoy, his eyes full of doubt and puzzlement.

Seeing this, the messenger smiled and said, "General, don't doubt me. I have my own reasons for doing this. I come from an aristocratic family, and my family has been officials for generations. I should have enjoyed wealth and glory. However, the Emperor of Han is now rejecting aristocratic families and intends to select talents through the imperial examination to weaken the power of aristocratic families. This move is undoubtedly destroying the thousand-year foundation of my aristocratic family. How can we, the children of aristocratic families, sit idly by and watch?"

At this point, a trace of anger and unwillingness flashed in the messenger's eyes.

He continued, "Although our family holds great power, we are also well aware of the general situation. The Emperor of Han is ambitious and wants to unify the world. If he succeeds, our family will no longer have a foothold. Therefore, we decided to lend a helping hand to the general and overthrow the Qingxu area, so that the Emperor of Han will know that without the support of our family, he will not be able to rule the world!"

As Cao Zhen listened to the messenger's story, he felt an indescribable excitement in his heart.

He carefully looked at the messenger in front of him and saw that he had a firm face and his eyes revealed determination and wisdom.

Although his clothes were tattered, his temperament was incomparable to that of ordinary people.

Cao Zhen thought to himself: What this person said is true, perhaps this is really my last hope!
Thinking of this, Cao Zhen said, "The envoy is right. I, Cao Zhen, also know the power of the noble families. If we can get the help of the noble families, why worry about the Han army not being defeated? However, this matter is of great importance, and I need to consider it carefully. Does the envoy have any strategies or suggestions?"

The messenger smiled and said, "Don't worry, General. We have already prepared everything. You only need your cooperation. We will secretly coordinate with you. With the help of both inside and outside forces, we will surely defeat the Han army. As for the specific strategy, we have already prepared a detailed document and are willing to work with you on this grand plan."

As he spoke, he took out a secret letter from his arms and handed it to Cao Zhen.

Cao Zhen took the secret letter and read it carefully.

The letter only described in detail the family's plan, the method of coordination and the expected results of the battle.

The more Cao Zhen watched, the more excited he became, with an irrepressible joy welling up in his heart.

He looked up at the messenger, his eyes full of gratitude and admiration.

He said: "The envoy is truly a rare talent in the world! If we can get the envoy's help, we will not have to worry about not accomplishing our great cause. However, this matter is of great importance, and I need to discuss it with my generals before making a decision. Is the envoy willing to stay in the city for a while and wait for news?"

The messenger nodded and said, "General, you are right. I am willing to stay here and wait for your good news. However, this matter needs to be decided as soon as possible to avoid any more trouble."

Cao Zhen nodded to show his understanding.

He stood up and walked to the desk, picked up a pen, wrote a reply letter, and gave it to the messenger to take back.

Then he ordered his generals to settle the envoys and strengthen the city defenses to prevent a surprise attack by the Han army.

As night falls, the lights in the city dim.

Cao Zhen sat in a quiet room, with a thousand thoughts in his mind.

He recalled the messenger's words and the contents of the secret letter, and an indescribable excitement and anticipation surged in his heart.

He knew that this might be his last hope.

As long as he could get help from the aristocratic families, he would be confident that he could defeat the Han army and defend the city.

Thinking of this, he stood up and paced back and forth in the room.

There was a determination gleam in his eyes, as if he had seen the dawn of victory.

This war is not only to defend the city, but also for his glory and dream.

He must seize this opportunity and try his best.

At the same time, the Han army camp outside the city was also brightly lit.

The Han army generals were discussing the strategy of siege, but they didn't know that their defense map had fallen into Cao Zhen's hands.

A thrilling battle is about to begin, and the outcome of this battle will determine the fate of this city and countless people.

. . .

The so-called "just cause for war" means that even if the Emperor of Wei has been defeated and killed, if the flag of Wei is to be raised and the struggle continues, another Emperor of Wei must be established to legitimize the situation.

In this chaotic world, finding a suitable imperial bloodline became Cao Zhen's top priority.

Coincidentally, there was a descendant of Cao Wei hidden in the city of Xuzhou. He was the son of Emperor Wu of Wei, King of Pengcheng Cao Ju.

The night was as dark as ink, the moonlight was dim, and the city of Xuzhou seemed particularly quiet in the night. Only the occasional barking of dogs broke the dull silence.

Cao Zhen, wearing armor and walking with firm steps, quietly passed through the alleys in the city with a few trusted men and headed straight for the Prince of Pengcheng's Palace.

Although the Pengcheng Palace still bears the name of a palace, it has long lost its former prosperity.

The door of the mansion was closed, and the copper ring on the door had rusted, making it look particularly desolate.

Cao Zhen knocked on the door gently and called several times before someone answered and opened the door. The person who opened the door was an old butler. When he saw Cao Zhen and his party, a flash of surprise flashed in his eyes, but then he recognized Cao Zhen and quickly saluted and said, "It turns out to be General Cao, please come in."

Cao Zhen nodded and walked into the palace with his confidants.

The lights in the inner courtyard of the palace were dim, making it look a bit eerie.

They walked through several corridors and arrived at Cao Ju's bedroom.

Cao Ju was seen wearing a brocade robe, but it was a little worn out. It was obvious that he had been trapped in Xuzhou City for a long time and his life was not easy.

He sat on the couch, looking listless, with helplessness and fatigue in his eyes.

Cao Zhen felt sad when he saw this. He knew very well that Cao Ju, as the son of Emperor Wu of Wei, should have enjoyed wealth and glory, but now he ended up like this.

However, he did not come here to lament about the world, but to discuss important matters.

He cleared his throat and said to Cao Chen: "Your Majesty, I, Cao Zhen, have come to see you specially."

Hearing this, Cao Ju raised his head and looked at Cao Zhen. There was a hint of doubt in his eyes, as if he didn't understand why Cao Zhen came to see him at this time.

Cao Zhen saw this and said directly without beating around the bush: "Your Majesty, the Emperor of Wei has been defeated and died, and the Wei Kingdom is in danger. I think that if you want to save the Wei Kingdom, you need to establish another Emperor of Wei to correct the status. And Your Majesty, as the son of Emperor Wu, is the most suitable candidate." (End of this chapter)