Three Kingdoms: Wolong's brother-in-law, tricking Liu Bei into seizing Jingzhou

Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhou was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground.

His worst fears came true.

Xiao Fang was going to kill him, and tear him apart by five horses!

"Prime Minister Xiao... I know I was wrong, please spare my life!"

Qiao Zhou knelt on the ground, weeping and pleading:

"I...I...was forced into it."

"I dare not betray the Emperor."

"Please, Prime Minister Xiao, have mercy and give me another chance!"

"Forced?"

Xiao Fang shouted sarcastically:
"Not only do you refuse to submit, but you also help Parthia fight against the Han! Where are you being forced?"

"You only surrender when you're about to die? Do you think I'd believe you?"

Qiao Zhou was rendered speechless by the rebuke, frozen in place, at a loss for what to do.

Xiao Fang coldly shouted:
"Men, drag him away and dismember him."

The order was given, and the entire room fell silent, awaiting execution.

Upon receiving the order, Xu Chu decisively waved his hand, and the Tiger Guards beside him immediately stepped forward, firmly grabbed Qiao Zhou, and dragged him away.

"Prime Minister Xiao, spare my life! I beg you..."

Qiao Zhou's wailing was shrill and desperate, gradually fading into the distance until it disappeared from everyone's ears.

"Congratulations, Prime Minister Xiao, on the successful capture of Damgan City! This is truly a cause for celebration!"

Lu Xun stepped forward and offered his congratulations with clasped hands.

"Next up is that tough nut to crack, Nain City."

"If we can conquer this pass, there will be no more obstacles ahead."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Fang's gaze slowly extended westward.

His gaze pierced through the mountains, as if he could see the distant, fortified city of Nain.

If you want to attack Zion, you must first capture Nain.

"Send the order!"

Xiao Fang raised his whip and shouted loudly:
"Let the soldiers rest for three days and fully enjoy the joy of victory!"

"Advance westward in three days and capture Nain!"

Upon hearing this, the Han soldiers erupted in thunderous cheers.

Thousands of miles away, in Zion, the capital of Parthia, the Temple of the God of Heaven was bustling with activity.

A grand martial arts competition is in full swing.

The two sides facing off were Fritz's two sons, Raman and Lach.

"Beautiful! Well done! As expected of my son, you are exceptionally brave!"

Fritz, sitting on the throne, occasionally cheered, his face beaming with pride.

The surrounding Parthian nobles echoed their sentiments, cheering and showering the two princes with praise.

However, amidst the commotion, Sima Yi and Chen Qun exchanged a secret glance, revealing their worry.

They knew that at that moment, on the shores of Lake Damgan, Kashan was leading the Parthian army in a fierce defense against the 200,000-strong Han army led by Xiao Fang.

Fritz, the Parthian emperor, instead of working diligently to govern the country, held a martial arts tournament there, which was truly neglecting his duties.

In Han Chinese parlance, Fritz was simply a tyrant.

Sima Yi and Chen Qun could only feel helpless in their hearts and dared not offer their advice directly.

After all, they were not Parthians.

Although they served as imperial advisors, they seemed to be given great trust.

But in reality, Fritz truly trusted the Parthian nobles and generals.

The martial arts competition finally ended.

Raman defeated Rah with his superior martial arts skills and became the champion of the tournament.

Fritz personally presented Raman with a gold trophy as a reward.

"Raman, you are indeed more valiant and skilled in battle."

Fritz patted his son on the shoulder and earnestly admonished him:
"You must continue to work hard and not let me down."

"Your Majesty, please rest assured, your son will do his utmost to live up to your expectations."

Raman was delighted to receive Fritz's praise and his joy was evident on his face.

However, just then, a Parthian guard came running up, panting, and reported:
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"

"Damgan City has fallen, General Kashan has been killed, and the Han army is advancing towards Qiansuo Pass!"

Boom!

The news struck like a bolt from the blue, instantly exploding in the sky. The Parthian nobles present were all horrified and thrown into a panic.

Fritz swayed and nearly fell.

The smug look on his face was instantly replaced by horror.

"This...this...how is it possible!"

Fritz screamed hysterically:

"Damgan City is surrounded by water on all sides, with Wannian Lake serving as a natural barrier. How could it possibly be breached by the Han army?"

"This is impossible! I don't believe it!"

Not only Fritz didn't believe it, but everyone in the Heavenly Emperor's Palace stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

At this moment, the atmosphere inside the Heavenly Emperor's Palace was so heavy that it seemed as if water could drip from it.

The Han army was coming in a fierce and imposing manner, and everyone's brows were furrowed and their expressions were panicked.

At this moment, Sima Yi stepped forward, calmly cupping his hands and saying:
"Your Majesty, do not panic. Things have come to this point. Defending Nain City is the most urgent task!"

"Nain City is a strategic location; we must not lose it!"

Fritz suddenly realized:

"That's right, you're right!"

Then, Fritz looked around and demanded:

"Who is willing to go to Nain City to defend it for me and resist Xiao Fang?"

The voice echoed in the empty hall, filled with urgency and anticipation.

The words trailed off.

A general strode forward with his head held high and chest out, and declared with great conviction:
"Great Heavenly Emperor, I am willing to go!"

"Even if I die, I will defend Nain City."

Fritz looked down and saw that the person who had volunteered was none other than the renowned general Ibrahimovic.

Ibrahimovic stood tall and straight, his eyes revealing determination and courage.

Fritz was overjoyed, a smile finally appearing on his face, and he said happily:
"Indeed, you are the true warrior of our empire!"

"Then I will give you 30,000 elite troops to guard Nain City."

"Remember, you must defend this city! It must not be lost."

"If you can defend Nain City, I will reward you handsomely."

Immediately, Ibrahimovic received the command and strode out of the hall.

He quickly mustered 30,000 elite troops and led them eastward, heading straight for the important town of Nashen.

...

Three days later.

Xiao Fang's 100,000-strong Han army has already reached the gates of Nayin City.

It was late winter, and a biting wind swept across the land, whipping up clouds of yellow sand.

The 50,000 Han troops moved swiftly and set up camp.

Within a few days, the Han army had completely surrounded Nain City.

Inside the central command tent of the Han army camp, the flickering candlelight illuminated the solemn faces of the generals.

"Nain is a strategically important and vital location."

As Xiao Fang spoke, he led everyone to the edge of the map.

He pointed to the map with his finger and said solemnly:

"You see, this is the only way to go north and south from Nain City, and its strategic position is very important."

Everyone looked at what Xiao Fang was pointing to and nodded in agreement.

"but……"

Xiao Fang seemed to have thought of something and suddenly stopped.

Everyone's hearts tightened, and they all looked at Xiao Fang.

"But... for such a crucial city, Fritz only left 30,000 troops to defend it?"

"This really doesn't make sense!"

Xiao Fang frowned.

At this moment, Zhuge Dan's eyes were also fixed on the map.

His brows furrowed slightly, and he remained silent, as if deep in thought.

"Could it be that Fritz is afraid of you, Prime Minister Xiao, and therefore dares not personally guard the city, which is why the army has not yet arrived?"

After a moment's thought, Zhuge Dan guessed as follows. (End of Chapter)