In the scorching heat, dark clouds gathered, and the heavy rain was nowhere in sight.

Jiang Wei, with his already graying hair, frowned as he looked at the newly harvested green wheat brought by the granary officer. Instead of the usual bronze containers, the wheat was carried in a farmer's straw hat.

The granary officer spoke cautiously, "General, the wheat and millet will be fully ripe in just two months. Why not wait a little longer and consider launching an offensive?"

The candle flame flickered, leaving only a dim lamp burning.

The troops of the three counties of Jincheng, Longxi, were constantly harassed, and the troops of General Deng Ai of Wei were also preparing for battle.

A storm was about to descend.

Jiang Wei remained silent, gently wiping his sword with his long, calloused hands. His gaze swept over the straw hat used to store the provisions, and after a moment, he said, "Do not use such an item to hold provisions in the future."

He stood up and looked outside. The chilly wind howled, just like the day at Wuzhang Plains.

After taking two steps, he turned back and took an old straw hat that had been hanging in the tent. He put it on his head and walked out.

The granary officer, who was new, looked somewhat anxious and puzzled as he glanced at Zhao Guang, the tooth gate general standing by his side.

Zhao Guang, the son of Zhao Yun, had a bold and affable character. Seeing the situation, he asked, "Is the officer new here?"

"Do you know the origin of the general's straw hat?"

The granary officer shook his head.

"Do you know what occupation the late emperor had?"

Who doesn't know that the late Lord Liu Bei wove mats and sold shoes for a living?

The granary officer suddenly realized, "Could it be that this hat was woven by the late emperor?"

The late emperor was benevolent, valued virtue, and respected the talented and loyal. He was skilled at weaving mats and hats, and the officer had heard that the late emperor had personally woven a straw hat as a gift to Prime Minister Zhuge, who had jokingly asked if the late lord had no greater ambitions and why he spent time on such matters. The late emperor had merely laughed and said it was just a pastime.

After that, he never wove anything again.

The officer became even more puzzled.

When General Jiang Wei surrendered, the late emperor had already passed away for several years, and the two had never even met. How could the late emperor have given the general a straw hat?

Zhao Guang turned his head and looked at Jiang Wei, who stood alone outside the tent. His voice softened.

"That straw hat was a gift from the late emperor to the Prime Minister."

"One day, when the general was at the Prime Minister's residence, it was scorching hot outside, so the Prime Minister gave it to the general as a gift. Since then, the general has carried only this hat with him."

"General Jiang Wei hails from the Jiang clan of Tianshui, a prominent clan in Tianshui County. He gained fame at a young age and throughout his life, he only served one person—Prime Minister Zhuge. He was loyal only to the Prime Minister's cause, he upheld only the Prime Minister's aspirations... and he found joy only in the Prime Minister's happiness."

The granary officer's expression trembled as he turned to look.

Dressed in a splendid robe, now in his fifties, Jiang Wei's handsome face had become profound and lonely, with a straw hat that didn't belong to him.

The Later Han Dynasty was in its late stages, with continuous internal disputes within the court, and the people of Shu yearned for peace.

The great general had become the target of public criticism.

He had devoted his entire life to the late emperor whom he had never met, but he was not understood or supported by those ministers. Instead, he was silently despised. Even the memorials he submitted never reached the emperor's eyes.

The granary officer, who had just reported a partial harvest, suddenly felt a profound sense of desolation.