My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

The ministers were terrified.

It has not been confirmed whether Hao Zhao surrendered to Chu after his defeat and capture.

In this situation, wouldn't it be too hasty to simply label someone a traitor and exterminate their entire family?

Cao Ren felt a chill run down his spine, a hint of guilt flashing in his eyes, but he didn't dare to object.

Cheng Yu, Jia Xu, Sima Yi, and the others exchanged glances and also chose to remain silent.

They were all very shrewd; how could they not know that Hao Zhao was unfairly blamed?

To put it bluntly, the biggest responsibility for the fall of Luoyang lies with Cao Cao, who lost the hearts of the people.

But can you let Cao Cao take the blame for this?

Cao Cao cannot bear the burden, and Cao Ren, as the top general of the Cao clan, naturally cannot bear it either.

But someone has to take responsibility for the fall of Luoyang.

After all is said and done, it's only you, Hao Zhao.

Who told you not to die on the spot, not to die for the Great Wei?

Who told you to come from a humble background with no connections? Who told your backer, Cao Ren, to abandon you?
To exterminate your three clans and kill your entire family is to solidify your responsibility in Luoyang, to prove your crime of treason, Hao Zhao, and to silence the voices of the Wei state.

Even the usually upright Jiang Ji dared not speak a word of justice for Hao Zhao at this moment, and could only shake his head and sigh inwardly.

"Now that Luoyang has fallen, what should I do? Tell me quickly!"

After venting his anger, Cao Cao calmed down a bit and had to face reality.

Everyone was silent.

Luoyang is already lost, what else can be done?

The armies at the three passes of Dagu in the south, upon hearing of the fall of Luoyang, will surely collapse in morale and flee at the mere sight of the enemy.

At that time, Liu Bei's 150,000-strong main force will be able to enter Henan Yin without hindrance and join forces with Xiao He.

With a combined force of 150,000, the Chu army will surely march east out of Hulao Pass to cooperate with Guan Yu's Qingxu army and launch a two-pronged attack to capture Yanzhou.

With nearly 300,000 Chu troops attacking, your Wei army in Henan only has 130,000 to 140,000 troops. How can you possibly stop the Chu army on this flat plain of Yanzhou?
Everyone knew that Yanzhou could not be defended, and the fall of Henan was a foregone conclusion. The wisest choice was to abandon Yanzhou and retreat the entire army back to Hebei.

But could they tell Cao Cao this cold, hard truth?
Cheng Yu would not say it; he was originally from Yanzhou, and how could he tolerate Cao Cao giving up Yanzhou?

If Cheng Yu doesn't speak up, and the others advocate abandoning Yanzhou, wouldn't that be making enemies of Cheng Yu?
What is Cheng Yu's status in the State of Wei? What benefits would you gain from offending him?
Sima Yi and Jia Xu both chose to remain silent.

"Your Majesty, I believe that with the loss of Luoyang, the Chu army has gained a decisive advantage in both manpower and terrain, and Yanzhou is now indefensible."

"The wisest choice now is to abandon Yanzhou and withdraw our remaining troops in Henan back to Hebei intact, so as to preserve our strength."

"Time is of the essence. Your Majesty, I urge you to issue an immediate order that all armies must withdraw to the north of the Yellow River through all crossing points before the Chu army marches east out of Hulao Pass!"

In the ensuing silence, Jiang Ji stepped forward and exposed the truth.

Cao Cao wanted Hao Zhao to take the blame, and Hao Zhao could remain silent, but now that the survival of hundreds of thousands of Wei soldiers and the very existence of the Wei state were at stake, he could no longer keep quiet.

Cao Cao clenched his fists, hesitating.

He naturally understood the meaning behind Jiang Ji's words.

Reason told him that Yanzhou and even Henan were indeed indefensible, and the best course of action was for the entire division to retreat to Hebei.

But Yanzhou is where he rose to power.

He started as the Prefect of Dongjun, pacified a million Yellow Turban rebels, rose to the position of Governor of Yanzhou, then annexed the Central Plains, destroyed the Yuan clan in the north, unified the north, and finally laid the foundation for the Cao Wei dynasty.

Is this place where the dragon rose to power really just handed over to Liu Bei like that?

I'm not willing to accept this...

"Your Majesty, Yanzhou is the place where Your Majesty rose to power; we must not abandon it without a fight!"

Cheng Yu stepped forward, revealed Cao Cao's thoughts, and then bowed deeply in gratitude:

"Your Majesty, although we have lost Luoyang, our main force is still intact, and the total number of soldiers lost is only about ten thousand."

"In my opinion, we still have the strength to fight, and we have not yet reached the point where we must abandon Yanzhou and retreat to Hebei!"

Cao Cao's heart skipped a beat, and his fist clenched suddenly.

Jiang Ji became anxious and questioned Cheng Yu:
"Although our main force did not suffer any losses, the Chu army's strength is more than twice that of ours."

"If Liu Bei and Xiao He were to join forces and lead an army of nearly 200,000 eastward from Hulao Pass, how could we possibly withstand the advance of the Chu army on this flat plain of Yanzhou?"

"Commander Cheng said that our army still has the strength to fight. I would like to ask, how can we fight?"

Cheng Yu was speechless.

Jiang Ji's questioning left him speechless.

Everyone understood, including Cao Cao.

The Chu army has gained a decisive advantage, with favorable timing, terrain, and popular support. In a battle on this vast plain, the Wei army has no chance of winning.

This is an indisputable fact!
Cheng Yu's thoughts were racing, his eyes darting around, when suddenly a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

"Your Majesty!"

Cheng Yu cupped his hands again, a hint of confidence now radiating from his face:

"I have a plan that may lure Zhang Liao into leading his army out to attack. Your Majesty can then set an ambush to defeat him and then seize Hulao Pass."

"If we can recapture Hulao Pass, we can use this strategic pass to stop the 200,000-strong army of the Da'er bandit from entering Yanzhou from the east."

"In this way, we have hope of defending Yanzhou!"

Cao Cao was greatly encouraged and hurriedly asked Cheng Yu what brilliant plan he had.

Cheng Yu then lowered his voice and explained his plan in detail.

Cao Cao's ashen face regained its luster, and his eyes lit up with renewed excitement. He paced back and forth, weighing his options in silence.

After a long time.

Cao Cao suddenly stopped and turned to look at his ministers:
"Zhongde's plan, though perhaps not foolproof, still offers a glimmer of hope." "I believe we should use Zhongde's plan to lure Zhang Liao out of the pass, defeat him, and then seize Hulao Pass in victory!"

Cheng Yu breathed a sigh of relief.

...

In the afternoon, in front of Hulao Pass.

Unlike usual, the Wei army did not launch a fierce attack on Hulao Pass.

Cao Cao, surrounded by Xu Chu and other elite guards, advanced to the front of Hulao Pass.

"Where is Wen Yuan? Does he dare to come out of the city and meet me?"

Cao Cao pointed his whip at the pass and shouted loudly.

On top of the city.

Upon seeing this formation, Zhang Liao immediately understood that Cao Cao wanted to invite him to a meeting at the pass.

If he dares not leave the pass for even a moment, wouldn't the world laugh at him for being cowardly?
I should go out of the pass for a while. I thought that since I was once a general under Cao Cao, if I went out of the city alone, I would inevitably be the subject of gossip.

Zhang Liao quickly changed his mind and left Feng Xi to guard Hulao Pass, ordering Xiang Chong to accompany him out of the pass to meet Cao Cao.

Xiang Lang was from Jingzhou and was an important minister of the Chu state. He held a high position in the court and was deeply trusted by the King of Chu.

Xiang Chong is Xiang Lang's son and is also an outstanding member of the younger generation.

Zhang Liao ordered Xiang Chong to accompany him, naturally out of fear that Cao Cao might use some kind of divisive tactic, and with Xiang Chong present, he could also serve as a witness.

The gates of Hulao Pass were wide open, and the two men rode out of the city to meet Cao Cao across the moat.

"Zhang Wenyuan, I spared your life in the battle of Xiapi back then; my favor towards you was immense..."

Upon meeting him, Cao Cao launched into a long and detailed account of the events of the past.

After rambling on for a while, the tone shifted:
"I have always been magnanimous. As long as you are willing to surrender the pass and return to my command, I will swear by the Yellow River that I will forgive and forget your past transgressions."

"I will trust you as before, appoint you as General of Chariots and Cavalry of my Great Wei, and entrust you with the military affairs of Henan and all matters south of the Yellow River."

"Wen Yuan, come back!"

Zhang Liao remained expressionless, coldly listening as Cao Cao tempted him with promises of high-ranking positions and generous rewards.

After Cao Cao had extended his olive branch, Zhang Liao did not hesitate for a moment and immediately said solemnly:

“I, Zhang Liao, wasted half my life until I submitted to the King of Chu, only then did I realize that I had met a wise ruler.”

"The King of Chu has shown me great kindness, and I, Zhang Liao, should serve him with unwavering loyalty, even at the cost of fire and water. How could I possibly betray him?"

"Lord Cao, although you are a hero of your time, you are more cruel than benevolent. You are only fit to be a hero. Your magnanimity and temperament are far inferior to those of a benevolent and wise ruler like the King of Chu."

"The King of Chu's unification of the world and the restoration of the Han Dynasty are the mandate of Heaven and the will of the people!"

Zhang Liao resolutely refused Cao Cao's offer to surrender.

Cao Cao's face grew greener and greener as he listened, his whip cracking in his hand, and anger burning in his eyes.

After a pause, Zhang Liao continued:

"I have just received a military report that our Grand Commandant Xiao has captured Luoyang, and the governor of Henan is now entirely under the control of our Chu state."

"In a few days, the King of Chu will lead his main army north to join forces with Grand Commandant Xiao's troops, and together they will send 200,000 troops east out of Hulao Pass to take Yanzhou."

"Lord Cao, the situation is already set. The demise of your Cao Wei is inevitable. Why make futile struggles and drag countless soldiers and civilians down with you?"

“I advise you to submit to the will of Heaven and surrender the whole country to the King of Chu as soon as possible. This will be a way to make amends for your past mistakes and contribute to the restoration of the Han Dynasty for the King of Chu.”

"Given the magnanimity of the King of Chu, he will surely spare your life and grant you a life of wealth and honor."

"Otherwise, if you continue to resist stubbornly, you will only end up dead and disgraced, with your entire clan wiped out."

"Lord Cao, I have said all I need to say. I hope you will think carefully before you act!"

Zhang Liao not only refused to surrender, but also rebelled against the Heavenly Gang and instead tried to persuade Cao Cao to surrender.

Furthermore, news broke that Luoyang had already fallen to Xiao He!
Cao Cao's expression changed drastically, and he cursed in shock and anger:
"Zhang Liao, you ungrateful wretch!"

"My Luoyang is as impregnable as a fortress. How could Xiao He possibly break through it in just a few days? You think you can shake the morale of my army with a few lies? How laughable!"

Before Cao Cao could utter his curses, a rider galloped in from the direction of the main camp.

"Your Majesty, a spy from the Governor of Henan has urgently reported that Luoyang was breached by the traitor Xiao the day before yesterday, Hao Zhao was captured, and my five thousand garrison troops were completely wiped out!"

The curse that Cao Cao was about to utter was instantly swallowed back, and he looked back at the messenger in astonishment and shock.

His eyes were wide with astonishment and horror, as if he had heard the most unbelievable thing in the world.

"impossible--"

Cao Cao roared and snatched the secret report from the messenger's hand. He eagerly opened it and read it in front of Zhang Liao.

The riding whip slipped from his hand and fell to the ground. His body swayed violently, and his face twisted and contorted in shock.

"This is impossible, this is impossible..."

"Luoyang is an impregnable fortress, how could it have been so easily breached by that traitor Xiao?"

"Why is this happening? Is it truly the will of Heaven to destroy our Great Wei, the will of Heaven to destroy Cao Cao?"

Cao Cao's hands trembled, and he muttered in shock, as if his soul had shattered.

"what--"

Suddenly, Cao Cao let out a heart-wrenching scream, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and collapsed on his horse.

"His Majesty has vomited blood and fainted!"

"Quickly, quickly escort the King back to camp, quickly—"

Xu Chu was greatly alarmed. He shouted at his guards and, with Cao Cao in tow, hurriedly led the unconscious Cao Cao back to the main camp.

Seeing Cao Cao, who had collapsed from anger and coughed up blood, a glint of light flashed in Zhang Liao's eyes. (End of Chapter)