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

Liu Bei was startled and looked up sharply at Kong Rong.

Xiao He's expression changed, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

The Nine Bestowments granted included the privilege of not having to hasten one's movements when entering the court, not having to use one's name when being praised or saluted, and being allowed to wear a sword and shoes in the palace…

These privileges were practically the pinnacle for a subject, the final step before ascending to the throne.

Xiao He was quite familiar with these titles.

In the past, this was a necessary procedure for various warlords who established dynasties during the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, and later when they changed dynasties.

To Xiao He's surprise, his ministers did not collectively submit memorials to create momentum, nor did they put pressure on the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. These privileges were actually bestowed upon Liu by the Emperor himself.

The emperor even created the position of "Grand Chancellor," which, as the name suggests, placed him above all other officials and princes, a new position tailor-made for Liu Bei.

It means the same thing as the "General of Heavenly Strategy" that Li Yuan invented for Li Er during the early Tang Dynasty.

Xiao He and Pang Tong, along with a few others, exchanged glances, their eyes meeting briefly before they understood the emperor's profound meaning.

It is likely that Empress Dowager Fu and Emperor Liu Xi have accepted the fact that Liu Xi has achieved unparalleled merit, the people are loyal to him, and he will eventually inherit the throne and take over the Han Dynasty.

So the mother and son discussed it and decided that rather than waiting for Xiao and his ministers to create momentum and force them to passively abdicate, they should take the initiative to bestow titles upon Liu and pave the way for Liu to eventually become emperor.

In this way, they could also win Old Liu's gratitude, and after the emperor abdicated, Old Liu would treat them and their son even better.

Having figured this out, Xiao He couldn't help but admire Empress Dowager Fu and the young emperor for being pragmatic.

Consider history: Empress Fu fought against Cao Cao to the end to help Liu Xie retain his throne, ultimately paying the price of having her entire clan exterminated.

However, Cao Cao's nature was completely different from that of Liu Bei.

Cao Cao was a foreign official who wanted to usurp the Liu family's empire, so they naturally had to fight him to the end.

Old Liu was a member of the Liu imperial family and was qualified to inherit the throne.

Most importantly, Liu had the late Emperor Liu Xie's edict that "you may become the emperor yourself"!
It's perfectly legal, reasonable, and justifiable for Lao Liu to want to be emperor.

Under such circumstances, the fact that the Fu clan and Liu Xiruo still clung to the throne showed that they did not prioritize the Han dynasty or the Liu family's rule.

"Your Majesty, we offer our congratulations!"

Xiao He, who had just turned the corner, was the first to bow and congratulate Liu Bei.

Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Pang Tong, Lu Su, Xun Yu and other ministers also realized what was happening and congratulated Liu Bei.

"King of Chu, please accept the decree."

Kong Rong smiled and bent down, presenting the imperial edict with both hands.

Liu Bei did not accept the imperial decree, nor did he show any joy on his face. Instead, he frowned slightly and looked troubled.

Xiao He naturally understood what was troubling Lao Liu.

Once this imperial edict is received, it is tantamount to announcing to the world that Liu Bei will soon ascend the throne and become emperor.

He was still worried about public opinion, which would condemn Liu Bei for coercing the emperor and being a treacherous minister plotting to usurp the throne.

"Your Majesty has the merit of eliminating traitors and rebels, restoring the Han Dynasty, and saving the people from suffering."

"Your Majesty's merits and prestige are such that, apart from traitors like Cao Cao, who in the world does not acknowledge them, and who does not submit to them?"

"The Emperor's bestowal of these honors is precisely to recognize Your Majesty's merits. I believe that among all the people under Heaven who are loyal to the Han Dynasty and uphold justice, not a single one will have any objections."

"Moreover, as the sage said, the world belongs only to the virtuous!"

"At this point, Your Majesty should already know what the general trend is, what the people's will is, and what the destiny is."

"Since that's the case, Your Majesty should put down your burdens, openly and honestly follow the will of Heaven and the hearts of the people, and act in accordance with the trend. Why bother to pay attention to the barking of a few petty villains?"

After offering some words of advice and persuasion, Xiao He cupped his hands and said:

"Therefore, we, your subjects, implore Your Majesty to follow the will of Heaven and the will of the people, and accept the Emperor's bestowal of titles and rewards!"

Upon hearing Xiao He's words, Liu Bei's body trembled, and a look of sudden realization flashed in his eyes.

Xiao He's implication couldn't be clearer:

You, Liu Bei, have already established your dominance over the six provinces of Jing, Yang, Yu, Yan, Xu, and Qing, commanding hundreds of thousands of troops, and holding the high position of King of Chu.

Ascending the throne and becoming emperor, ruling over the world, is an inevitable trend that cannot be reversed.

Having come this far, there's no point in arguing about one or two dissenting voices anymore.

Travel light and go with the flow – that's the way to go!
"Yes, Bowen is right. Things have come to this point, why should I have those pointless worries..."

Liu Bei seemed to understand something, and a relieved smile gradually appeared on his face.

After taking a deep breath, Liu Bei's gaze hardened, and he calmly accepted Kong Rong's imperial edict, saying, "Your subject accepts the edict and thanks you for your grace."

Xiao He smiled.

Guan Yu felt relieved.

The strategists and generals present all breathed a sigh of relief and burst into laughter.

Having received the imperial edict, Liu Bei naturally had no choice but to temporarily suspend his plans to attack Wei and instead host a grand banquet to entertain Kong Rong, who had come from afar.

After two days of banquets, Kong Rong, carrying Liu Bei's letter of thanks, bid farewell and set off for Yingtian.

Liu Bei, in his capacity as Grand Chancellor and King of Chu, reconvened his ministers to discuss the grand plan to attack Wei.

The ministers were naturally in high spirits and offered their suggestions one after another. After much discussion, the biggest debate was whether to attack Hebei first or take Guanzhong first.

Sizhou was divided into two parts; the area west of Tongguan, known as the Guanzhong Plain, became part of the Three Auxiliary Regions.

Guanzhong and Liangzhou are separated by the Longshan Mountains. The area east of the Longshan Mountains is Guanzhong, and the area west of the Longshan Mountains is Liangzhou, which is also generally referred to as Longxi.

Guanzhong and Liangzhou are collectively known as Guanlong.

Lu Su's opinion was to first seize Guanzhong and Longxi, thus cutting off one of Wei's arms. This would not only eliminate the threat from Wei troops west of Luoyang, but also create a pincer movement against Wei from the west and south.

The third benefit is that after acquiring Liangzhou, we will gain access to the Xiliang horse-breeding region, which will greatly enhance the cavalry combat power of the Great Chu.

Pang Tong argued that if Guanzhong and Longxi were taken first, it would provoke Zhang Lu in Hanzhong, forcing him to join forces with Cao Wei and launch an attack on the flank of the Chu army from the Qinling Mountains. In this case, the Chu army would face a situation of being attacked from both sides.

Secondly, the Guanzhong Plain is narrow and the people are poor, making it impossible to obtain food locally. The hundreds of thousands of troops could only rely on the Guandong prefectures for food supplies.

Transporting grain from Guandong to Guanzhong was inconvenient by both water and land, the grain routes were long, and the transshipment costs were huge.

Therefore, Pang Tong advocated taking Hebei first.

Although Cao Cao had the so-called natural barrier of the Yellow River, the Yellow River was not as wide and turbulent as the Yangtze River, making it relatively easier to cross.

Moreover, the Chu army also had the advantage of a navy.

Furthermore, Hebei and Henan are separated by a river, and grain supplies from the prefectures of Yanzhou, Qingzhou, Henan, and Xuzhou can be transported nearby, reducing logistical pressure compared to transporting grain to Guanzhong.

After weighing the pros and cons, Pang Tong advocated attacking Hebei first.

"Bowen, should we launch a western expedition to Guanzhong or a northern expedition to Hebei? What's your opinion?"

Liu Bei hesitated for a moment, his gaze instinctively turning to Xiao He.

The hall fell silent instantly, and everyone's unwavering gazes were fixed on Xiao He.

Such a major national undertaking naturally depends on Xiao He's attitude.

After pondering for a long time, Xiao He gently pointed towards the sand table:
"Whether it's a western expedition or a northern expedition, each has its advantages and disadvantages."

"I will only mention two places: Tongguan and Jizhou."

Liu Bei's expression shifted slightly, his somewhat bewildered gaze falling on the two locations on the sand table, but he failed to grasp Xiao He's implied meaning.

Xiao He pointed towards Tongguan and slowly said:
"If we are to attack Guanzhong, we must take Tongguan. This pass is known as the pass that one man can hold off ten thousand men. Its strategic importance is well known."

"Our army currently has the advantage in terms of troop strength over the puppet Wei. If we were to launch a full-scale attack on Guanzhong, we could mobilize at least 300,000 troops."

"But the Wei forces only need 30,000 to 40,000 elite troops stationed at Tongguan. With the fortified pass, they can stop an army ten times larger than mine."

"So how long will it take our army, how much money and food will it consume, and how many soldiers will be killed or wounded, to break through Tongguan?"

Liu Bei nodded slightly, having already discerned Xiao He's stance.

"Let's talk about Jizhou next."

Xiao He moved his hand to the northeast of the sand table and continued:
"Jizhou is the largest province in the world. Its fertile land and dense population are unparalleled in the world."

"Cao Cao has had Ji Province for nearly ten years now. With ten years to recuperate, the population of Ji Province has probably doubled. The combined population of the three provinces of Yan, Yu, and Qing may not even be as large as that of Ji Province alone."

"Our army has only temporarily gained the upper hand in terms of troop strength by winning several major victories in Henan, which has severely damaged Cao Wei and created an advantage for Chu, which is weaker than Wei."

"But this advantage is not constant."

"If Cao Wei is given enough time to recuperate and fully unleash the war potential of Ji Province, it is possible that Cao Wei will recover its strength in a few years, or even less."

"At that time, the numerical advantage we had gained through several bloody battles could have been wiped out in one fell swoop by Cao Cao."

"Once our army and the Wei army are once again evenly matched, Cao Cao will have enough troops to make his Yellow River defense line impregnable."

"If that day really comes, I'm afraid we will miss the great opportunity to destroy Cao Wei and unify the world!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei suddenly understood.

The ministers all suddenly realized the truth.

Although Xiao He did not say it directly, his attitude was clear:

First, conquer Hebei!

The reason is equally simple and clear:
First, Tongguan Pass is not easy to attack.

Secondly, the difficulty of conquering Tongguan due to its protracted nature gave Cao Cao the opportunity to unleash the war potential of Ji Province and massively increase his army.

Therefore, we should avoid difficulties and choose the easy path, taking advantage of the current favorable situation where Chu is strong and Wei is weak, first attacking Hebei, and then taking Guanzhong.

"Bowen's words are spot on!"

Liu Bei nodded in approval, then glanced at his ministers:
"You have all understood what Bowen meant. Do you have any objections?"

Pang Tong had always advocated attacking Hebei first, so naturally there was no objection.

Lu Su's attitude and stance also underwent a complete 180-degree change due to Xiao He's analysis, and he turned to support the initial attack on Hebei.

The ministers all expressed their opinions, and they all strongly advocated attacking Hebei first.

Thus, the rulers and ministers of the Great Chu reached a consensus on the strategy of attacking Wei.

"it is good!"

Liu Bei pointed to the location of Hebei on the sand table, his gaze as sharp as an iron railroad:
"My mind is made up. I will follow the plan of Bowen and my ministers, and immediately mobilize the entire army of the nation to cross the Yellow River, seize Ye City, and recover Hebei in one fell swoop!" (End of this chapter)