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

Ye City, Royal Palace.

Just as Liu Bei was planning to continue his northward campaign to recover Youzhou and completely bring Hebei under his control, Hua Tuo arrived from Xudu.

This renowned physician, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy of the Han Dynasty, came specifically to report to Liu Bei on the illness of his eldest son, Liu Shan.

"Yuanhua, tell me honestly, is there any hope of curing Adou's illness?"

Liu Bei gazed at Hua Tuo, asking with anticipation.

All the ministers on either side held their breath, their eyes fixed on Hua Tuo.

Hua Tuo then answered, but that would determine whether Liu Shan was still qualified to be the heir apparent of Chu.

It weighs as much as a thousand pounds.

"I have practiced medicine for decades and have seen many difficult and complicated cases. I have also treated several cases of dementia caused by fright, like the eldest son's."

"But this is the first time I've encountered symptoms like those of the eldest son."

"The eldest son's condition fluctuates; sometimes he's perfectly normal, and other times he becomes delirious, often babbling incoherently..."

After Hua Tuo described Liu Shan's condition, he bowed respectfully.

"I have exhausted all my knowledge and tried all kinds of methods, such as hot water, acupuncture and moxibustion, on the eldest son, but they have not been effective in the slightest."

"Forgive my bluntness, but whether the eldest son can recover from his illness depends on whether he is blessed by Heaven."

Liu Bei felt a pang of unease.

Although Hua Tuo did not say it explicitly, his meaning was all too clear.

What does it mean to see if someone has a destiny or blessings?

There's no cure; it's all down to luck.

The implication was that Hua Tuo was powerless to help Liu Shan with his illness.

Even a legendary physician like Hua Tuo was helpless, let alone other doctors.
Liu Shan's illness was incurable...

Old Liu had a son late in life, and A Dou was his eldest son, so he was naturally all the more precious to him and even placed high hopes on him.

Now that A Dou has contracted such an "incurable disease," it's no wonder Old Liu is heartbroken.

Seeing this, Xiao He could only offer words of comfort:

"Your Majesty, please do not worry too much. The eldest son is blessed by Heaven, and perhaps his illness will one day heal itself."

A hint of bitterness flashed across Liu Bei's eyes, and he sighed:
"Bowen, please don't try to comfort me. As a father, I naturally hope that Adou will be blessed by Heaven."

"But as the ruler of a nation, I cannot entrust the future of my Chu Kingdom and my Han Dynasty to the uncertain blessings of Heaven..."

Xiao and Mo Ran.

He understood what Lao Liu was saying; he had made up his mind and given up on making Liu Shan his heir.

As the saying goes, it's easier to conquer a country than to govern it. Old Liu conquered the country, but he still had to rely on his son to maintain it.

If the right successor is chosen, the dynasty can continue, and even if it doesn't last for ten thousand years, it should at least last for another one or two hundred years.

But if the wrong choice is made, it is very likely that the emperor will follow in the footsteps of the First Emperor, who chose Huhai and the dynasty will perish after only two generations.

Hua Tuo's implication couldn't be clearer: Liu Shan's illness was fluctuating, with almost no possibility of a cure.

If that's the case, how could Lao Liu possibly pass on the business he worked so hard to build to a son who is sometimes normal and sometimes mentally challenged?

For the sake of the Chu Kingdom, for the Han Dynasty, and for the future of all people, Liu Bang had no choice but to reluctantly give up the idea of ​​making Liu Shan his heir.

Xiao He also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

As he expected, Liu's vision and ambition far surpassed Sima Yan's. Unlike the latter, he did not choose an idiot as his heir, plunging the world into an abyss of no return.

"Bowen, these are the recent memorials from Yingtian and Xudu. Take a look."

Liu Bei put aside his emotions and handed several memorials to Xiao He.

Xiao He had roughly guessed the contents of the memorials, but he still took them and carefully read through them.

As expected.

These memorials were submitted by important ministers such as Zhuge Liang, Mi Zhu, and Xu Shu, urging Liu Bei to establish a crown prince as soon as possible for the long-term benefit of the country and the people.

Xiao He was not surprised by these memorials.

Old Liu is now over fifty years old.

In later generations, this age would not be considered anything special, but in this era it is already considered a long life.

At this age, if you still haven't established an heir apparent, both the ministers and the people of the land will feel uneasy.

Why did the Yuan clan perish? Was it really because the Yuan clan was too weak and Cao Cao was too strong?
of course not.

It was because Yuan Shao never chose an heir until his death that the Yuan family split and fought amongst themselves after his death, allowing Cao Cao to reap the benefits.

Given Yuan Shao's example, everyone naturally hoped that Liu Shan would establish an heir as soon as possible while he was still in relatively good health, to avoid leaving potential problems for the future. Before Liu Shan fell ill, no one was in a hurry.

After all, Liu Shan was the eldest son of the legitimate wife and was much older than his younger brothers. Although he had not yet been formally appointed as the heir apparent, he was already the undisputed crown prince in the hearts of the officials.

To put it bluntly, even if something were to happen to Liu Shan, all the ministers would unanimously support Liu Shan's succession, and there would be no situation like the Yuan family's split and internal strife.

But things are different now. Liu Shan has developed dementia and has lost his right to be the heir apparent.

At this point, if something were to happen to Lao Liu, the situation would be completely different.

Liu Yong and Liu Li, the two sons, are of similar age and both have a reputation for virtue; either of them is qualified to inherit the throne.

In this way, if some people support Liu Yong's succession, others will support Liu Li's succession, and the strategists and generals will be divided into two factions, which could lead to the division of the Chu state.

Therefore, Zhuge Liang and other ministers, for the sake of the country and its people, chose to submit a memorial at this time, urging Liu Bei to establish an heir as soon as possible.

"Kongming and the others were also considering the stability of the state. After all, the heir apparent is related to the foundation of the country, and the sooner he is established, the more stable people's hearts will be."

"However, Your Majesty is currently in the prime of life, and there is no need to rush to establish an heir."

Xiao He chose to compromise and play it safe, aiming for a moderate approach.

Zhuge Liang and other ministers were indeed acting in the best interests of the state, so they certainly couldn't oppose it.

But if he were to express his opinion and also urge Liu to establish an heir as soon as possible, Liu would definitely ask him who he would choose as the crown prince.

Once he expresses his opinion, it will be tantamount to him participating in the battle for the crown prince position.

Participating in the battle for the reserve position naturally carries risks.

Xiao He would naturally not forget his original intention:

Having reached the pinnacle of his career, he retired smoothly and can now enjoy a peaceful old age...

If that's the case, why get involved in the succession issue and take unnecessary risks?

Faced with Lao Liu's inquiry, all that could be done was to smooth things over.

Liu Bei shook his head and said self-deprecatingly:
"What do you mean by 'in the prime of life' and 'in the prime of youth'? Bowen, don't try to comfort me with such words."

"I am now past the age of knowing my destiny, and I have one foot in the grave. My only wish in life is to destroy the false Wei, unify the world, and complete the restoration of the Han Dynasty, leaving a world without war for my descendants."

"Kongming and the others are right. For the sake of the stability of the country, I should indeed establish a crown prince."

Old Liu has taken the initiative to break the ice, frankly admitting that he is getting old and his life is limited, and that he is determined to establish an heir.

Since Old Liu had taken it all in so lightly, Xiao He couldn't very well try to smooth things over anymore, so he could only agree with him.

"In my opinion, among my sons, who is more suitable to be made heir apparent?"

After speaking frankly, Liu Bei suddenly changed the subject and asked with a solemn expression.

Xiao He's heart trembled slightly.

Sure enough, Old Liu really wanted to ask him who could be made the heir apparent.

Xiao He coughed a few times, then cupped his hands and smiled:
"The matter of choosing an heir should be decided solely by Your Majesty; how dare I presume to make such a suggestion?"

"Regardless of which prince Your Majesty appoints as heir, as your subject, I will do my utmost to assist him in order to repay Your Majesty's kindness in recognizing my talent."

Xiao He naturally wouldn't easily express his opinion, so he used a high-sounding excuse to brush it off.

Liu Bei sighed inwardly.

He naturally understood the implication of Xiao He's words.

He, the mastermind behind the brilliant strategist, wanted to stay out of the matter of choosing an heir and had no desire to participate.

For Liu Bei, this was both a good thing and a bad thing.

As a subject, not participating in the struggle for succession, but only being loyal to the monarch and the state, is naturally a desirable thing for every ruler.

Without Xiao He's approval, he couldn't be sure if his choice was correct.

After all, Xiao He was a man of extraordinary wisdom and foresight, possessing complete insight into the affairs of the world.

Only a crown prince approved by Xiao He can put his mind at ease.

Now that Xiao He is unwilling to express his opinion, it is naturally a bad thing for him as well.

But Xiao He's intention to not participate in the succession dispute is already very clear. We can't force him to make a statement, can we?

Liu Bei's eyes darted around a few times, then he changed the subject and said with a smile:

"It's not too late for us to put the matter of establishing an heir on hold for now."

"Now I also want to choose a wise teacher for each of my sons to teach them the way of the sages, and to teach them both literary and military skills."

“Bowen, as my strategist, you should naturally be among the top ranks.”

"Of my sons, Bowen, you may choose one to take as your student. Which one would you like to choose, Bowen?" (End of Chapter)