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

Yongzhou, Chang'an City.

In the palace of the King of Wei, all the officials gathered for a court assembly.

This was the first court assembly convened by Cao Cao after his return from Jinyang.

With Youzhou and Jizhou lost, Bingzhou became the front line for Wei to resist Chu, serving as a shield for Chang'an in Guanzhong.

After retreating into Bingzhou, Cao Cao stationed himself in Jinyang, mobilizing troops to garrison at passes such as Jingxing and Yanmen, ready to repel Liu Bei's subsequent large-scale invasion.

Cao Cao only breathed a sigh of relief after Liu Bei's army returned south.

However, he did not return to Chang'an immediately. Instead, he stayed in Jinyang for two months, personally overseeing the construction of city walls and passes to ensure that the defense line of Bingzhou was as solid as gold.

After all the arrangements were completed, Cao Cao transferred General Xiahou Dun to Jinyang to oversee the armies of Bingzhou before setting off south to Chang'an himself.

"My lords, the bandit with the big ears has now seized the two provinces of Ji and You of our Great Wei. Only Bing Province in Hebei remains in the hands of our Great Wei."

"With the ambition of that big-eared traitor, it won't be long before he mobilizes the entire nation's army to march west and invade our Great Wei!"

"Our Great Wei is still in a critical moment of life and death, and we must not let our guard down."

"I have summoned you all today to discuss strategies for resisting the false Chu state. Please feel free to share any good ideas you may have!"

Cao Cao glanced at his ministers and solemnly stated his intentions.

Since ancient times, there can only be one ruler in this world.

He understood this principle, and Liu Bei naturally understood it as well.

Liu Bei has now seized most of Hebei and has acquired nine of the thirteen provinces, giving him an overwhelming advantage.

Under such circumstances, how could Liu Bei possibly coexist peacefully with him and allow them to coexist in both the east and west?
The invasion of the entire Chu army is likely imminent.

The only thing Cao Cao can do now is to pool his wisdom and efforts and spare no effort to defend his remaining three provinces.

Inside the royal palace hall, a lively discussion arose as the ministers offered various suggestions.

The proposed plan was nothing new.

It was nothing more than increasing the implementation of the Nine-Rank System in Guanzhong and Longxi, vigorously promoting and appointing scholars from Yong and Liang provinces in order to gain the full support of the powerful families in the two prefectures and restore military strength.

Militarily, it is necessary to fortify and construct passes such as Tongguan, Jiguan, Wuguan, Jingxingguan, and Yanmenguan to prepare for an upcoming attack by the Chu army…

Cao Cao and his ministers of Wei were quite confident.

After all, the three prefectures of Yongliang and Bingzhou were completely different from Hebei.

Hebei had no natural defenses and was flat as a plain. The so-called natural barrier of the Yellow River was just a name and could not stop the Chu army, which had the advantage of a navy.

The situation was different when Yong, Liang and the three prefectures were combined.

Bingzhou is protected by the Taihang Mountains, which are so formidable that even birds cannot cross them. Jingxing Pass and Huguan Pass are world-renowned formidable passes, and there are few precedents in history of their direct breach.

Yongzhou also boasts Tongguan, the most formidable pass under heaven, comparable to the ancient Hangu Pass.

Qin was able to withstand the allied forces of the six states by relying on Hangu Pass, so why couldn't Wei, relying on Tong Pass, stop the invasion of Chu?
"Your Majesty!"

Amidst the discussion, a stern voice interrupted the ministers.

One person stepped out of the classroom and announced loudly:
"Although our Great Wei only has the three provinces of Yong, Liang and Bing, it has a geographical advantage, and the situation is much better than when it occupied Hebei."

"If the ruler and his ministers of our Great Wei can be of one mind and the soldiers can fight with all their might, then with our current military strength, it is not difficult for us to defend the passes and block the Chu army from invading."

"In my opinion, the key to defeating the Chu army and defending the country's borders lies in the hearts of the people!"

"Only when the hearts of the people are with Wei will the ministers be willing to go through fire and water for Wei, and the soldiers be willing to die for Your Majesty!" "Therefore, I believe that Your Majesty's most pressing matter now is to win the hearts of the people!"

The person who spoke was none other than Sima Yi.

All eyes turned to each other, their expressions a mixture of certainty and bewilderment.

"Zhongda is right. Only when our Great Wei is united as one and our soldiers fight together can we stop the big-eared thief!"

Cao Cao nodded emphatically, deeply agreeing, and then asked:
"In Zhongda's opinion, what should I do to win people's hearts?"

Sima Yi walked into the hall and bowed deeply to Cao Cao:
"Since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the world has been torn apart, and the people have been displaced. Only Your Majesty has stepped forward to eliminate evil and uphold justice, saving the nation from collapse and rescuing the people from suffering!"

"Your Majesty has rendered meritorious service to the country and its people; a mere title of king is insufficient to reflect Your Majesty's achievements!"

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you follow the will of Heaven and the people, ascend the throne as Emperor, abolish the Han dynasty, establish the Wei dynasty, and create a new dynasty!"

"Only in this way can our great Wei unite as one, vow to follow Your Majesty to the death, protect Wei against Chu, and be willing to die ten thousand times!"

Inside the main hall, everyone was greatly shocked.

Sima Yi was actually advising Cao Cao to declare himself emperor!
Cao Cao was even more surprised, clearly not expecting that Sima Yi's so-called strategy to win people's hearts was to persuade him to declare himself emperor!

The ministers were initially taken aback, but then they suddenly realized what Sima Yi meant.

Then, the hall exploded with a deafening roar.

Cao Cao's relatives, Xiahou clan relatives, and other important officials from outside the clan, such as Zhang He, all stepped forward to urge him to become emperor.

Looking at the assembled ministers urging him to ascend the throne, a barely perceptible hint of excitement flashed across Cao Cao's astonished face.

But that fleeting excitement vanished in an instant, and Cao Cao immediately frowned, a look of displeasure appearing on his face.

"Zhongda, are you trying to make me bear the infamy of plotting to usurp the throne?"

Cao Cao glared angrily at Sima Yi and said with a sigh:

"I have fought for half my life without a single selfish thought, only to uphold the country, eliminate traitors and rebels, and save the people from suffering!"

"But now you want me to usurp the throne and become a treacherous minister who plots to seize power. What are your intentions?"

Cao Cao passionately expressed his intentions, then pointed at Sima Yi and launched into a tirade of questions.

The ministers' excitement cooled down immediately, and they looked at each other, unsure of Cao Cao's true intentions.

Despite Cao Cao's questioning, Sima Yi remained composed and magnanimous.

After Cao Cao finished rebuking him, Sima Yi bowed again, and said with righteous indignation:
"The two emperors Huan and Ling of the Han Dynasty brought chaos to the world, causing the country to fall apart, treacherous officials to rise up everywhere, and the people to live in misery. The Liu family is no longer worthy to rule the world."

As the sage said, "The world does not belong to one person; it should be ruled by the virtuous!"

"Your Majesty is virtuous, just as Liu Bang destroyed Qin and established Han. Your Majesty is also qualified to depose Han and establish Wei."

"Moreover, it is an undeniable fact that Chu is currently strong and Wei is weak. If Your Majesty does not ascend to the throne as Emperor, how can you expect the heroes of the Three Qin regions to stand with you through thick and thin, and to risk their lives to protect the land of our Great Wei?"

After giving a lengthy and detailed analysis of his reasons, Sima Yi solemnly bowed to Cao Cao:
"Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty, for the sake of the survival of our Great Wei, that you immediately ascend the throne as Emperor and rule over the world!"

The ministers immediately understood Sima Yi's implication, and they all bowed in unison, shouting:
"Your Majesty, we humbly request that, for the sake of the survival of our Great Wei, you ascend to the throne and rule over the world!"

Cao Cao's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly understood the implication of Sima Yi's words:
If you don't ascend to the throne as emperor, how can we, your subjects, be promoted and given higher ranks?

If we are not promoted and ennobled, what motivation will we have to stand with you through thick and thin, risk our lives to protect your Cao Wei empire, and ensure the prosperity and wealth of our descendants for generations to come? (End of Chapter)