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

"Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural order..."

Liu Bei muttered to himself, repeating these eight words.

He couldn't help but recall that when he met Qian Zhao in Jinyang that day, Qian Zhao had said the same thing.

For a moment, Liu Bei fell into deep thought.

Seeing this, Xiao He quickly comforted him:

"Although Your Majesty is nearly sixty, your talent is still as strong as ever, no less than that of a young man."

"I believe that Your Majesty has simply been overworked with state affairs and has been personally leading military campaigns for many years, which has worn out your health. After returning to the capital, you should take good care of yourself and recover fully."

"As for the matter of destroying the pseudo-Wei, with its mere two prefectures, there is no need for Your Majesty to personally lead the expedition. A single general can easily lead the army to destroy it."

"From this moment on, Your Majesty should prioritize recuperation and health."

Knowing that Old Liu was already past his prime, Xiao He had no choice but to offer him words of comfort against his will.

Liu Bei smiled calmly and waved his hand dismissively:

"Bowen, you don't need to comfort me. I have already been fortunate enough to live to this age."

“Yuanhua and Zijing are right. Birth, aging, sickness and death are natural laws, and even the emperor is no exception.”

"My only hope is that Heaven will grant me a few more years so that I can see the day when the world is unified."

Old Liu's carefree attitude and indifference to life and death filled Xiao He with awe.

In his attitude towards life and death, Old Liu was quite like Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang.

"His Majesty…"

Xiao wanted to offer comfort, but didn't know how to start.

Zhang Fei jumped up and shouted excitedly:

"Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, and is protected by Heaven. I believe Your Majesty will live to be a hundred years old."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. After you return to Ye City, you can rest well. Leave the matter of destroying Wei to me."

"Within a year, I will surely destroy the false Wei and present the head of the traitor Cao to Your Majesty!"

Liu Bei was naturally pleased with Zhang Fei's intentions, but he did not take Zhang Fei's boast of destroying Wei in a year seriously.

"Yide, Bowen, I will listen to you. After returning to the capital, take good care of your health. I will entrust this final battle to destroy Wei to you."

"However, Yide, although Cao Cao only has two provinces left, we must not underestimate him. Your idea of ​​destroying Wei in a year is probably too optimistic."

Upon hearing Liu Bei's reminder, Zhang Fei scratched his head and grinned sheepishly.
"To say that I will destroy Wei in one year is a bit of an exaggeration. What I really want to say is that I will do my utmost to destroy the pseudo-Wei as quickly as possible, so that Your Majesty can realize the great cause of unifying the world..."

Liu Bei smiled.

The ministers on either side also laughed.

The atmosphere inside the imperial tent immediately relaxed.

"I am determined to destroy Wei, but I cannot deny that I am getting old. This illness has made me realize that it is time to establish a crown prince."

Liu Bei abruptly changed the subject, unexpectedly bringing up the matter of establishing a crown prince.

The ministers were slightly startled, but quickly quieted down.

Xiao He understood that Lao Liu was preparing for the future of the Han Dynasty.

If, at this age, one day he suddenly falls seriously ill and passes away unexpectedly without having established a crown prince, wouldn't the country be thrown into chaos?
Since you have not designated a crown prince, both Princes Liu Yong and Liu Li are qualified to succeed to the throne.

Behind each of the two kings was a group of court officials who supported them.

If the two princes were to fight each other for the throne, and the ministers were to turn against each other, wouldn't the country fall into chaos in an instant?

As a great ruler, Liu Bang would never have left behind such a huge problem for future generations, leaving behind such a hidden danger of national chaos.

Therefore, he had to establish a crown prince in advance while he was still in relatively good health to eliminate potential threats.

"Bowen, who do you think I should appoint as crown prince, the Prince of Lu or the Prince of Liang?"

Liu Bei looked at Xiao He with expectation. Everyone knew that, in terms of kinship, Xiao He might not be as close as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, the emperor's sworn brothers.

However, in terms of influence among the court officials and the degree to which the emperor listened to his advice, Xiao He was undoubtedly the number one.

Whoever Liu Yong or Liu Li, or Xiao He recommended, the emperor would most likely appoint as crown prince without hesitation.

Xiao He's answer will very likely determine who will become the next emperor of the Han Dynasty!

All the ministers held their breath and focused their attention on Xiao He.

Xiao He hesitated for a moment, then cupped his hands and said:
"In my opinion, the decision of who to appoint as the crown prince should be made solely by Your Majesty's own will, and is not something I, your subject, can presume to discuss."

"Your Majesty's question is beyond my ability to answer."

The ministers' tense nerves relaxed as a result.

Liu Bei also sighed, a helpless smile flashing across his eyes.

Xiao He's answer was the same as his question from several years ago:
Who you choose as heir is up to you. As your subject, I have no opinion, I will not participate, and I will not take sides.

Xiao He was unwilling to get involved in the succession dispute, and Liu Bei naturally understood this intention, so he did not press him further.

"Yide, who do you think I should make crown prince?"

Liu Bei's gaze then turned to his sworn brother.

Zhang Fei clearly didn't have as many "tricks" as Xiao He; without thinking, he said directly:

"Your Majesty, you asked me this, so I will answer it."

"In my opinion, Your Majesty should establish the Prince of Liang as the Crown Prince."

The ministers' eyes all flickered, and they quickly exchanged glances.

This marks the first time Zhang Fei has publicly expressed his support for making Liu Li, the Prince of Liang, the crown prince.

Zhang Fei was both the emperor's sworn brother and the General of the Flying Cavalry of the Han Dynasty. Everyone knew how noble his status was and how much weight his words carried.

With Zhang Fei's recommendation, the hope of Liu Li, the Prince of Liang, being made crown prince suddenly soared.

"Yide, why do you think the Prince of Liang is more suitable to be the crown prince?"

Liu Bei continued to ask.

"The Prince of Liang is skilled in riding and archery, well-versed in military strategy, and extremely talented in military tactics. He has also made great achievements in civil administration, which His Majesty and his ministers have witnessed."

"Such a prince, who is both scholarly and martial, and possesses extraordinary talent and strategy, is naturally worthy of the position of Crown Prince of our Great Han!"

Zhang Fei was also straightforward and didn't mince words at all, stating his reasons for recommending Liu Li very directly.

Liu Bei stroked his fine beard and nodded slightly:
"In terms of academic talent and military strategy, Li'er is indeed superior, but..."

Liu Bei didn't finish his sentence, but his brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of concern flashed in his eyes.

While others didn't notice, Xiao He could tell what Old Liu was worried about.

Last year, his wife, Guan Yinping, told him that her father-in-law, Guan Yu, had secretly met with Liu Bei and persuaded him to make Liu Yong, the Prince of Lu, the crown prince.

The father-in-law's reasoning was that although Prince Lu was inferior to Prince Liang in both literary and military talent, he was kind and gentle in nature, and his character was superior to that of Prince Liang.

In the future, when the world is unified and all the rebels have been eliminated, the second emperor who maintains the status quo does not actually need to have great talent and strategy, but should value good character more.

This matter was requested privately by Guan Yu, and apart from his son-in-law, even Zhang Fei was unaware of it.

The current situation is that Guan Yu, the second brother, recommends the Prince of Lu as the crown prince, while Zhang Fei, the third brother, recommends the Prince of Liang as the crown prince.

The two sworn brothers clashed over the issue of choosing an heir.

This put Lao Liu in a difficult position.

Just as Liu Bei was in a dilemma, the White Feather Guard rushed in and presented a memorial that Zhuge Liang had just personally delivered.

Liu Bei's mind was entirely focused on the matter of choosing an heir, so he only casually took the document and opened it absentmindedly.

After glancing at it, Liu Bei's eyes suddenly lit up with surprise, and he abruptly sat up straight. (End of Chapter)